BryanZ

Not that this is directly applicable to what you're talking about in terms of clubs, but Eater is reporting that Sin-e will close in early March. Sadness.

Very interesting episode. Too bad the Cliff-thing got in the way of the food. Really Cliff should have gone, so that was at least just. As for the others, I'm not sure if I support Chef Collichio's view entirely, but they were certainly not in the moral right. I feel bad for Chef Ripert having to witness that mess. I don't think we'll have culinary world superstars like Chef Ripert and Tony Bourdain after the showing the cheftestants put forth this season. On a happier note, Padma is oh so clever. "Elia and Marcel, you can pack your knives...and go to Hawaii." She really milked that one.

Although it appears that our Nathan is apprehensive to stake claim to those posts explicitly, part of the reason I chose to include that one is because I thought that it was him. In fact, the rare instances I find myself agreeing with posts they're usually by "Nathan" or "Sneakeater." Go figure. Hence the, "why I post on eG" remark I made before. I for one have never posted there but only read the comments for comic relief. Bruni does respond to general comments/themes in later posts but doesn't do so in the "comments" section itself. I will continue to post my favorites if people need a good laugh.

The zest will make pretty awesome homemade limoncello. That can be really special.

An interesting bit of news from Chef Goldfarb on Grub St. today. Apparently he's outsourcing his desserts. Classic. Full article here.

In regards to the Eater thing, it appears that Occam's Razor prevails again. Anyway, I've been wanting to make this post for a while, specifically regarding the Diner's Journal that, I believe, Nathan mentioned on the previous page. I've always surprised that there's not much discussion of what Bruni discusses there here on eG. I also find that Bruni can be quite insightful on his blog, much more so than in his formal reviews. Anyway, today's post about photography in restauants is yet another instance where Bruni offers a relatively articulate and rational reflection on the prevalence of flash photography in mid- to upper-level dining rooms. Personally I hate flash photography in all dining rooms and find it offensive, but that's just me and not the point. What I find most interesting about BruniBlog, however, is the slew popular commentary that always follows, especially after posts that speak toward reservation/seating policies, portion sizing, pricing etc. In each instance there nearly always exists an underswell of completely irrational rhetoric that classifies restaurants of merit as elitist or pretentious or gives diners carte blanche to do whatever they so desire because they are paying for a meal (and I don't mean order alcohol). There are always a few gems: I'm ashamed of my generation. A prime example of how obnoxiousness taints the free market. But then there is the occasional voice of reason: There's a reason I post on eG.

In the foodie community, however, this isn't the case. If we derive utility, however shallowly, from jealousy of others, then this would still tend toward Nathan's original post. An eG reader would probably be more interested in hearing about the duck testicle ragout than the surf and turf.

As a student of economics, I take issue with that statement. At a good restaurant you're not necessarily looking to maximize value via minimum mark-up over raw ingredients. Rather you're paying for the chef's ability to conceive novel flavors and the cooks' abilities to execute them at a high standard. In terms of utility, it's not coming from "value" in the colloquial sense, but more likely from a desire to enjoy food in a new and valuable (in the economic sense) way. So I would tend to side with Nathan, if we ignore periphery factors such as diminished relative freshness due to slower product turnover. Besides, in a truly good restaurant that shouldn't really be an issue anyway.

It just doesn't have the BruniStar cachet. (Gruzia, seriously, if you don't know, they're the same restaurant. Sort of. Two dining rooms, two names, a semi-wall separates them.)

Is the newly 3-starred The Bar Room too obvious?

Finally, a club I can chime in on. I've been there for Bright Eyes/The Faint shows and have seen the club goers waiting to get in after the show lets out. As Nathan suggests, the scene does seem pretty trashy compared to other locations.

One might inquire as to who you were told by.

hhlodesign and Ling strike again. Very, very cool. Back to the television.

Damn, I was just about to post that. Here's my favorite part: Good times.

What smoked paprika was in 06, ketjap manis will be in 07? That's where I'm putting my money.

Ooo, btw I loved Elia's headbands. Very late 80's.

The ball will certainly get rolling when Eater et al jumps onto the dinner menu Ssam bangwagon.

Like it or not, plenty of line cooks take pride in hazing. Holding down a guy and forcing his head in a slop bucket, locking him in a walk-in and dumping crap on his head, breaking into his locker and cryovacing his clothes. At first it seems cruel, then the victim comes out alive and gets over it and then the cycle repeats itself, this time with the previous victim making the next slop bucket. Totally akin to lame frat boy rituals. ← What happens in real life can't happen in reality shows. It's very analagous to their 21 year old restriction because of the alcohol consumption tha happens on the show. If hazing did in fact occur it would certainly be grounds to kick the cheftestant off no questions asked.

Ketjap manis is the new condiment of '07.

Oh Marcel, you're too strange even for my tastes. Nevertheless, I still like you. The rap, the cut-out-4-us, wow. No other words are needed. I actually wouldn't be surprised if Kraft Zesty would hold air relatively well. I'm sure it's loaded with emulsifiers and hydrocolloids such that it might froth (if not turn into a proper "air") quite well. I found Michael's decision to not buy bread plates or small bowls for olive pits very short-sighted. He knew he had the money, so why not spend it. It's not as if it could be put toward food. Had he been thinking, he would've gone above and beyond what the group expected of him. Perhaps as a result of this he would've stayed. I also think they cut off Marcel's hair. Isn't that hazing in a situtation like that? Isn't that technically against the law?

I agree on the squab. Tasty, but kind of difficult to eat. The classic menu is a good way to go since it's, well, classic. I enjoyed the venison dish, but like all other venison in the city, it tastes like beef. I really enjoyed the cabrales foam but agree that the rabe seemed an afterthought to add some green to the plate. The foie is the only dish in NYC that I'll order without fail time and time again.

It's not an issue in NYC either. At least I thought it wasn't. Anywho. A quick update on highs: Selfridge's in general for food and shopping. She plans to explore it in its fullest. Highlights have included a meal at Maze that was very solid. Also a foie gras club at Harrod's that was supposedly very tasty (and not cheap at 20 pounds--don't know how to make the symbol--for the sandwich alone). She's been eating a lot of meat pies. I find that very British. I'll try to get her to post on here, perhaps under my name. In other news, I've known about Le Gavroche, but it just seems so old-fashioned. I'm not a big fan of stodgy food, and the vibe of that place just seems a bit old. Please forgive me if I'm mistaken. For perspective, someone who I trust very, very much told me that the Fat Duck isn't even all that innovative, and I'm inclined to believe him given my tastes.

You certainly bring up good points. I was simply commenting on the context under which I ate it. It was a good version of that dish, yeah, but from my perspective unimaginative as of the moment in time two years ago when I had it.

If this thread picks up steam I give it but a few days until the eventual flamefests and locking. So with all due respect, she has every right to call and speak her mind. And to call her uneducated is a bit of a stretch. She at least knows what foie is and its production process, which is much more than the vast majority of the dining public. What I think of her viewpoint, however, goes without saying.

I think it's fair to say that USC is a mediocre restaurant if one (mistakenly) places it among best restaurants in New York. As people have alluded to now, three stars for The Bar Room might artificially inflate expectations to the point where customers may actually be disappointed with their experience. I think this has already happened (for the past several years, or at least as long as I can remember) to USC. I know when I went to USC a couple years ago (with my girlfriend's father; I wouldn't go to USC on my own incidentally) and saw the tuna with wasabi mashed potatoes, I actually laughed. That was my simple gut reaction and had I known the restaurant had three stars, I would've been disappointed with the menu itself. Then again, those are my tastes, but I think that says something. I ended up ordering the tuna for fun and it was a pretty good, if totally unimaginative, dish. To return to Bruni, what we've established is that Bruni's commentary on GT and USC is hard to refute, he simply approached it in a somewhat inappropriate way. I agree that the comments concerning GT were especially unfair because the restaurant is in transition.