schaem

Numerous complaints from the FOH about staff meal quickly discredits many of the posts. "We ate pasta and butter in the locker room, while the kitchen ate filet at a table." Give me a break! First, why would two seperate staff meals be prepared? Who has time for that? Second, who in the kitchen sits down? Hell, the kitchen rarely eats staff meal. I think Franky2Times has got it about right; most of the complaining comes from FOH who are miserable working at a restaurant instead of being on stage or working on their novel. For most of the BOH, working in a restaurant is their novel, so worth the "suffering".

Goldfarb actually has a history of challenging diners: Atlas (with Paul Liebrandt), Aquavit (very briefly), and Papillon (with Liebrandt again). I believe it was at Papillon where they held the infamous Surrealist dinners that included eating courses off someone's body. If people at Cru did'nt know what they were getting when they hired Goldfarb, then they didn't read his resume.

At the risk of sounding like a pedantic ass (a risk exacerbated by the fact that I have not eaten at neither Klong nor Sriprirahaphahi), I'd like to add my two cents... Thai food in Thailand contains none of the fillers found in almost every Thai restaurant in America, i.e. broccoli, crinkle-cut carrots, bell peppers. These items are added, I assume, to satisfy a perceived American need for a "balanced" meal. As in, "What the hell? My Chicken and Basil only contains Chicken and Basil!" Straw mushrooms are virtually impossible to find fresh, canned are the norm. Large chunks of inedible flavorings (lemongrass, lime leaves, galangal, bones, shells) are normal in Thailand. Pad Thai is tasty, but not the best dish to judge a Thai cook's skill by. Thai food is very regional. If a cook is from Isaan, Som Tam might be the test dish; in the south - curry. My personal "common" dish is the aforementioned Chicken and Basil. (In Bangkok you often get this with a fried egg.) Obviously comparing Thai food cooked in Thailand to that cooked in NY is fools game, and, again, I apologize for coming off as an ass. But maybe if we want to raise the level of Thai food in our country we could do worse than ask the right questions.

I'm searching for cookbooks of an historical interest; not rare, or valuable, necessarily, just books that may be out of print. Is the afformentioned "librarie gourmand" likely to carry old books. If not, is there a Strand-type (NY reference) store in Paris that could be a potential goldmine?

The crown jewel, however, is Jim Harrison's story of his thirty-seven course lunch at L'Esperance in Burgundy. The descriptions of the meal are second to his rendering of his gourmand friend, Gerard. "These would be difficult to eat in a car," indeed!

thank you for the kind words, and the critiques. it is not a judson grill book, but i am doing a book that will be out in november. i enjoy egullet, and will post something about anything new, if that is allowed. but for now, my peach crisp is about to burn thanks bill telepan p.s. shaem, how are you?

I guess the fact that a 3-star restaurant with a well-known, respected chef can close and go unnoticed on eGullet, answers the question as to why it closed.

It was not a jenaer. It was a small glass pot with a lid, the Chinese name escapes me though I do remember seeing on another thread. Is there a Ten Ren in SF?

I would like to thank Gary Soup for inadvertantly leading me to one of my great New York experiences, as follows: I tend to fetishize conoisseurship, and GS extolling the virtues of spring longjing tea led me to Ten Ren in Chinatown. First I just browsed the huge cannisters, initially expressing interest in my ususal first (and second)-grade oolongs and Quan Yins. Cindy, duly allowed me to smell and look. Then I noticed the longjings, the first grade selling for $55/ pound. Cindy extolled the virtues of longjing, and, noticing my more than passing interest, led me to the spring teas (which were not in huge cannisters but vacuum packed in small amounts). When it was apparent that the prices of these teaas didn't send me running for the door (only muttering about my impending death at the hands of my wife) Cindy began to really explain the beauty of these teas, much as Mr. Soup has already done here. I was then led to the tea table, set with a small pot of not-too-hot water, a small glass pot with a lid, a box for pouring off water, two small cups, and various other tools. Cindy primed the pot and cups with hot water, spooned an amount of the precious tea in the warm pot and let me smell. More hot water only to be poured off, and another smell. Another pour and into the cups. We tasted as Cindy explained the beauty of this tea. Another pour, and, perhaps noticing the faded burns on my forearms, she began to describe dishes made with the used leaves. I taught her the words tannin and deglaze (which I later wrote down) and we shared another cup. Perhaps it was the hard sell, no question it worked. Beautiful. My only challenge is to treat this prize with the same respect when I enjoy it in my own home. So, Mr. Soup (and of course, Cindy) - Thank you.

LEVAIN BAKERY IS A MUST FOR THEIR COOKIES AMY'S AND SULLIVAN STREET FOR BREAD I THINK LE PAIN QUOTIDIEN HAS THE BEST PAIN AU CHOCOLAT, PLUS THEIR BREAD'S ARE GOOD AND ORGANIC, TRY THEIR ROLLS WITH JAM BUT SKIP THE CREAM PUFF PLACE, IT WOULD WE A WASTE OF TIME AND THEY ARE NOT THAT GREAT

It sounds like it just needs to be cooked more. In the oven at 250 (or 225) should do ya' just fine. It sounds like the exterior is plenty cooked so you should probably cover it with foil.

Interesting. Nothing in your review seemed to warrant this statement. The only thing you praised was the lamb for tasting like lamb. If nothing is cooked properly and flavors are "way off" and "peculiar" where exactly lies the chef's talent?

Actually, i haven't got a fave yet. I only recently discovered that Manhattans were originally made with rye. For some reason I've never liked Bourbon, hence never liked the Bourbon-based Manhattans I had been given. Now, however...

I guess for this question I could start a Rye thread, but since i only use Rye in Manhattans, this seems like the right place... Small-batch American Ryes seem to be making a slow comeback. Which, in your experience, are the better ones? Or, at least, which are best in a Manhattan?

Latticini Barese on Union in Red Hook, though not so much a restaurant as a sandwich spot, is missed for its fresh mozz, sandwiches, and old Brooklyn (75 years) atmosphere.

We went to a place in LA called Balboa that has their entire list half-priced on Sundays. The food is sort of mediocre, steak-house style, but you can have some pretty nice wines for a good price.

mjr, Just to clarify: Latin Grill was a mediocre "Pan-Latin" place on Court, Cafe Latino is a good Dominican place on Smith. Off topic, sorry.

Suzanne, The butcher shop was Los Paisanos. They are great (much better than the more famous Staubitz). They indeed have a lot of Italian items, plus the "alternative" cuts one treasures in a Latino shop (feet, tripe, tails, blood sausage). They also dry-age their rib steaks, which has become my usual Sunday dinner. The Latino place could have been Cibao (usually excellent) or Cafe Latino (also good), though neither are exactly next door.

...and while you're reading, why not nosh on some of Esposito's excellent Sopressata, rice balls, etc.

BLT Steak in New York uses Woodford for their house Manhattan, and uses bourbon-soaked cherries instead of maraschino. However, they also carry two brands of real rye whiskey, for those who like it old school (I can't do maraschinos, so I get it with a twist).

Lost among the mediocrity of the Cobble & Boerum Hills / Carroll Gardens "food revolution" is a true standout that seems to be in a little trouble. Esposito's Pork Store on Court and Union has been in the neighborhood for years making Sopressata and fresh Italian sausages, as well as outstanding rice balls, mozzarella, sandwiches, etc. Recently a place called Latticini Barese in Red Hook closed after 75 years in business. It would be a shame to lose another neighborhood gem; especially when interest in eating in the area seems to be at a high. I therefore encourage those who live in the neighborhood to pop in and check it out. Buy some sausages for your next "Sopranos" party (they close early on Sundays), buy a couple of rice balls to snack on, or maybe some dried sausage and mozz for an antipasti plate. Service is a little "old Brooklyn" but that should be seen as a positive.

Royal Yunnan from In Pusuit of Tea is my favorite everyday black tea. Slighty smoky with a natural sweetness and great aroma.

I actually work at a restaurant that buys heavily from the Market. Most of the farmers don't actually deliver (except in emergencies). I think the idea of buying local, seasonal produce is very noble, and don't know of any reasonable alternative to our "two taxis, twice weekly" system of obtaining these goods. I would be glad to hear some alternatives for restaurants who want to keep it local. Also, the other editorial regarding "national-local" produce I thought was perhaps more significant from a restaurant point of view. I think by focusing too much on "local" as opposed to "means-of-production", we do ourselves, or farmers, and our customers a disservice. The organic date farm I visited in Coachella (for example) deserves to be promoted outside of California.

I've actually learned quite a lot about cooking from the preparation of staff meals. Mexican cooks have taught me how to make tacos using beef or porkscraps. Dominicans taught me Pernil using inexpensive pork shoulder. I've perfected my Fried Chicken and Buffalo Wings using the afformentioned chicken parts. Taught myself Gyros using lamb scraps and the grinder. Granted I've also put out 10,000,000 "Bolognese" sauces, and nearly as many "Beef Stews" or "Chilis", and my "Salt and Pepper chicken" is legendary, but when material and time allows family meal can be very educational.

Another (true) example of why substitutions are not always a good idea: "No potato, sub extra morels." I think in most cases I would prefer morels to potato, but who else thinks this request is a bit inequitable.