ASM NY

Thx Doc. Planning on making a trip to Alinea at some point this year, and hopefully form my own opinion by then. I did find some elBulli dishes to be focused more on texture and an element of "surprise"; and while I don't like some elBulli dishes, I think that flavor tends to be very pure and consistent.

There is an interesting article about Alinea in WIRED magazine's May issue. Focuses more than anything on the technique and presentation of the food. Keeping in mind that it is a technology-focused magazine, I didn't think that it wasn't much in depth from that perspective. There was some interesting mention on Chef Achatz's plans on making it the best restaurant in the U.S. (and doing it "his way"), as well as some comments by the Chef on how the focus of his cuisine is on flavor whereas from his experience working at elBulli was that food there focuses more on evoking emotion in the diner, not so much a focus on the taste. I have not yet eaten at Alinea, but I am very curious about how the flavor of the food compares with elBulli if anyone has had any experience eating at both places. It is a very interesting article no less, just adds some anticipation to my visiting these guys one of these days. The article will be available online on May 3, magazine is already in newsstands.

Amen! Important to refuel before heading back to the UWS. Not sure if the salsa verde they serve with their tacos, etc in the back is fresh or not, but if it is, maybe they will be willing to sell you some as well.

Not exactly Upper West Side, but I would suggest you try Tehuitzingo Deli on 695 10th Avenue (between 47th and 48th). Call in advance to make sure: (212) 397-5956. I personally am not the biggest Herdez fan, but I am pretty sure they carry it.

I agree that it is important in the eyes of hotel management to have a good restaurant in the hotel besides of potential business that may come from guests, and that they are probably willing to foot part of the bill to run the restaurant. At the same time, a significant percentage of hotel revenues come from food and beverage, so it must be more than just cosmetic. I am just speculating here, but my guess is that a place like Gilt was not only very expensive to put together, but also in its day to day operations. I am not sure ADNY is a good comparison, all his main restaurants are in hotels, and ADNY opened in NY with the expectation that it would be a huge hit, so perhaps it was at the time, worth the investment. I don't think the same can be said about Gilt as far as initial expectations are concerned.

I agree. Don't think that there are a lot of investors that will put up that kind of money as charity. Not so much that they are not expecting to realize a quick return on their investment, but more along the lines that as an ongoing concern, a restaurant of this caliber can be very expensive. The issue is not only putting the money down to start the restaurant, but the willingness to put more money in if the restaurant is running negative cash flow. With that said, I am not getting an impression that the restaurant is in trouble or bleeding. Also it's important to bear in mind that it is part of a high end hotel, and it must get more than its fair share of guests as clientele as well. Maybe it's a question for another topic, but does anyone have an idea what kind of level of capacity (on a weekly basis) a restaurant of this type need to break even?

Was there recently, noticed some changes in the menu. They had a squid salad that was very good, which is no longer there. They also took off the "Chicken Sous-Vide" given the crackdown on sous vide in NYC. They did have another chicken that seemed to be slow cooked as well, but in our case, it came undercooked and we had to send it back. The crab is still outstanding.

Interesting, I was just looking at the menu online as well, and was suprised to see that they increased it from $135 to $160 for the tasting menu, now apparently it's $145. Odd. Marc, how busy was the room? Just curious to hear how the restaurant is doing.

I was there a month or so ago. My general impression echoes the two earlier posts. I found the food to be well executed. Some of it was hit/miss. The scallops were overcooked, but the duck and the snail risotto were fantastic. The chocolate beignet dessert was excellent. The portions were definetly small and while the bill was along the lines of a Veritas meal (ie. not outrageously expensive). We did leave hungry. Worth a visit though.

I am from one of those countries where bribery/corruption is part of everyone's daily life, yet I have never "bribed" anyone in a restaurant for a better table or to be seated sooner. I guess I do have a certain fear that it may not be necessary or that it might not work, partly because I would rather get good service in a place that I visit often for being someone who tips well. I can't say I agree that it's the cost of doing business. I am not saying that it's not common not only in this industry, but in many others. However, I would try to avoid going to a restaurant where it is NECESSARY to do this to be able to get good service. And whlie it will happen as long as a retaurant is popular, I think it may work against them in the long run if people have that impression. If I owned a restaurant, I would discourage this from my staff.

For that kind of money, you're probably better off going to Masa and sit at the bar. I haven't been to either Masa or Morimoto NY, but my money would be on Masa all the way.

I guess I will have to return and give it another shot. But based on my first and only experience there, I find your statement above pretty discouraging...

Well. there can only be one winner... I have had my meals at both "Modern" restaurants and at Gilt. I enjoyed the food better at the formal restaurant more than the bar room. Don't get me wrong, I think that The Modern is a fine restaurant, but neither of my meals there ranked among the best I have had in New York. My meal at Gilt did.

Gilt wins the Time Out NY Eat Out award "Best Tasting Eye Candy" for the numerous amuses that the kitchen sends out before every meal. Sadly it didn't win best new restaurant (that went to The Modern). One of Gilt's amuses (the beet tuile) is actually on the cover of the magazine. It's so unfortunate (and ironic) that this one is actually an elBulli creation and not a Gilt original. They had so many great ones to pick from!

Let's be honest here. Does he deserve the cash? Yes. Is it because of his brilliance in the kitchen? not really, he has earned it because of his brilliance as a businessman. As Busboy says, at some point there has to be a trade off. How many talented chefs are there out there making very little money? I think it's not so much an issue of respect from fans. Hell, I think Emeril has the most fans, and is a respected chef by the masses (which is indeed where the REAL money is). It is about whether they want to dedicate their talent to futher developing their craft, or making more money. It's not everyday that a chef has the window of opportunity to become a celebrity and really make a lot of dough (no pun intended). I don't think there are many chefs out there that would not "sell out" and become the official chef of NASCAR, the MLS, the Westiminster Dog Show for the right price. And that is what Mario and others have done. I am not disputing his talent as a chef. I think the man can cook. He just doesn't do it because he's too busy promoting his cookware line, books, etc.

Perhaps it's worth trying again... it's just usually difficult to return to a place you did not enjoy. I hate the idea of sitting there wondering... "how come I am back here? " Either way, I want to check out Yuva first and see how they compare.

I agree. It is difficult to really say, especially since you have to be in agreement regarding what one considers "real cheese" and what is considered "cheese product" or "processed cheese". Even the lowest quality "cheese" you can find in any supermarket or convenience store has cheese (or pasteurized milk and enzymes) as part of its igredients. Either way, probably a discussion topic for another thread.

It all depends on the definition of "cheese". If the definition one uses is made from milk, it would certainly qualify. The same way Kraft American Cheese Slices and the grated Parmesan from the green container would qualify. I think OG probably uses what is more commonly known as Processed Cheese, which is essentially cheese with added dyes, additives, emulsifiers and flavoring.

Thanks for this nickarte, I have been struggling to find a good place in Mexico City since El Faisan closed, went to Los Almendros recently and was disappointed.

I was favorably surprised with the steak, but I agree that this place needs a makeover. The place is so dark, I should have brought a flashlight.

I completely agree with your and akwa's points. I don't think you need to create "thought-provoking" food that might shock some, to apply some principles that are being brought out by the molecular gastronomy movement. It is almost inevitable for people to associate molecular gastronomy with the more modern, innovative cuisine of elBulli, Fat Duck and WD50. I am pretty sure that you are not surprised by this skepticism from local chefs. How do you think a more avant-guarde restaurant would do locally? I would be surprised if it would generate enough interest. I think it has a difficult enough time generating interest in a place like NY. Recall our discussions about the restaurant "Venue" and its location in NJ. How do you think Venue would do over where you are?

I vaguely remember having these... if I recall correctly, it was like fresh berries with some "pop rocks"-type thing on them. They were tasty! Perhaps Jasper can enlighten us on how exactly these are made.

Great post gaf, interesting that the servers made mistakes in describing the dishes, which also happened to me when we went. They were a couple of minor mistakes, no big deal. I wonder if it's a consequence of the tasting menu changing so often and the dishes being so elaborate.

Great article Bryan. I would be very curious to hear what kind of reaction you are getting from the teacher and student body. It's unfortunate you had to dumb it down especially given the academic environment.

I have a recipe I can PM to you, it's not very complicated. The challenge, however, lies in finding some "lima". I have had a very difficult time finding lima outside Mexico. It's not lemon or lime, it's sometimes known as "sweet lime", and it's very fragrant and much milder in taste than lemon or lime. You can do the recipe as well with lime, but the taste is not the same. Let me know