MAX LONDON's in Saratoga Springs NY

Zach Cutler is Exec Chef and Genl Manager at my new favorite in Saratoga. Brunch at the Gideon on Sunday was atmospheric and plentiful. Sperry's and Hattie's lacked the veggies for Jeanne. And Fornos was good but service was odd and slow.
        And then there is Max and Zach! Attractive restaurant and a menu with something for everyone....and a great bakery attached. The  Caesar salad had just enough of an anchovy whiff to tantalize ..

Hail Caesar

You say tomato; Jeanne says mmm

A star chicken

and the fried chicken was char-rific with a gravy bonus. Jeanne loved her roasted tomato soup and veg app...New Zealand sauvignon fit the bill.  

KINGS COUNTY IMPERIAL ...20 Skillman Ave ...Williamsburg Chinese

Tracey Jane Young and Josh Grinker joined with Josh Foster to create Stone Park and they have become friends
and Stone Park is still a favorite but Grinker and Tracey with support from Foster have now given Brooklyn its missing link to Chinese food. And not just any Chinese food ,but a mix of dim sum and moo shu duck and Chinese greens and noodles and whole dorad.and more. As for ambiance ,
the style is a blend of Asian design and Williamsburg cool.
                And now to the item to ask for near opening time: Soup Dumplings...aka juicy buns.
We had two orders for 3 of us and could have had many more. With respect to all those who claim to serve the best soup encased dumplings...there are 3 aspects to a good soupy,slurpy, perfectly steamed
bun: 1 dough here it is thin enough to break when you want it to and twisted at the top just enough to grab ; 2 The soup must taste deep but not goupy..score! ; and 3 The crab and pork flavor should suggest that a feast is to follow...bingo! Yes, but are they the best I have ever had???................................. yes/YES.

pork shoulder shumai

pea shoots

chicken dumplings

Soup Dumplings

ZUM STAMMTISCH 69-46 Myrtle Ave in Glendale Queens "Got geese?"

The menu in the window said goose at Wallse fancy restaurant on 11st  and that triggered a sense memory which I mentioned to my son and our twin compulsive natures drove us to Heidelberg restaurant(closed Monday) and then chinatown (where one peking duck chef warned to beware of counterfeit geese ..Those restaurants who had advertised Xmas or new years geese removed them today from their menus. Said Corey ,"The only goose is in your old hood". And so we did the now cool L train (under which I was raised at theWilson stop  which had changed its name from Hamburg after WW1 broke out, but given the drop in President Wilson stock, it could change again).

Like Triangle Hoffbrau and Gebhards Restaurant(both gone), Zum has the Old School Germanic Umpah vibe and on Monday night they were packed. Waiting to serve us was the elegant and warm toasty veteran Nerina. On the plates assorted salats like cuke and beet and slaw...and red cabbage and spaetzle and..............GOOOOSE.  Our Goose was cooked... in a crisp and meaty slightly gamey memorable way. For more goose jokes create your own...we are too happy to josh.

ample pinot in a nostalgia glass

spaetzle

The golden goose