BryanZ

It was my understanding that Le Violon d'Ingres underwent a concept change a couple years ago, efffectively making it an upscale bistrot serving very well-executed food. Th 45 Euro menu sounds good and with minimal wine is still more or less in my budget. I still wonder, however, if it is "fancier" than the experience I'm looking for. I, too, have also read that Chez Denise is best for late-night. What if I, like, had dinner, took a nap, then had late-night dinner at Chez Denise for the atmosphere. Do they have a smaller steak for one? Will it be worth it on a Wednesday or Thursday night, and do I need reservations for like a 1AM reso? Louisa Chu, I know you've got answers to these questions. ETA: I'm taking a poll on hotels. To keep this marginally food related, one is on Rue Cler, the other is one block away on a street that runs parallel. The first hotel, Hotel Leveque, is 90 Euro/night. Although it is on Rue Cler, I was unable to get a room facing the street. The website kind of sucks, but I've heard good things. The second hotel, Hotel Valadon, is one block over toward the Champs de Mars on Rue Valadon. This hotel 120 Euro/night. The difference between the two for both nights could mean a light meal for the two of us somewhere. Both are a few minutes walk from the Eccole Militare metro station.

What is the difference between plates and tapas? How pricey is pricey? WIll one tasting be enough to serve two people, and are there any accompaniments? Is there a menu? Im a big boy, and I can probably figure it out, but I'm more used to 14th St. between 3rd and 4th Aves. I only know downtown NY decently because I spend some time there, but if I was visiting for just a couple days I wouldn't want to have to find something in that area. I suppose that's where the sense of adventure comes in.

I'm looking to create a rosemary-flavored gelee to be served with a savory lamb dish. Powdered gelatin is the gelling agent of choice for now because, well, that's all I've got at present. How can I extract the rosemary flavor cleanly and easily? I'm thinking I want it be just a little bit sweet, kind of like a play on mint jelly but more subtle in flavor and texture. How can I give it some color, too? Any ideas? Thanks.

Nice work.

Dude, this city is SMALL. Taktika Berri is no more than 9 blocks away. let's say 14 for Inopia, and maybe 20 for Quimet. ← Are there any good online Barcelona city maps available? I like Google maps overall but they're not detailed enough to cover any significant area when printed out. I have no problem walking but am a little bit worried about getting lost since I'm so used to nice numbered streets and avenues. vmilor, It is also my understanding that Jamonisimo will do interesting tastings of various kinds and cuts of hams if you ask. If I can figure out how to ask, I'm doing it. Like you said, I think of it as a doorway into something that I will likely find extremely compelling (given my love of artisanal American ham products).

So I've definitely decided to stay in the 7e. I'm still torn between one of my dinners, however. As I already noted, I'm going to Les Magnolias one night. For the other, is Chez l'Ami Jean more "Parisian" than Les Violons? I've heard really good things about both places. I'm looking for a quintessentially Parisian bistro experience. It's my understanding is that Les Violons is now like an upscale bistro (as opposed to the formal concept of a few years ago). Is the cooking at Les Violons evocative of bistro cooking in France? Someone mentioned the restaurant that Bourdain visited in the No Reservations: Paris show but said the food isn't that great. Is there something like that with really awesome, soulful food for about 45 Euro/person?

I guess the next step is figuring out where to eat during the day in the area. Walking distance from Passeig de Gracia is preferred. And naturally, I'm looking for places "worth" the trip. It seems that Tapaç 24 is near my hotel, so I can probably walk there. They're also open all day, so that's good for my schedule. Bar Pinotxo is in the Boqueria market and that is also near my hotel. Is that among the best places to go for tapas in Boqueria? If indeed Jamonisimo is the place to go for Iberico ham, I'll need to head out there. Is there anything else worth seeking out in the area around the Entenca metro station. Inopia, Quimet i Quimet, and Taktika Berri seem somewhat further out of my way. Are they worth seeking out in and of themselves? Am I missing anything?

I've chosen this hotel. It seems very centrally located, has a definite quirky antiquey vibe to it, and is really lauded on TripAdvisor. I've decided to base myself in the Passieg de Gracia/Plaza de Catalunya area because it gives me great access to trains and isn't far from the Gothic/Las Ramblas area. L'Antic Espai

This was my first thought. Isomalt would probably work here. One could also Methocel, which I think would help to gel the butter under heating. I know it works with foie, so perhaps you could achieve analagous results. Ultimately, I think you're going to have to prevent the butter from separating if you do indeed melt it. Adding gelatin to a beurre monte might give you more flexibility in melting temperature and might just work. The triple battering procedure would also likely work. The idea of a compound butter croqueta is a cool one. Keep us updated.

I eat here relatively frequently, as it's much easier to drive down 287 than go into K-town in the City. I find that the banchan on the whole isn't as spicy as I would like, but overall the quality is quite good. Some of their tofu soups are a little bit lacking, so I would recommend sticking to the grilled meats. Nevertheless, I recommend this place.

The Dinner with the Band concept sounds so cool. I'll be interested to see who he brings onto the show.

So things are starting to take shape. I arrive on a Friday afternoon from Paris, will check-in at yet to be determined hotel, and plan to do some ham-ing at Jamonisimo. Perhaps I'll try to get over to the Boqueria for some late afternoon, early evening tapas. That night I have a dinner at Alkimia and will order a long tasting menu. If I get out in time, I'll try to get over to Sucre Espai for a three-course sweet, late-night meal. Next morning, grab some breakfast, then take a train to Girona for a 1:30PM lunch at El Celler de Can Roca, another lengthy tasting menu will be ordered. That night I'll try to have dinner at Cinc Sentits where, you guessed it, another tasting menu will be ordered. The next morning I'm not sure what I'll do for breakfast since it'll be Sunday and Boqueria will be closed. Then it's a hop to Gatwick airport in London, then drop of our bags at a dorm in UCL, then take a train to Oxford for a Bright Eyes show that evening. I fly back to school in NC next morning. Depending on where my hotel is, I guess I'll a need breakfast location or two. And I'm still looking for good areas to stay, Las Ramblas, Eixamples? Anyone?

So if I was to make it out to Celler de Can Roca, how would I do so? I'm guessing train is the best bet, but I'm having trouble navigating/finding the right train service website from Barcelona to Girona. From the Girona train station do I take a taxi to the restaurant? How long is the total journey, each way? Also, if I go for lunch, can I still order the "surprise" tasting menu I've seen mentioned? People familiar with my dining trends will know that I must order the surprise tasting menu everywhere I go, so if I go all the way out there I want to get the full experience. If I go for dinner, can I get a train back to Barcelona that night without being stuck in Girona? Finally, how much is this place for a tasting menu? Thank you so much. And keep the info. coming.

So far I've got a dinner at Les Magnolias. I also have the conceirges at AMEX hard at work figuring out lunch prices at my three-star restaurants of choice. A strange request for them, I know, but hopefully they'll pull through. I'm thinking it might be a good idea to stay in the 7e. I've heard market on Rue Cler is nice and it's close to the metal tower, so at least I'll be able to see one sight. And the Champs de Mars seems quaint. I also know that l'Ami Jean is in the area and while lots of people say it's good I wonder if it's the best quintessientially Parisian bistro experience I can have. I bring this up because it is Basque cuisine, and since I will be heading to Spain the next day, perhaps I should do something else. Do any of you know anything about the following hotels: -Grand Hotel Leveque -right on Rue Cler, but I can't get a room facing the street -Hotel Valadon - toward the upper-end of my hotel budget -Hotel du Champ de Mars - kind of mediocre but in a central location and the price seems right -Hotel Muguet - closer to Metro, further from the "stuff," again at the top of my budget I really want to spend one night in (the) Paris Hilton. Remember to tip your waitresses. Good night.

I just re-read my post now and caught that error before even seeing your recent post, Doc. Big difference, indeed. My apologies.

60C in the bath for a few hours. The time isn't all that important as long as it's in moderation. Yes, there is, I probably read it at some point. I should go dig that up. These cats were staying away from red meat. I mean two seafood is quite common since one is shellfish, one fish. And duck is pretty meaty for not being like big, red-meated animal. Love the idea, and I bet it would fly here. What I'm ultimately going for, however, is a perfectly smooth glass of skin that's impossibly thin. If you've been to Eleven Madison Park recently Chef Humm does this. That's the benchmark, but what's been featured on Ideas in Food is very similar.

For those of you who also frequent the France board, you will also see that I've posted there, too, concerning my upcoming quick jaunt through Europe. I will be spending two day in Barcelona and am looking for recommendations similar to those in the Paris thread. Needless to say I'm incredibly excited about eating in Spain given my current tastes. I realize that not all Spanish cooking is modern, so I'm looking for a wide range of experiences. While most of my restaurant meals will be decidedly modern, I really want to eat copious amount of Spanish ham (I'm a jamon iberico virgin) and get some more casual traditional experinces too. Namely, markets, shops, culinarily significant areas of the city. So for dinners I'm planning on Alkimia and Cinc Sentits for the two nights I'll be in Barcelona. I also want to stop by Espai Scure but don't know when to do so. Is it open during the day, or is it an after dinner place? Do I need reservations? For my two lunches, I'm totally open to suggestions. Maybe a quintessential tapas place, or traditional Spanish cooking. I can eat breakfast, brunch, lunch, two afternoon snacks, and dinner in a day, so throw out as many suggestions as you can. Since I understand that Barcelona isn't that expensive of a city, price isn't a huge concern, but I do want to have unique, valuable experiences. I'm also looking for cheap hotel recommendations (about 100 Euro/night) and a sense of the general area I should center myself in. Food is much more of a concern in this regard than the "sights." Thanks to some help on eG via PMs and such it's been suggested that I stay in the 7th in Paris. I'm looking for a similar recommendation for Barcelona. Thank you so much.

So cooking the chicken breast sous vide with the truffle butter is analagous to butter poaching. It's not really an application that suits itself well to chicken with skin. The color on the plate is lacking I admit, but I guess that's what the bright puree is for. I do love crispy chicken skin though. Daniel Humm at EMP does the most amazingly thin crispy chicken wafer that I'd love to figure out.

Yes, I didn't think of that. I've expressed my discontent with the service in NYC, but this might an instance when it's valuable.

Obviously, I don't have class today. I did know about the entree thing, so yeah I'm not that much of a uncultured rube. Les Magnolias looks pretty awesome and at a nice price. I think I'll definitely do that and perhaps one well-known bistro for my two dinners. How far is Les Magnolias from Paris? The way it seems, it's on the outskirts by about twenty minutes. What's the RER E, not the Metro, is it?

What is the difference between "carte" and "menus"?

Wow, 25-40 is cheap. Hmm, I was thinking like maybe 100ish Euro a night after occupancy taxes and stuff, maybe a bit less. Something analagous to like a $139 room at a Marriott in a US city or something.

I fly to and from Japan relatively frequently so jet-lag isn't so much a problem. I am familiar with how to use the Michelin site, but am aprehensive to trust the prices held therein. I suppose just emailing is the best way to go about things. As an aside, I've seen Chez l'Ami Jean mentioned by more than a few members and on other sites. Is this place as good as people say it is for traditional Parisian food? And I know this thread is still in its infancy and thank everyone for their help thus far, but if I had to choose one focus I'd love to hear more about specific food destinations (ie names of restaurants or areas in Paris that fit with my criteria mentioned above). Thanks a bunch.

Yes, but crush a garlic clove and throw in a couple sprigs of thyme. People call this the Ducasse method. I call it tasty. Going back to the original post, even if you only have one pan you can sear in oil, move to roasting pan, throw in foamed butter with said additions, roast while basting until doneness.

Thanks for the advice so far. I thought I'd also like Astrance to the list, since it's supposedly a two star restaurant with a modern bent and is getting lots of good press. Also, I'd like to ask more explicitly for advice on how to make reservations. Since I don't speak a bit of French and don't have access to a land telephone line, I'm not sure of the best way to go. I have a g/f in London right now who might be able to find a French speaker to call for us, but ideally email would be best. Again, can I just do this in English? Is it tacky to ask for prices at two or three star restaurants? What about more casual places without dedicated reservations departments? One thing I won't have a problem with is dress. I love wearing suits.