Swicks

Finally caught a re-run this weekend. Off to a good start I think, should be enjoyable. I just hope they keep more to the food and cooking rather than drama. Bravo is falling prey to this with Project Runway and I hope this doesnt transfer over. Padma is definately an improvement over the robot. She is strikingly beautiful to boot... This seems to me to be a stronger bunch of candidates than last season... Edited because I can't spell...

I found Prime to be excellent as well. Definately on the higher end, less traditional. My personal favorite is Del Friscos, a bit more old school, similar to a Mortons but a much better steak in my opinion, great ambiance, black tie'd waiters and a piano in the bar. Its off strip in the high end office area, a big power dinner type place. Great wine list too.

Awesome pictures molto. Your statement about the calm in the kitchen really rang true with me as well. At L'Atelier (for obvious reasons) it was very quiet for the most part, very synchronized, it was a proficency at which I had never seen, everyone seemed so relaxed, even with Chef Robuchon at the pass.

With regards to similar books I might suggest some of Michael Rhulman's writings, he is a great writer, and quite a personality as well.

Ah, I see, thanks for the info, can't wait for that one! Good luck on your new show Chris!! Definately looking forward to it.

Interesting article... Personally I think the move away from actual chefs to people like Rachel Ray and Sandra Lee is what is killing the food network. I mean, every show now is of the 30 minute, easy this or that, and while I definately think there is a place for that the true chef driven shows, like Molto Mario were what I liked the best about FN. I mean Paula Deen seems like a sweet lady but she is now the anchor of the new lineup with her live audience show?? Good for Ming Tsai and others for finding success on other networks, I always thought he was one of the most underutilized people on the FN, very talented chef and great on camera. I guess, the bottom line is I don't really like where the network is going unfortunately, thank God for Alton Brown....

Some good chef's in there. I thought Homaro Cantu was supposed to be in there, a battle against Morimoto? I guess not.

Upon reviewing my breathlessly gossipy previous post, I think I should be writing for US Weekly.

For those interested I posted a review of the Vegas location in the thread in the Southwest section. Lets just say Robin Leach and the man himself Joel Robuchon were both involved....

Settle in, this is going to be one long ass post.... So last night was it....I got my chance to eat at L'Atelier. I was supposed to have a dinner meeting (I was in Vegas on business) but thankfully it got canceled. Im sure glad it did, as this night turned out to be extrordinarily memorable, in more ways than one (more in a minute). I will save some details on some things to save time as they have been discussed ad naseum (decor, seating, etc). Once you read the description of the night you will understand more, but lets me begin by saying that all of this is true, and I couldn't have made it up if I tried.... I was seated in the middle of the counter, a great seat to view the action. I had a very personable waiter. I selected the tasting menu, current price by the way is $129 along with some wine pairings. As I was enjoying my bread and excellent butter (my first experience with the european style, very very good, just has that extra something taste-wise) and I was presented with an excellent glass of champagne. Then a couple was seated next to me, initially as the gentleman sat down he had his back to me but once I heard the voice, I knew exactly who he was....Robin Leach! Yes, that Robin Leach, of the champagne wishes and caviar dreams, sitting right next to me, our elbows nearly touching, . How appropriate that I was enjoying my champagne at that very moment. He was with a woman who couldn't have been older than 25 or 27, asian and very beautiful, apparantly she is the lead pussycat doll in the vegas group. A curious pairing to be sure.... So, these were my dining "companions" as it were. A few minutes goes by and the head chef comes over, a very nice frenchman named Steve, he has worked with Robuchon for about 15 years as Robin told me. Then surprisingly, out comes THE MAN, Joel Robuchon. Thats right, the "Chef of the Century" in the flesh standing in front of me. He introduces himself to Robin (I feel like I know him now so I will call him by his first name ). Apparantly they are supposed to have lunch the next day for a segment for AOL, they speak briefly and he he then sees me, throws me a wink, and I say hello. Speaks almost no english by the way. He then excuses himself. The man was in the house, how fortuitous. I know what you are thinking and I agree, outrageous. This was going to be a good night....I could barely contain my laughter at the entire situation. Robin and his date keep to themselves for most of the meal occasionally we share words about a dish, until desert....more on that later. So onto the food....most of the dishes have been discussed so I will try and keep it brief. amuse - tomato gelee, avocado cream, cumin oil. great starter, loved it. It sounds silly but it tasted like the best guacamole you have ever tasted....where were the tortilla chips? 1st course - raw scallops, lemon oil, salt and pepper. This dish really didnt work for me, the slices were semi thick, room temperature and a bit fishy, didn't work for me at all, i think it could have worked had it been colder and more carpaccio style. The one disappointing dish of the night. At this point there was a loooooong gap between courses, disappointing to be sure but i think it was due to the attention being lavished on Robin and his date as well as a party of 5 down the counter a bit. It picked up a bit after thankfully. 2nd - asparagus, crab, sea urchin sauce. This course has been ravaged by critics but personally i loved it. Very light, delicious crab, nice sauce, perfectly cooked asparagus. Nothing mindblowing but very clean flavored and delicious. 3rd - oysters, french butter. This dish was as good as advertised, I could have eaten a ton of them. I am really not a fan of oysters at all but these were amazing. Like someone stated before, I thought exactly the same thing "So these are what oysters should taste like." 4th - Egg concotte. Another dish that was as excellent as everyone has said. Truly unlike anything I had ever tasted, over the top rich and earthy with the chanterelles. Just unbelieveable. 5th - seabass. I swapped out the smoked salmon because i dont like salmon and the chef gave me a great little piece of seabass, crispy skin, light butter sauce, perfectly cooked. I don't know if I have had a better cooked piece of fish in my life. 6th - Hanger steak, fried shallots, the "famous" mashed potatos. Great piece of meat, very rich, a smidge overcooked, but that was probably my fault for ordering it medium. The potatos...my god, again, as good as advertised. They really didn't even taste like potatos. If, given the oppotunity, I would have gladly bathed in them. An interesting note, all meats are cooked on a teppanyaki style flattop, no grill. I found this interesting. I like a bit of char on my steak so in this respect it could have added a little bit to the beef. A quick note on wines, please excuse the lack of info, i forget the exact labels, etc. An excellent champagne was first, then a wonderful light sancerre for the first two courses. Then a french chardonnay for the oysters and egg. I know what you are thinking, and I was skeptical not being a chardonnay fan but my server assured me I would like it. It was great and the butteryness worked really well with both of the rich dishes but provided enough "cutting through" as well. No heavy oak to be found, as my waiter put it "this is how chardonnay should be done." Finally a Cote du Rhone with the beef, it was good if unspectacular, got better as it opened up a bit. He offered a cab but im not a fan and wanted to try something new and different. At this point in the meal Robin and I were chatting lightly, we both ageed the food was great and totally unlike most of the cooking in the US at this point. Onto dessert.... 1st - strawberry sorbet in a strawberry milkshake with fresh strawberries and pistacchio struesel. Just awesome, I love strawberries and this was heaven. The scoop of sorbet was served in a wide glass filled with the milkshake and fresh strawberries. The combination of the sorbet and the milkshake were the perfect match, and the struesel added just a bit of crunch. 2nd - Tropical fruit sorbet, chocolate biscut, chocolate crunchy wafer, chocolate cream, tropical fruit foam. I loved, loved, loved this. What a great combo, so interesting. I am a big chocolate guy so I was glad there was a chocolate desert but also such a great pairing with the tropical fruits. So at this point the chef is still lavishing Robin and Co. with deserts, finally he brings them two plates with tiny tiny slices of assorted tarts. Robin can't handle any more food so he passes his plate to me and says "have at it dear boy!" I try to refuse but he isnt having any of it, he'll share with his date he exclaims. Hilarious! So, I enjoy my espresso and Robin's tarts. They were really really good, there was an apple, lemon rasberry, cinnamon, lemon custard, and the best...snickers, basically carmel, peanuts and chocolate. Yum! A great ending to a great meal. After this the head chef and Chef Robuchon come out again, this time around the counter and speak with Robin for awhile, they take some pictures, ham it up a bit. Then they wind it up and Chef Robuchon looks over at me, i say "Merci, se magnifique" embarassing yes, but I had to try, and its the only french I know. I thank him and his head chef for a great meal and let him know I love his restaurant. We shake hands and he is off. So, in the end, a truly memorable evening, and all of this on a monday night. Some brief thoughts on the restaurant and food itself. Was it the best meal of my life? I don't know, has to be close, definately the most interesting. Would I go back? Absolutely. Would I have the tasting menu again? Tough one, I don't know, probably not. I wasn't blown away by the food as a whole but did really like it. I think next time I would pick and choose some different items. The amount of food I thought seemed appropriate as I left feeling very full but not totally overwhelmed. The atmosphere and restaurant were very fun, loved the counter, especially given i was dining alone. Great service as well. The attention to detail on the plating was exceptional. Total price with tax was $225. Sorry for the decidedly long-winded post...feel free to hit me up with specific questions, id be glad to discuss. Cheers! -S Edited because spelling and grammar are important

I will definately check it out, I know right where that is, a favorite sandwich shop of mine is right down the road. Thanks again!

I disagree. I'm trying not to generalize, but most serious NY diners admit that there's nothing like Alinea in NY. I personally would be hard pressed to name a restaurant in NY that's as ambitious as Alinea. I'm sure others would agree, even if they're not into the style of food. ← I absolutely agree, and I think with the exception of maybe WD-50 most NY'ers would agree. I meant more that they would be pissed that a Chicago restaurant was number 1.

Awesome, this was exactly what I was looking for. Thanks again!

Also Spago at #4???? whoa.

That is one wierd list, albeit I agree that it is an impossible and silly task. Surprised to see Le Bernardin so low. Also and interesting choice at Alinea at #1..boy some New Yorkers are going to be pissed.

Thanks for all the info, extremely helpful. Like I said, I am a newbie to all this (home brewing espresso anyway). Is it allright to purchase machines online? Any reccommended sites? Thanks again!

Owen, Thanks very much for the info. It is what I suspected. I think I have now moved my focus to getting just a decent priced espresso machine, I will check out some of your suggestions. I'd like to spend no more than $200 and there seem to be some options there. Any other suggestions? Can you give me a little bit more info on the grinding and why a more expensive grinder is worth it? Thanks again for helping out a newbie.

Hey all, this is my first time on this part of the forum. Im looking for some insight on a basic, reasonably affordable combo type machine that can do both regular coffee and espresso. Does such a machine exist? Does the quality suffer with these types of machines? Any info would be appreciated. Cheers!

T Minus 6 days until I dine at L'Atelier. Pretty excited.

I think if he is wise he stays in LA. I do agree that it is questionable if LA wants a restaurant that he could create. I would think he has the chance to really set himself apart and creat a unique place to call his own, I don't think this is as easily achieveable in New York for example. I can't imagine he would have too tough of a time finding backers for his own place.

In the LA Times Food section today there is an article about how Ludo has left Bastide over "creative differences" with owner Joe Pytka. The restaurant has been closed for redesign and menu/concept change and the chef and owner were working together on a new menu but apparantly Lefevbre had enough of Pytka changing his mind. I think in the end this will be a good move for Lefevbre, he is currently out looking for backing for his own restaurant. Pretty big news if you ask me, though not totally surprising given Pytka's history with chefs. Doesnt seem like the restaurants "new concept" will be any good. Here is the article: http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo...ack=1&cset=true

Thanks molto e, much appreciated. I am definately leaning towards the tasting menu as it seems interesting and a great way to try lots of things. Any can't miss items? The oysters seem to be getting rave reviews. Any specific wine recs? Maybe something you remember as particularly outstanding? Im more of a california guy so French wine is something I know very little about. Thanks!

Hey all, so I will be dining at L'Atelier in just about a week and a half and I am super excited! I'd like to get some tips/info from those who have been. What is appropriate attire? Would nice jeans and a collard (dress) shirt be ok? Have they changed the tasting menu up from the summer offerings? Is the tasting menu even the best way to go? Wine-wise, they don't seem to offer pairings but will they work with you to come up with some pairings of sorts? This will be a special opportunity for me and want to make the most of it, thanks for the help! I will definately report back upon my return! -Scott

Interesting points....

JohnL, I think you raise some good points, however in my opinion, Richman should have gone one way or the other, either review some of the better restaurants in Vegas or contemplate Vegas's dining scene as whole, where it fits in with the national strata, and whether or not it can be truly described as a dining destination. Both are good angles, I think he tried to do too much in short article and it came off as perfunctory. I also think, and this may be an unpopular opinion, that their might be an east coast/midwest, and perhaps New York bias agains Vegas and its dining scene. It seems like a lot of people from the west coast travel to Las Vegas frequently, as do I. I think we are more comfortable with Las Vegas and what it is and isnt. Additionally, for many of us it has restaurant experiences not avaliable to us whereas those in the east and midwest have acess to Chicago and New York for these types of dining experiences. Being that we can't acess these otherwise we are more willing to accept them in a setting like Las Vegas, whereas a New Yorker might not.... Just my two cents... -S