ulterior epicure

doc & co. i'm thrilled to see that elliot is still churning out top-rated stuff. great pictures, great report - i wish i could have been there! u.e.

Ahh yes, ACME is the company I had heard... thanks Erik!

... does anyone know if Chez Panisse bakes their own bread in house? I've heard they outsource their bread. u.e.

RMeierdirks. 1. avec isn't exactly "romantic" or quiet... and can get quite crowded. the food is okay - but i'd much rather go to Blackbird. 2. Japonais, on my one visit was very disappointing. I think I posted about it on my blog a while ago. If you do go, I would encourage you to stay away from the sushi (overpriced and not good at all) and stick with the hot menu - very good filet and foie gras. u.e.

RMeierdirks. 1. All three of McClain's restaurants are opened Sunday evenings - Custom House, Spring and the Green Zebra. Custom House is south Loop, so not far from the theaters. 2. NoMi at the Park Hyatt 3. MK 4. Brasserie Jo 5. Atwood Cafe isn't far from the theaters. I've only been for lunch. It's not in the league of Avenues, Blackbird or schwa, but still decent. u.e.

98 RMB for the entire duck is actually pretty par for the course in Beijing. Da Dong is also 98 RMB per duck. You can probably find cheaper kao yas in Beijing, but probably at unkown neighbourhood joints. On the other hand, Quanjude is 168 RMB per duck, while Made in China is 198 RMB per duck. I've had good meals at Liqun (four diners) where the bill will be about 200 RMB for the entire meal (one kao ya with several other main dishes). By comparison, dinner at Li Jia Cai (Lee Family Restaurant) starts at 200 RMB per person, going up to 2,000 RMB per person. ← Hi everyone. I'm headed to China in a couple of months. What kind of food does Lee Family Restaurant serve? Pan mentioned that it was 3-Michelin star quality. Is it Chinese food? I will look for a thread about it on the forum - does anyone know if it has a website? u.e.

doc. looking forward to what elliot's up to with the foie!! u.e.

tammylc. thanks again for keeping me up to tabs with the z's roadhouse. funny, i was just debating with a farmer friend of mine about the edibility of carrot tops. i guess they're just as we had surmised by your description. u.e.

Ditto. u.e.

I've very tardy in this report and apologize. Here's an excerpt from my blog about a meal I had at Chez Panisse Restaurant last month: The full review can be read on my blog if you don't have the patience to wait for me to transcribe it over here. The blog also has a link to all of the photos from that meal. ... more later... u.e.

Agreed ronnie. I always fear that a la carte ordering for me will end up into being a personally limiting experience - and that's the last thing I would want to happen at great, what I call auteur chef-driven, establishment like Schwa. u.e.

... for a moment there, I thought Jamie Oliver might be opening in Minneapolis!! I preface this comment without knowing what style of restaurant/cooking you are in search of. I'm also going to assume that your hotel is downtown - if not the Marquette. I know that Mary Tyler Moore was filmed eating at Basil's in the opening sequence to her eponymous show... but IMO, I'm sure you'd find better eating at the Mission Kitchen just below on the ground floor (in the original Aquavit space). Unless it is out of sheer convenience, as it was for me when I was put up at the Marquette Hotel during a business trip meeting, I think you'd have a more enjoyable dinner in many other establishments around town. The food was okay, but the atmosphere is rather meh, the balcony overlooks a shopping mall courtyard. For a fun (but loud and often crowded) spot, try Solera, if it's still there - it's tapas. I loved the Cosmos, but that's running up their in price, as is Auriga. There's always McCormick and Scmick's or Oceanaire nearby which is usually a safe bet with large crowds - but there again, prices can get steep. Good luck. I admit, I need to get back to Minneapolis. Especially with Five, La Belle Vie, and Lucia left unvisited. Incidentally, if you have a night to break away from the group - do try to get to Levain. I had an excellent meal there two years ago, and I've heard it's only gotten better. It's out in the burbs, so you'd have to have a car or call a taxi... but I think it's worth a visit. Best of luck! u.e. [edited to enable link]

ronnie. did they augment their tasting menu? you seem to have enjoyed more courses than the 7 or 8 courses i remember them offering. oh man, i envy you - carlson's quail egg ravioli is one of the best dishes i've ever had!! thanks for the report. congrats to m. carlson and n. klingbail for all your recent accolades!! i hope to check back in soon... if i can manage to get a reservation! u.e.

While I haven't had the Room 39 version, I can personally attest that the flavor combination has worked wonderfully (for me). u.e.

Thanks Joe for the update. I'm down on the Plaza a lot these days, I should definitely roll in for lunch or dinner sometime. u.e.

akebono. Good show!! Man, you can really eat'em up and spit'em out!! u.e.

... interesting how some opinions can take a "180" so quickly... and mysteriously , and morph... u.e.

I dropped into today around lunch hour to take a look at their menu (didn't eat there). It's written up on a board - a selection including a coulple of chicken options (Normandie as JWest described it was one), Salmon Meuniere, a Nicoise salad, and some others (maybe a pasta?).... oh and a "Quiche of the Day." Sadly, there wasn't a single soul inside eating... I didn't get to see the dessert menu. Is there an option? Does anyone know? u.e.

... brave woman, you... u.e.

... yeah, if TFN gave me my own show and I'd have to wear a thong, I'd take it too... although I'm sure the show wouldn't last long. Ronnie, it's okay, you don't have to follow-up with a compliment to this post!

I think all the talk about her being sexy (right!) was what did her in for me... but she brought that on herself, wearing a bikini in her audition video... yuck! ← I know - and if I'm not mistaken - she was wearing high heels in that bikini shot! Can anyone confirm that for me? u.e. ← You mean you don't cook in your bikini and high heels? How else do I explain the cookie sheet burn I have on my tummy (running in the house from laying out). Since I don't have cable, I don't think I will be asking my parents to TiVo Guy's new show. I've become supremely content and spoiled by PBS's people who actually are chefs first, "stars" second (or never at all). Shannon ← ... you forgot about the bit about being on the beach!! Unless you're taking advantage of the hot sand... I'd really be impressed to see some sea-side cookies being baked! Ahem... u.e.

A little background for the ignorant, please? Is this another Tulsa treat for me to look forward to? u.e.

I know it's not the most picturesque, but given the cramped and often LOUD interior, I have had very lovely dining experiences sitting outside at blackbird - not to say that I haven't inside, it's just that the other factors are, well, aggravating sometimes.

Are you sure you don't want to plan a trip back just for us, u.e.? Surely you'll be missing your old stomping ground by then? ← ... to be sure, there are somethings about my old stompin' grounds that I'll be sure to miss (although truth be told, on the heels of graduation, I'm sorta still like "GET ME OUTTA HERE" about A2 )... Unfortunately, the Heartland gathering will have to go on without me this year. I'll be with you all in spirit - from China, where I'll be, well, EATING!! Maybe next year we can move the fun down to K.C.? u.e.

Haven't tried them. That's the only place in town I've ever noticed them on the menu. My all-time favorites are found at The Sidetrack in Ypsilanti, MI. Anyone traveling to the eG gathering up there should check them out. I still remember when and how they were introduced there. After quite a lot of skepticism, they were added to the regular menu. ← I've tried the fried pickles. Interesting. I can't really say that I care for them (I hate warm pickles - as in sandwiched in burgers). If you're one of those who thinks that anything deep-fried is good, then you might like them. As you can imagine, they're very salty... and served with a heaping side of mayonnaise (another thing I don't generally care for). Surprisgly, the fried pickles aren't soggy, as one would expect. Despite being crisp, the one time I had them, they were very greasy. Perhaps instant for some, for me, it would have to be an acquired taste that might never take. u.e.