tim olivett

Irony is a form of utterance that postulates a double audience, consisting of one party that hearing shall hear and shall not understand, and another party that, when more is meant than meets the ear, is aware, both of that "more" and of the outsider's incomprehension. For most of you that will be obtuse, but some will know exactly what it means. The same but different. Oh, the irony.

Just a quck note, now I'm more of a lurker than a poster and yes I have moved out to Lancaster, mainly to be with my family. I'm flattered that there's still interest. Kevin O'Kane replaced me as Chef de Cuisine with Ralph Fernandez still acting as Executive Chef and Partner. Kevin has amazing experience with the Four Seasons here and in NYC, Tony Clarks, The Happy Rooster and his own sandwich shop that was in Manayunk. Anyway, I still love the deck at the Moshulu and stay in contact with Ralph weekly. When you think back to what represents the city, whether to it's residents or visitors, a high profile place like the Moshulu was just another 2nd rate tourist trap in a 2nd rate waterfront. I hope that I helped shed that image and bring some vitality back to the waterfront, (along with effort of Ralph and slew of great line cooks who worked on the hottest line I've ever been on-remember, it's a friggin boat with 8 foot high ceilings and no gas, not exactly every chef's dream.) Rx, in it's own right, is a great restaurant and in it's own way reflects it's own part of Philadelphia. While maybe not as grand or majestic as the deck of the Moshulu at twilight, Greg has created an oasis of food for thinking people and the more adventurous, who don't want to know what to expect, they like the surprise of an everchanging menu. His relationships with farmers comes from a deep passion that I would see him get excited about, especially in the spring when the really great stuff starts becoming available locally. He is also a part of the eclectic community that is West Philly and financially takes losses by using the local farmers and other things like using PECO electricity sourced from wind power. His restaurant is definitely one of the few that has taken the road less travelled and actually survives in this business (hopefully he'll actually get to flourish and not just survive). Meanwhile, I'm in Lancaster and managed to find some good road side homemade root beer but am still getting my bearings and trying to find some local stuff (there's Lancaster Market, for sure, but it's more fun finding the roadside stands out here in the sticks. Thanks to all the people in Philly who I got to know through this site and especially all the people who worked so hard for me and with me so that anybody still remembers my name.

If you drive down washington to delaware ave and make a left, you can find great casual dining on the deck of the Moshulu,it's a big boat, you can't miss it, plus it's fun for the kid. (this is not a plug, I don't work there anymore guys). The food on the deck is contemporary but casual with everything from ribs and burgers to chicken with lemon poblano glaze and goat cheese/bacon potato salad. Plus if it's a nice night out, there is no better view in the city or outside seating. They will accomadate a diner on the deck who would like to order from the menu served in the dining room which is more adventurous fine dining. It is at Delaware and Lombard with parking on site, right next to the charthouse restaurant.

Was that the same guy who walked out at the end of his shift? Well, not many of the farmers grow their own trash bags, plastic wrap and to go containers. If you know any local artisanal producers of paper products, drop us a line. Plus, not for nothing, at least going to Jetro or Resaurant Depot you actually handpick what looks good, compared to just ordering blindly. Not many owners are dedicated enough to get up everyday and run around for the restaurant, I know that some chefs weren't either. It would be a lot easier to order that stuff, at a higher mark up than Jetro (see - more money in the big guys pockets). So there, tit for tat! You know it's like liberals, we spend so much time splitting hairs and arguing amongst ourselves while the conservatives present a united front and dominate our lives. Let's fight the good fight, not each other!

Hey everybody, I kinda disappeared after that dinner at the Moshulu, our deck opened and we got swallowed up into the river. So much so, that it made me take stock of what I wanted to do with my work. I think the underlying motivation of having that dinner was my own psyche's way of pushing my true feeling to the surface and that is to cook for people in as intimate a way as possible. So, after an internet dalliance (courtesy of eGullet) with local restauranteur extraordinare, Mr. Greg Salisbury, (hey, he only has one restaurant but what's extraordinary about it is that he is in the restaurant business for all the right reasons and on top of that has managed to survive in the business while staying true to those principles at the same time). This summer, I'm taking over the stoves at Rx with a few loyal cooks who are also in it for the right reasons. What are these reasons I keep mentioning? Well, to me, they are; A true desire to nurture and take care of people (remember it is the hospitality business though sometimes hostility business can be more accurate). Adapting the menu to the ingredients, instead of the reverse, meaning we find out what's getting picked from the field the day before we get it so if we change the menu once, twice, three times a week it's to truly serve what's best that week or day. Other restaurants need to cost out dishes, train waiters with descriptions etc and trapped by their own dishes whether the artichokes come in moldy or the fish smells funny. Put quality before the sacred 30% food cost. We just want it to be good, if we spend a dollar or two more, we don't automatically multiply that by 4, we just charge a dollar more, this way we make the same money (we do need to make money) but the percentage isn't the iron clad determination of efficiency. (IE, this past week we went through 8#of chanterelles and an equal amount of morels on entrees that were less than $20) If you work in the business you know that the big restaurants need percentages to gauge their efficiency. We're efficient when everybody walks out with a smile on their face. Care about the neighborhood and the region, not to mention the entire friggin earth - however small a contribution (I got a little close to delusions of grandeur there). Buy from the local farmers and boy, do we ever. Not just "Branch Creek" greens, but potatoes, red onions, garlic, parsley, eggs (the best eggs I've ever had in my life), bacon, pork, chicken, lamb, milk, yogurt, cornmeal, apple cider vinegar that comes in washed out spring water gallons. Buy Kaffir lime leaves from the little Asian grocer on 43rd and Locust, not Fed Ex from where ever. Recycle our cans and bottles, we even feed the stray cats on the block. Let the hospitals, prisons and Aramark put money in the pockets of Sysco and US Foods (big corporate food suppliers, Sysco's headquarters are actually listed as a street named "Frozen Food Way", - seriously. Soon, we'll be making our own vinegar, curing olives, smoking fish, meats and vegetables, baking bread. We're already making our own pastas, gnocchi's etc. We don't lie to you. I've worked in plenty of places that say homemade gnocchi and maybe they called Severino from home (not that Severino isn't a great company!) but that's as close as it gets. When we do buy it, we tell you. I definitely believe if you can't make it better, you should buy it. But when the gnocchi get made an hour before you have it, you understand why a couple of potatoes and eggs can be so ethereal. Well, there you go. We're just getting started and we'll be closed from August 16th to the 23rd. I'm moving a block away (it does take time to make all those little gnocchi's). Now that we have a parking lot just a few doors down between 44th and 45th on Spruce, I'd love to invite everyone to come on out and see what we're doing. I can definitely say that this has been a return to why I started in this crazy, mixed up business and that's cause I love the satisfaction of doing good things, supporting sustainable agriculture, small farmers, artisans who have passion for what they do, pleasing people with food that tastes good and is good for you without taking your wallet for a ride. As a cook, it's almost like a baptism to wash away my commercial culinary days and start again with what I've learned on a new, personal level. I look forward to seeing you all in the next few months (and years) and please don't be shy about letting me know you're there, I'll be there ready to take care of you, for all the right reasons. I didn't mean this to be an unpaid advertisement for us, it's just that same impulse I had to invite you all to the Moshulu and my enthusiasm is spilling over to do what I think is the truest form of this profession, as Brillat Savarin said,"Food is the most benevolent profession, as it seeks only to provide good cheer and sustenance". Thanks for giving me the forum and space to share my excitement and I hope you can come share in it.

I ate there the first night, this last wednesday, just a casual "little bite". The wine list has nicknames corresponding to the flavor of the wine, I had a merlot or "cherry cola". The two small bites I had were his signature "foie gras ganache" with peach chutney which was otherworldly and only $8 -though it was only the diameter of a quarter, it was still ethereal and when most foie gras around town is at least $16 bucks, go ahead and order two. The other was thin shaved Kobe beef wrapped around green papaya and topped with soy nuts. The flavor and texture of the Kobe beef was kinda lost with the sharp papaya and the soy nuts didn't add much to the dish. The outdoor garden is really comfortable and relaxing but at the same time, a little awkward to eat at like the front lounge of Tangerine. More than half the seats are outside so I'm sure that some of that staff of 18 talked about in the article is going to be looking for jobs come the first frost (then again they could just go to one of the 12 other restaurants (14 including NYC) that Starr will have by that time! I'll be going back soon to try more stuff, but for $8, I'll be having that foie gras (the ganache is served like a molten chocolate cake with a liquid center) everytime I go.

Speaking of empathy, you never know if maybe they had told the front of the house to stop seating at 9pm and perhaps you had someone inform you whose attitude may not have been representative of the owners, who happen to be very affable friendly people who toil away to make sure everyone who does come in has a great time. Sorry you had a bad experience but I'm sure it wasn't a reflection of their feelings as they work very hard every day to go above and beyond to share their talent and love of food & hospitality with their diners. Believe me, chef-owners of little restaurants like Chloe aren't in it for the money, they do it out of love for what they do and the chance to share with others. In little places like that it's not the same as multi million dollar operations, there's just them running it and who knows why they needed to close early that night - it's not easy keeping the kind of hours and level of commitment it takes to run your own little place. I'm sure they would love to have you come back in and share in their enthusiasm for taking care of guests, not to make a buck and turn away someone because it wasn't convenient or snowing or whatever. In 12 years, I've had one sick day and that was when I was in the hospital, it's just the nature of running a small restaurant, it's just not feasible to have a back up staff to always meet the expectations of every diner. At the same time that's part of what makes little restaurants like that such a joy, it'd be worse if they left at 7pm and let someone else cook their food for them, instead they stay and plug away out of a sense of passion, pride, generosity and dedication. Happy or sad, tired or full of energy, sick or healthy, night after night it's showtime where you have to serve food made from scratch that day. There's no "Oh, I'll get that done tomorrow". It's like when people get so upset if I happen to have to 86 a particular fish on Sunday night. They don't understand that it's not incompetence, it's because I don't want to order so much it's still sitting around on Mon or Tue. People get upset but the irony of it is I'm actually trying to serve them the freshest products possible.

Glad to see all of you signing up. We just got in some beautiful fresh porcini and chanterelles. Tomorrow, Mother's day we have over 1100 reservations (seriously) all day so it will be a welcome respite to just cook for an appreciative crowd (of less than a 1000, I might add). Like I said before, if you have any problems with the reservation (just ask for 7:30pm on Monday, " Chef Tim's Party" @ (215)923-2500. If there's any confusion just pm me before Monday morning or you can show up as we're about 2 dozen right now which is fine, I just thought twice that would mean that it became more of a actual banquet compared to dinner party (dinner parties are more fun!). Some good stuff has been coming in, I've been looking for local fish, but some wild salmon is showing it's brief appearance, but my fish guy has (quite nicely) promised to bring in the fish himself on Monday after picking what he thinks is the best he has on hand. I'm looking forward to seeing what he brings in. I can't wait for the day I have my own little place so I can call in an order by saying "what's the best thing you have today". Jaspar White tells a great story about his old restaurant, Jasper's, where a customer came in for his spring lamb and was disappointed when it wasn't available, "But sir, it is December" his Maitre' D had to tell the man.

It's funny, I remember when Kurt was at Monkey Bar and got two stars and it was such a huge disappointment for him although like Wallse it read like a positve review. I bet he is probably happier with the two since three would mean stepping things up to a level that may not mesh with his concept of the dining he offers at Wallse. He's certainly capable of it, chefs I know who worked with him at Bouley who I thought were amazing talked about Kurt like he was the smartest, best chef they had ever known, I mean Bouley originally launched the idea of Danube for Chef Gutenbrunner as he was a sous at the original Bouley and then after a return to Europe became Culinary Director of Bouley Bakery so it's not like he's not capable of turning out 4 star food if that was what his ambition to do was (believe me that pursuit leaves many divorces, substance abuses and overall lunacy in its wake, however noble its intentions). BTW I know the formerly of Bouley thing is probably the most overused description of a chef in NYC, I've even seen guys who worked there 3 weeks be touted that way but Kurt was someone Chef Bouley or the "old man" as they called him, really respected. Essentially, the ratings system is based on what the "type" of restaurant is. Granted, the type of restaurant is a pretty malleable concept and it's left to the reviewer to determine it by, hopefully, imagining who would be disappointed by the restaurant if they read the review and then went. For example, say she gave Wallse three stars and patrons who frequent other 3 stars like Danube or Atelier etc go and are let down by the room, the service, the wine list etc. Reviews are sometimes seen as report cards by us culinary obsessed types, not the recommendations for the masses they function as. Remember, even to earn a star is supposed to be a good thing in a city with so many restaurants and though rare, we've all seen the satisfactory or poor (no star ratings). Here in Philly, Craig LaBan writing for the Inquirer, goes for a "best in show" type of thing, meaning he very much takes into account the concept of the restaurant, their prices and how they compare to other restaurants in their category (size, cuisine, formality, byo, fine or casual dining, bar food, diners etc.) We also don't have a tenth of the restaurant culture of NYC so he includes a wider range whereas the Times review of a less casual place like Wallse is a compliment to have even been reviewed. When Wallse is on the money, it's one of my favorite tucked away spots in NY.

Everybody, please refer to the new topic posted about the event at the Moshulu on Monday May 10th. Not much has changed except that it will be less money and more fun. It's not the dangerous dining club, it's the fun, let's get together under the stars for great food club. Please call (215)923-2500 for reservations starting Tuesday May 4th after 2pm. If it's booked up PM me and I'll work it out. I look forward to seeing alot of you there.

Hey everybody, There was some confusion on my part about the difference between the Dangerous Dining Club and egulleters (or is it egulleteers?). Anyway, Monday May 10th at 7:30, I"m inviting up to 25 people to come down to the ship and sit on the deck and enjoy a multi course tasting menu. I said 40 before but it seemed that it started to mean we needed to attract a different level of service. I think this is best done as a fun, spontaneous get together, not a formal, professional menu de gustation. I just did a Far Niente wine dinner tonite, (May 3rd) for 80 at $175 a person, with a set menu and wine pairings and I don't think there were many egullet posters there. So, if you want to read more about what I had been thinking, refer to the Dangerous Dining Club - a dare topic. Basically, it is an offering of a many small bites, amuse, a scallop, a composed salad, a handmade pasta, intermezzo of granita or sorbet and then fish course and meat course. Some will be very over the top and some will be very simple. What I want to do is showcase what is truly fresh that day. Whenever you see pictures of Daniel Boulud at a fish market, it was because he drove down there with a photographer. I don't mean any disrespect to Chef Boulud but it's not something many of us are able to do. We have to write menus that run for weeks, train waiters on the specifics of each dish, cost them out, train the cooks, etc. I thought it would be fun to have some foodies on board and feed them with products that truly were spectacular that day. I would tell you now if I'd be serving striped bass but my fish guy said they weren't running right now. I want to call and find out what is going to be the best that day and then figure out how to serve it. The party will be sat on the deck of the Moshulu under the main canopy and if the weather is poor, in a private dining room inside. If this all sounds good to you, please call (215)923-2500 (wait till after so I can make the arrangements tomorrow 2pm tuesday the 4th) and ask the hostess to reserve you a table for the egullet party on the deck or mention Chef Tim's Monday party. The cost will be $35 with tax and coffee/soft drinks included but gratuity and wine extra. Wines by the glass will be offered and recommended for different courses but there won't be a true wine pairing per se. If you are told it's booked already and we've talked about it on the other thread then please PM me and I'll work it in. Thanks for everybody's interest in this and sorry if there was any confusion about the event. I look forward to seeing everybody there!

Went Friday April 30th. Surprised to not find more Alfred Portale staples since his menu has remained so consistent over the years at Gotham Bar & Grill. No seafood salad, no Foie Gras Terrine with haricot vert, no tuna with pappardelle and red wine sauce, etc though there was a steak called the "Gotham" steak. Chef Portale was there even though we arrived at 10:30pm after jumping ship (I work on a boat and I can't believe I actually used a nautical pun, after a year you'd think I'd be so over them, anyway...) Seemed like a true collaboration between the chef de cuisine Christopher Lee (I think that's his last name) and Exec Chef Portale, even in presentation as I saw many similarities to the plating style shown at Oceana with Cornelius Gallagher who the CDC worked under before this project. Always the sign of a smart manager, one who guides but also relies on those under him. No overtly vertical presentations which the man practically introduced to the culinary world. This was their third night open and I have to hand it to the Starr organization, the room felt casual yet lush, we were in chef pants and casual pullovers and felt pampered while not feeling like we stuck out like sore thumbs or uncomfortable in anyway. The demeanor of the staff had a polish that many restaurants that have been open for years are still striving for. I'm sorry for forgetting our server's name, maybe Amy, I'm not sure, she had come from Fork and for her first night on the floor actually gave some of the best, most well informed and confident service I've had in the city outside of the Fountain at the Four Seasons. So, on with the food. Amuse of smoked salmon rillete, caviar and a potato chip which was ok. Then a knock out soup of spring garlic with frog legs that was brothy and creamy, both homey and refined and still lingering in my mind as I write this. A risotto of asparagus, morels and peas was a little flat. Foie gras crusted in gingerbread crumbs with kumquats and 25 year old balsamic was nice but the balsamic lost the battle with kumquats, would've been great alone (I always feel if you're pouring on something that costs about $8 a tablespoon it should be left alone to shine, not compete. A tuna entree was served on a long rectangle, with a deconstructed look, 4 cubes of absolutely pristine tuna with some fleur del sel (I think maldon) on top of the ruby flesh and buttered julienne of yellow squash and haricot vert. Along side, or more accurately across the plate in it's own little neighborhood (remember, deconstructed) was a small cube of short rib, braised and glazed in its own jus with a streak of buttery, Robuchon pommes puree running parallel to the line of tuna on the opposite side of the plate. I rarely like tuna without Asian flavors and this was a subtle yet flavorful with a fish that's flavor can be so wonderful but elusive at the same time. A skate wing, with fingerlings, porcini and a brown butter sauce reminiscent of Bouley's sauce "aromatic" (pronounced arrow ma teek) streaked the plate. The skate was folded onto itself with a farce of porcini duxelle and served on top of the ragout. The porcini were fresh though a bit underwhelming, but that's part of the gamble when you buy stuff that can't be cultivated, still the skate was the freshest one I've had since I've been to Philly, I'm not sure if they've still got Tony the fish guy but you could tell they must be cleaning the skate themselves or getting much fresher than I've been able to get (you ever clean a skate wing? Not much fun, it's prickly and slippery and time consuming.) Chef Portale came over several times to the our table and was most gracious, we talked about Philly (he really likes it and enjoys the welcome he's gotten) and I mentioned some local farmers and he returned later with a pen and paper for me to write them down (thanks Greg @ RX-by the way I gave him your number so if someone calls saying it's Alfred Portale don't think it's somebody prank calling you). Many chefs act like they've got it all in the bag and he was very warm and open to talking to us about adjusting to Philly and the like (both Ralph (the Moshulu's executive chef and I cooked in NYC). Dessert was outstanding, a dessert named for it's creator a Michel Cluizel (SP?-the new Valhrona-like chocolate of the moment) chocolate tart that was like a souffle in croute, a tart shell of pate sucree with a souffle like batter inside topped with a crust served with hazlenut ice cream and a caramelized hazelnut. A duo of creme brulee; orange cardamom and chocolate and a complimentary serving of a strawberry mascarpone tart with strawberry balsamic ice cream were all wonderful. The room was actually dramatic without being overstated. It definitely retained some of the feel of the old Bass while making it it's own. Of course the big old fish is still above the kitchen and the clock above the entrance. The open kitchen wasn't quite the dazzling one I expected, while certainly an improvement over the worn and battered stuff I saw them pull out on the street a month ago that looked like it belonged in a basement, not a display kitchen. But watching Chef Portale is an inspiration as his understated demeanor still manages to convey his experience, wisdom and professionalism. Anyway, welcome to Philly chef, we're honored to have you here and it is obvious that he isn't giving us some watered down version of Gotham Bar and Grill but still working at it and pushing himself and his crew to give us the great restaurant we deserve and his respect which I know will come back to him tenfold.

The real point of all this is to do what most chefs say they do but rarely get a chance to and that is to know exactly how many people they are serving, at what time and be able to serve what is best or available at that time. That being said, here is general outline First Amuse Bouche Second Probably a true diver scallop, not the diver scallops everybody says they have on the menu but the only ones really available on the east coast from Browne Trading Co (unless anybody out there is scuba certified and can get several dozen for me Monday morning). This will probably be citrus with vanilla or ginger or maybe carrot emulsion and braised soft lettuce we'll have to see but yeah a scallop. Third A composed salad, this could be sweet breads wrapped in pancetta or a vegetable terrine or neither. I've been playing with a beet gelee layer with goat cheese parfait. But then again maybe wheatberries and dried fruits with ramps in a cherry consomme or morels and white asparagus with olive oil poached grape tomatoes. Or ... you get the point. Fourth Some type of handmade pasta, something ultimately fresh, finished minutes before serving. I may wind up combing the 3rd and 4th course. Fifth Intermezzo Some sort of gelee or granita to clear the palatte for... Sixth Fish course Can't even begin to guess the fish, lets just see what's pristine and beautiful and perfect that day, I wish I knew. Seventh Meat Course Maybe a galette or crepinette of short rib, foie gras and sweet breads. Or lamb spiced with cardamom and cloves, shredded and shaped topped with slices of potato and wrapped in caul fat and pan seared until crisp served over a smoked tomato and onion sofrito with grilled baby red romaine and ricotta salata. Or a whole rack of pork brined in bourbon and molasses and slow roasted and carved or duck roasted with star anise and coffee beans, squab layered into a napolean of foie gras, squab breast and madeira jelly. Or maybe not. And finally a light dessert. All courses will be just a few forkfuls, enough to be memorable but not to overwhelm. The whole point of these courses will be to serve some items I can't normally serve to our clientele as they may be too esoteric or too rustic or too simple or too dependent on timing. For instance I have a great brownsugar cure for tuna that you can only use it after 30 minutes, there's no way to time that for 300 meals. Or a whole striped bass wrapped in proscuitto that will serve 8 at a time. Or better yet an entire lobe of foie gras, roasted and sliced at the table and placed upon your meat course. Fun for me and fun for you. The kind of cooking that I can't normally do given the constraints of timing, consistency and so forth that make running a restaurant the reason why we get paid to do something we love to do. Definitely, there will be ramps, artichokes, morels, fava beans, potatoes, sweet breads, probably short ribs. No sardines with heads or smelts or sand dabs. Nothing that will make you think you need an acquired palatte to appreciate it, no monkfish liver or uni. I love all those things but will make sure that this will be good old fashioned cooking that anyone can appreciate. And not every course will wow you, I've tried to do that before and found it to be self defeating. A great tasting menu is all about tempo, variety, strong/clear flavors, atmosphere, conviviality and a certain savoir faire. Basically, it will be worth the $40 with tax and tip. I know Katie and I are going to work on an option to pair wines with the courses also but you will have the option to order on your own. I could talk to management about a corking fee but for now that's up in the air, I'm not an owner and they're being very gracious about my intentions for this get together. I do think we need to cap the amount of reservations we can take for this so please don't rsvp unless you plan to show up! Some courses will be high falutin culinary cutting edge and others will simply be a few great ingredients speaking for themselves. Spring is here and let's all sit under the moonlight on the river and think about shaking off the winter, the bounty of spring, the gifts of food, spices, wine and friendship. Like Brillat Savarin once said, Food is the most benevolent of professions, as it seeks simply to provide good cheer and sustenance. And nowadays it's also a fight against corporate agriculture and landrape, the lack of choice and individuality given to us in our clothes, entertainment, consumer goods, the absence of day to day creativity in our personal and professional lives and most of all, our ability to get together with a group of likeminded individuals and share something in common. And most important of all, have a good time doing it! If we do cap off the reservations and you really, really want to go, pm me with your pleas, promises of investment capital, fine vintages and other psychoactive substances and I'll see what I can do. I'm looking forward to this and Katie will be structuring the whole deal as far as invites, reservations, rsvp's etc. Since she is the pro, I'm just a cook, after all, my forte is with artichokes and carrots not with all the guest services stuff.

sorry forgot to quote this in my last response and while I have the opportunity to give an example, in my 12 hours a day at work, I probably spend 20 minutes total taking a smoke break or going to the bathroom. Rocco's show runs about 47 minutes or so, what if they did a show on my life and chose to only show me smoking while they splice in cooks spitting in the food (not that they would ever do that, right guys?) ? NBC chooses to portray everyone on the show for the maximum amount of drama so they can sell soap and help GE build weapons of mass destruction.

One aspect of all this that continues to amaze me is that some of us aren't grasping the whole MADE FOR TELEVISION aspect of all this. Just like that plug for Rocco on a daytime soap in the middle of a show about him not being at the restaurant. I know he volunteered for this embarassment but still, to assume that it represents anything close to the complete picture means one cannot separate the images on the screen of your tv and real life. Perhaps Rocco needs Marshall McCluhan as a consultant or better yet, Jacques Derrida or Jean Baudrillard. (on the subject of TV Baudrillard once said "you are everywhere and nowhere at the same time". Again, not to be a wet towel, like I said before, I love watching it too, but in all it's cartoony, over the top simulacrum kinda way. And to think that Rocco got to be the owner and chef of any NYC three star restaurant by acting the way he does on the show, then you have little idea of what an accomplishment that is.

Let me preface this by saying, I love gossip and trashing people in the media's all watching eye as much as the next American but as someone who worked with Rocco and had friends who worked with him at both Union Pacific and Davio's who didn't gel with him (to say the least in some cases - hey Brent if you're out there!) I still think he's earned his stripes. Many of us in the industry wouldn't qualify to be a sous chef for Gray Kunz at Lespinasse or David Bouley for that matter. What is such a shame to me is to see someone who has toiled in some of the best kitchens be denigrated so quickly when he tried to open a concept based on something close to his heart. When I watch the show, I see how easy it is to feel that he's not in control of the restaurant but it always reminds of a time the owner of a place I was the chef at came in the kitchen twice in one week and each time I was in the alley smoking a cigarette. For all he knew, that's all I did all day. Actually, I was busting my ass 12 hours a day, 6 days a week so I understand how selective editing can make perception seem reality. For me, I've always chosen to not use the word lazy when it comes to a fellow cook since even though compared to their co workers they may be, compared to what most people do in a day even a lazy cook does 5 times the work. Our hero, Bourdain was traveling the world and the Food Network didn't splice in footage of a waitress misfiring courses while he hung out in an obscure corner of the world. (not that I would've wanted them to, I could never overstate the therapeutic effect Kitchen Confidential had on my life, bless your heart Tony) Rocco obviously has a good, hands on chef in Tony who obviously speaks for him and has his trust in the day to day of the kitchen. I understand that the restaurant is supposedly losing 100k a month, but it took a half million in losses before anybody said anything? Not very fucking likely. Same thing with the financial statements, for all we know Laurent saw the basic monthly totals and grosses and not a profit/loss sheet. How much of those losses include paying back the initial investment and do you really think 4 million was spent on that space? Why does Chodorow's corporate chef have to wear whites while just observing. If I went in to work tomorrow and there was another guy standing next to my expo station, I don't know how friendly I'd be either especially when he calls the owner to say everything is falling apart when a waitress who is trailing screwed up a table. (Though to be fair, the scene where he asks about the dishwasher's hours is an indication of things falling apart. A kitchen manager who doesn't know the pay rates is almost unbelievably screwed up.) Obviously a lot of bad blood has passed between the two (Jeffrey and Rocco) before this season, to get to the point that it has. If that exchange outside the restaurant is what passes for a management meeting between the two of them then something is really wrong. After a year at my latest job, a restaurant that does an average of over $100k a week, I still speak to my chef for hours at a time on the phone, after working together all week. We don't always agree on everything but we don't let that stop our relationship. Remember, everybody brings something to a party and at the end of the day it is everyone's fault/responsibility. Of course, I'm enjoying this train wreck and drama as much as anybody, if not more but I hate to see a chef fall so publicly and watch people who don't know the pressure, work ethic, knowledge, skills, creativity, imagination and dedication it takes to be a chef, laugh at him like he's a buffoon or simpleton. To paraphrase Bourdain's KC - Cooks Rule!

Yeah, but oh what a 10 or 12 bites. Actually it will work out to a dollar a bite. Seriously though, I always loved the idea of tastings since I tend to get bored with big portions, aromas and flavors develop a tolerance in your olfactory senses and become dulled. Noone will leave hungry and underwhelmed, but conversely you shouldn't be stuffed and confused by a mish mash of flavors. I find that if a dish is just the right size, it should leave you craving one more bite, then when you think back to your meal, you think Oh, I'd love one more taste of that. In this country we tend to stuff ourselves and when you think back on that,, it's like god I wouldn't want another bite.

As Katie said, I'm brave, hardworking and nuts! We routinely have parties of this size, sometimes up to 1200 so logistically we'll be ok. Right now, we're definitely set on Monday, May 10th, tentatively at 7pm. The price is all inclusive of tax/gratuity, coffee/soft drinks and Katie and I are going to work out pairing wines with the courses. Since she has more experience with these dinners, she'll be informing everyone of how to secure reservations and I think it would be best that when you reserve for the dinner, that you note if you'll be having the wine tasting also. (I'm not quite sure the supplement price for the wine yet). I've heard that the DDC dinners typically run around $25 per person instead of the $40 I proposed and let me know if this is an issue, the more people we know are coming, the less money it can be. It will be worth it since like I said before this is as much for me as it is for you, in that I get to have more freedom than I typically do when I'm planning a menu It's a pretty big boat so we have a lot of options, both indoors and on the deck to fit everyone who is interested. Personally, my suggestion is the deck, since it isn't going to open for business officially until the 12th and it is a really wonderful location especially since we can have the entire deck to ourselves. Even though it will be quite a few courses, I envision it as a tasting, with some courses, ( amuse bouche, intermezzo) being just 1 bite, and the others not much bigger. While there will definitely be many courses and tastes, I also understand that the idea of a 4 hour dinner is daunting and that won't be the case, of course everyone is welcome to stay as long as they like but even with 7 courses, the food portion of the evening should run about 1 1/2 hours. After this weekend, I'll post an outline of the courses. I really want to try and use as much local product as possible. We have parking at the boat and we used to validate stubs when it was $12 but now it's $6 to park there which, compared to most of center city is pretty good. Thanks for the great response so far and I'm really, genuinely excited to be able to cook for a receptive, adventurous collection of diners. Don't worry, even though it's the "Dangerous Dining Club", there won't be any kidneys or sardines (not that there's anything wrong with that) but I've got to sneak in a thymus gland or two (aka sweetbreads - that's a great marketing ploy, eh?). Thanks again for your interest and I know it's going to be fun, delicious and memorable.

The boat has numerous options for private dining rooms, but for my money (or, more precisely, your) there is an elevated deck on the southern end of the main deck (stern / aft / i don't know) that is one of the most unique spots in the city with simultaneous views of the BF bridge and the skyline. I think the date is almost set for Monday May 3rd. The time is up to you guys but 8 or 9pm is best for me. Later I will post an outline of what to expect, but I'll keep it basic, so I have a little freedom to see what looks good that week. By the way, trust me on the sweet breads. Also, Katie and I will work on an option to have a wine pairing. Thanks for the great response so far, (boy, for a bunch of people (including myself) who go out so much, we all sure do spend alot of time online) I just proposed it yesterday. That's the last time I go on egullet drunk, next thing you know, I'll have 40 people at my house and a pig with an apple in it's mouth in my patio. Actually, that's not such a bad idea ...

It's nice to be back on line. A thousand words later and if that wasn't enough to test your patience I'm challenging everybody. I originally posted this at the end of Where Have You Been Lately?. So let's hear it. Put your mouth where your mouth is. So to speak...Click to read It's at the bottom of page 5. Feel free to pm me with suggestions to arrange this. Of course everyone is invited down anytime they'd like and)please don't feel that you'd be in anyway imposing or ostentatious in asking for me. Really, Monday nights are best for me, but if it has to be a Sunday that's fine, just not Mother's day, unless of course Mom want's to come too. The best day's would be either the 26th or the 3rd of May. Looking forward to hearing from at least five or six of you. And possibly even meeting you. Maybe for a little extra scratch, Ms. Loeb and I could pair wine with courses. Well, that is if it's dangerous enough. Either way, keep eating, drinking and thinking (hopefully in that order).

I picked up Saveur Magazine's annual 100 issue and was happily surprised to find the opening page of the article to feature 4 pages of photos and text on Philadelphia's high & low cuisine. Just thought you'd like to know, if you hadn't seen it yet!

I'm certainly having mixed feelings about this review. What I find encouraging is related to something I said in some of my posts in the NYC section (sorry guys, I can't help it but I started posting on NYC when things slowed down over here on the Philly boards) about William Grimes retiring from the NY Times and that in an ideal situation a reviewer helps restauranteurs learn what they need look at about their establishment to improve it or how to focus on its strengths. In that spirit, I appreciate Mr. LaBan's review in the sense that encourages chefs around the city to stay with the seasons, source local products and personalize their cuisine instead of cooking for the masses. In France, the great 3 star restaurants of the nouvelle cuisine era had what were referred to as "chef-patrons" in the sense that they represented their community & region, it's products, traditions and uniqueness. Also, when these chefs received 3 stars they took the news with caution since they now knew that an additional responsibility was placed on them. Whether it was local, national or personal pride, they knew that people would come expecting to have their expectations exceeded or find things, little surprises and what not, that they never anticipated, something unique, "worth a detour" - (the literal meaning of 3 stars-remember it was originally published as a guide for emcouraging people to drive using Michelin automotive products). While I consider Django to certainly be one of the best byo's in the city and a special little restaurant, I wonder if this review will be all positive for them. Having had some of the dishes in the review, I can't imagine how he had the same dish I had. Certainly every restaurant has good and bad nights, but there wasn't any fault in the execution of the dishes I had, it was more the concept of the dish. At times I felt as maybe the kitchen was feeling the strain of it's own ambition (the constantly changing menu, it's size and relative popularity). I definitely wouldn't knock Django out of the niche that it was in, here in Philly but 4 bells, stars or whatever to me, implies a seamlessness to an experience that I don't even think they were aiming for. Basically, I think if people go expecting a 4 bell experience (which LaBan explains to mean setting a new standard in dining) I'm worried that it may backfire. People who may otherwise go to Le Bec Fin or the Fountain will find themselves in a completely different environment than what they're accustomed to. In one of their wonderful books (Becoming a Chef, Culinary Artistry, Dining Out) Andrew Dornenberg and Karen Page describe three levels of good food, the first is food that is good, satisfying, the second delicious, exceeding expectation and third an experience that transcends all that and makes you reflect on nature, life and feel that it is wonderful to be alive and experience such things. I can see how many people find Django delicious, I found the execution competent and consistent, which as we all know is a great achievement when dining out but again, conceptually and on that final follow through, I always found it short of that third, transcendent level. Again, I hope the review is good for Philly restaurants and dining out in Philly. I hope that chefs can attract customers who are willing to go along for the ride and trust themselves in the chef's hands. I hope Django can rise to the challenge of such a rating. But, obviously, I feel that it shows an inherent flaw in the whole idea of rating restaurants with a single, final number of stars or bells. Something can definitely be the 4 bells of pizza or tacos but not ambience, service etc. I hope for a time when restaurants like Django are in every neighborhood in the city and people understand how the food we eat is something so fundamental to the very idea of society, culture, nature and civilization itself, but I wish there was another way of appreciating that besides summing up someone's personal vision with a bell or two. I promise not use the word hope again but here's hoping this represents a shift in the public's perspective that a restaurant has to take the middle road, be all things to all people, or be intensely focused on decor or wine or service or a particular cuisine. I look forward to eating at Django again and I love supporting restaurants whose heart is in the right place even if they fall short but I haven't had an experience there that warrants the kind of raves I saw in the article. But, in the long run, I'm rooting for them and all of us because in the end, ask not for whom the bell tolls (ha, ha, ha - I've been dying to use that line since I moved to Philly!)

Given the fluid nature of the restaurant business, where not only chefs change but their sous chefs, cooks, pantry guys, the front of the house waiters, sommeliers etc, I think that not renewing the review of the upper echelon of restaurants would not only not be redundant but necessary. When Bouley Bakery got 4 stars, I was working next door at Danube and 6 weeks after getting 4 stars Bouley's chef de cuisine Brian Bistrong left, a perfect example (Brian is now chef at Citarella restaurant). Believe me, as a restaurant professional, I can say that one of the exciting and demanding aspects of the job is that everyday is a judgment of your performance. I can never take down time and get ahead. Every day I need to make fresh sauces, fresh prep (some people freeze everything but they are not going to be getting 4 stars anytime soon). If you were to award 4 star status to a dry cleaner, then yeah, I could see not having to return to make sure they've maintained a standard of quality. That's why I like the analogy to sports I made earlier. If a team wins the world series that doesn't mean they get to hold onto that title without being retested and challenged over and over, and if you've ever been in a professional kitchen, it's pretty much a sport or athletic event. Every chef is essentially the coach of his team, if you took Joe Torre (the Yankee's manager & gave him the Pittsburgh Pirates, they might not make it to the playoffs the next year, let alone the world series). I'm sure we've all had the experience where you have a dish twice and each time it is either better or worse than the last time you had it. That's why when people get the "ultimate" recommendation that is a 4 star review, I think you'd be remiss to not make sure it's not getting worse.

Like FG said, he could use the "diner's journal" to casually state as much. Also when I was at Lespinasse, believe me I distinctly remember getting 3 stars since we were all so let down. I hazily remember one more review before Gray left but I thought it was an upgrade but I could be wrong.

Bar sugar is a slang term since bartenders use it for it's ability to instantly dissolve in cold liquids in place of simple syrup which many are too lazy to make (1 cup water to 1 cup sugar brought to a simmer). Simple syrup or bar sugar are the best to use for ice tea, mojitos etc. A great way to use up left over mint is to make a mint syrup for ice teas and drinks (take 2 or 3 stems of mint for every cup of sugar, simmer, let cool then strain out mint, it should keep for a couple of weeks in your fridge-makes nice lemonade too - or use ginger instead and mix into soda water for fresh ginger ale). Bar sugar is usually sold in 1 lb boxes labelled superfine sugar. It is made from evaporated sugar can juice and milled extra fine (most sugar is actually made from sugar beets - the flavor different is small but worth it - my favorite is a Florida crystals brand of evaporated cane juice sugar that you can get at Whole Foods or Fresh Fields, the price is about the same and it is also milled a bit finer.