ulterior epicure

Have you been to the rest, doc? I've only been to four out of the ten. I can't say I was immensely impressed by more than just one of them, though I can see how three of them might be considered "restaurants that matter."

This latest issue of Saveur, which I received in the mail today, the magazine lists "12 Restaurants That Matter." Here are the twelve, in the order the magazine listed: 1. Joel Robuchon (Las Vegas) 2. Sportello (Boston) 3. Commander's Palace (New Orleans) 4. Topolobompo (Chicago) 5. Canlis (Seattle) 6. Gramercy Tavern (New York) 7. Manresa (Los Gatos) 8. Watershed (Atlanta) 9. Marlow & Sons (New York) 10. Musso and Frank Grill (Los Angeles) 11. Blue Hill at Stone Barns (Pocantico Hills) 12. Slanted Door (San Francisco) Diverse - type of cuisine and geographically. Thoughts?

I suppose this wouldn't be the appropriate time or place to post a note about the morel patch I found in my yard last year...

Nudge. Any recent reports? Is this place still kickin'?

Ninety minutes? Total? Including ordering (wine, etc.), nine courses, and pre- and post-meal snacks?

If THIS is too long for you to read, in a nutshell: it was thought-provoking.

Right, right. I forgot about all of those make-up meals that the restaurant has obliged itself to doing. That takes care of the gap, and then some, I imagine. Happy eating, David.

Good news, for both you and The Fat Duck. So, I assume they had three-week gap (or more?) of reservations they needed to fill (I'm assuming they stopped taking reservations during the closure). Have they already been filled up?

I would argue that, nine times out of ten, that's how most people (and even posters here and elsewhere) come to be regulars at a restaurant.

Me neither. I mean, at the very least, the reader is put "on notice."

Even though that didn't prevent Nathan from posting about places where he was a regular and/or received comps.

It is possible that this has been posted elsewhere. But I figure this was an appropriate place for the following to land: To celebrate, the 100th anniversary of the Michelin Guide Rouge, starred chefs have been invited to sponsor artists to submit designs for the cover of the 100th anniversary edition. You can see all 100 cover designs, and vote for your three favorite HERE. Why am I not shocked to find Monsieur Bocuse's image on his sponsored cover? Being the boring traditionalist - clearly not having the flare, flamboyance,and imagination that the Europeans do - I voted for covers 19, 21, and 98.

No need. I'm proficient in French. Thanks for the offer.

Thanks, Magictofu. I am digging through my pile of French cookbooks right now, hoping to stumble across a vin jaune sauce recipe, or one similar to the one I had with the pintade. I think I preferred that version to the one at Bocuse.

Yes, it was very much like a vin jaune sauce, but a touch sweeter, if my taste buds are reliable.

I recently returned from a trip to Europe where I had fowl "en vessie" a couple of times. For those who are not familiar with this preparation, it involves poaching a whole bird inside of a bladder, rendering the meat succulent and juicy. At Guy Savoy, it was pintade (or guinea fowl). CLICK HERE. At Paul Bocuse, it was volaille de Bresse with black truffles. CLICK HERE. Both times, the meat was served with a cream sauce, rice, and buttered vegetables. It is not a complicated dish. In fact, it is quite simple and comforting - not far off from other cultural variations like Americanized chicken and rice. Aside from the spectacle of the table-side presentation and the pomp and circumstance of carving and plating, the best thing about this dish, for me - both times - was the cream sauce. At Guy Savoy, the cream sauce was full, earthy, and notably sweet. At Paul Bocuse, the flavor was not as rich and full as at Guy Savoy, but it was just as sweet and came with a generous helping of morels, which had been simmered in the cream sauce and presented with the sauce, table side. I'm assuming that the sweetness in the sauce - not overly sweet, but definitely a key component - resulted from whatever alcohol was used as a base for the wine. I have no Savoy or Bocuse cookbooks. Can anyone direct me to a recipe for either version? Or, if there is a common recipe for this type of sauce, I'd appreciate a link or reference. I have a significant library of cookbooks that leans - heavily - American. Thanks, in advance!

Am I missing something?

Everybody mentions/refers to the "Keller classics." But which of his dishes have earned that title? If I'm not mistaken, almost all (if not all) of them are in (and their fame primarily immortalized by) The French Laundry Cookbook. Here are the ones that I think makes that list: Peas and Carrots Salmon Cornets Torchon of Foie Gras White Truffle Oil-Infused Custard Tongue and Cheek Oysters and Pearls Coffee and Donuts Of course, there seem to be a lot of recurring celebrity ingredients (like Four Story Hills Farm's Poularde and Snake River Farm's beef). But I don't consider any of the dishes made from them "classics," as they are always changing in form and content. I also wouldn't count the "Salt Tasting" as a Keller classic. I'm sure I'm leaving dishes out. I'll let others fill them in.

Also, I recall seeing a photo of Philippe Vongerichten carving the pineapple in one of Jean Georges's cookbooks. A quick thumb through my collection yielded a black and white photo of (a much younger) Philippe working his magic on page 163 of "Jean-Georges: Cooking At Home with a Four-Star Chef."

But to say that they have closed, without more, is misleading.

Thanks, Pan, for that report. Orange in color or in flavor? Or both? Or was it a tomato-based sauce, or chili-based?

Les Élysées closed? I hadn't heard.

Though, I suspect, like any top kitchen, some staff are stagiers, working for very, very little, if not for free.

Its estimated to be costing him, something like £14,000 a day in lost takings. Remember that all of his overheads(except food) carry on as normal. What a body blow,it must seem like a nightmare to him. ← Does he own or rent the building in which the restaurant resides?

From today's Zagat Buzz: Cool staircase. The restaurant's website is embedded in the main website for Armani's retail store on 5th Avenue. Turn off your sound if you you're not prepared to go clubbing yet.