Sneakeater

The market pictures made me realize that you haven't yet mentioned (unless I missed it) anticuchos, or skewered grilled beef hearts. They were about my favorite thing I ate on a similar trip to yours. Do we still have your remarks about them to look forward to?

I hope not for your sake. You really want Wednesday to be the new Tuesday.

Thursday night I worked fairly late, until about 10. I'd heard that Joel Robuchon was in town, cooking at Atelier. So I thought I'd risk a visit. The first big news is that, when I got there, there were PLENTY of seats available at the bar. Walking in was NO PROBLEM. Now maybe this was attributable to the horrible weather we were having Thursday night. But it's an interesting datum. As had been reported, Chef Robuchon was indeed In The House. However, he was walking around like a maitre d' rather than functioning as a chef. At one point, he walked into the kitchen area and held a conference around the main table they have back there. But other than that, he was working the room and not cooking. To the extent that makes any difference. The food was its usual extremely-good-to-excellent self. I started with the foie gras ravioli in an herbed chicken broth, topped with whipped cream(!). This was a slight disappointment, only because the broth lacked the in-your-face aroma that I'd experienced from the chicken broth in which they serve (or used to) their cod. The whole dish struck me as slightly underseasoned. Still extremely good -- but it shouldn't be chasing the great langoustine fritter off anyone's plate. I then had the hanger steak, which I'd always coveted but hadn't yet gotten around to trying. This was a complete success. It's nothing more than what it is: superb meat perfectly prepared. They also sent me over a pot of Robuchon's famous potatoes, which I don't think are regularly part of this dish. But I'd been very chatty, and I think they sniffed a potential repeat customer. For dessert, Le Sucre. What can you say about this fabulous dessert? Prices are too high here. But the food is excellent. I mean excellent. If you can now walk in without any angst, this becomes a really great option for last-minute dining of surpassingly high quality.

Wednesday night. I was done with work early, a little after 6. I remembered that the InnLW12 -- in the old Rio Mar space on the corner of Little West 12th St. & 9th Ave. -- had opened. It's supposed to be a "gastropub" with Canadian accents (the owners -- who have experience running NYC nightclubs -- being Canadian). It serves poutine! Daniel Boulud is the "culinary consultant"! (Whatever that is.) I thought that possibly if I went over that early, I'd be able to squeeze myself into a bar seat. When I walked in sometime between 7 and 7:30, I was astounded to find the place no more than a third or maybe half full. This won't last, but . . . sweet. The place is clearly still starting up. There are plenty of kinks. Considering the prices they charge, though, it seems kind of great. When you walk in, the first thing that strikes you (if you're a dinosaur like me) are the bones of the old Rio Mar. Although it's been gussied up -- in a tasteful oldfashioned gastropubby way -- it's recognizably the same space, with the cramped downstairs bar area and the staircase up to the dining room. For now, AFAIK, only the downstairs bar is open, featuring a very ambitious pub menu. Eventually, I understand, there will be a more formal dining room upstairs, with a more formal menu (if I understand correctly). This arrangement worked so well for Sascha that it's easy to see why these guys would want to duplicate it. [sarcasm Indicator] But, even at this early date, you can't argue with the food here. The chef is a Brit named Andy Bennett, who used to work at Daniel. Daniel himself is the "culinary consultant." I have no idea what that means, beyond that he got to pocket some money for associating himself with this venture. Much of the food I had seemed to have Daniel's fingerprints on it -- but of course you can't know if that's a result of Daniel's consulting, or his influence on a chef who worked under him. I started off with a "crispy" pig's trotter. This turned out to be sort of pulled pig's trotters sandwiched between two crusty things, over lentils and frisee with a mustard vinagrette. It would be right at home on the menu at db Bistro. It was very good. Extremely cravable (I'm craving it right now). I was kinda in the mood for a burger, or at least something burger-ish. Here, they have a lambburger, stuffed with herbed goat cheese, topped with onions and harrissa, served on an onion roll. Sided with fried chick-pea paste (like polenta) with more harrissa as a dipping sauce. This -- another very Boulud-ish dish -- was also a complete success (and at $18, almost a bargain). OK I'm a pig, but I've wanted to try poutine for as long as I've known of it, and have never yet had the chance. So I ordered a completely superfluous serving of it as a side. Poutine, as you undoubtedly know, is a French Canadian dish composed of french fries topped with cheese curds and served in brown gravy. I have no basis for comparison, but I have a feeling this was a rather elegant rendition. It was surplus to requirements in this meal, but I found it very good. I think it will get most play early mornings, when there's plenty of alcohol in the neighborhood to soak up. It's too early to criticize the way the place runs. Service Wednesday night was sloppy and unsure. The wine program needs development (the wine-by-the-glass selection is ridiculously limited and unimaginative for food of this quality). But these things will be fixed. For now, you have this place serving very good, tasty, hearty, beautifully prepared food, with appetizers in the mid-teens and mains hovering around $20, with some going up to the high twenties. (I gather the dining room will be more expensive.) I'd recommend this place highly, but let's be honest: in a few weeks, you won't be able to get anywhere near it. Telling anecdote: I'm sitting in front of the (very pretty) bartender. I watch her make drinks. She's laboriously measuring out with a jigger. ME: I'm relieved to see you using a jigger. HER: Does it make you trust me more? ME: Not you. Anyone. I don't believe anyone can properly freepour. HER: I don't know. I've never used a jigger before. I've always freepoured. Here, they make me.

I'll make a report later, but I went Thursday night with the hopes of eating Chef Robuchon's cooking. It was nice to have him walk by me several times, and even to exchange a few words with him, but I can't say I feel like I ate anything he cooked. It was all pretty great nonetheless.

FWIW, I agree with you that Patois is not a destination. I just think that Saul is sort of a failed destination. I probably also agree with you that Patois isn't that suitable for a celebration. I guess I just think that neither of those two places is that suitable. (Which I acknowledge isn't very helpful.)

Uh-oh. The Analogy Police probably won't like that one, either.

I'm pretty sure the owner couldn't legally have sex with his wife in the middle of the dining room during business hours, although it's legal for him to have sex with her elsewhere.

For the very little it's worth, I couldn't agree with Fat Guy more.

To say something serious, FG is clearly right that the current restaurant-closing hysteria is a silly overreaction to the rat infestation found in a Greenwich Village fast-food place. Other problems are clearly more serious. But you can see how the Department of Health must have felt it had to do something in response to that video.

I've enjoyed chicha morada with guinea pig.

(I only just took a break to read today's NY Times Op-Ed page.)

Where can you get it? Whose is the best?

Oh, windows in the front next to the door. Now I know what place you mean!

Don't you mean Almondine, with which Jacques Torres is, in fact, involved??

Although everybody knows that the fresh rat poop is much better than the rat poop on the main menu.

I agree. Although there are posters on eG who appear to take it as some kind of affront. I like it a lot, myself.

This isn't a new trend. As oakapple said above, it's an old trend. It's been going on for years. There's something "new" going on now -- http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=99740 -- but it isn't this.

That's certainly true.

Sure, but the fact that you have to ask for it (or that they ask you about it) shows that it's an exception to general expectations. (How many times have you heard it said how remarkable it is that Picholine is able to get so many people out in such a short time? Doesn't that indicate that it's considered out-of-the-ordinary for a place like that?)

I also think you have to separate two separate things. 1. Relative "speed" v. "leisure". 2. "Fanciness" v. "casualness". A place like DavidBurke & Donatella, for example, is much less "fancy" than Le Grenuoille, for example. But it's not going to take you much less time to get out of there if you have a full meal.

Again, where I think we disagree on this is: 1. Nobody (I think) is claiming that "today's diners" no longer want leisurely meals ever, but rather that they very frequently want high-quality non-leisurely meals. 2. Your remark that "leisurely meals" are offered by the "better restaurants" is telling. I think the whole point of this "new" thing is non-leisurely meals offered by restaurants that are almost as good as, and perhaps in some ways as good as, the top of the heap. So that these non-leisurely places are among "the better restaurants."

When you (meaning I) want quick meals. 1. On weeknights when you don't want to be out too late. 2. On weeknights when you're grabbing a late after-work meal. 3. On any night when you have something else you want to do besides eat dinner.

Actually, now that I think about it, Patois isn't that "nouveau". (I still prefer it, though -- but that's a highly personal call.)

No, that's a very common way of serving cuy.