matthewj

I just found out the recent chef of the Oyster house was let go. That's not good. I really question the wisdom of the owner (s),. I found that Ted Mankos food to be very, very, good for the restaurant. His Lobster Roll was excellent, and The Snapper Turtle soup has been better than it has been in years . Wasn't Ted the one getting the press because of the Lobster Roll and the food? Seems to me a little of a professional clash of sorts it is a shame because the guest looses in the end.

Nothing for nothing, Atlanta had 5-star dinning at every level. from Seegers, Joel, to Soto. It is not a surprise that they are all in NYC, now. Atlanta actually had a disproportionate amount of Michelin quality chefs. The market just does not want fine dinning. Even the Ritz Carlton Dining Room Buckhead is gasping for air. Pano knows how to give the clientele what they want whatever that maybe. Atlanta wants five star dinning on a quarter of the budget. The St Regis would be smart to instill buckhead life into their concept, it will pull a profit.

your best intern opportunity is Fountain Room at the Four Seasons, or vetri. Those are the two best places for internships

none such farms, buckingham, below peddlers village on 263 north

I believe that they picked the correct "top chef" . If the voting was up to the "American Idol" voting crowd the wrong chef would have won. It was summed up when all agreed that his dish was 3 star quality. Because Hung was proficient he was wrongly saddled with a no-soul quality, which was I think was error. He was focused on winning, is that not the point?

artisan sake, served extremely cold. Or a blood and sand. Boy Jonny mack they were good.

so J mack what exactly isa the tarte you are doing for the sweet course?

Thank you Doc. Honestly... this is not geared to the average BYOB crowd. This is geared to Foodies that enjoy great food and great wine, but they have a limited wine menu to pair with the courses at the restaurant. This is not a gimmick or a way to drum up business. This is geared for people who want to eat "studio kitchen" style menu, within restaurant. It is also geared for those who pine about the lack of creativity in Philadelphia. I commend Snackbar for their creativity in making a restaurant that does not swim with salmon. So eat your tart, and sprinkle some grains of paradise. Let's talk about the menu. THAT IS AN INTERSTING THEORY.

Good point Holly, The menu does not read crab cakes and ceasar salad, so I believe the difficulty of the menu should be determinate.

I really do not think he is going for the BYOB crowd. I agree with Doc on this one. I could polish off one bottle of wine myself in the span of 7 courses.

Let's see. For 7 courses the total amount one would pay if they brought their wine would be 90 dollars. For seven courses. hmm. Seems like a really good deal for me. I mean the place is small so I bet it could be filled, with people who are willing to pay 90 for 7 courses and unlimited wines that one brings. If I remember correctly 2 drinks from tria would cost and average of 12 13 dollars a glass. No one seems to be daunted You can get 5/12 glasses out of one bottle of wine. Suppossing no one brings Fetzer your in there. A person brings one bottle of wine for seven courses is just foolish. Or maybe they can have a kegger and charge 5 dollars a solo cup. Hopefully they will have some beer pong table set up on they sidewalk. Just a thought

I am sorry you had a bad experience at Tinto. You should let them know your concerns so that they may rectify the problem. But it is also inaccurate to compare a restaurant like Tinto to the French Laundry. Two totally different leagues. A tasting menu and service at the Laundry is going to be far superior to that of a restaurant that serves tapas. That is not a knock on tapas restaurants, it is just a fact. Also I agree with V on the same points of ordering a tasting lately.

This whole escapade is goofy. I mean the whole article in the Philadelphia magazines seems to be a little sour grapes on the part of Plotkins. How many people in the restuarant business do not work 12-14 hours a day? The issue at hand seemed to bother me though on a technicality. A New York strip steak. First off a NY strip for steak frites at lunch. I would be pissed off that I did not get a hanger, flat iron, or bavette. But that is besides the point. A New York strip is a Strip loin cut. No? No where in Namps does it refer to a new york strip cut of meat. Isn't New York strip a marketing name. Such as Chilean sea bass, and or Black Cod. Not really names at all just cleaver marketing tools to make them sell well. So technically speaking it could be argued that the New York strip could be anything. The other thing about the article that bothered me a little was twofold. One, if Alex Plotkin was championing his quality index, why did he rattle his US Foods sabre. I do not know about you but I get my milk and dry goods from US foods. IF they have a high end USDA prime cut section I do not know about please tell me. I get my steak from a steak guy. Second I am not sure why the article spent so much time harping on his costuming, when I believe ruth reichl and or Mimi sheraton both Donned wigs and such to review restaurants in New York. So his Zorro costumes although a bit extreme is not that far off base. Some one was quoted in the article saying that he takes himself too seriously. At least someone does, or we would not be having this blog.

I am going to say Seeger

I lived in Sonoma for a brief period, I definitely like the atmosphere better. PA really sticks it to the consumer when selling wines. that are called "chairman selects". It should be called Chairman's over stock and wine glut.