BryanZ

Chef Collichio really roasted Stephen in his blog. That was one of the harsher send-offs I've read. I'm sad to see Stephen go and now will be rooting for Harold.

Bad ass. Please continue doing this and update. It's about time home cooks started getting "molecular," so to speak. I plan to be doing much of the same in coming weeks.

Yeah Loco Pops is pretty sweet. They're also now available on Duke's campus. Yay!

The Broad St. location of Randy's is under new ownership. In fact, I should say it has been for the past couple months, I believe. I can't say I've noticed a change in the style of their dough. And don't even get me started about pizza and such back up north. It blows my mind that I can't get a decent bagel or slice down here.

You're not disinclined to visit? So you think it's worth checking out? ← Yes, you read my post correctly. Others were suggesting, based on the review, that it was a disappointing venture. After reading it myself, however, I didn't find my enthusiasm for the bakery significantly dampened. So yeah, I want to go and will be soon.

While Stephen may bring back a lot of viewers to show (because he is the man), I think it's unfair to say different decisions would have been made had this not been a television program. No one sent home thus far has been in the same league of Stephen in terms of attention to detail, creative thinking, and food knowledge. I really hope Dave goes next week so we see the real knives come out, so to speak.

I'm an admitted sushi snob, and the only decent "dollar sushi" I've had is in Japan. I can only speak for Durham, but the sushi in the area is pretty much a total let down. I've yet to have anything that even barely surpasses edible.

In my experience you lose out on some of the tableside preparations at lunch when compared to dinner. Also, the rooms seems more airy and casual during the day but more sleek at night. It really just depends on your preferences. I've also find service to be tighter at night and more casual (in the not as good way) during the day. The prices, even with the recent increase, are still a great deal for lunch.

In Tom's blog he notes the similarities in attitude between Miguel and Harold in this episode. He pointed out that Miguel made larger errors (like the fish) and was on the losing team.

I'm pretty certain the yuba is fried. When I got to see the kitchen, I saw cooks fervently blotting the little sticks to remove any traces of grease.

Even as Stephen's biggest fan, I will admit that he needs to find a balance between using his knowledge base/bullshitting ability and focusing on the tasks at hand (in this case, serving customers as the only FOH staff member). As he admitted himself, he's too esoteric, and while he is talented, let's his ego get in the way of what he's doing. Will he win, probably not. Do I still love the guy, yes. I've said this before, but the more I watch, the more I think that Harold looks EXACTLY like Jack from lost. Just imagine Jack, rescued from the island and fed a few hearty meals. The resemblance is uncanny.

I recently wrote about two of the Triangle's most established Japanese restaurants, Yamazushi and Waraji. Yamazushi was nothing special at all. Waraji wasn't bad, but really pales in comparison to proper sushi in other areas. With that said, Waraji has been my best experience in the area. Reviews in the Chronicle are here

It's going to own.

That's quite the post. I must say that Randy's tends to overwork their dough. They build up too much gluten and make the dough much too chewy. Chosun Ok isn't bad, but I haven't been for lunch. I'm skeptical of the California roll, however.

This was my impression, as well. It makes logical sense.

Though Natalie Portman's rap puts all this stuff to shame.

This is honestly the worst thing I have ever seen. I feel ill as I watch this on my computer. What little respect for Chefs Puck and Cora is completely gone.

I'm inspired.

Agreed on all points.

I would agree.

← Based on the content of the review, however, I'm not disinclined to visit. Those expecting a Per Se lite, as Meehan clearly points out, will be severely disappointed.

I also find that the current generation of huge name American chefs (Boulud, Keller, Bouley, JGV, Ripert) is in some way being eclipsed by the younger generation (Achatz, Dufresne, Cantu) at least in terms of creativity. Then there are people like Jose Andres who bridge the gap. Anyway, I somewhat digress. It could be construed that chefs like JGV are at a disadvantage in that their flagship restaurants are literal institutions. People go in, expecting certain things. I, too, appreciate the creativity of a restaurant like Perry St., but also understand how food like that doesn't quite fit the four-star model.

Just to go back a few posts, chefboy and others were correct in that my biggest quibble with JG is that much of the menu seems static. This could be for a variety of reasons. First, I've eaten at JG far more than any other restaurant in its category. I'm not victim to menu fatigue, but many of the same dishes are simply recycled in seasonal forms. I also feel like this is more glaring for JG as opposed to a place like Per Se, since the cuisine at the former is more locked into JG's (the chef) quintessential style. At places like Per Se or Le Bernardin, the cooking is more of a traditional sort, so a repeated dish at one of those establishments seems "classic". These aren't really complaints, just observations. JG is still an amazing restaurant and deserving of its four stars. As a side point to somewhat harp on Bruni, wasn't Iuzzuni the pioneer of that style of dessert in the US? It's copied everywhere now, but I could've sworn Iuzzuni really gave it traction.

Solid review, lengthy introduction notwithstanding. He exposes perhaps my biggest quibble with JG while at the same time explaining how many of the same ideas still work remarkably well. The notes on the service are also in line with my numerous experiences there.

Just to chime in on some of the most recently discussed points. I've eaten there both when Wylie has been in and on a Sunday when he wasn't. As others have noted, the execution of the dishes was top-notch, as one would hopefully expect. I loved the place the first time and on subsequent visits, but then again my tastes tend to align more with docsconz's (our preferred culinary barometer for the present). Many people are simply not turned on by this style of food. The dishes I have enjoyed least have just not jived conceptually with what I consider a great dish. This is not at all to take away from the theory behind them but merely a statement of my personal preferences.