rdailey

I have a question that has nothing to do with reservations, phone messages, or service... It is my understanding that Keller has agreements with local farmers and purveyors, such as Jacobsen Farms, that exclusively grow and provide him with many of his ingredients for French Laundry. I also believe that Keller tells the farmers exactly what he wants them to grow. This kind of control over his purveyor enables him to get produce that is near perfection (just as Keller likes it). My question is, does anyone know if he has similar arrangements with growers on the east coast? I doubt that the small farms nearby Yountville can easily double their production and ship to NY. Just curious...

I highly recommend Piperade, which has some highly acclaimed Basque food. Good location for walking. Dim sum at Yank Sing is a delicious SF experience as well. Spend some time in the little Italy of SF, North Beach. Try a cappuccino at Caffe Trieste or maybe pick up some antipasta at Molinari deli and enjoy a picnic in Washington Square.

Commenting on the Marin Co. Mexican situation, I can say that there are a number of decent taquerias, but none are better than Taqueria San Jose in San Rafael. I believe they have another location Oakland as well. Awesome cabeza and lengua! Equally as good as any of the burrito joints in the Mission. That being said, there has not been a good Mexican restaurant in Marin, aside from the aforementioned taquerias, since Juan's in Sausalito closed up. Mexican restaurants in NoCal seems to be the equivalent of the Italian restaurants of the 60s. Of course it could be worse, we could be in Minnesota.

Katherine, I agree. I think the point is that it is illegal having someone work for free, even if that person wants to and is benefitting through experience, unless it is an internship for college credits. It is my understanding that a lawyer can sue any business that hires unpaid workers "on behalf of the people". They don't even need the employee to bring the suit, just proof that they are doing it. I find it surprising that restaurants, which usually can't afford liabilities such as this, would not offer young apprentices minimum wage and avoid the opportunity for trouble.

I was curious about this as well. I have only seen it done for the salad/foie course. The waitstaff has always allowed me to substitute items on the tasting menu from the regular menu (sized appropriately, of course). I wonder if they are still allowing guests to do this or if adding more choices to the tasting menu means they would prefer the guests not to do this anymore... And yes, the foie supplement is worth it.

From what I understand Ripert was at the "opening night" when several other well-known NYC chefs also attended, including our beloved Bourdain. They used a shot of Ripert last week and identified him, while he told Rocco what a cool concept he thought the restaurant was. They used a shot of him again this week, showing him order the meatballs. However they did not show him in the "opening night" episode. I have not noticed any face time for Tony yet. Maybe thats a good thing for him...

I love your writing (re-reading Soul for the 4th time right now) and can't wait for the projects you are currently working on. You may not want to reveal everything about the Bouchon cookbook, but will be similar in style to the FL Cookbook and Return to Cooking? Will it be more of a book about Bouchon and Jeffrey Cerciello or Thomas Keller's ideas of french comfort food? I think either way it will be outstanding, just curious what you can share... Do you plan to write more narratives in the future, or will cookbooks remain the focus. Lastly, when was the last time you made brown sauce? Thanks for your time!

Soba - Theres a new In & Out in Fisherman's Wharf (Jefferson St) I think fast food has some sort of addictive chemicals added among the hundreds of others. I find myself going on fast food benders that last over a few days. Has anyone done this? You go to Wendy's for a Spicy Chicken Sandwich, McDs for Fries and DQ for a Blizzard?

Sorry for your bad experience, wannabake. I love Piperade! The food is fantastic. The serrano ham and sheep's milk cheese "terrine" is incredible, as is the rabbit stew on Wednesday nights. I was not impressed with the orange beignets I had, but the friends I went with have been there since, and said that the almond tart was much better. Our waiter was quite pleasant and did not pressure us while we took a very long time to make decisions on what to order (it all looked so good). Chef Hirigoyen made his rounds to most of the tables during the night to ensure everyone's satisfaction as well.

Sounds like we are almost all in agreement that Frog Hollow has some great peaches, but are equal to the other local farmers in the area. So is it just a matter of luck that they have a reputation as being the best? Does it just take Alice Waters or Gary Danko to proclaim them the best to turn them into household names and get them on a Martha Stewart episode? Is it the consistency of their product?

I have no problem with discrimination towards food. I continue to state that CF is very mediocre. Everyone can make up there own mind about what they like. What I have a problem with, are condecending posts that basically tell people that if your tastes or knowledge are not up to a certain level than you have no business commenting on this board.

Oh please, lighten up! I happen to think that the food is mediocre as well, but you missed my point. I think many people here would view CF differently if it was a single restaurant rather than a chain. I'm not saying it would be comparable to top dining establishments, but their product is respectable, compared to many restaurants of similar size and price. If a small neighborhood joint was serving the same food, would people be so quick to judge? I understand this to read that if someone finds CF's food "above average", then they don't belong on eGullet. I see just as much on eGullet about chains, Hooters, and cheeseburgers as I do fine dining. Try and be a little tolerant when others on this site don't live up to your elitist standards.

Sorry, I just came across a story about it and figured it wasn't worth a whole seperate thread for something so... ...um, that Bambi stuff is vile.

I've come to notice that there are certain organic farmers and food producers that generate a lot of extra press and attention in Northern Cal. I was flipping the remote the other night and even saw Martha pimping Frog Hollow peaches for an entire show! Are the peaches from a "lesser known" farmer equal to Frog Hollows? I know the ones I get from the Marin farmers market are incredible this time of year. Are producers like Frog Hollow, Hobbs bacon, and other local "famous" products successful because they have built a reputation for being the best or just being the best known?

I agree Eat. You said the same thing I did on page 2. Its all about the mentality that the food "being served is corporate" and "it's a chain" and "they have research kitchens", etc. French Laundry is headed in that direction already. Kellers empire is growing like truffles in Perigord.

Recently a coffee shop in San Jose, CA opened called Sugars Coffee Cafe. Its the Hooters of coffee bars! Waitresses delivering coffee in lingerie!?! This takes the Hooters model into a new and disturbing realm... Here's a link to a review, if you dare...

I was at Bouchon last week and the waitress confirmed the use of duck fat with the fries. They also had a delicious special of trotters with Keller's gribiche sauce, and the beautifully crisped sea bass. Also the lemon curd tart is a dead ringer for the one he put in the French Laundry cookbook. I enjoyed Bouchon, although the menu is tough to read (brown text on thin brown tissue) and the tables are really tight. We got to know our neighbors so well, they shared a half a bottle of 99 Patz & Hall pinot noir with us, so I guess its not too bad sitting that close to others.

I believe Artisan Bakery in Sonoma might be worth including in the ongoing experiment as well. Their croissants are delicious.

Is this the eGullet version of fatalism? Sadly, it does seem inevitable in many consumer based industries.

Let's say we were in an English class, -- maybe the better comparison is made with an honors class in English -- and the teacher started a discussion with the students about the books they may have read over the summer. The first person who mentions reading a Reader's Digest version of a novel is going to illicit a giggle or two. People who take food seriously, are not likely to take the Olive Garden food seriously in culinary terms. That's not to say it's wrong to enjoy eating there, but it's hard to make a good argument that the standards are high there. Please don't tell me that eGullet is some sort of honors class, where you will be laughed at if you like Olive Garden? It hasn't reached that level of elitism, has it? To use your example, reading classic literature is certainly a wonderful endevor, but picking up a good trashy novel is very refreshing as well. I'm not a fan of chains like Applebees, OG, etc, but they are growing like crazy and here to stay, whether you spend your dollar at the little local Thai place or not. Just take a look at what happend to all of the small booksellers thoughout the country.

We are about even, between going out and eating in. Although I agree, it is so easy to find great ingredients that it makes staying home a better value. When we do go out, it is more often a local taqueria or pizzeria. We only go out for quality dining a couple times a month.

I think the fact that CF is a chain, immediately sends shivers up the spines of my fellow eGulletans. However, if the one in your neighborhood was not part of a chain, I think most people would think it was perfectly fine. Travelling around, I have been to about 6-7 different Cheesecake Factorys and have never waited more than an hour for a table. Most of the time the restaurants are in crowded shopping areas that allow you to stroll around while you wait. Hell, the one here in SF is at the top of Macys in Union Square and you can go sit in the home furnishings department while you wait. As far as portion size goes, almost every restaurant without a "chef's tasting menu" serves overflowing plates. I was at Thomas Keller's place, Bouchon, last night and the portions were gigantic and so was the bill. The noise level was very high and there was about 6 inches of seperation between the tables on either side of us. Had they not taken reservations, I'm sure the wait would have been lengthy. My point is that most casual dining restaurants these days have the same issues as CF. I agree with Jason, there must be something to the place if the restaurant is so consistently full.

A nice stuffed artichoke...

I'm just not seeing this... How exactly does a "hobbyist" interfere with classes at CIA? By asking dumb questions?? I would assume some of the best chefs to come from CIA asked dumb questions, scorched their veloutes and never learned to tourne correctly. What is the effect lousy students, that intend on being chefs, have on the brighter students?

Marin County - Chioggia beets, apricots, salad greens, Abalone mushrooms, Fingerling potatoes, and some fresh butter from one of the cheesemakers.