=Mark

Wow! Did you know that the Olive Garden chain of restaurants sends all of it's cooks to Italy to learn how to cook authentic Italian cuisine? It's true! I just saw a commercial that shows how they sent their cooks to Italy to make tortellini! To think I've been fooling myself with all these local mom & pop family owned Italian places who have probably never been closer to Italy than Mulberry street! I'll have to start checking out these Olive Garden places, they even offer endless refills of bread sticks and salad! Can't get more Italian than that... :-)

Over the past 15 years we have visited many of the top shelf establishments in NYC and the DC areas. I find the comments earlier on in this thread about Le Cirque to be interesting in that of all the places we tried that this was the only truly bad experience. My brother and I have coined a phrase during our tours of the top restaurants, the "Rube Table." This is the space where most establishments seat the folks who look as if they might create embarassment if allowed to be seen by the regulars. These tables are the ones next to the wait station or restroom doors, adjacent to the kitchen doors or behind potted plants. When we arrive in our JC Penny suits we are sized up by the host/hostess and invariably packed off to the nearest rube table. Usually within the next 10 or so minutes after conferring with the waitstaff and sommolier it is discovered that their judjement was somewhat hasty, and from that point both we and the staff proceed to have an enjoyable meal. If you show a real interest in what the chef is trying to do and show real interest in the opinions and advice of the servers you will almost always have a good experience. We've gotten many free tasting items of dishes the kitchen was experimenting with as well as visits from several of the chefs. The one place this did not occur was at a lunch at Le Cirque (The _old_ one, mind you, have not been back since they reopened). From the start we were sat at a tiny table in a corner, gruffly had our orders taken. Halfway through our appetizers the entrees arrived (Keep in mind they were all on huge plates on a table about the size of a garbage can lid, little room for anything). When done there seemed no way to get the attention of any servers so we could get a check, and they began cleaning around the table with a vacuum cleaner before we finally escaped. I can remember most all of the memorable meals I've had at other establishments, but the service at Le Cirque was so stunningly bad that I cannot remember anything of what we ate. I realize that the onus can not always be laid on the staff, we've witnessed patrons who show up with a real attitude. Sort of a "We know we're going to drop a bundle on this meal so everything better be perfect. And We'll be watching..." Sorry but when staff picks up on feelings like this it can be difficult to turn things around. The best of a proffessional staff will gamely try to brighten the mood but it's not easy. At Le Cirque they didn't even try. It was clear that they could do with or without our patronage and expressed this feeling clearly. Forums such as this one have begun to give voice to those who experience treatment such as this. I was a member of a Food Forum at the time that was hosted by John Mariani, a sometime restaurant critic and food writer. He apparently related our experiences to Siro Maccione who was upset to learn of our treatment. There was mention of compensation at a future meal but shortly after this Siro returned to Europe for a couple months and none of it was followed up. Oh well, guess we'll mark it up as lesson learned and continue our culinary commando raids on the City...

Getting back to Bourdain's "Cooks Tour" I'm about halfway through it and am enjoying it. It has some elements of KC, but has expanded them by exploring more aspects of traditional international cooking, both at the "peasant" level as well as exploring some of the high end social scenes in more developed countries. An interesting aspect of the story is the number of situations where a major aspect of the gathering is to imbibe as much alcohol as humanly possible! Whether in a nearly tribal setting in rural Vietnam or in the now decadent club scene in Russia, getting drunk for the sheer thrill of getting hammered is more the rule than the exception. The only place so far that has not featured folks getting plastered is in the Islamic republic of Morrocco, where alcohol is illegal. Of course there Bourdain cops a couple grams of hashish and gets stoned to the point of embarrassment for both the hosts and the film crew...

I'm game! I'll be taking the train up from the South, however. Will have to check the schedule.

How exactly is Flay a "phony?" A phony what? He is obviously self absorbed and arrogant but it seems this is the case with many top chefs, but does not take away from the fact that they can really rattle those pots and pans. I've eaten at Mesa Grill since well before there even was a TV Food Network and can vouch for his ability as a chef. As for Emeril, he may also be a publicity starved media junkie, but one does not become head chef at Commanders Palace by being incompetant in the kitchen. I've always been intrigued by the publics ability to rally around an underdog, then turn on them when they succeed and delight in tearing them down. Happens every time.

When she was at Emiliana the restaurant was reviewed by Andrea Clurfield. Apparently the food was OK but some of the staff did not know who she was and copped a real attitude. It got to the point that Clurfield and her party came close to walking out. She essentially gave them no stars. Was worse than the one star rip she gave to Fromagerie a few years ago. According to the press release from last June Il Cortile does have a liquor licence (too bad!) Interestingly, the photo included with the press release is of the wrong building! It is of an office building next door that contains a luncheonette and a travel agency... http://www.123bsc.com/closedpdf/ilcortile.pdf

Has anyone been to Il Cortile, Toni Froio's latest incarnation in the building that used to house Mumfords in Long Branch? She was amazing at the Farmingdale House years ago, and has since had an Italian Deli and Emilianas, another Long Branch establishment that was shot down in flames in a Press review last year. Have not made it in to check it out yet, but it's on my list along with Indigo Moon and Bella Luna...

Vegemite is a product of yeast extract, not beef.

I can't understant the concept of using a corkscrew as a weapon, I would think the victim would have to be very patient... Was talking to a guy who had been in special forces and was also dubious about corkscrews as a threat when he related having trained to fight with everyday objects, and one of the easiest and most effective was a ballpoint pen. I don't hear any stories about peoples pens being confiscated...

On 2 occasions I've seen these pressure type cork removers cause bottles to burst. During the second occasion I was trying to tell the person about the possibility and was basically scoffed at. After the blast, which had the secondary effect of sending a wave of red wine mixed with splintered glass into his utensil drawer, he apologised and tossed the remover into the trash.

I like to separate spicyness from heat, since spicyness is a reaction of taste using the taste buds, while heat is the reaction of pain receptors to a specific set of chemicals. To me spices consist of black pepper, thyme, coriander, cumin and the like, wheras heat can be produced by mustard, horseradish, ginger (which, by the way crosses over into the taste category), and most notibly chile peppers. One can, over time develop a resistance to the capsaicinoids which give the chiles their heat, much like the body can build resistance to any number of chemicals. When this happens the chilehead can detect the underlying flavors in a hot dish that less experienced chile chompers simply get lost in the flames. The concept that overindulgence in hot foods will somehow "burn out" your ability to taste is simply rubbish. Folks who like it hot can actually taste more flavors in a hot & spicy dish than those with milder tendancies. My having a fairly good resistance to capsaicin renders me a dangerous commodity when asked to rate the heat of a dish by those with milder sensibilities, right Rosie? :-)

After years of long and careful experimentation I have found the perfect method for enjoying everything from fine wine to acid plonk. May I present the stainless steel dog dish and a plastic eyedropper! The dog dish. Give it a gentle tap and it rings. Raise it, and feel the heft and solidity. No more shattered glass with severed veins and poked out eyes when you've had a box or two too many. Almost untippable. No deadly lead leeching into your vintage Mad Dog from sissy lead crystal. Each dog dish is stamped out with the precision that only fine Chinese robotic equipment is capable of. Who are you going to trust, a machine, or some lederhosen clad foreign wino who apprenticed by blowing into breathalyzers on the side of the road? The dog dish's unique design creates an exceptionally wide evaporation surface that helps to intensify a wine's bouquet and enhance a silky taste in the mouth. To further intensify this effect, the optional baseball cap may be utilized, although this does require that it be turned in the unnatural position with the brim in front. With enough wine, however, this starts to feel almost natural. The eyedropper, plastic for safety, is the final component in this system to enhance the bouquet, taste, balance, and finish of every wine you swill. Are you going to trust a stupid glass to be responsible for the flow of the wine, and consequently where it touches the various taste zones of the tongue? Yeah, right! I personally have witnessed, on numerous occasions, a cranky glass deliberately toss the wine through the mouth and up the nose of someone who was innocently enjoying a joke! With the eyedropper, the initial contact point, and the order of those following it, depends only on the sobriety of the imbiber. To further enhance the safety of the eyedropper, I suggest tying it securely to a large soft object. A rubber dog bone completes the ensemble. Wine is composed of a balance and harmony of different elements: fruit, acidity, minerals, tannin, and alcohol. It is solely the quantity that is chugged that makes these anal and persnickety details irrelevant, not the mythical qualities of some overpriced, jumped up jelly jar. For the price of a single Riedel glass, you can be the proud owner of service for 12. So twist off the cap of that Thunderbird and throw a party!

"Big Night" was fun. Brought back memories of bad Italian food on the Jersey Shore!

We went to his restaurant Townsquare when it was in Chatham years ago. He was quite personable and even prepared us a tasting menu of the specials that were available that day. I still have a copy of the menu which he had hand painted. (Edited by markstevens at 1:02 pm on Nov. 5, 2001)

Hey! Don't let this stop you from feeling gay! Oops! Guess that one's been appropriated too...

For my money the best wings I know of are served at Memphis Pigout in Atlantic Highlands. Go figure, they also serve the best New England Clam Chowder in the area...

I wanted to see it but it was yanked out of theaters before I got a chance. Guess I'll wait for the DVD...

I myself actually have a hard time getting them to make it hot enough, but then I am actually a card carrying Chilehead (Got 2 cards actually...). None the less, the staff is very concious of the heat/spice level of their food. Most any of the dishes can be made mild or totally with out heat as they are all cooked to order. They don't make any money by serving dishes that are so spicy they get sent back to the kitchen. Some of my favorites are the mussels appetizer with Thai basil, the Mixed sea food soup with coconut milk, lemon grass, galanga, chili, mushrooms, lime leaves and lime. Their boneless crispy roast duck comes with half a dozen variations, all good! A copy of their menu can be seen at: <A HREF="http://www.exit109.com/~mstevens/miethai.html">http://www.exit109.com/~mstevens/miethai.html</A>

is this place any relation to Cafe Colore in Freehold? Those folks also run 75 South and Metropolitan cafe.

I prefer pounding down shots of cheap vodka till my eyes bleed...

My current default olive oil is Davinci Extra Virgin. Good color and flavor.

I tend to be more of an appetizer guy than a dessert guy. The main reason is that I really don't have a sweet tooth. One of the more memorable "desserts" I've had was a selection of cheeses and glasses of port served in the outdoor garden at the Inn at Little Washington.

You fry fresh, ripe, in-season tomatoes till they're brown? Don't think I've heard of that...

The farmer guy I was referring to uses a multi stage still with an intermediate "thumper" jar. Each of the stages and the thumper are monitored with digital thermometers. These are used to eliminate the possibility of methanol contamination and ensure the production of the highest quality ethanol. Believe me when I say this guy doesn't get into anything half-assed...

Never have understood the fixation on the liquids exuded by dying mollusks...