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Easy - catch the redeye out of San Francisco - sleep on the plane. Arrive in Newark at 5:30am, go to the restaurant, prepare the night's menu, catch the 3:00pm out of Newark, arrive back in SF at 5:00pm - just in time for dinner hour.

Ah yes, good ole' American business "know how."

I'm waiting by the phone as well. And I agree, Mr. Meyer would have handled the situation with much more finesse, guile and business acumen.

If they're opening May 20th but only taking reservations through June 21st, that presents a problem. How do you fit two months worth of reservations into one month and with two less days per week (since the restaurant will now be closed Mondays and Tuesdays, at least for the first couple of weeks)? They must be hoping a lot a people won't be able to commit to a date between May 20 - June 21. BTW, the web site still hasn't changed nor have the messages on either phone line.

From what I've seen recently, let the babies in, but keep out the 20-35 year olds. Especially those of the male persuasion with cell phones.

It's nice to hear they have begun to reschedule. Of the people who were called, has the staff mentioned when the re-opening date is? I've called both the reservation number and the confirmation/cancellation number and there was no mention of the date on either.

Count me in. If lucky, I should have my filly running up there. Friends Lake Inn has one on the best wine list on the east coast and its lodging facilities are excellent albeit expensive. Chez Sophie and Chez Pierre are great choices to dine. Staying on Wolf Road in Colonie is also an option, but the dining choices there are limited. The best in that are is probably the Cock & Bull (about a 20-minute drive west). It takes me just under three hours to drive from Staten Island and I normally stay at a B&B in town - The Chestnut Tree Inn (518) 587-8681. Great Victorian inn with an excellent hostess. As an aside, the horse Friends Lake should be one of the favorites for the Kentucky Derby on May 1st.

I'm sure this is not Keller's fault. With all the re-construction problems he's having, plus the major concern of re-opening the French Laundry, PR is probably the last thing on his mind. But he's paying a PR firm big bucks for their expertise and he's not getting his money's worth. This firm has dropped the ball from the beginning (2/21) and continues its "ostritch" mentality. I agree that saying nothing in certain situations is best, ie when someone makes a ludicrous charge that should not be given any credence or further publicity. However, this is not one of those cases. As a destination restaurant, the cancelled "reservationees" deserve more information than they have received. As a major restaurant, and one that has a goal of being the best in the city, the media should be receiving periodic updates if for nothing else than to keep "Per Se" on their minds and notepads.

My guess is the PR firm is too embarassed at this point. After letting the "two weeks" go public at the beginning and saying nothing since, the firm has painted itself into a corner. It has let specualtion and rumor rule the day. If they were to annouce a day now, who would believe them? Per Se has proven itself in my mind. Its pre-opening comments about the importance of the customer were merely words. When it came to action, they proved to be exactly the same as any other company - "treat the consumer like mushrooms - keep them in the dark and feed them a lot of shit." Per Se will be a tremendous success and reservations will continue to be at a premium and Keller will gain even more culinary respect (as he deserves). But corporately it's just another company hiding behind its massive ego. Time Warner should be proud, they have found a friend.

I'm happy for Keller and the staff that he has "great" insurance. But could you imagine the premium increase at renewal time. May 1st is a Saturday and it's Kentucky Derby day (I throw a big party for all the thoroughbreds). I couldn't make it that night - can't they wait until Sunday.

I enjoy upstairs as well. It's relatively quiet and more relaxed. The restaurant is still the best-kept secret in NYC. Yes, I realize reservations are tough, but if people found out how good and how reasonable it is, they would be impossible. Most people who travel to Queens for Italian, talk about Piccolo Venezia and I'm glad they do (keep some of the crowd away). As I tell those who ask me, if you want inferior Italian-style food and want to pay Manhattan-style prices (plus), then PV is the place for you. If you want an extraordinary experience go to PS. I still can't figure out the Valet Parking System at Parkside. No matter what car I (or any of my friends or relatives) drive there, they always bring the correct car at the end without asking and no one ever gets a valet ticket stub. A friend once asked me about this no-stub policy. I met him there and he questioned me at the bar while we were waiting for a table. I said to him that the restaurant didn't have valet parking and I didn't know who he left his car with. After a few nervous minutes, I told him the truth.

The dinner for 11 was postponed until tomorrow evening. I still think the eggs will be poached, unless someone can come up with a way to french-fry 11 eggs at the last minute.

1. Both 2. Yes 3. Yes, if you consider it more American than French

I don't. Parkside is much better.

I have long stated that the best Italian restaurant in New York City is Parkside, located in the Corona section of Queens. After a six-month absence I dined at Parkside last Friday and my evaluation has changed. It's not only the best Italian in the city, it offers the best value of any restaurant in the city. Dinner for seven with everyone having an appetizer and main course, four having dessert and four bottles of wine came to $282 (before tip). For those of you who haven't had the pleasure to dine there, this isn't a red-checkered tablecloth place. It's a white table cloth restaurant with excellent service in a relatively attractive setting. There are two downstairs rooms and an upstairs room. I prefer upstairs because it's quieter but my brothers enjoy the action downstairs and since they were paying, I let the kids have their way. I started the evening with a half-dozen Blue Points and my entree was the best chicken dish in captivity - Chicken Provencal. The wines were a Kenwood Sauvignon Blanc ($16) and one on my favorite Long Island reds - 2000 Macari Cabernet Franc ($24). The Macari sells for $18 at the winery. (I was tempted to order the 1996 Silver Oak Cabernet for $110, but since I wasn't paying...). All in all, another wonderful experience at Parkside for an incredible price. Is there a reason to go to any other NYC Italian? Well, maybe Babbo just for some diversity but they don't have "family" members eating there.

I lived in Astoria the first 29 years of my life and my mother still lives there. Uncle George's best days are in the past as is Elias' Corner (they moved and went down hill). In my mind S'Agapo is the best. Their grilled octopus is worth the trip from anywhere in NYC. The wine list is improving and the service is friendly. It's directly across the street from the Kaufmann Studios, so you can do some celebrity watching if you're so inclined.

Just for the record, this has been on the Per Se website since Feb. 23rd of this year: "Please check back regularly for announcements of the re-opening of the restaurant and reservations desk." Maybe someone changed the meaning of the term "regularly."

And that's the making for a news release..."Due to unforeseen structural problems, the re-opening of Per Se will be delayed for an indefinite period. We will keep you informed on the status in a timely fashion, etc., etc..." Simple, to the the point and everyone is happy. Life is good!

This is quite interesting. The impressions people have about Jeff Smith the TV Cook run from totally positive to totally negative. I guess that's why horse racing is the world's oldest sport.

Since I started this PR sub-thread, I think it's important to clarify once again. First, I am not equating PR with the quality of the restaurant or the eventual popularity of the restaurant. I'm sure Per Se will be highly successful. To maintain that the PR problem has no bearing on whether one would eat there or not is not the point at all. Per Se's advance notices were repleat with high expectations, high standards and a supreme emphasis on the individual diner. During its first week it met and even exceeded those goals. Since the unfortunate fire, their efforts have not met their own standards with respect to the customer and/or media. Public Relations and public perception can be a tricky thing. Once a mindset has been established, it's hard to break. Per Se is in danger of creating a negative mindset - on the verge of causing people to laugh and joke about its eventual re-opening date. The last thing any high-end establishment wants is for its client base not to take it seriously - just ask Rocco. Secondly, there have been incorrect statements about the motive of those who are making these PR/Customer Relations assertions. A number of posts indicated "we" had to be the first the try the place and were annoyed because we didn't get there in a timely fashion. This is simply not true. Steve and I have been the most vocal about the PR situation and both of us dined there during the first week. This has nothing to do with reservations, Tom Keller, food quality or the generosity of management toward its staff. It's simply about effective customer relations and media/public relations in a town that "requires" it. Like it or not, accept it or not, that's just reality in New York.

That was probably more of a perception. If he really "lost it" or came that close, the segment would have been re-taped. That's the beauty of "non-live" television and the relative inexpensive nature of videotape.

Steve, I agree it's not admirable to poke fun, but the circumstances and lack of communication certainly leave the restaurant open to criticism and sarcasm. I think your being very kind by calling it a "PR lapse." The word "incompetence" comes to mind. This goes back to my original thought about the PR firm dropping the ball with respect to "crisis management." Most importantly, how will this complicate the re-opening of the French Laundry?

Let's have a contest to predict the re-opening date of Per Se. Maybe we can convince the owners (if they reading) to award the winner dinner for two. I'll go first - June 28th.

The Frugal Gourmet was probably the first great TV food show - not from a food technique or preparation factor (Julia has that honor), but from combining the concept of food with the art of entertainment. Jeff Smith was first and foremost a television personality. Long before you had "bam," long before you had cooks discovering they were super stars, there was "The Frug." He brought the history of food into perspective. He explained why some cultures used specific ingredients and others did not. The Frugal Gourmet was the most creative food program of its generation and it became the model for the shows we see today. Jeff had excellent stage presence and communicated with the camera as well as any chef - before or since. As for his books - I purchased and still have everyone of them. I use them occasionally and have never had a failed recipe. I based my annual Christmas Wine Festival and Party on his books one year (I think it was the ninth - we're at 24 now.) Granted, the Frug's recipes are not complicated and lack some sophistication, but they have a major place in everyday cooking. He was one of the first chefs to have celebrity guests cook (the Itzhak Perlman show is a classic) and his line of cookware was the largest and most popular of its day. For better or worse, he and Julia Child have had the most influence on the American kitchen in the last fifty years. At one point in the 80's, his show was higher rated than Julia's and his books outsold hers by 33 percent. There is no question about his influence and had he avoided personal problems, he would have been the first star of TVFN. As far as his personality - the other posts were correct - he was miserable. No one could ever explain it. Whatever was going on inside his head remains a mystery. But finally the demons won. Sad, very sad!

I totally agree - but I haven't been able to devise a plan to french fry 11 eggs at the last minute. So I'll call the dish Chicken Marenga - and just dance around the classic recipe.