MarkIsCooking

I believe that LB exited all other locations before they put $$$ into converting the upstairs at the NYC LB into "Salons" for private functions.

I have found peace in refusing to get upset about outcomes that are predictable and understandable. FN is a money-making enterprise. They make money be driving ratings. You drive ratings through mass appeal. So, we can be disappointed that shows like Jacques Torres creating masterful chocolate creations doesn't draw the audience that "Behind the Bash" does, but it is somewhat predictable. What do you think sells more copies: Food Arts or People? We know the answer. We live in a commercial, capital driven society. It has its good points and there is a darker side, too. Having said that, it's the same imperfect society where thousands of people connect on a site like this. Very highly targeted. Clearly, though, were it not for membership, donations, etc., eGullet couldn't be here either. If you ever feel like creating a series of video podcasts or YouTube videos for the hardcore foodies, give me a shout and I'll pitch in! -Mark-

Scott - You can do some serious food while you're there and I'm sure the eGulleteers will give you tons of advice on that front. It would be nice to have some filler between feedings. Is there any way I can convince you to take in a Broadway show?? I'm a huge fan of NYC theatre. Here's a suggestion I think you'll love even if you're not a theatre lover: Putnam County Spelling Bee. It's in a small theatre. Very funny. Before the show, they pick a few patrons to play small parts in the play, which adds to the spontaneity. Highly recommended. Think about it. If you want more suggestions, I've seen about half of what is currently playing. -Mark-

Bryan - For nights when money is no object: Mosimann's Le Gavroche By the way, someone told me that Gordon Ramsey used to be a line cook here. My wife and I were in London for a milestone birthday trip. These two meals were among the best ever. Bon apetite! -Mark-

Greg - Thanks for the reply. Congrats on the graduation!! Could you be the next Bobby Flay?? He went to FCI, didn't he?? Have a great trip and we'll all be here eGullet-ing when you get back. -Mark-

Margy = So sorry. Try using this link instead: Mark's Website

I totally agree that NYC is a hard place to test a concept due to cost. There's also this. NYC has such an enormous number of restaurants and NYC diners are so discriminating, that the odds of something being tested in NYC winning is so small. Plus, new concepts need to be tried, honed, reworked, etc. I think NYC tends to give something a try and if it's not a winner, it's very very hard to get people back (as things evolve). Agree? -Mark-

Greg - Awesome to hear from you! I'm in the Professional Chef's Program. Is that what you're doing or are you in the Pastry program? So, you started in September? How's it going? How are you liking the instructors? the school overall? the other students?? -Mark-

For main courses given everything you've said, I would be thinking about braised dishes. They use inexpensive cuts of meat that end up being very tender, with gravy/juices after cooking. Braised meats, as you know, are full of flavor too. Veal shank may be beyond your budget, but there are plenty of braising-suitable meats that bought in quantity for your group could work. What do you think?

Are you talking about FCI in NYC? If so, I'm jealous. How has it been? Where do you go from there??? -Mark-

Hello all - After considerable contemplation, I have moved from 'thought' to 'action'. I'm going to Culinary School! At 40-something, will I be the oldest student there? I'll find out Tuesday night when I go to orientation. I'm blogging the adventure and I'd love for you to follow along. Will you?? Read all about it on my website: Mark's Website Click on "BLOG" to follow along and I hope you'll post your comments here on eGullet. All the best, -Mark-

WHS: Yes, the GrandView lives up to its name. Not sure if the weather cooperated for you, but they have something like a few hundred acres of hiking trails for guests. Did you check that out? It's supposed to be just spectacular. I never went for spa treaments there, and probably won't after your experience. Boo: Glad you like I@JC. Your experience is just what we've found. Quaint place. Generally old clientele. Service iffy. Food typically good, but not a standout. If you get back to the area, do give Pearl's a try. -Mark-

Could you be thinking of the raw bar inside Grand Central Station (i.e. NOT Penn Station)? I'm not aware of anything decent actually at Penn Station. -Mark-

Ben - I'm a huge NYC fan and used to live there. Since you have some dough to spend and want an amazing tasting menu, I'd suggest you consider a 6pm dinner. It's early, I know, but you'd have so many wonderful choices and anywhere you go in midtown would be able to get you through the tasting to make your 8pm curtain. Allow me to put a pitch in for Le Bernardin. If you like fish and seafood, there are several benefits. First, many consider Le Bernardin the best fish anywhere. Second, since nothing they cook takes that long, it's easy for them to assure your timing. Third, it's a rare combination of excellence in both service and food. Lastly, I spent a week in the kitchen there a few years back and I think they're just amazing. Best of luck. I'd love to know what you end up doing! -Mark-

I am an entrepreneur and I've invested in several businesses. Most of these I actively participated in, but for the ones where I did not, I would not invest money unless the lead operator had some 'skin in the game'. So, whether you invest your own money or not does not have to be an all or nothing thing, but I'd be surprised if you'd find investors willing to pony up bucks if you have nothing riding on the venture. If you really do your homework and are realistically convinced in the merits of the business, it would be nice for you to preserve as much equity as you can. Most pure investors don't want or need control unless the investment is very significant. I have no idea what your concept will cost. If you need 1/2 million and you're getting it from an investor group or 10 people, control is probably not a big issue. If you need $5M, it could be a different story. In terms of investors vs banks, I think you're probably better off with investors here. As someone said, banks cost less, are more conservative and are more rigid. You need a sophisticated investor group that is astute enough to know that they might lose their whole investment. Risking complete loss is not really a bank's game; and new restaurants are certainly a high risk proposition. The only way I think a bank would make sense here would be if you want to retain complete ownership and are willing to take the full capital risk. In that case, you could leverage assets you have (if you have them) and borrow against them, allowing you to keep those assets and fund some of the business with debt. No matter what route you go, please do everything you can to make sure you have access to capital beyond what you think you need. One of the leading causes of business failures is inadequate capitalization. Keep in mind that debt - whether from a bank or others - must be serviced, meaning that interest must be paid. Banks will typically want their interest real time (i.e. monthly), but private investors will sometimes agree to have interest accrue but not be paid for a certain launch period. In terms of leasing, if you are unsophisticated on this front, seriously consider using a broker that YOU pay for. S/he could more-than pay for their work by negotiating terms you wouldn't think to look at. Any good broker would certainly know what the market will bear for a property you're looking at (and perhaps was involved in other similar business leases). In evaluating locations, think about who your target customer is and look at national chains at/near your chosen location. For example, chains like Starbucks have a tiny failure rate. They carefully research every location based on demographics before they open a new location. If you're in a shopping center with Starbucks and if your customer is similar to the Starbuck's customer, you are least reducing your risk for location being a source of failure. If you want to chat more directly, please feel free to email me. All the best! -Mark-

I'm looking for some help. I really think I have the dough right, but it seems like my puffs are not as vertical as they should be. I'm using a standard recipe (1/2c milk, 1/2c water, 6T butter, then 1c bread flour, then 4-5 eggs to get to the right dough consistency). I'm then starting with the oven at 425 and taking it down to 350 after 10 min. to complete the bake/brown. Any idea why my puffs are coming out more flat than I think they should be? Do you think my dough is too wet? Should I somehow be getting more air into the dough? All guidance greatly appreciated! -Mark-

I thought Home Bistro was decent. I ordered 3 different items to try. I like that you rehead the food via boiling water (drop their sealed bag into the water) rather than microwave. By the time you add in the shipping, the stuff isn't cheap, but worth a try. Mark

I don't know if you have Super 88 Asian Market anywhere in your area, but they carry live Dungeness Crabs. Mark

Interesting. I have a Sub-zero and it has one long drawer plus 4 other drawers for fruits and veggies. I've had the unit for 8 years and needed pricey work 1x. If I ever do another kitchen, I'm going commercial and buying refrigeration just as good (if not better) for a fraction of the price from Restaurant Depot. This was does look 'pretty' though with the wooden inserts to match our cabinets. -Mark-

DVS - I've got a perfect option. Just saw this show on TV and they looked great. Trying the soup today. Let me know if you try them out. Here's the link: Food 911 Crab Show recipes -Mark-

The I@JC is good in terms of standards in the area. Not nearly at the level of Pearl's in my opinion. -Mark-

BKF is awesome. I like the powder much better. Depending on how badly the pan needs work, you can vary the amount of water. If the pan is really bad, I use just a moist sponge and lots of BKF. If it's not as bad, you can make more of a paste and for light cleanup, a watery consistency does the trick. Shine on! -Mark-

Hello all - It looks like I'm starting culinary school soon. Can you recommend what you think is the best knife/tool roll? [Please give as much detail as you can, online source, style number, why you like one vs. another, etc.] Thanks!!!! -Mark-

The easiest most consistent method I've found for individual filet mingons is to put a heavy cast iron frying pan on the stovetop and let it get as hot as it can (no oil). Pre-heat your oven to 450 F. Then S&P each tenderloin and lightly coat with olive oil. Throw them onto the skillet for 3 minutes. Do not touch or move them during this time. By shaking the pan (using a pot holder of course) they should break free by themselves. Turn them over and do the same on the other side for another 3 minutes. Then put the entire skillet in the oven for about 6-7 minutes for medium rare. Take the skillet out of the oven, remove and tent the filets. While the filets are resting, saute some chopped shallots in the skillet, deglaze with some wine, and reduce (or add some demi-glace) to make a fine sauce to ladle over the tenderloins and serve. (Don't forget the juices from the tented filets and add that to the sauce too). This works everytime for me. Time in the oven depends on how thick your steaks are. I like 2" filets. A couple of times you will find the right combination of timing for your oven and preferences of doneness. doc ← Doc - Thanks for the reply. Looks awesome. This recipe is for the whole tenderloin, though, not steaks. So, the advantage is that you get to present the whole tenderloin to guests and carve at the table if you want. -Mark-

Hello all. I saw a recipe on Bobby Flay's show that really intrigued me (actually done by his wife, the former Law and Order actress). The concept is that you broil the whole tenderloin for a certain period of time, with it almost looking burnt on the outside. After the broiling, you seal the tenderloin in aluminum foil and the residual heat from the broiling supposedly cooks the tenderloin to a perfect medium rare. Also, given that the time you let it sit is pre-determined, it allows you to perfectly time when the tenderloin is ready. All sounds great, but when I tried it, the tenderloin caught on fire from the broiler a few times (nobody injured) and things just didn't go as they did on TV (do they ever?). The link to the recipe is here --> Kathy Baker's Beef Tenderloin Recipe I'm curious if anyone else has tried this technique and/or if anyone has a similar recipe/technique to share. Thanks! -Mark-