El Bulli

I was sent this link this weekend — I opened it immediately and loved it.  My dad and I are obsessed with the THOUGHT of going to El Bulli, and reading about it was the next best thing to going. You have to read the Amateur Gourmet’s adventure at El Bulli – it’s a fantastic mix of picture, story, video, and food.

Revisited: Thai Chef

thai chef sushi

Two nights ago I went to Thai Chef — as you know, a favorite of mine.  Everything was great — I tried a couple of new rolls (spicy albacore roll was great, also got the tuna and salmon rolls) and like last time, the fish was really fresh.  I still think it’s one of the best places to grab a cheaper sushi roll, but just an FYI to all you Thai Chef fans, although we all know that summer is humid and humidity spawns bugs, we did see a large cockroach scurrying around while eating.  In MY opinion…the fish is too good not to come, but it’s up to you how you feel about it!

Also…we did order the veggie dumplings, which were more dough-y than veggie.  The miso soup was great, though, perfect temperature, with a lot of tofu and seaweed.

Home Visit

Bagels and schmear.  Best part of being home.

Lox Brunch

Thai Chef

Thai Chef…three words: everyday happy hour.  Sushi and drinks are moderately priced — drinks are strong and only $4. The sushi, though not cheap-cheap, ranges from $3-$5 for a roll.   I ordered a salmon roll, which was the best fish roll I’ve had yet in D.C.  They don’t skimp on size, and it was the freshest salmon I’ve had while in D.C.  I also ordered a california roll (good bang for your buck, usually, and living on my salary, that’s always a bonus).  The cali roll wasn’t as good…in a nut shell, the crab was small and avocado was typical and a little brown.   But, I think if you stick to the fish, you’ve got yourself a great and delicious deal.

So all in all, highly recommended…will be going back this month, and will report on if it still is fresh and good.

The Ranking (for explanation, see “Review Key”):

Food: 3 straws (Just based on the sushi — need to try the noodle and curry dishes, but over all I was impressed with the fish — salmon, tuna, etc.)

Price: $traws to $$traws ($15 will get you two to three rolls and a drink).

Atmosphere: Small dining area, so it is bustling and crowded, but doesn’t feel overly crowded. Will return during a week day to see if this holds.

Overall: 3 straws (I have friends who go frequently, making it a reliable choice for fresh, and not too expensive sushi — and drinks.)

Thai Chef Details

Mon – Thurs 11:30 am – 10:30 pm

Friday 11:30 am – 11:00 pm

Saturday 12:00 am – 11:00 pm

Sunday 12:00 am – 10:30 pm

Happy Hour Daily 4-7 PM

Delivery Hours 5-10 pm | Minimun $20
TEL: 202-234-5698-9

http://www.thaichefsushibardc.com/

The Old Mill: A real world Cheers experience

To expand the Coffee Straws reach we have begun looking at the unique places that lay outside of major urban centers. Good food and fun does not have to be situated within a bustling city all the time and the places soon to be reviewed are a testament to what can be found when you leave the hustle and bustle of city life. The first in this series of not so urban culinary locales is The Old Mill, a local favorite of South Egremont, Massachusetts. I should make a note of clarity at the beginning here that I have not had the pleasure of dining in the dining room but rather have chosen (each time that I have visited) to dine in the bar area. Why have I made this choice? Well first the menu is exactly the same (including the specials for the evening) and two the environment doesn’t just remind one of Cheers but rather makes Cheers remind you of The Old Mill.

Its bar and parlor area is managed by its amiable and hospital bartender who introduced me (on my first visit) to the extremely entertaining Times article which became the subject of a previous post. The scene of this old world parlor is reminiscent of the time Jack Finney’s character falls into when staying at the Dakota, a time when the expressions on our faces meant more than the superficiality of the modern world’s hello. Though the regulars dominate the bar area and the conversations at times can appear exclusive, this crowd of Massachusetts dwellers is anything but exclusive and are always looking to expand their dialogue.

Now with this truly neighborhood feel, and I know that we throw that word around a lot here but this time is a time when that word is defined more than used, we cannot ignore the eating aspects of this establishment. Its menu is representative of the classic American restaurant featuring numerous fish items as well as an excellent burger. In my most recent visit I sampled the grilled salmon which was topped with a pineapple salsa and served with a saffron risotto. On another visit I enjoyed The Old Mill Burger and on more than one occasion have enjoyed their established wine list and excellent selection of local draft beers.

The Old Mill will remain as a local favorite for South Egremont but it should also be known to the rest of us who live outside of Massachusetts as at least one reason to venture outside of the culinary empire that is New York City to find an enjoyable and delicious meal. Terry Moore, its owner and chef, has created an excellent treat which is neither over the top for the wonderfully rustic feel of the old mill it is housed in nor is it too simple for a more sophisticated pallet, it is just right.

The Ranking (for explanation, see “Review Key”):

Food: 3 Straws (can’t complain, its a good, classic meal).

Price: $$$traws, Expensive price (about $30 or an appetizer, main course, and a glass of wine).

Atmosphere: A community atmosphere, very welcoming. I cannot speak for the restaurant itself, but as the review describes its parlor scene is very much the definition of a neighborhood meeting place.

Overall: 3 Straws (If you are ever traveling on Route 23, through South Egremont this has to be on your list of places to stop to eat. It is a town favorite as well as a favorite for all of the New York weekenders).

The Details:

Website: n/a

Location: 53 Main St, Route 23, South Egremont, Massachusetts 01258

Phone: (413) 528-1421

Reservation: No Need (in the parlor at least).

Dress: Casual.

Hours:

Sunday-Thursday: 5:00pm-9:30pm

Friday-Saturday: 5:00pm-10:00pm

Now Organizing Your Reservation Search: Welcome to Opentable.com

The tradition of eating out (a tradition of spending, service, social interaction, good and interesting food, special occasions, meetings, interviews, and of course eating what you can’t make at home) has been pretty consistent in how it is arranged and communicated. Now before someone out there corrects me on something I’m overlooking in regards to the procedure for creating and completing a reservation with a restaurant let me just say this: since as long as I can remember, the procedure for making a reservation mostly included the phone (there were even some restaurants who did not confirm reservations in the restaurant, ie you had to call some number to make it) and was always, in the process of calling, subject to the feared “we’re full” response. Now in a city like New York that response is not devastating as there are numerous other good places to make those special reservations with. But for those of us who spent the last four years of our lives in St. Louis, or more specifically Washington University, that response can lead to problematic situations. Take for example the dinner after graduation, when one is held responsible for calling different places looking for a reservation, one must call each place individually and hope there is room somewhere.

(my personal graduation evening story ended with all of us eating at an Ethiopian restaurant on Grand. I enjoyed the whole finger food experience, my group however, consisting of three families from the North East, were less optimistic towards the whole experience and concluded that a return visit was not necessary.)

So let’s go through the evolution of this somewhat complicated system.

In the beginning when you wanted to secure a reservation for an event you’d have to pick up the Yellow Pages and flip through all the restaurants, discarding those that were too far away, and call each one in turn until you found a reservation for the number of people in party at the time you wanted. Then came the first revolution, the Zagat restaurant guides. These guides offered for the first time a list of restaurants organized by neighborhood. Finally you wouldn’t have to search through all the restaurants in NYC when looking for a reservation. Even better than the neighborhood listing was that they started adding some reviews and perspective with each listing. This form of reservation culture lasted for a while until the advent of the internet. As is with almost everything else in our communication driven society, the internet redefined the reservation experience. Its redefinition is very specific however, it did not (at first) change the reservation procedure, you still needed to call, but it did allow for continually updated and user created Zagat guides. Users of the internet could use search engines (such as citysearch) to find restaurants in their neighborhood. What was greatly advanced by the internet was the reviewing system as well as the space for both reviews and more restaurants. Without the limitations of a physical book, websites could provide listings for as many restaurants as possible along with as many reviews as necessary.

Now we are up to where we were about ten years ago. This is when the next evolution in the reservation experience came…Open Table! According to Wikipedia, Open Table began in 1998 in San Fransisco as it is today, an online reservation service. I did not discover Open Table until much later and in New York City, I would say that I started using it around 2005 and within a year of my signing on it expanded in to St. Louis allowing me to access the same account in two states. What is completely new about the service is that it allows you to look at all the participating restaurants in any given neighborhood as well as their availability. With Open Table there is no more need to call each place down a list as you try and find one for your special occasion, they are all listed right in front of your eyes. Secondly what seals the deal is that with every free reservation you make you receive 100 points (100 points = $1.00). Eventually you can translate those points into a gift certificate at any Open Table restaurant. They have even started doing some promotional deals with restaurant to provide 1000 point reservations at less popular places or less popular times.

Now I know that there are those that I am sure have had troubles with this site or have desired restaurants or locations not supported by Open Table, but it has started something and the culture of reservations has forever been changed by it.