macrosan

Matthew, I certainly think that the version of "truth" that many scientists proffer as such is indeed fantasy. I ahve no problems with the many scientists who experiment and theorize, and then say things like "On balance, to the best of our limited knowledge, and pending further study, it does appear that ...". What I object to is scientists who say "This is so because we have conclusively proven it so". Note that the latter style of comment was exactly wehat we in Britain got on the subject of BSE. I'm saying that the very idea that science derives truth is a fantasy. Of course there do turn out to be (for the time being at least) some scientific truths in the pure sciences, like maybe the Law of Relativity or Hooke's Law. But in the natural sciences, there is so much interpretation of experimentation required that "truth" is hard to come by, especially when couched in such non-scientific terms as "this is good for you" or "there is no evidence that smoking causes cancer". OK, that last one is a cheap shot, but that is indeed what some scientists were saying as long ago as 1994 !!!! On the question "Am I trying to spark conversation", it is fair to say that I am to some extent playing devil's advocate. I would dread the thought that scientists stopped trying to push back the boundaries of knowledge. I am not opposed to science as a field of important human endeavour. I just would like scientists to acknowledge their fallibility, and to keep reminding us laymen of how fallible they can be.

I find that an easy question to answer. Of course you should have published it. Scientific truth (alluded to by trillium) is a fantasy. We were told the scientific truth about BSE and discovered that half the scientists were liars and the other half incompetent. Science is as much about interpretation as about "fact" and the Planck article contains, I would guess, no more inaccurate interpretations than the soy lobby pronouncements on their product, or the GM pronouncements on theirs, or the tobacco industry on theirs. It might be a good idea to print a health warning at the head of the Planck article. Like "People who expect certainty in life may find parts of this article worrisome".

If this is going to go on for some time, I'm going to have to get an effing é on my effing keyboard. Can't have bad spelling ruining the look of the UK Forum Super write-up, Gary, most enjoyable. I'm surprised you were surprised by the bill. Of course that's a lot of money, but for an exceptional experience it sounds not bad value to me. In fact, you've got me thinking ....

On the general issue of presentation of unscientific or unproven data as facts, I hold to Newton's view of the world Every action provokes an equal and opposite reaction. The manufacturing lobby has spent vast sums of money promoting their scientific inexactitudes, half-truths and half-lies, so I have zero problem with someone like Nina countering that position. Now I have something puzzling me on the topic under discussion. I had always understood that there was once a legume called a soya bean (from which soya sauce was derived and so on; then the GM industry took this plant and genetically modified it into a different thing, and to differentiate it they removed the "a" from soya and called it soy. Is this right ? Is soy a genetically modified form of the naturally occurring soya ? Is the soy bean to which Nina's article refers a GM food ? Nina's article certainly rasies some interesting and important questions. The article is very US-centric, and obviously it is written for the US market. My own perception is that the "myth" as she calls it is far less mythical in the UK I believe that the public here are far less "into" soy than the Americans, and more aware of the artificial nature of this "food", and maybe even more resistant to its use in general foodstuffs. I'd be interested to hear Nina's comments on the UK dimension.

I want small-town hospitality, and I want what the proprietor wants --- those two things go together It's a bit like a tourist who goes to the Lake District to enjoy the scenery, but he wants a taxi rank at the foot of every hill and fully-serviced public convenience every 100 yards up to the peak. What on earth is the point of "getting away from it all" if you want to find everything you left behind ? I know you have it right, Basil, because you get so much enjoyment out of what you do, and then you even manage to make a lot of eGulletarians (as well as all your local regulars) want to come back again and again. What better proof could there be ? Sorry about your no-show tonight, and I'm sorry to be tomorrow night's no-show Look after the Finches, won't you ?

And quite right too, long may it remain so !!! What's more, the French call them frites

Bloody 'ell, Jon, do you know this guy ?

Simon, A spaghetti of chicken stock? Could you explain?? Was this like the el bulli spag made with stock set with agar rather than gelatin (to stop it melting when hot)? it was. He is, it transpired a great fan It must be me, but I still don't understand the explanation But nevertheless a splendid Majumdarian review, full of important detail, excellent contextual interpretation, and several rude words Enjoyed the write-up, Simon, and I'll be going there soon.

Oh I just love it when professional food writers talk dirty

OK, so those are the best "fancy" places in town Monica, but whenever anyone now asks me for an Indian food recommendation I now point them to the New Tayyab. The eGullet meal we had there last year was the best food of its kind. The service was friendly, and the place is comfortable enough, but it's distinctly unpretentious If you're interested, I'm sure Tony Finch will give you the full address.

Luger's for lunch, a trip I've been threatening for sveral months, and my first visit there for maybe three years. Steak for two, on the rare side of medium rare, with fries and creamed spinach was the order, and I didn't even have to move my lips to order it But I did have to share the steak. The meat was just as perfect as I always remembered it to be, the fries were totally terrific, and the spinach (I hate spinach) was absolutely wonderful. I'm not a frequent steak eater --- in the UK, you can't frequently eat steak if you know what a good steak tastes like --- and in any case I'm not a great "best of class" fan. But if there is a better steak out there it really must be something very special. The steak was perfectly cooked, with just enough fat to keep the meat moist, it was melt-in-the-mouth tender and just a wonderful flavor. This was certainly as good as any I've had. The key lime pie I had for dessert was very good. The atmosphere seemed a little low-key, but maybe that's what happens at lunchtime. Service was efficient and friendly, and we had to drag ourselves out at 4pm without even a polite hint from the servers. I still have Sparks and whatsisname-the-basketball-player's place on my list, but I no longer expect them to be better than Luger's. If they can match it, they will have done a very good job.

Hey Rozrapp, you really are determined to train me in dealing with bad service, aren't you ? 11.45 pm was just to late to embark on that path. Incidentally, the ten minutes might be a slight exaggeration, but it was certainly five In fact, my companions were all experienced New York diners, and it was they who proposed the reduced tip If I had been the "senior" person at the table, I would like to think I would have reduced the tip in the same way, but I can't be sure. Perhaps if I had your cellphone number, I would be able on future occasions to call you and seek your proposals on individual cases Hey, come to think of it, that could be a great moneymaker --- Dial-a-Tip !!!

Talisker ? Tobermory ? Bushey, did someone kid your husband that the salmon was smoked in single malt whisky vapor ???? Shurely not Now if he was sipping the nectar alternately with mouthfuls of oak-smoked wild salmon, then that indeed could be my idea of heaven

Overall, I was impressed by Craft. The food was maybe a little below expectations (but then my expectations were very high) and my "service gremlin" struck again unerringly (but then it has been that kind of a week ) but altogether this was an interesting and enjoyable experience. The room and the decor is, as everyone seems to agree, pleasant and airy and bright. Our table for five was oversized and comfortable. The menu is terrific, although I can understand a first-timer being somewhat daunted by the presentation. Of course I had the benefit of reading many reviews here, and also I was dining with old hands, so we got straight into the "how shall we structure this meal, and who likes what" discussion. The variety and balance of dishes was excellent. I can't even remember what the others in the party had, so I'll confine myself to reporting what I tried. "My" appetizer was hamachi. This arrived as four thinly sliced strips laid in a square, lying on a slightly yellow colored marinade of some sort (very sharp and actually a nice flavor which I couldn't identify) and covered with small chips of celery which had been soaked in the marinade. The celery was crunchy and acid, and excellent. The hamachi was pretty bland, and very much overpowered by the marinade, and didn't have that slightly "chunky" texture that I prefer. This was a pleasant dish, certainly raised a level by the celery, but I thought not otherwise well conceived. I tasted a veal sweetbread, and that was quite superb. Light, nicely flavored, excellent texture, good presentation. OK, so I chose the wrong appetizer My choice of main was a roast poularde (for two) which I shared with my table neighbour. He assured us that a poularde is the female equivalent of a capon, and this prompted much interesting biological and surgical discussion at the table It seems that what he meant was that this is a young female chicken which is milk fed. The chicken looked wonderful on the dish. The meat (both leg and breast) was an excellent color, and the presentation was excellent. I found the meat very garlicky, but far from unpleasant, and both I and my co-eater found the meat a little on the dry side. But make no mistake, this was top quality meat, well prepared. I tried the Kobe skirt steak, which was my nomination for the most striking looking dish on the table. The meat was beautifully gradated from a bright, rich red in the centre to a dark purple on the outside. The flavor was excellent, definitely different from "ordinary" steak, with a subtle herby flavor. The rare portion of the meat was beatifully melt-in-the-mouth soft, but the outer rim was noticeably tougher, and the "skin" was actually hard and chewy. Might this be the skirt cut rather than the norm for Kobe ? This was my first taste of Kobe beef, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I have to say that at $42 for the portion (I guess 12oz) without vegetables, I'm not convinced I consider it good value as against a steak at Luger's say. The vegetables I tried were roast Jerusalem artichokes (excellent), morels (very good, but not my favorite mushroom) and peas (very good). The wines were a Montpeyroux (?sp) which was a beautiful, light Languedoc red and an Australian Shiraz (excellent, spicy and full wine). And so to dessert, or as it turned out, not. OK, so the service problem occurred again (my third time in a week) and it was I who caused the problem. Let me step back to our arrival at the restaurant. Our group of five arrived at 9.41pm for a 9.45 reservation. Yvonne announced us to the hostess and the conversation went something like this : Hostess: Your table isn't ready yet. Yvonne: How long will it be ? Hostess: You are early. The reservation is 9.45 and it's only 9.39 (actually it was 9.42). Yvonne: Yes, that's quite alright. How long will we have to wait ? Hostess: You'll have to wait at the bar. There are no seats but you can stand. Yvonne: No problem. (There is now a long, long pause) Hostess: (With a big tone of surprize) Oh, do you want to check your coats ? We checked the coats and went to stand at the bar, which was very crowded, but about five minutes later we were taken to our table. At the time, this wasn't a big deal, but I did feel that the hostess's attitude was very offhand, almost to the point of rudeness. And quite unnecessarily so. Moving on to the ordering, we remarked at the time that our server, a very chirpy,pigtailed young woman, was very slow and offhand in taking our order for wine. Her first arrival at the table was cheerful and very theatrical. She went through her "Have we all eaten here before" script and then seemed to disappear for a long time. She came back to take the wine order. Our table expert chose the Montpeyroux and then asked for a second wine which they no longer had. He asked her for a suggested alternative, and she was clearly out of her depth because our expert thought little of her proposals. So he told her to leave the list with him for a few minutes. It must have been at least fifteen minutes before she returned to take his order. We then had to wait maybe another twenty minutes before they brought the first bottle of wine, which just managed to precede the food. Not good. And so to our non-dessert. We were given dessert menus, but I had noticed on the tasting menu a dish of compote of rhubarb and raspberry which was exactly what I now fancied. I asked the server if it was possible for me to have that dish. Her instant answer was something like "That dish is not available", a phrase designed to indicate that whether or not it was available in the kitchen, they did not as a matter of policy serve tasting menu dishes to those who ordered a la carte meals. Yvonne now asked "Are you saying you don't have any, or are you saying you just won't serve it to us" (I think she wanted to order it too) and the server replied "No, that dish is not available". So Yvonne suggested she go and check with the kitchen. I don't even know if she ever did this, but she flounced off and returned ten minutes later to say "That dish is not available". I said that in that case I wouldn't have a dessert, and the others said the same (whether just in solidarity or not, I will never know ). "Any coffee ?" asked the server ? "No". "Any drinks?" "No". So she brought the check, we debated the tip and settled on 9%, paid and left. I was reminded instantly of the contrast at Blue Hill, where I made an identical request (for a much more complicated and "quantity controlled" dessert dish) to which the instant reply had been "Certainly, sir, that will be no problem". At Craft, bear in mind that we were at about 11.45 pm, and the chances of anyone else ordering a tasting menu were slim, and in any case it is unthinkable that for a compote they had not overprepared quantity. If they really had run out, a simple "Sorry, but we have run out" would have sufficed, and there would have been no problem. The response we got was arrogant and unwarranted, and the tip she got was her just dessert ( pun intended). Someone at the table said "I wonder what Danny Meyer would have said about his protege". The cost was just under $90 a person, including tax bit not tip, for two courses and wine. Despite the sad service experience, I still rate Craft highly. It's a place I could go back to often and never run out of dishes and combinations to try. I'll just have to try and avoid seeing anything on the tasting menu that I might like to try, and to be sure to order wine they have in stock, and to arrive exactly on time Craft is worth all of that.

Hey, Superfly, did you overhear them talking about that Limey who was in there the other day and they made wait thirty minutes for the wrong burger, but he still left a tip ?

This place gets the Macrosan Thumbs Up symbol (look for it in all their advertizing from now on). This was meant to be a quick lunch with an old friend, but it turned into a slow lunch with an old friend instead Of course he guided me to their signature dish, the egg and onion and nova. When this arrived, I thought they'd got it wrong, because I was expecting the UK style of this dish, which is chopped hard-boiled egg and onion, with chopped salmon, served cold. But the Greengrass dish is onion and salmon cooked into an omelette served warm. But indeed this is a terrific dish. Well prepared, tasty and balanced, I could make this my regular breakfast dish from now on. We also had a "three fish platter" which consisted of smoked salmon, sturgeon and sable (the last instead of the standard whitefish) served with pickled cucumber, big round slices of onion and beefsteak tomato, and toasted bagels. The salmon was excellent, although I found the smoking lighter than my preference. I had never eaten either sturgeon or sable before, and I found both of them fascinating. The fish was cut into fairly thin slices, and the flesh just fell apart when I picked up a slice. Again, the smoking was very light in both cases, although this suited the two fish better than the salmon (which I think benefits from a strong wood smoke). I found the sturgeon fairly innocuous -- nice texture, and very pleasant, but not a show-stopper. The sable was excellent with a distinctive and pleasing flavor. We had arrived at a little after 12 o'clock, and by about 1.30 the place was packed. There was a moment when I thought we were getting the hurry-up signals from our waiter, but my companion is made of sterner stuff than that and totally ignored (or maybe he didn't recognize) the signals. Anyway, he's a regular who the boss, Gary Greengrass, calls by his first name, so we sat there till 3 o'clock just drinking water for the last forty five minutes I can't even remember exactly what it cost, but I think it was about $30 a head all included. Maybe it ewas nostalgia. This sort of food has all but disappeared from London since the East End kosher eateries closed down. But I thoroughly enjoyed the food and the no-nonsense ambience. Barney Greengrass is a great place not just for Jewish soul food, but also for unhurried conversation between friends. And that definitely gets it my Thumbs Up Award.

I guess this is as good a thread as any to tag a review of my first visit to the front room at GT. The food and service still score a big high with me, but maybe I'll stick with the main restaurant next time. This was a late arrangement with friends, and there were no tables available in the restaurant. The front room is no booking, and fortunately the first of our party of four to arrive was allowed to grab a vacant table for four immediately. The table was right next to the bar, and for the whole evening the noise level was so high that I was hoarse from talking loud enough to be heard by my friends. Really ! There were also occasional problems with jostling by people standing at the bar, so altogether this wasn't the best environment for a relaxed, chatty evening. But the meal was excellent. I didn't bring away a menu, and I left my memory somewhere (I forget where) a long time ago, so a brief overview of the dishes will have to do. Starter was a portobello mushroom on a flaky pastry base with a macedoine of vegetables in a sauce. This was a really good dish, with a nice contrast of flavors and textures, and a perfectly cooked portobello and good pastry. The only complaint was that the dish was maybe slightly too salty, although that did enhance the mushroom. Main was roast chicken. The chicken was first class --- tender, excellent flavour, not too dry or moist. The sauce was a good, sharp contrasting flavor, but this was way too salty. Fortunately, the chicken was not basted with the sauce, so I had the option (which I took) just to dip evry second mouthful of the chicken in the sauce. It just seemed a shame that the sauce was too salty and strong to provide a positive enhancement to the dish, although in the event it didn't stop me enjoying it greatly. Vegetables were ramps (I think) and boiled potatoes and a couple of others, perfectly cooked al dente and tasty, except where they had soaked up too much of the sauce Steve Klc will be mortified to learn that they didn't have a single panna cotta dish on the dessert menu so I couldn't test his ideas from my other (AZ) thread. But I had probably the ebst dessert I have ever tasted in New York instead. This was a Rhubarb Tarte Tatin with sorbet, and it was immaculate. (Anyone reading my posts of this trip will now have it quite clear that I am a rhubarb nut ) The dish was a simple puff pastry case (what I would call a vol au vent case) filled with nice size chunks of rhubarb in a light custard, plus a rhubarb sorbet. The pastry was perfect, the rhubarb was perfect, the custard was perfect and the sorbet was almost perfect. My saliva glands are operating right now as I type this Each single ingredient, and the balance of textures and flavors, and sweetness and sharpness, and the visual presentation could not have been bettered. Yummmm! We drank two different Rieslings. The first was oversweet for my taste, but the second (I think Alsatian) was excellent. The sommelier was really helpful and knowledgeable, particularly in guiding us to the second wine after our comments on the first. Our waitress was cheerful and friendly and efficient throughout, despite the physical difficulties of serving at this table (due to its proximity to the bar). This was my fourth or fifth visit to GT, and I have never had anything less than a very good meal here. This one maintained the standard comfortably. The whole meal came to $85 a head including tip, which was phenomenally good value, and obviously that is a lot less than the main restaurant would have cost. For myself, I would rather pay the extra. I wouldn't eat in the front room again. Sure it's buzzy and interesting, but truly the noise level makes conversation tough. Overall, another big thumbs up from me for GT.

I am having the best time, chef. Last night was Gramercy Tavern (just looking for a thread to add my comments to now), then tonight is Craft, tomorrow Peter Luger. Someone has to do it, you know

Trust me, folks, I'm an Englishman. I have no immutable prejudice in favour of mesquite wood, no opinion as to the relative merits of pits as against grills, no mantra on the subject of slow smoking. I just wanted to eat a real hamburger, and a friend suggested I go to Blue Smoke. Sure, my friend is kind of an Italian American, but I nevertheless do trust his opinion even on the great American hamburger. In an event, given a choice between anywhere and Macdonalds, anywhere is going to win. I arrived at Blue Smoke at 8pm on Wednesday and the place was heaving. It took ten minutes to get to order a beer at the bar (wow, they have over 40 beers on the list, and one of them is some fancy German beer at seven bucks a bottle !!!) and then I had to wait another fifteen minutes before I grabbed a vacant seat, New York style. Like I was sitting in it before the previous occupant had both feet on the ground. I ordered a medium-rare burger with fries and coleslaw. There were no options on the burger; if yoyu wanted it fancy you had to be chef yourself with the many trimmings available as extras. The order took nearly thirty minutes to arrive, and I kept getting apologies from the bartender. However, since the Mets were getting seriously beaten by the Dodgers on the well-positioned TV, I hardly noticed. I also enjoyed watching (and smelling) the other dishes being served at the bar, and listening in on some very amusing conversations One group of five guys standing behind me ordered five bottles of the fancy German beer. Forty five bucks, said the bartender. A long delay, a heavy gulp and @Did you say forty five bucks?". "Yep". The money was handed over, and my guy said to his friends "This stuff iss nine bucks a bottle". He turned back to the bartender "This is nine bucks a bottle ?". "Sure, enjoy your drinks". Twenty minutes later, they oprdered another five of the same. My food finally arrived. The fries were lukewarm, the burger piping hot and well done. But I didn't complain (I needed to be back at my apartment sometime that night) and I really enjoyed it. The meat was terrific, good flavor and texture, and the bun was just right. The fries were good, and although I can see why some people would say they were frozen, they were too uneven in size and shape (in my view) to be bought in. I liked the potato flavor, and the texture. Coleslaw was very good, if maybe just a tad on the vinegary side. The beer, burger and fries, plus coleslaw, and coffee (which wasn't very good) came to $23 before tip. I had a great two hours in a fun atmosphere among lots of people having a good time, a burger of a quality I could never find in the UK, I got to see the Mets lose the ball game, and the whole thing came to $23. That has to be terrific value. I need to go back to Blue Smoke with a group so I can try those great looking and smelling chicken wings, iceberg lettuce and ribs that the people next to me were eating. Who goes to a BBQ restaurant for a burger ? Well now I do. Trust me, I'm an Englishman.

Yes, Suzanne, the breads were good and the dips (specially the onion dip) were great. We also had a couple of amuses which were good.

Steve, I have a feeling we should start a panna cotta thread They were both in your 1-2-3 style, three separate items on the plate, although the AZ items were piled on top of one another. Does that count as layered ? You may well be right that panna cotta built into the structure of a dessert dish would be better. On its own, I'm not crazy about the slightly slimy texture of panna cotta, and I'm not convinced it's a good product for carrying flavor. But as almost a "filling" for gateau or pie, maybe it would work. Your question about context is interesting. I can't see how my dessert fitted into an Asian fusion menu. I can only remember one other dessert, and that was a fancy creme brulee, which seems also to me to be right outside everything else on the AZ menu. Maybe Patricia Yeo can't think of any Asian inspired desserts which would appeal to the American palate ? The dessert at UP certainly was in keeping with the general style of the food. I suppose UP is essentially French-American cuisine, and lemon as a dessert base is well tried in both of those. OK, you really have me on the run now. I will try panna cotta tomorrow at GT, and then again at Craft where I'm dining on Friday How on earth did you know ? Edit note: Corrected description of AZ layering

At last, at last, after all this time and space, I can now post on this thread I had lunch at Otto today I ate alone at the bar. The bartender was the worst I have ever come across in America. He took my order for a pizza and I asked for the wine list. He gave it to me and immediately went away. He was chattering non-stop to a couple of regulars and a group of friends. It took me five minutes to attract his attention to ask which wines came by the glass, and he gave me another list and disappeared. After a further ten minutes, I gave up trying to attract his attention. I didn't order wine. The next time he even looked in my direction was when I called out to him that I wanted dessert. He got three other peoples' orders wrong, corrected them, and still got one wrong. He had to be reminded by people that they had ordered other dishes and drinks. Never once did I hear an apology. The tip I left was about 10% and it was too much, but I couldn't even get his attention to say what I thought of the service I ordered Pizza Napoletana, and it was really poor. Actually, I quite liked the crunchy base, although I agree with the opinion expressed here that this is no more a pizza than stuffed naan is a pizza. I have had pizze from north to south of Italy (granted, excluding Sardinia) and all over the UK at widely differing Italian restaurants, and I have never been served anything like this. Butn whatever it's called, I found the base interesting. The problem was the topping. Pizza Napoletana comes with tomatoes, anchovies, capers and olives. This pizza didn't come with tomatoes, it came with tomato paste, tasting just like the stuff my wife used to buy in jars, to go with pasta, before I told her I would refuse to eat the stuff. The tomato paste was frankly awful. It was sticky and sweet and cloying. I can't believe they make this in the kitchen, I can only assume they also buy it in jars. The capers wer very small and mild, and the anchovies were very small and almost tasteless. The olives (Greek kalamata, I think) were quite good. Overall, this pizza was the least enjoyable I've had since I once went into Pizza Hut maybe ten years ago. It just didn't taste good. I then had vanilla and amaretto gelati, which were quite good. Not spectacular, maybe slightly too gelatinous, but they were OK. The check came to $17 without tax and tip. I can think of no reason why I would ever go to Otto again, except maybe to see if that bartender has kept his job

I enjoyed two firsts last night at AZ, Patricia Yeo's "Asian fusion" restaurant. My first visit to the restaurant, and my first ever tasting menu. Yes folks, "I was a tasting menu virgin" But no longer ! It took a few moments to locate the front door among the white-glass panels which are the frontage of the restaurant. In fact, if the guy inside hadn't opened it for us, we might have been wandering around the street for another twenty minutes. We walked through the foyer into a superb bar and lounge area which must be a great place for cocktails when it's busy ! We found our companions at the bar, and went straight to the second floor restaurant in the elevator and to our large round table for five. The decor of the restaurant somehow exactly matches the cuisine -- Asian fusion. Hints of the orient in the hangings and colors and shapes, and yet thoroughly modern. We started with a cocktail from the unusual cocktail menu. I hated the forced and inept attempts to incorporate the letters "AZ" into every cocktail name, like "peAch fuZz" and "godAZilla", but then I'm not crazy about the name in the first place I really do think they should change it, because whatever someone once thought it meant, I believe the restaurant is far more important and classy than the name conveys. My cocktail was "mAry'Z" which was a Bloody Mary made with wasabi. Very spicy, nice balance, good drink. We fairly quickly decided on the 5-course tasting menu ($69 per person)with the paired wines ($30 per person). Tuna & mackerel tartare, ponzu aioli and wasabi tohiko caviar oil was a very good dish. Light and subtly flavored, and good texture. The wine was an unusual choice of gokyo "five bridges" sake, which received mixed reviews at the table. It was a very light sake, lightly ginger flavored, and I liked it although I would have preferred it warm. We mostly agreed it didn't match the tartare too well. Roasted beet salad, goat cheese vinaigrette & toasted walnuts followed, and I was astonished to discover that I liked it a lot. I thought this would be my no-no in the menu, but the mixture of flavors and textures surprized and pleased me. The wine was Killerby semillon sauvignon blanc 2000 which I found to be the best wine of the night. Just the right hint of sharpness to enhance the dish. Sauteed wild striped bass, potato & long beans, massaman curry sauce was my highlight dish of the menu. Each ingredient was perfect, and they formed an ideal complement for one another. There was also a coconut sauce on the plate which others in the party didn't like, but I avoided this (not being a coconut fan !). The Yamhill valley pinot noir 1999 served with this dish was, in my view, a failure on two fronts. The wine was almost scented, and slightly cloying, and I thought it matched poorly with the fish, nor did it taste good alone. I still can't believe I actually didn't finish the glass ! I thought Duck schnitzel, orange-beet salad, hazelnut brown butter was a bold effort which didn't work. The problem was the preparation of the schnitzel. It seemed to have been battered using a very sweet butter, which imparted an unpleasant and overpowering flavor to the duck. I think the problem was simply technical rather than conceptual, in that the "frying in breadcrumbs" process is not entirely new to Chinese cooking, but this was a deliberate attempt to ally the European method to the Asian dish. Good try, but Patroicia needs to experiment more with the method. The Can rafols "gran caus" cabernet franc 1997 was my second favorite wine of the night, strong and fruity. We were allowed to choose individual desserts from the menu rather than the tasting menu choice of creme brulee. I had Rhubarb sorbet with rhubarb chunks and panna cotta. The rhubarb chunks were tiny and very hard, good and crunchy and not too acid. Tne sorbet was superb, probably the best sorbet I have ever tasted -- good firm texture, melted quickly in the mouth, and a clear but light flavor. The panna cotta was ... well, it was panna cotta, and didn't merit it's place on the plate or the menu. The wine was Cossart gordon 15 year old bual madeira, an unusual and bold choice. This was a sharp and smoky flavored madeira, and I couldn't see it as an accompaniment to food at all, although it was certainly a good madeira. The service throughout the meal was exceptional. Friendly, bright, cheerful, well-informed and enthusiastic. The sommelier stopped by a few times and delighted in explaining his pairing choices. I didn't understand much of what he said and I disagreed with some of his choices but I revelled in listening to his enthusiasm for his subject spilling over. Pat Yeo also stopped by a couple of times, and I am always encouraged to see the chef keeping in touch with the front of house. One of our party had, on a previous occasion, sampled some special "potato knishes" at AZ. When this was mentioned to our captain, she immediately arranged for a plateful to be prepared and brought to the table, and the sommelier instantly paired a wine for us. He then joined us for a taste at the table. Impromptu and wonderful ! The total cost (including a justly oversized tip) was $150 per person. Excellent value. AZ certainly is a restaurant of class and quality. The food is innovative, and that always carries the risk of failure. But the quality of the cooking, and the wonderful style and enthusiasm of the staff, will carry it through any occasional errors. The ambiance and the space (both of the bar/lounge and the restaurant) are great. The name ... well I do hope they do something about that. The day before I had dined at Union Pacific, and I have no hesitation in rating my meal at AZ as better in almost every respect. Not miles ahead, but clearly ahead. I shall go back to both, but it will be AZ first.

My first visit to Union Pacific for dinner on Monday. First impressions were excellent --- a charming welcome from the hostess, and then being led into the great space of the restaurant. The restaurant is high-ceilinged and the tables well spaced, with a half-mezzanine floor with (I guess) eight or ten tables. We had a corner banquette table which was comfortable and gave us both a good view into the body of the restaurant. The one problem with a corner banquette is that you have to turn half sideways to talk to your companion, and on balance I think I prefer regular chairs. I had been really looking forward to UP, having read many excellent reviews here, but sadly I was disappointed overall. The menu sounded excellent. Interesting and varied, some particularly innovative combinations, and I found plenty of dishes that appealed to me. My starter was Fragrant Ceviche of Black Bass with fennel pollen and hyssop. This was a brilliant dish. Excellent fresh and juicy fish imbued with subtly fragrant flavors. The fennel was barely detectable, and came through late with each mouthful. I honestly have no idea what hyssop tastes like, but I'm sure it contributed to the flavors of the dish. There was a light topping of tiny translucent crunchy cubes whjich may have been onion, and this gave an excellent textural contrast. The dish was an absolute winner. I had a small taste of my companion's Lamb Tartare which I had nearly ordered myself. This was so different stylistically from my starter, they could have been made in two different kitchens. The flavor was strong and complex, the texture was heavy and mushy. There were simply too many ingredients, and the only thing I couldn't taste was lamb. Disappointing. My main was Tamarind Lacquered White Pekin Duck and I hated it. The duck itself was superb, top quality meat beautifully prepared and presented, tender and moist. But oh, what did they do to it ? The meat was imbued with something scented and sweet-flavored, almost like lavender. Or maybe this was the tamarind ? As with the lamb tartare, the problem was that it didn't taste like duck. The flavoring was always at the forefront of every mouthful. The slices of duck were served on a bed of an indistinguishable vegetable compote, which was again far too sweet, far too mushy, and which absolutely overpowered the duck. I was instantly reminded as I ate it of a lamb dish which I tasted at The Capital in London, where the jus served with the vegetables had been so heavily reduced that it was excrutiating to my taste buds, but at least in that case I could leave the vegetables and eat the excellent, unsullied lamb. In this case, though, there was just no escapeing the sweetness. Big thumbs down from me for one of UP's signature dishes. My dessert was our waiter's choice, Three ways lemon which consisted of a lemon sorbet, lemon panna cotta and lemon mousse. Just totally unexceptional at every level, but the sorbet was very poorly prepared. It was just cold and wet with a hint of lemon flavor. I have already discovered on this trip to New York that Panna Cotta has become the new seared tuna of the American restaurant industry. Every restaurant everywhere seems to have it on the menu, and I truly have no idea why. At it's very best it's a simple, innocuous concoction which you can't do much with except change the flavor. I have no doubt someone will soon produce a lobster panna cotta and a chilli pepper and truffle panna cotta Whatever, this hardly seems to me to fit well at the forefront of so many haute cuisine menus. Our wine was a terrific Croze Hermitage chosen by my companion, I think 1999. This was rich and smooth and thoroughly enjoyable. Service was pleasant and attentive. Total cost was $160 per person, which for the quality of restaurant was entirely reasonable. Sadly, for me, the food just didn't live up well enough to the reputation.

Oh I just love this alleged quote from Thom : Presumably so the chefs can slog their guts out in the country instead I need either Thom to explain what he meant (if he did indeed say that) or The Times to explain the logic of their reporter's invention