235795 Sat Jul 29 15:02:22 -0700 2000 8 19 Outer Boroughs 0 1250068 I ate at Zum Stammtisch last night (am writing it up for my dining diary), and on my way home, I passed a german bar/restaurant I'd never heard of....and it's not in the white or yellow pages. Did I dream it? It's called Von Westernhagens, and it looks like the real deal. Has anyone heard of it? ciao Sat Jul 29 15:02:22 -0700 2000 0 Jim Leff 1 1250074 Ok, I answered my own question. Check out my dinner diary entry for 7/30. Sun Jul 30 00:29:02 -0700 2000 1250068 0 Jim Leff 2 1250090 Happy Damp Summer Everyone ! The Roast Pork Special ( Usually available ) is this man's fav. Believe it or not, their pounded shell steak with fried onions and a dark beer comes close. If you have never been to Zum, it is worth the trip. It's were I get to drag my chowhounds in training most every Father's Day. Why do people go to restaurants and stop enjoying their dinner ( sometimes less than 1/2 done ) and feel it is an obligation to bring home an extra meal ? Regards, JK Mon Jul 31 18:25:23 -0700 2000 1250074 0 john knoesel 3 1250091 Wait, John, what's the question, or is it a challenge? If you love your food, but are not accustomed to downing huge portions like those described, what's a hound to do? It's not that the food itself isn't good, it's the act of forcing it down that's not enjoyable. It seems so sad to leave half of a perfectly yummy meal on the plate. What's wrong with taking it home and enjoying it again another day? (I might not do it at the most fancy places, but at 99% of the places I go to - gimme that bag!) It doesn't feel like an obligation to me - rather a treat to get another crack at the meal. Mon Jul 31 19:09:32 -0700 2000 1250090 0 Helen 4 1250097 I'm definitely with Helen on this one. I have a somewhat small appetite, and I used to compensate by only ordering an entree or two appetizers or something. But then I realized I was cheating myself out of trying a wider variety of things on each visit. So now I order more than I know I'll be able to eat, and I eat a bit of everything. At the end of the meal, I make a decision about what I'd want to eat again and what I wouldn't. (Certain things, no matter how wonderful they were the first time, taste terrible warmed over.) I love taking home leftovers. I not only like to enjoy the meal again, I also like getting more value out of my restaurant dollar. Tue Aug 01 09:53:46 -0700 2000 1250091 0 Beth 5 1250111 I never looked at it from that angle. I guess since my appetite is average/hound size I rarely ever have a problem with the portions @ Zum and the like. I do prepare myself by basically fasting that day. A perfect example would be a churrascaria where you have to prepare yourself for some serious chowing. Also, I've never had restaurant food the next day that tasted anything close to the original meal. I'd rather hunker down and get the job done right the first time. It also just seems to me that the practice of doggie bagging has increased over the last decade. Best regards, JK Thu Aug 03 15:18:06 -0700 2000 1250097 0 john knoesel 6 1250130 John: Get the job done right the first time, you say? In my eyes, that would mean ordering TWICE as much as you could eat, sample half of everything and twice what you usually would, and bring 50% of your order home! Not only have I had leftovers that were as good as the first time, I've had stuff that was BETTER. The most extreme example being the veal stew at the Union Square Cafe, which I didn't like at all at its premiere, but tasted like heaven at its encore. Yes, I proudly took a doggy bag home from the Union Square Cafe, and they didn't even bat an eye. Another place for a superior doggy bag it Peter Lugers: and make sure they pack the bone so you can fight with it in your own home. Often, the best most sublime meat is closest to the bone. I pity the fools who leave so much as a scrap on their plate and let it go to waste. Why overeat when you can pack out and prolong your enjoyment? Leftovers are the food equivalent of the multiple orgasm! Mon Aug 07 22:04:34 -0700 2000 1250111 0 wayne 1 1250081 Jim - Unless things changed recently, the bar is open 7 nights a week but they only serve food Thursday to Sunday or something like that. I haven't been there in a while but their roastbraten use to be the appeal there. Beyond that I'm a Zumm bigot. Sun Jul 30 16:07:15 -0700 2000 1250068 0 Joe D. 2 1250082 I think the kitchen's open more nights now. Any of the hardcore german meats are killing (some even a bit more so than Zumm, I'll guess, though i haven't given either a full try-out yet). also, forgot to mention in "what I had for dinner last night"...the pickled string bean salad was a major surprise. It rocked. Also the red cabbage was pretty good. But I could see why you'd want to Zumm, Zumm, Zumm-a, Zumm...broader menu, with more reliable consistent quality. More "alive". This place is practically embalmed (though that means some good stuff is well-preserved...) ciao Sun Jul 30 16:35:09 -0700 2000 1250081 0 Jim Leff