mikeycook

He's heard that said so many times, I think Mario's starting to believe it, but it's far from the truth. It's very good, but the best authentic Italians are in the outer boroughs - there are about three or four that Babbo can't compete in terms of giving you the feel of the "old country" and the authenticity of the plates. ← where? my experience of outer-borough dining is that there are some excellent Sicilian-American style places...but not "authentic", contemporary regional Italian cooking ← Sapori d'Ischia - very authentic from same area it's named Park Side - excellent example of a Roma type of resto Roberto's - southern style at is best Trattoria L'incontro - central to southern mostly, northern dishes range from outstanding to ordinary ← Personally, I think the emphasis on being "authentic" is way over-blown. If I want authentic Italian food, I will go to Italy. I do not generally judge a restaurant on how authentic it is, unless it is trying to portray itself that way. In fact, given the large Italian population in New York and the number of Italian restaurants, I would rather see a restaurant that tries to add something new to the mix. Seeing what creative chefs can do to create great Italian American or Italian Fusion restaurants is a lot more interesting to me that to see if someone can duplicate the cuisine of a specific region of Italy. I feel the same way about other cuisines as well. I go to a lot of French restaurants and I do not judge them on how similar they are to restaurants in France. I will probably never get a really great baguette in New York, no matter how hard chefs try to duplicate them. To me, it's not even worth trying. If I want it to be like food in France, Paris is just a short flight away.

I don't think we're talking about the "demise" of Babbo. I think Babbo was like this from the start. I think most of the criticisms being leveled at it in recent posts would always have been warranted. I hope Nathan has read mikeycook's post, because this is the general reputaton Babbo has -- and has always had -- that I think makes its limitations troubling. ← I agree with all of this. ← From my perspective, it seems as though I am seeing a lot more people saying they dislike Babbo, or think it's nothing special, than used to be the case. However, perhaps I am just reading opinions of people who didn't like it that much to begin with, but never connected with until more recently. My one experience there indicated to me that food was very good, some of the best I had had in NY up to that time (and I have been to a lot of the top places). The only dish that I didn't think was excellent the one night I had it was the beef cheek ravioli, which was a little too salty for my taste. Otherwise it was excellent food. I guess I am going to have to go back myself and make up my own mind.

I am sorry to hear about the "demise" of Babbo. We went for my wife's birthday a few years ago and had a wonderful time. At the time, I would have called it one of the best meals I have had in the city. It does not sound like I want to be going back. I ate at Lupa over restaurant week and was very disappointed (undercooked pennette, polpette was decent but not spectacular). I am considering trying it again, but given my bad first impression, it is not high on my list. We live within delivery distance of Otto and I have also been inside several times but the food, while good, has never struck me as outstanding. For years I wondered how Mario could have all these restaurants on top of his TV appearances, cookbooks, and cookware lines and still maintain such a high level of quality. I think the cracks are finally starting to show (and they are not small). Based on my recent experiences at his restaurants, I am not encouraged to try Del Posto or any of his other places in the near future. If I want to spend my money on upscale Italian I will probably spend my money at Scott Conant's restaurants instead.

Oh no.. does anyone know more about this? ← I read a posting about the chef leaving a few days before my meal, which was the last week in January. It didn't seem to affect my meal, so I would be willing to give it another shot (particularly if they are still serving the baccala.)

Pierre Gagnaire is definitely not Haute. Think WD-50. Ducasse and Savoy aren't considered Haute, but definitely high end. If I had to choose any restaurant on the list, I would choose Guy Savoy, but that is just me. I would probably choose Gagnaire second because it seems I have been reading about him for years. I think you would do well at any of them, though. Consider me jealous.

Went there for restaurant week this year and had a very nice lunch. I would particularly recommend the fried baccala with aioli.

By far the best polenta I have ever eaten is the creamy polenta served at L'Impero and Alto. The recipe is contained in Scott Conant's New Italian Cooking and I would highly recommend trying it (I would eat virtually anything served on a bed of it).

I had a meat grinder and the disks with the wholes (can't recall the name) that the meat comes through developed rust because they were made of carbon steel. I made some sausage and after the batch was completed realized the level of rust, so I called poison control. They assured me there was no danger to serving the sausage, despite the rust.

The big producers will also pasteurize their blends. This removes flavour and darkens slightly. Non pasteurized (or raw, as mentioned in another post) will harden into a crystallized mass when stored for a month or two, but a gentle hot water bath will revive it without altering the flavour or colour. Clover honey should be available locally, and very fresh, from May to July, as you go south to north in the U.S. and Canada. ← Are there any difference in cooking with raw vs. pasteurized honey? Anything I should look out for when heating it?

(Note: I think I accidentally answered the last post on the previous page in my zeal to talk about my favorite food, lobster. Was going erase this, but thought it might be helpful anyway). Lobsters shed their shells (annually, I believe) and develop new ones. This period when the newer shell has developed is consdered soft shell and, over time, the shell develops to full hardness. In general, a soft-shell lobster will have less meat relative to its size, because the meat (i.e the lobsters living body) does not fill out the full size of the shell. However, relative size and weight are not the same thing. A 2 lb. soft shell lobster and a 2 lb. hard shell lobster should yield approximately the same amount of meat. The 2 lb soft shell might just appear a little bigger to the eye than the hard shell. In terms of meat, I would say there is little quality difference, although there are those who feel the meat of a soft shell is a little sweeter. The biggest difference seems to be that soft shells do not transport well (i.e. they will die sooner) and some places that ship lobsters will only ship large shells. However, you can judge a lobster's health by it fiestiness for the most part, so you don't really need to concern yourself if the lobster has a hard or soft shell as an indication of that. Regarding lobster size, I have always felt 2 lbs was ideal, but mainly from the perspective that 2 lbs is a good amount of meat for 1 person. It is big enough that you don't feel like you are working too hard for your meat, but not so big that you feel like you need a hammer instead of a cracker because the cracker can't get around the claws. The real problem around size has to do with cooking methods. Once you get to 5 pounds and higher, boiling becomes a bit of a problem and the meat can get tough more easily. The same is true of grilling. 1.5-2 lbs is about right to get the right amount of charred taste relative to the lobster. Large lobster are better (IMHO) being parboiled, then shelled and butter-poached or being grilled over more indirect heat (but with regular moisture being applied). FYI, the best cookbook ever for lobster fans is "Lobster at Home" by Jasper White, but I would also recommend "Cooking from New England" by White, which includes his signature Pan-Roasted Lobster with Chervil and Chives, an adaption of Fernand Point's Simple Lobster Grillee and, to me, the greatest of all lobster dishes (if you can, go to Summer Shack at Mohegan Sun or in West Cambridge to try this wonderful dish... unfortunately it's not available at the Boston location).

Would have gotten this post up earlier, but it's been a crazy week at work. In any case, my wife and I went to Alto for Valentine's Day and had a really nice time. We are huge fans of L'Impero, and Scott Conant's food, for a couple of years and were looking for the right time to go. It turned out to be an excellent choice. We both had the 4-course prix fixe, marked up for the holiday to $100, but a good deal at the every day rate of $75 ($65 for the 3-course, but the thought of only 2 non-dessert items doesn't really seem fair with so many interesting choices). We considered the seasonal tasting menu but as it turns none of the items we ultimate chose were on it (this is certainly not a knock as I considered ordering everything on the tasting menu except the octopus, which is a personal preference.) Here is what we ordered: Amuse Hog Island? oyster with green apple? gelee, and caviar on a bed of salt I love oysters, so to get one as the amuse is always a pleasure. This was a nice flavor combination. I think my description is correct, although to be honest I didn't entirely hear what the accompaniments were. Appetizer Me Glazed Veal Sweetbreads - truffle reduction, creamy polenta, roasted green onions, pumpkin seeds I wish I could figure out why I don't see sweetbreads on menus that often any more, or when I do it is usually in tiny pieces as part of another dish. It is one of my absolutely favorite types of offal and I wish it were served more. These were perfectly cooked and an absolute pleasure, nicely carmelized on top and firm but creamy all the way through (not a trace of membrane). They were served on a bed of Conant's signature polenta, which to me is one of the best sides ever. If I were to taste it blindfolded I would almost think it was very fine mashed potatoes with a ton of butter (but, to me, it is even better than that). You could probably get my to eat a car battery if it were served on a bed of it. I thought the toasted pumpkin seeds were a really nice touch. A satisfying crunch and nice nutty flavor the contributed well to the overall flavor profile of the dish. I would definitely order this again. My Wife Puree of Cauliflower Soup - Hog Island oysters, fried capers, and tuna bottarga The lowly cauliflower seems to get a lot more play these days. I only had a couple of tastes of my wife's soup, but it was excellent. Oysters, capers, and bottarga each add a nice flavor component (brininess, acidity, salt) that brings out the cauliflower flavor (I have spent my whole like thinking it had no flavor and now seem to be proven wrong on a regular basis), as well as contributing the overall flavor of the dish. My wife was very pleased as well. Pasta My Wife and I Rabbit Ravioli - pignoli nuts, mustard seeds, currants This was the one case where my wife and I decided we had to get the same thing because we both picked it out immediately and didn't really want to share. The first surprise of this dish (at least to me) was that they were not ravioli-shaped in the traditional sense. They were more of a square shape, almost like oversized dice. I am not sure what was mixed with the rabbit inside (I ate all of mine whole to appreciate the bursting of flavor in my mouth), but it had a very creamy consistency with just the right level of saltiness. The pignoli, mustard seeds, and currants were all nice flavor components, and the dish had, as its sauce a foamy emulsion that I could not (and still can't) identify. Whatever it was was delicious and didn't stay around long enough to be contemplated. In the trips I have taken to L'Impero, it has always been the pastas (as well as the polenta) that I have been most impressed with and had the fondest memories of and this was no exception. I have yet to be disappointed by a pasta at either restaurant. Entree This is the only part of the meal where there were a couple of missteps (IMHO). Me Duo of Local Raised Pork - slow roasted loin and braised fresh bacon, apple puree, carmelized cabbage, and green mustard I have been on a pork kick recently, particularly belly, and this was a natural choice for me. As I stated in THE BEST: Pork Belly, you will note that I thought the skin was too crispy (almost candied) and the belly a little too fatty (ironic, I guess, when you are basically eating bacon), but the loin was excellent. Perfectly-cooked and fork tender, it was actually stuffed with a pork stuffing (not sure what it was bound with, but it was minimal) and it made for a nice contrast of textures in the loin alone, making for 3 pork textures in the same dish. On a personal note, I have to confess, as often happens, I forgot what each of the accompaniments was when the dish arrived and for a moment I thought that the green mustard was a bit of vegetable. It was a thought that quickly vanished, but I managed to hide my embarassment. Needless to say, it is good as an accompaniment, but I would probably never order it as its own side. My Wife Roasted Leg of Colorado Lamb - baby root vegetables, fregola, and braised lamb shank This was the only disappointing dish of the night, not because it was not a good combination of flavors, but because the lamb was far too rare for my wife's taste. It was rare to the point that it was a bit of a struggle to cut. Neither of us have a real problem with a restaurant deciding the correct temperature for meat, but we felt this was beyond rare (red nearly all the way through -- bleu, I believe, would be the french term, which I find to be very rare). Desserts (my apologies, but I don't have all of the details around the dessert accompaniments) Me Black Truffle Ice Cream This was kind of like a caramel sundae, served in a martini glass, with a black truffle ice cream and generous shavings of black truffles from norcia on top and chocolate on the bottom. I am normally not a big dessert person (given my druthers I might have had the sweetbreads, again, for dessert), but having never tried black truffle ice cream and being a big truffles fan, I had to give it a try. I was very impressed. It was truly like a good, but not overly sweet caramel sunday, and the flavor of the truffles provided a nice earthly counterpoint (incidentally, I think white truffles or any variety of heavily perfumed truffles might overwhelm the other flavors.) My Wife Tiramisu I was kind of surprised to see Tiramisu on the menu, but this was not your mother's/father's tiramisu. It was deconstructed, with a block (rectagular log) of light, but rich, mascarpone, with a chocolate square on top and bottom, and an espresso cup of chocolate with chunks of lady finger inside. My wife loved every bite. Wine In my desire to limit alcohol consumption, we each opted for a glass of wine. We had the Foradori Granato which is a Teroldego. I am a huge wine fan, but Italian wine, other than those of Piedmont or Tuscany, are still a bit of a mystery to me. I have heard Teroldego compared to Zinfandel, but to me it was much smoother, like a high-quality, fruit-forward Chateauneuf-du-Pape such as Clos des Papes. This is definitely a wine I would look to buy on my own. All in all, an excellent experience. Only the minor complaints about the entrees to detract from an enjoyable evening. There were more than enough dishes we did not have the time to try to make a trip back in the near future.

Do you know if the Farmer's Market brings bulk sizes? I will definitely check that out.

I think I am at the point now of having too many cookbooks to have a fallback. In fact, I have several, but only because I several large compendium-type cookbooks now. I used to rely heavily on Julia's MAFC 1 and 2, but I have made a couple of recipes recently that didn't work out and I am starting to become a little disilliusioned by it. I would say no book is perfect, but if I had to choose one, it would be from the following: - Larousse Gastronomique (great, but usually very rough with quantities) - Escoffier (great for sauces and basic braised meats, etc, but not for a lot of American desserts) - Paul Bocuse's Regional French Cooking (huge variety of recipes that covers most every fish, meat, and vegetable dish I need) - New Professional Cook (CIA cookbook) - Excellent and probably the most complete, but I still can't get used to cooking by weight instead of volume - The Cook's Book - Just got this one for Christmas, so haven't had time to evaluate fully, but seems promising.

Perhaps, but the poster has been mysterious about the length of his stay in Paris. I suppose if it were 2 weeks or more, I might have more of an understanding about cooking in. It also seems daunting to find a well-equipped kitchen in Paris for a short-term rental. Sure, in the "Campagne" larger equipped kitchens might be easier to find. And then there is the issue of kitchen accessories, pots, pans, utensils, and small appliances. If I were doing 10 days in Paris, my thoughts are... that's 20 terrific restaurant experiences, and 10 great " coffee & tartines". But of course, "chacun a son gout!" ← I will be in Paris for about 13 days.. Which means 5 meals a day with a dessert after each meal.. ← While I love Paris, if you are going for that long, consider renting a car and trying another destination or two. Champagne country and Burgundy are not far at all. Not that 13 days in Paris can't be completely blissful (of course it can), but something you might want to consider, even if you leave early in the AM and arrive back late at night. Also, going to the markets and just getting some meat, cheese, baguette, wine, olives, etc. and eating that way is a wonderful idea that likes somewhere in-between restaurants and cooking. Better when you can enjoy the outdoors, but delicious all year round.

You may find the Dutch Gold website helpful. It includes a description of the different varieties of honey that they offer, including origin, color, flavor and sweetness level. Also, if you click on the online store and then on the link to 1-lb. honey jars, you will see all the varieties with descriptions and recommended uses. According to the web site, the orange blossom variety has a medium flavor profile with a subtle hint of citrus. Clove and alfalfa are both mild honeys and they are sometimes blended to produce a generic "honey." Dutch Gold's "premium" honey jar is made of this blend. I bet the ShopRite honey is some sort of mild blend. Dutch Gold also sells a 60 lb. pail of honey called "Baker's Special Pure Honey" that is not mentioned on the web site (I can get it thru one of my suppliers). But they do offer 60 lb. pails of the other varieties and maybe even the blend if you contact them. A few other random comments: In my shop I sell locally produced clover, wildflower and buckwheat honey and orange blossom that is packed locally but produced in the south. I find the clover and wildflower to be the mildest and I have used both for baking. It's worth pointing out that none of the above varieties are flavored; the honey is from nectar gathered by bees from the specific plants identified on the label. I say this because sometimes you see blueberry or raspberry honey in a store, but it is actually a generic honey blend that is flavored with a natural (or artificial) flavor. The ingredient label should be checked to make sure it just says "honey." I guess my only other thought is to try the varieties that you purchased; maybe you'll discover an interesting new flavor profile for your candymaking. ← Thanks for the note. I had bought a pail of the orange blossom from dutch gold and definitely found it was too strong for nougat. I was planning to try the clover next, so thanks for the tip. I will also ask about the baker's honey. So, I guess I'll have to make a tanker truck full of tea to use up the rest of my orange blossom.

I completely agree. My wife and mother-in-law are difficult to buy chocolate for, in that they usually tend to prefer very different brands. The first time I bought them Jacques Torres chocolates out in DUMBO was the first time I ever really saw them on the same page (i.e. they both LOVE it). I was even happier to see Torres' web site go up (mrchocolate.com) so I don't have to make a trip out for every holiday.

← Wait...are you saying that's NOT what it's about? Huh. K ← Me? I'm saying that's totally what it's about, and I loved the way Lindacakes put it. Sigh. Public is the key word, though - it's all about showing your love off to the world. ← I agree that is part of it, but I think we're oversimplifying. It's also about showing your love off to the person you love. I can't speak for everyone else, but my wife loves to get candy and flowers on Valentine's Day and loves to be taken out to share our love in public (no PDAs, though) and I love to take her. My wife and I go out to romantic dinners all of the time, but Valentine's Day always feels special, particularly if you are fortunate enough to be with other people who are really celebrating the same thing (as opposed to faking it or doing it out of obligation). To say that it is to show off for others is kind of like saying that the purpose of Christmas is to show people how much stuff you can buy. Certainly there are people who feel that way and certainly there are people who only celebrate because they feel obligated, but there are a lot of people who genuinely enjoy the occasion as a time to give to others and a time to celebrate together with friends and loved ones. That is really all any holiday is. I do think, however, that if spouses cannot get on the same page about Valentine's day, there may be other issues under the surface. People cannot create romance that is not truly there. However, if both members of a couple want to forego going out on Valentine's Day and celebrate on another day instead, I think that is wonderful and admirable. You are truly celebrating the Valentine's spirit and that is really what is important, not which day you choose to celebrate it.

My wife and I were talking about this on Valentine's Day. We thought it might be fun to bring a video camera out on that night next year and pretend we're interviewing for a documentary and see who freaks out. Just our twisted sense of humor. As far as the rest of it goes, I certainly respect people's not wanting to pay an extra 30% on Valentine's Day, even if I personally have less problem with it (although I certainly draw the line at a certain level of markup and always make sure I know the prices going in). However, I think the general markup on wine is far more usurous that most of what I have seen on Valentine's Day. And, unlike the holiday markups, where you know the everyday meal price, most people don't really know what the bottle they are ordering would cost in a store, which is often a markup well in excess of 100% (and talk about little value-add by the restaurant). I consider a good restaurant with a fair markup to be worth its weight in gold.

La Beaugraviere in Mondragon (just north of Orange and just a couple of km off the A7) is a place Robert Parker has written about and dined at frequently. My wife and I have been twice and had great food both times (as well as spectatular Hermitage and Chateauneuf-du-Pape) and I would definitely recommend it highly if you are going that far south. One of the times, we stayed at the Chateau Rochegude in Rochegude, which is about 10km east of Mondragon (and the A7). It is a Relais et Chateaux place, so it is not cheap (136 Euro for standard room), but very nice and comfortable (like staying in an old castle).

I have been doing a lot of cooking with honey recently, particularly candymaking, and have tried several varieties. Last night I was talking to my wife about some nougat that I had tried several batches of and she told me that she actually prefers the grocery store brand honey (ShopRite honey) to the orange blossom honey I had purchased from Dutch Gold in the nougat because it is more straightforwardly sweet. I had purchased a few other varieties from Dutch Gold (Clover, Tupelo, Raspberry, Blueberry) but before I try them in the recipe, I wanted to find out what kind of honey is the "generic" kind. Is there a particular variety of honey that is packaged commercially as just "honey" instead of stating a particular variety? I may be looking to purchase this kind of honey in bulk and would prefer not to buys cases of the shoprite honey (unless that really turns out to be the best approach) but would like to buy 60lb. buckets instead. Any guidance would be grealy appreciated.

Just had the pork belly at Alto last night as part of a due of pork that included belly and a stuffed, slow-roasted loin. It was not nearly as good as the ones I have had at Veritas and L'Impero for a couple of reasons. For one, the skin was overly crispy. I didn't realize this was possible, but it almost had the feel of a creme brulee that has been overcooked. I actually had to chew the skin and it almost had a candied quality (it tasted good, but definitely overpowered the rest of the belly.) The other problem is that it was cut a little too thick for my taste and was not really rendered at all, so it did taste like I was eating way too much fat, instead of having the meat and fat blend together with the skin in a uniform whole. Oh well, let the pork belly hunt continue.

Ok. I won't tell you. Seriously, I would do exactly the same thing. I would also consider writing a letter to the owner. Either give someone a reservation or say "Sorry, we can't accommodate you." Personal attacks on your girlfriend are totally uncool. So sorry to hear about your experience.

I certainly can't argue with being called nuts (lord know it's happened before). But a sucker would imply I had no idea I was being overcharged on Valentine's Day.

Certainly it is possible. Veritas is a very small room and I am sure tables are in demand. That being said, you would think they would give you some leeway on the time. They probably told other people to call back after 2 to see if tables were available. Very sorry to hear that. I hope you are able to get in.

To each their own, and I can respect that, but for someone to make the statement that anyone who pays a little more is "a sucker" (not directed to you) is nuts. I know plenty of people who would think paying the prices that any of these places charge is nuts (and a sucker).