Evvia, Palo Alto
evergene
unusual in these days of frugality and cost-cutting. We went to Evvia,
which you Peninsulites know well, but it was a first for me.
(Meandered down University before dinner. It's just like Mission
Street in SF, except there's a Restoration Hardware instead of
"Highbridge Arms--Guns 'N Things.")
The portions of meat were huge. Out of ten of us, five had the "lamb"
shank, which looked like it was carved from the leg of a stegosaurus.
I had rabbit on a bed of beans, which was pretty tasty. The beans
were actually great, but then I'm a sucker for beans.
All the standard Greek appetizers -- tarama, calamari, dolmas -- were
good, except the little pizza, which was really good.
I don't know what the tab came to, and I don't care!
--
"Writers and pundits are very quick to point out how the country has
rallied around the president at this time of crisis. But I've got news
for you, in the wake of 9/11, they would've rallied around Ronald
McDonald."
-- Larry Flynt, in Salon, 11/28/2001
Icono Clast
> "lamb" shank . . . rabbit on a bed of beans
I've had each there and was greatly pleased.
Todd Michel McComb
This is interesting. Usually I'm the one, at least for restaurants
in my area, saying they're not as bad as some of you make out, and
that I don't mind eating there, even if they're not as good as the
best places elsewhere. On the other hand, we thought our one meal
at Evvia consisted of poor food (with the exception of the mussel
appetizer). I'm starting to wonder if, despite the decision never
to return, it might merit another try. Still, we certainly disliked
the ambience, and I can't imagine that that was an aberration. My
wife still refers to it as one of the worst meals we've had. She
had the lamb shank.
Nabeel Ibrahim
>I'm starting to wonder if, despite the decision never
>to return, it might merit another try.
No.
ObFood: Ate at Deedee's in Palo Alto for the first (and last) time
about three weeks ago. The food was surprisingly bland. I
won't be going back there any time soon.
Nabeel
Todd Michel McComb
Nabeel Ibrahim <ibr...@Stanford.EDU> wrote:
>Ate at Deedee's in Palo Alto for the first (and last) time about
>three weeks ago. The food was surprisingly bland. I won't be
>going back there any time soon.
Hmm, my wife gets food there often, and always speaks fondly of it.
I never got the impression it was particularly spicy or anything
like that, so I'm not sure what you're looking for, but it has a
reputation for solid home-cooking. (I've only tried a few things,
since they're a vegetarian place, and I can't eat lentils.)
dke...@best.com
Everyone loves it there, seemingly, except you and me. I've been
a few times for various reasons and the best meal I've had there
was OK, but nothing special, and I've done much worse.
Makes me wonder about its sibling restaurant in the city, Kokkari,
which people also seem to like and this time it's people I have a
history of believing.
--
Dave Eisen Sequoia Peripherals: (408) 752-1400
dke...@well.com
You gotta love an army that never fights a war and issues
corkscrews to its troops. ---- J.P. Toomey
Aahz Maruch
<dke...@best.com> wrote:
>In article <9ubcvv$dh6$1...@machaut.medieval.org>,
>Todd Michel McComb <mcc...@medieval.org> wrote:
>>
>>This is interesting. Usually I'm the one, at least for restaurants
>>in my area, saying they're not as bad as some of you make out, and
>>that I don't mind eating there, even if they're not as good as the
>>best places elsewhere. On the other hand, we thought our one meal
>>at Evvia consisted of poor food (with the exception of the mussel
>>appetizer). I'm starting to wonder if, despite the decision never
>>to return, it might merit another try. Still, we certainly disliked
>>the ambience, and I can't imagine that that was an aberration. My
>>wife still refers to it as one of the worst meals we've had. She
>>had the lamb shank.
>
>Everyone loves it there, seemingly, except you and me. I've been
>a few times for various reasons and the best meal I've had there
>was OK, but nothing special, and I've done much worse.
I'm quite certain I would hate Evvia, if the reports of the noise level
are even remotely close to accurate.
--
--- Aahz <*> (Copyright 2001 by aa...@pobox.com)
Hugs and backrubs -- I break Rule 6 http://www.rahul.net/aahz/
Androgynous poly kinky vanilla queer het Pythonista
"It is commonly believed by the shallow and the ignorant that human
attitude, character, and opinion is immutable." --SKZB
Robert Lauriston
tzatziki are the best I've had. The moussaka's probably the best I've
had in a restaurant. Beautiful room.
My only complaint is that I can't afford to go there as often as I'd
like.
evergene
>Everyone loves it there, seemingly, except you and me. I've been
>a few times for various reasons and the best meal I've had there
>was OK, but nothing special, and I've done much worse.
I didn't like it enough to hurry back, even if I lived in Palo Alto.
My comment about the size of the lamb shank was a not-so-subtle way of
saying that it was probably very mature lamb, close to retirement age,
but that didn't appear to bother the five shank-eaters. The best
thing about my own meal was the beans on which the rabbit lay, and a
good bean is not that hard to find.
The meal was certainly made better by the fact of The Company paying
for it.
>
>Makes me wonder about its sibling restaurant in the city, Kokkari,
>which people also seem to like and this time it's people I have a
>history of believing.
Haven't been there, but I hear it's very pricey for the competent but
not extraordinary food.
--Gene, back to dial-up thanks to my friends @Home, and soon, I hope,
to be a happy DSL kind of guy.
Andrew
>>wife still refers to it as one of the worst meals we've had. She
>>had the lamb shank.
>
>Everyone loves it there, seemingly, except you and me. I've been
>a few times for various reasons and the best meal I've had there
>was OK, but nothing special, and I've done much worse.
I had the same opinion of Evvia as you do; i believe i posted about it
sometime last year.
Some more random restaurants i've been to recently:
Ruth's Chris (SF): I had the ribeye, but I was not especially
impressed by it. I ordered it medium rare, got medium well. I didn't
really mind at the time, but the meat was way too tough and lacking
in fat, even for a medium well steak. Everyone else seemed to enjoy
their steaks, though. Sides and salad were average in taste and
overpriced. Desserts were excellent and quite large. Excellent wine
and good company made it all worthwhile, despite the steak issues.
Oddly enough, last month I found the best prime rib i've ever had in
some truckstop-like diner in Oregon. Go figure.
Ton Kiang (SF): A few years this was my favorite dim sum place in
the bay area. The last two times i've been there it hasn't been so
good. It seems like they've increased prices, crowds have increased by
a lot, and the dishes are only about equal to the dim sum places which
are closer to home (like Ming's and HKFL in PA). Still good eats, though.
Tony's Seafood (Tomales Bay): I enjoyed this place a lot, although
they managed to misplace my entree for a while. The barbecued oysters
(as i watch certain foodies cringe...) were excellent, the best i've
ever had. Unfortunately, crab was not available. Their seafood entrees
are very simple and large. Prices were unusually low.
Brother's Korean Barbecue (I) (SF): Still as good as ever. Their tripe
dish is a bit strange. I'm not sure what to think of barbecued tripe.
Ti-Couz (PA): Nifty! I was surprised that such an innocent looking crepe
could be so rich and filling. Each crepe that i tried had a unique
flavor to it. I think I had a mushroom almond one, and tasted a bunch
of others.
Kim's (MV...just because Meg mentioned it): Decent place to get a big
bowl of chinese noodles--not as good as the karaoke Chinese restaurant
nearby on El Camino, though.
La Costena (MV): They actually asked me whether I wanted rice in my
burrito. Do i have ba.food to blame/credit for this?
Thai-riffic (MV): went there about four years ago. Still the worst
restaurant i've been to in the bay area.
ATT/@home: bastards, all.
Andrew
Todd Michel McComb
Andrew <shandrew+use...@cyclone.stanford.edu> wrote:
>Kim's (MV...just because Meg mentioned it): Decent place to get a
>big bowl of chinese noodles--not as good as the karaoke Chinese
>restaurant nearby on El Camino, though.
Not the cleanest of establishments, but I don't think the food is
that bad (pace Meg, and my earlier remark in this thread). The
spring rolls are decent, and I have a "thing" for their pork &
catfish clay pot. It's evil in the extreme, but oh-so-addictive.
For a big bowl of Chinese noodles, Full House is the place to go.
>Thai-riffic (MV): went there about four years ago. Still the worst
>restaurant i've been to in the bay area.
I wouldn't go that far. Have you tried Thai Spoon (MV)? Anyway,
yes, I believe Thai-riffic takes authenticity when it comes to meat
quality rather farther than one might wish (or at least they did
the one time I ate there, likewise a few years ago).
Icono Clast
> I'm quite certain I would hate Evvia, if the reports of the noise level
> are even remotely close to accurate.
They are!
Jo Ann Malina
> In article <XfbO7.702$He.1...@sea-read.news.verio.net>,
> <dke...@best.com> wrote:
>>Everyone loves it there, seemingly, except you and me. I've been
>>a few times for various reasons and the best meal I've had there
>>was OK, but nothing special, and I've done much worse.
>
> I'm quite certain I would hate Evvia, if the reports of the noise level
> are even remotely close to accurate.
And, it has an open kitchen.
But if you go for an early dinner in the spring or summer, when the
front wall is open to the street, you can sit at a table near it with
your back to the room, and it is quite pleasant.
I like their moussaka, but not so much to hurry back. Everything
is a la carte, and it didn't seem worth the expense to me.
It turned up in the last week or so in a Murky Snooze article about
restaurants where power deals are made. The whole concept seems a bit
out of date just now, but I suppose there must be power deals made,
even in a down time. I guess if you have people going there for the
sheer thrill of rubbing elbows with the Mighty*, you don't have to have
very good food.
* or, perhaps, to hack their wireless laptops.
--
Jo Ann Malina, make spamthis best to find my address
Everything has been said before, but since nobody listens we have to
keep going back and beginning all over again.
-- Andre Gide, _Le Traite du Narcisse_, 1891
Todd Michel McComb
Jo Ann Malina <jma...@spamthis.com> wrote:
>It turned up in the last week or so in a Murky Snooze article about
>restaurants where power deals are made.
I must have picked up on the vibe, although I didn't know that this
was the case. I sure don't want to be anywhere near people making
"power deals," let alone when I'm trying to have a good time.
It isn't just -- or even particularly -- the noise. Bistro Jeanty
was noisy (I'm sure Aahz wouldn't be happy), but it was a homey
noise, and we liked it fine.
Of course, I'd put up with a lot if the food were really good. I
certainly have at Left Bank.
Meg Worley
Dave writes:
>Everyone loves it there, seemingly, except you and me. I've been
>a few times for various reasons and the best meal I've had there
>was OK, but nothing special, and I've done much worse.
On the contrary, I can't recall anyone (or at least any regulars)
raving about Evvia. I've had some good dishes there, some
mediocre ones, and some awful service and noise -- and most
people say about the same, as far as I remember.
Okay, you Evvia-lovers, stand up and be counted.
Rage away,
meg
--
Meg Worley _._ m...@steam.stanford.edu _._ Comparatively Literate
Meg Worley
Andrew writes:
>Ti-Couz (PA): Nifty!
Hold tha phone! Ti-Couz has opened a Shallow Alto branch?
Where? I must know immediately.
Michaela Schlocker
mcc...@medieval.org (Todd Michel McComb) wrote:
> In article <9ubplk$5ig$1...@news.Stanford.EDU>,
> Andrew <shandrew+use...@cyclone.stanford.edu> wrote:
> >Thai-riffic (MV): went there about four years ago. Still the worst
> >restaurant i've been to in the bay area.
>
> I wouldn't go that far. Have you tried Thai Spoon (MV)?
DYM Thai Spoons in Sunnyvale or Bangkok Spoon off Castro? I find Thai
Spoons decent, if the portions are a little small. Decent pad see ew, not
too greasy. Bangkok Spoon was another matter entirely.
Neither can hold a candle in ickiness to Thai Spot in RWC.
Michaela
Todd Michel McComb
Michaela Schlocker <msch...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>DYM Thai Spoons in Sunnyvale or Bangkok Spoon off Castro?
Ah, the latter. I didn't mean to impugn a decent, similarly named
restaurant elsewhere....
mag...@rahul.net
<shandrew+use...@cyclone.stanford.edu> created
>Some more random restaurants i've been to recently:
>Thai-riffic (MV): went there about four years ago. Still the worst
>restaurant i've been to in the bay area.
You have a very unusual concept of "recently".
jc
Andrew
>Andrew writes:
>>Ti-Couz (PA): Nifty!
>
>Hold tha phone! Ti-Couz has opened a Shallow Alto branch?
>Where? I must know immediately.
Please forgive me; i'm a bit new at the use of PA abbreviation to mean
"Palo Alto". It still usually means Pennsylvania to me. Give me
another seven years here and maybe i'll get it right.
This was supposed to be "Ti-Couz (SF), Meg's favorite restaurant"
Andrew
Meg Worley
Andrew had written:
>>>Ti-Couz (PA): Nifty!
I wrote:
>>Hold tha phone! Ti-Couz has opened a Shallow Alto branch?
>>Where? I must know immediately.
He writes:
>This was supposed to be "Ti-Couz (SF), Meg's favorite restaurant"
That would still be wrong, you know. While Ti-Couz is the
best creperie in these Yunited States, 't'ain't my favorite
restaurant.
John Eisenman
>
> Everyone loves it there, seemingly, except you and me. I've been
> a few times for various reasons and the best meal I've had there
> was OK, but nothing special, and I've done much worse.
>
> Makes me wonder about its sibling restaurant in the city, Kokkari,
> which people also seem to like and this time it's people I have a
> history of believing.
>
I find Kokkari to be much better than Evvia. Whenever I've been
to Evvia (maybe 3 times, but not recently), I've found the appetizers
to be all right, but the main course always disappoints. At Kokkari,
the appetizers are better and the main course is as good as the
starters.
Based on my limited experience during a couple of visits to Greece,
Kokkari food also strikes me as more authentic. Give it a try.
I've tried Meze, the newer Greek restaurant in the Marina. Better
than Evvia, but not quite as nice as Kokkari (partially because the
atmosphere is not nearly as nice ... it's a bit old fashioned).
-john
Icono Clast
> Oddly enough, last month I found the best prime rib i've ever had in
> some truckstop-like diner in Oregon. Go figure.
You simply never know. I've had some great meals in unexpected places
(many) and some awful ones that were shocking because of the venue
[Carnelian Room].
I've visited hundreds of museums in towns of all sizes in many places.
I have yet to visit a museum, regardless of how remote or small, that
did not have something unique to me.
One simply doth not ever know!
dke...@best.com
John Eisenman <ji...@alum.mit.edu> wrote:
>>
>
>I find Kokkari to be much better than Evvia. Whenever I've been
>to Evvia (maybe 3 times, but not recently), I've found the appetizers
>to be all right, but the main course always disappoints.
That has been my experience there too vis a vis appetizers and
main courses.
Meg Worley
Eisenman wrote:
>>I find Kokkari to be much better than Evvia. Whenever I've been
>>to Evvia (maybe 3 times, but not recently), I've found the appetizers
>>to be all right, but the main course always disappoints.
Eisen writes[1]:
>That has been my experience there too vis a vis appetizers and
>main courses.
That has been my experience everywhere -- the starters are almost
*always* better than the mains. There's something about a small
plate that brings out the best in a chef; once quantity enters the
picture, quality starts to sidle out the door, and only the best
chefs keep an eye on it and yank it back before it bolts entirely.
On another note, does anyone know the name of those plastic squares
with a keyhole in them that are used to fasten plastic breadbags?
Rage away,
meg
[1] Paging Al Eisner, please post to this thread immediately
in order not to destroy the mellifluity of attribution.
Aahz Maruch
>to Evvia (maybe 3 times, but not recently), I've found the appetizers
>to be all right, but the main course always disappoints. At Kokkari,
>the appetizers are better and the main course is as good as the
>starters.
>
>Based on my limited experience during a couple of visits to Greece,
>Kokkari food also strikes me as more authentic. Give it a try.
>
>I've tried Meze, the newer Greek restaurant in the Marina. Better
>than Evvia, but not quite as nice as Kokkari (partially because the
>atmosphere is not nearly as nice ... it's a bit old fashioned).
Hrm. Have you tried Yianni's in Burlingame? If yes, how does that
compare to Kokkari?
Aahz Maruch
Meg Worley <m...@steam.stanford.edu> wrote:
>
>That has been my experience everywhere -- the starters are almost
>*always* better than the mains. There's something about a small
>plate that brings out the best in a chef; once quantity enters the
>picture, quality starts to sidle out the door, and only the best
>chefs keep an eye on it and yank it back before it bolts entirely.
We call places that are too obviously that way "appetizer restaurants".
And actually, while your observation certainly has a lot of truth to it,
I wouldn't say it's "almost always" true.
dke...@best.com
>In article <9ug426$fhr$1...@usenet.Stanford.EDU>,
>Meg Worley <m...@steam.stanford.edu> wrote:
>>
>>That has been my experience everywhere -- the starters are almost
>>*always* better than the mains. There's something about a small
>>plate that brings out the best in a chef; once quantity enters the
>>picture, quality starts to sidle out the door, and only the best
>>chefs keep an eye on it and yank it back before it bolts entirely.
>
>We call places that are too obviously that way "appetizer restaurants".
>And actually, while your observation certainly has a lot of truth to it,
>I wouldn't say it's "almost always" true.
I certainly haven't noticed what Meg says to be true. I eat out
a fair amount and keep more or less a careful eye on what I'm
eating and best I can recall, I'm happy with the appetizer and
unhappy with the main course about as often as I am the other
way around. I had just noticed that pattern at Evvia.
dke...@best.com
Meg Worley <m...@steam.stanford.edu> wrote:
>
>Dave writes:
>>Everyone loves it there, seemingly, except you and me. I've been
>>a few times for various reasons and the best meal I've had there
>>was OK, but nothing special, and I've done much worse.
>
>On the contrary, I can't recall anyone (or at least any regulars)
>raving about Evvia. I've had some good dishes there, some
>mediocre ones, and some awful service and noise -- and most
>people say about the same, as far as I remember.
>
>Okay, you Evvia-lovers, stand up and be counted.
True. Hadn't noticed much affection for Evvia in this newsgroup,
but I once in a while do talk to other people. The folks at work,
for instance, all love it. It gets good reviews in the paper. It's
very popular with the folks at my other online home, the Well.
Maybe we just have more discerning taste here.
Meg Worley
Dave had written:
>>>Everyone loves it there, seemingly, except you and me.
I wrote:
>>On the contrary, I can't recall anyone (or at least any regulars)
>>raving about Evvia.
He writes:
>True. Hadn't noticed much affection for Evvia in this newsgroup,
>but I once in a while do talk to other people.
Ah, well, there's your mistake.
ObFood: Our buddy dragged us to Oregano's (corner of San Antonio)
last night. It wasn't awful, but it wasn't good, and the prices
are a laff riot. Terrible value, esp. when Pasta Pomodoro serves
better food for half the price.
Aahz Maruch
Meg Worley <m...@steam.stanford.edu> wrote:
>
>ObFood: Our buddy dragged us to Oregano's (corner of San Antonio)
>last night. It wasn't awful, but it wasn't good, and the prices
>are a laff riot. Terrible value, esp. when Pasta Pomodoro serves
>better food for half the price.
Oregano's is a good option for lunch when you're in walking distance.
Todd Michel McComb
<dke...@best.com> wrote:
>I certainly haven't noticed what Meg says to be true. I eat out a
>fair amount and keep more or less a careful eye on what I'm eating
>and best I can recall, I'm happy with the appetizer and unhappy
>with the main course about as often as I am the other way around.
There seems to me to be something of a trend in the direction Meg
indicates. Her remark is vastly overstated, but many of the trendier
places fit it, rather than the reverse. In the past, I think it
was more true that barely-competent restaurants had better entrees
than appetizers.
Todd Michel McComb
>Oregano's is a good option for lunch when you're in walking distance.
The best thing there is the fresh bread they serve before the meal.
It's downright good. I've never had overcooked pasta there either,
not that Meg's observations on price aren't exactly correct. Pizzas
seem rather haphazard, and often overly goopy; they aren't "leveraging"
their wood-burning oven as well as they could be there. They do
have a sensible selection of draft beer, making it a place I am
willing to go.
Meg Worley
Todd writes:
>The best thing there is the fresh bread they serve before the meal.
>It's downright good. I've never had overcooked pasta there either,
>not that Meg's observations on price aren't exactly correct.
Heh. Overcooked pasta was the first sign of trouble last night.
>Pizzas
>seem rather haphazard, and often overly goopy; they aren't "leveraging"
>their wood-burning oven as well as they could be there. They do
>have a sensible selection of draft beer, making it a place I am
>willing to go.
I rarely drink beer with meals, so that's not an attractor for me.
I'd like Oregano's a lot better if they didn't charge such high
prices. Cheapest pasta dish $11? Puh-leez! [1]
Rage away,
meg
[1] Ruh-roh, I seem to be ventriloquizing TIM-MAY. I'd better
wash my mouth out with Chateau Neuf de Pape.
dke...@best.com
Meg Worley <m...@steam.stanford.edu> wrote:
>
>I'd like Oregano's a lot better if they didn't charge such high
>prices. Cheapest pasta dish $11? Puh-leez! [1]
That doesn't seem out of line to me, although I've never been
there and don't know what kind of quality and price point you
would expect there. I had another nice meal at Caffe Riace this
weekend, none of their pasta dishes was less than $12, and I
certainly did not feel ripped off.
Todd Michel McComb
Meg Worley <m...@steam.stanford.edu> wrote:
>Overcooked pasta was the first sign of trouble last night.
Too bad. That's something which really bugs me.
>I rarely drink beer with meals, so that's not an attractor for me.
How sad. Well, maybe I don't either. But I'll drink beer *as*
a meal, with a little food thrown in for variety.
Anyway, I wouldn't call being willing to eat there a hearty
endorsement.
>I'd better wash my mouth out with Chateau Neuf de Pape.
Now you're talking. I was eyeing the Chateau Neuf-de-Pape at Costco
just yesterday. Any good?
Tim May
<m...@steam.stanford.edu> wrote:
> I'd like Oregano's a lot better if they didn't charge such high
> prices. Cheapest pasta dish $11? Puh-leez! [1]
>
> [1] Ruh-roh, I seem to be ventriloquizing TIM-MAY. I'd better
> wash my mouth out with Chateau Neuf de Pape.
That's OK. I realize now that it's an utterly lost cause to comment on
people paying ridiculous amounts for yupscale food. Seeing people
bragging about paying $15 for _three_ (3) raviolis (!!) is all the
proof I need that some weird "I paid more than you did!" gamesmanship
is going on.
So, enjoy going out to eat nearly every night of the week (some of you
report on an almost daily basis). I hope you folks really do enjoy it.
--Tim May
Meg Worley
I wrote:
>>I rarely drink beer with meals, so that's not an attractor for me.
Todd writes:
>How sad. Well, maybe I don't either. But I'll drink beer *as*
>a meal, with a little food thrown in for variety.
Yeah, we know about you, buddy.
I like wine with meals and beer in between. And a bit of grappa
after never hurt a girl.
[About Oregano's:]
>Anyway, I wouldn't call being willing to eat there a hearty
>endorsement.
No, I understand. It's not the worst place in town or anything;
it's just bad value. Or was last night, anyway.
>>I'd better wash my mouth out with Chateau Neuf de Pape.
>Now you're talking. I was eyeing the Chateau Neuf-de-Pape at Costco
>just yesterday. Any good?
We don't belong to Costco, so I don't know what they're selling.
I can, however, say that Cafe Brioche is a good place to wash
your mouth out with Pape. They have two or three good ones there.
Rage away,
meg
Meg Worley
I wrote:
>>I'd like Oregano's a lot better if they didn't charge such high
>>prices. Cheapest pasta dish $11? Puh-leez! [1]
Dave writes:
>That doesn't seem out of line to me, although I've never been
>there and don't know what kind of quality and price point you
>would expect there. I had another nice meal at Caffe Riace this
>weekend, none of their pasta dishes was less than $12, and I
>certainly did not feel ripped off.
Oh, it isn't anywhere near the Riacce zone. The table nearest
us last night was a kid's soccer team, carbo-loading after the
game. *Now* would you pay $11 for basgetti with tomato sauce?
Rage away,
meg
Aahz Maruch
Meg Worley <m...@steam.stanford.edu> wrote:
>
>I'd like Oregano's a lot better if they didn't charge such high
>prices. Cheapest pasta dish $11? Puh-leez! [1]
Their lunch prices are much better.
dke...@best.com
Meg Worley <m...@steam.stanford.edu> wrote:
>
>I wrote:
>>>I'd like Oregano's a lot better if they didn't charge such high
>>>prices. Cheapest pasta dish $11? Puh-leez! [1]
>
>Dave writes:
>>That doesn't seem out of line to me, although I've never been
>>there and don't know what kind of quality and price point you
>>would expect there. I had another nice meal at Caffe Riace this
>>weekend, none of their pasta dishes was less than $12, and I
>>certainly did not feel ripped off.
>
>Oh, it isn't anywhere near the Riacce zone. The table nearest
>us last night was a kid's soccer team, carbo-loading after the
>game. *Now* would you pay $11 for basgetti with tomato sauce?
I'd pay $11 to be allowed to leave the room.
Chester
>In article <9uge6j$j8n$1...@usenet.Stanford.EDU>, Meg Worley
><m...@steam.stanford.edu> wrote:
>
>> I'd like Oregano's a lot better if they didn't charge such high
>> prices. Cheapest pasta dish $11? Puh-leez! [1]
>>
>
>> [1] Ruh-roh, I seem to be ventriloquizing TIM-MAY. I'd better
>> wash my mouth out with Chateau Neuf de Pape.
>
>That's OK. I realize now that it's an utterly lost cause to comment on
>people paying ridiculous amounts for yupscale food. Seeing people
>bragging about paying $15 for _three_ (3) raviolis (!!) is all the
>proof I need that some weird "I paid more than you did!" gamesmanship
>is going on.
I imagine that's all the proof *you* need, but then you're not
generally known around these parts for your sparkling analytical
thinking.
If anything, people in ba.food brag about how *cheap* they got
something. I haven't noticed people bragging in here about expensive
meals...unless you think that writing about something at all is
tantamount to bragging.
Well, it's not. Just like how, if there is a black helicopter flying
around, that doesn't necessarily mean that the New World Order's doing
reconnaissance on how much progress you've been making on your moat.
>So, enjoy going out to eat nearly every night of the week (some of you
>report on an almost daily basis). I hope you folks really do enjoy it.
Nah, we're all miserable.
Why the bitter, almost jealous-sounding tone? Dining alone on
pemmican just not doing it for you anymore?
Chester
Chester
>Seeing people
>bragging about paying $15 for _three_ (3) raviolis (!!)
That's one of my pet peeves: adding the "s" to pluralize "ravioli."
To me, it sounds really dumb. It somehow is evocative of people who
still refer to Beijing as "Peking."
I had always thought that it was recognized that the proper plural is
"ravioli." (I'm talking about the English plural, not the Italian,
which, apparently, is "raviolo.") But then, I checked, and
dictionaries have both as options for pluralizing.
Is this some recent concession to the fact that so many people
reflexively use "raviolis"? Does this mean we can all be treated, at
some point, to people running around raving about the "fusillis" at
some new Italian place and the great "blinis" at some Russian spot?
Oh wait...I think I usually say "blinis"...and "risottos"...
Crap.
Chester
Meg Worley
>That's one of my pet peeves: adding the "s" to pluralize "ravioli."
>To me, it sounds really dumb. It somehow is evocative of people who
>still refer to Beijing as "Peking."
I think it evolved in Italian-American communities -- much the
same way that German-SouthAmericans sometimes say "zapaten" to
mean shoes.
>Oh wait...I think I usually say "blinis"...and "risottos"...
>
>Crap.
Should that be "crappi" or "crappis"?
Rage away,
meg
Chester
>
>I wrote:
>>>I'd like Oregano's a lot better if they didn't charge such high
>>>prices. Cheapest pasta dish $11? Puh-leez! [1]
>
>Dave writes:
>>That doesn't seem out of line to me, although I've never been
>>there and don't know what kind of quality and price point you
>>would expect there. I had another nice meal at Caffe Riace this
>>weekend, none of their pasta dishes was less than $12, and I
>>certainly did not feel ripped off.
>
>Oh, it isn't anywhere near the Riacce zone. The table nearest
>us last night was a kid's soccer team, carbo-loading after the
>game. *Now* would you pay $11 for basgetti with tomato sauce?
Reminds me of eating at The Stinking Rose. I ate there twice some
[ObBizbee] seven or eight years ago and, while I love garlic, wasn't
too wild about the high prices for meat-less pasta or high prices for
skimpily-portioned meat-y pastas.
I remember going with a friend who was really excited about going
there because of the pseudo-legendary hype it seems to hold on to.
He ordered lobster ravioli and when it arrived, the look of utter,
dejected disappointment at the paucity of his portions was absolutely
priceless.
Chester
Chester
>Chesty writes:
>>That's one of my pet peeves: adding the "s" to pluralize "ravioli."
>>To me, it sounds really dumb. It somehow is evocative of people who
>>still refer to Beijing as "Peking."
>
>I think it evolved in Italian-American communities -- much the
>same way that German-SouthAmericans sometimes say "zapaten" to
>mean shoes.
>
>>Oh wait...I think I usually say "blinis"...and "risottos"...
>>
>>Crap.
>
>Should that be "crappi" or "crappis"?
Crappo.
Chester
rbl
Chester wrote:
Maybe the inconsistency of opinions on this topic is due to the
percentage of people who find snob appeal in their ability to
pay higher prices, while others find satisfaction from frugality.
Let's discuss the least expensive meal we ever found to balance
out this issue. I'll start with the $3.95 plate of chow mein that
could've fed 4 people. (Kam's)
Stella Hackell
Worley) wrote:
> I like wine with meals and beer in between. And a bit of grappa
> after never hurt a girl.
Grappa! Grappa! Where do you get grappa? At a reasonable price?
We went to Caffe Riacci recently specifically for the homemade grappa,
but they had run out (we didn't find out until the end of an
excessively expensive meal, too).
--
Stella Hackell ste...@ncal.verio.com
She who succeeds in gaining the mastery of the bicycle will gain the
mastery of life.
--Frances E. Willard, _How I Learned to Ride the Bicycle_
David Arnstein
Andrew <shandrew+use...@cyclone.stanford.edu> wrote:
>Ti-Couz (PA): Nifty! I was surprised that such an innocent looking crepe
>could be so rich and filling. Each crepe that i tried had a unique
>flavor to it. I think I had a mushroom almond one, and tasted a bunch
>of others.
Are you sure this is (PA) and not (SF)? A Ti-Couz in Palo Alto would
be good news, at least to me.
--
David Arnstein
arnstei...@pobox.com
craig snarr
Meg Worley wrote:
> On another note, does anyone know the name of those plastic squares
> with a keyhole in them that are used to fasten plastic breadbags?
Looks like it's Bread Tag according to someone who really cares
http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/Set/2435/tags.html
c
Joseph Michael Bay
>On Mon, 03 Dec 2001 10:27:24 -0800, Tim May <tc...@got.net> wrote:
>>Seeing people
>>bragging about paying $15 for _three_ (3) raviolis (!!)
>That's one of my pet peeves: adding the "s" to pluralize "ravioli."
>To me, it sounds really dumb. It somehow is evocative of people who
>still refer to Beijing as "Peking."
Oh, darling, don't the people who say "Munich" just make
you want to *die*? Or those plebes who say "Par-iss"?
>Oh wait...I think I usually say "blinis"...and "risottos"...
>Crap.
Craps.
--
Chimes peal joy. Bah. Joseph Michael Bay
Icy colon barge Cancer Biology
Frosty divine Saturn Stanford University
"Your legs are too short to kickbox with the Buddha" - Thai saying
Guy Bannis
In article <9uh105$r4m$1...@usenet.Stanford.EDU>, jm...@Stanford.EDU (Joseph
Meg Worley
I wrote:
>> And a bit of grappa after never hurt a girl.
Stella writes:
>Grappa! Grappa! Where do you get grappa? At a reasonable price?
It's free if you ask for a bottle for Christmas. And since it's
a gift, you might get a really good one, in a pretty bottle, to boot.
Beltramo's has a nice selection, and BevMo's isn't bad.
For individual drinkies, Zibibbo in PA has about a dozen by
the glass. I'm always open to suggestions for other places
with good food and grappa.
Chester
>BTW, is "Pluralization" an accepted word?
Yeah.
Two ways to ascertain this:
1. Consult a dictionary.
2. Read Meg's post...she'd have made fun of me if it wasn't.
>In article <9uh105$r4m$1...@usenet.Stanford.EDU>, jm...@Stanford.EDU (Joseph
>Michael Bay) wrote:
>
>> Chester <chester [at] mushroomgravy [dot] org> writes:
>>
>> >On Mon, 03 Dec 2001 10:27:24 -0800, Tim May <tc...@got.net> wrote:
>>
>> >That's one of my pet peeves: adding the "s" to pluralize "ravioli."
>> >To me, it sounds really dumb. It somehow is evocative of people who
>> >still refer to Beijing as "Peking."
>>
>> Oh, darling, don't the people who say "Munich" just make
>> you want to *die*?
I dunno. If I were German, it'd probably bug me.
>>Or those plebes who say "Par-iss"?
Not really. I wouldn't expect a non-Chinese-speaker to get the tones
right in "Beijing." I do, however, expect them to get with the times
and not call it "Peking."
So, would I be picking nits if someone referred to China as "Cathay"?
Chester
Chester
>
>I wrote:
>>> And a bit of grappa after never hurt a girl.
>
>Stella writes:
>>Grappa! Grappa! Where do you get grappa? At a reasonable price?
>
>It's free if you ask for a bottle for Christmas. And since it's
>a gift, you might get a really good one, in a pretty bottle, to boot.
>
>Beltramo's has a nice selection, and BevMo's isn't bad.
>
>For individual drinkies, Zibibbo in PA has about a dozen by
>the glass. I'm always open to suggestions for other places
>with good food and grappa.
Maybe Le Colonial in SF. Their bar has a pretty extensive alcohol
menu...I think there were two or three grappas listed. Certainly not
a wide selection, but having grappa at all puts them ahead of most, it
seems.
Have never eaten at Le Colonial. Friends rave about it, though.
Have, however, hung out at the bar a couple times and like it a lot.
Pretty expensive, though.
Chester
Berry Kercheval
> Stella writes:
> >Grappa! Grappa! Where do you get grappa? At a reasonable price?
>
> It's free if you ask for a bottle for Christmas. And since it's
> a gift, you might get a really good one, in a pretty bottle, to boot.
Meg, may I please have a bottle for Christmas?
John Eisenman
>
> In article <3C0B2DD2...@alum.mit.edu>,
> John Eisenman <ji...@alum.mit.edu> wrote:
> >
> >I find Kokkari to be much better than Evvia. Whenever I've been
> >to Evvia (maybe 3 times, but not recently), I've found the appetizers
> >to be all right, but the main course always disappoints. At Kokkari,
> >the appetizers are better and the main course is as good as the
> >starters.
> >
> >Based on my limited experience during a couple of visits to Greece,
> >Kokkari food also strikes me as more authentic. Give it a try.
> >
> >I've tried Meze, the newer Greek restaurant in the Marina. Better
> >than Evvia, but not quite as nice as Kokkari (partially because the
> >atmosphere is not nearly as nice ... it's a bit old fashioned).
>
> Hrm. Have you tried Yianni's in Burlingame? If yes, how does that
> compare to Kokkari?
Sorry, I've never tried Yianni's. Someone else might comment.
-John
Jo Ann Malina
>
>>That's one of my pet peeves: adding the "s" to pluralize "ravioli."
>>To me, it sounds really dumb. It somehow is evocative of people who
>>still refer to Beijing as "Peking."
>
> Oh, darling, don't the people who say "Munich" just make
> you want to *die*? Or those plebes who say "Par-iss"?
Payriss -- that's in Texas, ain't it?
>>Oh wait...I think I usually say "blinis"...and "risottos"...
>
>>Crap.
>
> Craps.
Crapola?
Obfood: Tripe in an iron pot (with tofu and cubes of blood) at Hunan
Garden, um-um-good. Didn't seem as hot this time, though. Next time,
Beijing duck.
--
Jo Ann Malina, make spamthis best to find my address
All slang is metaphor, and all metaphor is poetry. -- G.K. Chesterton
Meg Worley
>> >Grappa! Grappa! Where do you get grappa? At a reasonable price?
>> It's free if you ask for a bottle for Christmas.
Berry writes:
>Meg, may I please have a bottle for Christmas?
You may, if you ask your wife sweetly enough.
Meg Worley
>Absinthe and Bix in SF have some.
Good to know.
>The Cannery Wine Cellar has a bunch (and a huge selection
>off related spirits).
>
>http://www.cannerywine.com/
Well, I checked out their webpage, but it was impossible to find
anything -- a user-interface nightmare. That's okay; where to
find grappa is Santa's problem.
Berry Kercheval
> Stella had written:
> >> >Grappa! Grappa! Where do you get grappa? At a reasonable price?
>
> I wrote:
> >> It's free if you ask for a bottle for Christmas.
>
> Berry writes:
> >Meg, may I please have a bottle for Christmas?
>
> You may, if you ask your wife sweetly enough.
Ow! A touch, I do confess. 10 points to Gryffindor.
Al Eisner
>
> Ton Kiang (SF): A few years this was my favorite dim sum place in
> the bay area. The last two times i've been there it hasn't been so
> good. It seems like they've increased prices, crowds have increased by
> a lot, and the dishes are only about equal to the dim sum places which
> are closer to home (like Ming's and HKFL in PA). Still good eats, though.
>
I certainly hope that's not true. I don't think Ming's is much good at all
(rated on either food or service). And while I've given my "local" place,
the PA HKFL, a number of tries, I've had to conclude that the results have
been mixed at best - not a place I would enthusiastically recommend, although
it is better than Ming's. (I've really liked the original HKFL on El Camino
midway between San Bruno and Millbrae Avenues. That one, by the way, has had
a mostly Asian-American clientele.)
Ton Kiang has always been a standout for me, but I haven't been there for
about a year; I've generally chosen off-hours to avoid the worst crowds.
Has the food quality really changed? Anyone else who's been there more
recently?
--
Al Eisner
San Mateo County, CA
Al Eisner
>
> Eisenman wrote:
>>>I find Kokkari to be much better than Evvia. Whenever I've been
>>>to Evvia (maybe 3 times, but not recently), I've found the appetizers
>>>to be all right, but the main course always disappoints.
>
>>That has been my experience there too vis a vis appetizers and
>>main courses.
>
> That has been my experience everywhere -- the starters are almost
> *always* better than the mains. There's something about a small
> plate that brings out the best in a chef; once quantity enters the
> picture, quality starts to sidle out the door, and only the best
> chefs keep an eye on it and yank it back before it bolts entirely.
>
> On another note, does anyone know the name of those plastic squares
> with a keyhole in them that are used to fasten plastic breadbags?
>
> in order not to destroy the mellifluity of attribution.
Okay, but understand I am only posting under duress. To answer Meg's last
question, I've always thought of them as "those plastic squares with a
keyhole in them that are used to fasten bags of English Muffins".
--
Al
Chester
>On another note, does anyone know the name of those plastic squares
>with a keyhole in them that are used to fasten plastic breadbags?
Seems there's no definitive name. The closest I found was
"bread-bag-style clip," which was used in an article from Packaging
World Magazine, an industry publication.
However, there's some dude who collects them. He calls them, simply,
"Bread Tags":
http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/Set/2435/tags.html
If you're interested in "Bread Tags," his site is quite the resource.
But the other names I found are more or less in the same vein anyway.
Intel, on a site that hypes their microscope toy/tool, calls them
"Bread Bag Tie[s]."
By the way, it's unhealthy to swallow "Bread-Bag Clips":
http://www.cma.ca/cmaj/vol-162/issue-4/0527.htm
Chester
Guy Bannis
eis...@slac.stanford.edu wrote:
> Ton Kiang has always been a standout for me, but I haven't been there for
> about a year; I've generally chosen off-hours to avoid the worst crowds.
> Has the food quality really changed? Anyone else who's been there more
> recently?
A coworker brought her entire family and visiting relatives to Ton Kiang
last month on my recommendation. She is still raving about it. She lives
in the Palo Alto area so I think she would be familiar with her local dim
sum eateries.
Icono Clast
> > >I find Kokkari
I couldn't -- in m'mother's Redwood City 'phone book. Where is it?
Michael Dix
I always thought Icono was an SF'can posting from SF. Kokkari
is supposedly at 200 Jackson (at Front) in the FD.
mag...@rahul.net
<mj...@best.vwh.net> created
And it's just so HARD to find this information before posting:
<http://www.google.com/search?q=Kokkari>
jc
Andrew
><shandrew+use...@cyclone.stanford.edu> writes:
>> Ton Kiang (SF): A few years this was my favorite dim sum place in
>> the bay area. The last two times i've been there it hasn't been so
>> good. It seems like they've increased prices, crowds have increased by
>> a lot, and the dishes are only about equal to the dim sum places which
>> are closer to home (like Ming's and HKFL in PA). Still good eats, though.
>>
>I certainly hope that's not true.
Instead of "it hasn't been so good", i should have written, "it hasn't
been as good as I remember it". I'm not especially picky about
service, but I found Ton Kiang's to be subpar the last couple times I
was there. The most recent time, it took them (several of them) a
ridiculously long time for them to bring a dish that someone at the
table had requested, and they really seemed to be rushing us and
others out of there. The time before that, i couldn't even find
someone to give us the check, so i brought it up, and met up with
someone who didn't know how to charge a credit card and charged me
incorrectly the first time. Their food is good, but doesn't stand out
from the competition's.
>I don't think Ming's is much good at all
>(rated on either food or service). And while I've given my "local" place,
>the PA HKFL, a number of tries, I've had to conclude that the results have
>been mixed at best - not a place I would enthusiastically recommend, although
>it is better than Ming's.
I've enjoyed Ming's the last few times i've been there for dim sum. It
seems to have improved quite a bit since I moved here in 1994. I
haven't had their regular food in a long time, though.
I find all three (Ming's, HKFL, Ton Kiang) to have better Dim Sum than
ABC seafood (SM).
Andrew
Icono Clast
> > > > >I find Kokkari
> > I couldn't -- in m'mother's Redwood City 'phone book. Where is it?
>
> I always thought Icono was an SF'can posting from SF. Kokkari
> is supposedly at 200 Jackson (at Front) in the FD.
You thought correctly. Since the subject is "Evvia, Palo Alto", I made
an erroneous presumption. Not the first time, unlikely t'be the last.