ulterior epicure

Sorry, can you clarify your statement please? u.e. ← Oh sorry, haha i just meant that the plates that are used in the pics are similar to the ones that thomas keller uses. I was just wondering what specific brand are they. But I also heard that Thomas Keller actually has his own line too. I could be mistaken though ← Yes, they do look similar - to Keller's and a slew of others. And yes, we did take a peek at the underside of our plates at The French Laundry (and Per Se) - and they are Keller's "personalized line" of serviceware. u.e.

Thanks!! I've been to that place before (if I'm thinking of the same one - near the old Sunshine Bakery?) and have forgotten its name - over in K.C., KS?? u.e.

I doubt it, but has anyone seen fiddlehead ferns? u.e.

pounce. thanks for the reassurance. when i saw your post, i "pounced" on it - the new batch of olive oil gelato is now in the freezer. of course, i couldn't resist a "sneak taste" - it was YUMMY. fresh fruity olive oil is definitely key... hope to survive to tell how the rest of the batch is! thanks! u.e.

Sorry it’s taken me so long to get my review of Manresa up. As I had five very involved dinners on my latest trip to S.F./Napa Valley, I will only be posting a text review of each restaurant. The photos of my Manresa meal can be seen here on my flickr account. Amuses: 1. Red peppercorn "pate de fruits" and black olive madeleines 2. Citrus salad A martini glass held a small citrus salad of tangerines and grapefruit sections topped with a rhubarb gelee and toasted Marcona almonds. All of this was topped with a horchata foam. Taste: I absolutely loved the chalky-nuttiness of the horchata foam (a Mexican milky beverage made of almonds, barley, rice and tigernuts). The citrus salad beneath was also very bright and refreshing - but not overly tart despite the rhubarb gelatin. 3. Parmesan churros. Tastes just like it sounds - except the inside wasn't as doughy-soft as regular churros. This was rather crisp through-out. Regardless, terribly good, visually stunning and a wonderfully up-ending play on the traditional sweet treat. 4. Chestnut and foie gras croquettes. Taste: My friend LOVED this amuse. I must admit, Kinch's is a much more successful version than the ones I had at Hof van Cleve (*** Michelin star, Belgium) the winter before. Unlike Goossens croquettes, these were significantly firmer and less sweet. As well, I could taste both the chestnut and foie, unlike the ones at HvC, which tasted almost like taro pudding. 5. Turnip-brioche royale Turnip soup thickened with brioche and topped with cinnamon-infused olive oil. The royale contained silken cubes of foie gras mousse. Taste: If this wasn't already buttery-creamy rich enough of a soup - the royale contained a generous cube of foie gras moussethat was silkier and softer than even the most delicate custard or silken tofu I've ever had. As you can see, it fell apart when I tried to raise it for a picture. I loved this royale. Although it was very rich, I had no problem finishing it all. The sweet-earthy turnip was definitely a pronounced flavor that shined through the thick creaminess of the royale and foie gras cube. As well, the cinnamon-infused olive oil added an unexpected spicy touch. 6. Oyster in sea urchin jelly The title of this course is deceptive. The fat Millcove oyster sits with a small lobe of sea urchin and is covered in a sea water jelly and garnished with Meyer lemon zest. Taste: FRESH. It was excitingly briny without being "fishy" at all. The plump oyster and the uni and the cool, refreshing sea water jelly (which I feared would be too "fishy-tasting") were refreshing and cool. No need for any dressing other than the lemon zest and the occasional crunch of sea salt that slipped in when I tilted the shell back. This was fussiest un-fussy oyster on a half-shell I've ever had. Daringly complex in a stunningly simple presentation. 7. Arpege Egg Can you believe we’re still on the amuses?? Alain Passard's famous Arpege Egg contains a poached egg yolk topped with chives and a generous dollop of sherry vinegar-whipped cream. The cream topping is drizzled with a touch of maple syrup and garnished with fleur de sel. Taste: The sherry cream was wonderful against the warm gooey yolk at the heart of this amuse. However, the real treat was the how the maple syrup and fleur de sel played off each other in a delightful and tasty sub-plot. Main Courses: 1st Course: Mesquite-grilled foie au torchon My generous 4-5 oz. cut of foie au torchon had been grilled over Mesquite charcoals and dusted with crunchy sea salt. The foie was accompanied by a date "consomme" (slightly gelatinized) and a Meyer lemon mustard. Three matchsticks of crunchy vegetables also came with the dish - rutabaga, yellow carrot and celery. Taste: I have had foie gras au torchon ten ways to Timbuktu, but never grilled or smoked with an aromatic wood. This course was very creative and a different take on what could have been yet another boring presentation of foie gras. I especially loved playing with the date jelly and the Meyer lemon mustard. As well, I really appreciated the crunchy bits of sea salt that adorned the top. My only criticism with this course is that it was WAY TOO LARGE. I must admit that I love foie gras - but in moderation, as it very rich. This portion must have been at least a good four to five ounces. Generous, to be sure, but problematic as the first course (following a parade of impressive and substantial amuses)... and DAMN self-control - I finished the whole thing... but regretted it right after because it really took a cut off of my palate for the rest of the meal. I think this course would have been great had it been a quarter of the portion. Other than the portion-sizing, the flavors and concept was outstanding. 2nd Course: Strawberries a la plancha A single strawberry halved and grilled with a Pedro Ximenes sauce. They sit on a bed of strawberry "salsa" that included chives and infused with vanilla beans. The strawberry is garnished with a shaving of Parmesan cheese and bits of toasted Marcona almonds. Taste: Both my dinner companion and I loved this simple, yet complex course. This course was a marriage of fruity-sweet and savory. The strawberry halves were sweet and fruity - and slightly smokey from the grilling. However, all of the accompinments injected a definite savoriness - chives and toasted Marcona almonds in the salsa, as well as the Parmesan garnish. Yet, lingering in the shadows, is a pronounced vanilla bean infusion that reminds the diner that the spotlight is still on the fruit and sweetness of it. At the same time, the vanilla showed me that traditionally savory and sweet flavors can play together quite nicely. The usage of Pedro Ximenes in this course was uncanny, given my latest fascination with the dessert wine. It's as if the chef read my mind... or was reading [a href=http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=86594&view=findpost&p=1178670]my eGullet thread[/a] on P.X.!! 3rd Course: Asparagus and egg salad Asparagus shavings with a slightly under-cooked egg and a shaving of Parmesan cheese. The plate is dotted with baby mesclun and garnished with super crunchy bread "golden crumbs" and bits pistachio nuts. The salad is dressed very lightly with citrus vinaigrette. Taste: Two things struck me about this dish. First, I loved the texture of the egg - which was half-way between poached and done. The yolk, as you can see, was solid enough to hold its shape (somewhat), yet not so firm as to be crumbly or grainy like a hard-boiled yolk. The egg whites, as well, were in a state between gelatin and raw whites. The second thing that struck me about this salad was how much the addition of a small textural foil (crunchy bread crumbs) can enhance a dish. These little crumbles were like savory-buttery grape nuts that really made eating this dish an outstanding pleasure. Like most of Kinch's dishes: simple, yet thoughtful, different and very tasty. 4th Course: “Assorted spring fish” Small cuts of geoduck, big fin squid and gizzard shad garnished with Konomi fern sat at the bottom of a small bowl. The assortment is finished table-side with a pouring of dried sardine-miso broth. Taste: I appreciated this course for its cleansing effect. Not only were the fish extremely fresh, but the broth was both light and flavorful - infused with a heady dose of ginger and lemongrass. The gizzard shad was expectedly fishy and oily tasting. However, the boldness of the shad was cut by the candy-sweet and amazingly tender geoduck. 5th Course: Sea bream, sashimi-style Thin slices of sea bream sashimi presented with "just-pressed olive oil" and garnished with shiso buds and chives. Taste: The first thing that struck me about the taste was that it was EXREMELY salty. While I thought that to be a jarring and unexpected taste, my diner companion didn't notice it until I said something. I'm a salt-lover, so it's interesting that I would have such a reaction where another wouldn't. However, after a few bites, the saltiness mellowed out beneath the fruity "just-pressed olive oil" and the cooling-grassy-herby-minty shiso and savory chive. This course was exquisite. The fish was excruciatingly silky and soft - very tender. I could have cut them with a blunt butter knife. 6th Course: Seared bonito and epine artichoke Three slices of tender bonito dressed in soy sauce and accompanied by three crispy fried shavings of artichoke hearts. Taste: This was a very STRONG-flavored course. By that I mean that the bonito was very "fishy," as it usually is... for some reason, bonito has always tasted "bloody" to me... not necessarily in a bad way. However, the fishiness of this course was tempered by the soy, which both my dinner guest and I found slightly over-powering. Again, not to complain about saltiness, but I did wish that the sauce had been tempered with a touch of sweetness, or something tangy. I did detect a hint of sesame oil, which did help mellow out the soy. 7th Course: Mussels and crab with exotic Indian spices A trio of barely cooked PEI mussels and peekytoe crab meat luxuriated in a bath of "exotic Indian spices" along with beautifully carmelized onions. The pool is topped with a foam made from the same "exotic" spices. A sliver of tangerine section simmers with the mussels. Taste: This was by far the boldest-flavored dish of the evening. The small tangerine section, tart and citrus-y, helped cut through the oily warm curry stew. Texturally, the tangerine section also played off wonderfully with the similarly sized and tender shellfish. The mussels were plump, tender, yet meaty. The peekytoe was a nice accompaniment - although not the main star. One of the best things about this dish was the little strands of sweet-tart carmelized onions. This was my dinner companion's hands-down favorite dish of the evening. I don't know that it was "hands-down" my favorite - but it was certainly one of the highlights. 8th Course: "John Dory" A petite filet of perfectly cooked John Dory (St. Pierre), "subtly spiced" with espelette pepper, came addorned with a sliver of sweet carrot and a silky pool of onion-y/garlicky sofrito. As well, the fish was sauced with a sweet carrot sauce. Taste: This was a whole flavor party in my mouth. The savory and caramelized onion-ness of the sofrito vied with the sweet mellow and earthy sweet-carrot sauce for front and center. Lingering in the nether regions of this dish was the heat from the espelette pepper. I’m exhausted, and hungry… I leave you to digest my review thus far. I promise, to be continued… only six more courses to go!!

What pictures? ← The article features a picture of Cantu, Achatz with in his kitchen with a bevy of chefs, and two B&W of Bowles - one shows him nursing a cradling a bowl of blue cheese fondant and licking a huge wisk covered in the yummy stuff. u.e.

Whole Foods? Dean & Deluca? u.e.

I just got The Babbo Cookbook in the mail... and I've been DYING to make the olive oil gelato that I had at Otto Pizzeria. Reading through the recipe, I realized that there is no tempering or cooking of the raw egg yolks in the method... while I'm a pretty chavelier eater, I just a little afraid that my number's up if I'm not careful. Has anyone made ice cream/gelato without cooking the custard? u.e.

I know there's one in Weinstein's Ultimate Ice Creams book - but I haven't tried it so I can't attest to its mouthfeel or taste. u.e.

...If there's ever a reason to pick up GQ Magazine, now's the time to check it out. In the latest issue (June 2006), Alan Richman does a great write-up of Chicago's leading young chefs, G.E. Bowles, G. Achatz, and H. Cantu. Nice pictures, Elliot! Now that's what I call "tasting" the blue cheese fondant! u.e.

alanamoana. To be sure, the Ritz did "put on the ritz" with the mignardises cart - but I just personally didn't find many to be compelling. I usually am tempted by the selection, but for some reason, that evening I wasn't. Lot's of milk chocolate, white chocolate, lollipops... there were financiers, miniature opera cakes, and a interesting pistachio and white chocolate layered treat. There were also tons of nougats - I hate nougats and caramels, neither of which I care for. The ice creams, by the way, were supplemented. I paid an extra $10 for those puppies. u.e.

Ditto - thanks! Butterball! It was really good bread... well, really, I just liked the glazed top - but that's because it was dusted with sea salt! u.e.

Sorry, can you clarify your statement please? u.e.

molto e. I was not with Aitch at Urasawa, so I can't speak to that (although I can parlay my experience at Sushi Yasuda - which is also a hand-to-mouth service)... and I will agree that the services at the two restaurants are completely in two separate categories. However, like I had mentioned, I personally didn't need to be coddled, I just would have appreciated if the service didn't disrupt or actually down-grade an otherwise perfectly acceptable experience. As I stated earlier, I am sure that this is not the norm - even noting that I had stellar service at Per Se, which I found to be the highlight of my my meal there. Honestly, no. First, I don't like to complain unless things get really out of hand - which they did - but only, as I stated, toward the end of the meal, by which time I personally figured we would ride it through. I have worked as a server before, and I know there can be times when things get out of hand... and I didn't want to be one of those "trouble" diners who complain right from the get-go. The only thing wrong during the first half of the meal was just a slight off-ness about our server's attiude following our decision not to order alcohol. Really, the trouble began after the half-way mark - and really badly towards the end: An attitude problem with the drinks, I am used to and could have endured... but especially during the post-meat courses, the service just completely fell apart. All very quickly. Also, I didn't want to assume that our servers had forgotten the birthday until the very end - as you point out (below) - extra desserts and whatnot often appear. But, when after waiting a good 15 to 20 minutes after our desserts and, and with the appearance of our mignardises, and without any service (in fact, for the first time of the evening, our rather talkative group went into an awkward silence)... I finally asked for the check - sure that no other courses would be brought. At that point, I finally realized the birthday was indeed forgotten. By the time the server came around - with the bill - it was really too late to say anything as all of our dishes had been cleared in the mean-time. When I saw the miscalculated bill, that's when I decided to say something. And that's exactly what I meant. I'm not on this forum to air my grievances in an attempt to win a free meal or anything. Nor am I here to sensationalize my bad service in an effort to ruin Keller's/TFL's reputation. I'm simply here to contribute to the great on-going dialogue on eGullet that allows members to share our dining experiences with each other. I don't think I've been biased in any of my statements about TFL. Despite being the "ulterior epicure," I have no "ulterior" agenda. I just wanted to share with all of you, whom I have relied on many times for tips, suggestions - and yes, warnings, about my unfortunate experience at TFL. Perhaps true, but I think I've already explained this up-post. You and me both, molto e. But, hindsight is always.... Not that I expect better service by toting around my camera, but, I would have thought they might have been extra cautious - at least recognizing that I wasn't just another "expense account" trying to impress clients or those not "into food."I will admit that we did get one extra course at the very beginning of the meal - after the famous "Oyster and Pearls." I suspect (can't be positive) that it was sent out by the kitchen (ie. Chef Lee) as a special *wink* to us as "foodies" as I had requested to (and did) meet him. In fact, that extra course, the famous "Truffled egg with Chive Chip" (in the TFL cookbook) was probably the best courses for me during the evening. However, I have reason to believe that the course was bonus from the kitchen, and certainly not from the staff. As well, regardless of any free food sent out - I don't expect it to be a worthy substitution for good service - would you? Absolutely not - but honestly, as there are so many great restaurants out there for me to discover, unless the opportunity presents itself in a more convenient way (as noted, reservations, travel, etc... are not easily coordinated for a place like TFL) I'm afraid I won't be getting back anytime soon. In the meantime, I do hope they re-evaluate their service.u.e.

Tony... That's too bad. I'm really sorry you didn't enjoy your meal more. I was slightly deflated by my meal there a while back. I saw your comment about the beef tongue. I couldn't put my finger on it at the time - but now that you mention it, there was something "chemical" about the taste of that dish - I think that's why I didn't care for the sides. I though the tongue itself was great, but everything else on the plate, together, tasted rather unnatural to me... u.e. [edited for spelling mistake]

... sigh... the ImageGullet god is allowing me to upload again... so here I am to finish off my last meal. Last posting finished off all of the savory/meat courses... so on to the "Fromage" Course: Three triple Cream cheeses garnished with beet, almond butter, and Pedro Ximenes Lustau San Emilio sorbet. The small glass contains honey soda. 1. Queso de Oveja (Spanish sheep's milk) 2. [a href=http://www.treatsofmaine.com/cheese/hvcamembert.html]Nancy's Hudson Valley Camembert[/a] (Cow's milk) 3. Brie (French) What really impressed me on this dish (beside the beets and the cheeses and the honey soda) was the unassuming sorbet. I had requested a Lustau San Emilio Pedro Ximenes to be served to my guests and me for dessert. Well, Chef Bowles delivered - and did double duty at that. He went the extra mile and made a sorbet out of it to serve with our cheese course. What a pleasant surprise! He also served the Pedro Ximenes sorbet to us after our dessert. It was excellent. Honey-Vanilla Pairing: Honey-Vanilla paired with the Fromage course. After the Meyer Lemon-Jasmine pairing with the 2nd Course (Read about it [a href=http://www.flickr.com/photos/ulteriorepicure/140512131/in/set-72057594125651852/]here[/a]), this was my favorite drink of the evening. It tasted just like it sound and paired excellently with the rich and barn-yardy taste of the triple creams. ...and, drumroll... Dessert: Meyer Lemon Semifreddo Meyer Lemon Semifreddo topped with ginger confit. This dish also featured cubes of Meyer lemon gelatin cube on meyer lemon cream. The entire dish is dusted with fennel pollen. Taste: He had me at semifreddo. This was a delightfully light and bright end to a very good meal. The semifreddo was ethereally light and fluffy. Meyer lemon, with its tempered tartness and bright sweetness really awakened helped re-awaken my near food-coma self. ...mignardises rounded out the meal... and a spectacular meal at that!! Thanks Elliot for another dazzling meal. Thanks to all you eGulleters for being patient on this review! ... wench...

They might - but I don't remember being offered one... u.e. [edited to add: reviewing my posts upthread, i see that my quickly typed posts resulted in some misspellings and poor word choices. "occurrence," not "occurence," also, substitue mistake/miscue for "missive." sorry... trying to get better about self-spell check - really, i'm not mis-educated! ]

I suspect that the use of hard liquor has a dual purpose: flavor and "antiseptic." I have made gravlax before - but didn't use alcohol (a member of my family is medically unable to take be exposed to alcohol). I'm assuming it is safe to just cure with salt, sugar, herb/spices without the liquor? u.e.

Aitch?!? Are you who I think you are? Thanks for jumping in with your comments and observations! It's great to get some back up on this one! I hope all is well with you! I look forward to our next "eating binge!!" u.e.

Well, yes, I addressed some of the complaints with the host when I took my bill to be corrected (from the confusion on the total amount). I have also written a letter to the restaurant. Honestly, as they had taken the drinks off of the bill, I'm not sure what more they could do, other than just apologize - and try to prevent future occurences. u.e.

Really? That's too bad... I'll try to find your post upthread doc, well put. It is true that the biggest disappointment with the service was that it did get in the way of allowing us to enjoy our meal. I think service, especially at a restaurant of TFL's caliber, becomes bad at the point in which it disrupts or detracts from the diners' experience/pleasure. As you can imagine, having to make repeated requests for not-too-unreasonably expected things (ie. utensils, drinks, menus, etc.), miscalculating the bill, forgetting pre-arranged items, etc... became a distraction to our meal. As I stated above, any one of these mistakes would have happily been overlooked - but together, and toward the end of the meal in rapid succession, really compounded the aggravation. As doc also noted, for one of the only restaurants in the U.S. to charge an automatic gratuity, sub-standard service is the last thing I expected from TFL. In fact, based on my experience at its younger sister, Per Se, I had been commenting to my guests in the weeks leading up to the dinner, that I predicted we would get stellar service regardless of whether or not the food would be all that impressive. Lastly, the fact that other tables were obviously getting better treatment only worsened the situation. While it was reassuring that TFL employs capable servers, it was at the same time really upsetting to personally experience a disparity. We truly felt like the step-children in the group. u.e.

alanamoana, I'm not really a sweet tooth - so desserts rarely impress/please me the way other savory courses do. That being said, I'm a SUCKER for ice creams and sorbets - especially unusual ones. Sometimes, as I did here, I ask for a sampling of the pastry chef's most creative ice creams instead of, or as a supplement to my dessert. Here, I found the bamboo rice ice cream to be far and away the best. The others really just tasted like sugar and cream - with slight hint of something... The carrot was pretty pronounced, but not necessarily what I was expecting (but there's an explanation in the caption on my flickr photoflickr photo). I didn't find The Dining Room's desserts to be good or bad. They didn't leave me deflated... but they didn't send me out thrilled either. The mignardises were okay - not great - I've had much better. Dark chocolate is the way to my tummy (heart) and there wasn't a lot of it offered on the cart, if I recall (or I most certainly would have chosen it). I liked the buttermilk panna cotta that Manresa served (the night before) much better. u.e.

I honestly didn't know what to expect of TFL - food/service/atmosphere, etc... the only thing I had "fixed" in my mind was the service that I received at Per Se, and all of my other dining experiences... which does include a number of European Michelin-starred restaurants. I would say that the style of service at TFL was very European in nature - but I didn't find it hoity-toity or too pretentious at all. I found (except for our particularly head server) the interaction courteous, professional, but somewhat short... not a bad thing, just snappy and minimal-contact-y. I'm used to it. I don't need (nor really care) to be coddled. I just need to be served in a prompt and courteous manner. A smile would be nice, but not expected... however, I would say that a number of the back-waiters were very personable. Again, I found nothing wrong/disagreeable with the style... I just think that there were some issues going on with our particular head server and/or the way he/his staff managed our particular table. u.e.

So tell me wench... did the escargot squirt garlic butter? You know, they're only good if they squirt garlic butter! I can't WAIT to have my very own "impulsive collection" soon! u.e.

Thanks doc for puttin' on the pressure ...and so, I clarify... I will say that doc is right in guessing that the service issues that we encountered were not "systemic" in nature. Rather, they were (I hope), isolated to this particular evening/meal. Any one of the mistakes, alone, could have easily been overlooked... but in total, there were just too many to ignore - which really compounded our displeasure (I use "our" because at least four others in my party agreed, after the dinner, that the service had been noticeably bad). 1. Our meal started on a promising note. Our head server was very attentive, friendly and accomodating. My request to see the kicthen was taken care of before we were seated. The reception was very welcoming. 2. We (collectively) noticed a change in attitude in our head server after we decided to forego wine. We all know my story... but the rest, who had rather long drives to their hotels, wanted to avoid being too effected, so they stuck with lightweight drinks. Service slowed down markedly toward the end of service. Although our waters were topped of vigilantly (see #3), we did find it hard to get our head server's attention a few times - also pacing seemed to slow down between courses (this may have been an issue in the kitchen). Regardless, it became apparent that the other tables, that were ordering alcohol, were moving at a more even pace - especially a boisterous party of seven that had all started out with some bubbly and proceeded on with more alcohol pairings. They were getting much more attention, in part, explaining our oft-AWOL server(s). 3. A couple in our party ordered sparkling water - which was poured into the non-bubbly water drinkers' cups a couple of times... then, these half-bubbly/half tap glasses were topped off with tap... after the mistake had been brought to our server's attention. He apologized and promised that no more mistakes would be made. Another bottle of sparkling was promptly opened. I wouldn't mention this occurence except for the fact that the two in our party that had ordered the sparkling water still had their glasses full and there was a 1/2 bottle left - this mistake happened on the very last meat course... there was no reason to pour out the 1/2 bottle - unless perhaps our server wanted to up the beverage tab (which I have no idea what incentive he would have given that the gratuity is fixed...). It just seemed odd... 4. I specifically asked for the dessert wine/after-dinner drinks menu during our cheese course - emphasizing that we would like to have our drinks arrive with our last dessert (two courses after cheese). I had to ask again for the drink menu twice - it showed up half-way through our dessert. After-dinner drinks didn't show up until just before our mignardises... 5. One of my guests was celebrating a birthday. I mentioned it to a server before our dinner and was promised that some acknowledgment would be made at dessert. Nothing was done. It was only after I reminded the host after our dinner that an apology was made. When I did mention the missive, the host remembered immediately that I had indeed put in a request for a birthday and that he was very sorry and disappointed that nothing materialized. So was I. 6. Post-dessert service became very sloooooooooow. Just to give you an idea - a four-top that had been seated 10 minutes before us had already been gone for nearly an hour-and-a-half... their successors were well on their way toward dessert. We had survived two two-tops that had come a good half-hour after-us. Mignardises were dropped off without any mention as to what they were. If it weren't for the fact that I had gone to Per Se, there was no way we would have known why some of us got creme brulee while others got panna cotta. Oh by the way, I don't know how you eat creme brulee or panna cott without a spoon or fork... instead of asking, thankfully, we had all ordered either coffee or tea, and just used the spoons that came with our drinks. 7. Refills on coffee and teas were requested... and requested... and requested... then finally came just before the bill, which I also had to request (although I recognize that this may be in line with the traditional French style of service - wait to drop the check until asked for - which is understandable). 8. There was a confusion on the total bill amount. At this point, I finally excused myself and discreetly approached the management (ie. host), away from my guests and our servers, to point out the mistake on the bill, as well as the birthday missive. I also made a very general comment that I had found service lacking toward the end of service, not wanting to go into details... as by this point in the evening, I was too tired and upset to really care. To redress the issue, the host took off our drinks (water and a couple of beers). 9. I had requested way in advanced to have copies of our menu signed by Chef Lee for my guests and myself. These were forgotten. I finally remembered them after I had left the restaurant. I went back in to request them... they were presented. I hope this "qualifies" my earlier "provocative" post. Again, sorry for the delay... but as you can see, there was just too much for me to post on the fly. There were also a few other small service issues really not worth mentioning. Again, I must emphasize that I'm sure this was an unfortunate wrinkle in an otherwise flawless restaurant. I'm just really sorry it had to be us. My party was a gathering between a few of us that just graduated grad school, along with parents. Members in our party hailed from four different states... as many of you know, coordinating such a dinner was not easy... it was all very deflating. Okay - on a brighter note - the food wasn't bad. As I've noted, one course in particular was very sub-standard, but on average, everything was expertly prepared and presented... but now, for a little half-time rest... u.e.