rjwong

Alice Waters and Chez Panisse: The Romantic, Impractical, Often Eccentric, Ultimately Brilliant Making of a Food Revolution / by Thomas McNamee The Penguin Press: 384 pp., $27.95 I noticed that the LA Times reviewed this book: 'Alice Waters and Chez Panisse' ; How a community table turned into a national force / by Susan Salter Reynolds Read. Chew. Discuss.

Here are the places Chris Cognac went to in his Las Vegas episode of "The Hungry Detective": Ellis Island Casino & Brewery Nora’s Cuisine Joyful House (on W. Spring Mountain Rd., west from the Strip) Mermaids Casino (on Fremont St., downtown Las Vegas) Binion’s Ranch Steakhouse Two of them don't have websites. As for you, if the opportunity arises, here are some places you can try: Bellagio: Just about any place there is pretty good. Their buffet is definitely good (I haven't tried the others). It's best to go there for breakfast or lunch. That can be a main meal for the day. J-P Maury Patisserie is great for your sweet tooth. And the cost is about $6-7 per pastry. We're talking world-class desserts! Sensi is great for lunch. You can be adventurous if you want in their selections. Venetian: Thomas Keller's Bouchon is great if you want a French bistro for breakfast. I really liked the quiche. Keller's recipe. Very, very creamy. Emeril's Delmonico Restaurant has one of the best steaks in Las Vegas. I haven't tried it ... yet. That place is on my short list, the next time I go to Las Vegas, mon! Mandalay Bay: The Burger Bar is good. I enjoyed it a lot. Some burger toppings can get very expensive (truffles, etc.). MGM Grand: L'Atelier is worth going, if you have the time and about $200 per person to cover everything. Paris Las Vegas: If you convince your family, go up to the Eiffel Tower Restaurant for lunch. Get a table near the window for a nice view of the Fountains of Bellagio, which starts its free show across the street at 12 noon. I hope all of this helps. I also hope your family has a wonderful time.

Mea culpa on my faulty sentence construction. I was referring to Bistro Jeanty, ... which existed before there was TFL ... At least get yourself on the waiting list for TFL. Cancellations may occur. I was so excited when TFL left a voice message. A reservation became available to me. I thought about it ... for two seconds. Yes, I was interested. That made my day!! I wish you well in getting a reservation at TFL.

cupcakequeen, is your name even on the waiting list at French Laundry?? Keep wrangling. If you have any connections whatsoever (a friend ... of a friend ... of a chef/cook who works at ...), use every means possible. I heard there are other restaurants in Yountville: Bouchon, Ad Hoc, Redd, Bistro Jeanty (before there was TFL), General's Daughter in Sonoma, Chez Panisse in Berkeley ... I'll be doing a similiar pilgrimage to the Bay Area in less than two weeks. I hope to post my report with photos before you leave.

Fortunately, Temecula does have a Trader Joe's at the Promenade, off the 15. NB Yes JWest, we do say "the 15" instead of Interstate 15, as well as "the 5", "the 10", "the 405", ...You get the idea ... As for Sona restaurant, you can check out my recent post. I went for the six-course menu. The nine-course menu includes foie gras, among other courses. BTW You might have to do some homework, but my co-worker was mentioning that some Napa winemakers have moved down to Temecula. I get a sense that they're checking out the soil, what kind of grapes can grow there, etc. The weather does get hot during the summer. There's a lot of foreclosures going on in SoCal at this time. So put your business thinking cap on.

skyflyer3, Use the BART system (Bay Area Rapid Transit system) to Berkeley, SF, if it goes that far. The MUNI system, when you're in San Francisco. If you can go to SF on Sat. morning, you can go to the Farmers' Market at the Ferry Building, near the Embarcadero. In Berkeley, get to Chez Panisse Cafe for lunch. The Cheese Board is across the street. I'll be doing a trip up north as well .. NEXT WEEK!! I'm sure others will chime in. Enjoy your time in the Bay Area!

Bump! It’s been a while since there’s been an update on Sona Restaurant. I have waited too long to dine here. With new restaurants opening up, other restaurants that you haven’t tried yet get pushed aside until you realize you haven’t eaten there yet!! Then, there’s trying to schedule a time in for that restaurant. To me, Sona was one of those places ... until now thankfully ... I ordered the six-course Découverte menu, which included courses not from the a la carte menu: Amuse bouche: Soft-poached egg in a Japanese broth Pressed baby halibut with pickled tomatoes The following was an extra course, compliments of the chef Tuna “ravioli” stuffed with sliced octopus & Swiss chard, curry seasoning Swordfish topped with sliced daikon, kumquat Kurobuta pork slices with heirloom beans & boudin (blurry) Beef tenderloin with daikon underneath, surrounded by pomme puree Grapefruit granita and Greek yogurt Pain perdu (still warm) with cherries, citrus reduction and tarragon ice milk Pistachio waffle sticks, market strawberries, “frais du bois”, topped with a chamomile chocolate sauce, and chocolate sorbet Migardise: Peanut butter macaroon, strawberry shooter with coconut and mint, lavender truffle (already eaten) Lemon verbena madeleines (still warm) The dinner was excellent. The Asian influence was quite evident in a number of courses. My favorite was the tuna “ravioli”. To me, it was quite creative and very impressive. The service was wonderful and professional. My server was engaging without being officious. The decor was modern and minimalist, with a formal ambience. I definitely want to go back!

My condolences. Do you consider it worse than what happened in California earlier this year? Uhh ... may I console you and your smoked pork ribs ... please?

Madame, pourquoi est-ce que vous avez peur?? And pardon my French ... Why are you afraid? Guy Savoy was one of the best dining experiences I have ever had. I would be greatly disappointed if your fears ever became true. If I remember correctly, the $190 menu is the TGV menu, named after the bullet train in France. That tasting menu was created for those on a time constraint (musical, show, concert, etc.). I think there's also an a la carte menu as well. If you do go to Guy Savoy (and you should), just mention you're not in any rush and any other accomodations you might have. I presume you read my report about Guy Savoy, ehh?? As usual, I'm looking forward in hearing your report. FYI Here's the main Guy Savoy discussion thread.

JWest, It's not much, but here's a old discussion thread titled: Temecula Restaurants. And a link to the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association. I'm not familiar with the Temecula area, let alone the wine scene. I was talking to a co-worker for some general info. Temecula seems to be an affluent area. Although it's located in Riverside County, it's closer to the North San Diego area than it is to the city of Riverside. Depending how well the wine industry becomes, it'll be competing against the horses and all that pastoral land out there. And the developers are licking their chops on various building projects (current land law: five-acre lot minimum). Double-check with the city of Temecula. Are you just visiting and/or planning to move out here? I hope this helps.

My apologies if I was acting a bit much to you. After reading your post, I'm thinking whether your uncle and cousins would rather enjoy the "Old Vegas," the Rat Pack (Dean, Sammy, Peter, Jerry, and of course Frank), and the showgirls. Probably downtown Vegas would be a very good option. eGer Chris Cognac had a TV program on the Food Network called "The Hungry Detective." And he did an episode on Las Vegas. I'll try to find the places he recommended. He also has a list somewhere on this eG website of the "low-brow" places in Las Vegas. Let me try and find some "splurge" places for you, just in case. Is your family more the meat-and-potatoes type? Nothing adventurous or spicy? Do they want to see more food on the plate instead of seeing more plate? Am I heading more in the right direction?

Less than two weeks to go on my culinary pilgrimage and I can't wait ... Thanks everybody for your comments & suggestions. FYI I'll be having lunch at Chez Panisse Cafe and then drive up to Yountville, and take a little nap before dinner at TFL. Jason, I'm afraid. I'm very afraid. And I didn't mention the dinner I'll be having the next night after my pilgrimage. I might be able to have one before my dinner at the French Laundry. What do you think?? A taco before "oysters & pearls"? My schedule looks very tight. I'm going to have to pace myself. And of course, a full report with photos ..

tippingvelvet, I'll tell you what's a foodie girl to do? If you win it big, DITCH THEM and go wherever you wanr!! And let us know what kind of food you want, okay?? And I suppose your traveling companions (You didn't say "friends", so I won't say "friends" either) don't mind spending $150-200 a person to watch Cirque du Soleil or Celine Dion, or go to the slots & tables, ehh?? Perhaps this is a business trip? Pardon me if I'm being a bit officious ... Please specify how much is "moderately priced?" $25 a person? $50? $100? Remember, let them know that ... "This is Las Vegas, mon" ... Some buffets are pretty good for breakfast or lunch, like the one in the Bellagio. In fact, there are a few places at the Bellagio you should try: Sensi for lunch, depending on prices; J-P Maury Patisserie with their world-class pastries and made-to-order crepes. If you want BBQ, there's Memphis Championship Barbecue, off the Strip on Warm Springs, just south/southeast of the airport. molto e, Lotus of Siam is off the Strip and Rosemary's is WAY off the Strip. I hope this helps.

Alonna, why are you making that assumption? Have you already considered some of the more casual dining options at the MGM? How many of you will be attending? I'm certain you can make a deal with the casino. They do want your business, right?? MIND YOU, for a local restaurant option that can deliver, try this place: Memphis Championship Barbecue The closest location will be on Warm Springs Road (north side), just west of Eastern, just south/southeast of the airport. They can cater. They can do drive-through. One of the managers told me that they can handle $500 orders of ribs at their drive-through!!

My California Culinary Pilgrimage (Apr. 2007): Manresa, French Laundry, Chez Panisse ... parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme ... Having enjoyed several recent vacations to Las Vegas, I think it’s time for a change. I was thinking of traveling to New York City. Yes, I was going to give NEW YORK, NEW YORK a chance. I was starting my research, and then, I saw the price of hotel rooms in Manhattan. That ended that, for now. I’m going to have to have a New York state of mind before I go on a NYC vacation. So, where else should I go? As a native Californian, I must admit that I haven’t eaten much over in the Bay Area and Napa/Sonoma region, except for SF Chinatown when I was a kid. After reading various discussion threads in the California forum, I’ve been developing a desire, a longing to eat at certain restaurants that have been and/or are doing marvelous culinary work. Instead of just a vacation to Napa, Sonoma and the Bay Area, this is more of a California culinary pilgrimage for the culinary devout. On this pilgrimage, I’ll be traveling and dining mostly by myself. Mind you, on two occasions, I’ll be having dinner with a fellow eGer. I hope to meet other eGers as well during this time. Nevertheless, I’m very comfortable dining alone ... Focusing on each course, observing the restaurant’s decor, notice the waitstaff & their interaction with other diners, internalizing the entire dining experience, and not being plagued with questions from dining companions. Just me and my meal. And besides, Food and I, we go way back ... Here are some destination points during my pilgrimage: Manresa: I knew I had to go there when I heard Manresa referred to as “The French Laundry South”. More recently, I read the comments about the Passard dinners. Yes, it was time to make a reservation ro Manresa. Mind you, I didn’t. An eGer from the Bay Area made the arrangements, and I’m thankful for that. Hopefully, my expectations won’t be too high and/or unrealistic. I’ll just try to enjoy my dining experience. Farmers’ Market at the Ferry Building: I’ll be interested to compare this farmers’ market with the ones in Southern California. Chez Panisse: Of all of the places I’ll be visiting, eating at Chez Panisse will truly be a pilgrimage to me. Alice Waters, IMO, is one of the most influential culinary personalities of the second-half of the 20th century. French Laundry: I won! I won! I won! What did you win? I won a reservation at the French Laundry! I was recounting my adventures in getting a reservation at TFL to one of my chef/friends. He was discouraging me not to go. He ate there. He gave his reasons. I replied how I wanted to find out for myself what the French Laundry is like. I realize it is my choice and there are no guarantees with any restaurant, even “perfect” restaurants. He conceded that point. BTW, I did get a little help from my friend in Berkeley. He’s in the biz and knows a few people. I’m grateful for his efforts. And we’ll be enjoying ourselves at the French Laundry. Redd: Once I recover from my dinner at TFL, I’ll have Sunday brunch at Redd. People highly recommended this casual place to me. And a friend from LA made a reservation for me. He knows a few people too. I appreciate knowing people in the restaurant business. They go through so much, ehh?? People in the restaurant business, that is ... General’s Daughter: I’m going to this Sonoma restaurant for obvious reasons. Perhaps not so obvious ... The General’s Daughter is highly recommended by several eGulleteers, including the late Bruce Frigard (aka winesonoma). I never met him personally, just through the eG forums. You might think it strange, but I want to go to Bruce’s favorite restaurant to pay my respects ... Also, the chef there is also an eGer, and I might as well find out if the food is any good or not. Just because someone is an eGullet member doesn’t mean he gets automatic shilling. Chef, you have to earn your reviews ... for a price ... under the table Pardon me. For some reason, my tongue was firmly planted in cheek. Cyrus: Apparently, Cyrus is the new restaurant to go to. My chef/friend was really excited about this place. And another reason to go to the French Laundry: comparing the two restaurants for myself. He was able to make comparisons/contrasts because he ate at both places. Why can’t I? FYI Chef Douglas Keane is nominated for a 2007 Beard Award under the Best Chef: Pacific category. I’m fearing that this exercise in gluttonous indulgences culinary pilgrimage will become one big sated blur. Taking pictures along the way will help me a little bit. Mind you, it’s got to be done. This should be a wonderful trip. My friends are excited (and/or jealous) for me. Yes, pictures will be taken, a full report will come shortly. With all this eating, hopefully I won’t “lose my lunch” along the way. And with this culinary pilgrimage, sacrifices had to be made: I’m going to miss both Coachella and the LA Times Festival of Books!! All right, missing Coachella is a very small sacrifice to me. Mind you, the cooking demos for the LA Times Festival of Books include: Govind Armstrong (“Small Bites, big Nights”), Dave Lieberman (“Dave’s Dinners”), Cat Cora (“Cooking from the Hip”), Ted Allen (“The Food You Love to Eat”), Martin Yan (“Martin Yan Quick & Easy”), Barbara Fairchild & Janet McCraken (“The Bon Appetit Cookbook”), Nancy Silverton (“A Twist of the Wrist”), and Lidia Bastianich (“Lidia’s Italy”). And not to mention Russ Parsons moderating a panel discussion titled “Food Fight: When Did Eating Get Controversial?,” with Barry Glassner, Marion Nestle and Michael Pollan. And all these events are happening during the same weekend ... sigh ... Nevertheless, I think I made the correct decision ...

Recently, I ate at two different Italian restaurants. Over in Pasadena, Tre Venezie serves Venetian cuisine which is definitely different from your typical Northern Italian cooking. Venice has a German-Austrian influence, which, if you didn’t know going in, can make for a rather adventurous Italian dining experience. More meat dishes and dishes flavored with meat. With a glass of white wine (Drusian, prosecco di Valdobbiadene), I started with an order of cjalson (shal – ZONE). They were stuffed half-moon shaped raviolis, which can be filled with as many as 18 ingredients. My filling included spinach, corn, chocolate, and smoked cheese. It certainly got my attention; it tasted weird. There wasn’t that much chocolate; just enough to make the flavor quite different and ... interesting. For my entree, I ordered the halibut which came with two different spinaches and a little broth. The halibut melted in my mouth. It was absolutely wonderful. I was savoring every bite. I ended the meal with some ice cream and hot tea. The service was good. The place is small, cozy and intimate, about 50 seats, ideal for couples and/or small groups who want to have a conversation. I would recommend Tre Venezie. Mind you, Tre Venezie is quite different and quite Italian. ***************************** Near the top of Jonathan Gold’s list is Valentino Ristorante over on the Westside (Santa Monica/West L.A. area). I was happily greeted by the host and staff. The main dining room has an old-world feel to it, which I enjoy. Mind you, the interior needs a major makeover. The place is showing its age. I went for the chef’s tasting menu, with an added course: Lo Stuzzichino – Kumamoto oyster on a half shell L’Insalata – Wild arugula, vegetables, two shirmps, lemon vinaigrette Il Pesce – Breaded red mullet, yellow carrots, fava and butter beans Capesante with wild mushrooms (added course) Gli Agnolotti – Ricotta and kale filled ravioli, vegetable, black truffles Il Risotto – Vialone nano rice mantecato, fresh mint, tarragon, and Jidori chicken L’Ossobuco – Braised lamb shank, root vegetable sauce Prima del Dolce – Pre-dessert Il Dolce – Crunchy chocolate pyramid, strawberry “cream” The Kumamoto was not bad. Mind you, the oyster wasn’t as briny as those I had in other restaurants. I’ll admit, I do have a weakness for scallops (capesante), which tasted wonderful with the mushrooms. I wouldn’t have mind having the risotto creamier. The osso buco was great. I had to get use to that lamb flavor in this dish. I was feeling tired towards the end, but I finished the lamb shank. Overall, the tasting menu was very delicious. Nothing trendy, just good dishes wonderfully prepared. The service was excellent. And with a little renovation on the interior, the decor would be even better.

Jason, I got some info on Fra'Mani breakfast sausages. Unfortunately, there are presently no retailers in the LA area carrying the breakfast sausages. You can try special ordering them or ordering them online. I know that ordering online can be expensive. Mind you, that's the price of shipping and handling next day because they ship it fresh not frozen. Wish you well!

Swicks, PamelaF et al. I'll let y'all know about my "California Culinary Pilgrimage", which starts at the end of April. Details will come after Easter, in a separate thread. Shhh ... let's keep this a secret for now ... Now back to our regularly-scheduled topic ... Were there any inclusions/exclusions that you were surprised about in the list? Why?

Matterhorn is listed on the web under "T" for "The Matterhorn ..." It looks like all the restaurants I'll be going to during the end of April are listed in the Top 100, except for one ... in Sonoma ...

My chiropractor friend treated me to a steakhouse for lunch. It’s called Lasher’s and it’s located in Burbank. Yes, beautiful ... downtown ... Burbank ... right across the street from City Hall on Olive. The original one is located in Long Beach. We walk inside and the decor is contemporary but traditional, Frank singing in the background. My friend and I decided on ordering crabcakes and fried green tomatoes and splitting both of them. They tasted pretty good. We both ordered steaks: filet for my friend and Kansas City strip for me. Peppercorn sauce on the side. Both came with accompanying vegetables. My steak was cooked correctly: medium rare. It was, however, a bit underseasoned to me. The peppercorn sauce made it better. Mind you, I’d rather taste the pure flavor of the steak. Overall, it was decent. My friend really likes Lasher’s. He thinks that this is a great steakhouse ... for Burbank. Now Burbank is one of the suburban communities in the Southern California area, where you would want to raise a family. Burbank is not Hollywood or Beverly Hills or downtown LA. I hope this gives you a little cultural context in which to put Lasher’s. As I said before, it’s pretty decent, not the best I’ve ever had. If I didn’t want to drive all the way to Beverly Hills for a steak, Lasher’s in Burbank would be a good option.

Jason, don't bite yet. I'm checking on some retail places in the area.

Fra'Mani makes Mattinata: I was told this is the breakfast sausage served at Bouchon in Las Vegas.

Finally, I got to eat at Cut Restaurant in the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills. Yes, the decor is very nice, modern, so Ricahrd Meier ... And yes, the beautiful people were there, including the waitstaff ... Now, onto dinner ... I started with an order of tempura onion rings and a roasted beet salad. The onion rings were more like onion strings, not the traditional ones that are the size of bracelets. They weren't bad. Mind you, I'm quite picky about my onion rings. The salad consisted of roasted beets, Humboldt Fog, pistachio, blood oranges, and winter cress. The beets didn't have much flavor. Perhaps they could have been marinated more. As for the steaks, I ordered two: U.S.D.A. PRIME, Nebraska Corn Fed, Dry Aged 35 Days, Petit Cut New York 8 Oz ; and True Japanese 100% Wagyu Beef from Kagoshima Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan, New York Steak 6 Oz. Before ordering, they did a little presentation of the wagyu steaks, both American and Japanese. The Japanese wagyu had so much marbling ... I ate the USDA prime New York first. Very good. Then the Japanese wagyu New York steak arrived minutes after I finished the first one. Perfect timing. The Japanese wagyu just melted in my mouth. With so much marbling on the steak, it seemed like I was eating fat. The Japanese wagyu may be too much for me. I might need to try the American wagyu (Snake River). And yes, I finished both of the steaks. The sacrifices I make for all of you ... ... for research purposes, of course ... For dessert, I had a banana cream pie with chocolate sorbet. Surprisingly, the pie had little flavor, and obviously, the sorbet didn't have the creamy quality of ice cream, kind of like chocolate water. The service was fine. Where I was sitting was the servers' main thoroughfare and bottlenecks can occur. They need to work on their fluidity of movement. Mind you, I was treated very well. The dessert and sides were not stellar. They should be better. The steaks were excellent. Personally, the Japanese wagyu had too much marbling for me and I don't really want to pay almost $150 to eat something that taste like fat ... all by myself. This would be good to order for a group, and each person can have a taste. Cut is one of the better steakhouses. Mind you, for the price, I prefer going to a Ruth's Chris or the Grill on the Alley or Pacific Dining Car.

Ever thought of making your own? The fork, Jason, use the fork ...

Andrew, I hope you do come to LA in the fall. Los Angeles does have a few good restaurants. Going from UT to USC? Was it the 2007 basketball game or the 2006 football game?? USC is located south of downtown LA, which is experiencing a rennaissance of sorts. There are many farmers' markets throughout Southern California, especially the big ones in Santa Monica and Hollywood. There are a couple of fresh fish places in downtown LA. There is a good cheese store in Silverlake, an area between Hollywood and downtown LA. That's it for now. Do get familiar with the LA area and look at a map. Los Angeles is quite big, kinda like Texas, ehh??