glauer

Sensing from Guy Martin of Le Grand Vefour opened this week in the Fairmont Battery Wharf, and as not so many of the top chefs from France have opened places in Boston yet I thought I should go. This despite the fact that I found the food at Le Grand Vefour not as compelling as the decor when I ate there in 2001, despite it having three Michelin stars at the time (two since last year). If Mr Martin did not want his food to be outshined by the ambiance in this place he certainly should be able to succeed. It is hard to believe that in such an expensive project one could come up with such a dull design. It looks chain hotel breakfast room and is a real downer. The Hotel lobby looks far more attractive and inviting. I usually do not care much about the design if the food is right but this is maybe the worst restaurant space I have seen in a long time. One almost expects to smell cheap floor cleaner. And it was terribly cold. The food was certainly on a better level, though there is plenty of room for improvement. We started with their "snacking platter" containing 6 one bite morsels. This is supposedly a classic dish for Sensing (they are making this into a small chain) and I would have expected more from it. Plates like this only work if every single bite is strong and surprising, with bold and unexpected flavors and there should be some theme or idea to it. Here only the first bite was shining, a super fresh local oyster that was perfectly enhanced by the addition of a shallot and vinegar granite, a sensation compared to the often served absurd mignonette. The king crab was pretty much tasteless, the foie gras creme brulee too warm and the comte cheese maki roll a bit absurd. Smoked mussel and jerusalem artichoke soup were fine. Overall I could not detect any connection between the bites. Fortunately we decided to add some extra appetizers as these were much stronger. Especially the terrine de foie gras with raw beets was excellent and definitely one of the best foie preparations I had recently. There was a beet jelly on top of the slice of terrine as well as a beet tartare and some thin slices of raw beet on the side. The earthiness of the beets and the slight sweetness worked perfectly as were the different textures. The foie itself was flawless and for once not overpowered by too sweet garnishes. I might come back to just have this at the bar. The cauliflower and quince soup was also quite good. Maybe a bit too creamy and sweet it could also have used a bit more cauliflower flavor, but nevertheless quince and cauliflower made a great combination and the hint of wasabi added nice complexity and contrast. For main courses we had tuna and duck. The tuna dish was somewhat boring with the exception of wonderfully filled mini turnips. Otherwise there was not much going on in this dish, the tuna was overcooked and the seasoning not very inspired. The laquered duck was much better. Despite being medium rare it was extremely tender and flavorful and if only the laquered skin had been crisp it would have been perfect. I also enjoyed the parsnip sticks and the braised duck leg and foie gras in phyllo dough. The latter should have made with less dough and a bit crisper though. Service was OK with our young server trying very hard to be helpful; I am sure he will be great once everything has settled in. The french maitre seemed a bit lost and aloof, but I think that was also due to the just recent opening as he was opening up as the night went on. Prices are pretty steep with the snacking platter and the terrine de foie gras de canard at 19.-, other appetizers in the mid to high teens. Main courses were mostly in the thirties with one dish below 30 and one above 40 each. The wine list is OK if not terribly exciting, calculation is a bit steep and there are very few bottles under 50. They might reconsider in the current economy. We had a very pleasant St. Joseph from the negociant Vidal-Fleury for 65. I am not a huge fan of the recent development that many starred chefs seem to develop mini chains. Even if they do it perfectly as in the case of Robuchon the places tend to lack a soul and I always will prefer a place where the chef is more involved. It will depend on Mr Martin's deputy here whether he will be able to develop his own signature, and whether this will be enough to overcome the absurd ambiance of the place.

I did two of the three in May (Trotter and Alinea). I have to say that Charlie Trotter was a major letdown. There was not a single memorable dish, and most of the food came out lukewarm. I loved the wine service. Ambiance (and food) is quite dated and could use a makeover. Overall, especially given the price point, this was barely a * Michelin experience. Alinea was memorable. Together with a lunch at l'Arpege the best meal in 30 years of fine dining. There was not a single dish that did not work, and despite the large number of dishes I still have the experience of several of them "burnt" in my memory. I also loved the overall experience, the service was what one can hope for: Highest standard but with a contemporary relaxed feel. And incredibly smart wine suggestions. For me this is one of the great restaurants in the world at this time.

my two cents: It is definitely true that it is extremely basic, but so are the prices. If one can live with those limitations I find it a great place for a few relaxed days. And the winelist together with the terrasse definitely make up for a lot. Regarding the food during the week: if anybody knows the youth hostel with that quality of simple food please let me know. I still remember the taste of the saucissons du Toulouse with ratatouille. Simple yes, but also very tasty.

I have not been but these two places would spark my interest with somewhat regionally influenced cuisine and pretty close by. http://www.moarwirt.de www.schlossanger.de georg

It is great that we are all so different..... We found it tacky. But de gustibus.... That the room was so bright was actually the thing we liked most about it (next to the beautiful chairs). Might be a cultural thing though; in the US dining rooms often tend to feel cave-like to me and my american friends love it just that way. I do agree that they will not "need" vegetarian dishes. But I think it makes life much easier for everybody. Despite me trying hard to keep my circle of friends pure in that respect there are always some nice vegetarians who manage to sneak in....and I like to have them around. In my opinion it makes a lot of sense these days to have at least one vegetarian dish in each category for every restaurant. Done well they enrich every menu and especially Ducasse is known to be great with vegetables. He put a lot of emphasis on them already many years ago.

It was byo for those people with reservations who they had called the day before and told to bring their own wine. They got the license Friday afternoon so for walk-ins it was regular service. We actually sat next to the service station with all those Smith Haut Lafitte bottles on it...and had brought a few bottles on our own. Unfortunately they left our wines unchilled until we arrived despite me making the effort of dropping them off an hour earlier. That was a bit symptomatic of the overall service experience, they still need to get their act together, but that is to expect at this stage. They were all very friendly and our server was very good. The decor we found all a bit too much Vegas-like. Maybe some patina over the years will help. Regarding the food the charcuterie plate was the big winner. The pate en croute, the toungue and the foie gras were all outstanding. Jambon cru and salami were ok. This is definitely a plate I would be pleased to have on a regular basis. The chicken was good, but not as exciting as I had hoped for. It looked and smelled fantastic and the meat was nicely infused with the garlic and herbs. But it was a bit overcooked, the breast dry and a bit mushy. That also showed that it was not a top notch chicken to begin with, the flesh lacked the firmness of the better stuff (though maybe that is to be expected at the price point). I did not try the steak one of my friends had but he was extremely pleased. The vegetables en cocotte and the spinach got also good reviews, but I was too full to try everything on the table as I usually do. The vegetables en cocotte are usually braised in chicken stock but they changed that for our vegetarian friend and he enjoyed the dish. I still would be surprised if they did not add some vegetarian options soon to make their life easier. What I found a bit lacking regarding the menu was that all dishes are very much on the safe side. Chicken, steak, duck, lamb. Where are the kidney, liver, tripe dishes? What about some blanquette de veau ? My hope is that they want to establish the "core" of the menu first and once the place is running smoothly will add to it. I also would assume that some fine tuning by Mr Ducasse will further enhance the experience. As expected I would enjoy going back (despite my negative experience on the phone to which the restaurant never responded).

Actually, that is not ironic, but exactly what I expect to happen. Otherwise I would have not booked a table in the first place and certainly would have not kept it. I was just stunned that given Ducasse's reputation for perfection in all areas (except maybe toilets..) I had such an absurd experience with a simple question. I actually would have even enjoyed a little brashness (as in 'vegetarian? are you nuts?") as that fits a Bistro quite well. But she was plain stupid and rude.

Sorry, but this is nonsense. I did not ask them for any substitution. I only asked whether, in contrast to what is posted online, there are vegetarian options. She could have easily said "I am sorry, but we do not have any". End of story. But even (or especially) for a Bistro it seems not unreasonable to assume that the online menu is not exactly what they have. Even if things are precooked, what they cook in a Bistro often changes daily. And even in Paris one usually finds a vegetarian dish these days, and it often comes as a plat du jour. Regarding the "other dish". This dish actually IS on their menu, but only as an appetizer. I used it only as an example because this is the dish that I have seen at multiple Ducasse places as the vegetarian ENTREE option. Also, Benoit in Paris is not exactly a typical Bistro. It is a quite large enterprise that has not much in common with your standard Bistro at the corner. Other than that I fully agree with you..... I definitely do not expect more than a small menu with some classical french cooking. And I do not expect to be pampered by a large waitstaff. Which does not mean that I want to be treated like an imbecile and a nuisance. But we will see, the proof will be in the eating. After Friday I will report back.

Just had maybe the weirdest contact with a front of the house ever...... Called Benoit because I had made a reservation for Friday and wanted to know about the liquor license and also whether they offer anything for a vegetarian, as we have one in our party and the online menu has only vegetarian appetizers. I thought they might at least be able to size up the vegetables en cocotte which Ducasse places do so well. So the lady on the phone tells me "You can see the menu on our webpage at www.....". I told her I have done that and that is exactly the reason why I am calling. She says "have you read the menu"? I say "yes, but there is nothing vegetarian, can you not accommodate that?" She asks again (pretty rudely) whether I have read the menu and tells me that they are a Bistro and what I read is what I can get. So it went back and forth a few times, she always inquiring whether I have actually read the menu, me telling her whether she wants to say that they are not prepared for vegetarians. I finally told her that this was a somewhat uncommon way to chide a customer and that I was indeed capable of reading. I got her name and for the first time in my long culinary life I am tempted to call the manager. Unfortunately I cannot really revive the scene here in its whole absurdity, but the whole thing was more like out of a Monty Python sketch about ridiculous service in a stereotypical French place. The chicken better be really good......

I have to admit that I have not a lot of experience with l'Espalier, but based on what I had I think they need to be happy if they get one *. Even if one takes into account what many people think are slightly lower standards in the US guides, the food to me seemed conceptually and in terms of execution/quality quite a bit away from the American multistar restaurants I have eaten at. Maybe we can make a bet....;-) Gg

and 30km outside is The Traube in Grevenbroich. Very classical cuisine, 2 stars.

When is the first day of the season Johnny? I can't wait..... last year I carried a big box of them to Germany. Bought in the afternoon and eaten next day for dinner with my family...they LOVED it.

One article said "three French and two japanese experts" http://www.ttc.org/200711191156.lajbuxs29398.htm

@ behemoth the reader commentaries are more than painful. Unfortunately pretty typical mixture of ignorance and envy. Why don't they continue to enjoy their currywurst and let us eat the foie gras?

I went to Hamersley's tonight after not having eaten there for I think 5 years. All in all a very pleasant experience. I guess the only thing that irritates me about the place is its reputation as a top notch dining destination. Even if the food was perfectly executed it would still be quite simple and rustic fare. Nothing wrong with that, and they surely make a lot of people happy. But based on what one reads online and in a variety of publications I would have expected something very different had I not been there before. We had: For appetizers the Duck Liver Mousse and the Greens with Goat Cheese. Apart from the fact that the mousse was in reality a terrine both dishes were fine and tasty, if not overly exciting. Then we had the classic Roast Chicken and Braised Rabbit in Pinot Noir. The chicken was very nicely flavored from the lemon slices and the garlic etc., especially when eaten together with the fragrant jus. But it was slightly overcooked for my taste while the skin was not crisp. I had that better in my memories. I also think there are better chicken available in the US now with better texture of the meat and more flavor (though to be fair if they used the very best, that are as good as poulet de Bresse, then it most likely would not cost 26$). I really liked the roasted potato with it and would have loved to get more than just one piece. The rabbit was good, tender but not dry. There was a lot of sauce/liquid that would have benefited from more concentration. For dessert we shared the Souffleed Lemon Custard. Very simple, without anything added but a few cranberries, but smooth and creamy with clean and refreshing lemon aroma. Nice with a glass of Moscato. To our surprise we felt not overstuffed the rest of the evening despite the robust portions and the rather heavy style of cuisine. A sign that good ingredients, especially high quality cooking fats, are used. Service was very friendly and very efficient. I also found the wine list to have interesting picks for reasonable prices. Half a bottle of Felsina CC 2003 (it was either the Riserva or the Rancia) for i think 26$ is something I would like to see more often. So overall a solid showing and a good choice if one is in the mood for rustic and tasty Bistro fare.

and wasn't there also a big fight over whether to use raw or boiled potatoes? I thought people do it either way......

I guess that depends on how much you like cuban sandwiches..... Assuming I had moved away and came back for a day......I think I would go to B&G oysters and have a huge plate of oysters and a bottle of Muscadet. Then over to Oleana and have the vegetarian tasting. For another evening I might consider the chef's whim at Craigie. A while ago I might have thought about having oysters and clams and a pan roasted lobster at Jasper White's shack....but not that cool anymore. Or the best: Hijack a friend's kitchen and buy fish and seafood at New Deal Fish Market and cook yourself. Maybe the latter is what you should do next time. We could have a egullet cookout.

The bottom line for Boston is that there is no such thing as dining on a two or even three star (michelin) level. So you are exactly right if you are looking for the interesting one star candidates. And I think Oleana fits the bill perfectly. I don't know of any restaurant where that kind of cuisine is executed at that level. And the price is absolutely right.

Oleana is definitely an interesting/good choice as it is a very unique style of cuisine on a pretty sophisticated level. If you are lucky it also might be warm enough to sit in the pretty garden. It is also the only one place where I am tempted to go vegetarian, the tasting is a lot of fun. Plus the have a small but smart wine list. Another bonus is consistency (I had only a single evening recently when the food was just good but not really inspired). Sibling rivalry is forgettable. They try (too) hard and put lots of stuff on each plate. Everything per se is of decent quality, but I can't recognize any concept. Tastes like food from people with a good technical education but a lack of confidence and no vision of composition or harmony. I also dont find the ambiente exactly exciting. (And per chance I was invited to the sister place in DC recently...felt like a trip in a time machine back to the early nineties). If you go to Craigie SB it seems important to communicate that you are an experienced eater and like something off the safe path. They like that and usually find some interesting surprise.

I think you might like Craigie. Locke Ober is rather uninspired food. My limited experience with L'Espalier was fine, but certainly not thrilling. Clio is more interesting. As is Radius. Oiishi will give pimples to a Sushi purist. I am curious to hear where you went and how you liked it.

OK, here comes my list: fine dining, the top (but, to be honest not top on a national/international level, think 1 star Michelin, not two or three): Radius, No9 Park and Clio (I realize here that my overall selection is a bit skewed towards places associated with No 9 Park, Clio and Radius.......but I think that is because those are the smartest of the bigger restaurateurs to me, they reliably seem to come with smart concepts and sharp execution) very good and especially interesting food, but less formal, less elaborate and less expensive: Craigie Street (especially dishes including organ meat, try the "chef's whim" for a good and surprising deal ) Oleana (interesting and smart version of eastern mediterranean, the 5 course vegetarian prix fix is lots of fun) B&G Oysters (smart take on simple seafood, great wine list, in my book decidedly more sophisticated than Neptune Oysters, but that sentiment is definitely not shared by all) fun places with an edge and some style: Toro (excellent Tapas, fun crowd) The Butcher Shop (very good meat centered snacks and great wines, the most fun to drop in late for a quick bite and a drink) simple seafood: if you pick the right dishes Jasper White's summer shack can still be fun (oysters and clams, grilled clams, clam ceviche, simply grilled fish......then stop) homey food with superb wine: Silvertone Bar and Grille (either the perfect pork chop or the mac'n cheese combined with some of their fanastic wines at unbeatable prices) italian Italian: Via Matta (not as good as Lupa in NYC, but the closest I have found to real italian) Stopping here, will come back later with some recommendations on the cheaper side of things.

I go every week, but where do they have fish please (other than some smoked salmon)?

There is barely room for WD-50 in NYC. It is definitely one of the few of the top restaurants where it is relatively easy to get a table. And not surprisingly, nothing like it in Boston. There is also nothing like St. Johns, but where is...? There are some unusual places though. For offal I think Craigie Street is always a good bet. He makes some really unusual stuff, like the foie gras terrine style monk fish liver. I also love the offal ragouts with poached eggs and mushrooms. There is always stuff like that on the menu, and usually also included in the Chef's whim that is lots of fun and a real bargain. Toro usually also has a few offal preparations. All very good (they only need to put more tripe in that tripe dish.....). I am not sure how the Chinese places are in Providence, but we have some pretty good Sichuan places up here, outside of chinatown. Very spicy food and some pretty offbeat meats, a recent favorite cuisine of mine with lots of new stuff to explore. I also think Oleana is very unique through its elaborate use of spices. The food has much more mainstream appeal than the offal dishes at Craigie, but it is a kind of its own. For me also special because it is the only place where I prefer the vegetarian dishes. The five course plus dessert prix fixe is wonderful (for 40$!!!, and if two people share they will always get two different dishes). Hope that gives you some ideas....if you have more specific question sfeel free to ask Georg

I hope your dinner is at Tantris. This is where New German Cuisine began, and still going strong.

that is rather impressive! I was very skeptical especially with "molecular" places whether they could easily substitute or alter dishes. Thankfully (in that regard) I don not have a vegeterian partner anymore..... Regarding L'Arpege, I think at lunch the tasting was 130 Euro last summer.