molto e

May 25, 2006 From the Arizona Republic: Sala Thai ...Food Critic Howard Seftel rejoices in the new addition to his neighborhood, Sala Thai. From the Phoenix New Times: Line Thai...Food Critic Stephen Lemons reviews the Sun City area Thai restaurant- Line Thai From the Tucson Citizen: Exotic dining in Tucson...Teya Vitu chronicles the exotic eating of local couple Bob and Mary Beth Slivka. Going out: East Side eatery aging to one's taste...C.J. Karamargin reviews the venerable Jonathan's Tucson Cork. Side dish: Chefs help editor sharpen cooking skills - for charity...Citizen Publisher Michael Chihak apprenticed in the kitchen of Janos as a participant in the Primavera Foundation's 5th annual Primavera Cooks. Primavera Cooks is a fundraiser that people pay to apprentice in the kitchen of Tucson's finest restaurants.

Esther, Lo-Lo's will make you a believer. I have taken a few people there that felt the same way, but one bite later . Good luck with the new job! Best, Molto E

Kai, If it makes you feel any better, Ame does not do the petit four with coffee thing. I liked the look of the St. Regis Hotel and thought that the bar would be a good spot to get a drink at. Where else did you eat on your trip that you enjoyed? Molto E

Ling, Boule Patisserie across the street from Sona restaurant on La Cienaga. You may wish to consider Sona for dinner as well. Do not forget about Urasawa, which if you like sushi is one of the top experiences in the country. Boule - (310) 289-9977 - 420 N La Cienega Blvd, West Hollywood, CA http://boulela.com/ Enjoy, Molto E

Ronnie S, That is the nicest brisket that I have ever seen. I wonder if that rivals my Father's famous brisket. Molto E

May 21, 2006 From the Arizona Republic: Culinary outposts ...Food Critic Howard Seftel hits the road and finds fine dining at; Torquoise Room in the La Posada Hotel-Winslow, Az., Piñon Bistro in Cottonwood, Az., and the Manzanita Inn in Cornville, Az. Seftel's Blog...Seftel blogs about some changes at Quiessence Restaurant & Wine Bar and the opening of Tawook. From the Phoenix New Times: Sushi Eye Bar and Grill... Food Critic Stephen Lemons reviews Sushi Eye Bar and Grill in Tempe. Last week's article on Extreme Cuisine was a hoax. This was the New Times belated April Fool's article. From the Tucson Citizen: Sidedish: Jersey Joe's moving on up to Samaniego House...The owner of Jersey Joe's, Joe Ascolese, is closing the 11 year old restaurant and moving in the historic Samaniego House on Church as Ascolese's Italiano Ristorante. Best Burgers in Town...Staff picks the best burgers around town. Going out: Say si to steaks at El Si Senor; they's sizzling good...C.J. Karamargin reviews the new steakhouse on First Ave.- El Si Senor Steakhouse. Good Eating, Molto E

Aitch, I would not compare the level of service at Urasawa and TFL. My meal at Urasawa was one of the most intimate meals of my life. Chef Urasawa practically hand feeds you your whole dinner so how can it get any better than that. "Molto one bite no wasabi" After your journey up there it sounds like you could have used a drink. Obviously this is not the kind of experience that TFL prides itself on. If this type of thing were the norm then this restaurant would not have received the accolades that it has including this year's James Beard Foundation's award for "Outstanding Restaurant". Did any of you consider asking to have them switch your server?? U.E. did say that when he finally brought the issue up with the Host that,"Honestly, as they had taken the drinks off of the bill, I'm not sure what more they could do, other than just apologize - and try to prevent future occurences." By waiting until you were paying the bill to voice your displeasure then you did not give them the opportunity to rectify the situation. I would have liked to seen what they may have done mid-meal to make good on the experience. You may have received many bonus courses or EXTRA COFFEE AND DOUGHNUTS. I would think that U.E. had his camera with him so it is surprising that they would fumble on a "foodie" table. Will this prevent you from dining at Keller restaurants in the future? Best, Molto E

Doc, Loved your report, I have been waiting to go to Mini-bar and Citronelle myself. This meal looked like a lot of fun. How many seatings do they have a night? Did they wait for all 6 to arrive before seating you? If one can not make it to Roses would you recommend Minibar as an alternative? There seems to be a little difference in the meal here and El Bulli after the snack portion. How would you characterize it? Great Report, Molto E p.s. When is Citronelle?

Ron, I have not read the first two books in the series. Can I just start with this one or should I start with the first one. Ruhlman has penned some of my favorite cookbooks. Molto E

I felt our service was impeccable at TFL. As our resident "Doc" pointed out any restaurant is a human institution so there can be a lapse anywhere. This type of experience is an anomaly for TFL. It will be interesting to hear how the dissatisfaction was dealt with.

In Chicago, every one has their favorite Italian Beef stand. These bastions of "haute-cusine" are held near and dear to the heart. If someone were to suggest that your spot is not at the top of the heap that can start a fierce debate. I grew up in downtown Chicago and I vividly remember the first time I went to Mr. Beef on Orleans. Mr. Beef was all that I ever wanted in a beef. I know that Jay Leno feels the same way as one time on the Tonight Show through out the interview he kept stuffing Mr. Beef's in his mouth. I have tried many of the beef stands in town; Al's, Carm's, Portillo's, Buona, etc. I always came back to Mr. Beef as my favorite. A couple of friends of mine grew up in Elmwood Park and they swore by Johnnie's (and Alpine for Italian cold cuts, but that is for another thread-I like Alpine but LOVE L'Appetito). I finally made the journey to Johnnie's on North Ave in Elmwood Park and I was shocked at my findings. I LOVED JOHNNIE'S; the jus had a little more tang and the sweet peppers were julienned. I had a new favorite, but that did not keep me from eating at Mr. Beef. After reading a post by Ronnie S, I was shocked to read him rhapsodise about Al's on Taylor. I have respect for Ronnie's opinion so I was determined to see for myself. Where would I go to compare the BEEF; Mr. Beef (for sure), Al's on Taylor (let me see what Ronnie S. speaks of, I had dismissed Al's years ago), Johnnie's (for the last 5 years my favorite except I had a bad beef there last July), other possibilities Chicky's.... I settled on three; Mr. Beef, Al's, Johnnie's and I had considered going to Top-Notch for a burger and Gene and Jude's for a dog. At this point, I PM'd Ronnie S because I had no idea where Top Notch and Gene and Jude's were so I asked him for details. Ronnie told me if I could wait an hour that he would meet me at Mr.Beef and he would drive. The team of gastronauts was Ronnie, the fair Amy and I. How would we pace ourselves to make it to all the stops with out filling up. We decided to eat a half of a Italian Beef a piece. Ronnie and I like to order our beef juicy with sweet and a little hot. Amy likes beef with hot. Now the most important question...fries or not-come on, is there even a question. To this question, Ronnie said that Al's would have the best fries for sure. Mr. Beef 666 N. Orleans St. 312-337-8500 Juicy Beef with sweet and a little hot Side view Beef with hot Fries Two beefs= 4 halfs and 3 people??? Ok, I will take one for the team and eat the extra half. We all enjoyed the beef's. Ronnie S may have a comment on the fries. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Al's No. 1 Italian Beef 1079 W. Taylor St. 312-226-4017 Juicy Beef with sweet and a little hot (notice the orange color of the Jus) Beef with hot Fries The group's opinion diverged at this point. Amy and I felt that the beef's were overtly red peppered. I will leave Ronnie to make his own assessent. One thing that we agreed upon was that the fries were great!!! 2 beefs=4 halfs and three people, Ronnie S comes through to eat the other half. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Johnnie's Beef 7500 W. North Ave. Elmwood Park 60707-4140 708-452-6000 The amazing things about Johnnie's is rain, shine, sleet or snow, the line is coming out the door. Besides the beef and combos, Johnnie's has great lemon ice and tamales. Tamale Juicy beef with sweet and a little hot We all felt that the beefs were a little flat. My last two beefs at Johnnie's have been off- Jus either too spicy or too dull. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Conclusion- Amy and I said that Mr. Beef reigned supreme and I will leave Ronnie to state his position. Good Beefing, Molto E

May 13, 2006 From the Arizona Republic: Mary Elanie's Chef nabs award equivalent of an Oscar...Food Critic Howard Seftel details Chef Bradford Thompson winning the James Beard Foundation Award for "Best Chef" of the Southwest. Dining news: May 10-16 ...This week's installment of Seftel's dining news outlines the opening of Méthode Bistro, Circa 1900, and the closing of Tucchetti. Nick's 101 Bistro...Howard Seftel reviews the latest venture by Nick Ligidakis, "Nick's 101 Bistro". From the Phoenix New Times: Xtreme Cuisine...Food Critic Stephen Lemons does an impersonation of Anthony Bourdain by eating the "creative" cuisine of Chef Kaz Yamamoto. My only hope is that the tales of eating a human liver was a fable. Sol y Sombra...Stephen Lemons review the new tapas restaurant in DC Ranch Sol y Sombra. From the Tucson Citizen: Montana Avenue...C.J. Karamargin details the opening of the new Fox Restaurant Concepts restaurant Montana Avenue. Meet The Chef: Laura Borella - Caffé Milano...Jennifer Hunsperger interviews the Chef of Caffe Milano Laura Borella. From Edible Phoenix: The Summer issue of Edible Phoenix is now available. This issue's stories are: A Rainbow Of Taste- Southwestern Native Corns Urban Farm Confessions- Chicken And Worms Cool Soups For Hot Days Goat Love At Black Mesa Ranch- Arizona Goat Cheese Cooking Fresh- Seasonal Items Local Or Organic? A False Choice From Farm To Chef To Fork- Story of Uber-Farmer Bob McClendon and Chef Nobuo Fukuda Spinach Cookies Will Play For Wine- Newton's Theorem Summer Adventures The Roaming Gourmet- Carolina's and Phoenix Ranch Market Arlecchino Gelateria- Phoenix's Best Gelato Valley Bites- MJ Bread, Simply Bread, Butterlicious, Lisa G's. Sol y Sombra, Sweet Pea Bakery, Devlin's Market Place, Schnepf Farms and Mother Nature's Farm Good Eating, Molto E Good Eating, Molto E

There is no bar at Alinea

George, I am not sure that I see the similarity. I thought the execution was better at Primehouse. Molto E

Doc, Primehouse would be my top choice if you were in the mood for a steak in Chicago. But if you are looking for something ethereal like this... This is only served at Molto E's Primehouse, let me know when you are going to be in town so I can reserve you a seat. Molto E

Doc, When I go out to dinner a steakhouse would not be my first choice. I was dining with my Father and this type of restaurant was an easy sell. If I wanted to eat at a steakhouse and I was in Chicago then I would pick Primehouse. I have eaten at all the other Chicago landmark steakhouses dozens of times so this is something different. I listed the prices on the steaks because I felt them to be reasonable in comparison. If you are asking me if this would break into the top three meals in the city that YOU would enjoy the most, then the answer is no. But that is based on the fact that this genre is not your favorite, not on the quality of the fare. Molto E

I tried Primehouse last week and went in expecting just another steakhouse, but that is not what I found. Chef David Burke succeeds in his spin on the steakhouse by providing his own riffs on steakhouse dishes and offering many original dishes as well. The restaurant serves breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner as it is the restaurant for the hotel. Chef Burke's creativity is showcased throughout the menus of the various meals. I had dinner at the restaurant so that is what I will report on. The James Hotel is on Ontario and Rush with the entrance of the restaurant on the Rush St. side. You can pull up to the front of the hotel on Ontario and the valet will come from the restaurant to take your car. When you walk thru the door on the Rush St side the "J" bar is front and center with the restaurant to your left. The restaurant decor is tasteful with mellow tones. The tables are covered with red leather instead of a tablecloth. Warm popovers are presented instead of bread. We started the meal with the Surf and Turf Dumplings and the Oysters. Surf & Turf Dumplings- Foie Gras-Oxtail, Lobster Lemon The presentation was very nice with the lobster handles. The dumplings were tasty. Oysters "East Meets West"- 3 East Coast, 3 West Coast, Spicy Cocktail Sauce, Mignonette, Tomato Horseradish Granite I like a little lemon on Oysters so the only sauce I tried was the granite. I thought the granite was ok. Some friends of mine dined at the Primehouse after I did and raved about the Kobe Beef Sashimi and the Caesar Salad with Crab Cake Croutons. The caesar salad is prepared tableside on a cart. The pictures of the salad cart were taken in shadows so excuse the quality. The components of the dressing can be modified as to your preference. Two kinds of steak sauce are brought to the table before the meat arrives. The 207L is described as being smokey compared to the classic. I did not try either of them. We ordered the Ribeye and the NY Sirloin as our entrees. The side dishes we picked were the Twice Baked Potato, Corn, Bacon and Grilled Organic Mushrooms. "Kentucky" Rib Eye- Bone in, Dry Aged, 20 oz $36.00 N.Y. Sirloin- Dry Aged, 14 oz The steaks were flavorful and tender. I dined with my Father, who commented that the meat was better than his favorite local steakhouse. This admission was surprising to me. The meat is aged "in house", downstairs in the salt cave. The aging room's back wall has blocks of Himalayan rock salt in it to remove moisture from the room. Twice Baked Potato, Bacon and Corn Chef Burke's spin on this dish was the potato was hollowed out and corn flan was put in the middle of it. Roasted Organic Mushrooms For dessert we ordered the Kickin Doughnuts and the Lollipop Tree. Kickin Doughnuts- Vanilla, Concord Grape and Chocolate I loved this dessert! The doughnuts are made to order and you can fill them with what ever filling that you like. I thought the grape filling was too runny. The chocolate and vanilla were great. When you fill them, keep squeezing them until some of the filling squirts out of the doughnut. LolliPop Tree- Cheesecake lollipops (cherry pistachio, peanut butter cup and chocolate toffee) served with raspberry cream This was a great dessert. Chef Burke's presentation was novel with the various lollipops hanging like a tree. There was a bowl of raspberry cream that accompanied the tree to dip the lollipops in. I would recommend David Burke's Primehouse. The food and service was excellent. The non-steak entrees are also good choices as the lobster steak is highly recommended. Chef Burke expresses his creativity and skill in the steakhouse format. I will note that for a "steakhouse", there were a high proportion of tables of female diners. The 'J" bar is also a great place for drinks. Good Eating, Molto E

I would put Taylor's a notch above In-n-Out Burger. I do not love the In-n-Out fries. I think that they could use the twice frying method. Molto E

I had heard about Taylor's for quite some time so this was as big of a "must try" as some of our other stops for me. Taylor's is very good high-end fast food. This is not cheap fast food, but given the quality of the ingredients used not out of line. I liked Taylor's and would return anytime. Molto E

May 5, 2006 From the Arizona Republic: Howard Seftel's Blog...Food Critic Howard Seftel's weekly installment of his food blog. South-of-the-border fish houses: These are 5 for 5 ...Howard Seftel lists five South of the border fish houses that are his favorites; Mariscos Playa Hermosa, Mariscos El Malecon, San Carlos Bay, San Diego Bay Restaurant, and Serrano's Fishmarket & Restaurant. Seftel's Dining News...In this week's dining news, Howard Seftel chronicles the Chefs that are coming and going in the valley. From the Phoenix New Times: Cinco de Steve-O...Food Critic Stephen Lemons lists his " fave Mexican grub purveyors"; Rosita's Place, Asadero Norte de Sonora, Mariscos Playa Hermosa, Nogales Hot Dogs, and Phoenix Ranch Market. Fine Dining: Fiorito's......CJ Karamargin gives a favorable review of this Tucson Italian restaurant. Good Eating, Molto E

Chef, Follow your passion and good things will come! I wonder what the writers personal preference for the avant-garde may be? "What that means, here, is lots of high-tech powders and foams and nitrogen-frozen thises and frothed thats. Outré little pickles. Counterintuitive flavors of ice cream. Odd-sounding combinations of ingredients. Obligatory pop-culture jokes: a rarefied Tater Tot here, a Dr Pepper-braised rib there" This part of the interview seems to me to have a negative slant on the genre. If I get down your way, laidback manor is a must. Good Luck, Molto E

I do not think Bastide will be open then.

April 29, 2006 From the Arizona Republic: Cafe ZuZu...Food Critic Howard Seftel checks in with an up and down experience at Cafe ZuZu. Pick of the pizza ...Seftel rates the Valley's top pizzas: Bianco's, Grazie Pizzeria Winebar, Patsy Grimaldi's Coal Brick-Oven Pizzeria, Cibo, and Classic Italian Pizza. From the Phoenix New Times: Noodles Ranch...Food Critic Stephen Lemons reviews the Vietnamese bistro, Noodle Ranch. Good Eating, Molto E

Nobhill or Shibuya

Ruby Beet Gourmet is closed and re-opening as something else in the near future. Esther, I would always vote for Lo-Lo's Fried Chicken and Waffles, but they are not open for dinner on all nights-call first. Right by the stadium, Eddie Matney is Cheffing these days at Stoudemire's which is next to the Hard Rock. Eddie put in his first menu at the place this week, but I have not tried it. Where did you end up going for your birthday dinner?? Molto E