the forest floor earthiness of Pinot with duck and this was a terrific partnering. I brought the Turley Petite Syrah because I love this grape variety with kebaps, Thai food, and Indian lamb curries and wondered how ti would show...

a few rare times. This would not only avoid the dissatisfaction of a customer, but would also avoid the confrontation on the floor, where many other guests might be disturbed by this and not want to come back as well. I...

a dry herb rub (Williams-Sonoma’s turkey herbs, which were very good) and occasional basting. The heritage wild rice, which we ordered with the turkey, was also excellent – it cooked up easily, and was firm-tender to...

such as homemade rice wine and homemade “swallow” dumplings (that are very distinct from wontons, though obviously related), noodles formed with meat-paste and fish-paste. Tomorrow is 10/11. Half the buildings in...

looking for distinctively Oregon or unique foods; I’m not so interested in specialties from other U.S. regions or Asia (plenty of that in SF). I would like to have at least one meal built around Oregon pinot: wild salmon...

, the Red Fez, OM, Woodman’s. Once-great places that have slipped badly: Olives, Radius.Popular places that never impressed me: Sibling Rivalry, Union Oyster House (except for the first-floor raw bar), the Hilltop...

, I scored a 16th floor Strip view room (1614) a long way from the elevators, but also from construction. It had the wonderful view and the usual amenities of this great hotel. I promptly decided to head to the pool for some...

(ish) UCL: (1) India Club at the Strand Continental Hotel (Second Floor, 143 Strand, London, WC2R 1JA). You walk up into a generic hotel and find a drab room where they serve ok Indian food. Imagine your aunt was Indian, could...

I’m in the “wait until everyone is finished” camp. I’ve also been taught to cross my utensils with the fork tines facing down to indicate that I am finished...never heard the 4 o’clock/9...

p.j. we called it Farmer Cheese in Nova Scotia..... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farmer_cheese

to pull oil up to the original light. Other signs of it’s former life are up there if you look around. If memory serves me correctly, it was built around 1908 or so. The date as I recall is in tiles on the floor at the top...

, Is it just me or does the best BBQ come from roadside shacks that seem to be 2-3 critical violations from being closed by the health dept? My experience is that any joint with a waitress, plates other than paper, real glasses...

, rolled in course pepper, etc. I adapted a “swallow without tasting” technique. Perhaps the worst was the fish market. Oh my- a giant hall, wet floor and stall after stall of whole fish just off the docks. I had...

As a middle-aged bachelor, my dinner-dating experiences have spanned 4 decades. I recognize that this distinction is of pathetic merit, but nonetheless it’s true. I have seen the whole spectrum, from enrapturing Audrey...

One could make the distinction between “homemade” and “from scratch”. “Homemade” is squishy, and implies final assembly and heating of ingredients at home, but not much else. (Although a lot of...