biskuit

I guess I failed to mention that - I meant to say that the plastic wrap approach itself worked in person. I do agree it might not work for Collichio though!

Based on the fact that he was doing the smoke under clear wrap thing a year ago, Richard's use of it has nothing to do with the fact that Glad is a sponsor - total coincidence.

Richard's been doing variations on the smoke theme for a little while now, and I had the pleasure of experiencing it in Atlanta twice with a mussels dish. It works. I can see how some might be turned off, but when you have the dish in front of you, with the chef bringing it out and explaining the smoke, you get it. And the aroma is, like he said, the proverbial cherry on top of the sundae. The dish would be great without it, but it adds that extra touch. I've also experienced Alinea's "pillow" and "burning leaves" - those are certainly more "elegant" ways of doing something similar - but the restaurant Richard was at (Element) was decidedly more casual and inexpensive.

A brief account of 48 hours in and around Zurich, featuring... marrow! wienerschnitzel! pork with a generous helping of salt and fat! beer! chocolate! Is there more to life than that?? Lots of photos at http://flickr.com/photos/kaplanbr/sets/72157604182035971/ To start with, Zurich is a lovely town full of charming architecture and interesting culture, on a lovely lake, in sight of the lovely Alps covered in snow. Zurich at night... These guys love Zurich, and they want you to know how great it is!!!! One thing Zurich is well know for is Sprungli chocolates and patisseries. They are all over the place, and the Luxemburgli cookies are justifiably famous - a kind of creme filled macaron in assorted flavors. All delicious. They even have a wikipedia entry! When you go, try as many as you can, you'll be glad. Sprungli also happens to be a part of the Lindt family (bet you didn't know that!), and their factory happened to be just down the road from my hotel. Chocolate aromas filled the air, locals filled the factory store shopping for specials on Easter chocolates. We didn't get to see the production itself, but it was a nice stop nonetheless, and I purchased a good deal of chocolate to bring home. Some of which you can get here in the US, some unique to Europe. My first meal of the trip was a basic street cart, that I assume is a part of a chain - Brezelkonig - for a pretzel sandwich with "coppa" (basically prosciutto), butter and salt! Gotta love anyone who adds salt and fat to prosciutto to make a sandwich. It hit the spot. I washed it down with a strange Swiss soft drink called Rivella, made from "serum de lait" which is apparently some sort of super skimmed milk derivative. Only in Switzerland... For dinner that night, we hit one of the city's top restaurants, Kronenhalle, which was traditional, fancy, expensive Swiss/German food. I went for something I'd never had before to start - Soup with Bone Marrow - then something very traditional - Wienerschnitzel. Both were fine, but I wouldn't go back to Kronenhalle on my own dime. The marrow was strangely lacking in the rich flavor I expected, and the wienershnitzel was, well, wienerschnitzel, but a huge huge huge piece of veal. I could not finish it. The Rioja we had along with the meal was the highlight, actually, quite nice. The next night, I got to choose, and we hit a much more enjoyable spot for beer, wurst, and great bread and mustard - Zeughauskeller. It's in a former armory, and the decor leans to guns and hatchets, which is not quite so reassuring in a room full of heavily drinking folks. Great stuff all around, highly recommended. One final culinary stop worth noting - there's a shop in the old town that is full of empty bottles and various kegs/barrels/vats of wines, alcohols, liqueurs, oils, vinegars, etc. that you can pick and choose from. Very cool idea. Didn't buy anything mainly due to US customs regulations, but would love to get back there some time.

We were just there this weekend and I must say that Boma was quite good. I'm not a buffet fan by any means, but they do it right. The soups (carrot ginger, curry chicken, and one similar to a chinese hot and sour) were especially good, as were the three types of hummus. Maybe not the best place for a solo dinner though.

The spoiler that Reignking was referring to in the article (don't read if you don't want to be spoiled) was the line that read "Rumor has it that Osman gets cut pretty quickly, but that Blais makes it to at least the final four." Not that they were both finalists...

As Homer Simpson would say.... "Mmmmmmm, duck fat." The thought of a 7.5 pound bucket of fat is slightly disturbing. Slightly intoxicating, but slightly disturbing.

Sounds familiar, all Keller's fault that I now have a china cap ... and an extrafine strainer ... and silpats ... and circle molds and...

Thanks, it was great, and it was a lot of work! I got to the part where you actually use the lobster glace and did a double take - all that work for a tablespoon that goes into the lobster salad! Yow. Every little detail plays a part in bringing the dish closer to perfection.

The "FrenchLaundryAtHome" blog just did the salmon chop. Sounded good... http://carolcookskeller.blogspot.com/2008/...-and-black.html

Thanks, it was great, but I was purely in the kitchen (and bringing out the dishes and describing them). It was for my wife and her friends - girls night. There is no possible way to successfully pull this off and be seated at the table too! At least I can't imagine it. I was sure to make enough to include myself and my two friends who came to help out in plating, serving and cleaning - we ate (almost) as well as the "guests" did, though we were eating it in the kitchen in a less leisurely way! Last year I did it entirely solo, and having friends help with the service and cleanup was a huge help. They were happy to volunteer in exchange for food!

Well, actual planning started weeks in advance, planning things out like a military attack, buying a few ingredients and a few pieces of equipment, then actual heavy prep started on Wednesday and got progressively heavier each day until an all day Saturday cooking marathon. The oxtails involved the most time by far, and the lobster dish occupied a good chunk of the day Saturday. Demanding recipes, but worth it in the end for a special occasion.

For the second year in a row, I cooked a French Laundry inspired meal for my wife's birthday - for her and 11 friends! - mostly using the FL cookbook. For the second year in a row, everything turned out great, but required a ridiculous amount of work and being able to adjust a few things as the cooking times don't always hold true. Cooking from this cookbook makes you really appreciate the depth of technique and detail that goes into these dishes - the flavors, combinations, creativity, and visuals are all incredible in these recipes. Rather than typing up a full accounting - I'll simply point to a flickr set of photos I posted (including a lot of the prep work that went into the dishes). The are detailed descriptions for each photo to help explain what they are! The dishes I did this year from the cookbook included... "Peas and Carrots" (lobster!) "Surf and Turf" (monkfish and braised oxtails) "Coffee and Donuts" "PB&J" one I called "Eggs" (white truffle custard w black truffle ragout) and "Chips and Dip" - a recipe I found online from Keller for fingerling chips and green goddess dip All turned out great Enjoy! http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaplanbr/sets...57603697458801/ And to see last years meal (which included Kellers' crab salad, "Fish and Chips," the amazing cones with salmon, and a truffle version of the "Chips and Dip" - see http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaplanbr/sets...57600210905325/ )

I'd recommend Taka over MF, for creativity and price, and Taka will do an omakase. And in general, the maybe-not-so-true rule of thumb is that one should avoid sushi on Monday, so I would do Rathbun's Monday night (assuming they are open). I have to caveat that by saying my two meals at Rathbuns have only been fair. I like Ecco better, or Eugene (much less of a scene, more refined). Nam is a good choice. Other musts really depend on what type of food you're after (or what you can't get in your hometown).

Does Geisha House LA really have a good reputation? All I've ever read of it (and here in Atlanta for that matter) is that's it's all about the scene, and that the scene now is all wanna-be scenesters anyway. My lone meal at GH Atlanta made clear that I won't be back for more. I'll take Taka any day over GH (or MF for that matter - I do think MF has some excellent food, but the prices and attitude are not my cup of tea).

Yes, same moscato! The wine pairings were almost all exceptionally good. My favorite was the lamb with the Clarendon Hills Hickinbotham Grenache, which is a raspberry bomb.

I know Portillo's isn't the very best out there, but it was convenient (downtown) and hit the spot...

You may be sick of seeing photos of Alinea, but I doubt it. Here's a detailed recount of our meal a few nights ago... Taking “The Tour” at Alinea. XXX Warning: Many many photos ahead. If you're internet connection is slow, or your stomach empty, you may want to stop now! XXX Our evening at Alinea was the longest (4 hours and 45 minutes), most expensive (a lot!), and most probably the best meal I’ve ever had on a variety of fronts - creativity, flavor, oh-my-god moments, service, overall experience. The wine pairing was extraordinary, blowing away any other wine/food experience I've ever had. Alinea is a creative force to be reckoned with. It is an experience that will take you places you’ve never been in ways you never imagined. It is French Laundry + Jean Georges + Element* combined in a harmony of technique, flavor, refinement, and adventure. (*an Atlanta restaurant known for amazing creativity, sadly now closed) The evening began with a cab ride out of downtown Chicago, north. To Alinea. No sign outside, just the address: 1723 Halstead Once you open the unmarked doors, the hallway is built with some perspective trickery, narrowing rapidly to appear longer. Remember Willy Wonka? The actual doorway opens automatically on a side wall as you walk towards the end of the hall. On the wall in the kitchen, notes from the chef. Musings about whatever culinary matters are filling his mind these days. (click over to flickr and view the large version of these if you want to be let in on some of Chef Grant Achatz’s secrets) Before being seated, a glimpse into the kitchen: controlled chaos in action. Then we were taken to the farthest of the upstairs dining rooms (there are three), to a table that was simply spectacular. A banquet against the wall, overlooked by a bevy of flowers in vases, large enough for eight to ten (there were four of us), but perfectly comfortable for four. I’m told this is known as “the rock star” table based on who’s been seated there before, and even though we’re not worthy of that title, they made us feel like royalty all night. These beauties were placed on our table at the very beginning of the meal and sat a bit silly throughout courses one through twenty. A culinary version of the ship in a bottle? Cocktail of Paul Laurent Brut, Lillet, Campari, Pineau, and Vya. A nice way to start any meal. And now for the food. I’ll summarize the setting and the service as simply fabulous and focus on what was delivered to our table. On top of the amazing food, the wine pairing elevates the experience to an even higher plane. Course 1: DUCK - pumpkin, banana, thai flavors Duck "tenderloin" with peanuts, chili, butternut squash, a bit of lemongrass. Fabulous flavors working perfectly together. A very nice beginning, all in one bite... The bowl had to be held so that the fork would stay in place, requiring the diner to take a hand in the serving of the first course. Course 2: BROOK TROUT - watermelon, kombu, coriander Wine Pairing: Masumi "Arabashin" Junami Ginjo Namazake, Nagano Prefecture. A beautiful, delicious and light melding of asian flavors in an addictive sauce, blending savory, salty, sweet and spicy. The cold sake was a perfect complement, similar to a slightly sweeter, fruitier sauvignon blanc. It was hard to choose between the two excellent butter options. Butter with cracked pepper and goat's milk butter. Course 3: TOMATO - plum, sherry vinegar, rosemary fragrance Course 3 began with a pillow being set in front of each dinner, redolent of rosemary. Indeed, each was filled with rosemary essence, which slowly released over time as the plate descended delicately downward. Wine Pairing: Sommerhauser Olspiel Silvaner Kabinett, A. Steinmann, Franken, 2005 An assortment of tomato, with complementing flavors of sherry vinegar, frozen (liquid nitrogen) plum, olive oil, explorateur cheese, etc. The rosemary fragrance spread slowly in the air. Summery flavors, well complemented by the silvaner, from the east of Germany near Pilsen, Czech Republic. Course 3: Enjoying the Effects of the "Rosemary Pillow" Course 4: SARDINE - black olive, sundried tomato, arugula Fried sardines, stuffed with a delicate cool nicoise olive mousse. A hint of the sea, salt, the crunch of the fry, and the cool smooth spread of the olive mousse all at once. Another one bite wonder. Course 5: SWEETBREAD - cauliflower, burnt bread, toasted hay Wine Pairing: Cesari Valpolicella Superiore “Ripasso Bosan”, Veneto, 2004 At 2 o'clock, a slice of cauliflower stem topped with a chestnut. At 5 o'clock and 11 o'clock, braised sweetbreads with caramelized cauliflower slices. All surrounded by morsels of “burnt bread” puree and chestnut puree, and sitting in a wonderful delicate and rich cream chestnut sauce. This was knock-your-socks-off great, and I've never had a sweetbread dish anywhere near the same league as this. Again, complemented very nicely by the smooth and robust ripasso. WOW. Course 6: BLACK TRUFFLE - explosion, romaine, parmesan Served on a spoon in a (literally) bottomless bowl. Another one bite wonder. A wonderful wonder. Indeed, an explosion of truffle-rich “tea” (black tea?) inside the ravioli. One bite that triggers the eyes to close, the body to melt into a sense of happiness and awe. Ah, the humble truffle. Another WOW. Course 7: BLACKBERRY - tobacco, smoked salt, mint blossom Tobacco custard topped with blackberry. A calm, simple concoction of blackberry with an aftertaste of sage (that's the tobacco talking). Course 8: RHUBARB - goat milk, beet, long peppercorn Wine Pairing: Hackenheimer Kirchberg Scheurebe Spatlese, CW Bernhard, Rheinhessen, 2005 Rhubarb in seven forms. Can you spot them in the lineup? Cold rhubarb juice and hot beet shot (wow). Crispy rhubarb (nice!). Macerated in gin (yum). Rhubarb mousse with grapefruit cells on bay leaf (sweet!). Rhubarb over goat milk custard with lavender (mmmm). Rhubarb sorbet with pie crust (verrry nice). Green tea foam and rhubarb “gummy” (just gummy!). The crispy, the gin-macerated, and the sorbet were my favorites. All delicate, delicious, balanced. And the wine, what a wonderful sweet syrupy thing it was (not too sweet, not too syrupy). Course 9: HUCKLEBERRY - frozen and chewy, lemon, parsley Frozen huckleberry, indeed it was chewy, topped with a hint of lemon pudding and parsley. Nice flavor, STRANGE texture. Not a favorite, but interesting nonetheless. Course 10: PINEAPPLE - bacon powder, black pepper Freeze dried pineapple surrounding bacon powder spiced with black pepper. Quite spicy, a little sweet, very exciting. Presentation was very amusing and unique. One bite wonders never cease. Our lone non-pork-eater received one with olive oil powder replacing the bacon... (actually, the non-pork-eater was my dad, not pictured!) Course 11: APPLE CIDER - walnut milk, cinnamon, vegetable ash A shot, a gulp, a surprising large bon bon sliding out of the glass and into your mouth before exploding like a baby bomb. A crazy burst of flavors wrapped in cocoa butter. CRAZY BOMB. Course 12: BROOK TROUT ROE - corn, Blis maple syrup Wine Pairing: Domaine du Viking Vouvray “Tendre”, Loire, 1990 Trout roe literally wrapped in maple syrup (the orange in the middle), delicious kernels of sweet yellow corn floating in the corn foam, a touch of sage adding wisdom to the salty and sweetness. Old and “funky” vouvray matched wits perfectly. Amazing how the flavors pulled at each other and came together. The corn in fact is what made it sing. And then the vouvray turned up the volume. Course 13: LOBSTER - parsnip, orange, hyacinth vapor Wine Pairing: Weinbach Pinot Gris “Cuvee Laurence”, Alsace, 2005 Another amazing dish, a truly artful composition in colors, flavors, textures, contrasts, aromas. A milk and honey roll was brought out first, and it came in handy as a foil for the remaining sauce at the bottom of the dish. Hot hyacinth water was poured over hyacinth flowers in the bottom dish, releasing a rose-like fragrance into the air. Poached lobster melded with orange pate de fruit, fennel pollen, lobster roe, lobster custard, “puffed” lobster curlicues, and a cruch of jicama. WOW yet again. Amazing. A masterpiece. A mighty meeting of many things. And the pinot gris? What could go better? Course 14: HONEYDEW - Blis sherry vinegar, mint Mint tea gelee surrounding honeydew and a “bullseye” of solera sherry vinegar. WOW. What a delicate, perfect, refreshing blend of flavors. A better combination and ratio of these tastes is not possible. Stunningly coherent. One bite wonder #? Course 15: HOT POTATO - cold potato, black truffle, butter Hot potato, cold potato. A signature dish. Hot yukon gold potato skewered with black truffle, parmesan, chive and butter, floating over a cold potato soup. One pulls the skewer through the bowl, releasing the hot potato, truffle, and other fine friends into the cool bath of the bowl of soup. Wow yet again is the simplest descriptor of such a dish. Too bad the photo came out blurry... Course 16: KUROGE WAGYU - matsutake, cedar branch aroma Wine Pairing: Chateau La Gaffaliere, Saint-Emilion, 2000 A bowl of cedar branches. Fragrant. Beautiful and green. A metal pin emerging from the middle and a one bite wonder of wagyu beef tenderloin cube below, with a touch of yuzu pudding and mushroom. I had to hunt through the forest a bit for my beef, but it was worth it. Tender, fatty in a very good way, rich and earthy, and just the right zing of the yuzu citrus to tie it to the green aroma of the cedar. Course 17: JUNSAI - bonito, soy, mirin Dashi broth with tender rice-field kelp bubbles that pop in the mouth. Very unusual for a non-Japanese palate, woody, woodsy, salty, fishy and soy. A shot of Japan in a glass. Course 18: LAMB - in cubism Wine Pairing: Clarendon Hills “Hickinbotham” Grenache, S. Australia, 2004 Elysian Fields lamb tenderloin, topped with hints of mustard, mint, and other flavors, accompanied by an artists palate of color and flavor, fruits, savories, all swirled together making a perfect abstract sauce for the tender lamb and its crisped fat skin. Decadent. Smoked paprika croissants were served alongside, again another lovely way to make use of any leftover sauce. And the wine? A more raspberry liqueur of a wine I have never tasted. You could swear it was framboise or liquid raspberry jam. And, of course, it was perfect for the lamb. Course 19: TRANSPARENCY - of raspberry, rose petal, yogurt A crispy weeble wobble of dehydrated raspberry, feathered with yogurt dust, flecked with rose petals. The perfection of the fruit roll up? Quite possibly. And that grenache raspberry bomb from the prior course worked to perfection again. This is the “back” where you can't quite see the yogurt dust. Course 20: FOIE GRAS - spicy cinnamon, apple pate de fruit A core of pate de foie gras and apple in a spicy cinnamon puff shell. Luckily I made more than one bite out of this one, cracking it open to sample the foie gras on its own, then eating the combination which did amazing things in the mouth. Highly unusual and excellent. I could have popped several of these even at this point in the meal. Course 21: GUAVA - avocado, brie, key lime juice Wine Pairing: La Spinetta Moscota d'Asti “Bricco Quaglia”, Piemonte, 2006 Guava “Sponge,” Semifreddo of Avocado and Brie with Basil Ice, Brown Sugar / Rum Capsule with Pine Nut Powder, served with Guava Sauce and Key Lime Juice, adorned with Pine Nut Crispies and Microgreens. The Semifreddo was the highlight, incredible flavors, and the guava juice was fabulous as an accompaniment. Another explosion on the side, this time brown sugar and rum. The pine nut powder was a bit, well, dry. The Moscato d'Asti was a fabulous concoction thick with green apple that matched the guava perfectly. Squeezing the key lime juice into the guava juice. Course 22: LICORICE CAKE - muscovado sugar, orange, hyssop Frozen licorice “cake” and muscovado gelee surrounded by spun sugar with a touch of orange confit. Crazy good. Strong black licorice flavor. No fingers needed to eat. Course 23: CHOCOLATE- passionfruit, lemongrass, soy Wine Pairing: Abbazia di Novacella Moscato Rosa “Praepositus”, Alto Adige, 2006 Dark chocolate ganache squeezed out onto the plate with soy marshmallow, passionfruit and clementine sticks, and a refreshing lemongrass ice. Very unusual, very interesting, and, again, it simply comes together in ways you would never imagine. Moscato Rosa, dark chocolate, and citrus go very well together. Course 24: PUMPKIN - brown sugar, pie dough, burning leaves The first thing that hits you is the fragrance of burning oak, fall is (literally) in the air. Like incense, intense and full of memories. The oak branch skewers a fried morsel of pumpkin pie and crust, brown sugar on the inside. A fitting fabulous final course. At 1:10 AM. It was a memorable evening at Alinea. “The Tour” is worthy of all the praise it receives. If you’ve got the time (and, alas, the money), take a trip for yourself into the world of Chef Grant Achatz and his team. Alinea, by the way, is a form of punctuation that used to be used to separate one line of thought from the next, thus, Alinea = “a new line of thought.” A few more photos at… http://flickr.com/photos/kaplanbr/sets/72157602335995096/

It was $190 per person for the 24 course tour. At roughly $8 a course, it was absolutely worth it. (plus tax and tip)

We were there a few nights ago and had a similarly wonderful meal - a lot of the same dishes but several different ones as well (and a lot of very similar photos). I'll post a flickr stream as soon as I can get to it... The wine pairing was outstanding, simply exceptional.

Bad news - Element has closed as of yesterday. It was reported in the AJC. Best wishes to all involved for future success. From my personal perspective (as a diner), Element was a huge success, but I know the financials of running a restaurant are never easy. Thanks for the memories!

Hmmm, yes, I think you may be right. The downside is that I don't think many of the flavor combinations "worked" (subjective I know) at my meal at WD-50. Just because something's been done before (onion broth, gruyere cheese, toast) doesn't mean you can't be creative about it, and just because something is new doesn't mean it will taste good or should be done (watermelon and fermented black beans). I looked back at some of my favorite dishes at Element in Atlanta, and for the most part, they do follow tried and true combinations of flavors in a unique way. Like a BBQ duck sandwich with cole slaw sorbet that was magnificent (BBQ with slaw), or "ravioli" made from thinly sliced summer squash stuffed with goat cheese atop intensely dried tomatoes and a touch of truffle oil, or sous vide then seared pork belly with "lettuce and tomato" and smoke mayonaisse (BLT with mayo), or a yuzu tart with sweet tea ice cream (citrus and tea, classic combination), or taro chips with salsa gelee cubes that explode with intense salsa flavor in your mouth, or vanilla panna cotta with freeze dried coca cola syrup rocks and homemade cracker jacks. The flavors simply work together. They make your mouth swoon. And they are prepared in ways that are entirely unique and that typically enhance rather than detract from the experience. I want food that makes my mouth swoon and my mind whirl. Jarring/strange flavor combinations may be unique, but a happy adventurous diner they do not make.

I think that was why I was so disappointed - I figured if WD-50 was for anyone, it would be for me. The only dish that really came together for me was the french onion soup, which was arguably the simplest in conception, though with some advanced technique going into those gruyere spheres. I also think I've been spoiled by the genius of Richard Blais at Element in Atlanta. Hopefully some of you can get down here to Atlanta and let us know what you think. You can do a flickr search to find some photos of his dishes, or check out their website - http://elementmidtown.com/ for a photo gallery too. There's even a local guy who just loves the place so much he's done a few photo-films of the kitchen in action - http://web.mac.com/rowdyfood/Site/Film_II_%28Blais%29.html I've eaten at Element four times, two of which were 20 course meals and the other two around 10 courses, and probably 2/3 of the dishes I've had at Element were better than anything I had at WD-50. At a MUCH MUCH lower price. One man's opinion of course, but that's why my hopes were so high for WD-50.

I am saddened and shocked that I'm posting this, but my recent meal at WD-50 was maybe the most disappointing meal of my life. I used to live in Manhattan and I don't get back to New York nearly enough. It's been two years since my last visit, and every meal has to be maximized. We hit tons of spots in three days on this trip, and WD-50 was the only one that was less than excellent, and it was so much less than excellent that I can't even believe the place has supporters. They're either in a rut right now with the current menu, or the emperor truly has no clothes. I can't say which is the case given this was my first visit, but my choice to go to WD-50 seemed easy given the many accolades it has received here and elsewhere (if BryanZ loved it, how could I not?) and my love of that type of creative cuisine as practiced in Atlanta (where I now live) by Richard Blais. We had a 9:30 (post theater) reservation on Saturday night. Me, my wife, and two other couples from Atlanta. The small, pleasantly modern decorated restaurant was not quite full. We were quickly seated, and the waiter assured us that tasting menu was the way to go, offering the best dishes the chef had to offer (none of them on the a la carte menu). We also decided to go with the wine pairings to complement the meal to the max. The evening started on a good note, with a nice pour of Spanish cava, and some very good, ultrathin sesame crisps to munch on for the table. (see http://flickr.com/photos/santheo/1219563138/ for a photo - all photos below are swiped from a random flickr user, my camera died on arrival in New York) Then the food started arriving. The first dish was "Squid noodles, sunflower seed, prune, fresh coriander seed" paired with the Cava Avinyo Reserva Brut, Penedes, Spain. This was a boring first course actually, subdued flavors, nothing exciting going on (I’d give it a 5 out of 10, with 10 being an incredible dish all around. There were no 10's at WD-50, nor 9's for that matter). Next plate arrived, "Pizza pebbles, pepperoni, shiitaki," lots of wow factor, nice combination and interesting form (small spheres of “pizza”), though it tasted kinda like packaged cheese and crackers. An interesting and clever dish certainly, but not the kind of thing that delivers the type of satisfaction a great dish provides – that close your eyes and savor every aspect moment - 6/10. http://flickr.com/photos/joeshlabotnik/824...57600845811043/ Next up, the so-called "Knot foie" - foie gras pate extruded into a long rectangle and tied like a pretzel, dusted with, something, crunchy, that didn't quite work, and dotted with a kimchee puree that did add an interesting kick. The wine pairing was Riesling Maximin Grunhauser 2004, Mosel, Germany, which did work nicely as a pairing, but the dish itself was merely passable as foie gras goes. The form made for a sub-par texture, and the crispies added another distraction. I know the standard balance of toast works great with smooth foie gras, but this was way too crunchy. It could have used a sweet component for further balance – 6/10. http://flickr.com/photos/joeshlabotnik/824...57600845811043/ Next dish really brought out the haters at the table - "sweetbreads, cabbage-kafir, water chestnuts." The sweetbreads themselves were decent, lightly fried, but the accompanying mousse of cabbage/kafir was almost nauseating – 4/10. The wine they initially brought out was a Pax Rose Syrah 2006, Sonoma. The entire table agreed the wine was "off" - it was highly unpleasant - but our waiter insisted that was how it was supposed to be. He did bring us another rose, which was not bad. http://flickr.com/photos/joeshlabotnik/824...57600845811043/ Then - the famous fried mayonnaise? Beef tongue, fried mayo, and tomato molasses - can’t complain, but nothing great. The tomato molasses was rich and flavorful, but didn’t complement the tongue particularly well at all. Another diner at our table brought up that it should have some mustard with it, and he was right. Some interesting components, but again, not working together very well, and nowhere near as good (or creative for that matter) as the tongue Richard Blais at Element in Atlanta was serving up last month - 6/10. http://flickr.com/photos/joeshlabotnik/823...57600845811043/ The table was restless at this point. No one was really enjoying the food, despite the creativity. The flavors were simply not coming together properly. Nothing was satisfying. And then, something that worked, simply. A French onion soup dotted with floating balls of liquified gruyere. Broth, cheese, crisps, and a smattering of onion puree. Simple, robust flavors, uniquely done. Maybe this is what WD-50 has served up consistently in prior times??? Best dish of the night - 7.5/10. The wine was a decent Valtellina Rosso Sandro Fay 2003, Lombardia, Italy. Not memorable. http://flickr.com/photos/joeshlabotnik/824...57600845811043/ Had the tide turned? Not so fast. Going out with the tide was "Surf clam, watermelon, garlic chive, fermented black bean." Eh. The black beans were not pleasant, put there mainly for the visual reference to watermelon seeds. Great in theory, not so great in practice. 4/10. http://flickr.com/photos/joeshlabotnik/823...57600845811043/ Something I had never had before - lamb belly "bacon" with black chickpea and "cherried cucumber." Not bad, but covered in "grass" (was it lemongrass tips?? very thin and grassy, not lemony) most likely for the clever idea of pairing lamb and grass. It didn't work. 6/10 (bacon can never be too bad). The wine was a Faugeres Jadis Leon Barral 2005, Languedoc, France. Like the dish, not bad. http://flickr.com/photos/joeshlabotnik/823...57600845811043/ Finally, on to the dessert courses. I had heard great things about the dessert chef, so again was hoping the tide could turn. First up was "Plum sorbet, feta, marjoram, red wine vinegar." Interesting, not quite refreshing, not quite enjoyable, the marjoram was a bit overpowering. We were thrilled though to finally be past the savory dishes. 5/10. Then, the famous "Fried butterscotch pudding" with mango, taro ice cream, and smoked macadamia. The butterscotch itself was excellent – at least the part inside the “fry” which frankly took away from the butterscotch itself. Nothing else really worked together, too disjointed. The mango was thinly sliced and possibly pickled, very little sweetness/juice, disappointing. 5/10. The wine pairing was very nice though, and a bit of a surprise given its origin - Muscat Efreni Emery Wines NV, Rhodes, Greece. Very enjoyable. http://flickr.com/photos/joeshlabotnik/824...57600845811043/ Another dessert - "soft chocolate, avocado, licorice, lime" - was actually pretty good. The chocolate itself suffered from a similar texture issue as the “knot foie” in that it was not quite firm, not quite soft – I did finish this dish, which is saying something compared to other courses. 6/10. http://flickr.com/photos/joeshlabotni... Last up, "peanut butter and jelly" cookies. Not bad, but far inferior to the French Laundry riff on PB&J (which I've made at home as well). Another letdown in a long line of letdowns. 5/10. The bill for all of this? $400 per couple sharing a single wine pairing. I wouldn't do it again for even $100 a couple. We did walk by the kitchen at the end to peek in and say hello to the chef. He asked how it was, and the best I could offer was "we had a lot of fun." After all, it was a meal among friends. We did have fun. But we'll never be back. And I'll actively discourage anyone from ever going there, there are too many much better places to eat. Thank goodness we were able to dine at Babbo the next evening and had a fantastic meal that was memorable for all the right reasons.

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