David Ross

Yes, that is the case if you are speaking in general terms. But our business is more complex than that when it comes to setting aside "seats." We look at this issue in terms of the number of seats on the aircraft, the day of the week and the route flown. So for example, we know that flights to Mexico tend to be largely made up of pleasure travel and we don't need to set aside as many seats for our frequent fliers. On the other hand, in the market I fly daily, Seattle-Spokane, we know it is heavily made up of business travellers, many of whom fly almost as much as I do. We know the 7am flight is more preferable to our frequent fliers than the 930am flight and we adjust our ability to serve their needs accordingly-more preferable seats. If a restaurant knows that most of their loyal diners want tables on a Saturday night at 7pm, can they not make adjustments in their reservations system to accomodate those requests, yet still meet their financial targets? In my earlier example, I used a 37 seat, small, turboprop aircraft. If we set aside 3 seats at row one with extra leg room and 4 seats at the exit row at row 4, that is 18% of the total seats. Could Ko set aside 18% of its seats for loyal customers every night? Probably not. But using your example, could Ko's financial planner find a way to insure that setting aside 10% of their seats nightly would still allow the restaurant to be profitable AND reward their loyal customers. It could happen.

I think there are U.S. airlines that do provide good customer service and some of my examples speak to that. And although I am obviously in the minority here, I do think some of the customer service examples I provided cross-over to a discussion of customer service in a restaurant. Earlier on this topic, Steven posed the question of regular customers vs. frequent customers as a part of the discussion of the new reservation system at KO. A subsequent discussion grew from that point and spoke about customer service and whether or not the loyal customer of a restaurant deserved extra recognition not given to the average restaurant customer. I used the frequent flyer customer as an example of how our airline rewards our most loyal customers. I wasn't speaking so much to the issue of frequent fliers not having a choice of carriers, but more to the issue of how our business honors the loyalty of our best customers. I still think it is fair to look at an airline frequent flier program in comparison to how a restaurant treats its regular customers. At least it is the foundation for starting that discussion. You can't lump all frequent fliers into one category and say that they don't care about the price of a ticket because they're not the one paying for it. Any number of frequent fliers are small business owners and they are in fact the passenger paying for the ticket. They have to watch the bottom line like anyone else. If we don't provide them good value at a fair price, we lose that customer. Is that not a fair comparison to the frequent customer of a restaurant? If you feel that the restaurant isn't rewarding your loyalty and giving you the quality you expect for the price you are paying, wouldn't you go elsewhere?

I think the acid test, if there is any, comes long past day one.Early on, there's a heavy crush of people eager to try The Next Big Thing. It doesn't matter if there are some potential customers who are offended by the sloppy service, because the restaurant has more guests than it can accommodate anyway. The challenge doesn't come until after the initial furore has died down, which can take days or years, depending on the restaurants. There's much in your analogy that is relevant. But one huge distinction is the large number of airline routes that are monopolies, or near-monopolies. There are a lot of times when you're stuck with one airline—even one you hate. That just doesn't happen with restaurants. ← In all due respect, I have to disagree with a couple of your points. I think the acid test does come on day one. If you choose to run with the thoroughbreds, (other chefs and restaurants in your class), you better come out of the gate quick or you'll be left behind. Of course any new restaurant will go through a number of opening challenges, but that should simply be a matter of adapting to growing pains. To be blunt-your reservations system better work on day one. It better give me the chance to book a table and if I'm one of your regular customers, I should have the opportunity to book tables that are held back for loyal customers. That is the issue that got this topic going. I agree with you that there is going to be an inherent sense of shock and awe in the minds of some customers who will want to try the "Next Bext Thing" as you describe it. That's a given. What isn't a given in my book, (but trust me, I realize it is the reality), and what I find disappointing, is that any top tier chef or restaurant who would just shrug off the fact that "It doesn't matter if there are some potential customers who are offended by the sloppy service, because the restaurant has more guests than it can accommodate anyway..." You see, that speaks exactly to my earlier points that we are settling for something less that what we should expect and that is #1) a reservations system that works from day one, #2) everyone should expect a higher level of customer service. That means no potential customer is offended just because there are 350 people standing in line behind them. That attitude only waters down a commitment to good customer service. #3) A regular customer deserves to be given rewards for their patronage.

Actually, our frequent fliers are easygoing-up to a point. They expect a high level of service as they well should and if we don't deliver they don't hesitate to let us know. I have attended many lunches that we host for our frequent customers and they consistently tell us they are fiercely loyal, but with that loyalty comes a right to give us constructive criticism. I see the same analogy applying to the customer of a restaurant, Steven for example, who has every right to expect that the restaurant that he frequently dines at will provide him with a measure of reward in return for his loyalty. I've been in customer service long enough to realize that those of us who are professionals in customer service-whether it's at a hotel, a restaurant, an airline or a department store-all share this common, old-fashioned ethic of service and that's why I think we've endured.

True, the customer has more choices of restaurants in a certain city than they have choices over the number of airlines that fly into that city. And yes, we do have some routes in our network where we have little or no competition. But we do not lower our customer service standards regardless of the competition on a specifc route. We realize there are some markets where people are stuck with only one choice of carrier, but we look at that as a challenge to keep our standards consistently higher than the other guy. You see, we are trying to create an overall "brand" image that distinguishes us on every flight, regardless of whether there is direct competition in the market or not. If people consistently see us deliver on that promise, we'll be successful. Restaurants can learn from this example. One should never set the bar at just o.k., especially at the level, (and expense), of the restaurants that we discuss here at eGullet. I don't think that we (eGullet members), are necessarily the dining demographic with lower standards, but I do think there is a general malaise among the public when it comes to customer service standards and that is sad. What I try to do with my employees and our customers is to lead through my examples of superior serve and to teach people that they don't have to settle for second-best. While I have gotten a bit off this direct topic, I am glad that the turn of the discussion has focused on this important issue of customer service expectations and rewarding customer loyalty. It's an important discussion that needs to continue.

If the question is "huh?" to my entire post above, I failed miserably in getting my points across. If the question "huh?" is regarding the last words I wrote about eating crow, I'll let that sit for a bit before answering.

I've been following this intense discussion and I wanted to wait and give it some thought before I responded. I will tell you off the bat that I support Steven's arguments in terms of what we, the customers, should expect when making a reservation at a restaurant. Furthermore, I support his declaration that as a regular customer of a restaurant he has every right to expect preferential treatment. And yes, that can all be achieved at a restaurant with a limited number of seats like Momofuku Ko. I don't need to defend Steven's arguments, he clearly outlined the defense of his case. But what I can do is share my opinions as a professional in the customer service business to give you a bit of a different perspective from what has already been shared on these pages. First, I'll start with my thoughts on the reservation system. I am often surprised that talented chefs and their staffs don't apply the same amount of dedication to the reservations system that they do to the efforts in the kitchen. As a customer, I expect that the reservation system that is put in place functions properly on day one. I expect the staff to have chosen the right system for their restaurant-whether that's at Open Table, their own internal site, or an old-fashioned system where you call and speak to a real person. And that system should have been tested and the bugs worked out before opening day. Of course the system is then continually fine-tuned and updated as the restaurant settles in. If the system is too burdensome and it prevents the customer from quickly making a reservation, I think they will go elsewhere. "I don't want to be handicapped by a system that doesn't give me the ability to quickly book a table, I'll go elsewhere," is the thought that comes to mind. Another simple example of the negative effect on the customer when the right system isn't in place would be when I go into a bakery at 11am and expect them to still have fresh onion bagels. I don't expect them to tell me that "we're all out." If they are watching the front of the store as much as the ovens in the back, then they'll accomodate for the fact that they sell onion bagels all day. I expect them to meet that demand-whether I come in for a bagel at 7am or at 3pm. Likewise, I expect the restaurant has designed a reservations system that meets the needs of all of their customers and I expect the bakery case to be open, (my ability to book a table), whenever I visit the restaurant website. That is basic fundamental customer service. Now speaking to this issue of customer loyalty is a subject that is quite near and dear to my heart. I have worked in customer service for 29 years, the past 20 in the Airline Industry so I speak with a bit of experience. I have a respect for the traditions and history of good customer service, yet sadly, I find the overall expectations of today's consumer to be falling. As Steven mentioned, we should all demand better from the people we are paying for services. Whether it's the checker at the grocery store who gossips over your head with the checker at the next podium instead of focusing on you, or the waiter who brings your appetizer at the same time the entrees are served, we too often shrug it off as poor customer service without expecting better. The businesses that still adhere to that old-fashioned customer service ethic are the businesses that survive in the long run. That leads to my next point about this issue of the "regular" customer. I am a firm believer that a frequent customer has every right to expect that their loyalty will be recognized with rewards that are not offered to the one-time only customer. As Steven pointed out earlier, a restaurant rewarding a regular customer is no different than an airline frequent flyer program that gives a number of rewards, or perks as they are more commonly known, to their best customers. Since the airline business is my business, I'll give a few examples of how we reward our frequent flyers. And while you may argue that I am comparing apples to oranges, I don't think I am. Comparing customer loyalty in the restaurant business to customer loyalty in the airline industry is really no different-it's like comparing a Golden Delicious Apple to Granny Smith-both apples, both fall from an apple tree. Our frequent flyers, we call them MVP's and MVP Golds, are incredibly valuable to our business. While they make up less than 20% of our overall passengers, they are responsible for contributing to over 75% of our revenue. Those are just basic figures, but you can see how a small portion of our frequent customers contribute such a large portion of our revenue. The figures for Chang's empire are probably different, but my guess is that the basic premise is the same for a restaurant-a small percentage of your regular customers are responsible for contributing the largest percentage of your revenue. Secondly, those regular customers tend to stick with your business over the long run. These two examples demonstrate why it is critical that we reward our regular customers-it simply has to happen-whether it's in my business or in the restaurant business. It can happen at a 12-seat sushi bar or a 100 seat grand hotel dining room. Here's a practical example of how we reward our frequent customers. (You are probably already bored, but stay with me as my examples speak to supporting this issue of a restaurant rewarding a frequent customer). I fly twice a day, five days a week, to commute to my job in Seattle. While I would like to think of myself as having the upper status of our most frequent flyers, because I am employed by the airline I don't have the satisfaction of being called an MVP Gold. Yet I am in this lonely category of being one of the few people in this country who is both an airline employee and a frequent flyer. I see both sides. Last week on a short flight an MVP Gold was sitting behind me in the far most reaches of the aft coach cabin. He hadn't been able to upgrade to first class. When the flight attendant approached him she called him by name and offered him a complimentary beer, apologizing that his upgrade didn't go through, but thanking him for being a "regular" customer. She didn't offer me a beer or any of the other "less-frequent" customers a beer. This gentleman clearly deserved the compliments he was being given and the rest of us had no problem with the flight attendant obliging this passenger. The passenger was quite pleased and profusely thanked the flight attendant for recognizing his status as an MVP Gold. I was proud as an employee to hear the conversation between a fellow employee and one of our customers. That's an example of the payback we see in rewarding customer loyalty and why restaurants should follow our example. Many great restaurants have established the same sense of customer loyalty that we exhibit at our company. My advice is for the new kids on the block to follow suit. If you are a loyal customer of Chang's restaurants, that loyalty should be rewarded at any new restaurant Chef Chang opens. And yes, it can be done at a restaurant with just 12 seats at a counter or a grand hotel dining room seating 100. In this case, size does not matter. You can instill a system that serves all your customers, including rewards and special touches that are only given to your best customers. You just have to find the right balance between rewarding the best customers, serving your new customers, and keeping a mind on the bottom line. It can and should work. The smallest aircraft our company flies is a 37 passenger prop airplane. We set aside specific seats at row 1 and the exit rows for our best customers, our loyal MVP Gold passengers. They are given a number of other "perks" like priority on our standy list for earlier flights and preferential treatment on a later flight if their flight is cancelled. Yet, ALL our customers are "served" the same inflight service, including complimentary wine and micro-brews even on flights as short as 35 minutes. Yes, we serve everyone a superior product, but our loyal customers are given additional rewards for their frequent business. In the case of Momofuku Ko, only time will give us some answers to these questions. By the way Fat Guy, I believe that succulent dish of crow is still roasting in the oven. It should be delicious once it is ready. This particular crow fed on a natural diet of carrion so I think the meat will taste of what the bird has been eating. It may take time before the crow is ready, but I can't wait to serve our guests. Should I carve or do you want the pleasure?

Dr. J your food and photos get better and better. Do you buy the razor clams live at an Asian market? We get wonderful razor clams up here in the Pacific Northwest, but sadly they are never sold live in the shells.

How right you are. As we all know, there is no comparison between store-bought mayonnaise and the real deal. How complicated can it be to make mayonnaise? Of course the kitchen had eggs, olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper and fresh herbs. And if you were tired and didn't want to employ the classic technique of whisking your mayonnaise by hand, no doubt any number of blenders and food processors were donated to the Top Chef kitchens that would have aided to the cause. The chef was lazy. Let's hope we won't see that sort of foible in the coming weeks.

Tonight I made Chicken Breast with a Sweet and Sour Sauce, served with Preserved Cucumber, Pickled Shallots, Steamed Turnips and Steamed Rice:

Ok, just indulge me one more minute on the smoke debate. I am currently watching a perfect example of how I think smoke can excite the senses if it is used properly by a chef. What I am watching is Kylie Kwong's show "Simply Magic: Cooking From the Heart." Chef Kwong opened the show by heating some Szechuan peppercorns in a hot wok until they were smoking. She didn't add the smoke to any dish. No, five minutes before the restaurant was to open, she wanted that spicy, exotic Szechuan smoke to permeate the dining room so that was the first sense her diners felt. As the show is progressing, she is cooking Crispy Skin Duck with Fresh Blood Plum Sauce and Lime. The duck was marinated with a mixture including Szechuan Peppercorns. While I thought Richard could have gone without the smoke element in his crab dish, it might have been successful from a taste standpoint. I still think it looked hokey when he fumbled with that gizmo and ripped the plastic off the bowl. Yes, there is obviously a place for smoke in the kitchen-or in the dining room-or both, as the above example points out. The chef just has to apply the smoke in the appropriate manner.

I guess I get the be the voice of dissent ... I disagree. I definitely did not catch any attitude from him about it being super-novel: after all, he was using a gadget produced for this express purpose and sold to chefs throughout the world. We've even seen it in Iron Chef America, so I doubt he thought he was being really unique. He was just cranking it up a notch over the other competitors. Yes, it would have been great if he could have served it under glass domes like you generally see done, but if they weren't available, I think plastic wrap is an OK compromise, allowing you to see the smoke in the bowl before releasing it---I wouldn't like it in a restaurant, but I think under the circumstances it was OK. Also, I think that a little smoke gives everything a "meatier" flavor, so I didn't object to that comment, either. ← I see your perspective and I agree that a little smoke can give food a "meatier" flavor. But I should explain my earlier point further. I think that a whiff of smoke in certain dishes can bring out the sense that the protein will taste "meatier." I see smoke as a sort of sense trigger. In other words, when a plate of smoked baby back ribs is placed before me, that scent of hickory triggers the sense that I am in store for some good old barbecued meat. I find that same sense is triggered when I am tasting some delicious smoked salmon. So I do think smoke used with seafood can certainly work in the right context. I just think in Richard's dish he used the smoke as a gimmick. My taste for crab cakes is simple-I want the sweet, buttery taste of the crab to be the star and I don't want the flavor of the meat to be hidden behind a "smoke screen." That's just my personal taste in general when we are discussing crab cakes. Had I been at the judges table and tasted Richard's dish, I might have given him a thumbs up. Thanks for pointing out another side of this issue. One of the things I love about the Top Chef topic is that we all see the same show but come away with very different opinions.

I think that Richard has established himself as one of the leaders in the competition. Of course it is only week one so a lot will develop over the course of coming weeks and Richard may fall. But he did display some creativity and skill with his crab cake dish-less that silly bit on "smoked mayonnaise." When he mentioned in his on-camera interview that he was going to use a "smoked mayonnaise" I wondered how the hell he was going to pull that off. Then I saw the answer when Andrew asked Richard what that gadget was he was using. It looked like some sort of plastic toy gun we used to buy with Green Stamps. He pulled back some plastic wrap that was covering a bowl and gave the food a shot of smoke. I'm not really sure how the thing works, but I suspect you load it with wood chips and the heating element inside the "gun" creates smoke, which you then "shoot" over the food. I thought it looked pretty silly when he brought his bowl of crab cakes to the judges table and it was wrapped with plastic film. Very tacky presentation. I would think that the Top Chef kitchen includes stylized bowls that come with matching lids. Pulling off a ceramic lid at the table to release a wisp of scented smoke would have looked more professional. When Richard pulled back the plastic film he gave the crab a shot out of his little smoking gun. Did you catch Collichio's comment? "The smoke gives the crab a meatier flavor." Was it Collichio or Rocco that said that? Hmm, smoke gives crab a meatier flavor? Could be, but that plastic red gun was a pretty sophmoric way to pull it off in my opinion.

My, my, it feels like it has been so long since Hung presented us with that wonderful dish of Black Chicken with Geoduck. (No, I'm not making fun of Hung, Black Chickens or Geoduck. I thought that dish was one of the most creative and delicious looking presentations from Top Chef Season 3). Yet here we are again, with Padma, Tom, the contestants and what I suspect will be a painfully long season of listening to the musings of Rocco. But I am glad to be back in your fine company reporting on my views of the 4th season of Top Chef. So with a strong Gin and Tonic at my side, off I go with some thoughts on the bottom four chefs from Episode #1. I find it quite incredible that these four even got to this point. As in incredibly confusing. I am sure one of our fellow eGullet friends can explain the screening process for Top Chef in depth. That explanation would help me understand, or confuse me more, as to how these four even got selected for the show. Based on the bios I have read on the Top Chef site, all of the chefs have impressive resumes. But I guess an impressive resume and a poor-quality, amateur video submission can get you through the Top Chef selection maze. I just found the efforts of the bottom four disappointing for a number of reasons and I guess I would expect more from a young chef fortunate enough to be in the position of competing on Top Chef. The failures of the bottom four chefs seemed to focus on the areas of technique, (not knowing or respecting the classic tradition of a dish), presentation (not everything these days should be "deconstructed"), and not choosing a dish that lends itself to the constraints of the competition ("I have a lot going on, I'm making gnocchi, what was I thinking, I hope I can do it in 90 minutes"). Of course, taste is the ultimate measure of the success of a dish, not the simple observations of a guy watching from Eastern Washington. As I mentioned last year, my opinions are merely based on what I see on television, so I am not in the position to give an intellectual opinion based on the ultimate judge of a dish which is the taste. Mark-I probably am forgetting the details of Mark's dish, but did he serve a "Wasabi Martini" with his dish of "Deconstructed Duck a L'Orange?" Huh. I understand taking a turn to Asia in stylizing the dish, but a Wasabi Martini? Maybe I was the one drinking the Martini's. Mark looked absolutley crushed when the judges said his dish was a mess. It was. I don't know about you, but I personally think this trend of "deconstructing" a dish is getting tired. If it is done for the right reasons and makes sense, and the diner experiences new taste sensations for a classic dish, o.k. But I am getting tired of this little thimbel of a milkshake, a shot of vodka, or a teacup of espresso at the end of a "three-ways" plate. That's the first thing I thought of when I saw Mark's dish. He was trying to do something trendy and he didn't pull it off. He should use the feedback of the judges as a positive catalyst to pull it together next week. Ryan-the man who knew he was going to be in the weeds when the stove was turned on. During a brief on-camera interview, Mark said "I have a lot of ingredients, I'm making gnocchi, what was I thinking, I don't think I can pull it off." Yeah Mark. I'll stay out of the egg and flour vs. egg, flour, bread crumb debate over how Mark's chicken should have been prepared. I just think the guy is funny and if he doesn't win Top Chef, he has a career in politics. Padma was literally without words after Mark's tongue twisting, speak in tongues, circle the wagons answer to the judges questions about his dish. "What did he say?" I don't know Padma, but it was funny. Erick-I sort of like the Gilligan's Island retro hat and the star tattoo on Erick's neck. It's the intense, angry, hip, young chef look. If only Erick had applied the same intensity to his souffle. I do give him credit for admitting he "hadn't cooked a souffle in 20 years." But Erick, why did you discredit a classic dish by creating what in your own words was "a bad dish of nachos?" His plate was a mess with that gloppy spread of avocado on the dish. Listen to Bourdain, "a souffle is supposed to rise, so don't weigh it down with all that other stuff." Like tortilla strips and what I think Erick said was salsa. It looked like some black sort of relish to me. Nimma-Poor, poor Nimma. Rather than show some small measure of interest in her fellow chefs, Nimma's self-imposed exile to the bedroom was only a precursor of the loneliness that would raise its ugly head once again in her feeble attempt at "Shrimp Scampi." I did note that the shrimp looked plump and had bright red tails-credit probably going to the crew behind the scenes that bought good quality, fresh shrimp. But the poor little devils, sitting all alone off to the side of the plate. It looked as though they were trying to swim away from that pallid pool of cauliflower mush. That's what it looked like, white cornmeal mush. Now I like cornmeal mush, or grits, with my shrimp, but this was supposed to be a dish of "Shrimp Scampi." I may be wrong, I often am, but it has always been my understanding that Shrimp Scampi sings with copious amounts of garlic and butter and is accompanied by a nest of spaghetti or linguine. What I saw were two shrimp and a spreading pool of pureed cauliflower. I do not give Nimma points for realizing the planned "Cauliflower Custard" was not setting properly so she made a change-up at the last minute and served an apparent runny version of Cauliflower Custard. Does Nimma believe in the "minimalist" art of cuisine? Did you happen to see any garnishes on her plate? Any sprinkle of snipped chives or a sprig of fresh oregano? I didn't. I saw white prawns with little red tails and white cauliflower on a white plate. Goodbye and Good Luck.

Thanks. The cabbage is easy. I used basic green cabbage but I think Savoy cabbage would also work. I sliced it very thin and then blanched it in boiling salted water for just a few minutes. The blanching helps to soften the cabbage yet still retain a bit of texture. Then I added a pat of butter and some olive oil to a hot skillet and added the cabbage. I stirred in a bit of heavy cream and a couple of tablespoons of Dijon mustard. I seasoned the cabbage with salt, pepper and a bit of caraway seed. I went fairly easy on the mustard and caraway seeds because I wanted the flavor of the cabbage to stand out. The mustard is a nice spicy/bitter element that helps cut through the richness of the cream in the cabbage and the fatty bacon around the pork. I garnished the cabbage with some fresh thyme.

I've heard several people here say good things about Sensi in the Bellagio http://bellagio.com/restaurants/sensi.aspx ← I'll second the vote for lunch at Sensi. The kitchen is centered in the middle of the restaurant and surrounded by glass walls that allow you to see the chefs at work. If they are in season, order the Santa Barbara Spot Prawns. They are taken straight out of the live seafood tank, then butterflied and grilled. Sweet and delicious. Don't forget to suck all those delectable prawn juices out of the heads. Another choice for lunch would be the Country Club overlooking the golf course at Wynn. Avoid the rubbery steaks and fake French accents of the waiters at Mon Ami Gabi at Paris. Personally I find it a very poor imitation of a French steakhouse.

I had a good lunch at Noodles at Bellagio last May. It's sort of forgotten because it doesn't get the press of the more prestigious restaurants at Bellagio. And the location in a back corner of the casino keeps Noodles a bit hidden from the walk-in crowd. They have good Dim Sum, served traditionally by waitresses pushing trolleys, along with good noodle and barbecue dishes. I found the service quick and accomodating.

The vibe of the strip certainly plays a part in creating an exciting atmosphere for people when they go out to dinner in Las Vegas. But the chefs and their staffs have to absolutely back up what's on stage out front with what they produce behind the curtain-skilled craftsmanship in the kitchen delivering quality cuisine that meets the high expectations of their customers. (And the high prices they are paying). I'm intrigued by this question of who is behind the truth of the great kitchens of Las Vegas. That's going to be the question I'll be exploring when I attend the events in May. My experiences so far have told me that their is a growing pool of talented people who are creating exciting cuisine in Las Vegas.

Very odd. I can get to the Palazzo site with no problems at all. On the first try. If it makes you feel better, there's not much info on the dining page--just a brief overview of each of the restaurants. I wonder how long Jay-Z's place will last. Is a sports bar really necessary in Vegas? ← Take a look at the April issue of Bon Appetit for more information on "Vegas Uncork'd." There is a four-page spread that lists all of the events and prices for each, along with a number to call for reservations. So if the pesky computer is acting up, you can still make reservations to join us in Las Vegas by calling in. I know that the city is excited to host the events and have those of us who are serious about food and dining come to visit. It's just loads of dining fun. As for Jay-Z and his nightclub only time will tell. He apparently has had some public arguments with Cristal Champagne and their desire to be associated with other bars. I'm not the expert on the ins and out of that fight. The Venetian is already home to TAO, which is one of the bigger and more popular clubs in Las Vegas right now, so I'm not so sure another club next door at The Palazzo will do well. I'm really not the expert on that because after a nice dinner at one of the better restaurants in town, I'm in bed long before most people enter those clubs-as in 1-2 a.m. I believe Charlie Trotter's place is now open for business at The Palazzo.

Yes, they harvest the mint with a sort of combine/cutter. It's not nearly as big and imposing as a combine for wheat since mint is a much more delicate crop than wheat. After my Grandparents died about 25 years ago we leased our ranch to a farmer and he was the one who we contracted to put in the mint. I don't know the exact variety of mint, but I do know it was spearmint, which has a very concentrated mint flavor in the oil. The mint oil is used for everything from candy to chewing gum. We also took out another field of wheat about 10 years ago when the price was depressed and we put in garlic for seed. In other words, garlic that is used for seeds to plant more garlic. Pretty odd when traditional farms in Prineville, Oregon went from growing wheat, alfalfa and potatoes to growing mint and garlic. (On a side note, we raised Angus cattle years ago, years ago, before there was this silly talk of "certified Angus beef." We laugh now, because our cattle were always "certified." I guess it wasn't until a few years ago that the beef marketing folk realized calling something "certified" meant it was "better." I thought it was pretty darn good back then!) I have to agree with what others have said about the price of flour in this discussion. While the per bushel price of wheat will rise and fall as it always has, the big drivers of cost to the consumer, like fuel, apparently will never come back down to a reasonable level. We can adapt the types of flour we use in our bakeries and take a harder look at the breads we buy in the market so we get the best deal. But in the end, I think we will all have to accept that our flour prices will continue to be high.

Thank you for pointing out the other side of the coin. We farm wheat on our two farms. It's been quite a struggle for years. In fact, we switched to sunflowers and soybeans for a few years due to the declining wheat prices. We lost money when wheat was in the soil. Believe me, I feel for those affected by the higher costs, but don't forget how many years those with farms have struggled, too. And, it will turn around back the other way soon ← My family history in ranching and farming goes back to the 1860's in Oregon and Washington so I have a lot of history and tradition to draw from. I feel the pain of the people whose businesses use wheat products and for the consumer who buys the products, but it's important to also remember that the farmer is also affected when we discuss this issue. We sold one of our family farms in Oregon last year. It had been in our family since 1863. Wheat was a staple crop on that farm for decades until the price dropped in the 1980's and we had to replace a wheat field with mint. Mint wasn't a crop normally grown in that part of the country, but we didn't have a choice. The price we could get for mint oil was much higher than the price of wheat. In simple terms-the price of bread was cheap at the time while the American taste for peppermint candy was rising, making mint oil for candy a more profitable commodity. Like consumers, farmers struggle with the issue of high prices and low prices and have to adapt or else they are forced out of farming. We have family members in the beef industry in Eastern Oregon and Eastern Washington and right now they are enjoying the high prices for cattle-but the downside for them right now is the high cost of feed and the fuel it takes to bring the feed to the cattle and the fuel it takes to bring the cattle to market. Difficult economic times for the food industry.

Interesting topic for sure. I happen to live in Eastern Washington and just South of my home are the rolling plains we call the "Palouse"-acres and acres of rolling wheat fields. I can only speak from the perspective of living among the wheat farmers and what I read in our local news. Many of our farmers brought in large profits from our last harvest-the price per bushel of wheat was much larger in 06 and 07 than in previous years. But realize that some of these same farmers were practically broke for a number of years due to poor wheat prices. Eastern Washington is dotted with small farming communities-many of them are on the brink of vanishing in bad farming years. Those same small farming communities are coming back as a result of better harvests and higher wheat prices in the past couple of years. Our paper, the Spokesman-Review, ran a series of articles this summer about farm families that are finally seeing some extra money coming into their homes and communities. Those stories read like a bit of American history-the rise and fall of small farming communities based on the fate or fortunes of the agricultural industry. As some of you have said, any number of factors are affecting the price of wheat and that ultimately is affecting your bakeries and businesses, and ultimately the consumer. It isn't an easy situation to address. What we are hearing locally is that some of the factors that caused a rise in wheat futures included bad weather in Russia that hurt their wheat crop as opposed to good weather and yield from our crops in Eastern Washington. As a result, we saw an increase in the price of the wheat that we export. Of course, the price of fuel for a farmer to gas up his tractors, trucks and combines has had a huge impact on the increase of the price of a bushel of wheat. This is definately a tough situation for many, many people. While some are seeing a negative impact on the price of wheat, others, like the wheat farmers that live near my home, are seeing a positive impact as a result of the price of wheat. I thought you might find my perspective a bit different since I live among the farmers producing a large portion of America's wheat.

That looks phenomenal. How did you cook the tenderloin, stovetop or oven? ← Actually a combination of both. I seasoned the tenderloin and then wrapped it with basic bacon, nothing fancy like prosciutto. Then I tied the little roast with string. I sauteed each side on the stove in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat to start the bacon browning. I would say the total time in the skillet over the stove was about 10 minutes. Then it went into a 425 oven. I always turn the meat in the oven a couple of times to make sure it browns even. I think the total time roasting in the oven was about 15 minutes. So total cooking time was about 25 minutes. I know it doesn't sound like I cooked the pork long enough, lots of people still have that fear of getting sick if pork isn't cooked enough. You'll see the pork is a bit pink in the middle, but today's pork is very lean and so you can cook it medium rare to keep it juicy without a fear of getting sick. The bacon adds moisture, crispy texture and a smoky flavor.

Try my recipe for using canned lychees to make a fruit conserve. It's a wonderful condiment to roast pork, but it would also be very good with roasted duck, chicken or lamb. I"m not sure that my recipe would work with the fresh lychee you are finding in your market but I think it will. I would probably just add a bit more liquid to the conserve if you are using fresh fruit. Let me know if you try the recipe how it works for you. Lychee--Plum Conserve- 5 large litchee fruit, from canned in heavy syrup, roughly chopped 2 large black plums, roughly chopped ½ cup fresh squeezed mandarin orange juice, (substitute with tangerine juice) ¼ tsp. cinnamon ¼ tsp. Chinese five-spice powder ½ cup sugar 2 tsp. mandarin orange zest In a saucepan over medium heat, add lychee fruit, plums, orange juice, cinnamon, five-spice powder and sugar. Cook until sugar is dissolved and mixture begins to bubble, about 10 minutes. Transfer mixture to a blender. Process until roughly pureed. Pour mixture back into saucepan. Add orange zest. Keep sauce warm until service.

French Bistro dishes last night. "Pissaladiere"-Caramalized Onion Tart with lots of caramalized onions, anchovy paste, anchovies, roasted red peppers and black olives. Served with arugula dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. Then Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin on Sauteed Mustard Cabbage.