ballast_regime

Phoenix is definitely not representin', I say. I haven't lived there for nearly two years, and I would think there would be plenty of egulleteers filling in the gap (at least in the high-end), but I guess not. IML ballast/regime

The "best restaurant in Texas," according to Texas Monthly, but my vote would go to Boulevard Bistrot (Houston), York Street (Dallas), or Wink (Austin). Thanks for the review. Much peace, Ian Lowe ballast/regime

Just try to be creative! Don't be bounded by traditional preparations, even though they offer a great starting point. If I had a pound of it in my kitchen right this instant, I would try a number of preparations: raw, steamed, poached, made into a sauce or soup, etc. Personally, I would probably explore technniques that would lighten the texture, à la Sugiyama's tofu and monkfish liver cake. My head tells me that a monkfish liver soufflé would be excellent, especially if it had citrus highlights, like yuzu, if you want to keep it Japanese. And so on. I've always wanted to make gingerbread and monkfish liver paste macaroons. IML ballast/regime

Fresh A: I wasn't particularly impressed, to be honest, but that's just my two cents.

Caviar, truffles, more expensive (and often endangered) species of raw fish, etc. -- all have less expensive counterparts that I tend to prefer or think are underrated. IML b/r

It's definitely style over substance. Same content as Wallpaper, etc.

One of my favorite chefs combined with a beautiful country and the worst restaurant designer ever should make for an interesting mix. IML

Stephen: I like your bumpersticker summaries of each chef. Neat formulas. I wonder if it's possible to sum up every major chef in such a way. Thomas Keller: "Tiny & stacked." Etc.

Stephen: No, please... Longer... Let the Tolstoy in you come out. IML b/r

Stephen: Your review was excellent, even if some might say a tad longish, but I wish every write-up was this length, if not more so. The devil isn't in the details; just pure reading enjoyment. Thanks for your post, and I will look forward to reading many, many more. Thanks, Ian Lowe ballast/regime

Mango appeared a lot. IML

Let's not forget about Japan's watermelon innovation. Ian Lowe ballast/regime

I used to watch Graham Kerr reruns in fifth grade and even then I was skeptical. If he was even remotely annoying in the Steve Irwin way, he might be tolerable. Alas, he is not. IML b/r

The day when Ducasse and Chomsky high-five. IML

Bux: The best dish I had at Papillon was a variation on his infamous foie gras (the one mentioned in the NYT review and that was pictured in the 2002 annual food review of Food Arts), whose overall flavor struck me as being close to an ice cream sandwich. The rest of the dishes were really good, but not particularly innovative. E.g., one chicken dish struck me as glorified comfort food, and his eel dish was a more complicated twist on unagi. The desserts were great. The only exceptions to the entire meal were champagne and cassis with Heineken foam (boring and dull -- would have been better with a hefeweizen foam), along with an intermezzo of green tea foam that was particularly limp in flavor. Overall, the food was very good, if not at times uninspired, but my overall sense was: Is this really avant garde? Haven't I tried these sorts of flavors before? These sorts of questions pop into my head when reading everyone's posts about WD-50 (with the exception of desserts). Which isn't to say the food won't be good, as I'm sure it will. But is it really all that and a bag of chips? IML b/r

Btw, I don't think Grimes' review can be attributed to Liebrandt's Atlas-Papillon-Chez Es-Saada downward spiral, as he noted in the Papillon review that the bistro didn't feel like the right stage for the size of Liebrandt's talent. I.e., Liebrandt went from three stars to two because of his venue, not because of his talent, and it seems no one is really sure what he is doing right this very moment, including the folks at Chez Es-Saada (I've called numerous times, trying to understand his involvement). IML

I try to make it to NYC yearly, eating at another large handful of restaurants that sprouted in the months since I've been gone. WD-50 is of particular interest to me because I would like to compare it to the other avant garde chefs in this country. All I have to go on is pure literary information at this point, and it doesn't look good for Dufresne. It certainly didn't sound as interesting as the food at Liebrandt's Papillon, which was quite good but not without technical flaws -- definitely a two-star review was in order. It sounds like the opposite for Dufresne: his ideas just aren't there on paper. The dishes in WD-50's repertoire strike me as relatively uncomplicated and without novel contrasts or combinations. E.g., the oyster dish sounds like, well, an oyster dish. This is not to say there aren't flaws in the kitchen, since it is still young. By the time I eat there, I'm sure the kinks will be worked out. (The desserts sound amazing, though.) To anyone who has eaten the cuisine of Liebrandt, Achatz, neuvo Dufresne, et al.: Whose cuisine reigns supreme? Much peace, IML ballast/regime

I was more interested in seeing what Alex will do when he strikes out on his own. He has some chops, that's for sure, and I would like to see how much Daniel feels like a phantom limb at his new place. IML

Anna Nicole Smith adjusting to the new economy. Those little fuckers will find Nemo all right. Ben 'n' Jerry's Cat Fur Ice Cream. 100% Sammy Sosa bat filler. Rebuilding Iraq one scoop at a time. I hope I end up on eGullet one day. 2 Fat 2 Furious

The kingfish you're referring to is also known as the king mackerel (Scomberomorus cavalla), arguably the most popular gamefish in the Gulf of Mexico. (I was raised offshore fishing and diving in Texas.) Its flesh responds best to baking, frying (esp. in an Asian-style or in fish cakes), poaching, and, best of all, grilling. Its high fat content (it's very rich in omega-3 fatty acids) prevents it from the delicate treatment a lot of "haute" fish receive. Best of luck, Ian Lowe ballast/regime P.S. Most people are not a fan of "oily" fish types because the oxidization of their flesh is more readily apparent, thus making it taste "fishy." Lighter fleshed fish don't have to be as fresh to be enjoyable to most diners. Unfortunate though it may be, oily fish types get a bad rap.

You mean there's, like, different countries in Asia? Whoah...

Circeplum: I'm very jealous of you. Cinque Terre is indescribably beautiful, and I hope your trip is awesome. Much peace, IML ballast/regime

Btw, Bourdain, the McDonald's coffee lawsuit specifically revolved around whether or not McDonald's was serving its coffee at temperatures dangerously "not fit for consumption" (their phrase). Much peace, IML b/r

The words "good" and "fast food" in the same sentence. IML b/r

The Trotter's website is exactly what I would expect from a restaurant's website. If somebody is visiting the site, chances are they don't need to be sold on dining at Trotter's. In my eyes, the site's function is as a supplement, to provide additional information for an already-existing customer base (or for people who are likely to go). I can't imagine any restaurant's website, regardless of quality, convincing a potential customer to go. Surveys quite clearly show that such ancillary forms of advertising have very little impact on diners, since an average of 7 out of 10 diners use word-of-mouth, 2 out of 10 restaurant reviews, and the remaining odd-man-out is divided between four or five other options (including websites). Much peace, Ian Lowe ballast/regime