MartyL

Lizzie, our mashed potatoes indeed had just a few light shavings of chocolate. We also did get the syringe treatment on one of the egg preparations---in fact Veyrat came around and did this personally. I did not find the oxalis infusion to be problematic---it just lent the egg a kind of "woodsy" taste.

Its always a shame to hear about unsatisfactory dining experiences, especially when one has to pay and travel so much for them. When Jill and I went to L'Auberge de l'Eridian last summer, we had a fantastic experience that was, fortunately for us, quite unlike the meal described here. We were at the tail end of a trip during which we had visited too many three-star and similar quality restaurants and by the time we got to Veyrat's door, we were simply all haute-cuisined out. I toyed with cancelling, but in the end decided to go. Jill and I resolved to try to eat light and we ordered a la carte just a few dishes to share (two entrees and one plat). I was pretty nervous about this, as I feared the waitstaff and kitchen would react negatively. Well, Veyrat took simply this as a challenge to be surmounted. Little light amuses started to appear at our table to stimulate our appetites. They gradually morphed into full fledged extra courses, including virtually all of the Veyrat signatures (the eggs four ways, the mashed potatoes with truffles and chocolate, the fresh fish from the lake cooked on tree bark, etc.). Despite how full we were, we could of course not resist that unbelievable cheese course. They brought us a few desserts too, including the assortment of pots de creme. Our "light lunch" ended up lasting about 4 hours, and we were charged only for what we ordered---the three dishes plus cheese and wine (although we did leave an appreciative gratuity). I didn't take detailed notes at the time, but I can tell you I found the food to be uniformly well prepared, flavorful, creative and interesting. Most importantly though, we felt welcomed with a wonderful spirit of generosity and warmth that really set the stage for the restaurant to win us over. It wasn't just the extras thrown in gratis---it was the manner, attentiveness, good humor and courtesy of the staff too. All of that being said, although I have only dined in each restaurant once, I think that Veyrat presents some of the same issues as Gagnaire in terms of the difficulty of evaluation. To me these two push the envelope so far in terms of unconventional methods and flavorings that subjective tastes become more important in determining whether you like the food or not.

I agree with the general advice above to try to find a red, but if I were forced to choose a white, I'd move away from Italy and try champagne, preferably one with a bit of earthiness to it. A recent bottle of Philliponat NV Brut Rose (ok, almost white) comes to mind in particular. Another thing I might try would be a rich White Hermitage---but that would have to be well aged. If your question relates to San Domenico, I'd definitely go with champagne, because you will probably want to have their signature egg raviolo dish with the truffles, and champagne will be much better than anything else with that dish.

Hey Nesita, Have you seen Allen Meadows' latest edition of his Burghound Not newsletter? Not only does it include exhaustive reviews of virtually all the producers' 2000 Chablis, but it includes a pretty definitive essay on the terroir of the various sites and vinification techniques and styles. Its some of the best wine reading I've seen around in a while. I haven't tasted any 2000s yet, but the big surprise to me in the Burghound reviews was how much he liked the Fevre wines. Sure, its a no-brainer to praise Raveneau and D'Auvissat, but Fevre's wines are significantly cheaper, and due to the wood philosophy of the house, I would ordinarily expect them not to be so appealing to someone as terroir-focused as Allen Meadows, but he really gave them stellar reviews. Friends who tasted the 2000 D'auvissats recently tell me they were unreal---especially the Prieurs. They are available at Chambers St. but cost a pretty penny.

I know there are some bubbly-fanciers around here, and wanted to make you all aware of a very good deal I saw recently: Premier Cru, in Emeryville, California, is offering 1988 and 1985 Salon Le Mesnil for $69.95 and $99.95, respectively. These look to me to be about $30 off of the regular retail price one tends to see around. They will ship to NY. You can contact them by e-mail at sales@premiercru.net.

Cabrales, I like to have at least a 2 oz. pour to evaluate a wine. Of course, it is better if you have a good half a bottle to stay with and savor as it changes over a few hours, but when 20-40 wines are being poured, that's just impossible. I saw the e-mail that Daniell Johnnes sent out about the vintages being served that night at dinner (a PM is on its way), and trust me, you are not being shortchanged as to vintage or as to producer. There are at least 3 or 4 bottles being served that go for $800 and up at auction. Virtually all of the others go for $300 and up. You'll get walk-around pours of 24 wines and about a dozen more at dinner. If you attend, you will not leave thirsty. That being said, I'm not sure such a blizzard-like format is the best way to experience the world's greatest wines, especially if you are like me, and don't have lots of experience with the mega-tasting format.

Cabrales, As to your question about the relative uniqueness of the Cheval and Montrachet tastings, I'd venture that the Montrachet event will be more unique, due to the tiny case productions of many of the Montrachet producers. I wouldn't be surprised if Cheval Blanc's annual production exceeds that of all the Montrachet producers combined, but I hope somebody with reference material handy chimes in with better information. The one really unique thing about the Cheval Blanc tasting is the 1947. There are reasonable quantities of the other vintages around and I suspect you'll see verticals involving them in an around NYC every few years. But the 47, as Marcus says, is sort of a holy grail for wine-lovers, and I'm not sure you'll get many (if any) chances to try that again. If you go, better hope its not corked

Whether the Montrachet tasting is "worth it" is, to use a favorite term of the Board, an almost entirely "subjective" question and depends on your budgetary concerns and your desire to experience the sort of unique and rare occasion (in wine-lovers' terms) that this tasting represents. This is the sort of thing that not only rarely happens in New York---it rarely happens anywhere. For what its worth, although the 1995 Cuvee William Deutz is a very nice champagne, the wines at the Beard event look pretty pedestrian and vinously speaking, there is no comparison between events.

Although I ordinarily think of Le Cirque as a bit overrated, touristy and boring, I happen to have had a wonderful dish there around this time last year---a simple appetizer (not on the menu but proposed by our waiter) of creamy scrambled eggs topped with copious shavings of white truffle. This rated quite high on the deliciousness-meter.

Steve, I know you're not suggesting that this is the sole or even a primary criteria to judge a *** chef, but let me add that I think the whole "trademark" or "lexicon" dish thing can be a bad thing for diners. I love the truffe en croute at Boyer and Guy Savoy's artichoke soup, and, had I had the opportunity to try Robuchon's mashed potatoes at the source, I'm sure I would love that dish too. But for everyone of these succesful trademark dishes that catch fire and enter the lexicon, there is a George Blanc Bresse Chicken or Tour d'Argent Pressed Duck waiting to happen. By that I mean thousands of people come to order that dish day after day and the kitchen becomes a tired assembly line rather than a place where creativity thrives. If a Chef eschews the effort to add a dish to the canon and decides instead to change the menu more frequently and thoroughly, I don't necessarily have a problem with that.

Are you inquiring about only DRC's bottling? Regardless, I think your best bet would be to do some calling around. Often that kind of bottle never makes it out of the back room of the retailer on to the shelves. I've noticed some DRC bottles from 95 and 96 (both good vintages) lying around in the cold room in the back of Columbus Circle Wine & Liquors. It would be worth calling them. You might also try calling any of the following retailers: Acker Merrill, NY Wine Warehouse, Burgundy Wine Company, Sherry Lehmann, Sokolin and Royal Wine Co.. None of these places is cheap, but places that carry a good selection of Grand Cru Burgundy don't tend to match well with that description. If you are interested in trying GE from some of the less exalted but still very fine producers, you might consider looking for Mongeard-Mugneret or Engel. I also enjoyed a wonderful bottle of '85 Drouhin GE recently (bought by a friend from a grey market source in Beaune). I would also suggest comparison shopping with retailers elsewhere in the U.S. and possibly having them ship it. Woodland Hills and Premier Cru out in California tend to have very good Burgundy selections and fair prices. Sometimes I find good things at Picadilly Wine & Spirits out in Illinois as well. As for H Jayer Echezeaux, I know Acker had a bunch of it they purchased from a private cellar that they were offering in their end of summer sale. They may still have some left. I believe Sokolin may have some as well. Alas, I never look at Jayer prices because I know that would just be depressing. Liking Burgundy is truly a curse. The good bottles are few and far between, and then once you find one you enioy, it is either impossible to find again or impossible to pay for. Happy hunting though.

Glad to read you enjoyed the Selosse. As luck would have it, I recently discovered a source in Paris who can get me some Rose as well as his prestige bottling, the Cuvee Substance, at a reasonable price. The trick will be getting it over here, of course. I envy you this experience. As Martha Stewart would put it, old Ramonet is "a good thing." In case you are interested, Chambers St. Wines downtown has some older Chassagne Montrachets from Bernard Morey in stock. Due to the graciousness of some friends, I have had the chance to taste a few of them. While the quality is not quite in the same league as Ramonet, the prices are much more reasonable, and I've enjoyed the two or three I've tried. Well worth it, IMHO.

Mark Bittman has a good recipe in that big yellow book of his. I adapted it recently with Short Ribs Flanken and it came out great. Basically, you season the ribs with S&P (about 3 lbs) and give them a good sear in a little neutral oil on both sides (about 10 minutes per side), on high heat but being careful not to burn. Then you remove the ribs to a plate and drain all but a couple of tablespoons of fat from the pan. Then saute some diced onions in the fat for about 10 minutes over medium heat. Return the Ribs to the pan on top of the onions, pour in about a cup of red wine, add bayleaf and choice of herbs, and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to as low it can go, cover the pan, and simmer for about 1.5 hours or more, until the meat is just about falling off the bone. It is important to turn the ribs every now and then while simmering and to add more wine or stock if the pan looks dry at any point. After you take the ribs out, try to skim as much of the fat as possible from the reduced braising liquid in the pan. (This is easier if you refrigerate it overnight first). When reheating, stir a couple of tablespoons of dijon mustard into the braising juices. You can strain the sauce if you like, but I don't bother. The ribs and sauce go great with polenta.

Add my thanks to the chorus for the very entertaining post. When I was a freshman in college, my family and I were treated to a stay in Paris by a very gracious and generous family friend. The trip was capped by dinner on New Year's Eve at Taillevent (hey, I told you she was generous). This was my first experience with a restaurant at anywhere near this level, and I was just floored. A few things I remember from that meal include an unbelievably creamy watercress soup, a dense and rich truffe en croute (I didn't know what a Truffle was at the time), an intermezzo of champagne sorbet to cleanse the palate, an impossibly runny and stinky "New Year's" Vacherin cheese, and yes, the chocolate cake with pistachio sauce. I haven't been back there since, I think mostly because I am just a little afraid it won't live up to the memory of that first amazing experience, but it is always nice to read a positive report.

Good choices. I'd go with either one of the first two.

The Terres D'Orees Beaujolais "L'Ancien" usually sells for $9.99 and the Clos Roche Blanche Touraine Cabernet generally sells for $8.99. Either would still be worthwhile at twice the price, IMHO. Two good places to get these wines and the other Loire reds I mentioned in NYC are Chambers St. Wines and Garnet. By the way, Tommy, if you like Chinon, by all means try the Clos Roche Blanche. Very Chinon-like and even cheaper. Also, I just tasted 3 of Joguet's 2000 Chinons at a trade tasting and thought they were all terrific. While the "Petite Roches" bottling was on the lighter bistro-style fruity side, the "Chene Vert" was more spicy, tobacco-ey, and tannic. The "Clos de la Cure" was somewhere in between. All three bottlings together really showed the range of styles in Chinon quite nicely.

A few of my unheralded faves: Beaujolais "L'Ancien" from Domaine Terres D'Orees (winemaker is Jean Paul Brun): This is much more earthy and complex and less bubblegummy than mass-market beaujolais, yet still quaffable. Loire reds: Many of these offer great value, are good with food, and offer not only nice dark fruit flavors, but herbaceous, spicy and tobacco-style aromatics that are characteristic of the cabernet franc grape. The Clos Roche Blanche Touraine Cabernet (either 2000 or 2001) is a wonderful and widely available example. Other producers whose reds I enjoy in the Bourgeuil and Chinon appelations are Breton, O. Raffault (more so than J.M. Raffault), and Joguet.

Virtually any wine that is supposedly sold only to restaurants makes its way to retailers and consumers via auction and the grey market. A good resource for checking current pricing, both at retail and at auction, is www.winesearcher.com. For me, the mark-up is an important factor in determining whether I want to order the wine. There is only so much of my income I can spend on wine and I don't like the idea of a large portion of it going to pay for things priced at a multiple of the fair market price. If I can, I bring my own.

For Champagne, I noticed they have the Egly Ouriet Blanc de Noirs Vielle Vignes NV on the list for $75. That's a very nice Pinot-Noir based champagne by a small grower. It's priced at about twice retail, but it's not something you will often run across. They also have Jacques Selosse Blanc de Blanc NV for $115. The Selosse is a very winey champagne, and a terrific match with food, with laser-like intensity and zippy acidity. The Selosse retails for about $50 in the U.S., but it is even harder to find then the Egly. On the Whites, I don't know much about 81 as a vintage in White Burgundy, but if anyone is a safe bet in Chassagne Montrachet, it would be Ramonet. I have't tasted the Lafon mentioned above, but based on the bad experiences I have generally had with 1998 White Burgundy, I would avoid it. The 96 Lafon Meursault Clos de La Barre (at $175) would probably be a better bet, based on the vintage, even though Charmes is a superior site. As for the Reds, Jadot's Clos St. Jaques is dependably a good wine, at least in good vintages. Note that this wine is made from vines owned by Jadot as opposed to most of Jadot's other wines, which are made from purchased grapes. Also, Clos St. Jacques is generally considered a better vineyard than Lavaux St. Jacques. The 1995 may be closed up, however. You might consider the 1999. There were some other interesting Burgundies I noticed on the list: 99 Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin "Clos St. Jacques" ($135)---retails for about $80. Young, to be sure, but has class and bright beautiful fruit. 99 Dujac Clos de la Roche ($250) or Clos St. Denis ($240)----these are two of my favorite wines in Burgundy, although due to the price I have only had them a few times. They retail for about $150 in the U.S. For Dessert, d'Yquem is an unimpeachable choice, but two other things caught my eye: 97 Huet Cuvee Constance ($315). This wine, a sweet Chenin Blanc from the Loire valley, retails for about $150. Haven't tried this cuvee, but it is by all accounts a fantastic wine. Should go great with cheese and any apple or pear based desserts. 2000 Donnhoff Oberhauser Brucke Riesling Eiswein ($200). Retails for about $100. Donnhoff is always great, and on the couple of occasions I have tried his Eisweins they have been off the charts.

Ron, Personally, I'd take Zinfandel off of the "no-blending" list. Although most producers either do not blend Zinfandel or do not advertise it if they do, Ridge's Geyserville and Lytton Springs bottlings generally include some Carignane, Petite Sirah and/or Mataro (aka Mourvedre) in addition to Zinfandel. In fact, the most profound Zinfandel-based wine I ever had, the 1991 Geyserville, contained only 50% Zinfandel.

My In-Laws live in Jacksonville, and I travel there to visit them a few times a year. Here are a few suggestions: Bistro Aix 1440 San Marco Blvd (904) 398-1949 Bistro Aix is a contemporary bistro with a Provencal bent. Prices are moderate to pricey by Jacksonville standards, but it offers excellent and creatively prepared food and the setting is as sleek and sophisticated as you would expect to find in a downtown restaurant in NYC. Taste of Thai 4317 University Blvd South (904) 737-9009 This Thai restaurant is located in a sleepy strip mall and the décor looks like any other Thai restaurant. But the food is really terrific. I especially like the crispy Thai whole fish (they offer both chile/basil and ginger preparations). My wife always gets their coconut curry chicken. The proprietors, a Thai family, are wonderful and warm people who will learn your name and remember it if you eat there more than once. L'Orient Chez Guy 1540 Atlantic Blvd (904) 348-2440 The chef at this new restaurant, Guy Leroy, used to work with Wolfgang Puck. The cuisine is basically French/Asian, with a bit more emphasis on the Asian components. The setting is modern and cozy. Prices are on the high end for Jacksonville but the food is very good. Truffles Coffee House & Bakery 11362 San Jose Blvd (904) 260-5192 This bakery is really outstanding and is a great place to go for dessert after dinner. I dream about their chocolate raspberry truffle cake. The San Marco area is indeed a nice area to explore, and a number of the restaurants there are decent places for a casual meal. There is a nice new wine bar there called "the Grotto" that is worth checking out. The Landing is populated mainly by chain restaurants, but the Hooters branch there serves up a nice Grilled Cheese.

On our first visit to Chez Georges in June, one thing that struck us was how everyone, patrons and waitstaff included, was smiling. The place has this lively vibe of conviviality and happiness that is infectious. Of course, the quality of the food and wine doesn't hurt either. We had that very same bottle of wine---97 Dujac MSD---with our meal. Lots of puppy fat for a village wine, no? We also had the fraises du bois for dessert. I loved how the bowl of cream was twice as large as the bowl of strawberries. Enjoy the rest of your trip.

Hey Fat Guy, Amen to what you say about London Broil. It's cheap, quick, tasty, and a versatile match with any red wine. We have it all the time. I like to marinate mine first (after scoring the meat every 1.5 inches or so) in a mixture of sherry vinegar and crushed garlic (or lime juice and minced ginger), soy sauce, and a little honey. The marinade helps flavor the charred crust a bit. Last week we had London Broil along with chinese eggplant from the green market. I simply halved the small thin eggplants lengthwise, and sauteed in EVOO with a little S&P. The halved eggplants had a bright green color that was quite dramatic a contrast to the rare slices of London Broil. We'll be doing that one again some time when we have company.

Steve: Unfortunately, I was not at the Balfor dinner at L'Acajou on Monday although I have been there with some of that cast of characters in the past. I hear some 57 Haut Brion was poured blind on Monday and identified correctly by Dr. K. Please tell me what you guys drank at Craft so I can turn a further shade of green.

Nina and Wilfrid are right about the short first "o" in Risotto. It's not exactly the "o" sound as in "toss", but it is closer to that than to "toe." To go back to Nina's example, find yourself a good recording of Tosca (the cast with Callas and Gobbi please) and listen to how they pronounce the name of the title character. Oh, and another fun Italian diction tip: The double "t" (like most double consonants) is correctly pronounced by resting ever so briefly following the vowel sound that immediately precedes it.