function thread(threadid, title, postuserid, poster, threaddate, threadtime, message, replies) { this.threadid = threadid; this.title = title; this.postuserid = postuserid; this.poster = poster; this.threaddate = threaddate; this.threadtime = threadtime; this.message = message; this.replies = replies; } var threads = new Array(4); threads[0] = new thread(182512, 'Best Restaurants', '24639', 'Rainer.', '11-20-2009', '03:31 PM', 'As a complete food addict, and avid culinary traveler, I\'m always (always!) looking for new places to go, new things to taste, and overall checking out the best places from around the country.\n\nSo where are your favorite local places to go? And in the interest of at least my own personal use, I\'m going to use this post as a place to keep all the recommendations indexed. Location, Cost, and any Must Haves. :) The more unique, the better!\n\nI\'ll try to edit all the recommendations into this post if I can, let\'s see how this works out. :lol: I\'ll start out with the places I can think of.\n\n(Cost scale: $ cheap eats, $$ casual eating, $$$ nicer sort of place, $$$$ good and expensive)\n\n\n\nWashington\n\nDic\'s Drive In\nLocation: Seattle, WA\nCost: $\nGotta Get: Dic\'s Deluxe (1/4 lb burger)\nSeattle\'s classic drive-in, get burgers, fries, and old fashioned shakes.\n\nBizzarro Italian Cafe\nLocation: Seattle, WA\nCost: $$$\nGotta Get: "Forest Floor Frenzy" - Mushrooms and parpedelle.\nA small, quirky Italian restaurant in the neighborhoods of North Seattle. Great hand-made pastas and always an adventure.\n\nSaigon Bistro\nLocation: Seattle, WA\nCost: $$\nGotta Get: Banh Xeo - Vietnamese Meat-filled Crepe\nIn the busy heart of Seattle\'s Little Saigon is this authentic Vietnamese lunch spot, serving traditional dishes that you won\'t find at any pho joint.\n\nCedar\'s Mediterranean\nLocation: Seattle, WA\nCost: $$\nGotta Get: Butter Chicken\nThis favorite sit-down spot for UW students has a wide selection of Indian curries as well as tandoori cuisine. Try the gyro, too.\n\nHouse of Hung - New Hong Kong Restaurant - Jade Garden\nLocation: Seattle, WA\nCost: $$\nGotta Get: Dim Sum\nDim Sum, the Chinese meal of hot tea and small steamed dishes of seafood and meats is always a favorite around here for a fun group meal. This trio of restaurants in Seattle\'s Chinatown all compete for the weekend lunch crowds, but any of them is sure to give a good meal.\n\nRed Mill Burgers\nLocation: Seattle, WA\nCost: $\nGotta Get: Verde Burger and Onion Rings\nAmazing burgers at a great price. They also sure know how to make bacon. Killer onion rings, and a roasted chili "verde" burger.\n\nSpiro\'s Greek Island\nLocation: Kent, WA\nCost: $$\nGotta Get: Huge Lunch Gyro Sandwiches\nHidden in the suburb of Kent is a great Greek dining spot.\n\nTat\'s Delicatessen\nLocation: Seattle, WA\nCost: $\nGotta Get: The Pastrami\nA favorite Seattle lunch spot, serving fresh New York-style deli subs on fresh baked breads.\n\nSalumi\nLocation: Seattle, WA\nCost: $$\nGotta Get: The Meatball\nKnown for its authentic artisan cured meats, Salumi serves up as close to what a sandwich in the Tuscan countryside would be like in the heart of Seattle.\n\n\nMissouri\n\nTucker\'s Place\nCity: St. Louis, MO\nCost: $$\nGotta Get: Steak Specials\nBest steaks around for a way-more-than-fair price. Steaks come with huge potatoes, or try the lunch combo for a great soup and sandwich.\n\nArthur Bryant\'s\nCity: Kansas City, MO\nCost: $$\nGotta Get: Pulled Pork or Ribs\nThe definitive Kansas City BBQ spot, they make it, and make it good.\n\n\nTennessee\n\nRi\'chard\'s Cafe\nCity: Nashville, TN\nCost: $$\nGotta Get: Beignets!\nFriendly cajun food in a Nashville hideout. Live music, too.\n\nNoshville\nCity: Nashville, TN\nCost: $$\nGotta Get: The Reuben\nClassic deli-style fare in a laid-back atmosphere. Sandwiches are big and delicious.\n\nLas Paletas\nCity: Nashville, TN\nCost: $\nOutside of downtown, in a small corner with no sign, Las Paletas serves up the best popsicles you\'ve ever had in your life. No joke.\n\nMarche\nCity: Nashville, TN\nCost: $$\nA classy, open cafe downtown. Seasonal chef-chosen Euro-inspired favorites round out the menu.\n\n\nGeorgia\n\nFlip Burger Boutique\nCity: Atlanta, GA\nCost: $$\nBurgers with a gourmet twist. Strange, yet fascinating. Try a liquid nitrogen milkshake while you\'re at it.\n\nGladys Knight & Ron Winan\'s Chicken and Waffles\nCity: Atlanta, GA\nCost: $$\nLong lines, but really, really good fried chicken and other assorted comfort foods.', '0'); threads[1] = new thread(181980, 'Soda!!!', '8127', 'FTS', '11-05-2009', '06:15 PM', 'So, I know there have got to be some other soda loving people out there. I saw this fantastic interview on boingboing.net with the owner of the worlds greatest soda pop store.\r\n\r\n[url=http://www.boingboing.net/2009/11/03/video-about-worlds-g.html]Video about world\'s greatest soda pop store - Boing Boing[/url]\r\n\r\nI really want to visit this place and drink one of every soda they have. It looks incredible! And the owner seems like a really great guy.\r\n\r\nWhat\'s the weirdest soda you\'ve ever had the privilege or horror of drinking?', '17'); threads[2] = new thread(181525, 'Superior hamburgers', '15226', 'Ted Logan', '10-23-2009', '10:28 AM', 'I saw a thread about buying "meat patties" and thought, "I\'ve GOT to do something about this!! If you\'re the kind of person who thinks, "Hamburgers are okay, sometimes," then you\'ve never had a superior hamburger (which will convert you into a hamburger LOVER). Here are some rules to TRANSFORM your burgers.\r\n\r\n
  1. Never, EVER, EVER buy pre-formed patties, use frozen beef, or make a burger from beef that is leaner than 85% lean. The more a burger is handled, the less beefy it will taste. Beef that\'s been sitting in a patty for five hours in the butcher\'s section is NO GOOD. Frozen beef tastes like bread crumbs. Lean beef does not taste like beef. To state this rule positively:\r\n
    1. ALWAYS buy FRESH, NEVER FROZEN, unformed ground beef that is 85% lean or lower (80% is tastier).
    2. \r\n
  2. When you\'re ready to make the patties, let the meat sit on the counter for 20-30 minutes before forming them. This will make the meat stick to your hands less, and since it\'s not 36 degrees, it won\'t make your hands freezing cold, either. Wet your hands slightly before making the patties.
    3. \r\n
  3. To make perfect patties, separate the meat into equal sized lumps, and then form them into [i]rough[/i] patties. Don\'t smash them into the tightest disc you can make - over-compressing the patties will diminish the textural pleasure (mouthfeel) of the burger, and will even affect the flavor. A roughly formed patty, on the other hand, will [i]not[/i] lose more moisture on the grill (so you don\'t have to worry about that), and it will taste and feel succulent in your mouth. To quote every cookbook I\'ve ever read, [i]handle the meat as little as possible when making the patties.[/i]
    4. \r\n
  4. Add NOTHING to the meat except for a couple carefully-chosen spices. Don\'t add egg, bread crumbs, or ice chips. If you cook it correctly, a hamburger will turn out juicy and substantial without any of these. Salt and pepper is a winning combo, but use [i]freshly ground[/i] pepper if possible (you\'ll be shocked how much flavor that pre-ground pepper loses while sitting in the shaker). My favorite combo is a liberal sprinkling of garlic powder and lemon pepper. \r\n
    1. If you\'re going to add the seasonings after forming the patties (as I do), gently pat them into the surface of the burger. Contrary to common claims, the burger will retain the seasonings even if you don\'t mix them into the meat. On the other hand, if you insist on having seasoning throughout the meat, add them to the lump meat before patting; DON\'T try to "mix" it like dough; you\'ll ruin the texture of the burger.
      2. \r\n
    2. Keep it simple - cilantro and garlic might be a great combination, but you can easily add too many flavors to the burger. The beauty of a burger is that it is the perfect showcase for pure beef flavor without breaking your budget. A well-prepared burger doesn\'t need tons of "helps." Garlic and pepper can bring out the flavor, but many other seasonings mask it instead.
    5. \r\n
  5. If your burgers tend to plump, do what the Cooks Illustrated guide to grilling suggests - make the patties of uniform thickness, and then press the center of the patty so it is slightly thinner than the rest of the burger. Problem solved.
    6. \r\n
  6. DO NOT forget to let your fire (and the grill) get plenty hot. Preheat with the cover down. If you\'re cooking on charcoal, burgers cook best uncovered; on gas, the opposite is true.
    7. \r\n
  7. Just before you put the burgers on, scrape the grill grates. If you\'re going to oil the grates, do it now. If you have removeable grates, you can use a cooking spray to do this by holding the grates away from the grill, spraying, and then returning the grates to the grill (DON\'T spray over the flames - you might lose your eyebrows or WORSE). Honestly, though, with 80% lean beef, there\'s enough fat in the burger that you don\'t really need to oil the grate.
    8. \r\n
  8. Your fire [i]can[/i] be too hot. If your burgers end up black on the outside and pink on the inside, or if you end up with a cavity inside the burger, your fire was too hot.
    9. \r\n
  9. Let the burgers sit on the platter for 5 minutes after grilling. This is an absolute NECESSITY. During cooking, the juices within the meat migrate to the center of the patty. As the burger begins to cool, the juices spread back out. If you don\'t wait a few minutes to eat the burger, it will be bland and less pleasant. Your first bite might end up with a mouthful of boring beef in your mouth and a splash of precious, wasted juice on your plate.
    10. \r\n
  10. Consider grilling veggies alongside the burgers. Asparagus, tomatoes, onions, and mushrooms all make excellent hamburger toppings when grilled. A vegetable basket (the kind with lots of circular holes, not the kind with parallel wire) makes this incredibly easy.
\r\n\r\nOh, man, how I love burgers. Love love love love love.', '10'); threads[3] = new thread(181495, 'Pillsbury Grands are awesome', '15226', 'Ted Logan', '10-22-2009', '04:40 PM', 'I\'m just saying.', '6');