We have some wonderful restaurants out here in the L.A. area, and a fair variety, but....

After being in NYC and eating some wonderful meals there, along with seeing the huge variety of all ethnicities of food, I've come to the conclusion that perhaps it's the East Costers who should be more the authority when it comes to food critiques. (Noting of course that nobody's food is better then my mom's.)

Really, I thought Carmine's was excellent. I'll never forget it. Heck the pastrami sandwich I got from the Carnegie Deli was the best I've ever had. I never had a meal in NYC that I didn't love. (ok, maybe breakfast is pretty much the same anywhere, but still good...well although Chicago did have the multi-yoked egg).





TIS

Carmine's is fun, isn't it? There's actually one in Atlantic City now at The Tropicana. Has anyone been there????

You don't want to go to Shula's in Philly?

Because you didn't want to go.

Good thing I didn't huh?

All this talk of food is making me hungry....

Stay out of this forum if you're trying to lose weight.

You feeling better, Yogi??

Yes much better thanks SC
Back to work this afternoon for my sins....

I went to Shula's in Chicago for my birthday, not nearly worth the money. There's many, many better places to go for a steak that are better priced.

I used to eat at a steakhouse in Downtown Manhattan called 'Manhattan Prime' which was very good. Unfortunately they had to close down after the attacks of 9/11 because of their location. They also owned a Steakhouse in Chicago called 'Chicago Prime'

You familiar with it Longneck?

I have to tell you, we went to Charlie Brown's last week, which is my daughter's favorite place. I had the 24 oz. double cut prime rib. For $20, it was a damn good steak. I also enjoyed the salad bar.

Charlie Brown's is good. Another moderately priced chain where I had a good steak is Doc Holliday's. I don't know how widely they're spread throughout the country.

There is a 19th century establishment, called the Carsonville Hotel about 45 minutes from me, pretty much by itself in the middle of nowhere -woods and farmland. It's been maintained well and has a cabin feel to it, but they're famous for their large juicy steaks. People keep making the trip.

Klyd, those are some of the best places, the small, well-run ones. We had one here called The Saloon. Good food, great prices, always packed. Then it was rumored that the owner was gambling. Next thing we knew, the place had new owners and the food and service declined as quickly as the prices went up.

No, I live an hour from my house to downtown Chicago and really there's a lot of local restaurants in the area so I don't go to eat in Chicago much unless it's a special occasion.

My co-worker who grew up on southern cooking slow cooked some stew made up of 15 beans and smoked turkey. It would have been great except she put kayan pepper and hot sauce in it. Someone else came behind her and added more kayan pepper. Let's just say I have no sinus problems now.

I might try the recipe at home, minus the pepper and hot sauce.

So, are you going to let us know how it was???

I am so glad you asked SB. I(we) were very disappointed in the Shula's 347 in Norfolk. The food was just ok. Laveranda and Panico's were better imo. The restaurant was basicly empty. I guess each franchise is different. I would like to go to the Shula's Steakhouse in the future though.

Thats too bad, Mig. I don't expect that the difference between one of their steakhouses and their "347" restuarants made a difference, but I can only speak about the steakhouse in Itasca, IL (which was wonderful).

I'm dying for a steak now.

I'm surprised, too, Mig. I've never had a bad experience at a Shula's, but I do have a favorite----the one in the Yankee Trader Hotel in Fort Lauderdale. It's probably just the beach view, but I love it!

No worries. It's not the food it's the company you are with what makes it good. Spending time with Becky and her bf was worth it.

They have a Shula's 2 in Cleveland. I'll try them one of these days.

A very good butcher nearby runs a special every few months on NY strips ($3.98-419/lb), provided you buy the entire strip, which gives about 12-15 steaks. I package them in freezer bags, about three per bag. My sons love them, and my oldest will now cook them on the grill.

This past Saturday, I took a bag out to defrost. I told my son to speed up the defrost time by putting them in the microwave under defrost mode. This was done.

He began cooking them around 6:00PM when I was getting ready to take my other son to his baseball game. I told him, "Make a steak for yourself and mom, if she wants it, and grill the third one for your brother, so he can have it after his game."

He told me that there was only one steak in the bag. I couldn't believe it so I went out in the dark on the deck where the grill was on. The three steaks were still partially frozen and stuck together. He was disappointed that he was only going to get to eat a third of that giant ball of steak.

We have Charlie Browns over here but it is a garage chain.....

No tasty food to be had there...

I've learned that they have different types and styles of Shula's restaurants. And that may make a big difference.

Example :

Shula's 347 Grill Steak Choices :

The SHULA CUT® Steaks

8 Oz. Filet Mignon
14 Oz. New York Strip
16 Oz. Cowboy Steak


Shula's American Steakhouse Steak Choices

Steak Mary Anne
12 Oz. Filet Mignon
16 Oz. New York Strip
32 Oz. Prime Rib
24 Oz. Porterhouse
48 Oz. Porterhouse
22 Oz. Cowboy Steak
20 Oz. Kansas City Strip

Well, Mr. Babe loved the Shula's in Philly. He said that it was one of the best steaks that he's ever had. I didn't realize that there were different "types" of Shula's within the chain.

Klyd, our local market used to have a sale on shell steaks like that. I would have them butcher the whole shell and then cut off the tails. I would make ground meat out of the tails. YUM.

That's too funny about your son. Growing boys!!!

Miss Babe is right, those "tails" from the shell of beef make the BEST chopped meat.

Learn something new every day.

Shake a little onion powder on it and eat it raw. Delicious.

I'm hungry for corn bread in a glass of milk. YUMMY!!!

Little Matthew is now feeding himself at meal times.
Half of it goes up the walls and the dog gets the other half but he is getting the hang of it we think.....