Macarons&Mozart

I remember seeing on TV (a while back) a salad of fried fried brussels sprout leaves tossed with a lemon juice, parsley and fried capers. Simple and delicious. I came around to making it and really loved it. It took a while to separate the leaves, but it was well worth it. Fry them for just a few seconds until the edges turn brown and crispy. It worked wonderfully with roast pork.

Imagine what they would say to Korean cooking- arguably the most garlic-heavy in the world!

Hey everyone, I used to go to Vegas a few times a year, but as of late, I haven't been able to go in over a year. Alex always used to be at the top of my list of favorite (fine dining) restaurants, though I suppose I am somewhat biased since I am friends with much of the staff. Robuchon/Atelier and Guy Savoy were also always exceptional. As discussed on this list before by others, Picasso was never living up to the hype (and the beautiful setting), and dare I say, even worse than what it was, say, 3-4 years ago. Is this still the case? I hear that Michael Mina has souped up its menu and management in the past year. Does anyone have reports on this? I'll be in Vegas for a good week and a half visiting my uncle and his family, leaving me with plenty of time to eat around. I'll be in town from 7/31 till 8/10. They, however, are not into the fine dining scene, so do send me a message if you are will be in the area and want to visit one of these places. Alex, Savoy, Robuchon and Robuchon's Atelier are all on the list to try, and dining alone is not as fun! Send me a message if you're around! Thanks! Robert

I've been to Jasmine a few times. The dining room is quite beautiful, with a nice mix of French and Chinese decor. The food is Cantonese in style, but not very authentic, as one might expect. It's of a breed of Chinese restaurants that has become a fixture in many of LV's better hotels- upscale, aesthetically pleasing, and expensive. If you've been to the classic Empress Court in Caesar's Palace, you kind of have an idea of what Jasmine is like. The live dungeness crab with tomato and chili sauce is pretty great.

Bryan, your meal reports so far are really great! I am enjoying them a lot, despite how jealous I am! The views from the terrace of Le Petit Nice are spectacular. I look forward to what you're going to write about Vienna, as I'll be there in a couple of weeks. Looking forward to the next installments... Robert

nice website, FDE. However, I believe Gordon Ramsey's place in Prague also has a Michelin star.

1) Joel Robuchon 2) Guy Savoy 3) Alex 4) L'Atelier de J.R. 5) Picasso 6) Michael Mina 7) Tableau 8) Bradley Ogden 9) Bartolotta 10) Okada I have not tried Charlie Trotter's yet, though I am sure he would get in the list. I will be dining there next month and will provide a report. -Robert

It's great to find threads here that deal with Viennese dining, but have a slightly different request. I'll be making a trip to Vienna next month by myself, and will be there from Aug. 1-6. What are some better options for dining solo in Vienna? The finer places I am sure would be fine dining solo (Steirereck, Meinl am Graben, etc) , since I've done that elsewhere in Paris and NY, but what are some mid-tier and typical Viennese places that I can try without feeling strange. I speak decent German, so hopefully I won't stick out like a typical tourist! Also, are there particular food/wine/gourmet shops or similar places that I should go to? Gerstner for pastries, Meinl and the Naschmarkt immediately come to mind, but I am sure I am missing some. Also, if you are in the area and wish to try a restaurant together, do let me know. Thanks a lot for your help!

Russell, at Robuchon I noticed an odd pattern that included a consistent rotation of servers serving dishes, followed by equally as calculated pattern of people asking how dishes were. It felt too much like the waitstaff, save the sommelier and the captain, was reading directly from a training manual. Robots, perhaps during that not-so-great first visit. I guess personal preference factors in as well, since the service Guy Savoy and Alex-style is what I look for. I want to see character and genuine interest in delivering wonderful food and pampered service. In short, I found Robuchon too impersonal. My multiple (4) visits showed some (albeit little) improvement. I've yet to decide if another visit during this next coming Vegas trip is in order.

Will do

So I am craving the perfect cafe with an old Parisian feel that you can linger in for hours with coffee or a glass of wine and a newspaper or book and just forget about everything. Does anyone here have suggestion where to go? I live in the South Bay, but recommendations even in SF will be most welcomed. And old Paris aside, if anyone would like to recommend other great cafes with a nice European (not only French, but Italian, or perhaps the impossible to find Austrian/German?). In Palo Alto, I can recommend the Caffe del Doge (on University Ave) is a great place- edgy and very Italian, serving great espressos and specialty drinks. (But still no classic French cafe to be found...) Thank you all very much! Robert

Any updates or comments on Payard? Looks really great. I'll be in Vegas in a week or so, so I am looking forward to trying it.

IMO, Joel Robuchon at the Mansion does not deserve the 3 star ranking. Service there, I feel, was not of high enough quality. It was kind, efficient and helpful, but was not warm enough or coherant. It felt as if it was too fake and "trained". This was painfully obvious during the first couple of weeks, and I hoped it would improve. It did, fortunately, but not enough to merit 3 stars. Like others here, I am shocked at Picasso getting 2 stars. It is a good, solid restaurant, but neither food nor especially service, merit 2 stars. Bryan said it quite right I think- it empitomizes the one star restaurant.

Hey all, I was wondering what are the best places to get fresh black and white truffles (esp. French/Italian, even other varieties like domestic ones)? Are there any places in the Bay Area (I live in the South Bay, but will drive all over) with particularly good (and relatively inexpensive) fresh truffles? Thanks! Robert

Thank you Hiroyuki!!!