Lesley C

OK, ten points for anyone who can tell me what "festoner" means. This is a tough one.

No, private clubs are off limits. Also, I hear you can find Meyer lemons at La Mer this week.

I don't think it's ever open to the public

Consider La Bastide. I'm reviewing it this weekend and I thought it was great -- very warm ambiance and the food I had was close to flawless. I was never all that wild about Bleu Raisin. It's good, but you'll find better on the BYOW scene. I also like Les Infideles in that category. Anise and Les Chevres are both superb. It's too hard for me to chose one over the other, and to be brutally honest I like both much better than the new Toque!, which left me cold.

The French have been using atomised glucose for years. When I took my ice cream course in 1990 with a French chef, it was in almost every recipe, certainly every sorbet recipe. And there were no Pacojets around here back then. And yes loufood, there are pistachio pastes that are not green. I once got one that contained no colouring, which was puce. Not too attractive in ice cream. Now I swear by Fabri, though Marguerite used to make a very nice creme de pistache as well.

OK, fleurette is unwhipped heavy cream. You probably use 35%, but in France it's 30%. Pate de pistache is pistachio paste, and I think they are calling for a generous teaspoon's worth (though I always do things like pistachio paste to taste). As for the glucose in ice cream, my thinking would be that's it's powdered glucose, glucose atomisé, atomised glucose. Mais en boite is canned corn, and corn starch is fécule de mais or maïzena. As for the gros sucre, it's that white stuff that I think Americans would call rock sugar? Not sure, I did all my pastry training and working in French. It's the sugar you would sprinkle on a brioche.

Chicken wing joint? OK, well if you put it in the category of chicken wing joint, it must be a four-star chicken wing joint.

I think it's a shame the Times doesn't consider adding half stars to their rating system, as they do at the Post. Considering the many styles of restaurant in New York these days, four categories seems too limited. If Spice Market had been awarded three stars, but there were two categories above that ranking, I don't think this brouhaha would have ensued. OK, I can see the problems with the Jean-Georges blurb and not mentioning Kunz. But considering how much she enjoyed the food, wouldn’t it have been just as wrong to top that review with a two-star rating?

Good point. I guess a high-ranking staffer who likes to eat is good enough for the Times. His specialty appears to be George Bush. Can't wait to read his Masa and ADNY reviews. You have to pity a guy whose first sushi review is of one of the best sushi restaurants on the planet. But, hey, let's wait and see. Maybe he'll surprise everyone.

The best ice cider coming out of Quebec right now is made by a company called La Face Cachee de la Pomme. Their "Neiges" wine is excellent, but if you can get your hands on "Frimas" you'll be blown away. It's like tarte Tatin in liquid form. The other stuff is more like apple pie. The Frimas is actually made with apples picked from the trees in winter (most ice cider is made with apples frozen in a freezer or in bins outside). Web site: www.cidredeglace.com for pictures of the apples still on the trees go to: www.cidredeglace.com/frimas-procede.asp

I can make a terrific wedding cake, I can made superb chocolates, I can make pie crusts blindfolded, and I can cook anything I put my mind to with success. But for the life of me, I can not make a good vinaigrette. I follow instructions, I know the proportions, I buy great oils and vinegars, and I have tried hundreds of recipes. It always tastes awful. I think I'm cursed.

You can track down a flute Gana at any good boulangerie in France. They're excellent. Sure if you buy your baguette at Leclerc, Casino or Lyon supermarkets you'll be disappointed. But to compare the best baguettes in France to California sourdogh is just silly. California sourdough is too sour. Let's give the French their due: a good French baguette is a thing of beauty, taste-wise, crust-wise and mie-wise (so is Poujauran, but that's a whole other thread).

Hi Pinoy, welcome to eGullet There's a recent thread on brunches where you'll find a long list of options.

The feed is organic. I'm guessing it's certified by nice Irish people. They must be feeding them oatmeal and potatoes.

I only buy the Irish organic stuff and i think it's quite nice. The salmon I purchased in Tofino (organic pink salmon) had an odd mushy texture.

The only time you should be grateful to be in a restaurant is when the meal is free. He should be grateful you handed him -- what? -- $500 for that less-than-impressive dinner.

I think because the Irish fish is organic. I have purchased organic, farm-raised salmon in B.C. (Tofino) but here I have only seen the Irish product.

I've bought that crab meat from Costco, frozen. AS for the stone crab claws, I know of no source outside high end restaurants. If you see them frozen, don't bother.

God, Bourdain, yes! Doesn't anyone in that section have a sense of humour? The New Yorkers make Nigella sound like Rodney Dangerfield. Couldn't they just throw a load of money at A.A.Gill and get him over there fast? At this rate I'd be happy with Dave Barry.

Aha! After a night at the bar. Might explain a few things.

4:30 am? Why was anyone still there at 4:30 am? In my book, the chef at CdP is listed as Luis Viorklumds. I'm assuming it was the same guy. BTW, welcome to eGullet tocino. Do you work at CdP? I'm sure there's a lot more to this story than someone just flipping out.

Where's Jean-Francois Vachon when you need him? He has posted here before.

Are you talking Serge the big-mouth mushroom man, always at the ready with the latest behind-the-kitchen-doors gossip?

Meanwhile, check out La Bastide, where ex CdP chef Jean-Francois Vachon is outdoing himself. I was there last night and it was terrific. Never been better.

That's very true. It would be a smarter move to open something casual in that space, and perhaps work up to a slightly more complex menu. Your meal there didn't sound all that different from what you might have to fork over -- expense-wise-- at Toque!