Jamie Valvo

Bar Louie has also secured space in the new Towne Centre in downtown Ann Arbor. My favorite item at Bar Louie. Buffalo Calamari

I was just in Chicago and made a point of going to some breakfast places that I had heard alot about but to which I had never been. Toast: Damen north of Armitage. Solid, fun combinations. Orange: Printers Row, Very good, lots of fresh fruit, Frushi (fruit sushi rolls), They even have a breakfast tasting menu. Again, Very Good! Bongo Room: On Milkwaukee (i think) in Bucktown. More of a latin influence, also very good.

well put cory. I wish you guys the best of luck in your attempt. say hello to everyone for me please.

I was at Pacific Rim about a month ago and everything was very solid. Duke is a great guy and took real good care of us. I have a cook who is catching a few shifts over there and he says that buisness is good for dinners and still shakey for lunch.

I use a cryo vac bag and put one section of belly each. The brine works great this way and penetrates deep into the belly in a realitivly short period of time. I then roll and hang my pancetta in the cooler approx. 40F. After a week in the brine and 2 -3 weeks hanging they are all set to go.

Doing well on a show like that could give your career a nice boost. I would rather work hard, work long hours and earn my place. I would guess they are going for the entertainment value for the general public of a well seasoned line cook/chef beating the hell out of a first year culinary student and making her cry. I truely hope a real cook wins in the end.

I have to agree I found the level of talent that was showcased disappointing. I am looking at it from a culinary prospective as opposed to a television show producers. Why else would the culinary student who isnt even done with school yet be on the show. She is attractive and people will want to watch her. It was very cool to see them in the kitchen at Fleur de Lys. It really showed Kens ignorance to speak to Herbert Keller that way. BTW: Gastrique at its base level is a vinegared caramel. Sweet and sour basically.

I just took a dish off the menu in which I used some larding skill. Juniper and Sesame Crusted Tuna Loin (larded with crisped lomo) White Beans and Savoy Cabbage Miso Vinaigrette I really enjoyed the flavors and the larding was a fun exercise. James Valvo Chef de Cuisine Tribute

I do not have any actual knowledge of the ownership interest in this years’ choice playing any direct role in the selection. I certainly did not mean that comment in a derogatory or diminishing way. I was however making the comment through the lens of watching the way the entire Detroit area geared itself up for the Super Bowl weekend. Every restaurant, club, hotel, news outlet, politician, decision maker excreta turned their attention to making sure that this event was both well executed and well received. Seldom Blues is located inside the Renaissance Center, where a lot of the media was located, Radio Row, ESPN and print media. The award was given leading right up to the event and it seemed fortuitous timing. Their owners’ prior NFL experience did not hurt them in that light. (I would guess) Would they have won if the Super Bowl wasn’t in town? We will never know. That being said, I think it was a good decision to boost their profile given the importance of event; which by the way went off with flying colors. It was great to be a part of helping Detroit overcome its nay sayers and throw a great week long party. James Valvo Chef de Cuisine Tribute

I agree that no one really wants to read about Tribute every year and how we are still the best in town. That doesn't sell newspapers. Don't get me wrong I would love the publicity. Nothing wrong with bringing attention to restaurants who are in need of it. As I mentioned eariler in this post; if it raises the culinary scene then that is good. Maybe a tweak with the title of the award could be in order. I also understand the need to select a place that was downtown and owned by a former Lion right before the Super Bowl. That makes perfect sense. I think that Tribute is fairly well known for being the best in town and no award given or withheld will change that. James Valvo Chef de Cuisine Tribute

I heard that there was a niche missing in the Chinese market. Just doing some research.

I have been doing a bit of research into various types of fine dining in Shanghai. I have never been and would love to hear input from those who have lived and/or traveled in the area. I am most interested in French or very contemporary cuisines. 3 on the Bund seems to the top as far as I can find. Your thoughts? Yours in Food, James Valvo Chef de Cuisine Tribute

If you go to Angelo's you have to get the deep fried raisin toast. To die for.

A bit off the topic, but I just love the building the Gandy Dancer is in so much. It is a place I have always dreamed of turning into a good restaurant. The location has so much potential.

Might I encourage a stop at Small Plates. As the name suggests it is an appetizer restaurant. They have composed dishes as well as pizzas and cheese plates. It is on Broadway I beleive right behind the Opera House. Happy downtown dining. Yours in Food, James Valvo Chef de Cuisine Tribute

Unfortunately this award has become "the best restaurant in Detroit that has never won it before". However, if it will help elevate the culinary scene in the area then I am all for it. I don’t really enjoy the food at Seldom Blues; the feel of the place is great. I enjoy my time at Five Lakes and I find Jeremy's very mediocre.

I would agree that Pacific Rim and Eve are heads and shoulders above everyone else in downtown. Price.... bah.... just go out and enjoy yourself.

We make cultured butter at the restaurant but we use a pasturized cream to make it. A bit of house made cream fraiche helps start the lactic culture and gives the butter a nice character. As far as removing all the buttermilk, I would suggest an alternating series of hanging the butter in cheesecloth and "rechurning". We do normally three repetitions of this process, but it can be more or less depending on the liquid content left in the butter. A few grams of salt are added during the last churning. Once we are satisfied we roll it for service and hang it so it can continue to drain as needed. If you can get a steady supply of raw cream from a dairy it makes butter that is far superior to anything that can be made with pasturized products. Happy Churning, James Valvo Chef de Cuisine Tribute

I wouldn't call this elegent but I just made a batch of chicken legs for staff meal today; overnight marinade of coconut milk, curry paste, lemongrass and a bit of cream. I dregged them in season flour and deep fried them. I turned the marinade into a quick sauce and served fresh cilantro biscuits on the side. Chicken legs can be good, just have to treat em right. Yours in Food, James Valvo Chef de Cuisine Tribute

One of my sous chefs just made Chef Henderson's recipe for me. I was thourghly thrilled with the result. Acid, Salt, Fat, Richness. It was balanced and complex. A solid recipe. Yours in Food, James Valvo Chef de Cuisine Tribute

Would be a shame, that location is a Chicago landmark. I hope they don't close.

They seem to the same to me. We have them all in a stack on our stove and I cannot notice the differance during service. (other then they are still a shinner steel) According to the folks who answer the phone at All Clad they are still being made the same way and in the same place. Alas, restaurant use does not count as "normal" any longer. Yours in Food, James Valvo Chef de Cuisine Tribute

Let me relate a quick story: I have been working at Tribute on and off for about six years now. We have had a set of Master Chef All Clad pots and pans of all sizes and shapes. They are our workhorses. I have done everything imaginable to these pans. They have never dented, warped, buckled and barely have a scratch on them. This last summer a bought about a dozen new pans in an attempt to round out our collection. As of today we have lost five of them during normal use. The interior lining of the pan has separated from the core in every instance. I have always heard about All Clad’s great lifetime warranty and attempted to use it to replace my broken cookware. The first time I contacted them, after many phone calls and arm twisting, I was given a replacement pan. When I contacted them the second time, I was told that they can no longer guaranty their products in a professional setting. I was floored. To me that was the magic of All Clad; they can take the rough day to day restaurant beating and not miss a beat. Has anyone else had a problem with a "newer" set of All Clads? It is no sad to be forced to cross them off my very short mental list of dependable companies. Yours in Food, James Valvo Chef de Cuisine Tribute

I was very excited to see Michael Laskonis featured in the latest issue of Art Culinaire. Having worked with him at Tribute it is always wonderful to see his much deserved recognition. The cover is a beautiful shot and I enjoyed reading and viewing the dishes within. From everyone at Tribute; congratulations Michael and we wish you continued success. Yours in Food, James Valvo Chef de Cuisine Tribute

I agree with the fact that it seems all they do is insert a new nominee to replace last years winner. It also seems that person has no real chance of winning. Its almost as though they like to make the chefs suffer through a few years of not winning. With that being said I hope this is the year to break that trend. If it was my choice I would pick Shawn from that group. As far as predictions go, I would have to guess Sandro or Tony. I was also happy to see Lee Hefter up from Spago, I love that restaurant and its nice to see Lee getting some attention outside Wolfgangs shadow. In my favorite catagory to guess in I'll take Mario Batali for chef of the year. I thought he should have won last year too. But Nobu is tough to pick against. Yours in Food, James Valvo Chef de Cuisine Tribute