Liza

I think it might have been an extra - I didn't notice it at the next table.

Apologies in advance, for my lack of note-taking. I'm a bad, bad Egulleeter. An 8:30 reservation, we were seated within five minutes of arrival at a lovely corner table. Started with the Midori Margaritas: Midoris, Jose Cuervo Gold, lemon and lime juices, straight up. Pale green cusp of summer delicious. Edamame with coarse salt to nibble while we looked over the menu. The menu - I've got to say, I rarely see so many dishes I want to order. Which made the decision to go omakase very easy. I'll try to get these down in order: 1) Actic char topped with fried shredded filo, in yuzu sauce, on top of a piece of butter lettuce. You wrap it up in a bundle and eat and get the crispy filo, the (sorry) buttery lettuce, the citrus zing of yuzu and the creamy fish. A terrific mouthful. 2) Japanese yellowtail with caviar and jalapeno, in a spicy/hot jalapeno shallot sauce. I thought the jalapeno a bit overwhelmed the fish, but D. disagreed. 3) Lobster tempura in creamy spicy sauce. Wow. Crunchy, creamy, spicy, and juicy lobster to boot. 4) The classic black cod - topped with foie gras, garnished with tiny grilled Japanese eggplant, fried shiso leaf and pickled onions. Such attention to detail - each garnish could be a centerpiece itself, especially the eggplant. 5) Sushi - included toro, eel, salmon and two others. Served with miso soup with clams. The wasabi picked up our palates again, as did the steaming soup. 6) Dessert: I'll have to consult D. on the proper description of this one. I remember the confit of plums but want to get the terminology right before I venture out on this one. 7) Extra birthday dessert - the famous bento box of molten chocolate souffle with green tea icecream. We loved both items individually - the green tea icecream was so soothing and cool, not just temperature-wise. The cake was appropriately oozing, and swirled together, it was a lovely harmony of hot and cold temps, plus hi and low notes - with the ice cream on trombone and the cake on clarinet. Marvelous knowledgable service, with humor and expertise. They really make you feel comfortable there. An incredible meal to start the next year!

Apologies for the vague answer but I do think I read somewhere that JGV is opening something there. But I think you've probably stumbled across more accurate information. I'll walk by in the next few days and see what I can see...

You might check out Kalulstyans for grape leaves - they have a number of leaves (Kaffir lime etc.) in the frozen section, and might also be able to order fresh ones if not. NY Fire Patrol Chef mentioned Sahadi's as well. Back to dinner: salad of baby lettuces from Morse Pitts at Union Square; with the first Chabbey of the season from Cato Corner cheese; and fresh trout filets baked with thyme. A handful of Giardelli double chocolate chips for dessert!

Y'all just gonna let Soba's 'gassy' comment sit there...? What one does with cruciferous vegetables on one's own time, is up to...oneself.

Oh that sounds delicious. Not so little a bite at all, and sounds very related to a chile relleno. Soba, we must meet at Union Square some time for a sausage tasting at High Hope Hogs. My favorite pre-meal snack to eat while cooking, is roasted brussel sprouts with rosemary, olive oil, S&P.

A nice bruschetta topped with white beans mixed with fresh herbs, EVOO, lemon zest and some fresh cracked black pepper. Any chance we could open this thread up to include other little bites we enjoy before settling down to the main meal? Soba?

[head reeling, lights flashing....] Could it be...the Magic...of Bacon Wrapped????

Jinmyo, Never please never give canned tuna to a cat. It's like crack to them, and they can/might/will (!) stop eating all other food. Which is somehow a bad thing where the kitties are concerned. Perhaps Priscilla or others can elucidate my dire warning...

That'd have to be one mighty shovel.

ummm....Priscilla used two of my favorite words together: "bacon" and "wrapped"...

The kind with the "free razors" included?

Of course, of course.

Wilfrid, I'd reckon about 15 minutes - honest. Really low temp water (I even drag out the meat thermometer) works for the bass. Soba, that's not really cheating. You're applying the heat after all! Tonight: three pounds o' cod are comin' my way. So that means codfish cakes for Tuesday!

I see your rolled bologna and raise you a slice of genoa salami, spread with cream cheese, rolled around a scallion.

Welcome, congrats, and I'm sure you'll have a lovely meal at Montrachet. Dined there about two months ago (and posted on it on this board) and was more than pleased with the food and service. Agreed with the NY Mag. review to a T.

...and tossing that quickly away as well, right?

Many thanks for the stern warning, Yvonne. How dare the NYT try to malign the very lovely caipirinha...

Aren't bonbons by definition whimsical? I mean, with a name like bonbons...

I think the trick for poaching in plastic is to keep the temp around 160 or so. Just a light trembling o'er the surface, as if the water is contemplating vegetarian haggis.

Mickey at Tribeca Wine Merchants on Chambers St. told me that he decants his Embruix 1999 Priorat for the full 24 hours. It does seem like a long time, doesn't it? Well, I've got two bottles, one which I'll most likely ruin by just opening and drinking. After that, lesson learned, I'll decant the other. But big, stupid question from someone who has never decanted: I'm thinking that the vessel into which one decants matters much - wide and shallow? Narrow and vertical? What what?

Tried the Nigl GV, Kremser Freiheit 2001. Notes say: "a light effervescense. Very much in the front of the mouth with feel, floral, slightly sweet. Nice little unobtrusive number for the Pinot Grigio set..." Brundlemayer Langenloiser Berg Vogelsang GV 2000 "smells sweeter than it is. Apples, limes on the loooong finish. Springtime in a glass." Schloss Gobesburg 2000, Gobelsburger Steinsetz: "D. says 'weedier' than other GVs. Not as floral as the comparing Rudi Pichler, but maybe a little smokier."

Henry Rollins is one of the flat-out nicest people you could ever meet.

It's gotta be a tough call for you - Mexico or U.S?

Tonight, Tonight...I feel like Maria in "West Side Story". We had the pleasure of dining with Alex and Stephany, from whom we purchase most of our fish. They provided us with two gorgeous striped bass filets, and two pounds of scallops. As the fish was divided up for a few cooks, I'll just speak about what I made. For the scallops, I boiled some new potatoes, removed their jackets, and sliced into spheres, then brushed with butter and roasted; sprinkled with scallops with fleur de sel, guajillo pepper powder and sauteed; so the individual serving pile was potato, scallop, and a few salmon roe. For the bass, I employed (yet again cause it always works) Rocco DiSpirito's method: wrapped each portion in plastic wrap and poached at 160 degrees for 15 minutes. Topped with a sauce of loose butter, caviar, lemon zest. The poaching in plastic keeps the protein incredibly moist, and come on, how can you go wrong with heaps of butter? (and cat hair, of course).