Beachfan

Q: What's the difference between Southern California and yoghurt? A: Yoghurt has active culture.

Is Pavel's available in New York City? It's my favorite, and the opposite of a thick yoghurt. It's thin and fragile (and extremely fresh tasting). My wife (a vegetarian) doesn't care much for it though.

You might get a comment if you post at Mark Squires Wine Bulletin Board, which you can enter though Robert Parkers website Robert Parker online

Yes, you are correct, lobster and cheese command supplemental charges.

I eat quickly, and much faster than my wife (but not as fast as my brother). Eating with people who eat slower than me is welcomed. Helps keep the meal pace more reasonable.

I checked 3 varieties of Maille that I bought at the main Paris store. They also contain citric acid. Actually, citric sounds nice

I made substitutions. However, it was a special occasion (my friend's birthday) and the planets were auspicous, so I don't know if it would be the same (or even allowed) next time. We did both have identical tasting menus.

Do you mean the bar area? If so, I haven't eaten there. I had the $90 tasting menu.

I was at Farrallon for the second time last night, and I've been wowed both times. While some people might find the decor too much, I love the glass /Jules Verne decor. Very fun in my book. First course Spanish Mackerel Tartare - I never had this fish prepared this way, and it was great. Served with toast points, capers, egg, a favorite sushi fish in a new, raw, variant. Yummmm. Second course Diver Scallops over rissotto- Really top notch scallops prepared in an imaginative way. Worked very well together. Desert - chocolate malt ice cream profiteroles. Very nice (although not the traditional version with hot sauce). Wine - Maritinelli Road Chardonnay 1999 by Martinelli. As a bonus, the bread in SF is almost alway super, and it was here as well. Very recommended to nomad moderators on an editor's nickel.

We had a fabulous meal at GT last Monday (final feast of my NY visit). Of special note are the dishes Christopher steered me to that we weren't originally going to order. Marinated Hamachi with Roasted Beets and Lemon Vinagerette - cured more than marinated, and the curing gave it a unique, exciting flavor differentiating itself from other hamachi dishes. Truly excellent. Langostino with Sweet pea ravioli. We were going to get something with peas, and Christopher recommended this one. Outstanding spring peas, with a perfect langostino to go with it. Coconujt Tapioca with Passion fruit ice, coconut sorbet and cilantro syrup. I would have never ordered this, thinking I'll save tapioca for my senility. What a mistake that would have been. I was astounded at the contrasting flavors and textures doing a tango in my mouth. Ones I figured out on my own - Black Bass with white and green asparagus, radish and chervil. I just loovvvve Black Bass when it's done right, and this was definitely right. Crispy skin, delicate but flavorfull fish, great balance with the veggies. I could have had 3. I loved the spiced- roasted lobster with green tomato chutney and bay leaf. The sauce was superb, really bright enticing flavors. The lobster was just a little tough, but no matter. The only dish that didn't work for me was the fresh bacon. It's because the only red meat I eat is in small pieces and with lots of nitrates (and if it's bacon, crisp). This seemed more like pork. But I'm sure the pork fans love it. We had a lovely selection of cheeses; some interesting goat cheeses and a perfect epoisses. A bottle of 98 Martinelli Reserve Pinot Noir and 1991 Chateau Montelena Cabernet made a great pairing for me (since I don't each much meat, I usually accompany red wine with fish). Of special note was the excellent, welcoming and gracious service by Christopher. In addition to being our navigator, we had a great time exchanging views on restaurants, wine, etc. And he didn't even react when my friend said the glass of Amarone wasn't quite big enough, did they have anything bigger. My eyes rolled up into the back of my head; (sorry steve c. if you're reading this). As it was a early birthday celebration from my friend, the warm service made it extra special. Thanks, Chris.

Not only is Maille awesome, all the Maille's are. Some are only available in France (maybe it's the citric acid thing, I'll have to compare). My favorites Maille Provence Mustard (made with red peppers) Maille Taragon Mustard Maille Dijon with Horseradish Now Trader Joe's has larger squeeze bottles of Maille regular so I don't go through my Paris stash in a few months (I brought back 14 jars, including the above, Hazelnut mustard, Mustard with Roquefort (or some blue cheese), with Black Berries, on and on).

Steven, I held off on the accolades for the first article, even though I loved it. I didn't want to shoot my wad of superlatives on the first day. It was a fabulous article. This one is almost epic. Sort of like Indochine crossed with the food scene in Tom Jones (done in PG). Your trip sounds better than the best of the French itineraries. Keep on truckin, chowing and writing! PS In Santa Barbara there is a bakery that only bakes doggie treats. Quite the place; I bought by brother's dog Xmas presents there (closest thing to a niece I have). I'll try and find the name, but it's on the main drag in town where everyone walks, easy to find.

I admire you pluck in returning so quick. I'd be boycotting for years for that type of wait. Did they comp your bar tab?

Their corkage policy is buy one bottle and you can bring one bottle (w/o any fee). They have a very nice wine list with obscure Californian wines that are not even know to obscure Californians such as myself. I bring my own wine because I like to drink my wine with food and I'm a limited cook. So if I want to enjoy my wine with food, it usually means someone else is cooking.

It's not Bouley Bakery. It's the reincarnation of the old Bouley. If you haven't been to the old Bouley, then you can just experience it as any new restaurant that get's a big buzz.

As asked, I'm reporting back on another lovely Tasting Room excursion. Here's what I had: First Wine - Delas Clos Boucher 1998 Condrieu (from my cellar). As our waiter said "it rocks". First Course consists of next two dishes shared: Marinated Squid and Scallops - Fresh Mint, Lime and Shallot This was a stunner. I thought I had had it last time in January, but I was wrong. In retrospect I wonder if it was made like a cerviche but the thin, delicate slices and intensely fresh mint/lime flavors made it seem truly unique. A real winner. Sliced fresh cod, green mango, chiles, olive oil. This was a substitution, the menu mentioned sea bass. No matter, it was a wow! A perfect pairing with the dish above. I never would have thought fresh cod could be so ethereal. Second course: Fois Grois Terrine, Pickled Ramps, Plum, Mint Oil I love their fois grois and this time was no exception. Interestingly enough, I had a comparison to D'Artagnan since I sereved their trio of fois gras to one of my dining companions. I think Tasting Room is Hudson Valley and D'Artagnan is French (anyone know for sure?), but they were extremely comparable, and the plum/mint oil adornment made the Tasting Rooms a real treat. Quite a nice portion for the "taste" size. Second wine: Navarro 1999 late harvest Reisling. A lovely accompaniement to the fois gras (and for desert). Third Course (next two dishes shared) Manhatten Clam Chowder: razor clams, potatoes, smoked paprika. I love this dish. Super rich tomato broth, with the smoke flavor showing itself in just the right way. Third wine: L'Ecosse 1996 Dolcetto. A California Dolcetto, suprisingly nice, drinking very well right now. Pan Roasted Monkfish, Shitake Mushroom, Ramp Greens, Carrot Sauce A credible dish, but not the culinary wow of the others. Nonetheless, a nice piece of fish. Sour Cream Tart with Walnut Crumble, Chocolate Sauce, Whipped Cream. Such a nice version of this desert. A perfect ending. By the way, I took my vegetarian wife. Although there was plenty of notice, and confirmation, at first only one vegetarian dish was offered to my wife. Hardly the Tasting Room experience. Due to greenmarket shorfalls, there weren't any on the menu that day (the next day, one was added). I guess Collin was feeling a little extra cramped; luckily Renee sorted it out and my wife got three courses to keep pace with the omnivores, and she loved her meal. The first course was a fennel salad, the last was a mushroom dish ( I forget the middle one, and she's sleeping right now :>)).

I continue to be impressed with the value orientation of Mario Battaglia's restaurants. Today I wnet for a late dinner and had the Civitella Rosso 2000 ($36/bottle, $15 for a mini carafe) from Lazio and a Bricco San Bernardo 1999 ($30 I think). The first is primarily Merlot, but far more interesting than the California Merlots at that price point. The latter was a Dolcetto, but with far more structure than most - hard to pick it as a Dolcetto even if you knew it came from Piedmont. There were many, many, many options in the $30 to $40 range. Whenever I've followed the staffs recommendation, I've been very pleased. By the way, the starter was mixed seafood appetizers (nice, not outstanding except for the cuttlefish), carrots with cumin (super) and striped bass (excellent). If you have other restaurants that you think have a similarly good selection in the $40 and under range, I'd be very interested to hear them.

Thanks for the gougeres tip. They were a hit (althought I would have preferred less air and more cheese). I had the grilled cheese sandwich again, this time Artisanal mix and prosciutto. I liked it, but it didn't send me to heaven like the cheddar and bacon. It made me wonder whether it was personal preference or something more. Dear Reader, what is your favorite grilled cheese sandwich at Artisanal? PS Going to the cheese shop in the restaurant is a great part of the experience. I got a Spanish goat cheese yesterday (Monte Enebro), that was closer to a Boucheron than your typical Spanish goat cheese. This was a Boucheron with a tad more tang. Today a got a lovely Keene cheddar (Mull something or other).

Mao, at the old Bouley, we never had a disappointment at lunch. However, my wife at there at dinner and had a disappointment. Last night, my wife was a little disappointed in her entree (shitakes over risotto) but that's only in contrast to the perfect 10s of the other courses (she's predjudiced against risotto). I was downtown earlier in the day, looking at ground zero, and ambled over to Bouley. To my surprise, they serve their prix fixe $35 lunch over the weekend. I saw the menu and it looked fabulous. No lobster or kobe beef, but plenty of variety in the other stuff and 5 or 6 courses including the amuse bouche. I plan to go as often as possible for lunch. :p

$35 per bottle. They were polite informing me of the charge when they saw the bottles, complimentary of the bottles I brought, and seemed truly pleased by the taste I gave the waiter and glass I sent to the kitchen.ar I should mention that I was surprised at the large number of $50 and under choices on the wine menu. Not that they were great bargains, but they were nice choices, and many of them.

I got reservations for 12:30 pm today when I called at 11:00. And thank you for the post; I went in, had only the grilled cheese sandwhich and it was the best ever. I'm bring a group there for brunch tomorrow; it seems like a great $20 prix fixe deal. There are two young teenagers and it seems like a perfect place for them; gourmet macaroni and cheese among others. My reverie in the afternoon was a vision of going back and ordering four more grilled cheeses so I can try them all. PS Pardon my ignorance stefanyb, but what are "gougeres"? Not a pickled vegetable, are they?

I had a fabulous dinner at Bouley tonight. He's back,the extreme level of excellence is back - even the apples are back. The apples have a modern touch; instead of being in a basket, they are in what I can only describe as the apple rack analogy of a wine rack. The fragrance is the same, the visuals are modernized. Some similar themes with the menu too. Here's what I had: Amuse Bouche: canape of crab, with cucumber salad and tomato coulis; goat cheese quiche. The canape is a signature item from the old Bouley, and this one was lovely. The quiche got very favorable reviews although I thought mine was a little light on cheese vs. crust. First course: Phyllo crusted Florida shrimp, Cape Cod baby squid, scuba dive sea scallop in an ocean herbal broth. Three absolutely superb, pristine examples of shellfish, and the intense green sauce had a fresh, concentrated delightful flavor (almost chlorophyl flavor, if that sounds good to you). Second Course: Black bass with a scallop crust, white asparagas, salsify, jasmine rice in a boulliabase sauce. Another completely outstanding dish, with the sauce having layers of flavor, the bass being perfectly done and the garnishes lovely. Third Course - Maine lobster with sweet peas, fava beans and port wine sauce. The port wine was there but lightly done, allowing the sweet peas to stand out. It sounds like it wouldn't work, but it was a star, maybe my favorite of the sauces. Definitely a different slant to the style from the old Bouley (By the way, there were a few Asian/fusion accented dishes on the menu; I tasted one, a lobster dish called "Return from Chang Mai", again truly outstanding). Wines were from my cellar. 1996 William and Selyem Coastlands Vineyard Pinot Noir and 1994 Opus One. Both were as good as I had hoped, with the cherry flavors that make Russian River Pinot Noir so enjoyable, and the Opus drinking very, very well. Now onto deserts: First Desert Orange melon soup with 4 sorbets: fromage blanc, apricot, green apple, and rasberry. The green apple was stunningly crisp and flavorful. The apricot tasted just picked and the fromage blanc was super. The rasberry was good but didn't plant a flag on your palette like the others. Second Desert Rhubarb parfait with strawberries, coconut crisp, rubarb cassis sorbet. Very, very fresh rhubarb, cooked in a way that gave them a texture that blended right in with the strawberries. An excellent light desert, a must if you like rhubarb. And if you didn't like rhubarb, you might after this. (PS this was a four way split) Third Desert: Vahlrona dark choclate souffle, with 4 scoops of: Chocolate sorbet, vanilla ice cream, maple ice cream and prune armagnac ice cream. I always found Bouley to set the standard on Chocolate souffle, and this one lived up to my vivid memories. The chocolate sorbet and prune armagnac ice cream will be enduring memories - dream of how you would hope they would taste, and that's how they tasted. Petit Fours A lovely assortment came at the end. Florentines, cookies and several indescribable delights, including one filled with pistachio parfait. They served the coffee/espresso/tea with the melon soup; unusually early I thought. However, thoughts that they were trying to turn the table evaporated after their explicit invitation to linger and a second serving of petit fours arrived. Service was uniformly excellent and welcoming. Tap water was offered in a way that made me feel they were equally proud of tap or botteld. We got bottled but noticed that the tap was served from a large elegant centrally displayed carafe. (I read an interview with Bouley; he said that part of the quality of fine NYC food is the water. I know sometimes pipes have their problems, but one taste of what comes out of the tap in LA and you'll understand; it's rare that I choose bottled in NYC). Of special note is their exceptional treatment of vegetarians. Bouley (along with Grey Kunz (formerly of Lespinasse), and Hubert Keller (Fleur de Lys, SF)) excells at making vegetarian tasting menus that keep the high culinary excellence of their regular menu. My wife had tomato terrine (delicious), baby zucchini and sweet red pepper stuffed with goat cheese (in a complex sauce that defies description other than wow! I wanted more), and wild mushrooms on rissotto. The fact that I got so little to taste (she's a light eater) meant she really, really, really loved it. It's so valuable when chefs take the time to express themselves and not just merely accomodate those with different needs. A lovely room, a dynamite meal with family, I'm content!. :D :D

I've been wanting to go to Charleston for years and after reading this, I have to go. Is Charleston on the way to anything (if you're not driving)? Probably not, otherwise I'd have been there already.

When did he leave? Sorry to ask, but where is Glover Park. I'm happy to accept all Indian Restaurant recommendations nationwide (from this august group of eaters/posters).

Thanks for the comments all. I would write up my notes, but it's been too long for me to remember what I had. Perhaps I had dishes that had crab as an element in the sauce. So many places do that poorly. I like the comfort quality of the fish, a style that seemed clearly American. Not overcooked, but hearty. I would never compare it to Le Bernandin, for many reasons (style of cuisine, price, formality). My service has always been impeccable, even when I brought my own wine. I'll go back to satisfy my own curiousity.