ANA Wine (or whine) Club

[leapyrtwins]

Dan -

onions and wine    Who knew 

Jan

[Debbi]

Onion cake and wine - sounds devine!  You might have bad breath, but you won't care!!

Jan, yes, definitely make a trip to Magnolia for the cupcakes!  However, if you are very limited on time, skip Magnolia and go straight to Ferrara's in Little Italy (Canal Street, just south of SoHo) and have espresso or capaccino and Italian pastries - absolutely to DIE for!  Lori will back me up on this, I'm sure!

[Lorenzo]

Dan, Ah yes, the fresh 'Most' -  Killer stuff!! Onion tart sounds great! I guess it's a form of quiche, or is it like the tarte flambee in Alsace?

Debbi, Ascoli Piceno is on the cards now. Great agriturismo near there, recommended by Slow Food.

Ferrara's? Missed that one when we were in NY. Sigh. Made it to Balducci before it closed, thankfully.

[lori67]

I love Little Italy - I could spend a whole day in Ferrara's.  Of course, I'd be too fat to fit out the door at closing time if I did!

I don't think I've ever been to Dot's in Ocean City - but there's a place on the Boardwalk there (can't remember the name, but I'd know it by sight) that has the best coconut macaroons!  I know all the good dessert places, don't I?

Lori

[Debbi]

Ascoli Piceno ... sigh.  My hubby and I had one of our most memorable meals ever there in a tiny little restaurant near the main piazza.  No menu, no English - you eat the 6 or 7 course meal that is served to you - along with unlimited vino locale. It was absolutely amazing and I think the entire dinner was about 25 Euro (several years ago, but still a great buy even at today's exchange rates...) 

I think Ferraras has been in NYC for over 50 years - my mother in law remembers going there as a teen, and she's 79 now...

Mangiamo!!

Debbi

[Jim Scott]

I think Ferraras has been in NYC for over 50 years - my mother in law remembers going there as a teen, and she's 79 now.

Their website http://www.ferraracafe.com/ says 'since 1892'.  116 years! 

Impressive, even though I'm not the connoisseur of Italian cuisine that you folks seem to be.  I'm more of a meat-and-potatoes guy, preferably well done beef and some French Fries will do, thanks.  However, I can appreciate fine food, whether I choose to partake of it or not.  Come to think of it, all this talk of food is making me hungry.  Luckily, my wife is grilling some chicken out on the patio.  See ya' later! 

Jim

[Sue]

OMG!  I went to that web site!  My blood sugar spiked just looking at those gorgeous pictures.  I LOVE the beauty of baked goods.  I know that probably sounds silly, but decorated cakes, and all those specialty desserts LOOK so artistic and so good.  They are just pretty.  Wow, wouldn't that be fun to be able to order something special from them for the holidays or something. 

Thanks for the link....I think! 

Sue in Vancouver

[lori67]

I figured it had been there for a while, but I didn't figure quite that long! 

I know when I was growing up, when my grandmother would come visit from Italy, she'd have to fly into JFK airport and she'd "make" my Dad stop at Ferrara's on the way back to our house to load up.  I always wondered how much they actually ate in the car on the ride home.

Jim, I have a feeling some nice Italian pastries would taste really bood after some grilled chicken!

Lori

[HeadCase2]

  I'm familiar with Dot's Bakery in Ocean City, NJ. It's at 34th and Asbury.  If you like donuts, Dot's is it.  Go early on weekends, it gets quite busy and they sell out. A lot of people realy go for their creme filled donuts.   Ocean City is "dry", so there is a large wine shop on the mainland side of the two bridges over to OC.  Both wine shops have good selections.
  The other food place to check out in OC is Mack & Manco Pizza on the boardwalk.  Really good "pie".  Just watch out for the sea gulls, they dive bomb the unsuspecting from behind and try to knock the slice right out of your hands.
Regards,
  Rob

[lori67]

Ah, yes, the divebombing seagulls.  What would the shore be without them?

Jan, Seaside is not "dry" - so some on down!  And they have Three Brothers from Italy pizza, which is like pizza on steroids - one slice will fill you up for the whole day!  Oddly though, there used to be 3 - Three Brothers from Italy pizza places down there, which made sense - last year when I went I counted 6 of them.  I think they're multiplying.   

Lori

[leapyrtwins]

Rob -

thanks for the wonderful tips. 

As for the seagulls, I can just hear my son now saying "You should have let me bring my pellet gun!" LOL

Lori -

we'll have to check out Three Brothers from Italy (the pizza, of course! not the brothers  ) and Mack & Manco Pizza.  IMO you can never have enough pizza!

Jan