R Washburn

The August 8th date isn't true? I was hoping to check it out next week. NY Post Article

rich, Did you really leave hungry? I usually feel ready to pop after a three or four course meal at a high end restaurant. I hope you realize that the old bodybuilder's goal of 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight is probably 4x the protein you really need to grow. A pound of raw beef has 100 grams of protein and 33 grams of fat. Most of us would be doing pretty well to gain 1/4# of muscle in a week, which means we need an extra couple of grams of protein a day to build muscle. Extra protein is just extra calories. I err on the side of caution and aim for at least 1 gram of protein per kilogram of my goal bodyweight, but I am sure that is still way more protein than I need for building muscle.

Has anyone been to the new Peacock alley? It looks promising, but I haven't read anything about the new restaurant.

Petrossian and Fauchon are better than Payard, which has, IMHO, declined in recent years. I would also recommend "Financier" on Stone street, for both quality and value. Not as quite as good as Fauchon, but only half the price. Bouchon is good, but incredibly expensive.

Problem? What problem are you referring to?

Price has always been important to me. If Cafe Gray was a relative bargain, I would dine there frequently.

I am sorry to read that Jean-Marie is leaving "LaCroix", but I can't sat that his tenure there wasn't a disapointment. IMHO, with the exception of pastry, "LaCroix" never came close to the standards set during Jean-Marie's time at "The Fountain". Was the original "Le Bec-Fin" really fine dining, or great food in a relatively humble space? The current "Le Bec-Fin" is about fine dining, not because the public clamored for it, but because George Perrier wanted to offer a French Michelin three star experience here in Philadelphia. Whether he chose to make it informal or ultra-formal had nothing to do with the public's tastes, I suspect. If the next world class Chef that crops up in Philadelphia decides to "bring back" fine dining, then it will be back.

I stopped by there warehouse a couple of weeks ago and bought up all the half-price, slightly distressed Valrhona Jivara and white chocolate. The Jivara was $7.25/ Kg and the white $10/kg. They were alittle beaten up, but a good deal nonetheless. Some of the Jivara was slightly bloomed, but was totally fine for chocolate making.

There is nothing comparable to Moore Bros. Aside from the paricular selection of high quality affordable wines, Im not sure anyone else takes the pains to ship and store (and deliver) the wines at cellar temperature. I stopped by yesterday and both Greg and Dave were present. Greg promises to offer tastings and classes in the 2nd floor, which should be pretty interesting.

Don't worry. Most of us are aware of how demanding a work environment a top kitchen is. I don't see how any restaurant is going to dramatically improve without some turmoil.

Where is the Garden room? Is that the dining room on the second floor? It looks like a pretty good deal: $67 for appetizer, main, cheese course and dessert cart.

That is my impression as well.

I often buy Valrhona from Assouline and Ting in Philadelphia. Most types are in the $6-8/pound range, which are good prices for Valrhona.

Well, in the old Le Cirque they would provide you with a loaner Jacket and tie.

Definitely best in the neighborhood. Is the place by the #1 train "Rap pizza"? Grandpa's Brickoven pizza in Inwood is another good pizza place uptown. Very thin crust, less traditional than George's.

And is Babbo New York's best restaurant? I would put it in the top 50 or so. While I have never had a bad meal at either Le Bec-Fin or The Fountain, I have certainly had rather poor ones at other "4-bell" restaurants.

I would say that of the 20 best restaurants in America, New York has at least 5 of them (ADNY, Per Se, Daniel, Jeans-Georges and Masa), whereas other cities are remarkable if they have one restaurant at that level. Philadelphia's Le Bec-Fin is definitely in the same league as the best restaurants in NY, but I don't think any other restaurant in Philadelphia is close to that level. IMHO, most New York Times 2-star restaurants would receive 4-bells from the Inquirer, and even Philadelphia's best restaurant (Le Bec-fin) might only receive 3- stars if reviewed today, given the boom of ultra highend restaurants in NYC. The dining scene in Philadelphia has improved over the past few years, but the same can be said for New York as well. In fact, I think Le Bec-Fin was more remarkable in 1990 than it is today, because there are now several restaurants in NY surpassing it in luxury and price, which was not the case 15 years ago. Actually, the NY outpost of Tony Luke's is comparable to the Oregon Ave. location, and a few other places serving cheesesteaks (Carl's, 99 Miles to Philly) make above average cheesesteaks. Sarcone's bakery and La Colombe are still tops, though, IMHO.

With Teflon we do have a real risk, unlike the "imagined" risks of rBGH or irradiated beef. Even if I was not a parrot owner I would refrain from heating any teflon in my home, because of the very real health risks associated with it. "Teflon Flu" is enough to put me off the pans. I handle enough toxins, carcinogens and radioactive isotopes in my day job.

Really? Are you referring to "The Palm", "Smith and Wollensky's" and "Pietro's" I can't really think of any restaurants in Philadelphia "worth a trip" from New York, although I do enjoy a few places when I happen to be visiting. I really like "Le Bec-Fin" but it is far cheaper to eat at ADNY, Per Se, Daniel or Jeans-Georges when you factor in the travel. I do think that Philadelphia has superior Hoagie bread (Sarcone's) and coffee (La Colombe), and make a point of stocking up on these items when I am in town.

I know this is completely off topic, but I have to disagree with this. Schwartz's deli in Montreal is better - bigger sandwiches, and at less than half the price. Even with the exchange rate being what it is. ← But Schwartz's doesn't sell pastrami, they have "smoked meat" sandwiches.

Beacon is now taking reservations for the 6th annual "Beefsteak" on Tuesday, Feb. 21st, 2006. Cost is $95.

Both Chef's are older and a bit conservative but neither serve "classic" cuisine in the sense that their menu's constantly evolve. I recommended Le Bec-Fin for Lunch because it is probably one of the best deals in Philadelphia, and much more affordable than dinner. LaCroix is cheaper but Le Bec-Fin is generally much better. Current Le Bec-Fin lunch menu: Tasting menu What does Philadelphia do better than Montreal? Scrapple? Cheesesteaks? Water ice?

I suppose I should recommend a pizzeria: "Taconelli's" is probably thought to be the best, although the Walnut street outpost of the NY based "Pietro's" does a nice NY style coal oven pizza.

"Hello? Pretense Patrol? I'd like to report a crime …" Georges Perrier's restaurants are certainly worth the money. Definitely not pretentious, and on my short list of Philadelphia restaurants "worth a trip". I would definitely try to make it to Sarcone's for a Hoagie and visit "La Colombe" for the best coffee in North America.

Breakfast: LaCroix, Down Home Diner Lunch: Le Bec-Fin Dinner: Bar at Brasserie Perrier, Tony Luke's