uwsgrazer's Profile
red sauce Italian near the Theater District- Trattoria Trecolori, Puttanesca or somewhere else?
+1. It's been a while since I dined at Basso56 but I really liked my dinner there. I believe higher price point than the two listed by OP, though.
I like Trattoria Trecolor fine, especially if I'm going to the theater afterwards and don't plan to linger. That said, the last time I went I found one of the servers kind of obnoxious or sarcastic. I asked something about one of the dishes, either its preparation or what it actually was. He implied it was obvious from the name, or something like that. I was pretty surprised by his behavior. Anyway, the other times I've been service was pleasant.
Tuna Fish in a Can
I'm hooked on Cento Light Tuna in Olive Oil for a couple of recipes I've been making regularly the past few months. Does TJ's have a similar product? I know they sell several varieties of tuna but I'm wondering which one would be the closest to the Cento tuna I like.
Thanks.
http://www.amazon.com/Cento-Light-Tuna-Olive-Pack/dp/B001A38ZH6
Looking for a good quality not break the bank meal near the TIme Warner Center
I find the noise-level at Barcibo enoteca very high. If being able to converse with your dining / drinking companions is important, I would look elsewhere.
Cooking quinoa
GG, the water is mostly absorbed -- not completely, probably, but not really any different the last two times vs. earlier. I always end up straining it, just because that's what the recipe says and as prior to this CH post I didn't realize that quinoa was so "sturdy".
Okay, based on everyone's input (thank you all!) I'm going to finish off what's left of this batch of quinoa I have. I'll err on the side of more not less time on the stove. I'll post after I've prepared the recipe, though it may not be for a few weeks.
Thanks again. I really appreciate all the different feedback
Cooking quinoa
I'm working from Dorie Greenspan's "quinoa, fruit, and nut salad" recipe. She calls for 3 c. water for 1 1/2 c. quinoa. "Cook gently for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the grans have expanded -- when they're cooked, each little grain will have a thin ring around it. Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let it sit for 5 minutes."
Cooking quinoa
Okay. Maybe I'm undercooking the quinoa. I guess next time I'll just let it cook and cook ... until I see no white centers whatsoever
Cooking quinoa
Hmm, I guess it's possible the quinoa is a different brand. I don't know. The store I bought the quinoa from is the same but it's possible that they source from a different provider now. That said, I'm not sure how likely that really is. Definitely not using a different pot and I'm following the same recipe, i.e., should be using the same amount of water. I feel confident that I used the correct amounts in both instances. Even if I didn't it's unlikely I would have made the exact same mistake twice.
Cooking quinoa
I've prepared a quinoa salad at least half a dozen times. Up until these last two times the quinoa always came out fine. But this time some of the grains were hard in the center; you could even see that the center was white, not the cream color of the outside of the grains. The first time I noticed this I figured I undercooked the quinoa, so I made sure the cook it a bit longer this last time. It didn't seem to help. I don't want to end up with overcooked quinoa so I'm reluctant to increase the cooking time further. I'm wondering if this particular batch of quinoa might be old, or at least part of the batch is stale. Any ideas?
mixing potato varieties
Is it okay to mix varieties? I ended up with some extra Yukon Gold potatoes and red potatoes. Would it be okay to throw them all in the pot? I'm thinking of using them for mashed potatoes or possibly a potato tortilla. I figure the potatoes may have different cooking times and textures, but this is just for everyday eating, nothing fancy.
Good bakery in New York?
And while OP is in the neighborhood a stop at La Toulousaine Bakery on Columbus between 106th/107th would not disappoint, imo.
http://www.menupages.com/restaurants/la-toulousaine-bakery/
Is there ANY decent pizza on the UWS?!
I agree about Sal & Carmines. I haven't been recently, because the last time I went several years ago the pizza slices were barely edible -- dried out and not at all tasty. Okay, maybe we should have checked to see if they looked as if they had been sitting around, though I'm not sure they necessarily looked so bad. Bottom-line, we should have never been served the slices in the first place
Desmond's - Groupon Deal
We also got hit with a similar "auto-tip" on a Groupon dinner. As with you, we went ahead and paid the pre-calculated tip on the grossed up (i.e., inflated) dinner tab. I agree, it seems a bit contrived to calculate a tip on prices for dishes that we would be unlikely to ever order. That said, we actually succumbed, twice, at the same restaurant. The service was good, especially in the second instance, and so we kind of rationalized the whole thing, given the full meal, the influence of a bottle of wine :), etc. In fairness to the restaurant they didn't really strong-arm us into paying the auto-tip amount. They just noted that the tip was automatically calculated, noting our prerogative to modify as we liked, or something to that effect.
When all is said and done, we enjoyed the meal well enough and would definitely have upped the tip to account for the reduced Groupon price. I doubt we would have paid quite as much as we did (though we didn't actually do a comparison or anything).
The restaurant offers a regular prix-fixe deal that is only slightly less attractive than the Groupon deal. Hence we could return again easily, though the thought of the auto-tip approach serves as a deterrent. I suppose if we were in the neighborhood and the restaurant was convenient we might return. We wouldn't go out of our way for it, though, given the auto-tip aspect.
Lunch place near central park zoo?
According to the website there's a cafe in or near the zoo. (You can see the reference on the right side, above the tulips picture.) I don't recall offhand exactly where the cafe is, but another option would be the Le Pain Quotidien inside the park. Admittedly, it's not adjacent to the zoo but it's not so far a walk, though perhaps it could be for / with a four-year old?
http://www.centralparknyc.org/visit/things-to-see/south-end/central-park-zoo.html
Coffee shop with seating in Grand Central Terminal
Maybe you are referring to Devon & Blakely? I sometimes go there for coffee meetings but the problem is that they tend to close around 4:30 p.m. or so. Last time I went they hadn't even officially closed yet but the clean-up effort was so noisy it was impossible to converse.
Coffee shop with seating in Grand Central Terminal
YES! Cucina & Co. is EXACTLY the place I was trying to think of. Thank you, thank you!!!
The location is perfect and according to the website they will actually be open then!! Yay.
Coffee shop with seating in Grand Central Terminal
Yeah, I thought of that. It's more that I'll be kind of pressed for time to get to my next appoint which will be at 200 Park, so Pershing Square is in the wrong direction. (I have three meetings bunched tight together, just because that's when people can meet.) That's why I'm trying to focus on GCT itself. Thanks for the suggestion. Maybe I won't be able to get everything lined up exactly as I like.
Coffee shop with seating in Grand Central Terminal
I'm meeting a couple of people for coffee around 5 p.m. on a weekday. Is there a reasonably quiet and inexpensive place inside the terminal where we could meet?
I recall there was a pretty large coffee shop type place with seating, I think maybe in the same lobby area as Naples 45, or maybe Centro,(?) but I'm not sure it's still there. I noticed on their website that Joe the Art of Coffee has a location in the Graybar Passage. Maybe this would do, though I'm not sure they provide seating (and it's too early to call now).
I guess I could go to one of the places on the lower-level food court, but I would prefer to be street-level, i.e., not subterranean.
Any suggestions?
Thanks.
Midtown grocery stores?
Good thought. I think it's called Mort Williams or something. Actually, the one I'm thinking of may be between 7th & 8th. If I'm not mistaken there are entrances on both W 57th and W 58th Streets. But they have a large selection of groceries to choose from.
Birthday ice cream cake - Bethesda
Thanks for the confirmation. I placed the order today. H-D gives a $5 discount on cake orders over $25, if you pick up the cake on a Friday. So we will have a larger cake than needed, but it was too good a deal to pass up!
Birthday ice cream cake - Bethesda
My go-to place used to be Giffords. I know Haagen-Dazs sells cakes but is there a better alternative in Bethesda? I need to order in the next day or so and appreciate any ideas people may have.
CAMBRO containers, with drain for salad greens or alternative container???
Just wondering how your Container Store product(s) are working out. I assume all of their offerings are only a fraction of the price of Cambro. Is the saving justified?
Discounted Cambro containers / products?
Thanks. I still haven't made it over to the Bowery area but I will post after I go, as long as I have something worthwhile to report.
Discounted Cambro containers / products?
Thank you! I've walked past the shops, but have never gone in. Are they all open for retail business, or are some of them wholesale / to the trade only?
Discounted Cambro containers / products?
I'm trying to organize my kitchen better. Are Cambro products available at discounted prices in Manhattan?
Midtown Sushi Lunch Recs?
I enjoyed a reasonably-priced set lunch at Wajima recently. I no longer remember exactly what I ordered, but there was some sushi. I think they may also have straight sushi lunches. Best to call first if this is crucial to you. I realize that East 61st also may not count as midtown but I wanted to bring this place to your attention anyway, just for future reference. I wasn't familiar with Aburiya; their set lunch looks like an amazing deal!
good coffee in midtown, within a 10 minute walk of 52nd & Madison?
Zibetto, 56th & 6th
http://www.zibetto.com/
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Zibetto
1385 6th Ave, New York, NY 10019
Chinatown food market for basic fruits and other produce
I ended up going to New York Mart. I got most of the stuff I needed but they didn't stock rosemary, or at least I couldn't find it if they did. I guess it stands to reason that they wouldn't carry that herb. Hence, I ended up hitting TJ's on the way home from Chinatown anyway, but it's good to know about these markets for when I'm in Chinatown. I like the idea of patronizing the smaller individual stores but there are so many of them that I think I would feel too overwhelmed and not know where to begin.
what should I get at Zabar's for breakfast?
I really dislike Zabar's chocolate babka. I don't know if lard is used or what, but it had a really unpleasant texture. Admittedly, I'm no child but I do enjoy a number of foods that children generally like :)
