robert brown

Also seperate telephone country code, police force, and video cameras all over the place.

Then there's the matter of getting your country accepted into the European Economic Community; i.e. Poland, Hungary, Turkey,etc. Then the voters in countries like the UK and Denmark have to approve the Euro in a referendum. (Denmark has voted against adopting the Euro once or twice). I believe, however, that the citizens in the 12 Euro countries had the Euro shoved down their throats. I'm not sure if a referendum is required in each country that gets into the EEC, however.

Margaret. Take up skiing and hang out in St. Moritz. Norway is supposed to nice, and of course there's always jolly old England. Been to Japan or SE Asia yet? It's the same distance for you as it is to Europe, just about. Anyway, the dollar and the Euro are drifting more and more apart from parity. Next stop, I predict: 82 cents again, maybe below .80. But sure, I will miss the French franc, and as Steven, I always felt the Euro was a bad idea with the worst yet to come. If it really gets you down, take to heart the lyrics to this song Jackie and Roy did: Some day we'll go places See lands and new faces The day we quit punching the clock. The future looks pleasant But at present Let's Take a Walk Around the Block

There is; with money in it. I thought I was being facitious, but does anyone remember the smoothy maitre d'hotel at El Parador on E. 34th St? Somehow he had mastered the ability to get pieced off from everyone as they came into the restaurant. It was sort of that you had to pay him to get a table regardless of how easily he could find you a table. At least that's how I remember it. Otherwise I just try to say thank you at every little thing and make sure I look the servers in the eye. Sometimes, though, I don't care. Like at Cafe Boulod a few nights ago, the waiter told us he would be happy to answer any questions. For whatever reason, I asked him what time it was (although usually I ask something like, "Who was the third President of the United States"?) I believe I lost him for the rest of the evening. (Edited by robert brown at 12:17 am on Dec. 25, 2001)

Bux, as you know I'm a fellow fan. I noticed that the evening dim sum menu says that the items on it are served from 4-11 p.m. I've never been at lunch. Can you remember the lunch dim sum menu at least in terms of choice? The evening one has a selection of 10 steamed and 10 vegetable also available in a sampler of one piece of each. Let's make an honest gesture and urge our fellow readers to patronize this wonderful restaurant. They have really been hurt by the Sept. 11 attack by losing their momentum of patronage. We would hate to see it close. (Edited by robert brown at 6:06 pm on Dec. 24, 2001)

Last night the master chef monopolized my evening without my having to go to, let alone drop a bundle at, Restaurant Alain Ducasse-Croute. The first intrusion came courtesy of the CNN business program “Pinnacle”. While we missed some of the Ducasse segment (perhaps the entire program was devoted to him), we caught enough of it to hear him say that the New York restaurant was like a corporation of which he was the CEO. That certainly made us want to pick up the phone and ask how soon we could get in. Then on the FDR drive en route to Chinatown for a meal at the marvelous, underrated restaurant Dim Sum GoGo, my wife and I got into a heated discussion (not an argument) as to if we should patronize the Ducasse. I felt an almost civic duty to go, especially given my role as consumer advocate to the rich. She said that after our experiences with the Ducasse operations, she never again wanted to set foot in any of his restaurants. She then recalled the various transgressions and disappointments we have suffered at his hands: how, after phoning his Bastide de Moustiers to say we would be late to dinner because we had to stop and claim from the police some effects that someone had stolen from our friends’ car while we were antiquing in L’Isle sur la Sorgue. When we ordered our dinner from the very-limited menu, the squab we had all wanted was sold out, and we had to settle for some tough fricasee of rabbit that was not on the menu and had probably been lying around for some days. That we booked the two most expensive rooms in the hotel did not seem to matter. Then there was the bad meal at the Louis XV a few years ago. Not only were we treated disdainfully and given mediocre food (imagine, for example, a tray of already-prepared petits farcies sitting in a corner of the dining room) but when I made the reservation for eight people a month or so ahead, I received a fax back listing a choice of two no-choice menus saying that because we were more than six people, we had to choose in advance one menu or the other for everyone.. Of course, they backed down on that one after hearing from me rather vociferously. During the cab ride home we had another lengthy disagreement. I said that Ducasse looked like a friend of ours, while my wife asked me how I could be so wrong. The weird thing is that our friend’s last name is “Kass”. I will have to ask him if there is any shared blood between them. Gosh, do you think Ducasse is maybe ……? (Edited by robert brown at 2:55 pm on Dec. 24, 2001) (Edited by robert brown at 2:58 pm on Dec. 24, 2001)

Anil, unless you're addicted to the Grand Cafe de Turin, here's another shellfish place that's really fine and you want to rub elbows with the denizens of the neighborhood: Coquillage Andre. It's on the right side of street that's the continuation of Av. Jean Medecin very soon after Pl. Charles de Gaulle. Reserve. We like it a lot. Really good quality, somewhat more attentive service (less brutal) than the Turin. Decent post-war atmosphere. Let us know how it goes everywhere over there.

Bux, As I think I wrote above in a few words directed at Steve K, I didn't mean to express a qualitative or rank-order judgement about who are the number ones. I guess I tried to imply a tone that didn't come through in words. It was more in the spirit of "how do you/we know"? and "why can't it be "B" instead of "A"?"

Steven, congratulations for sticking to your guns (and knives and pens.) Seriously, it is nice to see our guy proven accurate. It would be interesting to know if you have compared the two Grimes reviews and could comment on or annotate them for us. (Edited by robert brown at 3:18 pm on Dec. 23, 2001)

Steven, even Sushi restaurants in Japan use Fed Ex for our tuna, among other fish. I don't need to think of how to express what it is like eating Japanese food in Japan, Thai food in Thailand, or Italian food in Italy. Cole Porter did it for us when he wrote "All of You".

Having seen two Ducasse kitchens, Moustiers and Monaco go down the tubes, or at least lose their consistency, I have to wonder if the Ducasse will hold up. Remembering Gagnaire’s telling me that after he is gone two days his kitchen starts to slip, perhaps we ought to wait before getting too excited. It is possible that the world-wide recession will curb Ducasse’s insatiable appetite for empire building anyway. However, I believe that Ducasse does need a New York restaurant, and I’m of the feeling that if at all possible, he would like an LA one, a Chicago one, a SF one, etc. I think that’s really what “his” book on American ingredients was about, and a lousy book it was since profiles about food artisans strikes me as a cop-out way to enlighten people about what grows and gets produced in the USA. I believe the media last year was sending him a message in that regard and letting him know that if you’re not going to be among us most of the time, you will have to show us that you can get it right both in terms of cuisine and in all matters of taste. According to Grime, he heeded the message and got it right. I would like to know what a New York restaurant is, how it is supposed to feel, and how they fit into the local culture. People can and do open up any kind of restaurant they want, and as far as French people and restaurants go, it’s been happening since Henri Soule in 1939 (I wonder if Le Pavilon was in its day as ambitious and markedly different as the Ducasse is now; I suspect it was). To me, a classic New York restaurant is Peter Lugar’s and Katz’s. If there were a Horn & Hardart left, that would be one, too. After that, anything goes as far as I’m concerned, as New York’s gastronomic profile is made up of neighborhoods, its diversity of cuisines, and the coming and going of individual restaurants. Steve K: My one-line post was meant to be not an expression of opinion, but more along the lines of “who is to say?”, or,“what makes you so sure of your pronouncement and what is it based on?”. I have to wonder if your profession has anything to do with your championing of Adria, given that his approach to savoury dishes seems to resemble that of a dessert man. Would you please expand on your remarks about local ingredients?. They are something that drives my preference for provincial gastronomy and my love of eating in Italy. The more or longer an ingredient has to travel, the more concerned I become regardless of self-serving people telling me it’s been put in this, taken off the boat or the airplane five minutes ago, etc.

Steve, how do you know if it's not Bras and Veyrat, Veyrat and Bras for number one? (Edited by robert brown at 11:12 pm on Dec. 22, 2001)

As promised elsewhere, here's the thread. What are your feelings and experiences buying wine at auction: NY, LA, Chicago, London, SF? Are you skittish, for example, or have you been happy with the quality and/or the prices? Do you trust catalogue descriptions and have you bought, as I have, wines that subsequently fell apart in spite of their description and appearance? On balance do you feel you have come out in good shape? (Edited by robert brown at 3:14 pm on Dec. 22, 2001)

Okay, they just split. I may have some older Beaucastel in the wine warehouse. I'll let you know which, if any. I bought some 1982 Hermitage La Chapelle of Jaboulet in an auction. Six or seven bottles were good and then rest started falling apart. I'll put up a thread here so people could talk about buying wine at auction. I don't/won't do it anymore. What are you serving with the Combettes? It's really nice as I recall. (Edited by robert brown at 3:01 pm on Dec. 22, 2001)

And you can find out their life's history between spins of the roulette wheel. Slooooooooooooow.

Steve, I hope you're too conservative on the 1989 Hommage. I'll refer to Parker for "anticipated maturity", if nothing else other than background, and see what he thinks. Since I have three 750s and a 1.5, maybe I can sneek a peak anyway. But I bet you're right. More later. Some people just fell by.

Steve, for a while there I though perhaps we weren't joined at the hip or separated at birth after all. But now I can breath a little more easy. Apparently you did have an ephiphany, even two of them it sounds like. I have a much larger percentage of red and white Burgundies, but not because I have anything against Rhone Valley wines; I just haven't delved into them. I do own them a bit, and maybe one day we can open a 1989 Hommage a Jacques Perrin (but a warning: I bought them at a Davis & Co. sale, and I haven't opened any). I don't own a lot of wine and some of it (most of my Piemonte stuff) I buy and keep over there. But since I can buy older Burgundy privately from a friend, I can get what I need on a "need to drink" basis, although he is too disorganized to find exactly what I might request. But I have some nice juice at home and in storage. I would be curious to know if anyone got into California Cabernets and Chardonnays after discovering and buying red and white Burgundy. I would be surprised. It's like going from being interested in the Modern Movement to developing a fascination with Art Nouveau. (Edited by robert brown at 11:47 am on Dec. 22, 2001)

Steve, thinking you might have something to do with Astor Wines and Liquors, I ended up viewing the page about your California wine tasting. Have you given up on them (CA wines) because of some epiphany or something? What do you drink these days and how do you find whatever wines they are compared to the Cabernest and Chardonnays from CA? Then I'll tell you what my wine preferances are. It would be fun if other people joined in, perhaps either defending CA wines or why they prefer wines of some type and/or country. (Edited by robert brown at 11:10 am on Dec. 21, 2001)

AHR, we spend almost as much on the transportation as on the meal; aka as going out of your way. It's still our favorite pizza. The crust is the equal of just about any bread in town. The red peppers are "de rigeur". It's vital to have as good taste in pizza as in music.

Steve, I wish I could help you. I clicked on this site because my wife had the brilliant idea of taking good friends and also clients down there since these people are " the man and woman who have everything". Let the word out if you go. I'll do the same. Have a happy 2002. I hope it's the year we meet up. And of course if anyone else goes, please share your visit with us. All the best, Robert

I thought we made a cheese thread a few months ago. Why not move all of it there? Has anyone tried the Berthaud cheese washed in Chablis? I had some in France, so maybe they don't export it. Maybe that would satisfy the Epoisses fans since I think the two cheeses are similar. I forget the name, though. My wife got the impression that Grimes ate his meal(s) at the Ducasse in the room reserved for regulars. Anyone get the same impression? (Edited by robert brown at 6:09 pm on Dec. 20, 2001)

Somewhere on the site there were a few postings about seeding wine glasses with wine before serving. I thought it was in the Babbo water thread. Regardless, this is a more appropriate thread for seeding and a lot more. You may want to try this decanting ritual if you are serving Italian wine at a future dinner party and want to be considered a real pompous schmuck. I believe the following is an accurate step-by-step notation of the decanting ritual at Ristorante Gener Neuv in Asti where the owner and sommelier Piero Fassi served me a 1989 Falletto di Serralunga Barolo of Bruno Giacosa as follows: Piero shows me the bottle. At a small breakfront, Piero opens the bottle and pours himself a small amount to taste. He tastes the wine. He walks a few steps to a bigger breakfront and puts down his glass. He returns to the first breakfront and decants the wine into a carafe. He and a waitress bring the carafe, bottle, four glasses and a small copper vessel to a large serving table next to our table. He pours a small amount of wine from the carafe into the first wine glass. He swirls the wine and pours it into the second wine glass. He swirls the wine in the second wine glass and pours it into the third wine glass. He swirls the wine in the third wine glass and pours it into the fourth wine glass. He swirls the fourth wine glass and pours what remains into the copper vessel. He and the waitress bring over the four glasses, which she places in front of each of us. Piero pours wine into my glass. I taste the wine. He then serves the other three people at the table. Just thought I would share this procedure, which takes place in one form or another at formal restaurants throughout Italy, since some of you were intrigued with the seeding of wine glasses with wine. (Edited by robert brown at 5:43 pm on Dec. 20, 2001)

It's because of this dad-gum site that I have the latest "Art of Eating" in one of the piles of unread "Gourmet"s ,New Yorkers", Tanzers, " Wine Spectators" Saturday FTs" and "Conde-Nast Travelers". I assume Behr mentions Berthaud making people sick with their raw-milk Epoisses or something like that? I'm not sure I got my question completely answered, though I do appreciate what the two of your wrote. It seems to me that a "maitre affineur" does somewhat more than the people working for Brennan, primarily turning the cheeses and also moistening them. (I've never watched an "affineur" in action or asked to be shown a cheese cave, however). But I don't see that a heck of a lot more can be done to cheeses that come into the country or from our own cheesemakers; and something different has to happen to raw-milk cheeses that are young and still evolving from an inedibly soft to varying stages of ripeness and eatability: again the availability of tasty cheese in varying stages. Perhaps my question is highly technical and requires a microbiologist to answer. Steven, in your "Salon" piece I think you talk about dead cheeses or cheeses tasting that way. Last week I started to go through my copy of "French Cheeses", the book with the Robuchon introduction and written by a Japanese, and noticed how many of the cheeses were raw milk ones aged under 60 days. There were lots. Bux, I hope we live long enough. Then I may hit 100. (Edited by robert brown at 3:19 pm on Dec. 20, 2001)

Steven: By invoking 'affinage" in a USA setting you bring up an interesting conceptual question to which I have yet to find the answer. To me "affinage" signifies the ageing of cheese until it reaches a certain state. With Parmesan, for example, it may mean keeping it in the producers' cellars for many months or even up to two years. In a 'cave d'affinage" of a cheese seller in France, it can mean the ageing of young raw-millk cheese in which the "sub-atomic particles" (microbes, enzymes, etc.)are still evolving until the cheese shop owner or the wholesaler wants certain ones in a certain state and then delivers them or puts them out for sale. But what does "affinage" mean at Artisinal, Picholine, the Ducasse,etc? Does it mean more than storing them so that they don't go bad in a hurry? I can see that certain cheeses here will change depending on how they are stored, but what are the differences between this kind of change ( after they have been "played out" microbe/enzyme-wise) and the change young raw-milk cheeses in France undergo? I would imagine it is ageing to a desireable state vs. here in NYC where it woujld be more on the way to spoilage. Let me know if you don't understand the question in its entirety.

Would somebody else please read the god-damned book. I need more opinions before I lay out the bread.