ajnicholls

What Michelin have consistently got wrong, Matthew Fort got right. Enjoy your meal; my first meal at Anthony's is one of the most memorable dining experiences I have ever had in this country. Adam

Even later now; they're reckoning on October! Adam

I'm going on 28th and now I really can't wait. It all looks amazing. Good work Marc! Adam

That would involve buying it in the first place!

There have been no real surprises with this year's Michelin list. Very safe; not brave enough to demote any high-ranked places and nothing new that interests. The lack of recognition of Anthony's continues to grate with the majority of those who have eaten there. Genuine congratulations go to Nathan Outlaw, who I would go to tomorrow if it wasn't so bloody far away from Manchester! I do appreciate the importance of Michelin, but as the years I've spent reading this forum, I find the reccomendations from people here far more important than stars. Which means I'm off to Fraiche at the first possible opportunity. Adam

Ours was a Hawaiian sandwich - cheese, ham, tinned pinapple all on a bap. It still rates as the worst thing I have ever cooked.

I do feel that things are looking up in my fair city. I was in Grado last night and had a long chat with the maitre'd there. She has been recruited by Heathcote to be the maitre'd at Elliot's, Paul's new Manchester venture. She has come from the Vineyard at Stockcross, so she knows a thing or 2 about fine dining. The plans are for a full Paul Heathcote quality restaurant - far more along the lines of Longridge than anything else, and his aims do seem to be very serious. I'm a big fan of Heathcote when he's doing things properly. My visits to the Longridge restaurant have been of Michelin-starred quality and felt it was harsh for it to lose its star in last year's guide. So with Grado, which is fantastic by the way, the City Cafe doing very good things and the Modern, it makes a change to have a number of restaurants actually worth going to. If Elliot's manages to achieve the high standards that it is aiming for, then things do seem to be on the up here. Not sure about Abode, but that's another story! Adam

Going to go over the next few days so will be able to offer my opinions. And I'm in no way affiliated with Urbis!

Panacea, fuck me!

I would give stars to Anthony's (but is there anyone on this forum who believes it shouldn't have had one for years!) and thought La Becasse in Ludlow was easily deserving of one. Sat Bains could well make 2* and I wouldn't be surprised if he did. As much as I love Juniper, it doesn't have enough consistency to be 2* in my opinion. Adam

I just wish I could have joined them for dinner. Lucky bastards!!!

This gets very complex as to whether you believe the people acting on behalf of the named chef can genuinely carry the restaurant. On simple terms of advertising, caling yourself Restaurant "insert celeb chef here" implies that they are at least intrinsically involved in the making and serving of the food. If not why is it not restaurant "unknown head chef who is very competant but you'll never be able to pick him out of a line-up" I realise that there is an increasing empire of restaurants from big name chefs; Ducasse, Ramsay, Roubechon et al, but I wou;d always prefer to know that someone who is intrinsic in the invention and cooking of the food is actually in the kitchen. Hence why I will dine in Le Champignon, Hibiscus and Sat Baines before going to Ducasse's seemingly, not up to his standard, any day of the week. Adam

That programme was the best hour of food TV I've seen in years. Totally un-cookable and facinating throughout. Heston will always be a love or hate figure in food but I don't doubt his genius and he makes food fun.

My experience of the sommelier at the Fat Duck was not an overwhelmingly impressive one. The wine list there is a tome that you could pour over for hours. As I wasn't paying, but my girlfriend knows little about wine, I was wanting to work within a budget and have something that would work with as much as the meal as possible. The sommelier just seemed disinterested. Not what I expected, given how amazing the service was in every other area of the meal that night. If I go back (which I definitely would if I can ever get a table again) then I would go with the matched wines. The selections do seem extremely good and are from all over the world. I have to say though, that even the best sake in the world couldn't make the sardine on toast sorbet taste good. That dish still makes me feel ill - very glad it is no longer on the menu. Adam

No, you're not alone. Have to say that have a strong belief in Marco Pierre White's saying that if a chef's name is above the door then he should be in the kitchen.

You'd get me as a customer for sure

I was completely converted to Riedel glassware last year. It does become an expensive habit though. Agree with the recommendation about the riesling/chianti glass as a good starting point. I've also bought the burgundy glasses, which are fab for light reds and pinot noirs and the shiraz glasses. The range is enormous and I can't believe that anyone needs a specific glass for every wine variety. But a carefully selected few from the range are very versatile I've found.

My other half swears by a Greggs cheese and onion pastie in a barm. But she is from a town near Wigan. I'm far too scared to try it though.

I believe it's 180 Euro this year

June 25th for me

It is difficult to get a table at the Fat Duck, but nothing like the elBulli madness. You can book 2 months in advance, so ring on that day. Most times, all the tables go within 10-20 minutes of them taking calls. Constant redial in order!

The fawning, sycophantic text is from one of the Times journalists. It does bear resemblences to 'White Heat' and Keller's French Laundry Cookbook. But I think that it is his most interesting book in years and does actually show why he got 3 stars. You wouldn't even think the same chef was behind the F Word book.

This came from Harold McGee and is in his book somewhere on how to cook steak perfectly; allows you to get the maillard reaction on the outside whilst leaving the inside rare. This programme is infinitely more interesting than most of the crap cooking programmes that the BBC is putting out. I would rather watch Heston make a burger than have to listen to Nigella Lawson go on about how she's too lazy to prep/chop/make anything from scratch.

Peking duck and baked alaska are in the series too according to Waitrose Food Illustrated

The only problem is the book is so bloody big, it won't fit on my bookshelf!