laura

Does anyone know if Citrus is open in June, and is the chef the same one? Also any suggestions , for dining near grand case or marigot.

Cafetiere(sp) on ninth ave in the 20's, I don't remember exactly, it's across ninth from La Bergamot Bakery . I think 21st.

Not an exactly traditional version, but very good. "The Best Creamed Spinach" from Debra Ponzek"s excellent cookbook, French Food American Accent. Of course; fresh spinach, She also uses diced mushrooms , shallots, heavy cream. This version is close to Mitchell London's version, not so watery and has more flavor. page 132 in the cookbook.

I've been there 2 times. I was very unimpressed. I think it's very overrated. One good dish though, baked pasta with 3 cheeses. I really can't remember much of what I ate. How's that for making an impression.

I've been going to Bouley off and on over the years in his different settings. I recently had lunch there and it was an incredible bargain for the quality of food offered. The 5 course tasting menu with the seafood melange as mentioned by others., included one of the best tasting scallops I have had. The veal tenderloin, with pinot noir sauce confiture of scallions served with asparagus, wild mushrooms was delicious. The veal., organic from Summerfield farms, has exceptional flavor and most unusual for organic veal , it was extremely tender.. My friend's chicken dish was not that interesting.Three slices of rather bland chicken. not as good as other chicken I have had at Bouley in the past. The halibut with beets and a bit of horseradish dressing, bouley's homage to Mother Russia was very good, not great. All in all a delicious meal,The, setting was comfortable; decor pretty and inoffensive. . The lack of noise, due , perhaps to an empty restaurant was an added plus. I don't think his desserts have ever been as good as when Bill Yosses was the pastry chef there. I haven't been there in the evening recently so I can't make the comp arison, but I certainly agree with Yvonne, about it being in a different category than Blue Hill , a higher one. I would defintely return for lunch, I wouldn't have the house champagne again.

I read with great interest all of the excellent reviews of FF. When Gras was in NYC, I was always impressed and uplifted by the deliciousness and creativity of his cuisine. It consisted of pairings that Icould not have conceived of, but when executed by Gras whole new possibililties existed.. I agree with Cabrales that newness for it's own sake is unsatisfying and ultimately who cares if it doesn't taste wonderful. It was always wonderful. I was very sad when he left, and also was mystified that he never received the proper audience here. Peacock Alley was generally empty. Of course, why should I be surprised, most people don't make their dining choices based on the quality of the food . . I am so fascinated with his approach to cooking that I have signed up for his Macy's session on April 10th.I don't know if they have any places left, but if anyone is interested call 439 1714

I am cork removing challenged and I use a laguiole, that is not only beautiful to look at, {juniper wood} it really works

I didn't finish my post because I couldn't figure out how to extend it. We shared an assortment of sorbet and ice creams. standouts were the caramel ice cream and the three sorbets, Jasmine tea, blood orange and passion fruit. I just wanted to add that this is the kind of restaurant that I could visit often and be very happy in if I had the money to afford it on that basis.

I ate at Craft a few nights ago. It was pretty much what stephen said. The room is a beautiful amalgam of textures and natural materials, that contribute to a warm glow in the dining room. It is a perfect marriage of food and design, as the food is as honest as is the design . We had the same amuse bouche, the foie gras, and scallops, thinly sliced in a lime marinade. All excellently prepared and except for Arpege, where the scallops were sliced micrometer thin, translucent and altogether, from another realm, these were very good. Main courses, were quail, marinated in balsamic vinegar, sauteed and then roasted. These were succulent and crispy. The hanger steak that my son ordered was a large portion of expertly grilled beef with the chewy consistency of the cut and very flavorful. The sides of potato gratin and roasted hedgehog mushrooms,were good choices, they were deliciously prepared. We had glasses of sauterne with the first course and a pinot noir, from Germany for me and a cabernet franc with the second. All were suggested by our waiter, when we asked his opinion and all were good

Roasted potatoes,red onions, endive in lemon infused olive oil Sauteed spinach and garlic Served with a few cheeses, Tickamore, midnight moon. Handfuls of very fresh pistachio nuts and grapes. I originally grilled some rib lamb chops, but they proved to be inedible,too much freezer burn, I gave them to my dog. My substitutionof cheese was a felicitious one.

Marcella's escarole and rice soup, a generous grating of reggiano on top, served with Florence meat market's chicken sausages, sauteed with cremini mushrooms, garlic cloves. Pierre Chermette Beaujolis 200l., Scharfenberger chocolate, buttermilk cake, with choc sour cream frosting.

Garlands, off Oak Creek Canyon. A wonderful collection of log cabins, very civilized, incredible setting. Extremely difficult to get reservations to stay but one can make dinner reservations for, good, well prepared food. They have their own garden and orchards. Oak creek canyon is situated in a micro climate, that is similar to our eastern US climatic conditions. Spending time there in the fall is very special. Colorful leaves, apple harvests and red rocks..

Coming in late to this thread, I will only add that of two meals at Prune, Dinner and brunch both were disappointing. I say this with regret as I live a few blocks from Prune and I wanted to like it. The most memorable dish at dinner was succotash and my entree pork cooked in milk,, was tough , dry and stringy. This was a couple of years ago and I don't remember too much about the other dishes except that all four of us were not pleased. My gargantuan portion of a heavy , fruit crumble was practically inedible. I returned for brunch hoping that this meal would be better, it wasn't. Now admittedly, two meals is perhaps not a fair test, however, I would much rather go to the tasting room, down the street. I much prefer it to Prune.

Thanks for the link, Stefany

Unless I am very sure of the person in question, that I might be recommending a restaurant to, I generally don't do it. This is due to the inherent variability of the dining experience. My experiences in the past have proven to be of such a mixed bag, ie when the person liked the restaurant, everything was great, when they didn't, I felt badly . Rather than subject myself to this discomfort, I reign in my normal instinct to proselytize about something I really like..in this particular category.