Nathan

wasn't there a four star Chinese restaurant back in the day? people didn't gripe about Oriental Garden getting two. did they gripe about NY Noodletown? Honmura An (how a soba joint ever got 3 is beyond me...but anyway...if it's really that good -- then fine)?

I have sad news -- Sally Clarke's no longer sells Creme de Violette -- as they can no longer find it.

You'll have a lot more fun staying somewhere where people actually live. besides, except for Barney's and Saks, you can find all the shopping in midtown downtown, plus the NoLIta, WV and MP boutiques.

It was a fascinating article...didn't realize that Ryes were that rare. One pedantic caveat: my understanding was that the original Sazerac (cognac) was in fact made with cognac. However, within about 20 years (1880 or so) rye became standard in the drink. (btw, cognac does make a damn fine Sazerac)

He is. and he is Ethiopian as well as being a superb chef....so I thought his opinion was relevant.

I'm afraid that the Nougatine, although good, is not at the same level as the restaurant proper. You'd have a better meal at Perry Street, for less money.

really? example: both Sriphithai and the Red Cat have two stars. the food at Red Cat, although good, is not at the level of Sriphithai. on the other hand, the Red Cat has obvious advantages in service and a wine list. I don't see anything inherently contradictory in a scale that weighs those factors and ends up with those restaurants at the same general level -- two stars. you guys are acting like Platonic formalists.

imo, those who are willing to go out that far for "adventurous ethnic" food -- already know about it. I would doubt that it'll change much.

I completely disagree. the food at Sriphithai (and from people that I trust -- Spicy and Tasty) is easily three star quality -- imo. then you knock them down two stars for ambience, service and no wine list and then raise them one for price, ending at two stars. it's perfectly logical and coherent within the Times system as it stands. And Bruni wasn't the first one to do this. and Japanese is not the only Asian cuisine that can merit more than a star.

put it this way: booking a car service at prime time on a busy weekend night is something which often has to be done way in advance. another reservation to worry about. as for the 20-somethings wearing Jimmy Choos they somehow manage with the subway and walking a few blocks just fine. (at 3 a.m. you of course take a cab) NY'ers can have plenty of affectations and self-perceived entitlements...but an aversion to mass transit is not one of them. (and I doubt visitors from Europe have that issue either)

for what it's worth, one egulleteer who has spent some time in Japan disagrees: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=94876&st=30#

Here's what I think: Vodka differs from all other spirits in at least one primary way: the rule of thumb for alcohol is that you get what you pay for -- the higher end is actually better. not so for vodka (discounting the $5 rotgut)....its a spirit which is all about marketing.

a heavy green chartreuse cocktail is the Bijou (from the Paris Ritz I believe): 1 part gin 1 part green chartreuse 1 part sweet vermouth a dash or so of orange bitters (Trader Joe's actually has an acceptable bottle of blood orange bitters for about $5) another classic, if you have absinthe (or Pernod I guess) is: the Biter: 2 gin 1 chartreuse 1 lemon juice dash absinthe. for someone who doesn't like sours as much as myself, a dash or so of simple syrup will do wonders for either of these.

wow! first Sriph and now S&T.

Bruni's thoughts on the matter can be seen as the current post on his blog.

Ghenet and Queen of Sheba are the best I've had in NY. for what it's worth, Marc Samuelsson is a fan of Ghenet.

Now that I live a block and a half away (the horror!) I think I'm going to end up here way too much. Stopped in here the other night -- the pork and watermelon salad is indeed near perfect. house pickle plate was good -- albeit not as good as the one at Momofuku. Fatty duck was great, as before. chicken wings were boring. I could see how one could really like the short rib rendang -- the shavings of coconut interspersed with the milk was a nice touch...but I found the dish rather monotonous. overall, you can't really go wrong here. not every dish is spectacular but most of them are. I will note that, like Momofuku, if you go in expecting "authenticity" you'll be disappointed...but that's hardly the point of the place (indeed, at Momofuku one should skip the ramen altogether).

Robyn: Let's just say that it's obvious you don't live here. And leave it at that. or maybe it's just a generation gap. (I also don't think a cab qualifies as a "nice trip"...even if you can find one at 8:30 on Friday night....especially since it takes twice as long to go uptown or downtown in one.)

If you have Carpano Antica (readily available in NY at Warehouse Liquors among other places) then a 1:2 ratio makes an absolutely fabulous Manhattan. I wouldn't try this with cruddier Vermouth.

but are those lobsters or langoustines? if wikipedia is accurate, the langoustine is more commonly known as a "Norway lobster", although it is primarily caught off the coast of Scotland. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langoustine

the only thing I see on the menu is langoustines. its certainly common enough for people to confuse langoustines with lobster -- or even shrimp. in America people often mistakenly use "scampi" in reference to shrimp.

I've heard a rumor that Nizza la Bella, a restaurant in Albany, CA has Benoit Serres Liqueur de Violette. I will call them and see if this is true and if so, where they obtained it.

interesting...didn't realize that there is only one langoustine importer in NY....he's sure bringing them in in quantity though. also didn't realize they might not be available in the rest of the country. someone could make some money doing this. ditto for scampi (a Venetian langoustine), which, to the best of my knowledge, is not imported to the U.S. anyone want to be an entrepreneur?

Agreed. Or Perry Street.

You won't actually need a reservation at the Bar Room at the Modern if you don't want to bother. I always eat at the bar. There are usually a few walk-in tables available as well.