Schneier

We're seriously thinking of coming into Paris to see the final stage. And we're also seriously thinking of staying at home and watching it on TV. Bruce

We're here, in Azay-le-Rideau. I will be making detailed posts soonest. Bruce

Clio. The sushi bar was over to the side. I don't think they do the tasting menu at the sushi bar. But, as you can see, there are elements from the sushi bar on the Clio tasting menu. Bruce

I had the tasting menu at Clio a couple of weeks ago. The courses are not described on the menu, but the restaurant promised to email it to me. That took longer than I expected. So I didn't take detailed notes because I expected to receive the menu, and now I don't remember a lot because I didn't take detailed notes. 1. "Tomato Water Martini": In this case, "martini" means "served in a martini glass." What it is is tomato pulp strained through a very fine cloth so that it no longer has any pigment, and then spiced up with a splash of basil oil, some tiny bits of jimica, bits of chive, and a caperberry. This is one of the nicest palate cleansers I've had in a long time. 2 "Chilled Kumamoto Oysters with ponzu sauce, red ginger, and caviar": Two oysters on the half shell. The "red ginger" is reg ginger vinaigrette. I wrote nothing about the caviar in my notes, which implies to me that I didn't get served any. "Light and delicious" is what I wrote. 3. "Uni Spoon with quail egg, Ossetra caviar and yuzu": This is a pretty Japanese-ish dish. It's a single soup spoon with uni, a quail egg, caviar, yuzu, fleur de sel, and chives. A single, refreshing, bite. 4. "Shirred Egg with anago tempura and green tea salt": A scrambled egg served in an eggshell, also served with yoghurt and chives. This was only okay. 5. "Crayfish Bisque with coconut foam": This was served in a demitasse cup. "A little smokey" is what I wrote, and I don't remember if that was good or bad. 6. "Brandade Broth with toasted garlic and black truffle": My notes exactly: "salt cod and potato broth, toasted garlic, black truffle vinaigrette, Meyer lemon air -- served in a beaker. Okay, not great." 7. "Sautéed Frogs? Legs with wild herbs, marcona almonds and crispy potatoes": I wrote a big star in my notes, so I must have liked it. "Mild and tasty" is what I wrote. 8. "Diver Scallop with morels, bacon and wild leeks": The dish also had sweet peas and lemon/thyme foam. The lemon note worked great, and the whole dish was delicious. 9. "Sweet Butter Basted Maine Lobster with chanterelle mushrooms, fava beans and 'vin jaune d?Arbois'": "Major yum" is what I wrote. I also called out the "sea beans," which I guess were also on the dish. 10. "Lacquered Foie Gras with yellow peaches, Sauternes and hibiscus": The foie gras came with peach puree, hibiscus sauce and a flower, bee pollen, and a hint of lychee. Tasted as good as it sounds. 11. "California Squab with black truffles, yellow beets and sweet peas": This was a perfect dish. I like little birds, and this one was cooked perfectly. Served with it was pea puree, black truffles, potato, sauteed sorrel, and gold beet puree. Nice flavors. 12. "Reblochon with armagnac prune." 13. "Strawberry Cornet with strawberry sorbet and orange": This came with both fresh and dried strawberries. 14. "'Assiette' of Apricot with lychee juice and lemon scented herbs": Apricot everything: fresh, dried, sorbet, and coulis. 15. "Frozen Raspberry Timbale with framboise toffee and chocolate sorbet": My notes are illegible. I enjoyed the meal, which lasted just under three hours. Kenneth Oringer is a good chef, and I like the Japanese accents he's playing with. I had some wines by the glass with the meal, all of which were uninspiring. Bruce

Here's our review of Taste of India in St. Louis Park. ***************** Indian fare fit for the uninitiated Karen Cooper and Bruce Schneier, Special to the Star Tribune July 14, 2004 Indian menus can be formidable, especially to Minnesotans timid about spicy food. The different dishes start to sound alike, and dire warnings about spiciness echo in our heads. But there's no reason to fear. Indian food can be flavorful and delicious, and much of it is traditionally not spicy. Taste of India, in St. Louis Park, is an excellent place for an education in Indian food. Its menu gives hot-food haters a chance to try complex and interesting spices that won't burn the palate. Skip the appetizers and head for the entrees. These are standards: northern Indian fare that can be found in Indian restaurants everywhere. We suggest any dish called korma; this is a creamy yogurt sauce spiced with coconut, cardamom, cinnamon and garlic. Our favorite is chicken shahi korma. This version is so lightly spiced, it's the perfect dish for suspicious skeptics. Any of the masala dishes are just a bit further on the spice scale. Masala just means a combination of spices, so this dish can be based on chicken, shrimp, even cheese. For example, the boti ka masala is lamb cooked in a curry sauce with carrots, cauliflower and potatoes -- delicious. A bit further towards hot food is the rogan josh -- it doesn't have as much sauce as a masala dish and has some chili peppers. The lamb version was wonderful, as was the fish. Hotter yet is a vindaloo. We've had vindaloos that were too hot to eat in other restaurants, but the shrimp version here wasn't overwhelming. We'll ask for it hotter next time. Taste of India serves many vegetarian dishes. Bagan bharta is a particularly nice eggplant and potato dish, served in a tasty tomato-based sauce. And don't forget the biryani choices. These dishes are made with saffron-flavored rice and make a nice variation from the more saucy choices. Our favorites are the chicken or the lamb. All dishes come with rice,and can be ordered mild, medium or hot. Ordering a normally hot dish as mild won't be authentic, but it'll still be tasty. Heat levels are toned down for Minnesota palates; if you want something authentically Indian hot, you have to make a special request and convince the waiter that you understand what you're requesting. Don't forget to order nan, the baked flat bread that's perfect for sopping up the sauces that come with your entrees. You can order it plain, but we like garlic or onion nan. The deep-fried puri bread is also tasty. The perfect drink with Indian food is a lassi, plain and a little salty (think buttermilk) or sweet with mango. It's a creamy yogurt drink that cools the palate. We also liked the hot spiced tea. Taste of India has an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet seven days a week: $8 on weekdays and $10 on weekends. It's widely considered one of the better lunch choices in this part of town, with a selection of appetizers, main dishes and desserts. Sample everything. Karen Cooper and Bruce Schneier write a monthly restaurant column for Star Tribune West. If you have a favorite restaurant in the western suburbs, please write and tell us at diningwest@startribune.com.

One was supposed to run today, but I can't find it on the website. B

Yes, Narita Airport in Tokyo. The American Airlines terminal (I forget which one) has a huge array of different restaurants to choose from. Bruce

I had a decent meal on Air India, Delhi to Tokyo, Business Class. I had an even better meal on the train to Delhi. Bruce

My only suggestion is to keep trying.

Narita probably has the best food of any airport I've tried to eat a meal in. Austin has one good barbecue restaurant. Nothing else stands out in my mind. Bruce

Which terminal? I fly American, and the food court in that terminal is awful. The best food around is the Wolfgang Puck bistro thingy, which is only okay. Bruce

All domestic airlines have cut back considerably on meals. Northwest goes so far as to sell meals onboard. They're from the Hard Rock Cafe, and they taste about what you'd expect. Bruce

Not too likely in this day of heightened security ... I've seen metal butter knives post 9/11. It doesn't really matter. In Beyond Fear I explain how you can make a knife on an airplane, using liquid metal and a mold. Stupid security.... Bruce

The problem being solved here is waitstaff getting stiffed by large parties. The scenario: people throw money into the center of the table, and they estimate tax+tip low. And the waiter/waitress ends up with a short tip. This doesn't always happen, but it happens often enough. Okay, so there's a real problem and pre-calculating the tip solves it. But.... 1) Is there a better way to solve this? 2) What percentage should the tip be? I think that this is the best solution. If the service was really bad, or good, the table can always decide to overrule the default tip. But I think the default should be more like 15%, and not 17% or 18%. I don't mind paying standard tip for standard service, but I'd rather decide if a larger tip is worthwhile. I admit there's no obvious right answer here. Bruce

Can someone please translate this into American. I have no "brick," nor is my gas numerically calibrated.

Focus on the destination.

I also had a Bresse chicken at Georges Blanc a few years ago. I didn't taste a real qualititative difference in the chicken. Yes, it was delicious, but it was chicken. What I really want is a side-by-side comparison.

Agreed. If you're flying Coach, bring your own food. On American carriers, Business Class is what Coach used to be. I fly Business Class across the oceans a lot, and while the food is never very good it's rarely actively bad. And there is enough to make a meal. First class can be very nice on American carriers. Asian carriers serve far better food in all classes, and some European carriers are also pretty good. I've flown British Air business class on long flights, and was not impressed. Face it, you're not there for the food. You know it, and they know it. Bruce

What an annoying website. And it's "in the weeds," where I come from. Bruce

Everyone breaks etiquette rules in their own homes. What else are homes for? Bruce

In Thailand is is not uncommon to eat Chinese dishes with chopsticks. Bruce

Out of all the restaurants we tried in Santa Fe, this was my favorite. It's also the least "local" of them all: it's not Southwestern, and it's not Native American. It's basically French. But chef Eric DiStefano is brilliant, and I understand why he wins all the awards he does. Appetizers: "Baby cured frisee salad with Humbolt Fog goat cheese, Italian prosciutto, and tangy cornichon mustard dressing." Good. "Baked Helix escargot and tarragon mushroom duxelle tart with a red wine reduction sauce." Delicious. My only complaint was that I would have wanted more of this. "Spicy Maryland blue crab cakes with sauteed leeks and white wine chive butter sauce." This had a nice bite to it, and was a very good execution of standard crab cakes. "Hawaiian yellow-fin tuna, cherry wood smoked salmon and avocado tartare with sugar snap pea and gari salad, chive buttermilk pancakes." This kind of dish seems popular everywhere these days; I first had it at Aqua in San Francisco, and I still think they make it best. This was a good rendition, though. I like the use of pancakes instead of toast points--nice touch. "Mesquite grilled coldwater lobster tail with crispy pears, Belgian endive and greens salad with fresh wasabi key lime aioli." This was only okay, unfortunately. The bitter taste of the endive workd well with the rest of the dish, but I wanted there to be more. "Seared Hudson Valley foie gras with tawny port syrup and a compote of sweet tomatoes and mangos with warm foccacia toast." Perfectly cooked foie gras and a nice set of accompaniments. Nothing wrong with this dish at all. Main courses: "Hot chile and honey grilled Mexican white prawns with almond Jasmine rice cakes, frisee and red onion salad, Yuzu basil oil." Yum. Spicy, flavorful. Crispy and juicy. Pretty much a perfect dish. "Sioux Farms pork tenderloin wrapped in pastry with veal and mushroom duxelle with a black truffle sauce." Delicious, but a bit dry. The sauce was poured onto the dish tableside, which was nice, but the pastry soaked it all up--and still needed more. Actually, if they just reduced the amount of pastry-wrapped pork by about a third, I think the sauce would have been perfect. "Mesquite grilled cold-water lobster tails with homemade gnocchi, organic carrots and capers in a buttery mustard dill chile sauce." Very tasty. "Mesquite grilled "Maverick Ranch" filet mignon of beef with country ham and Reggiano butter gratin, baked provolone potato cake and red wine veal jus." Meat and potatoes. Not my thing, but a good dish if it is your thing. "Peppery elk tenderloin with apple wood smoked bacon, roasted garlic fork-mashed Yukon gold potatoes, sauteed snap peas and creamy brandied mushroom sauce." Better. The elk was flavorful, and the morel sauce was delicious. Better choice for the meat-and-potatoes people. Mesquite grilled Colorado lamb chops with a ginger and fresh mint glaze, soft polenta and blue cheese raviolis with sweet cognac roasted shallots." Another delicious dish. Everything tasted good together, and the blue cheese ravioli was jaw droppingly good. We ordered two side dishes for the table: "sauteed broccolini" and "sauteed organic baby spinach with shallots." Both were fine. Dessert: "Toffee cheesecake with pecan linzer crust and caramel ice cream." Okay; not great. "Caramelized grapefruit on honey shortbread with a candy ginger, toasted sesame ice cream and grapefruit syrup." Certainly the most interesting dessert. I only had a bit, and liked it, but I wonder if it could sustain for the entire course. "Lemon mousse with fresh papaya and pears, topped with pistachios and served with vanilla and mango sauces." Yummy. The wine list was completely forgettable (unfortunately). The service was efficient, friendly, and fun. The dining room was pretty. We had a wonderful time here. Bruce

Oops. A misspelling. Hopefully the moderator can correct the thread's title. Bruce

Too many restaurants; not enough time. Bruce

What's an Izze? It's carbonated fruit juice and water. It comes in six flavors: lemon, pear, clementine, grapefruit, blueberry, and blackberry. It has no added sugar. No high fructose corn syrup. No artificial anything. My favorite flavor is blackberry, although blueberry is pretty close. Grapefruit is delicious. Pear is okay...clementine is better. The lemon is delicious, but I much prefer the more interesting flavors. It's the best thing to happen to soft drinks in years. And it's slowly creeping across the nation. I first discvered Izzes in Ann Arbor. Then I heard about them in Chicago. And now they're in Minneapolis. There's only one problem with Izzes, and it's a big one. They cost $5 for a four-pack. Bruce