All my family, and everyone I know pronounces it "fuh-LEE-pays." I've never heard it pronounced any other way.

I disagree, ricepad. "Let sleeping dogs lie." Sage advice. Telling her accomplishes nothing positive and only upsets her to no good end. It could even spell the end of your friendship if she can't get past the incident ("You poisoned me and didn't tell me!")

I've been in lulu's situation. I fed a vegetarian some stir-fried broccoli in oyster sauce and she loved it. It wasn't until she was done eating I realized what had happened. By then, I figured she'd already eaten it so nothing to be done.

Lulu, you've made the right decision, IMHO. Keep quiet and read the labels more carefully in the future.

Human flesh?

AFAIK no one has immunity to salmonella. Touching raw chicken and then touching other surfaces does not guarantee the passing on of food poisoning. Doing so just makes it more likely. Look at the the Third World street food vendors you see on travel shows. They demonstrate enough unsafe food handling to turn a health inspector's hair white, yet their customers aren't dying in droves from botulism or salmonella. (Could be the immune systems of someone in Laos or Calcutta are probably more robust than ours?) I'm not saying unsafe food handling is trivial, just that it's by no means a guarantee and many people go years without experiencing it despite being exposed to circumstances favoring it.

If I received a glass of wine with an onion in it--and I hadn't requested it--I would have the same reaction as you.

For some bizarre reason, I tend to have the opposite experiences of most people. For example: 'Hounds raved about Don Fernando's on Auberry Rd. When the Sturdy Wench and I ate dinner there, the food was so bad we sent it back.

Perhaps Bella Pasta has a new chef or kitchen manager?

< Will I go to foodie hell?>

Chowpatty, by the powers vested in me by the State of California health code and her foodie holiness St. Julia Child, I hereby pronounce your perpetual State of Gastronomic Grace, thus delivering you from the fears and evil glamour of the hype machine that besets and afflicts so much of the world of consumer food. Go in peace and fredom, daughter, content in the realization of the innocence of your motives and the purity of your intent. Reject forever the devilish glamour of the hankie-twisters, fear mongers and the small-minded.

Go in peace, eat in freedom.

Haven't been hospitalized with food posioning, but I have had my bouts with f.p. at home.

I've seen the show many times and I'm satisfied with their levels of food safety. Unless they're doing dangerous things off-camera, but Duff seems professional enough not to allow that.

Well, if you washed your hands you woldn't be sticking, now would you? ;)>

Great fun jousting with you, E. I feel the need now to re-read some P. G. W. to get back my mojo...

...and go to Taco Bell for some grilled steak tacos. MMMmmmmmMMM!

The evidence below contradicts your claim, thus I suggest in all humility and bon homie your information to be incorrect. A review of your source(s) may be in order. "Weasels in the henhouse means no rubber in the gazpacho," as my grandmother used to say.

In 2004 the Beeb were cleared of all indictments by British House of Common Lords and their expose of the McDonalds anti-Taco Bell misprisionments upheld. Unfortunately, the news organs you refer to had already repeated the spurious claims and thus the story gained momentum despite being disproved.

McDonals was then rightly accused or being hate speech in and of itself and fined 75p and a piece of cotton string.

The Taco Bell gene therapy has exciting ramifictions. Ig gene therapy can provide the blessings of Taco Bell, why not gene therapy for humanely-raised foie gras, chicken-fried steak or Burger King's Whopper Junior with extra grilled onions?

Why not do a side-by-side taste test and see for yoursef?

There is exciting news on this front: New developments in gene therapy suggest cellular DNA transplanted into a woolly llama, which is then exposed to high frequency tacobell-ion impact via being dragged through the Taco Bell drive thru, and then reinserted into the human source host, might be modified in such as way as to activate the Taco Bell gene. This development, if true, is (no other word for it) life-changing! Millions of people, now doomed and living without hope, could embrace the opportunity to revel in Taco Bell as do those fortunate others!

BTW: The allegations against Pushme, Pullyou? BBC aired a report proving said allegations were fabricated by disgruntled McDonald's managers and leaked to the press.

You are correct on the "genetic short straw." Gene therapy however, is providing hope for these people, as I stated above.

Sorry, nothing about charcuterie here.

Michael, I'm finishing my first novel and for a future project I'd like to write or co-write a cookbook (I have a specific focus if you'd like to hear about it.)

When you worked on "The French Laundry," what kind of pre-writing prep did you do apart from recipe testing? How did you decide what questions to ask? How did you maintain a consistent voice throughout all its many pages? Assuming you're still on speaking terms with Thomas Keller after moving in with him (IIRC), how did you keep your relationship with him smooth, especially after asking him countless questions?

I will cease with my countless questions now. Thanks so much for your help.

My wife, aka the lovely Sturdy Wench, and I have dined twice at Bella Pasta II on Cedar and Herndon in Fresno.

Fabian and Carmela, the outgoing and friendly owner and his wife, came by and introduced themselves to us that first night. We enjoyed meeting them and we talked for almost 20 minutes about the restaurant, the restaurant business, pasta, cooking, recipes, et al.

The first night I had the Spaghetti Della Mamma ($16.95) - "Pasta with homemade meatballs & meat sauce." (A) The next night was the Pappardelle Campagnola ($17.95) - "Ribbon pasta served with tender chicken breast, fresh mushrooms, & peas in a light tomato sauce." (A)

The SW had Lasagna Al Ragu ($16.95) - "Lasagna with homemade meat sauce" (A) and then next night was Polenta Con Salsiccia E Funghi ($17.95) - "Northern Italian cornmeal, robust sausage, mushroom & tomato sauce." (A+)

Both dishes were outstanding. The pastas were perfectly cooked and the food was served hot and in a reasonable time. The food tasted home-made, never the jarring note of a can or Sysco food pack. The sauces are all made in-house, only the pasta and bread are sourced. The pasta is from Sam's Italian Deli in Fresno. The first time I was there I expected a typical DiCicco's red sauced slab of pasta and meat. Instead, the dishes had a dark, much less tomato-heavy southern Italian sauce, which did not overwhelm the pasta. Neither dish was sauce-heavy. Portions were generous. We had take home after each dinner.

The only downside I can think of, and I have to really reach for this one, was the sparse amount of peas in the pappardelle. I would have preferred more than just the spoonful I saw. This is like complaining Sophia Loren has ugly toes.

The SW loved her dishes. The polenta was of a different texture than what she was expecting, so it took a few bites for her to get comfortable with it, but she did so easily.

The flavors were rich, robust, mildly earthy, and highlighted meat more than tomatoes. The meatballs were golf ball-sized, light and tasty.

The wait staff was friendly, enthusiastic, knowledgeable and seemed truly interested in making sure you were having the best time you could there.

Special mention for the pappardelle. This twisty, curling ribbon pasta was wonderfully al dente, offering just enough resistance to make eating it a pleasure.

The ambiance is intimate with darker, richer colors predominating. Large, colorful posters in Italian for Italian foods and services line the walls. Seating is armless wooden chairs and banquettes. Bella Pasta offers a full bar.

Bella Pasta is the northern Fresno/Clovis answer to "Where can I get some great Italian food?" I recommend it highly.

-----
Bella Pasta II
7033 N Cedar Ave, Fresno, CA 93720

Inexpensive water-packed tuna (We're on a budget)
Mayonesa con Limon (mayo w/ lime)
Sweet pickle relish
Chopped celery
Chopped yellow or green onion (depends what I have)
Chopped fresh dill or parsley
Chopped hard-boiled egg
Dab of yellow mustard
Raisins
Sliced almonds (if I have them)
Old Bay to taste
Garlic powder
Fresh ground black pepper
Few dried red chili flakes for brightness

Great pics, thanks for taking them. I love the Vinyard Mkt, and I love it even more after the summer heat passes! lolol....

See for yourself. Boil one potato in plain water. Boil a similarly-sized spud the same length of time in heavily salted water, and taste both results. The salted water potato tastes much better.

I don't see that many restos on the list. Where's Trelio, Cracked Pepper, Hunan, Wassabi, Thai Royal Orchid (or *any* Thai place)?

There is no wrong time of day for fresh raw oysters on the half shell!

I fear your conclusions are flawed, EWSF. No doubt you've been misinformed.

The Taco Bell gene has been found in X chromosomes (Limeswiller and Rhoadkyll, 2006) so it can hardly be sex-linked.

Relaxing after eating a Crucnhwrap Supreme cannot be genetically-based behavior. Otherwise, people who appreciate waterfalls would have to have a special gene for that.

Lack of a normal gene doesn't confer normalcy on any organism. Given that the Taco Bell gene has been linked to the genes for trombone-playing, piloting aircraft and developing anti-cancer drugs (Pushme, Pullyou 1997) and those genetic sports that lack this gene develop into tabloid reporters, tv psychics and members of Congress, the evidence speaks for itself.

I'm happy to volunteer my place. It's comfortable, easy to find and we have a large back yard with an 8 person table and a gas grill, and we have plenty of shade.

My oyster preference is for smaller, more strongly flavored cold water oysters like Blue Points or Washington Kumomotos.

My wife's BIL really likes Mai's restaurant for pho. I've only had it at Pho 75 on McKinley, and it was darn good.

I've never heard of a ramen house. I'm guessing the title is self-explanatory. Would Imperial Garden or perhaps Hunan have what you need, or is ramen strictly a Japanese thing?

Thanks for the input, Gail and FHS! My family loves DiCicco's but, alas, I do not. Their red sauce is too salty for me, and I don't care for the overall taste of the sauce. I may end up doing the Central Fish thing for oysters, I was just hoping to find a place in town where I could get FRESH, well-shucked oysters as part of dinner or lunch.

<<As for spaghetti and marinara - maybe my house if I make the sauce from scratch>>

Cool! What time is dinner and what can the SW and I bring? ;)>

I know Roe has a sushi bar and that should equate to oysters, but I know nothing about it. I'll check it out here on CHOW and see if I find anything on it.

I imagine Wassabi or Sakura Chaya might offer them, but again, I don't know about the quality of their fish. It's easier to mask older fish with spicy roes and peppers and whatnot, I think.

I'm opening a thread specifically pointed at the Fresno/Clovis and surrounding areas to discuss where the best (or most CHOW-worthy) food is to be found..

1. Where to find the best raw oysters in Fresno? Do they even exist? Is there a decent raw bar here? I love raw oysters but don't know where to find good ones here, and I don't want to have to drive to the coast or Bay area for them.

2. Where is the best spaghetti and marinara w/ meat sauce in Fresno/Clovis? I know it's not an upscale food, but sometimes you want comfort food you don't have to cook.

Ok, these two to get this thread started. Thanks for your responses!

I finally stopped off at Ruben's today for some take-home BBQ. Here are updates:

-They're now open daily 11-7 according to a menu flyer.
-A dining room should be open Aug 9. Workmen were loading electrical cords and a chop saw into the room while I was there.
-They accept plastic
-There were 3-4 4-top tables in the main aea so there is now some seating in it.
-Street parking is available in front.
-There's no hiding the place now. "Ruben's Rib Shack" is prominently painted on the side of the building and on the front glass.

I enjoyed talked with Ruben, a large, friendly man. I introduced myself and we talked BBQ. An equipment failure had delayed his ribs so none available for the next 2 hrs or so. I asked for a sample of the hot link and the shredded beef brisket.and he obliged.

The beef had a nice flavor and great texture, moist and pulled into strings.

The hot link was good, with a nice delayed pepper burn in the back of your throat, but I don't recommend eating more than 1/2 of one because the heat blitzes your palate and then alll you taste is heat and the vinegar of the BBQ sauce. The link is served butterflied and grilled, much tastier than simply boiled and broiled in many other BBQ restos.

The sauce is a thick, mildly sweet, somewhat piquant sauce near the color of milk chocolate.

I also ordered a chicken breast, which was pleasingly large with good flavor but the meat was dry, which disappointed me. I asked Ruben if he was going to brine his chicken and he said he might, I hope he does.

I didn't try any sides as I didn't want to make a mooch of myself, although I will next time I'm there.

For 2 hot links, 1 lb of brisket and 1 large chicken breat I paid $19.58 incl tax. (I echo a previous poster--order extra sauce!)

Overall I liked the food--it's good, basic BBQ. I enjoyed meeting Ruben, and I'll return next time I'm in that neighborhood. I think he's got excellent potential for really good food once he gets his business solidified.

This week I finally watched an episode of her show ("Cook Like a Chef" I think) and her name is Ann Burrell (sp). She made a boulliabase. I thought her show was pretty good. She seems confident and creative and knows what she's doing.

TonyO, it's a good thing we don't share a TV! LOL....

ROLMAO! I'm reading this thread, nodding my head and saying, "O yeah! Bingo! Just what we need!" as I dab frosting from a can with the tip of a plastic knife into my mouth. I feel so...dirty. LOL again.

My gastronomic shortcoming aside, I saw the Ann Cooper video here on CHOW and realized this is a cause worth getting involved with. I have a 16 yr old step-son in high school here.

So, I put the frosting back into the fridge after a few tastes and will be contacting my local shool district to see what we're feeding our kids and how can we make it better.

One word review: Go.

Now.

More words: This weekend marks my wife and my anniversary. What to do, where to go? Why, to our favorite destination: The California central coast. Two nights with the love of our lives at a shoreline hotel, listening to the seagulls cry and the waves hiss and roll, smelling the glorious sea air and feeling the delicious coolness after a week of +100 degree days in the California's central valley, what's not to love?

As an anniversary gift to one another, we decided to stop in Buellton at A-Ru sushi restaurant for lunch for an omakase ("chef's choice") meal. It's one of our favorite restaurants, even though we've only been there a few times.

A-Ru is the Clark Kent of sushi restaurants: A bland exterior (it's in a strip mall) hides a powerful presence within.

We had a magnificent meal, one of the best we've ever experienced.

Ordering the omakase menu, we put ourselves in the hands of Gina, the cheerful owner and one of the sushi chefs. We sat at the bar and enjoyed watching her immaculate, capable hands confidently wield her knives and lovingly handle the fresh fish she brings up to A-Ru twice a week from the LA fish markets.

Our server was David, a tall, red-headed youg man, friendly and outgoing, deft and smooth in his movements and he did an excellent job of keeping our drinks full and switching out our plates or bowls for clean.

There's only so many ways to say, "This dish was delicious, richly flavored, unctuous, delightfully savory and revealed itself in multiple layers of goodness on your tongue, in your mouth, and made you want more, always more." Just append that comment to my description of each dish. We'll save time and wear and tear on my thesaurus. (Even so, that statement feels inadequate, it's like saying "Mozart was a good piano player.")

First up was the chilled cucumber salad, thick slices of home-pickled cucumber dotted with sesame seeds served on a small bed of slashed seaweed with what I think was a mirin and rice vinegar dressing.

Secondly, broiled cod that had been marinated in miso and served with a neon fuschia ginger root stem (only the white base of the root is edible.)

Third, a tempura dish with two items: A medium-sized mild green shisita (sp?) pepper stuffed with yellowtail tuna and then lovely pumpkin-colored sea urchin wraped in a shizo leaf. The SW closed her eyes in bliss over this one, saying, "It's like nothing I've ever tasted before. Fabulous!"

Next was halibut carpaccio, thin slices of delicate, translucent fish overlapped and slightly cooked by drizzling hot sesame oil and then topped with ponzu sauce and a razor-thin slice of seeded jalapeno.

After the halibut, a sliced tuna (forgot to note what variety) with micro cilantro and ginger sauce.

Then, three classic offerings, each about the width and length of the chef's finger, served on a small bed of warm (not hot, not cold) sushi rice, two per person:

--Yellowtail tuna ("Deliciousness!" cried the SW who was now being transported into realms of ecstasy usually reserved for recreational drug users and Miss America winners.)

--Salmon

--Albacore tuna topped with a sprinkle of fried scallion ("OMG such perfect balance!" read my wife's notes here.

Next came my gastronomic acme, the pinnacle among pinnacles, the one dish for which I would cheerfully sell my saintly grandmother for medical experimentation: Six raw Kumomoto oysters! Fresh, small but plump with sea brine flavor and that incredible liquor! One bite and I felt like falling to the carpeted floor and rolling back and forth, drumming my heels and moaning in pleasure too deep for mere human language to express. Two of the oysters were topped with flying fish and sea urchin roes. (The urchin roe was uncannily the same size, shape and texture of a human child's tongue, which unsettled my wife--a speech therapist who works with children. Talk about your work coming to visit you.) Two of the oysters were pristine and the other two each had a dot of fiery red Thai pepper on it. (Insert string of superlatives here.)

Next, a fish called "kim medai." A tuna-like, light pink fish served with a tiny garnish of cherry flower marinated in salt and vinegar.

Then we were served slices of a sushi roll, albacore tuna, avocado, and something called "masago." The roll was served with uzu spicy dipping sauce and had been flash fried for just a moment, resulting in a roll that had an almost fine beef-like texture.

The next dish was initially difficult for me to approach. I confess: I don't like squid except for calamari rings dipped in sauce. Chalk it up to a young me traumatized by the scenes of Kirk Douglas and Capt. Nemo's Nautilus submarine crew fighting off the whipping tentacles of the attacking giant squid. The one time long ago I did bring myself to eat tentacle, it was horribly rubbery, sulpherous and had all the flavor and pleasure of chewing pencil erasers. No thank you ever again.

I've learned some things since then, and one of them, thanks to chef Mike Shackelford at Trelio restaurant in Clovis, CA, is, if you're going to try a food you've either disliked in the past or have never tried before, best do so when it's prepared by a top chef who cares about producing good, fresh food.

So, I tried the octopus tentacle.

It was good. Yes, it was chewy, but not unpleasantly so. No sulfur. Instead, a faint smoky taste, the SW said it reminded her of bacon. I asked Gina why her octopus was so much better than my previous experience of it. "Our octopus is very fresh, never frozen. Frozen octopus, you don't know how long it's been frozen, how old it is," she said.

Next came a two fingers of premium albacore with garlic and ponzu.

A word about sushi rice. According to Gina, sushi rice must be served at body temperature for the best flavor reception in the diner's mouth. Too cold or too hot insults the fish and wrecks the eating experience. She spoke of eating at San Francisco's Nobu, and how disappointed she was the sushi rice was ice cold. Serving rice at proper temperature is a sign of competence of a sushi chef.

Following the octopus, we had the two fingers of big eye tuna garnished with Japanese plum (citrusy and not at all sweet) and served on shizo leaf with avocado and uzu sauce. "Fresh, clean" noted my wife.)

Finishing the meal we had broiled beef short rib, sliced then across the bone and dotted with sesame seeds and a clear, sweet oil, and then a small plate of warmed, salted gingko nuts, lemon-colored, almond-shaped, almost translucent, offering a taste that was grassy and slightly bitter as well as pleasantly nutty. Their texture was firm but not crunchy.

Total was $185 + tax and tip for the omakase and two drinks. (Gina considerately sent us off with a gift bottle of sake since it was our anniversary.) The total was more than I had been expecting, but after eating food of this quality, I decided it was worth whatever I was willing to pay for it. As a once or twice-a-year event, an omakase meal at A-Ru is a wonderful gift.

A-Ru
225 Mcmurray Rd
Buellton, CA 93427-9573
(805) 686-9001

Lunch Tue-Sat: 11:30am - 2:00pm
Dinner Tue-Sun: 5:00pm - 9:00pm

CLOSED MONDAYS & HOLIDAYS

===========================
Note: All misspellings and inaccuracies are my responsibility. We know what we like, yet are not sushi experts. We apologize for any inconvenience, etc.

Well, the Sturdy Wench and I are back in Pismo for two nights to celebrate our anniversary!

Dinner last night was @ Mamma's Meatball Oceano, my review is on that thread. MM gets an A from us.

Dinner tonight was the Cracked Crab--again. Our friendly and efficient waitress was the indominatable Courtney. For apps we ordered the calamari strips, crab-stuffed poblano, and entrees were the crab melt and the shrimp tacos. (These are off menu, you have to ask for them. Do so.)

Since the SW ordered what she had in my previous review, and they were just as tasty, I'll review the new dishes: Calamari strips and the shrimp tacos.

The calamari strips (10) were meaty, tender, succulent strips deep-fried with a crispy, tasty batter that was not greasy or drippy. They were served with a "Thai dipping sauce" which was merely sweet chili garlic sauce from a bottle. That sauce was disappointing, but the calamari were perfect. I could have eaten three or four more servings of it. The SW asked for for the house cocktail sauce which was stellar--piquant, flavorful, delicious with a savory bite of horseradish and soothing balm of ketchup. Calamari and house cocktail sauce: A+.

The shrimp tacos (12?) were overstuffed with steamed shrimp and shredded lettuce, tomato, and slathered in a creamy, flavored herb sauce. They were served street style, with double tortillas. Even so, they quickly became knife and fork items I was happy to eat. A.

Special note: Both entrees came with fries, and these were fries to write home about. The manager said they were double-blanched, a technique I've known about for a few months and endorse heartily. The fry exterior was crispy and darkly, lovely golden brown, like burnished gold. The interior was piping hot, creamy and fluffy. This is where potatoes hope to go when they're harvested. A++.

Our total for two apps, two entrees and a drink was $58 + tax and tip.

The CC continues to impress us with its unswerving commitment to cleanliness (the owners travel yearly to thee Alaskan crab processing plant to examine it for cleanliness) and one of the most out-going, best-trained staffs I've had the pleasure of serving me.