Carole's Profile
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The Farm and Fisherman
We went there last Friday and had very mixed results. We were very early and had the place to ourselves initially but it was pretty full by the time we left. Where we sat it didn't feel too close, though.
The food was all over the map. I was really looking forward to trying the hiramasa. With the combination of rhubarb and strawberries I was expecting a combination of sweet and tart but it was only sweet. The flavor of the rhubarb was missing and all I could taste was strawberries and some kind of mint. It also completely masked the flavor of the fish.
For my second course I had the quail which was fantastic. I actually ended up picking up the wing and leg with my fingers to make sure I got every morsel. Great stuffing in it and I could have eaten ten (or twenty) of them!
For my third course I got the ribeye steak and it was not a good pick. No flavor in the meat. I'd ordered it medium rare and I guess it came that way but the outside was a pale brown with no char or browning at all. It just wasn't red or pink anymore. The plate also came with fresh peas that were unevenly cooked. Some were mushy and some were hard and crunchy. But they did have a great pea flavor. The dish seemed to missing some essential kick. When the same dish came out about 10 later to the table next to mine I found out that they something on theirs that was missing from mine - thick slabs of beautiful tomatoes with a vinaigrette. I think that would have helped overall but the steak would have still been a disappointment. When I pointed the missing side from my plate to the waitperson they apologized and gave us a free dessert. So we ordered two desserts instead of the one we normally get. One of them was the cheese plate that had 3 cheeses that were very similar on it. Again, I wouldn't recommend it.
If we go again I'll just stick with the first two courses and skip the entree entirely. The smaller plates were visually stunning. In fact, when the entree came out we joked "where were the flower petals?". My husband was happy with the first two courses but his entree was also just so-so.
All in all, very expensive for what you get.
Is Marche St-Jacques closed ?
We were in Montreal last year and near that market (it's on Amherst and Ontario) and enjoyed having our breakfast there each morning. It looked like it was struggling to get going and we're coming back this year in Sept again and I was wondering if it was still open. This may impact our decision on where to rent an apartment for a week.
Where is My Post?
I use this all the time to check on my current hot topics. Where is it?
New topics/messages still not appearing
New release and I'm still running into the bug where topics don't show as either new or with new messages. Everything looks as though it has been read. I have to first select a topic (at random), go back, and then everything is as it should be.
What is going on????
Holiday Potato Salad: Easy, Different
Sounds good!
I think one of the tricks is to dress the potatoes when they are hot. That way they soak up the sauce. I also try to put in some pickle juice! But your approach sounds great!
I'm definitely going to try the microwave step this weekend when I make some.
New Tiffin Locations
I've gotten take-out a few times from here (in Wynnewood) and have not been impressed. Actually the some of the food had no flavor and was virtually inedible. One of the dishes we got last time had whole chunks of hard and stringy sugar peas in it that couldn't be chewed. We were very disappointed as when they first opened it seemed like it was going to be good.
On the other hand, we've loved what we've gotten at Ekta in Bryn Mawr. A little bit more of a drive but seems to be well worth it.
King Arthur flour
When TJ dropped King Arthur's flour I emailed both companies to complain about it. TJ said they wanted to be able to always provide the lowest cost and couldn't tie themselves down to one vendor any more so they were going with their own brand on flour and buy from various flour companies. KA told me that they had been dropped by TJ because they couldn't lower the price to them any further.
Now I wonder what the heck is the truth.
I'll have to take a look at the TJ flour and see if they put the protein percentage on their package. That's one of the nice (and necessary in my view) things that you can always find on the KA package. I make a lot of bread and that protein percentage really does help me. (BTW, it's not the figure on the Nutritional Label).
Grass (pasture) Fed Chicken?
I've been getting chicken (plus turkeys, eggs, sausage, etc.) from the Lindenhoff Farm stand at the Oakmont Farmers Market in Havertown since it opened several years ago. They also deliver once a month over the winter months which is a real bonus.
It is so very much worth the extra money! These chickens taste like chicken. But because they do roam around and use their muscles they are not as mushy tender as supermarket chicken. I actually don't like the mushiness of the supermarket variety. And the eggs are wonderful. The yolk has this yellow-orange color that enhances anything you use it for. And of course, the flavor is greatly enhanced.
Here is the farmer's website: www.lindenhoffarm.net
And this is the link to the farmer's market: oakmontfarmersmarket.org
Remember Me? checkbox on login disappeared
Hitting myChow no longer works as before now. It also uses the new window that refuses to remember my userid/email and password. I did clear out all the cookies for chow and that made no difference. This is not the most major issue but is still very annoying.
I don't understand why it was changed ... if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
New Tiffin Locations
This was on Philly.com today.
"Tiffin's Wynnewood location (50 E. Wynnewood Rd.) is up for March 27 or 28."
Remember Me? checkbox on login disappeared
Sorry, you're quite right - it didn't have the remember me option, it just seemed like it did.
This site has always logged me out after a few weeks of use and forced me to log in again. That's nothing new. I never turn off my computer or even quit my browser app. Hard to believe it's a cookies problem when I don't experience this with any other site that has me log in.
But thanks for the tip about hitting myCHOW to get the old login screen. That works fine! Now if it just wouldn't ever log me out ....
Remember Me? checkbox on login disappeared
Is there any update on this problem? It's very annoying to have to keep entering the userid and password each time you have to log in. This happens with each browser I try.
Any feedback from the tech staff?????
Best coffeemaker?
Same here. IMHO this is the very best coffeemaker and everyone I know who bought one (after seeing mine) is very happy with it.
New Tiffin Locations
Sorry, yes I meant Wynnewood. There's been absolutely no work done inside at all.
New Tiffin Locations
That's too bad. I emailed them a couple of weeks ago and didn't get a response regarding the Ardmore location.
When I was in the downtown location in December I ran into the owner and asked him when the Ardmore location would open. His only comment was a complaint about Lower Merion Township making it a real hassle and that wasn't something he ran into when opening the other locations. So maybe he just gave up.
(Still) ISO Meyer Lemons
I also saw them today at both Whole Foods in Wynnewood and at Carlino's in Ardmore.
sourdough loaves in Philly or Main Line?
Strongly second this recommenation. Four Worlds Bakery bread is great.
Animated avatar
I tried to upload an animated avatar and it failed with 'file may be corrupt'. Do you not support animated avatars?
Upscale Italian in Bala Cynwyd
Thanks for the info. That sounds right in the ballpark - we'll definitely try it again. Maybe without the Dover Sole this time, tho!
Upscale Italian in Bala Cynwyd
I was just remarking to my husband last Saturday as we were driving out of Manayunk after dinner that I wondered if that restaurant was still open. We ate there once around 15-20 years ago and had a very nice meal (Dover sole, I recall) but for some unknown reason just never went back.
I'm curious about the prices, too, as I remember it being fairly expensive. ('course, I did have the Dover sole....)
Suburban spots- butcher shops and fish markets?
Main Line Prime closed last May.
What a loss!
I now get my meat from http://www.hillacrespride.com/. They're at my local (real) farmer's market in Havertown, weekly over the summer. And they do deliveries over the winter once a month at the school near there. it's not prime meat but it is from pastured cows and is very good.
10 Arts, Osteria or James
Absolutely second this. We're in the same boat as the OP. We went to Vetri last year and although it was spectacular it's just too much money right now.
So, that's what my husband and are doing this year, going to Bibou -- it's our 25th! And having been there many many times since they opened, we know it will be very special and won't disappoint!
Girasole back in Philly
It is perfect for pre-theater or concert dining. It's not too big so I'd make reservations.
Where to take the grandparents?
As someone who is certainly old enough to be a grandparent, I would second every single restaurant (except one) you mentioned. I don't think that Prime Rib is that unique to Philly so I'd drop that one from the list.
My pick would be Branzino.
Auspicious Chinese in Ardmore
Maybe I'll have to give them another shot. We used to go and they were pretty busy. Like you said, good food. But I think they changed hands a few months ago and it got really bad. They were trying hard with the service but the food was really terrible. Thick, chewy potstickers. Totally messed up entrees. Totally forgot items. Hard rice. Greasy lo mein. It was just like no one in the kitchen had ever cooked before. We gave it a second chance a few weeks later and still not good so we quit going there.
Maybe they got their act together and got the kitchen working. I guess we'll have to try them again and see how it is now. Those two meals were so bad, it's hard to go back.
Friends who used to go every week also completely stopped going. I think they must have totally lost their original customer base.
