ulterior epicure

rich, your post basically sums up my reaction to my recent lunch at the Bar Room. While I can't say I was disappointed, I was by no means overwhelmed. The food was all impeccably prepared and plated. I had a few minor personal issues with under-seasoning, but I understand that may be a personal preference. My friend and I shared five plates and a dessert (and a half - I'll explain later). I've posted all the pictures up on my flickr account. Warm Veal and Goat Cheese Terrine: I found this course bland. The veal was fork tender, the goat cheese warmed and creamy, but there lacked a punch... it really was as if someone had turned on the mute button. It looked and sounded so promising. I wasn't at all disappointed with the quality or the preparation, I just wish I could have tasted it. Arctic Char Tartare I'll quote BryanZ, whose experience and reaction to the char pretty much sums up mine: Grilled Diver Scallops: This was my favorite dish of the meal. Those scallops were perfect. But, even more compelling was the spice - cumin, sumac and a dish full of wonderfully silken diced beets and toasted almonds. It was an oustanding combination of flavors and textures. Tarte Flambee: I felt pressued into getting the Tarte Flambee since everyone has raved about it. It truly is a good tarte flambe - textbook. Thin, greasy, and slightly cheesy and sweet from the onions - which were impossibly melt-away soft. I must comment that I didn't get much of the pork product as it was mostly the strands of fat and little meat, so all I got was grease and little of the actual meat flavor, which I was looking for. I have to admit that were I in the mood for something like this, I probably would have enjoyed it much more. But, as it was, my friend and I took one slice each and left the rest. Crispy Yellowfin Tuna: This is the only dish we ordered from the "Three" section of the menu. This one could have really rivalled the scallop for my favorite dish. The cube of fresh tuna had been crusted with panko and spices. I really enjoyed those spices - I'm pretty sure cracked coriander seeds was one of them - the server described the affect as "floral." The crust was nice and secured to the fish and wasn't overly greasy. The cube was sliced diagonally in half and served on a bed of sprouts and "crispy" cauliflower and charred onion consomme, poured (at breakneck speed by a server who literally ran to our table and ran away afterward - it was all very sudden). Great balance of flavors. For dessert, my friend and I debated between a unique-sounding Licorice Vacherin and a tried-true favorite concept, the Pistachio and Dark Chocolate Dome. Our server was really pounding the Beignets, which I've heard are great, but I really didn't care for - the table next to us got it. They were so fascinated by my picture taking that the ended up offering their beignets for a quick snap. LOL!). Pistachio and Dark Chocolate Dome: Reminds me a lot like (in fact nearly identical to) a dessert I had at NoMi in Chicago a few years ago. My friend and I took one tiny bite of the dome and abandoned it for the pistachio ice cream and the awesome bitter ameretti gelee (what tiny amounts were on the plate). I also ordered a sampling of their Prune & Armagnac ice cream. I always ask what the ice cream/sorbet/gelato options are regardless of whether I intend to order any (1/2 the time, the flavors are so compelling that I do - and this was case in point). I had to order the prune & armagnac just to compare with Jean Georges's. I preferred The Modern's version. The Jean Georges version has more of the prune (large and more distinguishable pieces), but The Modern really spiked theirs with the Armagnac and so you get a heady dose of the liquor, which I found absolutely bewitching. Again, nothing necessarily dissappointed, but nothing overwhelmin either. The biggest disappointment of the meal was the service. We were one of the first seated and halfway through the meal, we literally had to chase after our server who became non-existent. Our bus became our go-between - he actually did much more work and gave us much better service than our server, who never replaced silverware and never cleared plates before the next course arrived. We also ended up waiting a very long time to track our check down at the end of service.

markk: Yes, thanks, I'm glad my dinner went well too! I backtracked and re-read your post. Thankfully, the telephones weren't working the night I was in, so the had to do everything in person. Bryan: Maybe it was just where we were seated upstairs (near the station) that there seemed to be so much activity and noise (near the staircase). Yes, it was a very busy restaurant (and night) - our dinner outlasted two generations of every table around us. They do turn those tables rather quickly - but not hurriedly. I guess we were there for a rather long time. Incidentally, my old college roommate joined me for lunch and dinner a few days later and he said that he and his party of 10 walked into Babbo at 10pmish on a weekday night without a reservation and were sat almost immediately at two large tables upstairs. I don't know what weekday reservations are like (I don't even know what getting a weekend reservations is like), but from what everyone has said about Babbo's reservation "gauntlet," that seems awfully impressive - lucky?

My meal at Babbo posted here.

Lenski, thanks for the update. I too just visited Babbo, and it rocked my world. I got VIP reservations, so take what I say with a grain of salt. That being said, we didn't have anything that wasn't on the menu. Other than perhaps a little more attention from the staff and house manager, I'm not sure we were treated any differently. My friend and I shared the following (I've linked each one to my flickr which has more in depth commentary on each course, if you're interested): Warm Tripe "alla Parmigiana" Warm Lamb's Tongue Vinaigrette Baby Red Oak Leaf Lettuce Grilled Octopus We each got a tasting portion of: Lamb's Brain "Francobolli" Beef Cheek Ravioli We each got a full portion of: Fennel-dusted Sweetbreads. For dessert, we shared three gelati (espresso, buttermilk, and cinnamon) and three sorbetti (blood orange, green apple and Concord grape) and the "Maple Cream," "Maple Cream," basically a maple pot de creme topped with some crunchy bits of nuts and served with three warm perfectly round fried dough balls that were "pumpkin-spiced." I don't want to call them beignets, as they had a specific Italian name (which also began with a "b") - can anyone help me with this one? We got wine pairings for each of the three main "sections" of our meal - the Antipasti, Primi and Secondi. Our sommelier, Luca, was very informative and very patient - explaining each wine at length. I found most of his pairings to be very informed and enjoyable - especially a carbonated white called Malvasia. Personal highlights were the tripe, the lamb's tongue, the francobolli, and the sweetbreads (I was doing backflips in my chair). Desserts kind of lost me... but I guess that's what I get for ordering maple cream with beignets in an Italian restaurant (can anyone tell me if this indeed a traditional Italian dessert?). A few personal notes: 1. The bar area is truly as loud and as crowded as everyone says. My gosh, there must have been nearly a hundred VERY LOUD people crammed into that little space. Why (or how) anyone could eat there is beyond me. (Granted, I was eating on weekend night). 2. The music is truly as loud as everyone (particularly Mr. Bruni) says it is. Nirvana was playing as we left. 3. The prices here are ridiculous - what a steal!?! It makes most other NYC fine dining restaurants look like highway robbers! 4. The upstairs seemed even louder than the downstairs! The upstairs can be rather dark. 7. Nothing was over/under-cooked. Everything was fresh. Nothing was over/under-seasoned. Pasta was *perfect.* 8. Pacing was great. The bathroom is tiny. 9. Sneakeater, I didn't quite have your mishap, but I sure as hell can see how it might happen. 10. I have no idea, and do not want to know, how many calories and how much fat I inhaled in that one sitting. But, it was worth every bit. You can see my entire photo set of Babbo here.

Nathan, I don't doubt what you say one bit. As others on this thread have noted, the pricing at L'Atelier is anomolous. u.e.

My experience at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon is posted here.

This past week, I met up with an acquaintence for lunch at "The Counter" at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon. All the basics have been pretty well covered upthread, so I'll just stick with my comments about the food. Click here to see the entire photoset (which includes non-food photos of the restaurant). I've also linked each course to my flickr. I've basically copied and pasted my comments from my flickr over here. I had plans later that evening for a heavy meal, so I tried to eat light. Even with small(ish) portions, that didn't happen. My friend and I ordered three dishes each and shared. We also ordered one dessert and another was brought out compliments of the kitchen. Amuse: Foie Gras Mousse This amuse was a verrine served in a little shot glas. There was foie gras mousse on the bottom layered with a paper thin layer of Port wine reduction and topped with Parmesan foam. Sweet and savory brioche - that's what this amuse tasted like. It was the effect from the warmed layer of Port (between the foie mousse and heady Parmesan foam on top) that imparted a yeasty flavor. I've noticed this with red wine in certain food items, like red-wine and caramel/chocolate infusions). Both my friend and I really enjoyed this amuse. L'Anguille This was terrine-like slice of carmelized eel layered with smoked foie gras (two layers of each - the top being eel). Garnishes included whipped cream dusted with pimiento espelette, sancho chile powsder and chopped chives. ($29) This course was one of the most interesting reads on the menu. I have encountered foie and eel many times before in Europe, but this was a first in the US (albeit, introduced by a French chef). This "terrine" was sweet - it tasted as if the eel had been pre-glazed before layering with the foie. The top layer of eel is bruleed very slightly - not thick enough for the layer to "shatter." This is different from the eel and foie courses I've had before in Europe, most of which involved smoked eel. Here, Robuchon definitely brings a familiar element from the East and adds it to his repertoire. Essentially, it tasted like cold Japanese glazed eel. My friend said it could almost be dessert. The textures of the eel and foie melded very well - both buttery and silky. You could still distinguish between the two, but it was all very creamy-soft. I didn't really get to play much with all of the garnishes. What little I did get to try didn't seem to make that much of a difference. La Langoustine Crispy langoustine papillote with basil pesto. ($17) We didn't share this course. I wanted to order it because everyone on this thread has raved about it. This is the single most expensive langoustine I've ever eaten (and hopefully will ever eat). Was it worth it? Yes, but just this once. If you can manage to put the price to sleep in your conscience, it really is as good as everyone says it is. The papillote wrapper (rice flour paper?) was crisp and shimmering with grease (There's a piece of parchment underneath to help soak up the grease. They also provide a finger dipping bowl with warm water and a slice of lemon.). A single basil leaf appears through the transluscently thin skin. Inside, the langoustine is soft and succulent - and piping hot and well-seasoned. In fact, the texture of the langoustine was unnaturally tender-soft that it tasted almost as if the meat had been pounded or tenderized before being wrapped. The basil pesto sauce really helped the flavor as well. I asked the server what kind of oil they used to fry the <i>papillote</i> in - as it had a very clean taste and must have had a very high smoking point (ie. been able to be heated to a very high temperature) in order to effect such a clean flash-fried product. The server's initial response was vegetable oil, but after I pressed him more, he checked with the chef and confirmed that it was grapeseed oil. L'Amadai I ordered this - a good friend had commended it and it sounded interesting. Plus, I love bream. This was pan sauteed amadai in a yuzu citrus broth with lily bulb and shiso flowers. ($27) If I'm not mistaken, amadai is the Japanese name for tile fish (or bream). Robuchon pan fries the the fish with the scales left on so that the scales cry to a snappy papery crisp. The very delicate cut of fish sits in a very light and clean-tasting broth with slivers of lily bulb. The top of the fish is finished with a tangle of shredded phyllo, chive and a sprig of fresh fragrant shiso buds - which added a most exquisite floral touch. Both my companion dog-eared this as a highlight of the meal. The crisp scales against the delicate fish and calming broth was such a great contrast of textures and flavors. Le Calamar Sauteed squid with violet artichokes and chorizo in tomato water. ($20) The squid was impressively tender, but not that *perfect* texture that I always hope for. The most compelling part of this dish was the flavors - smokiness from the chorizo (small cubes as well as julienned strips), loads of umami from dehydrated tomatoes and tomato water, and a fruity grassy flavor from the violet artichokes (which, being a very seasonal produce at this time of the year, I was pleased to encounter once more in New York in a later meal). While I loved the flavors, I had a problem with the cubes of chorizo and julienned strips - which verged on jerky dry - everything melts away and you're left still chewing the dried sausages. Le Thon Blue fin tuna tartar, bergamot red pepper confit with quail egg ($24) I can't help but comment on the plating and presentation. Everyone has their sense of aesthetics. To me, this dish looked like a nightmarish creation of Salvador Dali - grotesque, fantastical and somewhat garish - as if it were alive, in its own strange way. Okay, back to the food. The tuna was very clean tasting and fresh - everything glistened with just the right amount of oil and dressing. My one criticism of this dish - as with a number of others, is that it's terribly difficult to eat. Cutting through the egg, pepper and tuna was near-impossible. You either had to deconstruct everything or try and cut through and end up with a mess. We did the later. You can see the results here. I joked with my friend about the "fence" of chives and julienned chorizo (you have to see the picture). The chives were tough and tasteless and ended up as floss in my teeth (read: extremely stringy); the chorizo, as I mentioned in the Le Calamar commentary, was dry and jerky-like. After all the silky tuna and pepper had melted away, you left flossing and chewing on these two elements. This distracting factor negated whatever flavor the chive and chorizo might have imparted. Le Chevreuil Venison medallion, carmelized quince, port reduction. ($25) We couldn't decide between a few choices for our last course. We settled on the venison. This tiny cut, about 3 oz. was just a tad over-cooked in my opinion. We opted to have it prepared to the chef's recommended temperature, which, we were told, was medium rare. In my book, this meat was medium through and through. As a result, I didn't find the meat as tender as I had hoped. I know it's venison, but it was just a bit too grainy on the tooth for my bloody preferece. What I did like about the venison was that it imparted a naturally grassy-sweetness that comes only from the freshes and most naturally fed deer. I also immensely enjoyed the dusting of cruchy sea salt and fresh coarsely cracked peppercorns which added not only flavor but a nice textural contrast. The fried quince was buttery and plum chutney had a nice heft - both were welcomed garnishes. Same with the slightly sweet port reduction, which our server (IIRC) tried to tell us was balsamic vinegar - not a mistake I would think a server at a Robuchon restaurant should or would make. The sauce obviously was too red to be reduced balsamic. Pre-Dessert Like the amuse, this was served in a little shotglass. Almond cream layered with tomato confit with "strawberry soup" and topped with a milk foam. Strawberry predominated the smell, but together with the tomato confit, which lended a meatiness that stepped in for the texture of fruit, this little creamy verrine had the effect of cherry! The almond cream wasn't nearly as over-powering as I had feared. This pre-dessert did its job - delivering a very simple and very refreshing mezzo between the savory and the sweet courses. Le Sucre A golden sugar sphere filled with strawberry and saffron honey mousse, served with honey saffron mousse, pomegranate gelee, and vanilla ice cream. ($17) What a magnificent plating and presentation! Like Le Thon, this could be a Dali creation. (I also commented to my friend that it also reminded me of the mystical nature of A Midsummer Night's Dream. I'm sure he thinks I'm a nerd - and perhaps crazy now.) I'm not a sweet-tooth, and to that end, this dessert really failed to catch my attention. The best part of this dessert, besides its tremendously gorgeous presentation, was shattering the sugar globe and seeing all of the saffron honey mousse filling, along with blood-red strawberry compote ooze out. Gorgeous seduction in the process. I found myself enjoying three things about this dessert: the vanilla ice cream, the pomegranate gelee, which had a nice tartness, and the saffron honey mousse for its wonderful flavor. Pampelmousse This dessert, compliments of the chef, involved grapefruit segments, wine gelee, mint sorbet with a meringue. ($17) The Pampelmousse looked angelic and heavenly - with the wall of gossamer white sugar crisp and frothy foams and meringue. Everything glistened and gleamed with a bright-white cleanliness. Mint, grapefruit and wine - who would think that would make such a great combination? I'm glad Robuchon did. This was a nice light and refreshing dessert - not cloying and immensely soothing. I could enjoy this on a nice hot summer day. At the bottom were whole wedges of grapefruit luxuriating in a white wine gelee. This was topped by meringue and a quenelle of very fresh mint sorbet (very herby - almost like basil). I preferred this dessert over Le Sucre. Overall, I was underwhelmed by this meal. As others have noted upthread, the food is impeccably presented, very flavorful, perfectly executed and very creative. I agree. But, for the price, it's really hard for someone of my means to justify the exercise. This was a "simple" lunch. Budget-wise, we certainly didn't go for any of the heavy-hitters, like "Les Spaghetti" ($110) or "Le Caviar Oscietre" ($98). We stayed within the "Small Tastings" portion of the menu and easily dropped over $100 on lunch each. "L'Atelier" truly is an appropriate name for this restaurant (concept). I found the experience to be very sterile and clinical. There's a laboratory-like feeling which slightly edged my sense of comfort. The restaurant could be a scene from an 80's movie about "Space Age" dining. The Counter is literally a sushi bar - instead of the chilled fish in the case, you've got bell peppers (brilliantly coloured). Service, on a whole, was pleasant (even humours) and very attentive - until the end. My friend and I are almost certain that at the end of the meal when our desserts were cleared, the server gave us the standard song and dance about "may I bring you anything else?" to which we answered no. He then mumbled something about getting the check ready. 20 minutes later, my friend and are nearly waving our arms to flag him - anyone - down to get our check. Sitting at the Counter, you'd think it'd be easy to flag your server down. Nope. We finally grabbed another server hurrying by. L'Atelier is not a restaurant that I'd personally choose to return to again. I didn't have a bad experience, but as I noted, I didn't find the food compelling enough to justify the prices. Lastly, Chef Robuchon was not in.

heyjb, I'm not sure that magazines' revenue comes from subscription sales - rather more from advertising. I think this is more true with journal publications than with other print media (e.g. books). I went back to look at Fellrath's reviews, here's his track record: bluestem 4 stars Cafe Sebastienne 1 star The American Restaurant 2 stars Tatsu's 3 stars Starker's Reserve 3 stars Piropos no stars With three out of six restaurants getting 3 stars or better, I would hardly call this sensationalist journalism. I know this ain't NYC, but chefs in other cities clutch their 2 stars like they've won the Oscar. Here, it's almost expected. I noticed that the KC Star article said nothing about the restaurants that received high marks. I also noticed that the article only cited negative comments about the restaurants listed. Surely Fellrath had positive things to say about those restaurants in his review? u.e.

Thanks, markk! Is it just me, or do these set of platings seem to be more frenetic, less tidy and more "organic"-looking than in the past? That galette looks great!

First, thanks to everyone's for your comments and experiences on this thread. Feeling 20 lbs heavier, I've done my gorging and will be reporting in the coming days about my meals. Just to re-cap, L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon (lunch): Everything was very impeccably prepared and plated. But, the name says it all, the "workshop" environment is palpabale - a little too "sterile" or "clinical" for me. Service was attentive, quick and even light-hearted... until the end, when my lunch date and I waited about 20 minutes for our check - after our server said he would be presenting us our check. It was clear our server (whom we could clearly see from our bar seats) had become occupied with other guests. We had to flag down another server to request our server to get us our check. The Modern Bar Room (lunch): I have to say that this was a disappointer. The food wasn't bad, but it was by no means special, in any way. Like L'Atelier, everything was prepared very well and plated - but lacked a sense of "soul." The food seems like the type I could get, with little variability, and easily at any dozen of restaurants in NYC. Service really became non-existent half-way through the meal. Bouley (dinner): Decent, not transcendant, but certainly not devastating... service issues really put a damper on the experience, thought. Loved the atmosphere and the red dining room. Babbo (dinner): Reader beware, I was VIP'ed. That being said, it has moved into my top five meals in the US, ever. Eleven Madison Park (dinner): Between Babbo and Eleven Madison Park, I can't decide which to gush more about. Perfect. Perfect. Perfect. I anticipate even greater things of Humm in the coming month and year. I was left speechless. I think whatever wrinkles Fat Guy had noted in his visit a month earlier, have been ironed out, save the desserts, which were good, but certainly not as compelling as the rest of the menu. I will be posting about each of these restaurant experiences (yes, with pictures) in their respective threads in the coming week. Please be patient, I have a lot of catching up to do.

Babbo has one Michelin star, not zero. Del Posto's two-star status was a definite surprise to me. I continue to see reports of inconsistency there, so I just can't explain it. Chef Humm arrived too late in the year to be fully rated, so its current status is based on the previous chef.Obviously any rating system can't be perfect. I find it a little hard to explain that La Goulue, Etats-Unis, and The Spotted Pig have one star, but Chanterelle has zero. ← humm arrived the second week of january. michelin made an error, obv, humm got a michelin star when he was 24 back in europe. ← And, you are correct: "The young chef earned a Michelin star in his first executive chef position at Gusthaus zum Guph, a small country inn near St. Gallen in the Swiss Alps." From San Francisco Chronicle.

You just made my day... It's the only reason I *hate* going out for nice lunches... especially in the city.

Would I paralyze either Joel Robuchon or Gabriel Kreuther if I showed up at their "Counter/Bar" in a pair of (nice) jeans? I really don't want to be starched all day and hoofing it around town...

Hey, hey, hey, HUSH, willya? With all this gushing, you're liable to attract all those hordes you fear. Sheesh, ruin a good thing for the rest of us, why don't you?! Glad to hear that you've enjoyed brunch. Chef Crum does an excellent job there - all the time, but particularly on Sundays. Edited for misspelling.

It's been a long time since anyone has posted on this thread. Has anyone experienced Bouley's tasting menus recently? I'll be headed there pretty soon - any thoughts on the regular tasting v. chef's "Seasonal" tasting? u.e.

I heartily echo moosnsqrl's comments. Congrats to both of our KC chef nominees. It would be great for one of you to bring James Beard back to Kansas City this year - and the other one to follow up next year!

Happy Birthday, yellow truffle?

Thanks Dave Hatfield. The wedding is set for very early August (first week of August) of 2008. Thanks. u.e.

No, not me. Two good friends from grad school are getting married - in Paris - next year. I've been hired as the "wedding coordinator" of sorts - *cringe.* They've enlisted me as their dining guide. While I've enjoyed meals in Paris on many trips, I hardly can call myself an expert - so here I am, and here is what I'm looking for: Excellent meal (doesn't have to be Michelin-level) for $100-$150 USD p/p - party of 20. Party will be staying at the Four Seasons (and I refuse to send them, or myself back to Le Cinq... unless someone can give me a compelling reason). Afternoon tea or some other sort of related snack activity, within $50 US p/p - Laduree? Pierre Herme? Somewhere? Really at a loss on this one. Thanks in advance! u.e.

Oh, this is all coming to a head... I'm T-minus on NYC and will soon be scooting up to Robuchon's bar. Can't wait to hear your report, Sneakeater! u.e.

I'm *very miffed* that I was away on travel and couldn't make it to this event. Very envious, indeed, melkor, but would love to hear more details.... was the menu posted online anywhere? u.e.

I make a ton of ice cream, and therefore have a lot of egg whites in the freezer. 1. Is it bad to make macarons out of previously frozen whites? 2. If not, then does someone have a recipe that gives the measurements of the whites by weight, as I have no clue how many egg whites I have in each bag... Appreciate it! u.e.

Clearly, I missed those "days of yore" at Jun's... you pretty much described every one of my half-dozen visits there over the past three years... sorry it was such a bummer on your SO's birthday. Next time you find an occasion to be out in Independence, try Kobe Steakhouse (goes without saying - run, don't walk, past the CROWDED steakhouse portion and head toward the EMPTY and wonderful sushi bar. Also, I need to visit Kaiyo, so I'll report when I do. u.e.

For some reason, I've never been smitten by the Jun's bug... everyone seems to fawn, I yawn. You remember correctly. Kobe Steakhouse is situated clear on the other side of town from you - you couldn't go farther... but it's closer than either coast. Bingo. Side-note: ordering sashimi is acceptable. Ordering one of their "hot rolls" is criminal - unless you like warm cream cheese and gobs of various chile-infused aiolis slathered across your sushi... S.O. and I are of the same... unfortunately, have found very rare instances of acceptable uni, Kobe being the only recent memorably decent experience.My next venture will be to Kaiyo down at 119th and Roe. From all reports, it's truly a quality sushi restaurant. I think chicagowench has been. Wench? Edited: to enable quotes.

With one exception, I've always found Vosges flavors to be subtle to a fault. As a person who likes the unconventional flavors, they sound wonderful, but I usually find the flavors almost undetectable. The one exception I had was a fresh truffle rolled in curry powder (not just dusted on top like the Naga) that was made that day and purchased at their boutique on Michigan Ave. That one was a powerhouse, but the rest have paled in comparison. ← From my experience, they are over-priced for what they are. I agree that some of her flavors are to subtle for me, and a few, most memorably the "Rooster," was downright offensive. I often gravitate toward unique and novel combinations, but Taleggio cheese and chocolate was not a match that I cared for. When Markoff got going a few years ago, her truffles were much better, IHO. Recently, I've altogether abandoned her truffles for her bars. The Oaxaca, Red Fire, Creole, and Barcelona (the only milk chocolate I'll ever consciously put in my mouth), are among my favorite.