planojim's Profile
Smoker. Is it worth it?
Hungry:
I have a Brinkman with an offset box. Yesterday, I smoked 6 turkey breasts. About 50lbs total. That yielded me near 22lbs of turkey. Most of it was sliced into lunch meat for the kids. Some will be used for other dishes like pot pie, etc. Carcasses will be used for soup.
Local grocery had the turkey breasts on sale for $.98/lb. That works out to be about $2.25/lb, but around $2.50/lb when you factor in the wood and such that I used. Not bad when you consider that smoked turkey in the deli is around $7/lb.
The downside, of course, is that from 10am till 6pmish, I was tending the smoker. It's not often that I have that kind of time available on a weekend. Most of the time, I use the smoker to smoke things that take a lot less time, salmon, ribs, etc.
I tend to use mine a couple of times per month in the spring and fall. The weather has to be good, I don't like smoking in the rain, and where I live, it's just too dang hot outside to be using in June, July, August.
But, by having one, it does open the door to a whole bunch of other stuff that you can be making...in the past couple of years, I've started curing and smoking my own bacon, brining and smoking my own pastrami, and grinding, stuffing, and smoking my own sausages.
Do I like having one? Absolutely. Is it time consuming and something that you really just can't do on a whim? Absolutely.
Turkish Pide Bread
LH: Thanks for the tip. I went to Sherwani Bakery today. I didn't call ahead or anything, just kind of a spur of a moment stop in, but the owner couldn't have been nicer, and he had plenty of still warm flat bread. 4 pieces the size of man hole covers for $3. He also had what looked like baklava, but was filled with cream instead of chopped nuts.
best pita bread in Dallas supermarkets or bakeries?
Sara Bakery and World Food Warehouse (Floyd Circle behind TI) are the only two places I visit to get pita. Both normally have it still warm from the ovens. I go to Sara if all I'm looking for is pita. World Food Warehouse if I'm buying a lot of different Middle Eastern food stuffs as well.
Where can I find some amazing banana pudding?
My favorite in the area is at Poor Richards Cafe in Plano. I'm not 100% sure if they have it every day. They used to have it only on Tuesdays and Fridays, but that may have changed.
http://www.poorrichardscafe.com/
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Poor Richard's
2442 K Ave, Plano, TX 75074
ISO a sports bar in Dallas for good food and NFL watching
Back a couple of years ago, I know Raiders fans frequented Hat Trick Sports Bar in Lewisville. don't know if they still do. Call first, it's a .5 hour drive from where you will be.
http://hattricksdallas.com/
Los Angeles 'hound ISO finger lickin' BBQ!
Just had lunch at Meshack's this afternoon. I'm in a meat coma. IMO, the best ribs in DFW. Brisket is decent, but not as good as thier ribs. Make sure to ask for at least one "roll up". Not on the menu (which is painted on the side of the buidling). It's a hot link, rolled up in a piece of white bread......dunk it in sauce....heaven. Best part, they're only $1 each.
They sometimes have sweet potato pie as well, although, sadly, not today.
Need someplace nice IN McKinney. Not, ON McKinney.
I haven't been to Gregory's Bistro since they moved from downtown Plano to the square in McKinney, but the couple of times I'd dined there, I enjoyed it.
http://www.gregorysbistro.org/index.html
Road trip from St. Paul to Madison, WI on 94- would love foodie sidetrack suggestions! [Moved from Minneapolis-St. Paul Board]
here's a pretty decent cheese map.
http://eatcurds.com/StaticPages/CrawlMap.aspx
Healthy but festive place for friends to catch up?
Seasons 52 is in the Shops of Legacy, so it's not really a great location for either of you, but it's dang near perfect for what you're looking for.
http://www.seasons52.com/menu/default.asp
Brown Fisheries Fish House, Paradise, MI.
I had dinner there a couple of years ago. Great smoked fish dip. Great fried whitefish. As the waitress said when she set the whitefish on the table......enjoy it, it just came out of the bay this morning.
Where can I get a corny dog as good as Fletchers?
My son had a baseball tournament in Sherman today, so we stopped by Watsonburger for a Diggy Dog. The batter wasn't as thick as Fletchers, but all in all, it was good. I'd still give the nod to Fletchers, but would eat another Diggy Dog if I was in the area.
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Watsonburger
1210 Quinlan Dr, Allen, TX 75013
Henry's Homemade Ice Cream in Plano has moved
went to Henry's today get get my Girl Scout Cookie ice cream fix only to learn they'd moved. They're now located on the SE corner of Independence and Parker.
Do-Si-Dos
Tagalong
and Lemon Chalet were just as good as ever.
No Samoas yet though.
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Henry's Homemade Ice Cream
2909 W 15th St, Plano, TX 75075
Looking for (non-American) Supermarkets to Check out
I heartily second Twin's recommendation of World Food Warehouse. Best fresh pita that I've encountered.
Is anyone going to the Taste of the NFL?
Some of the chefs seem interesting, and I've been to several of the restaurants that the chefs are representing......but......has anyone ever been to one of these? Is it worth my time to go? Granted, I'm not paying the $600 ticket, a supplier has offered to take me, but how does 3000 people at the Fort Worth convention center all trying to get a sample of food from about 40 chefs work logistically? Just seems that it's going to be really crowded.
Am I wrong?
http://tasteofthenfl.com/Chefs
Steak Frites
Mignon in Plano served a very tasty steak frites the last time I was there, although to confess, it was some 3-4 years ago.
http://www.mignonplano.com/
Brew Restaurant
Yeah, brewpubs just don't click down here much. There is a small brewery in Mckinney, TX named Franconia. Bars and restaurants will sometimes have 1 or two of Franconia's beer on tap. But, there is a bar in Plano named Holy Grail that normally has all of Franconia's beers on tap. Closest thing I can think of to what you're looking for.
http://holygrailpub.com/
http://franconiabrewing.com/
Need suggestions
Gregory's moved to the square in Mckinney last year. I passed it after eating at Squareburger.
http://gregorysbistro.org/
Any good Russian/Eastern European places around?
I believe Twin is thinking of For You Cafe in Plano. They recently moved to a location facing Central Expwy right next to Original Pancake House. I haven't been to thier new location yet.
http://foryoucafe.net/
Sticky Fingers-style wings in DFW?
Kelly's Eastside in Plano rub them then smoke them......then they put sauce on them and serve. The people there are normally pretty accomodating....they might fry them if you ask.
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Kelly's Eastside
1422 K Ave, Plano, TX 75074
Frisco Texas
Holy Grail is good call. Good beer selection, great food. They make an interesting version of poutine, using gruyere instead of cheese curds. Everything I've had there has been top notch.
New sandwich at Jimmy's
In Philly, they use sharp provolone on the roast pork sandwiches.
Frisco Texas
it's more southwestern than tex-mex, but Blue Mesa is good, and an easy 5 minute drive south on the tollway from where you're staying.
http://www.bluemesagrill.com/
Frisco Texas
I concur about Rudy's BBQ. Much better than the two you'd listed.
For steak, Randy's is very close, and very good. http://www.randyssteakhouse.com/index.htm
you didn't ask about fried chicken, but I recommend Babes http://www.babeschicken.com/Babes-Chicken-Dinner-House-Frisco.html
Looking for Dutch processed cocoa powder
sorry, forgot to mention that I ended up finding it at Sprouts on the SW corner of Coit/Legacy.
Looking for Dutch processed cocoa powder
Central Market at Coit/190 doesn't carry it. Went there to buy some last week.
Need recommendations for restaurant/bar for upcoming weekend trip
The Libertine isn't very far, but you'd definitely have to cab over. Great food, great bar, although not much of a regional twist to the food.
http://www.thelibertinebar.com/
Poutine
The Holy Grail Pub in Plano serves a pretty decent version of poutine. They use gruyere instead of cheese curds though, iirc.
http://www.holygrailpub.com/
Shopping in Grand Rapids
For number 1 I would start at the Golden Bridge Plaza 4242 S. Division. It has a Chinese restaurant, Vietneamese restaurant, and Asian grocer and a couple other things.
2. Pork Belly - Sobie Meats, (really any butcher, but I have ordered it from him before) 3919 Remembrance. I order online via the West Michigan Food Co-Op (you order online and pick up once a month, so might be a good deal for someone out-of-town, access to all things local), http://www.westmichigancoop.com/
3. G.B. Russo for beer (best prices, generally), wine, meats, cheeses.
4. Martha's Vinyard 200 Union, NE, though Russo's is more than adequate.
5. There is Grand River Grocery 496 Ada Dr. SE
6. All-around-cool place Art of the Table 606 Wealthy SE
