M.X.Hassett

Although overpriced the meal I had was memorable. I started with the Beluga caviar, probably some of the last I or anyone else in America will have for a while. Next was the Seared Foie with mustard, cocoa nibs, and cassis puree the cocoa nibs worked surprisingly well with the Foie my only complaint was that the dish was served luke warm. I was then brought a comped dish of there signature ricotta gnocchi with braised oxtail and English peas, in concept the dish could work but I found the peas to overpower the dish and make it taste to “green”. I finished up with the Wagyu (yes the properly call it Wagyu not Kobe) Duo Short rib and Sirloin with a carrot puree, well they know how to cook there meat here the Sirloin was a perfect rare –plus and the short ribs where fork tender. A simple dish but great ingredients and a good chef equal a great dish. This was all complimented by more wine then I can remember at one point there where 4-5 glasses in front of me it helps to be good friends with the sommelier (thanks Robert).

A recent meal at WD-50 included the foie gras, with watermelon, pistachio and lovage. The dish was perfect except, as others have said I didn’t find the watermelon to work well in the dish. I also had the pork belly which had a new component of basil seeds soaked in a liquor these were almost like little blue caviar eggs there texture offered a great crunch. The Malta fizz (rum, Malta, and egg yolk) created by Juice is not to be missed nor is Sam’s cornbread ice cream and powder.

Noise complaints aside I had a good meal at Lupa recently. I started with the Proscuitto that I found to be overly salty, but the Lingua was perfectly cured. Since the Carbonara was off the menu I decided to have the Spaghetti All’ Amatriciana, wonderfully spicy but the guinacle was a little tough. The star of the show was the Tuesday dish of crispy duck picture a Beijing (Peking) duck with more flavor. All in all a good meal, but maybe only few times a year or if I am in the area by no means a destination restaurant in my opinion.

I recently had the tasting menu, and was blown away by the food and quality of service. The meal started with four Amuses a Kuomoto oyster with cucumber, the cucumber worked surprisingly well considering I normally do not care for cuces. The next Amuse was a sweetbread beggar’s purse, a nice crunchy exterior with unctuous sweetbreads in the middle; I could have eaten a dozen of these easily. Next was a circle of perfect Big Eye Tuna belly. I was then given seafood Ragu of oyster, lobster, and mussels with small cous cous like pearls on the bottom. A very good dish but the mussels tasted slightly off. The next course was my least favorite, probably because it had no protein in it. Compressed watermelon and heirloom tomato with basil oil, the flavors and textures where very pronounced, just not my cup of tea. Up next was one of my two favorite courses. An in shell steam poached egg sans yolk, uni, osetra caviar, and an uni and lobster foam served with a crispy wafer. This dish tasted of the pure ocean, surprisingly the uni did not overpower the other flavors of the dish, and the egg white worked well as a binding agent for the flavors. This truly is the breakfast of champions. Next was a wonderfully simple dish of Loup de Mer, basil puree, in a saffron broth. This dish allowed the fish to really shine with the other components as backup. Next up was langoustine, cauliflower puree, lobster stock and roe sauce, with a scallop. The texture of the lang, was perfect on par with Wyllie’s, the scallop was a little rubbery. This dish is served with the Lang’s head witch I was going to save until the end of the dish but regrettably the head was empty and only a visual component. The next dish was the best veal I have ever had, and one of the better dishes I have had of late. The chop is presented to you and then brought back to the kitchen for carving and plating. The dish is served with large sheets of pasta, fava, chanterelles, and an uber mushroom jus that tasted of pure delicate mushroom almost a concentrated morel taste. This is one of those dishes that works perfectly, everything worked to create new flavors and textures. Next was a layered dish. Wafer, cremini paste, wafer, goat cheese, wafer, and zucchini slices on top. This would have been a much better dish if the zucchini was not there, I found that it overpowered and muted the other more delicate flavors. Next was a mascarpone ice cream served with something else (sorry wine stain in my notes) The final dessert course was a chocolate soufflé served in a clear cylinder, with chocolate sauce on the side, and the purest tasting banana ice cream I have ever had. The petite fours included among other things a superb salted caramel chocolate cup. This was all complemented by the house champagne cocktail, cherry blossom sling, and a glass of crozes hermitage. All in all one of the best meals this year I cant wait to return to explore the ala carte menu. The service is top notch I recommend sitting at the bar ask for Leo he is a great bartender.

My first raw oyster plucked straight out of the water in Cape Cod Gray Kunz's short ribs at Lespinasse

A perfectly made French omellete is a surefire way of judging a chefs abilities.

You could always check out the Middle East & Africa forum.

Amarone on Cedar Lane across from Holy Name Hospital has some pretty good food. A good ostrcih dish I think.

I can walk to this place in about five minutes, and haven't in three or so years. 'Nuff said.

You could alway have a meal somewhere and then move on to Room 4 Dessert, they offer a kickass cheese course.

I think it would be awesome to wallpaper ones kitchen with these.

Good place, the Hallal market next door has some pretty good goat also. Across from them the other store has some pretty cool sodas also. Damn now I am going to have to walk up the street.

Hey Will, for starters I was curious outside of the standard frozen outside softinside have you been doing anything fun with your anti-griddle? I have been fooling around with mine but any direction would be appreciated.

Though not great on the same channel there are also the shows "Beer Nutz"- two guys go around drinking beer. "Three Sheets" - one guy travels the world drinking. The Belgium episode included trips to the Delirium Tremens pub (the guy the keeps stealing his beers is pretty hilarious), and some of the monastarys(SP).

hehe looks like my third post to eG was Bistro En/Zen Lounge sorry for never following up

They are a few blocks from me I normally eat at the ajoining Zen lounge, Gen the bartender there is exellent he hails from Japan and recently won 2nd place in the Marie Brizzard cocktail challenge at the NY Bar show. They where recently written up favorably in the Record I beleive.

EXACTLY

of course but we might have to duke it out to see who flys over there to marry her.

I recently passed a box on the curb with a sign saying "Please take me" i took it of course and it contained a dozen wonderful Champ. Coups, a food mill with 4 different plates, 3 1950's water pitchers and various crystal serviing bowls one with a great bass base. Weird what people throw away.

But who will pay for it? SB ← In "Super Size Me" there is a school lunch program mentioned that manages to prepare freshly made food at the same cost as regular school lunch programs. Obviously this may not work on a massive scale as easily but I am sure some small improvements could be made. I think the biggest hurdle is made of red tape.

Check out this weeks "New Yorker" for a great article on Will and R4D.

I have eaten at some of the worst 3 dollar buffets you can imagine, but they seem gourmet compared to the food being served at hospitals. I have had institutional food in the past and hospitals take the cake for the worse. Unidentifiable proteins, vegetables processed to point of having no nutritional value or identitiy, processed sugars, etc… not to mention that it is barely edible. Obviously there are cost factors involved but would it not make sense that the body and mind would heal faster if people where being served nutritious edible food?

8am-1pm Monday-Friday

Blue Moon Belgium White with a splash of cassis. Yeasty, frothy, cassisy goodness.

and Kronos says they are "available through foodservice distributors across the United States and Canada."