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23497. judithathome - 1/31/2008 8:16:13 PM Oh, they have Ryan's here, too! I've never been; will have to try it out some day.
Do they have "early bird" specials? Heh...I recall my auntie talking about them, how she and my uncle would go to "dinner" at 4:30-5pm to get the Early Bird specials and end up falling asleep before 9pm every night.
I guess if yu did that and got into the routine, you wouldn't even notice missing the good TV that comes on late. ;-) 23498. anomie - 1/31/2008 8:23:16 PM I know Ryan's is a chain or franchise but they're not all the same. Of 2 in Charleston, the one I frequented was markedly better. I'm not sure why...probably just one of those organizational personality things that seem to perpetuate. Or maybe it was just the cook!
Not sure about the early-bird special. I just ate lunch there.
And although it fancies itself a steakhouse, th eone steak I had was atrocious. Someparts were tough and stringy while other areas were overly tenderized with chemicals or some kind of tenderizer. IOW, not a quality cut of meat. 23499. anomie - 1/31/2008 8:26:43 PM iiibbb, I meant to wish you well in the southland and say I hope you like the food if nothing else. You are in red beans and rice territory perhaps? 23500. anomie - 1/31/2008 8:27:58 PM Judith, Give me a Texas BBQ anytime. I do not like the mustardy Carolina style at all. 23501. iiibbb - 1/31/2008 8:41:19 PM Message # 43494
I'm from NC originally, so it's not that big of a transition to the South for me, but my pallet is pretty broad. I don't really like all the fried foods down here, but I have a true weekness for BBQ.
However, I have been very surprised about this particular location. This town is quite a bit smaller than the one we left, but the restaurants are pretty darn good. There is one that is even an honest-to-god-5-star-as-good-as-anything-in-Manhattan place. Whenever we go to NYC to visit the mother in law she takes us to some pretty fancy places because she likes to. We found a place that is on-par... and several others that are very good.
There is a lot of variety. I think the only thing we haven't found is a good organic restaurant or grocery. The groceries basically suck. She is really into organic foods; she thinks they're better for you. I am more of the mind that local is a more important decision factor. Certain chemicals and certain GMO's just don't give me the willies. Organics are covered in chicken shit... Either way you have to wash the stuff. Organics require more energy and have to be shipped quite a bit farther. I'd rather take my chances with local.
So really that's where we're feeling it. We both like to cook, and being able to get the stuff we like to work with has been the bigger adjustment. We're trying to make it more interesting by trying new recipes once a week. Hopefully we'll find some winners and can expand our menu a bit just to keep out of a rut. I like to make up recipes and have a few that are all mine and have come out really good. We're thinking about making our own cookbook just for kicks... probably just to give out to friends of ours.
I really want to learn more about simple sauces. I need to take a cooking class. 23502. wonkers2 - 1/31/2008 8:45:46 PM If you ever get to Atlanta, try Harold's Barbecue in Lakewood. It's the best I've ever had. 23503. iiibbb - 1/31/2008 8:45:57 PM Charleston, SC?
I lived there for 4 years. I can recommend some really good places.
River Cafe - Folly Beach
Fulton 5 - Downtown
Tomato Shed - James Island (get the tomato pie!)
Are two really good ones that few know about come to mind. 23504. anomie - 1/31/2008 8:54:12 PM Share a couple of your favorite recipes here. I haven't done anything new or interesting for a while. I have been stir-frying with ginger and soy sauce and making pasta using canned sauces. Boring.
23505. iiibbb - 1/31/2008 9:04:15 PM Have you tried my "Greek" Spaghetti yet?
My current project is an adaptation of a chicken with a yogurt sauce... it has mushroom, onion, cilantro, and mint in it... but I haven't quite got it right yet... will soon though because I know what is causing the problem with it now. 23506. iiibbb - 1/31/2008 9:04:58 PM Takes a while to work out something new because I don't want to burn myself out on it before I figure it out. 23507. wonkers2 - 1/31/2008 11:11:57 PM Harold's Barbecue, Atlanta
Harold's menu 23508. anomie - 1/31/2008 11:15:36 PM Oh I had forgotten all about the recipe thread. Thanks.
I'm not big on lamb, but maybe with beef... 23509. anomie - 1/31/2008 11:22:06 PM Oooh Wonks, that looks delicious. Makes me want to run out and get some ribs. I almost did the other day and got Pollo Loco chicken instead. It's the best - and they they say healthiest - grilled chicken I know of. But those ribs, man I tell ya...
There is a place on US Highway 1 between Coral Gables and Homestead Fl that serves a unique type of BBQ. It's dry hickory smoked but like nothing I've tasted anywhere else. The house sauce that comes separately tastes very much of hickory but with a mouth feel of a dry wine. Hard to describe and I didn't like it much on the first taste, but then it grows on you. If you're ever down that way, it's on the left as you're driving south. 23510. iiibbb - 2/1/2008 12:54:21 AM Try it with seafood. 23511. judithathome - 2/1/2008 1:25:03 AM I'd like to recommend a Travel Channel show called Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. I think it comes on Monday nights.
He did a whole hour on Charleston, SC and I swear just watching the show made me gain weight. 23512. wabbit - 2/1/2008 2:52:46 AM WoW update - all is well, he's very busy with gearing up for new and exciting things, and will check in when he has time to chat. And he passes a big hug and thanks to Mags for thinking of him! 23513. anomie - 2/1/2008 3:44:31 AM Anthony Bourdain rubs me the wrong way. I like the idea of a show like his, but it would be much less annoying if he could do it without dissing every other chef who has a show, and if he'd stop acting like the whole show is beneath him. His glib put-downs of other presenters just puts me off. 23514. judithathome - 2/1/2008 6:25:22 PM I love him...for me, that makes the show. Some of these guys take themselves way too seriously.
I also love Gordon Ramsay and many people think he's a pompous ass.
If neither of these guys had bona fides out the wahzoo, I might think differently but I think they have earned the right to be critical of others and in Bourdain's case, to expose the conditions of their establishments like he did in his book.
It makes me mad enough to eat in a mediocre, no name restraurant and find out later that the kitchen was a pig sty, either from a local TV news exposé or through getting food poisoning...if I were paying big bucks to dine at a snooty place with a world-famous chef and found out his standards of cleanliness were no better than the local rib joint out on the highway, I'd be livid. 23515. Magoseph - 2/1/2008 6:55:59 PM Thank you, wabbit--I love this man! 23516. anomie - 2/1/2008 7:47:37 PM Judith, it's clear you know his background better than I do. I didn't know he HAD books or that he exposed poor conditions. Kudos to him for that. So, why does he have to make himslf look all superior by bashing people like Rachel Ray? I means she's just trying to get on with what she does. He's just an ass sometimes and I can't watch hime anymore.
And yes I do think Ramsey is a pompous, boorish ass. But he's genuine and entertaining.
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