Both! Mostly I'm looking for NOLA Iced Coffee, which I know they have at the dedicated stands like Haight St Market but also at some of the places that use the beans like Dash. Thanks for the tips, I'll check those places out when I'm in the East Bay but would love more suggestions in the city!

So I'm a Philz devotee but recently became obsessed with Blue Bottle's New Orleans Iced Coffee. I don't live near a BB but I know there are a bunch of cafes that serve their coffee but aren't advertised as official BB locations. Seems like there should be a list of these on the internet but I couldn't find one. Two that I know of are the amazing Haight Street Market and Dash Cafe on 9th and Judah. Does anyone know of any others, particularly in Mission/Castro area? . . . or maybe that's just Philz turf?

Thanks!

Further update: Have been here twice now. Simple but high quality food at a low price (Nothing over $11, except for an occasional special). The perfect place to go when you don't really feel like cooking but don't want to spend a lot of money or deal with Main St, just have a nice, tasty dinner. Honestly, for a basic overall dining experience, I would say this ranks above of the spots on the Main drag.

The waiters are knowledgable and incredibly friendly and helpful. They have added a bunch of tables outside and have heat lamps as well, so there's actually plenty of seating now if you don't mind being on the sidewalk. Not a lot of foot traffic and I prefer outside anyway.

The food: First time I got an egg dish "The Greek," which was basically a greek scramble (tomato, spinach, olives, feta) - hard to mess up, but delicious, came with a side salad and toast. Boyfriend got the dijon chicken, which lets you select two sides, and he loved it. Second time around I got a bowl of soup and one of their "tapas" - the polenta squares discussed above, which were special, but not unbelievable. The lentil vegetable soup was very filling and very tasty. Boyfriend got the dijon chicken again, which he said was not as good as the first time, a bit overcooked.

I guess not too much to add apart from the original reviews, but I'd like to see this place succeed so I figured I'd kick this post to the top of the boards in the hope someone will make a new discovery ;)

Gayle's for mid-priced quality Italian and a nice selection of wines by the glass. There's a Zankou in Pasadena for a good lunch spot. Ai has great Japanese in South Pas. Also Green St, as others have mentioned.

OH, and, how could I possibly forget, my current apricot binge, and cherries, to a lesser extent. I have been buying boxes of apricots and cherries, usually on alternating days, for the past week, and finishing them off before leaving work - this translates to 9 apricots a day, or a pound of cherries. MMMMMmmmmmm, summatime.

Lately I've been craving Udon noodles. Had some for lunch on Saturday. Have been trying to hold them off otherwise, but anytime I try to plan a meal, all I want is Udon. But I'm in a weird living/cooking situation right now where I'm trying not to buy groceries (especially carbs/grains) and I can't really justify the expense of precooked/from a restaurant (Saturday was someone else's treat) so instead I just live with the cravings . . . I've also been craving poached eggs recently, which is not unusual for me, and I have the feeling tonight I may crack and have Udon noodles with a poached egg on top . . . maybe some chopped scallions, sauteed bok choy mixed up in there?

I've also recently gone through periods of pizza cravings, deli turkey meat is one that happens pretty often (I'm trying to stay away from fillers so this one is a constant battle), and then of course sweet carbs are a constant but that one I give into all the time, in moderation.

I froze them wrapped in a layer of plastic and then a layer of foil (paranoid, I know). I took them out before leaving for the airport and put them (still wrapped) in some rectangular rubbermaids that I was able to find cheap at Ralph's, in my checked luggage. I flew overnight and got in the next morning, unwrapped them and stored them in the rubbermaids, then spent the morning buying frosting ingredients and the afternoon hollowing out the centers, filling, and frosting. They were all ready when the boy and friends got back from class around 6pm and they looked great. They travelled beautifully and were perfectly moist without having any squished or overly tacky qualities that you sometimes get when things are overmoist or waterlogged from thawing. Quite tasty, and all gone by the end of the weekend. Definitely a success - thanks to everyone for the tips!

I am currently in CA but will be in NY(C) in August and would love to track some down. Let me know if you have any luck through the distributors' site. I tried contacting the importers a few months ago with no luck.

I use walnuts in my pesto. It's delicious and I can't say I notice a big difference - if anything, I prefer it. You could also use pistachios, which I think would change the flavor a bit more but might be pretty tasty.

I went to Loie (off Rittenhouse Sq.) for Saturday brunch a few weekends ago for my boyfriends' birthday. Don't know if you're a drinker, but if so this is definitely the place, and if not, the food was good too!

Also, I don't know what you consider "moderate price" - we are students, so for us, this was it, but I suspect others may consider this on the lower end.

Brunch comes with 2 courses and bottomless bloody marys OR mimosas OR a bottle of champagne per person for $25. You can also order a la carte, which runs 8-12 per dish.

For the first course I got the garden salad and my boyfriend got the oatmeal. The salad was very basic (grrens, cuc, tomato) and overdressed, but the oatmeal was absolutely delicious, steel cut oats served with real maple syrup and fresh berries.

For the second course, I got the omelette, which comes with a choice of 2 fillings from a selection of six or so, and my boyfriend got the eggs florentine. I chose forest mushrooms and goat cheese for my omelette, which came perfectly cooked and folded accompanied by brioche toast and skillet potatoes. The cheese was substantial without being overwhelming and the mushrooms were high quality.

The eggs florentine came with bacon (we got the bacon on the side but I think it is usually incorporated in with the eggs). The presentation was a bit weird as everything is baked together in a ramekin, but it tasted rich and delicious.

We opted for the bottle-of-champagne each, but we are lushes, and it was already past 2:00 when we arrived (brunch is served until 3). The champagne was sweet but not overwhelmingly so. The table next to us seemed to be enjoying their mimosas very much and the service was excellent.

We ate outside at one of the sidewalk tables, but if you want something a but more intimate the inside is nice as well.

If you're in LA I'll sous chef in exchange for cava ;)

bruschetta! you can do a bean bruschetta or a fruit bruschetta, but for the usual do tomato, basil, garlic (salt and pepper, olive oil and balsamic, none of which should count as ingredients). You can bring the topping in a separate bowl and top the toasts there, which will make transport easier and ensure that the bread doesn't get soggy. PLUS, having the extra time in the car will actually let the flavors in the topping meld a bit more and make the whole thing even more delicious.

First of all, that menu looks awesome. Second, you sound like a great host. Third, IMO it seems like it will be enough food. If you want to add something else, the first poster's asparagus suggestion is easy, seasonal, and sticks with the theme. Relax and enjoy the preparation and party!

What kind of food are you looking for? Any specific dislikes? Do you want a formal plated sit-down-and-get-served meal or something more casual and party-like?

A+ on the crayons and play-doh. I would LOVE to have a party with those elements - and now that I think about it, my bday is coming up . . . .? Thanks for the inspiration!

what a relief! I ws also relieved to discover recently that fruit-roll-ups are still using the Fruit Roll Up Factory in their commercials and the Trix bunny is still alive and well (though now cross-promoting Trix YOGURT). Nice to know some icons from childhood (commercial though they may be) haven't met their doom due to rebranding efforts, the internet, technology, and "kids these days"

I like the cereal bar idea. I think you do need to add things that are not just going to turn into a leaden pit in people's stomachs, something at least a little fresher. Those can be kids faves too!! How about ants on a log? or apples and pb/apples and cheese? even just a tray of orange wedges - my mom used to give me these when I was a kid and I would put the whole thing in my mouth and eat the flesh leaving the peel in front of my teeth so i could make "orange smiles" - though i may be alone in this. lots of kids eat yogurt, maybe you could have that with some berries people could mix in?

I feel like if I was at your party with the current menu I would not really want to eat anything, then I would cave and eat the things that I felt particularly attached to from my childhood (although I actually never ate anything on your list . . . grilled cheese? pb and j?) then I would feel gross and regret it. especially if I was drinking beer.

I appreciate what you are trying to do witih the menu and I think it is workable, but needs some key additions/tweaking.

This is the perfect list, with the singular exception that I would switch bbq chicken and fried chicken.

I don't know what is more apalling, the waiter's behavior or the fact that an iceberg and carrot salad with blue cheese dressing was on the menu at a mexican place. In california, no less.

exactly. i am a serial sleeve-in-my-food-trailer.

I don't soak beans. 15 minutes to boil, 75 in a 250^ oven . . . done.

haha, thats so great, I never had that when I was a kid but I would always get scrambled eggs at the diner and make a sandwich with a piece of toast, grape jelly, and scrambled eggs on top. Mmmmm!!!

I actually do mix heinz and cholula!! I find ketchup to be pretty gross and cloyingly sweet (most common brands, anyway), but mixed up with a little hot sauce perfect with omelettes and homefries.

I agree, I don't get what the big deal is. If I finish eating before you, why is it more annoying to sit and eat with my plates stacked instead of me with a bunch of dirty, empty plates lying around? It makes things easier for the servers, and it's not like I have 12 plates teetering on top of each other making things awkward at the table - if anything it makes things appear neater when I stack my (two? MAYBE three if I had bread plate/main/side?) plates on top. If that makes my dining companion feel rushed, perhaps they are being a bit oversensitive.

That's a pretty broad area!

RFD (Real Food Daily) in Santa Monica, also in West Hollywood
There's a vegetarian Indian place on Wilshire in Santa Monica, blanking on name but it should be easy to google
Vegan Delight in West Hollywood
Literati Cafe in Brentwood (corner of Wilshire and Bundy) is pretty veggie-friendly and tasty for lunch or a casual dinner. They also have a nice restaurant attached, Literati, but I don't know what the menu is like.

go for it! i'd eat it.

yeah, my bad. i made it the summer after i returned from a trip that I started in 2005. but of course, it was 2006 by then. but I have searched far and long for it with no date and was unable to find it either.

YES!!!!!!!!! Thank You!!!!! I must make it immediately it is SO GOOD!!!!

Okay, this is going to be a super long shot . . .

As those of you who read the New York Times may know, in addition to their weekly Sunday magazine they also put out every couple of months a "Style" magazine along some theme - Men's Fashion/Home Decor/whatever. In Summer 2005 the topic was travel, and in the magazine they had this AWESOME recipe for a salad unlike anything I have ever seen before. I made it alongside shrimp and spinach enchiladas and it made my tastebuds weep with joy.

Here is what I know was in it:

jicama
onions cured in lime juice
cucumber

strawberries or watermelon (?)
basil or mint (?)

All tossed up in a honey lime vinegarette. There may have been more ingredients as well.

I could play around with the things I for sure remember and probably come up witha reasonable facsimile, but I would LOVE to get my hands on the original recipe. Has anyone ever seen a recipe like that? Or keep 5-year-old piles of Sunday New York Times squirreled away in their attic? Or know someone who works at the NYT with access to their archive vault (the style mag archives aren't online).

Thanks!

Was in Philly last weekend - man you guys have amazing beers. Went to a bar, seemed like a pretty standard pub, not a single beer on tap that I had heard of except for Magic Hat #9, which even still is a microbrew. And they were all so cheap! You're so spoiled! Drank a lot of Yuengling all weekend, tried a Troeg's Nut Brown Ale at the bar, had some of my boyfriend's #9 . . . so many I want to try again when I go back!

Oh yeah, also drank some car bombs made with a local stout . . . mmmmmmmmmm