bluehill

that's the most difficult question to date. Most enjoyed eating? Depends on the time of year. Same with cooking. But if you're in soon have something with apricots. There are several dishes. The red jacket apricots this year are incredible.

We're working on a vegetarian tasting now, actually, so your point is well taken. We had one when we first opened but there were issues with being able to sell it, as in we could not sell it. But thanks for the suggestion. Remember this: any time you come in to Blue Hill just ask for a vegetarian chef's menu. We'd be happy to prepare it for you.

Who is your sister?

I am more bemused than surprised by your "term for this phenomenon", by your association between eating and relieving yourself. Your example has me baffled. Apparently you had to go to the bathroom, and because you were sitting on a corner banquet, table #28--our most requested table-- "the whole row had to reconfigure to allow them to move". But the whole row is 30 yards, and though I didn't witness this I can't imagine your movements disrupted 9 other tables. But your point, that restaurants in New York tend to be tight on space, is quite right. What I am surprised about, being that it appears you are a savvy diner who eats out often, is that you don’t calculate the (relatively) inexpensive food compared with the (relatively) high quality. So your question, "How do you try and balance the financial needs and the determination to offer value and a pleasant dining experience" is difficult to answer because it appears, from your earlier review of Blue Hill after you ate here, that we are not doing a particularly good job at striking that balance. It boils down to real estate. $32 for salmon? No probems getting to the restroom. $23? It will be more of a challenge. May I make a suggestion? You dined at 8PM, crunch time as it's called in the business. If personal space is a high priority (nothing wrong with that), come dine at 6PM. You could drive a tractor trailer through the dining room at that hour. And ask for table #44. It's next to the bathroom.

Mike and I have known each other about 10 years. We have a similar level of training, French inspired, but from different chefs completely. We're still figuring out the process of working together. Some dishes are shared imputs, others are inspired from talking to each other about what's available, still others are inspired by reaching for different things during the rush of preparing an extra course for a regular customer. Because of this, or in spite of it, we're cautious about a ton of imput from other cooks. Too many opinions.

I truly love to cook, that's true, but the love of it gets lost. I can't single out one reason, but the first that comes to mind is the 7 nights a week burden. And it's a burden whether I'm sauting fish or seeing a movie. This business is filled with great highs and tremendous lows, but the constant is--and here it's more a personality trait--the constant fear of failure. That is an everyday feeling one way or another. What brings a tremendous satisfaction to me, and here I wouldn't trade owning a restaurant for anything, is the ability to bring about more awareness of how the food we choose to eat affects the world we live in. I've written about this in several other answers, so I won't enlarge the point further here, but suffice to say I'm intoxicated with the crumb of power I've achieved by the success of Blue Hill. So, my actual love of cooking may be compromised a bit by the realities of owning a restaurant, but it's provided me with the pulpit of sorts to speak about what's important to me.

I agree, there has not been a dramatic shift in the food at Blue Hill and I'm happy you noticed. There's a philosophy, a formula in place, and I think, I hope, that it's bigger than Mike or me. But there have been several improvements, especially in technique, and Mike has been a great help here for sure, as well as introducing me to ingredients that I had not felt comfortable using. I think in the Fall you'll see many more changes and I hope you'll agree we're moving in the right direction. As for tasting menus, your assumption is correct. The kitchen, the front of house, everyone save the dishwasher because of the extra work, respects the table that orders the tasting menu. It changes daily. It's a challenge to produce. It makes life here invigorating. And I think it represents the spirit of what we do more than anything else.

There's a big difference between white Copper river and the red, and yes, I think you could taste the difference blindfolded if you concentrated on fat content--the white salmon is clearly much greater. As for Cabrales, I doubt I would ever want to go after young wild salmon. Besides being a danger to the species, you're paying for the fat, and younger salmon have had less time to develop fat and flavor.

Thank you for the kind words. Is there a danger of over refinement? And if I understand your question correctly, you're wondering if refinement and bold flavors and textures can coexist on one table. This is very difficult to answer because you've touched on my culinary insecurity (one of many). I wonder often if my food is a bit flat, and if I couldn't put a bit more spice and punch in some dishes. The truth is I don't know how, not well anyway, and I admire chefs who can strike with every bite. But are we in danger of over refinement? I doubt that. Blue Hill is a particular cuisine, and the range of tastes are less dramatic than others, but it seems to me there is something to celebrate there as long as you can vary your dining experiences in other restaurants. What I hear you saying is that your experience here has made you appreciate our cooking for it's subtlety, which is a great compliment to me, maybe the greatest, and I guess I would caution against equating that with over refinement.

Hi Steve, "New techniques" depends on how you define them, but I suppose the short answer to your question is that I don't see anything on the culinary horizon. It seems to me that cuisine has evolved to the point that any "new technique" will be one that's been done before but never hit mainstream or was captured by the food media, or by egulllet. I'd look to Spain for possibilities. There's a tremendous amount of creative cuisine happening in that country.

A favorite dish to make? Depends entirely on the time of year, but asuming you mean right now, I'll go with pasta and tomato sauce. I remember finishing a summer job in Provence, an incredibly abusive job that made me question what exactly I was doing with my life. I took the TGV to Monoco to have lunch at Alain Ducasse. This was 1994, and Chef Ducasse was recognized with 3 stars but was not quite the international sensation he is today. My lunch lasted 4 hours and in many ways I have not been the same since. But in answer to your question, I was served a pasta with tomato sauce and tomato confit and that's it. I'll never forget it, but less for the taste and much more for the boldness of the dish. He was saying, I think in essence, there isn't anything much better than that in the middle of the summer. And he was right. So it's what I'll be making tonight, now that you've reminded me of it.

cabrales, For the foie gras dish at Blue Hill we use a grade A liver that comes from a farm in the Hudson Valley called, Bobo. The foie is portioned into thick slabs and seasoned generously with cracked black pepper, fleur de sel and Aleppo pepper. It is placed on the rack of the stove top-steamer, set at a very low steam. There is, in fact, some rendering of the foie but surprisingly not all that much. The little fat that drips into the steamer can be saved by allowing the water to cool, the fat solidifies and you can remove it for other uses. This rendered fat can be used in finishing sauces, sauteing vegetables or adding a extra layer of flavor in broths. We make a rich duck consomme and infuse maitake mushrooms to accompany the foie. I am fond of the small japanese turnips and use them to garnish this dish. Thanks for the question. Mike

Bux, Again, I think that as an "American" restaurant we are less bound by tradition and able to explore many interesting directions with food and beverage pairing and yes, we do pair sake and beer with appropriate items on our tasting menu at Blue Hill. The importation of premium sake in the United States has increased dramatically in both volume and quality. We now have better access to amazing sake from small producers; unpasturized, unfiltered and best of all, seasonal! Keep in mind these products are very fragile and have to be transported and stored under specific conditions in order to preserve their unique and complex characteristics. Dark ales and blond wheat beers have been on our mind recently as well. Some outstanding beers are brewed locally! Here some examples of recent pairings that I am particularly excited about: Harushika - "shiboribana" with Maine crab salad Beamish - irish stout with hanger steak and braised romaine Gueze - by Lindeman's with the Apple-fed Berkshire Pork and corn cakes Ramstein - blond bavarian style wheat beer ( brewed in Butler, N.J.) with steamed foie gras Thanks for asking such an interesting question. We do plan to continue to explore oustanding food and beverage marriages. Mike

I'll try to answer both Nina and Jordyn together. We offer a tasting menu that includes three savory courses and two dessert courses for $ 65.00. You can choose to have wines paired with the each course for an additional $ 30.00. Yes, we will accomodate all dietary restrictions and try to be as flexible as possible when considering guests personal requests and tastes. Our approach is to personalize the customers' dining experience as much as we possibly can. We change the tasting menu daily and I find that is one of the most exciting sources of inspiration for us. Hope you will give it a try. Mike

chopjwu12, I agree that regular maintenance using a waterstone is the best approach to keeping your knives in great shape. I use a traditional approach to sharpening my knives. The knife stays at a 20 degree angle to the stone at all times. I use my right hand to guide the knife and my left hand to apply light pressure at different points on the back of the cutting edge. I am sure you know this technique but for those of you who are unfamiliar with using a waterstone, I highly recommend a visit to Korin, at 57 Warren Street for a demonstration. Mike

Thanks Wilfrid! I am crazy about this product as well. I first used it at March Restaurant with Wayne Nish. I am not sure if he is using it on his menu now but you might consider checking with him. He has a very creative approach to using ingredients in a different way than in their traditional context. I would be interested in hearing what you discover. Mike

Wilfrid, Arrop i Talleates is pumpkin that is stewed, or cooked confit style, in grape must. It is a spanish product and you may be right in guessing that is Catalan. I do not know the exact origin. It seems to have been an old traditional product that has recently drawn new attention. I love the tobacco and leather like qualities balanced with the sweet reduced syrup, much like an old balsamic. A cross section of the large pieces shows a beautiful light colored interior. I have served it as a garnish with foie gras in the past and we used it as a condiment with some of our cheese offerings. You can find it retail at stores like Murray's Cheese Shop. I believe Sini Fulvi imports it exclusively for now. Have you tasted this product anywhere other than at Blue Hill? Mike

Jinmyo, For acidity we rely on fresh citrus juices, tomato water, a variety of vinegars, and verjus . As you might have seen on other threads here, we incorporate those high notes of acidity in dishes, often through pickled vegetables. For heat, ( and acidity in this case) we use fresh ginger juice, and very small touches of jalepeno, a dried chili called "Aleppo" that is from Syria. I am fascinated with flavors enhanced by yuzu-kosho and togarashi, which you must be familiar with, although they do not play a big role on the menu at Blue Hill. But please understand these ingredients are used sparingly and with discretion. Thanks for asking. Mike

Hi Sandra, We buy most of our tomatoes from a farmer located in Pennsylvannia, named Tim Stark. His tomatoes are exploding with flavor this week and will continue through the month of August and, hopefully, into September. So I would say you can't miss the dish entitled " Tomatoes!" It consists of raw heirloom tomatoes marinated in tomato water, orange juice, with garlic oil and sherry vinegar as well as oven dried plum tomatoes, watermelon-tomato vinaigrette, pickled green tomatoes, upland cress and tomato-mint sorbet. We could also include that dish in a tasting menu which may really be the best way to experience Blue Hill and certainly our favorite way to make new friends. Thanks for showing interest in the restaurant and see you soon! Mike

cabrales, The assertiveness of the pickled vegetables, fennel, in this case, depends of the proportions of vinegar, salt and sugar in the basic pickling liquid. One of my biggest concerns in using noticable acid in flavoring dishes, especially final touches, is the effect it will have on the wine that is being paired with the dish. So yes, we try to always stay within certain boundries in order to create a harmonious pairing. Thanks for the question. Mike

cabrales, To cure the salmon for the dish we prepared in Aspen we started by mixing kosher salt, sugar, lemon, orange and lime zestes with toasted coriander, star anise and white peppercorns. Finally, a little vodka and the mixture is spread, much like the consistency of wet sand over the entire surface of the salmon fillet. (The skin of the fillet has first been removed and the filet trimmed to even thickness from start to finish.) Then we wrapped the fillet in plastic and let cure for 13 hours. To finish the dish we sliced thinly the salmon, drapping two or three paper-thin pieces around the lower sides of the glass. Then we piped in the puree, and added the pickled fennel. The lemoncello foam is a simple process; we braised fennel with saffron until tender then puree. We added lemon juice, simple syrup, the braising liquid and vodka. Finally, we add leaves of gelatine and let set. When the mixture has cooled to a semi-solid state it is then loaded in a whip cream canister. We like the theatrical effect of shooting the foam over the dish in front of the guests. All of this took place in front of the camera crew for the Gordon Elliot show, Follow That Food. So unless Gordon decides to edit the footage dramatically you should be able to see the whole process on his show sometime soon! Dan and I have worked with this dish in several variations for large events and it has evolved independently from the Hot Smoked Salmon dish that appears in Art Culinaire. Hope that gives you a clear picture of the dish. Mike

cabrales -- Staff meals this week will go something like this: Monday Grilled Flank Steak ( actually grilled out back!) with corn on the cob and cole slaw green salad Tuesday Baked Salmon with soysauce and lime juice rice and zucchini green salad Wednesday Smoked Turkey sandwhiches rice salad with raisins and curry green salad Thursday Roasted chicken legs with lemon and herbs pasta with tomato and cauliflower green salad Friday Duck legs moo shoo style egg noodles green salad We try to use extras as much as possible but we do buy ingredients specifically for staff meal. For many of the staff it will be their only meal of the day. Thanks for showing interest! Mike

Rob, One of the points I try to convey to culinary students right away is the need to incorporate " a sense of urgency" into every aspect of their work. It is the very nature of our business. I sometimes say to new members in the kitchen, " Relax. Think about the work you have to do and get yourself organized. Then, imagine me just behind you, red in the face, screaming as loudly as possible, MOVE FASTER!" Does that help? I think there is a thread on books of reference already on this site that someone could help us find. I would suggest as a start checking out a couple of these titles: Simple French Foods by Richard Olney On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee American Cookery by James Beard Larousse Gastronomique They have provided a great deal of inspiratioin for me. Thanks for your questions and good luck, Rob. Mike

Hi Nina, Staff meal takes place every day at 4:30 pm. Everyone eats together at tables in our garden room. The meal is immediately followed by a staff meeting for both front and back of the house. We look at the reservation book together as a group ( $10 to anyone who recognizes a name from eGullet.com), talk about menu changes and daily tasting menus and taste dishes and cheese being offered in the restaurant. Our front of the house staff at Blue Hill is as passionate about food as we are in the kitchen and they are encouraged to ask questions and taste the dishes and ingredients that go into them in order to better understand the menu. All of the stations in the kitchen share in the duties of cooking staff meal but our roundsman, Adam, an experienced and excellent cook takes a special amount of pride in keeping us well-fed. He also happens to have worked at Chanterelle for some time. For those of you who are familiar with David Waltuck's book, there is a strong tradition being carried on. Thanks Nina. Mike

cabrales, On Tuesday we celebrated the summer season by highlighting local corn on a tasting menu at Blue Hill. We all felt the event was a huge success. Our customers participated in large numbers and we sold a record number of tasting menus. The celebration of corn menu was as follows: AMUSE BOUCHE EGGPLANT FLAN WITH CORN AND PICKLED CUCUMBER RELISH CHILLED AND DAIRYLESS CORN SOUP Maine crab salad and snap peas CHATHAM COD light corn chowder with mussels, clams and cherry tomatoes SLOW ROASTED APPLE-FED PORK SHOULDER corn cakes and wild watercress apple cider-pork jus POACHED PEACHES blueberry compote and champagne sabayon "STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM" lemon cake, strawberry marmalade and balsamic We would like to continue tasting menus that will highlight other products as we reach the end of summer and fall seasons. Another successful event at Blue Hill has been the on-going Guest Chef Series. Recently, Gailan Zamarra, formerly of Bouley Bakery, presented a tasting menu of his at Blue Hill. The exciting exchange of ideas between chefs, both in the kitchen and present that evening as customers has only been succeeded by the exchange at eGullet.com! Please call the restaurant or visit the web site for more information on the next guest chef event. Thanks again. Mike