BryanZ
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Posts posted by BryanZ
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Where did you source your crab? And, as everyone has said, those morels look marvelous.
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Good luck today. I know we're all pulling for you.
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For some reason, Alton Brown has appealed to me ever since I started watching the FN several years ago. I guess he appeals to my quirky side. Most of the big name chefs, except for maybe Emeril, seem to be more than competent and I look up to them highly. Bobby Flay seems like a douche but I can't vouch for that because I haven't met him. I even respect Rachel Ray for encouraging people to get out there and cook in their under-used and unorganized kitchens. As for the chefs that are on during the middle of the day, like that kind of attractive Italian one, the French guy on How To Boil Water, etc, I don't know much about them so I can't really judge. Although, they are clearly a couple levels below the big boys.
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I would tend to agree that I love Southern fusion. I do feel, as ChefSwartz states, that we simply need more of it to breed more competition and build a stronger base of restaurants. Magnolia Grill does a great job with the Southern fusion concept, I will certainly give them that, though I do feel like they could use some more competittion. Does anyone know of any restaurants like MG?
Also, I haven't been to ShabaShabu. Being half-Japanese it kind of scares me but, at the same time, I've heard good things about it. Although it's far from creative, they offer up a pretty novel concept, especially in this part of the country. And shabu shabu is a big step up from the bastardized hibachi steakhouses of Benihana-descent that are so popular these days. Is this ShabaShabu place any good.
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Well my my, didn't I stir up the pot. Let the record state, I'm sure Bryan is a great kid. In fact, I admire someone his age for being so into food. In fact, I actually PM'd him (at his request) with a rather comprehensive list of my favortie Mexican places.
All that said, this whole thread was essentially started by him. If I was to do the same and then admit that I was, by my own choice, dining at a place like PF Changs, I'd expect to take some ribbing.
I can also assure you, if they gave me any excuse what-so-ever to go elsewhere, like being surly on the phone, I'd take full advantage. In fact, there isn't a restaurant anywhere that should pull that crap. Our job is to facilitate enjoyment, end of story. But if you're going to cop even an ounce of 'tude, you'd better come through with something better than lettuce wraps and Yellowtail Shiraz.
I full on expected to take such ribbing, that's why I posted said confession. But yeah, if it was my choice I'd probably not dine there, but, again, I by no means put myself up on any kind of culinary pedestal and have been known to eat my share of downright crappy food (i.e. everynight I eat institutionalized muck). And I saw a nice bottle of Shafer Cabernet in the PF Changs open cellar, a wine I enjoyed very much.
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Not trying to hijack this thread, but let me qualify myself and say that my "pissing and moaning" isn't absolute by any means, as I do not think of myself as the absolute law when it comes to what restaurants are "good" and "bad". A big group of my friends wanted to go, so as the restaurant-go-to-guy/concierge I was the one who took care of the reservations and all. As for the hype, I don't really buy it. I dont hate PF Chang's, but I certainly don't love it either. I guess I just wanted to make that little statement to show that I'm not a total food snob and can have a good time eating at PF Chang's with a group of my friends, creative food or not.
Something that may be worth discussing, however, is how restaurants like PF Chang's who might hold little clout in larger demographics, suddenly think they're all that in smaller cities. Sometimes I feel like making a reservation there is harder than getting a reservation at Per Se simply because the hostess/recetionist is so unaccomodating. For example, I frequently get put on hold for lengthy periods of time only to get disconnected. In addition, I wanted to add one more person to my party of 8 for tonight but they said they would be unable to accomodate us since they do not take reservations for more than 8 and we would have to drop our current reservation and wait for a table of five and a table of four. Perhaps I'm complaining too much but if a restaurant of such mediocrity was also this unaccomodating it would not be in business for too long where I'm from. In general, I find the swelling egos of many mediocre restaurants to be a rather unsettling trend.
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From my amateur perspective, this looks more in line with the Spring theme. I wish I could offer more, but I didn't go to culinary school.
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Who would've thought that the only seating Babbo has left on Mother's Day is at 10:15. I want to go with my girlfriend, as a party of two. Do you think it's worth going that late if I just grab an evening snack at Whole Foods? Or should I wait until the following day and try to make an earlier reservation?
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WOW. What a great discussion. I think most of the points I might make have been hit, but I would add one thought. I had the opportunity to eat in Charlotte recently at 5 or 6 of the "hip" restaurants. What I found, in many cases, was food that felt calculated, designed to plug into one trend or another. Good enough flavors, and restaurants that looked like they could be in NY or SF, but not real, honest food. Hope that makes sense to y'all. As the restaurant scene here rises - and it will - I hope the better chefs don't lose their focus on providing food that honors their own visions rather than some market research person's figures.
Another point that I don't think has been made is that Raleigh, at least, is still a family-oriented eating town. That may also account for the explosion of chains.
Also, you can have Dean & Deluca. The one in Charlotte was a sorry sight. A Southern Season would eat its lunch, were it in the Triangle.
And if I can mention a restaurant that hasn't been talked about so far, Duck & Dumpling in Raleigh is run by a great chef who cares so much about his food that he makes his own dumpling wrappers. Nice guy, too.
Love the discussion!
Excellent points. If there's one thing I hate almost as much as boring food, it's trendy foods. New York is victim to this (if anyone has seen the movie In Good Company w/ Denis Quaid you know what I'm talking about when they're in the restaurant and EVERY dish features haulipuli oil) but, at the same time, many of the "hot" dining trends start in NYC and are then copied by lesser and less creative restaurants. What really irks me, however, is when the restaurants like the ones you mentioned in Charlotte try to be "hip" and "trendy" by simply buying the latest Bobby Flay or Nobu Matsuhisa cookbook and essentially putting those dishes on their menus. Sure they're playing to trends and can charge $30+ per entree but this is not the type of spark that the Triangle needs. For example, I've eaten probably 50 versions of Jean-George's warm chocolate cake because it is/was a trendy item. But, alas, I digress.
If there's one thing that I do enjoy in the Triangle, it is A Southern Season. Sure, it's not the most practical of stores, but it's an establishment that should be venerated in any locale. As Detlechef said, I miss my Dean&Deluca and my Garden of Eden, but to be honest I have more faith in the proliferation of true upscale markets than I do in a comprehensive revitalization of Triangle dining. As this thread has developed, I've realized that what I'm looking for isn't bounded by essential criteria. The Triangle has great dining resources and I'm still trying to find them, I just wish they were either easier to find and in greater numbers.
And I'm going to PF Chang's this weekend. I would feel dirty if I didn't make that confession.
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Although I think we neglected to say so, LReda and I were both referencing the Morris Plains location earlier in this thread.
Gotcha. So, overall, would you say it's worth a trip? A bunch of my friends and I want to go as soon as we get back from college as a kind of tacky Japanese food reunion of sorts. We're college kids who eat a lot of pretty much anything and would be going to the MP location.
Dude, this is perfect for you guys. You'll get more than your monies worth. Bring a couple of cases of brew and go for lunch. You'll scuaff triple your money.
Oh the perils of being only 18 and 19.
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That is sooooooooooo cool. I'm sorry to sound like a little kid here, but that is awesome. I'd be more than willing to pay for a bad meal if it meant that the chef would call me and then invite me back as a guest.
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And just a general obervation, there are 3 P.F. Changs in the San Francisco area. I bet they are just as packed with people as they are here in the Triangle - I know the ones in Seattle are. On average, people are people - the love of chain restaurants exists in big cities too.
As was established in the chain restaurant thread, "the success of chains is representative not of their quality but of the decline of Western civilization".
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Although I think we neglected to say so, LReda and I were both referencing the Morris Plains location earlier in this thread.
Gotcha. So, overall, would you say it's worth a trip? A bunch of my friends and I want to go as soon as we get back from college as a kind of tacky Japanese food reunion of sorts. We're college kids who eat a lot of pretty much anything and would be going to the MP location.
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BryanZ seems to have set unobtainable or at least quixotic goals for Triangle dining. If only we were like New York where there are no California Pizza Kitchens with lines out the door, and Frank Bruni could come down here to dole out 3-4 stars to a Thomas Keller inspired restaurant where we would freebase some lima bean powder off a plate scented with rice and gravy...then we would finally be in business.
Is Triangle dining perfect? nope. Is Triangle restaurant criticism inadequate? Yep. Does this mean we should throw the baby out with the bath water?
There are plenty of good eats around the Triangle, dadgumit. And I would include Angus Barn in that line up. I think we have the best dining diversity here between Atlanta and Washington DC (with the notable exception of a high end Mexican place, when o when will you arrive?).
Furthermore I think we are guilty of conflating fine dining with good eats. There are some incredible meals around this area that you could not pay for in New York City if you knew every secret handshake at the "21" Club. If you could get the atmospherics and essences of Allen & Sons, Pan-Pan (may it rest in peace), Magnolia Grill, or your own friendly neighborhood spot/cafeteria line up in the Northeastern corridor, I would gladly move to the land of high rent and low weather...
Whoa whoa, unattainable goals, I think not. For the fourth time, I am not looking for cutting edge cuisine of NYT 3-4 star caliber. I am, however, calling for a much needed spark in Triangle dining so that solid ethnic and some creative cuisine may be consistently found without much difficulty. I may be young and brash, but I don't think that I am being unreasonable. Wcmckinney, you actually highlight a few of my strongest beliefs, namely how there is no authoritatvie restaurant criticism (how I hate Citysearch) from which local diners can make educated restaurant choices. Without a trusted guide, foodies and non-foodies alike are often relegated to chains and their insane waits for merely acceptable food (ie the aforementioned Pf Chang's and CPK). I love egullet and have learned a lot already from posters like detlechef who share some of my same sentiments and are trying to educate individuals like me who are still new to area and are trying to discover the true extent of Triangle dining. This thread is not about transporting NY or Boston or LA to the Triangle, for I know this is simply impossible. It is, however, a place to try to enact some change through inspiring others to visit new and lesser-known restaurants that may elicit further discussion about the "state of Triangle dining and food".
And by the way, I've found it very hard to get decent pizza around here. You can get decent brick oven pies at local trattorias but I've yet to find a good pizzeria where I can get a couples slices for under five dollars. Everytime people call Domino's or Papa John's, a little piece of me dies inside.
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Has anyone been to the newly opened Morris Plains branch? Is it any good? I have friends in MP who say it gets PACKED on weekends.
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I live vicariously through your posts. I dream about being at the CIA and going into the city to eat where you eat every week.
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Go to the Union Sq market. It's worth it as a separate trip.
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I suppose I should start a new thread on Mexican, but I've a very extensive study on Durham and Chapel Hill Mexican and would love to share notes.
Detlechef, if wouldn't mind PMing me some of your favorite restaurants in Durham/near Duke, Mexican or otherwise, it would be greatly appreciated. Perhaps others would like to know of your favorites, as well.
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Independent's Best Restaurant 2005 is: drumroll,drumrolll,drumroll,drumroll,... ?!!?!?!?!?!?!?Angus Barn?!?!?!!?!?!?!!? The Independent is one of the more "free-thinking", widely published magazines in the Triangle. When they name Angus Barn as the Triangle's best restaurant you damn well know there's something wrong.
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Moderator's Note: This discussion was split off from this discussion about the best restaurant in the Triangle (NC).
I've found the overall dining scene in the Triangle to leave a lot to be desired. I'm just a student at Duke but have probably spent more hours researching the restaurant scene here than actually doing my school work. That being said, I've had some good experiences in the Triangle, but, generally speaking, compared to NY/NJ I'm disappointed.
You're comparing big apples and oranges. The population of the NY metro area is 20+ million. The Triangle is about 1+ million. At least you have something to be thankful for - you'll get a better education at Duke than you would at 95% of the colleges in the US. Robyn (not from NC)
Again, I'm not comparing the two geographic areas directly. As I've tried to make clear, I'm not looking for NYT 3-4 stars, just good, somewhat creative cuisine. And I full well know that Duke is better than 99% of colleges out there and value my education extremely highly. I reserve my right, however, to comment on the dining scene, as separate from me academic pursuits.
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I had no idea Fearrington House was Relais Chateaux. That puts it the league of the big boys no matter where you are. I need to try this place.
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Detlechef and ChefSwartz both bring up excellent points. I tend to be in that vocal minority (with ChefSwartz) that sees the potential for Triangle dining, yet I'm still unfulfilled and somehwat disappointed with both current and future prospects. The reason for my disappoinment is because of the points the Detlechef brings up. Southpoint is pretty disgusting, and that's saying a lot since I'm originally from New Jersey, the land of mega shopping malls. The difference, as Detlechef points out, is that people go to the "Streets" of Southpoint more to eat than to shop. As a somewhat bored college student, my friends and I have driven to Southpoint only to find a 2 hour wait at PF Chang's at 5:30, and a 1.5 hour wait at Cali. Pizza Kitchen. I choose these examples because they're not bad restaurants and, to be honest, they offer up food that is far better than most in the area. What is disturbing, however, is how the entire Triangle converges on these locations as if they are true dining "destinations". As long as Southpoint remains the mecca of "fine dining" for the masses of the Triangle, it will have a hard time breeding a creative and unique culinary scene. The resources, money, and people are there (for the most part), but I'm worried that I won't see the Triangle's potential develop to its fullest in my four years here.
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I'm sorry to hear that you have to cancel your trip, the campus is looking especially beautiful around now in the firm grasp of spring. Anyway, I had a pretty good meal (Smoked rabbit served a mild caccitore (sp?) sauce and a spaetzle-ish pasta) tonight at Pop's, a trattoria right by Duke's East Campus. A pretty bustling place with decently creative Italian food (for Durham standards).
And on a separate note, if you child has any questions about Duke, I'd be happy to offer a student's perspective.
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My girlfriend and I have watched this infomerical several times through. I'm not sure why; I guess because it's cultish in nature. I love how they have to use pearl onion because they're they only type that will fit. And the nachos look soooooooo gross. I know that whole informercial by heart. Oh the magic bullet, it makes dreams come true.
Five courses from the French Laundry Cookbook
in Cooking
Posted
It's killing me.