paula

The muffaletta sounds like the way to go. Checked out MiLa but the sweetbreads don't appear to be on the lunch menu. I may have to ask because now I'm craving it. Trying to decide between Cochon or herbsaint for one night. Thanks for the suggestions.

ok I am short on time and would love some suggestions. I will be in New Orleans for a conference Wed-Fri. I'm getting in early for a workshop on Wed but my boss is getting in around 7pm on Wed. Where is s good place to grab a late dinner? Next, where should we go on Thurs for dinner? We are looking for local flavor but also enjoy a nice meal. I just don't have time to read all the wonderful posts here so I would love to know the "not to miss" spots. I should also have time to grab lunch before the workshop on Wed so feel free to suggest a place to grab a quick lunch...thinking poboys. Staying at the Rennaissance Pere Marquette and the conference is at The Roosevelt. Location only matters for lunch. Thanks in advance!!!! This is my fist time in New Orleans and I can wait!

I believe the area can support it and I can't wait for it to open. I do hope that it will be open for lunch as I work in this area. As everyone says it will be nicer once they finish the construction on Gallows and I hope they build some crosswalks so I can walk there without getting run over. Good luck RJ! (oh and I'm pete's wife who let the cat out of the bag )

well, i'm sorry to say that pete signed me up for black and white cookies but a 2 month old and a last minute invitation to a girls night out kept me from baking last night. so we are bringing an assortment of cookies from SIlva's bakery. we are also bringing some plates and napkins and wine.

Can anyone speak to the portion sizes? We're thinking about checking it out for our work holiday lunch/dinner but we have some non foodies who will want full bellies (not just wonderful food) when the meal it done. Can't wait to check it out! May have to find a babysitter this weekend.

Anyone been more recently? I'm thinking about the Oval Room for my b-day dinner in June. Sounds like it's still top notch but I just wanted to check.

I decided to check out Kasha's today in an attempt to eat healthy (curse Halloween candy!). I got a small lentil soup and the fajita chicken pita. The soup had a very flavorful veggie broth and was packed with lentils. I could have used a little more broth with my lentils but it was still enjoyable. The sandwich was good although it fell apart due to the garlic mayo they put on it and maybe the travel back to the office. There is something about their mayo that is sooooo good even though it was strange to find it on this sandwich. I realized rereading Don’s posts that I still haven’t tried the Tofu Delight. Next time…

We stopped by Hell burger (new location) for an early dinner on Sunday. I was surprised at how packed it was at 5-6pm. We were a little concerned about getting a seat but one opened up after we ordered...even found a highchair. We ordered 2 burgers, 2 orders of potato puffs and 1 order of mac & cheese for the little one. The wait for the food seemed long and the little one was getting fidgety (she's almost 2yr). I think the noise was making her uncomfortable too. As soon as we stepped inside she wanted to be picked up...too many people and too much noise. But we managed to keep her calm enough until the food finally arrived. She devoured the mac & cheese and the orange slices that came with the burgers. I was pleasantly surprised that she liked the mac & cheese since it boasted about 7 cheeses...I thought it might be too fancy for her. The one bite I got was very creamy and I can see why she liked it. The burgers were fantastic although we ordered both “recommended” and I think mine was more rare than Pete’s. This is the only place I’ll eat a burger that rare. It was good. I don’t think I will get blackened again but I enjoyed it as a change of pace. I can't believe how full I was for the rest of the night.

I attended a business dinner at Inox on Wed night with 3 other people. The space is beautiful. It was quite warm in the restaurant even though we were the only table in there for at least an hour. I don't know if it was because we were right under the lights or what. It was one of the warmer days this week so that may have been a factor. One issue I noticed was the music. We wouldn't hear anything for awhile and then the music would start up at a very loud volume, and then disappear again. Weird. The 4 of us had a wonderful evening with great food. The service was great...although we were the only table for awhile. They did not rush us and we managed to have an almost 4 hour meal (but it didn’t feel long). The server was knowledgeable about the menu and made suggestions when asked. He also was able to describe the dishes in much more detail than the menu that made the dish even more appealing. Unfortunately I didn't get his name. We shared 3 appetizers (lobster, peirogi, and quail) and the server made sure to bring extra plates for us. They paired a wonderful white burgundy with the appetizers and I wish I had thought to ask the name. We enjoyed the appetizers…honestly I wasn’t paying as close attention to the food since we were discussing business. I had the halibut/scallop combo for my entree. The presentation was beautiful. The scallops were perfectly cooked...the halibut may have been a little overcooked but still enjoyable. The others seemed to enjoy their entrees too (2 strip loins and 1 pork) and especially the wine pairings which were perfect. The nice detail is they suggested 2 wines for each entree so you could choose. For mine they recommended a riesling or the white burgundy I already had. I'm sure the riesling would have been fine but that was not the way I wanted to go. All in all it was a great evening. Rissa came by and Chef Krinn came by and we talked to him for awhile. Pete and I are going tonight for dinner. I am looking forward to trying some more dishes…and paying more attention to the food. I really hope Inox can survive the economy.

I just got a lunch invitation for next week and they are trying to get a reservation at INOX. I hope they are open for lunch next week! Of course as soon as Pete saw they were opening he went on open table and got us a dinner reservation for next Friday. We have been waiting for this place to open. Hope to see you there Rissa!

I happened upon this place while visiting the party store next door. I didn't stop in that day but I mentioned it to my hubby (Pete) and he said Don wrote about it here. So finally, many months later, I finally stopped in for lunch today. I got a turkey pastrami sandwich. I love the toppings they have - sprouts, carrots, cucumbers, such a nice change from the usual lettuce, tomato, onion (which they also have). Although I took my lunch to go I had some time to look around while it was being made. I noticed all their different flours and grains and all sorts of organic mixes - bread, brownies, etc. It's a great store. I read some other reviews and they mentioned homemade cookies. I'm upset I missed the cookies. I'll definitely have to go back. The sandwich was great and fresh...like homemade. It looks like they do a decent lunch business. I almost got the power veggie but wasn't sure I was in the mood for just veggies today. Next time I will try it.

Here's a recipe I used with our CSA collards earlier this summer. Fantastic...it's creamy without the use of cream. It looks like I took this off of eatingwell.com (due to the inclusion of nutrition facts) or it was probably epicurious.com. I typically pan saute my greens in a skillet with onions etc. This just adds a little something extra. I actually left out the nuts as I didn't have any. Enjoy! Steamed Greens with Lemony Tahini and Cashews Load up greens like Swiss chard with tahini and cashews for an extra healthy meal. Leafy collard greens, kale, and Swiss chard–high in both calcium and B vitamins–are terrific bone builders. Cashews provide healthy fats and protein. Serve this dish with a side of steamed whole wheat couscous, which takes about 5 minutes to prepare–and boom–you've got a quick and easy healing meal. Serves 4 ½ cup tahini (sesame seed paste) 2 large lemons 1 large clove garlic, pressed Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 pounds collards, kale, or Swiss chard 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 cups finely chopped onions ½ cup unsalted roasted cashews, roughly chopped 1. Stir the contents of the tahini to incorporate the oil that often floats on top. Put the tahini in the bowl of a food processor. Grate the rind of the lemons and add to processor. Cut lemons in half and squeeze to get 1/4 cup juice. Add to processor. Add pressed garlic and begin to process. Add 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup cold water and process until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside until ready to use. 2. Wash greens well. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces and discard tough stems. Heat oil in a very large nonstick skillet. Add onions and cook over medium-high heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add greens (with some water clinging to them) and cook over high heat for 5 minutes. Add a large pinch of salt. Cover pan and cook 5 minutes longer, until tender but still bright green. Stir the tahini in with the greens and top with cashews. Nutrition Facts Per serving: 452 calories, 35 g fat (5 g saturated), 30 g carbohydrates, 12 g protein, 8 g fiber, 262 mg sodium (11% Daily Value).

I forgot strawberries are on "the list"...oh well she survived. We have been trying to feed her everything we get from the CSA. I mostly remember to avoid nuts and seafood.

Thanks everyone. It's nice to know we seem to be on the right track. Maybe it's just the teething this week but she won't eat anything...except blueberries and strawberries we found out last night. We do plan on asking the doctor all our nutrition questions and I am anticipating the move from formula to milk. Although one of the doctor's at the office we go to said no finger foods at her 9 month appointment. Of course we had already given her some so we didn't stop but it concerned me for a little while. It's amazing how doctors can vary on the subject of feeding baby.

My little one is 11 months old. She is still formula fed but of course we do feed her fruits/veggies/meat and cereal. I have to admit that I used Gerber food as it is much easier with daycare. I did steam/puree and freeze some veggies for awhile but then baby stopped eating them. She used to love veggies but now she prefers fruits which we give her now that fresh fruit is abundant. She also has decided that anything spoon-fed must be evil. So no more Gerber packs, at least not without lots of crying. She'll eat just about anything she can feed herself. About a month ago I made veggie lasagna with collards and decided to let her try it. She loved it and even seemed to pick out the green to eat before the rest. Since then I have given her a little of anything we're eating (that's not too spicy...she doesn't like spicy yet). She loved the roasted chicken I made although I only give her the inside meat (no skin). When we went for sushi they brought her a bowl of tofu and she couldn't get enough. A lot of food winds up in her lap or on the floor but at least she's trying. My biggest concern is I can't imagine she is getting enough nourishment from the solid food she eats. When we start taking away formula how do I ensure she's getting enough of what she needs? Any thoughts/advice?

I celebrated my birthday with Pete on Sunday with dinner at Marcels. We arrived early and the place was empty. But they were ready for us and took us to our table. I was beginning to think we were their only guests for Sunday dinner but others did start arriving as well as a big party of doctors being wooed by a pharaceutical company, our waiter informed us as they walked by. Our waiter was Johnathan and he was fantastic. He brought us some complementary champagne (for my birthday) to start off the evening. After some mishaps with our water (flies doing the backstroke is both water glasses) we finally made a decision on dinner - 5 courses. We were happy when Jonathan mentioned they could do a sampler on the cheese course as that was what we wanted. For those who are not familiar the menu is broken up into 5 courses, a cheese course and a dessert course. You can pick to do 3, 4, 5, or 7 courses-or they also offer an a la carte feature where you can get one appetizer and then one of the fish or meat courses doubled as an entrée. I probably picked the heaviest dish from each course. That's just what sounded good to me. First Course - I had the Mussels Gratin - good and rich as expected in a gratin. Nothing to wow me but good. Pete had the Trio of Scallop - the scallop ceviche he says was the best single bite of the night; vibrant and fresh scallop with citrus and a little corn in a phyllo cup. Needless to say he didn't share. Second Course - I had the Duck Confit and Sweetbread Lasagne - sounded interesting and it's hard for me to pass up sweetbreads. It was interesting, the filling had a gelatinous feel but was good. I couldn't pick out the duck or the sweetbreads flavor on their own but the dish overall was good. Pete had the Boudin Blanc which was good but overwhelmed by the mushroom sauce. Johnathan had described it well but I was still caught by surprise by the texture. I don't expect "sausage" to be light and airy. Third Course - I had the Lamb "Wellington" - not the true name of the dish but how it was described. I wish the filling and lamb were better incorporated or that the phyllo crust didn't fall apart so easily. It was hard to get a bite of everything onto my fork. The lamb was a perfect medium rare. The sauce was very rich which I found overpowering the more I ate. But I was also getting full at this point. Pete had the Roulade of Rabbit with Carrot Ginger Reduction - he says this was a terrific dish that got better with each bite; the sauce was a perfect compliment to the roulade. Fourth Course - Cheese Sampler - I was disappointed not to see Epoisses on the menu as it was on their online menu. But the cheeses they did have were great-except for the cheddar. That was the waxiest piece of cheese I've ever eaten. Unfortunately I don't remember the name but we commented that we think we also had it at City Zen-although I think it was edible there. The blue cheese had a layer of apricots on it that should have been much thinner. I had to push them off so I could enjoy the cheese. Fifth Course - Dessert - I had the Triple Chocolate Brownie with passion fruit sauce and chocolate sorbet. The passion fruit was a great tart punch to break through all the chocolate. The brownie was ok but made better by the layer of ganache and another layer-maybe a mousse (?) on top. The chocolate sorbet was so rich. It was good but I'm not a huge fan of chocolate ice cream or sorbet. Pete had the Pineapple Upside-Down Cake - This was fantastic-as I can remember from only one bite. It would have been a better ending to my heavy meall.but that was my mistake. Overall, the food was enjoyable but nothing wowed us. The sauces were rich (as I know French sauces are supposed to be with all that butter) and sometimes overpowering. The service was excellent! Very attentive but not overbearing. Johnathan also brought us a glass of a late-harvest sauvignon blanc from Chile that was excellent with the cheese and dessert. We would definitely go back.

Anyone checked Cee out recently? I need to drop off my car at the Hyundai dealer and it's is on the way. Is it worth stopping for lunch or should I go somewhere else?

First, thank you for a wonderful meal last night as my husband (Pete) and I were celebrating our anniversary. And as luck would have it we were graced with your presence and able to exchange a few words even though you were really visiting the table next to us. Everything was wonderful from the service to the food. I only wish I could have enjoyed the tasting menu, a cheese course and/or some wine pairings but unfortunately for me this baby growing inside hasn't left much room for my stomach. Question - the vanilla braised endive with the rabbit entree was fantastic...any chance you might share a recipe? I've never had endive prepared in this way and I'm intrigued to try it myself. Thanks!

Pete and I enjoyed dinner at Corduroy on Sat and Rissa stopped by and told us about her leaving. It's a sad sad day as we always enjoyed seeing her smiling face. But I'm sure we'll see her pop up somewhere else just as great. Pete and I will try to be there although everyone else will have to drink for me (5 weeks to go until baby's born!). I'm sure we will be later than 5:30 as we will have to truck in from the burbs. Is the happy hour at Corduroy? Just making sure.

The cupcakes were dark chocolate cupcakes from Cooks Illustrated with caramel-milk chocolate frosting from epicurious.com. Here's a link to the frosting: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/107944 Actually the cake in recipe is good too. I will try to remember the cupcake recipe tomorrow and add it here.

Interesting...when we (Pete and I) went they had some pizzas with toppings baked in already. So we had slices of whatever looked good. The varieties were limited. Not sure why it was different for you. For the non-Jersey/New York girl I liked the pizza fine. I like their sauce better than Tony's. Mostly I'm looking forward to trying their calzones when they start making them.

I received both of Michel's cookbooks for Christmas. For New Year's Eve I made the apple and pear tartletts (not sure of the exact name right now) from the new cookbook. They were excellent. I cheated and used store bought puff pastry. I probably used a different variety of apples and pears too which may have led to my overflow of juices. I'd say definitely use a pan with sides on it. Everyone was impressed. I find most of his recipes do appear fairly simple for someone who knows how to cook. Some might be time consuming. I was thinking about the Happy Kid Pudding last night while I was watching tv and saw a Jell-O pudding comercial. I may have to try that tonight. Pregnancy is making tv viewing hard...all the food commercials look good and then I want whatever it is. I guess it's harder on Pete (my SO) since he's the one who volunteers to run out to the store. But I've been good so far....it's early.

I made fresh pasta this weekend and just had to find a topic to share the news. This one seems appropriate. I received a pasta roller/cutter set for my kitchenaid for Christmas and figured I better use it. I made corn/mascarpone cheese/goat cheese stuffed tortelli with a tarragon butter sauce (Everyday Italian recipe) and fettuccine with marinara (homemade by Pete my SO). Both were fantastic and impressed my superbowl guests. (We had decided on an Italian theme due to a canceled Italy trip) I never knew how fantastic homemade pasta could be. I need to play with the dough recipe, the first time it was dry and my pasta kept ripping in the roller. The second batch I added some water and it seemed better but didn’t want to go through the roller at first. Other items I've made: Marshmallows - It's hard to even think about eating store bought ever again. I haven't perfected the shaping yet but I'll get there. I may experiment with a different recipe. Stock - chicken, turkey, beef, veggie - so far my veggie stock has been the best. In my non-foodie circle making cupcakes from scratch is crazy. I can’t seem to convince them that it’s no harder than using a cake mix…all the mix gives you is the dry ingredients…you still have to add eggs, water, etc and mix everything together. When we moved to our new house this summer we found that we have black walnut trees in the back. I decided to go through the trouble of collecting the black walnuts that fell and constantly hit our house since I’ve heard they are prized by bakers. I husked and cleaned and dried and just recently opened one to see what the fuss is about. It tasted fine (I'm not a huge walnut fan). I haven't decided if it was worth the hassle. I did learn some lessons.... 1) Don't leave them outside piled in a box in their husks...the bugs will get to them if the rain doesn't rot them first. 2) The squirrels aren't afraid to take them out of the box on the patio...and leave the remnants on the railing. 3) Wear gloves! The orange stain does not come off! (I did wear gloves but took them off too soon). 4) Put something protective on the work surface…they will stain EVERYTHING! 5) Very few of the nuts will be good even once they fall off the tree. My research revealed that if they float they are no good. I believe half wound up floating so I trashed them. 6) Use a sharp knife – I used a box cutter but the blade was pretty dull. All in all, it was an okay way to spend a nice fall day outside enjoying the view. Plus 2 deer came to visit and see what I was doing (actually the deer enjoy many meals in my backyard…thank goodness it’s mostly weeds). Things on my list: Yeast dough – I have no idea why I’m so apprehensive. I know I just need to try once and then I’ll be fine. Pastries – anything and everything I can think of…I know if I perfect the main yeast doughs I can make anything. Chocolates – We’ve made a few truffles (ganache centers) and dipped many foods in chocolates but Pete and I are ready for the big leagues with different flavorings and fillings. Baby Food – Call me crazy but I figure it’s healthier. Of course now that I’m carrying my first and have no energy this sounds insane. I’m sure I was raised on the jar and turned out ok so my kid(s) will be fine.

Thanks everyone. I knew zabaglione was italian and should have guessed sabayon was the french version. I've made a semifreddo which sounds similar in preparation but uses cream instead of fruit juice or wine. I am looking forward to experimenting! Erin - Thanks for the tip about putting it through an ice cream maker. We're huge ice cream fans and my +1 has been making a bunch this summer.

Ok, since someone started a thread I will ask...does anyone have a recipe for sabayon? We had a guiness (although I think that night it was a different beer) sabayon at Restraurant Eve that was to die for. It was perfect paired with the salty cheese that we dipped in the sabayon. The perfect sweet/salty snack. Thanks!