[The French Laundry 2001 - 2005]

My recent lunch at the FL was mildly disappointing. I doubt if I would go back. A few details. The now infamous butter poached lobster dish was served with a "bordelaise sauce" or a "new presentation for us", noted the waiter. The lobster was under-poached and the sauce completely overpowered the taste of the lobster. I should have sent it back [maybe I was intimidated :) ], but I kept trying to taste the lobster over the sauce, and with the portions being small, well, it was gone (we shared) before I could say something. Had the hearts of palm salad with a medjool date vinaigrette. Interesting combo. The date vinaigrette was delish, but the dish didnt sparkle. The rabbit loin, and mini rack were on top of a pile of diced meyer lemon and veggies, but cried out for a

sauce. Other dishes were superb though. A veal that melted in your mouth. I can still taste the dessert. Our service was not exactly four star either. An obviously unchilled half-bottle of sancerre. Our waiter disappeared for a couple courses. It was not, what I would call 4-star service. I think part of my disappointment is due to the fact that, having read Keller's book, his columns in the LA Times, and all of the press written about the FL in various food mags and newspapers, that unless you have the perfect experience, you are bound to be disappointed. I think restaurants like the FL get so mythologized in the press, that diners expectations are sometimes unrealisticly huge. Then again, I had lunch on a Sunday, and I bet Keller was not in the kitchen. But at those prices, perfection is what you deserve...

[Leslie Brenner's new book]

I appreciate all the comments on my “review” of Leslie Brenner’s book. First let me clear up that I am SauteWednesday. I guess I should make that clearer on my site, not that I’m trying be anonymous or anything, but that would mean building a new html page and messing around with the CGI script again, not exactly my idea of fun…

As a point of reference, for the month of May, there were 2155 visitors to my site, of which 1021 were first time visitors (most people making there way there from Google). It is this audience that my review was written for.  Obviously, on the Egullet board, members are a little more kitchen savvy and sophisticated, and are likely to have strong opinions about Boulud (having probably dined there), and 4 star dining in general. Of course I’m interested in your opinions, which is why I posted the link. But I did not write the review with food critics in mind, rather for those readers who are interested in food and dining.

I am not Leslie Brenner’s PR agent. When you run a high-powered foodie web site like mine, publishers shower you with advance copies of books on food. Just kidding - I wish. I corresponded with a number of authors who received James Beard nominations – I compiled a link to the articles – which the James Beard site did not. Leslie offered to send me an advance copy of her new book.

In response to Robert Buxbaums comments, it seems that you are comparing your personal experiences with Mr. Boulud, with my review of the book. I have not eaten at DANIEL, I’ve just read the book. I am not naive. I described the “in the shit” for the general “foodie” reader, who I’m guessing, has always wanted to quit their day-job, go to culinary school, and become a famous chef. Chances are, they don’t know what that term means. “But this is what rings least true to me...Is it not common knowledge that the very best restaurant kitchens serve as the training grounds for future chefs…” Well, probably yes to the readers of this discussion board. Not to the readers at SauteWednesday. Obviously, you’ve worked with Mr. Boulud, but since Ms. Brenner spent over a year in the kitchen, I’m giving her benefit of the doubt. This book was written in 1999/2000, right about the time when cooks and waiters were leaving restaurants in droves to seek their fortune in the dot-com dream world. Perhaps this is why the turnover in the kitchen during the time the book was written was so great?

Personally, I don’t think the book is sensationalist. It is the opposite end of the spectrum from KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL. In my review, I tried to convey what reading the book was like. I quoted various passages to give the potential reader an idea of what the reading the book entailed. I enjoyed the book, so you can say that mine was a positive review. I haven’t read any of Leslie Brenner’s other books, so I don’t have that to compare to. I’m certainly interested in your comments on the book after you all have read it. I'm curious to know what the NYC crowd will think of restaurant DANIEL after they read the book. Will it change their perception of the dining experience, the food?

[Leslie Brenner's new book]

Leslie Brenner’s new book The Fourth Star– Dispatches from Inside Daniel Boulud’s Celebrated New York Restaurant, chronicles her year spent behind the scenes at one of the most celebrated restaurants in the U.S. Imagine, the foie gras, the caviar, the gossip! Brenner was given unprecedented access to the entire restaurant operation, from the back of the house to the front, even to the codes used to mark VIP’s (secretly known as PX’s) on the reservation list.

On June 2, 1999, to the collective gasp of most every “gastronome” in New York City, William Grimes, the newly appointed restaurant critic for the NY Times, bestowed the six-month-old restaurant DANIEL with 3 stars – not 4. The pop heard round the dining establishment in the city that day was not that of chilled champagne being uncorked, but of the collective balloon being burst. From Grimes review: “Mr. Boulud has painted himself into a corner, of course…By now…diners expect nonstop fireworks when he gets within fifty feet of a stove…” Brenner’s timing couldn’t have been better. The chance to observe a chef and his restaurant running on all cylinders, gunning for a 4th star, makes for fascinating insider reading. Boulud, however, is portrayed as being somewhat ambiguous in his quest. “Boulud’s public nonchalance about receiving only three stars from the Times is quite convincing…(he) doesn’t concede frustration, even when pressed. He’s too savvy, and too much of a class act to indulge in bellyaching or complaining.”

The complete review, which is too long to post here, can be found on SauteWednesday.

[3-Star Chef in Your Own Home]

Just to throw little water on the fire in this thread...but I think pan-frying steaks at home over blast furnace temperatures, is the wrong way to go about it. Ok, so it's fun - and smoky - even smells great. But the same exact results can be achieved cooking a steak on the stove top over medium heat. No mess, no fires, and superb results.

Rather than posting a long explanation of this method on this board, I've posted it on my site at SauteWednesday.

I'd be interested if anyone has tried the methods detailed in my post. I've always achieved perfectly crusted/carmelized and juicy steaks.