Nathan

that was at the beginning of Anthony's tenure though....

for example, in the general neighborhood of 5th Ave and Central Park...there are at least two small cute French restaurants that draw a French crowd....

there are somewhere between 100-300 candidates....

http://www.slate.com/id/2161806/

Bruni, as much as any critic, has shown he is willing to bend the "traditional" star system. Unfortunately, the way it currently operates, you can't tell if he thought the food alone was worth three stars. The fact that any one of us may think it is, does not mean he thinks it is.In any event, as long as you have one overall rating that takes multiple factors into account, you must live with the fact that restaurants like Ssam Bar are going to be rated lower than the food alone might justify. ← I agree with this...but it doesn't go to my point.

so I dined here last night and finally got around to trying the brussel sprouts...they really are something else. but what I really wanted to rave about is a dish that I haven't seen mentioned. the Spanish mackerel. it comes out in a very spare presentation: two large pieces of perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned mackerel, a small pile of slivered daikon, a bowl of ponzu sauce, two pieces of salted plum. ineffable. four dishes plus the pickles for dessert (have some of you dropped your contention that any good restaurant must serve good desserts? (stares at Sneakeater)). gluttonous heaven. and completely necessary after the day I had. while I was dining, I thought something that I've posted on the Bruni thread: "I think Ssam Bar is a great litmus test -- is food what you care about? or is it really all the trappings of fine dining? its loud (too loud for a meeting, clients, or a first date...unless you're like me and really don't want to talk to your dates), uncomfortable, rambunctious and forces you to concentrate only on the plate in front of you. it's a thing of beauty."

it wasn't a comparison per se. just noting that Il Buco is known as a "date restaurant"...

All right, I'll bite. I love that movie, and can't think of anything that would meld Il Buco and D&C together (other than the random fact that I like them both). What? ← "the great thing about freshmen is that every year I get older and they stay the same age!"...or something like that.

You know, I was dining at Ssam Bar last night and I don't get FG's contention that it gets no stars. First of all, he's wrong simply because the Times explicitly does not confine its stars to "fine dining restaurants" -- I assume that FG is arguing that it should...which is an argument....but the fact is that it doesn't. Second, where does that leave Nish or Perry Street? Its an argument that would have made more sense 20 years ago. But then you have Honmura An. edit: I know I've said this before, but I couldn't help thinking about it again last night...wouldn't it have been perverse if Bruni had given Ssam Bar three stars? and I would have enjoyed it immensely. I think Ssam Bar is a great litmus test -- is food what you care about? or is it really all the trappings of fine dining? its loud (too loud for a meeting, clients, or a first date...unless you're like me and really don't want to talk to your dates), uncomfortable, rambunctious and forces you to concentrate only on the plate in front of you. it's a thing of beauty.

for those not up on their stoner comedies....Sneakeater provided the perfect opportunity to conflate Il Buco and Dazed and Confused (probably the first...and last...time that will happen)

any of the foregoing suggestions will work. vodka is a blank canvas.

the great thing about 22-year-olds is that ever year I get older, they stay the same age. but anyway, Il Buco has been getting quite decent buzz over the last year or so...I'd probably have gone by now if it didn't have "date cliche" written all over it....but I suppose it at least blows OIBLTIBS in that department out of the water.

like any vodka "cocktail" it'd be ridiculously easy to do: try making a thyme simple syrup...add that to some lemonade, mix it into a bottle of vodka....and let it sit for a couple days. then probably mix it with some cointreau or something...whatever they did. or infuse the vodka with thyme (stick a bunch of sprigs into the bottle for a few days) and mix that with lemonade..sweeten to your desired point.

I simply typed and printed out two separate lists of about 500 cocktails segmented by their base liquor (as well as a separate list of my own creations). One list contains descriptions of the drinks and is intended for guests. The other contains the actual recipes and is for my use behind my home bar. Since both lists are organized identically..this works well for me.

agree. certainly Momofuku proper was the genesis of the cooking at Ssam Bar, but as you noted, the kitchens make a difference. though it might be fun to do a back-to-back same evening comparison. hmm...maybe I'll try that tonight.

the argument for Upstairs being new Paradigm is that the main courses (which are mostly seafood) (I'm not familiar with the Italian menu) are seriously haute, but served in very downscale surroundings and atmosphere, with prices to match. I think the open kitchen is part of it as well.

ah ok. I knew they were new on that block...I used to spend a good deal of time on Bedford. (the sign in the window also said they just got their beer and wine license)

also cause he only ordered one non-Japanese item at Bouley Upstairs.

That type of system is infinitely better. ← boo zagat.... horray michelin! ← I don't think anyone disputes that Michelin is more accurate than Zagat...its the Zagat rating system itself that they are arguing for (and not the methodology behind that system or the ratings themselves)

He wasn't saying Room 4 Dessert isn't molecular. He was saying that its being molecular can't be the reason it's "New Paradigm". ← I just reread..you're correct.

I walked past this yesterday...just past Blue Ribbon Bakery: http://www.menupages.com/restaurantdetails...d=0&cuisineid=0 small spot...menu is tempting. apparently no relation to the Dallas chain. anyone know anything about it?

interesting...this is all new to me. don't think I could wait in line though... (and before Robyn jumps on that -- there's a big difference between waiting at the bar witha drink in hand and standing on sixth ave without one)

hmm...haven't seen that. what's the demographic makeup of the night-time line?

I think alwang has nailed it. ← I second that

frankly, the Japanese portion of the menu at Bouley Upstairs is not what we're talking about. as for Room4Dessert...Goldfarb is pretty solidly in the "molecular" camp (indeed, he any Wylie were just presenting (as the only Americans) at the big "molecular" food conference in Milan)