Tastyr Forum http://sf.Tastyr.com/talk This is an XML content feed of; Tastyr Forum : Last 10 Posts Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:45:30 +0000 Sun, 24 Aug 2008 01:35:23 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Web Wiz Forums 8.04 30 sf.Tastyr.com/talk/RSS_topic_feed.asp Tastyr Forum http://sf.Tastyr.com/talk/../images/icon_Bubble_square3.gif http://sf.Tastyr.com/talk General Food / Restaurant Discussion : New Datacenter http://sf.Tastyr.com/talk/forum_posts.asp?TID=191&PID=840#840 Author: wayne lambright
Subject: New Datacenter
Posted: 24 Aug 2008 at 1:35am

Hello Friends of Tastyr,

We outgrew our bandwidth capacity of 10mbps at the previous datacenter.  San Francisco Datacenter pricing is becoming prohibitively expensive, in an effort to grow tastyr I moved to a new datacenter outside San Francisco.  I keep the twitter updated.

Tastyr status: UP
Know issues: new restaurants now showing on home page.

twitter.com/lambright 

Thanks

Wayne


 


Edited by wayne lambright - 24 Aug 2008 at 3:30am]]> Sun, 24 Aug 2008 01:35:23 +0000 http://sf.Tastyr.com/talk/forum_posts.asp?TID=191&PID=840#840 General Food / Restaurant Discussion : Mitchell's Ice Cream http://sf.Tastyr.com/talk/forum_posts.asp?TID=185&PID=839#839 Author: tastebud
Subject: Mitchell's Ice Cream
Posted: 19 Aug 2008 at 8:44pm

Thanks Angela! That really helped me.
I looked up www.mitcellsicecream.com just now. I am impressed with all their awards, claims of importing tropical fruits, and use of genuine Kahlua and Bailey's rum.
 
Next time I am downtown, see me there. In the meantime, can any Mitchell fans tell me their favorite flavors, please? (How do I choose?)
]]> Tue, 19 Aug 2008 20:44:01 +0000 http://sf.Tastyr.com/talk/forum_posts.asp?TID=185&PID=839#839 General Food / Restaurant Discussion : Mitchell's Ice Cream http://sf.Tastyr.com/talk/forum_posts.asp?TID=185&PID=838#838 Author: angela von buelow
Subject: Mitchell's Ice Cream
Posted: 19 Aug 2008 at 10:38am

Mitchell’s ice cream is on the lighter side, slightlywhipped, airy, and soft like gelato. The major point of difference? THE UNIQIEFLAVORS. They have ice cream flavored with fruits I’ve never heard of, now thiswould not be so unique if it was a new trendy gelato café but Mitchell’s has along history here in the bay area. Generations have enjoyed the trek, the waitand the pay off … the cone. It’s a rite of passage.

 

BTW I appreciate the comments about the quality of the ingredientsby healthful living. It would be nice if Mitchell’s offered an all-organicversion of some flavors. I bet it would be wildly popular.

Enjoy!

 

]]> Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:38:23 +0000 http://sf.Tastyr.com/talk/forum_posts.asp?TID=185&PID=838#838 General Food / Restaurant Discussion : Mitchell's Ice Cream http://sf.Tastyr.com/talk/forum_posts.asp?TID=185&PID=837#837 Author: tastebud
Subject: Mitchell's Ice Cream
Posted: 10 Aug 2008 at 12:52pm

I have a burning question to ask Angela or other repliers:
How does Mitchell's ice cream taste different from the others? I never have one before.
 
In my personal taste spectrum on ice cream, I can differentiate sweetness, creaminess, texture, richness, flavor and food additives (nuts, candies, etc).
 
At present my most favorite ice cream is Italian style gelato. I like its balance of sugar (not too sweet), cream (not too heavy), and the texture (not totally homogenized, has stringy or gluey tapering after licking). Gelato Classico in Palo Alto makes very decent local gelato, with limited flavors. BTW, I found the best authentic gelati in Florence.
 
American ice creams are generally too sweet, too rich and too icy for me. If I have little choice, I would pick Haagen Dazs or Dreyer's. I would love to try some local or independent brands.
 
European ice creams are very light, almost unsweetened and very smooth, whether in Sweden, Finland or Austria. You can buy Nestle ice cream here to taste the difference.
 
Do you know in Vancouver B.C. there is La Casa Gelato ice cream parlor that sells more than 200 flavors, all home made? Their garlic and wasabi gelati are out of this world!
]]> Sun, 10 Aug 2008 12:52:50 +0000 http://sf.Tastyr.com/talk/forum_posts.asp?TID=185&PID=837#837 General Food / Restaurant Discussion : Mombo's Pizza retorts http://sf.Tastyr.com/talk/forum_posts.asp?TID=190&PID=836#836 Author: mombospizza
Subject: Mombo's Pizza retorts
Posted: 09 Aug 2008 at 7:36pm

Firstly, I believe you meant to say "abstruse" but if you insist on calling your remarks "obtuse" I won't quibble.

So my gas fired stone decked ovens are almost electric, my 100% whole milk high butterfat mozzarella is almost Poly-O, I almost didn't deserve the 5 star rating awarded to me every single year by the Sonoma County Environmental Health Dept. for both my restaurants, your wife is practically a chef and you're almost an authority on the economics of running a successful restaurant. Jesus man,if you can't qualify your statements then don't assert them as facts. And get a life.]]> Sat, 09 Aug 2008 19:36:18 +0000 http://sf.Tastyr.com/talk/forum_posts.asp?TID=190&PID=836#836 General Food / Restaurant Discussion : Mombo's Pizza retorts http://sf.Tastyr.com/talk/forum_posts.asp?TID=190&PID=835#835 Author: samarati
Subject: Mombo's Pizza retorts
Posted: 06 Aug 2008 at 10:50am

Hi All,
 
Ummmm! Right to the point?  Maybe my humour is a little too obtuse when I voice a valid food criticism.  I do try to soft sell my opinion when it is not complimentary.  But to the point - Blodgett Gas Oven,  Vulcan Electric  Oven, what's the difference?  Neither are a Wood Fired, Hand made ceramic / stone traditional Italian bread oven.  That's what the GOOD pizzerias use.   Your whole milk Mozzerella, is it Polly-O?  Aka"Mozerella gumball".  Your cheese sure isn't being made by Cowgirl creamery or another local high quality cheese maker.
 
Mr Mombo also ignores the comments that I originally made.  The joint is filthy dirty, my wife Bambie was outraged by the grime on the tables, floors, and walls.  The pizza cooks look like they were covered in an equal amount of grime.
 
Mr. Mombo I do congratulate your business success.  You get good reviews elsewhere.  Enjoy those.  I prefer gourmet pizza made at Rosso  in Santa Rosa, DiAvola in Geyserville, & The Red Grape in Sonoma.
 
The number of people who read my reviews here at SFSurvey are a drop in the bucket compared to your established customer base.  The SFsurvey readers lean towards gourmet tastes, they are not going to be future loyal customers at Mombo's.
 
With your decades of successful restauranting experience, I'd love to see you expand into another location and make a sincere effort towards selling good food.  I'd love to see you compete with Lococo's or Santi.
 
There's serious money in Good food, and there certainly are not many Good restaurants in Santa Rosa.  Give it a think...
]]> Wed, 06 Aug 2008 10:50:49 +0000 http://sf.Tastyr.com/talk/forum_posts.asp?TID=190&PID=835#835 General Food / Restaurant Discussion : Mombo's Pizza retorts http://sf.Tastyr.com/talk/forum_posts.asp?TID=190&PID=834#834 Author: mombospizza
Subject: Mombo's Pizza retorts
Posted: 05 Aug 2008 at 10:58pm

Bingo! You went right to the heart of the issue. Look, I've been cooking professionally since I was 14 and have owned a dozen restaurants in various towns and cities, in and outside California over the last 25 years. I can handle criticism and the idea that not everybody will love what I do. My issue with Samarati only regards the misinformation he spread about Mombo's, so I can only assume he's done it to others as well. Both Mombo's, in Santa Rosa and Sebastopol, have the kitchen built behind a giant plate glass window that faces the street. Anybody walking up to the place will immediately see very large gas fired, stone deck pizza ovens. To say we use  electric ovens and inexpensive cheese is patently untrue and unfair. Say what you will about not caring for a place but please, don't spread untruths.]]> Tue, 05 Aug 2008 22:58:56 +0000 http://sf.Tastyr.com/talk/forum_posts.asp?TID=190&PID=834#834 General Food / Restaurant Discussion : Mombo's Pizza retorts http://sf.Tastyr.com/talk/forum_posts.asp?TID=190&PID=833#833 Author: ThurstonHowell
Subject: Mombo's Pizza retorts
Posted: 16 Jul 2008 at 10:32pm

Ohhhh. sounds like the owner got defensive on his sauce that although not crawling out of a #10 can, obviously tastes like that for our tasty reviewer Samarati! If the proprietor takes defense to professing the benefits of gas, one should be more reaching to find out why the pie doesn't taste like one made as such. Maybe he can fool some tastytesters with a little essence of burning oak, and call it a NY style pizza from a wood burning oven. The benchmark for Santa Rosa, is not high enough to really worry about this place since although popular, the reason being is that it across the street from the Junior College. hence the grubby employees and patrons. My only experience was to meet some students there over a cheap pizza, (not memorable) but cheap eats, for the students, and I do remember sticky grimy tables, so at least part of the review was right on the point! Hey, it the perception of the writer, and maybe the owner needs to work on making the product taste better than the non collegiate patron, but then again, I am a food snob! And I enjoy eating a places that I don't have to immediately have to take a shower or shampoo to get the "bare essence" out.


Edited by ThurstonHowell - 06 Aug 2008 at 9:40pm]]> Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:32:59 +0000 http://sf.Tastyr.com/talk/forum_posts.asp?TID=190&PID=833#833 General Food / Restaurant Discussion : Mombo's Pizza retorts http://sf.Tastyr.com/talk/forum_posts.asp?TID=190&PID=832#832 Author: tastebud
Subject: Mombo's Pizza retorts
Posted: 15 Jul 2008 at 10:16pm

I am glad I don't have to wait too long for samarati to post a rebuttal. Otherwise I would jump the gun and post a thread named "what a backlash!"

My impression of samarati from reading his many reviews is that he is truly a colorful foodie with strong opinions and striking characters. However, last night I went back to his many recent neutral and negative reviews and found that apparently he broke one unspoken rule in recent months.

That is, he can describe in some reviews certain things that he did not know for a fact. For example, about using electric oven, the sauce comes from a can, factory cheese, from a vendor in a NY City subway station, Sysco frozen patty, school cafeteria crap, rather eat a burger king whopper, came from an airport commissary, get better versions at any Safeway supermarket, made by an Iowa food processing factory . . . . Some of these things might happen in general or in some restaurants he knew of before. But is he sure that it actually happens in the restaurant under review? Mombo's review actually has proven him wrong in some of his speculations.
 
So here is why I conclude that he got a backlash. One can say that the food is terrible, tasteless, tough like leather, greasy greasy greasy, or even flat and ugly. But when one speculates on the source of food ingredient, how the food was made, or compares the food to some fast eatery or supermarket, it could be construed as fictitious, malicious and insulting. I think samarati has crossed the line in that regard.
 
It is crucial for every objective and good-natured reviewer to remember to write what you can see and taste about the food, and not what you imagine how the good or bad food came about that way.
 
I salute Mombo's Pizza for the gutsy review to protest a misdeed while setting the record straight. I also admire samarati for standing up and showing his true self. Having said these, now I hope I am not going to be caught in any crossfire!


Edited by tastebud - 16 Jul 2008 at 11:49am]]> Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:16:51 +0000 http://sf.Tastyr.com/talk/forum_posts.asp?TID=190&PID=832#832 General Food / Restaurant Discussion : Mombo's Pizza retorts http://sf.Tastyr.com/talk/forum_posts.asp?TID=190&PID=831#831 Author: samarati
Subject: Mombo's Pizza retorts
Posted: 15 Jul 2008 at 1:10pm

On July 13th the owner of Mombo's pizza wrote his own review on this website. He challenged some of the opinions that I stated about his pizzeria.  He admirably defends his position. I do enjoy dialog.  But realize that we New Yorker's do not "dialog" - We argue.

Here's my response:
*I'm NOT an expert.  I'm a "foodie" I also cook well.   I'm married to a professional level chef.   I prefer food & drink made from good ingredients that is prepared well.

*People read & enjoy my food reviews because there's a glimmer of hope that I'm going to deliver at least one witty gem about a restaurant or unique dish of food.

*I am NOT a food snob. I prefer reasonably priced good food. I appreciate stratospherically priced Gary Danko, but I’ll eat there once every 10 years. My heart, head, and budget leans towards homey bistros & family owned trattorias. In Sonoma County I most often eat at Café Citti, where a whole roast chicken costs $9.95
*I am 3rd generation NY Italian - (I have the steamship manifests from my paternal grandfather and grandmother who arrived on Ellis Island in 1909).  I lived in New York City’s east village from birth until I was 21 years old.  I ate some really great NY pizza, but unfortunately I had even more really lousy NY pizza.  Even as a youngster I was always looking for new & different places to dine, seeking greener pastures but often landing in a dried-out weed lot.

*Mombo’s does make NYC style pizza.  I call the style "subway station poverty pizza”.  It is not the kind of pizza that I enjoy.
*Yet I am in a minority here.  Mombo's is a successful business.  Mombo's regularly wins awards from the Sonoma County weekly free newspapers.  Mombo's has gotten raves from many customers on other restaurant review websites. Mombo’s is popular
*My unflattering review for Mombo’s stands, warts & all, despite the owner’s displeasure with it.   My opinion of the pizzeria is not the popular one.  But maybe more honest than most.

*If you want a good pizza in Santa Rosa – Sonoma County that is served in a nice clean restaurant; go to Rosso on Montgomery Drive.



Edited by samarati - 15 Jul 2008 at 9:03pm]]> Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:10:51 +0000 http://sf.Tastyr.com/talk/forum_posts.asp?TID=190&PID=831#831