judybird's Profile
If you could eat anywhere in West Virginia (WV)?
I'm not a West Virginian, but was there recently and had a great meal at the Cathedral Cafe in Fayeteville. It's on the main drag, in a former church so it'll be easy to spot. Before or after, visit the National Park Visitor's Center on the north end of the New River Gorge Brdge, then take the long trip down into the gorge and across to Fayettevile on the old bridge. Beautiful scenery.
"Least Favorite Vegetable" Poll
I love all the brassica veges - cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, etc. When cooked wrong they're lethal, done right they're sublime.
Celeriac grated and dressed with a mustard vinaigrette is wonderful - if you think you dont like it, try it that way.
Can't stand zucchini. Or maybe I should just say it's my least favorite, it's so bland and tasteless it doesn't rise to the level of despising.
Where in West Virginia?
Too late for your trip, but we just got back from the New River Birding Festival, and had 3 amazing meals courtesy of the Cathedral Cafe in Fayetteville. Two were a catered breakfast and lunch at the festival, they were so good that two friends and I went there for breakfast the day we left the area after the festival, and saw at least 6 other festival attendees there.
I had scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, and the best coffee I'd had all week. I don't remember what my two friends ate, but we all wanted to lick our plates.
It's on the main drag of Fayetteville in a former church building - hard to miss!
SetteBello in Pasadena
We were there last night for probably the 8th or so time since they've opened. Usually we split a Grande salad and split a pizza, but DH was extra hungry last night. He had the panzanella salad and a Diavolo, I had the arugula salad and the Settebello pizza, and brought half of my pizza home.
Both salads were excellent, but I like the Grande better than the panzanella, both pizzas were delicious. Study the ingredients, check out the nightly special, look at the other pies coming out, then decide. We've had some we like more than others, but have never had one we didn't like.
Bristol Farms Prices??
Our local BF often has excellent, loss-leading specials, especially on meat and fish. Also, on Tuesdays, seniors get 10% off everything including sale items. If there's something we want on sale, we'll go on Tuesday and buy a bunch of wine as well. Otherwise, it's true, no reason to shop there.
Jiro Dreams of Sushi
We just saw "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" and enjoyed it a lot, but were a little frustrated by the lack of explanation of several points in the movie. Hope someone here can enlighten us:
1. What's the significance of the bell-ringing and subsequent dancing/shouting in the fish market? I'm guessing it was an auction of some kind?
2. When shopping for tuna, several men are using flashlights. What are they looking for?
3. When the apprentice was making the tamago, he started by grinding something to a pasty texture before adding the egg. Any idea what that was?
Thanks to any and all who help. After the movie, we of course went out for sushi, and of course were disappointed!
Impromptu Meals - how do I plan for them?
a favorite meal for two of us is beans & greens. The only part of it that's best fresh is the greens, we use kale or collards as a rule. Recipe is:
1 onion, chopped & browned
1 can white beans, drained
1 can chopped tomatoes, drained
1 can tuna
1 large bunch greens, chopped
Brown the onion, add everytbing else, stir to break up the tuna, then add the greens and simmer, covered until they're tender. We add herbs (basil, thyme) or a Cajun garlic sauce for added flavor. It's quick, simple, delicious, and fairly healthy. Any meat can substitute for the tuna - leftover ham or chicken works great - or leave the meat out for a vegetarian/vegan meal.
Mexican in Highland Park?
I had the chile verde, DH had a combo, a small steak (delicious) and a red chile enchilada. The red sauce was as good as we've had in New Mexico, and that's saying something. I'd have both again, but there are so many other interesting choices on the menu, I'd probably order something different just to try.
Mexican in Highland Park?
We went to Chico's last night, as recommended by the majority of posters, and had a great meal. Thanks to all of you who told us about this gem, we brought some friends and will definitely be back.
Mexican in Highland Park?
That may be redundant, but we're looking for a place for dinner on Wednesday before attending a talk at Debs Park. Since everything Mexican near us (Pasadena) is El Torito quality, we'd love something with some character, better food, and good beer.
Lafayette/Breaux Bridge/New Iberia, LA and Acadiana surrounds worth visiting for food?
We just returned from a trip to the Southeast, and food was a big part of what we were looking for. We had a wonderful meal at Crazy 'Bout Crawfish in Breaux Bridge - nothing fancy, but just what the name implies. We were lucky to be there during the season, it might not be so good with any other entree, but 3 pounds of crawfish with a couple of sides were plenty for two of us. And DH, a beer fanatic and snob, fell in love with LA31, a local brew. We were driving, so managed to bring a couple of 6-packs home to California.
Define "Grinder"
Some 40+ years ago, when I used to follow Formula One racing, we'd pick up grinders at a place in Riverside, CA and bring them to the raceway for lunch. They were what we'd now call a sub or hoagie - meat, cheese, shredded lettuce and Italian dressing come to mind, but I'm sure there was even more on them. One sandwich was sustenance for an entire, long day. I tried to find the place a couple of years ago, but apparently it's long gone, and nobody we asked (all under age 40) even knew what we were talking about.
Praise for New York Deli
Okay, it's not Langers, but for Pasadena it's not bad at all. We needed a deli tray for about 30 people for a post-funeral gathering. We had a couple of sandwiches at Billy's in Glendale, and they were downright dull, not even interesting enough to be called awful. Finally thought about New York Deli in Pasadena and we were not disappointed. The tray was generous and beautifully arranged, the corned beef and turkey moist and tasty, roast beef not bad, potato salad and cole slaw could have been home made - and I mean that in a good way.
The bread was just so-so, the rye is too soft and bland, and the challah, while tasty, was cut way too thick for good sandwiches.
We went in for lunch the next day, it was cold and windy, and I had matzoh ball soup while dh had chicken soup, both were excellent - again, home-made tasting in a good way. They can't compete with Langers, Nate & Al's, or any true west valley deli, but all in all, we're happy to have them in Pasadena, just sorry we hadn't been there sooner.
Food related names and nicknames. I'll go first.
Do pets count? My first dog was a stray, he was small, black and very sweet, hence Kahlua. Current senior dog is Popcorn, so called because when she was young she was very excitable and jumped straight up just like a piece of popcorn.
Anything new on the Central Coast for breakfast and lunch?
We visit Cambria a lot, have never gone to Linn's, just assuming it was a Marie Callendar-type coffee shop. Last visit we walked 2 miles into the village, and Linn's was the only place open for the big breakfast we were craving, and to our surprise it was delicious! Corned beef has is made in-house and was superb. We'll go back.
Echo Park dinner?
We did go to Mohawk Bend and loved it. The beer selection was amazing, and the friendly bartender was able to suggest just the right one for DH who loves bitter, hoppy brews and me who likes it a little less chewy. We split a pizza and the kale, both were delicious. Only two minor criticisms - the pizza dough got a little soggy, I think due to the tray it's served on, and the noise level by the time we finished was horrendous. What can I say --- we're old!
All the same, I'd go back if we're ever in that part of town again.
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Mohawk Bend
2141 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
Echo Park dinner?
Thanks, everybody. I should have said in my initial post that we'd already ruled out Taix. It looks like it's going to be Mohawk Bend - DH is a major beer aficionado, and he's already salivating after looking at their web site.
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Mohawk Bend
2141 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
Echo Park dinner?
We'll be attending a showing tomorrow night at the Echo Park Film Center on North Alvarado. Any suggestions for a decent, casual dinner beforehand? Moderate prices and good beer/wine list a definite plus.
Musso and Frank dishes.
Liver and onions. Since I'm the only one in my family who likes this, I never get to eat it except when we go to Musso's. Liver is a thick-cut steak, perfect medium rare.
Chains That Are EAsy to Love
Somehow I missed seeing this thread earlier, but I can't believe nobody has mentioned Corner Bakery! Service is always fast and friendly, food is fresh, clean-tasting and delicious. Portions are generous, DH and I usually share a sandwich and a salad, and are more than satisfied. Their cookies and other baked goods are as good as my mother used to make, which is saying a lot.
Refinishing a porcelain sink
That might not be as awful as it sounds. We have a dishwasher, and could plan meals that wouldn't involve a lot of pots & pans. And of course, eat out a lot .
Refinishing a porcelain sink
It's not the sink that's the problem, it's set in a tiled countertop in a house built in 1939. We've had two different tile people look at it, and they both say they can't guarantee that they can remove the old sink without breaking a few tiles. Of course, these particular tiles are no longer made, so there's no way to just fill in any broken ones, it would mean removing and retiling or replacing the entire countertop.
Refinishing a porcelain sink
Has anyone had any experience refinishing a porcelain sink? I'd love to replace our 60-year-old kitchen sink, but that would entail ripping out lots of tile, replacing cabinets, etc., and we're not ready for that big a job.
If you've been there, please share any good and bad points about refinishing.
Rookie Mistake
Not me and not recently, but a friend who doesn't cook much was given a free turkey by her employer one Thanksgiving. She knew about removing the package of giblets, but wasn't sure which cavity it was in, for some reason she reached into the neck cavity and shoved her hand all the way through into the body. The bird was still partly frozen, and her hand was stuck and starting to swell. She lived in NY City at the time - wrapped a towel over the bird, called a cab, and was taken to the ER where they sawed it off. She never did tell me if she got the turkey back.
Breakfast/brunch near Playa del Rey
Two of us Pasadenans want to treat a third friend to a birthday breakfast near Playa de Rey on Sunday morning. Not fancy, not upscale, no champagne needed, since the b'day girl doesn't drink - just someplace comfy and casual with good food, outdoor seating a plus. We're from the unfashionable East Side, are not at all familiar with that part of town.
What's the most overpriced menu item you've seen?
The $18 hamburger at Red White & Bluezz, an otherwise excellent restaurant, wine bar & jazz club in Pasadena. Sure it's made with Wagyu beef, but I don't care if the cattle were hand-fed from birth and slept in gold-lined stalls, it's still a burger!
How hot can a home oven in a range get? - Would like pizza oven temps
We have a GE Profile range, bought it 6-7 years ago at Lowes. It reaches 550 easily. We put a stone in and preheat for a good half hour, we've been making the best pizzas you can imagine ever since.
Kitchen sink installation - need advice.
Maybe it's location, we've had very good luck with the Lowe's nearest us, and have been pretty happy with some major purchases. OTOH, I'd substitute Home Depot for Lowe's in your message. That said, we're not committed to Lowe's, we've just barely started shopping.
Our current sink is bottom mounted under a tiled counter, the bullnose tile curves down into the sink. We actually prefer bottom mounted.
Thanks for the tip, I'll check Ferguson.
Kitchen sink installation - need advice.
We're shopping for a new kitchen sink, which we'll install in our existing tile counter. The salesman at Lowe's told us that, if we're going to do a tile-in installation, we have to have an enamel over cast iron sink rather than one of the new synthetic materials. We were getting such an information overload, we forgot to ask why that is - can anyone enlighten us?
Calamari salad?
As mentioned above, the steaks are from the body of a good-sized squid. Each one is about the size of my husband's spread hand. Normally we thaw them, flour lightly, then saute quickly. They're as close to what abalone used to taste like as possible.
This was a different processor, and I honestly don't know why they were salty, unless they were processed in some way before freezing. They do need to be cooked before eating, but very briefly.
