hopalong's Profile
Hope and Anchor
oooh. have to disagree on the banana cream pie. have gotten it twice and both times it was rotten. i mean fully rotten. in fact, i think hope & anchors main problem is with food storage (ie. refrig not cold enough, keeping things too long)- i've also gotten a seriously spoiled tomato in a salad there. too bad b/c it's such a cute place.
inexpensive meals worthy of dinner party
i was totally going to suggest this too! my mother always makes chicken marbella for dinner parties when there are too many people to do something expensive. it's really tasty and easy as well.
some other idea:
* any stewing meat that requires slow cooking will generally be cheaper - short ribs, shanks, pot roasts etc and they can be very elegant
*for an appetizer i would suggest either "white onion soup with chive oil" or "bourbon chicken liver pate" - both from epicurious.com. have made both of these numerous times for dinner parties - they both look and taste great but cost very little.
* or it might be fun to do a 'breakfast for dinner' party. you can do a really elegant breakfast (baked eggs with cheese and herbs, fancy pancakes, fruit salad, bloody maries) for much cheaper than an elegant dinner. just an idea.
Brigtsen's Wine Question
I went with the Meursault and they adored it (and the dinner as well, of course). Thanks again for your thoughtful advice!
Brigtsen's Wine Question
thanks so much for your advice! they're are going tomorrow night so i'll call tomorrow afternoon and speak with the manager. i'll definitely ask about the Meursault - sounds like something the mother would enjoy!
Brigtsen's Wine Question
Sending my parents to Brigtsen's for a special occasion dinner when they are visiting N.O. next week. Want to call ahead and buy them a nice bottle of wine but have heard that their wine list is on the small side.
Any recs for a bottle you particularly like there? Mom generally prefers white so I think I'll either go with that or maybe champagne. Looking to spend around $60 (possibly a little more for something really good).
any recommendations are greatly appreciated!
Current Favorite Dish/Item for Less than $10?
have a new addition to my list - went to wondee siam in hell's kitchen the other night and their Nam Sod with ground pork definitely makes it into my top dished under $10 (it comes in at $7.50). cant wait to try the rest of the items on their menu!
Current Favorite Dish/Item for Less than $10?
sure here you go:
soup dumplings at joe's shanghai- $6.50
burger and a beer at corner bistro- $8.75 approx
roast pork with mai fun noodles at any number of chinatown joints- usually about $5
a hot dog and a market side (i'm partial to the brussel sprouts) from westville- $8 for two hebrew nationals and a side
a conchinita pebil toco, a grilled corn and a mandarin jaritos at la esquina -$3, $2, $2.50
beef soon doobu at li hua on grand st - $7.95
blt on challah from grey dog- $7.50
beef pho or pork with vermacelli from pho bang- $4.50, $4.95
bbq ham sandwich at RUB -$8.75
paperdelle with sausage and spicy tomato sauce at pepe rosso- $10.95 (just a little over the limit)
hot italian sausage sandwich with mustard that they grill outside on grand st in little italy during the summer- i think about $4.00
a good deli egg and cheese with salt pepper and ketchup -usually about $2.50
black and white milkshake from emack and bolios on houston- prob about $5
Current Favorite Dish/Item for Less than $10?
whoa didn't mean to make such a long list but once i started it took on a mind of its own...
soup dumplings at joe's shanghai
burger and a beer at corner bistro
roast pork with mai fun noodles at any number of chinatown joints
a hot dog and a market side (i'm partial to the brussel sprouts) from westville
a conchinita pebil toco, a grilled corn and a mandarin jaritos at la esquina
beef soon doobu at li hua on grand st
blt on challah from graydog
beef pho or pork with vermacelli from pho bang
bbq ham sandwich at RUB
paperdelle with sausage and spicy tomato sauce at pepe rosso
hot italian sausage sandwich with mustard that they grill outside on grand st in little italy during the summer
a good deli egg and cheese with salt pepper and ketchup
black and white milkshake from emack and bolios on houston
Wedding Registration Necessities
i'm not married so i dont really know the registry etiquette but if you're interested in expanding your cooking/baking repertoire, maybe you could register for some good cook books to help get you started.
Best Cheesesteak (in Philly) from a Place That Is Off the Beaten Path?
i've suggested this little gem to a lot of people and no one seems to believe me...until they actually go. random little pizza place called paul's pizza on 20th street (and spruce) - their cheesesteaks are the best. funny b/c their pizza's only so so, but their steaks, oh man: perfectly toasted but still soft bread, cheese mixed in with the meat, steak cooked one portion at a time (no steaming pile ala jim's), great fried onions. i live in ny now where there are NO good cheesesteaks to be had and oh how i wish i could go to pauls right now....
Subs in Somerville / Cambridge
another really good place for italian subs (although also not in Cambridge or Sommerville) is the W House in Watertown Square. Kind of random- just a regular old pizza place but their italian subs are really excellent (get it toasted with everything!)
very sad about fatty crab
I used to love Fatty Crab when it first opened and then I went last night and I was super disappointed. They've raised the prices considerably (one of my old favorites - the chinese broccoli with fish flakes now costs $9 which seems like a lot for a side of veggies). It makes me sad to have such a bad experience at a restaurant that I used to look forward to visiting. Everything we ordered was way too salty and way too saucy and way too MSGy. The watermelon and pork belly salad was still quite good, but the chicken wings, noodles and chinese broccoli we got were all like being hit in the face with a bag of salt and grease (all of these are items i've ordered before and liked). I dont mind salty food and I generally like messy food with lots of sauce and big flavor and big fattyness but this was just too much. And what I suspect was a lot of MSG made me feel like I was in a coma by the time I left. I dont like posting negative things but I just hope that Fatty Crab can tone it down just a smidge and get back to how good they used to be. sigh.
Your favorite ravioli filling?
i made this ravioli with a roasted chestnut and pancetta filling. they were outstanding:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/104234
Welsh Rarebit
they have it at Chip Shop on Atlantic Ave in BK. It's pretty tasty with a nice pint of beer.
What Is Your Most Elegant Yet Inexpensive Homemade Dish?
I make this pate recipe when I want to bring something nice to a party but I'm feeling broke (and/or lazy). Chicken livers are v. cheap and you can make this recipe in about 15 minutes, yet it is quite elegant and delicious when complete.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/108720
Salad Nicoise
I'm a big fan of the salad nicoise at Lucky Strike on Grand Street (I always get a side of fries too!)
Ham
RUB bbq in chelsea has really good ham (you can get it as a platter or a sandwich). not a fancy restaurant but the ham is delish!
Client dinner in Philly
I worked at Susanna Foo briefly several years ago and I know they do a lot of corporate lunches/dinners in their upstairs dining room and they have menu options at varying prices. I can also recommend the food because the staff got to eat it once in a great while when there were no shows for these big dinners. Definitely get a menu with the crab cake - it's fabulous.
Think it fits the bill exactly for your requirements. Good drinks too if your clients are the drinking type!
Where should I send Mom & Dad?
Thanks so much for the advice everyone (and I'm sure Mom & Dad will thank you too)! I am going to go with Brigtsen's as I think they're planning to hit some of the old line places on their own.
Also what really settled it is Brigtsen's has pecan pie which they both have a soft spot for...
Where should I send Mom & Dad?
looking for some advice from New Orleans hounds:
My father is taking my mother to New Orleans for her 60th birthday and I want to buy them a gift certificate for a nice dinner.
They have been to N.O. a number of times before and I know they have been to the Commanders Palace and K-Pauls. I am looking to send them someplace new. I would like to find a restaurant where they can get a meal they wouldn’t be able to get at home (so somewhere with a local menu would be great but nothing too touristy). It can be pretty expensive but not astronomical (maybe $100-$120 to cover the meal without drinks). They really like friendly service so nothing too pretentious. They are pretty adventurous eaters and don’t have any dietary restrictions.
think that covers it. oh yeah and I'd like to call ahead and pay for a nice bottle of wine so somewhere that had a good wine list would be a plus.
Top 5 Burgers
totally agree about the burgers at westville- so tasty! their fries and milkshakes are also delicious to round out the meal.
also, know it's not in mahattan but the burgers at Peter Luger are fabulous and not as expensive as you'd think (about $9.00 if i remember correctly).
Five Star Thanksgiving Recipes
hi opinionatedchef. just wanted to let you know that i made your butternut squash gratin for thankgiving and it was a huge hit. thanks for posting!!
What's a Reasonable Amount of Time Before Ordering?
I personally dont think there is anything wrong with the fact that there are many waiters and waitresses out there who are not career waiters (although career waiters and waitresses are often the best at what they do). i think restaurants do a service to the community by employing people who are simultaneously pursuing other careers. The more flexible hours of waiting tables allows artists, actors, musicians and students to support themselves and still have time to do whatever else it is they do.
I have been a waitress in the past and it allowed me to pursue education and other goals I wouldn’t have otherwise been able to.
Also, one last note on this subject, and I welcome comments on this if you think I am wrong - but I have found in many conversations regarding service it becomes very clear very quickly who has and who hasnt work as a waiter/waitress in the past. People that are the rudest and most demeaning to waitstaff are invariably those who have never waited tables themselves and dont understand how difficult it can be - especially when each customers comes to the table with different expectations, time limits, and demands that they fail to communicate to their waitperson.
I’m not saying that bad service or rudeness should be excused. I’m just saying if you’ve never worked in the service industry you don’t know how tough it is and maybe you should cut people come slack and not let a minor slip up “ruin your whole experience.”
Homemade gifts for sweets haters?
i made spicy dill pickles for a friend's birthday and she loved them.
another idea would be to make little jars of flavored honey (thyme , rosemary) and give it with some cheese (goes great with a hard cheese like a pecorino or something). oh, wait- does honey and cheese count as sweets?
Five Star Thanksgiving Recipes
i am totally intrigued by this as well. i am ashamed to admit that i like the idea of scaring my relatives with a seemingly burnt turkey.
anyhow, i am curious to hear the answers to beetlebug's questions but i also have one of my own. is it okay to put a thermometer in this turkey or will that somehow ruin the seal of the all-important crust? my oven runs a little hot so i dont like to rely on cooking times alone...
Thanksgiving Dinner ideas
this thread will be very helpful for me since i'm doing thankgiving for 25. yikes! have done it the last few years but never for so many.
also, being a shameless recipe thief - i'm totally stealing your blue cheese dip idea. anything that can be made ahead is key.
some thoughts about desserts - last year i made sweet potato pie and i thought it was better than pumpkin (sweet potatoes are way more manageable than fresh pumpkin and have a way better texture than canned pumpkin). just a thought.
also, i made this cheesecake for a christmas party last year and it was fabulous and very easy. i substituted red currants for the strawberries. it was nice to look at too:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/940
Blue cheese - what's for dinner tonight?
last night i went out to dinner and had a wonderful roasted pear topped with blue cheese. it seemed that the pear was roasted in a honey and red wine sauce and then topped with the blue cheese and stuck back in the oven for a few minutes. it was delicious.
Any where to eat near new Fairway in Red Hook??
i hate to be a naysayer but i've had some bad experiences at hope & anchor - namely very spoiled food on two occasions (twice rancid banana cream pie and once extremely rotten tomatos in a salad). too bad, because i liked the place.
seeking chingale aka wild boar
I believe Henry's End in Brooklyn Heights has wild boar on their annual wild game menu which is running until february.
Christmas Dinner - What did I get myself into?
last year made braised lamb shanks which were great because i just let them stew away for about two hours with some root veggies, garlic, red wine and stock while i worked on other stuff and by dinner time they were tender and the meat just fell off the bone but they still seemed a little more festive than say, a pot roast. served them over a quick polenta- very tasty. also think you can do the shanks a day ahead and just reheat on the stove.
also made this chicken liver pate as a appetizer (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/108720)
made it two days ahead and it was delicious and very well received. makes a great addition to a plate of cheese cracker and cornichon!
for dessert i did whole peeled pears poached in red wine, sugar and spices which i served with vanilla ice cream. keeping the pears whole made for a nice presentation. i also made these a day ahead and served at room temp but you could easily reheat them in the micro without effecting their texture.
good luck!
