ulterior epicure

I don't understand this statement. Individual tasting menus as opposed to what?

Thanks, it turns out the issue was moot. I filled them right before I left home. I was afraid we'd have to refrigerate them because I didn't figure people would want profiteroles at 9am. They were gone by 9.15.

I recall Dan Barber saying in the beginning that fish was going to be the hardest thing for them to source locally, and impossible for them to raise on their own. I don't think they've ever claimed to be working towards being 100% local. ← Being from a land-locked state where I see plenty of fresh-water fish on the menu (striped bass, pike, walleye, etc...) makes me a firm believer that you can be more resourceful, if that is what one wants to do. I mean, I don't expect a place like Stone Barns to be serving catfish. But the local brook trout I had at the restaurant last year was perfectly wonderful. I think I'd be a little deflated if I went to Stone Barns and was served Wahoo (on the Farmer's Feast). It runs counter-current to the appeal of the restaurant, for me. But, you are right, I don't think Barber ever intended Stone Barns to be 100% local. And this proves it.

Making allowances for strays who may wander up into cooler waters, if I'm not mistaken, Waloo exist primarily in tropical waters (whether Atlantic, Pacific or Indian, etc...). Again, I'm not going to nit-pick. Clearly, the capers on my plate when I dined at BH@SB last year were not from our continent. Neither was the coffee/wine I was drinking. But when it comes to the main produce and meats, I'm fairly surprised that they would source beyond the tri-state (or thereabouts) area. I mean, I 'd be fairly surprised to see conch served at BH@SB, wouldn't you? So why not with Wahoo (or Ono, or Barracuda, or any one of it's other market names)?

I do too (love their MASSIVENESS). But did you find service for the inner-booth people a tad stressful? Lots of ARMS. Still, I don't mind. I'd rather have the space and let THEM do the reaching.

Not that I'm going to call them out on this minor technicality, but how does wahoo comport with the restaurant's hyper-local philosophy?

What with Gustav, Hannah, Ike, and whatnot brewing, I doubt that many of you care, but I that Jonathan Eismann's I Pacific Time is re-opening.

Wow, the cash cow gets milked even more.

This is an interesting observation. Like Aaron, I'll defer to you on familiarity with David Kinch's outlook/perspective. I simply don't know him. However, your above example, in and of itself, is non-conclusive In this month's (August, 2008) issue of Gourmet Magazine, which focuses on Paris, when asked his favorite places to eat in Paris, Joel Robuchon said he likes Le Pre Catelan: I don't think this statement suggests that Robuchon isn't Anton's mentor. (In case you're wondering, Robuchon's other favorite place to eat in Paris is "his apartment, from which he can see the Eiffel Tower, the Place des Invalides, and the Seine."

They used to. Now you can also opt for the lunch tasting, which, I believe is $175.

I suppose it is, as you choose from a selection as you would in a traditional ALC. However, the tasting menu is designed for you to choose a number of dishes for a mix and match meal. Each one is quite small, almost tapas style, so I think they recommend 5 or 6 dishes each. You will see this reflected in the prices the starters and mains are approx. £9 and £11 respectively on the tasting menu as opposed to £15 and £30 for starter and main on the traditional 3 course ALC. ← Thanks, PHilD. It's akin to the "Small Tasting Portions" menu at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon.

Oh, but this all sounds terribly promising.

Yes, but I'll believe it when I see it - in December.

Can someone please help me understand how Maze's "Tasting Menu" is not an a la carte menu?

So, even though I bumped the thread, it looks like I'll be the one to bump back first. Here's an excerpt from my blogpost. You can find the entire article and photos at the ulterior epicure.

They won't be eaten until around noon. I'll pipe in the morning and drive quickly (but carefully).

*GRUMBLE* - I was SO hoping you'd tell me that I could pipe them now so I don't have to tomorrow morning. So, tonight, I will store in an airtight container. Thanks Chris.

Cream puffs. I have about two dozen cooling on the rack right now. I need to transport them tomorrow morning. I don't have time to make a pastry cream filling, so I plan on piping them with whipped cream. Should I do them tomorrow morning? Or, can I pipe them tonight and refrigerate them over night? Will that make them go soggy? Any suggestions?

Petrus is until the 15th of this month operated by Gordon ramsay holdings withMarcus wareing as chef patron. A few months back, marcus did an exclusive deal to take over completely from GRH and work directly with the berkley hotel (so essentially carrying on doing exactly what he was doing before just without GRH's involvement) google waitrose food illustrated or some of the newspaper headlines from early august to see the story break and get acrimonious... In my opinion Petrus is a brilliant restaurant and would highy reccommend it, especially over tom aikens which is a great dining experience but really not comparable. ← I see. So, by the time I arrive in December, it will be completely a Marcus Wareing enterprise? I will have to monitor the menu over the next few months. Not having been to either, can you please digest (pun intended) the differences between Wareing's style (or the food at Petrus anyway) and Aiken's?

Educate me: So Petrus is actually Gordon Ramsay's restaurant, but Marcus Wareing is cooking there? And what am I to make of this? What's going on? I'm very confused. Lastly, is Petrus any good, currently? I'm trying to decide between Petrus and Tom Aikens.

Alrighty, I stepped on the scale this morning and I've finally lost the extra pounds that Philly packed on me! It has been a long, hard run. Here is a *LONG* excerpt from my blog post at the the ulterior epicure:

I found this mildly absurd. * Bolded for emphasis.

May I ask how much the Decouverte des Specialites is? Is it offered (and at the same price) at dinner?

Has anyone been for dinner, recently?

Very interesting about Guy Savoy. One would think that an artist would protect his hands from injury. But he is only coaching. And yes, his dessert carts do overflow... ← Not just his hands, for goodness sake! How about his teeth and that precious noggin' of his, not to mention the rest of his body!! That is one rough sport! Julien: Thanks - I must have missed that on his website. I was looking in the tasting menus (which doesn't let you roll-over each item); I forgot that the "All Black" is listed in the a la carte section as well (where, obviously, you can roll-over each menu item).