Lesley C

When I was a pastry teacher, I used to love mille-feuille day. It was great to see all these macho guys crap their pants while making them. I saw grown men fall to pieces having to do the fondant, curvy line thing. I remember one fellow (a seedy drug addict, ex-con type) who got all misty-eyed when he got the fondant right. Making mille-feuille separates the men from the boys.

What's wrong with salted butter with the bread? And who's this Paul Gagne fellow? Wasn't it a woman doing last week's review?

You can also make one layer with pastry cream and another with Chantilly, or to make it easier, you can spread the whipped cream over the pastry cream and just use two layers of pastry to sandwich. It isn't the classic, but for beginners, it is quite easy to make. Also, for beginners, you can add a few sheets of gelatin to the custard, pour it into a plastic-lined cookie sheet, chill, then later flip it directly onto the sheet of pastry. Then you just have to cut off the excess cream and you'll have an even layer. All these tricks make life easier.

Wow, so true, The Moulerie, major people-watching site. Cafe Cherrier is much the same. I compiled a list of about 17 great terraces for a short column this week. Thanks for all the suggestions. I've added seat numbers to my story if anyone's interested.

I've enjoyed your books with Jean-Georges Vongerichten a great deal. Can you discuss the challenges and rewards on working on this style of chef-driven book? More specifically, how do you go about it? Do you sit next to him in the kitchen typing on a laptop as he goes along? Or do you work with recipes he supplies? Is it difficult to break down such complicated cooking into simple recipes? Thanks

Almost!!!???

Yes interesting, and puzzling most for the reviewers. But in Montreal if you talk to the reviewers you'll see we all have quite different priorities. I read some reviews -- good or bad -- and just fall off my chair, as I'm sure the others do as well.

Thanks for that jokhm and if I haven't already welcomed you, welcome to eGullet! I think Godbout is getting better every year. He's a proud guy, which can work against him at times, but his food and restaurant speak for themselves. So kudos to him for that. He just got trounced by a French reviewer, which I think was off-base, considering all the work he's put into that place. And he's kept a strong customer base. People are still talking about Chez L'Epicier so as the French say, chapeau!

If I saw the Maitre d' at the bar having wine with friends while all these problems were going on, I'd consider walking out. The Maitre d' should be the soul of the restaurant, not a mingler -- even if it's his day off. Thanks for the report identifiler. The food sounds fantastic.

Isn't the terrace at Les Ramparts only open during the fireworks festival?

What kind of ice cream does Luigi serve? You can also buy great dried porcini there no? Guru, isn't there a terrace at Les Chevres? Has anyone been using it this weekend?

The new chef at the Lychee Supper Club is Giovanni Apllo former chef/owner of Tentation. I hear they have completely revamped the menu. That place is FUN. Anyone been since Apollo took over? And yes, Savannah is certainly worth a visit.

Hello boys, There's a personal message system for one-on-one conversations. I believe this thread is about restaurants open on Sunday and Monday. At this point you're WAY off topic.

Grill-it, you're talking about Savannah. Great restaurant, nice terrace.

For home use, go for non-stick. Despite what anyone says about heat conductivity and the like, it's just so much less of a pain in the ass to clean. I don't like spending my Sunday mornings scraping burnt muffin bits and baked-on Pam off my muffin tins. Neither should you. Non-stick all da way.

Drop the dessert and add a thin-crust apple tart to your cheese board. It's my new favourite way to finish dinner. Then crack out some serious chocolates with the coffee. OK, then we'd be looking at another wine.

OK, this is going to sound stupid, but a half bottle in a restaurant will always win out over the glass because of the cute factor. I just love getting my own little bottle. I was drinking a 375 ml of Haut-Cassan the other day and I just kept admiring the label and waiting for the waiter to come over and pour me more. I had it in a carafe at another restaurant and it was hardly as much fun. It may sound silly, but when it comes to wine service, those little things add up. Like I said before, wines by the glass are ideal for tasting menus. But for a three-course meal, I'm always good for at least one half bottle.

When you eat on the terrace a t Bice you definitely feel you're outside. The terrace at Paris Beurre feels a bit to me like sitting next to someone's garage. La Petite Ardoise has a nice terrace out back, but again I feel I'm in the back alley. Jardin de Panos has a great terrace out back as well. Chopper, yes I think Toque!'s terrace is for drinks and coffees. Oh I forgot, Boris Bistro has an amazing terrace.

La Varenne pratique can be useful for beginners. For fun, I'd get them Nigella Lawson's How to Eat, which includes a great chapter on baby food. Might come in handy down the line. If they're picture people, Forever Summer might be the ticket. It has been providing me with interesting food for the past few months, and I think beginners would enjoy the mix of styles. For a gift, though, I'd through in some kitchen tools and some great non-stick frypan.

Rumours have been flying that La Bastide is for sale. Does anyone know what that's all about? Oops, this sounds like a new thread. On the terrace front, Le Castillon has a great terrace, as does Hotel de la Montagne. Not sure if they serve food on the terrace of de la Montagne? It might just be a bar.

Apparently the vacuvin is a crock but I still use it. I wish more restaurants would stock up on half bottles. I find, for two people, that two half bottles (or three if you're a serious drinker) work well with the starter/main formula. Tasting menus work better with wines by the glass. But a half bottle of white at the beginning of the meal is a great option over delving immeditely into a big red. I'm also big on the 500 ml bottle (they were bottling good young Bordeaux in this format a while back) for home dinners, but it seems to be a dying breed around here.

Look Rex, I'm all for Cafe Melies (I have a somewhat personal connection to the place ), but a terrace at Meleies? Aren't the tables inside? Don't they just open the windows onto the street? And eatboy, have you dined at La Maree recently?

How about a Banyuls for the dessert?

I'm trying to come up with a short list of the city's best terraces. So far I have: Rosalie Bice Lemeac Le Gourmand Chez Queue Laloux Chez Julien Chez Noeser Any others on the high-end scene I'm missing?

Welcome grill-it . What better way to start you eGullet adventure than with a post on donuts.