Bicycle Lee

The father of a family friend dines at the Laundry nearly every month and told her that Keller was planning to sell the restaurant.... Now, I'm not one to believe rumors, so I wanted to ask here first....IS IT TRUE? ANYONE KNOW THE TRUTH? thanks

anyone know how often the menu will change?

WOW...it was a whirlwind, but I made it home in one piece.... I flew out Wednesday afternoon....could hardly sleep, then anxiously awaited my meal at Alinea while seeing Chicago for the first time.... I want to keep this post abbreviated, but I wanted to give a HUGE round of applause to Chef Achatz and the entire Alinea staff for providing the most stunning dining experience I have ever had the pleasure of being witness to. And also to Mr. Kastner, your pieces are beautiful, whimsical, and delicate to the eye as well as the food for which it so wonderfully provides conveyance. Everyone was so amicable, knowledgeable, and attentive...and it was an absolute pleasure to meet Chef Achatz, who (dare I say it) is the most talented, imaginative chef in America today....and for many moons to come...I look forward to my second visit...... Bicycle Lee aka Brendan Kawakami table 24 8pm Thursday 12.5.05

TO CHEF ACHATZ AND HIS ENTIRE TEAM: GODSPEED!!!!! YOU ARE TRUE PIONEERS AND INNOVATORS! HAVE FUN WITH THE OPENING NIGHT TOMORROW, AND I'LL SEE YOU IN A WEEK!!!!

I'm assuming that address given for Alinea is correct. I have reservations for the 12th of May and I cannot wait.

Just to follow up....I did contact FMC and expressed interest in their products...They were gracious enough to send out a KILO of alginate!!!! Damn...good thing I got a buddy who can get me calcium chloride.

Yeah did you know that pimentos from the center of cocktail olives are made using the sodium alginate/calcium chloride method? Funny. huh?

Within my family there is a great rift of those who feel that food is simply sustinence and those who feel that it should provide some sort of stimulation of the sixth sense. My brother (who I love very much, mind you) is very 'meat and potatoes' and my mother and I appreciate the occasional break from the hole-stuffing for something a little more introspective. Since I am pursuing a career in food my brother often gives me shit about the security of the biz... Needless to say it is an uphill battle.

make some homemade vanilla ice cream and make floats...

SO? How was your stay? Where else did you end up eating?

okay, so all that aside, in making the sponge, you obviously use less gelatin than you would to make a firm gel, right? In the pictures in does appear to be very resilient (seeing the pool of green liquid suspended in the sponge suggests this), but I am curious as to what kind of proportions you recommend using for these results. Also, with the alginate...do you use a digital scale to get the amounts needed for the encapsulation? I also have 100 g of calcium chloride, but I have yet to purchase a scale that measures in grams, so I am leary of experimenting quite yet. I know that you are supposed to make a 2% solution of the liquid being encapsulated and the alginate and a 1% solution of the calcium chloride...so in the kitchen do you measure these amounts out with a digital scale? I am sure that this is not the exactly appropriate place to post these q's, but I figured they would be seen quicker. Thanks, chef... with the utmost respect. B.Lee

I apologize, Chef... I certainly meant no disrespect towards your cuisine or the techniques and struggle and strain that go into its creation. If anything, I was attempting to show great respect for you and those chefs out there who do break down preconceived notions of preparations of food. Too often I hear disdain for what is referred to as avante garde cuisine. People who hear, see, think, and even taste dogmatically commenting on the lack of culinary value. Whimsy is as important to cooking and eating as I believe science is. Like you say, you can set a tone for an entire tasting just by appealing to an emotion, memory or philosophy of the diner with the first bite. So again, I apologize...you are certainly not "mad"...

ChefG: I have a question regarding the seafood sponge... I came across a kilo of alginate and have only experimented minimally with it. I am amazed by the potential of this product. My problem is: there aren't too many resources regarding the use of alginate in cooking that I have been able to find. I love your use of it to create this ethereal, whipped mound of flavor...but I am curious: what ratio do you use it in? From experience I have found that a little goes a long way, but I thought it might be worth the time to ask the mad scientist himself. So far I have only used it to keep gelato from crystallizing and thicken lightly reduced sauces...but even then it was pretty much a guessing game as far as amounts. Can you lend any advice? Thanks B

eh, there's still only the intro page there. I figure that I might as well keep popping my face out into the open. I know it is a bit like when I applied to Harvard, but then again, I won't know what I am capable of if I rely solely on speculation. Even a stage position would be like my Golden Ticket, but an actual paid position, now that would be incredible. This Food Lab thread really gets my neurons firing.... I will venture so far as to say that I believe Alinea will be one of the most important restaurants in America for years to come.

uhhh...so WHEN are you going to start taking resumes? With every post I become more anxious.

Come down to the Metropolitan if you get a chance. I work in the kitchen there and we just changed to the fall menu...it is great. But be sure to go to Takashi as well...that place rocks...Martine has always disappointed me and the New Yorker gets their demi from a can...but that is just my two cents. There's a great vietnamese restaurant called Mi La Cai on State that is awesome and cheap...also in Sugarhouse there is a great Tuscan joint called Michaelangelo that I highly recommend. Have fun!

I have called and put my name on a waiting list... I am familiar with Keller's reputation, but also that he is not going to the one preparing my meal.... I didn't feel it was necessary to blabber out all the praise verbatim, since it is clear that no one can get me a table at Per Se on this blog....not that I was expecting it. All I wanted to know was whether or not it was worth the trouble. I certainly am going to give it the old college try, but I would certainly not be disappointed with a seat at Blue Hill or Gramercy Tavern. Whichever ends up coming to fruition, I will post pics and synopsis. Thanks

So I'm going on an impromptu trip to NYC next week and I am going to try to squeeze my lonesome self into Per Se one of the nights I am there. What do you guys think my chances are? I was figuring that I would show up near 5:30 and just say that I am a professional cook and that I know this is touted to be some of the best food in the world right now and I would be forever thankful if I could get a one top in for the chef's tasting. Waddyathink?

a cook I work with just went and he said while the food was good, the front o fthe house seemed very disorganized...I mean, a course was dropped off at the table with no verbal on what it was or how it was prepared...When you're paying good money for a tasting menu, I think that sort of thing should be standard IMO.

man...and I just bought the old version...looks like I'm going to have to get the new one now.

both processes are similar. To french the breast, just cut the web of skin that connects the bottom of the wing to the top, directly towards the joint. When you get to the bone, circle the bone with your knife, cutting all the flesh. Hyperextend the joint until it pops out niceley. Then roll the skin back. Now you can remove the breast from the carcass in your preferred manner. Pretty much the same deal with the leg, but you'll have to work a little harder to get all the tissue from the end of the bone.

last night I came across a good sack of doja and ended up demolishing a jar of homemade roasted tomato salsa with those "hint of lime" tortilla chips...bueno But I agree, it is usually not what, but how much. I typically love sweets, but anything that is readily stuffed into my mouth will do.

I am not sure if I would even use ice cream at all...because when you say hot milkshake, I am envisioning something with the thickness of a shake, but the temp of hot chocolate...so what I would do is start with an egg-based ice ceam mixture that is cold and temper it with the hot chocolate, and whip it up until it is nice and thick....sort of like a thin custard...Might be kinda rich, but it would be damn good. I dunno...I'm interested to see what you come up with.

When you say strong alcohol, are you suggesting only non-potable? Like Rubbing alcohol, or can you use liquor?

I have made some great THC buttercream-filled chocolates, want some?