Mano

Local, eh? I didn't know that you could fish for skate in the Schuylkill! YOU LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY. ← Wrong river. Upstream, the Delaware is chock full of 'em!

That speaks volumes for why she drives some people crazy, I'd say. ← Mr. Rogers went for the heart. In comparison Alice Waters goes for the jugular, or perhaps a parochial school nun dragging you along by the ear. But on a personal note, if not for her I never would have learned long-forgotten skills of making ice cream and sausage from scratch.

Went to Blackfish last night for an anniversary dinner and although the food was good, we left slightly disappointed, perhaps because just last week was had a superior and memorable meal at Bibou for exactly the same price. Indeed, mid-meal my wife asked, "Are we spoiled?" Both of us have worked at good restaurants and we're pretty fair home cooks, so we tend to appreciate the effort restaurants like Blackfish make to serve good food and give their customers a nice experience. The white-on-white decor was quite pleasant and although the place was loud and our table was inches away from the deuce next to us, we liked the atmosphere and made friends with the other couple, giving them a glass of our red Burgundy to try. The service was excellent and we were given a complimentary Creme Brulee for our anniversary, even though I don't recall telling them. Maybe the waitress overheard us toasting each other a "Happy anniversary." Either way it was a very nice gesture and the Creme Brulee was near perfect. I can't recall all the ingredients, but the crab app with a poached egg atop was very good. We liked the warmth of the egg and the cooled crab. The egg, crab and a slightly crunchy something or other (fava?) was a great combination of textures and flavors. The octopus app looked better than it tasted. Perfectly grilled, it lacked flavor and a deeply colored green bean puree was a bit bland and very slightly off-tasting. Maybe I was expecting it to taste a basil pesto. The salmon main was very good. For years salmon has been so ubiquitous on menus and of predictable flavor that we tend to overlook it. But this was perfectly cooked, had a more bold and complex flavor that stood on its own with little seasoning. I wasn't paying attention to the description but maybe it was a Copper River King that is currently in season. The green puree make another appearance and didn't add to the dish. The Bouillabaisse ("Local fish poached in a saffron broth, crusty bread and rouille") was a disapointment. The broth was overly seasoned, the clams were tiny and the fish, skate wing and escolar were overpowered by the broth. Also, the skate was still on the bone and was so tender that it flaked apart into small pieces and it was difficult to get a decent bite. The serving dish was shapped like a pallela pan and when I rested my knife on the edge it fell into a pool of broth. My wife's fork met the same fate. (In case you're wondering, when we go out we switch plates after half the food is eaten).

Alice Waters is a big enough celebrity to go on 60 Minutes and give national interviews to further her cause. She's been in the public eye long enough to know how she comes across. Regardless of how "pure" she may be compared to other chefs some people here regard as sell-outs, the fact is that turns off a lot of people. It's naive to make excuses for her and insist that somehow the rest of us have to be better listeners so that we get her message. Most weeks I listen to a locally produced PBS radio show, "You Bet Your Garden," hosted by Mike McGrath, who "offers fiercely organic advice to gardeners far and wide." A former editor-in-chief of Organic Gardening magazine, McGrath is fun to listen to. He acknowledges the efficacy of chemicals and the limits of organic gardening and gives me, at least, some good advise about how to go organic without too much cost or hassle. He comes across as a "regular Joe," while Waters comes across as a culinary Marie Antoinette. As far as the message itself is concerned, I'm a bit on the fence. Some of Water's cooking methods, at least on 60 Minutes are inane and a bit insane. Growing your own is something my family enjoys particularly when it comes to heirloom tomatoes. But the goal of a self-sustaining household or small community is far fetched in today's world. I like the idea of organically grown produce and animals that are raised on organic grains and grass. In fact, my wife buys organic whenever it's available in the supermarket and at Trader Joes. The 30 lbs. of grass fed beef we bought from a local farm last summer was very good. But to be honest, I'm not sure it's that much better than the good stuff that was there before. And I certainly don't know that it's worth the premium price. I'm wondering if Waters and others who swear by "organic" and all it stands for are playing off a truism: "Organic is better for you and better for the environment." I should also add that while living in California in the 1980's I worked as a prep cook at a restaurant that was inspired by AW's revolutionary "California Cuisine." In many ways I'm a fan of hers.

This is the question that people should be focusing on imho, not on whether AW is "elitist". She says as much in the audio interview (requires Windows Media Player or similar software) -- but somehow that got passed over in favor of criticism with respect to her remarks on Nikes and cell phones. ← The fact that she is an elitist, or at the very least, comes across that way is at variance with getting the "average Joe excited about real food." If she were as approachable as Rachel Ray we'd be having a different discussion altogether, perhaps that she is dumbing down the benefits of organic food. But the message would be more widely accepted. Don't you think it's interesting that of all places, here on eGullet, AW is rubbing so many people the wrong way. You'd think she'd be preaching to the choir. My perception is that she is trying to impose her bubble-world onto everyone else who doesn't live in her bubble.

In many ways Waters is the culinary equivalent to “Dr. Laura” Schlessinger. When either one of them ponies up the money so that in all households women can stay home and not work in order to raise their kids (her latest diatribe on the morning network news shows), and also buy, grow and cook organic food then I’ll personally build each one a soap box.

Six of us ate at Bibou on Saturday. Given that they'd opened just three days before and that the chef was previously at Le Bec Fin and Daniel, I told the others that the dinner had the potential to be a disaster or fantastic. The foie gras with mango and a unique cinnamon toast was excellent. At $15, it's not a cheap app, but it's worth the money and even worth bringing a split of Sauternes. I agree with Matt about the escargots lacking enough butter, but adding just a bit of the French butter they had for the bread made a difference. The baguette was almost addictive. I also agree with philadining that the rabbit terrine was superb. The density and nice gamy flavor stood up well to the mustard. Next time I'd order that over the snails. Since undergoing some ear surgery some years ago my "taster" isn't what it used to be so I gravitate toward big flavors and really enjoy all sorts of game. As a fan of duck, I found the duck breast to be very good, but not great. Rather than the slightly thinner single breasts sourced from D'Artagnan, the dish was two large lobes, or "tournedos," one from each breast with the connective tissue and skin holding them together. Quite simply, they may have benefited from some salt, but because I rarely add salt to served food, it never occurred to me. philadining is also right that the hit of the evening was the hangar steak. My wife, who almost never orders steak when we eat out, impulsively ordered it after deciding on the fish special. What an unexpected treat! Even without the traditional fries, the dish was spot on for what excellent bistro food should be. I didn't try the fish special, chard, but the two that had it thought it was terrific. Served with a sheet of perfectly crisp skin sitting atop the fish I suddenly wished they had salmon skin hand roll on the menu. We ordered two dessert samplers and there's not much to add to what philadining wrote, except the lemon sorbet was some of the best I've had. Also, not much more to add about the service. I'm often interested in how certain foods are prepared and the source of the ingredients, as I may want to try to make them at home. Pierre was happy to oblige and after explaining the braised pig's foot stuffed with foie gras I may give it a go next time I'm there. My only exposure to pigs feet are the ones in a jar at some ethnic deli's. Two of us had cameras, including a higher end Nikon, but I'm not bold enough to even suggest taking photographs in a restaurant. If I were a betting man, I'd wager LaBan will review Bibou within the next six months and give it three bells. It's right in his sweet spot: a young couple opening an ambitious BYOB. Also, having been executive chef at Le Bec Fin for five years and a stint as sous chef at Daniel in NYC, Pierre has, at least for Philadelphia, major cooking chops.

FG, living in uptown Manhattan is a world away from Waters, so one wouldn't expect you to walk her walk. I agree that she comes off as a strident "out-of-touch, condescending, unrealistic, finger-wagging" PITA, and she probably is; however that type of personality is not unusual for people who change the zeitgeist of a way of doing things. Feel free to disagree, but when I was a prep cook with Rick Bayless in Southern California in the early 1980's, she, along with Puck were the most influential chefs in the country. Word was that Puck was heavily influenced by Waters, as well.

Will you name the spot? ← Sorry, even though it was our first wedding anniversary, after 26 years neither of us remembers.

At a lovely ocean front restaurant in Newport Beach, CA 1983: "Your tongue will have a party in your mouth."

Michael, You sound like a dream employee. You're loyal to your employers, staff and customers by making a profit by serving the best food possible and showing respect and appreciation for your coworkers. By your description of the situation you know exactly what is going on from a cooking and business point of view, something not all chefs or cooks are able to integrate. You've spoken with the owners and they've let you know their decision, which seems like poor business to me (and you), unless there are expenses you're not aware of. It reminds me of an old "joke" of a farmer who fed his work horse 10 lbs. of hay a day to plow 10 acres. To save money, he fed the horse 8 and then 5 lbs. a day and was happy the horse still plowed 10 acres, albeit with more effort. He lowered it to 3 lbs. a day with the same result for two days and then the horse died. I imagine you have a great reputation among the other restaurants/catering services in your area who would be glad to feed you the hay you deserve.

I can see how my post may be considered snarky, and for that, I apologize. Not tracking your involvement in other fora at all. It's just that your posts on this thread followed a pattern that led to concerns in other fora in years past. Back on track: 20 years ago we had about three true steak houses, including Derek Davis' KC Prime. Today I count eight high end places. Barclay Prime Butcher and Singer Captital Grill Palm Prime Rib Mortons Ruth’s Chris Shula’s (did this place close?) Smith and Wollensky Any idea what makes Philly such a steak town but not a seafood town?

Finished up the last of the brisket on Sunday with Orin Swift The Prisoner. YUM! Warning for 2010 Passover! Whatever you do, DO NOT EAT CHOPPED LIVER WITH CHAROSES. You could get Charosis of the Liver.

LOL You're taking this way too literally. Perhaps I should have used the word "traditional" or "professional" or the phrase, "accepted by the cooking professional world-wide." Your point that one doesn't need the jacket is a given. The point of the thread is to answer if "Any home cooks out there who regularly wear a chef's jacket at home? Why do you prefer a chef's jacket over a regular apron? Is it more practical in your home kitchen, do you like the look? Does it make you feel like a professional chef?" Clearly you don't wear one, but do you own one? mjc and my friend, Joe, wear theirs when cooking for a bigger event. SusieQ doesn't wear hers (she didn't say why) and Chris doesn't wear his 'cause he thinks it looks silly. David Ross prefers aprons over his collectible jacket, but it looks like he'll be taking the plunge with another one pretty soon.

My business partner's husband, Joe, is a very good home cook and he wears a chef's jacket while preparing special meals that require hours of prep and cook time. He wears it because of its utility; by the end of the meal it is soiled as would be the case in any professional kitchen. I've been to catered small dinner parties, where the cooking staff wear chef jackets, clearly for practical purposes. IMO, if you care enough about the food you're preparing to buy the right ingredients, knives, cookware, etc. what could possibly be wrong with the right clothing? However, the jacket is also a fashion statement when worn at home. Either you feel comfortable wearing it or you don't. Joe does and maybe I'll spring for his next jacket with "Chef Joe" and "Chez Smith" embroidered on it.

I'm aware of how you have handled these types of "questions" on other fora, and how they frequently lead to frustration all around. "High end" doesn't equal excellent as you clearly experienced at Oceanaire. Sandy asked, "What are the truly superlative local seafood restaurants?" People gave answers but none were really "high end" because that wasn't a criteria. If you have ever passed by Little Fish it is not even remotely close to "high end." The common denominator for most of the recommendations are that they are not part of a chain, are generally chef-driven and serve really good and often creative food. IMO only Lacroix meets the "high end" criteria and it is not a seafood restaurant. Others will correct me if I'm wrong, but the last "high end" seafood joint here in Philly was Stripped Bass. Having never been to Combaro in Madrid, I have no idea what you are talking about. If it is both "high end" and serves excellent seafood, then you know what you're looking for better than the folks here. As far as your original question is concerned, Vadouvan answered it.

While that statement may be factually correct, that's not the issue in your original post. I've had very good seafood at the places I tend to frequent: Ansill Matyson Dimitri’s (over-rated but still well above average) Little Fish (around for a long time and for some reason is recently getting more blog recognition than ever; IMO it’s a cut aove Dimitri’s) Marigold Lacroix There are other places that have a chef that turns out very good to excellent seafood because that's the kind of chef they are.

Almost no 16 year-olds are foodies but they do appreciate the highly unusual, so Delilah's is not far off base. Someplace with a belly dancer or Hooters, yes, Hooters, or an upscale equivalent, if there is such a thing. 25 years ago my wife and I went to the Ritz in Newport Beach in CA and there were paintings of nudes on the wall. Buddakan, Pod or one of those Argentinian places where they come around with meat on a stick. If he may bring a friend, so much the better. If food is more important than the bragging rights, take him to a high end place worthy of its reputation and arrange for him to go back to the kitchen and meet the chef. La Croix is set up for that I'd bet Marc Vetri would also be game. BTW, you're a cool aunt! Edited to add: I just checked out the Distrito website. He'd probably like it!

Reuben sandwich

Your dad was right and you were wrong. (Kids; why don't they listen to their parents?) Expecting anyone them to remember you the next time is unrealistic. The waiter may not be there or be your waiter. Even if you get the same waiter and they remember you, what will your extra $50 buy? You already said the service was great to begin with so maybe the waiter will comp you a $12 appetizer? Unless you are okay with giving away $50 and expect absolutely no return on the investment, get in touch and receive a refund. Good karma will follow you regardless.

While in graduate school some 25 years ago I was a prep cook for Rick Bayless at a California Cuisine type restaurant. Among other things, he taught me how to make ice cream from scratch. Each night I'd create a new flavor using various chocolates, liqueurs, nuts and other natural ingredients. One night I uncorked a good one and everyone flipped over it. When Rick asked for the recipe I told him, "I dunno, I made it up as i went along." That was the only time I ever saw him get angry.

Holly, you're a restaurant guy and obviously thought you did the right thing, but I would have chosen the above and would have told the manager what you did and why. At a Starr restaurant the manager would counsel the waiter later on. The waiter sucked and deserved no or a low tip. But you go to Parc frequently enough that if I were you, I wouldn't want to be identified as that sh!thead who leaves a lousy tip. Not to be paranoid, but who wants to worry about a pissed off waiter with a short memory for service but a long memory for bad tippers to possibly mess with your food. By leaving 15%, an average tip, you're training him to be a crappy waiter.

As has been addressed many times on the Pennsylvania forum the cost of a liquor license in this commonwealth is exorbitant and ostensibly leads to higher wine and liquor costs to recoup the expense. But in my experience, most all alcohol in restaurants across the country the mark up is no different. Obviously it's a system that works for them, otherwise they'd change it. Give me a 40-50% markup and I'll buy the wine and no doubt far more people will. But why should they store, serve and wash glasses for between four and seven bottles to make the same profit by selling only one? Also, by lowering the price of a bottle they'll sell far fewer (and more profitable) wines by the glass. Here in Philly we're enjoying some great BYOB's along with many restaurants with great wine lists that allow BYO, often with a reasonable corkage. The best experience I had was at one of the premier steak houses, which charged $35 corkage per bottle. There eight of us and we went through six bottles of our own damn fine wine. The waitress charged only a single $35 corkage perhaps because the manager and hostess knew several of our party. Suffice to say, the tip more than made up for the $175 corkage not charged.

While this entire thread is grist for the intellectual mill, to me the topics are relatively simple. In no particular order: Many years ago I read a NY Times article on the most and least stressful jobs in the US. The two criteria were how much control the employee had over their work and how high the work demands were. The least stressful job was actuary, the most was waiting tables. If one were to assume a bell curve around 80% of Americans understand that wait staff makes their living on tips. How much they tip may depend on any number of factors, but I've read numerous studies that indicate folks here in Philadelphia are some of the best tippers in the USA, averaging around 20%. The bottom line is, we know that it is culturally expected for us to tip at all but fast food restaurants. All wait staff know that they are making their living on tips, not wages. Their tips are based on commission, which unlike other sales people, is left solely to the discretion of the buyer. The commission is based on what they sell and their serving ability. Like anyone else in sales, they know that there will be good tables and horrible tables. All the math in previous posts may or may not be accurate, but the best way to determine what a waiter will earn at a particular restaurant is to read the menu and speak with the waitstaff. Getting rid of tipping will never happen unless a restaurant elects to pay their waitstaff a living wage and not accept tips (similar to Saturn not permitting negotiating; the price is the price) by building the tip into the price. It will never change from the consumer end. It's perfectly acceptable to ask a patron if everything was okay if the tip was low, but it's unacceptable to comment on the small tip. There may be exceptions to this rule, but asking the customer in the first place should be meant to get information rather than get a bigger tip. Back on the subject of selling more or higher priced food and drinks to increase the tip yield, IMO tipping 20% on a bottle of wine that's already marked up 300% is offensive. With all due respect to Katie and the sommeliers here I avoid buying wine at a restaurant because of the outrageous mark-ups. I know the mark-ups on spirits and certain foods such as pasta are just as high, but I guess that's just a peeve of mine.

LaBan was pretty harsh with one Bell ("Hit or Miss"). Criticized them for inconsistent and sometimes over-seasoned and amateurish food along with persnickety attitudes from both mom/chef and daughter/FOH.