Andy Lynes

Felonious, is it too late to ask you to wait for the results of the competition? the odds are in your favour!

Here's the rather sad confirmation about the closure of La Gousse D'ail. I wonder where Jonathan Wright will pop up next? caterer news

Who knew?

Yes... and blueberies, apples, strawberries and so on. Salads are a good place for an unexpected ingredient. I would be very circumspect about the use of fruit in anything other than a dessert course. They have their place on occassion, pear with blue cheese for instance, a salsa etc but otherwise IMHO their use should be minimised.

I really don't buy this at all. The bottom line is that it's really bloody expensive to eat in somewhere like ADNY, Alain Ducasse is a rich man, other people involved in his restaurants are making money I am sure. Over heads, capital costs etc etc don't really impact on the ability of some people to make money from the operation. If it all goes tit's up at some point, then yes, some people are going to be left with egg on their faces, but until then, it's a gravy train (oh my god, how many more metaphors can I mix in this post).

Oh, please don't! You are making me very hungry. White truffles, fettucine and fontina? This is cruel!! (I did ask though didn't I?).

Yes. Whats the problem exactly?

Success! (For everyone else who may be interested, Peter wanted a signature and an avatar and has now figured out how to do it, with a little help from my good self).

Without wishing to sound like a big headed bastard, no, I'm a fair all rounder in the kitchen. I have never tried making sushi though.

With you on the balsamic, but why not virgin? Do you find the flavour overpowering?

This wasn't directed to you personaly Peter, but to the wider eGullet audience. Your original posting was made on 30 July, 8 days before this one, when I was away on holiday. Due to the huge number of postings made on this site, it not always possible for me to keep up with everything, so I am sorry that I missed yours. However, my posting is made in light of Fay Maschlers just published review, which is strongly at odds with Jan Moirs. So the question still stands for anyone that has visited the restaurant: do you agree with Moir or Maschler, or does the truth lie somewhere in between, as it so often does. On your last point, I directed you to the help page of this site for the issues you raised in your e mail to me. If this has not resolved your problem, please use the Private Message facility on this site to send me a note and I will try to assist you further, as I have now deleted your original e mail.

Jan Moir of the telegraph really loved it : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/wine/main.jhtml...%2Fedmoir27.xml Fay Maschler hated it : http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/html/food/ea...top_direct.html So does any eGulleter know the truth?

Spending so much time in the kitchens, I would guess that you got fed some titbits from time to time by the chefs. If that is the case, what was the nicest thing you got to eat. Also, what was your favourite dish when you ate in the dining room.

Actually, thinking about it, Simon is absolutely right. You suffered, now it's their turn. Stuffed swans ahoy!

What!!! How....why....who?? This by the same people as Onion.com right? It can't be real, surely?

Maybe we ought to decend en masse on the place sometime soon, perhaps when Wilfrid is in the country again?

Anything you cook will be impressive after that sort of showing. So as long as you don't do a multi course extravaganza, which really would be rubbing their noses in it, I think you should feel free to cook as you would for anyone else. How about braised short ribs (Batali's recipe from the Babbo cookbook is delicious, served with pumpkin orzo and horseradish gremolata ), some nice cheeses and bread, then and a tart of some decription or just fresh fruit to finish?

As you might expect of the man that eats at Harvester restaurants, I love all sorts of cereal and eat them both for breakfast and late at night. All time favourite was the original Golden Nuggets, which are just not the same in their relaunched much smaller nugget version. Running a very close second are Puffa Puffa Rice which again have been discontinued in their original version. Crunchy Nut Cornflakes are cereal heaven. More mudane are Shreddies, but can still hit the spot in certain circumstances, as can Weetabix. Cocoa-Pops are excellent, especially served with chocolate milk. Suger Puffs on occasion can be enjoyable. Cereal cocktails can greatly enliven old stagers such as cornflakes and rice crispies. Just put them in a bowl together with maybe a few cherrios for good measure and it's a whole new ballgame.

Yes I was, but now I'm back. My last experience at our local Harvester (The Black Lion in Patcham), was truely dreadful and I will not be returning anytime soon. I had a wonderful KFC takeaway in Orlando - an 8 piece meal with 4 "biscuits" (the Southern kind, very similar to scones really, but with a lighter more open texture), mashed potatos, gravy and potato wedges. The chicken was generous in size, nicely cooked, still juicy and the coating was nicely spicey without tasting too processed. In short, utterly different and infinately better (and much cheaper) than the horrible muck they serve up in the UK. Why, I can't help but ask myself, do they think we in Britian should put up with an inferior product when they can obviously do so much better? It really pees me off.

My food today was better than it was yesterday, but I see a further improvement on the horizon by midweek, reaching a zenith by the weekend. Things will then tail off, with a surge upwards in a fortnights time.

Pay???? PAY!!!!!

Did your experiences at Daniel change the way you regard the experience of eating out either at Daniel in particular or restaurants at that level in general, or indeed at any level?

You can swin with dolphins at Discovery Cove for $199.00. I'm afraid we didn't do any of the fancy Orlando restaurants, but did have some great food in the chain restaurants like Sonnys Real Pit BBQ and also a nice dinner at the Market Street Diner in Celebration. I cooked quite a bit as well after a trip to the Winter Park farmers market where I picked up some great fruit, veg and cheese and olive bread. Wal Mart had a quite incredible array of meat available including pigs trotters, ears and "stomach" (the spleen maybe?). I got some short ribs and cooked Batali's recipe for them with pumpkin orzo (fantastic range of pastas at Wal Mart as well, Orzo was 87 cents a pack. It's nearly impossible to get in this country), some beef shank which I made into a stew with red wine and some veal shoulder chops which I pan fried in lots of butter and finished with lemon juice and ate with creamed leeks and baked Idaho potatos which are quite lovely.

Chaz, welcome (please post a bio to get the official Big Bear seal of approval. Have a look at somne others to see what I mean). I think Restaurant magazine is improving with each issue, is finding it's voice and place in the market, and reducing the number of silly factual errors which were irksome to say the least.

Yes I did and yes I am and will reply this evening. In the meantime the help page on this site may be of use to you, its the Icon on the top right of the screen.