donw9876's Profile
ALDI Stores: Quality Products at Deep Discount??
My experiences:
Most commodities - milk, eggs, coffee filters, canned foods - identical with major store brands.
Snack foods vary. Some of the chips distinctly have that off-brand flavor (IE, you'd never confuse their potato chips with Lay's.) The snack meats such as beef sticks and pepperoni are pretty good and cheap but not as full flavored as major brands like "Old Wisconsin".
Fresh vegetables are surprisingly good, if you select well and take care of the veggies. Example: their asparagus is quite cheap by the pound. However, theirs is somewhat dry and has dried out stem ends, because it's; shrink wrapped the store does not mist veggies.At home I trim the ends off and place the bunch in a can of water in the fridge like a "bouquet" - this keeps the asparagus lively and brings it back. Onions, fresh garlic, mushrooms, potatoes, and fruits are usually a great bargain.
The worst experiences I've had have been with Aldi's store brand meats.
"Grandessa" thick sliced bacon in a 1.5 lb package for $5.49 seemed identical when cooked to normal non premium store bacon. It was definitely not comparable to Wright bacon which WalMart has on sale for $5.99 at times. (I returned it after one meal using it and got a refund.)
The individually wrapped beef filets at $1.89 for a 5 oz filet seemed like a great bargain. I grilled a few several months ago that were wonderful. One I grilled recently was full of tough connective tissue, almost like silverskin, and it was so "stiff" that it hurt my gums to chew. I will not buy these now. However, a pair of beef filet mignon filets for $4.99 we got a month ago was tender and succulent.
The small pork tenderloins at $3.99/lb are a good bargain. Two things: again like the beef filets, the tenderloins I've bought and cooked recently are full of tough connective tissue that really should have been trimmed, which reduces the yield. And the Aldi pork tenderloins shrink like crazy when cooked.
Aldi runs some fantastic deals on Smithfield products, like ham steaks for $3.99/lb and smoked pork chops for $4.99/lb (one third less than Kroger per pound.)
I think with meat at Aldi's, you definitely get what you pay for. I do not consider Aldi very reliable for fresh meats.
Dayton - Pho Mi Vietnamese Restaurant
Wah Fu was a small, family run Chinese restaurant on Brown Street that was taken out for Miami Valley Hospital expansion a couple of years ago. Wah Fu was the very definition of a hole in the wall and looked scary based on the setting and the neighborhood, but their food was excellent. It was the kind of place where you say "I'm not going in THERE" but it was pretty good.
Paula's English Pea recipe = what's wrong with Food Network
It's English pea confit!
A hard luck story appears to be mandatory on Chopped
I think Chopped has gone through one other "contestant cycle". Now they're on the hard luck story.
Last season and previous to that, they seemed to be on a "who's the bigger jackass" cycle. A while back (maybe a year) it seemed like every group of contestants had to have some clown who made a big deal about "talking smack", dogging everyone else, annoyingly singing out loud while cooking, smirking or even laughing when anyone else was chopped, and generally acting like a really bad sport.
They seem now to be selecting more sympathetic contestants who need to pay for little Tommy's iron lung.
When this type gets too predictable they will move to a different contestant type, for enhanced drama. :)
Ted Allen in Hilarious "Onion" Faux News Segment
Not safe for work or family. We are fans of "Chopped" so it's a treat seeing Ted like this.
http://www.heavy.com/comedy/comedy-videos/the-onion/2011/11/pretentious-foodie-bullshi/
I had a ribeye from The Dollar Tree,
Excellent review. Lol about your best friend Gabe. :)
Best Mexican restaurants in Cincinnati . . .
Taqueria Maya at Kings Auto Mall (supposedly related to Taqueria Mercado) is fantastic and cheap.
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Taqueria Mercado
6507 Dixie Hwy, Fairfield, OH 45014
Is there a place for proper "Frankfurter" also called "New England" rolls in the Milwaukee area?
Here in Ohio, Kroger groceries have been selling this style, in their house brand of baked goods, as an alternate style of hot dog bun. A family member (who isn't a foodie) provided these for a Memorial Day picnic this year. They look like a very thick, stubby piece of bread with a cut down the center, and nobody at the picnic could figure out how to put their hot dog in them :) There's absolutely nothing special about the baking - they taste like the standard $0.99/dozen plain hot dog buns.
Options in Athens OH
Never been to this place but this product looks intriguing:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bride-of-Wonderboy/242881609827?sk=info
Skyline Chili vs. Gold Star Chili? My observation... [Cincinnati]
Ok, so I am apparently alone in sensing a strange "off" taste in GS. Maybe it was the batch we were served. It didn't register as a spice or lack thereof or sweetness. I wonder if we ate an old batch or if there was a trace of a cleaning product in the pot that they simmer it in?
Skyline Chili vs. Gold Star Chili? My observation... [Cincinnati]
Skylines seem more modern and sleeker. Gold Star seems junkier or less fresh or modern or something. Maybe it's just because the Gold Stars near us are older than Skylines.
Skyline Chili vs. Gold Star Chili? My observation... [Cincinnati]
We went to a Gold Star last night because it was the only one of the two chains that was open late enough to seat us.
I experienced something with the small three way I got that I had never noticed before. The Gold Star chili actually had an odd chemical off-taste to my palate that was unpleasant.
My wife did not notice anything except that the Gold Star seemed a bit sweeter and less spicy than Skyline. I tried her chili and I got the same off taste.
We are used to Skyline - we just like the menu items better, and I like the Greek salad there. So my taster is attuned to Skyline, and Gold Star either registers quite differently, or, there was something the matter with that batch.
Does anyone else care to comment on the perceived taste of Skyline vs. Gold Star chili?
Rec Needed for Nice Cincinnati dinner with Elderly Grandparents
The Frog Leg King!
http://www.thehoustonrestaurant.com/
The Houston Inn
4026 S. State Route 42
Lebanon, Ohio 45036
Besides frog legs, their forte' is comfort food, and the average age in the place is about 65. Accessibility should be excellent. It's well respected locally.
recs for franklin & mason ohio
Mason will be easy. Tons of restaurants. It is high income suburbia.
Franklin is poor and blue collar. It has fewer choices.
One newer place in Franklin I recommend is Matera Caffe: http://www.materacaffe.com/
The pizza is really good.
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The Caffe
2013 E Michigan Ave, Lansing, MI 48912
Pizza Coupons for Dayton, Ohio
The best version of a Cassano's or Marion's style pizza is found at Ron's Tavern in Miamisburg. (Which started as a Cassano's franchisee.)
Marion's - you have to ask them for the "old oven" in order to get a nice crust, otherwise the crust is like any other chain pizza.
Cassano's - actually pretty good these days, but the restaurants aren't well designed for eat-in.
Metro Detroit - decent offerings on EVOO and Sy Ginsberg's Corned Beef
I saw and bought Sy Ginsberg’s corned beef at Costco in Cincinnati (Waterstone store) in early January. Never heard of it before. By far it is superior to the supermarket dreck that is sold down here and was on a par with Vienna Beef, which Costco normally carries. Hopefully I can stock up on it if they still have it.
South Park episode tonight spoofing the Food Network
Just once, I want to hear a reasonably convincing imitation of Guy Fieri.I don't care who does it. SNL always messes him up.
South Park episode tonight spoofing the Food Network
These guys who create South Park always key into the current zeitgeist with something like this. I suspect that Parker and Stone kept running into supposedly normal grown men who were taking "culinary arts" as a hobby reeeeeal (too) seriously owing to celebrity chefs like Guy Fieri.
The only thing is that the impersonations of the second tier chefs (Fieri, Alton Brown) had nothing to do with their real personalities or speech patterns. They only tried to get the network TV stars (Ramsey, Oliver, Paula Deen) "right".
They did nail the title card for "Good Eats".
The login screen is non-standard and doesn't fill in fields automatically
This is a pet peeve.
Every other message board that I visit allows Firefox's "remember form entries" feature to work. So when I land on some other board's login screen, my user name and password are automatically populated.
Chowhound has to be different. You guys pop up an overly programmed, clever little CSS based box that contains the user and password fields. Firefox does not fill these in, ever, so I have to type it in, and I usually get it wrong.
Also, this new release has a Firefox related bug. That klever little CSS floating login form does not get dismissed when the username/password has been accepted. So I have to manually refresh the entire window to make it go away.
I suspect that there is someone there at Chowhound who felt compelled to be creative and unique with the login feature, but I say it is a poor implementation for these reasons.
Keep the login form on the page without the popup form malarky so that the browser's convenience features for form fill-in work as expected.
What can I get in Dayton, OH I can't find in LA?
I've tried this at the Shroyer/Patterson and Centerville Marion's. As far as I know you should ask at any store that you eat at. Basically the old oven produces the high heat and creates a crisp crust. The "not old oven" default baking method is a conveyor line and makes a mealy, white bottom.
When you get your receipt, "Old oven" will even be printed on it. They should know what you're talking about.
What can I get in Dayton, OH I can't find in LA?
Anyone who wants a fantastic Dayton style pizza in the tradition of Cassano's and Marion's really should try Ron's Pizza in Miamisburg. At one time, before they attempted to expand outside Dayton, Cassano's was excellent. Ron's was a Cassano's franchisee that left the chain and went independent because they wanted to use better ingredients than Cassano's was allowing.
Cassano's was really good in the 60s and 70s. They seemed to go downhill when they expanded outside the area.
Marion's can be darned good but you *have* to ask for it baked in the "old oven". Otherwise you get a crust like a Donato's.
Jungle Jim's international grocery store--worth a visit? And what else should I eat in Cincy?
I just posted a review of several recent visits. Click through the link that Chowhound put in your post. I recommend the Sleepy Hollow.
New York-style pizza - Cincinnati area?
Yes. They don't do slices, only whole pies. So far I have ordered them twice and the pies have been quite consistent.
If you try it, please post back here. I want to read someone else's opinion.
New York-style pizza - Cincinnati area?
Ok, this is actually a Dayton suburb, so it's a stretch - don't shoot me. :)
I just discovered the pizza from Dorothy Lane Markets' deli in Springboro. It is absolutely fantastic. I believe that it qualifies as a legitimate NY style pizza. Also, CHEAP. $12 for an 18" with no coupons. The crust has a great chew and is black/brown on the bottom with a nice char, and a big handle around the crust. I wind up eating the crust and my wife's discarded crust. :) It is foldable.
The ingredients are excellent, if you like toppings. Bacon, for example, is large pieces of thickly sliced bacon, not crumbles. If you don't do toppings, the base pizza is great, too.
HELP! Braun hand blender died
I have a Kitchenaid that I have had for five+ years.
My wife looked at the Braun which I originally wanted, but bought me the less featured Kitchenaid because it seemed more substantial and solid.
Roy Rogers - east of Cincy
I completely agree, especially about the capital improvements part. When I was rang up there last week the gals at the counter had to beat on the cash register just to open the change drawer. :)
Roy Rogers - east of Cincy
I posted about this location a few months ago. I started picking up carryout there after client meetings. The roast beef is a big reason to try this place. It tastes as good or better than something made in a deli.
The sad thing is, in the 70s Arby's sandwiches were on the same level as this stuff and one used to take "authentic" fast food pretty much for granted. Red Barns were also awesome.
Cincinnati: Szechwan Wok is closing
I really miss the place. My favorite dish there was the cold noodles with red oil sauce, made to your specification of heat (1-10.) When I worked around there I would pick up carry out and bring some home. Really nice people, and great classic Chinese restaurant decor.
Is anyone else appalled by "Worst Cooks in America?"
I'm guessing that the show bombed and the network got a lot of complaints. The last two episodes were crammed together on two consecutive nights and to me it looked like they just wanted to get them over with.
Good freaking riddance. This wasn't a "fair fight".
It kind of amazed me how these non cooks all became so emotionally invested in the idea of becoming good cooks. I think they misused the contestant's "emotional capital".
Dayton Area - Seeking Affordable Non-chain Restaurants
One recurring pattern I've found is that the more unique or singular the setting, generally the worse the food and/or the service, at least in a 75 m. radius of Dayton. I don't know why that has to be. It's almost like "we have a view/, history or old furniture and we don't have to care about the food." Having stated that warning:
Two local "rustic" dining options are the Florentine Restaurant in Germantown and the Trails Tavern in Yellow Springs. The former is an old hotel from the late 1800s and the latter is a college bar/eatery in a log cabin which the author Rod Serling tended bar at while a student at Antioch College.
(Note/caveat: we had an awful experience the last couple of times we ate at the Florentine around 2002 and we never went back. But it gets decent reviews.) The Trails is pretty good, consistently funky, and has a lot of character of the type where they don't really have to try hard to be different, they just are.
The Spillway Lodge in Clarksville has a beautiful setting, at the top of a wooded hill overlooking Cowan Lake, and a cozy dining room. Alas, they don't get much of anything right any more (even a steak I got there last summer was outright burnt at one end.) I love the view and the dated but comfy 70s interior (really) but God, I wish the owners would sell to someone who could actually make decent food.
Stefano's in Middletown (Italian) has a decor and a vibe that is unique for small town Ohio - it's sort of like a jazz lounge with lots of art on the walls and kind of a clubby, intimate feel. My wife and I like the food there, but reviews vary widely. (We liked the wood fired pizza but a fellow I know says it's awful... go figure.)
Oh, oh, oh... just remembered a place I haven't eaten at since 1998, but it was excellent then. The Pearson House in West Milton. Down home food and low prices. No liquor or beer license. But I always enjoyed it. Very, very homey in an authentic way like you're in someone's house eating.
And, I live in Warren County... don't bother with the Golden Lamb. Really. Especially in your price range. And even if you wanted to spend twice as much. However, I have heard that the tavern inside is MUCH better to eat at than the dining room. We'll have to try that sometime.
Just some ideas, I'll post more if I think of it.
