mikeczyz

i apologize if this topic has already been covered. I was lying in bed last night thinking and started to compare food to the art form that i am most familar with, music. at first glance, food appealed to four of the five senses...taste (duh!), smell, touch, and sight. music on the other hand, appeals to two senses, sight and sound. (this is taken from the diner/audience point of view. if we wanted to go chef/performer, we could add the sense hearing to food, and touch to music.) it would seem music beats out food, yes? but i thought some more, and came to realize that food can not be an art because man needs to eat to survive. i believe that only when the necessary elements for survival are in place, can art be created. i mean, who has time to paint when he's hunting and foraging? (this is just my opinion, please feel free to disagree.) using this thinking, food can not be a form of art. but when i see some plates of food, the use of color, architecture, form etc. firmly convince me that it is an art form, even if for only the visual aspect. any other opinions? mike

while we're on the topic of old books, anybody wanna chime in on fernand point's ma gastronomie? is it worth finding? what kinds of things does he talk about? mike

thank you all for your replies. i found my copy in a used bookstore here in the northern california area. fantastic book, and i encourage you all to do whatever necessary to acquire a copy. and yes, the l'oasis i was looking for was run by outhier. after reading this book, i am truly amazed by the range of personalities and viewpoints each chef had. all were truly distinctive. thanks again for the info. mike p.s. where did you do your research to answer my question? do you all own a copy of the michelin guide?

I recently bought a book called Great Chefs of France and it details the day to day goings of several Michelin 3 star restaurants in France. I was wondering which of these restaurants are still around, and which still have three stars. Restaurant de la Pyramide Charles Barrier L'Auberge du Pere Bise L'Oasis L'Oustau de Baumaniere Le Moulin de Mougins THanks in advance. mike

I went to an ethnic grocery store, by the looks of it, muslim or indian, couldn't tell, sorry for my ignorance and bought some "Halal" meat. Does "Halal" refer to a set of religious guidlines that must be followed much like the Kosher designation? mike

unfortunately, my reservations aren't until august! i'm eagerly counting down the days tho! i will remember to report back! i plan on going to farallon and kokkari on the same trip so i'll have lots to write about.... mike

I've got reservations. anybody know anything about this place besides it's supposedly good for food? wine list? any recommended dishes? thanks mike

this is the webpage for gabriel's restaurant in chicago, a well reviewed french-italian restaurant in the suburbs. they have a live webcam in the kitchen during work hours. mike gabriels

i just watched the game. go us! mike