http://www.chow.com/boards/1 Thu, 13 Dec 2007 20:02:31 GMT Keep track of the lastest threads on Chowhound http://www.chow.com/topics/670100#5211515 My husband and I have a dinner reservation tonight (11/27) for 2 people at 7pm at Saison. We can't keep the reservation and are going to be charged a penalty. Is anyone is interested in taking our reservation? Fri, 27 Nov 2009 22:41:35 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/670100#5211515 http://www.chow.com/topics/669107#5211505 Stopped by for lunch today and was pretty disappointed. Got a 3-way with Brisket, Shoulder and Ribs. Shoulder was served cold, luke warm in places. I'm guessing they might microwave refrigerated portions when business is slow as it was today (I didn't see anyone else in there while I was there waiting say 1:30 - 1:45PM). Brisket was at least served warm but was uninspiring. Neither the shoulder nor the brisket had any of the crusty burnt bits that take good BBQ to the next level. Ribs were the best thing on the plate and had a very deep smoky flavor. Something about that smokiness and the sauce (that was squeezes a little too liberally over everything) reminded me of the smell of kerosene burning. I don't mean that to be as negative as it may sound, the ribs were good and I would try them again - there was just a slightly strange aftertaste. As others have reported the ribs were falling off the bone which is fine by me. I was unhappy that they drowned the whole plate with sauce. One could easily remedy that by asking for sauce on the side but both the brisket and the shoulder (the few unsauced pieces underneath) were very bland without the sauce. The sauce itself was overly sweet and not spicy in the least. Very few sides to choose from. No greens. I got baked beans and mac salad neither of which I ate. Hopefully they are working out the new-restaurant kinks, but for now I'd warn against setting your expectations too high. For now I'll continue to save up my BBQ calorie splurges for trips into the city for Memphis Minnie’s. Fri, 27 Nov 2009 22:33:57 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/669107#5211505 http://www.chow.com/topics/666749#5211465 We had the pumpkin tart. It was excellent. Tasted like there was bacon in the pumpkin. The crust was perfect. We also had the apple custard tart. It was also fantastic. Crust perfect. Excellent. Pecan pie tart. Excellent. Real maple syrup. A real rarety these days. Finally, we had the chicken chausseur. It was excellent as well. The chicken fell off the bone. It was tender and juicy. The sauce was good without being salty. The potatoes, carrots and green beans were soft. This place is getting off to a real good start! Just hope he doesn't raise his prices because they are so reasonable right now. Fri, 27 Nov 2009 22:10:37 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/666749#5211465 http://www.chow.com/topics/600098#5211451 I don't remember the old menu specifically, but I was never crazy about the food there. It was well-prepared, but somehow most of the menu items didn't appeal to me. However, this menu looks delicious! I think I'll suggest it for our upcoming December family birthday dinner. Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:57:37 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/600098#5211451 http://www.chow.com/topics/670083#5211421 I think your reference to an eight course dinner with wine pairings as a "snack" tells us something. We have all been disappointed with some highly praised restaurants. I suggest you not return, and have your $500 meal at French Laundry...of course, no wine at that price. Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:37:27 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/670083#5211421 http://www.chow.com/topics/414079#5211407 Check these threads. http://www.chow.com/restaurants/5476/wichcraft Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:30:25 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/414079#5211407 http://www.chow.com/topics/669957#5211403 Bo's as is all the local briskets including MMs occasionally inconsistent. My wife requests Bo's but the last time she asked "Is this from Bo's". She figured I snuck in one of my low priced don't want to drive to Lafayette alternatives. It was from Bo's and is wasn't good. Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:28:28 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/669957#5211403 http://www.chow.com/topics/669892#5211398 I got the lard caramels on the first day that they had them, and I'd only give them a lukewarm recommendation. I love anything caramel, and they weren't awful, but they are very very greasy; my fingers were coated in oil after eating one. The caramel flavor also wasn't deep enough for my taste. They may have refined the recipe some since then, though. Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:27:02 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/669892#5211398 http://www.chow.com/topics/574177#5211383 We see who cooks it themselves -- i.e. they get them live -- and go from there. That said, so far Whole Foods seems to have the best crabs and best pricing, at least here in the Napa Valley. In Sonoma County, G&G Supermarkets have them live and cooked. For the unitiated, they're easy -- put them in boiling lightly salted water for about 12-15 minutes, let them cool. Pop off the carpace (the shelf-like shell on the stomach) and rinse out the insides, pull out the lungs (darker grayish and feathery) and you're good to go. When we get them already cooked we ask for cleaned, not cracked, because often they get too smashed up. Simple to do yourselves with a good cracker and the tiny tip of a leg makes the best pick. Some good bread (Acme italian), nice white wine (we're liking Gruner Veltliner this year) and light mustard mayo plus some avocado. Heaven. Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:17:27 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/574177#5211383 http://www.chow.com/topics/470966#5211362 Spun Sugar does (or did) have the gelatin sheets. Otherwise we couldn't find them anywhere and before we went to Spun Sugar we ordered some online (like 100 sheets). They weren't too expensive online if you can wait a week to get them. Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:04:59 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/470966#5211362 http://www.chow.com/topics/670071#5211246 This is perfect, thanks! Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:51:33 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/670071#5211246 http://www.chow.com/topics/669886#5211204 Where did you end up going? Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:24:13 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/669886#5211204 http://www.chow.com/topics/669922#5211194 thanks for the report and pictures. glad you liked the fish tacos! Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:19:20 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/669922#5211194 http://www.chow.com/topics/670065#5211160 I noticed that Koreana Plaza and Oasis were open. Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:04:18 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/670065#5211160 http://www.chow.com/topics/669925#5211147 Interesting commentary on Jai Yun. Hardly any Chinese restaurant in the U.S. could be uttered in the same breath as Richmond, B.C., but Jai Yun is certainly the one that might be in that class. Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:57:33 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/669925#5211147 http://www.chow.com/topics/669566#5211095 There's Lao Market at 1619 International, and a Thai market a few doors down or in the next block, but it's not a very interesting stretch of International for walking. Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:20:46 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/669566#5211095 http://www.chow.com/topics/669893#5211086 If you're interested in the CSA: http://www.soulfoodfarm.com/csa_faq.html Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:12:51 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/669893#5211086 http://www.chow.com/topics/670057#5211046 This is the happiest I’ve been with a holiday buffet in a long time in terms of price ($32), quality and ambiance. It wasn’t one of those ginourmous Disney-esque holiday buffets. The selection was more focused, better executed and overall delicious. It was an extra $10 to add unlimited sparkling wine or mimosas. I also liked that non drinkers didn’t have the cost for the alcohol built into the buffet price It was a big notch above most buffet sparklers. Well worth the $10, especially since I wasn’t the designated driver and had three glasses. Wolf Blass Sparkling Wine from Australia was the sparkler and it was very nice. I’d buy more Wolf Blass wines if I saw them based on this taste. http://www.winecommune.com/stores/item.cfm/storeID/68/lotID/948573.html http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE5870RR20090908 The buffet was very vegetarian-friendly and done so that both meat eaters and vegetarians enjoyed those dishes. I’ve read a lot of Thanksgiving menus this year and it seems 90 % serve butternut squash with sage butter as the veg option, 8 % of menus had something awful-sounding. The veggie pot pie here was different and delicious. CARVING STATION Roast beef (Perfectly pink without being bloody. A tasty pepper rub and good meat flavor) Side bowls of horseradish and jus Turkey (both white and dark meat were good. Not dry and tasty) Regular Gravy (fine) Wild Mushroom gravy (Fantastic. Lots of mushrooms. Lots of flavor) Baked salmon – edges were a little too done, but moister in the middle SALADS AND OTHER STUFF Water chestnut soup (see comments below) Duck mousse pate (or something like that … good, flavorful, and smooth) Pan d’epi rolls (nice) Crisp romaine with whole pecans and blue cheese vinaigrette (Very, very good) Mesclin with sherry vinaigrette (fine but the romaine was better) Quinoa (fine, a little oily) Fruit salad (the only miss on the buffet. Typical hard, flavorless buffet fruit) SIDES Yams (Spectacular. Lovely layers of brown sugar and spice flavor … mmmm) Creamed spinach (very good with nice nutmeg notes) Mashed potatoes (nicely done) Green beans top with house-made, thin crispy onion rings … loved those Veggie pot pie – more of a casserole in cream sauce but tasty with sage flavoring Bread stuffing – nice sage notes, moist but mainly average.. Good enough though. Glazed carrots (fine but a little too al dente. They had a vinegary edge) Mac and cheese (a little gluey but ok) There was a good whole berry cranberry sauce that satisfied my turkey day cravings. I didn’t have to open the backup can of Ocean Spray when I got home. This was so much better and did it for me for the day. Desserts (in order of preference) Pecan Pear bread pudding (a standout) Whipped Cream (good thick, whipped cream) Pumpkin pie (very good) Pumpkin muffin cake (very good) Chocolate dipped fresh strawberries (fine) Apple tart tartan (fine) The nit was that some items such as the beans, beet salad and quinoa were the slightest bit oilier than I prefer. Not excessively so, but noticeable. Then again I use very little oil at home. What was interesting about the roasted beets and the quinoa was that to me it was an example of the difference of very good food and outstanding. These same two dishes I had earlier this year at Brix were memorably exemplary and so the Lake Chalet versions suffered by comparison. The only out and out flop was the fresh fruit salad … cubed honeydew, cantaloupe, sliced strawberries and previously frozen blueberries. They had that tasteless, hard buffet fresh fruit quality. I’ve had worse, but they should either improve this or get rid of it. It wasn’t in the same class as the rest of the buffet. The soup wasn’t really bad, it was just odd … the ladies at a table near me said what I was thinking … it tasted like gravy with a slight sweet/sour accent and very background spice. Gravy soup might not sound appetizing, but it was a bit lighter and ok-ish That bread pudding was wonderful … warm, rich, flavorful and full of chopped pecans. I don’t even like bread pudding usually yet this was my favorite dessert … and the others were quite good While the crust could have been better, the pumpkin pie filling was very nice with brown sugar/maple accents, perfect spicing and deep pumpkin flavor. The dessert labeled ‘pumpkin muffins’ was a cake cut in squares and sprinkled with powdered sugar. It really was like a moist muffin that was packed with pumpkin flavor This season I’ve had bad luck with all things pumpkin. These two desserts satisfied my seasonal cravings. The strawberries were fine, but nothing amazing … still … nice with the sparkling wine. The tart tartan was really chunky applesauce on top of tough puff pastry rounds. The apples were flavorful, but this really wasn’t what it advertised itself to be. Beverages other than water were extra. However, coffee, iced tea and soft drinks were re-filled. AMBIANCE AND SERVICE. This was my first time at the Lake Chalet. What a pleasant restaurant with its beautiful views of Lake Merrit. Three identical buffet tables were set up in three different areas, the Pumphouse room, the Lake Room and the Gondola Room. This made is more personal than some of the large holiday buffets that are held in sterile a hotel ballroom or conference room. I have a difficult group to deal with. Some value quantity with below zero Chowhound tastes. Convincing them not to eat at Empire Buffet was a stretch. Others appreciate quality. The place couldn’t be too fancy. Meritage at the Claremont would have made them uncomfortable. However, it had to be nice and special-occasion worthy. The Lake Chalet met all the requirements beautifully and said this was the best holiday buffet choice to date. The service … There are a lot of complaints about this on yelp. It wasn’t bad but it was a notch below what it should have been. Some of the other servers were a little better than ours. He could have been more attentive. We had to ask for bread I asked a question and he said he’d get back to me. He never did. They need to polish the service a bit. We got lost getting there. Something that is rarely mentioned is there is a free parking lot but it is not obvious. If you go straight to the end of 17th St., The 30 car lot (2 disabled spots) the parking lot entrance is directly across from the end. This reminds me that the Lake Chalet isn’t totally handicap friendly. After years of dealing with my mom progressing from walkers to a wheelchair, I always notice. It is fine for wheelchairs or those with limited mobility problems, but not good for someone struggling with a walker as one I saw. There is no direct drop off at the door and a about a longish block to the parking lot with no benches on the way. OVERALL Very pleased. They did a nice job with buffet food. It was also pleasant for our groups to stroll along the lake after dinner. Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:53:27 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/670057#5211046 http://www.chow.com/topics/669999#5211027 That's my favorite Persian place, but that's one of my least favorite dishes there. Way too sweet for my taste, reminded me of peanut butter and jelly. My favorite dishes are the aash, lamb's tongue, calf brains, and lamb's head. Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:41:59 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/669999#5211027 http://www.chow.com/topics/667095#5211017 The turkeys were better than a lot of home-cooked versions I've tried. They reheated well and even the white meat was moist. The sides were very much what a decent home cook would produce. The $25 per turkey included a bowl of cranberry sauce (bit tart), a quart of good-enough dressing and a fine apple pie. (We added a veg., salad, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie.) No fancy ingredients, not "Bay Area" food, but straightforward, and a great value. It seems like a nice student-run program to support, especially if homemade can't happen, for whatever reason. Edit: A tray of small round rolls was also included in the price. I didn't try them, but they seemed popular. There were 15 of us, including 4 teenagers, and we had leftovers of everything but pie. Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:38:04 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/667095#5211017 http://www.chow.com/topics/668016#5210995 Outerlands Cafe makes great bread that they slice and serve with soup and turn into sandwiches. It's housemade and very good. Check the board for more info, this place is covered pretty well on CH. Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:28:28 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/668016#5210995 http://www.chow.com/topics/664608#5210980 wonderful- that they serve it shredded! the traditional presentation is a little rough for some of us (squeamish types) btw- having a reservation today virtually eclipsed thanksgiving for me (and i have thanksgiving with some real foodies) Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:19:12 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/664608#5210980 http://www.chow.com/topics/669921#5210967 Thank you! The plating looks really nice though I wouldn't have eaten that pork either. Mmmm cheesecake...thanks for taking the time to give me more details! Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:14:34 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/669921#5210967 http://www.chow.com/topics/668707#5210959 Thank you, maybe I'll have TWO Mateo breakfasts this weekend, topped off with Angelica's goodies. Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:09:39 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/668707#5210959 http://www.chow.com/topics/669854#5210954 Toodie, I am sorry to hear about this report. Ignore my earlier comments about Iron Gate. Don't think you will be back this way again. Just want you to know how honored you are among us on the California board. Best wishes and thanks for giving a lot of us some wonderful dining memories down here in the Central Coast. We could turn Highway 101 between Los Angeles and SF a culinary wonderland with all the discoveries we have been finding in this "flyover" land between the two CA biggies. But that is for another Chowhound board - California, here we come again. Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:05:11 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/669854#5210954 http://www.chow.com/topics/669948#5210942 If you head down the coast you can hit the Trifecta of Phipps Store in Pescadero, house of many, many dried legumes and specialty vinegars, then very nearby is Harley Goat Farm with many fine chevre interpretations. The ricotta is fantastic. Don't miss a look at the hayloft turned dining room. North of there in El Granada is Creekside Smokehouse, where even butter isn't safe from the smoke treatment. Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:01:47 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/669948#5210942 http://www.chow.com/topics/664964#5210866 Went looking for Paradiso in San Leandro as the link indicated it was near Bancroft and Dutton but only found a rather wonderful looking place (closed on Thanksgiving) called Portofino. Are these two separate places as I did not find Paradiso but an also interesting looking coffee spot next to Paradiso. Looked like a great little local corner to explore and one that is far from an obvious location for anyone but a local to even know about. I'll second going to Top Thai on Castro Valley Blvd, small but cozy and tasteful with a very deft hand on the Pad Thai I tried. Lovely shrimp. Drove past Bijou in Hayward and as a former long time local what a dazzler to find in downtown Hayward - there is hope. But who can overlook the Casper Hot Dog palace on Mission Blvd - always a childhood favorite and still puts out a really good dog with crunch and snap in the casing. Just the basics but still very good. Why change? And they have not. Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:18:06 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/664964#5210866 http://www.chow.com/topics/622797#5210521 How did it work out? There's also a special order baker in Milpitas called Let Them Eat Cake, http://www.allergyfriendlypastries.com/ Wondering if anybody out there has tried it. Fri, 27 Nov 2009 07:17:11 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/622797#5210521 http://www.chow.com/topics/669015#5210501 Apparently there's a place in NY that does just that... http://events.nytimes.com/2006/09/20/dining/reviews/20unde.html Fri, 27 Nov 2009 06:28:52 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/669015#5210501 http://www.chow.com/topics/663939#5210295 Ok, you got to me. I had thought about asking more about this Advantages of aged basmati rice? http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/669977 Fri, 27 Nov 2009 02:27:05 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/663939#5210295 http://www.chow.com/topics/669966#5210273 There's not a lot of info out there until the week after Thanksgiving when a few restaurants and stores start putting out info. So Monday, businesses will start taking down their Thanksgivint links and putting up Christmas info. About two weeks before Christmas is when the most info is available. Some of the restaurants that I had listed serving Thanksgiving had Christmas and New Year's menus, but so far I don't recall coming across any take out info. Are you limited for time? Does everything have to be from one place? What would you like to eat. I'm thinking bread/desserts from places like Thourough, Acme, and such. Cheeses (if that is your thing) from Cowgirl and maybe some Caviar from Tsar in the Ferry Building ... actually that brings Boulette's Larder to mind which should have some take home options. Fri, 27 Nov 2009 02:04:59 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/669966#5210273 http://www.chow.com/topics/668919#5210263 Only one place in Oakland's Chinatown had turkey today, Gum Wah on 9th. It was selling for $3.25 lb. At 3:30 pm I stopped in and the conversation went like this ... Do you still have turkey? You want whole turkey? No We no have turkey Okie Dokie. The shop itself didn't look all that appealing anyway. I'm sure those whole birds are going to be selling big-time tommorrow. Trader Vic's in Emeryville was serving Chinese style turkey as part of its buffet but I was elswere. Fri, 27 Nov 2009 01:53:33 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/668919#5210263 http://www.chow.com/topics/667682#5210254 Hung Wan on 8th St in Oakland was selling live crabs for $3.99. The operating word is 'was'. They were sold out. However judging from the few dead crabs on ice ($1.99 lb) they were on the small side. Lots of lobsters at $5.99 lb. The bait shop in the Berkeley Marina has their live crab sign out. They were closed today, but I keep meaning to stop by. Fri, 27 Nov 2009 01:40:19 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/667682#5210254 http://www.chow.com/topics/667943#5210115 We go to Go Fish and Hana a lot, I kinda wanted to try something new... but maybe we will just stick with one of those... Thu, 26 Nov 2009 23:12:42 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/667943#5210115 http://www.chow.com/topics/646527#5209923 Went there yesterday. The crust was good, light and airy, had a nice texture and a fair amount of chew to it but the sauce and cheese need work. Too bland. And I suspect that the dough's made the same day since an overnight fermentation would definitely kick it up a notch in terms of flavor. It had a bread-like aftertaste. Could also use a tad more salt but that might slow down the fermentation and yeast activity. Thu, 26 Nov 2009 20:07:45 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/646527#5209923 http://www.chow.com/topics/669936#5209906 Today's Chron reports that Jennifer Millar of Sweet Adeline's and a partner are taking over the old Spud's space at Adeline and Alcatraz and expect to open Addie's Pizza Pie in February or March (all the permits are in place already). The menu will feature salads, thin-crust New York style pizza, and frozen custard, which Millar notes is not currently available in the area.. http://www.sfgate.com/columns/insidescoop/#ixzz0XzqgM5N3 Thu, 26 Nov 2009 19:50:00 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/669936#5209906 http://www.chow.com/topics/602919#5209655 mmm... bread and melted cheese! with your bowl of soup http://outerlandssf.blogspot.com/ Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:52:33 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/602919#5209655 http://www.chow.com/topics/669773#5209307 Thank you! I've been calling the Palace and leaving messages to find out the days for their holiday teas, without success. And I didn't see the link on their website but found it through your info. So thank you!! Susan Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:17:25 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/669773#5209307 http://www.chow.com/topics/668391#5209261 Sabaidee =) Rose Garden Thai & Lao Cuisine has some good dishes, but their menu is confusing to me. Though they have a section entitled "Laotian food", there's Lao dishes like "Khao Poon", "Khao Soy", "Pad Lao', papaya salad, etc.. that aren't listed in that section, but outside of it with the other menu items. Anyway, for authentic Lao foods I prefer going to That Luang Kitchen in San Pablo and Green Papaya Deli/Champ Garden/Vientian Cafe in Oakland, but I do enjoy the spicy Lao papaya salad at Rose Garden. Yes, That Luang Kitchen has an awesome Gaeng Keung Nai soup. The raw larb is delicious as well, but now I think I prefer the one at Green Papaya Deli. Thu, 26 Nov 2009 07:01:45 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/668391#5209261 http://www.chow.com/topics/540300#5209254 Are you saying that it was bad because a torta cubana is not a Cuban Sandwich or it was a poor example of a torta cubana? Thu, 26 Nov 2009 06:53:01 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/540300#5209254 http://www.chow.com/topics/666373#5209240 Lakeside Cafe has three ccourse turkey dinner for $18.95 on Thanksgiving. On Ocean Avenue just off of 19th in Lakeside Village the food is always well prepared and nicely presented. Not overly snobbish, just comfortable enough but a step above your basic neighborhood restaurant...good food, reasonably priced and even an early bird special. Thu, 26 Nov 2009 06:38:27 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/666373#5209240 http://www.chow.com/topics/423588#5209231 We like Singapore Old Town Cafe in Dublin in the Ulferts center. Thu, 26 Nov 2009 06:34:18 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/423588#5209231 http://www.chow.com/topics/327822#5209130 Not sure about Millie's. Seems a bit too "lafayettish" if the rest of you contra costans know what I mean. Best breakfast by far is Hickory Pit in WC. Best breakfast meats, large eggs, crispy waffles, fast service (especially at the very long counter). Thu, 26 Nov 2009 05:00:13 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/327822#5209130 http://www.chow.com/topics/669872#5209093 I just had some FroYo from this yogurt store in the International Marketplace in San Pablo. It's a self-serve soft-serve yogurt place. But I was suprised how tasty some of their flavors were. Flavors include Plain, Organic Plain, Mango, Chocolate, Pineapple, Taro, Pumpkin, some others I forgot. Mango and Pumpkin (suprisingly) were good. There were also a number of toppings optional. Anyways, I'll definately go back. Give this place a try if you're ever in the area. Limon Frozen Yogurt. 2300 El Portal Dr San Pablo , CA 94806 Thanks you for stopping by my post, Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:36:27 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/669872#5209093 http://www.chow.com/topics/669656#5209085 Seems like it's a famous type of wine so any Chinese market with a reasonable selection of Shaoxing wine should carry it. I found this website http://www.shaoxingwine.com.cn/ from a search for guyue longshan. My language skill are minimal but I was able to recognize (part) of guyue longshan 古越龙山. Some screen captures of the characters: Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:33:10 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/669656#5209085 http://www.chow.com/topics/669847#5208819 Thanks very much for the post! I last walked past the place a couple of weeks ago and could have sworn they wouldn't be ready until January. I'm glad I have a new Cantonese place downtown as I miss Joy Luck and wasn't tempted to return to Causeway Bay. Thu, 26 Nov 2009 02:04:22 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/669847#5208819 http://www.chow.com/topics/664542#5208763 Praise be. Recall stopping at Moosetta's with the kids, all three under nine, and telling them they could have something from McDonalds (more or less next door) if they didn't like anything. Everything was inhaled. So, tell me, will they do the old mushroom and cheese version? That was our favorite besides the beef...of course in those days they only had three versions, the third being a "vegetable" that was mainly cabbage. And of course the cookies. Thu, 26 Nov 2009 01:34:47 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/664542#5208763