Fat Guy

I suppose to be overrated one must first be rated. In that regard it's worth looking at the ten favorite restaurants of Zagat survey participants: 1. Gramercy Tavern 2. Union Square Cafe 3. Daniel 4. Gotham Bar & Grill 5. Blue Water Grill 6. Peter Luger 7. Babbo 8. Bouley 9. Jean Georges 10. Nobu To me, the most outrageous inclusion on that list is Blue Water Grill, an utterly unremarkable restaurant. Union Square Cafe at number two is also pretty silly, but at least Union Square Cafe is a very good restaurant. All the others, I can at least see the argument, even if I don't agree. So by that standard I would say Blue Water Grill and Union Square Cafe are the most overrated.

I think it's worth remembering that, for every well-regarded restaurant in the world, there are those who think it's overrated. This isn't surprising -- uniformity of opinion can rarely be found in the arts. Plenty of people thing Picasso and Hemingway are overrated too. And when it comes to restaurants the critical literature isn't all that well developed, plus you have the problems of inconsistency and fleeting taste memory. Nonetheless, I think when you take the example of Peter Luger (Rich, you devil, you found another opportunity to say Bern's is better than Luger's!), there is some pretty compelling evidence that supports the orthodoxy. For one thing, there are the numerous accounts of the purchasing practices of Peter Luger's owners -- time and again we hear testimony supporting the simple claim that Peter Luger buys the best. For another thing, while popularity can be deceptive and there can always be a failure of consensus, Peter Luger has such strong across-the-board support from such a seemingly agenda-free and diverse group of connoisseurs that it's hard to take the detractors all that seriously. I think David Rosengarten wrote the most authoritative review of Peter Luger on record, in Gourmet, based on six visits close in time plus many more visits over the long haul. It's one of those reviews that radiates authority. I think he nailed it.

I think the thing with Magnolia is that it's like the Peter Luger of the cupcake world, with challengers lining up to take their shots at the champ. I suppose if you just don't like porterhouse, you just won't like Peter Luger . . . and if you just don't like the almost candy-esque style of cupcakes at Magnolia, you just won't like Magnolia. Personally, I think Magnolia's cupcakes define the genre.

I've had about a hundred of them and I think they're excellent -- I like them because the icing isn't overly sweet and is made with non-crap chocolate. Magnolia, of course, is very strong in the cupcake department. There's also a place a block from my house called Yura that makes very good ones in a similar style to Magnolia (92nd and Madison, and they also have a branch on 92nd and Third).

I'd add Picholine to the list of restaurants that serve good risotto, but even the best restaurant risotto is not likely to be as good as what a competent cook would be able to make at home with the same ingredients. Risotto is just one of those dishes, like most pastas, that doesn't transfer all that well into the modern restaurant context.

It's interesting that the article contains two references to Costco but no apparent comments on the quality of Costco's rotisserie chickens. Having easily eaten my weight in Costco rotisserie chickens, I'd have been interested to see some tasting notes. I also think several of the New York City supermarket chains -- particularly Pioneer and Gristedes -- do a very good job with rotisserie chicken. I wonder if the Times just considers those to be beneath consideration. The list, as it is, reads less like a real tasting panel report and more like an inventory of the rotisserie chickens that foodies are supposed to like.

There was also the scene where Rory ordered coffee drinks in decreasing order of price, and there was the cake scene in Winston's -- I think that's what you're talking about with the "rum pot," which I think was "rum ball" as in a candy as an ironic alternative to a drink. Kirk's running dialog about how much he loves all of Luke's culinary mishaps was great, as was the repartee about corned beef hash versus hash browns.

I totally agree from a "when cheap is good" standpoint, but I'm now thinking about the "when cheaper is better" angle on this. To me, chicken livers are the cheap alternative to foie gras, and there are a lot of times when I'd prefer, for example, chopped chicken livers (Jewish appetizing style) to a pate or terrine based on foie gras.

So does this mean Im not a member of the gourmet subculture? I grew up prefering dark meat, but my tastes changed as I got older. And quite frankly, legs just gross me out. All that sinew and whatever else its called on the leg. Ick. I dont eat red meat either, so maybe that has something to do with it. ← Yes, please turn in your credentials at the door on your way out. Seriously, though, what I think it means is that you're probably not in line with majority opinion within your subculture. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Somebody has to be in the minority.

Were I a betting man, I'd say that both ADNY and Per Se will get three stars. But even setting aside all the political considerations (which I think will trump considerations of merit), since Michelin has not articulated the actual standards it will use, it's hard to predict which restaurant or restaurants will get three stars. What we can probably do is make a series of if...then statements, for example: If Michelin leans towards French three-star standards then ADNY and Per Se are the only two serious candidates for three stars. As between the two of them, ADNY is more along the lines of the French model, so under this set of assumptions ADNY would be first in line. or If Michelin means what it says about the primacy of food, then the field really opens up and Le Bernardin, Jean Georges, Daniel and several other restaurants (Bouley and Danube come to mind -- nobody cooks more like Joel Robuchon than David Bouley) need to be looked at seriously as candidates for best food. Not to mention, there are some serious contenders in the Japanese restaurant community.

The dark meat versus light meat situation pops up with respect to chicken, turkey and most other birds. There are reasonable people who prefer one or the other for various reasons, but it's a good example of a place where having a contrarian palate presents an opportunity. And in this instance, I'd hazard a guess that while the Western population at large favors light meat, the majority of those in the gourmet subculture prefer dark.

There was a nice mention of the NYC pizza survey in Newsday today: "Probably the biggest and most comprehensively detailed pizza quest is the ongoing "NYC Pizza Survey" at egullet. com, organized by the New York site director, Sam Kinsey. A bel canto opera singer with much experience eating pizza in Italy, Kinsey is obsessed with the Neapolitan-style pizza, in which thin pies are cooked in a hot wood- or coal-fired oven in three minutes or less. "What we're really interested in is, what is the crust like?" he said." More . . . http://www.newsday.com/features/food/nyc-p...-homepage-promo

I believe that is correct. I don't recall a Grimes review, or one by an interim reviewer. The best I can remember, the big shocker was that in the first round of reviews Tabla got three stars and Eleven Madison Park got two -- I'm sure that wasn't the plan!

What's the reasoning behind high-gluten flour? I don't actually know what kind of flour Patsy's uses -- it may very well be whatever generic wholesale stuff gets delivered to every pizzeria, or it may be a special order item -- but the dough gives some indications of being made from a relatively soft flour. Then again, appearances can be deceiving. I doubt they use a biga or any sort of preferment, or San Marzano tomatoes for that matter!

I think Prime versus Choice is a situation where more expensive is better. Allowing for some variation from specimen to specimen, and all other things being equal, on the whole a Prime New York strip is going to be better than a Choice New York strip. Some things are priced according to quality by the market, and to me the grades of beef are one of those things. Other things, however, are assigned high prices for reasons that don't seem to have anything to do with flavor. A filet mignon is one of the most insipid steaks imaginable. I can only assume it commands a high price on account of some combination of 1) tenderness misinterpreted as quality, especially by the subculture of rich people with uninspired tastes; 2) limited supply, because all other things being equal you'd have to charge more for filet mignon than New York strip because there's less tenderloin than striploin in a carcass; and 3) some sort of historical mistake and undeserved reputation perpetuated by marketing and ill-informed conventional wisdom.

Some maple syrup prices from PiecesofVermont.com: Vermont Fancy Grade $43.98/gal Grade A Medium $39.98/gal Grade A Dark $37.98/gal Grade B $34.98/gal

I prefer both Osetra and Sevruga caviars to Beluga. I'll take a New York strip over a filet mignon any day.

According to Jerry Shriver's USA Today article, linked to by Bilrus above, "One restaurant has earned three stars, though Michelin won't say which one." I think it will be Sripraphai.

ADNY already has three stars!

I might have to order one of these: the retailer I always recommend for stockpots, A. Best Kitchen, has heavy duty "braziers" made from 3004 aluminum alloy in a thickness of 6.4 mm -- that's a little more than 1/4". The 8-quart is only $49, plus $8.94 for the lid if you want it, which I don't because it takes a 10" lid and I already have more 10" lids than I can shake a stick at. Seems they're offering free shipping on this item as well. Then again, I might have to order one of these: there is a super sale on the Calphalon 8.5-quart "saucier" at Amazon right now. Only $33.88, and free shipping. The claimed list price on this pot is $180.

I know what you mean. The city is swimming in "brasseries" and "bistros" that serve very little actual classic French food. The West 40s and 50s used to be rife with old-school and inexpensive French places, many of which derived from the ocean liner business in that part of town (the French Line in particular). There are still some that continue in the same tradition. The cheapest I know of is Les Sans Culottes, where the prix fixe lunch is $12.95 and includes an appetizer spread of crudite, pate maison and dry sausages; a main course from a long list of classic French dishes (e.g., boeuf Bourgignon, riz de veau, frog legs with tomato and garlic); and dessert. Is it the best food in the world? No. But it is hearty, economical and tasty. Higher up on the food chain, but still quite reasonable, is Pierre au Tunnel. The same family owns Rene Pujol, which is a bit more upscale but still economical enough at lunchtime. Also in that neighborhood is the stalwart Chez Napoleon, which is well priced. There are also old-school inexpensive French places here and there around town. It would be great to get a list going.

It has two types of elements, which the manufacturer refers to as "near infra red" and "far infra red." The claim is that one type of element is good at browning the surface of food while the other is good at heating the interior. Whether it's true or not, one of the elements radiates both infrared and visible light, so it acts as a very bright, white oven light.

The thing about prime rib, with respect to Jewish cuisine, is that the rib is the best steak- or roast-like cut of meat that Jews who keep kosher will typically eat. Because the sciatic nerve runs through the short loin (which is the source of all the "steakhouse steaks" other than the rib: the New York strip, the filet mignon and the porterhouse) none of the cuts from the short loin are kosher unless the nerve is painstakingly removed (the nerve has many, many branches and requires a lot of careful work to remove entirely). This is virtually never done in North America or Europe, where the most economically viable move is just to sell the short loin to non-kosher purveyors. In Israel, where that option is not as available, it is worth investing the labor in removing the sciatic nerve, so you will find kosher porterhouse, filet mignon and New York strip-type cuts in Israel.

Most anodized aluminum cookware comes either with anodized aluminum lids or with stainless steel lids. My glass-lidded Calphalon Professional Nonstick II cookware is a difficult-to-find exception. I don't have a totally firm grasp on how a vessel's heat capacity relates to the metal's specific heat capacity and the construction of a Dutch oven. I understand that twice as much of the same metal will give the vessel double the heat capacity, but in terms of practical effect I'm not sure what that means for a braise. For example, what is the relevance of the lid's thermal capacity? Is the lid somehow radiating heat back into the environment of the vessel's interior? I thought the idea of the lid was mostly just to keep the steam in -- assuming it wouldn't crush it, if you put a 5-pound iron lid on an aluminum foil braising tray, would that increase in overall vessel heat capacity actually make a big difference? Also, just as the liquid and pot contents contribute to weight, they should contribute to heat capacity. Water has a pretty good heat capacity, I think. I wonder if, the more braising liquid you use, the less the vessel matters. I'm also wondering whether there's a point at which enough is enough in terms of heat capacity. For example, a 15-pound iron pot may braise better than a 5-pound iron pot, but will a 500-pound iron pot braise any better than the 15-pound one? In terms of thermal conductivity, I'm wondering how this becomes important. In an oven, it should be a pretty minor consideration within reasonable tolerances. On the stovetop, it would seem to promote even heating but be problematic on electric cooktops that cycle -- again assuming the cycle speed and conductivity combine to make a difference.

It appears to be a reprint of the piece discussed upthread, from the Times (London).