robyn

I too haven't heard about the term "Grower Champagne" until the Varietal review. For a lot of ppl like me, I don't need to know that much detail of what I'm drinking. This is the same type of criticism the craftsteak menu got when they first opened. Remember when the biography of each "cow" was on the menu. ← One difference between food and drink is there are probably tens of thousands of different wines. Maybe some very learned people know about thousands of bottles - but the average diner frequently doesn't recognize much of anything on a wine list (unless it's really high end - or really low end). The same with spirits. I like gin. And at a really good high class bar - well it might have 20+ gins. Of which I am perhaps really familiar with 5. On the other hand - when it comes to food - you're dealing with a finite number of ingredients - and chefs who prepare them in a limited number of particular ways (I doubt you'll ever find a restaurant where you can have a chicken prepared in one of 20 - much less 500 - ways). The reason wine becomes important is it can easily double or triple the cost of a meal even at very high priced restaurants. So it tends to be an intimidating factor for a lot of diners. I am glad that the only wine I drink is champagne - because it's easier to figure out what's what when you're dealing only with a limited part of the wine menu (or wine book in many cases). Robyn

I notice that near the end of the article writer Justin McCurry has the obligatory quote from a Japanese sushi chef: Masukomi happens to be the name of the sushi bar at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan (aka the foreign press club), and as far as I know they're not even open to the public. ← After our trip to Japan - I am not sure that any westerner who hasn't spent a lot of time in Japan is competent to judge Japanese food. When we dined with you - and Torakris - and on our own - we encountered many foods - especially various types of seafood and fish - that we had never even seen before. I can say what I liked (most of it) - and what I didn't like (some things) - but in terms of judging what was good - better - best - well I simply didn't have the experience to make such decisions. It is interesting that in a thread in the Florida forum - someone is trying to convince me that sushi served in a little deal restaurant in the Florida panhandle is somehow really good. It bears as much relation to the high end sushi we ate in Japan as a Kia bears to a Rolls Royce. Robyn

Destin is in the Panhandle - not south Florida. And that sushi looks exactly like what we get on every sushi buffet here in Jacksonville. Robyn

That's kind of sad if true. I'm not sure I will ever go to one of the new Robuchon places - basically for "you can't go home again" reasons (Jamin was one of the best meals of my life). You are too young to have gone to Jamin - so you don't have the same baggage. But surely New York isn't that bad. Or is it? Robyn

I agree with you to a certain extent - especially when the name is one you see again and again and again (which tends to be the case). But - sometimes - it's fun and educational. We went to a great restaurant in Atlanta (maybe not great for Paris but great for Atlanta) last month - and it featured some cheese from a dairy in Thomasville Georgia. Now how often do you see that on a menu ? I never knew there was an artisan dairy in Thomasville (which is near Tallahassee Florida) - and the cheese was pretty good. So when we're in Tallahassee next month - if we have an extra hour or two - we'll go there and buy some. In thinking about Bruni - I have to conclude that he simply isn't a fun adventurous guy. And that he is somewhat insecure. I was taught to be very open and inquiring when I dine. If I don't know something (and there's an awful lot I don't know) - well you ask - and you learn. And most people in good restaurants are good or great teachers. You don't put something down unless you try it - and it's no good (and you know the difference between good and bad). You don't put it down because you don't understand it - or don't like it (I don't like some of the gelatinous stuff in "real" Chinese cooking - but apparently there are lots of Chinese people who do). I cannot imagine someone like Bruni taking the trip we took to Japan last year without having major panic attacks or becoming totally defensive. In Japan - we didn't know what 3/4 of the higher class food was - or how to eat it when it was served (you get 3 dishes of dipping sauce - do I dip this piece of tempura in the one on the left - the one in the middle - or the one on the right). Who knows? - and there is a single correct answer. We asked the chefs and servers to instruct us - and they were glad to oblige. They didn't laugh when we totally screwed up (ok - a couple laughed - but not at us - with us). Or champagne. What is the big deal about any champagne? I love champagne - but we went to lots of places in London our last trip - and places like ADNY - where I had never heard of any of the stuff they were serving. You just say you've never heard of any of them - try to explain your preferences - and let your server guide you. Especially if he's one of those guys pouring a glass from a magnum while he rests it on his arm. The show is impressive - and even middle of the road champagne is always festive. Maybe Bruni is just too up tight to have a good time. Which is what fine dining is all about. Robyn

Perhaps I'm just tired tonight - but I don't understand what you mean about the breadcrumbs. And I guess where we differ is I am more interested in reading restaurant reviews the way I'd read a consumer report of a car. Because I don't read them for entertainment - I read them to decide where to eat when I travel (with the internet - it's very easy to access all of a newspaper's or food site's restaurant reviews on line). And Bruni gives me very little help in that regard when it comes to New York. To be quite honest about it - his restaurant reviews have put a damper on our trips to New York. He makes all the places I think I'd like to eat at sound terrible (fussy - starchy - overbearing - whatever). Remember - we're tourists when we go to New York. And we like to try at least a couple of new big deal restaurants when we go there. He succeeds in making most of them sound pretty dismal (and makes me feel like I'd be an idiot or worse to spend a lot of money at them). As for book reviews - I never read them. I like to read the book and be surprised by what's in it. Robyn

I hate to be blunt - but I have eaten sushi in a lot of places - all over the west coast of the US (from LA to Vancouver) - Hawaii - and Japan. The sushi in Florida is at best mediocre (whether you're talking Boca or Broward or Jacksonville). I'd rather have a local fried fish sandwich. I haven't been to Legal Seafoods in Boca since 2005 (when it was still pretty good). Can't vouch for it now. Robyn

I've heard the term "grower Champagne" - but haven't seen it on menus. Is it "real" Champagne (from the Champagne region of France)? Any particular labels any of you would recommend? I love champagne - and am looking for a very special bottle this year for my 60th birthday. Was thinking of Churchill Pol Roget (I have tried the lesser Pol Roget bottles before and like them but have never had the Churchill before - and now it's available in Jacksonville!) - but I can be persuaded to do something else. As for Bruni. I know that Steve Plotnicki is kind of a dirty name around here. And I have had the honor of being kicked off his chat board for disagreeing with him. But he has written an exceptionally good blog piece about Chodorow's public fight with Bruni - and his personal opinions on the fight and newspaper food critics here. I guess the bottom line is don't believe everything you read in the papers. Even the New York Times. I remember traipsing to at least a half dozen design stores all over Manhattan which were mentioned enthusiastically in the Times over the years as fabulous that were basically nothing holes in the wall which carried a lot of junk. I know more about contemporary design and art than I do about food - and I can tell you that as bad as Bruni may seem to you - the people who write about furniture and architecture and art are worse. Curiously - I thnk the people who write in these areas for the WSJ today are more impressive than those who write for the NYT. Do any of you read Sokolov's food reviews in the WSJ? He's a lot older than Bruni. He's even older than me - and even older than my husband! But he seems willing to try new stuff - and write about it intelligently. I've laminated his writeup of Alinea in the hope of dragging my husband there . "Young" may perhaps be overrated these days (I have spent some time recently on AutoAdmit in light of the recent controversies regarding it - and if that is the state of high class law students - then I think we are all in trouble). Robyn

I don't think great - or even very good sushi is in the cards in Boca (or anywhere else in Florida for that matter). Unless you're looking for a Nobu type place. But - if you're looking for seafood - my favorite seafood restaurant in Boca is Legal Seafoods at the Town Center Mall. Does a nice job - especially for a (small) chain restaurant. Robyn

Most well known higher end Tokyo restaurants are already pretty expensive. Much better values at lunch than dinner. Robyn

What Bruni is saying is that people should be polite. I am sure that New York is not unique in having its share of impolite diners. As for the hat/cap thing mentioned in one of the comments - it is - here where I live - and at a couple of places I've encountered in NY - more of an anti-hip-hop/gang related thing. No backwards caps (we even have mall rules which disallow them) - so you can't wear caps - and because you don't want to appear discriminatory - you ban hats - like that old guy wears - too. Similar rules apply to shoes. No basketball shoes allowed - so to appear non-discriminatory - all athletic footware is banned. I am almost an old lady - but I wasn't allowed to go into at least one nice New York restaurant because I was wearing "athletic" walking shoes with an otherwise ok outfit (sorry - but when I'm doing a few miles of city walking - heels don't cut it - and I didn't know enough to carry an extra pair of shoes with me). Robyn

Pastry in the south is really hard unless you keep your A/C on 64 or have a lot of special gizmos in the kitchen to keep the dough from getting hot and sticky. Like marble slabs - and someone to clean up after you've thrown flour all over everything . Pasta is similarly difficult for the same reasons. I have the added disadvantage of a black kitchen floor. Every time I try this stuff - it's a total mess. I like your idea of the "made for one another". I made a dish last night that seems trite. Corned beef hash. But for it to taste really great - you need good leftovers from the corned beef and potatoes from St. Patrick's day. And totally fresh eggs that poach well. I'm not sure that there is any "modern" way of cooking this dish that would be better than the original. Perhaps something with the eggs? Robyn P.S. I do make pies - but I use Mrs. Smith's frozen pie crusts. Not only are they easy - but they are better than most that can be turned out in a Florida kitchen. Also - I have a nice recipe for individual "shortbreads" from Williams Sonoma. They're not really shortbreads - more of a light lemony cake. That pairs well with any kind of fruit filling. Might work well with your carbonated fruit.

I suspect the reason they aren't marketed widely is that their harvest is highly regulated. The more you see - the more you can suspect that the harvest is illegal. FWIW - the crabs are deep water crabs found along most of the SE US. Very few vessels have permits to harvest them. And the sale of female crabs is illegal. Robyn

I happen to dislike grouper. And when I order snapper - I don't want someone to serve me a big hunk of grouper and call it snapper. If you don't care what fish you eat as long as it's fried - well it's your right to eat that way - but it doesn't really encourage restaurants to do the right thing when it comes to diners. Robyn

Don't eat raw oysters a whole lot - but - when I do - it's mostly local ones in the Pacific northwest. Snapper switch was/is another thing common in Florida restaurants. Especially when it comes to so-called "red snapper". There are lots of restaurants that defraud consumers to try to make an extra buck or two. And - when it comes to the average diner - you could fry an old shoe in a good batter - and the diner wouldn't have a clue what he or she is eating. The best defense against ciguaterra is avoiding some fish altogether (like barracuda - amberjack - etc. - fish most people normally wouldn't eat) - and sticking to smaller fish of the types people do eat (like snapper and grouper). The toxin is found in many many (maybe all?) reef fish - but it doesn't build up to dangerous levels until the fish get really big. I've had food poisoning in various flavors enough times that I like to keep the odds of avoiding it in the future in my favor. I've never been a fan of tilapia (I find it tasteless) - but there are a reasonable number of farm raised fish - like trout and catfish - that are pretty good. Farm raised catfish is especially good compared to "natural" catfish (it pan fries well and doesn't have that off-taste you frequently find in "real" catfish). Overall - I think the problem with most fresh non-farmed fish is it is expensive and has a very limited shelf-life. Which is why restaurants are tempted to and do cheat (in terms of substitutions and serving stuff that should have been thrown out yesterday). A while back - I had lunch at Maggione's here - and the fish special on the menu wasn't available - the restaurant rejected the fish shipment (from a major Florida supplier) because it was spoiled. How many non-chain small restaurants would be that honest? Robyn

I lived in Miami for over 20 years. I know exactly how big it is. It is smaller (geographically) than the Jacksonville metro area (which is where I live now). Although the traffic is worse (we are unfortunately catching up in that area). As for those South Beach tourists you mention - it's the old story - if you can't say anything nice - etc. We have people like that here too (people on the beaches who won't "cross the ditch"). And I don't have anything nice to say about them either. I was talking about holes in the wall in general - for people in general - not South Beach tourists and their ilk. Robyn

The problem is paying X for something that should cost 1/2 X. Robyn

The "grouper" I had was most likely a blackfish, I think. So many fish get different nicknames. I guess I feel about that fish the way some guys feel about a very attractive woman. Such a delightful and unbalancing experience that really . . . who cares about names. ← There are lots of different types of grouper. You might have had a black grouper. Robyn

I don't think you can get out of Waffle House in 22 minutes. Robyn ← Oh ho, you are wrong about that one Robyn. I just timed it-less than an hour ago. 19 minutes for a short stack with two over easy, an order of smothered, covered, scattered, a couple of patties, and a couple of cups. The food, incidentally, was on the counter in something around 7 minutes, so I wasn't even particularly in a hurry. It was exactly as it always is-hot, well prepared given the quality of the base ingredients, and the coffee was fresh and pretty tasty (way better than most of the coffee that you will find in any kind of speedy service place). In fairness, though, there were only about a dozen other customers and the ones that were actually eating (as opposed to sitting there endlessly kibbitzing with the workers) had already been served-so my survey was based on me knowing exactly what I wanted and pretty much an instantaneous cooking process. Chez Waffle is, in fact, one of the amazing wonders of the semi fast food world. I haven't eaten in a Mc Donald's or any other true fast food joint in a long time, but I probably go to WH a couple of times a month. ← Maybe the Waffle House we go to is just busier a lot of the time . We had a funny experience there last fall. An out of town football team was in town to play - and all the players went there early - and ate up every potato in the joint by 9 am! Imagine a Waffle House with no potatoes . As for the other fast eaters here - reckon they're in shape for nursing home dining (never saw anyone at my FIL's nursing home or my father's senior independent living facility who ate in more than 45 minutes) - and ready for the 40 minute Seder specifically designed for the limited attention span of seniors. FWIW - ate at Stonewood Grill (higher class fish food chain) tonight. Ninety minutes - even with my 89 year old father - and no dessert. Think my father would have been happier with 60 minutes. Robyn

I don't think you can get out of Waffle House in 22 minutes. Robyn

We still make a ritual of meals - particularly dinner - a lot of the time - whether we're cooking and eating in - or dining out. It's a time to eat good food - talk about things we're thinking about - either with friends - or just the two of us - and relax and linger. A nice way to end a day. Robyn

Some of those people like to eat a bit better than Ruby Tuesday's allows. ← So you're telling me that mom and dad and the 2.3 kids are going to drop $200-300 at a nice place for a 70 minute meal (assuming mom and dad drink)? Maybe. Has anyone here done that? Which of these "new wave" restaurants in New York would be suitable for that endeavor? Robyn P.S. Somehow I doubt this kind of dining group (mom/dad/kids) is even a visible blip on Bruni's radar screen (wrong demographics).

One thing I don't understand. If dining is entertainment (and - at least for me - if it's not fun - then it's not worthwhile) - why the rush? I can understand the deal at Ruby Tuesday's here on a Tuesday - lots of families who come and go in an hour because mom and dad have to wake up early (sometimes both work - but if even if only one works - there is plenty to do early in the morning) - and the kids have to go to school (and be at the bus stop by 7). I can understand the deal if you're having a meal before going to a show or a concert. But what's the story for everyone else? Granted - those are those very new Sex in the City couples who can't wait to get home to hit the sack for a few hours. But what about everyone else? What do you do if you start eating at 8 and are finished by 9:10? Even if you're a club person - well there's not much action in those before 11 or so. The way I look at it - if I'm spending a couple of hundred or dollars or so - and getting in and out in an hour or so - I'm getting the bum's rush. So why do those of you who like to eat in 70 minutes like to eat in 70 minutes? Robyn

According to reports in most local newspapers over the last few years - most of the "grouper" in those grouper sandwiches will not be grouper. Not that most people can tell the difference. Or that they'd want to eat grouper (particularly the large ones) if they knew the risk from ciguaterra. Only grouper I will eat is one I can eyeball before I eat it (to make sure it's a grouper - and a small grouper - which is less likely to be a carrier of ciguaterra). As for Anne's musings about panhandle oysters - there are so many beds closed due to fecal contamination - and so many half-assed suppliers who harvest from those beds anyway - that I won't eat raw Florida oysters anymore. As for the "sport" fish from the Keys that she's talking about - I don't know. I like yellowtail and pompano (which you can find in a lot of Florida a lot of the year - you can even catch them here at the Jacksonville Beach fishing pier) - but they're not considered game/sport fish. Robyn

It's hard to find grits and grunts in Florida except at a few Cuban fish places and a lot of politician Fourth of July type gatherings and the like. No great loss. It's easy to choke on grunt bones (and I have). Shrimp and grits is tastier and easier on the throat. Robyn