lizziee

Bux, I can't wait to hear your complete report on El Bulli. I am so happy that Adria is back to what I remember in 2000.

Phillipe Jeanty was the chef at Domaine Chandon in its hey-day. It was fine dining - a leisurely lengthy tasting menu with first class wines. Philip decided to do his own thing and opened Bistro Jeanty - a casual, typical French bistro in Yountville - right down the street from the French Laundry. Every time we go to Napa Valley we always have a meal there and it is always good - a perfect balance after eating at The French Laundry. He has now opened a restaurant in San Francisco called Jeanty at Jacks in a space that housed a once famous San Francisco restaurant institution known as Jacks since 1864. It is essentially the same type of restaurant as his bistro in Yountville. Below is not the full menu, but a sampling of some of his best dishes: Duck "foie Blond" Pate Pieds de Cochons persilles (pigs feet and haricot verts salad) Terrine de Lapin (rabbit pate with celery root apple salad) Petit sale (cured pork belly. Lentil ragout with 1/8" cubes of foie gras) Foie Gras Torchon with Brioche and Sauterne Jelly Lamb Tongue and Potato Salad Phillipe's Smoked Salmon Carpaccio style Escargots Quenelles de Brochet (Pike dumplings with lobster sauce) At one time or another, we have eaten all of the above and they match any very very good bistro in Paris. Especially remarkable is the Petit Sale, the Lamb Tongue and the Rabbit Pate. Entrees Steak Tartare (the real thing) Coq au Vin Mussels, steamed in pinot Noir with Bay Leaves Monkfish and Clams in a saffron Broth Steak Frites (ribeye with fries served in a paper cone with béarnaise) Daub de Boeuf Cassoulet From the above we have had the Mussels, the Cassoulet and the Steak. Particularly the steak also brings back memories of France. Softly in the background is a CD playing plaintive songs in French. Of course there is cheese: goat cheese with honey, Fourme d'Ambert, epoisse de Bourgogne. I have not eaten their desserts but they also are traditional French fare: chocolate mousse, apple tarte tatin, creme caramel, rice pudding, lemon meringue tart. I can't comment on the quality as I have never ordered one. All in all both Bistro Jeanty and Jeanty at Jacks is a perfect spot for us, particularly for Sunday lunch.

Steve, Are you refering to the restaurant La Cote Rotie?

Robert, I am glad you finally posted this. We really did want to hear about your birthday dinner.

Just wondering ---- Has anyone tried the Pod? Is it as good as Robert said?

Rocco DiSpirito made the uni dish for the Meals on Wheels Event in LA in 2001. In their souvenir booklet he published the recipe. TAYLOR BAY SCALLOPS WITH UNI AND MUSTARD OIL 5 small scallops cleaned by fishmonger(retain shells for serving) 1 uni, cleaned by fishmonger 1/2 oz. seaweed (ogonori) rinsed free of salt 1 tsp. mustard oil, at room temp. pinch black mustard seed, freshly ground 1/2 tomato, overripe 1/4 tsp. mirin, at room temp. pinch cayenne pepper, to taste coarse sea salt, to taste pepper, freshly ground crushed ice (for presentation) A. To make tomato water, pulse the overripe tomato with the coarse sea salt in a food processor. Suspend in cheesecloth and set in a strainer overnight, allowing the liquid to drop into a bowl. Pass the liquid through a coffee filter to remove all the solids and season with mirin and cayenne, coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. B. Arrange one scallop and one piece of uni in each well-rinsed scallop shell. Pour tomato water over the scallop and uni and drizzle several droplets of mustard oil over the top. Garnish with crushed black mustard seed. C. Place the seaweed on a bed of crushed ice on a small serving plate. Arrange five scallop shells in a circle on the seaweed bed and serve immediately. Increase the quantities to create additional servings. Note: Mustard oil and black mustard seeds are available from Foods of India (28th Street and Lexington Avenue)

We had a similar experience to the one Robert described at Mas de Torrent, a Relais et Chateau in Girona, Spain. I had prepaid the room on Sept. 9, 2000, reconfirmed on March 27 and checked in on May 28, 2001. On check-in we were informed that the restaurant was closed and the only menu available was the room service menu. We were furious --- it was late, hot and we were tired. We went to our badly air conditioned room, deciding to stick it out for the night. My husband insisted on talking to the manager, M. Xavier and he apologized for the inconvenience and said he would have a special menu, just for us, at dinner. As we were sitting down to dinner that night, the same M. Xavier was explaining to an American couple next to us "their special menu" -- salad with parmesan cheese, cold seafood plate and fried veal. He then came to us with the same "exciting special menu" which we declined. We decided on jamon - it was a horrible, gluey mess of fatty ham thrown on a plate, a charcuterie plate with the same bad ham, lousy langoustines and worse cheese. How does a restaurant mess up cold food? To top it off, around 10:00 pm a huge bus pulls up and like at a circus, all these people pile off the bus and everyone is running around in all directions. Our sommelier was put to use as a porter, one of the maids became a server and God only knows who was in the kitchen. At 10:15, "the bus people" sat down and ate something. Xavier, the GM, was no where to be seen during the height of the madness. He appeared much later and I had great fun staring at him angrily, trying to make him as uncomfortable as possible. The rest of the evening was my glaring stare, his averted eyes and lots of nervous glances our way. To top off the experience, our petite dejeuner arrived the next morning with service for one and stale rolls. We ordered another petite dejeuner which arrived minus the coffee. We renamed Mas de Torrent to Mas de TORMENT!

With a credit card number, a phone number and a name, it would seem to me that you can identify the no-show. Once identified, they can never get another reservation. Too bad that restaurants can't share that information and the no-show can't get a reservation anywhere.

Boaziko, To be honest, I have never seen children at the French Laundry. It is a long meal and most kids would go crazy trying to sit through it all.

Robert, I do!

Cabrales, The turbot collar did not include the head. I think you might be refering to the use of yellow tail collar as it is served in Japanese restaurants - sometimes even with the eyeballs in tack. This was not the presentation. The Meyer lemon sauce for the turbot had a hollandaise-quality to it, therefore my reference to La Caravelle. I am guessing here but I think Thomas used buerre monte for the basis of this sauce. The Meyer lemon sauce for the bass was lighter in texture.

Steve, The Bonnes Mares was superb - Bonnes Mares par excellence. The '83 Gentaz was "tired" and disappointing for the price. I'm not sure if we have had the '88, but when we are in France in September we will definitely look for it. Have you ever tried the 1996 La Barbarine, Cote Rotie from Mathilde et Yves Gangloff? We had it at Auberge et Clos des Cimes and it was wonderful. The '67 d'Yquem was unbelievable - we had just glasses from an open bottle (left-overs from the night before!). It has 50 years left. We never bring our own wine; this is one of the few places that we don't. As there are so many winemakers, collectors etc who dine at The French Laundry, they really discourage it. (There is a hefty corkage of $50.00) I honestly don't blame them as given the clientele, no one would buy their wine and they truly have worked hard on their list.

Rosie, They were full bottles! However, do notice the difference between the first night and the second.

The ambiance/decor at The French Laundry is stark minimalist. All of the excitement comes from your plate - it is a food-focused restaurant. However, it is not a temple - the feeling is casual, friendly and warm. The service team is exceptional. A good part of the staff has been here from day one and each and every one will tell you that they love working there. Dining at The French Laundry is an all-evening affair. We got there at 7:30 PM and ended up in our Taxi Cabernet (that's the name of the best cab company in the valley) around 1:00 am. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE MENU: The menu is composed of a chef's tasting menu, a vegetarian menu and an a la carte menu. Since we have been there so often we don't look at the menu or even order; we just let Thomas and the staff cook. For us, this involves a series of about 15 courses with my husband getting one preparation and I another. We each eat half of a dish and then pass so we are actually tasting over 25 different dishes. (We call this over/under - he passes under and I go over.) Menu Meal # 1 1. Cornets of Atlantic Salmon Tartar with red onion creme fraiche (this is a signature dish and always begins the meal.) 2. Broth served in a demitasse cup perched on a stack of 4 plates - each a bit smaller than the next. Curry infused Broth Langoustine Broth 3. Sorbet Fennel sorbet with nicoise olive tapenade Red pepper sorbet with picholine olive tapenade What I found interesting was the placement of a sorbet dish, normally a palate cleanser, at the beginning of a meal. 4. Potato Blini Potato blini topped with eggplant caviar, underneath roasted red pepper confit dotted with a balsamic reduction Potato blini topped with grated botarga, underneath tomato confit 5. Caviar Signature Dish of Oysters and Pearls - "Sabayon" of pearl tapioca with malpeque oysters and osetra caviar Another signature dish of cauliflower panna cotta topped with osetra caviar 6. Fish We both had what Thomas labeled "Jelly Belly" - grilled cod belly, with piquillo peppers and seaweed jelly. 7. Fish Atlantic Salmon chop with russet potato gnocchi (in looks the salmon resembles a lamb chop and the gnocchi white beans) Gougouettes of spotted Skate Wing with orange infused water and cilantro oil - very aromatic 8. Egg White truffle custard with ragout of Perigord truffles with veal stock presented in a hallowed out egg Coddled hen egg with perigord truffle beurre noisette 9. Foie Gras We both had a terrine of Moulard Duck Foie Gras with frisee salad and grilled pain de campagia 10. Fish Crispy skin Black Bass with Grey Morel mushrooms and red wine essence Turbot collar with fennel and Meyer lemon beurre blanc (had a flashback taste to the turbot with Hollandaise from La Caravelle in the 1960's) 11. Lobster Maine Lobster tail with "Ham of the Woods " mushrooms and braised fennel "Peas and Carrots" - Butter-poached Maine Lobster with Carrot-Ginger sauce and Pea Shoot salad (each carrot in the dish was about 1/8" of an inch and "turned") 12. First Meat Pan-roasted rabbit sirloin with Tellicherry pepper shortbread and cherry and fennel bulb relish Duck breast with peas and glazed turnips 13. Second Meat We both had Prime Kentucky Beef Ribeye with summer vegetables, crispy bone marrow and sauce Bordelaise 14. Cheese Valencay with Penne Compote and Argula Salad Fourme d'Ambert with Cherries 15. Dessert Thomas does an entire flight of desserts, but there is no way that I can handle 4 or 5 desserts plus petit fours after this type of meal. My husband's favorite is another signature dish - Doughnuts with cappuccino semifreddo with cinnamon sugar and we usually end with this. The wines for the evening were M.V. Laurent Perrier, "Grand Siecle" Champagne '97 F. Raveneau, Chablis, "Blanchots" 2000 Knoll Gruner Veltliner Beerenauslese (with the foie gras) '97 Querciabella "Batar" Tuscany '99 Vernay "Challets de L'Enter" Condrieu '99 Roumier "Bonnes Mares" Burgundy '67 Chateau D'Yquem, Sauternes Bobby Stuckey and Kevin Fergel, the two sommeliers are wonderful. Not only are they knowledgeable, but they are eager to steer you to those hidden gems/exceptional values. The entire staff from the food runners to Laura Cunningham, the GM are tremendous. They sincerely try to make a perfect evening. What is also amazing about the French Laundry is that given the amount of food, each dish is not only unique, but also works as part of the whole, perfectly orchestrated meal. There is rarely a wrong note. Now, believe it or not, the next day, we were ready at 7:30 for Meal #2. There were some repeats, but most of the dishes were new and one was created on the spot. Menu #2 1. Cornets of Atlantic Salmon Tartar with red onion creme fraiche (This is always the first taste) 2. Soup cold beet and apple soup with sliced beets cold carrot soup with a caraway mousse 3. Sorbet (this was a repeat) Fennel sorbet with nicoise olive tapenade Red pepper sorbet with picholine olive tapenade 4. Caviar Oysters and Pearls (another repeat) Pickled Point Reyes Oyster on a cappelini of English cucumber with caviar 5. Fish We both had citrus cured whitefish with caramelized onion gelee. This was served in a reversed triangle 10" inch bowl. 6. Fish Seafood bouillabaisse over a puree of potatoes with olive oil. This was made up on the spot. In a covered little bowl were the pureed potatoes. Our waiter then arrived with a cast iron casserole filled with the bouillabaisse. It was spooned table side over the potatoes. The fish in the bouillabaisse were Atlantic monkfish, littleneck clams and squid. An absolutely spectacular dish. 7. Egg White truffle custard with ragout of Perigord truffles with veal stock presented in a hallowed out egg Coddled hen egg with perigord truffle beurre noisette 8. Fish Crispy skin bass with meyer lemon sauce and fennel bulb hash Monkfish palard with diced serrano ham, braised Swiss chard and a whole grain mustard sauce 9. Salad Leek salad with green almonds and summer truffles "Waldorf Salad" with braised endive, granny smith apples, walnut vinaigrette. 10. Lobster Boudain of lobster in a tarragon-infused brown butter sauce with caramelized fennel "Beets and Leeks" - sweet butter poached Maine lobster with melted green leeks, "pomme maxim" and red beet essence 11. We were suppose to have a hot foie gras dish now, but we deep-sixed it for a walk around the garden and a second wind reprieve. 12. First Meat "Pithivier of Cloverdale Farms rabbit (confit of rabbit)with wilted Arrowleaf spinach and Brooks cherries and a cherry sauce reduction Pork breast with Savoy Cabbage and a whole grain mustard sauce 13. Second Meat Braised shank of Elysian Fields Farm Lamb with a fricassee of sweet white corn and Morel mushrooms Bellwether baby farm Lamb- one piece saddle-roasted , the other braised shank with saffron-infused risotto and California green almonds 14. Cheese "Montbriac" with garden savory poached dried pears and pear glaze Whipped Brie de Meaux with Tellicherry pepper and baby Mache 15. Dessert Again, we called a halt to dessert. They did bring something anyway, but my note-taking skill was quickly dissipating and I don't remember what was brought. Wines for the evening were: M.V. Krug "Grand Cuvee" Champagne '99 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne '83 Gentaz-Devieux - Cote Rotie The price for the Chef's tasting menu is $120.00 with an 18% service charge added. The one question I often get asked about the French Laundry is "Is it worth it?" There is only one answer - YES!

Cabrales, At lunch we are very careful. Also, we will usually pick a lunch spot where we can wander around for a hour or so. The walk helps us work off lunch so we have an appetite for dinner. If all else fails, we will resort to a taxi. Steve, We had a similar experience in Joigny. The police had set up road blocks and stopped all cars, testing every driver for sobriety. Thank goodness this was before lunch for us.

Cabrales, We almost always stay at the place where we are having dinner. As you know, the majority of the two and three stars have accommodations.

Jordyn, I give you credit - somehow you have incorporated the thoughts of a lot of opinionated people and made it work for you. Some additional thoughts which I hope will be helpful. Room at Bras - we had room number 11 - it was the last room overlooking the valley and hills of Laguiole - a view of 280 degrees. Spectacular does not do it justice - very sparse, contemporary decor, but the view becomes the decor/surroundings. If you have time do take Bras's suggested hike - it is not long, but helps you understand his love affair with the area. Breakfast at Bras - A wooden basket is sent decorated with flowers, a thermos of coffee, juice, creme caramel, honey, jam, bread, pastries, another basket of specialties of Laguiole, a cake filled with fruit, yogurt with strawberries and a selection of local cheese. Absolutely wonderful. Room at Clos des Cimes - we stayed in room # 18 - another room that brought the outside in. Again, I would recommend a walk along a well-marked path. Like Bras, Regis Marcon is very much tied to the land and it gives you a sense of his affinity for his area. Le Mimosa - I agree with Graham Tigg - a real find in Saint Guiraud owned by David and Bridgett Pugh. He is English (front of the house)and she ( the chef) is from New Zealand. She used to be a ballerina, but stopped dancing about 16 years ago and settled in Saint Guiraud because they loved the vineyards and the people. When we were there, Bridgett constructed our menu. One dish with squid and oriental spices very reminiscent of a dish we have had at Slanted Door. In talking with Bridgett, she had eaten at the Slanted Door the year before. The Pughs are friends of Kermit Lynch (he was the one who invited them to SFO)- Kermit, according to Bridgett, comes in the area trying to pry barrels from the local vintners. Puymirol - I have long notes on that. They are on the French board under 4 great meals at Puymirol. One of the nicest rooms is Room 1410 - there is a huge terrace right outside the room which adds a huge amount of extra space. Pic - Our first meal in the late 90's was fair (Annie Pic took over for her father when he died suddenly in 1995). As Pic is the perfect stopover on the way down south, we decided to try it again. This time, in 2000, the meal was wonderful. We had a cold seafood salad of seven different types of seafood - each piece of seafood had its own sauce. Between each piece of fish, there was a little salad, each with a different dressing. Next was their specialty - filet de loup au caviar oscietre royal - bass was moist and tender, every inch covered with caviar, surrounded by a lighter version of hollandaise. Next we had a granite done from a wine base of Rhone wine. Next aile de pigeon de la Drome en croute de noix, jus legerement infuse aux cinq epices (pigeon in a walnut shell). Of course cheese and 3 small desserts (I don't have notes on those)Wines for the evening were a white '98 Beaucastle Vielle Vignes and a '94 Hermitage La Chapelle Jaboulet. In Annecy, a real find for lunch is Clos des Sens. It just received a star from Michelin in 2000 and it is definitely worth a stop. Hope this helps.

At the beginning of my days in the kitchen, idiocy was the name of the game. I was making soft shell crabs. Dinner was to be served at 7:00. By 8:00, I am still sauteeing the soft shells, but they weren't becoming "soft." Why? I had bought hard shell crabs and what crabs look like after one hour of sauteeing is an insult to the crabs. The first time, I made roast turkey nobody mentioned that there was this little bag inside. The first time I made steak bordelaise, I accidentally locked myself out of the apartment. Thank goodness, the fire department was just up the street. I ran over, they broke down the door and put out the "on fire" steak. Of course through the years, burns and stitches have been numerous. My hands and arms look definitely "battle weary."

Cabrales and Beachfan, Jordyn is looking for a restaurant for lunch on Saturday, June 15th. Saturday is always a problem in Paris as so many restaurants are closed. Le Grand Vefour, Jamin, Chiberta and La Regalade are all closed. I am not sure about Hiramatsu. Options are generally a bistro or one of the "big deal" hotels ie. Le Cinq or Le Bristol. Benoit can be fun - L'Ami Louis an interesting experience - food very iffy, but certainly an expensive, quirky Paris institution.

Cabrales, Agree with everything you said except for Jordyn the problem is Sat. lunch on June 15. Your suggestions?

On an earlier thread, I had given advice to John Whiting about one of our most favorite places - Le Chaufourg in Sourzac, about 38 Km from Bergerac. It is owned by Georges Dambier, a dapper seventy year old who was a high profile fashion photographer in Paris. He and his cousin, Agnes run the inn themselves. George is the most gracious host who will regale you with wonderful stories. He will steer you to little known sights of the region. He has created at his family's country home the most romantic, beautiful country inn. There are 10 guest rooms, an attractive swimming pool and an outside pool house. We stayed in Chambre de Marie (presently about $220. per night). It has white cathedral beams over the bed, a study, a giant bathtub, huge closets, television and air-conditioning. This is an inn that is at once refined, elegant but also rustic. He is now serving dinner in the main parlor, a beautifully furnished room with a large fireplace. When we were there you had to specially order a dinner (which we did), but as I mentioned he now serves a short menu at dinner featuring local specialities. When we had dinner, it was just my husband and I. (Mother's day was the day before and everyone had left the inn that afternoon.) George had set up a beautiful table, soft jazz was playing, lights were dim, fire in the fireplace and his dogs nestled at our feet. (Bagdad Cafe, the poodle was especially receptive.) I don't have my notes on the exact dinner we ate that night, but my notes say that it was a completely satisfying experience emphasizing local ingredients and local wines. Absolutely call Auberge et Clos des Cimes. On-line booking is just not that reliable. You can either call or fax them.

Bux, I was very surprised to see Au crocodile and Cote St Jacques on the list. I wonder if these restaurants need this marketing ploy? Have any of you noticed less demand this year?

"If Trama is quoted accurately and not out of a much larger context, it's one of the dumbest things I've read--on several levels--attributed to an elite chef in a while. Those "who worry about being copied" are as misguided as those who see copying as some sort of sin of commission and aren't able to talk about it honestly." Steve, Sorry for the long wait to reply to your question. I purposely did not comment at first because I was interested in how others viewed "copying." Also, this was just a small part of a long article that covered many topics - his cuisine, his influences, "Le terroir," the seven senses etc. The reason Trama was so angry at Rostang is not only did Rostang outright copy The Double Corona dessert, a signature dish, but that he also did a "poor imitation." Steve, you hinted at this several times - bad, poorly executed copies drive a chef wild. Also, Rostang has implied that this is "his" creation or at least he has never given credit to Trama. Also, it took Trama ten years to perfect his Double Corona. There is no doubt that Trama is somewhat "the bad" boy of the French establishment, but I think this is more than just a whine. By the way, for the Double Corona, "Trama fashions a cigar - with billows of smoke and tobacco leaf --- by blending nougat,honey, whiskey, coffee cream, and Szechuan pepper. The likeness is uncanny and his juxtaposition of flavors even suggests the perfume of a fine Havana."

http://www.euroquestpass.com/ This is the site for "good deals."

Miss J brought up the notion of chef's copying from other chefs. In the spring edition of Club Cigare, there was a long Q and A with Trama from Puymirol. Trama brought up the problem of copied ideas and has now resorted to taking photographs of his creations. Cabrales was kind enough to translate it for me. My high school French is just too rusty. Those Who Copy "Michel Rostang visited [my restaurant]; my "Double Corona" dessert pleased him and he furnished a pale imitation of it. My "tear" [dish] as well as my "crystallines"[?] have been copied throughout the world. It is normal to copy, but the source of the original must be known [is "acknolwedged" the intended meaning?]. Robuchon's Creme Brulee, of catalan origin, was prepared for the first time at the New York restaurant "Le Cirque". Now, to protect myself, I take photographs, which I date, [of dishes]. Creativity is a full-time activity, and a dish is 80% done [i.e., pursued] in one's mind; after that, it's technique that develops it." Les Copieurs "Michel Rostang est venu, mon dessert Double Corona lui a plu et il en a fait une pale imitation. Ma larme a ete copiee dans le monde entier, mes cristallines aussi. Il est normal de copier, mais il faut savoir d'ou vient l'original. La Creme Brulee de Robuchon,d'abord d'origine catalane, a ete faite pour la premiere fois au restaurant "Le Cirque" a New-York. Maintenant, pour me proteger, je fais des photos que je date. La creation, c'est 24 h sur 24, et un plat se fait dans la tete a 80%, apres c'est de la technique de mise au point."