Andy Lynes

Ramsay's website has had a complete overhaul, and whilst it doesn't yet reflect the change at 33 St James, is well worth a look if you like that type of thing : Gordon Ramsay website.

I nipped in for a drink and a tour around the bakery when it first opened and I really liked the look of the place and the sound of the menu. I had the chance to sample some of the breads which I thought were lovely. I understand that press reviews have been mixed.

Minimum wage for non-tipped restaurant employees in the US appears to be $5.15 per hour, so at 60 hours a week they should be getting $309.00.

Marcus Wareing's Fleur has opened at 33 St James St. David Collard is the chef in residence, dishing up more relaxed menu in what the press release calls a "younger sibling to restaurant Petrus". He has formerly worked with Robuchon, Caines and Wareing. Fleur's claret leather banquettes are "inviting" we are told, and the whole experience is designed to be less formal and involve less ceremony than the elder restaurant, which is due to re-open at The Berkelely on 7 September 2003. All dishes are seperately priced and customers will be able to order a single course. The launch menu is very reasonably priced and I will be interested to see how long they are maintained - starters are £4.50 to £9.50, mains £11.00-£18.00 and Desserts £5.50 - £8.00 (for cheese) Typical dishes include Tuna seared, wild rocket, cherry tomatos, green beans, quail eggs, anchovy and black olive dressing, scallops hand dived, leek and potato soup, creme fraiche dressing, classic vinaigrette or boudin with onion, potato saute and veal truffle jus to start, fillet of Aberdeen Angus, pomme confit, braised carrots, sauce borguignonne, skate a la grenobloise with pomme mousseline or lobster with cabbage and lobster port jus for main. Desserts run to a tatin for two through a feuillete of pear to a millefeuille of chocolate. Menu. Fleur is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. Reservations on 020 7930 4272

I will, thank you. Have a good one. Fireworks in the park tonight is it?

Best New Brighton Restaurant - Bistro at Hotel Du Vin (3 excellent meals and a couple of days in the kitchen, still to be written about) Most Missed Brighton Restaurant - Sun Bo Seng Best Japanese/Thai/Malaysian/Pekingese All You Can Eat - Thai Elephant Two, Peacehaven Best Established Restaurant I've Only Just Discovered - Putney Bridge Best Celebrity Chef Restaurant - Locanda Locatelli The "Still Hungry After All These Courses Award", and "The Longest Meal Award" goes to - Tom Aikens Best Country House Hotel experience and Restaurant Most Underated in the guides - The Cotswold House Hotel (chef Simon Hulstone)

Just a holding message to say I'll be reporting on my NY trip in full and fascinating detail, just as soon as I get the 10 important/urgent things completed at work that I should have done last week when I was swanning around Manhatten and New Jersey.

You cook. My wife and I will show you how professionals eat. Hmm... bit scared to on the basis of your pictures.

Holy.....moly. Please get it sorted. However, it will take more than that to put me off. I'm coming to peel your carrots, aint nothing gonna stop me!

I don't make gumbo, but use a roux base quite often, and as per Elyse's recommendation, I always use butter. I must admit to having shitty saucepans that require a great deal of attention to prevent anything at all from burning, but have not experienced a bitter sauce resulting from an over cooked roux. I would bet that the problem results from the initial stage of cooking. I would advise as low a heat as you can manage and be very patient. Roux is one of those preperations that requires some feel and intuition, simple, but wrought with difficulties. Pierre Koffman in "La Tante Claire" says: "It takes a special skill and more time to make a roux than it does to make a sauce thickened in other ways" His recipe for "Sauce Bordelaise Brunoise" begins: "In a saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over a low heat, mix in 2 tablespoons of flour and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring continously". Follow that and you should be fine. Remember, if your roux is burnt rather than browned, the bitterness will permeate the entire dish, there is no hiding place.

Steve M - great looking food as always. You are really going to have to invite me round one day!

AS long as its not the other way around when I eat at your place, thats all I care about.

It has now. The place must have improved immeasurably from Jones' day to merit this sort of rating. Maybe it's time to check it out again.

No one actually pays attention to expirey dates anymore do they?

Heston better be ready with that liquid nitrogen....

Of course presentation is paramount in my style of cuisine. After all, we eat first with our eyes, n'est pas?

Not a recommendation exactly, just some info on L'Ecrivain and The Tea Room.

Restaurants could do better on the net if the findings of a new survey by American Express are accurate. "More than three-quarters of potential customers felt that restaurants were not taking full advantage of the internet". Does the fact of a restaurants web presence increase the chances of potential customers making a booking? Would a poor site put you off making a reservation? What are the barriers preventing restaurateurs from creating attractive websites as a marketing tool? Thoughts please.

29 years without mushy peas!!? A moments silence please everyone as a mark of respect for this very real human tragedy. You've sought councelling I take it?

Thanks Charlene. Cappers - perhaps you'd like to let us know your own half year awards.

There's one opinion already.

I don't know what they put in this soylent green stuff, but it sure is tasty.

Yesterday was an extremely memorable day for me for a number of reasons, not least Lissome's wonderful bit of a do. I was very flattered and humbled by the whole thing. It was quite an extraordinary experience to meet everyone, and I had a great time. I failed to do justice in any manner to the wonderful food on offer, and could hardly manage a mouthful of Korean BBQ later on, so I apologise for my poor English appetite. I'm not feeling particularly articulate at the moment, so will try and compose something more interesting when I get back to the UK on Monday.

Elyse, I have a day planned out in NJ before I fly home so wont be able to make it. I am heading over to the Chocolate thing at the natural history a bit later this afternoon though. That should be quite fancy I hope. Looking forward to seeing Steve Klc work there.

This trip just gets better and better.