Steve Klc

Bill--I think now you're finally getting to the crux of the issue for me, and I've valued and followed this thread with tremendous interest. I feel there has to be a distinction drawn between the restaurant critic and the food writer. There are lots of available food writers, freelance or otherwise, on board in every city and publication and what many of them do can hardly be called journalism, whatever integrity and professional ethics "journalism" implies anymore. I have no problem with this--and encourage perpsective, close relationships, junkets, free meals, whatever for the typical, average food writer. It's going on, publicists aren't going to stop taking food writers to their clients restaurants, nor should they. It's the oil of the food world. Just know what you're writing about and give credit where credit is due. Yes, the proof is in the pudding, but... whatever those ethics and professional tenets be for food writers--the restaurant critic, in my eyes, has to be treated differently and has to adhere to a different code. This has nothing to do with a writer's voice, perspective, knowledge, opinions. The restaurant critic--for the sole reason that his or her review column can have such potentially dramatic impact--financially--on a restaurant competing in a marketplace, which is a business affecting numerous lives directly--has to be as above all potential conflict of interest as possible. That means anonymity, no perks, no junkets, no advertorial interference, no editorial interference on where to dine and as few personal relationships with those reported on and covered as possible, and--because this latter issue is inevitable and natural over time--there has to be tenure in the position of a restaurant critic. I'm in favor of tenure--but that it is unethical and irresponsible to remain in the same "beat" reviewing restaurants for too long--so I'd like term limits, too--the perfect example of the need for tenure was Phyllis Richman. (Not to turn this into a rant against your friend and colleague Bill.) The minute a restaurant reviewer becomes known, roots locally enough for the local talent to have turned several into celebrity chefs, morphed into such a powerful personality or celebrity in their own right--it's time to move to another city, move out to a glossy magazine if your writing is strong enough, go public and become a food writer. One decade is enough. Bring in a newbie (or an oldie from another city.)

Twice a year or so I order a case and a half of wine from Navarro Vineyards, a wonderful, small producer nestled in the hills of California's Anderson Valley which I frequently write about. They only sell direct to restaurants, direct to visitors in their tasting room and direct over the internet. I paid $187.10 plus $8.42 tax plus $78. for "shipping and handling" to my state, Virginia. It will take 15 days to receive my wine: for a consolidated shipment of all orders, driven in a refrigerated truck across the country, to reach my state and then be repackaged and repurposed through the state controlling authorities and distributors who have the monopoly on wine sales and then finally UPS'd to my door. I'm in one of the many unenlightened, static states which do not allow direct shipping--usually trotting out some specious argument like preventing underage drinking. All of this might change however. Follow the links and reacquaint yourself: Protectionism disguised as liquour control: http://reason.com/sullum/040502.shtml The Wall Street Journal weighed in a week late and more than a dollar short on April 8th--here are the links to the earlier articles that really mattered: http://timesdispatch.com/news/vametro/MGBHAKEBGZC.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A41163-2002Mar30 http://hoovnews.hoovers.com/fp.asp?....08a12fc Looks like we're going all the way to the Supreme Court on this one. A good general place to start if you are interested in learning more is: http://www.freethegrapes.org/

Cabrales--how "off" in your mind are the composition of the juries for the US and France?

Thank you LML, I was aware Berasategui was spread out vertically and horizontally--including a big catering operation, no? Interestingly, note that in this month's (US) Gourmet there is a mention of Berasategui presiding over a growing empire--but no mention of the chef de cuisine at Bilbao. (Interestingly, whenever a Ducasse restaurant is mentioned in print--and even on the Ducasse website--the chefs de cuisine like Didier Elena are usually mentioned clearly and openly) And though it lacked soul, was the experience fair for the price--or did you leave wishing for a better experience for the price?

Damian--were you and I at Georgetown at the same time?

Lizziee and Jennifer (and others of course) I wonder if you could speak to whatever sense that Spanish chefs have of international media interest in their cooking--and the extent that particularly the American food media is paying attention to them to a greater degree than any other destination? Are they aware of the number of American chefs visiting Spain--and has that prompted them to think or work differently?

LML--this is Berasategui's place, right? Do you know if this has a Michelin star? The reason I ask is there seems to be a refinement in a few dishes you've described that while not necessarily French seem capable of being appreciated by the French in a Michelin-kind of way. Regardless of what you think of the Michelin system--did they assess this restaurant correctly? And how would you assign "stars" to this experience--if forced to--based on your experiences at other starred places? And at 45 Euros, this is less expensive than his 3-starred place in San Sebastian. Would you feel comfortable drawing any comparisons between the two in terms of value, creativity and fun?

Chocokitty--you haven't garbled at all, you've actually helped to clarify. The fashion analogy doesn't work for me and here's why: a couture designer has an identifiable style, trademarks if you will for each collection, they release their new line and it is an international event whether it's in Paris, Milan, NY etc, reviews and pictures appear in the mostly fawning international fashion print media, and then tons of lesser designers and off-price outfits copy the trends and even knock them off completely--with less hand stitching, inferior fabrics, whatever. The look is then made available to the public at large very affordably. But it is the original designer that gets the credit, publicity and brand extension for creativity (regardless of whether you feel such out-sized recognition is warranted) and the industry and fashion is well aware who is knocking whom off--and those that knock off are not themselves fawned over, the imitators rather than original thinkers are not promoted as if they were creative. Opportunistic, yes. But it is made clear who the players are--who the talent is. If this were the case in food, the American food media would have realized Trotter and Keller were influenced by and emulating Ferran Adria years before a few articles on Ferran began popping up in American media. Even now the public is unaware how significant Adria is. Say what you want about the insular, political, catty fashion media--they are aware enough to write about influences and similarities--they go to the runway shows, read the international versions of all the magazines, watch the same tv shows--and that is all made available in ways that the food media doesn't seem to be able to follow. Food is too huge, too diverse, too local. Restaurant critics are inherently limited by the fact that they have to eat locally so much--and the threshold for newspaper food writing is so low on a local level as well. By contrast, take Robin Givhan of the Washington Post, who writes wonderfully about fashion but also integrates fashion into larger themes. She knows what's going on--she goes to all the shows, she covers the scene. I wish food was covered with the same diligence and world view. I do agree largely with you regarding formal copyrighting of ideas for dishes and food--but then you are the patent attorney. However, in food and this burgeoning era of celebrity chefs--this copying does speak to the professional integrity of the chef and a chef's disingenuousness. However--that line of "stealing" without attribution has to be balanced with the normal process of dissemination, tweaking, inverting, re-working, reinventing of ideas that goes on all the time. If Ken from Clio did the exact Bras dessert--without changing a thing in terms of presentation--and passed it off as his own, allowing others to fete him for an excellent creation and extoll his dessert skills in print--well, yes, I'd have a problem with that just like Patrice. (I think Patrice goes further than me--that Ken shouldn't even have done the dessert as Bras did it. I don't go quite that far.) Of course, I'd suggest the dessert was probably not as good as the original Bras creation--because those that create usually do a better job than those that emulate or copy. Chefs use recipes differently depending on skill level. Most chefs have such a high opinion of themselves and their skills that often picture and presentation ideas are more valuable to them. There are occasionally new techniques, new ways of thinking or seeing things that can come through in recipes--and then yes, recipes come into play. The Adria foams in the iSi Profi whipper are an example of both a thought process and a recipe process. I, for instance, try the recipes of other pastry chefs all the time. Constantly evaluating them against what I know and how others have done similar things. And in pastry--in a general sense, a how you work sense--yes, recipes are used for everything, 100% weighed, even down to the yolks, water and gelatin in my work. Be sure to quote me in your article.

Malawry--quick reply to the Kim O'Donnel morphing into Hesser-like proportions--won't happen. She's too limited, though works hard online and does a good job cheerleading a chat with a kind of thank you for sharing/support group feel. Credit to her for devoting an hour to vegetarian concerns (once a month?) Notice the recent switch away from promoting how "zany" she is? She's better when she's not zany. What she serves up is pleasant, just not provocative, original or interesting enough.

Over the past decade, I've had my problems with the Post Food section. Its strengths: always beautifully designed, edited and executed, usually featuring wonderful Renee Comet photography and boasting a versatile core of stylish, witty writers--especially Walter Nicholls, Judith Weinraub and Candy Sagon. However, the end result always seemed unknowing and lightweight to me--like a dessert which promised real chocolate but delivered something overly sweet and cloying rather than bitter and complex. Perhaps I'm too cranky, perhaps I misunderstand the marching orders for and resulting editorial direction of the section, perhaps I'm misguided in thinking that readers at home deserved better--and that they could handle more. Except for Judith Weinraub, who can do virtually no wrong in my eyes, the staff seemed to be much better writers than they were knowledgeable about their subjects--food, cooking, chefs and restaurants. Over the years, I felt (and was by no means in the minority of the local food community) that there were too many simplistic, irrelevant or insignificant pieces which failed to challenge readers enough, which didn't raise awareness enough. Too much of the actual cooking discussion was home recipe-centric and dumbed down. (Didn't they realize it's all about technique, palate and thought process?) Perhaps the most essential weakness was the failure to explore the inter-relationship of wine with food--with a separate and practically perfunctory wine column relegated to the back. (Weinraub incidentally, won a Beard award in 1998 for a rare, helpful piece on pairing wine with Asian food in the Post--so the talent was in place.) (For too long, the section seemed to me to be a veritable "Female Food Mafia," a politically-oriented exercise promoting all efforts and all chefs not male, written and directed by a faithful feminine core. I prefer a meritocracy, but then I am male. In any event, that's speculation for another day. At this point I should inject some disclosure, too: I've been covered editorially by the Post over the years, my favorite mention an impeccably-written piece by Nancy Shute in The Washington Post Magazine on June 16, 1996, back when Steve Coll, now Managing Editor of the newspaper, was editing the Magazine section.) In the past two to three years, though, the section has taken steps to be a little more relevant, thoughtful, reflective and serious. Regardless of whether you feel "magazine food writing" is superior to "newspaper food writing," multiple Post staff writers have received well-deserved Beard nominations. The addition of the Robert L. Wolke science column has been a savvy curmudgeonly delight, especially because he's allowed to inject a little attitude into his writing. They've expanded the wine "column" from an afterthought into a "Wine Plus" page, which is a good thing--because both wine columnists--especially Ben Giliberti--really know their stuff. I'd still like to see more thoughtful coverage of chefs, more reporting of the professional culinary scene, something along the lines of the New York Times wonderful rotating series of "The Chef" columns, or the joint Thomas Keller/Michael Ruhlman LATimes column--rather than wordy, convoluted baking tips about essentially simple things by Lisa Yockelson and dumbed-down drivel from the likes of Elinor Klivans, Marcy Goldman, and the usual suspects rounded up from IACP membership rolls. I wish the Post would commit to a talented, consistent voice like a Mark Bittman, instead; his "Minimalist" column from the Times is another of the few things I adore from that newspaper's "food" section. To date, we've been spared from any editorial attempt to turn a Gen X staff writer into a first-person culinary personality--a la an Amanda Hesser diary. But with all the notoriety Ms. Hesser has attracted--and rumors of a $300,000 advance for her upcoming book now in circulation--can more of that be far behind? Good thing the NYT's editor largely responsible for obsessing on shallow observations and irrelevant details of the personal lives of writers, Michalene Busico, is on her way to the LA Times to mess up their excellent food section and make their authors into celebrities. We're safe here, at least for awhile. In fact, viewed in that light, we're pretty fortunate. Yes, it's tough to please all of the people all of the time. But I recommend that more people check out the Post food section online--it seems to be arcing upward--start with today's straightforward, balanced piece on Community Supported Agriculture by Mr. Nicholls: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...4-2002Apr2.html He gets this right--and it's free of preachy Slow Food sloganeering!

Sorry to confuse Beachfan--Sudhir left Bombay Club a little over 2 years ago to open Heritage India as chef and co-owner and it is located on Wisconsin Ave. in a neighborhood of Northwest DC called Glover Park--north of Georgetown. I lived in Glover Park for 10 years--so I got to know that area well, eating often at Faccia Luna and Rocklands. Heritage India took over the space of Germaine's restaurant, above Faccia Luna and there also was a charming, elegant classic French restaurant called Le Caprice, in a little townhouse next door. On my two visits to Heritage, I found the wine list uninspired and poorly thought out, the service slow and awkward and the prices high, but Sudhir's food was excellent. Tom Sietsema mentioned in the Post last week that Heritage India had opened a second location on Cordell Ave. in Bethesda--and included a revealing comment--that because of the intense restaurant competition in the Bethesda area, prices at the new branch will be lower.

Jordan--that's a great example and I think it speaks to something just under the surface of Patrice's last post--that of professional and personal integrity. But what's the recourse--where's the redress? Yes that individual has lost credibility in your eyes--but because we don't really know who you're talking about--we don't have an opportunity to evaluate the recipes or soups in question, put them in either local or historical context--and you lose the chance of us viewing the situation dispassionately. Either way he gets away with it. I understand your sense of decorum or loyalty may prevent you from being specific, but I'd personally like to know the who and the what. Are we talking Bouley, Gutenbrunner? I get Martha--am I actually going to have to read it rather than just look at the pretty pictures to pursue this?

Patrice--you conclude by asking "How can we prevent this, do chefs have the right to steal other chef's recipes?" Well, another way to look at this is that Michel Bras and Claudia Fleming are being paid to write books--they are willingly and for profit putting their work out there for the public and pros to emulate. It's part of how a chef establishes their brand and extends their influence. As a diner, I don't care if I'm eating Claudia Fleming's coconut tapioca pre-dessert or her Buttermilk panna cotta with Sauternes gelee--even if I'm in a Boston restaurant at the time, as long as it is good. The deeper and more significant problems for me are: 1) if the Boston restaurant critics and fawning food media don't realize No. 9 Park is presenting a Claudia Fleming dessert concept intact, if indeed it is; and 2) that such a chef or pastry chef allows fawning, uncritical praise to be heaped upon them--for their palate, their creativity, their inventiveness--when they know their best ideas are coming from some other chef. Patrice--how specifically was the No. 9 Park dish presented--in a Bernadaud white bowl with 2 quenelles of sorbet on top of the soup? Any cilantro-infused syrup? And Andy--recognizing others just seems so easy and so obvious. I just see it as a sign of respect that has been lost as we enter an era of even greater celebrity for chefs. Perhaps we at eGullet can serve as an antidote. Credit to Patrice for raising awareness of these two specific examples.

Patrice--you raise an interesting issue and it is one that I don't think has easy answers. We've talked about it on other threads--usually in the UK board--in the context of Heston Blumenthal ripping off Ferran Adria and most recently an Isle of Wight chef ripping off Thomas Keller's oysters and pearls dish. I think there's a fine line that we all have to walk--chefs, critics and the lay public--when it comes to discussing stealing and plagiarizing of recipes, ideas and inventions in the culinary world. For me, it isn't always so clear--or so absolute--that there can't be shades of gray. Let's look at your two examples: Ken Oringer serves up something suspiciously similar--perhaps even identical to--a dessert he had at Michel Bras--copied from recipes which we both know is detailed in the Bras Dessert Notebook, available for years only in French. You and I both are aware of this book--we think it is great--we think it is the only book of restaurant style desserts in all of France to be worthwhile--well, Ken is no dummy (Boston may have alot of mediocre restaurants--but it has very smart chefs) and he's probably smart enough to have checked the book out--especially if it is a matter of public record that Ken admires Bras. The fact that he did the dessert in Montreal and at his restaurant could be homage--could be paying respect to Bras. I don't know--I think my problem would be if he conducted interviews about how and why he created that dessert and disingenuously did not credit Bras as a source of inspiration if questioned directly about the dessert. I tell you, I would be terribly impressed if Ken labelled the dessert "frozen mint mousse with a liquid chocolate center a la Bras" on his menu if it were indeed largely ripped and presented right out of the book. That indicates a larger chef, a chef more confident in his own abilities and shows more respect for an audience, more respect for his place in the larger scheme of cooking. I also fault an uncritical, mostly fawning food media for being unaware of what has happened in the industry, both here and abroad, at the elite levels of dining and chefs' creativity. How many people are there that have had this dessert at Bras, have read the Bras dessert notebook and are aware of its significance, have had the suspiciously similar dessert at Clio and/or at a guest chef dinner where Ken cooked like last year in Montreal, are in a position to know Ken has had and admires the cooking of Bras--and also know what Ken has said about that dessert or allowed others to write about it unchallenged? Talk about an investigative report. And to markstevens--thank you to my core for reminding me just how enjoyable that show was and specifically how well-written and acted that Adam Arkin character was. I laughed out loud over just about every segment with him. It was more cutting, more delicious than the Gareth Blackstock/Chef! episodes which were, of course, great.

Wilfrid--if you come down for the DC eGullet dinner, if there is indeed a dinner, remind me to bring some of the Venezuelan orange rum liqueur for you to try.

Jordan--see the stunning photo on p. 44 of the Wiener Werkstatte art glass in the current Gourmet (April 2002). They mention the Neue Galerie's Cafe Sabarsky (212.628.6200) in an almost too-cutely-titled "Hungry for Austria" piece, suggesting that Kurt is offering "what must be the world's best apple strudel" there. Anyone been yet?

Wilfrid--Alize is passionfruit infused cognac. See the current Gourmet for a plug--and beautiful photo--of Jacques Torres's milk chocolate hearts with Alize.

Malawry--you back from LA yet? how'd you like the strange scene out there? And I'd say Tom had a few nice things to say about Colvin Run. Let's see--in one short but gushing review he managed to use the following--warmed, gleaning, delicate, fetching, decadent, delicious, velvety, ennobled, pristine, sparkling, gorgeous, sporting, buttery, hall-of-fame, enhanced, pumped-up, and irresistable. My favorite bits of smoochy food-writer babble: the "food is at once bold, sophisticated, graciously free of gimmicks and quietly witty" and "comfort food with a point of view." (Sounds like a try-out for Gourmet magazine or a pitch for next year's James Beard award nominations. Catherine Reynolds and Jonathan Gold, call your agents.) I wonder if that "point of view" might be unimaginative but certainly pricy power portions ladled with fat, oil and butter served up in a series of sterile law-firm-like environments? We'll see. A separate point--I'm starting to think Tom doesn't "get" fine dining in the same way I do--not that that is a problem, because our job as a reader is to react to what we read and then verify on our own, process it all through our own palates if you will. (I also think he could do a better job appreciating dessert or discussing pairing food with wine, integrating either element into his writing more, though he at least isn't obviously anti-wine or anti-dessert.) He's a fantastic writer, though, and clearly much more comfortable on the ethnic, inexpensive and moderate efforts. The kind of cooking that one can embrace from reading books, Saveur magazine and other food writers. He hasn't demonstrated to me that he is as aware of elite dining and elite chefs elsewhere, as in New York, Chicago, Paris and Spain, as he should be, and like Phyllis Richman before him, fails to serve his readership here somewhat by not being able to discuss knowledgeably what's going on elsewhere and how DC stands in comparison. Perhaps that's inevitable given the number of underwhelming DC restaurants he has to eat at weekly, perhaps it's an inherent flaw, perhaps it's an unfair misperception on my part--but then that's where his travels will help him, where filing those Postcards from other cities will help, which he likely undertakes on his own dime. Back to Kinkead's--Malawry it is just those sorts of restaurants--and the fantastic seafood restaurants that have sprung up from San Francisco to Philadelphia, that Kinkeads has to be compared to, given that some in the media presumes Kinkeads to--still--be one of the very best restaurants in the entire country (see recent Gourmet magazine ranking.) My thoughts on this are in previous threads. Fortunately, service and attentiveness can be evaluated independently, and I enjoyed devouring your post, as always.

Cabrales--are you aware of any links to articles about the awards, the jury selection and the judging process? Is this covered in detail on a Wedgwood site--the presumed sponsor of the award? I did a quick google and found these two articles from Australia: http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/2001/12...FXQPUUJ2VC.html http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/2001/11...FX1HCSJ8UC.html My initial suspicion, without all the facts, is that this is one grand global advertorial--no more, no less--paid by Wedgwood and in collusion with chefs, writers, and personalities who have been paid off to be involved. Distracting hype? Probably yes. Designed to deceive inherently? I'm not sure yet. In return for travelling money from Wedgwood--the jury members seem to agree to write about the "awards," and lend at least tacit credibility that there is a judging process. Doesn't seem that the chefs and restaurants involved actually have to do anything other than "host" various juries for a dinner. I wonder if the chefs have to agree to be involved and if they themselves are compensated in any way? Assuming integrity at all levels of the process--by no means a valid assumption--I would find it very inriguing if this entire process, this entire advertorial, could take place without the formal involvement of the chefs. A Qantas-affiliated person was on the AUS jury and Qantas-affiliated chef is selected to "represent" Australia; also on the AUS jury was the author/publication of the abovementioned two links. Are there formal media or industry co-sponsors of these awards for each country? Is Qantas kicking in some promotional value--are airlines in other countries involved? On one level--the Qantas in-flight magazine editor was offered a junket, took it, got some name recognition in the process, and will probably write about it in the magazine. Big deal, happens all the time. It would be interesting to determine if other media outlets--competitors essentially--are covering these "awards" if they themselves do not have a representative on the jury. I suspect not. I am unaware of any American chefs or judges--anyone? At this point, this seems one notch above the Restaurant Magazine sham selection of best restaurants in the world.

Don't take it on my account Beachfan. I'm not breaking any news; it's been a hot topic of discussion in print in DC for awhile--including a tepid endorsement in Tom Sietsema's dining guide two years ago and a public omission last year. On the larger "Where to eat in DC" thread Robert Brown, Roger McShane and Damian all weighed in on their recent experiences. Why don't you lead with what you liked on your last visits and why? Possibly compare to other seafood cooking and overall restaurant experiences in other cities, like New York's Oceana, Citarella, Le Bernardin, et al if applicable.

Beachfan--I haven't been back since Sudhir Seth left, and I felt even then that Sudhir was talented but was being held back--better to please a power, conservative and unaware clientele. That the restaurant was the problem, not the chef. On my last visit I was with a few Indian restaurateurs from New York and our meal there was nothing special, service spotty, very pricy for standard-issue stuff--and except for a few special things that Sudhir did for us once he recognized someone in my party--which were quite good--the experience was mediocre. (At the time, the ownership group was considering bringing Sudhir to New York to cook.) When were you last there? Pre- or post-Sudhir? Have you been to Heritage India in Glover Park?

To Glenn and others--Graffeo is in 3 locations--SF 800.222.6250; San Rafael 800.962.7885 and Beverly Hills 800.367.9499--though I "thought" their beans were roasted and shipped from SF. I also "thought" that they only did two coffees, both blends--a light roast and a dark roast. I use their dark roast for espresso and, like Glenn and apparently the powers that be at Tabla, am a huge fan. Wilfrid, you are not alone in sensing that Tabla lacked deep Indian influences or "authenticity," as you described it. (I do have a personal problem with that term.) It was, however, interesting, flavorful and excellent modern cooking overall. I recall Suvir agreeing in principle--and sensing that Tabla was but a baby step toward some type of true advancement, a more faithful merging of Indian cuisines with the West--a merging that hasn't happened yet. The rest was food media and marketing. The desserts at Tabla were quite good, but they were made by Jackie Riley who hasn't been there for some time. She had a fine fruit soup with lemongrass and other Asian touches that still sticks in my mind years later. I didn't like the oft-photographed, oft-praised kulfi--molded in a plastic cone. It was still a kulfi, albeit a "good" one, but still icy, less refined and inherently less satisfying than French frozen creams.

Baruch--I'm not sure what irks me most about your post, but practically everything about it does. Lullyloo took care of the St. Louis thing and presented the possibility of another view. And I don't want this to appear to be piling on, but, when you write that: "it is very true that pork shoulders, boston butts, & spareribs are relatively inexpensive. u would think a smart restauranteur, such as Meyer, would reflect that in his prices as well as hire some1 from SC, NC, GA (?), or TN, but ILL??" As Steve Shaw posted well, surely you are aware that the price of something on a restaurant menu is determined by a whole host of factors that have nothing to do with the cost of ingredients, right? Also, why does it matter where Meyer hires someone from? Either someone has knowledge and skill and talent or they don't. The proof is on the plate ultimately not one's Driver's License. You continue: "seems to me the way u operate a successful BBQ "PLACE" in manhattan is to serve great bbq done by a pro, & make your $'s on the bar & 'other' dishes on the menu, i.e., smoked turkeys, chicken, fish, etc, as well as more involved dishes; therefore, appealing to a broader mass & making it more of a destination rather than an occassional bbq "fix". Well, I bet Meyer has enough savvy and the track record to have written a solid business model and probably has rejected or integrated all of these issues--but let's first recognize that it's tough to open a restaurant--any restaurant--and there's nothing to be gained by over-reaching and stepping beyond your "core" specialty too soon except bad reviews, accumulating debt and frustrated staff. Plus, it's not like there are alot of reliable barbecue "places" in Manhattan now, are there? What's to be gained by chiding a place for not offerring "more involved dishes" right off the bat? You saved your most sneering, most irksome turns of phrase for last: "but alas, that would require quite a bit of sophisticated thinking & as importantly, would require 2 chefs: 1 for the bbq + smoking, etc, & another chef with a certain degree of "je ne sais quoi", providing dishes that more emulate a higher end restaurant, a la USC or GT. is this too much to ask??" Well, frankly, yes. Why criticize a restaurant or business venture, and the intelligence behind it, not for what it is aiming to be but rather for what you want it to be--and all of this before the restaurant even has its legs under it? Ruby had a bad first impression, I'm grateful for her post. I do hope you visit and report back. But at this point, I find too much of your speculation patently unfair and misguided.

I have a weakness for two liqueurs Wilfrid: La Grande Passion by Marnier-Lapostolle, which I use alot for depth of flavor in tropical fruit macerations, infusions and sauces and an obscure orange rum liqueur made by Ron Santa Teresa C.A. in Venezuela. Here's the label: http://www.rum.cz/ascii/galery/sam/ve/teresa/img/ve32.jpg There's an interesting interview with the President of Santa Teresa rum and contact information here: http://www.winne.com/Venezuela2/SynchFNP01.cgi?pp=RST.htm The only reason I got a few bottles of this incredibly delicious stuff was because I consulted for a Venezuelan chocolate company one year. I don't think this product is exported yet; at the time it was teamed with Chocolates El Rey on a few cultural and diplomatic junkets. It might make you forget all about Cointreau.

Wifrid--no. Also, let's not forget that managers and assistant managers of fast food franchises make very good money and have very good benefits--unlike most chefs and line cooks I know. Legal action diverts us. My two issues: was BK pulling a fast one with the vague wording of their press release? and was BK disingenuous to issue a press release announcing the "BK Veggie" and not also mention that it shouldn't actually be considered "vegetarian" since it would be cooked alongside meat?