lizziee

We try to get to San Fransisco/Napa at least 4 to 5 times a year. I don't have any tasting notes (I don't do extensive note-taking in the States as I do in France) yet I have had some of my most memorable meals here. However,since discovering e-gullet, I just may have to start making notes in the U.S. We ate at Masa's about 2 months ago. Ron Siegel worked at French Laundry and you can definitely see the influence of Thomas Keller in his cuisine. We devised our own tasting menu and each dish was carefully prepared and beautifully presented. However, he is strongest in the vegetable, poultry, fish category than he is in meats. George Marrone has just opened Redwood Park in the Transamerica building. He was the chef at the Fifth Floor and before that the opening chef at Aqua and Michael Mina's (current chef at Aqua) boss. In a switch, Michael Mina is now George's boss. However, George is given free reign to do what he likes. George made a superb meal that was refined and restrained. George is also increasing the use of table-side service which puts quite a bit of strain on the wait staff, but has proved in the last couple of months very successful. It is interesting to note that George makes at least two trips to France every year to see what are the culinary currents. He says that it keeps him from chef burn-out as well as inspiring him to try new things. In terms of clientele, I was surprised that the diners at Redwood Park seemed more knowledgeable about food and wine than at Masa's. Masa seemed to attract more tourists. This might be because of the "iron chef" connection. Speaking of Michael Mina at Aqua, it really is a wonderful fish restaurant. The dining room is not as calming as at Masa's so we generally go for lunch. I have not eaten at the Fifth Floor since Laurent Gras has become the chef. We have only been to Charles Nob Hill once since Ron Siegel left. Again, I have no notes, but we did have a well-conceived tasting menu. The group that owns Aqua and Redwood Park also owns Charles Nob Hill. I am not a big fan of La Folie. I find his food too much, too over-the-top. Hubert Keller at Fleurs de Lys is Alsatian and what he can do with a vegetable is extraordinary. He had just remodeled the restaurant and put in a brand new kitchen, when yes there was a fire in the kitchen. They are in the process of again remodeling and hope to open in June. (it has taken much longer than usual because they had to go with the new codes re wheelchair access). This is a must restaurant when it reopens. I have not eaten at Ana Mandara, but always go to the Slanted Door for lunch everytime we are in San Fransisco. They are going to close down their restaurant in the Mission district, but will relocate to the Embarcedero during the remodel. This is a real favorite. For a very different experience try Swan Oyster depot. This is a long lunch counter with about 20 stools. If you are not there early, you wait outside in line. The guys behind the counter are very funny - every year they do the "cold swim" in the bay. This is a funky place for great oysters. Usually on Sunday, we avoid the big deal brunch places like the Ritz and go to Zuni Cafe - great hamburgers, oysters, roast chicken - a local hang-out crowd. Up north, my all-time favorite, probably in the US, is the French laundry. It is definitely worth "sitting" on the phone and getting a reservation. Try calling that day for a same day reservation, sometimes there are cancellations. I do have notes on some of my meals but will save that for another post, if you would like a recap. Other favorites are the Martini House which just opened with Todd Humphrey's as the chef and Bistro Jeanty, as close to a Parisian bistro as you can get. I don't like Auberge du Soleil, bad service, stuffy and very iffy food. Steve, as to your comment about the Chronicle not liking ex New Yorkers in San Fransisco, I don't think this is the case. The Dining Room at the Ritz gets consistently good reviews - the chef is Sylvain Portay (Le Cirque.) Also Laurent Manrique at Campton Place (after a shaky start) did get good reviews. Campton Place is now closed for a remodel. Michael Bauer, however, is not one of my favorite reviewers. (see compromised food critics under General Topics). Hope this helps

Marc, We were there on Sunday, June 3 of last year. Would you imagine that Miguel used Micri as the "stock" base for the sea urchin soup. You have helped jog my memory in that I can certainly remember the intensity of the flavors. I would appreciate it if you can describe, in more detail, the menu you had. As we were there roughly in the same season, I would love to further "jog" my memory. Thank you again for a great post.

Steve, Beautifully written, well-said.

They strike me not as being designed to turn big plates into small ones, but to turn small plates into presentation plates. Bux, I completely agree. In fact, I liked them so much that I ordered a set for myself. They are perfect to use for a tasting menu.They are not used to serve less food, but to enhance the presentation as well as the quality of the dining experience. Richard, The best way to describe this is to quote Thomas Keller from his cookbook, The French Laundry. Let me say first that I have eaten over 16 meals at The French Laundry and have discussed in great detail food, dining etc with Thomas. In no way does he want to short change the diner. To quote Thomas: "Most chefs try to satisfy a customer's hunger in a short time with one or two dishes. They begin with something great. The intial bite is fabulous. The second bite is great. But by the third bite - with many more to come - the flavors begin to deaden, and the diner loses interest. It's like getting into a hot bath or jumping into a cold pool. At first the temperture is shocking, but after a few minutes, you get so used to it that you don't even notice it. Your mouth reacts the same way to flavors and sensations. Many chefs try to counter the deadening effect by putting a lot of different flavors on the plate to keep interest alive. But then the diner can't focus on anything because it is confusing. What I want is that intial shock, that jolt, that surprise to be the only thing you experience..... I want you to say," God, I wish I had just one more bite of that." Cooking like this is not using pre-made amuse to make it easier for the chef. It is very challenging to compose a multi-course tasting menu which has to be carefully constructed. Each dish must be perfect to stand on its own. As an aside, if you thought those plates were small, you should see the very small egg cups from JL Croquet. I first saw them at Gagnaire - a small cup is balanced on a round small plate at a cock-eyed angle (there's a magnet on both the cup and the plate) I also had to have a set of these and I have served canape soups - purees of avocado, peas, tomato even a loster bisque. I can tell you that the preparation was just as long for the sips as if I had served a large bowl.

Bux, I didn't mean to imply that La Belle France writes primarily bad or nasty reviews. They don't. I was refering to Robert's comment that they only write glowing reports. Their general tone is to give the reader a sense of what to expect. I would much rather read the positive review. However, if there are a number of bad reviews from critics whose judgement I have respected in the past, I certainly tend to follow their advice.

We ate at L'Esguard for Sunday lunch last year in May. It is located about 35 km from Barcelona in the small village of San Andres de Llavaneras. The chef, Miguel Sanchez Romero is indeed a neurologist Monday through Wednesday and a chef Thursday through Sunday lunch. L'Esguard already has 1 Michelin star and from what I understand it got its first star the first time it was listed in Michelin. The restaurant is in a 17th century manor house on a plot that was once a vineyard. His wife, Cristina Biosca runs the front of the house. When we first got there, we were the only ones in the restaurant. We showed up way too early - around 12:45. In Spain, you just don't go to a restaurant before at least 1:30, more like 2:00. However, the greeting was warm and friendly. My notes on our meal are very sketchy - I honestly do not know why. We had the chef's tasting menu. Two memorable dishes that I remember were a warm sea urchin soup enriched with a poached egg and small bite-size pieces of shrimp and squid, battered and deep-fried that resembled tempura - very light in texture with just the right amount of crunch. It was a long, leisurely lunch in the country - definitely worth a side trip. I have posted my other recommendations for Barcelona restaurants in another thread.

Robert, I don't know if La Belle France reviews anonymously, but from their reviews, I have the impression that they do. They rate on a 10 to 20 scale, separately for cuisine, decor, service, wine list, value and then the total. Obviously a rating of 90 or higher is a must. Ratings above 85 are excellent and below 80, an iffy experience with some ups and downs. They have definitely trashed restaurants over the years, but the majority of their reviews are very detailed and so you have what dishes worked, what was a disaster, what the service was like, the depth of the wine list etc. For example from a review of Les Grandes Marches, "Only the decor merits applause." From their review of L'O a la Bouche, "Unfortunately the cuisine is also divided into two camps: very good and not quite.... Dishes from this talented young chef remain problematical. The veal served with melted Roquefort cheese and sage was a gooey mistake." Their review of Maison Prunier," Maison Prunier manages to be just as ration conscious with the spaghetti as it is with the sevruga. We can imagine the conversations in the kitchen sounding like this: 'TWO sprigs of parsley?' ' Half a lettuce leaf is Fine!" They gave Alain Ducasse a 94 out of 100 and devoted 2 full pages to an in depth review out of an 8 page newsletter. Again to quote them," When Michelin announces a new three star restaurant, La Belle France generally rushes to make a reservation. Yet when Ducasse won 3 stars for his new venture at Paris's Plaza Athenee in March 2001, we held back for several reasons. The first, quite simply was Ducasse fatigue.... Besides the Ducasse System has not consistently charmed us. We still adore the Louis XV in Monte Carlo, but feel indifference towards Spoon and hated Bar and Boeuf." What I like most about La Belle France and for that matter most restaurant critics and guides is that I am given more than just a few catch phrases and then a rating based on a brief description. For me, the best critic/guide can really "put you there", help you to experience the restaurant, imagine the taste of the food. Given this much information, I can then make a decision if this restaurant is for me. I think this is the key - what restaurant works for me. I am not limited by what I am willing to try - I will try anything. That is why I originally said that Michelin is always the starting place. The three stars are what I will always seek out and often plan an itinerary around going there. However, particularly on the one stars, I use as many sources as I can find.

Michelin is always my starting point. I come up with a list of restaurants that interest me and then the real research begins. I use everything I can get my hands on - if there is a site I will check the menu, Bottin (although not that reliable), Gault-Millau gives much more information and I use it as supporting evidence re Michelin. I check newspaper sites on the web from the NY Times to Figaro. For me, it is a matter of reading as much as I can. To be honest, this is as much fun as the trip itself. The anticipation, the careful plotting of routes, even making the reservations becomes an essential part of the experience. I also reccommend Graham Tigg - we have found wonderful, out-of-the-way places. Thanks Graham! Another wonderful source is La Belle France. It is an in depth guide to restaurants and hotels all over France. Most of the time, they have been extremely reliable. Has anyone else heard of it? There is another way of "discovering" restaurants - we will often start talking "food" with the chef, sommelier, waiter, GM etc in one restaurant and they will inevitably tell you about another restaurant that we must try. This only works if you like the food where you are eating. When we come back from a trip, some people will ask what museums, churches etc. did we go to.... well, none --- we go from lunch to dinner with a stop at the open-air markets in between.

I have been away for a week and I am overwhelmed by the posts. It will take a while for me to really absorb it all - a real difficulty with jet lag.

Another wonderful place to eat in Bordeaux is La Tupina. The chef is Greek ( I think) - Jean-Pierre Xiradakis. The restaurant is impossible to find - down an alley. The decor is farmhouse rustic, friendly and "full of regulars" being greeted by the chef. If you are on a diet or have a cholesterol problem do not go. This is a true celebration of Gasconny, Southwestern food.As you walk in there is a huge fireplace - the room is filled with the aroma of poultry slowly roasting on the spit.In front of the fireplace, there is a table heaped with sausages, pork pate,foie gras and the like. I don't have my tasting notes, but it was a wonderful, fun, not too expensive lunch.

Bux and Steve, Thank you for understanding that backlash was the furthest from my mind. I was a huge fan. To conjole two chefs to leave their kitchens, travel to Rosas just so that one chef could experience the excitement and wonder we had felt and the other chef to re-experience what he also thought was incredible was no easy feat. I truly hope that what happened was an aberration. After our first meal, Adria gave me his cookbook,"Los Secretos de El Bulli" (1997) My Spanish being worse than my French, I can only comprehend the smallest portion. But you can feel his passion. It is interesting to note how he organizes his cookbook: Relexiones (100 pages) Acerca de la creatividad Los Sentidos Acerca del restaurante Tecnicas y Recetas (only after 100 pages does he even mention techniques or give a recipe) Bux and Steve I also agree with both of you that Bras would be great where ever he was. My argument was essentially that his talent would be very very different if not in Aubrac. But why or why Steve did you pick Providence???? Steve, At some point would you go into detail re Bras Essentials and Dessert Notebook. Obviously, this is a must read, but I would like to know why you feel this is one of the most influential books. Also, Steve, thank you so much for the kind words. It truly was very difficult for me to post the El Bulli experience. I am not one to trash chefs. Also what nut would drive from Laguiole to Rosas because I just had to eat there again.

This has more to do with judging someone by what they are wearing but it seems appropriate here. We went to Nico at 90 a number of years ago , right before Xmas and were escorted to a table, way in the back of the room almost in the men's room. My husband, very unhappy, asked for a better table. "Well, sir this is all we have or one against the wall, also at the back of the room. We took the latter as at least we did not have to have a peek at the men's room all night. Preferential treatment and service was reserved for their known customers and Londoners. A little later a couple in their 30's were ushered to a table next to ours. Her hair was a lovely shade of different hues of blue, spiked straight in the air, his hair was different shades of orange, also spiked. She had a number of nose rings, earrings and other such things protruding from her face, he had about the same number. They were dressed in early Soho. We, by the way, were dressed for the occasion. At some point in the meal, my husband did have to go to the bathroom and I am not sure how, but I started a conversation with our neighbors. It turns out that they were both social workers and every year, at this time, celebrate her birthday at a fine dining restaurant. To be able to afford this they save all year long for this one big splurge. Because of their looks and because we were the only "outsiders" we both were being treated rudely. By now, I had gotten used to their appearance and they were really a very interesting couple. Also, I was incensed that they were being treated so badly - here when they had spent a year saving and saving for the experience of a lifetime and they were getting the worst treatment. By this time we were about to order dessert - it was about midnight. I saw on the menu that I could order a soufflé, but it would take 45 minutes. I said to our waiter that not only would we have the soufflé, but I'd like to buy our neighbors one to celebrate her birthday. We left the restaurant after 1:30 am with the entire tuxedoed staff standing in the main dining room "with looks that could kill." It definitely was worth it. I must say, in spite of the above, that I appreciate people dressing for the occasion.

Bux, I really do hope that this was an aberration. If you stay in Rosas, a wonderful place to stay is the Vistabella Hotel. The regular rooms are not expensive but if you want an over-the-top, expensive experience- try the Royal Suite. It is done with Dali in mind. There is no way to describe it completely - but a jacuzzi tub in the bedroom wing, Dali type "paintings", mirror on the ceiling, a huge terrace overlooking the ocean, an unbelievable stereo and sound system. I think it could sleep 4 maybe 6 but they bill this as "Romantic Villa-Hotel." By the way, the Dali museum in Figueres is a must. It is absolutely worth going to. In Figueras, you can have a good meal at La Llar - wonderful Serrano ham etc. Under no conditions should you drive the short distance from Rosas to El Bulli particularly at night and after wine. The first time we were there, a herd of cows stopped in the road ( a road that is so narrow that there is only room for one car at a time) and we had to wait until Mommy checked us out and gave us the OK to pass.

On this last trip (2001) we also went to Bras. I would like to quote something that Michel Bras wrote himself: "Aubrac runs in our blood. We were born on the plateau, we spent our happy childhoods here, now we work here. Aubrac provides us with our inspiration, our reason for living. Aubrac is also our crucible, the place where all our creative energies converge: there where our vision is sharpened, our hearing made more acute, our senses of taste, touch and smell formed and developed. Like the waterfalls, the lakes, the beech trees, even the cattle, we are born of Aubrac. We are formed in its image, by its texture, its build, its bouquet .... its song. To take Bras out of Aubrac would be like taking the essence of the man himself. I honestly don't think you can separate one from the other. Would Bras have been moved to be a chef in some other place - who knows. But to speculate on that is not what Bras wants you to do. The entire experience at Michel Bras is centered on the region. To quote him again," The buildings have all been designed around the principle of discovery and enjoyment of Aubrac......The bedrooms .... have been designed to let you feel in perfect harmony with nature's scents, with the flowers and with the songs of the birds..... The restaurant looks out over the countryside, allowing the light to flood in." Therefore, Steve, I honestly do not agree with you that Bras would be Bras anywhere. In the introduction to Troisgros's cookbook there is this quote," Our father... used to say that 'cooking should be a harmony of the treasures of the good earth.'...He loved fine produce, as we do. We get our fresh snails from the schoolboys of Roanne, who hunt them in the wild nearby. From the native kitchen gardeners we get their best fresh vegetables." In other words the Troisgros brothers are as much attached to their landscape and tradition as Bras. Marc Veyrat's cuisine is an integral part of the mountain slopes of Annecy - he wanted to bring his "mountain cuisine to the people of the valleys." (his words) Georges Blanc is tied to his childhood and Vonnas. "The three cooks before me had always cooked so lovingly, simply and with total honesty... using to the best advantage all the local produce." Maybe Ducasse says it best in his introduction to his book,"Turbot without genius is better than genius without turbot." This has been a very long-winded way of saying that most great chefs are intimately connected to their childhood, their scenery, their land and using the freshest and best ingredients. I am not saying that Adria doesn't feel that same pull from his landscape. As I have said repeatedly, I did see culinary genius. I just don't know where it went. The bottom line of all this intellectual discussion is that in the end food is meant to be eaten and enjoyed. You can compare cooking to the other arts - sculpture, architecture, music, painting but there is one huge major difference. A chef's works are ephemeral - they last only a few moments and the only thing that remains is the memory. I will never forget the first time I tasted Frog's Legs at Veau d'Or in New York over 45 years ago, I am still savoring the sliced potatoes with creme fraiche and black truffles at Bras, the sardines at El Bulli, the scrambled eggs with caviar at Boyer, the katafi shrimp at Citronelle, the cauliflower panna cotta with caviar at French Laundry and on and on and on. But and this is a big but, the taste sensations at El Bulli were so bad in 2001 that we dreaded our next meal - a first for all of us. Our usual behavior is as we are eating one meal and talking about that one ,we are avidly planning the next one. Again, that is why I truly was hesitant about posting the El Bulli experience. But I do have a comparison and you would never never know that the El Bulli of this year was even remotely the same restaurant. Also, I think the most telling comment comes from the wait staff. To repeat, I asked them how many plates were returned to the kitchen either barely touched or half-eaten. Their reponse - MOST!!! I don't know about you but if I saw that my dishes were being returned like that, well.........

On the El Bulli thread Leslie C asked for my notes on L'Aubergade Les Loges, Michel and Maryse Trama's restaurant. Leslie had had a very bad lunch there. Our experience was the exact opposite. We were there in 2000 and had such a wonderful meal that we planned to return in 2001, adding 2 dinners and a lunch. Our recap of the year 2000. We had invited friends of ours to join us - He is the owner of a first growth Sauterne property. As we were the hosts my husband asked the sommelier to choose good local affordable wines. Quite a challenge with a world class wine merchant at the table. My husband's notes: "these young sommeliers are amazing ... they know -- it is as simple as that ... most of them are under 30, some under 25 and yet they know the wines the way an American kid might know musical groups or movies. It is a part of their deeply seated mind bank .. in this case Juracon for the white. Hard for me to read the sommelier's handwriting for the red. I will just mention some of the dishes and try not to be too long-winded. First dish - a small glass (like a small orange juice glass) was presented that was filled with greenish liquid with two little balls floating in it. We were asked to guess what this was - couldn't - it was soft-boiled quail eggs floating in green tomato water. Next potato chips which suggested red and black mini tacos - the chips were garnished with guacamole and salmon caviar and sevruga caviar. Next cream of asparagus with morel mushrooms accompanied by mushroom sushi - a grilled mushroom on sushi rice. Next a mini-duck sausage on crunchy lentils flavored with cantal ( a fruity cow's milk cheese). Next a roasted pigeon perfumed with "spices of the Nile" and kumquats. All in all an inventive, beautifully prepared meal. On our return, Michel Trama took us on a tour of the new renovations - brand-new kitchen, new upstairs dining room (I like the downstairs better), the new Cloisters- outside area for warm weather dining and the salon de fume (smoking lounge.) Recap of 2001- First Dinner Cream of cauliflower soup with oscetra caviar Pan-fried rouget with black olive sushi Brandade of lobster - a spectular dish with mashed potatoes, lobster roe surrounded by crispy potato - the feeling of the dish approximates brandade de morue Bar (bass) in parchment with lemon confit - Trama calls this 'bar en enveloppe' the parchment was folded exactly like an envelope and even included a blue stamp in the right hand corner Morel mushrooms and green asparagus accompanied by the dry Serrano ham Roasted pigeon served on a skewer with mideastern spices 4 desserts - his famous chocolate cigar puffing "smoke",black cherry chocolate mousse, crisp fried apple surrounding apple mousse and ???? It was a perfect dinner although somewhat of a weird group in the dining room. By 10:00 most of the other tables had finished dinner except for us and one younger Belgian couple. I had mentioned in the El Bulli thread that Michel Trama had come to our table that first night and said to "eat lightly at lunch tomorrow as he was orchestrating dinner for us." I happened to meet him in the Tabac the next morning and he said forget ordering lunch as well as dinner as he would take care of both. Our light lunch!!!! Started with a lukewarm "cappochino" of celery Next rouget millefleur - there were layers of rouget separated by layers of red pepper, eggplant and other veggies. Next one of the best dishes I have ever had - Trama calls it duck pot au feu. You are presented with a plate that has on it a napkin- wrapped jar of some sort. We unwrapped the napkin and there was a closed foie gras jar. Unhinging the jar, the most incredble aroma fills the air. Inside is a rich duck broth with chunks of duck, foie gras, and a yukon-gold type of potato, carrot, haricot vertes, peapods and a black truffle. Unbelievable. Next a lemon sorbet and for dessert fresh strawberry tart on a ginger cookie. This was our light lunch and we had only 5 hours to dinner - we walked!!! Second dinner This could have been a service nightmare. It was the day before French Mother's Day and there were some large tables with children. In the States, Mother's day and the day before are stay at home days for us. At Michel Trama's we had a wonderful slow, mellow meal with perfect service. This was the first time that the outside dining room had ever been used and even with the "new" dining room to contend with, the service was perfect. 1st - a tomato/basil sorbet - a perfect light start on a hot night. 2nd- les cassolettes en pomme de terre au caviar oscietre, maceration de ciboulette- - a crispy potato surrounded mashed potatoes lightly sprinkled with macerated chives and garnished with caviar 3rd- Lobster millefeuille - similar to the rouget at lunch in persentation but with different vegetables 4th -langoustines sauteed crisp with ginger and orange oil - next to the langoustines a cone/tuile carmelized filled with small grains of couscous or grain - not sure which. The whole effect of the tuile was of a Japanese hand roll. 5th - foie gras sauteed accompanied with apple chutney and pepper jelly - foie gras at this point in the meal in unskilled hands would be a stomach killer but this was small and light. 6th - lamb roasted in a casserole with a perfect seasoning of thyme and rosemary ( not as spectacular as Regis Marcon's) but good. I honestly do not remember the dessert course. We then went to the new smoking lounge and had Armagnac and my husband his cigar. We crawled into bed about 1:30. I hope this conveys how much we enjoyed Michel Trama. He calls his cuisine a cuisine of the 5 senses - to quote him "For me, a dish should be beautiful - well-presented to attract the eye, aromatic to excite the sense of smell. The savor must satisfy the palate and the crispness between the teeth make pleasant music to the ear. Touch is also satisfied, because at my place one resorts to fingers for sucking a shellfish."

jaybee, Thank you so much for your nice comments. I am so glad to have "found" egullet - what a diverse, iconoclastic, knowledgeable group of dedicated food and wine people. It is a privilege for me to read the posts. We have been traveling on our stomachs in France for about 10 years. It is only in the last 5 years that we have tried to keep detailed notes and collect menus. We try to pick a different region each year and spend 6 days in Paris and 23 days in the countryside. We try not only to eat at 3*'s but also to find those little gems as well as check out the 2*'s to see if they'll make it to the lofty Michelin level. Finally this year we will succeed in eating in every 3* in France as for the first time we are going to Alsace and Strasbourg. One year we did Burgundy/Rhone-Alps,another year the Pyrenees, mid-Pyrenees, another year Provence,Cote d'Azur another Bordeaux,Dordogne etc. I think you get the picture. We usually take the TGV from Paris to Burgundy ( I am a great lover of Burgundian wine and food) and then branch out from there. The idea is to drive no more than 2 to 2 1/2 hours every other day, have at least 2 to 3 meals in each destination 3* and really explore the area we have chosen for that year. This way we do not feel like we are living in the car and can spend time in the small villages "hanging around." We've been to a lot of market days and even an appliance fair in Auxerre. Of course you have to have somewhat of a marathon stomach to handle all of this - 2 1/2 hour lunches - 4 hour dinners makes for a lot of walking in between. But that is the most fun - exploring by foot.It also keeps the waistline somewhat manageable. Moulin de Martorey is in Saint-Remy - 71100 Chalon-sur-Saone.

Robert, Restaurant Greuze in Tournus was wonderful. We were there in 1999 and had a wonderful lunch. We were the only Americans in the room, but Jean Ducloux, the chef and his wife couldn't have been more cordial. It is traditional Burgundian food, beautifully prepared with the finest ingredients. We had the menu Epicurien. I had the cold foie gras en gelee and my husband had the marinated salmon. We both had the Blanquette de ris de veau Grand-Mere Ducloux. As the name suggests it is a homey dish from the chef's grandmother of stewed sweetbreads. There was then a sorbet marc de Bourgogne and then lamb with vegetables and cheese. I don't remember what we had for dessert. Again, it is straight-forward cooking with a warm and friendly staff. The wines were Clos des Mouche 97 and a 93 Chambolle Musigny from Faiveley - we do love Burgundian wines! I would definitely go back again. Another find for us on this 1999 trip was Moulin de Marterey.. This is a little old house on a stream that used to be a gate/lock house. The old gears and wheels are still in place. This little restaurant was also warm and inviting. The chef, Jean-Pierre Gillot is very talented and came out of the kitchen to introduce himself as we were so delighted with his food. Two memorable dishes: 3 prepartions of snails - one in a confit of wine, one with wild celery or water parsley (in french ache) and one with tomato confit. The other remarkable dish was Bresse chicken done 3 different ways - an extraordinary and innovative dish. As you can see, the chef likes to take an ingredient and do different preparations of the main ingredient. Wines were more than reasonable - a Raveneau Chablis and a 95 Monthelie ( both $40.00.)

Richard, The reason I was so very hesitant to report on El Bulli was the fact that I also was "blown-away" by the whole experience. Juli Soler (no t - good thing I'm not a typist by profession) was incredible - genuine, sincere, the most gracious host. We spent at least 1 1/2 hours on the terrace after dinner and talked food, experiences etc with Juli using his decent French and my lousy high school French as I do not speak Spanish at all. My experience was absolutely the same as yours regarding "putting down guards" and being able to compare perceptives concerning restaurant and diners differences. Richard, My guess is that espardenyes was a visual pun as "espardenyes" was in quotes on the menu. You are right the couscous was cauliflower flavored with cumin, coriander and apple giving the appearance and taste of couscous. To be perfectly honest, my notes are not as thorough as I would have liked in retrospect, but we were so overwhelmed and excited by the entire experience that my note-taking suffered. Also, as I had mentioned earlier the wine portion of our bill was comparatively small. Moreover, on our first two visits the bill was very very small. I don't remember if I mentioned this in an earlier post, but when my husband went to pay the check after our first meal, Juli said," oh, forget it for now, I'd rather have you owe it to me. We'll take care of the checks tomorrow night." As for the wine, my husband is the one with the greater knowledge. Richard are you familar with the wines we were served? (we also had Eloi pick) - First Night Remelluri 1996 Clos Martinet 1996 1945 Armagnac Second night Augustus 1998 Finca Villacreces 1996 1954 Armagnac Also included in both meals were glasses of very old sherry (we had bottle #2 out of 50). The fact that both evenings were so perfect made the next year that much worse. I was so excited to return plus we had numerous faxes from Juli over the year and we truly felt like "friends." That is another reason why I was so hesitant about posting our experience of 2001. I only hope that Adria returns to his culinary footing and continues to astound, but also to produce food that you can actually eat. Steve, Where is Jose Andres the chef? His cooking sounds amazing.

Steve, Our reaction to the bill was prompted by the fact that we were charged for 5 "menu de degustacion" when we were only 4 people. Our fifth person ( the Michelin chef, I had mentioned previously) could not make it. By US and Paris standards the bill was not "out of sight," but as I said both chefs had comped Adria the year before. The wine portion represented about 18% of the total bill.

Bux, I told you my Spanish was lousy!!! Esparrago is asparagus.

Andy, As to why Juli Solter picked up on "our unique perspective and joie de vivre", this is something we experience in most restaurants. I do not think it is because we are that much more knowledgeable (although after years and years of fine dining experiences and almost as many years in the kitchen, we do understand food). I think we approach each dining experience with excitement. I am never jaded or give the impression of "show me what you can do." I really want to have a wonderful time and love and respect the profession to the utmost. I do not expect the "last meal on earth" experience every time we go out. Instead I so appreciate the effort of both the front and back of the house that I think this sense of "I am ready to enjoy myself and truly love what is served" conveys itself to the staff. Because we are so willing to let ourselves be willing participants in a restaurant, the restaurant willingly tries to give us their best. Also, if one dish doesn't live up to expectations or there are missteps along the way, I am willing to chalk it up to experience. We try not to put a staff on edge or give the impression that you had better "wow" us. I think because we are so enthusiastic that enthusiasm generates even more enthusiasm from the staff. At one restaurant we go to frequently, the chef commented to us, "we love seeing your name on the reservation list." I think the reason he feels that way as we are ready to try whatever is offered. Sometimes this can be very difficult as when I am served a dish I really don't like, I know that the chef inspects my plate and I have been known to tell the waiter, busser to somehow "bury" the uneaten portion. In France, we try to go to a restaurant, particularly in the provinces for at least 3 meals. The first one is sort of a "what kind of diner are you?" The next meal is much more relaxed. By the third, it is fun, I hope, for all of us. Of course if the first meal is a disaster, we do alter plans. A perfect example of this is at Puymirol, Trama's restaurant. We had been there in 2000 for 2 wonderful meals, wrote him a note when we returned home and planned a second visit in 2001.(This was sort of on the way to El Bulli.) When we arrived this year, he did remember us and took us for a tour of the new facilities, kitchen, dining room and salon de fume. That night we ordered his degustation menu. About 20 minutes into the course of the dinner, he came to our table and said,"eat lightly at lunch tomorrow, I'm making your dinner tomorrow night." The next day, I happened to run into Michel Trama at the Tabac and he said,"I've decided to devise your lunch menu as well." I will post those notes on the France thread - suffice it to say all meals were wonderful. Again, we were nothing special except enthusiastic. This has been a very long-winded answer. But I truly feel that a diner can do so much to help make the dining experience memorable. I hope this answers your question.

Steve, I will do my best to answer all your questions. The chefs that I mentioned were only with us on the second visit in 2001. They specifically made the trip on our recommendation. The two star chef from France could not join us (he was suppose to) but he had to return to his own restaurant. One of the American chefs had been to El Bulli also in 2000. He was equally impressed by his year 2000 meal as we had been. Thank goodness or our credibility with the second American chef would have gone down the tube. We were served the same meal as the rest of the room. Adria does only one menu per night for the entire room. We did not receive any "special treatment" as to preparation etc. Again, we did not receive any experiemental or daring dishes just for us - that was one of the first things we checked. We were very careful to check the plates of other tables and everyone received the same treatment. The one difference at our table was the choice of wines. The sommelier chose each wine for every 3 or 4 courses - I don't have that list, but I must say the wines were definitely the hit of the evening - at least it put something in our stomachs that was "edible-drinkable." Again, Adria did not treat us any differently than the rest of the dining room. As I said in my earlier post, we were suppose to go back for a second meal that was to be at the chef's table in the kitchen. That probably would have been a special dinner just for us, but there was no way that I could persuade the others in our group to do it. Below are the actual menus from all 3 visits. The first two were memorable - inventive but still food. First Night - 2000 Coktail de manzana al calvados Palito de parmesano Cortezas garrapinadas Maiz con guacamole Pan de aceitunas negras Quinoa inflada Pan con tomate Huevo de cordorniz caramelizado Corte de parmesano Sopa de guisantes a la menta Polenta helada al aceite de oliva Tagliatelle a la carbonara Trufa al carbon Habitas a la menta Chop suey de almejas "frio-caliente" Raviolis de sepia y coco al jengibre Menestra en texturas Lenguado con raviolis de tomillo,laurel y romero Foie gras con hinojo y pina Sopa de levadura con canela y citricos Sorbete de frambuesa al Campari Falso bizcocho al cafe con amaretto Pequenas locuras Second Night - 2000 Hidromiel con lima Bacon caramelizado con pinones Crujiente de algas Tapioca inflada Pistachos Crujientes de maiz Vinagre de manzana al enebro Corte de foie gras y mango Almeja merengada Cornet de huevas de trucha al wasabi Sopa de pepino con menta y yogur Cous cous de coliflor Higado de rape con citricos y semillas de tomate Parmesano con limon y esparragos verdes Terrina de setas al aceite de pino Cigales con "huevas" de huevas al romero Caracoles a los aromaticos Esparragos con mayonesa caliente y pomelo rosa Arroz negro vegetal Percebes al te Sardinas con crujiente de pan Civet de conejo con gelatina caliente de manzana Pure de patatas a la vainilla Bizcocho de Campari con vainilla helada Coco-choco-curry Pequenas locuras Menu -2001 Whisky sour (actually this was fun - we had it in the kitchen with Adria - a frozen "pop" that was a whisky sour) We thought that we were in for a wonderful evening! These are listed as snacks on the menu Palomitas Madeja de parmesano Chanquete frito Chicharrones de pollo pistacho-yogurt sashimi de gamba kellog's-paella paises Next items are listed as tapas Granizado de moras al tabaco parrillada de verduras trufa de macadamia raviolis de trufa quinoa de foie gras con consome esparragos con crujiente de pan sepia a la brutesca calabaza a los aromaticos necoras con maiz Next items are listed as platos "espardenyes" con crujiente de pan raya meuniere conejo en civet con gelatina caliente de manzana ravioli helado de anisados y toffe Last are listed as Postres coco a la thailandesa choco - pipas - cafe pequenas locuras My Spanish is terrible, so I am unable to translate exactly. But even so, I don't think the actual menu describes what we were eating. For example sashimi of gamba was the dish I described with the suppository. The calabaza a los aromaticos was the pumpkin with almond powder and the card sprayed with orange. The espardenyes was the asparagus bundles. The sepia was the cuttlefish ink dish. As you can see the menu doesn't actually reflect what the actual dish was. My palate was so far gone by the end of the evening, I have no clear recollection of "desserts." Also, we had dessert on the terrace with Adria and the other chefs. They spent most of the time talking in a mixture of French, Italian and Spanish. At that point, I was more interested in the conversation than the food. Also you are right when you say we had mentally surrendered. The first time around the desserts emphasized savory as much as sweet - tomato ice cream cornet, chocolate milk soup, sorbet stuffed with goat cheese and compari jelly, coffee foam and almond ice cream. Even though these sound weird they really did "work" in 2000. There were petits fours much later with coffee and a 45 Argmanac and for my husband a Bolivar Gigante Cabinet. I wish I could say that only the beginning courses in 2001 reflected the gimmicks and gamemanship. But that just was not the case. Bux, yes it was a shock. I had conjoled a chef I respect and admire to travel all the way to Spain to taste first hand what I had raved about the year before. To say I was embarassed is an understatement. However, as I said earlier the other chef in our group had eaten at El Bulli and had loved it also the year before so my credibility wasn't completely gone. Adria used to be the master of his flavors, but it seems as if he is a scientist gone mad doing culinary chemistry experiments. One other thing, Pierre Gagnaire's menu in Paris never reflects what is actually on the plate, but I am a huge fan of Gagnaire and am not at all uncomfortable with the inventive. I just want to be able to "eat" something. Andy, I will answer your question in another post.It deserves full attention and not just a passing thought.

I promise a long, long reply to all questions, but it will have to wait until Sunday.

I have been very hesitant to talk about my El Bulli experiences as this is the one restaurant that not only seems to get more press than most, but also the one critics "fawn" over. I have shared it with a few egullet members, but am now opening it up for general discussion. The first experience with El Bulli was in 2000 and the second in 2001. It is hard to explain what happened to Adria - he went from a culinary exciting, well-focused dining experience to a nightmare. General comments on both trips: 1. Is it as hard to get to as they say? Harder-- You'd have to be nuts to drive in the evening. In daylight on the way over it was bad enough. The mountain roads in Montana look like paved freeways compared to the road to El Bulli. 2. Was it worth it? In 2000 - Absolutely--somehow Juli Solter, the GM, and his team picked up on our unique perspective and appreciation for cuisine coupled with the joi de vivre that we bring to dining experiences. From the start the feeling was that they "knew us!"…this spirit coupled with the most unique preparations of food we have ever experienced makes El Bulli one of the top dining adventures ever. In 2001 - Never again. Although Juli was as wonderful as ever, the rest of the staff were going through the motions. At one point we asked how many plates were sent back to the kitchen barely touched - the answer, "no one really eats the food." Our experiences in 2000 - these are a summary of our notes What makes Adria different as a chef is not only his technique, but also his perspective, the way he approaches food. It is not just the use of foam or gelatin that sets him a part, but it is his using of these presentations in a wise,"make sense" manner. Here is the list of some of the dishes from both nights with limited explanation. On the terrace…9:00 PM Lime cocktail in martini glass, with foam and crushed almonds Candied corn in a glassine sleeve… Candied pistachio which looked like green chilis on a glass sheet Tapioca in a jigger to look like selle de mer Cube of apple jelly served on a spoon Bacon like candy with pine nuts--another jigger-standing up Foie gras-mango sandwich Cornets standing in crushed sesame seeds with fish tartar and quail yolk Calvados w/apple foaming cocktail Guacamole in a pastry tube Deep fried pig trotter Quinoa roasted in a paper cone,crunchy--eat like popcorn. Tomato sorbet in a puff that exploded in your mouth Parmesean cheese ice cream sandwich with parmesean toast At the table: (first night - not entire list) Cauliflower couscous with cumin, coriander and apple Monk fish liver w/foam cap gelatin of tomato with orange pieces Asparagus and parmigan cheese layered on bread Mushroom sampler-bottom to top, jelly of mushroom and mushroom water foam 7 different mushrooms in progression… Escargot with bacon in a "wrap" with fennel jelly sauce and snail boullion with butter ravoli, eaten individually Barnacles with dargelling tea foam Sardines rolled in bread served with aoli Rabbit w/foie gras and apple jelly At the table:(2nd night - not entire list) Hot to cold pea soup in champagne flute Frozen polenta with parmesean gelatin with egg yolk--eat polenta separately first. tagletari with calamari Egg/onion truffle ravoli Broad beans with mint sauce Coconut ravoli with soy sauce Palate cleanser of beet foam, cauliflower mousse, tomato yellow beet, basil, corn, almond and avacado sorbet. Sole with ravoli Foie gras with fennel jelly and apple sorbet accompanied by a very old sherry that was presented in bottle #2 of only 50 bottles made for the world about 200 years ago. Brioche soup with egg Sorbet stuffed with goat cheese and compari jelly. Cost--believe it or not…the two meals with all the wine, armagnac and cigars, etc…was under $ 600.00 total (that's both nights combined)…oh, a little aside, my husband went to pay the check around 1:30 on Saturday night [sunday AM] and Juli said, "oh, forget it for now, I'd rather have you owe it to me. We'll take care of the checks tomorrow night." An absolutely impossible to believe value--the world's greatest!!! Now to this year 2001. How do you describe a culinary disaster? Last night we were served a bad joke that lacked in skill with bad flavor combinations. It is one thing to be creative, but it is another thing when you can't eat the food. The problem is when you keep looking to surprise and surprise, you inevitably lose sight of the idea that food is meant to be eaten. There were 4 of us ( 2 very well-known chefs from the States who had made the trip on our recommendation, just to eat at El Bulli) None of us "got it." We kept looking at each other hoping that maybe one of us would understand, like and enjoy what was on the plate. The culinary disasters were many: 1. A cuttlefish dish in cuttlefish ink that was so obnoxiously flavored that it was inedible. 2. Tobacco in wild black currant that should have come with the warning "don't eat if you like food" or "eat this with great risk." 3. Slices of raw shrimp that was accompanied by a hot dog shaped tube that looked like a suppository .. inside with shrimp stock that you were suppose to suck. Phillip (not the real name of the chef) had not mastered sucking and ended up sucking his stuff all over the plate. He had the right idea - it belonged more on the plate than the palate. 4. A wild asparagus bundle with brown butter black olives and milk foam. The asparagus was overcooked, the bread covering limp with oil and the milk foam useless in this preparation. 5.Pumpkin with almond powder that was accompanied by a card sprayed with orange. You were suppose to smll the paper card and then eat a sweet glob of pumpkin. 6. Pieces of crispy stone crab that tasted as if the stones were still there and a sauce from the "shit" of the crab. 7. another tube of sucking contained morel mushroom essence. You were suppose to eat a sweet morel cookie and then suck out your essence. 8. 3 spoons containing flavors of the world - not food, just liquid tastes of Thai, Japanese and Mexican flavors. 9. 6 strips of jellied vegetables that were the essence again. It was so drowned in sesame oil that the flvor was completely masked. I could go on and on but you get the idea. By the middle of the meal we were literally refusing to put the food in our mouths. To be fair, there were 2 good dishes out of over 25. The ravioli of white truffles, ham and quail egg mollet was wonderful. Also he made a paella soup topped by rehydrated crunchy paella that was very good. Adria joined us after dinner - he had eaten in both of the chef's restaurants who were with us and had loved their food. We were suppose to eat at El Bulli again and Adria had arranged for the chef's table in the kitchen. Phillip absolutely refused to eat there again. However, I decided to play a joke on him. We met in the lobby of our hotel and I said,"Oh, Phillip, Juli(GM at El Bulli) called and he insists that we come tonight, so I said we would be there. There is no way to describe Phillip's face .. he sat down, crossed his arms and said,"No ------- way! You can go. I'm not going." We had made up an excuse that we had an emergency and had to leave to go back to the States. The cost. We were suppose to be 5 - one of the chefs, a 2 star Michelin chef, had to return to his restaurant. We were charged for 5 dinners, even though he wasn't there. The bill was very hefty! Also, the other 2 chefs with us, had comped Adria at their restaurants the year before. I wish I could explain this as maybe just one bad night. But there was a very telling article by Anthony Dias Blue in December's issue of Wine Country Living. I will quote just a bit of his article. " ....I am afraid that we might be sliding down that slippery slope to silly food - trivial food that satisfies neither the mind nor the palate. Let's hope that I'm wrong and that El Bulli really does mean 'bulldog' and not just plain bull." For me, I think, you can guess which one I think.

Cabrales, Thank you for your help in editing- I am somewhat mechanically challenged. Let me say Cabrales, that I enjoy reading your posts - you are truly knowledgeable from the view of both the back and front of the house. I find your opinions serious, well-thought-out, considerate and mindful of those in the business. Also, it is nice to read that someone agrees with me about Jardin des Sens. Another time we'll debate Gagnaire. We normally take a month trip to France every year. This year, for the first time, we are going in Sept. (Our dog/house sitter is getting married in May.) The itinerary is set and most reservations made, except for a couple of empty spaces. Like you, I like to make the "must eat" reservations well in advance. I hope Cabrales as well as other e-gullet members would give me their input on sort-of-made decisions. I am "stuck" (because I love them) staying with our favorite restaurants, so I have not mentioned them here. In Paris we are trying Bath's for the first time. I am definitely going to L'Astrance, for the first time, thanks to e-gullet. In Lyon, I have reservations at La Tour Rose (I've eaten there many times, why is he down to no stars?) Again, for the first time I am trying Christian Tetedoie and l'Auberge de I'll. I have not gone through the entire dining itinerary as it would be a bit much, but I thank you for an informative and lively site.