madziast
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Posts posted by madziast
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wow! the way they were distancing themselves from him, i thought they were just going to let pickell take the fall. whatever went wrong, they empowerd or allowed him to get away with it.
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Julian Medina. Sandoval's former right hand, worked at Sandoval's restaurants for years (he brought Julian to the US). very talented, he's now at Zocalo uptown
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DanaT, your meal sounds AMAZING!!! makes me want to RUN there right now!
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you can definitely eat at the bar if there is room, i've done it numerous times. wallse has been one of my favorite restaurants and i'm glad to see the food is still getting raves. makes me want to go back - i'm on a self-imposed sabbatical after my last visit when a friend and i were not treated very politely by the chef's wife/host, who was actually inexplicably inhospitable. we wanted to eat at the bar and had no reservations. were told that nothing would open for a VERY long time. since i had gone there w/o reservations before and usually it didn't take long, i was quite surprised. decided to wait it out as the bartender encouraged us to stay and brought lots of olives, nuts and other snacks.
i would highly recommend the Nockerl for a light dessert - light as air, not too sweet, just delicious! it's made with whipped egg whites and
also, the palatschinken with smoked trout, apple and horseradish are outstanding and soups are always divine.
savory food at cafe sabarsky is tricky - they don't have a proper kitchen there so food is brought from the restaurant. sometimes it's cold and bland, even my beloved palatschinken...
oakapple - what did you think about wine prices? i love the all-austrian wine list but the wines are pretty expensive
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will let you know in about a week or so :-)
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HA! reading all the posts just made me realize that when my husband and i finally went to Yasuda a couple of months ago we got the prized seats at the end of the bar and the master to make food for us! no wonder it was excellent. we got stuffed silly (so hard to stop the great stuff coming!) for about $80 per person for food plus sake extra... the only meal that was better than Yasuda was Tojo's in Vancouver, where i ate MORE my much larger husband... for the first (and so far last) time ever. my eyes were bugging out but i still had a couple more pieces than he did, he he...
I've had superb dinners at Yasuda's and I find that it's far and above what Tojo's is able to offer. Perhaps we give the nod to our destination dining venues rather than what is available in our own backyard.
When in L.A., I recommend Kiriko in Santa Monica.
will keep your LA recommendation in mind for any future trips thanks! interesting thoughts about the grass-is-greener perception... ate once at Tojo's and once at Yasuda. Yasuda was more recent (does memory of a meal grow fonder with time as well???) but not as fabulous... i believe we spend about the same US$80 per person for food at each place, don't know whether that would have made any difference at all. also, is the audience any different in their expectations in Vancouver vs. NY? i don't think so but corect me if i'm wrong
on the other hand, Vij's as a HUGE disappointment, esp. after waiting for over an hour. i thought most of the dishes tasted the same...then again, we had a snack at Ouest beforehand.
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HA! reading all the posts just made me realize that when my husband and i finally went to Yasuda a couple of months ago we got the prized seats at the end of the bar and the master to make food for us! no wonder it was excellent. we got stuffed silly (so hard to stop the great stuff coming!) for about $80 per person for food plus sake extra... the only meal that was better than Yasuda was Tojo's in Vancouver, where i ate MORE my much larger husband... for the first (and so far last) time ever. my eyes were bugging out but i still had a couple more pieces than he did, he he...
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i'm sorry-- i didn't mean to snap at you in my response up there i hope i didn't sound snippy. but i guess i do get a little sensitive about the whole "rat" and "traitor" thing
are you a JG fan, generally? (i know you're from NY because i vaguely recall something about Matsuri you posted once)
well i hope you enjoy it and i really would love to get your opinion once you're done.
as long as it's favorable
just kidding
apology accepted - needed a bit of smacking, i guess, making comments on something i only read ABOUT
am i a JG fan? not really... but i did carry his truffle for a couple of hours once ha ha (and phil's, and sb else's..god knows how many ppl owned that one poor truffle). never got what it was all about (well, getting ass kissed while throwing around big $$ is as far as i got), but it's probably because a) i tried his food well after he became this global food/corp warrior (and market in paris SUCKS, if you ask me. on the other hand, Vong in London kicked ass the way Pierre Schultz never could...too bad it's gone. good for Gordon Ramsey though) and b) i'm not remotely famous (infamous is a whole other ball game, he he). i'm sure he is very talented but i'm disappointed that most customers don't get to experience much magic.
i happened to pass by spice market the first or second night it was open and ended up at the kitchen counter with gray kunz cooking for our little group, while JG was squiring VIPs up and down, barely swinging by the kitchen. not that we cared - it was a fantastic meal (much more so than the meal at cafe gray the other night, by the way)
matsuri - i know it's your local and i still need to get there. i swear every time i try, something happens. last time it was ono that one of us insisted on checking out and making the rest walk from matsuri (!!!) ono was mostly mediocre and highly annoying but the foie part of fire & ice and the mushroom custard were excellent. sadly, it can't be said about the rest of the menu or the disgusting cocktails. the time before that was a lunch sb invited me to but neglected to check whether the place was open so we ended up at la bottega instead... before that a Japanese friend refused to go there after having a bad experience... etc. etc. guess i'll have to tag along one of these days he he i did like his food at Sono, and the cherry blossom martinis, mmm......
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Joanne212 - thanks for reminding me that shamelessrestaurants.com is back up - they were closed down by some pending lawsuits late summer. and thanks for mentioning PX, had no clue it was out, judging by the blog, it should be quite entertaining (certainly not "objective")...although i thought that the whole genre of ppl ratting on their bosses/biz was over... (after the nannies, devil wears prada/vogue, etc.) guess not in the restaurant biz, to which we all have more access than the offices of vogue or nannyland
no it's not "objective" at all. i ain't no barbara-walters-- this is a DIARY peoples sheesh.
I DID NOT RAT ON ANY BOSSES. i took plenty OUT just to be NICE believe that
abbe, didn't realize it was a diary. getting the book and looking forward to reading about your experiences. and see what exactly JG's panties are in a twist about...
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My personal feeling is that the Zins with some Petite Sirah thrown in will age well. I also think that Ridge and Turleys both age better than the 'standard' Zins by design. There are probably more like this, but I haven't experience them. This depends on the style of the Zin, and I find that the Ridge zins especially of more recent vintage, are more refined in style than the typical over-extracted fruit bombs. If you love the latter style, it's probably best to drink yoru wines a bit younger.
you are certainly right about Turley, gave one time and it was super delicious. guess i could have sat on the Ridge - might get a bottle for a test... thanks for the Carswell tip!
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i'm with jeffy boy and pan - life's too short and there are so many other restaurants to try... i'd say even a mediocre/uninspired first meal will be it for me. if the first one was good though, i may go a few more times chasing that first meal before i give up completely.
on a loosely related note - went to a hot but food-wise good sounding little place in nyc last night with another couple. since the restaurant doesn't take reservations and our companions were older, i decided to go 40 min. early to wait for the table - i wouldn't expect them to wait. i called the restaurant to ask when we should show up to get a table for 4 at 8:30pm and they said about 8 should do it but they couldn't guarantee anything.
well, 40 min were not enough, the wait was about 75 min. as the owner cheerfully announced and suggested we leave a cell # and go somewhere for drinks & snacks. when the other couple came (sadly, on time) we waited about 15 min. but it didn't look good - they did try to find us seats at the bar but it didn't work for our companions who insisted we leave. the staff was really nice and apologetic about it, there wasn't anything they could have done (except maybe reshuffle the bar seats as they suggested they would but in the end didn't). now, this was all calculated risk - we generally avoid hot new places, esp. at busy times but everyone involved wanted to try it. it was our decision and they had little room to play with. and we were going to be in that neighborhood anyway.
however, during the initial wait, we had some food and wine and as cute as the place was, the food was not encouraging. certainly not worth waiting for. will we go back? i'd like to as the food sample was small enough to hope for better dishes still to be discovered...
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Joanne212 - thanks for reminding me that shamelessrestaurants.com is back up - they were closed down by some pending lawsuits late summer. and thanks for mentioning PX, had no clue it was out, judging by the blog, it should be quite entertaining (certainly not "objective")...although i thought that the whole genre of ppl ratting on their bosses/biz was over... (after the nannies, devil wears prada/vogue, etc.) guess not in the restaurant biz, to which we all have more access than the offices of vogue or nannyland
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i guess, as torakris suggests, cooking is probably best way to go... i always keep sake refrigerated and found that even if it sits there for a few weeks, it's still nice in drinks (also any sake i don't love on its own)
here you can learn about the sake you have (and in general) - they have a few types under the same name:
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just got invited there for lunch tomorrow. good thing i'm not paying then... nothing like going with low expectations, it may just be decent. if not, there is always all that sake, he he
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doesn't last long, i'm afraid and definitely store it in the refrigerator. tightly closed. what type of sake is it? junmai? ginjo? daiginjo?
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i found some bottles in our wine refrigerator (don't remember how long they have been there) - any clues as to whether they should be drank now or aged (and how long)?
Chateau Franc Lartigue 2000 St. Emilion Grand Cru
Chateau Pavie Macquin 1997 St. Emilion Grand Cru Classe
Conde de Valdemar 1996 Rioja Gran Reserva
Artadi 2001 Vinas de Gain Rioja
WineSmith 1999 the Crucible (Cab, Napa)
Attilio Ghisolfi 1999 Barbera d'Alba Vigna Lisi
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having a 2001 ridge zin sonoma station right now and it is lovely. quite powerful, actually. sat in the wine refrigerator for a while... does anyone know whether it would have lasted or improved in a year or more?
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oh, just have some! do you like lapsang souchong?What part of the camel does that smell like?
oh, it's more about a strong, distinctive flavor than any camel parts... but it certainly doesn't smell of ass...see mango_jones'post on the Yuck! thread. sorry no clue how to make it a link :-(
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After checking out the websites for pu-erh teas, and noting with some dismay that the tea is often referred to as "Camel's Breath", I am reviewing the situation more closely! oh, just have some! do you like lapsang souchong?
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hmmm.... i didn't love the room as much. i though it was a bit dark and "ol' boys club." but at least it's not the same old minimalist aren't-we-cool decor. and although the automatic kitchen door is a bit over the top, i like it.
i went in august and the food was pretty good except for the polenta-olive oil soup with gummy burrata. all the pastas and crudo were outstanding. exceptional wine service.
desserts were a letdown. i was hoping for something as wonderful as the smoky tea with whipped cream (if i remember correctly, i'm sure there was more to it) at Papillon. time to go back to Cru. is Will Goldfarb still there? the reviewers were rather harsh
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in no particular order:
bad oyster (cooked)
natto (fermented soy beans)
durian ice cream at spice market and durian cream dessert at 5 Ninth (the stuff's so strong it would repeat for a couple of DAYS). i would still probably try the fruit though. i think
anything served at the chinese fast food counter at the honolulu airport
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mongo_jones, i haven't laughed so hard in weeks. thank you! you just made my day and i'm putting it in my "future travel" file as a reminder/warning...
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what a great website, thank you!
(now i'll never get any work done. maybe just as well, such a nerve-wrecking day)
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[article on pu-erh teas .. thank you for leading me to learn more about this type of tea and its health benefits!
aaaaaa! thanks gifted gourmet - i didn't know about the cholesterol lowering properties. now i just have to get my husband to try it. we just had a check up and his is above norm (a shock as he doesn't eat a lot of animal products/fried stuff in general) while my cholester is laughably low and i'm always stuffing myself with foie gras, cheese and chocolate. must be all the wine i have with it
Favorite Porcini Recipe
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risotto, sauerkraut and mushroonm, add to soups and sauces, esp. a rich sauce for polenta, mmmm.... i pretty much add mushrooms to everything i can