Andy Lynes

Maybe left off the fat Duck as it was sure to make it into the Top 50 anyway? I voted for West so maybe our combined votes would have got it into the list!

Heston is about to combine running the best restaurant in the world with a TV presenting career: read more here.

Ten of the top fifty are from France and a total of thirty six are from places other than the UK. Is there nobody from Japan, or that is familiar with Japanese dining on the voting panel dining? There must be a restaurant worthy of inclusion in a top 50 listing from that country. Three of my five picks made the top fifty and I'm particularly pleased to see that the highest climber is Chez Panisse, making a challenge to the very male I-can-serve-more-courses-than-you-look-at-the crockery-on-that top 10 (Fergus being the honourable exception.) A prediction - this list will look very different in five years time.

Could you start your own place for £250k these days? Seems like a tall order to me. I agree that its seems unlikely that any of them would go on to open a restaurant. I don't think Rhodes is coming across at all well and I hope he moderates his behaviour as the series progresses. At the moment its like a very bad Ramsay impersonation. I'm rather confused about how you manage to take 10 people off the street and apparently that same day get them turning out 60 odd plates of what looked like quite complex food. I would have liked to understand more about what they were actually doing during service, but perhaps that will come to light later on. Any thoughts on Laura "Ice Maiden" (Angus Deayton's words, not mine) Aikens? Programme website

The restaurant is scandalously under-supported with just eight customers on a Friday night - any idea why that might be? From your description it sounds like they are serving decent food at reasonable prices. Was the service OK? How were the surroundings?

It feel very much like a true local corner pub to me, and due to its size and style, I think it would be happiest serving that community. The reality is that its something of a novelty for NY, it's in the Time Out Top 100 and its being forced to caterer for the foodie crowd (of which I am one of course). I think the place has real heart and soul and the Mario connection is something of a red herring.

I bagged one of the first available tables last night for an early dinner at the Spotted Pig. I was glad I turned up in good time as the place was packed by around 6.00pm and queues were begining to form. Poached lambs tounge with lentils, horseradish cream and salsa verde was a terrific plate of food - tender delicate offal, punchy dressings with the lentils adding a satisfyingly earthy note. A main of veal kidney with bubble and squeak and mustard sauce was another winner although the kidney was a little on the pink side for my liking and there was just too much food on the plate (the Spotted Pig are not alone in this - a main course of fresh bacon at Gramery Tavern was huge). Banoffee pie may have been included on the dessert menu as some sort of post modernist in-joke, but it was a seriously good version of the comforting classic, with fine pastry and a nicely balanced not-too-sweet filling. Batali's name has focused a great deal of attention on the pub and drawn the masses (including myself) from far and wide, but that really isn't the point. It seems to me that The Spotted Pig has been designed as a local for the good people of Greenwich, a point of focus for the local community. Once the crowds have died away (if they ever do), maybe that's what it will become.

By suggesting that the Spotted Pig is New Yorks first "official" gastropub, the New York Metro have made a serious oversight, if my meal at the bar in Gramercy Tavern on Wednesday night is anything to go by. As I tucked into paprika rubbed roasted quail with polenta, brasied endive and raisin-mustard dressing followed by fresh bacon, sptazle, fiddlehead ferns and rhubarb, the bar rocked with punters downing pints, leathal sounding cocktails and the odd bottle of Krug 88. It was a scene that defined the term "gastropub" and a very good gastropub at that. With the addition of a dartboard and a jukebox with the long version of "Freebird" on it, and I think Danny Meyer might well be on to something. As an introduction to New York style bar grazing, the Tavern was unbeatable. I was glad I decided against the offer of a seat in the main dining room and was prepared to wait up to an hour for the more casual experience. As it turned out, in the time it took me to sink a pint, I had bagged a stool and was tucking into wonderful sourdough and sipping on a rather ordinary Chateau Lamothe ($31). The food was delicious, although the main course "bacon" had dried out a little during the braising process and the rhubarb failed to convince me of its rightful place in the bowl. A technically perfect tarte tatin finished the meal in very fine style (a well made tatin is one of the marks of a great restaurant) and my bill of $80.00 plus tip was reasonable for such an enjoyable experience.

I had my first taster of WD50 yesterday in the form of an intensely savoury and delicious slow cooked egg, parmesan broth and tomato powder while waiting to interview pastry chef Sam Mason. Wylie told me that having someone sat in his restaurant and not eating made him nervous. My thanks to Sam for being late! I'm returning this evening for the full experience and will report back.

I looked in at the new Craftbar last night, but it was a preview only, they open to the public tonight. Very sleek and sexy interior with a long bar with stools to the left, a small lounge area up front and tables at the back.

I'll look forward to your report.

(Cut to Jeff Bridges standing in a field somewhere in middle America. Hands on hips, Jeff shakes head to indicate amazement) Anthony Flint..phew! (How's that?)

Although that review did make me laugh a bit, it does underline the futility of having a humourist writing restaurant reviews. I just knew he was going to hate it and it was easy to predict the way in which he would express that hatred. On the other hand, if he had loved it, I would have suspected that he was playing against type. Comparing food to "an egg laid by a cancerous chicken"; "a putrefied head wound" and "a sperm sample" is abhorrent. Such cheap shock tactics are insulting not only to the chef but to the reader. There was also a sort of inevitability about a review of somewhere like L'enclume following on from last weeks piece on Little Chef. It would be interesting to read his review of Michel Bras or Veyrat to see what he makes of that, but what are the chances of that happening? Aren't we due for a trendy gaff up West? Or will it be a Harvester or perhaps Le Manoir which is almost certain to pop up soon.

Best thing to do would be to contact the restaurant directly. However, in his recent "Kitchen Heaven" book Ramsay says "I was misquoted a few years ago, so I want to set the record straight: I absolutely love vegetarians, adore them, and enjoy eating vegetarian food myself!" so it will be interesting to see if his restaurants back up that assertion.

and sean hil said the same to me also. ← If I didn't know better, I'd say that Garry Meursault was trying to wind me up.

Rainer Becker has put Wagu beef burger and fries on the menu of his Zuma restaurant after a request from James Bond star Pierce Brosnan, who ordered one when dining with Becker in Japan. The dish will cost £55.00 according to The Evening Standard. The move has enraged restaurateur Oliver Peyton who, in a press release today, asks, "Is this the return to 80’s excess and stupidity? A £55 burger’s not only an outrage but an insult to the nation as well. Jetting beef in from half-way around the world when we have bloody fantastic beef in our own backyard is absurd. We must be on the edge of the abyss. It drives me mad that so few of the restaurants in this country support our farmers and champion British Beef.” Unsurprisingly, Peyton took the opportunity to plug the burger served at his Atlantic Bar and Grill which at £15.50, is less than a third of the cost of Zuma's and "is made with the finest Welsh Black Beef fillet. It is served in a freshly made toasted brioche bun with organic Isle of Wight tomatoes, hand-cut chips and battered onion rings." Peyton's beef supplier, Nia Wyn-Jones added, “Welsh Black Beef is the closest to perfect beef that you can find. One of the factors that gives it its wonderful pure flavour is the narrow grain of the flesh. The marbling is unsurpassed and the real secret of great beef is the way that it’s been hung.”

It's Giorgio.

As a native of Portsmouth, currently residing in exile in Brighton, I can only sympathise with your predicament. If you've been to Fat Olives then I'm sure you'll be aware that Michelin starred Ramon Fathing is plying his trade just a few steps away at 36 On The Quay. Chef Lee Williams at The Spread Eagle at Midhurst is doing some very interesting things these days (full review to follow soon). As a twentysomething living in Southsea, one of my favourite restaurants at the time was Bistro Montparnasse which I'm delighted to see is still going and has a pretty interesting looking menu, especially for Pompey. Other than that, I'd jump on a train to Waterloo and do some cheap lunches up town.

I took my knives to be sharpened at the local hardware shop and they came back even more blunt. I learnt to sharpern knives using a whetstone and steel from this eGCI course. There is a very specific technique which is covered in "Section Five: Sharpening Step by Step". It's easily mastered and works a treat once you have the hang of it.

I remember getting those sort of bills at lunchtimes about 10 years ago. Makes the whole experience that much sweeter doesn't it? You might be interested in this event in the eGullet calendar which, by the way, I hope everyone is referring to. The calendar is now an important part of eGullet and contains a great deal of information that used to appear directly on the forums. It's linked to from the new front portal page which is here.

It will almost certainly be Petersham Cafe.

I don't think Rick Stein got to own half of Padstow by making dodgy deals like that!

You might want to get there before he puts the price of his turbot up (its going to be 31 quid apparently.)

No, I'm afraid I missed out on writing this particular story, which is a shame as it would have provided a very good reason to re-visit the restaurant. Fingers crossed another opportunity may present itself in the near future, but as ever I am in the hands of the editors.

David Everitt-Matthias is interviewed by Hilary Armstrong in the 6 April 2005 edition of Restaurant Magazine.