EAT SHORT RIBS @ 36-92 (5 W 36)......great Korean BBQ....

Of course I have a personal interest in seeing the wild fish industry rebound, but even if I wasn't about to marry into that business, I'd still wonder why folks eat farmed fish. (Or "farmed fresh fish" as some advertisements ludicrously claim.) Most farmed fish live in putrid pens; their red color comes from artificial coloring (if they weren't colored, these fish would be a very unappetizing dull gray); and they are often chock-full of growth hormones and antibiotics. Their flesh is soft and, especially in comparison to the muscled wild fish, flavorless. Yuck.

hi dmt...been too long

few quick recent food notes for ya:

duck tongues in XO sauce at Congee Village on Allen: tastes like duck, melts in your mouth, with one little skinny bone inside. house special chicken (fried, in savory oil with toasted garlic) pretty great too

Panfried pickerel & whitefish at Henry's Fish Restaurant, Georgian Bay, Ontario: fantastic fish, love a restaurant you can't get to except by boat (or seaplane). But holy shit do the midwesterners like it bland - boring fries, white bread, coleslaw...i would have killed for some salsa.

i failed the bear identification test and won't be shooting any bears this season. what do you montanans do with all that dead bear, anyway?

on roasting your own

It's difficult to locate an egg that has been cooked with more care and more interestingly than the ones you crack at home, but my new favorite brunch is at 'inoteca where a truffled egg toast with battarga can be had with a glass of Muscat. Deeply satisfying.

Eating By #'s 2003
Grand Sichuan Int Midtown 12 Times
wd~50 10 Times
Wash Park 6 Times
66 5 Times
The Minnow 5 Times
Kai 3 Times

Meal #10 at wd~50 with a friend was as good as the others, it was my friends 2nd meal, he was blown away by it.....

I tried to avoid Lupa this year but I had a marvy lunch there today, better luck for me next year??....2*.......hey eat pizza

political compass : east leftnut

I hadn't been in a long time, but Saturday night was another fine meal at Prune. I love this place. Okay, there is a little too much butter for me on some dishes, but that's personal and if you know how to order right (whole grilled fish) it isn't a problem. The food is very simple and straight forward in a way that is apparently hard for most chefs to accomplish. You might call it no ego food.

It still doesn't have an air conditioner, although it looks like they are putting one in. And while you'd think that would be unbearable, it's actually not that bad. The fans are blasting. The very happy crowd is packed in but not complaining. And the chef Gabrielle is seducing everyone in sight from her lovely open kitchen. Great atmosphere, great food, great time. I've had to extend my definition of the LES to include 1st street so that this restaurant is in my neighborhood.

Finally had a look at Marja Samson's new Chibitini at 63 Clinton Street. This place makes the other tiny places on the block look spacious. Sake and dumplings, although I arrived too late for the later. The dark velvety red interior feels like a 23rd century take on the Victorian era. Looks great I think. And the maybe 12 other people that could fit inside seemed to agree. Classiest joint on the block I'd say.

Marja is the owner of the Kitchen Club as well as the small Chibi's bar next door. This one takes the small sake bar to its miniaturized extreme, but that is fine with me as long as I can get a seat. Looking forward to learning more about sake.

Suenos = Dreams, 311W17th St, i will still look for a dream of a Mexican reatarant, so far Itzocan Cafe is still close-ist.....didnt go to Pampero(sp?) which was called 2* by W Grimes, the place is part owed by the only ok Maya restaurant......

OK, no one’s mentioned The Restaurant. Inquiring minds want to know what the real people think...

Finally, a rave.

I had a very good easy dinner at Molyvos after snacks at Periyali after wine at Tavern after a long lunch at Fleur de Sel.....I had better post some of my "off" meals to get some credit-ability (hint hint), I am get-in too rahrah

thanks to Rachael for the Fleur de Sel tip, we rocked there for with our 9 course lunch menu the last (pre-dessert) course was up there with wd~50 food, the rest was 2*/3*......3* overall

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eco wave 2003

2003 Top Eats
The Countdown to Ten Best

Globe All
Passadis Del Pep (Barcelona) 4*
Varoulko (Athens) 4*
Slanted Door (SF) 3*
Carballeira (Lleida, Spain) 3*
Uglesich's (New Orleans) 3*
#9 Park (Boston) 3*
El Torreone (Torrisellas, Spain) 2*
Asados Nazareno (Roa, Spain) 2*
Frankie & Johnny's (New Orleans) 2*
O Loutros Fish Taverna (Thessaloniki, Greece) 2*
Botafumeiro (Barcelona) 2*

Loc All
wd50 4*
Kai 4*
Al Di La 3*
Wallse 3*
Locanda Vini Olii 3*
Fleur de Sel 3*
66 3*
Cafe Boulud 2*
Annisa 2*
Grand Sichuan Int Midtown 2*
Tasting Room 2*
Hangawi 2*
Kebab Cafe 2*
Itzocan Cafe 2*
Il Gattopardo 2*
The Minnow 2*
Lupa 2*

We went to Locanda after a long time, we were completely blown away again, I still stand by my belief that between Al Di La and Locanda there is no better Italian food in all of NY metro...3*

Mark Crispin Miller

Steak at Sur in Brooklyn is not bad.....

dead poets and other friends

green architecture from AR

will continue to post green architectural news here