molto e

The next course of White "Verjus Granite" with Nicoise Olive "Nougatine", did not sound that appealing to me when I read it on the menu. This was a huge surprise, the olive was candied and played off the granite perfectly. "Coffee and Doughnuts" Cappuccino Semifreddo with Cinnamon-Sugar Doughnuts A French Laundry Classic We then checked out the kitchen. We walked in as a Chef on the left of the room was getting ready to sear a lobe of foie gras. Directly in front of the Chef that is at the head of the pass is a closed circuit television with the kitchen of Per Se. There is a remote control that can pan left or right and has volume. No escaping the watchful eye of TK

In the beef course, the bone marrow pain perdue was great. After the beef course, we decided to add the lamb course in so the kitchen obliged. Medallion of Elysian Fields Farm Lamb "Et Son Plate De Cote Glacee" with Eggplant "Caviar", Piquillo Pepper "Socca" and Nicoise Olives The lamb was "spot on" cooked and the Elysian Fields lamb was delicious.

This was also my favorite dish of the night. The cauliflower gratin with the crunch from Brioche bread crumbs throughout the dish was delicious. Safe to say the most pleasing cauliflower dish that I have eaten. This course in my tasting was the Moulard Duck "Foie Gras Au Torchon", Field Rhubarb "Relish", Sicilian Pistachio "Mimettes", Rhubarb "Jus" and Toasted "Brioche". A thick cut of perfectly toasted warm brioche accompanied the Torchon with 3 types of salt. The Torchon was perfectly done and served at the right temperature. Keller knows Foie Gras, the combination of the Sicilian pistachios with the Rhubard was delicious.

"Oysters and Pearls" Great dish- Caviar, good sabayon with tapioca and oysters While Doc had the Seared Foie which was a lovely plated dish, I had the Hand-Rolled Yukon Gold Potato "Agnolotti", Young Fava Beans and Flowers, New Crop Potato "Chips" and Perigord Truffles The craftsmanship on the agnolotti was fantastic. If you have ever tried to roll out this type of pasta then you will know how well they were done. The pasta were little pillows of potato and mascarpone with the little potato crisps and the favas in the sauce. This dish came together so well.

I have wanted to eat at The French Laundry for as long as I can remember, but I had not planned a trip in the area so it was not to be. The expectation of my meal there could not have been greater. I have the cookbooks, read the articles, saw the interviews, love the food of the disciples and have seen all the pictures, but now I get to see it for myself. It is like going to the Mecca. We pulled up early to get a glimpse..... Across the street from the restaurant is The French Laundry garden A glimpse of the front... We encountered many groups taking a variety of pictures out front including Doc's favorite of a lady taking a picture of her shoe. There are three menus offered and after I ruled out the possibility of eating all three There were things on the other menus that I wanted to try so I asked to change it up a bit and like everything else at TFL-your wish is granted The first tasting was: Grilled "Pave" of Japanese "Kanpachki", "Hon-Shimiji" Mushrooms, French Laundry Garden Radishes and "Yuzu" Glaze ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hand Rolled Yukon Gold Potato "Agnolotti", Young Fava Beans and Flowers, New Crop Potato "Chips" and Perigord Truffles OR Moulard Duck "Foie Gras Poele", Belgian Endive "En Ravigotte", Royal Blenheim Apricot "Puree", Yountville Mustard Blossoms and "Sauce A La Moutarde En Grains" $30 supplement ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sauteed Fillet Of Line Caught Atlantic Striped Bass, Caramelized Sweet Parsnips, Wilted Arrowleaf Spinach, Red Onion "Marmelade" and "Sauce Soubise" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Medallion of Elysian Fields Farm Lamb "Et Son Plate De Cote Glacee" with Eggplant "Caviar", Piquillo Pepper "Socca" and Nicoise Olives ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Persille De Beaujolais" With Braised Celery Heart And Poached "Pruneaux E'Agen" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jacobsen's Farm Meyer Lemon Sorbet, Yogurt "Mousse", Almond "Nougatine" and "Frascati" Biscuit ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Field Rhubarb "Torte", Jamaican Gingerbread, Tahitian Vanilla "Mascarpone" and Green Cardamom Syrup ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mignardises /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Tasting Of Vegetables ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Puree" of Garden Sorrel Soup with Toasted Almonds and Poached Sultanas ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Slow-Roasted Heirloom Beets, Grilled and Shaved Fennel Bulb, Cara Cara Orange "Confit" and Garden Tarragon "Vinaigrette" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Warm Salad Of Sacramento Delta Green Asparagus, Melted Cipollini Onion Rings, Soft Boiled Jidori Hen Egg and Country Bread "Croutons" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Young Fava Bean " Falafel", Cumin-Glazed Eggplant, "Harissa", Kendall Farms "Creme Fraiche" and Cilantro Shoots ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- New Crop Potatoes "Rissolees En Cocotte", Savoy Cabbage "Coulis" and Shaved Black Truffles ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Navarin" of Hen Of The Woods Mushrooms, Thumbelina Carrots, Tokyo Turnips, Spring Garlic nd "Jus De Legumes Rotis" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Valencay" Granny Smith Apple "Pain Perdu", Wildflower Honey and Belgian Endive Leaves ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Hot Chocolate" Jivara Milk Chocolate Sorbet, "Chocolat A La Venicoise", Tahitian Vanilla Infused Marshmallows and "Creme Chantilly" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Delice Au Chocolat et Menthe", White and Dark Chocolate "Ganache", Garden Mint-Scented "Jaconde" and "Guanaja" Chocolate Sauce ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mignardises ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Chef's Tasting Menu "Oysters and Pearls" "Sabayon" of Pearl Tapioca With Beau Soleil Oysters and Russian Sevruga Caviar ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Salad Of Baby Globe Artichokes, Spring Onions, Pickled Pearl Onion 'Petals", Garden "Mache" and Perigord Truffle "Coulis" Or Moulard Duck "Foie Gras Au Torchon", Field Rhubarb "Relish", Sicilian Pistachio "Mimettes", Rhubarb "Jus" and Toasted "Brioche" $30 supplement ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grilled Fillet Of Gulf Coast Pompano, Caramelized Fennel Bulb, "Confits Des Pamplemousses" and Fennel-Grapefruit "Vinaigrette" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Choufleur Polonaise" Maine Lobster Tail "Cuite Sous Vide", "Gratin' Of Cauliflower "Fleurettes", Hen Egg "Mimosa" with Young Parsley Shoots ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I do not have the exact Rabbit dish that goes here-Perhaps Doc will- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Herb-Roasted Sirloin Of Dry Aged Prime Beef, California Grey Morel Mushrooms, Green Asparagus, "Pain Perdu Au Moelle" and "Sauce Bordelaise" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Comte Saint Antoine" Applewood-Smoked Bacon-Wrapped Yukon Gold Potato "Bouchon" and Sour Michigan Cherry "Puree" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- White "Verjus Granite" with Nicoise Olive "Nougatine" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Feuilletine Au Caramel" Butterscotch "Boite", Caramel "Mousse" and Milk Chocolate- Praline "Feuilletine" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mignardises ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Our Tasting Begins Gougeres were dropped off at the table. They were very well done!! "Cornets" Salmon Tartare with Sweet Red Onion Creme Fraiche The Cornet was so delicate and buttery

http://www.mijitasf.com/ Chef Tracy Des Jardins of Jardiniere has a little outpost called Mijita in the Ferry Building that serves regional dishes of Mexico and street food. Mijita serves lunch and dinner and on the weekends breakfast as well. We went to Mijita for a "light" lunch at least that was the idea...... Looking in from the window at the tortillas being made fresh every day I ordered the quesadilla mijita as an appetizer. I thought it was very good. fresh masa turnover with a mixture of mexican cheeses, epazote and roasted chilies crisped on the griddle The special for the day was a carne asada torta and it was good. Mysteriously a carne asada taco ended up with my food. grilled marinated beef, smoky red salsa, cilantro and onions in a soft corn tortilla I would go back again to try breakfast on the weekend because it was featured in a New York Times article. Good Eating, Molto E

Dessert Okinawa Doughnuts with a Coffee Shake The doughnuts are rolled in panko bread crumbs, crispy rice and corn flakes then rolled in cinnamon sugar. Rhubard Pie with Strawberry Swirl Ice Cream paired with Sauternes, Castelnau de Suduirant Bordeaux 2001 The Rhubarb was my favorite dessert, which is probably to Doc's surprise. The service that we had was outstanding. We dined on a Sunday evening which is when Hiro and Lissa are at Terra so the kitchen really shined without their presence. This was one of my meals of the year and I must make it to Terra in Napa ASAP

Assortment of Artisan Cheese red hawk cow's milk cheese from cowgirl creamery served with a date almond bread goat's milk cheese from michigan and golden raisins Smokey blue from Oregon

The Spaghetti Crabonara was very good. Mixed with Crab miso, brown garlic, scallions, and egg. The Cod is a signature dish from Terra and it was a perfect dish. Doc had requested that they include the Grilled Quail on Wild Nettle and Fava Bean Risotto with Foie Gras Sauce and they included the Grilled Wagyu Beef Strip Loin with Foie Gras Tortelloni in Game Broth The Fava bean risotto was outstanding

The Tuna 5 was a dish that we had requested be a part of our tasting. The tuna that they use is Ahi. Tataki was flash seared with whole grain mustard vinaigrette Bottarga served over tomago originally from Sardinia air dried tuna roe Tartar with a ginger lemon vinaigrette Zuke umami soy sauce with fresh wasabi Mojama from Spain air dried prosciutto served over a red onion chick pea salad The next course was the "Chawan Mushi"-Japanese Egg Custard with uni, lobster, lotus root, mushroom, and okra This was paired with Ribolla Gialla, Movia, Slovenia 2003 This was a savory custard that was one of the stand out dishes of the night. The next course was the Monterey Calamari, Chorizo, on Grilled Asparagus and the Niman Ranch Tripe, Cuttlefish, Organic Tomato This was paired with Grenache, Arrels, Clos Oblidat, Old Vines Garnatxa, Montsant, Spain 2003 This was my favorite plate of the night. The calamari-chorizo combo was delicious. I thought the tripe-cuttlefish was outstanding as well.

The cocktail list was an interesting mix of spirits and flavors that crossed cultures. Doc ordered the Kaffir Lime Gimlet: Hanger One Kafir Lime Vodka, Lime Juice, Sugar I ordered the "Hiro-tini": Vodka Infused w/ Ginger & Cucumber, Sake, Sugar "Hiro-tini" The drink was described as a spa treatment in a glass. This was a delicious mix and the cucumber was so subtle. I could have drank a few of these but with dinner ahead only one was ordered. This restaurant was recommended to me by Chef Nobuo Fukuda of Sea Saw Restaurant in Phoenix. Owners Chef Hiro Sone and Wife / Partner / Pastry Chef Lissa Doumani originally met while both were working at Spago in the early 80's. They opened Terra in Napa in 1988 and have received many accolades there including Hiro winning the James Beard Award for "Best Chef of California" in 2003. We really wanted to try as many things as possible and asked if the kitchen would do a tasting for us with pairings and they set the meal up for us. We started with Trio of Sashimi: Kampachi Carpaccio with Mountain Caviar, Pickled Wasabi Leaves and Ponzu Smoked Tasmania Ocean Trout “Mi Cuit” with Cucumber Salad, Chive Crème Fraiche and Salmon Pearls Crudo of Sea Bream with Sea Grapes, Meyer Lemon and Organic Extra Virgin Leccino Olive Oil Crudo of wild Japanese Sea Bream also known as Tai snapper This was great and some of the best sea bream that I have had I liked the flavor combinations with the smoked ocean trout. A little bit of a riff on smoked salmon. Kampachi Carpaccio- this was a tasty flavor blend. Kampachi is also known as amber jack. The mountain caviar also known as tomburi is actually seeds from a fern that were supposed to have medicinal properties in ancient times. I will post photos of our next course and then Doc will come in. The next course was Tuna 5 Ways: Tataki, Zuke, Tartare, Bottarga and Mojama Two sakes were paired with our first two courses: Kubota Hekiju and Hakkaisan

April 6, 2006 From the Arizona Republic: Oscar Taylor...Food Critic Howard Seftel took one for team by trying the latest incarnation of the old Phoenix favorite. Dining news: April 5-11 ...In this week's installment of Seftel's dining news, he notes the openings of Trente Cinq, Lisa G and Drip Coffee Lounge. The departure of Chef William Bradley of Vu at the Hyatt Gainey Ranch Hotel to a different hotel in California. The nominations of Chef Brad Thompson of Mary Elaine's and Chef Nobuo Fukuda of Sea Saw for the James Beard Foundation's "Best Chef Southwest. From the Phoenix New Times: Trente-Cinq ...Food Critic Stephen Lemons reviews the new Belgium bistro with great affection Cheap Eats: Zivaz Mexican Bistro...Food Critic Jennifer Hunsperger reviews Zivaz Mexican Bistro Good Eating, Molto E

April 2, 2006 From the Arizona Republic: Wrigley Mansion Sunday Brunch ....Food Critic Howard Seftel loves the decor, but is unimpressed with the fare at the Wrigley Mansion's Sunday Brunch From the Phoenix New Times: Name Blame: Cocono's Mexican Island Kitchen...Food Critic Stephen Lemons reviews Chef Moises Treves, previously at "Such As Life" and "Coyoacán", at Cocono's Mexican Island Kitchen. From the Tucson Citizen: Cheap Eats: Bumsted's...Food Critic Jennifer Hunsperger says the "food is fantastic" at Bumsted's. Good Eating, Molto E

Josh, I am glad that you liked Sea Saw. Nobuo is a very special chef and Phoenix is very lucky to have him. He is nominated for the James Beard Foundation Award for the "Southwest Best Chef" for the second year in a row. Molto E

http://www.koipalace.com/ my friend raves about this place

Josh, As far as walking distance, yes it is, but maybe the hotel would give you a ride. I would make a reservation at the counter to be safe 480-481-wine. Do the Omakase, because sometimes there are offerings on the Omakase that are not available on the menu. Price range 80-100 without pairings, but double check that. You will be out in under three hours for sure and ask them to try an do it in the time you want. Good Eating, Molto E

Doc, Great thread, just caught up on your trip. They do a great job, the Spain trip seems a must! Molto E

Tommy, I would order both, because when you order a combo- the sausage has to be factored in (spicy or not, properly cooked etc.). I order my Beef-juicy, sweet and hot. If the point is to get a gauge on the beef, order both and eat the beef first so your palate is not tainted by the sausage. You do not need multiple people to order both, just do not order fries (if you dare). Molto E p

Ronnie S, Very nice shot of the "Combo" and you have thrown the gauntlet down-Al's Beef-Taylor street location, time for a revisit. Molto E

March 25, 2006 From the Arizona Republic: Greene House...Food Critic Howard Seftel reviews Fox Restaurant Concepts new offering, "Greene House". Dining news: March 22-28 ...In this weeks installment of "Dining News", Seftel outlines the opening of Roy's in Chandler and Dragonfly Cafe's forray into the dinner scene. The Farm at South Mountain...Gina Niemiec breaks down the various offerings at The Farm at South Mountain. Lorenzo's Pizza, Pasta & Café ...Geri Koeppel hails Sicilian owners Lorenzo and Cosima Panepinto, who also own a location in New York, make family recipes for the campus crowd in Tempe. From the Phoenix New Times: A Taste of N'Awlins ...Food Critic Stephen Lemons is "happier than a raccoon in molasses" that creole restaurant A Taste of N'Awlins opened downtown. From the Tucson Citizen: Cheap Eats: You can't miss with Shot in the Dark Cafe...Food Critic Jennifer Hunsperger reviews "Shot in the Dark Cafe". Good Eating, Molto E

A little history on my Italian Beef eating history, after being introduced to Mr. Beef at the age of 13 that had soley been my beef of choice for the next 20-22 years. A few years ago, I had my first Johnnie's with friends that had grown up in the area (as a city boy, I had never had the pleasure). I feel that the "aus jus" at Johnnie's has more tang to it and they go the extra mile slicing the sweet peppers rather than Mr. Beef that serves a chunk. Do not get me wrong, I still love Mr. Beef, but I would rate Johnnie's a neck in front. Mr. Suburban has thrown Al's in the mix and in the very near future we shall see who rates the best . (loser pays for the beefs-Ronnie S) Molto E

Amy, I had Stephen Lemons listed as a nominee and I am sorry that I did not list you and your father's book. What are the names of your restaurants in Las Vegas. Molto E

March 17, 2006 From the Arizona Republic: Molly Brannigans ...Food Critic Howard Seftel prepares for St. Patrick's Day with a review of Molly Brannigans From the Phoenix New Times: Beau McMillan- Iron Chef and Molly Brannigans...Food Critic Stephen Lemons gives a shout out to Iron Chef Winner Beau McMillan of Elements and a review of Molly Brannigans. Stephen Lemons is also to be commended on a James Beard Foundation Nomination for his writing From the Tucson Citizen: The 'best corned beef in nation' is at Feig's / in Tucson...All I can say is WOWOWOOW. Cheap Eats: Chile Relleno Burritos: ¡Que bueno el taquito jaas!...Food Critic Jennifer Hunsperger says that,"The food was as delightful as it was unique" at Chile Relleno Burrito. Good Eating, Molto E

Doc, Looks like a great trip, the market photos were fantastic! The quesadillas that you had first night look like the "Mexico City Quesadillas" that Bayless serves at Frontera. I order those every time I eat at Frontera or Topolobampo. Molto E

Neal, I think this is the toughest category in all the awards. I think that Bartolotta, Robuchon and Alinea make a very tough choice. Molto E