Stu-i-moto

← Ouch...I've never seen such a bad review of a top restaurant from MB...

Forgotten in all this discussion about what we want to eat, are allowed to eat, etc. is the fact that there are 2 small businesses (one in CA; one in NY) that produce these products that will go out of business as a result of this. And that's IF they make it through the terrorism that PETA crackpots put them through. I won't die withough Foie Gras, but I honestly wonder what difference I can really make. I'm wondering out loud- Maybe someone can create a form letter that all can send to their appropriate legislators to let them know that they *strongly* oppose the ban(s). This is probably the most effective method. Then it will become a war of numbers - how many letters "we" can generate, vs. how many PETA activists can generate. Legislators move when they get mail. Boycotting Whole Foods doesn't seem like a productive thing, if the goal is to get the legislation affected.

Prather Ranch sells very tasty flatiron steaks, in strip form. The beef is certified organic, humanely raised, etc. This is some of the most pristine beef you can get. On the packaging, you'll even see information that tells you about the animal that the meat came from - and they don't mix meat from different animals in the same packaging. Beef is pasture-raised (grass-fed) and finished on organic hay, organic barley and organic rice. The flatirons can be cooked in 5 minutes. Very juicy, very tasty. I stop by their location in the San Francisco Ferry Building every week to pick up a couple of pounds of this steak. It's the only steak I buy regularly from them, partly because of the flavor/cost ratio, partly because it is less well-known and therefore usually available. By the way, if you want the best burger ever, buy some of their dry-aged ground beef. Again, they don't mix meat from different animals. Salt, pepper and a hot grill or pan, and you'll be in heaven! I hope this restores your faith!

I don't know if this will help or not, but - Amazon sells reprints of vintage catalogs. I once bought a Sears catalog reprint from 1904 (I believe) to see what the building materials and finishes looked like at that time. I used it to get ideas to restore an old Victorian that was built in 1898. They had cooking utensils in there as well. Back then, Sears was the source for just about everything; believe it or not, you could buy *all* the materials from them to build a house. They were like Wal-Mart and Home Depot all rolled into one. They sure aren't what they used to be. My best recommendation would be to get your hands on the oldest Sears catalog you can, and see if the device is in there. Other than that, I haven't a clue.

2 things: As a child (and still today): my grandmother's southern-style macaroni and cheese. No, not that stuff from a box with cheese powder. It is effectionately known around my house as "crack 'n cheese" because of its addictive qualities. I make it for friends now; my wife can eat a whole casserole of it. Then she tells me never to make it again. Elegant simplicity in a pyrex dish... As an adult, I had this chocolate dessert at an Italian restaurant in Evanston, IL (near Chicago). The restaurant was called Va Pensiero; the dessert was called a chocolate budino cake. This was over 10 years ago, before everyone was doing a chocolate cake with a warm, gooey center. But like they say, you never forget your first... I managed to get the recipe from the chef there (by asking nicely and telling her how much I loved this dessert), so I've made it a number of times at home. I still love it - now, I just pay a higher price (guilt & exercise) for eating it -

Just call ahead and make a reservation. They do fill up - and it's a small place. But Lorella and Mossimo (owners) are great, and some of the wines are fantastic!

I would add the following to your list: Arinelle (Valencia & 17th) - no tables, just take-out or eat your slice at the counter. Most like a corner NY pizza joint that I've seen here (and I'm a NYer, searching for the perfect slice) Giorgios (3rd & Clement) - good family-style pizza 'restaurant'. Easy on the wallet, good, honest pizza. Nothing fancy - good sauce, which makes all the difference, IMHO. La Ciccia - not a proper pizza place, but they have 3 or 4 pizzas on their menu and that's also the only thing you can get for take-out. The pizzas are interesting and good. The places you mentioned I would classify as more 'gourmet' than my list, with the exception of La Ciccia, which has great food all-around (Sardinian). There's always Amici's, but they have never been consistent enough for me. Sometimes their product is great, sometimes you can re-do your roof with it. Also, to my knowledge, Incanto doesn't serve pizza, unless they started recently, no? Stu

My mother lives in Langen and I have spent some time in Franfurt a while ago (in the 90's). I know Gemaltes Haus is a tourist trap (less so than Wagner) - I was just joking... If I could find a restaurant in Germany where there was no smoking, I'd be in heaven...now that I live in California, my system is very sensitive to smoke. It ruins my meal if I smell it. But that's besides the point. The Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton in San Francisco would be more in line with what you describe. I ate there in April; to be honest, although it hit on all the key points, the food lacked "soul" for me. In the end, it's a place I wouldn't go back to as much as Ame or, better yet, Fleur de Lys. By the way, when I met Hubert Keller (chef @ FDL), who is from Alsace, I told him he should put Flammkuchen on the menu. We'll see - Better luck on your next trip to SFO. Cheers, Stu

I have now been to Ame about 6 times; each time (including my first, about 4 weeks after they opened) were consistently excellent, service (and hostess) included. Maybe it's me, but I like it when a beautiful woman says "it would be my pleaure" in response to my request (and I only asked her to take my coat)... ...OK, people do say I look like Brad Pitt, so I get that kind of behavior a lot... :-) One touch that is very nice that I like is that they record your name in their intelligent little computer - so when you call for a reservation and give your info, they recognize that you have been there before. This is definitely something that encourages me to be loyal. The Dining Room also has a system like this. Kai-m, I am curious where you like to go in and around Frankfurt that you feel is great? Just for my own calibration on your tastes. Das gemaltes Haus has great Rippchen mit Kraut...

I've had a bag of those meatballs in the freezer for at least two months, so I pulled them out this past Sunday. I've spent hours making my own Swedish meatballs (Samuelsson's recipe) and while the frozen balls from Ikea aren't that good, they're good enough considering the labor that it takes to make homemade. I served them with a brown sauce with caramelized onions, mashed potatoes (instead of the traditional boiled), rutabagas (for She Who Must Be Obeyed; I can't abide "Swedes"); quick pickled Persian cucumbers; and lingonberry preserves. Perfect with some bag syrah. Hmmm? Jason, do you think an Ikea Meatball-Tater Tot casserole is worth pursuing? ← Try the meatballs at Costco. I think they call them Italian meatballs on the package; you get a bazillion of them for like $10 bucks. It'll last you to the next ice age. I heat them up by "roasting" them in the oven, and then I whip up a quick Swedish meatball sauce and pour it over and voila! Making your own sauce from scratch is not hard and it makes a difference (and people sop up the sauce with plenty of baguettes). When I am having a buffet-style party or brunch, these things are a hit. They especially work if you are entertaining a mixed crowd - that means adults and little people - 4 and under. You can feed a small army for very little money. Save the foie gras for the more intimate (and kid-free) occassions. I guess you would call this my dirty little secret - it's a bone in my otherwise gleaming culinary closet... :-)

They have a "raw" portion of the menu - mainly sahimi style items. I've never sat there, but I believe they will serve you food from the main menu as well. Just ask. u.e. ← BART does not go to P.A. - but you can take Caltrain to King Street and then take a taxi from there - it's a very short ride (maybe 6-8 blocks or about 3/4 mile). You could even walk if it's a nice day. Ame is on 3rd and Mission.

I recently ate at The Dining Room. While I have to say that it was an equisute evening, I left thinking "is that all?" Seriously - the food is prepared with precision and care, but I felt it had it had no soul. The food didn't seem to "come from" anywhere, and for the money, I feel there are better alternatives. As wacky as Ame's menu may seem at first blush, the food has a depth to it that you only realize by actually eating it. You won't see it from reading the menu and comparing it to TDR's; and the room at Ame is much more hip and avante garde than TDR (which is more like eating with your granparents, aunts and uncles). You could go to Ame and feel like you had fun - I don't think you could say the same about TDR... I don't know about Ame's tasting menu, but I can tell you that you will come out of there with a lot more money in your pocket than if you go to TDR. I have been to Ame 3 times now, and when I went to TDR (in the last 30 days), I had the 9-course tasting menu with wine pairings. For 2 people at the end of the day (or meal, as it were) - we dropped $600 bucks at TDR. I think you could do the same sort of thing at Ame for no more than $400. Plus, at Ame, if you're eating alone, you could also sit at the sushi bar. Have fun whatever you choose to do - and I look forward to hearing the results!

Yes - Ame is in the St. Regis Hotel - right next to the Museum of Modern Art, and across from Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, if you are so inclined... If you are in Vegas, also try Burger Bar - that's Hubert Keller's casual place. I hear it's great -

OK - seeing as though you are coming from a place where good Italian food prevails, I won't list Incanto in the first category. Nor will I list a newcomer that is soon to be a big name - La Ciccia (Sardinian food). The chef used to work at Acquarello (not sure his role there), and he is definitely onto something with this new place. Ran into Hiro Sone and Lissa Doumani from Ame/Terra the night I was there, and it's a bit of a trek from downtown, so I was surprised they came all that way (until I tried the food), but I digress... Category 1: For you, I would pick The Slanted Door. Vietnamese/French. It's one of those places you go where the food is just so unique. And the ferry building where it is located is nice. It would actually be a great lunch option on a Satruday (make a reservation), because you could also stroll through the farmer's market. I'd put that on my list for sure... Category 2: A toss up between Ame and Fleur de Lys. Ame is a newcomer, but the food, the service and the surroundings are very nice. The concept takes some getting used to: it's a combo of Japanese-influenced and Meditterranean/Cal-French style food. If you're not a stickler for tradition, this place is a must. I went to Fleur de Lys recently and had a wonderful time. I am a younger diner; at 40, I was maybe the youngest one in the room (besides my wife). They treated us like royalty - even got a tour of the kitchen at the end by Hubert Keller himself. I think they were happy to see some younger blood in there. It's all in your attitude - if you go there to enjoy the food and enjoy yourself, you won't get caught up in the fact that it's a 4 star restaurant and a lot of rich people are eating there. Just have fun - that's the homiest 4-star restaurant I've ever been to. Have fun!

I only buy strawberries when they are in season, and even then, only direct from the farmers and ORGANIC. Berries are some of the most sprayed fruits/vegetables (in terms of pesticides) that you can ingest. So even when I stop at one of those roadside produce stands that look so quaint (I live in N. California), I always ask if their stuff is organic. Read this report to learn more about pesticides and which foods have more/less on them.

Yes - get ready to pay a much higher utility bill as well. Commercial ranges use a lot more gas than residential ones. When I checked into this for myself, I quickly realized that there was a significant investment involved. I'll stick with my residential Wolf 6-burner - it hasn't failed me yet!

wow - and i'm stuck in san antonio...at least they have good barbecue here...

Your comments made me laugh out loud - I *love* Le Zinc for brunch. They used to serve breakfast every morning, and I would go there 3-4 times per week when I used to work from home (I also live in Noe). Alas, they couldn't get enough business (everyone else was stacking up at Chloe's for whatever reason), so they nixed the weekday service. Haven't tried Fattoush or Red Grill, but since I feel we're on the same wavelength, I will -

So when you have Chinese food in the US, are you able to completely block out your awareness that the Chinese food you had in China was (presumably) generally a lot better? ← No. But instead of trying to compare all the Chinese food I eat in the U.S. to what I ate in China, I appreciate the Chinese food here for what it is. ← And you don't think your opinion of American Chinese food is better-informed, and worthy of more respect, than the opinion of someone like me who's never eaten Chinese food in China? ← I actually spent some time thinking about this question, because it is a good one. In the end, I feel that my experiences with food in China did one primary thing for me: they helped me to understand what "authentic" Chinese cuisine was like. So when I go to Chinese restaurants anywhere outside of China, I know whether it is trying to be authentic, trying to cater to the local tastes/palate, or trying to take a traditional base and apply it in modern ways. I suppose I would preface my comments about a particular Chinese restaurant on the fact that I've eaten Chinese food in China, so I have a good sense of what's authentic. That said, I can also say that I have recommended Chinese places to people and realized that what they want is not authentic Chinese food; rather, they want Chinese food that agrees with their palate's sense of Chinese food. Sometimes it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks, this illustrious (and well-informed) company excluded of course...

I'll also note that you appear to be someone inside the food industry. I think industry people's interests may be different from consumers'. Maybe what I think I need is different from what's in your interest for me to get. (I'm not accusing you of being underhanded or anything; I just mean it's natural for people in a position to be judged to have different feelings about the judging process than those who make use of the judgments.) Moreover, I'm not really sure what you mean by "a Robert Parker". Certainly, one can support one's opinions analytically without assuming the power of a tyrant. I just don't see what use a sort of cozy "I like it cuz it makes me feel good" is supposed to be to anyone. ← Fair which is why I added the following to my summary statement approach: For me, deciding whether I would go back comes down to: - Value: how much I pay vs. the quality of the food - this is why a hole in the wall dim sum place can score as highly as a high-end cal cuisine restaurant; - The execution of the dishes: do the flavors, textures, colors, aromas work well for me or not? Are the ingredients fresh, homemade? Do the flavors marry well together? - Service: this is usually the difference maker between a good restaurant and a great one. - I'm low maintenance, so the decor is less important to me than the food & service - although it should be clean. - Does the chef show some degree of chutzpah (couldn't think of a better word) in putting dishes on the menu that express his/her creativity vs. that sell lots of entrees - My comment about Robert Parker was just meant to point out that if a superanalytical approach is taken to an extreme degree (like assigning wines a "score" based on a numerical scale), and if there were an idea about what would make a wine "ideal", it would be unfortunate because there is too much variability inherent in the system, and we'd end up in an arms race to make the highest scoring wine vs. the best tasting, best with food, etc. That kind of application in the food industry would ultimately hurt the industry, in my opinion. You can already see some effects of this; in San Francisco, it is common knowledge that Michael Bauer likes to see banquettes in restaurants. Who knows why, but take a look around at how many SF restaurants are designed with banquettes in them -

Well said - yes, I do.

Strong statement - and at the end of the day, your statements about a restaurant are - your statements. However esoterically or simplistically designed, people still form their own opinions. They may agree with you more or less, but unless your discourse is targeted at people who have identical tastes to you, they end up being as useful as any other method. The last thing the food industry needs is people like Robert Parker -

So when you have Chinese food in the US, are you able to completely block out your awareness that the Chinese food you had in China was (presumably) generally a lot better? ← No. But instead of trying to compare all the Chinese food I eat in the U.S. to what I ate in China, I appreciate the Chinese food here for what it is.

When you follks look at art, do you evaluate it based on what the artist set out to achieve? When you read a book, do you evaluate it based on what the author set out to achieve? No and no - because, unless you know the artist, the author or in this case, the chef/owner, you don't *really* know what they set out to achieve. You love it, you hate it, or you're somewhere in between. I am talking about the experience in its totality, not just the food. And you're also [usually] prett clear on whether you'd go back again or not - Please tell me people are not this analytical when they go out to eat...the experience of being convivial - isn't that good enough?

I'll offer some of the best advice I've gotten anywhere, about anything. It came from a man I met when I was traveling in China, who said "Don't compare China to what you know from the United States, but appreciate us for our uniqueness." New York is not San Francisco is not Paris. That's what makes going to these different places special. So I say don't compare across cities, unless you live in more than one place (in which case, you probably don't have to worry as much about dining because you can afford the best of the best anyway). That said, while it is a fun academic exercise to think of the perfect approach to analyzing/ comparing restaurants, I have a fairly simple approach that consists of two questions: - Would I go back? - Would I recommend this restaurant to a friend? For me, deciding whether I would go back comes down to: - Value: how much I pay vs. the quality of the food - this is why a hole in the wall dim sum place can score as highly as a high-end cal cuisine restaurant; - The execution of the dishes: do the flavors, textures, colors, aromas work well for me or not? Are the ingredients fresh, homemade? Do the flavors marry well together? - Service: this is usually the difference maker between a good restaurant and a great one. - I'm low maintenance, so the decor is less important to me than the food & service - although it should be clean. - Does the chef show some degree of chutzpah (couldn't think of a better word) in putting dishes on the menu that express his/her creativity vs. that sell lots of entrees - That's about it. Pretty simple, and it works for me.