BryanZ

Much of the show descends from the ceiling. I won't say more, but I was in section B, I think, about 1/3-1/2 of the way up. I think I'd rather be there than truly stage side and need to crane my neck up for stretches at a time. The theater is tiny but tall. The staff will walk you through the menu, but I was told 3-4 small plates make up a normal app/main dinner. The other side of the menu is a la carte, full-size apps and mains.

Alex is $195. Savoy $290. Robuchon $350ish; supposedly it depends on the menu at the time. Not to hijack and cross-post, but I'd say there's better value and certainly much more variety to be found in somewhere like New York. What Vegas offers is restaurants in a geographically constrained space that's pretty much unrivaled, save for maybe the eateries of Columbus Circle. To be honest, Ling, I think you'd be pretty indifferent to a meal at any of Vegas' second-tier restaurants (Picasso, Mina come to my mind because I've been to both). I'm not saying that you wouldn't enjoy them, it's just you wouldn't be wowed or floored by them, especially at the price. There's no Momo Ssam in Vegas, I can assure you that. L'Atelier I would highly suggest, but that's not a fine-dining restaurant and is something of an anomaly.

The Solstice is deep and manly. At least to my tastes.

I would suggest a blend of all of the above. I wasn't at Bouley in its heyday, but my father asserts it's the best meal he's ever had in New York. Out of the three, however, I would say that A least defines the restaurant at present. I would say that most people would suggest that B most likely sums up Bouley in its current state. The cuisine hasn't changed that much over the years and, while still appealing, doesn't seem as fresh as it once was. While many would suggest that Bouley (the restaurant, not necessarily the chef) has refrained from serving tapas/small plates, becoming more casual, touting the its local purveyors, etc I don't see this as a bad thing. I still think the room and vibe that Bouley offer are completely unique in New York. I would say that C is the reason Bouley isn't discussed as frequently as newer restaurants, however. So that doesn't really answer you question directly. Sorry.

I think my report comes off seeming from two minds--you can blame my own version cognitive disconnect. One one hand, I think Bouley has been somewhat overshadowed by new, more glamorous openings. Ten years ago Bouley would have been considered among the very, very best restaurants in New York. On the other hand, I had a great meal here and really enjoyed my lunch. Was it among the most stunningly creative dining experiences I've had in New York? No. But it does deliver on most everything it does even if it doesn't absolutely shine like it once did.

How did they not tell you when you made the reso? Did they mistakenly book you in Nougatine? I tried to book for the 20th and they told me straight away that the main dining room was closed for renovations.

I had the opportunity to sample a few drinks at PDT earlier this week. I really can't say enough about this place. As I've admitted in every cocktail-related thread I've ever posted in, my knowledge of serious cocktails is severely lacking. Despite this, I still think I can adequately comment on the way a bar feels and runs. I stopped by at PDT pretty early on a Monday evening so getting in wasn't a problem. It's probably not cool to admit this, but I was so psyched about going through the phone booth. Seriously, so cool. My companion was perhaps even more pleased than I was about the entrance and overall feel of the place. The glowing bar itself makes for particularly striking drink presentations. Although the names of the drinks themselves escape me at the present, all four items I tried were top notch. That johnder and donbert were such excellent hosts from behind the bar made for an even better and more interactive experience. In my limited exposure, my favorite part about the cocktail experience is working with the bartender to find a drink that suits me personal tastes and mood. It's quite like working with a sommelier, just less pretentious and usually more fun. For this reason, hitting up a serious cocktail bar at a off-hour is a great time to learn a little something while also enjoying great drinks in a laid back setting. I also had a Good Morning Dog--I was a couple drinks into my evening by this point--and thought it was tasty. Fine-dining perhaps not, but I'm certainly not above eating a well-crafted hot dog while enjoying an excellent cocktail. I know there was early talk of other menu items in the first post, so perhaps these additions will come. I know I'd love to see both lobster rolls and sliders in that cool space.

I had lunch at Bouley earlier this week and had a very nice meal. Bouley occupies an interesting space in the NYC fine-dining world in that it's still on most everyone's shortlist yet is also considered to be passé by some. Despite the fact that it puts out some undeniably elegant food, is Bouley on its way to becoming the next Chanterelle, or will it retain some semblance of hipness and remain current. Based on my meal there I'm on the fence. The food is delicious, the room remains as striking and intimate as ever, but the whole experience is so far removed from what many consider "current" trends in dining. Service is as formal as ever, jackets are encouraged in the dining room, much of the staff even speaks French (despite the fact that Chef Bouley is proudly American). The cuisine has resisted overt influences from hotbeds like Spain and the Mediterranean and has retained its French roots with light Asian touches. My companion and I ordered the longer lunch tasting menu--two are on offer--selecting different dishes for each course. For $48 each diner receives four full courses, an amuse and palate cleanser, and each lady receives a signature Bouley Bakery Lemon loaf. For me, this is perhaps the second- or third-best fine-dining lunch deal in the city. The food is here is a solid three stars but still among the most enjoyable in the city. Perhaps there's a bit of tiredness that carries through the menu, but Chef Bouley's cuisine still easily outshines other French three-star restaurants at the same price point. Perhaps my favorite dish of the afternoon was the seafood in an herbal ocean broth. I'm pretty sure this dish has been on the menu for a long time, along with Return from Chiang Mai, but it's still a winner. A skate with a sauce of capers and pineapple was a rather creative dish, if not a home run. The tea-smoked duck was also very delicious. The biggest miss may have been a roasted baby big. The porky flavor was right on but the meat was kind of chewy, almost as if it could've been cooked a little longer. Service was pretty much right on for the bulk of the meal. Things moved quickly, as we were done in about an hour and a half, but this was a late lunch and we had other plans. It's worth noting the restaurant has a full-on bread cart, another formal service facet that seems contrary to the current state of dining in the city. The breads were damn tasty, if perhaps not as crusty as I would've liked due to the high humidity, so I'm not complaining. All in all, I'd still highly recommend Bouley. It's perhaps not as exciting or technically strong as some newer comers, but an important dining destination that effectively continues to live up to its reputation.

My understanding of lunch is that it's not all that great of a value. Rather than getting four courses, you get to choose only three. This is based on a convo I had with a reservationist there last week. At $65 this is something of a savings but not to the extent of JG, EMP, Bouley, or some of the city's other top restaurants.

If you have a car that somewhat changes things. But if it came down to a bottom line budget I'd forgo the car and just plan my travels and meals intelligently. For the $40+ per day for a car you can add at least some of that to your dining budget.

I would argue that Las Vegas is lacking in unique B+ quality restaurants that also offer significant value. Obviously there are many choices at the high-end and a plethora of cheap food options, but the middle ground seems somewhat poorly represented. I think the reason for this is that there's not really a demand for great neighborhood-style restaurants. Las Vegas is fundamentally a tourist city, not one of local culture, and the majority of the restaurants reflect that. I was at Olives a few years ago for a quick dinner. It was fine, probably one star or a very very generous two, but for the price I wasn't that impressed. Mesa Grill, as you allude to, is much the same. It's not that they're bad restaurants at all, it's just that they don't offer unique or particularly memorable food. To make matters worse you are paying a premium for the name and location, not getting a bargain. So if it was me, I'd really try to go for high-end meals and save in other areas. Don't gamble, don't eat breakfast, avoid unnecessary cabs, spend the time looking for a great hotel deal looking online for promo codes. With those cost-cutting strategies you can easily add another $20-40/pp to each dinner. The staff at Atelier recommended Aquaknox and Andre's at the Monte Carlo as lesser-know Strip options that deliver a pretty good value for $100-$120 all in. I don't think you're going to be able to do much better than that pricewise.

Bartolotta looks fantastic. A really striking space, too. I must say I don't get the whole slots thing, and have never heard of anyone who's actually consistently won playing them. Good for you.

I'm newly turned 21 and am looking for serious cocktail and wine bars to expand my knowledge of the drink. Staying in Durham is ideal, but I'll travel for quality beverages. In particular, I'm looking for cocktails bars with a focus on the craft behind the drink. Does such a place exist in the area? A wine bar with steady turnover, diverse selection, and a knowledgeable staff would also be nice. Also, does anyone in Durham do serious wine tastings?

Is there a link to Zakarian's blog post? I can't seem to find it.

Had a quick bite at Setagaya earlier this week and had the deluxe tsukemen and oyakodon. The oyakodon isn't exactly what I think of when I think of oyakodon, so much so that I thought we'd been served the wrong dish. Rather than the chicken being simmered with the onions and beaten into the egg, this was a seasoned ground chicken mixture with a raw egg yolk on top. Still, it was very tasty and perfect as a stomach filling intermezzo between bars. I quite liked the ramen, though again it was rather different than what I think of as shioramen. Rather than a poignant, deeply salty broth, this was somewhat lighter, the dried scallop and scallop oil adding a lot of flavor. Because of this I thought the broth was quite complex though lacking in a bit of body. I will admit I'm a fan of the richer styles, miso and tonkotsu in general, but found this an interesting new experience. The wide noodles were well-cooked, with just the right amount of spring and chew. I also sampled Momofuku's special ramen immediately after my visit to Setagaya. The broth here was much more subtle, boring to my tastes. My dining companion preferred this broth to Setagaya's, so to each her own. I found that the Momo ramen was all about the toppings--nori, fresh peas, pork neck and belly--and less about the broth or the noodles. In fact, I found the noodles woefully overcooked and mushy. One literally had to just slurp them down, no chewing was required.

Although my knowledge of cocktails is woefully, pathetically minimal, I had a couple great drinks at the Flatiron Lounge earlier this week. It seems that the Flatiron Lounge gets somewhat marginalized in the discussion of New York's best cocktail lounges. Possibly because it's less hyped or isn't as far downtown, Flatiron seems oft recommended but less frequently discussed. For this reason, I'm starting a thread for it. I really like this place because it's so centrally located and accessible. For a visitor staying in Midtown with an hour or two to kill before or after dinner, I'd probably recommend visiting Flatiron as opposed to seeking out one of the trendier bars and using the time saved to have another drink. I walked into Flatiron at about 5:30, just after their 5 o'clock opening. Giuseppe was manning the bar and quickly turned his attention to us. Taking our preferences into account--tastes, plans for later, mood--he created two great summer drinks for my companion and me. The first was what he called a Southside #2. The other was a hybrid Rum Punch-Bermuda Swizzle. Both were well-crafted and served with genuine care and interest in our enjoyment.

In early August 2007, I spent a few food-centric days in Las Vegas. My full trip report can be seen here. This is an excerpted report on my meal at Bouchon: Our last morning in Vegas we arose relatively early to catch a cab over to Bouchon in the Venetian. I was last at Bouchon in Yountville about a year ago and frequent Bouchon Bakery in New York every few months. I also cook from the Bouchon cookbook a good deal. With this said, I’m quite familiar with Chef Keller’s take on bistro cuisine and am a big fan. This meal did not disappoint. As so many others have said, breakfast at Bouchon is a welcome respite from the hustle and glitz of Vegas. Looking out over the pool garden, awash in natural light with a pastry and orange juice, life is good. We ordered several Bouchon staples. Pain au chocolat This was an exemplary pastry, superior to those I enjoyed in Paris. The crust was impossibly flaky, the interior moist, with just a bit of chew and the ideal amount of chocolate. French toast Completely decadent and quite delicious. I could never eat this kind of breakfast regularly but once in a while custardy, fruity, syrupy overkill can be a good thing. Quiche Florentine Bouchon’s quiche, when I first had it a year ago, opened my eyes to how good quiche can be and remains one of the tastiest things I’ve had in recent memory. We make various Keller quiches at home, but it’s always nice to sample one from the horse’s mouth. Service was adequate if not quite fawning. Had this been dinner I may have been a bit disappointed but at breakfast a bit of space and time to decompress was just what was needed.

Day 4 Our last morning in Vegas we arose relatively early to catch a cab over to Bouchon in the Venetian. I was last at Bouchon in Yountville about a year ago and frequent Bouchon Bakery in New York every few months. I also cook from the Bouchon cookbook a good deal. With this said, I’m quite familiar with Chef Keller’s take on bistro cuisine and am a big fan. This meal did not disappoint. As so many others have said, breakfast at Bouchon is a welcome respite from the hustle and glitz of Vegas. Looking out over the pool garden, awash in natural light with a pastry and orange juice, life is good. We ordered several Bouchon staples. Pain au chocolat This was an exemplary pastry, superior to those I enjoyed in Paris. The crust was impossibly flaky, the interior moist, with just a bit of chew and the ideal amount of chocolate. French toast Completely decadent and quite delicious. I could never eat this kind of breakfast regularly but once in a while custardy, fruity, syrupy overkill can be a good thing. Quiche Florentine Bouchon’s quiche, when I first had it a year ago, opened my eyes to how good quiche can be and remains one of the tastiest things I’ve had in recent memory. We make various Keller quiches at home, but it’s always nice to sample one from the horse’s mouth. Service was adequate if not quite fawning. Had this been dinner I may have been a bit disappointed but at breakfast a bit of space and time to decompress was just what was needed. After this meal the culinary part of our trip would come to a close. Net-net, I only lost a few hundred dollars gambling, got to stay in a couple great hotels, and, most importantly, had a wide range of enjoyable meals.

With this episode, Hung has to have a lock on the title. While the decision seemed a rational one, Tre clearly has so much more talent than Sara, Howie, or Casey. In fact, the fact that those first two are still around is an insult to the likes of Tre and Lia, obviously more talented chefs who caught bad breaks in the competition format of the show.

Not an issue at all. In fact, the ever eloquent Joshua broke the ice with, "I hope you're not going to put those up on MySpace." I doubt he would have said the same thing to older diners, but we rolled with it. Sadly, I have a MySpace profile, long dormant, but a profile nonetheless. From this comment we had a brief exchange about eGullet. He had heard of it.

B&B kind of looks like a bigger version of Esca on the inside. I've noticed that Batali restaurants tend to slightly overcook their fish in favor of going for the elusively crispy skin that many people like. No cooking I've ever had at a Batali joint could be classified as delicate; I think this is just another example of that phenomenon.

That really is an exaggeration. It's one block from the 42nd Street–Times Square subway complex (albeit the west end of that complex). ← I suppose that's a fair point, as it is close to lots of public transportation. It's just not somewhere I'd ever be hanging out. And I said that it's nearly in New Jersey because it's literally just steps away from the 42nd St. Park and Lock, used by many a NJ commuter. I live in NJ and have parked there on numerous occasions. I like the cheap rates. We're B&T, what can I say.

Had a really strong meal at Esca this past Sunday. Although I'm not of the opinion that this is a three-star restaurant, I can see how and why this food speaks to Bruni. Esca has done a good job at carving out a niche for itself--I can't think of other Italian seafood restaurants--in cuisine, price, and quality. The location really is in the middle of nowhere, and if it wasn't for tunnel the restaurant might as well be located in New Jersey. It's just a stone's throw from the 42nd St. Park and Lock as you exit the Lincoln Tunnel. My dining companions and I decided on the tasting menu. At $75, this was $10 more than what was listed on the website, but still a pretty fair value. The food is here simply prepared but the flavor profiles are unique. In few other restaurants are assertive charred, salty, briny, and bitter flavors so thoroughly incorporated across the breadth of the menu. We started with a bruschetta with rough puree white beans and cured fish. A nice, more mature take on the chickpea bruschetta that's been served at Babbo since, like, forever. Our server also guided helped us select three sufficiently different quartinos of wine that ran the gamut from floral and herbaceous to tight and spicy. First course was a selection of crudo, a different one for each of the four of us. We made one special request for geoduck that was duly granted. The others we sampled were all really noteworthy for their use of fruit and spice to heighten the fish. Scallop with citrus and pink peppercorn and the amazingly buttery albacore were particularly memorable. Next was a mezze plate of charred bread topped with eggplant puree topped with a single white anchovy. Also on the plate was a grape leaf stuffed with house-cured blue fin tuna. Again salty, bitter flavors dominated the dish in a pleasant sense. At this point in the meal we were supposed be served crispy eel, but without telling us the kitchen had run out. Instead we were served a nice grilled calamari dish with a salad of arugula, parsley, and chili oil. Although this was a good dish, we were kind of disappointed that we didn't receive the eels, especially since we weren't told beforehand. This would've been a somewhat significant faux pas, but was handled admirably by our server later in the meal. The pasta course for the evening was totally ridiculous. The sea urchin and crab pasta we were served was incredibly creamy with none of the somewhat metallic tang that one often associates with cooked urchin dishes. Shredded green onion gave the dish a slight and welcome alium bite. I could eat this dish again and again. The main course was subject to something of an awkward wait. In general I felt the pacing of the courses was a bit slow, but this course took forever to get out. Nevertheless, when it finally did arrive I was quite pleased with the dish. Nothing groundbreaking here, just a small piece of crispy black bass with grilled eggplant, heirloom tomato, and balsamic. A light finish after the heavy pasta course. We were then served a simple cheese course of ricotta and honey. This was a nice extra. Desserts followed the same pattern as the crudo, with a different option for each diner. The highlight of the four was a layered cookie-espresso creation. This dish was the surprise of the night. At this point our server came over and apologized for not telling us that the kitchen ran out of eel and would be subbing in the calamari. To make up for this oversight he poured us each a glass of moscato d'asti. This was a generous service recovery and was genuinely appreciated. Along with coffee and various biscotti, this was a fitting end to a very solid meal. Personally, I still haven't fully bought into the Italian-food-is-best-when-it's-rustic mantra, but this was a meal that was far removed from most of my recent dining experiences. I also appreciate how Chef Pasternack really sticks to the seafood focus and makes it his own.

Thanks for the insights. We ended up having a great day of excessive eating and drinking. I'll post detailed reports in the appropriate threads, but we started off with a late lunch tasting menu at Bouley. After that it was off to the Barney's Warehouse Sale on 17th then straight to Flatiron Lounge. From there we went to PDT and were taken care by the most excellent John and Don. Two dinners followed at Ramen Setagaya and Momofuku. Finished out the night with light drinks at a bustling Death and Co.

I'm so amazingly bitter.