Lenski

Sunday lunch (2pm-ish) is served at Mugaritz and I am sure that all the big restaurants are open for Sunday lunch. Very few restaurants are closed for Sunday lunch in Spain (Sant Pau is one, for example).

Could you please give us more details? Location?

I would like to add my voice for "Mugaritz." Incredible culinary experience. I went to MB last November and I cannot recommend it. Great service but a very deja eaten experience. One of the dishes mentioned above "Lettuce hearts soaked in Vanilla brine" (their essay on salads), a dressing of balsamic vinegar and country milk skins can be seen Among other experiences not to be had anywhere else: "Roasted Scallops and Tubers" covered with amaranth, slices of sweet acorn and winter purslane with a clay and truffle juice dressing: "Coated with an infusion of Crushed sesame seeds" and milk skin, confit of loin of blue mackerel: . I have more pics if someone is interested, and I am going back in May/June. You should really try to go.

I just had dinner at GD last night. I showed up to have dinner at the bar (or to be more specific I wanted to try to find a spot at the bar....my previous two attempts had failed) and was offered a table but with a time restraint, two hours and a half. We went for the four courses option. The food was very good and the service was spectacular. Seamus was my waiter and he did a very good job. We started with the tuna and the foie with apples. Both good, nothing spectacular nor new but great tasting fare. "Roast Maine Lobster with Black Trumpet Mushrooms, Edamame and Tarragon Horseradish Crusted Salmon Medallion with Dilled Cucumbers" and "Pan Steamed Shellfish with Thai Red Curry and Jasmine Rice," both excellent and again not the reinvention of the wheel just great food. And then came the winner of the night for me "Guinea Hen Breast with Hen Sausage, Bacon-Butternut Squash Risotto and Périgord Black Truffles" I would have never ordered the GHbreast but it was incredibly tasty. The duck was fine. We finished off the night with the chocolate souffle with vanilla and chocolate sauces. It was a very good meal, a little old fashioned for the high end dinner but still very, very good. The wine pairings were good. The service was attentive, fast and fun. Actually, out of many meals in SF, this was a great experience. I will go back soon. thanks to all at GD.

No, it does not.

Last night, while extremely jet lagged from my trip to Barcelona, a native took me to a restaurant inside the Hotel Palomar: the Fifth Floor. It was outstanding French fare and one of the best bread services I have ever had. Highly recommended. I have been trying to find information but I have not found much. I loved it in spite of being very tired.

A friend of mine that has dined many times at Alinea told me it has NEVER been better. ← That was my experience also last December. My last visit was outstanding.

On a related note and on topic. I found this book in Spain and it includes a recipe inspired by a movie that some of the big names in contemporary cuisine created. You will find the link here 35 mm Among the many recipes.... - La costilla de Adán, Grant Achatz. (Adam's Rib) - Descalzos por el parque, Heston Blumenthal. (Barefoot in the Park) - El imperio de los sentidos, Andoni Luis Aduriz. (Empire of the senses....) - Kill Bill: volumen 2, Carles Abellán. (A very funny recipe, perfect for Abellan) - La naranja mecánica, Albert Adrià. (A Clockwork Orange) - Play time, Willie Dufresne. - La tentación vive arriba, Joan, Jordi y Josep Roca. (7 year itch)

Very interesting stuff and I cannot wait for your posts. There are some videos (in Spanish) at the following link. Madrid Fusion Also, there has been a lot of talk at the Conference and everywhere else about the bistronomic. An affordable highcuisine restaurant. Low Cost Gastronomy as they call it. Barcelona seems to have quite a few (although Hisop and Coure are not low cost compared to the other options). Among the restaurants: Acai, Àpat, Àtica, Caldeni, Catalina, Comiols, Hisop, Coure, La Mifanera, La Tasqueta, Ot...

I would also add Giuseppe Tentori at BOKA. Not your typical Italian fare, but he is Italian and a very good chef.

Someone sent me this link, and if you understand a little bit of Spanish is very funny. Jamon Iberico

My last experiences at NAHA (some friends like it) have been very disappointing. Maybe it was different five years ago, but everything I had heard about NAHA has never translated into a satisfactory meal.

There are several threads on the topic with many, many ideas. Check Here There are many "not-too-expensive" new Catalan cuisine options: Sauc Cincsentits Hisop Moo Comerc24 Alkimia Windsor Drolma (very expensive) And many, many other options. THere are several threads and many wonderful recommendations.

I have been to "Bern," "Daniel" and "WD-50" many times over the last 3 years. The latter is a lot more casual than the other two and it should be a fun (culinary) night out. It is not for everybody's tastes, as you will discover if you check the threads devoted to the restaurant. For a very good steak, there are many options. I, personally, have enjoyed Craft recently. I would also recommend "Aquavit" for a nice place and "Boqueria" for a noisy yet very good night out. Enjoy,

Here are the kokotxas (Basque Spelling) that I had at Etxebarri http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/11950639..._5393_58109.jpg

I have not....but I will now. Thanks for everything, btw. t

1. Mugaritz (November) 2. L'Estany Clar (November x2) 2. Schwa (Once a month almost until they closed; anxiously awaiting its reopening, if the rumors are true) 3. Alinea (December but also July) 4. Babbo (February and September) 5. Wd-50 (January, March, August and December) 6. Aquavit (March, June and December) 7. Etxebarri (Everything you have heard is true and then some) I have many great meals (CUstom House and Green Zebra, Comerc24 and Tapes24, Boqueria--NYC, Otto, Jean-Georges and many, many others) but the ones above really stood out.

I dined at "Custom House" last night and it was an excellent dining experience. Among the standouts: Sweetbreads with pork belly. Slightly battered (I think) and served on top of white polenta with greens. Out of this world and we had to ask for another serving. The soups were both incredible (one was a bean soup and the other was a butternut squash soup with apples and blue cheese). Among the entrees, the rack of lamb was very good as were the veal cheeks and the bone-in short rib. They were outsanding. However, one of the sides was the scene stealer: sweet potato puree with pecans. I am not a fan of sweetpotatoes, but this puree was so good that it could have been served as dessert. Among other sides, brussel sprouts were good and the fingerling potatoes with truffle oil was outstanding Desserts were also good. If you have not been to Custom House lately, you should give it a try. It is a great space and very close to many of the downtown attractions (theatre, CSO, Lyric). I cannot recommend it enough. L

Last week I had a "quick meal" at MOTO. We had to be somewhere so instead of the GTM (Grand Tour MOTO) we did the 10. The first two dishes were "Greek" and then "Greek Salad again" The first one was grilled octopuss and the second a cucumber infusion with a touch of olive oil. Both very good. Then we had "Caribbean Escolar" grilled Escollar with two "frozen" pieces of pineapple. Simple and delicious. Another winner was the Mac and Cheese with white truffles, served in a glass. There was also a very good lamb corn dog (it was exactly as it sounds) and a delectable pork shoulder with collard greens. For those who have been to MOTO, the descriptions above are just approximations to what is served. It was very good, and very good service. Questions, ask, t

I would like to add some comments to my Alinea dining experience last week. This was my 7th time at Alinea. This time was, by far, my best dining experience there. As usual, we had the Tour and there were only two courses that were so-so. It is, however, an embarrassment of riches, not only the tour but also the dishes become an exercise in an embarrassment of riches (see Beans and Lamb) since it becomes something akin to meta-cuisine. Amazing but it can make for an exhausting dining experience for some. Not for me. It was almost heaven for this non-believer. THere are some comments/pics of the dishes in previous posts but there were a few new ones that merit attention. Posters have talked about the "beans on nutmeg air pillow," "sweetbreads" "roasted quince" (which might be the best concoction I have eaten all this year), "beef heart," "scallop in chamomile vapor," "lamb in cubism" and the old standards "Hot Potato" and "black Truffle" which should be qualification enough to gain entrance into the Pantheon of greatest cooks in history. There were also many new elements/dishes that were outstanding: "Trout roe" with coconut, pineapple and licorice (the latter very present throughout the menu), the "Duck" (butternut squah, banana, THai flavors), the "caramel corn" served in that narrow glass and it had two types of caramel corn "liquified" and syrupy. Very sweet but very good. The "Apple Cider" in walnut milk, cinnamon and vegetable ash. THis is the ball that you breaks in your mouth. Now, for two hands-down winners: the 'Bison" with broken candy cane on top served on a Juniper branch (this seems to be another of Chef A. techniques with different aromatics and meats). It was very good, a bite of heaven. And then, the "White Truffle." If I remember correctly, it was called the "White Truffle" ice cream. Not sure. It was served in a tube and it contained the WT, toasted oat milk, pink pepper and pear. You had to suck it out of the tube...and it was very good. I could go on but I will not since eating at Alinea is one of those "you had to be there." I think Chef A. is in a league of his own. One of my dining companions complained about many dishes being too sweet, which is something that I have read here on this board. It does not bother me but I can see how it can bother some people. There is a tendency to lay on the sweetness and the final "pumpkin" is a perfect point in case. However, and even taking into account such criticism, it was fantastic. Now, my only criticism. It was a very busy night. All the tables were turned while I was dining (we were the only ones doing the tour, I think) and around 10 pm there was not an empty table. I had never seen the restaurant that busy, and I only eat there during weeknights if I can help it. My service was not as good as my dining experience. Apart from a couple of understandable errors given the volume they were serving, I had the impression that the serving staff was tired which might explain their less-than-stellar attitude (Also, are those sweepers necessary every time a table is turned?) However, this time the food was so good that the subpar service did not bother me. However, a great night of dining. One of my tops of the year (my July meal at "Alinea" was very good but not like this one). Mugaritz, Etxebarri, L'Estany Clar and Aquavit are the other tops of the year. Questions? ask. Lenski.

Boka is a very good restaurant thanks to Chef Tentori (IIRC) who used to work next door, at Alinea. I think the Veal Cheeks with beans and grainy mustard is one of the top dishes in Chicago. There are plenty of reviews on Metromix. I am not a vegetarian but Green Zebra is a favorite of mine. Last time I was there they had a chicken and a fish dish, but I did not have them, so they are not strictly vegetarian. However, it is one great dining experience that has been getting stronger in the last year.

If I were you I would go to Green Zebra (very good lately), NoMi, but I think you should def. try AigreDoux (I might be there tomorrow). What about Boka? And then report back.

Chelsea Markets, NYC The store is Buon Italia. http://www.buonitalia.com/ I am almost positive that I bought rabbit several times there.

The Italian market at Chelsea Markets sells it on a regular basis in their shop or via their website, if I am not mistaken.

Agreed. However, the Michelin star can help a lot. I was talking to several industry people and chefs and they all agreed that this year they are experiencing a very slow end of year and and they are struggling since customers are very cautious given how expensive Spain is becoming. About Celler, I think we all know that the move to their new space should translate into the deserved third star. And, on another note, I recently visited Evo and Drolma, among many others, and we all thought that if these restaurants had been in Paris instead of Barcelona they would already have two (and maybe) three stars.