[Sca-cooks] good brands of vinegar

[Jadwiga Zajaczkowa / Jenne Heise]

Christopher and I went to a relatively new (about 2 weeks)branch of an
Italian restaurant chain, 'the Macaroni Grille', last weekend. Had a
nice chat with the waitress (long time waitress/manager coming from a
mom-and-pop that hadn't appreciated her), discussed the dynamics of the
waitrons (order entering station was right behind my head!) and of the
staff in the open kitchen [what an experience for someone who had just
read _Kitchen Confidential_ and was dining with someone who'd worked his
way through college as a sous-chef], and criticized the menu. :) Of
course I proved that my tastes are less well-developed than
Christopher's, I liked almost everything. [Our waitress dragged the
manager over to talk to us, and I admit I told him what I thought. The
perils of asking Jadwiga... :) ]

We had the mozarrella/tomato/basil/vinagrette dish, and I was appalled 
to discover that they had used supermarket type tomatoes (in NJ in 
August!) and hassled the staff by changing my main dish from capellini 
pomodoro to a create-your-own-pasta. However, I loved the vinagrette, 
which was relatively sweet with an interesting balsamic vinegar.

Even though I love vinegar and cook with it a lot when I cook, I really
don't have a sense of what brands are best, or where to get the 'good
stuff'. You do as many sauce and mustard classes as I do, you generally
buy the cheap stuff in bulk. :) So... what kind/brands do y'all
recommend?  How do you tell a good vinegar?

-- -- Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, Knowledge Pika jenne at fiedlerfamily.net "If you
have no faith in yourself, then have faith in the things you call truth. 
You know what must be done.  You may not have courage or trust or
understanding or the will to do it, but you know what must be done.  You
can't turn back.  There is no answer behind you.  You fear what you
cannot name.  So look at it and find a name for it.  Turn your face
forward and learn.  Do what must be done." - McKillip