marcus

Albiston, thanks, very interesting. I note that Gambero Rosso and Vissani now get a 56, both one point higher than last year, and to my recollection, the first time restaurants have ever received a food rating higher than 55. Of the 17 top food restaurants listed, only 10 are among the 16 restaurants with scores of 90 or higher, and the order of the scores is quite different as well. When you visit Naples be sure to have dinner at Da Dora, the most wonderful fresh fish, and pizza at Trianon and Da Michele. I haven't been to Torre del Saracino, but many people find these nuova cucina French influenced restaurants in Italy to be ultimately unsatisfying. If you do decide to go, particularly for lunch, you can probably take the Circumvesuviano railroad.

Please don't get me started on Max .

This is a bit unfair, the wine cellar at Enoteca Pinchiorri is a labor of love, and a key differentiating feature of that restaurant, including a selection of French wines unmatched in France. Until a few years ago it was also very inexpensive, a treasure trove of values. 5 or 6 years ago I had an 82 Trotanoy for under $200 which of course includes tax and service. Although I have stated that fine wine and great food do not go well together, I am more than willing to put up with this problem when a great wine is available at a great price. Unfortunately, when I last went back about 2 years ago, the wine prices had increased 350-400% and were no longer a bargain, although still significantly below the prices at high end NYC restaurants.

I see a kindred spirit. I have long maintained, and this is not a popular view here, that great wine and great food fight with each other, and do not go well together. In addition, wine and cheese do not go well together at all. Getting back to the Gambero Rosso, I do regard it as the best of the 3 leading restaurant guides. I find the Espresso guide focused totally on high end cooking techniques with scores awarded for aspiration rather than accomplishment, and all of the very excellent middle level Italian restaurants falling by the wayside. Michelin in Italy is a complete mystery to me, in many circumstances I find a Michelin star in Italy to be a negative recommendation unless I have other info indicating differently. In this company the Gambero Rosso shines, but you need to read the reviews and focus on the food scores only. When I discuss GR scores I talk about restaurants getting 51 or 45 and ignore the total score. Otherwise their scoring system pushes you to the very highest end restaurants only.

You need to look at the scoring system, where the problem really lies, before reaching this conclusion. EP is quite properly the only restaurant that receives 20 out of 20 points for wine. I would also guess that EP may score higher in decor and service. If you think that these are valid components of a restaurant rating system, then you really have no quarrel with GR. In my view, the only interesting question is the food score that each received.

I agree regarding L'Ardoise, it fall significantly short of La Regalade, the dining room is more like a cafeteria and service is perfunctory and rushed. However, the food itself can be surprisingly good, not as sophisticated, but the chef is able to suffuse his main ingredients with flavor, something that I find quite rare, even in Paris. It also has a far more convenient location and maintains very low prices for that area.

I find the overall score which includes up to a 5 point arbitrary bonus to be largely meaningless. Can you list the 60 point scale food only scores?

Margaret, first let me characterize La Regalade as a moderately priced bistro with very well prepared dishes, grounded in the classics, but with significant modernizations. I'm not including in this category the old classic war horses like Astier and Chardennoux, the truly modern bistros like Epi Dupin, or expensive places like Benoit. Most comparable is Repaire de Cartouche Also Ardoise and Allobroges Au Bascou is not a favorite of mine, although many like it. C'Amelot which was recommended by Victor may also fit here, but I haven't tried it.

Just called La Regalade and was told that they were totally sold out for dinner in November. I would appreciate knowing if anyone hears something different.

I have tasted the 8 year old and 15 year old Barbencourt on many occasions and prefer the 15 year old. However, I am much more of a wine drinker than a rum drinker, and find that the 15 year old is smoother and has an aged in wood feel to it that I like. I can understand that a true rum drinker may find that the 8 year old is more "rummy" and has more oomph.

The restaurant of the Grand Monarche hotel in Chartres, last visited Dec 2001. Extraordinarily well priced in all categories, they have the most complete and comprehensive selection of Loire wines. Even more interesting is their vertical of La Chapelle, I've twice had the 1978 there for about $70 when it was selling at NY auctions for $500, no longer available, however, I did have the 1989 in the $60 range. Also no longer available is the 1982 Cheval Blanc for under $300. Still on the wine list was 1989 La Mission Haut Brion for under $200. All prices include tax and service.

La Regalade is the best restaurant in its price class that I know, of anywhere in the world.

If a meal opportunity opens up, I would recommend the Villa de Lys in Cannes. Excellent preparation of game with real respect for raw materials. Definitely order only from the a la carte.

My one and only meal at Arzak was 10+ years ago, it was alread 3 stars, and it was one of my all-time greatest dining experiences. Elena was not yet on the scene, nor were the very prominent tracks of Ferran Adria. I no longer remember any of the details, but I would describe the style of the food as haute Basque. Despite the extraordinarily positive reviews by blind lemmon Higgens and robert brown, if I were to go back it would be with trepidations and I'm not sure that I want to go back at all.

This is actually a telling point. The area where I've found 3 star restaurants to be most consistent, is in serving very expensive, but also very excellent coffee.

I personally would not have gone back, and I wouldn't interpret this as just a bad day either. I think that you learned something fundamental and enduring about the restaurant, which is their attitude towards unknown diners when they have considerations that they consider more important that they have to deal with. It may never occur again, especially now that you're better known, but it exhibits an attitude on the part of the restaurant that can manifest itself in many different ways. I think that minimizing problems by categorizing them as bad days can also be a way of excusing and avoiding serious systemic issues.

La Rosetta is the only restaurant that I know in Italy where pasta is the weakest course. I would recommend skipping it. The mixed appetizers along with one of their whole fish preparations makes a wonderful meal.

Benoit is the only bistro in Paris that still retains a star, there used to be many and Allard once actually had two. About 5 years ago Benoit shifted from the normal Parisian Monday-Friday schedule to opening 7 days a week which is truly unusual for a serious restaurant in Paris. Does anyone know whether they maintain there standards on weekends? Also, there is an upstairs dining room Siberia reserved for unknown American tourists. You will be treated less well here, you won't be offered extra slices of their wonderful mushroom pate, and should be avoided.

Rosa Mexicano, which seems to be the consensus choice at the high end, doesn't come up to the ankles of Frontera/Topalabambo, so I would focus on the very interesting lower end recommendations. There has been a significant growth in the Mexican population in NY in recent years, and there has been a corresponding growth in the number of basic eating places. But authentic doesn't always mean good, and you need to be cautious, just remember how many of these types of places in Mexico City can be just awful.

L'Epuisette has by far the best bouillabaisse in Marseilles and has a wonderful location by the sea with a view out to the Chateau d'If.

Isn't Pierre Gagnaire the ultimate choice for Sunday dinner?

The Locanda dell'Amorosa is listed in the Michelin Guide as a hotel, the restaurant is mentioned, but does not receive a star. The Gambero Rosso Guide does not list this restaurant at all. The other place to look would be the Espresso guide which I don't have.

You should also be aware that buying truffles as the truffle market in Alba is high risk, with a number of unscrupulous dealers whose truffles actually come from Bulgaria and are not as good. Most of the best truffles are sold privately.

In Alba itself, the Arcades restaurant is a very good middle level restaurant with a tarajin that's just fine. However, if you're looking for a comparable place to Vicoletto, Alba centers on an area where you can find at least a dozen truly excellent restaurants, among the best in Italy, within a 20-25 minute drive. I would recommend the Borgo Antico in Barolo and Enoteca, don't remember the town, but both have Michelin stars. There are many others just as good, you can look at the Michelin Guide or even better get ahold of the Gambero Rosso which is more accurate and more nuanced.

By food only, with a maximum possible score of 60: 55 Gambero Rosso Vissani 53 Ambasciata La Madonnina del Pescatore 52 Antica Osteria del Teatro Al Bersagliere Da Caino Il Desco Don Alfonso 1890 Guido (now closed) Aimo e Nadia Paolo Teverini La Pergola La Tenda Rossa La Torre del Saracino There are 23 restaurants that receive 51 including the 3 Michelin 3 stars