dpastor's Profile
Roast Duck Questions
Sorry - hit return too soon! I also put some baby carrots and quartered onion under the duck before roasting. This meant the duck didn't stick to the pan. Halfway through cooking I tasted a carrot - Delicious! I saved all of them, put in fresh ones, and had great roasted vegetables.
Roast Duck Questions
Thanks everyone for this thread-just cooked my first duck! I mainly followed davis - without the brining. I poured a tea kettle of boiling water over the duck but only left abut 1/2 cup in the pan. I had no problem with burning fat. I also used convention, and only needed 45 min a turn and it was ready BEFORE the 4th turn (after 1.5 hours). The meat was the moistest and most tender duck I have ever had. The wings were a bit crispy, but all the other meat cooked evenly. One caveat: some of the skin was crispy, but not both sides. Maybe the final glazing and high heat cooking needs to be on both sides.This recipe sounds more complicated than it is. I will definitely do it again.
Also, made a great orange sauce based on an epicurious recipe-very good.
"Low country" food in Charlotte and local specialities
We are spending 4 days in downtown Charlotte without a car. I saw there were some local bbq places (merts) and when I looked at the menus on-line there was a special section for low country fare. What is that? And is Merts the place to try it, or should we stick with bbq? Finally, what is the local (non-pork) speciality of Charlotte? I saw someone mentioned pimento sandwiches - is that one? I am not looking for fancy - just for down home.
Thanks in advance.
homemade chilled red beet borscht
Murray's at 90th and bway sells pretty good borscht and GREAT schav.
Best Dim Sum - Age Old Question
Just tried red egg for the first time. The staff was nice, but didn't bring tea or soy sauce to the table until asked. The chili paste was bland. The dim sum menu is heavily pork, which limited my choices. The har gow were very fresh and good - served steaming hot. The snow pea leaves were cooked perfectly with just a hint of garlic sauce - just the way I like it. Those were the highlights. The beef stuffed rice roll looked undercooked and not all beef - could barely try it. The veg dumpling was tasteless. The cilantro steamed rice roll lacked the vibrancy of fresh cilantro - the roll was the perfect texture (unlike the beef rice roll), a bit thick but still good. Just bland. Not as tasty as dim sum a go go.
-----
Red Egg
202 Centre Street, New York, NY 10013
Best Brunch in Park Slope?
Just read this thread and decided to go to Sidecar for brunch. I do not eat carbs and didn't want to go to a place where everyone else is eating homemade breads and pancakes. Sidecar has a lot of choices for low carb brunch. Oysters, the hangover cure (which is great, just the right amount of spice) and gravlax are good low-carb starters. Salad can be subbed for homefries. The migas came with a homemade habanero salsa, very fresh and good. Even the decaf coffee was good. Next time, I'll check out the chicken fried steak or the fried chicken salad.
-----
Sidecar Bar & Grill
560 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215
A week in Venice (long)
Sorry, I forgot my review of San Marco restaurants! Restaurants convenient to San Marco and not super expensive-
Osteria a la Compana; Calle dei fabbri 4720 | S. Marco,
This place is a great find so close to tourist san marco plaza. There were no tourists – we sat next to a table of gondoliers! Very cheap – 30 euros for 3 people. Seafood lasagna was creamy; spinach perfectly cooked, everything else was pleasant. The cichetti was fun. There is no sign on the front.
Da Aciugheta Castello 4357
a few blocks behind the basilica; good pizza and cichetti platter; reasonable for san marco area, can choose between real meal or snack; nice pastas; Fairly touristy
A week in Venice (long)
We ate at many good restaurants but few greats. Our favorite was:
Alla Frasca Cannaregio 5176 Corte della Carità A really hard to find, incredible restaurant. Go to Fundamente Nova vaperetto stop and walk to the vaporetto to Murano (DM line) and walk down Campo de gesuiti past the Gesuiti church. Take the second left (called Calle Venier and go over a bridge, then look on your left in a block or so for a campo with a “shack” in it.
We had our best meal of the week; you go in, there’s only 5 tables. An old guy, Mario, gives you a menu, then gravely consults with you. There aren’t many choices. Then he goes in the kitchen and cooks your food, and brings it out to you. Later he clears the table. Periodically, he goes behind the bar for a drink, or leaves the restaurant for a self-announced cigarette break. By the end of the meal he’s your best friend. We had steamed mussels and then seafood pasta. The sauces were extremely light and yet with a briny, deep seafood flavor. We used our fingers to tear open some of the crustaceans which Mario complimented us for (“Everyone should enjoy food like this!”) We split two orders of roasted branzino with potatoes and zuchinni – succulent with a light sauce that was terrific. Everything was supremely simple and flavorful. Mix of tourists and locals. There were no desserts but the complimentary liqueur was appreciated. The entire meal for 3 came to 100 euros.
The next best place was Osteria Anice Stellato in Canneregio not far from the Ghetto.
It started out looking like a moderate-expensive meal for us – main plates costing 18-25 euros, but the portions were so large that it turned out to be almost inexpensive. The single best dish of the trip was the cheese flan with a zuchini cream sauce. The flavors are simple yet vibrant. A seafood antipasto plate and the fried seafood main plate kept the three of us full. The cold octopus was a knockout. The fried seafood and fish were greaseless, hot and fabulous. We also ordered (but barely had room to nibble) a cuttlefish pasta – it was intensely flavored and the best we had.Duck pasta was intensely flavored. The shrimp and bean soup was good – more of a stew. The bread was also the best of the trip. If you want an affordable splurge – especially if you are a party of four or more – definitely try Anice Stellato. When we were there it looked to be mainly locals. The menu is not even translated into English.
Alla Zattere Dorsoduro This place is all about the views, incredible views of Guidecca. Surprisingly great clams al vongole – the best of the entire trip. Very good pizza, mixed salad, and tiramisu; bad main courses and risotto.
Best Spritzes-
Algiubagio- in front of Fundamenta Nova vaporetto stop Served with blood orange and olive.
Il Bottegon- Fondamenta Nani near Accademia Rio di San Trovaso this has changed names several times, it is crowded but great spritz and very good, fun, cheap cichetti.
Best Pastry Places
Bar Pasticceria Toletta 1192, Dorsoduro, to the right of Accademia as you approach from the bridge. Great selection of bitesized cakes – the fruit cakes were great. The fritelle (carnival pastries) were also good – especially the zabaglione. I hear the semi-freddos are good too.
Tonolo in Calle de San Pantalon in dorsoduro, but near San Polo 3 blocks from the scuola de roca Great fritters and glania. Everything looked fresh.
Best unusual restaurant:Hostaria Galileo • Campo Sant'Angelo, 359 Castello
Near St Mark’s square,I had never heard of it. Surprisingly good with dishes not seen on other menus. They use seasonal specialities. A great soup selection – had a faro soup and a pumpkin soup that were both great. The pumpkin gnocchi in a gorgonzola sauce was delicious. Had soft polenta (as opposed to the grilled) with eel stew that was luscious. Best polenta of the trip. Service is quite slow. Moderate to expensive.
Other recommended restaurants:
Da Alberto Calle . It has great ambiance, a sort of rustic tavern in Venice. One of the best seafood risottos that we had. Very fresh grilled fish; good liver. A mix of locals and tourists. About 110 euros for 3 with carafe of wine and shared plates. Near some good shopping
Ai Cugnai. Quite good and moderately priced. Good soup selection – had a cream of carrot with tangy undertones and a good vegetable soup. Beef carpacico was fantastic, would check out their beef main courses. Seafood lasagna and seafood risotto were first rate and affordable. A mix of locals and tourists, very pleasant. Not stellar, but every dish was quite good.
Trattoria al Gatto Nero in Burano. Pleasant restaurant, the deluxe seafood platter was great. Don’t bother with the expensive seafood pasta – its not worth the surcharge. Get the risotto or the clam pasta – very good..Tourists and Locals.
Best hot chocolate: Grom gelatoria in sant barnabas in dorsoduro – good ice cream – and the best hot chocolate of the trip. Nearby gelatoria del doge in Campo Santa Marguerite was a close second, unless you like nut ice creams like hazelnut, which were incredible. BTW, avoid the fancy hot chocolate place in campo san stefano - like warm pudding!
So-so Places
San Trovaso: order carefully for a good, cheap meal. Lots of tourists, not a lot of charm, but if you want to save some money and eat well, go ahead. The seafood soup, broiled eel and every dessert were great. The sgroppina was the best of the trip. The salmon was medicore and the vegetable soup was inedible. The pastas were fine.
Osteria Bancogiro- near Rialto Bridge. I don’t know – all the dishes were good, the fish was pristine and perfectly cooked – obviously bought from the neighboring pesceria – and yet I didn’t love this place. Somehow, the food was a bit esoteric and not as satisfying. Standouts: seafood cichetti platter; black gnocchi.
, Ristorante L'Incontro in sant margherita square. A Sardinian restaurant that’s good for a change of pace – fantastic rabbit in a rich savoury sauce. Beef was tender and flavorful, but could have used a sauce. Skip the special Sardinian pasta – the ravioli and gnocchi in gorganzola cheese were pleasant but nothing special. The lamb chops were inedible. Moderate for a beef place.
-----
Anice Stellato
Cannaregio, 3272, Venezia , IT
Bancogiro
Campo San Giacomo di Rialto, San Polo 122,, Venice, Veneto 30125, IT
Grom
via del Campanile, Florence, Tuscany 50122, IT
Algiubagio
Fondamenta Nuove,Cannaregio 5039, Venice, Veneto , IT
L'Incontro
Dorsoduro, Rio Terà Canal, 3062, Venice, Veneto , IT
Favorite dishes at Perilla
Thanks to everyone who recommended dishes, we visited Perilla and took everyone's advice. The spicy duck meatballs (not that spicy) were great - meaty but not fatty. Deeply flavorful. But the best, best dish was the fried watercress and calamari app. Amazing-each element of the dish-the peanuts, the marinated onion-added an vital component. It was luscious, crispy, tangy, a tad sweet, and very savory - all at the same time. Instead of wine, I had the Perilla 75 cocktail which was very tasty.
I also got the rabbit legs app for my main course - quite good but a tad oversalted. I wouldn't get them with the meatballs as there is similar spicing. I also had the farro risotto - it is as dense and buttery as described on the board. Get it to split with a few other people because you can only have a few tablespoons, it is so rich. The cod special was roasted to perfection and quite good - though not as good as the apps. Finally, the chocolate souffle was by the books good. The chocolate creme anglaise was overkill (a chocoholic would disagree), would have preferred the traditonal version. The cookie that came with my mint tea was perfect.
I would go again, but more for the apps and the drinks than the main courses.
-----
Perilla
9 Jones Street, New York, NY 10014
Why do people go to Shun Lee?
Years ago I would get dim sum at shun lee cafe before Philharmonic concerts. Not bad. And Shun Lee West would have some hong kong or banquet style dishes not seen on other chinese menus. S o when a friend wanted to go there, I agreed. What a rip! 4 mediocre, floury dumplings for $13?? Szechuan peppercorn duck that was just regular peking duck - but bonier. A tiny portion of chinese broccoli, with wonderful mushrooms that were doused in a thick inedible brown sauce.
The one standout dish- stir fried sweetbreads and green peppers. Excellent.
Along with a half bottle of saki, and an order of fruit, the dinner above cot $170 before tip.
-----
Shun Lee West
43 W 65th St, New York, NY 10023
Tip advice in Italy
Just got back from Venice, so am asking advice a bit late.... Usually, I just look at the check in Europe to see if I need to really tip. There will either be a service charge added on, or a note saying that service is not included. This time, I was in many restaurants that gave bills that showed no clue if service was included. I assumed that this meant it was not, and so tipped 10-15% - but the look on the waiters' faces made it clear that we had overtipped. Any advice?
What to order at Keen's steakhouse?
Finally ate at Keens - first, get the cocktails. If you like a classic Bloody Mary, homemade with lots of horseradish and pepper, then you must try Keen's. The kids got homemade ginger ale which was also incredible. One nice thing about Keen's is that the sides and extras are done so well. One exception - everyone raves about the oysters but I found them to be good not great (Malpeques). The lobster salad was sublime. The mutton (really lamb) was even better than the porterhouse, which was extremely good. French fries were great - crispy but not greasy.The carrots are fantastic, but a bit too sweet for my partner. My son got a short rib salad and raved about the quality of the lettuce, tomato and cheese. The ice cream sundae was terrific, the bananas foster tasted good but not really like true bananas foster (no flambee). We sat in the Langtry room - very nice and not noisy. I recommend Keen's for a great Manhattan steakhouse.
-----
Keens
72 West 36th St., New York, NY 10018
Newport to Pacific City--please help! Need food recommendations.
I have been going to Neskowin for years and also recommend the Chelan units. For hiking, try the cascade head trails (3 rocks trail), just south of Neskowin. And for a pre-hike breakfast, go to Otis Cafe. Incredible - from the homemade molasses bread and sourdough. The amazing buttermilk pancakes have a deep yeasty flavor and are perfectly cooked. Avoid the hangtown fry - not enough oysters. For lunch, the tuna melt is the best I've ever had. And the fresh fish sandwich (snapper, halibut, fresh catch) is wonderful, with a lightly floured, lightly fried piece of fresh fish. The pies are to die for - the strawberry rubarb is terrific and I don't even like rubarb. The apple crunch pie was oozing with moist apples and cinnamon.
North of Neskowin you can find the Cape Lookout trail - pretty easy with spectacular views. Stop in Pacific City - either Grateful Bread for breakfast or Pelican Pub and Brewery for lunch. It has the BEST clam chowder on the Oregon Coast, trust me. The rest of the food is pleasant; the beer menu is local and extensive and the views of the ocean are great. But get the chowder.
good restaurant in a cool nabe
My in-laws live in Portland and over the years we have gone to some great restaurants - but they have all been in the downtown "tourist" section. We are staying downtown but have a car and would like to visit a different neighborhood in Portland - go to a good restaurant and walk around, explore a little. We are flexible with the type of food, though like typical Oregon food - fresh fish etc..
Also, we have been to the farmers market at PSU. Is there another one nearby?I thought I read something about that on this board, but it was unclear.
the best fresh mozzarella here?
I second the recommendation for Casa della Mozzerella in Arthur Ave. Unbelievable melt-in-your-mouth consistency. Stay away from little Italy in Manhattan.
upper west side dimsum?
I agree with Shun Lee, but I remember that shun lee cafe, years ago, had some decent dim sum. East Dumpling House is good - though basic. China Fun may be as good as it gets on the UWS!
-----
China Fun
246 Columbus Ave, New York, NY 10023
East Dumpling House
248 W 106th St, New York, NY 10025
breakfast recommendation-horseman diner or Bellas
Thanks, I took your advice and went for breakfast at the Horseman and it was great. I had eggs florentine - made with fresh spinach perfectly cooked. My aunt's french toast was also good. There were a few Mexican breakfast options that looked good - I'll have to come back to try them.
-----
Horseman Restaurant
276 N Broadway, Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591
breakfast recommendation-horseman diner or Bellas
Hi, we are going to the Philipsberg manor and want to get breakfast beforehand. These two places seem to offer good breakfast - can anyone help us with the tiebreaker? Also, can you recommend specific dishes - I prefer non-sweet dishes in the morning.
First time in New Orleans at Jazz Fest
Downhill alert - soft shell crab po boy is not as good this year. The bread was different, mediocre; and the crab was not as juicy. Talked to a few other people who agreed. Another downhill- the fried tomatoes, they just didn't have the taste.
Still great - pheasant gumbo at prejeans, anything at lil izzy's -trout baquet (one of the best trout dishes I've ever had) seafood gumbo and crawfish bisque. Strawberry shortcake and the cochon du lait. Perfection!
Good but not great - white choc. bread pudding, crab beignets, white beans, peach cobbler
high tea at a hotel
Lady Mendl's is delightful. You won't be able to eat dinner afterwards because there is so much great food. And the servers are very knowledgable. Lowell Hotel used to be good. The Pierre, which used to have a great tea, is now a terrible tea to be avoided. And a rip-off. I was very disappointed.
Can you recomend a place for afternoon tea this weekend? Wanted to try Payard, but it's closed
Went back to the Pierre for tea after being away for a few years. DO NOT GO THERE! The tea is no longer in the Rotunda, but in the bar. There is no longer a long wonderful tea menu. There are no longer servers who know how to serve tea. And there are no longer any refills on the sandwiches. The smoked salmon and the crab sandwiches remain good, the rest are mediocre. The desserts were ok not great. The price, at $55 a person, is higher than ever. What a disappointing rip-off! Go to Lady Mendl's instead.
What to use in place of Bacon?
For ham, I substitute veal pastrami - I think that that could taste very good with the dates, just change the cooking times.
Darna in nyc as a caterer
I am looking for a good caterer for a small batmitzvah that has great sephardic food. What do you think of Darna?
Corned Beef Hash
Sarge's in the 30's on the east side has it - its an excellent all round deli btw.
For a change, try duck confit hash at Norma's - bring a friend to share it with.
Fairways' cbh is disappointing.
Restaurants everyone loves--except you
I agree with Telepan, had lunch last summer with four people and we all had horrible meals with mediocre service.
Gennaro's is another. The food is ok, the rabbit is good, too bad the polenta served with it is runny. Forget their risottos. Yet, there are lines every night when lisca is across the street with better pasta.
Sarabeth's is also overrated. I've mainly had their egg dishes, which are pleasant enough but not worth a 30 minute wait. Tomato soup has gone downhill as well. If you want great pancakes, try Fairways - they are the best.
Favorite Food at Jazz Fest 2009.....so far
I"m not from NO but here's what I like so far - fried green tomatoes - inbelievable; anything at Pattons - esp. the crawfish sack; the pheasant gumbo at Prejeans (dont get their seafood stuffed shrooms, disappointing) is amazing; rosemint tea, get the beignets near the blues tent, and the white chocolate bread pudding. Disappointments: crawfish monica, crawfish bread (too much cheese, too little crawfish), crawfish pie, gumbo someplace not prejeans. the couchon de lait was good, but split with a friend, very filling.
gefilte fish--can I freeze it?
I have been making my own gefilte fish for years. How long you cook it depends on how large the patties are and how hot the water heat is. In my mind, it is like making meatballs - but with fish. Just as most meatballs cook within 30 minutes, so do most gefilte fish patties. But if you make them very large or you add a lot of filler, then they will take longer. Because they are fish, I don't boil them, I simmer them and they take closer to 40 minutes. Also, if there is a lot of fish in the pot and not a lot of broth, its going to take a bit longer. I think that gefilte fish patties used to be made much larger, and rounder, and also with a high ratio of fish to broth in the cooking pot. That would mean cooking longer. Finally, perhaps in the old days, fish had more parasites or something and it was healthier to cook it much longer.
BTW, I like to cook them with a lot of fish broth. Then, I reduce it, and cook some broken up matzos in it. I serve it warm with the fish (which is room temp), really delicious.
Poor and hungry visitors to paris
A few recommendations- visit the rue du buci market on the left bank- they have fresh and prepared foods that are outstanding and not too expensive. Do some research, there are several open air markets and they are great places to buy cheese, wine, cold cuts (which are wonderful) and prepared goods. Also, you are not too far from the galerie lafayette, which has an entire floor of food - huge, huge selection. A lot of prepared dishes, not quite as cheap as the outdoor markets, but quite reasonable. A nice splurge would be Fauchons, they have prepared food that is a bit pricier but top rate. Their breakfast pastries, especially their savory madeleines, are great. Also, they have salted caramels, a unique french candy.
Two restaurants fit your bill - La table de fes is on 5 rue saint beuve, not too far from saint germaine du pres, but hard to find - make sure to print off a google map. They have great, inexpensive couscous. Huge portions, get one lamb tagine and 2 vegetable couscous dishes to split between 4 people. don't bother with the appetisers. A corny favorite of mine that is somewhat reasonable and is near you is La Souffle. What is the point of going to Paris without trying a soufle, they have main course and dessert ones. It isn't cheap but I remember it as being reasonable. But in general, middle eastern and north african food may be the way to go.
Alto
We just had a great meal at Alto's. The best dish was the risotto with veal trotters. It had an incredible gelatinous quallity that blended with the risotto. The veal was taken off the bone, so nothing messy, just great. The duck agnolleti was good not great. The sweetbread appetiser with the egg is wonderful. The lobster and fish stew is perfectly cooked and flavorful but missing depth. The special - oxtails stuffed in cabbage (also boned) were great. The panna cotta with blood orange soup was refreshing, the pera (fried with crushed pear in the middle) was quite mediocre.
The service was great - that is a large part of the total experience.
Range Hood Depth
Philly Ray,
Which 24 inch Zephyr are you looking at? I noticed only one, the venezia, which was $1500 list. I would love a 24 inch at your price.
