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Was Sakai robbed?Ofcourse he was! Did everybody seethescorecardsat the end? Flay had more points with hisplatepresentations (????????????????) and the same with originality (fish tacos Vs trout ice cream) I do believe that Sakai used more sophisticated ingredients, and is that hurt him, then it speaks poorly of the judges. His plates looked better, were original and I'm sure they even tasted better. Even though he won (maybe because he's the good looking american boy) I still don't understan what is Bobby Flay doing there. The quality of foodhe produced was mediocreat best, even if it tasted like the nectar of the Gods!

I agree with jhlurie, a lot in this show is directed, but the truth is that Rocco has a restaurant, and real people go there to eat (I know a couple of people that went there and hated it). But yes, a lot of things just happen because NBC benefits from it. Think about it, why would the owners discuss the future of the restaurant, talking about firing people and all while in the restaurant Seems innapropriate at best. Also, I'm sure Mr. Chadorow (sp?) is not really loosing a lot of money. I mean, sure, the restaurant is, but he has to have an agreement with NBC or sponsors or something. He seems to be a very smart man. Let's face it, if there were no show, Rocco would not be the chef anymore. In any case, I hope they do ger rid of him (makes every chef in the world look bad by his attitude) and hire somebody competent. Even if that means that the show gets cancelled for lack of drama.

As an extern in this 4 diamond restaurant in Miami, I was in charge of family meal every day, except that we never had a lot to work with. It's hard to find many uses for chicken legs without the staff revolting. We were so busy that we never really had time to eat what we served. However, the worst was my own mistake, when some of the chicken that went out was raw. Nobody was happy, especially myself However, I did work at a restaurant where inventory was so well managed, that we our staff meals planned weekly. The owners certainly believed in feeding the staff like humans. We rarelly used scraps, and every meal included a salad and dessert. Those were the days! Too bad this isn't true of every restaurant!

I'm with Pitter, there's great food in the Hudson Valley area, from one of the best homemade ice cream places I've seen (Holy Cow) to the restaurants at the Culinary Institute of America (reservatios needed). The small towns like New Paltz, Rheinbeck and Woodstock have several good small places to eat. Plus, the scenery is magical.

In most of Latin America we do the same with pork skin. We call it Chicharron, and like bacon, it's the stuff that holds the universe together I also like crispy fish skin. Chilean Sea Bass and Turbot are my favorite skins to "fry"

In 2000, Terry Durack wrote an article for Hunger titled The Best Bit. This piece also appeared in Best Food Writing 2001. In it, he talks about meals he had in different cultures and how he found out he was not eating the best bit until the hosts would point it out. He mentions unusual finds such as fish eyes and more common ones, like bone marrow. It's an entertaining story well worth reading. One of my favorite best bits is scallop's coral. A red, fatty tongue, full of iodine flavor, which tastes great grilled, and makes a wonderful sauce (properties shared with bone marrows) Anybody has some good Best Bits that they would like to share?

I've been seeing all kinds of Waffle Irons latelly, even some that make heart shaped waffles, great for VValentine's Day, Mother's Day and - Well, that's about it. In any case, we used to make some killer Waffles at this restaurant I was working. They were savory: onions and basil, and were served with a Heirloom Tomato Salad. In any case, the recipe we used had no yeast in it..., it used paking powder: Flour, Sugar, Salt, Milk, Baking Powder and Whipped Egg Whites. You can keep the whole mixture except the egg whites in the freege overnight, and mix in the egg whites in the morning. They were always fluffy and delicious. I think I want some right now! Who said breakfast food was only to be eaten for breakfast?

I know it's a little late for the posting, but I still think my two cents are worth posting, for future reference, you know? In my opinion the best restaurants in Miami (including Miami Beach) are Norman's, Chef Allen's, Wish, Nobu, the Blue Door and Azul. Also, Douglas Rodriguez just opened Ola Miami, and it should be pretty good. Allan Susser is an old school Chef, but his food is still amazing. Same thing with Norman Van Aken, although I think he keeps a more formal kitchen. Nobu is as good in South Beach as it is in New York. Wish just underwent a Chef's change: CIA grad Michael Reidt left and Johnson and Wells grad Michael Bloise took over. The food quality is a little bit lower, but it's still excellent. Michel Bernstein is a fantastic Chef and she had done great things with Azul. I've personally never eaten at the Blue Door, however, it always gets great reviews

Not only I lived in Santiago for over three years, I also went to culinary school and worked in restaurants there, so I can possibly talk a little about the restaurants in the area: Gastronomy and culinary appreciation are booming in Chile, particularly in Santiago, so there are many new restaurants opening every day, and a lot of them are rising the quality of food. There are also several old school chefs who have been serving great food for several years, including Guillermo Rodriguez, Executive Chef of the Hotel San Francisco and Joseph Gander, Executive Chef of El Cid at Sheraton Santiago I do agree that generally speaking, Chilean food lacks flavor, and they have been unable to maximize the amazing products available to them. However, a new bunch of highly educated professionals are slowly changing the way Chileans eat. Therefore, chefs like Cristopher Carpentier (Agua) and Carlo Von Muhlenbrock (Osadia) have become the new breed of celebrities: young, good looking, cocky, daring and amazing cooks. Santiago also has a high Peruvian colony, and fortunately they have opened many restaurants, sharing their flavorful cuisine. So much that one of the high-end restaurants of Lima, as stated in a couple of links, opened in Santiago: Astrid y Gaston. Certainly, Peru is not the only international influence affecting Chilean gastronomy. Japanese cuisine is as big there as it might be anywhere else in the world, and the Classical European (yes, I capitalized Classical out of respect) cuisine is still strong, although some Chefs are familiar with the new trends and offer more marketable choices: the best examples of these are Carlos Meyer's El Europeo and Mezzo, the modern creation of Chef Claudio Marras, a CIA graduate. For amazing Japanese cooking, try Shogun I can't recommend places to eat in Santiago and not mention the best places to find traditional Chilean cuisine. Indeed, the Mercado Central is possibly the best place to go, not only for the food (which can sometimes lack quality) but also for the ambiance. Other options are Isla Negra and Dona Tina I hope this information proves helpful during future visits to Santiago.