...more recent posts
could not add a comment to the original post so---went for a third time to "A Salt and Battery" and wanted to get adventurous but all i could muster up was the Dandelion and Burdock Soda, passed on the new dessert: deep fried Cadbury chocolate egg (cream center), the special of the day looked great:rock salmon stuffed with spinish, tomatoe, peppers, garlic butter etc and than deep fried---they are still trying to master the fried ice cream which i know is difficult....
Get thee to the recently opened Whole Foods on 7th Avenue and 24th Street. Produce that would make your heart pound.
More Green Teas info :
"China Tea" is a term used to describe tea grown in China for the foreign or
export market only. "Chinese Tea" is the term used to describe that tea which is
grown in China and intended for local or internal consumption only. We, in the
United States, would probably never taste "Chinese Tea". That may be both
good and bad at the same time. There are over 1,200 varieties of tea grown in
China and since only a very few are exported, we are limited to what taste
experience we can enjoy. On the other hand, it insulates us from some extremely
unpalatable teas.
Tea is thought to have originated in China, broadly speaking, where longitude
100 passes through the Tropic of Cancer. From China it spread by seed, and for
the most part without the intervention of man, to most other parts of what is
now known as the tea-growing world, either directly or in steps from one
country to another. There are exceptions to this natural spread but they are
limited to those varieties hybridized by man.
The precise history of China Green Tea (China Black Tea is a relatively new
process or invention) is difficult to trace and thus establish. There are some tea
scholars who say it is 2,000 years old, others 2,500 and still others say it may
be 5,000 years old. There are several reasons for this confusion. The Chinese
character (ideogram) for tea, until recent times, was basically the same character
as that used for an herbal tea made from sow thistle or sow weed, making it
difficult to know exactly to which plant a writer was referring. Another reason
is that as each succeeding dynasty rose to the "Dragon Throne, " they would
eliminate previous records of a particularly excellent tea and literally rewrite
history to make their dynasty the one which discovered that particular tea. Also,
at certain times in China's history, there were two or more ruling dynasties or a
major and a minor dynasty coexisting, each of which would rewrite the history
of tea or a specific tea to prove that they had discovered it. Historical records
regarding China tea became very confused and confusing. The only thing that
can be said for certain is that the art of growing, processing, brewing and
drinking tea evolved in China; just when, however, is totally uncertain.
There are a number of China teas available to us, but because of growing
conditions and plucking seasons they are not all available at the same time.
Below are just a few, a very few, with their English spelling, Old Chinese
spelling and New Chinese spelling:
English/Old Chinese/New Chinese
____________________________________________________
Dragon's Well/Lung-Ching/Long-Jing
Lion's Peak /Shih-Feng /Shi-Feng
White Cloud /Pai-Yun /Bai-Yun
Jeweled Cloud /Pao-Yun /Bao-Yun
Purple Sprout /Tz'e-Sun /Ce-Sun
Old Man's Eyebrows /Shou-Mei /Shou-Mee
Sow-Mee
(None) /Pu-Erh /Pu-Er
Country Green /Ching-Cha /Ching-Cha
Oolong (Style) /Wu-Lung /Wu-Lung -or-(Wu-Long)
If one enjoys excellent China green or Oolong teas, it is a must to prepare them
using fine utensils from China. We most heartily recommend Yixing
(pronounced E-SHing) Ware. That is, authentic Yixing Ware, not imitation or
Yixing style (refer to section: Yixing Ware for more detail).
We respectfully quote from an honored Tea Master (Mr. John Blofeld): "a
combination of fine tea, enchanting objects and soothing surroundings exerts a
therapeutic effect by washing away the corrosive strains and stress of modern
life...(it) induces a mood that is spiritually refreshing...(and produces) a genial
state of mind." I honor Mr. Blofeld, now deceased, for the years he devoted to
his studies of China Green and Semi-Black Teas.
got to get up here--there is a 13 page (mostly pictures) article in the new Saveur!!! very hungry!! Fore Street
288 Fore St., Portland, Maine, 207-775-2717
MasterCard, Visa, Discover, American Express
$$$
Chef/owner Sam Hayward is dedicated to the precept that simple food—very, very pure and good food&3151;is better than any amount of processing or saucing could ever be. His showcase is this handsome place in the old area of Portland, where meats, fish, and, especially, vegetables are treated to wood fire or roasted in an oven until their goodness shines forth. This may sound too plain, but the creations belie that. And the lively ambience and sheen of sophistication make a visit to Fore Street a happy time.
wine stuff from old china
Anyone have any green tea brand recommendations? I'd be curious to hear the Wheels ultra high end picks (I know he has some,) but I'm looking for something I could find in the east village and wouldn't cost more than the ridiculously overpriced coffee I drink too much of now. My first try was something called tazo. It's O.K., I guess, but can I do better?
February 28, 2001
- $25 AND UNDER
Locanda Vini & Olii: In an Old Apothecary, a Cure
for the Common Trattoria
By ERIC ASIMOV
WHEN I visit a restaurant for the first time, I
almost always enter believing I'm going to
enjoy my meal. But once in a while I sense that
a place is going to be special, and that's how I felt about
Locanda Vini & Olii, a mom- and-pop trattoria that opened
a month ago in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn.
The beautiful space, which had been a pharmacy for 130
years, certainly contributed to this feeling. The woodwork
has been lovingly restored, and many old features have
been left intact, like small wooden apothecary drawers, set
sideways into the wall for holding supplies, and rolling
wood ladders and old counters used for a small bar and to
display desserts.
Care seems to have been given to every detail, including the overhead lights, dim enough to
create a moody ambience yet illuminating each table perfectly. The wine lists are glued to
bottles, one for white, one for red, as if they were labels.
Even so, if it were one more trattoria with the same old food, no matter how attractive, it
would provoke yawns. But Locanda's menu is full of dishes perhaps unsettling to those
expecting the standard issue. Clearly, it is the personal expression of the owners, François
Louy, from Milan, who was a manager for the Cipriani restaurants, and his wife, Catherine
de Zagon Louy, from Florence, who was a manager at Balthazar.
Starting with the fragrant Tuscan bread, made without salt, the Louys do things their own
way. Instead of a dish of olive oil, they set out arugula blended with pine nuts and oil like a
pesto, nicely bitter and just right with the bread.
Appetizers may be as unexpected as tongue marinated in white wine and herbs, boiled, thinly
sliced and sautéed until mellow and nutty and served with a parsley sauce ($7). Or bresaola
with pears ($7.75), a play on prosciutto with melon using fine air- dried beef and an
unsweetened pear sauce. Shrimp are served with wonderful chickpeas flavored with
rosemary ($8).
Some appetizers are meant to be shared, like the seafood charcuterie ($12), which includes
thick rounds of soft tuna sausage and tender, paper- thin slices of octopus, or slices of
venison cacciatorino ($10), an intense hard salami served with earthy chicken liver crostini.
Superb choices abound among the pastas, which are almost all made by Luigi Ghidetti, who
shares chef duties with Michele Baldacci. I love the maltagliati ($8), fat strands of
carrot-colored pasta in a light ricotta sauce with soft fava beans, diced prosciutto and plenty
of sage. Little lasagna noodles made with chestnut flour go beautifully with a chickpea and
sausage sauce ($9), as does penne with a creamy walnut sauce ($8.50) and guitar-string
pasta with a Sicilian sauce of mashed sardine, dill and raisins ($9.50).
Not quite as exciting but still delicious are fat ropes of pici, an eggless pasta, with porcini
mushroom sauce ($8), and pappardelle with a robust duck ragù ($9).
Beyond pasta, Locanda offers a small, changing selection of main courses like tender braised
pork ribs ($14), with roasted potatoes, or excellent braised lamb ($16), baked in a small
round bread.
The small list of wines includes some excellent choices from little- known producers,
including Barbera del Monferrato from Accornero ($22) and a light but flavorful red from
Ercole Velenosi ($26) in the Marches. Mr. Louy eagerly makes recommendations.
Desserts ($5) may be the weak link, yet they too are enticing. A dense chocolate tart was too
dry, but I loved ricotta-and-almond cheesecake flavored with rose water, and the best dessert
may have been the simplest: small circular biscotti, flavored with anise and barely sweet.
It's a thrill to find a restaurant like Locanda Vini & Olii, where decisions are not made
according to formula and marketing concerns. Passion rules here, and it is evident in almost
every bite.
Locanda Vini & Olii
129 Gates Avenue at Cambridge Place, Clinton Hill, Brooklyn; (718) 622-9202.
BEST DISHES: Tongue with parsley sauce, bresaola with pears, shrimp with chickpeas,
seafood charcuterie, venison cacciatorino, carrot maltagliata, chestnut lasagnette, penne with
walnut sauce, pasta con le sarde, pappardelle with duck ragù, pici with porcinis, braised pork
ribs, braised lamb, ricotta cheesecake with rose water, biscotti.
PRICE RANGE: Appetizers, $5 to $8; main courses, $6 to $16.
CREDIT CARDS: Cash only.
HOURS: Tuesday through Thursday, 6 to 10:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, to 11:30;
Sunday, to 10. Closed Monday.
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Two steps at entrance; restroom is narrow.
Catherine and Francois Louy are friends of mine who just opened a trattoria called Locanda Vini & Olii in Clinton Place, Bklyn. Any body know what train gets you there ?
next hot spot??!! and check out Alchemy Suite on side (no pictures yet:>(
had lunch here recently for the first time in at least 5 years and it was so yummy that its time for a full blown special dinner
While we're waiting on a response from Wheel regarding French Chef gone Veggie, and I can't think of anything to say about the recent arrival of my free (even for the unasking, apparently) National Rifle Association membership card, I wanted to mention that today in New Orleans I was in a garage on that cul-de-sac in the sedately monied gated community of English Turn, and on this cul-de-sac two of the seven? homes are owned by the rap music producing brothers who call themselves the Cash Money Millionaires, and while I only had to paint a small part of the garage ceiling I was therefore left with a considerable piece of time in this comfortable if somewhat staid environment, with its natural looking man-made pond, to stand about in the driveway and ponder what an outlandish mix of people we Americans are (and then briefly I was to notice that of the many vehicles in one of the Cash Money driveways there was that same dowdy looking late model Cadillac those incognito Rices were driving last week), and then I went back into the garage to make sure I had wiped up the spilt paint and to once again check the (yep, still) locked door of the Eurocooler? wine refrigerator because I had wanted to check some labels to throw at the Wheel for identification (so I could pretend to know something about wine should I ever make the "A" list of invitees to important NRA functions), but in the end all I can ask him is this--56 degrees, is that about the right temperature to keep your wines? I have also been ruminating recently about the mustard greens vs. barbeque ribs issue, and am on the ready if need be to discuss that also.
I forgot to take the paper home with me, but the NY Times weekend section has a big article on a 3 star French Chef who has gone veggie, much to the horror of French people everywhere. Do you know about this Wheel?
again in the french vein, everything i and others have tried has been taste-e and now five locations** Le Pain Quotidien ** 833 Lexington Avenue (between 63rd and 64th street,1131 Madison Avenue (between 84th and 85th street), 100 Grand Street (near corner of Mercer Street), 1336 First Avenue (between East 71st and 72nd), 50 West 72nd Street (between Colombus & Central park West)--bring home a bag of granola!!
need very impressive dessert's or other snack's french--la bergamote 169 9th ave near 20th
Ted Nugent Sued Over Dinner And A Show
Jan 23, 2001, 10:15 am PT
A Lincoln, Neb. couple is suing Ted Nugent in Lancaster County, Neb.
Court for allegedly dropping the ball on an Internet auction in which
they paid $1,535 for dinner with the rocker and front-row seats to one
of his concerts, according to the Associated Press.
Ron and Krishelle Bennett won an eBay Internet auction which allegedly
gave them unrestricted backstage passes and front-row seats to Nugent's
Aug. 25, 2000 concert at Sandstone Amphitheater in Bonner Springs, Kan.,
as well as a sit-down dinner with the singer-guitarist.
,br>
In the lawsuit, filed Monday (Jan. 22), the couple has alleged that they
only received limited access backstage passes, seats that were 30 rows
back from the front row, and that Nugent did not join them for dinner but
rather only spoke briefly with the couple before the show.
"This guy was my hero," said Ron Bennett, as quoted by the Associated
Press. "I was thrilled to see him, and he basically destroyed my entire
belief in rock and roll."
The Bennetts are suing for fraud and breach of contract, seeking an
unspecified amount in damages.
I'm having a hell of a time getting around the net today, so no link, But. In todays NYT Dining out section za article by Amanda Hesser "So you think your kitchen is small?" on vest pocket restaurants featuring Caviar Russe, Prune, Tasting Room and 71 Clinton FF. lotza pics (including Wylie) and tips (learn to use a whisp, they use less counter space than a mixer) for your own small kitchenz. Also a wine article called "The Rinse Cycle".
Ok, fuckit, a link.
Grand Sichuan Int'l Midtown has been open for some months now @ 745 9th Ave--they just added another page of new dishes--now it has two different menu's from its sister at 24th/9th Ave--BYOB & cripy fried eel rules!!
Lupa is still one of new yorks finest--the pasta with pecorino and black pepper is so f'in yummy and the tuna belly course still stay's on my mind days later--two bottles of wine and 4 dishes cost $108 with the tax!!