mikeczyz

Did it? Where? What's the new location/name? Bruce It's to be called Asayoshi. Rumored to be 500 bucks a diner. I'm really disappointed that I failed to go back in March when I had a chance.... mike

i ate @ sona back in march and found it interesting. i did the 9 course chef's tasting. mike

this whole thread is slightly alarming as i have reservations for next monday....hopefully my meal is better than yours. maybe it was due to the high expectations you had after two great meals there? mike

would you consider going back and ordering off the a la carte menu? care to tell us a little bit more about the menu? mike

from your post, would it be correct to assume that the men and women had different amuses' and then the rest of the menu was the same for members of both sexes? if so, what do you think the reasoning could've been behind this move? mike

not really true. dining room at the ritz in s.f., and the woodlands resort in south carolina. mike

Ginza Sushi-ko closed? Does anyone know the story? Bruce closed for relocation to the aol time warner building from what i hear mike

fixed mike

There were 14 last year as well, although a few restaurants closed during the year. Lespinasse....Ginza Sushi-ko. I wonder why Daniel Boulud's place lost it's star. That's pretty surprising isn't it? Mary Elaine's in the Phoenecian (sp?) is also no longer on the list. mike

Jesus. I'm at a loss for words..... mike

Good point. you're right. i never go out to the bars after work cause i'd rather save my money for restaurants. next time people ask me how i can afford to eat out all the time, i'll have an answer for them. mike

braising season is back and i'm kicking it off with a pot roast. my question is about adding pigs trotters to the pot. i've seen a few recipes that add them for extra gelatin and collagens that eventually lead to a 'silkier' final sauce. since i don't wanna go out and find pigs trotters, can i add a few oxtails instead? i hear those are loaded with gelatins and such. and they taste great! mike

steven, I would agree with most most of that. When my parents visit from Philly, I usually get in a least one great meal. However, most of my other expensive meals are paid for by me generally. But I do wonder, sometimes when I go to the 3 star restaurants and there are considerably young people dining how they got the money or if they are being treated, most people that I know, in the their early mid 20's wouldnt spend $100 and upwards on a meal, but food is something I live for, so I spend it,, I dont even want to think about retirement yet,,,,,,,,,, I know I'm continuing to add to the off-topic-edness of this thread, but as another young (early-mid 20's) poster, I have to agree with FG that careful budgeting, and an unholy obsession with eating can lead to a few pricey meals spread out through the year. Basically, I have a choice between spending my limited discretionary income on a lot of inexpensive meals, or saving for the rare big one. I'm about 50/50 at this point, so I'll have a really big deal meal about once every month and a half or so. Of course, "big deal" to me may be very different from "big deal" to someone in a more healthy financial situation. As yet another early 20's poster, saving up and not eating at a handful of three stars is the only way i can afford to eat at some of these four star restaurants. one downside tho is that saving up for a big meal heightens the anticipation, but can lead to colossal disappointment if the meal sucks. mike

do you have any other information regarding the treatment of their employees? feel free to pm me mike

Just to play devil's advocate, how do you know the food at Roxanne's doesn't both serve the niche group of rawists, and taste great? I admit, I am skeptical as to how good the food can taste, but then again, i've been eating cooked meat my whole life. I think it'd be an interesting experience. mike

i've heard the same complaint from a few people now. seems puzzling doesn't it? a restaurant that preaches seasonality, freshness and local produce is getting cheese from 5000 miles away when there are excellent cheeses being produced instate? mike

could you put some potatoes or other root vegetables in the bag along with the pork? it seems to me that the root veggies might absorb some of the pork 'juices'. mike

forward THINKING cuisine mike

i may do zuni for lunch. i do have one lunch to use. i may go back to chez panisse cafe where i had an EXCEPTIONAL experience. i have business to attend to in berkeley so it makes perfect sense. who knows! so many choices, and so little time. and this manresa place. i seem to recall an article where i heaard about all sorts of off the wall offerings, like scrambled eggs with maple syrup. kinda like alain passard at arpege.... was he recently reviewed by gourmet magazine? i think he was....earlier this year mike

have you been to roxanne's? the raw food movement holds only slight interest to me. i might see i can somehow squeeze the laundry into my schedule. if i can somehow get a reso. mike

that's what my research indicates as well. you been out there lately? looks like i might 'settle' for the fifth floor. mike

sweet potatoes sound good. i was already thinking sweet potatoes or a butternut squash element. will be making a apple-onion marmalade straight out of chez panisse fruits. pork came in a few minutes ago. TONS of marbling. i've never seen pork like this. sure beats my local supermarket. mike maybe a cabbage dish with the pork? i know its a cliche, but it tastes good!

i'm going back to san francisco for one night in november. what are your picks for forward thinking cuisine in the city? mike

blade roast. as the website says "from the part of the loin closest to the shoulder. mike

I've got a pork roast from flying pigs farm coming in a few days. every cookbook i own seems to advocate a different approach from brining or just a salt rub to nothing, high heat, low heat....i'm confused! so many choices! i guess i'd like to hear a few experiences from others and see what successful or unsuccessful methods they've been used in the past. thanks mike