Degustation

History, and variations thereof, including Stinking Rose Caesar Bloody Caesar

Nestia, you are absolutely correct -- and I am one of GT's biggest fans for exactly the same reasons you found it disappointing. Nesita - that was my exact reaction to my first visit to GT. Technically the food preparation and service was very correct, but the meal didn't impress me in terms of creativity. I guess having read so many exuberant postings about it, I was expecting a different experience, and I was a bit disappointed. I also had the tasting menu and interestingly, I too found the first (a variation of the torchon that you had) and last (some other dessert) to be the best parts of the meal. As probably discussed to the nth degree somewhere on this board, what makes a unique dining experience is somewhat subjective, based upon personal preferences and experiences. I do agree with mogsob, GT does very well for the exact reasons why it didn't bowl me over. I know that if I needed to take my sister-in-law out for a special meal, GT would be great - no unusual foodstuffs, just excellent, consistent meal preparation and service. I could not take my foodie friend that I have been dining out with over the years, as it would not be up to par with her or my expectations for an interesting meal.

Thanks Wilfrid....or is the compliment in hopes for a case of Canadian?

Canadian dish? Beer, eh.

I've had durian many years ago in Singapore. My client was eager for me try this and to see what I thought. I don't think the smell really bothered me that much, but all the hype made me more apprehensive than I needed to be. I rather enjoyed the creamy, custardy texture, but the flavour is hard to describe. It’s not something that I can imagine eating lots of in one sitting. My mother has told me that durian is considered to be a fruit that is "heating" to the body and a "cooling" food needs to be consumed with it for balance. Apparently, my father had purchased a durian but no one dared to eat it with him. Since it is quite expensive and my Dad is not one to waste food, he ate the whole thing. Unfortunately, his lips became quite swollen from having overindulged. I was in Chinatown this weekend and the durian fragrance permeated the air but since I did not wish to have that charming odour in my apartment, I refrained from purchasing any. However, I did indulge in lychees, mangosteens and rambutans. That's one thing I miss about Asia, the ability to buy such fruits inexpensively. Here's an ice cream recipe if anyone is daring enough. Durian Ice Cream As mentioned, in Singapore, durians are banned from taxis, buses, ferries and the planes of Singapore Airlines. In their spotless subway system, the authorities have posted the following signs:

My Best Friend's Wedding - Charlie Trotter

I don't know about the taste but I don't think milky chai would curdle. Many mixed drinks use milk / cream, for instance - White Russian (vodka, kahlua, cream)

Sigh - in coffee shops chai is considered the exotic alternative to a latte...now the thing is the chai martini. In today's Globe and Mail, they outlined the Xacutti (local, hip resto w. bad food) recipe: ATC (Absolut Vanilla, Tea and Cointreau) 1.5 ounces vanilla vodka 1 ounce Cointreau 1.5 ounces chai Shake with ice and pour into a martini glass. Garnish with a stick of cinnamon.

Suvir - thanks for the translations. So Caped Chef, you had already used saunf in your chai and you didn't even know it. It's a great idea, I must try it. I'm not sure how the white poppy seeds would taste.

Mmm..I love chai, especially when it's blustery out (in another couple of months ) 1-1/2 inch cinnamon stick 8 green cardamom pods 8 cloves 4-6 whole peppercorns fresh grated ginger Roughly crush all the spices except the ginger. Place all spices in a saucepan with 2 cups water, bring to a boil and simmer for a few minutes. Then add 1 cup warm milk (I like half and half for a richer taste, can use condensed milk or a combination thereof if the fat content is too disturbing) and simmer until liquid is reduced by half. Grate in fresh ginger while it is simmering. Bring back to a gentle bubble before adding the tea. Add 2 – 2.5 teaspoons loose black tea (I use Darjeeling or Assamese), shut off the heat and steep, covered for a few minutes. Add brown sugar to taste at the end (honey or maple syrup is nice too). Strain into a cup. I also like making different variations depending what I have at hand. Try adding fresh grated nutmeg, saffron (1 tiny strand), allspice, star anise, or even part of a vanilla bean. I must try the fennel and bay leaves. I have read that some mixtures have white khas-khas and soanph. Can anyone provide a description of these spices? What do they taste like and what kind of flavouring will they add to the chai?

(Yolks = gelato) + (egg whites = angel food cake) = dessert

I was first introduced to Indian bread making when I took an introductory Northern Indian cooking course many, many moons ago. It may not have been the most authentic but it was a good start to being able to satisfy any cravings at home. I even purchased a roti fluffer to make the chapatis. We learned how to make plain parathas, spinach parathas, plain chapatis, corn chapatis, and pooris. The instructor demonstrated variations of rolling parathas dependent upon regions such as Pakistani, Delhi, or Bengali. Suvir, I would be interested in your insight re: history or reasons behind the variations. I love naan and onion kulcha which I find is only done well in restaurants with a tandoor. I think I would like to start making the breads again. I have also come across recipes for chilla, idli, and makki ki roti made simply with water and corn flour - I would definitely like to see Oliva's recipe. I've never had chilla but it sounds interesting - Suvir, any comments about this? The recipe sounds more like a crepe batter. And is it true that Eno Antacid Effervescing Powder can be used as a raising agent for idlis? Also, Bajre Ki Roti sounds too healthy (millet bread). What's your opinion on this?

Oh, along the same lines that North American children must think that the chickens bred here have with no heads, no feet and no innards.

Jinmyo - Really? What were the episodes that were considered so extreme?

Did you know in England they combine pork sausages and batter and call it Toad-in-the Hole? However, in America, take those same sausages and roll them in crescent dough and call it "Pigs-in-a Blanket". I can see the imagery for this now.

It's been a painful process watching the evolution of the Canadian version of Food Network. If you think Ainsley's bad, you should see Ken Kostick in action - blech. It's now a mish-mash of Canadian, American, and British shows (Nigella and Jamie - no more Two Fat Ladies - sex sells? ). Hopefully it can only improve. I barely recognize the original Food Network - a lot of the changes seem to be more gameshow/lifestyle type fluff. Maybe they need two versions -Food Network Light and Food Network Pro - works for software. Here are the links listing the shows for both Networks. Food Network Canada Food Network

Pompano circumstance.

Pon my sole, here I am perched on the fence, wondering if I should dive right in with this pithy link, while you are all have a whale of a time. Oh well, what the hake. Is something fishy going on?

Since I was there for most of the service, I noticed that it may have started to deteriorate towards 3:00 pm. I was looked after quite well in the beginning, though it started to falter towards the end when I had the mignardises. No one came to enquire whether I wanted a coffee or a tea. I ended up asking a runner if a specialty tea could be brought to me, since there weren't many waiters around at that point. The captain then came over to find out what I wanted. However, the bill was brought to me quite promptly when I requested it. I agree that service needn't be quite as cloying as displayed by that runner at Gramercy, but I do expect it to be professional. As it was my first time, I would have been put off, if the service was quite poor. I was the only single diner in the room, but I was treated quite well and would be willing to return because that helped enhance the dining experience. That minor gaffe was not that off-putting and I think that poor gentleman had a worse time trying to get the bill. He did end up marching up to the waiters because he simply could not catch anyone's attention (the couple of waiters on the floor were all in their huddle with their backs to the room).

Beachfan - Actually I didn't find the service was too bad for myself. Sorry that it seemed that I wasn't impressed with the meal. The food was in fact excellent and an absolute steal for that price. Overall, I think it was the best dining experience that weekend. Though Gramercy was exceptional in service and consistent in execution with its use of ingredients, it did not offer the originality of Bouley. The Gramercy experience left an impresion of "It's good, but so what?"; while Bouley instilled an excitement with each dish. Except for a couple of dishes, it was definitely superior to Fleur de Sel in originality, layering of flavours, execution, and visual composition.

This was part four of my dining weekend – see this link to access descriptions of the other meals. (Dim Sum GoGo, Gramercy Tavern, Fleur de Sel) http://forums.egullet.org/ibf/index.php?s=...t=ST&f=4&t=8050 I ended my weekend dining extravaganza with the lunch tasting menu at Bouley on Memorial Day. I arrived at 12:30 and the room filled up quickly, but I stayed for almost three hours, sampling the dishes at a relatively leisurely pace. The service was haughty, competent, but lacking at times. I watched this poor elderly gentleman at another table who tried three times to get his bill, over a span of 30 minutes or so. On the final try he marched up to the congregation of suited waiters (who always looked like they were huddling and whispering conspiratorially), and loudly proclaimed, “I first asked for the bill 15 minutes ago, I then demanded the bill a second time and now I insist that I get the bill immediately!!” This managed to get them scurrying. Since the lunch menu has been described quite well in this thread, I will only elaborate where necessary. Items in brackets were the other options offered in the menu. Amuse-gueule canapé – Sweet Maine crab salad with marinated cucumber and tomatoe coulis 1) Phyllo crusted Florida shrimp. Baby cape cod squid, seared diver sea scallop and sweet Maryland crabmeat in an ocean herbal broth This has been aptly described. Excellent combination and well prepared, one of the more memorable dishes of the weekend. [or Maine skate with a pineapple caper sauce, and salad of mixed organic greens] 2) Maine salmon with a fricassee of sweet corn, sugar snap peas and sorrel A round piece of salmon sitting on a bed of corn and peas, with sautéed sorrel, and accompanied with a light buttery sauce. Nothing too inspirational, but the salmon was fairly moist. [or Atlantic halibut roasted with glazed green asparagus, reglisse mushroom Riesling sauce] 3) Japanese yellowtail, with microgreens (compliments of the chef) The yellowtail with a crispy skin was topped with a handful of microgreens served with a dark, tangy (tamarind perhaps?) sauce along with a scattering of pinenuts. The tart sensation nicely heightened the fatty fish, and was complemented well with the fresh greens. 4) Tender braised organic veal with a Pinot wine sauce and confiture of scallions Tender pieces of veal that had been braised overnight produced a literally melt-in-your mouth texture. The meat was infused with the rich sauce, and served with oyster mushrooms and a large dollop of good buttery mashed potatoes. [or Pennsylvania all natural chicken with date turnip puree spring vegetables and brussel sprouts] 5) Fresh orange melon soup with apricot, yogurt, and raspberry sorbets, passion-mango ravioli. Though described with mixed feelings by others, I felt this dish was superbly prepared. There was an excellent balance of sweet, tart and refreshing flavours that helped set up for the final dessert. 6) Hot Valrhona chocolate soufflé with Prune Armagnac maple and vanilla ice cream, chocolate sorbet Light and delicate with an intense warm chocolate interior, the soufflé was well accented with the cool ice cream and sorbet. This was definitely superior to the chocolate desserts experienced at Fleur de Sel the previous evening. 7) Fresh rhubarb parfait with strawberries, coconut crisp and rhubarb, cassis sorbet (this was the second dessert choice but was also served compliments of the chef) Unfortunately this extra dessert was brought to me at the same time as the chocolate soufflé. So it seemed to be a race between completing the soufflé before it cooled or finishing the parfait before it melted. The parfait lost as I became immersed in the soufflé. Thus my judgment on this is tainted since it was a bit of a gooey mess when I finally got to it. My lingering impressions were of very tangy fresh sensations. 8) Mignardises Tuilles Nut coated, white chocolate truffle with a pistachio cream center Sesame brittle Nut-coated, dark chocolate truffle with hazlenut cream center Chocolate ganache in a pastry shell tart Raspberry, blackberry, kiwi, custard cream tart White chocolate with a coffee flavoured mousse cream filling Along with the refreshing Pear tree green tea, this was a nice finish to the meal. $74 (includes tasting menu, lychee martini, green tea, taxes, and tip) An amusing anecdote: I was seated beside an elderly Chinese couple who were obviously regulars. One of the captains engaged in lengthy conversations with them, which ranged from discussing Bouley’s current trip to Japan where he was teaching at an institution similar to the CIA, his current favorite item to work with (yellowtail) and his new pine nut tart dessert. As they were discussing things, I managed to smile and catch the lady’s eye every time they happily commented on the food. Just as they were preparing to leave, she sat down beside me (we were both seated in the corner banquette area) and said that I looked like I enjoyed gourmet food (was it the glistening tears in my eyes as the dishes were presented or just that I was wolfing down everything in sight?). She revealed that she and her husband love Bouley and came to eat two to three times a week. She also recommended Daniel and Jean Georges where they also spent as much time frequenting. I guess as regulars they do not have problems getting a table. In fact the captain was recommending where they could be seated the next time they came – must be nice. When she found out that I was from Toronto, she said she had friends there but complained that whenever they visited them, they only went out to Chinese restaurants (I suggested next time they try Susur). The conversation drifted to Montreal, where I’m originally from and where she had a brother. She indicated that once they stayed at the Ritz and the concierge recommended Les Halles. We agreed it was a very formal, old style French restaurant, but her husband really liked the place. The last time they were there, they ran into Peter Jennings and he had asked them why they were there, to which her husband had replied, “Just to eat!” I laughed and said I had a habit of doing that too! All throughout this conversation the husband sat there and chuckled every time his wife and I bonded over a funny foodie moment. As they were leaving, the husband finally spoke to me and said he had just got out of the hospital on Saturday, and the first thing they did was come to lunch at Bouley. I forgot to ask them to adopt me.

This was part two of my dining weekend – see this link to access descriptions of the other meals. (Gramercy Tavern, Fleur de Sel, Bouley) http://forums.egullet.org/ibf/index.php?s=...t=ST&f=4&t=8050 I decided to venture into Chinatown relatively early on Sunday morning. I stopped by Dim Sum Go Go around 10:45 and the place was about a quarter full. By the time I had left approximately a little over an hour later, the place was jam-packed, with some people waiting for seats downstairs and most people being directed upstairs. I opted to sample the Dim Sum platter (10 pieces of meat dumplings), the Veggie Dim Sum Platter (10 pieces of vegetarian dumplings) bean curd rolls, and turnip cake. Each platter was presented in a large bamboo steamer. Unfortunately, I didn’t take many notes for this lunch but the most memorable items were the various vegetable dumplings and the duck dumpling. The duck dumpling consisted of finely minced fragrant duck meat in a delicate wrapper. I can’t remember each vegetable dumpling, but they were very creative and much more tasty than the meat dumplings. There was even one that was filled with coconut – an interesting novelty but not sure I would willingly order it again. Overall, the dumpling skins were not as tender, supple nor translucent as others I have sampled elsewhere. The bean curd rolls were acceptable but the turnip cake was downright terrible (maybe an off day?). The cake had dried shrimps and some ham bits but it was too mushy and not firm enough to hold up to the pan-frying – thus looking very squished and greasy. If I were to revisit, I would stick to selecting orders of the vegetable dumplings and the duck dumplings. The following dumplings were listed as separate menu items: Dim Sum dumplings (meat filled – not necessarily all represented in the platter order) Shrimp dumpling Shui mai Crab meat dumpling Seafood dumpling Shark fin dumpling Chives and shrimp dumpling Pork and vegetable dumpling Duck dumpling Chicken dumpling Stuffed mushroom dumpling Dim Sum Vegetarian dumplings (not necessarily all represented in the platter order) Bamboo heart dumpling Three star dumpling Rice noodle dumpling Snow pea leaf dumpling Chinese parsley dumpling Green dumpling Soy bean dumpling Abbot’s Delight Spinach dumpling Mushroom dumpling Price: $28 (includes pot of tea, taxes and tip)

This was part three of my dining weekend – see this link to access descriptions of the other meals. (Dim Sum GoGo, Gramercy Tavern, Bouley) http://forums.egullet.org/ibf/index.php?s=...t=ST&f=4&t=8050 Having had the clockwork like service at Gramercy the previous evening, the service at Fleur de Sel seemed rather amateurish and at times too amusing for words. It was Sunday evening, and when I arrived, only three other tables of two were occupied. This soon changed to eight tables of two at the height of the evening – two thirds full. The hostess seated me and another young woman who was my server, presented me with the menu. However, she clutched the wine list and asked if I was going to be drinking any wine, in a tone that insinuated the assumption that I wouldn’t be. I coolly informed her that I would have to select my meal first and then decide on having wine, and it would be best if she left the wine list. I find it annoying when they assume a single female diner may not order as much as other diners. An inauspicious start. Actually the hostess seemed to be more helpful as she took my order and suggested that I could have wine tastings with my meal, if I didn’t want to overindulge. More on the service later on. I selected the Spring tasting menu, and since most of the items have already been described in this thread, I will only elaborate as necessary. I included the other choice in brackets if it was different from the menu that the others had sampled. The wine was taken as tasting portions. 1) Suckling pig and foie gras terrine with aged balsamic. As described by Yvonne and Cabrales, the meat pulled from a roasted pig was combined with the gelee and foie gras to form the terrine. Quite a good juxtaposition of shapes, textures, and flavours. Bourgogne, Domaine du Bois, Guillaume Burgundy 1998 [Ceviche of Cape Neddicks oysters, tomato lime tea, spring peas] 2) Diver Maine sea scallop, parsnip foam, white truffle chestnut ravioli A large scallop, seared with a nice crust, placed on top of four ravioli soaking in the buttery foam with bits of parsnips and scallops. A nice blend of flavours – I really liked how each ingredient offered its own individual sweetness to the dish. I agree with Yvonne, the best dish of the lot. Mossbridge Chardonnay [or Goat cheese ravioli, artichoke, green basil, beet reduction, American sevruga caviar] 3) Potato crusted black jumbo bass, broccoli puree, Malbec Wine, Maple sugar reduction This was well described by Cabrales, except this dish had a very concentrated broccoli puree instead of a pea puree. This was prepared by cooking just the broccoli flowerets, squeezing out all the water and finally processing them in a blender. [or Sesame seed encrusted salmon, mushroom licorice emulsion, white asparagus, tarragon] 4) Steamed Maine lobster, Scotch lobster harrisa emulsion, green asparagus The lobster claw and part of the tail was arranged on top of the asparagus pieces, surrounded by a deep pumpkin-coloured, frothy sauce. The lobster meat was well-prepared –tender yet crisply firm to the bite. Muscat d’Alsace Turkheim 1999 [or Duck foie gras, dried fruit puree and rose water, red wine sauce] Before the dish arrived, the hostess was about to pour me a glass of the pinot noir that was supposed to go with the next course. When I indicated that I haven’t yet had the lobster, she became flustered and said the kitchen had told her that I was on the fifth dish. She returned with a bottle of the Muscat d’Alsace, and announced that she would let me sample this first because it was “kind of funky” (I swear - her exact words) and some people didn’t like it. So as you may have already surmised, she hadn’t bothered letting me sample the other glasses she had previously poured – but this “funky” one – well, had a special honour. The wine was fine by the way. 5) Roasted quail, foie gras sauce, spinach, wild mushrooms The quail was presented with a lovely piece of fois gras, both resting on a bed of spinach with morels and porcini mushrooms, surrounded with a rich foamy brown sauce (foamy sauces were the dominating factor that weekend). The overall dish was not memorable but the foie gras was beautifully caramelized. This dish and the one that preceded it were not the most visually appealing. They were both rather monochromatic – the first being rather orangey and this one an earthy brown. It certainly wasn’t a case of eating with my eyes. Each dish also had one dominating taste and lacked any real interesting layering of flavours. Pinot Noir, Armand Hurst Vieilles Vignes Alsace 1999 [or Tenderloin of veal, porcini, black truffle sauce] 6) Pineapple Sorbet (compliments of chef) A large quenelle of sorbet that was sweet and tart. 7) Raspberry feuillete, white chocolate ganache Already well-described by Cabrales. Of all three desserts this evening, this was the best in regards to creativity, presentation and balance of flavours and textures. 8) Gaufrette au chocolat (compliments of chef) This was composed of two chocolate covered gaufrette-like cookies (similar in appearance to a large Dutch stroopwafel cookie) sandwiched together with a smooth dense chocolate toffee and light chocolate mousse in the middle. This was garnished with a quenelle of chocolate ice cream, offset with a sprinkling of salt. I found this dessert to be overly sweet and not that appealing. When the gaufrette was presented, I wasn’t sure whether this was instead of the chocolate soufflé, or if it was an extra dessert, since the runner didn’t seem to speak French or English well enough to answer my question. I finally flagged down the server and she looked startled at my question. She demanded (and I quote), “Well, what did he say?” (referring to the runner) I replied that he didn’t say much of anything when he plopped it down in front of me. The server then became flustered, and said in a panicky squeak, that the kitchen doesn’t usually make such mistakes and she would find out. She came scurrying back and said it was an extra dessert and they would be willing to make any other dessert I wanted to try. Though I mischievously toyed with this idea, I declined, as the other desserts didn’t seem that appetizing anyways. 9) Chocolate tart soufflé, vanilla ice cream This was a round chocolate tart sprinkled with powdered sugar, served with a large quenelle of vanilla ice cream. This was not a true soufflé, but more of a flaky tart pastry filled with rich thick, warm chocolate. I was quite startled when I bit into a chunk of dark chocolate with one of the spoonfuls – I could be wrong but I don’t think this was intentional since it seemed to be incongruous with the composition. I would be curious to know if anyone else had this same experience with the dish. The ice cream was quite pleasant with flecks of vanilla. It was unfortunate but I didn’t find any of the chocolate desserts to be comparable in quality to the raspberry feuillete. $137 (includes tasting menu, four tasting sizes of the wines, espresso, taxes, and tip) Overall experience was fair as there were as many high notes as there were low ones. Since it was a Sunday on a long weekend, I can understand if not everything was quite up to par. If everything evened out, I can see the potential of this being a very pleasant dining experience.

This was part one of my Memorial Day dining weekend – see this link to access descriptions of the other meals. (Dim Sum GoGo, Fleur de Sel, Bouley) http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=8050 Since I was going to see Proof that evening, I booked my reservation for 5:30. I was prepared to order the $65 set dinner, but the waiter assured me that even the tasting menu was possible for my time constraint. Throwing caution to the wind, and possibly incurring indigestion, I instructed her to bring forth the tasting. I wanted to have some wine with each course but was hesitant to gulp down five full glasses, lest that would knock me into a coma during the play. So I compromised on having the wine as tastings instead. Even though they were smaller portions, I appreciated the fact that at each time, the waiter presented the bottle and allowed me a sample to approve before pouring the complete serving. Spring Tasting Menu Amuse-gueule: lobster and fava bean paste on toast 1) Torchon of foie gras with rhubarb, pistachio, and mustard greens Scheurebe Auslese, Dienheimer, Tafelstein, Bruder Dr. Becker, 1999 Rheinhessen A perfectly round, evenly pink slice of the torchon was nestled in a mixture of diced rhubarb and mustard greens with a sprinkling of pistachios. The combination was an interesting fusion of flavours and textures; the creamy, silky foie gras was sharply heightened with the fresh, crunchy, sweet and sour tang of the other ingredients. 2) Langostino with sweet pea ravioli Riesling Spatlesse, Westhofener Morstein, Witman, 2000 Rheinhessen A succulent, plump langostino atop of the ravioli, and the light, frothy butter sauce created an ethereal composition that was accentuated with a sprinkling of bright green peas. The langostino was firm, yet moist, and the peas offered bursts of sweetness through the buttery sauce. The ravioli was al dente, acceptable, but not memorable. 3) Dover sole with morels and asparagus Chassagne-Montrachet, 1er cru Vide Bourses, Marc Colin, 1998, Cote de Beaune Three squarish pieces of Dover sole with skin intact were arranged on a bed of morels and asparagus, with finely chopped ramps scattered on top. My first impression of the sole was of light, delicate flavours on the tongue, which was then startled by the hint of salt sprinkled on top. The tender, crisp asparagus and earthy, spongy morels completed this very clean dish. 4) Braised fresh bacon with chestnut honey-glazed turnips and mostarda Syrah, Jaffurs 2000, Santa Barbara County The slab of fresh bacon was surrounded by the mostarda, and accompanied with bitter mustard greens and two thin slices of glazed turnips. The mostarda combined citrus fruits, pineapple, fennel, and mustard seeds. It was a complex mixture of sweet, dense flavours intertwined with bitter citrus essences, which served to cut through the richness of the meat. Each bite of bacon conveyed a sensation of the thin layers of fat gently dissolving over the tender, smokey meat. I was pleasantly surprised that it was neither too salty nor too greasy. 5) Rack of Lamb with fennel, Nicoise olives and tomatoes Domaine de Trevallon 1995 Provence A substantial lamb rib chop from the rack was presented with a slice of roasted fennel, and a brown sauce with black olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and sweet peas. The tender, farm-raised Connecticut lamb was cooked medium rare as requested. The nuance of fat contributed to the juicy flavour, but somehow I did not find this hunk of meat as tasty as others I have had. I did enjoy the robust brown sauce, which was a bold combination with the bitter, salty olives, fruity sun-dried tomatoes, and intensely sweet peas laced with the licorice undertones of the fennel. 6) Lemon grass soup with diced pineapple and quenelle of lemon grass sorbet A very light and refreshing palate cleanser. Not as outstanding as the melon soup at Bouley. 7) Lemon tart souffle with ginger ice cream The delicate miniature lemon soufflé tart was sitting in a pool of rose coloured strawberry soup scattered with pistachios, and served with a quenelle of ginger ice cream. It was a pleasurable mixture of flavours – sweet, spicy, salty and tart sensations with each mouthful. I thought this was excellent and it definitely was the best dessert of all those sampled over the weekend. 8) Mignardises Chocolate ganache in a chocolate pastry shell Lemon meringue tart Dark chocolate truffle filled with chocolate hazelnut ganache Fine for what they were. $165 (includes tasting menu, five tasting sizes of the wines, espresso, taxes, and tip) Service was excellent, though at times a bit overwhelming with several bodies throwing themselves at my table at any indication that a task needed to be performed. To be fair, I did appreciate that they were trying to get me out on time since I had outrageously ordered a tasting to be completed in two hours. It was a bit amusing when one of the runners was trying too hard to be ingratiating as she gushed out cloying compliments. However, the server was very professional, offering polite guidance throughout – for instance suggesting the lemon tart was a better choice since the chocolate molten cake was not quite up to snuff compared to similar desserts she had sampled. She also apologized profusely when she immediately noticed the runner had brought me a single instead of a double espresso. Though the dishes were well prepared, I thought the overall dining experience was underwhelming, and not as interesting compared to similarly priced tastings. Even the descriptions of the regular menu items sounded more inviting, but I would have to try a prixe fixe meal to make a proper comparison.

The short story, "The Doughnuts" featured a boy named Homer Price. His uncle, who was a compulsive inventor, built a doughnut machine that suddenly went awry and kept on spitting out hundreds of doughnuts. I remember the pictures of towering piles and piles of dougnuts, left and right, but that machine just went on going, and going, and going. But suddenly catastrophe...a woman realized that she must have lost her bracelet in the doughnut machine! Well, that meant only one thing -- they would have to bite into every doughnut to find that bracelet!! And they did --- and to this day I still love doughnuts.