JPW

Let's all take a deep breath here. Yes, it is sad that Palena is no more, but the people behind the restaurant are still very much alive and extraordinarily talented. THey'll be back, in some incarnation or another, and maybe even better.

Fixed it for you.

Ok, I am going to say Friday May 2nd we get the old Friday HHs rolling again.

I'd be down for that.

Thanks, but we certainly don't need anything special setup...although I do enjoy Rosé...

Except for having 9-1- already dialed so that they just have to enter the last digit.

Count me in.

Summer 1993- Ripping the cartilage out of 20# of calimari every day or so as a cook at Jimmy Sea's Pan Pasta in Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard. I can still summon up the memory of the smell that would linger on your skin even after you had showered. Helped confirm my decision to get out of the business and go to grad school.

My grandfather's martini ritual which would always start with my grandmother saying to him "Father, do you think that it's time for some refreshment?" "Yes, mother."

I hear your pain SeanMike, I'm there too. On the whole, I changed my diet about 9 years ago - no more fast food, limited junk food. However, I occasionally have the irresistible urge for some McD's fries or a giant cheese steak or ... that I know I will regret later. I'm do pretty much what goodeats does -- water, fiber, and exercise.

I don't know how other people do this so easily. I started thinking about this weeks ago and have been cooking for two days. Even though I cleaned dishes while I worked, so that by the time everyone arrived there were only the pots and pan I needed at the moment--plus the place settings--there was a mountain of dishes to clean at the end. Thus, my gratitude to Dame Edna who made a point of getting out of the way this weekend. The Easter Bunny brought him a gift.

It's not easy, but it is enjoyable. I'll have to save one of my prep lists for you next time. Thanksgiving runs to 2 pages.

Having a willing dishwasher is definitely a key resource (thanks to Nutty Buddy for doing the dishes last night). I'll never forget one party that I threw where 2 dr members did all of the dish washing including about 30 glasses.

PS - last night was lamb leg marinated in Dolin rouge, rosemary, and garlic; green beans sauteed with scallions, and biscuits. Appetizer was crostini with roasted red pepper and garlic puree. 2003 Edmunds St John San Luis Obisbo County "Bassetti Vineyard"

What hillvalley said.

Rest in peace, fatguy.

Penn and Teller were on NPR a couple of months ago talking about this flick. It sounded really interesting. Definitely worth taking a look at when it shows up on netflix.

Saw this yesterday on facebook and laughed my &*^ off.

How many people here want to love Le Diplomate, and just can't bring themselves to do it?

Me.

"Chef Tom Power has one of the best and most versatile medium-size lists in town, a good by the glass program, and interesting, small production digestifs."

--Don Rockwell, The Washingtonian

It was Corduroy that introduced me to J L Chave. I can't count the number of bottles of his "Offerus" St. Joseph that I went through. It remains one of my favorite wine lists anywhere.

NY Strip-- $9.99/lb tomorrow!

Just make sure that the store next door is well stocked.

Last night to Iola Brubeck, without whom Dave would never have been a star.

Had dinner here tonight.  We had the 8 oz steak - oh right that is the only thing on the menu (lol).  Actually it was very good, cooked to temperature order and the sauce had nice flavor.  Nice portion size for the price without being supersized and not leaving hungry.  As mentioned above the chopped salad was very good and not overdressed.  The cauliflower was enjoyed and they didn't overcook it so it still had some crunch to it.

The only thing that I found strange is that they do not accept American Express.  The waiter apologized and said they are still working on getting that account set up.  They do accept Visa.  I know AMEX is more expensive but I don't think I have ever been in a restaurant that accepted credit cards and not American Express.

If I recall correctly, many moons ago, the service fees for Amex were a decent deal higher than those for Visa or MC. As a result, some businesses accepted Visa and MC, but not Amex. I have no idea if this still holds or not.

Damn. I was waiting for the Rhones to show up. Guess I won't bother looking, then.

ETA - I didn't look at the high end ones. My wine budget is relatively small compared to just about any of the Berserkers. Might be a couple of good deals at the higher price point.

Went through the Rhones that were just posted. Like Joe H posted about the WA wines, while there are some nice bottles, there are no real deals worth going out of your way for.

I remember seeing McGwire in the 84 Olympics. He was already more muscular than most ball players.

Primanti's (sometimes I get a nostalgic hankering for fries on my pastrami and fried egg at 3 am).

Suzanne Goin is my major chef crush!

And since I cook from her books all the time, Nutty Buddy doesn't mind.

Interesting piece on the 40th Anniversary of Blazing Saddles.

On my personal list of one of the 10 best movies ever made (it's an idiosyncratic list).

That said, anyone who seduces Honor Blackman (who played the outrageously (and hilariously) named Pussy Galore) and the absolutely stunning Ursula Andress (who played the almost-as-outrageously named Honey Rider) wins by a walkover.

I don't know about that, Moore got to seduce Jane Seymour, Barbra Bach, Maud Adams, and Carole Bouquet.

However, by this criteria, the clear winner is Brosnan with Hallie Berry as Jinx Johnson [!] in Die Another Day.

Mr Robinson's Neighborhood were always my favorite skits.

I am amazed that we don't have a thread for Cuban Corner. I did a double-take, then a triple-take, and still can't believe it.

I remember posting on it somewhere after one of the local critics did a short piece on it. It must have been long enough ago that it's on eGullet. I recall tasty, but not excellent. A solid "B".

This reminds me of Colorado Kitchen. When there was a wait there, there was nowhere to go, nothing to do. What did you do for that hour?

Go across the street to Olive Lounge, grab a seat at the bar at Roscoe's,browse the vintage clothing stores.

Dean  --  Perhaps your best post ever.  Never knew you were such a storyteller.  Love the link.

Indeed, Dean is an excellent storyteller. My favorite involves a wine store in Chicago and a frequent purchaser of Chateau "Dickem".