tanabutler

Acme Chophouse gets my vote. Bonus points for sustainably grown food on the menu. Right in Nob Hill is Laurent Manrique's "new" (since 2004) baby: C & L, which is the counterpart to Aqua [Closed Apr 17, 2010].

Anyone who goes to Longhi's deserves what they get. That guy is a 100% plastic bobblehead egomaniac idiot doll. Google "tanabutler" and his name. WHAT an ass.

I am all about soup these days. Rancho Gordo has me inspired in a Mexican direction, so turkey and chicken get cooked with chiles (fresh or dried), corn, lime, beans, tortillas, whatever--even salsa gets thrown into the pot.I am very happy about this. I am even using lime olive oil for sautéeing red onions, etcetera. It's been really fun to diverge from the comfortable Italian food mode I was in for years (my defaults then: lemon, basil, tomatoes, herbs, pasta).

Plate o' shrimp. I was just going to post that his eyes look like Hugh Grant's. Nice hair, too. I knew he'd be handsome, the cocky devil.

But what if they [/i]want him to bite? Or at least nibble? C'mon, don't douse all hope. It might be a perk, ya never know.

Soup: duck base, Andouille sausage, chunks of Blue Ballet squash, Rancho Gordo Rio Zapé beans (dark brown, almost a coffee-chocolate flavor to them), mushrooms, dried chipotle and dried cayenne chiles, and a boost of organic chicken broth. I'll probably build some more into it today: roasted corn or something. Mmmmm, mmmmm, good for a sun-finally-broke-out-on-the-California-coast winter's day.

This forum is awesome. You guys are so knowledgeable and helpful. I blame your leader.

Intimate and casual are not the only options here. It's simply something that intelligent adults (and certainly, Europeans) recognize as a natural part of life, and hopefully have the good manners not to gawk, stare, or crane their necks to create discomfort for everyone. If I were still nursing my child in a restaurant, when introductions were made, it would be awkward. She's seventeen. Farting and having sex are not in the same league as nursing a baby. People who have sex in public (and I've seen them on the beach here) are humiliating themselves. People who fart? I'm so glad that doesn't happen to me, but it is accidental, unless you're in a frat house contest being applauded. And being accidental, only the boorish would point it out. Ignoring it is the polite thing to do. Just as the song in "South Pacific" says, "You've got to be carefully taught," people are taught to be ashamed of things that are not shameful. Is it pregnant to be shameful? It used to be that no woman could go out during her "confinement" (an interesting word, isn't it, for gestation, reminiscent of imprisonment)--well, I think it's time we moved on. Shame is so tiresome. The nursing mother didn't strip to the waist and leap on top of the table, did she? I do think it's possible to be discreet. I always covered myself with a well-tented blanket, with plenty of airflow, if I need to feed my baby in public. And I am talking about a baby whose sustenance is milk, not a toddler who doesn't rely on his mother for all his nutrition. FWIW, I grew up in the Deep South, and our mother nursed us against my father's wishes. He called it "bus station." How thankful I am that such a mindset is a dying one.

I couldn't agree more.First of all, it's not an intimate act. Nursing a child is one of the most natural things in the world, and I don't mean that in a "I'm going to stop shaving my armpits" way. I mean it is no big deal. I think it's a great service for women to nurse (discreetly, not disrobing or whipping out the whole breast) in public just so these surreptitiously gazing bozos, who are unfortunately stuck in the fourth grade, emotionally, can inwardly go into some kind of elementary school National Geographic reverie. If you're a grown man who thinks seeing Janet Jackson's nipple was some kind of outrageously naughty turn-on (or turn-off, but still outrageously naughty), then you need counseling. You need some perspective about mature sexuality. Meanwhile, stop embarrassing the mothers who are just trying to feed their babies. Stop embarrassing yourselves. Grow up! A nursing mother isn't about tittilating (heh) you. It's not about turning you on. It's about being the lifeline for her child: a continuous and sustained connection that tells the child, "I am provided for. I am safe." My mother-in-law kept calling me up from Texas, saying, "Don't you THINK it's TIME you WEANED her?" Um, no. If it ain't broke, why fix it? I bring this up because she has a very repressed mindset. Remember, not so very many generations ago, you couldn't even say the word "pregnant" in so-called polite company. I don't think it's a lowering of the standards of etiquette or good manners to nurse in public. Quite the opposite. It's raising people's minds out of the gutters by stopping them from thinking there is anything inappropriate or sexual about putting a breast in a baby's mouth. And as far as bringing a baby into a restaurant goes, I had a quiet baby. I could take her anywhere, for the most part. And being completely attuned with her, I would know if she was about to get fussy, and remove ourselves. This is a completely subjective call, though. I know SO many people who get completely rigid at the sight of an infant in arms in a restaurant, automatically. I guess some people just can't stand children or babies, on sight or principal, in restaurants or not. The single time my infant cried in a restaurant was when we walked into a restaurant in Boulder with her, a newborn, and a table of eight people gave me the death stare. Seriously. They flashed the most heated, molten looks of pure hatred that I brought a BABY into a place. (And this wasn't that fancy a restaurant. Nice, but not hush-hush proper.) But I guess she felt the vibe, because she started to cry. She stopped as soon as we walked out again: I wasn't going to sit there under those looks. Outside, we sat at a little table and the owner brought us glasses of champagne. A few minutes later, husband and I went in. Just to see. Back with the hate stares, and she started to cry. So we stayed and ate outside, and she was perfectly peaceful. The eight-top left, and we went inside again for dessert. No crying baby. Wow, my horse is high! I'll come down now.

Not to be knee-jerk about it (or a jerk at all), but I wouldn't dream of going there after reading how the chef handled this. You sic your lawyer on someone taking pictures, when they were informed after the fact? And after the manager (?) has informed the bruised customer, who had been enjoying his meal and intending to praise it, that he doesn't need to pay attention to your little tirade? Unless she were to exhibit some degree of contrition, and apologize lavishly for being a hothead, she has painted herself into a pretty air-free corner. This is where "the whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth" has more meanings than one.

Why no one should eat at Longhi's. Longhi's The guy is SUCH an ass.

I ate at Dévi when in NYC in May. It was spectacular. I posted some photos here. (Click for captions.) The Chai Panna Cotta was one of the best desserts I've ever had (made with Earl Grey tea, FWIW).

I sauté red onions in olive oil (sometimes lime olive oil), and throw in smoked chicken, pine nuts, jalapeños, and cilantro with the orzo. You could also add roasted corn. Mexican style: savory fabulousness.

We are headed back for the fourth or fifth time in three years soon. First: stay at Siena if you can. The beds are superior. It's not very expensive, either, and has to be the nicest place in Reno. The Oceana at Peppermill Casino: try the seafood platter for two. Don't pay extra for lobster: not worth it. The Alaskan King Crab legs are the star of the show, along with oyster/tequila/jalapeño shooters. Oyster po boy is also good: nothing here will break the bank and you will not leave hungry. Seriously, the seafood is as good as any I've had anywhere in my life. La Vecchia: my review and some photos here. Last time we were there, we asked people: regulars mentioned a restaurant up on the side of a mountain being worth the trip. Beaujolais Bistro. Avoid Viaggio's FOOD, but go in for good wine. The owner is a very nice guy, but his chef's got a heavy hand with the salt, like maybe he's a smoker. We wanted to be more impressed than we were: it was average, sorry to say. We ate at Lexie's, and it too was nothing special, but not bad. I'm spoiled living in central California: our salads are amazing. Theirs are likely from bags at Costco. But they're a good value on the upper end of Reno dining. Anyway, Oceana and La Vecchia are our best bets.

Pumpkin soup with roasted garlic and a dollop of creamy white goat cheese, and roasted chicken with roasted carrots/potatoes/shallots. The pumpkin was an unusual variety that came recommended by the farmer, who grows upwards of twenty different kinds of pumpkins. It's called Marina Di Chioggia, and it has a slate green shell with yellow-orange flesh that was so bright it surprised me. Delicious.

What is your budget, what are your tastes, and how open are you to low-end and high-end things? My #1 recommendation, as ever, is DO NOT MISS the Ferry Plaza Marketplace. It is a Mecca for foodies. Will you have a car? What are your dates? Where are you staying? (Need a rec on that? )

Well, I got it, Mr. Rockwell.

I love that the "hero" of the film is Italian food, which is as it should be. My favorite two are "Big Night" and "Eat Drink Man Woman." Nothing else even comes close. I couldn't bear the dourness of the people in "Babette's Feast." However, I think I need to see "Le Grand Bouffe": "A group of men hire some prostitutes and go to a villa in the countryside. There, they engage in group sex and resolve to eat themselves to death." It's got Marcello Mastroianni and Ugo Tognazzi (having some fun here <--- NOTE: R-rated pic). I remember liking "A Chef in Love," though it's been years since I've seen it. Not a food film per se, but I liked a lot of the food scenes in "Joy Luck Club"

Spanakopita and quiche don't need refrigeration for half a day, and work well at room temp.

May I please have permission to quote this in its entirety on my blog about small farms?

From LocalHarvest.org, Friday markets: #1 #2

GET in mah BELLY.That looks so delicious! So summery.

Those people have Rocks somewhere in a closet, bound and gagged. Can't you hear the muffled moans, and his head banging on the door? He seems to be saying, "Let me out! Those bastards can't scoop me!"

Here I sit, broken-hearted...

Will someone please PM me when this thing breaks? Fanx.