Eating al fresco, dining en plein air, snacking outside. Doesn't matter what you call it. But consuming food while enjoying the (hopefully) fresh breezes of spring is a growing addiction in climates where there's rain and cold most of the year. Here in Western New York, I was struck by the overnight appearance of sidewalk tables on Elmwood as soon as the weather turned pleasant. They just popped out in a matter of hours - like someone waved a magic wand.
And I'm just back from Paris where, of course, the outdoor cafe is legendary, even though many of those cafes border on traffic jams and confusion. Maybe that's part of the fun.
But speaking of Paris - we were weren't we? - we discovered a variation on the theme that served us very well. Prices were so high for food (euro/dollar ratio is disastrous right now ) that we found the wisest course was to buy something (a small tart, a quiche, some cheese, maybe) and take it to one of the wonderful little parks that dot the city. Once there, past those iron gates which look more intimidating that they really are, we'd sit on a bench, eat and drink in a surprisingly hushed atmosphere. Never walking on the grass of course (France is still France in that regard) but looking at the flowers. Roses are in bloom over there.
Maybe it's the Pollyanna in me but I do think we in Northern climates appreciate outdoor eating more than all those poor folks who enjoy warmth and sun most of the year. Anyone out there, got a favorite urban outdoor eating spot around here?
April 17, 2008 - 10:38 AM | Comment
I knew it was going to come to this: Turns out the recipes that appeared on John McCain's campaign web site the other day featured recipes purportedly from his wife Cindy that were taken verbatim from The Food Network. They were subsequently deleted because they had been inserted by an intern, we were told. Not totally authentic, perhaps. How shocking!
I'm kidding, of course. The whole thing brings to mind the big flap over Hillary's comment years ago about preferring not to stay home and just bake cookies. (Remember that?) She later released a recipe for Oatmeal Chocolate Chips and who knows how authentic that was? Come on you guys. When are we going to grow up? Why does the wife of a politician or a politician herself have to release recipes anyway?
I'm in the food business and even I don't see how recipes become -sorry about this - political fodder.
April 14, 2008 - 10:20 AM | Comment
I've written about this before, but I've been getting so many complaints recently from readers that I thought I'd say it again: Phooey to all servers who remove a supposedly finished plate from one diner while others at the table are still eating.
Always annoying -- it's become epidemic of late. And it puts a terrible burden on the others who are still enjoying the meal. So here comes the question: What do you do? Screaming and yelling may be temporarily satisfying, but it's so unpleasant.
One reader laminated a column I wrote on the subject and simply lays a copy of it down on the table when the cleaning crew comes too close. A terrific idea I must say, and I'm all for it.
But barring laminations (or lamentations), another reader just says in what first-grade teachers like to call an indoor voice: "I'll wait until everyone at the table is finished. thank you. " That's better than sarcasm, too. "What's the matter, don't you have enough dishes back there?" might be funny, but it also can cause problems.
You can also use that gentle approach when the server asks you to save your silver for the next course, another nasty trick. "No thank you, I'd really like a clean one." So tactful. Don't bother saying, "Listen dude, I don't want my pie to taste like the fish I just ate." Your comment probably won't even register.
And that brings up another question: What do you do when for some reason, you really DO want your plate taken away? Just gesture to the server and make the quiet request . But you should also know that you'll be in the minority.
Ah, the culinary horizons continue to expand. At least they ought to. Maybe more intrepid restaurateurs in Western new York will soon tackle ceviche (also spelled "seviche" and usually pronounced "seh-VEE-chee").
Very popular in Latin America, and I guess you could call it a variation of sushi, but in this case the seafood or fish is marinated in acid (usually citrus juice) to firm it and turn it opaque. Like sushi, only the freshest raw materials can be used, of course, and the taste is terrific.
At the Selva Grill in Sarasota, Fl., a Peruvian restaurant, here are some of the ceviches available: Octopus with black olive sauce, sliced avocados; Maya Shrimp with orange juice, lime juice and large kernel Cuzco corn; Chilean salmon with lemongrass, ginger, young coconut water (so much better than old coconut water, my dear) and soy and Ceviche de Choros, boiled new Zealand mussels toped with onions and tomatoes. And, just for a kicker, a beef ceviche of seared rare sirloin. with lime juice, orange juice avocados and red onion. They run $13 up.
Calling all adventurers!
Time passes. Even the Whopper is getting old - 51 years old in fact. That's when Burger King started.
So, to mark the occasion the chain is giving itself a little Botox of its very own. By the end of next year, we're told, you'll be seeing "Whopper Bars" with circular counters and flat screen television in some areas.
And the slogan "Have it Your Way" will have new meaning too. As detailed in a recent New York Times article, here are some of the Whopper options that will be available: The Angry Whopper with spicy onions, The Texas Double Whopper with bacon and jalapenos and the Rodeo Whopper, featuring fried onions and barbecue sauce. Anyone out there got some other suggestions?
Now this is serious business. Speaking as a secret (Junior) Whopper addict, (When life catches up with me, I like to buy a JW and shoehorn my car in an obscure corner of the parking lot to enjoy it.) -- I have some concerns. If it's not broke, don't fix it.
Still, I'd like to hear any suggestions for customizing you might put forward.
Maybe a Ceviche Whopper. (I'll be blogging about Ceviche shortly.)
Am I the only person in Western New York who doesn't (or didn't) know that the Protocol Restaurant on Transit Road gives customers wearing black pants or skirts black napkins while everyone else gets white? The idea is to avoid lint - and lint is so annoying.
I discussed this delightfully decadent idea in my column today, saying that I encountered it while vacationing in Florida but have never seen it here. Several readers immediately e-mailed to say that the Protocol has been doing it for several years. Hurray for you Protocol ! (And your spare ribs aren't bad either.)
But Protocol isn't even the only eating place in town offering a color choice. Readers also advised that Daniel's in Hamburg does it. Also Bonefish Grill in Boulevard Mall (which has Florida roots). Also Black & Blue on Sheridan Drive. (Something to do with the name?) Also the Roycroft Inn in East Aurora. Whoops. Where have I been?
What do they do if you're wearing plaid I wonder?
