SiseFromm

I don't know why the emphasis on Chipotle as being not an authentic Mexican food place. Are you guys serious? Of course it's not true Mexiacn food. In fact you'll be pretty hard pressed to find any true Mexican food within the United States. They're out there, but they're rare. That doesn't mean you can enjoy Mexican-influenced food like Chipotle serves. Are we going to stop eating at American Pizza joints, complaining that the only true pizza is from Naples? R. Jason Coulston

I'm glad what I knew all along is being touted and played heavily in a news story that hit today. The scariest is the salmon color wheel. Yikes. I like my fish not to have been dyed. R. Jason Coulston

I was thinking more about it and figured I'd post a follow-up here. On Bristol Avenue in Costa Mesa between Bear and Baker you'll find The Camp on one side of the street and The Lab on the other. The camp houses Native Foods, an eye-opening and surprisingly good all-vegan cafe. Steps from Native Foods is Village Bakery. Old-world style breads and high prices are both easy to find. Next to that is Tim Goodell's The Lodge. Try the all-day braised Pot Roast, or if you're lucky, the Veal Pot Roast Special. Make sure to get a side of something, because they're all good. The Lodge is tucked away in a mid-century modernist's dream come true and the bartender is a whiz. Dine late and stay for one of the area's hippest after hours with DJs spinning house and hip-hop. If you walk across the street to The Lab, you'll find Memphis, Gypsy Den, and Habana. I used to live in Memphis, Tennessee, and, well, you won't find true Memphis spirit at Memphis Cafe. You will find good meatloaf and catfish. You will find cute waitstaff. You will find a small dining room that feels good. Gypsy Den is a lunch cafe where "vegetarians eat with their meat-eating friends" or some such catchy phrase they use. It's good. Part hippie + modern, part vegetarian + waldorf chicken salad. Try the Adobe stew, if you can get a table on the weekday during lunch. Habana is almost a landmark there now, having been in business serving Cuban food for the good part of 11 years if I had to guess. Make sure to try the mojito, and whatever you do, don't miss the Bocaditos or the Puerco Primo. You can catch live Flamenco on certain nights, so call ahead for scheduling. Think dark. Think lots of candles. Think Cuban meets Costa Mesa. Think about getting there early because it's always busy on the weekends. If you leave either The Lab or The Camp, or you drive past them all together, make a right on Newport Blvd/55 Fwy South. You can either jump on the freeway at that point or stay to the right and drive along Newport Blvd. Either will dump you off at the end of the 55 Freeway into what I believe is the heart of Costa Mesa. Newport Boulevard between 19th Street and 17th Street. You can tuck into any number of eateries along the way, as long as you avoid the Yard House. They don't clean their lines and you end up getting a crappy pint of Boddington's. The menu is standard trendy bar fare. Could be good, but poorly executed and not worth the wait. Pass 17th Street and keep heading toward Newport Beach from Newport Blvd. Stay to the right and take the exit for PCH South. Turn left and you'll hit restaurant row. The PCH restaurants on the West side of PCH have harbor views. The ones on the East are still good bets, but without the swanky view. You'll see Chart House, Jack Shrimp, Joe's Crab Shack, Josh Slokum's (owned by Dennis Rodman), and several others. None on this strip are absolute knockouts, but they do offer a definitive Newport Beach dining experience and are good for considering if you're doing any business while on the trip. It's too bad that both Bistro 201 and Aysia 101 are both closed, because they offered the best thing along that strip. John Sharpe's West Coast Restaurant empire is truly gone. For nightlife, sneak into La Cave on 17th Street and Irvine Avenue. Venture down the stairs or on the elevator into, literally, the cave. No windows. No need for them. If dinner is still being served expect to smell prime beef and possibly a lobster tail or two. Skip dinner though and go for the night scene. They pour the stiffest drink as voted by OC Weekly, but they don't charge $9 for their martinis like you'll find at Gulfstream (formerly Cowboy Seafood), Bayside, or one of the other various trendy restaurants in Newport Beach. Saturday nights means jazz with the Todd Oliver Quartet playing standards from Davis and Coltrane. There's no cover so throw a $5 in there at least please, they deserve it. You'll see. For breakfast there is Plum's and Haute Cakes, both on 17th Street. Plum's was started by a couple of artsy Oregon refugees so you'll see such Pacific Northwest signature ingredients such as hazelnuts and, of course, salmon. Haute Cakes serves up goat cheese and asparagus scrambles, chorizo benedict on corn cakes, homemade granola and yogurt, knock-out coffee and pastries, and a look at the underbelly of Newport Beach's suburban rich. It's a comedy show and worth the admission. The food rocks too. It's too bad you don't have time to take a drive South to San Juan Capistrano to Ramos House Cafe, Orange County's best breakfast hands-down. Their bloody mary has a king crab leg and asparagus for crying out loud, and don't get me started on the beignets. R. Jason Coulston

Really, I could go on and on about Costa Mesa for a long time. I'm a long-time resident and have really tried a lot. I'm a little frightened that I Love Sushi was even mentioned in this thread, lest the poor guy accidentally go there. Please stay away like the plague. My recommendations woud have more to do with what kind of food adventure you're interested in having rather than what my favorite spots are. Aubergine, Golden Truffle, Troquet, etc. are all good restaurants, but only if you're looking for an expensive French/California dining experience. And of the three, Golden Truffle is really in a pretty lame spot just off Newport Blvd. at 17th Street/Superior. It's in a strip mall. At least spring for Aubergine on the Peninsula in Newport Beach on 21st Street. Crab Cooker is a fun place and certainly a Newport Beach institution. It does a good job of capturing the beach lifestyle, the history of the area, and good/clean seafood served simply. Don't expect fancy though. It's strictly paper plates and plastic cups. Nothing like a draft beer in a cup. Taco Mesa is also good, though for a more rustic and adventurous visit to Costa Mesa's vast Mexican food offerings, try Jugo de Acapulco on 19th Street just a block from Taco Mesa in the Smart & Final lot. Or head down Bristol to El Gallo Giro in Santa Ana across from Mater Dei highschool for arguably one of the area's best Mexican food joints. Tell me a little about what you're looking/hoping for and I'll throw in a few well-deserved recommendations. R. Jason Coulston

Funny you should mention that because I was just reading that same information earlier today. A buddy of mine sent me a link to a blurb about it on a restaurant rumors website. The chef from Whist, Jeff Anderson I believe, was Tim's former star and the guy that did the menu creation and opening of the other restaurants I listed above. He headed off to Texas so somebody new was brought in to run Whist. Still, as of just a few weeks ago anyway, was still listed on one of Tim's business cards. Also printed on the card is Village Bakery, located next to The Lodge. It serves as the bakery for all of his establishments. I don't know what Tim's current involvement with Whist and/or the Viceroy is, nor how this is all going to play into the quality of food or the menu. I'm betting it's still a quality place. R. Jason Coulston EDIT: Grammar

Is McDonald's involved with Chipotle? Yeah, somewhat. Though I think their percentage ownership is a lot smaller than what's being quoted, not to mention it's for sale. McDonald's is trimming their secondary businesses away so any savvy investors ready to pick up the major shareholder stake in Chipotle should be aware. As for authenticity, it's not really truly Mexican, but it's damn good. It's Californian. Or Southwestern. Or some other such American bending and fusion of Mexican cuisine. How can you argue with Chipotle when they're slow-roasting Neiman Ranch pork with juniper berries and bay leaves for their carnitas? It's absolutely delicious and they're supporting family-owned, co-op farmed hog. R. Jason Coulston

Right. Smaller hamburgers. Tyler's is very casual, but it's small and family-owned. We're not talking gourmand here, but a cold beer and a couple sliders in the middle of a hot Palm Springs afternoon is a wicked treat. R. Jason Coulston

Man, you just stirred up some recent memories for me! I was in the Bay Area over the Holidays and had that very same roast duck from Yank Sing, and those same two dishes were on the tasting menus when we ate at French Laundry. We had three white Alba truffles with risotto at our table so the aroma was intoxicating. Some of it came back when I saw that photo! lol R. Jason Coulston

You should look into Whist, Tim and Liza Goodell's restaurant in Santa Monica's Viceroy Hotel. Tim made his mark with Aubergine in Newport Beach, a French Laundry hopeful, then with Troquet. He opened Whist, and more recently Red Pearl in Huntington Beach and The Lodge in Costa Mesa. All are hipster joints with good food. He can be pretentious at time in his French menus, but he's mostly a savvy chef these days catering to the beautiful crowd. He serves excellent seasonal food broken down into simple plates. The crispy pork belly on white beans on the menu at The Lodge is a god-send. Dining at one of his newer establishments usually means you also get to nod along to progressive ambient electronic music. The Viceroy is a cool hotel, so be prepared to see some pretty people. Tim was one of Food & Wine's "Best Chefs in America" a few years back so he's certainly no light weight. R. Jason Coulston

Keller is doing it perfectly. Close down French Laundry while you're away in New York getting Per Se ready. Get the new restaurant to the point where it's ready to open, raise everything to strict standards, do the meet and greet with the start-studded opening night crowd, then come back to a freshly remodeled French Laundry. I can't think of a better way to time it. R. Jason Coulston

My grandfather cherished full boxes of mollasses chips when I was younger. Alas, smoking took him too early, but I imagine he's out there somewhere, thoroughly enjoying a fine box of mollasses chips to his heart's delight. Even though it's "mall chocolate", I still have a soft spot for their bordeaux. Sure, I only use Guittard and Scharffen Berger when I make ganache or pots de creme, but I can enjoy that classic white box of Sees too. R. Jason Coulston

I can't believe nobody has mentioned Tyler's for quick, cheap, and satisfying eats. Get their sliders, cole slaw, and a cold beer. Gourmand? Nope. Fun, tasty and easy? Definitely. It's in Palm Springs right off the strip. R. Jason Coulston

I've eaten at Farallon once for dinner and twice for lunch and was always impressed. I thought their bartender staff was particularly good, as we ordered several suggested bartender favorites I had not seen before or were, in two cases, old-school to say the least. Both of our bartenders had excellent skills. I don't remember every detail of our meals exactly as I think it was just about a year ago last time we at there, but I definitely remember the head-on shrimp cocktail, which was a real treat. I also had skate, which at the time, in 2000 if I remember, wasn’t very common to see. Even though it's a little over the top, the decor fits with the restaurant and I'm not surprised to hear that the kitchen is still top-notch. R. Jason Coulston

The thing I like about his recipes is that they're simple, but he squeezes a lot of flavor out of what he's using. There's a certain depth of flavor you'd usually only find with dishes that require greater techniqe, or time. He definitely has a certain food style, which I respect despite the fact many people abhor him. R. Jason Coulston

We just got back from San Francisco over Christmas week and had a great meal at Yank Sing. A little pricier than some, but excellent nonethless. They should be Zagat-listed, near 2nd Street and Market. Their items from the crispy carts were okay, but their steamed items were spot-on. R. Jason Coulston

I love The Best Recipe which is a constant go-to for me when I want some recipe reference. The Professional Chef is also a good one because the photographs offer excellent "lessons" on common techniques such as bread-making, trussing a chicken, and sauce preparation among dozens of others. Just for fun, and mostly because I just got it for Christmas so I've been pouring over it, I'm kind of hot on Michel Bras' Essential Cuisine. I doubt I'll make anything out of it, but I love paging through it for inspiration and for plating design ideas. Aubrac, France is my next food mecca, I can feel it. By the way, the cover photo of Essential Cuisine isn't some random assembling of various vegetables, that's his tasting of early summer vegetables which includes such rarities as pascal celery, onions from Lezignan, black rasdishes, black salsify, crosne, conopode, and red orache. Good luck putting that dish together! R. Jason Coulston

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, Mascarpone, Crispy Pancetta, and Truffle Oil I took my time on this soup, running it through blender, then strainer, and back through a chinois. Very velvety. The seasoned mascarpone was dolloped cold in the center of a shallow soup bowl. I finished with one ladle of soup, diced crispy pancetta, chives, and a drop or two of truffle oil. Very wintery and very rich. One ladle was plenty. It would be a good very small first course as part of an extended meal. R. Jason Coulston

Here's the Game Menu in full: Soup and Salad - Maine Lobster Consomme, Lobster Knuckle Salad with Frisee Lettuce and Coral Mousse Salade Gourmande - Baby Mache Lettuce, Haricot Vert, Geisier de Canard and Shaved Moulard Duck Foie Gras Brandade de Morue - Pan Seared Filet of Pacific Black Cod with Braised Celery Branch, Fingerling Potato Crisp, and Shirako Enriched Brandade Sauce Pan Roasted Hand-Harvested Main Diver Scallop, Sweet Onion Fondue, Langue de Canard and Sauce Hydromel Breast of Wolfe Ranch Squab En Crepinette, Served with a Fricassee of Perigord Truffles, Heirloom Beets and Spice Roasted Bartlett Pear Applewood Smoked Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon of New Zealand Fallow Venison, Caramelized Savoy Cabbage, Winter Chestnuts, Butternut Squash Puree and Chestnut Honey Poivrade Welsh Rarebit Fondue of Mrs. Appleby's Cheddar and Toasted Brioche Wild Huckleberry Sorbet with Stewed Huckleberries and a Cornmeal Financier White Chocolate Velours - Dark Chocolate Sabayon, Black Truffle Liquid Center, Perigord Truffle Syrup and Ruby Red Grapefruit Sorbet I forgot about those beets in the Squab course until reading through the menu again. One of them tasted like strawberries. Best beets ever. R. Jason Coulston

Oh yes, I totally forgot. After our second dessert course we received an excellent surprise in the form of an "Egg Nog Pots de Creme". A nice nod since it was Christmas week. Man that thing was good. R. Jason Coulston

With a spoon. All day long. Best stuff ever. I like it with a touch of sugar and the inside of a fresh vanilla bean. Cooked gently and infused with vanilla goodness, it's a miracle over berries. It's also great to add depth and mouth-feel to flat sauces. Really, I can go on and on about it. Use it all the time with everything. R. Jason Coulston

I'm so glad to hear so many people are using gas grills for pizzas, as I thought I was the only one! I used to cook pizzas on stones in my oven, but I found the temperature of the stone went down quickly and my oven wasn't doing a good enough job at quickly heating them back up if I was doing multiple pizzas for a larger crowd. When I threw them on the surface of my Weber grill though, it was magic. I have two round stones in that grill at all time. I simply crank all three burners up to maximum and let the stones cook in there for a good 10 - 15 minutes. After that, my thin pizzas take no more than about 5 minutes each. I just have to be a bit careful because the stones can get so hot that the bottom of the crusts can blister quickly, before the topping has melted. I tend to turn the burners to medium or medium high after the stones have gone through their initial blast of 600-degree heat. My buddy had a big built-in wood oven integrated with his outdoor grill space, but he rarely uses it because the set-up and use is so involved. It takes awhile to heat up and you have to keep the fire going for a while to get desired results. With the Weber, I'm in and out in 20 minutes. R. Jason Coulston

I've got a 10" chef's knife on hand as well, but it doesn't get much use anymore. I'm too addicted to my santoku knife, which is a use-all for me in most scenarios. For specialty jobs, I have my cleaver, boning knife, paring knife, bread knife, etc. For basic cuts though, it's all about that santoku. R. Jason Coulston

Actually Susan, I don't have a recipe. I've just made braised dishes so many times that I just kind of wing it now. The short ribs were dusted in flour and seared in stages in my Le Crueset. They were set aside to drain, and then I sweated off shallots, garlic, and leeks until very tender but not too browned. I hit that with a bit of roux I had on hand, then deglazed with the wine. Once that reduced by about 1/2, I added the short ribs, veal stock to cover, bay leaves, peppercorns, and several sprigs of thyme. The whole thing was brought to a starting boil, then I covered it with a parchment paper lid and it went in a 350-degree oven for about 5 hours. They were probably good at 4, but I just let them go, turning them from time to time so they were submerged through most of the process. The ribs were very carefully removed (as they were basically falling apart), the bones were discarded. I carefully trimmed them of the tissue surrounding the bone so I was left with 8 total pieces of braised ribs. The liquid was already reduced by about 1/2 at least after cooking. It was strained through a chinois, and then reduced in a saucepan by 1/2 again. I hit it with more thyme, seasoned with salt and pepper, and finished it off by whisking in butter after it was saucy enough to coat the back of a spoon. I plated it on large white china with two dollops of the potato/celeriac puree. One was topped with a large crouton, the other with two of the ribs. I spooned sauce around the plate and finished with chives. It's a good cold-weather dish. R. Jason Coulston

You're probably right about that. Looking through my post again, I probably sound slightly ungrateful. Really, it was superb and I feel lucky for having gone. I know how much I've envied those before me that went when I had yet to go. It was a superb meal and the overall experience was one I wouldn't trade in. It's interesting walking into the restaurant for the first time because you have a certain expectation in your mind of what the place is going to look like. It wasn't what I imagined. I had never seen full-blown photos of the dining room prior to walking in, so I was a little surprised by how simple and traditional it seemed. Very standard white-clothed tables, elegant furniture, and walls that weren't adorned with too much art. We sat upstairs and there really wasn't anything to distract you from your meal. The décor was understated, which I imagine was deliberate to let the meal speak for itself. I'm curious to see what Per Se is going to look like in Manhattan. Being in a more cosmopolitan setting than rural Yountville, I'm guessing they'll have to be a bit more dramatic with their interior and menu choices. Anyway, it was marvelous and I certainly don't want to pick it apart, because it's better than I can do. R. Jason Coulston

Braised Beef Short Ribs with Potato-Celeriac Puree, Crouton, and Veal Reduction One of my finest slow-cooked meals. 5 hours of braising in cast iron will do wonders. The veal stock I made a few weeks ago and froze worked like a charm, as did the bottle of Chateau Potelle Cabernet I brought back with me from Napa. That sauce was liquid gold. If you blended it with ice cream I would have had it as a shake. I put my brand-spanking-new food mill to good use with the puree, which was enriched with mascarpone (a slightly-adapted recipe from the Lumiere cookbook by Rob Feenie). It was a real winner with my wife, who went back into the kitchen to sop up the remaining sauce with a couple of pieces of toasted bread that were left over. R. Jason Coulston