mogsob

1. Ale. Please, no lager. And the darker the better. I love a good stout or hearty porter with turkey. Belgian trappist ales are particularly good (Duvel, Orval etc.). Young's (UK) also makes a very good stout. If necessary, Guinness or Murphy's from the can. 2. German Riesling. Don't ask me why I look to Germany/Austria/Alsalce for turkey drinks. Just do. I agree with the others above who tout Riesling, although I would go for a good Kabinett (JJ Prum, especially in 1997-1999). Spatlese and Auslese wines are too sweet, methinks. But, I prefer German to Alsatian rieslings here, as I think you need more fat to complement stuffing, yams etc. 3. Austrian Gruner Veltliner. Also a good choice and impressive to the snobs (Prager is a good choice here). 4. Alsatian Pinot Noir. Leon Beyer if you can get it. Serve it slightly colder than cellar temp or chilled as they do in France. Very nice with turkey. 5. Umathum Zweigelt. Cheap Austrian red that I had in Vienna once with roast turkey. Really fab.

Blondie -- i am so jealous. What I would give to munch on a Dreesen's doughnut right now looking in windows at Bookhampton or taking a drive to Sag Harbor to go to Canio's and see their Portuguese Water Dog. Villa Combos!! When I get back Stateside for the holidays, I'm definately getting out east for a weekend. Anyway, a few tips on Rome. 1. Both TimeOut Rome and Michelin had incorrect opening times for many sights, including the Castello Sant'Angelo and the Colleseum. Check carefully before you go. 2. Crispiano near the Fontana di Trevi has amazing gelatto. Other great gelatto can be found by looking at the ground and following the trail of napkins. 3. Seek out authentic Roman pizza -- stay away from the Neopolitan pretenders. TimeOut has a good list. 4. I second the recommendation of the Doria Pamphilj, if only because they have a painting by Peter Breughel the Elder. That said, the Borghese Gallery is far superior, both in depth and quality of the collection (although I don't dispute that some could find the Pamphilj collection more interesting, I guess). Do note that you now need a reservation (which you can do online) for the Borghese Gallery. 5. If you do the Vatican, get there 1 hour before it opens and run immediately to the Sistine Chapel. You will no longer be the first ones in, as they tend to admit tour groups before individuals , but you still be be relatively undisturbed. You can then go back to see the rest of the collection.

For a classic trattoria, Trattoria degli Amici in the Via Magana (near Capitoline). For a great meal, a late, late dinner at La Rosetta (near Pantheon). Get the gran misto di antipasti, dessert and coffee. You can add a pasta if you must, but it is the crudo antipasti that is the world beater here. Hands down the best crudo in the world. For great wine, Agata e Romeo (near nothing in particular, so take a cab). Fantastic wine list at prices you couldn't get at retail in the States.

I have never been to Restaurant One-o-One, but I have often been tempted to go. I have heard great things about their saltbaked fish, a preparation I really like but cannot often find. I have not been to date due to price considerations, but it is significantly less expensive than the other London restaurants on that list. Might be part of my new year's dining resolutions.

I love Tocqueville, although I haven't been in about a year as I have been spending most of my time in London. Get the panna cotta, which is one of the best in NY.

Returning to NY for the holidays and scheduled to meet friends for dinner. Collectively, we have been to most of the best places in town and cannot agree on where to go. Suggestions have ranged from Danube (shot down for limited menu for non-meat eaters and fact that I can fly to Austria for less than nothing these days) to Il Buco (fine, but not worthy of a return trip), Annisa (blah), Blue Hill (ditto). Note: these remarks are not all mine, so no flames please! We don't want to go upscale -- no ties, no $150 per person tabs. But we want someplace special food-wise. Something to light our inner gastronomic flame and instantly silence the lot of us, until someone says: "Damn that shit is good." Those who recommend Miracle Grill, any JG restaurant, or anything remotely near Times Square will be shot on site.

The last time I ate at Trattoria dell'Arte was some 8 or 9 years ago, the experience being so wretched (both food and service) that I vowed never to go back (and indeed I haven't). Has there been a change of ownership or other material change since that time?

The wine parings are March are fabulous -- you can decide on the value.

When I began dining at great restaurants, you needed to really splurge to get a great meal in NY: Cote Basque, Lutece, Four Seasons, Quilted Giraffe. No longer. Restaurants like Etats Unis, Tocqueville, Annisa, Blue Hill, Il Buco, Red Cat, Prune, Tasting Room etc. simply did not exist in NY. Perhaps I am in the minority here, but I do not need to challenged when I dine out. In general, I look for restaurants that are going to serve me a good meal, made with better ingredients than I could source given my work schedule and cooked at least as well as I could do on my own. I want a restaurant to make me comfortable, both in their choice of furniture and lighting, and in the tone of the service. And I want a wine list that is both interesting and well-priced. Twenty years ago, you couldn't do that reasonably in NYC. So I for one think the restaurant scene is better today than it has ever been, even if the big boys at the top are not particularly on form these days (I can't judge, having not been to a NYT 4 star in the past year).

A federal judge in Manhattan has ruled unconstitutional a state law prohibiting the direct shipment of out-of-state wines to consumers in New York. Southern District Judge Richard M. Berman ruled that New York's ban on direct shipment of wine, which did not apply to in-state wineries, discriminated against out-of-state wineries in violation of the U.S. Constitution's Commerce Clause, which reserves to Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce. For more, please see the article at law.com.

Nothing pisses me off more than having to confirm my reservation the day of -- I'd sooner give a credit card number to demonstrate my committment. My days are generally very busy and I can lose track of time easily before the 2pm deadlines set my many restauranteurs. That said, I agree with Bux that prospective diners who do not call to cancel a reservation should be either shot or poisoned and dumped into either the Seine, Hudson or Thames (or any other large, polluted body of water with a strong current). To that group, I would add another -- the prospective diner who does not know exactly where he/she/they want to eat, so they book 2, 3, 4 or more restaurants for the same night. Simple execution is not enough here -- I want choice. So I vote for disemboweling, followed by drawing and quartering. Perhaps we can serve up the entrails a la Peter Greenaway.

When in NY I shop Ideal Cheese on 1st Ave out of convenience (walking distance from both office and home), although it is a pretty poor substitute for Neal's Yard or Paxtons in London or Barthelmey in Paris. I've been down to Murray's a few times, but haven't been blown away enough to warrant the trip downtown. Part of the reason is that cheese shops in the States don't have access to the best cheeses, due to regulations that Fat Guy has opined on ad nauseum on this site. I also suspect (and what the continued strong sales of processed cheese in the US confirm) that Americans simply have lost their taste for fine cheese (a product of WWII rationing), although the emergence of cheese boards in fine restaurants nationwide may reverse this trend. Finally, cheese shops in NY will not attain the heights of their European cousins so long as a dearth of artisain cheesemakers making unpasteurized cheeses persists. All Hail The Stinky Bishop!

Companies, whether hotels or restaurants, depend upon the goodwill of consumers. And as Americans consume the most, we are the most important -- that is an economic fact. With more and more Americans deciding to stay home rather than travel abroad in these uncertain times, few hotels and restaurants can afford to be labeled "hostile to Americans." My advice is therefore to draft a letter setting forth all of the relevant facts of what happened to you, and in particular the "unknown American" comment. Address the letter to the hotel's business manager (or if a chain hotel like the Intercontinental, the worldwide corporate business manager) and the restaurant. Add a cc: line and clearly copy your letter to The New York Times, The Washington Post, the LA Times, The Wall Street Journal, The International Herald & Tribune, Conde Nast Traveller, Frommer's, Fodor's, the National Association of Travel Agents (or whatever they are called today) and any other eminent publication or travel advocacy group. Also copy the French Board of Tourism. The more organizations you copy the better. I would also change hotels, as obviously this one has failed to provide the essential service you requested. Anyone can provide a bed -- you need service.

The burger is great, and the ribs are some of the best in NYC, but I never get either due to the presence of the roast beef hash on the menu. One of the great unique NYC dishes and the single best reason for going to the Grill.

San Marzano canned tomatoes Good cheese Polaine bread Pam Free range eggs Good ice cream Dried pasta range Fresh herbs Wine White truffles for £1.75 a kilo

I, for one, applaud CT for abandoning the demeaning "tip" component of a restaurant bill in favor of the more continental service charge. Besides the obvious fact that I virtually always "tip" significantly more than 18% (generally 20% after tax), I think the practice of tipping is contrary to an enlightened society and damaging to restaurants in general. As for the argument that you shouldn't feel compelled to pay for poor service, I would respond by saying that I often feel that I am compelled to pay for poor food, yet no one is arguing that you shouldn't pay for what you eat. The fact is that servers should not have to rely on the whims of diners for their income. They are entitled to a salary.

The French Laundry or the Napa Aureole? I have always wanted to go to FL, but my travels to SF have never been scheduled significantly far enough in advance to permit for a reservation. Even last year's tour of Sonoma/Napa in the post-9/11 malaise was scheduled too last minute to snag a table. Robert, thanks for the post. I agree that this is the best time to visit Northern California (great weather, few tourists), but personally I can't stand Napa. The best wine-tasting experience I have ever had was traveling in Sonoma -- Rocchioli, Davis Bynum, Gary Farrell, Martinelli, Iron Horse etc. While you need a reservation at some, they are easy to come by this time of year and there are no tasting fees to boot.

Simon, Thanks for confirming that it is not just me. If you are ever in SF, do go to PlumpJack in the Marina/Cow's Hollow district. They own a very good wine store up the block and have most of their offerings on the list (at a very fair mark up to boot).

I was very excited about dining at the new Jo Jo (I had not been since renovation). The experience however did more than merely fail to live up to expectation -- Jo Jo is simply a poor restaurant. Here is a rundown. Setting. The old room was much better and much more elegant. Our table was very cramped -- I actually had to get up when a diner at the next table went to the men's. I also don't like the no tablecloths thing. Service. Horrific is the only proper way to describe our server. I was the only one drinking at our table, but as Jo Jo thoughtfully failed to include a single half bottle of red wine on their list, I did not order wine (I find wine by the glass to be generally dull and overpriced). Instead we had mineral water. Our server stopped by every 5 minutes or so to ask if we wanted another bottle. Interrupted conversation, no respect whatsoever. He actually asked us about ordering more water 14 times during dinner. It would have been funny if it weren't so annoying. Food. I started with the tuna spring rolls. I had eaten a very similar dish at PlumpJack in SF earlier in the week. Needless to say, the Jo Jo version was dull and bland by comparison. For my main, I ordered venison, which came overcooked and was also very bland. Where the tuna was boring, it was at least correct. The venision was simply a poor dish, especially when compared with the superlative venision dish of Roussillon's lingering in my mind from last week. A passion fruit pavlova that was only a slight step up from an Italian Icea and a burnt espresso rounded out what was simply the worst fine dining experience for me of 2002. Jo Jo has always been a personal favorite, although I had not been in some time, and an exception to the JG rule (avoid restaurants where the chef is never in the kitchen -- applies equally, in my mind, to AD, MPW et al.). No longer. Jo Jo -- RIP

Well, I've been called stuffy before, but not middle-aged (at least not yet!). It is far less stuffy, though, than its competition (Gavroche, Tante Claire, Captial etc.), although not nearly as casual as others (e.g., Ransome's Dock). I think it strikes a nice balance. As for cost, check out their website, which has all of their menus and current pricing. A full meal with a nice, but not overly expensive wine, generally runs about 200 pounds for two.

One year into the London experience I have confirmed that Roussillon is my favourite London restaurant. Less formal than the Capital. More convenient that Chez Bruce. Far less expensive than Tante Claire and Le Gavroche. For me (a transplanted NYer), it has replaced Gramercy Tavern as my default upscale meal, casual business dinner option. Here's what I had last Saturday: 1. Open Ravioli of Elizabeth David's Jugged Hare 2. White Truffle Risotto 3. Roasted Cut of Highland Venison, Poached Willams Pear, Caramelised Pumpkin and Truffled Celeriac Purée 4. Pear Souffle For white truffle fans, there is a nice truffle menu at present. My only complaint is that the shaving was done in the kitchen and not table side.

I love port and sherry (especially if the port is Fonseca and the sherry is Lustau), but I wouldn't call them "winter warmers". In fact, I tend to drink more sherry in the summer (a nice chilled fino before dinner is perfect). If you want a truly great bottle of port, Fonseca's 1997 vintage is fairly available. It's expensive and addictive, but probably one of the best values in wine for my money. Now if you want a winter warmer, we can talk Calvados . . . .

I agree with Wilfrid. I am mad about pinot noir and white truffles (see my earlier post). I was a Rousillon last week (roasted cut of highland venison, poached willams pear, caramelised pumpkin and truffled celeriac purée topped with a heafty shaving of white truffles -- ) and had a wonderful Chambolle with the meal. I think the lighter Burgundies work best with white truffles as you do not want to overpower the truffles. I will also venture out on a limb and say that Fixin has some very good wines these days, and a good Fixin is a nice match for a heartier dish, such as the venison.

Cabrales, I too was looking for more responses here. Specifically, I was wondering how far in advance reservations are required for the private salons at Laperouse. The B&W piece is very nice, and was actually the article that sparked my interest in dining at Laperouse in the first place. It is interesting that none of the usual Parisian suspects have failed to weigh in here. Telling, perhaps?

Add another vote for the Capital. Best meal in London so far.