Lesley C

I spoke to the Les Ramparts people yesterday and apparently chef Yannick Bouchard is off on paternity leave. So congrats to chef Bouchard!

OK, I'll buy the few-mistakes-no-biggie school of thought. Be Jesus, those sound like BIG mistakes to me and some major assumptions when it comes to dessert. And really, Molle should know better, he WAS a chef. Aprilized I'm siding with you here. How can we criticize these restaurants without being vigilant ourselves. It's just sloppy. My approach now is to leave out details I'm not sure of (I hate calling chefs) and focus on something else. And Zach, tell me, what did I get wrong when I reviewed Brunoise???

hee hee hee... I'll tell him next time I see him

Yes, Area is very good. I'll second that recommendation!

Well, well Molle actually reviewed Otto in today's Le Devoir. Three days, that must be a record! Looks like he loved the food though...

Look, I'm supposed to keep my mouth shut until the 7th but since I like Bigorre so much I'll give him a clue. Think bird, and I'm not talking bluebird Cooking at Chez l'Epicier.

Bad Luck! La Bastide is closed. Why not Les Chevres? And really, Anise is AMAZING!!!

December 7th edm, where is Rachel cooking? Me no see that name on the list either...

Speaking for myself.... I try to wait two months before reviewing a restaurant. That's not set in stone, but generally that's my time limit. Three days is ridiculous. And even two months might be early, but don't forget there are chefs out there dying for a positive review to fill up their restaurant to get the ball rolling. BTW, aprilized welcome to eGullet! You have a few good chefs there at Otto!

I have the list and I don't see all those people on there. Hopefully an updated list come press conference time will include them. In the past, the Festival has seen some top flight Italian chefs come to town with little response from the public (I sat through three meals -- two good, one not so good -- prepared by Italian chefs in empty restaurants). Let's hope things look better this year. The wines are sure to be a hit.

Don't see that name on the list.

Yeah, but they aren't listing any chefs names on the site yet. Trust me, when they do come up, chances are you won't know many of them. Italy is not a country known for its star chefs.

All info is under wraps until December 7th. But I'll give you one piece of news: Gualtiero Marchesi is the Honorary President.

I first tried out a Senseo at a friend's house in France in summer 2003. She had different pods from Maison du Cafe, which has now added three new coffees to its lineup (Vienna, Rio de Janeiro and Milano). I wonder if the French pods would work in the US machine? If so, it would be worth picking up pods on a trip to France. I remember the coffee being pretty good. The french like their coffee pretty strong. Now too bad the bloody machine isn't available in Canada yet! Oops, edited to add seseopods.com has an interesting selection of European pods for sale.

Ellen I have a question. Is the pastry kitchen separate from the on-view kitchen at Ducasse? If so, wouldn't it be normal for the main kitchen to be closed while diners are waiting for dessert from the pastry kitchen?

I think it's also important to put the review in context. The New York review this month goes by the theme of "Banking on the Stars" and includes reviews of four-star restaurants that might be worth the big splurge for the holidays: Le Bernardin, Daniel, Jean-Georges, and Ducasse. The first three merit a rave. Ducasse is all but trashed. Interesting, because it goes against much of what you read on this site. Also interesting because the newest four-star, Per Se, is not inlcuded (probably because you can't book a table or because they have not yet reviewed it in Gourmet, not sure).

Just read the Gourmet review. A few excerpts: "the food and surroundings were never in sync" "pink veal with ham and Gruyere was an oddly pedestrian riff on an old housewife''s dish" "undercooked langoustines" "dull salmon" "an abysmally dry hunk of veal" "apparent neglect" "far from a standout meal" "Before dessert arrived the kitchen had been scrubbed to a polish and turned dark for the night" But I think the line that sums it up would be: "With former Lespinasse chef Christian Delouvrier running the show, the menu has changed and the prices have risen even higher. But now more than ever, the food falls short of its mark." Ouch.

Montreal showed him a pretty good time as well. Good luck outdoing the poutine with foie gras and his night on The Main!

Yes, it's nice to chill out sometimes when you dine out at a bistro and such. But I'm also a sucker for the more formal restaurants, where I pull out the fancier clothes, better earrings and nice shoes. And thank heavens there are still places like Les Caprices for a night like that! Take note: Even at Les Caprices, you can kick off your shoes under the table. Check out the web site at www.lescaprices.com

Well, I was waiting for someone else to jump in but I see I'll have to give it a go. Les Caprices is still very much the same restaurant as you visited in the past. The food is excellent and the wine list is superb. It was rather spectacular when Nicolas was there but it's surprising how good it still is despite the changes of chefs over the years. Service is still French and formal, but probably less stuffy than before. The cheese selection is the best out there and the room is very romantic. You'll also find first-class local ingredients on the menu -- foie gras, deer, guinea hen and such. Go. If you liked it before, you'll probably like it again for all the same reasons.

Yes, so true. BUT, at the top level, when we are talking about the difference between a three and four star restaurant (or holding on to a high star rating you already have), that kind of intense perfectionism that can be focused on when a critic is recognized can make a difference. I mean, there's a reason why Boulud has a picture of Bruni in his kitchen. If he wasn't planning on making an extra effort, the picture might be of Escoffier or Brigitte Bardot, right?

Oh-ho! I'm laughing at this one. Critics think they are so smart. But you know what? Chefs are way smarter.

Trust me, it makes a difference. I'm the Fine Dining Critic for the Montreal Gazette and I try my best to enter incognito. Why? Because I’m there to represent the reader, not write a profile of the chef. I have also worked in Michelin-starred restaurants in France where a VIP order meant you busted your ass to make sure your plates were PRISTINE. One up from the VIP order was the Gault-Millau or Michelin order. When one of those popped up we would clear the table, ignore the mise-en-place and start the dish from scratch, reaching for the best and freshest stuff possible. I have churned a sorbet to order for a critic. Sometimes we would completely re-think the plates. The waiters would focus in on that table, and don’t think for a minute that water glasses were not refilled or the mignardises plate was not beefed up. I’ll never forget once, before I was a critic, talking to a superb young chef who had opened a casual-style restaurant. The food was good -- nothing more -- probably because the chef spent most of his time in the dining room talking to customers. The day the local critic came in to review, the chef spotted her, headed straight for the kitchen, insisted no one touch the critic’s plates, cracked out the truffles and foie gras and whipped up a lunch he said was worthy of a three-star restaurant. He wanted a good review and you know what? He got it – a friggin’ rave. Problem is, most of the time when the kid wasn’t in the kitchen the food was pretty average. But that review packed them in at a time when he really needed the business. So good for him. Anyone who thinks extra attention is not allotted to critics has not spent significant time in a professional kitchen. And any chef who says an extra effort is not made when a critic is spotted in the dining room is either a fool or a liar – especially if he or she is a chef owner.

Come to think of it, I think I had a halibut cheek amuse-bouche at Cube last week.

Well Jamie, to each his own I guess. As for a Time review, I had very good reasons this year not to review it. If it keeps going strong I'll certainly get around to it.