jbonne

the family thing aside, i wonder it means for them to be splitting the company into two divisions. can't say i'm terribly upset about divorcing "lifestyle" wines from "luxury" wines, though i haven't been a huge fan of their luxury offerings. but i'd like to think that two different approaches to two very different categories of wine should be exercised by two different sorts of people, at least when Mondavi is as big as it is. no?

rather mediocre, actually. nothing bad, but not much to write home about either ...

agree with little ms foodie about Oceanaire, and i think their offerings -- while not bad -- are outrageously expensive for the quality and not worth the time or money. ditto their bar and their wine list. i do stick by my assessment of Waterfront. i just keep waiting for a seafood restaurant in Seattle to be worthy of the location, quality and potential. it can't be this hard!!! (disclaimer: the best seafood restaurants in Seattle i've found have usually been Japanese, and never on the water.)

we're planning a trip to the Rhone Valley (northern and southern) next month, and while we've got a lot of details planned, i thought i'd poll the very knowledgable posse here for additional ideas. our lodging and about half our meals are booked, so the primary thing i'm looking for are wineries that might actually be willing to accomodate nosy American writer-type visitors. (trip is fun, not work, but will likely result in some writing.) any suggestions welcome for anything foodish -- restaurants, daily markets, &c. if this has all been covered already elsewhere -- or if i should be x-posting in the wine boards -- just lemme know. our itinerary: Saturday 9/25 Entraigues-sur-la-Sorgues (near Chateauneuf-du-Pape) Sunday 9/26 Vaison la Romaine (Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Beaumes, &c.) Monday 9/27 Baume-de-Transit (we'll be staying at Domaine Saint Luc, which among other things makes its own wine and hosts big nightly dinners, but amenable to other stuff. we may also try and squeeze in lunch @ Mondragon.) Tuesday 9/28 Chanos-Curson (just outside Tain L'Hermitage) Wednesday 9/29 Ampuis (we're staying at Domaine Barge, which makes its own Cote-Rotie and Condrieu, but looking for other Cote-Rotie domaines to visit.) then we're off to Piedmont, which is a whole other post (elsewhere) thanks in advance!!

my recollection as well. and service to match. not on my list.

i'm pretty stumped on this one, having just been asked by my folks for a seafoodish place when they come to visit. as i told them, "we should look for a Northwest place that does seafood, not a seafood place." Ray's: i have great fondness for Ray's, but i've sensed their cuisine slipping in the past couple years. the menu and prep upstairs has just gotten downright lame. and don't even get me started on the wine list. Waterfront: skip it. if i want to be gouged, i'll go buy gasoline. Salty's: see Waterfront above. food is notably mediocre. above comments are on the money. Palisade: wasn't bad, but haven't been in a couple years and it's always a spendy occasion. see Waterfront. Fish Club: see above posted comments. Chinooks: the setting's nice, but the food doesn't deliver. i mean, how can you serve mediocre salmon *at the fisherman's terminal*?? Ponti: others like it more than i do. it feels corporate to me. haven't been to Harbor Lights, though i'd very much like to. Matt's in the Mkt is a great suggestion, if you can get a reservation, though it's not so much a seafood place. the only other seafood place i quite enjoy, or at least i define it as a seafood place, is Queen City Grill. but they're not on the water, which makes things harder. am very eager for new suggestions, as i'll be facing this one myself in a few weeks. has the quality of the waterside restaurants really slipped so much?

finally, very belatedly, made it to Lark last night and all i can say is ... eh. i like John Sundstrom's work, and i had the highest hopes for it, despite a whole lot of lukewarm feedback. nothing seems unfixable, save possibly the atmosphere -- the open space was so deafening our server couldn't hear us. there were some real standouts -- the foie gras terrine is heartbreakingly good, and even the Landjaeggar with two mustards was a beautiful little starter. but on balance -- not enough food, even for small plates, prices too high and a few things were just plain bland. chilled yellow tomato soup (with yogurt and herbs) was another beautiful starter, but for $7, i expect more than about 5 spoonfuls. c'mon folks -- it's pureed tomato. i know you're going for small portions, but there's no reason to be stingy. butter lettuce with Maine lobster was fine, and actually large enough (thanks, lettuce!) but it's a bit extravagant for a salad, and not really a standout. would have loved it without the lobster for about $7, versus the $16 it cost. of course, lettuce with green goddess dressing is a bit of a plain offering, so i can see why the lobster made it in there. the duck leg was lovely with black plums was lovely. would have been a winner if i'd been dining alone. (at $9 it's a decent deal.) the squab salad was pretty good, but again, it's $14 for a salad. with pigeon. some additional greens would have helped it. there's lots of other stuff on the menu that intrigued me, and i may yet go back and browse through, but at the prices they want, i don't have much incentive. i was so hungry after leaving i was ready for a burger at Dick's. this is not what a restauranteur should want in their patrons after a 1.5-hour dinner. especially after we waited 40 minutes to be seated. my *real* gripe, though, is the wine list. for small plates, it's essential to have either half-bottles (which they don't) or an extensive by-the-glass selection (nope), since diners will be switching up every course to something new. we even contemplated a bottle of Champagne, but i won't order Veuve Cliquot in a restaurant, i don't feel like paying $55 for a bottle of Iron Horse, and despite my several attempts to enjoy the Blanquette that's going around Seattle right now, i just can't do it. and i won't pay nearly $30 for $6 cava. that was pretty much the tenor of the list -- not a bad selection, but far too small for the caliber of place and markups wildly divergent. Januik syrah isn't a bad deal at about $55, but not a great one either. McCrea syrah should by no means be over $70, unless it's secretly his top cuvee (which i doubt). the lack of good by-the-glass is really inexcusable in my book, given the menu. i actually asked the server to clear my Eyrie pinot gris half-finished. the other options were equally blah, including the Cotes du Rhone i prayed would be a decent salvation. nope. the only thing i might have overlooked was the gruner, though that wouldn't have helped me with my foie gras. one companion was rather unhappy they didn't have a Sauternes or similar to match with the duck liver, and i could barely discern a dessert wine list. my other dining companion convinced us to get a bottle of Amador County sangiovese for $28, which ended up being the wine highlight of the evening. i'll probably go again at some point to test the other menu items i'd found interesting. but i'm frankly amazed at the level of hype, given i think there's a lot of work to be done.

he's not the only one. the founder of one of the best espresso joints in Seattle says he got into the matter of obsessive coffee science because he couldn't stand how great it smelled and how horrid it tasted. truly well made coffee is a thing to behold. and a rare one, sadly.

following up on the Toddy query, my assessment went live today, including a cameo by eGullet's very own torakris ... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5728227/

it may well be Hendricks. the ingredient list flew by in a blur. for some reason i recalled Ciroc because it's made from grapes and so isn't really a vodka. was very tasty. dunno about Oceanaire, though. i found their drinks middling to blah, and not terribly well executed. while i hardly blush at a $12 martini (used to pay $15 in New York without blinking), i want that martini to be something akin to divinity. which i didn't think was the case with the Oceanairians ...

seconded on the Sitting Room. always enjoy them, never remember to stop by there. was at Sambar the other night and tried their latest concoction, called a Lethal Leith. involved cucumber puree, Ciroc gin, a Scotch float (i think), honey, thyme and some other stuff i can't even remember. another total winner from them ...

a bit more insight ... http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5739066/

avocados. it's a hard time living in a guacamole world.

an acquaintance of mine seemed to have an inexplicable fondness for the steaks there, though little else. she actually ate there enough to memorize the stock sell phrase the servers were taught, something along the lines of offering a "Sam Houston margarita or a strawberry lemonade," that sort of hooey. when the servers came up to do their spiel, she would actually say it in unison with them. brilliant. no great loss in my book. if the unfavorable business climate of WA state manages to chase them off, all for the better. i've got a couple others on that list ...

i'd wager they'll soon be doing a tour, in person or virtually, to sell the taste to barfolk, &c. as i said to someone this morning, i'm betting they're targeting the same market as Belvedere, &c., which will require a good education campaign to point-of-sale, distributors, and so on.

i'll second (or third, or whatever) the praise for Justin. not only a terrific bartender, but his knowledge of the wines is spot-on, and he's steered me to terrific glasses of stuff i would never have otherwise ordered. now they just need to work on their pricing ...

Sambar, as mentioned. Eric at Palace Kitchen. some swear by Zig Zag. haven't been yet, though i mean to. i'm also generally depressed by the paucity of good hotel bars in SEA. coming from New York, where i'd hit Fifty Seven Fifty Seven on a regular basis, this is a major bummer.

i've a bottle of this sitting on my desk this very moment. we've been judiciously sampling it. it's interesting. will definitely not be for the typical Macallan drinker, unless said drinker also likes his or her Scotch in a much lighter, fruitier format. lighter whiskey drinkers are likely to be pleased. the retail price seems a tad steep, but it's not completely outside the parameters of the Macallan brand. will report more on this later this week, in an official capacity.

the folks back in France must be shuddering in silence. myself, i'm waiting for the campaign that just says: "Chug!" followed by the popular introduction of the Champagne bong.

sorta. Niebaum-Coppola introduced a straw with their split equivalent (in a can) and it wouldn't surprise me if Pommery Pop or the Heidsieck split were being served that way in clubs.

what ever happened to straws?

wash, cook 'em *really* well, and taste with extreme caution. i've never had a problem with eating 'em slightly slimed. but i also cook sausages using a very hot grill.

these were always the reasons i'd heard, and and experience more or less bears that out. get a flute and a coupe, pour equal shares of the same bubbly in, smell them, leave them lying around a while, and see what happens. there's also a notion that the flutes better display the wine. i can't really argue with that, unless you happen to be in a coupe-stacking mode, which seems to have gone out with Busby Berkeley. there is, of course, this potential downside, which i can't even begin to touch.

fwiw, i made the celeriac-pear soup last night from Cordon Vert. i'm not on balance a fan of meat-eschewing recipes for something like this -- even debated whether to sub in chicken broth -- but all i can say is ... wow. one of the best soups i've ever made. the subtle earthiness and the very slight sweetness of the pear meld together into this wonderful creation. it's great hot, it's great cold. it's just plain terrific. and not a bit of cream in it. the only drawback is the recipe, which is notably short on detail. (simmer? OK. covered or uncovered? chopped? OK, how small?) also, it results in a soup so thick it can almost be sculpted. a healthy dose of vegetable broth added during the final stir brings it to the right consistency. thanks again for the wonderful suggestions ...

not much of a story. they were selling 'em a few years back at David Smith & Co. i think i bought mine for $19 or so. it's a pretty piece. and was darn cheap, which only makes it better ...