ulterior epicure

My sentiments exactly... but isn't it (butter) always the best way to flavor ANYTHING? U.E.

WOW - i should make reservations before it gets packed - and prices skyrocket!! U.E P.S. So, Michelin doesn't publish all their guides (per country) at teh same time? EDIT: Have any members visited Schloss Berg Nennig (Christian Baus) lately? If so, I would love to hear about experiences, food, prices, etc...

malacintana. thanks for the info - when did this happen? u.e.

I'm pretty sure my friend meant "insect." But, whatever "bug" you had sounds WONDERFUL!

I'm standing at my stove popping some popcorn (something which I consume in un-Godly quantities on a regular basis)... and I had a most delicious thought... you probably know where this one's going based on the subject of this forum... YEP, has anyone ever shaved/infused/sprinkled truffles over their popcorn? I know, it sounds like somthing only an insanely extravagent person, say A. Ducasse, would do/serve... but why not? I'm a popcorn freak - and I wonder what "truffled" popcorn would be like - well, I know - done successfully, it'd be HEAVENLY. I'm sure it's been done - anyone with an encounter? Happy crunching on this one! U.E.

malacintana - i would agree. you can read (and see) my less involved lunch a month ago on my blog.

I know this sounds crazy, but a friend of mine said that there is/was a restaurant in Amsterdam that serves traditional Australian aboriginal food - everything from toasted bugs to different cuts of meats and preparations from Australia. Is my friend making this up - or can some worthy eGulleter reference such a place?? Thanks! U.E.

pas de problem... merci!

Corinna. Thanks for the link... at least I tried RPG! It was a good experience. N.B. I go by "U.E." - short for Ulterior Epicure.

Thanks for the "aloha" update... A BIG yes to Alan Wong's... Chef Mavro's also pleased... U.E.

ahhh... yes, 40 sardines - probably one of my favorite eats in k.c. how are things there now? i haven't been in k.c. since the summer. would love an update from recent experiences. u.e.

Does it have to be fowl? (No pun intended).... I rather like the idea of a hearty game roast - say venison or boar? Perhaps unorthodox, but definitely a pleaser... or even more unorthodox - seafood... If it does have to be fowl - my vote is for goose. It's the most versatile and, IMO, the hardest to get wrong... (least likely to fail to please)

pirate. while i'm certainly glad you had a wonderful experience with the 'generous pours' at le cinq a couple of years back, i'm not exactly sure what you're trying to say about your experience there... ...and so I did... and I paid for my "mistake." unfortunately, beyond the fiscal punishment, a potentially great meal was missed. Thanks... I'm not sure how to take that... U.E.

1. Yeah, the scallops did look great - but you must believe me when I say they were completely over-done. 2. Re: pigeon and European preparations of fowl. Funny you should mention this - see my latest restaurant review of a great European-style pigeon... you'll laugh when you see the title. I was taken aback as well. I know my server knew that I was displeased. He was rather sheepish and evasive for the rest of the meal (after the scallops incident). It was rather strange - he seemed sorry, but unwilling to apologize or redress the situation. U.E.

hungry for knowledge. thanks for the awesome report! i'm thrilled to hear that service hasn't declined in the face of salaried staff. let's hope that any other american establishment that ventures down the same staff can maintain such a high level of service. as for the obligatory 20% - i'll have to agree with docsconz... i generally tip generously - partly for the reasons hfk articulated, and moreso because i've been there on the server side of things. it's not an easy job! for example, i was recently at tru in chicago. my friends and i sat at the chef's kitchen table. i paid for the party and told the hostess to discreetly give me the bill - with service charge added so that as to expedite payment as seamlessly as possible at the end of service. if i'm not mistaken, the tip came out a little over 20%. as we had great service, i was more than happy to pay that amount... in this instance, i too received great "salaried" service - the only difference being that the staff members who were serving us didn't know that i had already authorized their tip at that level. admittedly, i doubt it would have made that much of a difference had i reserved tipping to the end of service. however, like docsconz, i feel i should reserve the right to "adjust accordingly." tru was in special case where i felt confident that our experience would not be affected by the tip. i don't know if i could say that at all the restaurants i (have) visit(ed). u.e. p.s. hfk - service aside, how was the food?

Right - you get benefits... these are the incentives that keep us tied to performing our jobs well. I don't doubt that you enjoy your job, indeed you're very lucky in this respect, but besides the pure enjoyment, can you honestly say that your salary, benefits, and hope for promotion (ie. higher salary, better benefits) don't give you some incentive to work harder? But, as the system works now, the bad employees "weed themselve out" because they can't afford to be bad employees... In this respect, I would agree that putting wait staff on salary might theoretically produce better service - especially in the volatile restaurant industry. I think, however, the danger is in the extremely high-end establishements that bank on their "glossy" reputation for dumb diners who'll pay anything for a not-so-cheap classy "thrill."

Certainly, I agree the chefs are underpaid. But, unlike servers, they are usually blind as to the diner. And for the record, I don't slip banknotes to anyone... as a customer, I dine on my own terms. Perhaps that means I end up at a table by the kitchen, or cold service, but then I also know to take my business elsewhere in the future. I don't believe an incentive is necessary, but it is a sad fact of life that some need the extra incentive. I agree that putting wait staff on a professional salary shouldn't result in snotty service. But, as I have experienced in Europe (and yes, I recognize that there is, borrowing John Talbott's terminology, the "Americun" factor), salaried wait staff have no incentive to do anything. As I have noted above, I agree with this.

Visit my blog for a review of de Bokkedoorns.

For all you who have remained faithful to my (initial) cause of dining at a Paris 3-star... as promised (and much too belated), here is my review, with pictures of my disappointing meal at Le Cinq. Ulterior Epicure

thanks fresh_a for the update. will 'proceed with caution.' have you been recently?

fresh_a. What news? Is it better to err on the side of caution and steer clear of Jamin in the coming few weeks? U.E.

YIKES! Terribly sorry! NO excuses! I promise, it won't happen again! Right. That's what I gathered. And notice, that format is offered on the other side of the Atlantic... still to be seen here in Europe? U.E.

I second IanT's recommendation. Everything at Gruel looked great - an really affordable. Especially of note to those who might have had a bit too much meat and are looking for vegetation, Gruel has amazing salads. I almost bit off my tongue eating a wonderful roasted pumpkin salad - fresh greens, rocket, rucola with hearty chunks of sea-salted pumpkin and toasted pumpkin seeds. It was gloreious(ly cheap).

IanT. I wish I had found this dialogue before I went to Ireland recently. If anyone's interested, they can find my review of my lunch at RPG on my blog.

This is a great dialogue - I'm going to Istanbul in a few weeks and I'd love to hear more from veterens/others who have been. Any particularly noteworthy dining experiences not to be missed? Thanks! Ulterior Epicure.