Vadouvan
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Posts posted by Vadouvan
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So perhaps the way out of the infinite loop of very-good-but-not-great that Vadouvan describes is for some enterprising restaurateurs to start looking in some of those outlying neighborhoods that already support some decent restaurants (e.g., 47th and Baltimore, 69th Street Terminal, Roxborough, East Falls...) and open a place that will start tongues wagging, thus giving the food writers some juicy dish to report, which will in turn pique interest, which will....
Sadly, unfortunately the areas you mention do not sustain the kind of revenue year round to make it work.
See...here is the problem.
You cannot sell enough food to justify a half million dollar plus investment without some serious bar volume. In fact a lot of people start with that intention, great food, bar, lounge.
Only problem is they figure out they make more money with less hassle on cocktails (not wine) and so the food take a backseat till it evolves into complete mediocrity.
Translation : OLDE CITY.
As far as foot traffic, there isnt enough in West Philly or East Falls, remember VERGE ?
Manayunk is Over, No parking, not much exciting except perhaps Jakes ?
From a PR standpoint, as far as national magazines are concerned, if you arent in downtown philly, you may as well not exist
Center City rents just have to become more realistic.
The problem is realtors and property owners seem to only understand the business models of Starr restaurants.
Frankly when it comes down to it, I believe a lot of people just have little respect for the art of creating good food, I am not talking about saying it, I am talking about behaving in a way that communicates it......
You dont want more Applebey's and red lobster's ?
Lower Rent.
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what is cooking a la plancha
Um...Cheesesteaks ....
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Water bath set to 63-64 degrees centigrade.
Room temp eggs.
cook one hour
crack open...
VOILA...
out comes a poached egg.
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The biggest thing holding the city back in terms of a restaurant renaissance is real estate prices.
What landlords are asking these days is just absurd.
The sad thing is most property owners would make more over the long term instead of gougy prices with no incentives up front.
That's why we get Chains, Starr,Byob.
But...things are changing slowly.
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How about we just forget it, It's a done deal
I'm with Mr Big, either side cannot exactly do anything about it now.
Just deal with it.
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Actually you *are* right Holly.
It certainly explains why people flock to restaurants after great reviews.
A column like Rick's certainly makes a compelling statement as to why you should go besides merely reporting the facts.
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Is South Philly between Center City and Citizens Bank Park safe for walking day or night? Also, same question goes for the walk between CC and Northern Liberties.
Daytime......sure.
Nightime.....um...No
WAIT...let me think...NO
Cheesesteaks from multiple places, I like Johns and Cosmis
Reading Terminal Dinics sandwiches, amish pretzels.
Matyson serves Lunch...
Other than that, your plans are right on.....
have fun.
To Clarify, the hoods in themselves arent unsafe but there are "sketchy" dead zones in between.
The Broad street line can take you to the ballpark, pretty long walk.....
and you could go down spring garden to Nolib.
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they're a little bit older and would have a tougher time maneuvering in a small space.
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Roberta is now the head chef....
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In Philadelphia's food community, the person who makes the best undisputed fresh pasta in-house is Roberta Adamo. Her Cavatelli are the standard by which others are judged.
She is the Andrew Carmelinni of Philly.
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You would be amazed at the similarities between some of the dishes at le bec back then and Issues of Art Culinaire/opt art if you actually take the time to look.....
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But I'm curious, is this dissolution of the classic mentoring/succession model especially bad in Philly kitchens, or is it getting like that everywhere?
There never really has been any classic mentoring in Philly period, nobody is really expecting a handout or special treatment. I think those who have made it past thier mentors have done so on thier own merits. I would define mentorship/sucession as having a positive relationship between the mentor and mentee post employment.
Under that criteria, the only person who can credibly make a case of haven mentored anyone in philadelphia in Jean Marie Lacroix.
Several of his past Chefs have gone on to make names for themselves locally as you know...
Francesco Martoralla
Bruce Lim
Tony Clark
Martin Hamman
ect ect.
In the case of lebec fin, it's just strange that Perrier 86's any chef who eclipses him at LBF.
Remember the Phillymag article "Move over Georges, here are the next chefs in Philadelphia"....starring Daniel Stern.
Guess whose head rolled a few days later ???
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Will he stay is the question Shawn I think Meant to convey. Open a place in Philly or go back to New York?
Neither, definitely not his own place.
His job right now is easy since all he does is draw a salary and isnt under the pressure of satisfying investors. He can order and cook whatever he wants with as much staff and Bernadaud plates he can buy. Who would give that up ?
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OK. It's been bothering me for a few days. I'm familiar with a fish knife and a fish fork in a formal dining setting, but what is a fish spoon?
It was an embellishment Holly.
Just to highlight the balance of detail and pretense....
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A shoemaker knows the right way to do things, but does the easier way because they are too lazy or just do not care.
Like deep frying proteins to temp because your timing is off ?
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You know. I was thinking a lot about the past blogs. The problem is that not just Chef but George, or Georges what ever did not leave room for his successors, it is only recently have you heard about Chris. I think it is a French thing.
It isnt a French thing, its a Georges thing.
Granted there was an extreme amount of the requisite French Kitchen asshollery (new verb) at LBF
The problem was Georges ego.
I always laugh when people say "the food is better when Georges was cooking"
Georges doesnt cook the food ever, not in the last 10 years.
He had a great team of cooks and he could have respected them more instead of treating them like stepkids.
Le bec fin was run by..
Peter Gilmore (Gilmores)
Greg Gable (Donneckers)
Sam Sheridan (Basil,Tango)
James Howard (Orchard Kennet Square)
Bobbeee Bennet (ex Miel)
and his annoying brother Bernard...
where is my Brohzzzah ???
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My question is can Lee keep it up an train his people enough to produce a consistent product to maintain his possible claim to the philly thrown? Is he really the next JML or George is he here to stay or just passing by like Morimoto?
He would be a dummy to leave now unless he is offered an absurd amount of money to.
Few people have those kind of deep pockets, deeper than Starrs.
Marlon Abela
Jeff Chodorow
Danny Meyer
Emeril Lagasse
Wolfie Puck
Joachim Splichal/Patina group.
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But I have to ask, is "shoemaker" a widely-understood slang in the biz? I like it...
Hi uncle Phil ?
Seems like you had a great time at Susur-Lee eh ?
Yes shoemaker is a term widely used for half ass cooks and behaviour in restaurants.
Examples :
Moving fish in pans with tongs instead of a fish spatula.
Using another pan to hold a fish down while it's sauteeing so it doesnt curl.
The prescence of any concave bottomed pans which were initially flat.
Using any pans but Sitram (just kidding)
Pre firing anything that hasnt been actually ordered yet.
Sauces held in the bain marie without reheating
same veg for every entree
saying the word "demiglace" on your menu.
Even worse saying "demiglaze" on your menu.
making your mashed potato in any other way from "the man who at everything"....ha ha
Misuse of language that displays a lack of fundamental understanding of food and cookery....
such as...
Basil Pesto
shrimp scampi
Ahi Tuna
cavatelli Pasta
Marketing wagyu as kobe
"DIVER" scallops...........nobody dives for scallops.
The overuse of the term "PEI"....big effing deal do the mussels are from prince edward island.
Florida Snapper
ec ect
.
Filthy Aprons
Standing outside the restaurant chain smoking in whites.
Drinking soda on the line thus eliminating perception of salt, sugar and acidity
and just generally bad behaviour that can be sublimated into the phrase...
"I dont give a SH** about the customers.
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AND .......................by the way
Since we all repect Chef Lacroix so godammn much can we change the spelling of his name in the title of this thread into the correct spelling ?
It's starting to bother me.....
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Agree with Shawng.....although I am not quite sure PerSe's numbers are down, TK seems to be immune to cyclical trends in food expenditure that's why its good to be the king, Thomas Keller still rules and he supports his former people like Achatz/Alinea.
People seem to be taking the phrase "fine dining" is dead out of context.
We arent saying supernice restaurants are all going to close tommorow, It;s just that a lot of high end chef's and restaurants are simplifying.
And it isnt just philly and new york.
Alain Senderens turned Lucas carton into a more chill spot and handed back his michelin stars, even the king of Multi-Plate-city Gagnaire is opening chill spots although that spot called sketch in London represents everything that is wrong with high end dining in Europe.
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Good for christopher Lee and great for philly.
Congrats to the striped bass.
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Havent seen it, what's the scoop ?
Let me guess, harold from top chef ?
By the way, did you see gordon ramsay last night on fox ?
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Actually Chris Lee was working for Cornelius Gallagher at Oceana.
Lee and Portale came together at the Bass.
The Portale angle came as another of Starr's NYC-celeb-chef-show-us-Philadelphilistines what good food is all about. Works most of the time but the chef's eventually disappear as soon as people for get.
If you actually see Morimoto at Morimotodelphia, I will pay for your Omakase....
Also Matt, the same philosophy of non cultivation drove a lot of good folks away from Le bec.
It sucks when the boss is competeing with his cooks.
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See day old blini batter. No good. Thank you for making my argument more saleable
Although Matt, not to be toooooo technical....
Thanks to our friends at the DOW chemicals Food Division and that fabulous product Methocel...
You can make 3 day old blini batter with no eggs and it sets up consistently like Viagra was added to it .....
Lacroix is gone, is Georges next... who takes over
in Pennsylvania: Dining
Posted
Love it .....
I am assuming that isnt a typo ?