Here's a simple recipe for a great marcona almond party snack... But first the backdrop:

Before a little party I was having, decided to pop into Eli's in Manhattan (known for being VERY pricey) to get a few special treats. Saw a quart or so plastic tub of something called Marcona Almonds in olive oil, sea salt and fresh thyme. I'd HEARD of Marcona Almonds...never had them...but this snack looked nice so I decided to add it to my cart. No price to be seen though. Hmmm... Well I just ask at the register.

Got home with my bags and checked the receipt. Realized I'd forgotten to ask about those almonds. WHAAAA???!! $32! That is insane. I am definitely returning these.

But then considering I don't live near the store...would have to make a special trip there...would have to hold onto to them for a week or so before I could get to the store...I thought 'screw it'! I was curious to see what this creation tasted like so...I opened them up and OMG! So creamy! I put them out in a bowl at my party with a sign that read "$32 almonds. Please eat each one lovingly.' ;-) Needless to say everyone loved them.

So anyway, I am guessing that all you need to do is buy yourself some marcona almonds, quickly saute them in olive oil, allow to cool, add sea salt and fresh thyme and voila!!

thanks very much for the great info!!

oh and btw...does anyone know why some marinated anchovies in jars are brown and others are white? The fresh anchovy I had in Italy....looked just like white fish meat.

sounds good,. Tx!

Tx. DiPalo was in fact the place I'd gone to on Grand. It did occur to me that Eataly would be good to try but....I can't stand crowds, and my guess is that Eataly is still chaotic due to all the buzz about it.

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Eataly
200 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010

not sure what you mean by 'below downtown-ish', but I'll assume you want below 14th Street....

Maybe Bouley? I haven't been there in a long time, but assuming it's still good, I think that's a nice place for a special occasion dinner for two. Nice ambiance, the tables are well spaced that I recall, and of course good food!

Hi all. I just came back from two weeks in Southern Italy so now I"m on an Italian food kick! :-)

I plan to host an Italian themed party and would love to be able to find the following foods, without having to schlep from one Italian nabe to another in the city, trying to find places that MIGHT have this stuff. If you know a particular place that might sell any one of these items, I'd be very appreciative!

1) I had a small individual sized wheel of cheese one day in Naples.... the inside was firm and had a somewhat chewy texture. The entire outside was covered in a thicker somewhat waxy looking rind that was of a deeper yellow/brown shade, but it was all entirely edible. The cheese had a very strong smokey smell...it almost smelled like bacon. Any idea what this cheese might be called and where I can find it? I did inquire at a well-known Italian shop (whose name I forget) on Grand, and the only thing they had was 'scarmoza', which seemed slightly different from what I'd had in Italy. The one I had in Italy had a STRONGER smokey flavor and was shaped as a little wheel, not a lopsided pear....

2) Another day I went into a salumeria where they had a tray of ricotta. I ordered a 'slice'. It was almost like the texture of a pie....it was solid, albeit a soft solid, but you could hold it in your hands and eat it. (It was not sweet btw.) The top layer was a beautiful deep brown, as if it had been baked in the oven and/or put under the broiler. This same Italian shop on Grand had something SIMILAR, but not exactly what I'd had in Naples....

3) I had fresh, filleted anchovies with olive oil and lemon in Lecce. SOOOOO good. Do any places in NYC sell 'fresh' anchovy or anything close to it? (Mind you if there is a place that sells them fresh, I'd want them filleted. Would most places be able to fillet them for me?) Otherwise, maybe there is a version in a jar packed with olive oil that might work? And if so, how far from the 'fresh' ones I had in Italy do you think they'd be...would they taste somewhat similar? I definitely know that the generic canned versions sold in most markets here are NOT what I'm looking for! :-)

Thanks all!!

I second Blossom if you're willing to do vegetarian (although....I thought it was vegan? but maybe I'm wrong..). Either way Blossom food is awesome and nice somewhat romantic ambiance...

Not sure exactly where Roundabout is, but I think a great all around restaurant with a pretty comprehensive menu is Thalia. It's located on the East side of 8th Ave at the southeast corner of 8th and 50th. I eat there OFTEN and have found it to be consistently good, with a nice ambiance, good service and usually little to no wait for a table.

http://www.restaurantthalia.com/menu/...

I like Pukk (vegetarian Thai) on the West side of 1st Ave...I think btwn 5th and 6th or else btwn 4th and 5th..... Many dishes are under $10.

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Pukk
71 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003

While indeed, pretty much anything goes at NYC restaurants, EMP IS the type of place where a bit more dressed up simply feels appropriate. I would never go there in jeans and sneakers. It's not the kind of restaurant you just 'pop into'...it's more of a special meal type place, so I think you'd feel more comfortable there if you dressed accordingly. You can never be TOO dressed up. Nice slacks and a top, or else a dress, would be fine.

correction: Antica Trattoria on Fresh Pond is AWESOME. (Now that I've eaten there more, and tried a wider variety of their dishes, it's one of the BEST Italian restauarants in the entire city IMHO! I feel so lucky to have this place in my own little nabe!

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Antica Trattoria
68-10 Fresh Pond Rd, Queens, NY 11385

My recommendations would be:

1) Visit Eli's market at 1411 3rd Avenue near 80th Street. This is a food shoppers heaven, and IMHO has the most incredible array of food items anywhere in the city. Everything is SOOO beautiful, and SOOOO expensive. You want little marshmallows shaped like button mushrooms? Eli's sells them, for like $10/bag! You looking for Creme Fraiche (very hard to find)? Eli's sells it. You want hand-churned fresh butter? An obscure type of cookie only sold in Denmark? Chances are Eli's carries it.

2) You like Thai food? I highly recommend Pukk restaurant, at 71 1st Avenue, near 5th Street. It is a vegetarian Thai restaurant, and the dishes are inexpensive ($4-8 generally) and beautifully prepared and they taste delicious. The decor is a clean/funky design...sorta Miami looking. If you are a small party (2-3 people) you can generally just walk in and get a table. I've never had to make a reservation nor have I ever had to wait for a table.

3) As to the other recommendation here for Katz's, yes it's very good, but beware of long lines and waits for a table. Try to go there when you think it won't be so crowded. I suspect weekends are probably the worst....

4) For BBQ, I happen to like Virgil's BBQ in the heart of Times Square. You have to deal with crowds and a wait for a table, but the food is awesome.

5) for Burgers, I like Stand on 12th Street, between University and 5th. Their shakes are the best I have EVER had anywhere...super thick! It may sound strange, but their "toasted marshmallow" shake is delish!

6) Not sure what Izakaya-style Japanese is but....a place that's been on my to-go list is Sushi Yasuda, near Grand Central. The food gets a 28 (out of a possible 30) rating in Zagat. Very expensive, but the decor is simply beautiful!

7) As to upscale bars/lounges, I happen to prefer places that are not frequented by 20-somethings, or the "after work" crowd, or that are a pickup scene. If that sounds like you, I recommend the upstairs lounge area of the Chambers Hotel in Midtown (around 55th Street btwn 6th and 7th maybe?). It's a very open area with couch seating and tables.

There also used to be another very discreet, sophisticated bar that I liked at the San Domenico restaurant. The restaurant changed location, so I've yet to go to the new spot, but I think it is on the East side...maybe in the 30s somewhere... But assuming they have all the same owners and staff (which I suspect they do). the new spot is probably just as nice. Why the bartender there was even featured in GQ magazine a few years ago I think, as one of the top bartenders in the city. He was a very elegant, older Italian man who really knew how to take care of his customers!

Maybe you could also tell us WHERE in Queens you will be, so we can make some Queens reco's. (Queens is very big, so it wouldn't make sense to reco something until we know where you'll be staying...)

I love Blackhound's cakes!! A cheescake from Veniero's is also an option

If a steakhouse is an option, some people like Del Frisco's....it's just a block from Radio City.

I too was going to mention Wallse. Charming little place, and everything there is "just so"....

Thanks!!!

I too live in Ridgewood/Glendale. I work in the city, so often pick up a few items at Whole Foods in Union Square on my way home. I supplement with food staples, household products, party items (including liquor) via Fresh Direct.

A new market opened around June of 2008 called Green Line, on Myrtle near George Street. While they call themselves an Organic market, alas, they have virtually no organic fruits/veggies. They DO however carry organic dairy, as well as many more "natural" ....or should I say not mass-produced products. You'll find virtually no Nabisco, Sara Lee etc stuff here! Their cereals, juices, chips etc are more in line with Whole Foods products, or else with specifically Polish-named brands. Green Line also carries a comprehensive amount of household items from Seventh Generation.

The only thing I personally use Key Foods for is their Ciao Bella gelato. Everything else there I think is pretty much of "poor, inner-city" quality. There's no such thing as hormone-free/range-free meats at Key Foods as far as I know.

The other bakery on Fresh Pond that someone mentioned...it's actually called "Catania" bakery (as in, Catania, Sicily).

Another very good Italian bakery is called "Monreale", right across from Green Line market, on Myrtle.

Nuncan Meat Market on Myrtle near Fresh Pond is very good for quality cold cuts (freshly-sliced mortadella, various homemade salamis, knockwurst, slab bacon, etc)

For dining, Antica Trattoria on Fresh Pond is decent, as is Sakura (Japanese) on Myrtle. There's a greasy spoon Puerto Rican that I like on Myrtle opposite Pizza Hut, and the Mexican on Myrtle near George is also pretty good.

That's it! Thanks guys!

I'm drawing a blank...anybody know this restaurant..."something & something" (I think one is an Italian name)....near Grove St. PATH...it's sort of a trendy gourmet restaurant?

TX!!

Thank you very much! Well from the map that sure looks like the right street, but neither name is ringing a bell. And I can't really tell from just the outside. I guess I'll just direct me friend to that block, and then she can pick which one to go to. (I just wanted to be able to recommend to her a nice authentic, hole-in-the-wall kind of ramen place!)

Tx.

I’m hoping to find someone familiar with Kyoto that might know the name of a restaurant I went to…it was a small ramen place, and I’d read about it somewhere in the past…that it was supposed to be considered one of the better ramen places in Kyoto. The only way I can describe it is… if you are exiting the JR Kyoto station from “the front” (or I believe North side) …where there are many bus queues, and where there is a main street that crosses in front of it…exiting the station from that side, when you get to the main street, you would turn right. You would then walk about 3 blocks, turn right…I believe cross a tiny bridge…and on the right, nestled in between some other small establishments, was a ramen place. When you enter, there was a small counter on the left that seated about 8 people perhaps, and the entire restaurant had maybe 12 small tables.

It was a very casual place (hole-in-the-wall we would call it in the U.S.), and it was all locals eating there. No tourists.

Thanks all!!

When I was in Tokyo, I had udon for my first time, and loved it! But I haven't found anything like it here. Mind you I was there in October (I know they try to use seasonal ingredients). I know at the very least it had a number of different things in the soup, and I know one of the items were fishcakes, and the other was mochi (which got all gooey from the hot broth!)

Does anyone know of a place in Manhattan that might serve udon that way?

Thanks!!

Apparently they are relocating to East 26th, quite an entirely different nabe. I suspect that they decided they could no longer afford what must have been high rent at CPS. Why else relocate to an entirely 'nother part of the city, after they'd been at CPS for so long? Unfortunately now, the E26th location will not be convenient for me, so I suspect I'll never go there. I actually never liked the restaurant itself...I just went for the nice intimate, quiet bar and the great bartender. Oh well. I guess that means I'll be utilizing the upstairs bar at the Chambers Hotel more often, which has a similar sophisticated, quiet vibe to that of the SD bar....

Somewhat nearby are: Charles Southern Style Kitchen (West side of Frederick Douglas Blvd at 152nd give or take a block). THE best soul food, and a real neighborhood place. Also, Raw Soul, on South side of 145th, btwn St. Nick and Edgecombe is an awesome raw food place. Mind you, I'm not a vegetarian nor a raw foodist, but their food is delicious. I recommend their "personal pizza" and their "hamburger".

In the East Village, I love Caravan of Dreams (north side of 6th btwn 1st and A). It's got a sorta bohemian vibe. I don't think they take reservations, but then, I've never had to wait for a table either.... Also excellent is Pukk (West side of 1st, around maybe 8th Street give or take a block...), which is vegetarian Thai. "Dirt cheap" but the quality is surprisingly excellent. Very nice clean decor too. Don't think they take reservations, but I've never had to wait there either for a table.

Thanks. Sounds like not much here!

My fave is Charles Southern Style Kitchen. Located in a not-yet-gentrified section of Harlem, the place is very simple, somewhat divey, and yet the staff are very warm and gracious. All you can eat lunch buffet is about $11, dinner about $13.

If you like collard greens, theirs are to die for (they add smoked turkey to it) and their candied yams also excellent!

http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/charles-southern-style-kitchen/

What I like to do is make a Harlem day out of it. First I'll go check out Marjorie Elliot's free parlour jazz concert held in her apartment every single Sunday at 4:00p. It's like going to church...such a joyful experience! This is a one-of-a-kind only in NYC experience.

http://www.code212.com/parlorentertainment/alexisclark.htm

http://www.parlorentertainment.com/ (give it a minute for the video to appear

Then after that, I walk the 10 minutes or so to Charles' to finish up the day!

I have a Sicilian friend that loves La Masseria, which would be about a 10-minute taxi ride....

http://www.lamasserianyc.com/dinner.html

When you look at menu, you have to use your mouse to go over to the right, to see the prices...

ah, what a pity! Thanks for the info. Well I know that sometimes even in such areas, there is tucked away a little gem of a place...even a dive if you will, but with its own little charm... ?? Someone else mentioned that just one PATH stop away is Grove Street, and that that is full of nice places to eat. Maybe we'll just have to try that then....