star chef books, but find them baffling. A lot of these people are clueless about how standard techniques can make a recipe work, and their writing appeals to others like themselves. I’ve found that even if a recipe from...

Starbucks is basically a low over-head, high profit-margin business. They can also adapt to almost any size space, including small spaces which few other retail enterprises are interested in. Their strategy is scatter outlets so...

Welcome back Lisa — i was tempted not to post unless you promised to post more frequently (where have you been?) but why stand on ceremony. Some of my impressions from the high end places —we were there four years ago,...

by this since I’ve had better service previous times at HKFL (except for dim sum). Total for the dinner was $28/person including tax and tip, which we were quite happy with. All in all, a perfectly good CNY dinner. Link:...

than the noodles you typically see in pho tai (beef pho noodle soup). This was fine, but it was also the dish we had the most left over of. BUN CHA (four season grilled pork, charboiled pork slices served w/ vermicelli, lettuce,...

style ramen. noodles smaller than the ones your likely used to. and the worlds smallest gyoza *mitsuwa market in torrance food court ramen – delicious shinsengumi – torrance – robatayaki – screaming waiters...

No, it is not because it it touristy. I love Scoma’s in Fisherman’s Wharf because of the stellar fresh fish, I can ignore everything else (including the clam chowder) for that fish. Chowhound San Franciscans line up...

? Is there a secret breafast that holds you through the day? Seriously, what do you do?

be a bad idea) that my partner & I are vegetarian. Waiter says, “Oh, we will make something wonderful for you, whatever you would like!” We say, oh, just some pasta with vegetables would be fine. Waiter takes the rest...

in Seattle’s Asian district. We sat at a large table which had a large lazy susan in the middle. Soon four Asians asked if they could join us. Pretty soon the food was whirling around the table. We/they shared everything...

to ask Al for his squid salad recipe: I know that he peeled all those squid himself (could using only very fresh squid be part of the secret to its tenderness?)...and I just am not sure I am up for that task. Al, can you bring it...

too. Is it a gross violation of Chowhound etiquette to add a couple more ice cream-related questions to the discussion? These are mostly based on an article I read in Slate magazine yesterday (I will try to include the link...

for something on the menu they’d never eaten before. My (four) brothers' friends used to tell my mother, “Mrs. B., sometimes I'm not sure what it is you're making for dinner, but it's always interesting - and usually...

the tourist’s specials. I didn’t really look closely at the menus to see what was different or check out other tables ... or ask the waiter lots of questions ... at Alioto’s I was initially given the brusque...

of spinach, chopped 1 onion, chopped 2 celery stalks (including leaves), chopped 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tablespoon dried 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth 1 28-ounce can Italian chopped tomatoes with juices 1 14...