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sygyzy

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Everything posted by sygyzy

  1. It's pretty amazing to me how a restaurant review thread can get so philosophical. I think in general, most foodies (that is someone who didn't just end up at a restaurant because they picked it out of the yellow pages) have this strange fear of saying anything bad about a restaurant, lest it somehow comes back around to them. I admittedly suffer from this as well, but probably not as much as some of the folks here. I don't think anything I said was not objective and when it was, I pointed it out (ie the wine). I think, to many, Manresa is the new French Laundry. And by that I mean it's untouchable. Remember when nobody said a bad thing about TFL? Now it's the *cool* thing to do. Now people describe TFL as "too perfect" or "cold, without feeling." I think bloggers/writers/etc should be able to speak their mind. I also think that we are in a height of culinary quality since restaurant owners and chefs don't just have to please the Jonathan Gold's twice a year but every diner because he/she may have a blog with a small following. And that's how it should be. Restaurants should always be top notch because if they do well, they'll get the recognition and recommendations from friends. I learned about all four restaurants I went to in SF strictly from word of mouth and from bloggers. I think it's ridiculous to imply I think I "know too much" or I think am too good for a restaurant. Nothing could be further from the truth. I am extremely flexible and even apologetic. I don't ever make demands or request alterations to the food. Restaurant/Chef (Business) serves diners (Customer). When there's confusion to how this arrangement works, we are headed down a sorry path. If people are getting this sensitive over a few posts at eGullet, arguably the most reserved food board, what would they think of Yelp or similar discussion forums?
  2. I thought Providence was above average with some really standout dishes but not blow away good. I thought their service was quite good to excellent and very friendly. I also appreciated the staff sounding like they knew what they were talking about. I believe they did, unlike many other restaurants. Considering I am not made of money, and there are dozens of other LA restaurants I haven't tried, I'll exhaust those options first before returning, probably.
  3. Quoting ulterior epicure Judging from a viewpoint of a total package, Ubuntu by far was the favorite of this trip. Perfect Napa weather, dining outside in the patio, incredibly friendly and caring waitstaff, a special tasting by Chef Fox. I told my colleagues that it felt he was cooking specifically for us. I agree. I should clarify that I certainly didn't think any of the dishes were terrible. All are of course well thought out and refined. I just disliked some. For example, the infamous Parmesan churros were a two biter for me. In other words, I gave up my piece after a few bites. They taste exactly like you'd expect (so nothing mind blowing here), but what you probably won't expect is how salty they are. Also the Courgette sorbet was actually kind of bad, IMO. You're right, the good dishes are really great like the foie gras with a generous amount of plain brown sugar on top. It's so ghetto (the sugar application), but it works and I loved it for it's simplicity. Deserts were short (only 2 dishes?) and forgettable. I'll definitely return because like you said, we've only each been there once. I've also only been to TFL once and still talk about it all the time. It was really perfect. The server came to my side and said "if you could do me a favor and stop taking notes. Chef will provide you a menu." I was taken back and then she added "We want to make sure you are having a good time, so sit back and just enjoy the food." Her reason sounded nice enough. I have never heard of anyone being asked to stop taking notes though (ie Chuck Eats, Lizzie). Honestly, this was not a big deal because I was only taking notes for the ingredients but still awkward. Just in general. I couldn't tell how others were being treated. I mean that's a difficult question to answer especially in a fine dining restaurant when people aren't exactly yelling.
  4. I visited SF last weekend for a food tour. Chez Panisse, Manresa, Ubuntu, and Ame. The focus was of course Manresa. Do you know what it's like when everyone you respect has been pumping up a place and you finally experience it and it costs so much that you don't really want to admit it wasn't the most glorious experience of your life? Yeah, that was Manresa for me. The food was good with half good dishes, a third forgettable dishes and the rest I just didn't like. The real problem was the service. It felt completely unpolished. Some examples: - We had three people in our party. Myself, my friend, and a (female) friend. For every course, they would put down her plate, then the server would walk away. 10 seconds later two servers came to coordinate putting down my and my male friend's plate. What is this all about? They couldn't find a third server? - The meal took 4.5 hours. This does not bother me except for the fact that the wait between dishes was extraordinarily long and uneven. - We were the last ones out and there were literally 3-4 employees just walking around us just hanging out, waiting for us to leave. Some were cleaning the glasses around us. Why is this necessary? - We were not offered coffee or tea. We had to ask and when we did, they kindly obliged. - We were not offered or told about the cheese supplement. Again, we had to request it. - I had the extended and I thought that since it was not a published daily prix fixe, I should take notes. Within 5 seconds, the server rushed to me and told me to stop and that menus would be provided. That's great, saves me time. But it was embarrassing and made the next few minutes awkward. - Too many different faces. At certain points the maitre'd removed our plates or served our plates. We saw too many different faces. It's like whoever was around would serve. - The wine recommended was terrible. Though I guess that's personal preference. - Never asked how any of the dishes were. I felt like a second class citizen there. On a positive note, stand out dishes: - Red pepper-black olive petit fours - Arpege farm egg - Foie gras, gently roasted, beignets of picked cherry, licorice - Potimarron pumpkin soup, nasturtium ice cream - Abalone in brown butter with braised pig's trotters, avocado Deserts were very forgettable.
  5. Thanks for the response Chad! You're right, you do make a distinction between machined, stamped, and forged knives. This cutlery world is so complicated!
  6. Chad, 1. How can you tell if a knife is stamped or forged? Would you say most "commercial" brands (Mac, Shun, Misono, etc) are stamped, nowadays? 2. Would you say "screaming edge" is your favorite knife phrase?
  7. I rarely send complaint letters but I did 3 a few weeks ago. Here's one (ignore the escape characters generated by their form): They sent me a $50 gift certificate which I shared with a friend this past Saturday.
  8. God, why did you have to post this? I was thinking about this just the other day. Now I am going to be paranoid using my spoons.
  9. I recall you saying this before in other posts - that the FS has a very strong vacuum. Whether this is true on a *technical* perspective, it's worthless in action. It simply does not translate to a very strong vacuum. It couldn't even draw bubbles out of a solution. ← On that small point I beg to differ. When vacuuming liquids in a FS canister I have frequently seen bubbles coming to the surface. That said, of course it could be stronger. I am not sure if the strength on all models is the same. I use the Professional III and have to go through all kinds of conniptions to prevent juices from being sucked out of the bags. ← Would you say it completely clears the solution of air bubbles? Also, the fact that the FS sucks in moisture from a piece of meat that is wet from brine or marinade does not speak to its vacuum capabilities. I can suck up the liquid with a straw and my mouth and we'd hardly say a human is a strong vacuum.
  10. I recall you saying this before in other posts - that the FS has a very strong vacuum. Whether this is true on a *technical* perspective, it's worthless in action. It simply does not translate to a very strong vacuum. It couldn't even draw bubbles out of a solution.
  11. Thanks for the links John, Mike - I read that there is a difference between acetate sheets for cooking (food safe) and ones you buy at the art store. I don't want to risk it.
  12. Thank you all for your replies. No coupler needed seems to be the answer. I feel much better now
  13. Hi, I'd like some acetate sheets for cooking but I can only find them in 50 packs. That's more than I'd ever need so where can I find them in smaller amounts like 1-10? Thanks.
  14. Hi, I purchased this tip set from JB Prince. I also bought a standard delrin coupler. The problem is that many of the tips are huge. So big that they don't fit over the coupler. I only see one size coupler at JB Prince. I found a "medium" and "large" at a different website but I can't be sure they'll be compatible with my tips. Isn't there some sort of standard for tips? What about the larger ones? Second, how do sizes like #1, #,2, etc correlate to actual measurments. Like #1 doesn't mean 10mm. Is there a chart I can see? Your help is greatly appreciated.
  15. I have found that a calcium trace in my water source caused over thickening of the alginate solution - changing to a "soft" distilled / or bottled water fixed the problem - might be relevant.. ← WOW! Very relevant. My dishwasher has been putting calcium deposits all over my glases and dishes. I forgot if I used the Brita filtered water or tap water in my experiments. From now on I'll only use filtered.
  16. It certainly does help and it actually makes perfect sense. If you notice the Foodsaver's strip looks pretty wide (maybe 3/8") but I think it actually only seals a small 0.5mm section. Moving the bag forward and backwards means wider sealer.
  17. I think the easy answer is fish. Also, any protein that is cut into small pieecs like crab, shrimp scallops, beef, or chicken, can be stir fried.
  18. I have been interested in artisan condiments lately. For example, I bought 5 bottles of artisan soy sauces, to see if I could tell the difference. I really like balsamic vinegar and I can definitely tell a good aged one over one from the local supermarket. On that note, I bought a bottle of 30 year Sherry vinegar. I tasted it and it doesn't seem that great. It's very sour and sort of salty. I mean it's not bad. It's a good vinegar. I used it in a shallot vinaigrette and it worked well, but I was expecting something else. Is this what a good aged Sherry should taste like? I wish it was more obvious like balsamic, which gets thicker and sweeter with age.
  19. All the alarms in my apartment are networked so you can't escape it. They are always going off. I noticed two little cutouts that look like buttons but when I tried pushing them, nothing happened. I know some smoke alarms have reset buttons.
  20. I think it'd be easier to remove an item off a flat surface like a pan or spatula than a block of ice.
  21. sygyzy

    Salmon

    To me, the only good fried fish is the white kind (like fish and chips). Having deep fried breaded salmon seems a bit weird. I'd try it though.
  22. Does anyone know why this happens? I know Food Saver says you can put their bags in boiling water so the 130-140 F water shouldn't have mattered.
  23. Thanks to both of you for your clarifications. I was unaware of the information you presented so my second attempt will surely be an improvement. What *is* the danger zone temperature range, btw?
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