ngatti

"Mallard Duck, Sauce Cornas, Pomme Dauphine, Red Cabbage and Black Truffle Cabby, this was the dish in question. As a member of our party was missing, this dish should never have reached table. The complaint is that the food became cold because of the improper way this part of our meal was handled. At this level, one expects, indeed hopes that if the dishes were ruined by the delay in service, that there would be no question of refiring them. from scratch if need be. There was not a single element of the plate that would stress the kitchen were this to be done. Indeed, at this point we may have been the only table left. The duck breast was very rare even after the carry up as we waited for the lady to return. Reheating shouldn't have ruined this. The choux paste around the potato wasn't crisp to begin with, so that shouldn't be a problem and the cabbage...well... they could always have opened another jar of Rokeach. The truffle? Had all the flavor of a slice of Davy's garnishing paste. Time for some prozac, see ya later. Nick

Perfunctory. With some lapses. One of them gross. When a member of our party leaves table (and I'm not sure of the time frame here), why wasn't that entire course returned to the kitchen? Instead it was served in her abscense and the cloche put only on that person's dish, while the rest of us stare at our food waiting for her to return and our food to get cold. Reminded me of the earnest and serious dining room service one finds at a very good culinary school. It was polite, but one couldn't help but get the sense that it was a slow night and we were keeping people from other things. Was i the only one? Slight but present IMO Nick

I haven't even started on the nametags with the first names of the service staff. Right up to the Sommelier and Maitre'D. Nametags?!? Sheesh! Nick

Good to hear Jaybee. I've eaten there twice. Though not for a while. Thoroughly enjoyed both visits. Nick

"Nova Scotia Scallop in the shell with lemon, olive oil and Beluga Caviar" This was a somewhat devoid of flavor bay scallop. The lemon and olive oil present, but justifiably (given the beluga) hinted at. The small dollop of Beluga adding the salt and textural contrast. A luxurious, but formulaic thrust. A dish whose WOW factor would be better appreciated by serving it as an hors doeuvre at a high end Bar Mitzvah. edit: Okay Lou, now I get it YMMV Nick

Lou, I'm not quite sure I understand you. Nick

Oft expectation fails, and most oft there Where most it promises. William Shakespeare, “Alls Well That Ends Well” Hope is itself a species of happiness, and, perhaps, the chief happiness which this world affords: but, like all other pleasures immoderately enjoyed, the excesses of hope must be expiated by pain; and expectations improperly indulged must end in disappointment. Samuel Johnson Introduction Dinner at Lespinasse (short): Merely a hotel dining room (emphasis on “Merely”). The most expensive and yet one of the most disappointing dining experiences that I have ever had. Dinner at Lespinasse (long): The Menu: Christian Delouvrier Vous presente son menu Gibier de Plume d’Ecosse (Christian Delouvrier presents his menu; The Wild Game Birds of Scotland) 1) Petoncles de Nova Scotia sur Coquille – Jus Citron – Huile D’Olive, Caviar Beluga “Petrossian” 2) Oeuf en Cocotte - Cepes 3) Grosse Langoustine – Puree de Fenouille – Artichauts, Cresson – Epinards- Roquette 4) Perdreu – Foie Gras – Choux Blanc 5) Palombe Grillee – Echalote Confite – Celeri Rave et Truffe Noir 6) Canard Colvert – Pomme Dauphine – Choux Rouge – Truffe Noir 7) Soupe de Fruit et Sorbet 8) Assiette Tiut Chocolat en Choid et Froid 9) Selection de cafes, Thes, Petits Four et Chocolats Price: One Hundred and Seventy Five Dollars (food alone) With Wine Tax and Tip: About Three Hundred and Sixty Dollars per person. We were a party of 5 (originally 8) and the tasting was served to the entire table with wine pairings. I’m still processing the meal, but I wanted to start a thread and then continue it on an item by item basis. I’d dearly like to start by saying that…”the amuse bouche was a…”, but I cannot, as there wasn’t one. Yeah, I’m being a bit provocative. But the disappointment and anger are just now starting to wane. I will not leave thee hanging. Bed beckons. But I did want to post this Scheherazade like Part I of our dinner. I'll be back with another installment tomorrow evening. Thanks for indulging Nick

Nina bad news. Gotta bail. Life just got complicated. Sorry Nick

Hey Nockerl, Why don't you tell Steve how much you dislike Katz's pastrami sandwich. (eff it, things were much to quiet around here ) Nick

Hey double00, Do you mean to say that the cheeses are portioned and plasticized? Nick

Try this menton: Bangkok Garden vs Wondees Nick

While driving into NYC on Monday morning with another industry pro (not a chef), we were discussing the state of fine dining in Northeastern NJ (this post is admittedly Bergen County specific). The converstion was partly inspired by cdma2001's post about the difficulty in finding a so-called New American restaurant in Bergen County. We both agreed that while Ridgewood, and the Western parts of Bergen had a decent selection of places to eat, the Northeastern part of Bergen County, with a rare notable exception or two, was a bit of a fine dining desert. It hit us as we approached midtown down the Westside Highway. We made the trip to midtown in about 25-30 minutes. About the same amount of time it would take us to drive to Ridgewood. Costs of doing business are on a par with NYC costs (apart from rents). Labor and Food costs are similar. Add to that the increased wages that a culinary pro (specifically gratuity) can expect to earn in a NYC restaurant and the labor in NJ becomes not only as expensive but scarce as well. With restaurant operating costs being similar (and by implication meal costs) would a Bergen resident not be better served by making the short trip into NYC to dine there? If one is going to spend 2-300 dollars on a meal, why not drive to NYC and get the "real deal"? Thoughts? Nick

Picture the penitentiary dining room. The prisoners are pounding the table and shouting in unison: CONFIT! CONFIT! CONFIT! You can freeze it till you acquire enough. Nick

Thank you Chefette. I found the cornucopia most intriguing. I'm still deconstructing it from many angles. Quite apart from the taste (which was only one componenet IMO), the disaparate ingredients, the obviously cerebral nature, the envelope pushing statements about flavors, combinations of ingredients, textures, and plain old "well,...why can't we do this?", brings to desserts what many chefs are attempting on the savory side. Your exercise, apart from attempting to blur the lines between the two areas of the kitchen was thought-provoking, interesting and refreshing to watch. Oh!, and it tasted good too! Nick

Which begs the question: Do mules *have* scrotums? Nick

I'm hopin' we can get a link Marge Perry's cheese piece up ("Farmer Moves Cheese Back To Grass Roots"). Goes far beyond just cheese. Within the context of a Norhwestern NJ farmer, the article addresses a holistic approach to sustainable artisanal agriculture and, by implication and extension, how we as consumers (and restauranteurs) interact with the food production model as it currently exists, along with the goal of a different, idealistic (but doable) paradigm. One with great potential. A thought provoking piece, IMO. Here is the link to the farm profiled in the article Bobolink Dairy edit: I found this by Rail Paul on another board within this site. I think it's relevent. Nick

The cats had a ball. Me? Had a really hard time gettin' to sleep those nights (yes, more tha once). Nick

I don't know about getting rid of them. But in my (not little) experience with NYC apartments; one thing that you want to be careful of is; when eating out often (hence not lighting the oven in your apartment very much) or moving into a new place...Be very, VERY careful when you turn that oven on, after its been off for a few weeks. Park Avenue? Not much experience. Hell's Kitchen, Alphabet City, Kips Bay/Murray Hill. Nick

Every restaurant I worked in in NYC had vermin (read: roaches). Just like every apartment I ever had. The vermin(roach,rodent) problem is a structural problem having to do with operating in NYC. It can at best, be mitigated, but not,IMO, wiped out. Far better to heed Suzannes take. Watch for the health *practice* violations. Will give you more insight to a restaurants attitude (cavalier?, serious? etc...) towards these issues. Nick

Childhood or adulthood, that sounds good. Nick

Thank you for the clarification. Here's the link Folks: Clickety Clack On a related matter, might we ask for a links to the other food related articles from this section. (Still feelin' a bit like a bastard stepchild) Nick

Ah'll be sure to hunt y'all down. Just to throw a monkey wrench into things, I'll be wearing Country Club Casual. Nick

Rachel Cresskill Hot Bagels has a counter with a few stools. Best for off hours as mornings get *really* crowded. Closer to your neck of the woods. I'm kind of a purist when it comes to bagels (plain,salt), but their Sun-dried Tomato bagel was pretty tasty. Union Ave Cresskill As to quality? Well everything seems to be big pillowy and doughy lately. IMO there is a remarkable sameness to Bagels in the NY metro area. Nick

Grumpy? Moi? With you? Uh uh. Nick

Sorry Rosie. Twas not my intention to purloin thunder. I read the title of your post and glossed over the text (really glossed). I didn't register the ref to Marge Perry's and Foy's pieces. So I posted what I did. Nick