macrosan

Ron, I didn't and I wouldn't

Well said Wilfrid :) The irony is that wine buffs will often complain that a 'new world' wine is somehow faulty if its taste does not match exactly that of its origins. So people like Revel will say that a Californian Chardonnay is inferior to French because its terroir or grape varietal is different. For him then to extol the virtues of variety of flavors in wine is extraordinary :)

As Steven says, there aren't a lot of differences between kosher and non-kosher chickens, but the few differences are important. First, kosher chickens are sold in much lower volumes, so many of the factory production processes are absent. Second, many of the chemical additives used for non-kosher chickens are banned. Third, any chicken with skin blemishes or internal bruises is automatically non-kosher. Finally chicken-feed has to be controlled (for example no kosher animal can be fed offal). Because of this, many chicken farms supplying kosher butchers are free-range or at least non-battery. Personally, I believe these factors improve the quality of the meat, altho of course that doesn't necessarily improve the flavor.

Panel says it's OK :) I agree with the Bombay Brasserie -- it has a 'colonial' feel and looks great, and I always found the service smooth and professional. Food is excellent. Harry's Bar at the Atlantic (Piccadilly Circus) is pretty romantic for cocktails. I've found the restaurant excellent on the two occasions I've been there. Foliage at the Mandarin Oriental, Knightsbridge is a great place, very French service. My first visit was last week for lunch, but my instinct is that it would be very romantic for dinner.

I'm just going to consult my panel of advisers to see if that title is oxymoronic. If not, then I'll think about it and reply :)

This is where I finished, on eGullet advice, for my 'special' business lunch. Did it come up to scratch ? Were you guys right ? See next week's exciting.... Nahhh, let's get it over with. It was spot on :) Finding the restaurant in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel is confusing, and the room is tucked away unprepossessingly in a corner of the building through a somewhat off-putting bar. I had a drink in the bar while waiting for my guest, and he joined me for a drink when he arrived. The service in the bar was poor, and I was fearing the worst for the restaurant :( When we walked through to the restaurant, we were warmly greeted by the maitre d', a very French young man, very pleasant. We had a good table on the upper level, with a view of Hyde Park, not at all cramped. The service, provided by the maitre d' and a young waiter and waitress was impeccable throughout our stay. They left us alone when we were in conversation, poured wine and water at exactly the right moments, checked that all was well at the right moments, and were unobtrusive throughout. We started with a freebie of smoked salmon and mushroom canapes. They were pleasant, but I have never been able to get excited about either the concept or execution of amuses bouches ... ah well. My starter was a trio of foie gras - one fine glazed puree, one coarse blob (can't think of a better word :) ) and one fried, with a small pyramid of twisted leeks. I was amused when the waiter suggested the sequence in which I should eat the four items :) but I dutifully followed his instructions and was delighted with the dish. My guest had a lobster ravioli which he found exceptional. Main was roast pheasant (in place of the menu'd Bresse pigeon) with mashed potato and a vol au vent of (I think) spinach, and cabbage with bacon pieces. This last item annoyed me, as it wasn't described on the menu and I don't eat bacon. OK, I just left it, but that was the one jarring note throughout the meal. The rest of the dish was superb. The pheasant was not overcooked, succulent and tender, well flavoured. The vol au vent was specially good. My guest had roast lamb (I didn't notice the trimmings) and I didn't need to ask how he enjoyed it --- I've NEVER seen a plate cleared so completely, it hardly needed washing afterwards :) Puds were a blackcurrant sorbet with a mousse and choclate pieces for me and a fruit parfait for my guest. Fine, but unexceptional. The wine was a St Julien Chateau Gloria 1985, selected after the longest discussion I've ever had with a sommelier :) (in this case the maitre d'). I asked for his advice, and he was so insistent on getting it right that he couldn't make up his mind, and kept asking us further questions. Finally he recommended this one, and it was superb at £81. We finished with two different ports (again recommended by the maitre d'). Mine was very good, but maybe a little on the sweet side for my taste. The total bill for 2 including service was £181. My guest pronounced it a memorable occasion, and I enjoyed every minute. We were last out of the place at 4.15 pm and I think they would have left us alone there for the night :) Really excellent choice. I give Foliage an 8.3 out of 10, and I have to admit I rate Petrus fractionally ahead at 8.5. My highest score ever is 9 which was awarded to Babbo in NYC last year.

Clearly you know nothing of Northern European beers, Scarpetta. I have a good (Flemish) friend who will sniff and taste beer just like a wine-taster, and tell you which brewery, which year, which hopfield, which variety of hop and so on and so on, and he tells me Dutch and German beers have the same subtleties. He and I had a beer tasting evening in Brussels (with dinner) which opened my eyes and taste-buds to the fact that beer (certainly in Belgium) is as complex and interesting as any wine. This is indeed an interesting thread. The most interesting aspect is that not a single beer expert has posted (ie someone like my Flemish friend). That maybe proves Bux's point. Wine is an accompaniment to food, beer (except in Belgium) generally isn't. So most people here at eGullet will be wine drinkers. My knowledge of wine is limited to "I know what I like". Those whose knowledge of beer is similarly limited should not denigrate it.

Assuming you mean Aquavit, Wilfrid ;) .... yeah, that's what Mr Shaw told me. I did a pretty scathing review and he suggested I "wasn't in the mood for fine dining" Everyone seems to rate the place so highly, I am happy to assume one of us (Aquavit or I) had an off day. I'll go back and try again.

Oh dear, I've eaten at only 5 of these :( and in all honesty I wouldn't hurry back to any of them. Based on one experience only at each, I would classify them all as basically OK but well below expectations and price. Aquavit La Grenouille Le Cirque Lutece Montrachet I need to get started on the other 45 on your list, Wilfrid, but I don't think I have sufficient years left in me :(

I think that may be ON Thompson just north of Houston. There is always a long line outside, even when it's freezing cold

eGullet continues its inexorable rise in the charts. But poor Rosie is under serious threat !!! Whilst she is inching up towards #10, her lead over #12 is being gradually eroded. Will eGullet not protect one of its own ? Come on people, when you vote for eGullet, while you're over there in the polling booth, cast a vote for Rosie too :)

It's used all the time in the UK, but that may be because we can neither spell, nor pronounce properly, French words. Great review, Jack. Carmine is on my regular NYC beat, and I will definitely give it a try next month when I'm over, if my already planned food-fest leaves me able :)

Speeling, Andy, speeling :( "Head or TAIL" pleez. You should have just enough time to correct it before you put it on your website, thus avoiding eternal Majumdarian humiliation. God, I'm good to you My view is that you can't "select poorly" at a top quality restaurant. I agree that you can be adventurous and find you don't really like what you've chosen, but I think you know when you've done that and wouldn't slate the cooking as a result.

LOL only in America could you call those "PIGS in blankets"

I can't admit to "every 3 or 4 weeks", but maybe once every couple of months, if I need something to eat 'on the move' I go for a KFC chicken with fries. Even worse, I DO enjoy it. I've tried Macdonalds (tasteless, luke-warm, and over-garnished) and Burger King (rubbery, luke-warm and over-garnished). By contrast I think KFC actually do have a good product. And I know Bux will grimace when he reads this, but I also enjoy a half-pound bar of Cadbury's Whole Nut chocolate --- yes, still CHOCOLATE until the EEC decides otherwise :)

http://www.canada.com/ottawa....96D4CB} Jinmyo

LOL Steven, that shows you're a cook and I'm not. I NEVER EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT USING A KNIFE :) I got a large circular pastry mold and formed it into a rectangle. When I'm in a 'fancy breakfast' mood, I use a bulka (almost rectangular chollah) for toast, put my rectangular egg on the toast and lay a half slice of beef tomato on the curved top of the toast.

You're right, except that you will lose the perfection of the straight-edge outline.

I heat the pan up very hot until the oil is spitting (I only use vegetable or olive oil) and lay the egg into the pan. Sprinkle coarse salt. Sometimes I let the edges crisp, sometimes not. Sometimes I baste, sometimes I flip, sometimes neither. All these options create surprising variety in texture and flavor. There seem to be a number of factors that make an egg break when you flip it. The first is technique, and if you tend to flip too hard, try using 2 spatulae, sandwich the egg lightly between them (make sure the top spatula is oiled), turn over and slide off. Lightly basting the egg before flipping will also help. Also, my experience is that eggs straight from the fridge, or VERY fresh eggs will tend to break more easily. One other method I'm continually experimenting with is ways of flavoring the white. Sprinkling a small amount of very finely chopped spring onion or paprika into the white immediately the egg goes in the pan works :), and so far the things I've tried which I didn't like are basil, tomato, thyme and black pepper :(. Just for fun, when I've been serving eggs on toast to friends, I have a rectangular metal pastry shape cutter which I put into the pan, then pour the egg into. The fried egg is then rectangular and fits perfectly onto a slice of toast altho it does have to be sunny side up.

A gourmet

I know it's not French, but on the subject of translation of dishes on a menu, the following at an "Italian" restaurant in Central London is my all-time favorite. "Escaloppa a piacere" was translated as "Veal fried in breadcrumbs with spaghetti" :)

I've only been to TX once, to Dallas in 1989. The highlight for me was an evening at the Trail Dust --- no, don't laugh. The smallest steak they had on the menu was 16oz, but as it was called "The Cowgirl" I obviously couldn't order that. I ordered "The Cowboy" which was a mere 24oz. BTW the largest steak on the standard menu was 54oz !!!! The steaks were thrown onto a mesquite grill by a guy using a pitchfork :) The steak with ranch fries and coffee cost ผ.99, and it was without doubt the best steak I've ever eaten in terms of sheer quality of meat. The Trail Dust is also a dance hall. When we were there they had a live Country&Western band, and the dance floor was filled with locals (lots of families) line dancing. Altogether it was a great evening, lots of atmosphere, wonderful steak.

The principle here may be not money, but client entertainment. And particularly entertainment of what I would describe as "high unit value" clients, in which case it is important that the quality (and price) of the meal bears a relationship to the quality (and price) of the services provided to the client. Under that rule, many lawyers and accountants would likely become accustomed to gourmet eating, as would senior salesmen and executives in many other industries. And custom is likely to lead to self-education and enjoyment. My own interest in, and then love of, gourmet food developed from that last category. I am an executive in an IT company whose job necessitates entertaining all our major clients. Did I say "necessitates" ? :)

I've never been a devotee of the concept that certain wines go with certain foods, except that I agree that a strong-tasting wine with delicate food, and vice versa, tends to spoil the culinary experience. But I'm entirely happy in principle to drink white wine with meat or red wine with fish, and I'm also happy to drink grape wines with any national cuisine. I'm a lover of Australian Shiraz, and the best I've ever had is in my favorite Chinese (Pekingese) restaurant in Esher, England. I'm not convinced that there is ANY relationship between sake and Shiraz, but I'm happy to continue to drink lots of both in my quest for the truth :)

Sorry Matthew, but I couldn't resist this one :) Was the wine waiter a 6-month-old baby, or was it just that his dentures kept falling out ?