matthewj

Does Richard Blais own Element, or have any financial stake at Element?

I think that it is almost difficult not to make ones blood boil about the choices of people, and such a heated debate in the food world. I personally wish that more chefs would just come clean, and publicly say "hey, this is my business, I will serve what I like" Stephen star would not have taken it off his menu if he did not feel that it was bad publicity, period. I find it interesting that the same chefs who have written books, recipes, and have made money off of Foie gras, will run and hide when a small storm comes "a brewing." I am with David Ansel, and the unlikely George on this topic. It is their business to serve or not serve foie gras on their menu. It is also the choice of the guest to to eat the Foie gras. I really hope that Philadelphia's city council will busy themselves with a more important agenda, that could actually help the city. The festival is always a great idea, but very cost prohibitive. Maybe if we lived in Toulouse it could work.

In keeping with the spirit of the article. I think it is a shame that Stephen Starr, Jose, The FOUR SEASONS, folded so quickly under the pressure of a few zealots. These protestors will just jump on the next band wagon issue to protest. So easy it is to fold under such an unworthy cause, then to actually stand up o those who protest. Kudos to David Ansill, and George to actually giving a dam. This will not stop at Foie Gras, if this passes a slippery slope will follow.

unfortunatly restuarants are can not sustain business with egulletors alone. I wish that was the case. Brunch is a very difficult segment to tap into in Philadelphia. It takes a long time to break into that market to make it sustainable.

the swann lounge has an excellent beef tartar, and 20/21 also has an excellent tartar

... but I do think that a good deal of press was directed toward the chef d' cuisine. Hope for great things for him as well.

I don't know V . Keller did well for Beno, but Daniel for Alex Lee? A country club in CT not exactly a ringing endorsement

You know I had to really think about this one. Working the restuarant industry sometimes gives me very one sided perspective about dining. My parents came to visit me and this very topic came up. My parents are in their mid sixties, retired, and are grandparents. So we discussed this very topic this weekend. I remembered my first experiences eating in nice restaurants was going to the Frog Pond, Tiffany's, and Mama Yolanda's. I believed that I was quite young 10 or 12 years old. maybe younger. I asked my parents if they ever took me out when I was a baby, they looked at me like I was crazy. Never. When all my siblings and myself were too young to go out, a.k.a. babies they would get a baby sitter, or if they did not have a baby sitter available they would stay home. They considered it the "compromise of having young children." Even though they had kids they were not about to impose us "demons" on other diners who had their right to have a pleasant dining experience away from the everyday grind of life. Now saying that, I believe that a TGI Friday's, pizza places, cheese steak and hoagie huts, it is alright for children. These places are many times geared for the family environment. It is also the responsibility of the parents, not the child, to take appropriate action if the child becomes bored and wants to run all over the place and hide under table #80. I think common sense should apply, I mean,come on, you know if your baby is fussy or not. A lot of times I have seen children misbehave, cry or both, and the parents happily munch away at there meal, ignoring there child, that is ridiculous. As for upscale restaurants, no baby should be in Lacroix or the Fountain or such. Everybody pays a high price to have a dining experience at those restaurants. So let them. A lot of people, again pay good money to get away from that grind of life, don't bring it right to the escargot. Do what my parents did. Get a babysitter or stay home.

Good point, but I was thinking more along the market at the warf at the embarcadaro. I was there when it was a an outside market. Packed. I was there when they has the inside market. Packed. There was a line for hog Island oyster that was basically aroun the pier.

I do not know who wrote the article. But there are couple of places right off 95 on the Bridge and Harbison exit. One in particular called Captain Chet's blue points. That was always a fun restuarant, and I know that they did take out. There are a couple more within the area.

I disagree with you V. Ansils and Gayle maybe a little dfferent, but I believe that they are very approachable. As for as the arguement of parking. It is difficult to park anwhere in the city, maybe they should consider valet? I believe that they have trouble keeping in competion with BYOB's eveyday of the week except Friday and Saturday. I agree with you about the produce and such. If he is getting salmon from Doylestown, then maybe it is Brown gold. Blue moon farm is in Buckingham on 313, right next to buckingham elementry school. It is shame that not enough people use the bounty that is within the state lines. As for the reading terminal, do you think politics of the convention bureau keep a lot of artisans at bay? I don't know?

Thank you ... thank you for the well written point. You have made the most sense thus far. As far as magazine that I read is varied. A lot of the mainstream magazines are just that. A lot of advertising and little else. I tend to read Gastronomica, Waitrose food, Australian Food and wine, Autstralian Gourmet Traveller. Sometimes Wine Spectator. I even pick up CITY, and some fashion magazine because sometimes they have interesting takes on food. GQ's Alan Richman is one of the best, as weli as John Mariani. The majority of the foreign magazines, although pricey, deliver good article that do not seem to focus in on the same salad, grilling technique, and barbeque's sauce. Although Food and Wine, Gourmet, Bonn appetit, and Sauveur have their moments, a lot of times they are hit and miss. Saveur used to be a lot better. A little more in depth articles and interesting as well. Lately I feel that they have lost there focus, and have a more mainstream audience. Cooks is a defining magazine that is great for everyone. It teaches they best way how to make everything. Food arts and Art culinaire, Restaurants and Hospitality, and Restuarant News, are the other professional magazines that I read. I generally can't wait for the La tTimes food section as well as SF Chronicles articles. They seem to get it more about food. New york times lately has been hit are miss.

I disagree with the population density argument. Stephen star fills all of his restaurants everyday, that is a lot of covers. Sometimes I have heard of 45 minutes to an hour wait for melogranos, i am sure the food is good but 45 minutes standing on the corner good?. Yet I also here that Ansil and Gayle have trouble sometimes filling the dining room. That my friends is a shame and poor showing of support for two widely regarded chefs.

Well put. Living away from Philly, makes me miss PHiladelphia a lot. In the past 3 1/2 years I have traveled a lot. What make me miss Philadelphia is not that it collectivly wants to be New york. Philadelphia has a chance to turn a corner. In everyway possible. Does Philadelphia have a great food culture? To an extent yes. I for one am glad that an article was written in our city rather than another city such as Cinncnati, or delouth Michigan. . I am not even impling the food culture needs to venture toward the molecular gastronomy. But the "soul" of a cities food culture does need to base its entire wieght with street food. Someone mentioned Charleston. I have spent some time in Charleston with a great many chefs. From the Charleston grill, to F.I.G.(FOOD IS GOOD) that city as small as it is oozzes Food culture. Not just Hotdogs, and oysters. But everywhere I ate there is a culture of great food and great hospitality. Philadelphia is laking a lot of quirky artisinal places. But it is starting to take root. Take Jonny Mac. Snack bar, a quirky little place. A lot of restuarants start out to be something, but fall to the pressure of trying to either compete with a BYO, or stephen star. I remember when National Geographics did a story on Phialedelphia And had a notable chef take them around. Instead of focusing on the reading terminal and the food he could cook. They had him cook his version of a cheesesteak. He was not happy. All that food history, came down to a cheesesteak. The things I miss away from Philadelphia in order. La colombe, Vietnam, Cookbook stall, Jack Morgan, Tria, Samson street oyster house, capa giro that is just half of my day.

one needs to look at the article from an outsiders perspective. Realizing that this is not Philadelphia magazine, but a widely read publication that is distributed around the country if not the world. Having an article more than a small blurb in the restaurant cities section is a big deal. Whether or not one thinks the article is poorly written or does not cover enough of the cheese steak underworld, is moot. Given the fact that many times we pine about not having enough press about the city, hating the comparison to NYC. Philadelphia finally receives a nice article, and the people that pooh, pooh it are the very one that should be happy it was written. As an outsider you already know about Tony Lukes and Cheesesteaks. Now the average reader that is not from Philadelphia and surrounding area will now know to come to Philadelphia to eat. She also made a good couple of points. Extending the idea that she found a lot of restaurants that she could put against many restaurant towns. Contrary to popular belief people will travel for a great meal. If one is miffed about not seeing enough sloppy Joe's, or little pete's lust remember almost every article about Philadelphia has a bobble head nodding in your direction. As for not including the Fountain Room as a destination restuarant, I was a little suprised, but sometimes writer tend to focus on the independent restuarant before the hotel restuarant.

I agree that she was remiss about the markets. Living in a lot of cities myself Philadelphia offers one of the best China Towns, Reading Terminal is very good market. If she is referring to the lack of green markets. that has to do with the consumer. Take Penssylvania out of the green market in New York it would become very very very small. The crux is that most of the Pennsylvania farmers and agriculturalist that attend the Greenmarket New York have no market in Philadelphia

Honestly, I was thrilled that no mention of the "pheasant food of Philadelphia" was uttered. As an "elitist",myself, one may think of Food and wine, Bonn appetit, Gourmet such are just fodder for the masses. To shine a culinary light on a city without the mention of grease, cheese wit, and pork sandwiches and garlic is quite refreshing. When an article is done about NY, no one is screaming about how the beloved pizza was left out, or no one in San Francisco is throwing sourdough rolls. As a collective food forum we should be happy that we just received some credibility that costs more than 1 dollar.

Thank you Philladining

WOW...Leafing through my new Food and Wine magazine I stumbled across an article on you guessed it Philadelphia dinning scene, and "Foodability." Many things I agree with, but many things I do not agree with, but a very positive article. Any comments.. Good or bad.

Day load drinking is always good at "the concrete beach", Macys crossing.

I really like Gayle, To me it should be packed every night. It is one of the few restuarants inPhiladelphia that could and would suceed anywhere. It really showcases, not only good foold but a very real sense of hospitality.

Soto will do fine in NYC. It is too bad people in Atlanta did not appreciate what they had. Atlanta's lose is New York's gain

Joel will be broken into 28 seat fine dinning restaurant, and the rest will be a bistro.

Ask for Frank, Vince or Jim as your server. Great servers

Find out if Martin is cooking that night. If he is order the tasting menu, and ask him to do something special, maybe a little off the menu. You are in for a real treat. Hands down Martin is the best chef in the city.