Daniel Rogov

Zabar, Hi..... First, with regard to restaurants worth visiting you might enjoy seeing my list of recommended restaurants that appears weekly in the English edition of HaAretz or can be found online at http://stratsplace.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=14325 Second - with regard to Molectular Gastronomy, you will find two restaurants offering various dishes and even degustation menus based on this principle. My review of those follows. As will be seen, like the good Queen, I was not amused (and yes, I have dined at El Bulli and The Fat Duck, neither of which amused me either). ++++ From the Spain's Costa Brava to London and New York, the latest craze in dining out is searching out those chefs who have chosen to go the route of molecular gastronomy - the manipulation of foodstuffs in places that resemble laboratories more than they do kitchens and in which the goal is to reduce ingredients to their most vital and basic molecular ingredients before recombining them in forms that we are told is edible Brillat-Savarin, the philosopher of French food said, that "the discovery of a new dish does more for human happiness than the discovery of a star." After sampling some of the new dishes devised by this new wave of chefs one cannot wonder if Brillat-Savarin would be tossing and turning rather uncomfortably in his grave. It is not so much that these dishes are created using naturally derived ingredients such as benzyl trans-2-methylbutenate and xanthorands. Nor is it especially offensive that these dishes rely on patented tinned products named algin, calcin, citros, gluco and kappa. What is most offensive is that these dishes are so far in texture and flavor from the original ingredients that went into them that one wonders not only what one is eating but more logically, why. Because we Israelis never lag too far behind Europe and the United States, molecular gastronomy is now making its inroads locally and I recently sampled this fare at two restaurants. Before I begin to deconstruct my meals as the chefs in these restaurants did the dishes that made there way to my stomach, let me say that when chefs Noam Dekkers and Omer Zarnitsky of Kfar Saba's Barcarola and Moshe Aviv of Tel Aviv's Messa do their own often creative cuisine, they do just fine. When it comes to what they do with molecular cuisine, however, I have some very serious questions. Barcarola The degustation meal to which I was invited at Barcarola opened with a vodka martini served with what was said to be and surely looked like a "Syrian olive". The vodka, which I saw poured directly from the bottle was fine but the olive turned out to be one that had been molecularly manipulated, encapsulated in a condom like enclosure and, when pierced in the mouth tasted like a mushy, half-cooked egg yolk. From here it was on a first course of a single oyster that had been treated to a beet jelly, the bright red color of the beet being the only sign that this concoction had once come from nature, the jelly itself tasting neither like jelly nor beets but having the distinct aroma of rose petals and flavor of Scotch whiskey. The oyster was then topped with a foam of sea water, that so light in texture that as it dissolved on the tongue it left nothing but the flavor of what felt like magically sweetened salt. The next course I sampled was of a seafood salad in which I was at first relieved to note that the shrimps and calamari on my dish looked like, smelled like and even tasted like real shrimps and calamari. What harmed the dish beyond repair in my estimation was a molecularly modified bright purple herb vinaigrette whose bitter flavors lingered far too long on the palate. It seemed in part that chefs involved in this new style of cookery have forgotten the age-old rule known by all chefs "Don't serve purple food". That rule has good logic, the color purple in food tending to make most observers just a bit nauseous. The seared scallop in my next sampling was really and truly a scallop and the crab butter served with that was fine. I could not help but sigh though in realizing that neither the accompanying jelly of bacon nor the fire-engine red "beet air" foam on my plate had no discernible flavors whatever. The final course offered was of several slices of beef flank steak (sheitel), those topped with another condom-like sphere filled with what was said to be a red wine sauce but had a taste far more akin to chicken liver than any wine I have ever sampled. The beef was also served with a puree and no matter how I tried, I could not figure out whether that had been made from some alchemical blend of potatoes, beef marrow, parsley root or some odd combination of all three. Messa At Messa I also accepted an invitation to taste the chef's venture into molecular gastronomy and here as well my degustation meal opened with a mini-cocktail, this one called "Naughty Chocolate" for the good reason that the major ingredients in the drink were chocolate in a liquid form that tasted like a pear and a fresh fruit salad topped by a foam of hot gin. I did not mind that the foam was hot. I did mind that it had the consistency of curdled milk. From here it was on to a single molecular olive, another condom-like enclosed concoction that at least this time had the good grace to taste like an olive albeit in a semi-liquid form, that set on a tasty herbed crouton. I continued with a trio of creations based on goose liver. The first of these was an airy concoction served with molecularly manipulated bits of berries in which the liver tasted like an olive and the berries seemed to have taken on a distinct kinship to dried peas. The second was of "goose liver candies", those that tasted nothing at all like liver but had a relationship to dried apricots; and the third of two pralines of goose liver that tasted more like chocolate chip cookies than anything else that came to mind. By this time I was quite glad that my companion and I had been sipping generously of the good 2005 Merlot of the Bravdo winery. Turning to the sea, a platter appeared with three more offerings – the first of shrimps (real shrimps, I must say) those coated with yojo. That would have been fine but the shrimps were set on a concoction called "sea sand", and indeed this laboratory created concoction did grate in the teeth as might sand on the beach. The second offering was of a smoked salmon ravioli with one gel of wassabi and, powdered nuri seaweed and another a gel of cucumbers. Put all together I could not help but make the comparison to a sandwich made with soggy bread and a collection of ingredients with colors that ran from sky blue to sea green and flavors from too salty to even more salty than that. The third sea offering was a sashimi of tuna, that with a puree of pears and wassabi and something called "soya caviar", all topped with a foam of ginger, that having no flavor whatsoever. There were three more courses yet to come, the first a small medallion of fillet steak that stood on its own on the plate and proved delicious. Surrounding the beef was two more molecular creations – in this case a sorbet of corn that was unusual in that it was not frozen and a slice of onion filled with a beef-based airy foam. To give credit where credit is due, the onion tasted like an onion. My next venture was into shrimps coated with kadaif pastry and those were fine but again, alongside that a caramelized tomato on a stick, the caramel crust so thick, firm and sticky that it clung uncomfortably to the teeth and the roof of the mouth. The final offering was of a baby lamb chop, that inserted into a cocktail glass containing what I was told was a lemon fondu, and those accompanied by a whole egg shell filled with what proved the highlight of the meal – a liquid brulee of truffles that was truly magnificent. Three small espresso coffees, not at all molecularly manipulated closed out the meal. One of the questions that the critics must ask themselves when evaluating molecular gastronomy is whether they are being too bound by tradition and thus automatically rejecting what is "new". In my own case, I have no objections at all to new flavors, new textures or new combinations, no matter how they challenge the senses so long as they are tasty and satisfying. I do however, wonder why I have to dine on creations that are far from gastronomical treats. That such methods may eventually play a role in the future prevention of starvation on the planet seems clear. It is equally obvious, however, that this is not what great chefs or devoted gourmands have envisioned over the millennia. Several of these dishes will make their way into the regular menus of both Barcarola and Messa. Should one want to dine entirely as I did on the molecular degustation dinner, reservations must be made at least two weeks in advance and one should count on spending about NIS 300 per person for the privilege. There remains one final question. Is it worth trying? My answer – yes but once and once only, for although the phenomenon is interesting it may be nothing more than a chemical show to cater to the wealthy among us and to those whose palates are so jaded that what is new must, by definition, be good. Molecular gastronomy may be the post-modern joke par excellence of the still young 21st century. My palate, my stomach and I will wait for surely this too shall pass. Barcarola: Rehov Atir Yeda 13, in the new Industrial Area of Kfar Saba. Open daily 12:00-01:00. Tel 09 7669606. Messa: Rehov HaArba'a 19, Tel Aviv. Open daily 12:30-15:30 and 19:00-23:30. Tel (03) 6856859

Because it relates to restaurants, I'll post this one here. Simply stated, what was the one fault in the film Babette's Feast? No entry fee and no prizes, but it might be fun to make your guess.

A restaurant per se must be a place that provides fully prepared meals at fixed hours, at a fee, that has tables at which people can be seated, and that provides service staff to present the meals and provide whatever other food and beverage services are required. An establishment with self-service is a cafeteria and not a restaurant. A fast-food eatery falls somewhere between the restaurant and cafeteria as it specializes in foods meant to be prepared and served quickly and provides minimal service. A hot-dog stand on the street no matter how good the hot dogs, knockwurst or bratwurst may be and even though there may be a few benches or even tables nearby is a food-service point.

Sorry to be the myth-buster once again, but the serving of olive oil and bread is not at all a new habit, being documented during the reign of Herod at his palace at Massada and at the home of Lucullus. It seems the Romans (noble or otherwise) were wise enough to realize that imbibing a bit of olive oil before setting down to serious drinking would slow down the intoxication process. They may not have known about blood circulation but they did know that coating the stomach with oil or buttermilk somehow let the alcohol get to the brain a bit more slowly. As to Italy, serving olive oil with bread has been a la mode in Sicily and in Campania at least since the 13th century, and later came into fashion with the Medicis in both Rome and Florence. True, the habit never made its way to restaurants but was and still is traditional in many homes. With regard to France, bread was often served with olive oil during the reign of Adolphe Duglere at Cafe Anglais (take a good look at Babette's Feast and you will see olive oil on the table and at least the General dipping his bread into it). With regard to Israel, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Greece - as Zorba might say it There is no greater sin than a day without olive oil, garlic, bread and wine". And so it has been since the days of Odysseus. And yes, I do consider the coarse salt a fine addition indeed!

So many people rave about the Mediterranean Diet that it is somewhat amusing to see the most staple of all food items now poo-poohed. The use of fine olive oil, perhaps with a few drops of Balsamico added (no herbs, no Parmesan) has been considered a delicacy in this part of the world since the days of the Caesars. Serve a bit of fine coarse Brittany or other sea salt alongside for those who like it and you have a feast fit for the gods. And on the off chance that olive oil doesn't make it for you, consider instead of or alongside the butter, a fine aioli.

Well, if that was the 1961 (either the Lafite or the Latour), I can only regret that I am not a cartoon character. Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac 1961: So full bodied you might think it was a solid rather than a liquid, but with such impeccable balance that you cannot question its greatness, this dark and concentrated wine goes on and on with its black currant flavors and now, in place of the cinnamon that was once found, a blend of mocha and tobacco. Exquisite! Drink now-2020. Score 96. (Re-tasted 15 May 2002) Chateau Latour, Pauillac, 1961: One of those rare wines that cannot possibly be better. Full bodied and powerful but with remarkable structure and balance, the wine is drinking beautifully now, revealing well ingegrated fruits (black currants, plums and huckleberries), wood (hickory and cedar) and minerals and just now developing the long-anticipated herbal overtones. I have referred to this wine as majestic in the past. I salute it once again. Drink now – 2025 or 2030. Score 100. (Re-tasted 15 May 2002)

Alas, one of the few faults in the film…..for unless ordered in magnum format, the two wines in question, no matter how great in the past, are now well beyond their peak and surely lacking the greatness of yore. My most recent tasting notes for both wines follow. Chateau Cheval Blanc, St. Emilion, 1947: During its youth – that is to say, up until its 50th year – this was beyond question one of the greatest wines ever made. My own first tasting was in 1980 when I wrote that the wine was full bodied and unctuous, balanced exquisitely, with abundant but well rounded tannins and plenty of spices, black fruits, leather and hints of mocha. My second tasting in 1990 showed the wine still remarkably young, with a length and width and were enviable, and with all of its charms intact. Drinking the wine now was both a glory and a sadness, for the wine is now beyond its peak and shows only hints of the “glory that once was”. Still alive and with good fruits but now a bit flabby and tired, the wine should be consumed in the near future. (First tasting 12 Apr 1980 – Score 100; Second tasting 30 Oct 1990 – Score 98+. Most recent tasting 13 Jan 1999. I will not score the wine as that would be an insult to its greatness.) Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac, 1947: Tasted three times, once from magnum format and twice from standard bottles, in each case showing that this once superb wine is now growing tired, showing “the toils and tribulations of aging”. Now showing herbal, earthy and tobacco flavors but those yielding in the glass as the wine sings its swan’s song to reveal cherry and berry fruits, those holding only for a few minutes and giving a hint of past glory. As a reminder of great days gone by, marvelous, but most assuredly not for further cellaring. No score assigned. (Re-tasted 23 Feb 2000)

Try my little piece at http://www.stratsplace.com/rogov/magic_of_souffle.html

Apologies for the long post that is about to follow but as will be seen, I have some pretty strong feelings about so-called "Energizing Beverages" and this is a piece I wrote some years ago. ========= Over-Energized and Over-Touted A few days before the end of the millenia, I wrote in one of my newspaper columns that we could anticipate the continued massive introduction of the so-called energizing drinks that have become so enormously popular in the last five years in England, Scandinavia and the United States. To my great sadness, in the intervening months (not enough as far as I am concerned), I have sampled beverages with the catchy names of Red Bull, Silver Spike, Silver Speed, XTC (an obvious tip of the hat to the popular but dangerous drug Ecstacy), El Sol, Black Booster, Reanimator, Dynamite, Red Kick, Magic, Semtex, Battery, Dark Dog, Lipovitan and Flying Horse, all of which we are told are good for us, will give us a necessary mid-day energy boost and taste good. I anticipate with a grimace the appearance in the not-too-distant future of other beverages, some as outrageously named as Orgasm, Climax, Teen Sex and Go-For-It, Baby. Considering the millions of dollars, Euros, francs, and even drachmas that are going to be spent promoting these items, perhaps the time has come to examine the claims of these beverages that they are good for us, give us a needed mid-day energy boost and taste good. The Ingredients Perhaps the first thing that potential buyers should know is that there are not all that many differences between these beverages, nearly of which contain a remarkably similar combination of ingredients. In one form or another, and in various combinations, nearly all contain fruit flavorings or fruit juice, caffeine, ginseng, panatonic acid, carbonated spring water, sucrose, glucose, citric acid, taurine, extracts of guarana and yerba mate, glucuronolactone, inositol, a variety of B vitamins and sometimes, Vitamin C. Taurine: for the uninitiated (probably about 99.98% of the population of the planet), taurine is a colorless, crystalline compound (NC2H2SO2) that is found in nature in red meat and fish as well as in the bile of mammals and is easily reproduced in the laboratory. Taking its name from the mythological bull Taurus, as produced by the body, taurine is an amino acid and is one of the components of taurocholic acid, the major purpose of which is to promote the absorption of cholesterol into the bloodstream. Several of the producers of these energizing beverages claim that taurine enhances the effects of caffeine but to date there have been no studies performed to confirm this statement. On the negative side, there are several studies that show that excessive amounts of taurine introduced artificially to the body tend to suppress the activity of the central nervous system. Guarana (also known as Paullinia Cupana): This ingredient, categorized as an herb, comes from the seed of a plant found in the Amazon regions in Brazil.Brazilian Indians have used Guarana for hundreds of years as a stimulant, either chewing it or making tea with it. The Guarana fruit is harvested when ripe, after turning bright red or yellow. The gathered fruit yields a small round black seed which is crushed into a paste that is easily soluble in water. The claim of several producers is that Guarana contains some substances that slow down the uptake of caffeine in the body, thus making the effects of their beverages last longer than from coffee or caffeine tablets. Here again, there have been no medical or other studies to confirm this. What is known, however, is that guarana is one of the most caffeine rich sources known and it has been very well documented that caffeine stimulates the nervous system, fights fatigue and helps the body use fats for fuel. Like caffeine, guarana is also a thermogenic compound, and what that means is that it raises the body temperature. Caffeine: In addition to guarana, most manufacturers add pure caffeine to their products. To read the labels of these beverages one cannot help but notice that the amount of caffeine in a 250 ml. container of these energizing beverages is even less than it would be in a double espresso. That is an illusion, however, for the combination of guarana and caffeine together means that every 250 ml. container of energizing beverage you consume will contain the equivalent caffeine as will be found in as many as six - ten cups of coffee. Glucuronolactone: A rumor has been circulating, largely on the internet, to the effect that glucuronolactone is "an artificial stimulant developed in the early 1960's by the American government in order to make soldiers in Vietnam more aggressive". This is simply nonsense. Glucuronalactone is a naturally occurring metabolite, a carbohydrate produced by the human system that is found in the liver when glucose is metabolized. The producers of several energizing drinks say that this is supposed to stimulate the basal metabolic rate but no-one seems overly concerned that there is no scientific evidence to support this claim. B-Vitamins: B2, B6, B12, Niacin and Pantotherat: There is no question but that the B-Vitamins play a major role in the body's ability to generate energy from nutrients provided by the foods we eat. Most dieticians and medical experts agree, however, that supplementing foods with B-Vitamins is useful only for those who have a natural deficiency in them. Many also concur that over-consumption of B- vitamins may even have the negative effect of reducing the body's ability to use body fat as fuel. Ginseng: A dried root that is a member of the Araliacea (ivy) family, Ginseng contains many different substances, several of which have impacts on the body similar to various hormones. Although ginseng can have a positive impact on energy levels, largely in elderly people after long term use and in relatively high doses, the amount used in energy drinks is so small (largely because ginseng is so expensive) that most medical studies say that it could not possibly produce a noticeable effect. Inositol: An enzyme produced and used by the body primarily to assist the liver with digestion. Produced naturally by the body, inositol is also known to aid in the breakdown of fats and to reduce blood cholesterol. Several studies show, however, that when added artificially to the body it has no effect whatever, and there is no research at all to back up the claims that inositol helps to heal cirrhosis of the liver, stimulate hair growth or prevent baldness. Putting Them All Together Put all of these ingredients together and what you have is beverages that are said, in one form or another, to give an energy punch or boost. Nearly everyone I have spoken with who has tried this stuff felt that drinking a 250 ml. can gave them an energy boost. Frankly, after sampling each of the beverages available locally and some that are on their way here now, even I found that to be true. Being realistic, however, if we feel an effect from energy drinks it is doubtless from the caffeine and large amounts of sugar in them, the sugar probably having even more of an impact than the caffeine because most of these beverages actually contain less caffeine than a cup of coffee. Most researchers feel that the other ingredients could not possibly have any noticeable effects on our long-term energy status. As to the overall impact of these beverages on our health and well-being, one cannot help but wonder precisely why the Surgeon General's office in the United States has advised against overindulgence in this and similar beverages and why there is a major movement now gaining momentum to ban these beverages in England, France and several Scandinavian countries. Also worth our consideration is that these beverages are contra-indicated (even by several of their producers) for children, people with sensitivity to caffeine, diabetics, those taking certain categories of psychiatric medications or during pregnancy. Who then are the potential consumers for these beverages? Although the initial target market was for young and trendy people who participate in the club scene and in extreme sports, the market has now broadened and includes anyone feeling the need for an energy-kick or mental-boost. For better or for worse, many long-distance runners have tried and given up on these beverages, finding that they leave them psychologically depressed and with feelings of muscle ache; many students have found that after a while they need more and more cans of this stuff to keep them going (one may notice that the need for increased dosages to maintain the same level is one of the definitions of addiction); and according to recent studies in Scandinavia, some 10 - 15% of the general population shows allergic reactions one or more of the combinations of ingredients in some of these drinks. As to taste and potential drinking pleasure, after a series of recent re-tastings, I could not help but conclude that regardless of which fruit additive is used, every one of these beverages tasted surprisingly alike, was too sweet and left my mouth with the odd, fuzzy feeling that comes about after sucking on peach pits. Tasty? Definitely not. An energy boost? Probably, but whether the energy boost received from these beverages is any more than one receives from a cup of coffee or a tin of Cola remains open to question. As to me - I intend to avoid these beverages, not so much because I think they will do us any real harm but because they seem too much like New-Age nonsense and at the outrageous prices that are being charged for these things, they seem considerably too dear for whatever dubious plusses they may contain. My guess is that I'll stay with coffee for caffeine, fine Belgian chocolate for sugar and my body to produce whatever other chemicals are needed to keep me going.

Purely as an aside, don't prostitutes also consider themselves in "the life"?

Hey guys.....let's wait one moment. True, as a line cook one does not have to taste the dishes that go out to tables but what happens, heaven forbid, if one wants to develop a new dish or revise an old one and that dish happens to have fish/seafood in it? And sorry, I don't buy the Keller story about his never having tasted one of his signature dishes.

With a bit of luck, none of you will encounter the clients that had a run-in with Georges LeMaitre in 1955 when he was in charge of the kitchens at New York's then fashionable "Monte's on the Park". A middle-aged couple had started their dinner with coquilles Saint-Jacques au gratin, gone on to grilled lobsters and then finished off with peach melba. To the surprise of the waiter, the couple who never exchanged a word between them, barely touched their food. When asked if they wanted their dishes replaced, the man merely waved the waiter off with an impatient gesture of his hand. After the meal, the man asked to see the chef. When LeMaitre arrived at their table, the man stood up, pulled out a pistol, told the chef that "if this is the best you can do, you don't deserve to live", and shot him three times. Fortunately, LeMaitre survived. The man was found criminally insane and spent five years in an insane asylum on Long Island.

I cannot help but think that if you cannot taste the dishes and sauce prepared in your kitchen that you will soon go astray. Only possible solution that I can think of is to open an establishment that is fish and seafood free....

With apologies to all (and with my cat o'nine tails, several thorough mea maxima culpae) I have never had breakfast at McDonalds. I promise though....next time I'm in the USA will do it for sure. In the meanwhile, my concepts of ideal fast-food breakfasts remain: The sausage rolls one can buy at many of the bake shops throughout Greece but especially on the island of Corfu A dozen raw oysters, standing at the bar at one of the oyster joints on Paris' Rue de Buci or the same quantity of oysters at Venice's open air fish and seafood market. Eggs Benedict and the spiciest home-fries known to this universe as served at Tel Aviv's Dixie (happily open 24 hours daily and you can have breakfast at any time of the day or night that strikes your fancy) Two, perhaps three croissants at one of a dozen different cafes in Paris, another half-dozen in Lyon and several in Aix-en-Provence. A bagful of burrekas from quite a few different places in Tel Aviv, Akko, Haifa, Jerusalem, Amman or Cairo. A fine large plate of humous (for me with a bit of tchina, pine nuts, humous beans and, of course, hot sauce and pickles, all with hot pita) in many places in Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Cyprus. (Alas, I cannot visit Syria... I understand they make some fabulous humous there)

Very best dining near Carcassonne is at the Domaine d'Auriac – a hotel with a fine dining room indeed. The hotel is about 3 km. east of the city – an easy taxi ride. Be sure to call to check hours – Telephone 04 68 25 72 22 In town, consider Le Languedoc at 32 Allee Lena (Tel 04 68 25 22 17). Again be sure to phone in advance to check opening hours. Also keep in mind that you are running into les vacances, so many places will be only partly open and some closed "for the holidays"

Karen..... Food and the company go hand in hand. No fear though, I'd be delighted to dine at any of those places entirely on my own. Now I'll admit that if there was a charming woman sitting opposite me, that would indeed add to my pleasure. Ye faithful hedonist.....

There seem to be two separate but related issues at hand in this thread. The first dealing with two people sharing a main course and the second of four people asking that four courses be divided "four ways". As stated earlier, I am not at all opposed to sharing main courses, nor am I opposed to a surcharge for this privilege. When it comes to the "four way split" however I cannot help but think of the challenge to any chef of splitting the following four portions: (1) Bouef bourguignon with potato puree (2) Coq au Vin with root vegtables (3) Raviolis filled with ricotta cheese in a butter and Parmesan sauce (4) Fillets of sea bass with a pumpkin puree Any chef who can divide those into four, combine each quarer on the same plate and maintaining any semblance of order would be deserving of (a) knighthood (b) sainthood and © a Nobel prize.

I don't have the foggiest idea of what "Applebee's"might be but if I order a second cup of coffee and it does NOT come in a fresh cup, I'll not drink it After all what lingers in the empty or half-empty cup of coffee is mostly the most bitter acids and those simply rob thefreshly poured coffee of much of its flavors and aromas. Refilling the same coffee cup in Italy, France, Germany, Israel, Lebanon, or many other countries has something akin to using the same condom a second time.

My true fantasy restaurant would involve a time machine for surely it would be Paris' Cafe Anglais during the days of Chef Aldolphe Duglere and especially uring the days that Anna Deslions visited there. To dine with the Goncourt Brothers with Sainte-Beuve and others of their ilk on some of Duglere's marvelous invnetions. Second best I suppose would be Barasserie Lipp sitting opposite Hemingway and then to Deux Magots to dine with Sartre. Third best, Procope to share a table with either Voltaire, Benjamin Franklin or Karl Marx. But all is fair - I'm a dreamer.

I'm going to be one of the dissenting voices here. First of all, let's recognize that the wrap as we know it today did not start in the United States but in South America, especially in Venezuala and in Brazil (in particular Sao Paolo). Second, I think we have to make the distinction that wraps outside of the USA are not to much things that people buy in supermarkets or make at home but buy as a more-or-less kind of street food. In that, like sausages, crepes, frozen yoghurt, hamburgers, fried chicken or a host of other street foods, they can range the gamut from out-and-out junk food to fast but fun food. Also worth being aware that outside of the USA, most people refer to these creations as "tacos" and not as burritos. Here in Israel, especially in Tel Aviv, wrap joints/taco bars have become the rage in the last nine months, with almost 70 of these places now doing business. As I said, earlier, some junk, some great fun. As to how long the rage will continue, only god knows and she's not talking. Following is my review of one of the better taco bars now in Tel Aviv. +++++++ There is nothing complex about a taco (Spanish for "snack"), for all one has to do is make a tortilla, fill it with chopped meat, refried beans and guacamole salad, fold it in half and munch away and at least since the twelfth century, these treats have been one of the mainstays of the diet of even the poorest Mexicans. Call them burritos if you like or call them tacos as is the local wont but not to feel left out, starting in the 1950's people in the United States started making tacos and, with the advent of the chain known as Taco Bell, tacos became a business almost as huge as hamburgers. With more than 6,000 restaurants in the United States and another 400 in places such as Guam, Aruba, the Dominican Republic, Chile, China and the Philippines, Taco Bell sells more than 6 billion dollars worth of tacos every year. Not to be left out of the potential profits, the taco is rapidly on its way to becoming the next wave in Israeli fast food and taco joints are now opening at a pace as rapidly as once did frozen yoghurt stands. Some of those are serving food with a distinct Mediterranean touch, others with an American fast-food touch, and a few actually turning to Mexico and Central America for their inspiration. Some are serving junk food and others are offering up fare that is simple but at least relatively nutritious and great fun to eat. My most recent visit was to Tel Aviv's recently opened Maya Taco Bar. Opened by chef Ilan Amir who for almost twelve years was the chef at Dixie, this may be a taco joint but it is one of spotlessly clean white walls, boasting lots of stainless steel, grills that are constantly being polished, a comfortable bar and outdoor tables at which one can sit. Watching the tortillas being prepared on special grills meant precisely for this process, and seeing how the staff cooks the meats or vegetables and then spreads each tortilla with whatever ingredients have been ordered and folding them quickly, wrapping them in paper and serving them up so quickly almost takes away the breath. I sampled two tacos – the first filled with thin but surprisingly good cuts of entrecote steak, those even with a bit of crispness and on the meat refried beans (frijoles in Spanish), guacamole, tomatoes, onion and coriander. Over that is spread the house sauce, a tempting spicy mayonnaise sauce and, depending on how you like it, as much hot chili sauce as you want. It all sounds rather messy but when put together with professionalism winds up as a heckuva lot more note than a shwarma on a pita. With a bottle of cold Tuborg beer next to me, and drinking directly from the bottle which seems to be the modus operandi here, I enjoyed myself thoroughly. I went on to a vegetarian taco, that made by frying peppers, zucchini, carrots and garlic in olive oil as well as with guacamole, frijoles, tomatoes, onion and corriander, all of which are topped, with a tasty mango flavored sauce before folding. If the truth be told, the vegetarian offering was no less rewarding than the meat. Tacos come in large and small sizes. Small meat-based tacos cost NIS 22 each and large NIS 28; the vegetarian tacos cost NIS 20 and 26 respectively; and bottles of Tuborg cost NIS 14 each. For a quick and fun meal, definitely worth visiting. Maya Taco Bar; Rehov Ibn Gvirol 54, Tel Aviv. Open daily 12:00-01:00. Tel 03 6960304. P.S. NIS 22 = about US$5.20 and NIS 28 = about US$6.50

Not a question of fussy chefs, but thinking about the basic design of many dishes, it would be simply silly to set them up as four mini-portions. If four people each want to sample from each others' plates, no problem - they can simply play musical plates, passing at the appropriate moment from left to right. The idea of asking a chef to divide a single main course into 4 portions, doing that with 4 separate portions is nothing short of ludicrous. Clients have rights but there is, after all, a limit and this is one example of those limits.

Speaking both as a person who adores dining out and as a restaurant critic for several major publications, I'd have no problem whatever in a split-portion fee so long as that is clearly stated on the menu. What I do wonder about is precisely why so many of us have assumed that people who want to split a main course are either "cheap" or "poor". Do please consider that that may be preciselly what they want to eat and no more. Do also consider that in many places in Europe and in parts of the Middle-East splitting a main course is considered a perfectly acceptable social tradition. The one thing that I will say (bit of anger coming here) is that the restaurant that refuses to do this or in any way humbles or humiliates their clients is going to get a polite but nasty comment in my review.

Hi... Can't resist adding that the book got another review as well, this in the Financial Times at http://www.ft.com/cms/s/9cf9e29e-0e56-11dc...0b5df10621.html

We are agreed. There should be no "sides" but as the chef cooks for diners, he critic does, after all, write for readers. One assumes that if the critic is worth reading (or if he/she is just a rotten s.o.b. who happens to have a power-base) the trade is also part of that readership. Indeed the critic and the chef and/or restaurateur are colleagues in that both have the same clients. That is to say, those who may dine at a given establishment are also those who read the critics. The difference comes in that the chef/restaurateur has something to sell and, at least in one major sense, the critic advises on what may or may be worth buying. In this of course the critic must never abuse the status of hoding that earlier referred to power-base.

Fat Guy, Hi... Our first argument in public. How pleasant. I'll have to respond to the above by saying that if most critics don't meet those standards it is not time to give the genre a rest but to find better critics and better editors. Dr. Johnson once remarked that "most journalists have the ethics of monkeys". He was correct in 1871 and he would be correct today. That should not cast the boiling oil on those journalists whose ethics rise above. I'll also have to take issue with you, as you beforehand did with me on your observation to the effect that: You may have mis-read me there. By speaking of loyalty to one's readers I meant to imply that the reader is entitled to the "truth" as the critic sees it and that regardless of whether we are talking about a bowl of chili con carne consumed in Terralingua, Texas, a meal consumed at El Bulli or one enjoyed with Joel Robuchon. We are agreed that from the bowl of chili or the burger or the canard a l'orange that excellence is the goal, that at whatever level of expectations we build. One day I will bore you to tears by summarizing in 30,000 words the little book I am now writing on what I consider our "hypothesis of expectations".