TammyM wrote:

"You can get anything you want" - well, any CHEESE you want, at The Cheese
Board. Next time I go, I'll take a pic and provide a link. It's a
marvelous place - it's cooperatively owned. The owner-workers are just so
nice. They provide samples and info/advice about cheese (never thought to
ask them for any other kind of advice....) Whenever I go to Berkeley, I hit
what has become for me The Holy Trinity of foodie joints: The Cheese Board,
The Spanish Table and Andronicos. Unlike others here, I'm not a fan of the
Berkeley Bowl. But the Trinity! Makes for a great foodie trek for me.

I heart the Cheese Board, but I can get similar prices (though not
the selection) at the Berkeley Bowl, and the Bowl is in walking
distance (the Cheese Board's not), so that's where we usually get
our cheeses.

I still haven't been to the Spanish Table, and I should, since I
still miss the foods I ate in Spain when I was child.

Serene

TammyM wrote:

Say it ain't so, nb! OK, this clinches it, I'm making the trek to Berkeley.

TammyM, any old excuse will do

:-) If you do come out, let me know when if you want, and maybe
we'll meet at the Cheese Board for some foodie shopping.

Serene

On 2008-05-05, TammyM wrote:

Say it ain't so, nb! OK, this clinches it, I'm making the trek to Berkeley.

I'd go anyway, Tammy. Maybe they just had an off week, but I'm not so
enamored with TCB as I once was. OTOH, compared to where I'm at now,
everyything looks good. BTW, what don't you like about BB? I don't think
much of the rest of the store, but their produce is simply astonishing. As
for Andronico's, well, let's put it this way: their store closure in
Danville is no great loss, IMO.


Anyone visited the new Draeger's in the Blackhawk shopping center? The
original Blackhawk Supermarket was the first super-premium gourmet
supermarket I ever experienced and I was alway dumbfounded as to why it
failed, although that shopping center has never been entirely successful. In
light of its notorious lack of tenents and the failure of the 1st gourmet
market and the closing of Andronico's in Danville, I was again dumbfounded
as to why Draeger's would take the chance of building at that particularly
unlucky spot. Time will tell.

nb

Snipped

So, the crap we now call cheddar cheese is the result. Pathetic
stuff.

Ah, a man after my own heart. I find that most of the so-called
cheddar available here in RSA is 'tasteless' too. However, I recently
found a local brand called Butlers (think it's affiliated to some UK
brand) which is labeled "Extra Strong". Wonderful stuff - natural
cheddar - no funny colorants etc. Sharp and yummy, but of course,
expensive

I think most cheeses have gone tasteless. If you don't spend the money on
imported, you get crap. Kraft is junk, Helluvagood is junk, and even
Cabot is for crap. That's pretty much all that's offered here that's
affordable.

kili

That is true of wine around here Kili. Sometimes winerys will have an
excellent vintage that isn't sold here in retail locations. You can get it
retail outside the area but not here. They typically offer it at the winery
though.

On the cheese, we have found an import that is readily available in the
grocery store, Kerry Gold Dubliner, and it's really good. I like the
Tillamook Vintage Extra Sharp White Cheddar but not Kraft or the like, their
just oily to me and that makes them off putting.

Though it isn't sharp cheddar that we use most lately. There is a cheese
factory about 10 miles from our house. They focus on Gouda but they have
Edam as well which is tasty too. They also have quark which is a an
excellent substitution for sour cream and for ricotta cheese in lasagna.
It's nice to have something we can get right at the factory and not get
gouged on the price in a grocery store.

Cindi

"notbob" wrote in message
...
On 2008-05-05, TammyM wrote:

Say it ain't so, nb! OK, this clinches it, I'm making the trek to
Berkeley.

I'd go anyway, Tammy. Maybe they just had an off week, but I'm not so
enamored with TCB as I once was. OTOH, compared to where I'm at now,
everyything looks good. BTW, what don't you like about BB? I don't think
much of the rest of the store, but their produce is simply astonishing.
As
for Andronico's, well, let's put it this way: their store closure in
Danville is no great loss, IMO.

Maybe it was an off day, NB, but the store was just filthy. I walked in,
glanced around, and walked out. When I go to Berkeley again (and pick up
Serene along the way :-), I'll give it a go again. So many people rave about
it, it's worth giving it another try.

The thing I love about Andronicos is the quality of the meat. Whenever I
make the trek, I always take an ice chest with me because I stock up from
their meat counter. I'm told Whole Foods markets have fabulous meat too, but
I've never been to one. You know Sacramento, NB, so you know that Cortis is
the place to go for good meat. Taylor's is good too, and a bit closer to me
than Cortis (a helluva lot closer to me than Andronicos!). I also sometimes
buy meat at the under-the-freeway farmer's market.
snip

TammyM

"Serene" wrote in message
...
TammyM wrote:

Say it ain't so, nb! OK, this clinches it, I'm making the trek to
Berkeley.

TammyM, any old excuse will do

:-) If you do come out, let me know when if you want, and maybe we'll meet
at the Cheese Board for some foodie shopping.

That would be fun, Serene! Maybe we'll give Lin a call and make it a girls'
day out. You'll love The Spanish Table. I get my olive oil there, sherry
vinegar, lemon-stuffed olives, smoked paprika (although the last time I
went, I bought a LIFETIME supply of the stuff...) Sometimes I buy salt cod,
jamon serrano, mangego, membrillo..... happy sigh One of these times I'm
going to treat myself to a paella pan too!

TammyM

TammyM said...


"Andy" q wrote in message ...
TammyM said...

NB, my recollection is that you're in the SF Bay Area, yes? Or am I
hallucinating again? Have you ever tried The Cheese Board in
Berkeley? It's Alice's Restaurant for cheese :-)

TammyM, thinking it's time for another trek to Berkeley


Alice's Restaurant for cheese???


Explain!snip

"You can get anything you want" - well, any CHEESE you want, at The
Cheese Board. Next time I go, I'll take a pic and provide a link. It's
a marvelous place - it's cooperatively owned. The owner-workers are
just so nice. They provide samples and info/advice about cheese (never
thought to ask them for any other kind of advice....) Whenever I go to
Berkeley, I hit what has become for me The Holy Trinity of foodie
joints: The Cheese Board, The Spanish Table and Andronicos. Unlike
others here, I'm not a fan of the Berkeley Bowl. But the Trinity!
Makes for a great foodie trek for me.

TammyM


TammyM,

I've forgotten most of my Bay Area geography. Back in the 70s, those places
didn't exist or were just gaining favor.

Is the Berkeley Bowl the place on Ashby and Telegraph?

Best,

Andy

TammyM wrote:
"Serene" wrote in message
...
TammyM wrote:

Say it ain't so, nb! OK, this clinches it, I'm making the trek to
Berkeley.

TammyM, any old excuse will do
:-) If you do come out, let me know when if you want, and maybe we'll meet
at the Cheese Board for some foodie shopping.

That would be fun, Serene! Maybe we'll give Lin a call and make it a girls'
day out. You'll love The Spanish Table. I get my olive oil there, sherry
vinegar, lemon-stuffed olives, smoked paprika (although the last time I
went, I bought a LIFETIME supply of the stuff...)

I can't wait. I really want to make some Spanish chorizo for my
partner the way we did it in Spain -- douse it in high-proof
alcohol, flame it until the outside is charred and the inside is
warmed, and serve it on good bread. Yumma.

Serene

On 2008-05-05, TammyM wrote:

The thing I love about Andronicos is the quality of the meat.

Strange. That's why I DON'T miss Andronico's. I bought a $26 t-bone steak,
once (hand trimmed, aged for 2 wks, yada...). It was the most flavorless
chunk of slaughtered herd animal I've ever experienced. Cotton balls have
more flavor!

I've never been to one. You know Sacramento, NB, so you know that Cortis is
the place to go for good meat.

I know what it used to be. The last time I went to the original Corti Bros
on Folsom Blvd (5-6 yrs ago), it was a decrepit, run-down, dump. Talk about
filthy! Having shopped there as a teen, when it was a clean and classy
example of a gourmet store, I was shocked. They had no goose liver pate,
they had no decent cheeses, the wine selection sucked, the produce was
wilted, the cold cases were leaking fluids, and the floor tiles were coming
up. In short, it was disgusting mess and I've never been back. Such a sad
end to a pioneering store.

nb

On Mon, 5 May 2008 12:24:21 -0700, "TammyM"
wrote:


Maybe it was an off day, NB, but the store was just filthy. I walked in,
glanced around, and walked out. When I go to Berkeley again (and pick up
Serene along the way :-), I'll give it a go again. So many people rave about
it, it's worth giving it another try.


Try Monterey Market..it is smaller, more intimate, and the prices are
great. And their outside patio...ohmygawd... They have most of
their specials out there, and you never know what you will find. I
used to be able to get 3 or more bags of stuff, mostly from the
outside patio, and pay less than $10. They use a lot of little local
farms, among others, and run specials on things every day. And their
mushroom counter...wow.

However, it can look a bit dingy...but it is clean. They don't go
much for atmosphere.

Christine

sf wrote:
and it's not from a box!

1 pound pasta (elbow macaroni or penne)

1/2 cup butter
4 T flour
4 cups milk
1/2 pound or 3 cups shredded mild or medium cheddar cheese


I would add 1 to 2 tsp dry mustard.

4 cups milk

Optional:
1 cup commercial bread crumbs
2-4 T butter


Try Panko bread crumbs.

Melt the butter in a saucepan, take off heat. Add the bread crumbs
and stir.

Boil macaroni one minute less than according to directions in salted
water. Drain. Place in a large bowl. Dot with butter. After the
butter melts, sprinkle with flour and stir. Stir in cheese. Place in
a 9X13 baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray. Pour in
milk.

Bake for 30 minutes at 375° in the bottom third of the oven. Sprinkle
with buttered bread crumbs (if you wish) and bake for another 30
minutes.

Andy q wrote:

Is the Berkeley Bowl the place on Ashby and Telegraph?

That's a Whole Foods. (Although a relatively small one.)

The Bowl is on the west side of Shattuck a little north
of Ashby. Originally, it was on the east side of Shattuck
nearby.

Steve

Steve Pope said...

Andy q wrote:

Is the Berkeley Bowl the place on Ashby and Telegraph?

That's a Whole Foods. (Although a relatively small one.)

The Bowl is on the west side of Shattuck a little north
of Ashby. Originally, it was on the east side of Shattuck
nearby.

Steve


Steve,

OK!!!

I'm familiar.

Best,

Andy

On Mon, 05 May 2008 14:57:01 GMT, notbob wrote:

On 2008-05-05, sf wrote:

and it's not from a box!

Yeah, but it all taste like it is.

The problem with M&C, anymore, is that cheddar cheese has devolved into
crap. What used to be called "sharp" or even "extra sharp" now barely makes
it to "medium". The so called California Cheese is so devoid of flavor it's
but a sad joke. Even the once grand Tillamook Farms cheese, which I first
ran across in great pungeant 20lb wheels is but a shadow of it's former
self.

The last time I found GOOD cheddar cheese was at TJs. They used to sell a
3yr old cheddar that rocked. That stopped about 5 yrs ago. Anyone who
knows anything about cheddar knows it's the age that counts. Two years
minimum, IMO. Three is better. About 10-12 yrs ago, Raley's used to bring
in a 5 yr old cheddar from VT, right around Christmas time. That stuff was
awesome. This is no more. No one wants to wait 3-5 yrs. The bean counters
would have a stroke. So, the crap we now call cheddar cheese is the result.
Pathetic stuff.

I prefer crap cheddar for Mac & Cheese, it melts better.


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On 2008-05-06, sf wrote:

I prefer crap cheddar for Mac & Cheese, it melts better.

Hence, the culmination of eons of cheese evolution to that paradigm of the
the cheesemaker's art.... cheese whip.

nb