molto e

Robert, The reason that Bianco's is so consistently good is that Chris is the only one that makes the pizza-EVERYDAY. He is old-school, an artisan and a fanatic. I have seen him at 7:30 in the morning opening his sandwich shop (Pane Bianco-best in town) after he was flipping pizzas the night before at the Pizzeria. I see him loading up his truck at the Farmers Market picking out the produce that he wants himself. He is totally approachable. The people at the market the last time I was there saw him grabbing McClendon Farm's (farmer to the chefs Bob McClendon)Lemon Cucumbers by the handful and asked him how to use them and he told them how to make a great salad out of them with the various other produce. Molto E

Robyn, I do not know if they use two kinds of foie at the restaurants. I did not know anyone at Robuchon prior to my meals there and the Binkley's do not know anyone either. The next time that you go to Binkley's, ask Kevin what he thought of Robuchon at the Mansion. He will tell you it was one of the best meals of his life. Best, Molto E

Doc, I do not think that it matters to JR who else is operating in Las Vegas. His focus is attention to detail and excellence. There was one dish that the plating was so detailed that it took twenty minutes to plate. If there is anyone that he is competing against it would be himself. Let me know when you want to head out west, I am eager to try the new menu. Molto E

Julian, The photos that I took were right at the beginning of service. Chef Robuchon was very gracious in letting me snap away, but his focus was on getting the courses out. That may be why you felt he looked a certain way. Obviously, English is not his native language, but he can get his point across. Molto E

Robyn, First to answer your question about the Foie Gras at Robuchon, they use Rougier from France. The best time to get interior shots of a restaurant is either before service or at the end of service. I also find it useful to try a restaurant before making judgements about them. Best, Molto E

Kai, The dinner at the Mansion lasted just over 3 hours . Molto E

When I was in Paris, I ate at L' Atelier de Joel Robuchon and I loved it. So when I went to Las Vegas, I wondered if it could possibly be as good and if there would be a difference in the Vegas version. The look of the Paris and Vegas restaurants are very similar. This is the view of the entrance in the MGM Grand. This is the view of the entrance on 7, rue de Montalembert in the Hotel Pont Royal in Paris. This little guy did not make the trip to the USA as the rotisserie did not feature a pig as it did in Paris. These are interior shots of the restaurant in Las Vegas. The best place to sit at L' Atelier is at the counter so you can watch the "show" in a front row seat. This is like sitting at a sushi bar with your meal being prepared in front of you. Those shots are from the Paris L'Atelier. While dining at the Vegas Atelier, I ate at a table rather than the counter. If you go in a big group sitting at a table is better for conversation. The dining options at Atelier are either a tasting menu or the regular menu that is divided into "Small Tasting Portions", "Hot and Cold Appetizers" and "Fish and Meats". The tasting menu that was offered that night. We choose to order off the regular menus with a few addtions from the tasting menu. We let Diego Requena, sommelier/ Assistant General Manager, choose our wines and they were fantastic (a white from Portugal and a red from Spain-Mauro). LE JAMBON escorte de pain toaste a la tomate "Prosciutto" ham served with toasted tomato bread Robuchon would prefer to use Spanish Iberico ham, but right now it is not permitted to be imported into the USA. I have a couple of photos from Paris L'Atelier that serves the Spanish Iberico from Joselito Brothers, which is also a favorite of Ferran Adria. Notice in the Spanish ham how much marbling there is. The next dish is one of the best dishes that I have tasted this year! LA CHATAIGNE en fin veloute au fumet de celeri et au lard croustillant Light chestnut veloute with caramelized foie gras and crispy bacon The combination of the ingredients was divine. This was a dish that made you go Ummmmmm! LE TOURTEAU releve d'un taboule a la vierge d'agrumes Crab meat on top of a spicy semolina salad with a citrus dressing L'ASPERGE VERTE en capuccino truffe Truffled capuccino of Green asparagus The star of the dish was the asparagus enhanced by black truffles. LE FOIE GRAS Parfait de foie gras au sauternes, confit de poire, kumquat et gingembre Foie gras parfait with sauternes, pear confit, kumquat and ginger The Foie parfait was delicious stuffed with pear confit, caramelized kumquat, pear chip, pear gastrique sauce and chicken jus on the side. LE THON ROUGE en ventreche mi-cuite aux rouelles d'oignons croustillantes Lighty seared tuna belly with crispy onion rings The tuna belly was seared rare on the Teppanyaki topped with fried onions, capers, olive tapanade with green peppercorns on the side. LA POMME DE TERRE confite au jus, eschalote et truffe fraiche Potato confit with shallots and fresh truffles Any potato dish that Robuchon does is delicious and throwing truffles on top puts this over the top. LE BOEUF en entrecote tranchee a la taille de votre choix Beef rib eye (cut to size) When someone orders this dish, a chef comes out with a huge cut of beef on a slab of marble and the diner picks how big the steak should be cut. The steak is served with the famous Robuchon Pommes Puree. Pommes Puree from L' Atelier in Paris L'OEUF cocotte et sa creme legere de champignons Egg cocotte topped with a light mushroom cream This bottom of the glass has pureed parsley topped with an egg steam cooked at 64.5 degrees Celcius for 45 minutes covered in a chanterelle mushroom cream and caramelized chanterelles with chives sprinkled on top. Robuchon feels that that method of cooking produces the perfect cooked egg. LA CAILLE farcie de foie gras et caramelisee avec une pomme puree truffee Free-range quail stuffed with foie gras and served with truffled-mashed potatoes This dish was sooo good with the foie stuffed quail and truffle mashed potatoes things do not get much better than that. LE RUMSTEACK en tartare et ses frites a l' ancienne Steak tartar with old-fashioned fries Steak tartar from L'Atelier in Paris I love steak tartar and JR's version was great. As you can see from the photos of the same dish in Paris and Las Vegas, no matter which Atelier you dine in the quality is the same. LES SPAGHETTIS a notre facon Spaghetti carbonara served with parmesan shavings and black truffles Spaghetti carbonara and black truffles is a match made in heaven! LES TARTES de tradition L'ECLAIR AU CHOCOLAT Classical chocolate Eclair LE CHOCOLAT sensation, cremeux a l'Araguani, biscuit Oreo L'Atelier is a great place to go and eat like a chef by tasting as many things as possible.

I would like to thank Stephanie Davis, Ronnie Suburban and Nightscotsman for their help in putting this together. There are three more parts to the piece my meals at Robuchon at the Mansion, L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon and a tour of the kitchen facilites of Joel Robuchon at the MGM Grand. Good Eating, Molto E

With one step into Robuchon at the Mansion and its swank art deco interior design by Pierre-Yves Rochon, one is taken far away from the hustle and bustle of the MGM Grand’s casino. The Bar is located immediately to the left of the greeting area. Main dining room The private dining room looks out into the garden. The garden dining area is located to the right of the main dining room. I sat in the garden dining room and was presented with the menus. I could as easily have been seated in any of the “Palace” hotels in Paris. The meal started with an offer of champagne and I tried a glass by Bruno Paillard, a small producer and friend of JR’s. Robuchon’s cuisine is about the best ingredients, and the menu is created with the help of the finest purveyors in the world. No expense is spared to bring the best to the plate, no matter how difficult it is to procure. An example of this is the butter; Eschire butter from France, it is sent fresh from France on a plane rather than shipping it frozen. Chef Le Tohic says that the butter “loses a little bit by freezing it”, and they would never do that. All I can say is that the butter is the best that I have ever tasted in my life! The bread cart was more spectacular than any that I have seen in Paris and the quality was PHENOMENAL. This came as no surprise, as The Bakery Chef was trained in Paris. The amuse, a very tasty “caviar” of apple with vodka granite, was surprising in it’s use of modern technique in the dish. Clearly Robuchon has lost none of his magic, but rather has kept his finger on the pulse of today’s culinary culture. La Pomme: Caviar of apple finished with vodka granite The combination of the apple and vodka granite opened the pores in your mouth and cleaned the palate and makes a very tasty combination. The apple caviar is made by combining a mixture of apple juice and sodium alginate and putting drops of this solution into a calcium chloride bath to form the caviar. Calcium Chloride Ready for service 2nd Course: Le Caviar Oscietre Oscetra caviar with haricots verts salad, lemon grass This was one of my favorites of the night. I have not eaten Haricot Vert that was cooked better than this!! The Haricot Vert were dressed with sliced Parmigiano Reggiano, shallots and eggs mimosa (sieved egg white and yolk). The combination of caviar, crème fraiche and the Haricot Vert was heavenly. 3rd Course: Le Foie Gras Foie Gras, mille-feuille of smoked eel with oriental flavors The craftsmanship of the kitchen was front and center in this dish, and was one of my favorites of the night. The mille-feuille was perfectly assembled. The combination of the smoked eel, foie gras, and black truffle crème fraiche was decadent. Some of the inspiration of this dish came from Chef Tomonori Danzaki. 4th Course: Le Thon Big Eye Tuna tartar, cold red bell pepper confit with bergamot and prosciutto Robuchon has a home in Alicante, Spain where he spends a few months a year and this dish shows the Spanish influence in his cuisine. This is the first time that I have had tuna tartar with a Spanish flavor set and I loved it. The tartar was topped with a quail egg and and the yellow sauce on the plate is yellow pepper coulis. Below are photos of this dish being plated. The attention to detail in Robuchon’s dishes is astounding. The tiny matchsticks of prosciutto are cut every day. No shaky hands in Robuchon’s kitchen! The yellow pepper coulis being plated 5th Course: Le Truffe Truffle in a hot pastry, onions, and smoked ham I ate this in the height of truffle season and it was marvelous. Le Truffe was another of my favorite courses of the evening. This was essentially a black truffle pizzetta, and only JR serves up the truffles like this without abandon. Robuchon at the Mansion was going through 10 kilos of black truffle a week; YES A WEEK, during Truffle season. The shipments are so enormous that some of the Chefs in the kitchen have pictures of the truffle delivery as their screen saver on their phones. 6th Course: Le Parmigiano Reggiano Parmesan and vegetable consommé with black truffle The dish is presented covered. The cover is lifted to reveal the black truffle speckled froth At the bottom of the bowl was parmesan custard in a sweet onion veloute under an onion froth that is speckled with black truffle. We were instructed to eat the custard and the consommé together as one bite. 7th Course: L’Epinard Mille Feuille of spinach, truffles and tofu, parsley coulis, Parmesan Tuille, Comte Foam Tofu is not something that I seek out, but this was very good. 8th Course: Les Aromates Medley of aromates in a mild spicy broth This light chicken consommé contained ginger, herbs, diced tomatoes and noodles. I enjoyed the course and it was an excellent prelude to what came next. 9th Course: La Grenouille Frog leg fritter with baby chanterelles The finger bowl that accompanied this course The frog leg fritter was amazing. It was so delicate and delicious with garlic and parsley coulis in the middle of the plate for dipping. This was one of my all time favorite frog leg preparations. 10th Course: L’Amadai Amadai in a lily bulb broth Amadai is Japanese snapper cooked scale on placed in a lily bulb broth topped with baby leeks. The fish was cooked perfectly with nicely crisped skin. 11th Course: Le Turbot Roasted turbot “on the bone” with celery and truffle stew The course was presented like this. The turbot is from Brittany cooked on the bone with celeriac, truffle vinaigrette fingerling potatoes. The components of the dish complemented each other well. This was a great dish. 12th Course: Le Homard de Bretagne Brittany lobster under a disappearing saffron hostie in a seafood bouillon The Brittany lobster is under the hostie that is made from foie gras butter and mineral water. The seafood bouillon is then poured in and the hostie melts The rosemary twig that is wrapped up into a broom is then swirled in the cup. The rosemary twigs are wrapped up everyday before service. The foie gras butter with the lobster makes this a luxurious broth. 13th Course: Le Canard Duck confit with potatoes, truffled cappuccino Hidden below the potato foam- Robuchon’s Pommes Puree and duck confit. Does it get any better??? If you have not tasted Robuchon’s Pommes Puree then it is hard to imagine heaven in a mashed potato, but believe me, this is it! This was so good. A lot of “yum’s” took place while eating this dish. 14th Course: L’Epeautre Sault wild oatmeal, gold leaf, truffle vinaigrette This wild oat meal from Sault was kind of like savory oatmeal. Cheese Course: Outstanding cheese selection all served at the proper temperature and ripeness. The highlight was a Vacherin-Mont D’Or {Haut Doubs} 15th Course: Le Coing (The Card) Quince compote Amaretto, ginger ice cream, yogurt and Champagne Mousse In this dish, the skill of Chef Guechida was evident. Champagne yogurt mousse with pearls of milk chocolate, green apple sorbet and two white chocolate cards that sandwich quince and apple compote. Eating the green apple sorbet was like biting into a green apple. The craftsmanship of the white chocolate cards was perfect. 16th Course: Le Chocolat Warm chocolate, coffee perfumed cocoa morsels The cup was placed down and then a warm chocolate sauce was poured over to melt in. Very rich chocolate and the perfect way to end the meal…. but did someone mention Mignardises? This was grander than any Mignardise cart in Paris. The table was awestruck. On the plate from left to right, top to bottom: raspberry macaron, pistachio financier with amarena cherry, speculos cookie with hazelnut filling, passion fruit filled chocolate (or possibly pistachio), soft caramel, caramel filled chocolate, cannelé, opera cake, and mendiant (chocolate with dried fruit filling). Other items on the cart: chocolate covered almonds, coconut macaroons, passion fruit pate de fruit, white chocolate/coconut truffles, dark chocolate truffles, mint chocolate sticks, crisp meringues with crushed French pralines, crisp sake meringues, orange macarons, red wine tuiles, cocoa nib chocolate tuiles, financiers, almond nougat, chocolate nougat, green apple marshmallow, black truffle dusted rochers, lemon cream filled chocolate cups. The quality of the mignardises was great, but I could only try a few and dream about the next time... Robuchon at the Mansion was better than any 3 star dining I have enjoyed in Paris. This was an amazing meal and I look forward to witnessing the evolution of the restaurant. The front of the house led by Loic Launay is attentive and informed without being intrusive. Chef Claude Le Tohic leads an impressive brigade of chefs in delivering the Robuchon experience to the American diner. Gamal Aziz deserves high praise for luring one of the great Chefs of all time to the United States. If the initial reaction to Robuchon at the Mansion is any indicator, then the sky is the limit! Robuchon’s restaurants fall into three categories: Fine Dining China- Robuchon A Galera Tokyo - Chateau Restaurant Joel Robuchon Las Vegas - Robuchon at the Mansion Middle Tier Monaco - Joel Robuchon Monte Carlo Paris - La Table de Joel Robuchon Informal Atelier - Paris, Tokyo, Las Vegas and New York.

Salty, I agree with you. Due's was always my number one choice and then Gino's, which I feel has slipped a bit over the years. Molto E

I had this Presa de Iberico al Aceite de regaliz, cintas de patatas,y boniato con chufa/ Pork shoulder, marinated tomato, oxalis and onion cube at Akelare in San Sebastian: I was surprised it was cooked to this temperature, but it was delicious.

June 30, 2006 From the Arizona Republic: Stoudemire's Downtown ...Food Critic Howard Seftel is not impressed by the downtown sportsbar, Stoudemire's Downtown. Dining news: June 28-July 4...In this installment of Seftel's "Dining News", Howard covers the openings of Blu Burger Grille and Basilico Craving a hearty sandwich? Check out Blu Burger Grille ...Carey Sweet covers the opening of Blu Burger Grille and Star Spangled Tavern. From the Phoenix New Times: Green, New American Vegetarian...Food Critic Stephen Lemons goes vegetarian again this week with Green, New American Vegetarian. From the Tucson Citizen: Café Pacific ...C.J. Karamargin positively reviews the Chinese restaurant, Cafe Pacific. Meet the Chef: Steve Schultz...C.J. Karamargin interviews Red Sky Café and Catering's Chef Steve Schultz. Good Eating, Molto E

Here are some pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chezpim/sets/336285/

To me the best Italian deli in the city is L'Appetito. L'Appetito - (312) 787-9881 - 30 E Huron St L'Appetito - (312) 337-0691 - 875 N Michigan Ave I like Alpine in the burbs Business Name: ALPINE FOOD SHOP Phone: 708-453-3505 Location: 7538 W North Ave Elmwood Park, IL 60707-4141

That was the best gelato that you ever had Molto E

The accolades keep coming... http://www.azcentral.com/blogs/index.php?b...e=Entertainment

June 23, 2006 From the Arizona Republic: The prince of pizza ...Jaimee Rose writes a nice profile Chef Chris Bianco of Pizzeria Bianco and Pane Bianco. Cocono's Mexican Island Kitchen ...Food Critic Howard Seftel finds that Chef Moises Treves new partnership with the Salazar family of Manuel's does not hit the mark with Cocono's Island Kitchen. Humble Pie will turn pizza into wine drinker's delight ...Carey Sweet previews the new boutique pizzeria that will open in the fall in the Hilton Village-Humble Pie. From Phoenix New Times: Udupie Cafe...Food Critic Stephen Lemons was surprised by his like of the Indian vegetarian cuisine of Udupie Cafe. From the Tucson Citizen: Yoshimatsu Healthy Japanese Eatery ...C.J. Karamargin reviews the bento box concept at Yoshimatsu Healthy Japanese Eatery. Mr. K's no longer local secret...Dina L. Doolen gives a brief glimpse of Mr K's BBQ. The Tucson BBQ spot was featured in "Killer Ribs: Mouthwatering Recipes from North America's Best Rib Joints" by Nancy Davidson which identifies Mr. K's as one of the 10 best in the West. Good Eating, Molto E

Doc, Nice photos of Chef GEB's creations!!! I have been awaiting the show. How did you like eating at the Chef's bar vs. sitting at a table?? Molto E

June 17, 2006 From the Arizona Republic: Sol y Sombra ...Food Critic Howard Seftel reviews the new tapas restaurant at DC Ranch, Sol y Sombra, Seftel Blog: "Our Daily Bread"...In this installment of Seftel's Blog: Lionel Geuskens, the chef and owner of Triente Cinq, gave his reason for using sub-par bread for a few weeks at his restaurant. He must not know the phone number of Simply Bread, the new bakery on 24th st. Pampered porkers are part of 5-star promotional fete ...Carey Sweet previews the "Authenticity Found, a Heritage Foods Celebration" dinner held at Rancho Pinot on June 24. The 5 course dinner will be cooked by: Matt Carter (Zinc Bistro), Chris Bianco (Pizzeria Bianco / Pane Bianco), Wade Moses (Sassi) and Chrysa Kaufman (Rancho Pinot). From the Phoenix New Times: Eden's Grill Inn...Food Critic Stephen Lemons rejoices in the Middle Eastern fare of Eden's Grill Inn. From the Tucson Citizen: Summer high life...C.J. Karamargin details the summer deals offered by the resorts in town. Side Dish: Restaurant notebook...C.J. Karamargin details the opening of Antonio's Autentico Restaurante in the former DaVinci location on Fort Lowell. Good Eating, Molto E

Doc, I get those every time I eat at Frontera or Topo-LOVE'EM. Molto E

Doc, Some beautiful photos and what looked to be an outstanding meal. There is no doubt in my mind that Chef G is one of the finest toques in the country. Molto E

June 9, 2006 Dining news: June 7-13...In this week's installment of Howard Seftel's Dining News; Trader Vic's has opened at the Valley Ho; Ippei Japanese Bistro, the new restaurant that wants to be " to become America's favorite Japanese restaurant chain"; the summer schedule of Quiessence Restaurant at the Farm at South Mountain; the opening of the second branch of Pink Taco; and details of the Uptown Dine Around offered by the Ritz Carlton. Trente- Cinq 35...Food Critic Howard Seftel wishes that the Belgian Bistro could deliver fully on the promise that it shows. Hillson making a creative, tasty mark at Royal Palms...Carey Sweet reports on the state of affairs at T. Cooks with Executive Chef Lee Hillson at the helm. From the Phoenix New Times: McGrath's Fish House...Food Critic Stephen Lemons issues a WARNING that McGrath's Fish House is a half-step to a step above your average Red Lobster in quality. From the Tucson Citizen: Come On Downtown...C.J.Karamargin updates the current state of downtown dining in Tucson. Raz: Modern Riviera Cuisine...C.J.Karamargin says that this 8 month old restaurant should be a secret no longer! Cheap Eats: The Hungry Fox...C.J gives the thumbs up to the diner, The Hungry Fox. Meet the Chef: Clint Woods...C.J. interviews the Fox Restaurant Concepts Chef Clint Woods. Good Eating, Molto E

Ronnie S, You have just made Vie my next must try restaurant in Chicago. BUT my suburban compass is faulty . Paul Kahan is one of my favorites and I was not aware that Chef Virant was a disciple until recently. Sounds like quite a meal Ronnie S and I am glad you did not complain at the Foie tasting that they sent you . Molto E

June 2, 2006 From the Arizona Republic: 2 Asian eateries boost E. Valley Eastern mix ...Food Critic Howard Seftel reviews the new Asian entrants to the Mesa scene; Asian Cafe Express (loves it) and Oasian Noodle Bar. Seftel's Dining News...In this installment of Seftel's dining news: The new Boulders Resort restaurant, Latilla, will be an all organic restaurant featuring the cuisine of Chefs Michel Pieton and Wendy Little. Chef Gregory Casale's new menu items have arrived at Paradise Bakery and Cafe. Tawook Mediterranean Cuisine has opened in the Villages at Hayden. The Middle Eastern restaurant features the cuisine of Chef/ Owner Ali Majed, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in New York. Feeding Frenzy-Howard Seftel's Blog...The latest in the blog is the opening of Skye by Scott Thompkins and the changing of the restaurant at the Mondrian. Forget the heat as some cool new restaurants open ...Carey Sweet details the opening of Trader Vic's, Ippei Japanese Bistro, The Restaurant at Mondrian and Star Spangled Tavern and Baroque Luxe Lounge at DC Ranch. From the Phoenix New Times: Circa 1900...Food Critic Stephen Lemons reviews the new restaurant in Heritage Square- Circa 1900. From the Tucson Citizen: A cool haven in summer...C.J. Karamargin details the options on Mount Lemmon to beat the heat. Going out: We're hooked on Pescado Feliz...C.J. Karamargin says "fish lovers will be all smiles" at Pescado Feliz. Good Eating, Molto E

Adamru, One dinner at Robuchon at Mansion does not equal the three dinners that you are speaking of. Alex is HIGHLY recommended so if you need to drop choices that is not one to drop. Recent reports of Aureole have been luke warm regarding the food. Good Eating, Molto E