Simon_S
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Posts posted by Simon_S
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If, say, you were hoping to make it to TFL during your honeymoon this October, and if, say, you had a 4-day window of opportunity within which to dine, either lunch or dinner, how would you rate your chances of securing a reservation?
A secret eG handshake would be so much easier!
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Simon, I'm curious to hear what you thought of Mugaritz, too, then.
Sorry, should have been clearer on that one: we didn't go to Mugaritz, and Akelare was our only blowout meal. When planning the trip, it was a very difficult decision which of the "majors" to go for. Certainly, if I'd been choosing just for myself I would have leaned towards Mugartiz, mainly based on comments on the forum, but the more I read the more I thought that it might be a bit much for those in the group not so experienced in the cutting edge stuff. In hindsight, I'm happy with the choice we made, but I still want to get back and try some of the others. I think a long weekend early next year might be in order. It would be rude not to, since it's only a couple of hours flight away.
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Very similar to your own. The weakest dish, IMO, was the rouget with fusilli, which did nothing for me, really. I enjoyed the creativity, though, and there were some genuine wow moments along the way, plus the sense of fun translated itself to the staff and to the whole experience, which was great.
The only thing I would disagree with is your comment about the foie being similar to Wylie's. In flavour terms at least, I far and away preferred the Akelare version.
In our group there was a mix of hardened foodies and relative novices, and we all of us enjoyed it, which may or may not have been the case in some of the other restaurants (I'm thinking Mugaritz here). In any case, I can't wait to get back with Hazel so we can do San Sebastian properly.
Did you make it to Gandarias for pintxos? We spent a ridiculous amount of time there, to the detriment of other experiences. Still, it ticked a lot of boxes! Having returned I realise that we missed an awful lot of places, mainly due to the fact that we were there on a stag rather than a foodie trip. Hence my comment about getting back there with Hazel.
Can I just make a brief comment about beef?
I live in a land where "grass-fed beef" is just called "beef" and beef finished on grain pretty much doesn't exist. Over time, I've started to suspect that what I look for in a steak is different to what a person more familiar with US steak looks for. Is there a cultural difference here, do you think? Is a steak that's normal to me chewier and gamier than normal to you? My experience of US steak is insufficient to take this thought any further, but what little I've had seemed blander in flavour but juicier in texture. That's not a criticism, by the way, merely an observation that, for the money we paid for prime, I found it very disappointing within my own terms of reference. I've seen US-based people disappointed with Euro steaks for other reasons, hence my question.
Anyway, sorry for the aside. I'm loving the thread, carry on.
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I'm recently back from San Seb and a group of us ate in Akelare, having pretty much the same menus that you enjoyed. I've been trying to find pictures and now here they are in all their glory.
Can't wait for the next installment. I'm loving this!
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Hmm, given that I don't live on 10 wooded acres, but in a semi-detached house in suburbia, I'd better be careful sampling this...
Great post, FJ. That truly is the sign of a good wine!
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It's interesting how brunch is slightly different around the world. In my mind, brunch is something that starts at 11 on a Sunday, involves reading papers, and sitting around for a long time. Since breakfasts are comparitively low-key events in this part of the world (full Irish aside), it offers the chance to eat something more substantial.
That said, I've noticed a recent trend here to label something as "brunch" when it quite obviously isn't. A local establishment advertises the service, but when I turned up at noon it wasn't yet open. Apparently, it opens for brunch at 12:30, and offers such things as burgers, pasta, etc. Shouldn't this simply be called "lunch"?
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Thanks for the report, ljr. You're *almost* making me sorry I didn't go!
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For me, it's all very simple:
If the food tastes good, I'm game. If it doesn't, all bets are off.
Outside of that, I'll accept a lot of differences to classic dining, be it utensils, comfort levels, etc. The reason I liked Alinea had little to do with gimmicks or any other thing, the food just tasted great to me.
What I don't understand is why people feel so compelled to argue the superiority or otherwise of "classic" restaurants and the more modern equivalent. You prefer one over the other, great. If I hear "the Emperor's new clothes" line again, I might just scream.
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The last time I ate breafast in Ireland there was also red pudding on offer, no idea what this is.
I think you're referring to the rather erroneously titled "Vegetable Roll", which is a mixture of beef sausage meat (brisket), vegetables (onions, carrots and leeks) and about 15 kilos of salt and white pepper.
Very strange. I've never seen or heard of such a thing. No loss, by the sound of things.
It did cross my mind that if you're doing an Irish breakfast and a fan of James Joyce, kidneys have got to feature...
ETA: Something just struck me -- you may not be aware that in Celtic Tiger Ireland, where nobody has time for a sit-down breakfast any more, the Jumbo Breakfast Roll is now ubiquitous in filling stations throughout the land. I'm almost loathe to post this as it makes me vaguely embarrassed to be Irish, but this might give a good indication of what a "real" breakfast is like over here:
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Fabulous report and pictures. Thanks PC!
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Good Lord woman, where are the sausages??
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Ah sorry, If You Know What I Mean.
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Hey Julot, have you tried Robuchon in Monaco? We ate there last year and while I enjoyed it, I came away *somewhat* underwhelmed. I can't remember specifics, but I just wasn't wowed IYKWIM. Even the fabled pommes purée weren't up to the dizzying heights I was expecting, and in fact I would prefer the mash at Nicolas le Bec in Lyon.
Maybe I'd just heard too much in advance, but it was a little bit "by numbers".
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Brilliant, Doc. I truly can't wait to get back to Chicago.
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I'm delighted with this news for a multitude of reasons. Great stuff.
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Thanks for the report Augustine, I really must go back. My one visit (soon after it opened) was okay, but ruined more by the braying assholes also dining in the room than by the food. In any case, I can definitely see a Sunday lunch there in my future.
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Do cognacs and armagnacs count as "spirits" for the purposes of this discussion? I hope not...
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To be honest, the positions on the list are not the real problem for me (although obviously I don't agree with them), it's more that the methodology is so flawed. It could be my nerdy maths-side coming out, but there it is.
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The over-blown, ludicrous self-importance of people whinging here is frankly breath taking.
Get a grip.
Spoilsport.
Just wondering, were you involved in this yourself, Jay?
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Yep, it's pretty much a snore-fest at this stage, and totally worthless as a list as far as I'm concerned.
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We ate in Mint again last week, accompanied by a friend who hadn't eaten there before. It's always interesting to see the restaurant through "new" eyes in this way, and as usual Mint didn't disappoint.
We tried a relatively new pork dish, with the meat served in various forms, the chop brought to the table separately, smoking in hay. The aroma is absolutely incredible and the taste fully lives up to the expectation. It was so evocative that our friend pointed out that it's the first dish he's ever eaten that made him sad to eat it. Truly astonishing.
Everything else was as good as ever, Pierre doing his usual fantastic job with the pairings and the FOH running very smoothly. Onwards and upwards!
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We realised recently that we hadn't eaten at Alexis in quite some time (mainly because we were trying to eat at home more for weightloss reasons -- thusfar ineffective!). We popped in yesterday for Sunday lunch, and I'm glad to report that, as usual, everything was top drawer.
My starter of chicken liver parfait had a beautiful home-made feel to it, accompanied by excellent brioche. Hazel's fig and blue cheese tart was summarily demolished and I can report that the morsel I was granted was very good indeed! My main of pork loin was probably the star of the show. Lean but moist, with a subtle apple sauce and decidedly more-ish gravy, not to mention excellent mash and perfectly-cooked veg, it was exactly what a Sunday lunch should be. Hazel continued her pastry theme with a rich steak and mushroom pie, served with the aforementioned mash and carrots. The flavour and texture of the meat was fabulous, this was really feel-good food. Presentation was very pretty as well, showing perhaps a touch more elegance than before? In any case, very tasty.
Despite my protestations that I couldn't possibly eat any more, I managed to squeeze in an apple crumble, and even though I had to be rolled to the car, I regret nothing! The light caramel sauce and proper vanilla ice-cream set it off beautifully.
So, all-in-all, it's my usual rave review for Alexis. There are very few restaurants at any level in Dublin where I prefer to eat. Bill for 2 starters, 2 mains, 1 dessert, 2 coffees and 1 large bottle of sparkling water was 60 Euro. You can't say fairer than that.
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Great post, Tim. I think I'll trash that blood pressure monitor I just bought!
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I will note that I think people who are younger and/or inexperienced when it comes to high end dining tend to make a major mistake when they skip directly from not knowing much to 3 star restaurants. They don't know very much about food - and they wind up trying to measure things without a ruler.
In principle I don't disagree with this. Like much of the arts, appreciation comes with experience, and time must be taken to understand exactly what's going on. The current trend for "all opinions are equally valid" pretty much drives me mad (yet here I am espousing my views, oh the irony!)
That said, this is the sort of message that, while fine on eGullet, worries me when I hear it in wider circles. I don't think it should require special skills to enjoy a restaurant at any level, in much the same way that you don't have to understand the finer points of contrapuntal writing to enjoy how a Bach fugue sounds. Of course, you may get more from the experience the more you understand what's happening under the hood, but it's not a prerequisite. Even a limited amount of experience (and a curious palate) should be enough to let you know whether a restaurant is "good" or not, and while I agree that such knowledge is insufficient for reviewer/Michelin inspector status, nor should it be entirely discounted.
Among my peers I'm a bit of an anomaly in terms of my eating habits, but one thing that's sure to send me screaming from the room is a comment like "I probably wouldn't even enjoy the food at a restaurant like that". Actually, you probably would if you just got past the idea that this is elitist food for wealthy gourmets only. Humans are hard-wired to enjoy food, it's a pretty important part of staying alive, and experiencing food at the very highest level will probably speak to something innate as much as to your conscious mind. If an open-minded but inexperienced diner goes to a 3-star restaurant and doesn't enjoy the food, then I think there's something wrong somewhere.
Sorry, I'm straying OT here.
Regarding Michelin, I think it's the very coarseness of the grading system that makes it so solid, and I agree with Julot that it's a more qualitative grading than we're used to dealing with elsewhere. How many times do we read, especially at the one-star level, that "There' no way gastropub X is the same quality as linen-and-expensive-ingredients-restaurant Y"? The star system is not about equating restaurants, but this point is repeatedly lost (not accusing you of this, Frege, I suspect you understand the grading system very well!!) Anyway, I like it, and while it may be a relic of a former era that doesn't sit well with modern readers, I'd hate to see it changed.
Besides, with 3 gradings we have enough to argue about -- imagine if we had 20!
The French Laundry 2006 -
in California: Dining
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Thanks Really Nice, you've saved me a bit of work there already! I'll let you know how I get on.