Schneier

One doesn't go on Murder Mystery Cruises for the food. Was the mystery at least interesting? Bruce

Often, the "best tables" are the tables where you can see and be seen. The U.S. is very different than Japan, where the best tables have a private enterance so that no one can possibly see you. Bruce

I've eaten at several kitchen tables around the country, with varying experiences. Why #1: because I'm a food geek. It's not enough for me to be a simple user. I want to see how it's done. I want to watch the process. I want to poke around in the cooler. I want to talk to the chef and the sommelier and the line cooks. It's not just about the finished product; it's about the process. Why #2: because you can snag yourself a better menu in the kitchen. The good kitchen tables come with their own menus. I get to talk to someone beforehand and discuss likes and dislikes, and preferences. Sometimes I can give the chef my wine list and have him cook a meal to suit. Or I can bring some wine from home and share it with the kitchen. Kitchen tables come in all shapes and sizes. Some of them are sealed off from the kitchen, so you can watch but not annoy. At one restaurant the chef invited us to walk up and down the line and watch what was going on--kind of risky, I thought-- and to poke around in the cooler. At some restaurants the cooks come back to the kitchen table to talk. At some they just ignore you. The point of a kitchen table is the interaction, so the most fun comes from more interaction. It's a trend I like, and something I'm likely to continue doing. Many house parties end up in the kitchen. Why not restaurant meals? Bruce P.S. I'm also a fan of mini skirts.

I ate at Rover's during my last visit to Seattle. Yes, it's wonderful. Bruce

I thought that the FL is closing at the beginning of the year for several months, so that Keller can open his New York restaurant. My guess is that reservations are much easier to get when the restaurant is closed. Less useful, though. Bruce

"Which two courses are removed if you order the seven-course menu?" "The foie gras and the Kobe beef." "Ouch. Then I guess I will have the nine-course menu." No. 9 Park has two set menus: a "Chef's Tasting Menu" and a vegetarian "Market Menu." They are either available as a nine-course menu or, with two courses deleted, as a seven-course menu. With or without a wine pairing. Course 1 was a seared pepper-crusted Bluefin tuna, with white bean puree and a few edamames for color--sage seasoning as well. Excellent fish course. It was red and cool and just barely seared. The beans worked well, as did the pepper and fish. Course 2 was corn chowder with clams and mussels. The menu claimed lardons, but I didn't see or taste any. Very good. Course 3 was the foie gras the waiter threatened to take away. It was seared and served on a piece of bacon with turnips, gooseberries, and a Bayuls reduction. VG. Course 4: fish again. This time a poached John Dory with sassafras, black trumpet mushrooms, and served on a verbena leaf. Another good course. A nice blend of flavors: light citrus and light fish. Course 5 was fettucini, served in a light sauced with confit chicken, baby zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and savory. This was nicely cooked and another good blend of flavors. Honestly, I barely noticed the chicken Course 6 was breast of squab, with potatoes, chantertelles, and black truffles. It was okay. From the description, it should have been better. But it was just okay. Course 7: "Wagyu Kobe Beef Rib Eye," served on a small piece of brioche, some baby carrots, and juice from the beef. Okay. (What do you want; it's just a piece of beef?) Course 8 was cheese, an absolutely delicious piece of Roquefort. Then a delicious pineapple sorbet. And finally dessert, a coconut meringue cake served on rhubarb ginger confiture with a lime frappe. All in all, a very good and filling meal. A few comments, though. 1. The prices were wacky. Seven courses: $85, wine an extra $25. Nine courses: $135, with wine an extra $50. There's just no way the two extra courses were worth $50, and the two extra pours of wine were certainly not worth $25. I made my decision in haste, and it was a wrong one. 2. The portions were small. I think this is a good thing, but I could imagine some people being annoyed at this. Good for the restaurant for serving lots of small courses. 3. The wine pours were teeny, not even 2 oz pours. Speaking as someone who would rather taste than drink, I was fine with that. But the prices did not reflect such small pours. No. 9 Park is a pretty restaurant. There are two rooms, a main room with the bar, and a quieter room off to the right. Ask for the quieter room. Service was friendly and professional. I never felt rushed, and I never felt like I was waiting too long. Solo diners always eat faster than groups, and they accommodated that. Good restaurant, but I'm not sure I'll be back. Bruce

That's just beautiful. I like durian, but I don't love it. It's good. But it definitely is an acquired taste. Bruce

Awww...you say that as if it's a bad thing. The worst part was the hoards of people lined up to buy it. Bruce

The hospitality business is filled with examples of final costs not reflecting actual costs, in order for things to subsidize each other. When you book a function room at a hotel, the room is generally free if you buy a certain amount of food. In Europe it's different: the room has a cost, and the food has a separate cost. But in the U.S., the cost of the food subsidizes the cost of the room. The cost of almost everything in Las Vegas is subsidized by gambling revenues. Wine holds a similar function in restaurants: the cost of wine subsidizes--in part--the meal. Sure, you can make out ahead if you don't order wine, just as you can make out ahead on a Vegas vacation if you don't gamble, but by and large the system works. I agree. I prefer the real costs to be reflected in the final costs. I believe it is fairer and more honest. But it's not the way the world works. Bruce

I think this says a lot about their ability to fill their tables. Bruce

Rumor is that there is a relation, some four generations back. But there's no proof, and no one is digging through the--scant--genealogical records looking for proof. Bruce

You also have three tables with great views of the kitchen. One of my joys of solo dining in DC is to book one of those three tables at Citronelle and watch the kitchen work. It's not the same as the kitchen table, but it is great fun. (It's been a while, but I'm the one fiddling with his wireless e-mail device when he should be eating.) Bruce

I know one of them, but not the head. Bruce

Corkage is about drinking better wine. And only secondarily about saving money. I travel with a wine-heavy group. When we go out to eat, we bring one or two bottles a person. We bring our own glasses. We bring more wine knowledge than all but a few sommeliers in Minneapolis (where I live). What we want is a reasonable per-person corkage fee. When we find a restaurant with one, we go back again and again. We order some wine off the list. We open a lot that we've brought. We're happy to give anyone who works there a taste--most of the bottles aren't even half empty when they're done. What we don't want is an expensive per-bottle corkage fee. We don't even make reservations at those places. When I'm not dining with a wine group, sometimes I bring my own bottle. It's always because it is a bottle that I want to open and try. It's never about the money. I think most people rebel against corkage fees is because they don't understand the economics of wine at restaurants. They think that because they brought it, it should not be charged for. I think they're wrong, but it is an understandable position. Bruce

Is there a reason you can't ask the restaurant? Bruce

Both would be excellent choices. I'm going to Radius tomorrow night, and will post a review. Bruce

I made a mistake in the write-up that started this thread. The private room can be ordered up to one year in advance. If you have seven friends, this is the best way to avoid the reservations telephone system. Bruce

no, but i eat off my floor. There are some things we're all better off not knowing. Bruce

"CLEAN BATHROOMS=CLEAN KITCHEN, True or Not True?" As a mathematician, I must point out that the equality does not hold. If you clean the bathroom, the kitchen does not automatically become clean. You have to clean them both separately. Wish it were otherwise, but.... Bruce

The candy bars on a stick was the new thing last year. It's unbelievably disgusting, and to add insult to injury they roll the final product in powdered sugar before serving it. Bruce

I had one meal at MK, and it was a disappointment. There were so many gaffes with the food and service that we lost count. I know that some people have had good experiences there, but I wouldn't go back--there are far too many better restaurants in Chicago. Bruce

Fascinating discussion; I missed it until today. In general, I don't really favor the Lettuce Entertain You chain. In general, the restaurants aren't all that good. There are some exceptions, but they are execptions. None of the LEU restaurants in Minneapolis are any good. Bruce

When compared to markups on the menu, corkage fees are almost always reasonable for anyone with a halfway decent cellar. But $15 a bottle at a top-of-the-line place is indeed impressive. Bruce

Bouchon is the most interesting restaurant in SB these days. Bruce

Chuck E Cheese. Seriously, at four months they're basically furniture. Feed them just before you go into the restaurant, and they should sleep through the meal. Bruce