MetaFilter posts tagged with restaurants

The food of my people

Joe Beese — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 07:28:01 -0800

"At Jewish Delis, Times Are as Lean as Good Corned Beef" David Sax hopes you will help "Save The Deli". (previously)

Veat: It's what's for lunch

mrgrimm — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:16:40 -0800

The top 10 fake-chicken sandwiches in the U.S. Fake meat is popping up more and more, but it still can be hard to find a good vegan/vegetarian sandwich that doesn't provide its protein from cheese and bread. Amy from PETA's VegCookingBlog has selected her top 10 faux-chicken sandwiches. In reverse order: 10. Chickette Sandwich - Red Dog Saloon, 1421 Colley Ave, Norfolk, VA 9. Breaded Chicken Sandwich - Vertical Diner, 2280 S West Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 8. No Chicken Caesar Club - Foodswings, 295 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY 7. Grilled Gardein Bruschetta Pomodoro Panini - VegiTerranean, 21 Furnace St, Akron, OH 6. Mock Chicken Dijon - Pizza Lucé, various locations, Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN 5. Chicken Parmesan Hero - Red Bamboo, 140 W. 4th St., NYC, NY 4. Chicken Run Ranch Burger - Native Foods, southern CA 3. Bayou Chickin' Sandwich - Veggie Grill, L.A. and Irvine, CA 2. Vegan Philly Chicken Cheese Steak - Govinda's Gourmet Vegetarian, 1408 South St, Philadelphia, PA 1. Secret BBQ Chicken Sandwich - Green New American Vegetarian, 2240 N. Scottsdale Rd. #8, Tempe, AZ Red Bamboo might be my favorite vegan restaurant, but for fake meat in San Francisco, I like Golden Era, Loving Hut, and Millennium. In Louisville (KY), I like Zen Garden. The latter offers a bitching BBQ Soy Sandwich, but none of them have fake-chicken sandwiches. Got a local favorite that should make the list? What's the best fake-chicken sandwich in the world? Does anyone really care? Bonus content: Recent update on in vitro meat from Wired UK. And CNN. And Wikipedia. (previously)

Operation Pancake

divabat — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 01:03:16 -0800

An expose of non-vegan ingredients in pancakes at LA Vegan Thai inspired the QuarryGirl.Com writers to conduct their own extremely thorough investigation of LA vegan restaurants, testing their meals for traces of casein, egg, and shellfish. Over $1000 and a chain of interviews up to Taiwan later, they find that half the restaurants aren't as vegan as they claim, with half registering Positive or High and one registering Overload. Some restaurants vowed to conduct their own tests or requested further assistance; one banned them from the establishment.

Mr. Huntsman -- Tear. Down. That. Wall.

mudpuppie — Fri, 15 May 2009 15:43:30 -0800

The 'Zion Curtain' has fallen. While existing Utah restaurants may remove partitions separating patrons and booze, known as the "Zion Curtain," new restaurants will be required to store liquor and mix drinks out of public view. In other Utah-/alcohol-related news, a restaurant membership is no longer required in order to purchase a drink. Oh, and hit-and-run accidents resulting in injuries are now felonies, but only if the driver has a previous DUI conviction.

KISS Burger

Joe Beese — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:57:13 -0800

KISS Burger. Our Meat... Your Mouth.(via)

Better Than 1000 Cookbooks

netbros — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 08:11:32 -0800

Recipe Goldmine. There are thousands of great recipes, but what makes this site special are the hundreds of recipes from popular restaurants everywhere. Many are "copycat" recipes and many are the originals shared by the chefs themselves. From Ruth's Chris recipes to Taco Bell, you'll be able to easily make it at home. For those on diet restrictions, Diabetic Recipes offers hundreds of doctor-approved recipes and menus plus cooking tips as well. Anita's Tried and True Low Fat Recipes is an excellent site focused on low-fat recipes. Includes a unique "cookbook recipe browser" which allows you to browse recipes in a cookbook format, with turning pages and all. Anita also offers a daily calorie counter, daily recommended values calculator, and more.

The Chuck E. Cheese Ouroboros

batmonkey — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 19:33:36 -0800

In 1977, Nolan Bushnell allowed Gene Landrum to bring Chuck E. Cheese [yt] to life as a family-friendly access point to Atari games. This, perhaps, explains the pizza. During a search for a unique attraction, Bushnell offended Aaron Fletcher. They then lost a potential major investor, Bob Brock, who was more impressed by Fechter's animatronic wizardry - or put off by the mascot: a giant rat [yt]. Brock instead created the competition, Showbiz Pizza Place*, which would soon surpass and absorb Chuck E. Cheese...by uniformly converting into CEC restaurants or closing completely. The ascendancy of the rat [.pdf] hasn't been without challenges and scandals, though. The effects of alcohol on adults and the child-filled environment have proven to be a contentious combination [nws; yt], leading to some changes and criticism**. While the germ issue may be overblown, it's true that the toys aren't the safest. Skeeball might lead to video poker. Chuck might be pro-military. The food [yt; 1:03] isn't the healthiest. And, most worrisomely, their Child Check program doesn't always work. Probably no killer gnats, though. And at least the condoms are unused. Despite bitter [nws], sometimes even frothing [nws], post-childhood assessments [nws] by the disillusioned and jaded, CEC/SPP [yt] speculation, collecting, monetisation, and inspiration*** abound. Some wonder [nws] if there's anything in it for the legendarily* disaffected [yt], long-suffering [yt] employees...beyond the shenanigans of their infamous, self-important, clueless and sometimes plain ol' famous patrons. Selling tokens to the nostalgic, maybe? It's surely not Chuck. Maybe General Tommy Franks (yes, that one) can turn it around. How the rat will come off in Leonardo DiCaprio's upcoming film is uncertain, but it looks like Gene will be just fine, regardless. [previously: *SPP/RAE post; **WSJ CEC violence article; ***Aaron Fletcher & Chris Thrash (update); Clapton @ CEC; shifting demographics?]

“Intestines of what?”

ThePinkSuperhero — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:14:27 -0800

David Fishman, 12-year-old food critic, takes himself out to dinner.

Pocketful of dough

nthdegx — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 06:05:36 -0800

Pocketful of dough - an article on where the art of, er, tipping up front can get you. Originally printed in a year 2000 edition of Gourmet. Via Juicy Tidbits.

Dinner plans... for next year.

shiu mai baby — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:10:31 -0800

What's the hardest dining reservation to score? French Laundry? Nope. El Bulli? Non. D.C.'s minibar? Not even close. It's Talula's Table, a tiny shop in Kennett Square, PA that's a gourmet food store by day and a sublime dining experience by night. Located about 45 minutes from Philadelphia, Talula's Table was started by Brian Sikora and Amy Olexy, a husband and wife team who first rose to fame in the Philadelphia restaurant scene back in 2002 when they opened Django. Sikora and Olexy, both former employees of Philly restaurateur Stephen Starr, started Django with a $45,000 loan and only their mountain bikes as collateral. Within a year they were the darlings of the city, lauded for Sikora's unpretentious but innovative cuisine, and one of the driving forces behind Philadelphia's BYOB boom. Craig LaBan, the Philadelphia Inquirer food critic who can exault or destroy a restaurant with a single review, made waves by awarding Django a rarefied "four bells,"¹ a rating typically reserved for the high-end gems like Le Bec Fin, Vetri, or Amada -- unheard of for a small bistro. But at the height of their fame, Sikora and Olexy opted to walk away, selling the restaurant after a short five years to two investors². After a time bouncing around the Chester County countryside (a sojourn that included a brief stint for Sikora at Sovana Bistro, and for Olexy -- arguably one of the best cheese experts in the area -- getting turned down for a job at the cheese counter in Whole Foods), the couple opened up Talula's Table. The two transformed an old shoe shop on the main drag of Kennett Square (mushroom capital of the world!) into a warm, welcoming gourmet market that specializes in prepared foods, pastries baked on the premises, artisan ingredients, and, yes, glorious cheese. At the back of the store is the large, rough-hewn farm table referenced in the shop's name. Every evening, after the store has closed, this table is the site of a multi-course prix fixe dinner prepared for a single party of eight to twelve people. As was his style at Django, Sikora's cuisine is unexpected but approachable, original but not fussy, and always divine. Bonus: he is a firm believer in the 100 mile diet, and draws heavily from the seasonable, local ingredients available to him in the abundant Chester County countryside³. When Talula's Table first opened, getting a reservation at the table was fairly easy; only die-hard local foodies were even aware that Sikora was cooking again, and frankly, wrangling seven of your closest friends for dinner in the wilds of the Philadelphia suburbs wasn't an easy sell, not at first. But the buzz soon found Sikora, and before long LaBan made his way to dinner at Talula's, which he described as "one of the best meals [he had] eaten all year." After the LaBan review hit, the buzz only grew louder. Within just a few months Talula's had been talked up by the likes of Portfolio, MSNBC, the New York Times, and NPR. Demand for the table exploded, and now the only way to get a reservation is this: you must call at precisely 7:00 a.m. one year to the day ahead of when you'd like to dine there. If yours is the first call they take, then you can book dinner for that date the following year. Good luck. A few first-hand accounts of the folks who have had the Talula's experience are here and here. And this is a little glimpse into the kitchen. Oh, and here's a Flickr photostream for you to drool over. 1 - I would've linked to the original Laban review, but it appears that it has been removed from the Philly.com site, probably because it's no longer applicable. 2 - How far the mighty have fallen: Django closed two weeks ago, a mere three years after Sikora and Olexy sold it. 3 - Sample autumn menu from last year: Grapefruit Margarita and Nantucket Bay Scallop Ceviche, Roasted Chanterelles, Our Smoked Country Ham, Creamed Greens and Spoon Bread, Buttery Leek and Wine Poached Chatham Cod, Petite Pommes Frites and American Caviar, Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Artisan Ricotta and Maple Glazed Winter Vegetables, Cinnamon Smoked Pheasant Bastilla, Medjool Date Glazed Pheasant Breast, Crispy Phyllo and Toasty Almonds, Grilled Veal Steak, Porcini and Taleggio Ravioli and Braised Veal Shank, Scent of a Cheese: A Quintet of the Unusual, Gianduja and Dark Chocolate Caramel Tart, Nutmeg Anglaise, Port Poached Cranberries.

OMNOMNOMopoly

TheOnlyCoolTim — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:12:28 -0800

Sysco : whether it's Wendy's, Applebee's, the local diner, a fancy restaurant, the cafeteria, or Guantanamo Bay, it's what you eat. Serving over 400,000 businesses, the "Wal-Mart of Food Service" has all the bases covered, from "Unique 3-D technology gives you the look and texture of a solid muscle chicken breast, at a fraction of the cost" to more gourmet offerings.

Life Is Sketch Comedy and God and the Bible

boost ventilator — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 11:29:23 -0800

Mr. Show skits that became reality . (Warning: mature language)

Comes With Orange Slice

Xurando — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 06:21:00 -0800

The history of the humble fortune cookie is in dispute.

The missing 23 cents?

CameraObscura — Fri, 18 May 2007 10:10:55 -0800

Do Women and Men Earn Equal Pay in 2007? Are women truly earning 77 cents for every dollar that men earn in the same jobs, as some activists, including restaurant owners in Oregon, claim? Or are women earning 23 cents less on the dollar based on total income because men traditionally spend more time on the workplace during their lives, relocate more often for jobs and accept dangerous jobs that pay more? That's one man's take on it.

Hey! Come on! Eat me!

miss lynnster — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 20:14:45 -0800

Suicide food. Yep, some animals just have an inexplicable death wish. Classic. Creepy. Cute. Sporty. Distur bingly sexy. Just plain confusing. These animals all have one thing in common. They're freakin' tasty.

Even they get tired of fried eggs, hamburgers, and greasy coffee

ardgedee — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 07:01:55 -0800

My favorite entree is the salmon sandwich on foccacia bread. Water is served with a slice of cucumber which is very refreshing. Which profession dines out the most? Whose judgements can be counted on for honesty and straightforwardness? The truckers'.

Cuentan que en Oaxaca se Toma el Mezcal Con Café

fandango_matt — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 20:44:43 -0800

Oakland's Taco Trucks: cool site featuring their menus, art, reviews, and locations!

Think of it as evolution in action.

ikkyu2 — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 05:43:45 -0800

Little Citadels. "Dine, shop, live, work, and be entertained in a unique and alluring environment," says the Time Warner Center website - all without ever stepping outside your gleaming Manhattan skyscraper. San Jose's Santana Row, which at first glance seemed no more than a Beverly Center you can live in, is now being compared favorably to urban European living. And MGM-Mirage's new, mysterious and costly ($7 billion!) Project CityCenter brings the trend to Las Vegas - with gambling, of course. They're not Arcosantis - and they don't, as yet, require an Oath of Fealty - but by all accounts they're thriving. What do they have in common? Wealthy tenants, megacorporate sponsors, and a shared desire to integrate efficient, conspicuous consumption into every aspect of civic life. Paolo Soleri may have been right after all - maybe he just forgot to account for the effects of capitalism.

Food

liam — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 12:06:31 -0800

FoodCandy. A foodie hang.

Transplant surgeons are exempt from this rule.

kyleg — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 15:44:04 -0800

How to use a cellphone without looking like an asshole. Or maybe you need a primer on ordering wine instead. Once again, Waiter has you covered.

High priced dining

blahblahblah — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 23:33:39 -0800

The world's most expensive restaurants, though even these eateries pale in comparison to the $37,000 lunch and the $10,000 Martini on the Rock, poured over a diamond. As a New York Times food critic defends pricey meals, it is clear that times have changed since another famous Times critic drew letters of condemnation from the Vatican for his expensive dinner in 1975, which itself was a pale shadow of the most legendary costly meal ever, that of Antony and Cleopatra.

Clearman's Steak n' Stein Inn

ford and the prefects — Thu, 10 Nov 2005 21:34:02 -0800

Clearman's Steak n' Stein Inn is a throw-back to a creepier, more velvety time. Anyone living in the Valley is no doubt familiar with the commercial for this Pico Rivera staple, with its Joe Jackson-worthy kinda kute waitresses and stately, Wagnerian score. There're lots (and lots and lots) of people obsessed with old diners, but I have to ask myself: who represents online for the creepy old steak house contingent?

New York Haute Cuisine

watsondog — Sun, 11 Sep 2005 09:23:03 -0800

The Epicurean online. Charles Ranhofer's 1893 book The Epicurean is available online from the Michigan State University Library and the Museum as part of their Feeding America digital project. Ranhofer was the head chef at Delmonico's Restaurant from 1862 to 1894; he popularized the Escoffier version of French cooking to America, modifying it to take advantage of American foods such as turkey, squash, corn, and Pacific salmon. Besides thousands of recipes, The Epicurean discusses table settings, menus, various methods of presentation, and kitchen management. The book may be downloaded as a PDF in two parts.

Mmmmmmm...

braun_richard — Fri, 19 Aug 2005 13:41:34 -0800

A new food blog! Slashfood. Looks like a good one. They seem to be covering pretty much everything. Instant bookmark!

True story: as a teenage waiter, I once spit-shined the silverware.

stonerose — Tue, 01 Feb 2005 18:24:59 -0800

Revenge is a dish best served cold. The NY Times [bugmenot ] tables a tasty selection of vindictive waitstaff blogs. MeFi (ahem) servers, past and present, who were your worst customers? And did they get their just desserts?