robert brown

Lesley, are you implying that Toronto has more good restaurant reviewers than good restaurants?

Plus ca mange, plus c'est la meme chose.

Steve, I get neurotic. Everyone would likely have a good time, but I know that I would spend most of the time on my feet going up and down the length of the table just to make sure. I'll let you know if the Cros Parentoux is still on the list. I doubt it,, and if it is, it probably is no longer the same price. We had the same notion, just a different restaurant. I'm sorry.

Steve and Jaybee, happy birthday. I may as well chime in. My wife and I spent hours for days deciding between having a party for 20 friends at a restaurant (probably Eli's); having a catered dinner in our gallery; or going out for dinner just the two of us. What clinched it was my asking Lizziee what she felt. She said having a lot of people was unappealing since it would be a situation of forced gaiety akin to New Year's eve. I also felt that I would be so concerned that a group of people, most of whom didn't know each other, were not enjoying themselves that I wouldn't enjoy myself either. We decided to take my brother and his wife to Ducasse instead.

I can extend it to circa 1975 when he was the chef at Jamin, the stop before he opened on his own. It was very good food. Anyone tried him after?

Lizziee, why did you skip dessert?

Sometimes, but not very often, an aspect equal to the food, service or ambiance of a restaurant, is what is called in the journalism business a "human interest story”. This particular one is taking place at a restaurant named “The Pod” in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, which I never heard of, nor could find in the Zagat Guide even though the restaurant is three-years old. How I became aware of The Pod began with an e-mail from eGullet poster Lizziee, inviting me and my wife to meet her son David and to be his guest at the restaurant. She also wanted us to enjoy a tasting-menu dinner prepared by the restaurant’s chef, who is a friend of David, named Darrell Roberts. The primary purpose of the excursion was that David was going to expose us to the talent of an early-stage “sleeper” chef with a remarkable gift and limitless potential. On the taxi ride to Williamsburg, David provided us with some basic information about young Darrell: He is 22 years old; Afro-American; born and raised in Williamsburg in very humble surroundings in a family little concerned with food; became interested in cooking in high school; took some courses at The New York Restaurant School; and worked for two years at the Grand Havana Room at 666 Fifth Ave.. He has been at The Pod for seven months, but the restaurant’s owners are not highly “gourmand” and are having Darrell cook a la carte dishes that have broad-based appeal. This is why David, scion of inveterate West Coast foodies and, at a young age himself already having important sommelier jobs on his resume (Le Cirque, Bouley and Aquavit), asked Darrell to make us a special tasting menu. In a space somewhere between very large and cavernous in what seems to have been a hundred years ago a light manufacturing enterprise resides The Pod. Its design can well be described as half-done Eero Saarinen Contemporary. In the front part is a bar and café with large white panels hung on the walls-the one over the bar was used as big-screen television for sporting events. The entire length of the opposite brick wall had one continuous, narrow photographic mural of a mobile home park. The elevated dining room in the rear portion was sheathed in one molded lime green piece of plaster covering two walls and the ceiling (thus the name “The Pod”). Simple wood tables and molded plastic chairs were well-spaced and, the week-day night we were there, all but empty. Apparently, however, The Pod does well on weekends. Shortly after we sat down, Chef Darryll came out from the kitchen to meet the three of us. Slight of build, articulate and wearing his chef’s vest and a colorful knitted Tam O’Shanter, he presented himself in a quiet, but assured manner. (He told us that he intends one day to be a three-star Michelin chef.) He returned to the kitchen and soon after, the prelude to his eight small courses appeared: an “amuse-bouche” of a mussel in its shell with small bits of yellow tomato, a touch of lemongrass, and a splash of bean sprouts served in a ceramic spoon that also contains a ginger broth with a hint of mint. He followed this with a tuna tartare on mesclun with a green tea teriyaki sauce and coconut wasabi aioli. The “post-amuse” second course was served in a ceramic pot containing sautéed calamari and seaweed noodles. Next came a palate cleanser of refreshing and intense passion fruit sorbet. Seafood continued with mahi-mahi ceviche with shredded arugula and a coriander orange reduction. Darrell then switched gears to serve a tomato and fennel risotto flavored with thyme. A braised chicken leg with pieces of crab apple and small pieces of white asparagus came next, and to conclude the savories as the seventh course, seared scallops on top of an oxtail ragout. Dessert was a chocolate Angel Food cake with swirls and chocolate and vanilla sauce. To our unanimous agreement, a majority of our dishes were highly successful. David and my wife were especially taken with the ceviche of mahi-mahi while I felt that the unlikely combination of shrimp and oxtail worked perfectly to make that dish my favorite. A close second for all of us was the tomato-fennel-thyme risotto. My wife and I told Darrell that it was much superior to the lemon risotto we had at Lespinasse 10 days before. Other than an occasional misstep with unbalanced flavorings and possible inexperience in the dessert department, Darrell’s meal showed an understanding of flavors and a command of culinary skills that betrayed his youth, the nature of his upbringing, and lack of travel to distant, well-known restaurants. When he reappeared at the end of the meal, I asked him some questions about how he came to be a chef. He replied that in high school, where he also played the clarinet and ran on the track team, he nonetheless became attracted to cooking programs on television (such as “The Galloping Gourmet”) and would spend hours at a Barnes & Noble sitting down to study cookbooks and reading food magazines. The best way to dine at The Pod is to call Darryl at the restaurant and make arrangements to have him prepare a tasting menu. Depending on the ingredients and dishes you decide upon, the cost without beverages runs between $50-$65 per person. You should also bring your own wine, as the list there is rather basic. You will then have the opportunity to catch someone who is soon to be a rising star (with an enthralling story besides) in the New York culinary world, and to have unusually good food from a gifted young man whose background belies his profession. The Pod 141 North 7th St. (Between Bedford and Berry Streets) 718-302-3754

Miss J, we spent one night in Phnom Penh and four or five in Siem Reap. It was in the first week of June last year. If you want a Western meal in a Colonial/Western hangout, the Foreign Correspondents Club in Phnom Penh is one place to have lunch. It is not a glamorous as it sounds, but it faces the river and is in a funky neighborhood, also Colonial. The furniture is low-level 1930s modern. It is on the second floor of a small building and is as much a snack-bar feeling as a casual restaurant. It is worth a visit. Next month when I am back in proximity to my guidebooks, I will dig out the name or two if where we ate in Siem Reap or that our guide mentioned. Even better, if you want to contact him directly for names, try: Phorn Bunnarith khmerang@camintel.com Remind him of my name and dates I was there with my wife staying at the Grand Hotel. He is well-informed about places to eat and is a wonderful guide. Very sweet, too, with many incredible stories about his existence during the Khmer Rouge time. Of course there are about 300 guides there who have to pass an exam. But at least you know from the outset that he is a good one. He also took us to Saap Lake, an enormous body of water and home to about 800 species of fish, as well as to a near-by National Park where there is a lovely picnic area and some interesting old stone carvings in a stream.

Steve K. or any one: When I first started going to restaurants, the concept of pairing food with wine by proposing a glass of ever-changing wines with each course simply did not exist. Does anyone know where and when it started and how? My guess is five to seven years in the USA, possible in Northern California, but by whom or what enterprise or organization I have no idea. I, for one, have never succumbed to the concept, being of the school that you see how one wine you may know and like, or wish to choose yourself, "adapts" itself to the food instead of vice-versa. Is it a good concept or an affectation?: A service to the gastronomic awareness of the diner or a gimmick to keep the customer drinking or to pay more for wine than he might have ordinarily? I hope no one has brought this up on the Wine Forum. It probably should be a new thread if we haven't discussed it before. Anyway, this is where it's at for now.

Miss J, I can only give you information based on my "typical tourist" visit to Cambodia; i.e. Phnom Penh two days and Siem Reap (Temple land) for five. For some reason the Raffles Hotel Group is providing excellent food at Le Royal in Phnom Penh and some of the worst food imagineable at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor in Siem Reap. Avoid that one like the plague. The food at the Angor Village Hotel in Siem Reap was quite good, and was also decent at some local places whose names escape me, but which I got from our guide. Generally, though, I found the food in Cambodia did not have the range, quality of produce and subtleties of what we ate in Bangkok, although still tasty and interesting. Otherwise, I strongly recommend hiring a guide, which you can arrange for at the tourist office aross from the Grand Hotel. In three days you can see the five or six temples that are the most important while skipping the rest. If it is still oppressively hot in November, start your sightseeing at dawn, come back for breakfast and go out again around 3:30.

There is a big out-of-print bookshop on Lex. near the 92nd Street "Y". I wonder if that is it. The shop on Greenwich Street must be at #488. It belongs to Joanne Hendricks, a lovely woman married to one of the world's nicest fellows, Jon Hendricks.

Jeff, I spend a lot of time in Nice and can tell you one immutable fact: L’Ane Rouge is mediocre. Steve Plotnicki and I both like La Petite Maison a lot and feel it is the best restaurant serving “Cuisine Nicoise”. I have never been to Le Mas Candille. However, La Terrasse at the Hotel Juana is a beautiful, formal, elegant restaurant offering a blowout experience. While the servers can be rather cold and maybe even arrogant, you should be well-fed in terms of quantity and quality. The cuisine is not overly-inventive, but reminiscent of the great days of the 1970 and 1980s: copious, solidly-conceived, and flavorful. Some consider it the best on the Cote. Vistamar is a restaurant I have never visited and never think about doing so. I can’t fault the old-world elegance of the Hermitage or the view. All the Societe de Bains de Mer (the Prince’s properties) restaurants I have found lacking recently, even the Louis XV. Yet, I am qite sure the food will be acceptable at worst. I like Hostellerie Jerome, which is above Monaco on the Grande Corniche. It just received its second Michelin star. It is rather intimate and comfortable in a rustic sort of way and delicious. A la carte is somewhat expensive, but the "degustation" menu is not. It is a good menu too, and does not stint on the amount or the preparations. Have a great time on your trip.

Steve, what is a conversation of "McLuhanesque proportions"?When I was with him, he did all the talking. Is your comment a subtle, clever play on words that is based on "hot medium" and "cool medium"?

Although it has been a five years since I last was in St. Bart's, I found the food at the Christopher not inspiring, although I agree with the rest of what you say. We enjoyed our two lunches at the Hotel St Bart Ile de France very much. Lafayette Club was our favorite for lunch: Not cheap, not fancy, but really good and honest and a good setting by the sea. Just be careful not to order anything that attracts lots of bugs. Le Toiny disappointed us as well. Excuse me, I see I wrote all this stuff above.

Jordan, I believe that generally speaking sacrificing a three-star meal in the country to a three-star meal in Paris is something to avoid. To my way, there is nothing better than having a great meal in bucholic settings. You have no choice but to rent a car as there is no train service to the places you want to go. I looked on the viamichelin.com web site and saw that doing the three Michels entails quite a bit of driving, although the trip is doable with a day to spare, meaning you could take two days to get from Guerard back to Paris (or vice-versa). Something tells me now to do the alternate I proposed or your Bras-Veyrat trip. You could use Lyon as a place to spend your extra day or two, or include Pic. Maybe those of us who have already covered the territory can reach a nice consensus.

Jordan, good work getting into L'Astrance. I'll miss you there by ten days. Write it up before I go!!. What about lunch at a three-star other than L'Ambroisie or is everything booked?; i.e.L'Arpege, Gagnaire, Grand Vefour, Guy Savoy, which seem to be the most desireable? Concerning the rest, I would opt for the three Michels, as you cleverly put in; but only by a whisker. It's pretty much six in one hand, a half dozen in the other. Bras is a must, I believe, more so than any restaurant in France. Guerard had slipped in my eyes when I last went about five years ago. But the whole situation is unforgettable. Here I would take a dinner in the "Restaurant Gourmand" and a lunch in the cheaper, funkier "La Ferme des Grieves" which we ended up enjoying as much or more as the formal restaurant. Trama is a chef I know only from a visit years ago, but other posters like him a lot based on recent visits. But how do you plan to get around because it's far to Eugenie-les-Bains? A variation, now that I think about it, could be Bras, Auberge des Cimes, and Veyrat. It's a route I have taken a few times with fond memories. The Lake of Annecy is about the most idyllic spot in France. I would stay in Talloires, not at Veyrat. Pere Bise is expensive, Le Cottage next door (but set back from the lake) is comfortable. L'Abbaye next door is also comfortable and right on the lake. Both are noticeably less-expensive than Pere Bise. I'm sure you'll get lots of advice from the usual suspects, some of conflicting/contradictory.

I'm too cheap to get the Village Voice. Can someone post the list?

Mao, I was using the current account deficit "en passant" to mention what foreign investment in the US does, among other things. (It also helps the Federal government finance its deficits through the purchase of debt). My reply to Steve was based on the premiss of available funds in the banking system; i.e. M1, M2, M3, since the banking system was what he invoked ( I have a copy of "Stigum's The Money Market" at the ready in case there are any nit-pickers) as the suppliers of funds to entrepreneurs. Of course, one can always retain an investment banking or venture capital firm to tap the non-liquid private money market, but this is a slow grind without any guaranteed results. Anyway, I don't see how it is possible to get an accurate fix on how much money is inherited. Regardless, it is dwarfed by foreign investment capital. Tom Colicchio, are you still listening?

Eugene, that's very kind of you to ask after my wine promise. For someone who has not been to a three-star restaurant in France, Taillevent is a good introduction. Actually in some ways (treatment and service for sure), the two of you may become spoiled. Have a great time.

Vrinat didn't treat me like a long lost cousin. Because his wine shop, Les Caves Taillevent,shabbily packed a case of wine and put it into the post office system for delivery to me in Nice, one of the bottles broke in transit. I wrote Vrinat a letter expressing my dismay about sending expensive wine badly packaged and through the mail. I proposed to him that rather than reimburse me, he put me on the list of customers who share in his allottment of white Burgundy from Coche-Dury. Not only did he agree to allow me to order some of this hard-to-obtain wine, but also to give nme a store credit for the bottle I lost. After two years and three e-mail reminders, I am still awaiting the Coche-Dury offer. I can readily concur with Bux and Steve that dining at Taillevent isn't where it's at these days as for as the die-hards are concerned. But as I haven't eaten there since a few years after Pirate's first meal, who am I to say what kind of meal you would get? However, nothing I have heard or read contradicts Steve's accurate portrayal.

I always thought it was the Federal Reserve that played the biggest part in the economy. Oh yes, the money from the "U.K., France, Britain (sic) and Spain", not to mention the rest of Europe, the oil-producing nations of the Middle East, Asia (etc.) that is invested in the United States and finances our current-account deficit vastly overwhelms whatever sloshing around inherited wealth is doing in the banking system, which by the way accounts for a lot less of it than what is tied-up in illiquid investments.

Word for word?

Sean, there are a lot of us who have either been to Restaurant Michel Bras or are admirers of his books. Can you share some more of your experiences and insights about him? May I ask where you to tell us where you are posting from and what you have been doing since working Chez Bras? Thanks for the post. It is special. P.S. Now I notice you imply you were there when the restaurant was in the town. Are you the fellow from California I met there and then went on to Mondrian?

There is a big gray area between market manipulation, or control, and consumer persuasion. I believe that working it is the purview of advertising, marketing and public relations; the latter of which Bernays is a legend.

Steve, I certainly concur with that. Without the massacre at Guernica. Picasso probably would not have addressed the Spanish Civil War theme the way he did. From looking on the Web, I learned that a group of pro-Democracy friends and officials asked him to paint a mural with the theme of the Spanish Civil Ward for the 1937 International Exposition in Paris. Three months later, the Guernica massacre occured and Picasso decided to used it as the theme for his mural, so enraged was he over the slaughter. When asked to talk about the "Guernica" mural, his remarks, as written on the web site, were, "A painting is not thought out and settled in advance. While it is being done, it changes as one's thoughts change. And when it is finished, it goes on changing according to the state of mind of whoever is looking at it." I never saw this remark from Picasso before, but am not surprised by it. Robert S. Thanks for the information about Russel Wright's home in Garrison. I will certainly visit it as soon as possible and read about it before I go. I have to admit that I should have thought about certain restaurants in Italy when I was at Craft. You are right about that. In fact, that may be the most saliant aspect of it, even more so than Colicchio talking about the steakhouse influence. (Worth asking him is where he liked eating in Italy: I assume he has). The two restaurants that come to mind at Belvedere in La Morra (Piemonte) in the Barolo district and Delfina, a bit west of Florence. Let us know what you think of Craft and what in Italy it reminds you of.