SobaAddict70

"parts" in this context means the same as "quantity". if 1 part is "one tablespoon", 2 or 3 is that amount multiplied by that factor. at least that's what I think KSF meant.

Had a 6 pm seating last Monday. The reservationist remembered me from last time. If anything, Babbo is more of a headache getting in, and not very good comparatively in my opinion. There was an 8 pm seating that became available the day I made the reservation but as it happens, 2 people in our party were unavailable. C'est la vie.

Had dinner at TKC a couple of weeks ago. Some hits though there were quite a few misses. Pix can be seen here. Lobster fritters, saffron, tarragon, sherry vinegar dip -- Fritters are usually meant to be a light opener. These were not and were compounded by a heavy coating of breading. 5.5/10. Wild mushroom pizza, red onion and basil -- As far as appetizers were concerned, this was perfectly serviceable if not exactly above average. 6/10. Roasted oysters with shallot mignonette and herbs -- One of the better dishes this evening. Just a hint of mignonette accentuated the brininess of the oysters. 7.5/10. Seared scallop, braised cabbage, Granny Smith apple, jalapeno -- Another outstanding dish. I would've been happy with an entree portion. 8/10. Hot smoked wild bass, fennel, lemon butter, served in corn husks -- Bland and boring. Has the kitchen learned the value of salt? 5.5/10. Kabocha squash stuffed ravioli, capers, sage, garlic, butter sauce -- Interesting concept; piss-poor execution. Too many capers overwhelmed the sauce. 6/10. Roast squab, huckleberry conserve, salsify, brussel sprouts -- I loved that the huckleberries were left as is for the most part and helped to cut the richness of the squab. 7/10. Marrow bone, toast points, horseradish, garlic -- More restrained than the marrow bone dish that's served at Prune in my opinion. Bonus points for not resulting in a grotto of fatty grease. The kitchen would do well to consider something that will act as a foil to all that fat however. 6.5/10. Braised short rib, foie gras, acorn squash puree, cheese grits -- Flavors seemed muddled and the acorn squash puree contributed absolutely nothing to the dish. Memo to the chef: less is more. 5/10 Kobe beef cooked over a hot stone, pickled chantrelles -- As an exercise in excess, this worked in spades. It took a sheer amount of will for me to stop myself from falling face forward on the table however. Oh right, you want to know about the food. Not the most original idea -- I first heard experienced it at Sugiyama, circa 2001, although it's probably been done even before then. In terms of surprise value, this will impress most people [i.e., non-foodies or 80% of the general population]. And were I to choose a pickle, delicate mushrooms such as chantrelles would not be on top of the list. 6/10. Quince sorbet, butter cookies, roasted grapefruit -- Very nice dessert. Not much to say about here. 7/10. Chocolate souffle, chocolate sauce, vanilla ice cream, smoked ground vanilla beans -- Somewhat novel twist provided a bit of interest to an otherwise boring dessert. 6.5/10. This isn't to say that I hated it. I just found the food to be for the most part, underwhelming. There were on the plus side, a few things I liked. Will I be back? Difficult to say. Ask me again in ten months.

I'm lazy. I neither know how to drive, own a car or have a desire to visit another place outside of the five boroughs [and even then, Staten Island is a stretch]. The only time I bother lifting a finger is when I go on vacation. That's why airplanes and taxis exist. More's the pity. On the other hand, dinner at BHSB was well worth the schlep.

Some pix from last night's dinner: Big Eye tuna, capers, pickled mushrooms, vitello tonnato sauce. 2002 I Clivi, Galea, Friuli, Italy Seared hamachi, black radish, celery, Granny Smith apple. Butter-poached lobster, gnocchi, chantrelles. Roasted skate wing, sunchokes, sunchoke chips, beets. Seared scallop, Black Mission figs, pistacho, and braised cabbage. Pork three ways: tenderloin, spiced sausage, pork belly. Served with pomegranate sauce, baby brussel sprouts and chantrelles.

This sounds more like it. I wanted to do something that didn't involve deep-frying. Thanks Smithy. I was all set to do a whitebait flan but needed some more ideas.

Not possible in my apartment. I should take pix of the kitchen so you can see what a laughably small space I have. It's about the size of a bathroom. That's another story for another day though.

I've seen whitebait omelettes. I have to add that the reason why I'm not keen on deep-frying is that my fire alarm goes off at the slightest provocation. I'm also cooking for one and while they taste great -- they're like the fish version of French fries -- it's a lot to eat in one sitting. I'll post pix later. Citarella was selling them for $3.99/lb. This is for dinner tomorrow so more ideas would be appreciated.

Most recipes that I've seen call for lightly coating it in flour and deep-frying it. I don't want to deep-fry it. What else can I do with it?

I'm going to have to check this place out for lunch soon. Do they accept walk-ins or are reservations necessary?

Dinner at GT last night with friends. Baby Japanese eggplant amuse with horseradish Calamari and carrot salad with toasted pine nuts and Meyer lemon viniagrette Lobster ravioli, lobster roe, scallions Smoked trout, celery root puree and pickled onion viniagrette Quail, caramelized corn and house-cured bacon Rack of veal, warm Sungold tomatoes and lima beans Baby romaine lettuce, string bean salad, pickled Swiss chard and bacon Corn soup, oyster mushrooms and lobster Risotto with heirloom tomatoes and tomato jam Warm salad of autumn vegetables and farro Mushroom ravioli, trumpet royale mushrooms and aged balsamic Coconut tapioca, passion fruit sorbet, tuile, cilantro syrup Shushan Snow, Mont St. Francis and one other cheese whose name escapes me Chocolate semifreddo Apple cranberry nut tart, cinnamon ice cream Standouts for me were the corn soup, the lobster ravioli, the trout and the quail, the tomato risotto and the mushroom ravioli. We drank a 2003 Colin Puligny. Cocktails are varied and interesting. Much better than my last visit a year ago and farther along than in 2002. Salt was, interestingly enough, on the table. The decor has changed for the better. Out of 10? For those of you playing along, I would say a solid 8 based on one meal though that rating is subject to change. Summer's long reach is fading, though we're hanging by a hair's breadth. It'll be interesting to see how the menu evolves as autumn progresses into winter. Well worth a return visit -- and soon.

Had the farmer's feast tonight. Heirloom tomatoes are slowly being phased out in favor of autumn-appropriate ingredients. Some pix: Summer fruits (heirloom tomatoes, plum, apricot), tomato foam, tomato sorbet, watercress Green beans, nasturtium, pecans, chives, green gazpacho viniagrette Braised hake, dairy-less corn chowder, herbs Stone Barns lamb (lamb chop, lamb loin, lamb confit), lamb jus, tarragon, chickpeas, green beans I think they've gained a new acolyte at the temple of Barber.

I would not characterize Tailor as one of the best restaurants in NYC. It's certainly good as far as its premise is concerned -- but if I had a choice between a stalwart favorite like Hearth or a contemporary like Ssam Bar, Tailor would not cut it. That being said, I will be back in a few months so I can see how Chef Mason's cooking evolves. Some pix from tonight: Foie gras, chopped peanuts, cocoa, pear Cod, miso, sherry gastrique, pea shoots, watermelon foam, sesame rice cracker Pork belly, jicama, artichoke, butterscotch/apple cider glaze Total bill came out to $173 with tax and tip for a seven-course tasting menu with wine and cocktails. First impressions: his savories work better than his sweets. When I return, I'll choose one or two from each side of the menu rather than going full bore. I'm having a bowl of dan-dan noodles while I sit here and post, two hours later. Go for the experience, not to get filled up.

You should go. I'm still dreaming of those oysters.

It's on my "to-do" list. I hope to be there within a week of its opening. Lawdy knows I've been looking forward to this venture all year long.

It might be worthwhile to revist wd-50 if only to see how the desserts have evolved since the last time I was there [which was about a year ago around this time].

zEli -- There are four seats at the pass, although please recognize that seating there is first come, first served. I recommend getting there as early as 6 pm. Conversation was perfectly fine the last time I was there with companions. S.

Fusilli carbonara, using Ruth Reichl's recipe. I substituted no-nitrate bacon from Citarella's for the guanciale.

Garlic, onions, fresh herbs, olive oil. Muy importante: good butter, preferably unsalted. Lurpak is my go-to of choice. Wine. Remember the adage: if you wouldn't drink it, then don't cook with it. Chicken stock, beef stock, fish fumet, vegetable stock. I make one type once every other week and use that as a basis for just about everything from sauces to cooking pasta and rice. Check out the eGCI course for stockmaking that El Gordo teaches. It's a keeper.

P.P.S. My husband studied Japanese for a year before we went to Japan last year. It enabled us to be polite and ask simple questions - that's about it. We relied on other things to eat (including dining with friends who spoke fluent Japanese). And Chinese is supposedly even harder to learn than Japanese (not to mention that there is more than one language spoken in China). I agree with Fat Guy about the bowing stuff. We stayed at the Four Seasons in Tokyo - and I saw many business groups in the bar doing bowing. Very precise - and very interesting. I think his suggestion of - at best - a simple nod of the head when dealing in Japan - or with Japanese people - is on target. ← I respectfully disagree. My family speaks primarily Fukien, and while this is not quite compatible with the Cantonese spoken by some Chinese in restaurants in Chinatown, there's always Mandarin. There are nuances that are not necessarily easily communicated by English alone.

I hope you have a section devoted to language. It's no secret that if you're able to communicate with the help, that you'll have a better meal experience overall.

No posts for the past year? Must correct that. Dinner tonight at Hearth. Copper River salmon, radishes, squash, sugar snap peas, gros sel Spiked Luis Rivera: Navarro Gewurztraminer grape juice, rum, citrus fruits and mint Pan seared rouget, yellow pepper puree, opal basil, roasted peppers, zucchini 2004 Kabinett Riesling Roasted sweetbreads, chantrelles, sweet corn, sweet corn puree Seared scallops, heirloom tomatoes, mint, zucchini, sucrene 2006 Kir-Yianni, Noussa, Greece Pappardelle, rabbit, tomato concasse, fava beans 1998 Terricci, Tuscany, Italy Pork three ways. Clockwise from top left: Pork tenderloin, crispy pork belly, pork sausage. Served with honshimeji mushrooms and zucchini Almond cherry trifle Mignardises If you haven't been, you simply must go.

Potato, anchovy and onion confit. This is slightly more work than your average pizza topping. Here is a thread on onion confit, which btw you can use for just about anything. Anchovies: I would use salt-packed instead of oil-packed. Soak the fillets in 1/2 c. milk for 30 minutes prior to using. Oil-packed is ok in a pinch. Potatoes: peeled, thin slices in boiling salted water for roughly 10 minutes or until tender. Arrange the potatoes on the pizza dough in overlapping slices. Add anchovies and onion confit. Bake as you would a normal pizza until done. Add a drizzle of EVOO and maybe some chopped herbs and you're good to go.

You know, I'm going to have to start carrying my digicam whereever I go. Chicken parm with yellow rice, sauteed onions and peppers. By the way, I'm sure there's a topic somewhere about food preparers wearing plastic gloves. I had asked for some peppers and sauce, and he scooped up some with his [covered] hands. It would've been nice if he'd used a spoon instead.

There's no real accountant in me but that seems like a reverse Crazy Eddy price - so high it's INSANE!!! I know rents and overhead in NYC are very high but $16 seems way too high - roughly 2x what would seem to be a realistic price. Am I living in the past or is that a realistic price based on what the going rate is in Manhattan? Or... as a good reference point... if I went into one of those so-called "Gourmet Markets" in Manhattan (aka a neighborhood convenience store with the word 'Gourmet' on the sign) and filled a one quart container with mac 'n cheese from the "by the pound" hot 'c cold salad bar... hwo much would it cost? ← That'd depend on the weight and pricing of the contents but I see what you're saying. Mostly. Two half-lb. containers last night of tabbouleh and vanilla-perfumed fruit salad cost something like $7.80. I suspect that nearly 60% of the mac-n-cheese goes towards rent. Chelsea/Flatiron is a prime location for any restaurant.