Online Chat

Here is an excerpt from Craig LaBan's online chat: Craig LaBan: It's been a rough few months here at The Inquirer, with big-time layoffs, etc., but what a ray of sunshine and jolt of energy when our education team won the Pulitzer for their amazing "Assault on Learning" series. Kudos! But … where to get a reservation for 30 on a moment's notice when the obvious Center City places are already booked with a convention? The answer was Le Virtu, the authentic Abruzzo wonder in deep South Philadelphia.

Inquirer television critic Jonathan Storm and Daily News critic Ellen Gray will host an online chat from from the television critics' press tour at 11 a.m. Thursday at . Read Storm's dispatches from the press tour in the newspaper and on his blog, "Eye of the Storm," at .

Here is an excerpt from Craig LaBan's online chat: Craig LaBan: Last week was my wedding anniversary, so I dusted off the dinner I cooked 15 years ago when I proposed to Elizabeth — seafood linguine with garlic bread. I would have gone all-out with a shellfish stock reduction, rare seafood, and a pop of Pernod. But Elizabeth prefers a simpler touch: I sweat garlic, onions, and chile flakes in olive oil, then add a splash of white wine. Once reduced, I add a can of hand-crushed Mutti tomatoes (from Eataly)

John Gonzalez's online chat with readers will be Wednesday at noon on philly.com.

Where's the best coffee in town? Join Inquirer restaurant critic Craig LaBan and special guests for an online chat about the region's independent roasters and coffeehouses Tuesday at 2 p.m. at . See The Inquirer's special project, including an interactive map of the area's best cafes at .

What's on your wish list this holiday season? Perhaps a designer dress, perfectly paired accessories, and makeup to tie it all together? Well, quit wishing, says RentTheRunway.com, a designer fashion-rental website that lends high-end looks for 10 to 15 percent of their retail price. It was founded by Jennifer Hyman and Jennifer Fleiss, who met at Harvard Business School. Site visitors can browse dresses by more than 150 designers, such as Escada, Nicole Miller, Lela Rose, and Rachel Roy. When they find something they like, they can have it shipped in two sizes to help ensure a good fit. For an extra $25, they can select another dress style as a backup and have it delivered in two sizes as well.

A Haddonfield police officer was arrested yesterday and charged with abuse on allegations that he solicited sex from a 15-year-old boy via an Internet chat room. Jeffrey M. Goetschius, 36, who joined the Police Department two months ago, met the South Jersey boy within the last week in a chat room frequented by youngsters, investigators said. They said Goetschius and the boy followed up the online chat with telephone conversations. The boy's mother notified police. Goetschius was arrested at the Camden County Prosecutor's Office after being questioned.

As his self-imposed deadline looms for a decision on where to build a new ballpark for the Phillies, Mayor Street did little to show his hand yesterday. He did say, however, that several of the locations under discussion would likely be targeted for economic development even if they ultimately are not chosen for a new ballpark. "The Port Richmond site is now on the map. The incinerator site is now on the map. Twelfth and Vine is now on the map. The waterfront in a general way has been called to our attention," said Street, who promised to make his decision "within a week.

Here is an excerpt from Craig LaBan's online chat: Craig LaBan: Last week was my wedding anniversary, so I dusted off the dinner I cooked 15 years ago when I proposed to Elizabeth — seafood linguine with garlic bread. I would have gone all-out with a shellfish stock reduction, rare seafood, and a pop of Pernod. But Elizabeth prefers a simpler touch: I sweat garlic, onions, and chile flakes in olive oil, then add a splash of white wine. Once reduced, I add a can of hand-crushed Mutti tomatoes (from Eataly)

Here is an excerpt from Craig LaBan's online chat: Craig LaBan: It's been a rough few months here at The Inquirer, with big-time layoffs, etc., but what a ray of sunshine and jolt of energy when our education team won the Pulitzer for their amazing "Assault on Learning" series. Kudos! But … where to get a reservation for 30 on a moment's notice when the obvious Center City places are already booked with a convention? The answer was Le Virtu, the authentic Abruzzo wonder in deep South Philadelphia.

What's on your wish list this holiday season? Perhaps a designer dress, perfectly paired accessories, and makeup to tie it all together? Well, quit wishing, says RentTheRunway.com, a designer fashion-rental website that lends high-end looks for 10 to 15 percent of their retail price. It was founded by Jennifer Hyman and Jennifer Fleiss, who met at Harvard Business School. Site visitors can browse dresses by more than 150 designers, such as Escada, Nicole Miller, Lela Rose, and Rachel Roy. When they find something they like, they can have it shipped in two sizes to help ensure a good fit. For an extra $25, they can select another dress style as a backup and have it delivered in two sizes as well.

An excerpt from Craig LaBan's online chat: Craig LaBan: I'd love to hear about your holiday triumphs (and disasters, too.) I nearly had one when I arrived at Kaufman's produce stand on Wednesday to realize there wasn't a single Brussels sprout in the entire Reading Terminal Market. I improvised when I came across these stunningly colorful cauliflowers at the Fair Food stand, and made them Sicilian-style according to a Vetri recipe (blanch, sauté in anchovy olive oil and butter, then bake with Parmesan breadcrumbs, golden raisins, and pine nuts.)

In a recent "Ask Al" online chat at Philly.com, a reader posed the $64,000 question: What's the point of interest rates being as low as 3.9 percent when no lender seems all that eager to give you a mortgage, or to refinance the one you have? Rather than being a call to take advantage of a bargain, low mortgage-interest rates are a reflection of the sorry condition of the economy. If investors, fearing a resumption of recession, pull their money out of the stock market and put it into safer Treasury bonds, mortgage rates respond by dropping.

Here is an excerpt from Craig LaBan's online chat: Reader: Enjoyed your reviews of the newer spots at the Shore. Curious if you ever consider doing reviews of old standbys to give folks a heads up whether they are treading water on reputation. For example, is 410 Bank as good still? Is the Lobster House worth visiting? How about a little-mentioned restaurant, Karen and Rei's . . . got hype when they were in Avalon, and then they moved and no one mentions them . . . is there a reason?

John Gonzalez's online chat with readers will be Wednesday at noon on philly.com.

Bird's Eye View: www.philly.com/philly/blogs/inq-eagles/ Here are excerpts from Wednesday's online chat with Andy Reid and Eagles beat writer Jeff McLane on Philly.com: Comment from Nick: Is the offensive strategy going to change much now that you've had an offseason to prepare knowing [Michael] Vick is your starter? Andy Reid: Nick, not really. We'll just try to refine some things coming out of the season that we thought we should work on, but the offense will remain the same.

Here is an excerpt from Craig LaBan's online chat:   Craig LaBan: Today's guest on our chat is Michael Solomonov, the chef and co-owner of Zahav who last week won the James Beard Foundation award for best chef in the Mid-Atlantic. Who were the two or three biggest chef influences on your career? I'd like to hear about your time at Vetri, of course. But also your experience at Striped Bass with Terence Feury. He's chatting from a computer deep in Cook+Solo Restaurants HQ. (The "Cook," by the way, is Steven Cook, Solo's partner in Zahav, Percy Street BBQ, and Xochitl, and his former boss at Marigold Kitchen.)

Here is an excerpt from Craig LaBan's online chat :   Craig LaBan: There's a lot to talk about, beginning with stellar news over at Zahav, whose chef and co-owner, Michael Solomonov, was named Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic region by the James Beard Foundation Monday night. A major honor for a talent that really deserves it - one of our most creative, and uniquely personal chefs. Meanwhile, Solo's alma mater, Vetri, did not win Best Restaurant in America (Eleven Madison Park took that grand prize)