hollywood

With regard to Bastide, my understanding is that the no corkage policy means you either drink their wine or else. No BYOB here.

In the Los Angeles guide, California Pizza Kitchen and The Cheesecake Factory generally duke it out for most visited restaurant. And they make the list of 50 most popular.

Thanks for the update. I don't know if I've been asleep or what. It seems every time I'm in the streets I see another Argentine eatery. Is inflation/bankruptcy driving them all to our town?

Yeah, how do you like them apples? Perhaps the workers at the new healthier McDonald's will ask, "You want apples with that?"

You say that after the fact. Didn't want to tip my hand.

This is like Macy's telling Gimbel's. Here's a detailed commentary by Joe H. from Chowhound's International Board. Don't know if he's right or wrong, but he's definitely got an opinion. http://www.chowhound.com/boards/intl/messa...ages/19460.html

Those damned English. I was just kidding around. Pommes can be apples or potatoes, right? Ananas sounds more like bananas to my ears.

Not so different, I suppose, from calling potatoes pommes or pineapples ananas.

Right. They get the headline. Then they settle the case. Maybe even get the critic to eat a few of his words.

Wanna buy a duck?

Implies nothing. The innuendo was clearly defamatory, but don't you folks have enough on your plate with the world press constantly harping on SARS and mad cow?

This smacks of a PR stunt.

When we say andouille, don't we mean short for andouille ham?

hollywood, note this from my first post . . . In any event . . . What would your books be? We don't need no stinkin' books. We need F-I-R-E!

It does seem like these lists are for a mental dessert island, not a physical one. On the latter, wouldn't we want books on raw food and, of course, grilling?

I had hoped you'd chime in. Thanks for the recos.

Now that we've got the nomenclature straightened out, what are some good CBs?

Thanks, Fat Guy. It seems the use of the term Cru Bourgeois is more prevalent now. Maybe I'm dreaming.

Perhaps you could advise us novice campers of the significance (?) of this term on French wines. Any good ones? Just a marketing gimmick?

That's cruel. Funny, but cruel.

You're right. It's like Pauline Kael reviewing an Altman film.

Very comprehensive coverage. Oddly, I've been to Galatoire's several times over the years and always had excellent service and pretty good food. Agree about Commander's. It's sorta the Taillevent of NO. I wish Deacon would come back and throw in his 2 cents.

Here's a link to Patricia Wells' review. http://www.iht.com/articles/97191.html

I'd recommend the Bungalow in Corona Del Mar for steaks and seafood. If you're at the Ritz Carlton, they have a good dining room there (called The Dining Room) but the prices are at a premium. Some like the view if not the food at the roof level restaurant at the Surf N Sand in Laguna. Is it called Splashes? I forget.

Generally, I'd agree with you, but I haven't been to Otto's since Patina Group took over (they seem to have a lock on food service at most museums and cultural spots these days, the Getty being a notable exception, the latter having good food).