Mimi Sheraton

Not really, no. It happens to be my favorite address in the whole world, as you well may know, and I am interested as to who is so similarly fixated. And don't forget the creamed morilles and the salmis of hare or the potatoes roasted in duck fat.

Also, if we stuck to only regional, local provendor, we New Yorkers would never have lemons, limes or oranges..Calif., would not have Maine lobster and who would ever have pineapple? No one seems to mind wasabi from Japan and much is made in LA of fish flown from Tokyo for sushi, so what are we really talking about here?

I agree about the talents of the individual chefs, but the sensibility is supposed to be that of the master chef because his or her name instills a certain expectation..otherwise why not just give each restaurant an entirely different name?

You've been away a long time...the term is salami and eggs, not eggs and salami..In fact, I wrote a book with Alan King called "Is Salami and Eggs Better Than Sex?" I dealt with the grammar of salami and eggs being singular...Salami falling into rice pudding sounds like the inspiration for a fusion chef...

Reports of the death of French cuisine (and also, by the way of Frenc Couture)are highly exaggerated. I believe that the next big wave will be French bistro and many traditional dishes perhaps modernizes, as much as that disconcerts me - the modernizing I mean. Matio Batali agrees with me. In the past 6 months alone, two typical Fr. bistros have opened up on 14th St. between 8th & 9th Avenues in NYC...all on oen block and more are following. I have doubts about the ednurance of the current tilt toward Spain..sounds like hogwash to me, as good as a few of its palces might be..and then those are nodding toward France by competing with France meaning France is still the one to beat...and so with fashion. Having recently returned from Paris where I visited 4 old favorite bistros, I can tell you both the inner and outer me breathed a sigh of relief at eating real food again.

Many regions, such as ours, do just that but not being blessed with the Calif. climate, our seasons are shorter than our passions....and by the way, why don't you review my memoir for the LA Times...In it I say that Spago has terrific goulash....isn't that worth telling readers about? It;s called Eating My Words: An Appetite for Life..let me know if you need a copy. Thanks for taking part in this..nice to talk to you.

Russ..what I meant to answer is that it is not the trucking that's the main problem, it's the strawbrries that they grow. If they grew better ones, they could keep on truckin'

Building a food library depends somewhat on whether you are interested in all cuisines as I am although not all equally. I certainly consider essential all works by MFK Fisher, Elizabeth David, the first two of Marcella Hazan, all by Giuliano Bugialli, Artusi, Escoffier, Joy of Cooking, the Asian cookbook by Charmain Solomon for an overview, The German Coobook by me, a set of Time Life Food of the World Series if you can get your hands on them, Brilliat-Savarin translation by MFK, and then see where your interests take you...baking, confectionery,Spain, Middle East (all by Claudia Roden), Indian (all by Madhur Jaffrey..look at bibliographies in those books and follow your interests...

Well now, that's a big question..maybe a book..you can write it. I think it depends on the way it is done..if the famous chef opens clones - like, let us say, Olives, then I think he or she asks for big trouble becasue the implication is that all things will be the same everywhere. But if different types of restaurants are opened in each place there is more leeway for each to do what it can do best and no direct comparisons... Then it depends upon how successful the chef is in teaching and overseeing his creations..Jean Georges seems to be terrific at this ...Of course I am always skeptical of chefs spread too thin and definitely have a show me attitude going in...You'll never get a Lutece that way, I can tell you, and it remains to be seen how Tom Keller handles French Laundry and Per Se...so far so good, but I have not been back to French Laundry since 2001. Other chains of course, like The Olive Garden, are to my mind McOlive Gardens already..ditto Howard Johnsons, Outback, etc. but I don't think that's the level you're talking about.

usually you could not get bagels at an appetizing store..but often right nextdoor or nearby ...we still have Russ&Daughters, Zabar's and Murray's, thank heavens.,

I was asked to keep my selection to four or five choices and, in fact, overstepped that. I do love fried chicken but figuredf there were many counterpoarts in other countries (most especially Germany, Austria, China and even Japan) so it would not seem so surprising. Nor do I consider California cuisine a cuisine..more like a presentation..Dungeness crab does not hold a candle to its Chesapeake Bay cousin...Calif could grow better strawbnrries and probably does for Alice Waters..its the dreaed Driscolls that I scorn. Also, in general, where the species are the same, I prefer fish from the Atlantic to those from the Pacific, salmon included if wild and not farmed. And, no, I did not consider Tex-Mex among my 4-5 choices.

That's a tough one...I suppose I would mean a dish that overall reflects and recalls its traditional version on home ground, allowing for personal, idiosyncratuc variations. Think about the Pad Thai of all of those vendors..didn't all have a commonality of flavors and textures that lead you to accept them as "correct"..i.e. authentic?

Taking Zagat at its word (!), it would be the respondents who have the tilt toward France, not the guide. I believe that respondents react to ratings of local critics who do seem to tilt toward France at the fancy level. I do not automatically award any points to a restaurant just because it is French, but I think many critics do.

if you do not have review a palce you think is badm that's one way out..but if you have to make it positive then that is totally indefensible..no way around that...

What I miss most about the Brooklyn of my youth is my youth. I think the re-done Lundy's is a travesty..perfectly terrible...No, the original Lundy's built on a pier into Sheepeshead Bay (not later and present site) served huckleberry pie...I loved the old gage & Tollner but it was not part of my growing up.. Ebinger's of course for blackout cake, pies, honey buns, and much more...I knew Sutter's best when it was on Greenwich Ave & 10th St. in the Village and especially miss the coffee cakes..pecan ring, etc.

I will not answer your question until you tell me more about your screen name..you and I know what it means but how and why did you choose it? I've been wondering about that for quite a while...

Bagels are definitely an endangered species and rarely eat them, even in NYC. Good lox, and smoked salmon, are still blessedly available in this city but I suspect the market for real lox is decreasing with each generation.

It is my impression that the Kossar flaw has to do with a more mechanized production than previouly, most especially with their balling machine, a job that was done by hand under old owner...I am not sure whether they altered the flour or the dough to suit the mixer...they do bake them lighter for a younger audience

Here's a way to reconstitute if slightly stale...moisten hands with water and rub over all sides of hardened bialy, wrap snugly in foil and bake for 7 or 8 minutes or until soft in 425 degree oven..unwrap and continue baking for 3 or 4 min, or until surface is crisp. Eat at once or they will die again.

Never have I owned any part of any restaurant or food business. Vianna "79 or otherwise..first time I've heard that accusation. Probably as part of various mutual funds I probably own some bits of some fast food chains but I have hardly been kind to those.

First, thanks for the compliments. Next, I think Frank Bruni is doing a good job. He is an excellent writer and so far I have not often disagreed with his assessments. I have a problem with the Under $25 for several reasons..mainly that it is often not really possible to have 3 courses (the measure for me) in some of those places for under $25. And I do not see why they should not be rated or why they are not grist for the main critic's mill. I approve of the star system if the critic can make the text and star ratings agree which often they do not for me. I do not like Diner's Journal when it covers new restaurants because that is a sort of pre-review review. I would rather wait for a full review and rating and not tip-off the restaurant. An announcement and description of a new restaurant is one thing, but a half-way review is quite another.

I suppose the restaurant business, being as chancy as it is, demands owners serve what they know will sell best and few are willing to take a risk. Those that do are ussually upscale. In addition, they cannot have menu that are too large and so they tend to stay with dishes they know will sel.. Important too is the fact that the audience is not discerning enough to ask for the more esoteric dishes and condiments..not enough Thai or Thai-informed customers.

I too remember Aux Armes with affection, especially the fillet of sole on noodles..Relatively recently I have been back to Auberge de l'ille and found it as delectable as ever..as were L'Ami Louis, Benoit, Aux Lyonnais and with some reservations, Allard in Paris.

In general, I think the press does a pretty good job of informing us of the more serious issues on food - those you described. They do a less good job on the more stylish aspects of what is in and trendy, and overly celebrate chefs. I cannot think of any must-read but that depends on the lvel of experience of the readers. After reading about food for 50 years, I find little new on food pages but much more so on business and general news pages.

I am surprised that you said I wrote about liking dim lighting, as I do not..I like to see the food and the menu, to say nothing of the check. It may be that a restaurant light was too bright and that a bit of dimming might create intimacy and atompshere, but I can't remember where that may have been. When very dim lighting is coupled with shattering noise, I almost go berserk, not being able to see or hear...