2nd the vegetarian ramen at Totto - it's amazing!

Gennaro's has great Italian at reasonable prices.

Second the recommendation for Fish Tag. Same owners as Kefi, smaller space. Lots of fish and veggie options.

I used to go to Minca's years ago and loved it. It was my favorite. Heard rumors that it had gone down hill. I'm glad that it's still good. Will have to make the trek again now that it will be cooler soon.

Another vote for Totto. Their veggie ramen is amazing - they manage to make it every bit as flavorful and rich and full of texture as any pork ramen. This is coming from someone who would normally never order veggie noodles since I love tonkotsu broth so. The wait is annoying, though, as others have said.

Some restaurant in NYC discovered that if they make guacamole table side and turn it into a show, they could charge lots more. Now that's the norm for guacamole here.

It would be bread and cheese. I'd start with freshly baked baguette slathered with camembert for breakfast, then for lunch a nice toasted grilled swiss cheese sandwich, where part of the cheese melts on the pan and browns to a crisp, and then a nice cheese plate with at least 4 different cheeses for dinner (with maybe some token fruit or salad for a fresh contrast.) The next day would include fondue w/nice chunks of challah bread (or sour dough, or country), pao de queijo for snack time, mozzarella tomato sandwiches for another meal, and Triscuits (not exactly bread) w/cheddar, and so on and so on! I wish this could be!!

They also have lamb testicles at Cheburechnaya.

Thinking aloud here, but I like to think of the food trend now as "neo-fusion", or maybe "borderless" cooking. To me, fusion implies a conscious effort to bring different cuisines together, and those separate cuisines are still labeled as the starting point. Now, customers and people who work in the food industry are more educated about ingredients and ways of cooking around the world. I like it when chefs cook what they like but draw from a much wider palette than usual The food at Masak and Silk Road Tavern are some examples which I've tried and enjoyed. Maybe new ways of labeling this cuisine will evolve.

Thanks for posting about Dysart's. I'm not the OP, but happened to go on a road trip up to Canada, and passed through Bangor. I loved Dysart's!! Each dish we had was done with a lot of loving attention to detail. I had a lobster omelet, which had fresh, flavorful, tender chunks of lobster. In addition, the omelet itself was perfect for me - timed so that if it had been cooked a few seconds less, it would have been a touch runny. We also enjoyed blueberry pancakes which were springy and filled with local wild blueberries. My friend had a corned beef hash which was the most flavorful I'd ever tasted. Also, my friend could not stop raving about the baked beans. Only the bread toast was unexceptional. The host and the waitress were warm and attentive.

Just made the sandwich - wow! I loved the flavor combination of the 3 cheeses. The cheese crisp is a stroke of genius. A sophisticated recipe that was also easy to make. You def. would have gotten my vote.

This looks so good - can't wait to try it! Thanks for posting this.

Can you recommend a good soup dumpling place? Thx!

Very true!

Ok, it took 4 years, but recently picked up Wind in the Willows at a thrift shop and read it. I was surprised by how adult the themes are. I loved the food scenes. They were depicted w/such warmth! I especially liked the one in which they visited Mole's home. In spite of his worries about his home and larder being shabby compared to his companions', they made a merry feast and helped him feel better about his home. Thanks for the rec!

Oh no! I'm sad that the Flushing Mall stand doesn't serve it any more! From another CH thread, I learned about a place called Province (iirc) which is on Church St. south of Canal. They serve "sandwiches" on steamed buns. The pork one is a gua bao, or very close to one, and is delicious.

Thanks, Miss Needle. I wasn't sure how to help her, so I'm glad to have your feedback.

Thanks everyone for your great suggestions! I'll definitely look into Pump My friend works at 6th Ave. and 48th St.

Oops, forgot to mention that. She works in midtown Manhattan.

Hello fellow chowhounders,

My dear friend's mother is very sick, and she has been spending all of her spare time taking care of her. She also has a very high-stress full-time job which is not cutting her any slack, even during this very difficult time for her. As a result, she's not able to cook and is eating take-out all of the time.

Since she's rarely home, I thought I could help her out by at least having a nice, healthy lunch delivered to her a few times a week at work. Can anyone suggest a delivery service that serves delicious, healthy food, has a flexible schedule, and will deliver to an office? Preferably not too expensive!

TIA for all of your help - I know that CH will come through for me!

Happy Day! Thanks for sharing the press release.

Thanks to CH, I tried Szechuan Gourmet yesterday on 39th between 5th & 6th. Amazing Chinese food. 5 blocks from where you are, but worth the walk if you have the time.

Actually, the dish Momofuku serves is a Gua Bao, though they call it something else.

The lobster salad at $17 wasn't a bad deal since there was a comparable amount of meat to a lobster roll, which run at least $20 in NYC. I didn't mind the prices in general b/c I found the portions sufficient and I was happy w/my overall experience.

Just got back from an enjoyable evening at Merkato 55. The decor was warm and attractive - dark wood with African accents such as lamps made of thin strands of the small white shells that you often see in African jewelry. The upstairs room, where my friend and I sat, was dominated by two enormous bunches of pussy willow branches jutting out of rustic vases.

Our waitress was perky and endearingly eager to please. She described in detail every item on the menu except for the sides - the breads, chutneys, small plates, entrees, etc. We found this unusual and a bit tedious since much of the information was already written. We ordered (much of it based on CH recs - thanks!) the African bread basket, apple coconut yogurt, falafel, lobster salad, chickpea dumplings, lamb meatballs and a side of collards, in case we didn't get enough veggies.

The bread basket came with a spiced corn bread, sesame coated pitas, and a zatar bread. The zatar bread was the best with one side nicely crisped, and the inside chewy. The other two were tasty but ordinary. The apple yogurt was a sweet accompaniment. The falafels were delicate and flavorful, but not special enough to justify $7.

The lobster salad was a treat. There was a decent amount of tender meat mixed with chopped vegetables such as water cress and scallions, and a creamy, slightly nutty base, and topped with a lobster claw and a wedge of grapefruit. Unfortunately, I hate scallions, so I couldn't enjoy the dish as fully as I'd have liked, but it was a minor deterrent.

Next came the chickpea dumplings and lamb meatballs. The chickpea dumplings were fluffly, like good gnocci and nicely charred, so that each bite had a flavor of toasted cumin. They were tossed with swiss chard, smoked chickpeas, tiny cubes of salty potatoes, small round flakes of a grain I couldn't identify, and some herb with a floral flavor. It was a dish with many layers of textures and flavors - great comfort food. The lamb meatballs were also good. They were served on a bed of couscous with a tomato-based sauce, and a fried egg. The meatballs had a strong lamb flavor, and were very firm in a pleasing way. The best part was having runny egg on each bite of meatball. There were also currants in the sauce to provide a fruity contrast to the acidity of the sauce and the richness of the meat.

We were too full for dessert. The service was attentive and friendly from the hostess to the busboys. I'd like to try the pistachio lassi some time. Thanks again Chowhounds for your dish recommendations - they were spot on.

Thanks for your post. Had Setagaya 2 nights ago. Looked forward to it all day based on my memory of it when it had first opened, and what a disappointment! Just like all of the posters, found it salty w/out any other noticeable flavors. Char-siu was super dry. My friend & I left most of the stuff uneaten. The gyoza were OK.

I also noticed the omission of Minca from Chopsticks. I think it's regrettable.

I don't live in NZ, and have never even been there, but this is a little quirky so I thought I'd mention it. My mom went there a few years ago and kept raving about the Taiwanese food. Apparently there's a significant community of Taiwanese there. There aren't too many places outside of Taiwan where you can get the food, so if you'd like a change ot pace, it might be worth checking out.

They're called takoyaki. Traditionally they're made w/octopus (tako), which is probably why you often have to wait since they're probably making up a fresh batch with new batter. The restaurant Go, on St. Mark's place has them, but I don't know if they'd make them w/out the octopus. Kenka, which is across the street, may also have them.

If you mean just plain buns w/out stuffing, you can buy them frozen at most Chinese grocery stores. For example, Kam Man on Canal street. Also, I've seen them in many of the other Chinese bakeries packed in bags of 5 or 6. They're not flattened like the ones at Momofuku, but perhaps you could slice them open and stuff them that way.

2nd the rec for Petrossian.