David Ross

Bryan-you are a great writer and I have really enjoyed reading about your Las Vegas dining experiences. In fact, it made me realize I forgot to post my own review of my memorable night at Guy Savoy in May. I had added the review to my weekly foodblog and then promised I would also post it here but totally forgot. So thank you, because your great review of Savoy reminded me I needed to do the same. And I wanted to make sure my fellow Las Vegas dining devotees saw the review in case they didn't see it posted on my blog. The review relates to a private dinner I had at Guy Savoy on Thursday, May 17, as part of the Bon Apetit Food and Wine Focus. And while Chef Gordon Ramsay wasn't in the dining room in May when I was at Guy Savoy, there were plenty of other famous people at our private party. Hope you all enjoy the story of another wonderful meal at Guy Savoy Las Vegas. On Thursday night in Las Vegas I had a reservation for an event I had been waiting for since February-a private dinner at Restaurant Guy Savoy at Caesar's Palace. While I had high expectations of the meal, I never in my wildest dreams would have imagined how memorable the dinner would turn out to be. I haven't worn a suit and a tie to work in over 10 years. The suits I have hanging in my closet haven't fit me for 10 years. So with the encouragement from my co-workers, I bought a dark blue suit, blue shirt and tie especially for this event. I worried I would be overdressed, but it turned out that the gentlemen who didn't wear a tie were underdressed. God, I was actually nervous walking up the staircase to Guy Savoy! To get to the restaurant you walk to the left of the main lobby at Caesar's and enter down a hall to one of the new hotel towers. There are few signs that you are heading toward one of the top French restaurants in the world. I walked up this huge winding staircase to the second floor. To the right are the Caesar's wedding chapels and to the left you see a pair of gigantic, dark wood doors. As I was sitting for the staff to open the restaurant to our private event, Alan Richman walked out of the doors. Now I haven't weighed in on the Alan Richman thread at eGullet and the criticisms of the piece he did on the San Franciso Ferry Building. But in that short moment I found Mr. Richman to be very friendly. He walked up and introduced himself and shook my hand. He said that "Guy Savoy is really one of the best French restaurants in America." Coming from a guy who I knew to be at the top of the food writing world I took that as a great compliment that I had chosen this private event. Alan was off to host another private dinner sponsored by Bon Apetit at 'Rao's' in Caesar's Palace. At 6pm, we walked through the church doors into a temple of fine French dining. We were greeted by Frank Savoy, Guy Savoy's son and the Manager and host of the Las vegas restaurant. Frank is a very young man of no more than 35 and he has the style and grace that I remember from Maitre d's from fine 'continental' dining rooms in the 60's. Just past Frank, standing in waiting to greet the guests, was the master himself. I actually had goose bumps. Chef Savoy warmly offered his hand. (He reminded me of Chef Andre Soltner. Both are very friendly, warm and totally unpretentious.) I counted no more than 40 people total that would enjoy dinner. The event was hosted by Barbara Fairchild, Executive Editor of Bon Apetit. Chef Savoy had ordered a staff of nearly 30 into the kitchen that night-almost one cook per customer. I learned later that we happened to be dining on the one-year anniversary of the opening of the restaurant that welcomed Guy Savoy to Las Vegas. The President of Caesar's was there to congratulate Chef Savoy and his crew. You can't go to Las Vegas without seeing a 'celebrity' and I met one. The minute I heard his voice I knew it was 'Robin Leach' of "Caviar Dreams and Champagne Wishes." Yes, the man who shot to fame on 'Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.' The dining room is very small. Not a lot of lavish decoration. The focus is on the food, not the decor. There were no more than 20 tables. There is a small semi-private dining room on one end of the room. We were served Rose'Champagne out on the small patio that overlooks the front of Caesar's Palace. They served us two little bites during the champagne reception. One was a tiny little burger of Kobe beef and foie gras served on silver spikes. The second little snack were small squares of buttered brioche with foie gras. I've heard that Guy Savoy only buys his truffles and foie gras from a vendor in France. I believe it. Now you will get a laugh at my expense for what I did as I was sitting down at my table. I spilled my champagne! That's right, the guy from Spokane who was at the dining event of his life knocked a crystal flute of champagne all over the table at one of the top French restaurants today! The staff couldn't have been more gracious. You know what they did? They didn't just pull off the service and replace the table cloth. They literally picked up the entire soiled table and took it away. Then they brought a freshly set table out from the back! My God that is service! I was seated at a table of four. And while we began as strangers, we quicly bonded through our mutual love of food. One man was from Chicago and was a serious home cook with an interest in fine restaurants. Another man was a Las Vegas resident who owned a company that sets up AV equipment at trade shows. His wife wasn't able to come to dinner because she was "at her belly dancing lesson." Our fourth guest was a lady who is the Director of Food and Beverage at the MGM. She was at Guy Savoy partly for personal pleasure but also professionally so she could check out the competition. This is a lady who counts Joel Robuchon and L'Atelier at the MGM as part of her stable of restaurants. The 'Amuse Bouche' was a sampling of three tiny bites served on a tiny, Asian style spoon set on a glass plate. This is a 'Tuna Tartare.' Mind you, I was new to the digital camera world, I had plenty of champagne, and I was still nervous that I was dining at such a prestigious event. I had gotten over soiling the table, but I still didn't get good, clear photos. Hey the photos weren't as important as enjoying the event. A second champagne was served with this course. Sorry, didn't get the name or vintage. This is a crispy little escargot. My favorite of the three was this tiny little 'Lobster Roll' with a spoonful of lobster foam on top. This is "Colors of Caviar" served with "Moet, Millesime Blanc, Champagne, 1999." Our third different champagne by the way! The green layer was a puree of green beans. You don't really notice the layer of Iranian Sevruga Caviar under the top cream layer. Delicious. "Peas All Around and Poached Egg" served with "Lucien Albrecht, Cuvee Romanus, Pinot Gris, 2005." You have never tasted such intense, Spring pea flavor. The clear pea essence in the bottom of the bowl was a 'pea jelly.' This was my favorite dish, "Crispy Sea Bass with Delicate Spice" served with "Joseph Drouhin, Meursault, 2004." I asked the wine steward if he was familiar with the Joseph Drouhin winery in Oregon and he said that "Yes, Mr. Ross, it is the same family but this is one of their wines from France." The little rows of spices on the edge of the plate were intended for dipping with the fish. There were a few tiny fresh shitakes and the white vegetable you see are braised stalks of chard. This doesn't look as good as it tasted. It is "Artichoke and Black Truffle Soup, Toasted Mushroom Brioche and Black Truffle Butter." Dear God! Kill me with more brioche, butter and truffles! The slices of truffle in the soup were huge. They poured a "Chateau de Puligny-Montrachet, Monthelie Les Duresses 2002." And we aren't even at the 'main' entree yet! Before they carved the main entree, the waiters paraded through the dining room with huge wooden cutting boards. Each board held a Rack of roasted Veal. There were a few sprigs of fresh thyme and rosemary adorning the veal. The waiter came to our table and bent down so we could view the veal. Imagine that. They wanted to have our approval of the rack of veal before they carved it. The veal was served with Spring vegetables and Black Truffle Mashed Potato Puree. Shoot me now. I have probably eaten $500 dollars worth of French black truffles already. Two waiters came to the table a few moments after the entrees were served. One waiter held a small copper stockpot of the potato puree. "Would you like more potatoes Mr. Ross?" The other waiter offered me "more sliced veal and veal jus for you Mr. Ross?" "Roasted Veal Chop, Black Truffle Potato Puree, Young Vegetables," served with "Jean-Luc Colombo, Cornas, Les Mejean, 2001." Throughout dinner, a waiter strolled through the dining room offering the guests selections from 'The bread cart.' Yes, Guy Savoy has a bread cart. There were too many choices to try them all, but the most unusual bread was made with fresh seaweed. It was quite good with the Sea Bass course. We didn't have the pleasure of enjoying the Savoy cheese cart, but we did have three dessert courses. Two were listed on the menu. The third dessert was very special and wasn't on the menu. The first dessert was "Chocolate" served with "M. Chapoutier, Banyuls, 20003." There were three different variations of chocolate on the plate but I honestly can't remember what they were. I will mention that throughout dinner the waiters were more than generous with the wine pourings. When you order the wines that accompany a tasting menu you often find the waiter limits each wine to about three fingers in the bottom of the glass. Not Savoy-they graciously refilled your wine glass when it was empty and we are talking about very expensive wines. The second dessert was "Raspberries and Litchi Like a Vacherin." Ahh, a chef who knows the fragrance of a fresh Litchi. The dessert was served with "Domaine de Coyeus Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise, 2003." This was a dinner to remember for a lifetime.

Bryan-very good report. I like your photos and the insightful comments on your dining experiences in Las Vegas. For those of us who love the Las Vegas dining scene it is always interesting to read about the experiences of others who have supped in some of the finer dining rooms in Las Vegas. I agree with you that Jean Phillipe is a 'good pastry shop,' but that it wasn't as good as you expected. I found the same in my trip there in May. The servers at the shop don't seem to have an understanding or knowledge for the high-quality pastries they are selling. Most of their time is taken up with filling ice cream orders. I found the pastry cases nearly empty and I got blank stares when I requested a couple of pastry choices from the meager offerings that were left. Don't try to ask what the ingredients are or how a particular pastry is made-the help may not have a clue. And like you, the pastry that I was interested in buying was not available-even though the sign describing that particular pastry was still in the case. NOTE TO BAKERIES: If you're open for business in Las Vegas at 830pm on a Thursday night, you better have your cases properly stocked. If you are out of an item, take out the menu card. The quality of the baking is very good at Jean-Phillipe, but not good enough to encourage me to go back for another $12.00 bag of 4 macaroons. Here are a couple of photos from my May trip to the patisserie: The famous 'world's tallest' chocolate fountain: If you are going to be wed at Bellagio, Jean-Phillipe is happy to create your wedding cake:

David, Please, please, please... I just love fired oysters and can't find them often enough around here. How did you make them? Thanking you in advance and tasting them already. ← I'm happy to oblige. We get very fresh pre-shucked oysters that come in small containers. They are just fine for fried oysters-you don't need to go to the trouble of shucking live oysters. I but the 'petite' or 'extra small' size oysters. I think they give the best texture for fried oysters-little nuggets of oyster flavor that are crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. The oysters that are pre-shucked come from the Pacific Oyster company in Oregon. They aren't labeled by the variety of oyster like 'Kumamoto' or 'Hood Canal' but I don't think that matters as much as they are very fresh. The cooking method is simple, but also very precise so follow the instructions closely and you'll have great results. I drain the oysters in a colander and rinse them with cold water. This helps to wash off some of the slime from the packing jar. Not necessary and some might say it washes away some oyster juice but I like to rinse them. Then I dredge the oysters in a pre-seasoned fry mix. I buy either 'Krusteaz' brand which is made in Seattle or 'Pride of the West' made in Portland. You could make up your own seasoned flour, but I find the commerical products work better. I don't add any seasoning to the fry mix. I season the oysters AFTER frying. I don't like the seasoning to burn as the oysters fry. Once the oysters are dredged in the fry mix, I then put them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and put the oysters in the fridge for about an hour. This is a chef's trick and it helps the coating stick to the oysters. The oysters soak up some of the fry mix. Then dredge the oysters in the fry mix a second time just before frying. That's the key to getting a good crispy coating. On the above photo you may be happy, or disgusted, to know I fried the oysters in LARD! Yes, pork fat. I didn't have any canola oil, my usual frying oil, on hand. I like the bland of canola oil for frying. Peanut oil is the preferred frying oil of some, but I don't like the strong taste, especially with oysters. I want the oyster to star in the taste of the dish. I use a non-stick frying pan and fill it with about 1/2-3/4" of oil. I use a thermometer to make sure the oil gets up to 350 degrees. Take the oysters out of the fridge, dredge them a second time, shake off the excess coating mix then into the hot oil. I fry the oysters about 2 minutes per side. I poke the little buggars to make sure the outside is crispy and golden brown before I take them out of the hot oil. I don't recommend others put their fingers in hot lard. I then drain the oysters on a cookie rack-NOT paper towels. You don't want any part of the oyster to sit on a paper towel-the bottom will get soggy. Drain the oysters on a rack first, season them, then you can serve them on a plate lined with a paper towel if you want. I season the oysters immediately after I take them out of the hot oil. I use Paul Prudhomme's Cajun Magic seasoning for seafood. Then a quick squirt of fresh lemon juice and they are ready to eat. I served the oysters with homemade tartar sauce. I make homemade mayonnaise and add capers and some Nalley's brand dill pickle relish. Using dill pickle relish is much easier than chopping up pickles by hand. Here's the recipe for the mayonnaise: 2 whole eggs 1 tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice 1 tsp. salt Fresh ground black pepper 1-1 ½ cups extra virgin olive oil Place the eggs, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste in a blender. Process just until ingredients are combined, about 20 seconds. With blender running at low speed, slowly drizzle in the oil in a slow steady stream. Continue to add enough oil until the mayonnaise thickens. This will take about 3-5 minutes. Refrigerate the mayonnaise at least one hour before using to allow it to cool and the oil to set.

I'm wondering if Joshua was our 'bread boy' when I was at Guy Savoy in May at the private dinner for the Bon Appetit Food and Wine Focus. Fashionisto is a good term to describe bread boy if it's the same guy we had-his hair was preened into a spike in the middle of his head and he was wearing these white gloves that were too big for his hands. He tromped through the dining room holding these tongs in the little hands covered with the too-big white gloves. Comical for sure. I didn't care for the seaweed bread he offered with our caviar course, but I did like the salty pretzel bread. I had a couple of helpings of that choice.

Tonight-Fried Oysters with Homemade Tartar Sauce. I buy extra small or petite size pre-shucked oysters that are packed fresh from the Pacific Oyster Company on the Oregon Coast and then shipped throughout the Northwest. They are tiny and incredibly sweet and tender.

Good Lord, that is simply beautiful. Nice job.

By the way, I like to use my creamed corn recipe as a sauce with fresh seafood. I like to spoon some of the creamed corn in a shallow bowl and top it with a dungeness crab cake or a grilled salmon filet. I'll add that to the shopping list this week and make it next weekend so I can post a photo. Creamed corn is sounding better every minute.

I'm not sure if my recipe is close to the canned stuff, but I think it tastes much better. I'd probably say that canned cream corn was on my 'top three list of most hated foods' when I was a kid. The other two were canned peas and my Mother's stuffed green peppers. I still don't like canned creamed corn, but homemade creamed corn is wonderful. You can either smoke the corn on the cob like I do or just cut it straight off the cob without smoking it. Right now our corn is very sweet in the Northwest so I think I'll make some creamed corn myself next weekend. Hope you try this recipe: Smoked Creamed Corn 2 large ears sweet yellow corn 3 slices smoked bacon 1 cup heavy cream ¾ cup grated white cheddar cheese 1 tbsp. chopped fresh lemon thyme 1 tbsp. chopped fresh sage ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste Prepare the fire in the outdoor grill. When the coals are white hot, place the rack over the fire. Place the whole ears of corn on the rack. Note-Do not remove the husks from the corn prior to grilling. Place the lid on top of the grill and let the corn roast and smoke for about 20 minutes. The husks will turn black and look charred. This is normal. Some of the kernels of corn will also get charred. Remove the corn from the grill and let it cool to room temperature. Remove the husks and silk from the ears of corn. Using a serrated knife, cut the kernels of corn off the ear. Cut the slices of bacon into small dice. Heat a sauté pan over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook the bacon pieces until golden brown and crispy. Remove the bacon pieces from the pan and drain on paper towels. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the corn, bacon, cream, cheese, lemon thyme, sage, cayenne and salt and pepper to taste. When the creamed corn begins to bubble, reduce the heat to low and keep the it warm until service. If the corn becomes too thick, add additional cream or water.

Sorry your dinner at Wing Lei wasn't exceptional. My experience there in May was wonderful and scored an A+ for both the food and service. You may have seen my review in the Wing Lei thread. I've found that one has to go to Las Vegas on a regular basis, trying different hotels and restaurants on each trip, before you settle on one hotel that fits within your personal tastes and budget. At least for the past two years and probably into the future, I'm a Venetian hotel customer. As you know, the restaurant scene in Las Vegas practically changes daily. It all depends on what is popular with the public at any particular moment and who is in the kitchen and who is serving in the dining room. A high-level of consisteny over the long-term seems to be a bit elusive in my Las Vegas dining experience. For example, I had wonderful experiences at Bouchon at The Venetian when it first opened a few years back-both at breakfast and at dinner. While the name remains, there hasn't been much of the Thomas Keller touch at Bouchon in Las Vegas on my visits in the past year. I now only go there for breakfast, mainly because of the serene outdoor patio setting and never for dinner. I can have a perfectly enjoyable dinner in the same price range elsewhere. And I wonder how a great restaurant owned by one of America's great chefs can slip in just a few years. Such is the fate of many of the nice places in Las Vegas. Thank you for the great writing and reviews.

Tonight I started with a Smoked Rainbow Trout Salad. I had made a smoked trout salad a couple of weeks ago and it was so good, I smoked some more trout yesterday. I tossed the trout in homemade lemon mayonnaise and combined it with some diced cucumber and mache greens. Then for the main dish I did a Miso Marinated Duck Breast served on some Chinese Egg Noodles. Really simple and easy dish for a hot summer evening. Then for dessert, another helping of the Peach Brown Betty I did last night. You can see photos and a link to the recipe in the 'What's for dessert" forum. It is almost unbelievable that with peaches, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, bread and butter that something so simple could taste so delicious. Enjoy.

Last night I made one of my favorite summer desserts, 'Peach Brown Betty.' We normally think of Brown Betty using apples, but it is just as delicious with peaches, apricots or pears. Whatever is at the peak of season will work, and finally, after a very hot July and cooler August, our peaches are at their best right now. This is a very old-fashioned dessert that they say goes back to Colonial times. It is so simple, you can't believe it would taste so delicious. The basic recipe is simply fresh fruit, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg for the base. Then fresh bread crumbs and butter. That is it. You can just cut the fruit up or make a fruit puree. For this recipe I pureed the peaches and added some peach schnappes along with the brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Of course, it just has to be served with vanilla ice cream. Here is the web address of a piece I wrote about cobblers, crisps and Betty's. http://www.themediadrome.com/content/artic...isps_bettys.htm oh yes, and the photos:

Does anyone know if the contestants are briefed ahead of time as to the products that are available in the pantry? When Padma introduced the burger challenge I didn't catch her saying anything about the pantry and what was available. Obviously there was beef and black truffles because that is what Howie used in his burger. But was there a choice of prime or choice beef? What about the breads available? I wonder how many bun choices they had available. There was plenty of seafood used, so I guess the producers had layed out a good display of fresh seafood. I was just wondering if, like Iron Chef, the Top Chef contestants are briefed ahead of time as to what is available in the pantry or is it just a rush to start grabbing stuff once the challenge is announced. Anyone have some insight?

Yes, a struggle of classes and tastes to be sure. And I am happy to say I do count myself as being in the middle of the tug-of-war in terms of the foodie side of Top Chef as opposed to the reality/dramada/commercial side of the rope. It's sort of like enjoying hot wings out of the deli at Walmart on a Saturday afternoon, then eating a Bresse chicken stuffed with fresh black truffles and foie gras mousse in the evening. Two different chicken personalities, both delicious.

Yes, a collision of forces to be sure. It seems to me that there are two different audiences that watch Top Chef, and I think I'm in both! First are the intense foodies of which I count myself and my fellow eGullet friends. I would include the judges and the contestants in this demographic. But the second, and probably larger, audience for Top Chef, would seem to be the mass demographic of reality tv addicts or people who are looking for a new program to watch while "House" and "Gray's Anatomy" are on hiatus. It's this mass demographic that is most likely the target audience that will buy a new Bertolli Frozen Italian entree. If the ratings for Top Chef continue to grow each week, then Bravo can charge more for a 30-second commercial. That results in Bertolli reaching more people, which in theory would mean more sales of their frozen foods. And of course what follows is a special campaign with print ads showing a photo of the newest frozen Italian dinner next to Rocco and the winning Top Chef. At the bottom of the ad is the requisite Bravo logo and mention of "watch the next episode Wednesday's at 8pm." I don't have a problem at all with the commercial aspect of the show that I describe above. Without marketing tie-ins we might not even have a show like Top Chef on the tube. So I begrudgingly give kudos to the executives for supporting Top Chef and making it a commercial and financial success. On the other hand, for food purists, it seems to water-down the soup so to speak, when we see talented chefs on the precipice of greatness being challenged to freeze pasta, chunks of sauce and shriveled chicken and chuck it into a freezer bag. That's part of the internal struggle I deal with when I watch Top Chef. On the one hand, I am almost embarassed to admit I watch a show about food and cooking where they showcase commercial products that are almost offensive to chefs. The frozen pie crust comes to ming. But I simply can't wait to see what the chefs present to the judges-I am intrigued by their creativity and technique, the presentations on the plate and how they use special ingredients. That is when the foodie in me kicks in and that is when I learn. Then I flip-flop over to the 'dark side' and get wrapped up into the drama of Howie making poor little Sara cry and then apologizing, sort of, for being an ass**** in the kitchen. And so be it as Howie would say.

I found the link to Ms. Strong's blog and her experience as a 'taster' on Top Chef. I am in the midst of drinking copious amounts of white wine and waiting for the Pear Brown Betty to cool so I can then scoop it into a bowl and serve it with the largest scoop of Tillamook Vanilla Bean ice cream I can manage to get out of the tub. Ice cream tub that is. I don't keep ice cream in my actual tub, er bathtub. If I can get through the wine and Pear Brown Betty fog tonight, I'll report back on my thoughts on Ms. Strong's blog of Top Chef.

Thank you for the kind comments. No, not blogging anywhere else other than writing my thoughts in this thread. I'd like to read the comments of the woman that Colicchio referred to as 'blogging' about the show. If anyone knows the producers and can get me an in, be my guest. I was confused about the opening elimination challenge on this week's show. Now mind you, I get confused easily. Confusing was the fact that Padma opened the show by showing the menu from Red Robin. But I didn't hear her mention that the challenge was to create a new burger for Red Robin. Was that mentioned as the goal of the challenge? I thought we were going back to Rocco DeSpirito and creating a new frozen entree for Bertolli. (I wondered what happened to poor Rocco after his little Italian place in New York showed him the door and then voila, there he was judging an elimination challenge on Top Chef). Now I don't have a problem with Red Robin. I love their bleu cheese burger. And I certainly understand corporate 'food' companies plying their vittles on television. Bravo is not stupid. A mention of Red Robin on Top Chef probably cost the company that owns Red Robin a pretty penny and I am sure Bravo wasn't shy in accepting their money, aka Bertolli. But I thought it was odd to mention Red Robin on a show that is a competition between some of the country's very talented, up and coming chefs of fine dining restaurants. Another confusing moment was when Daniel Boulud walked in. No, not confusing to see one of the most talented and revered chefs of the day to appear as a judge on Top Chef. But Boulud and Red Robin? Isn't that sort of like the difference between Target and Saks Fifth Avenue? So if the intent was, (and remember, I didn't catch Padma mention it,), to create a new burger for Red Robin, I just thought it was odd to associate the challenge with Daniel Boulud-a man who creates $125 burgers of Kobe beef studded with black truffles and served with a slab of foie gras. I am sure you will help clear up my confusion. Staying with my thought that the challenge was to create a new signature burger for Red Robin, (and all the corporate trappings that go along with such recognition-"now featuring our tuna sashimi burger with seaweed shavings from Top Chef Hung"), I thought some of the chefs missed the mark. (I actually didn't care for the looks of the 'tempura chips' on Hung's burger). It looked like Boulud certainly enjoyed Howie's burger with black truffles, but would that sell at Red Robin? I think the diners at the Red Robin in Billings, Montana might go for a bison burger with smoked cheddar, but truffles? And charge more than $12.95 for a burger, I don't think so. So forgive me, I just thought the introduction of the Red Robin menu meant the challenge was to create a Red Robin burger. If the challenge was to create a unique burger that could be served at such a temple of haute cuisine as Daniel in New York, why did they pull out the plastic coated Red Robin menu? I thought Boulud's comments were right on the mark-especially his thoughts that burgers should be served on buns and definately not on bread, which is a sandwich, or certainly not wrapped in lettuce leaves, which is a dish unto itself and never called a burger. Thanks again for the comments about my thoughts on Top Chef. One can only imagine what drama awaits us over the course of the next few weeks.

I'd bet that until they were selected for Top Chef that Guy Savoy and Joel Robuchon wouldn't have known Hung or Marcel if they walked up and bit them on the ass. ← You sure could be right-that Savoy and Robuchon may not have known that Hung and Marcel worked in their respective kitchens, but I'm not so sure. When I was at the Bon Apetit Food and Wine Focus in Las Vegas in May I went to a private dinner at Guy Savoy at Caesar's Palace. One of my tablemates was a lady who is the Director of Food and Beverage at the MGM. We talked a lot about the restaurants at the MGM that she oversees-namely L'Atelier and Robuchon. One of the questions I asked her was about the staffing at L'Atelier and Robuchon and whether they were employees of the MGM or employed by the actual chef/owner of the restaurant. She said it depended on the restaurant, but in the case of L'Atelier and Robuchon, their staffs are hired independently of the MGM. In other words, the chefs are employed by Robuchon, not the MGM. I don't know if that pertains to the servers or the dishwashers. Based on that conversation, I would imagine that Marcel was employed directly by Robuchon, meaning Robuchon's company that operates his restaurants. As far as Marcel being interviewed and hired by Chef Robuchon himself, who knows. Hmm, Marcel interviewing with Chef Robuchon by creating a dish of Pearls of Uni with Kobe Beef Jus and Lobster Foam, wouldn't that be a treat to watch? Regardless of all that, I think Marcel showed he was a talented, creative chef. I think that Howie and Hung are also talented, creative chefs. But I still think all three share a common personality trait-they can really be jerks. Bravo has sucked me in.

As others have recommended, I too would do Bouchon for breakfast and L'Atelier for dinner. In my opinion, Bouchon has fallen in the past two years and is not as good for dinner compared to many other fine dining restaurants in Las Vegas that are within the same price range. L'Atelier is in the upper range as far as price goes, but an excellent choice for dinner. Bouchon can't be beat for breakfast-partly because few other fine dining restaurants in Las Vegas even serve breakfast. Commander's Palace did, but sadly is now closed. I like Bouchon for breakfast because it is a quiet oasis to enjoy breakfast on the outdoor patio, away from the crowds parading up and down the strip. The breads are quite good, the eggs and service o.k. It's the idea of eating a freshly baked croissant and drinking French press coffee on the patio overlooking beautiful lawns that draw me to Bouchon in the mornings.

One thing about Hung I've always wondered is what his employer, Chef Guy Savoy, is thinking if or when he watches Hung on Top Chef. They label Hung as a sous chef at Guy Savoy in Las Vegas. I doubt Chef Savoy would ever tolerate the attitude that Hung has displayed on Top Chef in his kitchen in Las Vegas. Maybe Hung is a quiet church mouse in the kitchen at Guy Savoy and he only allowed his true self to come out when he got into the finals of Top Chef. Maybe a little arrogance on a tv show doesn't matter even if Hung went back to the kitchen at Guy Savoy after the show. The publicity probably was good. Last year I always wondered what Chef Joel Robuchon thought of Marcel's display on Top Chef. I couldn't imagine that Chef Robuchon would have hired Marcel to work in his restaurant at the MGM if he knew what kind of a rude little man Marcel was. Maybe it didn't or wouldn't matter. I've just always wondered what the employers of the candidates thought of their on-screen antics.

As you all realize, I am not a fan of Howie's. However, what may surprise you is that I actually would tab Howie as my favorite to win the competition. Some of you know how much I love Las Vegas, and if I was at Caesar's Palace at this precise moment, I'd go to the Sports Book where they take wagers on all things-not just sports. I'd put money down on Howie to win. Not only has Howie added that element of unpredictability that reality tv show producers crave, he is and can be a talented cook. Few probably thought that last year Marcel would end up in the finale against Elan. Marcel's crappy attitude and bitchy personality certainly didn't portray him as a likeable fellow, but he could cook and his difficulties with the other candidates played right into the producer's hands-the conflicts Marcel created with other contestants helped Top Chef garner a growing audience each week and they were justified in passing him on each week because he could cook. I see a similar comparison this year with Howie. I'd actually prefer that Tre win. He's got the personality-a cool sort of hip vibe that exudes confidence, yet with a good measure of humility. Tre has never appeared to have a conflict with anyone, and he seems to be genereally well-liked and respected. Aside from that smoked potato disaster this week, he's consistently shown good execution in his cooking skills and a talent for designing creative dishes.

I can actually see Howie being a huge asset in a production kitchen. As a cook or maybe even as a sous. That bulldog quality can be a useful asset used in the right ways. I'd guess that what it would take to make him effective, though, would be to really hit him over the head with a two by four that he respected in some way. He just seems like one of those guys who will work against everyone sometimes even himself till he's knocked flat to his knees. Then there's a complete turnaround complete with high loyalty, hard work and dedication being given. There was a difference in this weeks performance by him, though, with his behavior . . . and that is promising for him. It shows that he's thinking not just tossing things away. The risotto thing was a high-level food experience aimed for being done in a lower-level high production kitchen sort of way. Howie's not the only chef who does this in the restaurant business, making risotto like this. Is it right? Not really. Risotto is a way of life that doesn't translate easily. But I'd guess that Howie learned this method from a chef sometime in his past whom he greatly respected. ← I can see your perspective, i.e., Howie's bulldog attitude could serve him well in a fast-paced restaurant kitchen, albeit after being hit in the head with a two by four. It just would never be in any kitchen if I owned the restaurant. And that's just based on my personal opinion about teamwork. Howie wouldn't fit in on my team. I agree with you that this week he did show a glimpse into a 'softer side.' He appeared to realize that for him to succeed on Top Chef he needs to make more of an effort to work on a team. I noticed that on past episodes that when the chefs were awaiting their fate, Howie would sit off by himself in the kitchen, throwing out rude comments to the other chefs. This week he actually hugged his teamates. Not a first for Howie-after he and Joey nearly came to physical blows they patched things up and appeared to become friends. So your analogy may be true-Howie needs to be knocked down a bit by other strong personalities until he realizes he isn't the only tough dog in the competition. We can probably debate risotto until the cows come home, but Howie's utter failure at that mushroom risotto certainly didn't endear him to the judges. Boulud looked like he wanted to spit it out.

Howie's an ass. I think part of the success of a 'top chef' is being a leader-both in the kitchen as a cook and in leading a team of employees. Howie seems to etiher have great success with his dishes-or utter disaster in the kitchen like that risotto. And I believe you can be the greatest cook in the country, but if you're an ass to deal with and work with, your ultimate success will be limited. As a customer, I can sense if there is struggle in the kitchen. It shows up in the food, the timing of the service, the mood of the servers, just about anything. If Howie the 'bulldog' was running the kitchen, I'm not convinced my dining experience would be memorable. Maybe it would, but I doubt it. Now, in terms of risotto I think Howie failed miserably. As you all know, risotto is not something that should be cooked in three large pots like Howie was doing. Risotto is one of those dishes that should be prepared in small quantities and given the kid-glove treatment-serving it when the rice is just done and hot, making sure the diner is presented a warm bowl of creamy, unctuous risotto. By cooking his risotto in such a large quantity, I think Howie created his own risotto nightmare-pasty, gloppy rice. His rice looked like it clogged up into a big sticky rice ball. Had he prepared the risotto in a small sauce pan I think it would have turned out much better. Another problem I saw with Howie's risotto was that it appeared he sauteed the mushrooms separately and then topped the risotto with the mushrooms. I make lots of risotto at home with fresh, wild chanterelles and morels taken right out of our Northwest forests. I prefer to use only one variety of mushroom at a time. For example, I'll only use morels because I want to only taste morels in a wild mushroom risotto. I don't want to muddle up the mushroom flavor by using more than one variety of mushroom. I'd tell Howie to saute the mushrooms and then stire them into the risotto. That way each creamy bite of risotto delivers a little burst of wild mushroom taste. Finally, I disagree with Tom's comments that you never put cream in risotto. I actually sided with Howie's argument that cream is often stirred into risotto. Chef Tom made it sound that it is taboo to stir cream into risotto. Tom said "the starch in the rice is what should make the risotto creamy." True, when the starch in the rice is released that does of course give risotto it's characteristic creaminess. But Tom wasn't totally accurate when he said that you don't put cream in risotto. There are plenty of Italian cookbooks written by Italians that have risotto recipes where cream is used. Some people use cream, some don't. I don't think the addition of cream was the undoing of Howie's risotto. I think it was his bulldog attitude that he was going to do a risotto no matter what-whether it went within the theme (or lack thereof) in the menu or not. His technique-i.e., make the risotto in too large of a quantity, and not serving the risotto at the precise moment it was done, resulted in a dish of gluey, tepid, sticky rice with some mushrooms on top.

Howie's an ass. I think part of the success of a 'top chef' is being a leader-both in the kitchen as a cook and in leading a team of employees. Howie seems to etiher have great success with his dishes-or utter disaster as in that risotto. And I believe you can be the greatest cook in the country, but if you're an ass to deal with and work with, your ultimate success will be limited. As a customer, I can sense if there is struggle in the kitchen. It shows up in the food, the timing of the service, the mood of the servers, just about anything. If Howie the 'bulldog' was running the show, I'm not convinced my dining experience would be memorable. Maybe it would, but I doubt it. Now, in terms of risotto I think Howie failed miserably. As you all know, risotto is not something that should be cooked in three large pots like Howie was doing. Risotto is one of those dishes that should be prepared in small quantities and given the kid-glove treatment-serving it when the rice is just done and hot, making sure the diner is presented a warm bowl of creamy, unctuous risotto. By cooking his risotto in such a large quantity, I think Howie created his own risotto nightmare-pasty risotto. His rice looked like it clogged up into a big sticky rice ball. Had he prepared the risotto in a small sauce pan I think it would have turned out much better. Another problem I saw with Howie's risotto was that it appeared he sauteed the mushrooms separately and then topped the risotto with the mushrooms. I make lots of risotto at home with fresh, wild chanterelles and morels taken right out of our Northwest forests. I prefer to use only one variety of mushroom at a time. For example, I'll only use morels because I want to only taste morels in a wild mushroom risotto. I don't want to muddle up the mushroom flavor by using more than one variety of mushroom. I'd tell Howie to saute the mushrooms and then stire them into the risotto. That way each creamy bite of risottoe delivers a little burst of wild mushroom taste. Finally, I disagree with Tom's comments that you never put cream in risotto. I actually sided with Howie's argument that cream is often stirred into risotto. Chef Tom made it sound that it is taboo to stir cream into risotto. Tom said "the starch in the rice is what should make the risotto creamy." True, when the starch in the rice is released that does of course give risotto it's characteristic creaminess.

I drove through Portland, Oregon, yesterday and made a stop at Whole Foods. I love that place-and we don't have one in Spokane-so I stop when I can. I bought 3 beautiful diver scallops. Two of them were more than enough for one serving-they were huge-and delicious. I quickly seared them in olive oil and butter. I served the scallops on top of fresh pappardelle. I normally use pappardelle in a dish with duck confit, sans any type of sauce. I wasn't sure if pappardelle was going to be a good pasta choice for a sauce but it turned out really good. The sauce coated the pappardelle like silk. I tossed the pappardelle in some prepared lobster bisque that was available in the seafood section of the market. I garnished the pasta with some fresh chanterelles sauteed in butter and olive oil. After a week visiting family I needed to get back to my own kitchen and I'm glad I made this dinner. Turned out very good. Of course, that's not really hard when you start with such wonderful scallops.

How delicious that I found this thread about Fried Chicken. Fried chicken is one of my favorite foods and a few years back I wrote a story about my quest for finding the best fried chicken recipe. You can use this web address to go to the story: http://www.themediadrome.com/content/articles/food_articles/finger_lickin_good.htm Now let me start by showing you a photo of a recent fried chicken drumstick that I cooked. Beautifully golden, crispy skin enrobing juicy, steaming chicken. Delicious. Fried chicken is one of those dishes-like bread or chili-that is not defined by one reciple alone. There are of course thousands of recipes for fried chicken and depending on the cook you talk to, their fried chicken recipe is 'the best.' I've recently posted reviews on eGullet about dinners at Guy Savoy, Wing Lei and Alex in Las Vegas-three of the top restaurants in America today. And while I enjoy a good measure of caviar and foie gras served amidst the luxury trappings of an elite dining room, I like to come home to a mound of fried chicken. You cannot be a food snob when it comes to fried chicken. While I would never claim my fried chicken recipe to be 'the best,' it is pretty dang good. And it might surprise you that I use the same basic cooking method that was used by one Kentucky Colonel many years ago. Yes, I make fried chicken just like Colonel Sanders-that is to say the 'broaster' method of frying chicken under pressure. This is the same basic method that many supermarkets use in their deli departments today to fry chicken. When I posted my fried chicken photo in the 'Dinner' forum I found a couple of fellow eGulleteer's who also 'broast' chicken. The basic idea is that the chicken fries for about two minutes in hot oil in the base pot of the pressure cooker. Then you put the lid on, screw down the pressure handles and let the chicken cook under pressure for about 15 minutes. You'll be worried at first that you've created a gurgling bomb of fat and steam that may blow off at any moment. Don't worry, it won't if you buy a pressure cooker that is rated for cooking foods in hot oil under pressure. I bought a 'Fagor' brand pressure cooker about 6 years ago and use it to this day and have never had an accident. I checked the Fagor website today and they still sell pressure cookers, but I couldn't find reference to their cookers being approved for cooking with hot oil. I'd suggest you call them direct and ask them about their pressure cookers if you are interested in buying one. Mine cost about $150. As far as the chicken goes, I don't think it matters if you use organic, free-range, antibiotic free or plain supermarket chicken. Use whatever kind of chicken you think tastes best. But don't use a big old stewing chicken. It's tough and probably would be tougher after it was fried. I like to use smaller frying chickens because they cook quicker and I just like the looks of smaller drumsticks. I buy whole chickens and cut them up myself. I usually stray from the supermarket method of eight pieces of chicken per bird: two drumsticks, two thighs, two wings and two breasts. I cut each breast in half so I get 4 breast pieces and 10 pieces out of one chicken. I start by soaking the chicken in salt water. I suppose you could call it a poor man's brine because I don't add peppercorns, bay leaf, sugar or any fancy seasonings to the water. Just salt. And I don't 'brine' the chicken to add flavor so much as I 'soak' the chicken, (as the country folk say), to draw some of the blood out of the chicken. Soaking the chicken also keeps the chicken pieces wet so the coating sticks to the pieces. I dredge the chicken in a mixture of fry mix, baking powder, salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning. The addition of baking powder is what helps the chicken get crispy on the outside. I usually dredge the chicken, chill it, then dredge it a second time before frying. This is also a technique commercial cooks use to fry crispy chicken. After the first dredging in the flour mix, put the chicken pieces on a cookie rack over a cookie sheet. Put the chicken in the refrigerator for an hour. The flour will look a bit gummy on the chicken pieces, but don't worry. Dredge the chicken a second time so it has another blanket of coating and then it's ready to fry. I add about 3 inches of canola oil to the bottom of my pressure cooker pot. I like canola oil because it is tasteless and doesn't interfere with the taste of the chicken. Some cooks use peanut oil for deep-frying because it has a high smoke point. But I don't like the strong flavor of peanut oil with fried chicken. Old time cooks often use Crisco or pure lard to fry chicken in a cast iron skillet-a good method to be sure, but in my opinion not as good as 'broasting' chicken. I let the oil get to 350 degrees and then in go the chicken pieces. I let the pieces of chicken fry about 3 minutes to seal in the juice and crispy the skin, then on goes the pressure lid. You have to make sure the pressure valve is in the proper position to allow steam and pressure to escape during the short 15 minute cooking time. I pull the valve up to the full up position when the chicken is done to let the steam escape. Then slowly take the lid off. Remove the chicken pieces and put them on a cookie sheet to drain. Don't put the fried chicken pieces on brown paper, paper napkins or a towel to drain. You don't want the pieces of chicken to come into direct contact with a piece of paper or cotton. If it does, the bottom of the chicken will be soggy. Putting the chicken on a rack to drain allows air to circulate around the entire surface of the chicken piece, keeping it crisp. Pressure-cooked chicken, ala 'broasted' chicken, is extrememly hot when it comes out of the pot. I let the chicken pieces rest at least 20 minutes before serving them. If you eat the chicken straight out of the pressure cooker you'll get burned with any steam the chicken releases. And my fried chicken is delicious, and still a bit crispy, when it is served cold. Don't wrap the chicken is plastic wrap, don't cover it in a Tupperware container. If you are lucky enough to have fried chicken that wasn't eaten at dinner, just put the pieces on a plate and put the plate of chicken in the fridge. Let it cool overnight. It is delicious for breakfast!