robyn

Agreed. I was a very good lawyer - and I know how to manage money - but I've got tons to learn about photography. Judging from the pictures I've seen here - so does almost everyone else for the most part (with the possible exception of Ellen - who's a professional - and - as a professional - I'm sure she'd admit she's not above learning new things either - when you do something for a living - you either learn - and keep up with everything that's new - or you become an out of date failure). Anyway - I'm willing to invest a little effort to learn - and to pass on whatever little I know. Is anyone else in that category? If so - I suggest "fruit" as the topic for this week. Two pictures - one "pure" - one "arty". And if the pictures we take are junk according to the people who view them - that will be our cue to go back to the drawing board (I don't think I'll ever be able to take photos of food like the ones I see in food magazines - but I'd like to be able to work at a level higher than "junk"). By the way - I have some pretty bad things going on in my life now - and I find taking pictures of butterflies and flowers and birds to be very soothing. If I knew more about taking pictures of food - I suspect I'd like that too. Robyn

I think macro basically means close up - like this picture: But I also think the word is an adjective. So you can have a "macro picture" - a "macro lens" - or a "macro view of economics" . By the way - this is a picture of a monarch butterfly arriving from the Mexican migration - which is why its wing is damaged (it's a long flight). Taken with a Kodak Easyshare camera (which is no great shakes). Sometimes the trick is just hanging around until you get the shot you're looking for. Robyn P.S. Mea culpa. Too much champagne while writing messages. "Macro" is big - as in big lens. A macro lens takes micro photos. Macro economics is the "big picture". P.P.S. One reason people might not post photos is they don't know how. Took me over an hour to figure out how to do it. I'd be glad to help anyone who has Photoshop Elements - and save them the hour or two of learning curve.

I'm in Jacksonville FL and sorry I'm booked for Super Bowl week . So are all the golf courses . Robyn

That was my idea - to start with fruit the first week - and then get increasingly complex. Gotta learn to walk before you learn to run. Guess the idea kind of got lost in the food fight last night. FWIW - I have Photoshop elements - but I never did all that much with it because my last computer didn't have enough RAM. Just got a new computer with more RAM - so I'm up for learning (either here or on my own). Robyn

That was kind of the point - that the subject is relatively easy - so people can concentrate on things like focus - composition - color - the basics. I am certainly not so advanced that I can say I have mastered the basics. As for things like glare - or dim lighting - I think the latter is relatively advanced - the former can be really advanced (I had to take pictures of silver so I could get auction house opinions - it was basically impossible for an amateur like me to take decent pictures - I couldn't believe what the professionals actually had to do for the auction catalogue). Anyway - it was just a thought.... Robyn

I'd stay away from amberjack and other large reef fish because of their propensity to carry ciguatera - a rather nasty disease of the neurological system. Perhaps amberjack is considered exotic in Chicago. In the Caribbean and south Florida - it's basically a trash fish. And anyway - you don't like it. Robyn

That's problematic because it would seem to put your remarks into the realm of rumor. Not necessarily. As a retired lawyer - I am very conscious of defamation laws. They're not really friendly to a private individual when he/she writes something bad about a business. On the other hand - the press has much greater latitude - which is why it pisses me off when members of the press seem to abuse their positions. In case you can't guess - I represented plaintiffs in defamation cases . By the way - that's one reason why I think at least 3 times before writing negative things in public. And if you think the defamation laws in the US don't encourage private individuals to criticize things - you should look at the laws in the UK (where the burden of proof is basically on the speaker to prove that everything he/she said is true). Robyn P.S. I've been threatened before with lawsuits for things I've written on line that I knew to be absolutely true. I'm sure I'm not the only person in that position. Who needs that kind of grief? That's why there's usually a tendency to see only good things on line - not bad things (unless the posters are so marginal they don't care what they say - or they have a financial interest in their statements - like short sellers).

No problem - I understand. Robyn

Some people have suggested that they want a bit more structure in this thread - and Ellen suggested a "leader". I'm not sure we absolutely need a "leader" unless there's someone who knows what they're doing who would like to lead. I certainly don't fall into that category. But - to give a bit of structure - I suggest we try one subject a week. And that each person can post 2 photos of the subject - one "plain" and one "arty" (the second being optional). I also suggest that the first subject be "fruit" (which would include berries and the like) - because I think it's relatively easy to do - this is the height of the fruit season - and all of us should have some around the house (and if you don't - shame on you - start reading the nutrition threads ). All in favor - say aye - all against say nay. I'm open to other ideas - but this seemed like an easy painless way to start. Robyn.

There's nothing to critique about the first photo. It's the best picture I've seen in this thread. Really terrific. The second picture just doesn't work. I think after looking at a lot of these pictures - I'm getting the sense that it's hard to take great pictures of prepared food. If you're too far away - they don't look like anything. If you're too close - they look like something you'd rather not see . Gives me a lot more respect for professional food photographers. Robyn

I take a lot of closeup photos (everything from details for Ebay sales to butterflies) - and it's easy for them to come out blurry. Most of the time - I find that the "close-up" setting on my camera will do the trick. But sometimes it doesn't. Robyn

I like everything about the cherries except the composition of the picture. The subject isn't clearly defined. I would have liked one cluster of cherries near the center of the photo - or 3 clusters - whatever. But I'd like to see something near the center of the photo. I think the second photo is kind of blah - again - no real subject. The third picture has great composition. I think that's the kind of picture you should be looking to take. Just my two cents. Robyn

OT - but I'm curious. What fish was on the menu - and what were you served? (I once got a good settlement in a case where my client got sick as a result of eating fish that was misrepresented on the menu - it was supposed to be snapper and it was grouper.) Robyn

It probably has to - eventually. Why not give it some time and see how it develops? What's the urgency? Along these lines - I read a review of Tom Aikens - one of the restaurants I went to in London - written by Jay Rayner (who posts here from time to time). I liked the fact that he gave the restaurant time to "settle down" - and that his review was divorced from the general media hoopla which accompanied its opening. He sounded like a serious reviewer - not a restaurant groupie. And tell me - in light of what I've read about Per Se - and everyone here getting reservations at 5 or 10 - what is Mr. Bruni going to do? What Ruth Reichl did in her first meals at Le Cirque (dine anonymously) - or is he going to pull strings to get what has been described here as VIP treatment? Like I said - I'd feel better if he let the frenzy die down - and then attempt a serious review of a slightly established restaurant. Robyn

I agree with you with one small exception. I don't live in a world class city - but I do travel to world class cities and spend world class amounts of money on food. I don't care what a restaurant was like a year ago - or what it might be like a year from now. If a review is written today - I want to know what it is today. And a high class restaurant should meet standards every night of the week - except perhaps if the chef's mother has died that evening - or his wife has just walked out on him. My one exception - and it's not really a quarrel with what you say - is I don't know why Bruni seems to be focusing on all these old war horses of restaurants. We all know what they are - and I suspect just about everyone in NY knows where they stand now. And I don't much care about reading about new places like Per Se - which has been written up in recent months in every food and woman's magazine in the world except perhaps Seventeen. I'd like to read about restaurants that are new and/or somewhat unknown - where the chef is in the kitchen - turning out wonderful things. I am frankly sick of chefs who spend most of their time making celebrity appearances at food festivals - writing cookbooks - traveling on planes to manage their restaurant empires - etc. I don't mind chefs who are celebrities - but I'd like to experience their food about 5 years before they become celebrities. I guess I will in the future - as I have in the past - continue to do most of the necessary homework on my own - because all critics like Bruni appear to be doing is eating a lot of expensive meals at restaurants everyone knows about. Interesting what you have to say about Bouley's past treatment of employees. Apart from allegations that he failed to pay employees - were there allegations that he failed to pay IRS for things like SS and FICA withholding for employees? Just curious about the ways in which he allegedly mistreated employees. Robyn

Sounds delicious. There was an article in today's NYT discussing the relative merits of Copper River and Yukon salmon. You still might be able to catch it on line. You can get a short way out of downtown Chicago and see a great collection or Frank Lloyd Wright houses - or a wonderful sculpture meadow (still trying to entice you with the art and architecture ). By the way - as for shoes - I wish I could help you. I'm a shoe nut with an unfortunate problem. I wear size 5 US - 35 European shoes. It's hard to find them in the US these days. So I save my shoe frenzies for Nordstrom when I'm in a town which has one (Nordstrom makes a point of stocking lots of shoes in lots of sizes - it has a great website too). If you wear a reasonable size - and you ever get to Boca Raton Florida - there's a fabulous shoe store there called Dolly Duz. Robyn

Were these the dessert offerings on the tasting menu? Were there any amuse dessert courses - or anything like a dessert trolley? I must admit that no matter what or where I eat - I always leave ample room for dessert - because it's my favorite course . Was there anything terrific about the desserts (I once had a fabulous sorbet course at Le Cirque 2000 where all the sorbets were shaped like the fruits they were based on - but that was a big exception to my rule that sorbet is usually a bore)? With pastry chefs being all the rage these days - a weakness in the dessert courses is - in my opinion - a noticeable weakness in a world class restaurant. Robyn

I'm getting the impression that the restaurant is reserving the "prime time seats" for "big deal" people who are off vacationing this time of year. I don't mind the credit card stuff - but I think real diners (as opposed to imaginary celebs) ought to insist on eating at a reasonable time when they make reservations. Robyn

My claim to fame among my young nieces is that I went to Woodstock . You wouldn't have liked it (there wasn't much food - and what there was wasn't very good - except the BBQ chicken I brought from home - which I traded for drugs ). Robyn

Thanks to everyone for the links on the Red Cross situation. And I also did a bit of reading on my own today. I have to tell you that as a stranger to the situation - the implication I got from the article (and I'm no dummy) was that Bouley had stolen or misappropriated money from the Red Cross. And that simply isn't true. What is true is he was the low bidder on the Red Cross contract - and he apparently made quite a bit of money on it. There are allegations that he was able to come up with the low bid because he was using volunteer help and donated food - but I don't know the truth. And there apparently were employees and suppliers who were unhappy at not being paid at the time he was making money under the contract. Then there is the lawsuit against his insurance company which was settled last year - where the insurance company alleged that he overstated his 9/11 losses by not divulging the Red Cross contract proceeds as income (he claimed the legal entities for the restaurant and the contract were separate). Overall - I can't see how any of this is relevant except possibly to the extent that he engendered some bad blood in the employee and supplier community - and is therefore at a (possible) disadvantage now when it comes to hiring staff or buying supplies. I don't like people who don't pay their employees - or their bills. But that's a far cry from stealing money from the Red Cross. Note that I used to write for a living - and I always tried to get my facts straight. Any editor at the NYT should have known this stuff - and any responsible editor (in my opinion) should have redlined that part of the review as written. I have noticed a certain sloppiness in recent years in the NYT when it comes to grammar and spelling. Apparently that sloppiness is now working its way into factual content. Robyn

I'd like to clear this up (for my own benefit). I recall reading the NYT post 9/11 - and can remember nothing except good things written about Bouley and its staff donating their time and expertise to help the relief workers. Left me with a warm fuzzy feeling after all these years. What's the story on the "Red Cross incident"? I don't recall reading anything about the accusations - and I sense from what I read here that any accusations then were false. If so - then it's a terrible wrong to have mentioned anything in the review about it. Could possibly even be defamatory. By the way - the reason I paid attention to the stuff about Bouley is I had tried to have lunch there one day during my "9/11" trip - but wasn't allowed to eat at the restaurant because I was wearing sneakers. I knew the restaurant was damaged - and regretted missing the opportunity to dine there. Robyn

Agreed about the Cafe - particularly for a lunch break on a shopping day. Is the Vosges store still in the Peninsula Hotel? That's where I discovered the stuff (they were handing out free samples and that was my downfall ). I order it off the internet now since there is - sadly - no boutique where I live. Good luck in your work there! Robyn

I like the Michelin system better. Few restaurants get any stars. A one star is excellent - a two star is even better - and a 3 star is to die for. In Michelin green book terms - a 1 star is interesting (the bottom level of excellence) - a 2 star is worth a detour - a 3 star is worth a journey. If you wouldn't stop at a restaurant in New York on a trip from Philadelphia to Connecticut - it's not a 2 star. If the restaurant isn't a "destination" restaurant - it isn't a 3 star. In Michelin - other (sometimes very) fine restaurants have knives and forks in various numbers. The restaurants with many knives and forks remind me of some of the places being mentioned here with great affection. Robyn

When people say they hate the room at JG - all I can think is they must dislike contemporary decor. The decor is to my taste - and I happen to think it's one of the most stunning rooms I've ever been in. On the other hand - I don't think anyone can argue that the room isn't posh (even if the style isn't to their liking). Robyn

In my opinion - it's of the utmost importance whether you're talking 4 stars or a pastrami sandwich. My husband and I plan our eating carefully when we travel (in terms of research - reservations - bringing the right clothes - spacing the big meals - whatever). And I simply don't want to hear that a restaurant I looked forward to very much is great 3 times out of 5 - and I happened to be there on one of the off days. No matter what it is - if it isn't consistent - it's garbage in my book. And I think that's the case in many countries we've been to. Last month in London - every restaurant but one we went to lived up to its billing - even when the chef wasn't in the kitchen (and I think in the case of the one - the reviews that we'd relied on were out of date - I found out later the place has a new chef). There were some dishes we liked better than others to be sure. But we didn't get things that were overcooked or overcooked or prepared poorly - and the service was stellar. We've had this discussion before - and all I can tell you is when I spend the kind of money I spent eating in London - I don't want to hear apologists for inconsistency. Robyn