Restaurant reviews – the opinions expressed are solely my own. Often, though it will appear that they’re based on a single visit, they’re based on more than one. And I’m willing to hear from folks who disagree – I do know that restaurants, including my own, have their off days.
The saying of John Peale Bishop is worth recalling, that the South excelled in two things which the French deem essential to civilization: a code of manners and a native cuisine. Both are apt to suffer when life is regarded as a means to something else. Efficiency and charm are mortal enemies, and Southern charm… Read More Southern Charm
“Tandoor: A kind of oven that seems to have originated in Central Asia; the word is also sometimes written tandur or tandir. Tandoor ovens were introduced to the Subcontinent with the Moghul invasion and are associated with Moghul cuisine and traditions. They are commonly found in Pakistan and northern India, as well as in restaurants… Read More From a Clay Oven
“What kind of restaurant makes you cook your own food?” – Bill Murray, in Lost in Translation Buenos Aires – Home again, home again, dancing a jig… sorry, channeling Mother Goose for a moment there. After catching up on some sleep, unpacking, getting back in the swing of things, etc., I had phoned my friend… Read More Hot Pot
“And that’s the world in a nutshell – an appropriate receptacle.” – Stan Dunn New York City – My initial impulse, looking back over a week’s worth of dining out, is to do a quick overview and point out some high and low points, and move on, returning to Buenos Aires, which is, as I’ve… Read More Nutshell
“I was once married to a woman who could eat anything and tell you what was in it: the most complicated recipes. Her memory of taste – now that’s what I call memory!” – Morton Feldman, Composer Ann Arbor, Michigan – So, the reunion was a rollicking success, as we predicted it might be. Now,… Read More Taste Memories
“We cross our bridges when we come to them and burn them behind us, with nothing to show for our progress except a memory of the smell of smoke, and a presumption that once our eyes watered.” – Tom Stoppard, playwright Ann Arbor, Michigan – It was a sign of the times. Only it used… Read More Memories
I am the emperor, and I want dumplings.” – Emperor Ferdinand I, 16th Century Austrian monarch New York – Okay, everyone talks about Joe’s Shanghai when it comes to soup dumplings in New York. No question they’re good, but I find them just a bit too… soupy. For me, I like the restraint shown in… Read More Not Joe’s Eats
Oh Lord please don’t burn us don’t kill or toast your flock Don’t put us on the barbecue or simmer us in stock, Don’t bake or baste or boil us or stir-fry us in a wok…” – Monty Python New York City – So, all the rage these days is barbecue in New York. On… Read More Much Ado About Brisket