tan319

Nice points here but, It makes my stomach roll to even mention the Varietal debacle @ Tailor in the same breath. Keep Bruni away from the place as long as possible. I agree though that the crowd Tailor will bring in won't be the sames as your average...

If it had been a good review, after the ambulance brought me back from the dead, I would have at least had to read it again while they were still there. Yes, I'm objecting to the snarkiness of the review, the nature of it if you will. One can have negative thoughts, write about them, without being a jackass Jordan is what I would call an e-friend, I interviewed him for my website but, like I said before, you've never seen any comments from me, ever, in this thread proclaiming him a genius of dessert. Not only does the tone of the review hurt EVERYONE involved, the chef, the owner, etc., reviews like this have a negative effect on people trying to do something different then Del Posto, etc. Pan. I think you know where I reside so the answer is no.I don't see where it matters.[...] ← My implication was that if you've never dined at a restaurant, it seems questionable to have a view of how good or bad it is, or to cheerlead for it on any basis other than I suppose being a friend or/and fan of someone involved (but then you could be accused of being personally biased). No offense, just making explicit what was implicit in my question. And I now see that your objection is evidently to the nature of the review, not to the pro or con judgment on the restaurant that is contained within the review. (Or is that incorrect and do you object to any kind of negative judgment in any review?) I could offer counterarguments to your critique of critiquing, for the sake of argument, but would rather not do so in this thread. For the record, I have been ignoring most of Bruni's reviews and didn't read this one. It just struck me as odd for someone who's never been to the restaurant to offer an opinion about the review. If it had been a good review, would you have been as likely to criticize it? ←

Pan. I think you know where I reside so the answer is no.I don't see where it matters. If you reread this thread in it's entirety, you'll see I've never said "wow, that eggplant dessert is the...." I'm talking about this new even more shitty, bitter, style of " food journalism" that doesn't stop at not liking the food but just tearing down a place ( and it's chefs) until the owner is a quivering pile that starts counting the beans and trying to slowdown the business that will definitely have a dent put in it, at the very least. This review even kind of ( it seemed to me ) ended the way member Sethro said Bruni always ends his reviews , with three sentences about desserts. Which would point to threads being read, reviewers being pissed or amused by commentary and seeming to reply to it. He did it with GILT and it was crap then. It's been stated here not only that Varietal as not only a different kind of restuarant but is probably not going to thrill all. As far as how it eats, people like 'doc, ect. and their opinions stand with me. Even if I hated it and Kahns desserts, I would want to know whats behind them and protest a review like this just as loudly.

The "Crew" New Launch news, looking good!

Don't know how I missed this piece of crap review. What a jerk. I hope Kahn doesn't go ( if this is at all true that he's even considering.).

This blows me away. I must admit, I couldn't see it coming except in that perhaps people spoke of a rather big difference in what the two chefs were doing cuisine wise and that Jordan got a lot more press then the chef! If true, best of luck!!!

Yes, I thought so too, 'doc. If you combine the info from the mag and the vids you see a friendly grump of Steingarten and as Jeffrey said himself, a confident yet eager to please his client Paul Liebrandt. Nice stuff, humanizing stuff... Well done!

Did any of you guys see this yet??? Vids of Liebrandt cooking for Jeffrey Steingarten from his stint as personal chef for him(See March issue of Vogue magazine) Seriously cool as hell!!! Liebrandt/Stiengarten videos

The Electrician Will Totally Be Done in Ten Days The newest installment of Sam Mason & Francis Derby ''Tailors Launch" on Grub Street in NY magazine. Good read as usual.

'gonna miss you, mayhaw!!! Truly helped me a few times and always a joy to read. You had a long run, best to you! Ted

Yes, I go to the Gagnaire website frequently and know theres quite a bit about This and Gagnaire What I'm talking about is the food , the way the food appears to be cooked It's not really manipulated. as much, chemically, as say, Wylie Defresne does, not that there is anything wrong with that.

Man, I keep going on about ArtCulinare. The "manifesto" printed above by weinoo is in AC#82 also, a print out of it handed out to the writers of the AC piece that features an article called "5 Days in Barcelona" where the writers go to, amongst many others, El Bulli where Ferran Adria asked anybody to show him an article where him or Alberto mentioned molecular gastronomy ( of course, there are none except this actually) in a sentence. Ferran good naturely suggested everybody has to have a catchy term to hang on things, this was one somebody hung out on THEIR shingle, a marketing phrase. Yes they use Gellan and lecithen the way most use ketchup and mustard but it's all food in the end.

Why does a "full sleeve tattoo" on a chefs arm become a point of contention or make one wary of the chef? This is foolishness . Have you ever seen the people who cook your food when you go out? Tats, piercings and earring are often part of cooks gear and so be it. Your concern about this part of things reek a bit of bullshit, sorry to say. Regarding sous vide, most of those dishes, meat ones especially, usually start and certainly End up being seared or roasted a bit.

Thanks, 'doc. When I came back to NY after 9/11 to do a couple of lps ( 11/01/ thru 2/02 & 9/02 thru 11/02) I was so busy I only went to Veritas but, FWIW, I've always thought the "comfort food" thing, and at the time we were certainly getting the same rap here in the SW, was a self fulfilling prophecy after awhile, a year or so maybe here. Oak, the point I'm making, even though you said "right or wrong..." is that of course they're going to let the chef go, even though Liebrandt himself has said many decisions were made w/o his approval,publicity wise, etc. PL himself in the end walked the plank like a commander and was very nice about the whole thing but if you haven't already checked it out, get that ArtsCulinaire # 81 with recipes and a rather kind of frustrated with the press ( he's probably rather frustrated with all of this as well) interview where he waxed maybe even more then he did in W about some things that were done whether he liked it or not. Bruni blew GILT up right in the beginning with the bullshit wine article and then with the review. Prediction... The 'new " GILT ends up shuttering it's doors before the year anniversary of "the new era" comes up. Ex Striped Bass chef rightly or wrongly I'm not sure is making any big diff. When the "nut" is not made no matter who is the chef is, Gilt will roll it up. Question... Do you really think that Liebrandt is THAT molecular??? If you look at the recipes, I think it's a lot more influenced by Gagnaire and his other mentors with some nods to the Spanish movement, chemistry wise, and I've always felt that way, even when I've seen the Atlas recipes and press. Like I said, hanging the future and success of "MG" around Liebrandts neck is sort of misinformed to me. Maybe hoping he finds the right partner/s and situation is more positive.

Ted, how about some more details and a link if it is online? Please! ← 'doc... No linkage that has the interview. I think Vogue, since it is so heavy on designer/Fashion adverts, keeps a kind of low flying online vibe. Jennifer Hudson is on the cover, March Sping fashion issue 4 .95 I think, worth picking up. Details.... Steingarten tells the tale of having always wanting to have a private chef, doing a story about them ( I think) around two years ago. It had come up again and a friend of his suggested Paul for the gig. As everyone who follows Liebrandts travels knows, between Papillon and Gilt Liebrandt had some heavy gigs cooking for various people like Rothchilds and royalties so he had the background. Steingarten is also a fan and ate at nearly every place Paul has cheffed and was a big fan of his cooking, although it appears they had never met previously. I don't want to say too much more, pick Vogue up, March issue and enjoy the read, you won't be sorry. You really get a sense of how much Liebrandt loves to cook, period, as well as, to me at least, his sense of humility and eagerness and confidence to please his clients and food fans. Also, two more things or so. Paul's plates look really good and something I had just gotten hip to, The Ducasse Spoon book (ltd version) either really influenced him ( look at his website film of prep and service at GILT, baby spinach leaves on a solelike fish?) or Gagnaire really influenced Ducasse ( more likely perhaps, no diss intended, during this peroid) and Gagnaires colors and starkness are reflected in many of Leibrandts plates, IMO. I also think that hanging "Molecular Gastronomies" success in NYC on Pl's shoulders is kind of unnecessary, as unnecessary as saying he's ever had a failure. Most restaurants in NYC and other cities, mine included, were victims of the economic blowback of 9/11. Opening a restaurant is harder then that, especially over the first year, if there is ANY kind of blip at all and often if there is, it's a case of financial over projections and expectations of the owners which is rarely any fun. The bean counters blow in and all of a sudden what you had considered as "getting f#$%*ed with" becomes childs play compared to this next level. I'm going thru that now, and not even as an executive chef and it's still very painful. So maybe it's not a great idea to call anything a failure or to make anyone have to be "the savior" of any cuisine, except maybe dessert cuisine Lastly, since Vogue is a fashion mag, Chef Liebrandt is pictured in an awesome Paul Smith suit, (I used to walk by the Paul Smith store on 5th, close to Mesa Grill & drool all of the time when I lived in NYC.) as well as his whites as usual.

The Paul Liebrandt/ Jeffery Steingarten article in March Vogue was very VERY enjoyable! I hope this can work out for them if it's true and gets to happen.

This update is REALLY amazing! Seriously great!!! Thanks for posting, Gabe. Love the timeline page on The website. I had the pleasure of eating his milk chocolate/hazelnut parfait dessert & additional at one of the best tasting menu dinners with matched wine that I've ever had at Union Pacific during his tenure.

Can you tell us what it has turned into then??? Can't wait to hear this...

One thing Drew Nieporent doesn't have to worry about is start-up capital. I won't say more than this, as I'd be betraying a confidence, but he has been literally printing money at Nobu since the place started. It is one of the all-time greatest cash cows in NYC. ← I'm sure DN has much money to spend but at that kind of buckage it seems that anybody would swallow hard? I'm trying to remember that Cigar place/ rest. Nieporent had in that Tribeca-ish area, City Cigar or something?? I had some good meals there and apps in the bar there and was seriously bummed when it closed. I also remember a friend who had claimed to have some seriously great meals at Montrechet.

It's an interesting premise. This interview with Jean George Vongerichten talks about how much money is needed just to start a build up for a new place, real estate wise. Maybe it's better to use that real estate to build on?

New episode (late last week) "The Launch" Eating to eat and for ideas, waiters uniforms, etc. Always great!

New episode of "The Launch" up on 'Grub Street'. Expenses, excavation and Pretzel Ice Cream are amongst subjects discussed. Great as usual!

BTW, is there a website for Tailor yet?

There used to be a company called Albuquerque caterers, don't have their # but this kind of thing was their forte

Too Much!!! Looks like a great show! Hope someone lets us know when it starts 'netcasting.