hyacinthgirl's Profile
New to Harrisburg
Just wanted to say hello, we just moved to Harrisburg from Los Angeles. It's a stunningly big move/life shift and I'm hoping to ease the transition somewhat by seeking out the best of what's around here. I understand there might be a bit of a culture shock when it comes to what foods are available, but I've heard the area has been growing a lot in recent years, so, fingers crossed! Even if that means I end up seeking out amazing cooks who like to have people over for dinner.
So far on my to-check-out list are of course:
Mangia Qui
Bricco
Home 321
Jackson House
Would love to know if there are any other favorite places I should add to my to-eat list.
Thanks so much!
Underground dining in Harrisburg ?
I'm sure you know this now, but I followed the thread and it seems the blogger was a chef who lived in PA, but moved (very happily) out of the area this fall.
That said, I would truly love to see something like this occur. Would love if we could make it happen!
Do you have family/friends who don't appreciate good home cooking?
They couldn't wait 15 minutes?! That sounds like the sort of situation flasks were invented for, ugh.
When the host is late serving the meal - also rude? Is it ok for guests to leave?
I have been to those barbecues many many times. You'd think I'd learn and come later, but I never seem to. I always end up filling up on a bowl of potato chips though all I really want is a skewer of meat that is usually still marinating in a fridge somewhere.
When the host is late serving the meal - also rude? Is it ok for guests to leave?
That's intesting, I was invited to a Persian wedding (myself not being Persian) that was called for 3:30pm on a Sunday. Being an on-time person, I got there at 3:30pm. Almost no one else showed up until around 4:30pm. The ceremony didn't start until 5:30pm. After that there was a reception, dancing, snacks galore out, but the dinner was not served until 10pm. Or I should say, the pre-dinner salad was not served until 10pm. By 10:30pm it was just too late on a Sunday for me to stay, so I departed. I think the entrees were served around 11pm. Wish I had known that before!
When the host is late serving the meal - also rude? Is it ok for guests to leave?
Joe, I find that interesting. I'm a 30 something, and yes, I expect a dinner invite is about a 3hr affair, generally. 6-8hrs? That sounds like a long night to me. Now, if things happen to go that way because everyone's having such a great time, fantastic, but I wouldn't walk in expecting that.
Do you have family/friends who don't appreciate good home cooking?
This type of thing used to drive me crazy, I felt so unappreciated. My mother, for instance, has said to me repeatedly that she really loves grocery store cake. I spent many years assuming she was being polite because it was cheaper and she didn't want me to spend a lot of money on a gourmet cake on her, or, perhaps, she didn't really like my baking. After many years of trying out tremendous gourmet baked goods on her and having her do the "mhm, it's... nice" dance, I finally realized that truly, my mother Loves grocery store sugary frosting, slightly dry cake and any attempts to force my tastes on her were actually rather selfish.
That said, I would have been depressed by your family's reactions as well, which seemed to lack even common curtesty.
Could your/ IS your significant other a picky eater?
Parigi, why is this a dismaying trend? I'm someone who doesn't care for a lot of meat and fish for various reasons but I do love all vegetables. I find it much easier to say to someone "I'm a vegetarian" than to say, "well... I don't eat pork or rabbit or duck and I'll sometimes eat chicken or beef, but only about twice a year so it has to be exceptionally good and I'm allergic to shellfish and I don't like..." I would HATE for someone to try to navigate this litany. But if I simply say "I eat vegetarian," I'm given or recommended food that I know I will enjoy and the individual I'm talking to didn't have to do too many mental gymnastics to figure it out.
rec's near LMU , Playa del Rey
For Italian, I'd head down the road to Locando Positano on Lincoln or Caffe Penguini in Playa del Rey over Alejos personally.
If you are invited over to friends' home for dinner...
That's interesting, I also hesitate to bring wine because I don't feel that my wine knowledge is strong enough to choose a bottle that I know the recipient will appreciate.
From Chowhound I've learned that if I bring flower, they must be cut and arranged and already in a vase, so that no one has to run to accomodate them. Additionally, if I bring food (because I have offered or have been asked to, never arriving spontaneously with a turkey), I will bring it in a servable dish, so that there is not the "lend me a platter" request to a host who may not have an extensive amount of spare plates and trays on hand.
So WHY were we forced to sit at the table till the food was gone??
There is a special place in my heart for the overwhelmed single parent.
^ This! My husband sometimes complains about the pre-packaged frozen hamburger helper type meals his mother used to feed him and each time I think- she worked two jobs raising two rambunctious boys all on her own... You're lucky she made you anything and all and didn't just shove you into the backyard with a shuffle and a dartgun and say "good luck!"
So WHY were we forced to sit at the table till the food was gone??
That sounds similar to the way I was brought up as well (for the most part) and the way I hope to raise my kids.
When do ethics come to play in your dining decision?
I haven't finished the chain, but I think you're the only response I noticed that said you have supported businesses because you liked what they were saying, rather than giving a negative example. I think that's a great point and something I will try to do more as well.
When do ethics come to play in your dining decision?
I was going to say the same thing, violin. I don't eat fast food pizza personally, but I do work for a non-profit that regularly has meetings of volunteers where we'll often get some cheap pizza for everyone and I will still go out of my way to make sure it's not from Dominos.
Dining-In vs Take-Out
I'll second that. Especially if we want to drink, it's a lot easier to bring the food to us while everyone's still sober than to worry about how we're going to get home if we ended up (oops) finishing the wine bottle.
potluck ettiquette
Well, if you want to go the passive-aggressive route, I suggest that you when they show up with the platter, you choose the least lazy, least cheap one and say to that person, "Hi so-and-so, thank you for bringing this platter!" Then turn to the others and say "and what did you bring?" And when you receive the inevitable reply from one in the group "oh, we all chipped in on the platter," you hand them a pre-made plate of food to serve 1 person and say "great, we all chipped in on this plate for you guys, enjoy!"
Seriously though, I think the only way to avoid this is to have a more controlled pot-luck. A sign up sheet with dish suggestions is a great way to do it, or announce that everyone must let the organizer know in advance what they want to bring to minimize any duplications and if they don't "rsvp a dish" so to speak, they don't get to participate.
But if that's too much trouble, my final suggestion would be to let it go if you can. They may be lazy and they may be cheap, but at least some of them actually may not. You can even know someone's salary and not really know anything about their financial situation. Plenty of people I know with lovely looking paychecks and nice homes are struggling under things like family medical expenses, student loans and elder care.
From LAX to Santa Monica - Where's the best place to eat?
Gjelina has a back patio that's outside and the one time I went to Larry's I enjoyed the food a lot, but couldn't hear any of the other 4 people I was dining with because the noise level was almost to the point of intolerable. Maybe it was just a bad/loud night? Anyway, I'm not stating a preference, just adding my 2 cents on your assertions.
Recommendation for Something New Please!
Hello everyone!
I had a baby about 3 months ago, which means that in my case, I've been somewhat out of the food scene for the last 5 months. I've followed a bit about what's going on in the restaurant world, but after a little, it just got too depressing to read about new restaurants that I knew I wouldn't get to try for a long time. So, at this point, I'm a little behind.
As it turns out, this Saturday night we suddenly have a babysitter! For the FIRST TIME! I'm overwhelmed and since I do not want to waste the limited time I have to enjoy a meal without anyone crying halfway through, I would love recommenations from the 'hounds.
What's your favorite new restaurant? Where should we go? My first thought was Ink, but it seems you can't just grab a Saturday night reservation there...
Thank you all for your help!
Bread upon request
I'm in LA and I see water and bread upon request sometimes. And sometimes even upon request, there's a charge for it.
Personally, I prefer the upon request policy. If the bread is in front of me, I may make a dumb decision and shove it in my face without thinking. Having to ask for it forces me to truly want the bread and not eat it blindly. Additionally, I'm happy to know that the restaurant is trying to minimize waste by not tossing away tons of unwanted bread.
Whenever "X" Happens, I Always Eat "Y" - More Unique Examples
Fourth that. Why is this?
Chow Kids. Are you raising one?
If, at 12, your idea of "junk food" was frozen broccoli with cheese, you were still light years of my 12 year old self.
Do you prefer Cold Pizza?
That definitely sounds worth trying... as long as I can overcome the impatience factor.
Do you prefer Cold Pizza?
As a liker of cold (though preferably room temperature) leftover pizza, I will say that, I like room temperature bread. I like cold cheese. Why wouldn't I like pizza that way?
I prefer it piping hot and fresh, but really, I've never been able to reheat it so that it tastes the same as it did the night before. So when I reheat pizza, I mostly just taste disapointment, something that is a sadder version of the dish I had enjoyed. When I eat the pizza cold, it's like a completely different dish. I'm no longer comparing it to the hot fresh pizza, now I'm enjoying a sort of open faced sandwich.
Strange psychology maybe, but I think that's what it comes down to for me.
My favorite nachos in Los Angeles are at (wait for it) ... Tinga! And yours?
And I think that's where so many nachos fail, the chips are often too thin to hold up to the toppings.
My favorite nachos in Los Angeles are at (wait for it) ... Tinga! And yours?
To be fair, I don't often order nachos when I'm at Mexican restaurants because I'm focused on the other food.
That said, I'm still a little hesitant to admit that the best nachos I have had in LA were at... Backstage Bar and Grill.
Thick homemade chips, not too heavy toppings. Pretty damn delicious.
Packing leftovers at the table - Is it just me?
I personally find this perspective a tad confusing. If I am dropping a hundy at dinner, I'd like a certain decorum maintained as well, but the cackling group of slightly too drunk ladies to one side of me or the couple who are yelling at the waiter for a perceived slight to the left are more distracting than a simple bag or container perched on someone's table.
Ultimately though, if I let any minor annoyances from other people's lives really impact my night, every evening would be ruined from the traffic on the way to the restaurant, let alone once I go there.
reheating fish at work... faux pas?
Air freshner no. But if something really stinky MUST be heated in the microwave, it does help for the offender to clean the inside of the microwave afterward and then heat up a cup of water with lemon in it. That tends to help with the smell, I've noticed.
Do you like it when your server recognizes you?
I've had that too at a bar/restaurant near my work. I came in with a date and had the bartender say hi there, how are you, how's that tall guy you're usually here with?
The "tall guy" was a coworker, but I still don't think that instilled a lot of confidence in my date.
