TAPrice

Unless things have changed in the last few months, you normally have to knock the little window for service.

so i emailed Ludovic Miazga who is the noilly prat brand ambassador quite a while ago about the differences between the american noilly and the european version... he also notes that the "L'Enclos" outdoor aging method is meant to replicate the products early sea journey (like in madeira) that noilly rarely gets any credit for... ← Well, if that only changed the taste...

Yes, Toby is not wearing well. That Elvis metaphor was painfully strained. You get the impression that Mr. Young only discovered television and pop music after he graduated from Oxford and is awkwardly trying to make up for his dorky youth.

Officially it's still a soft opening (according to the PR rep). The New York Times ran a big piece on the place today:

Is that what happened on the Next Iron Chef series?

Just so I'm clear, the older, American-only version is labeled "Original French Dry." The new (at least to the US market) formula and the one currently sold in France is labeled "Original Dry"? Got to love that French logic.

Has anyone tried Scott Boswell's gumbo at Stanley? I've only had a po-boy there, but it could be an option.

I was looking through my old Time-Life Foods of the World volume on spirits and wines, published 1968, and ran across this curious recipe for a "Sazerac (or Zazarac)": 3 oz bourbon or blended whiskey 1/2 t bar sugar 1 cube ice lemon peel 5 "drops" Peychaud 3 "drops Ojen (Spanish absinthe) or substitute Pernod [paraphrasing the recipe except for the quoted portion for copyright reasons] Here are the instructions: Can I assume that "drop" means dash? Like all the recipes in this old book, it's stiff as hell. 3 ounces of booze is nothing to toy with. So here is what I find curious (other than the method): It calls specifically for Ojen. Most people may not know this anise flavored liquor. It's Spanish. As far as I know, they stopped making it years ago, but you can still find it on the shelves of nearly every liquor store in New Orleans. The carnival krewe Rex drinks an Ojen cocktail. Galatoire's serves a ton of them. John Besh put an Ojen cocktail on the menu at his brasserie Luke. I've heard that a local distributor ordered one last, giant run of the stuff before the Spanish company ceased production. I'd love to know how it came to be so popular here. These days, most recipes call for Herbsaint. Could it be, though, that Ojen was a more common ingredient. Any thoughts? And given that the recipe calls for an obscure but common in New Orleans ingredient, perhaps the method reflects how Sazeracs were commonly prepared in New Orleans in the mid-20th century?

Here in New Orleans, rumors are floating around that the season finale will be shot tomorrow, January 15, at Commander's Palace. Is it true? Hard to say. I read it on the internet, and you know how unreliable the internet can be.

Moderator's Note - We've split this topic off from the Bruni & Beyond - 2008 topic, renamed it and closed the old one, since it's 2009 now. So what happened to Frank Bruni (or more precisely, interest in Bruni)? As someone who only only drops in to the New York forum from time to time, I've always enjoyed the lively (and heated) discussions about Bruni. And then I noticed that last fall people stopped commenting about his reviews. Is this just a matter that our members tired of the topic (which happens--no big deal)? Or does it reflect a general sense in the New York dining scene that reviews in the NYT don't demand the same attention?

After being closed for a period, Joe's reopened with new owners. Brett Anderson wrote about it last summer in the this TP article.

That Guy guy makes me shudder. Kitchen Bouquet? Eh, I guess I'd to believe my gravies are brown from cooking and not food color.

I shudder to pass along anything featuring Guy Fieri, but this complete breakdown of how Parasol's makes its roast beef is worth it: Video: Making Parasol's roast beef (FoodTV) Did anyone else's heart fall when they saw the Kitchen Bouquet go into the gravy? I kind of felt the same way when I learned that Prejean's uses it in their dark roux gumbo. How much of that stuff do you think is used in this city?

Queen of the Ball on Oak Street is probably open. Tee-Eva's, a little stand on Magazine Street, sells snoballs, although I always opt for the pralines or mini-pies.

I wondered what that Top 100 Chinese restaurant award was all about. A few weeks ago, on our way home from visiting family, we found ourselves at a Chinese buffet in a tiny town in rural Arkansas (we had planned the lunch stop around a barbecue joint, but it was closed on Sunday). The buffet had a big sign by the toilets announcing its Top 100 award. (For the record, it was no worse than a lot of other buffets. Using Steven's handy tips and advice, I managed to get a pretty decent meal. Alas, the top item was fresh fried catfish coated with cornmeal. Not a surprise in Arkansas, but not exactly Asian.)

I talked to Stephen at the farmers market on Tuesday. He said the designer is still finishing up the chairs and fixtures, which is holding things up. They don't want to open until it's right, and it didn't sound like it will be right for a few more weeks.

Go now! Before they realize how damn cheap th prices are and raise them. I paid $11 for a delicious piece of drum over beets with grilled green onions. Served on a white tablecloth. And I got an amuse when I sat down.

Have you tried contacting your closest French consulate? Often foreign governments have small scholarships and grants to promote their culture. My background is in academics, where such scholarships are pretty common. I don't know if countries do this for culinary studies, but it's worth a shot.

And her lamb won because she was experienced enough to known how long it needed to be cooked. I don't think she has the flash to make the finish line, but it goes to show how many people mess up because they're young and inexperienced. Certainly some kids learn quickly, but Ariane is proving the value of experience. The kids could learn something from her.

I just got my hands on a bottle of Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitter. My bottle "achieved oaken maturity" in 2008, whatever that means. I'm not sure what to make of these or what to do with them. I tasted the Fee Brothers side by side with Angostura. First, I tasted a few drops of each in a spoon. The Angostura is really assertive and truly, utterly bitter. I've never known how to identify the taste of Angostura bitters. I just think of it as the way that Angostura bitters taste (you know what I mean--earthy, root-like). The finish causes my whole mouth to react physically. They're also dark (and stain horribly--don't tell my wife, but that's why our dining room chairs are ruined). The Fee Brothers are light in color and taste. The taste of cinnamon seems to predominate. They're also sweet, no true bitterness, and no physical reaction from the mouth. I could down a bottle of these, no problem. Are they lighter because they have no alcohol? I wonder if they'll stand up to liquor. Next, I taste them in soda water. Pretty much what I expected. The Fee Brothers gets lost. Finally, I try an old fashioned, but just with the Fee Brothers. I'm pretty familiar with how one tastes with Angostura. I make the old fashioned with Jim Bean (it's my house Bourbon, because I can pick up a handle for $20). Personally, I like my old fashioneds on the dry side, so I mix them 8:1 with simple syrup (2 ounces bourbon and 1/4 ounce simple syrup). No fruit salad, and a twist of orange. I go with four dashes of the Fees. Honestly, I'm pretty disappointed in the drink. It tastes sweet. Too sweet for my taste. The Angostura taste is really central to what I think of as an old fashioned. So what are these Fee Brothers bitters good for? Are they ever a good substitute for Angostura? And why does something aged in a bourbon barrel need extra color added?

Ditto to all of the above. You could do Galatoire's at lunch in that outfit, although you would feel under dressed. On a Friday, though, you would stick out.

I haven't heard a word about it. Doesn't mean it's not still happening, but he's keeping it quiet.

While researching an article on Prohibition in New Orleans for the Times-Picayune, I ran across this quote from November, 1933 issue of the paper: Happy Repeal Day! [P.S. The microfilm was a little blurry. Is the Sarninga bracer actually the name of a drink? I can't find it anywhere. Perhaps I mis-transcribed it.]

I actually thought it was a good challenge. Having some basic TV chops and being able to do a short cooking demo seems like a basic skill for almost any chef who wants to advance their career. Sure, they may never be on the Today show, but I bet there are few chefs of any stature who haven't done a quick demo on a local show. It's free publicity, who could say no? Do it well, and it's lots of free publicity.

[Please forgive the lame allusion to the Buggles.] In a Chow interview, Dale DeGroff makes this "spirited" comment [and now I'm making bad puns, stop me]: So what do you think? Are jiggers really that much slower? Are they holding back the popularity of good drinks? Or will good drinks always have a smaller audience and be reserved for bars where the patrons aren't so rushed?