MichaelB

And in the what goes around category, the new issue of Cincy Mag arrived Tuesday. The reviewed restaurant? La Petite Pierre. Sorry, on line access not available. Michael

You are thinking of Jean-Robert at Pigalls. I think the factors that lead to Maisonette's closing are too numerous and complex to cover in a reasonably lengthed post. But clearly the addition of popular fine dining options is a factor. I believe that Jeff Ruby's draws a large number of the "power" business dinners -- "let's celebrate with a big steak!" -- that Maisonette had an exclusive on for many years.

My first visit was during the Haidon era. Adrian's two daughters operate a small restaurant and catering operation in the suburbs called La Petite Pierre. I have every reason to understand that their father was as class an act as they are. I have had the opportunity to peruse the scrapbook they have of clippings and articles involving their father and the Maisonette. I was particularly struck by the photo showing all 8 Mobil 5 star from one particular year that included three chefs from Cincinnati.

Expanded coverage from the morning paper today: Cincinnati Enquirer Story plus links to related stories

This is not intended to be a personal attack at you. I hear this all the time. /RANT ON I am really tired to hearing this. Nobody wants to come downtown except: The tens of thousands who work there every day, including those at the headquarters of the 6 (or 7) Fortune 500 companies located downtown (out of 11 Greater Cincinnati). The 25,000 on average who make it to each of the 81 Reds games played at home each year. The 75,000 who make it to each of the 10 Bengals home games each year. The 400,000 or so who attend the annual Labor Day fireworks. The 200,000 who attend each of Octoberfest and Taste of Cincinnati. The people who stay in the couple of thousand downtown hotel rooms available each night. The people who attend the Symphony, Opera, Ballet and the Braodway series, not to mention the hundreds of art and music events that take place each year at Music Hall, the Aronoff Center, the Taft Theatre and the Arena. The people who visit the two major museums located downtown plus the two other major museums located less than a mile outside downtown. It reminds me of the famous line attributed to Yogi Berra -- Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded. /RANT OFF The fact is that a restaurant like the Maisonette needs to serve perhaps 40,000 meals a YEAR to have good year. That's anywhere from 1.5 times to 10% of the people who attend some of the single day events downtown I identified. Tell me people no longer want the kind of dining experience that the Maisonette represents (or, perhaps more accurately, that they think it represents) and we can have a sprited and lengthy discussion of the whys and wherefores. Don't tell me that people won't come downtown and spend their good money for a product that they want -- because that is patently false.

It's still closed for at least a year and a half. Anyone want to look up the re-opening statistic on restaurants that are out of business for that long? I, for one, do hope that the new location comes about as planned. I would have had a lot more confidence had it been iopen until a move.

Read about it here: Mobil 5 Star Maisonette Closes Doors Lots of memories there; sad day.

Pssst, hey Moron! Yes, you. NICOISE OLIVES.

I was just busting your chops. I believed every word.

As said above, start with the really good Italian bonita packed in olive oil. Make a vinaigrette using lemon juice as the acid. Hard boil eggs. Blanch hericot vert in salted water until tender. Shock. Use the water to peel tomatoes. Seed and dice the tomatoes. Boil quatrtered new potatoes in the water. Sliver some red onion. Clean some tender head lettuce like Boston Bibb. Get out some anchovies and capers. Chop the egg. Using a large bowl, separately season each ingredient and toss with the dressing (starting with the lettuce). Arrange on plates or on a large platter. (I swear I am missing something here but cannot think of what it is.)

That was one of the parts that had me chuckling. Tell her everyone thought it was cute.

Ah, so this is the infamous Jeff Ruby -- of Chicago. I loved the article in Chicago Mag. There were parts that tickled me so that I had tears in my eyes. Ron, if you make it to Cincy, let me know know first. Drew V can tell you why by PM, please. Oh, and Jeff, now Chef de Cavel knows what you did with the leftovers.

I note the lack of replies, so I will give you one. The correct date for the last Saturday in May this year is May 28, 2005. Now, what else in the review is wrong?

When the service has unusually bad, I have been known to respond to that one with: "I wonder how the chef would react to hearing that the wait staff considers eating his food to be work." I only felt bad about it the one time that a young busser may have wet his pants he was so frightened.

Jenny, sorry that I missed your addition to this thread until this morning. I hope you found that all the places referred to as open are still there today. How was your visit?

Of course you can do the pea puree. When I saw the first post of the thread this morning, I was wondering if that bulb was going to light downthread. It's SPRING! Do the peas.

You can probably find more information on the technology if you search using the common name for the products and the technology: Induction

Almost correct Ron. Working chef for 5 years; in the region for three. The exact quote from the eligibility standards is: Nominees may be from any kind of dining establishment and must have been working as chefs for at least five years. The three most recent years must have been spent in the region in which the chef is being nominated.

They are out. Same as last year, just sub McClain for last year's winner, Kahan. If the committe is going to continue to nominate 4 Chicago chefs out of perhaps the largest and most diverse region, Best Chef, Midwest is a misnomer.

The only place I see them is in photos of Helene Darroze. The gross bonnet blanc is her trademark. You never see her without it. Photo here: Helene Darroze on Relais Chateaux site

There are several threads on this subject that I am too lazy to search for right now. I have never bought rendered duck fat or a box of fat for rendering. All of mine comes from the butchering of whole ducks How much you need depends on the size and shape of your pot. The tighter the legs fit, the less fat you need. For six legs, the rendered fat from one duck would probably be marginal; two ducks plenty. You sacrifice nothing. Buy two whole ducks. Bone out the breasts, trim off the excess fat, score the skin left on the the breasts, reserve the breasts and saute/roast for dinner. Remove the leg quarters, trim off the excess fat, reserve the legs for confit. Now trim off as much of the fat and skin as you can from the carcass, add that to the fat from steps 1 and 2, render that fat. Saute the livers lightly and eat right away as a snack. Take everything you have left -- the carcass, wing bones, neck, heart and gizzard and reserve for stock (alternatively, confit the gizzard and heart). If you are really nuts over duck, chop up the skin left over from rendering the fat and crisp it up in the oven; sprinkle liberally over salads or scrambled eggs. When you are all the way finished, the only things you will be throwing away are the used up stock bones and the leg and thigh bones from confit with your lip prints all over them. Edit: Can't spel

This is promoted on the packaging ← I wonder what kind of printing process they use to get writing onto the duck.

The rolling tends to happen with machine skinned skate. The machine tends to leave some tendon-like material on the grey (as opposed to the white) side of the skate. When you cook, those tendons shrink dramatically. They are easy to get rid of if you hand skin your skate. They are not so easy to trim off if you have skate that has already been skinned.

I am just incredulous when I see the customer ahead of me place his or her MONEY on that scale. Now that's disgusting -- even if my fish is going to be put on a little square of waxed paper.

US eGulleteers, please mark your calendars for the May 23 release of The Perfectionist in the US. If you have any interest whatsoever in either the world of haute cuisine or the inner demons that drive some to achieve great things, you will want to read this book. I could not put it down. The scary thing is that I saw so many people I know well in the characters.