[Sca-cooks] New York eateries, Booby Flay, Dining in Chicago...

[Michael Gunter]

> Not surprised if you weren't impressed. I doubt he's done any cooking there recently, but he still owns
>part of it, I understand... can't say the guy doesn't have a talent for making money or promoting himself.

I keep thinking the only reason he keeps showing up on Food Network is because he has the negatives of
some FN exec's wild weekend. 
Seriously, if he can't make it into a tamale or put a quail's egg on it then he doesn't know what to do.
Or maybe it is his constant smug expression that bothers me. I dunno, just never liked the guy. When we
were planning a vacation in Vegas this year my lady was worried I'd be arrested for standing outside his
Vegas restaurant yelling, "You suck, Flay!" over and over.

> For steak: there's really only one choice for the full effect: Peter Luger's, also in Brooklyn. Sammy's
>Roumanian is also excellent, but it's a different animal entirely...

Peter Luger's is definately on my list for when we come up to visit NYC.
And I've been inspired by The Baron to explore many of the ethnic shops.
We've been talking about making a trip to the City someday.
 
One place that Elizabeth really wants to go, keeping on the original thread, is the Rice Pudding shop. She's a freak
over rice pudding.

> Sabrett is pretty much the quintessential New York City Dirty-Water-Dog, of the Kosher-style all-beef-except-for-the-lamb-casing variety. 
 
One thing that we try to do is sample the street food in the major cities we go to. Or at least the "defining food".
(Like I take people to bbq when they visit here in Texas).
For example, we'll be going to Chicago in October because I'm teaching a couple of classes at the Middle Kingdom
Cook's Symposium and I want to get the best Chicago Pizza and Hot Dog. Our hosts want to take us out for Thai
at some point and that is fine. But I want the pizza and hot dog. We also plan on going to one really nice restaurant
as well. I was thinking of going to Rick Bayless' Frontera Grill, but the reviews were really mixed on it and I hear
the wait is terrible even with reservations. 
 
I'm not much into the molecular gastromony thing so I think Moto is out. 
 
There are a couple of French Bistros that look really nice that we may wind up at: Bistro Campagne, Cyrano's Bistrot Wine Bar &
Cabaret and Gemini Bistro all look good. 
 
Any places the local folk recommend?
 
> Adamantius

Gunthar