GordonCooks

The Best Cheese courses I've ever had ANYWHERE were at Perigee. generous portions and multiple pairings.

Gordon, If you knew the price of that plate (note, it was two orders!), you wouldn't be so jealous!!! ← Double order? I knew there was something I liked about you

Looking at your pics, I'm jealous of your cheese course

By all means EAT beforehand. That part of Rochester is pretty mundane food wise but there is good italian to be found. Down the road at the corner of Long Pond and Spencerport Rd is Papa Joe's - a modest place with very good food.

Colborne Lane Home of Toronto’s molecular wunderkind, Claudio Aprile, and where I ate my dinner last Saturday. The space is an edgy blend of old and new with distressed walls, antique looking light fixtures yet a modern bar with comfy, sleek stools and huge windows fore and aft to open the space. Having last eaten at Senses years ago with Chef Aprile at the helm, one meal being very good and he other being mediocre, I curious to see if Toronto’s newest buzz place would deliver. The menu features small to medium sized plates for you to compose your own tasting or they feature a tasting menu for you to indulge in. We showed up as walk-ins and took seating at the bar. The wine list is small but competent. Nice touches being a selection of Sake and a nice selection of wine available by quarto. The list was value priced as well - for a Canadian list that is. (the pics are lousy, I apologize) Tuna Sashimi + Tartare + ginger caviar + radish + yuzu + crispy garlic + shiso + cauliflower + frozen soy sauce powder Sashimi as good as I’ve had anywhere over delicate tartare. The secondary elements allowing you to make small and different morsels of food. The soy sauce powder was a very playful element. Hibiscus and salt cured foie gras + apricot terrine + freeze dried apricots + warm brioche + spiced yoghurt + hibiscus puree The foie was a little understated – lacking in actual foie flavor and richness. The texture was akin to a foie mousse with a high butter content. The purees were fantastic though – what concentration of flavor! Crispy Wokked Squid + caramelized peanut + asian pear + green peppercorn + Chinese sausage + grapefruit + mango I could have eaten a pound of this. Perfectly balance heat + sweet + salt. The squid was cooked perfectly – tender, yet lightly toothsome. The mango in the dish was a house made ketchup that lent a prefect amount of sweetness. Personal fave Pumpkin gnudi + romesca + fresh pasta + reggiano + wilted greens Another incredible dish – Gnudi as light a feather with some wilted rapini under a sheet of fresh pasta, a very bright romesca sauce and shaved grano padano curls. A little dried olive as garnish and a tuile of reggiano parm. Personal fave Beef Tenderloin + slow and soft poached egg + chorizo + fondant potato + smoked salt + steak sauce jelly + Yukon gold puree + mustard paper The beef was a little dry and the egg was slightly overcooked. If they did the egg sous vide, the yolk wasn’t as translucent as others I’ve had – maybe too high temp. The beef was marinated in soy and sake – the flavor was good but not spectacular. The potatoes are both outstanding and kudos with the mustard paper and steak sauce jelly. Peking duck in two forms + asian pancake + preserved plums + tatsoi + spicy black bean The duck breast was very tender and succulent; the crispy skin was delicious as well. The plums were very good but the pancake was more like a regular pancake with sesame seeds. Didn’t go well with the other ingredients. Desserts Yuzu parfait + green tea and coconut tapioca + sesame cake + sweet red bean The light as air mousse surrounds the tapioca – very tasty. When this dish was presented, I was told that once I cut into the parfait the tapioca would ooze out and I would use the sesame cake to dip. It was firm and didn’t flow out but I love the flavor and texture nonetheless Chocolate Bar + smoked cream + frozen chocolate powder + banana brulee + ice cream The chocolate was rich and intense flavor as was the chocolate powder. The banana and smoked cream were more of an afterthought and didn’t detract but didn’t really enhance. The banana was raw and bruleed on the end. Lemon Tart + lemon verbena sorbet + citrus chamomile foam Good but not great. The lemon curd was nice and tart but I didn’t really care for the foam. The chamomile and citrus were clashing for some reason A nice little finish was a frozen tablet on the Chef’s take iced coffee (it's the invisible thing in the washed out picture) Frozen in liquid nitrogen, a milk coated tablet of coffee that melted in your mouth. It came out over a halloweeny vessel filled with liquid nitrogen as well. The server was a riot "Please don't eat what's in the bowl beneath, you'll die" In conclusion, it was a great meal. Compared to the meal at Canoe the previous night – I received much more for less – more food, more wine, more service, and more culinary talent. A must revisit and will definitely do the kitchen table next time.

"ONE" is more of a bar than a restaurant. Was there last thursday and the menu was pretty unambitious for a Rochester restaurant let alone a former Sous Chef for Bouley. Lento rates opinions either very high or very mediocre (from people whose palates mirror mine) Looking forward to giving it a try to decide for myself.

Bonne Chance

It's unfortunate that the best Korean food in Rochester can be found at a church function or a dining room table any day of the week.

Speaking of seafood, are there any good seafood places around Rochester you'd recommend? I think the only place I've ever had seafood here was at the Pittsford Seafood Market, which was a couple years ago. Something about us being far from the ocean makes me nervous about ordering seafood here. ← Buying seafood? Captain Jim's on Main St (corner of Winton) The owner worked at Palmer's for years then he and his son Bill started it about 15 years ago. They always get first delivery - why? They pay the purveyors in cash, no check, no charge, ...that's how they do business.(don't give away their secret) Lots of great stuff and they can order you in anything you may need. They do a little eat-in fish fry biz on site - I grab take out occasionally but buy all my seafood there. Not a big fan of Pitts or the others. Their wholesale reputations are burned in my mind.

This season was my favorite for the same reason--when I first saw the penthouse and jacuzzi I thought this season would turn into some kind of Real World type show, with lots of sex, fights, etc, and so I'm glad it turned out the way it did. Since a variety of respected judges have loved her food, I think she's clearly more talented than you're giving her credit for. Last night's editing was interesting--in the show, it sounded like the judges had big problems with Casey's dish, and that she could possibly be going, but Tom (in his blog) said they all really enjoyed her dish. They're just keeping us on our toes, I guess. ← I'm not saying she's not talented. For her experience? She's come a long way but The Top Chef? No, but not saying never.

Putting my money on my fellow-yellow Hung. Casey has gotten far for someone with a few years on the line at the Mansion and being made Exec at a japanese restaurant on the laurels of a few weeks stage at Nobu. With knife skills like that? She'll have to rely on her soul. Dale is still the dark horse for me - he's always commenting on how he's lousy with fish, knife skills suck etc, although he's them most credentialed out of all of them.

Hey Gordon, Of the high end restaurants, I've only had the opportunity to try Max's Chophouse, which was a while ago. I dont even remember what cut of meat I had, only that it was one of the best steaks I've had. The cramped space can be a little TOO intimate when there is a large crowd present, which may bother some. I was too involved in my steak to notice or care. I've been meaning to try Max of Eastman, and I'm very interested in the newly opened Lento, which was reviewed upthread. So many places, so little money ← Max of Eastman is my haunt - I'm usually eating at the bar once a week. Love the steak at the Chop House but it's a scene place a la 2Vine albeit with excellent food. Mark at the Chop House (Ex- Victor Grilling) made me the best seafood dish I've had in years no too long ago. How ironic is that?

The owner was the the salesperson for high end espresso/cappucino makers in the city. The coffee is always top notch. His son had the place years ago as Colosseum Caffe - a Park Ave fave for their gourmet pizzas and gelato. What are you fave high end spots in town?

The names do change by area. In Syracuse - only 90 minutes east of Rochester - the "white hots" are universally referred to (and marketed as) "coneys" (pronounced cone-ee by most but coon-ee by some). And I've seen the white hots labeled as Texas Hots in the Albany area but I don't know if that's typical throughout the Capitol District. ← Most of the local joints here call a red hot a "texas" and a white a white. The references to Coneys have always been those monster foot long ones. Maybe it's a rochester thing

Steel cut oats using the overnight method. Add in a handful of grape nuts, raisans, chopped dates, any any odd fruit I may have on hand.

Got one!

I would say Cabernet Sauvignon is the Flagship wine of California.

Is has some NY nostalgia but better food and atmosphere can be had for less money elsewhere.

Ruffins French Laundry

Just saw this - heartfelt condolences to you and your family

Thinking back, just about every mid to upper restaurant place I've dined at recently has offered at least 2 (most more) choices. The place I frequent the most locally offers an olive, wheat, sourdough, breadstick, and walnut zucchini. It's pretty common around here for the standard Italian places to offer hard and soft crust along with breadsticks. Maybe I'm geographically blessed with plentiful bread selections.

It's simple business If a basket of free bread and butter is dropped before the food order - hungry patrons will immediately eat thus curbing their appetite and most likely ordering less food. Filling up on bread after ordering will most likely have you overeating thus lessening the chance you'll order less dessert or wine/cocktails.

Nikolau Restaurant supply - 629 Queen West. All Clad, Sitram, etc

It's an a la minute nightmare - if anything needs to me made beforehand, it's the liquid raviolis. To assemble them, rest them so the egg yolk seals the skin and cook them is a logistical nightmare. Add some guar gum to the soup to solidify and chill, and form the ravs while cold. Put the ravs in the fridge and boil as needed.

A discerning wine buyer uses whatever tools at their disposal to purchase the correct wine for the correct occasion. A light-bodied sipper for the backyard, a “Name Brand” to give as a gift, a cheapo bottle to bring to a party for novices, a case to be enjoyed in 10-15 years, etc. They are one and the same. Anyone with a big pocketbook that goes to the top of the price range regardless is anything but discerning, or knowledgeable for that matter.