marcus

I think that we also had this discussion last year, but this remains a publicity exercise and the rating process does not even attempt a glimmer of a valid methodology. Who really believes that Atelier Joel Robuchon is the 4th best restaurant in the world? Why did you vote for it Andy, and the others that you selected as well? The real downside is that gullible people might make real dining decisions based on this list.

I'm pretty much convinced that L'Epuisette is the best restaurant in Marseille, both for bouillabaisse and seafood in general. It is expensive. Try to get a table by the South facing window and you will have a great view of the Mediterannean and the Chateau d'If, which is illuminated at night. I should clarify by sayin that I've never tried Passedet's 2 star restaurant which is very expensive.

Lesley, I'm with you on this one. People either love Trama, or are mystified by the fuss. I find his food too intellectual and too understated to really enjoy.

Paul Bocuse is an institution, one of the most important chef's and restaurants of its time, and Michelin is reluctant to remove its stars. Whatever Michelin's failings may be, it doesn't relate to the issue of whether this restaurant deserves its stars or not. The question is simply whether a restaurant this important deserves to keep its stars as a legacy or not. No one questions the fact that it no longer deserves 3 stars based on what is placed on the table today, it doesn't. However, I found the review referenced above to be particularly unconvincing and I wouldn't personally use that in a decision process. Although the writer has been to some places, I don't get the feeling that his experience goes beyond the ones named. His comment about the lack of vegetables with loup en croute is particularly irrelevent.

It's definitely not what it used to be, kind of running on autopilot. Bocuse comes in the early evening to greet arriving patrons, and then leaves. I don't believe that anyone has observed him in the kitchen in many years. However, the food is still very good, not excellent, and the signature dishes are still worth sampling, especially if you've never tried them: soupe de truffe, loup en croute, and especially poulet de bresse en vessie. Relatively well priced for a 3 star, and the wine list, especially, has some bargains.

Exactly, I was not recommending or implying any negative bias. I was advocating consumer focus and objectivity. That Lesley interpreted this as negative bias, probably says something about her real feelings regarding the restaurants that she has been reviewing. But I don't want to psychoanalyze too much here .

I really disagree with the emphasis here, and I would have no interest in a restaurant critic that assumed this point of view, which I would characterize as being from the point of view of the restaurant. In my view, the critic represents the public and not the restaurant, and whatever one thinks of William Grimes, and he does not have a great palate, he stated that this was his position on more than one occasion, and I believe that he demonstrated it as well. A good critic is neither a friend nor a foe of the restaurant scene, but calls it as she sees it, and lets the chips fall where they may. Although acceptable in small doses, constructive criticism is also not important, because it is directed at the restaurant, and once again the restaurant is not the primary audience for the review, the public is. The single most important objective of a review is to provide the reader with sufficient critical information to enable them to make a decision as to whether they wish to visit that restaurant or not, and under what circumstances.

My highest recommendation to Boccondivino, includes best gnocchi, with clear and transparent essence of potato flavor. Located on the second floor of a modest hotel on a sidestreet, the dining room is informal and comfortable, with hundreds of wines arranged on shelves. This restaurant has the finest collection of Piemontese wines from small producers, including Barolos and Barbarescos, all very well priced, the chef owner is an expert. This restaurant has soul and is a real joy.

I was also curious, as a frame of reference, as to how you would compare it to the best Italian gelati.

I'm not familiar with Damman, but I've always considered Berthillon to be very good for France. I've never felt that it was at all in the same league with the best Italian artisanal gelati. Do you have a view as to how Damman compares?

Does anyone know anything about Auberge de la Mole which is back up in the hills behind Saint Tropez. It was strongly recommended to me for its hearty style and excellent execution.

Considering that no credible reviewers seem to have as high an opinion of the Spice Market food as Amanda does, and we have seen many additional opinions by now, I see three possibilities. 1-She really didn't like the food that well, but felt that she owed it to JG as a returned favor. This is the unethical possibility. 2-She has so internalized her high regard for JG, that she was unable to judge the food objectively. This is the she doesn't have what it takes to be a reviewer possibility. 3-She really honestly thought that it was great. This leads to two possibilities: A-She lacks critical judgment. B-Her critical judgment is superior to the rest of us. Take your pick.

Milan, via Monte Napoleone, it doesn't get any better, and not a difficult day trip from Barolo.

I used to work in the area and so am quite familiar with wichcraft. I'm not hip enough to know what snarky means, but I've never had or seen any problem with the service, and I never noticed the temperature. The stairway to the dining floor is quite long and the dining area itself is not attractive, but for a quick lunch I don't see these as real problems. wichcraft is all about the sandwich and some people like them and some don't. The sandwiches are not tiny, but neither are they overstuffed, and the hot sandwiches, which are the most interesting cost about $9 with no extras thrown in. They are made to order, and take up to 10 minutes to arrive, which might make some people out for a quick lunch a bit antsy. The sandwiches are heavily designed, I would personally say overdesigned. They are built around a principal ingredient, pork loin, chicken breast, flank steak, corned beef, and usually have some cheese and several aromatic vegetables. Each sandwich has its own accent flavor which is very prominent and typically overshadows and masks the main ingredient. At one time they were heavily using caramalized onions which left an overwhelming long sweet aftertaste, which I really disliked, but this seems to have diminished. wichcraft has yet to achieve the balance necessary for great sandwiches. They need to either tone down the accent flavors, or provide alot more stuffing: chicken, pork, etc. which would be my suggestion, but would undoubtedly impact their cost structure.

Is this book genuinely critical? If it is, I will try to check it out. In my experience, most books of this sort are soft core and illustrate their subjects through a feelgood haze.

I don't want to get carried away with speculation, the facts should be on the table fairly soon. I would love to see Cafe Gray turn out to be a wonderfully consistent restaurant with great food. Lespinasse at its best was the finest restaurant in NY, perhaps ever. There are, as you say, some excellent dishes that can be produced easily and others that are much more difficult. Kunz's perfectionism may turn out to be a positive or it may drive him crazy, with negative results. My scepticism comes from being a native New Yorker, with many, many, decades of dining in this city. In my experience, NYC restaurants at all levels are the most inconsistent of any great dining city in the world. This has become such a pervasive fact of life here, that critics largely ignore it. A 120 restaurant open 7 days with 3 dinner seatings is common in NY, it may be no big deal, but in my view it has yet to be done successfully to produce excellence with consistency. Gramercy Tavern achieves some consistency by dumbing down the preparations, and is ultimately boring. Daniel, your example, is incredibly inconsistent for a restaurant at its level, and appears to practice favoritism, a form of triage, in the kitchen in order to satisfy its most important customers.

It does appear that the physical implementation of the kitchen is a very good start. My concern relates more to the kitchen staff: skills, organization, management. Dealing with the stresses and strains of having to produce too many meals with too few people. I don't believe that Kunz was considered to be a great kitchen leader or manager when he was at Lespinasse. Kunz is a major chef, and I hope that this restaurant format will provide the opportunity for him to do something interesting.

No matter how distinguished the chef, I'm afraid that we're facing the typical NY equation. too many meals + too many diners = inconsistent results

I would add Enoteca in Canale, but the dining options are truly limitless, this is the great strength of the area, and you should get the Gambero Rosso restaurant guide. We spent a week in the village of Barolo, and turistically, the overall Langhe Roero area is somewhat challenged. The wine country is attactive, but not really the most beautiful, and the villages are quaint, but quite modern as well. Alba is a nice town worth a couple of hours. I would suggest a day in Turin, which has an excellent Egyptian museum and an excellent art museum as well, both in the same building, as well as an architecturally interesting center. If you are able to take things easy and as you find them, you should have a relaxing and enjoyable vacation.

The prospect of inviting the anger of one's spouse is just not a reasonable burden to put on a reviewer. The fact that disclosure could lead to misunderstandings in the other direction, all points to supporting the point that reviewers should not get involved in the appearance of conflict of interest, it's a no win. I do agree that independent of this discussion regarding disclosure, Hesser's review was horrible from many points of view: inadequate description, over the top emoting, excessive focus on JGV, and lack of mention of Kunz, who I view as the most interesting fusion chef in the world, even more interesting than Roellinger. I have little motivation to visit the Spice Market, but if I were to do so, Kunz would be the only reason.

In some sense you're making my point. Does anyone believe that it would be ethical for a wife to review her husband's restaurant in a major newspaper and not be obligated to disclose the relationship. I would be very surprised if there are many takers on this one. If one accepts that this needs to be disclosed, than the only remaining question is where to draw the line.

Tommy, I may be the only one, but I do understand, and agree with, the import of what you're conveying with your elliptical reference.

Well I must be a moron, but I see a distinction that you refuse to recognize. The fact that reviewers and chefs are in the same broad field, and interact on an incidental social basis is to be expected and need not be disclosed. As soon as there is any business relationship, and writing a major blurb for one's book is such a relationship and, not in my view at all insignificant, it must be disclosed. Relationships such as blood or by marriage or close personal friendships should also be disclosed. It seems to me that this is required for basic journalistic integrity.

I wish we had more of these, when Ruth Reichl used to use the first half of her reviews to describe the couple sitting at the next table, it used to drive me crazy.

Bux, when was the last time that you had dinner in a 3 star restaurant. In my experience the sommelier always pours off a small quantity of wine to taste, no matter the cost of the bottle. I can agree that if the restaurant is filling its bottles from casks, they wouldn't do this either, but this form of wine service is not typical of luxury restaurants. With regard to candles, these are sometimes used in decanting bottles with heavy sediment in order to determine when to stop pouring, it has nothing to do with the tasting process.