Wilfrid

Now, listen, assuming there are just over 100 2 stars in Paris, serving 150 covers per day each - an overestimate - that means 230,000...oh... Oh, I thought we were going to have a big debate.

It doesn't really matter at all, but it's mathematically implausible in the extreme that the "average" European, by any obvious definition could eat at a Michelin 2 star twice a month. Aren't enough Michelin 2 stars to even begin to cope. Funny, but someone called me a pedant last night.

There is a cafe on the Lower East Side which offers it, and I have the guilty feeling I promised Joy the name and address. I am making a note to look it up later.

I wonder if someone is more likely to do (b) three times a week than (a)?

perhaps when i'm your age i'll be as thin as you. Chubby and incompetent.

(clearing throat)

"Far" is a flexible concept, isn't it? Chubby.

Ah, yes, Jaymes, I've heard that. Might be useful to defuse attacks on the site here, as in "Member X couldn't tell a peanut from a baked bean, bless his/her heart."

I don't know if this is exclusive to the South, but can I put in a word for the phrase "big ol'" - much beloved of my Georgian friends. As in, "I'm gonna get in my big ol' car, drive down the big ol' road and get me some big ol' smoked turkey legs." I sometimes suspect everything in the south is big and old. Stella Bella being an exception, of course .

Did anyone mention succoutash? I am a huge admirer of the ways shrimp and sausage get introduced to each other in South Carolina cuisine, including the low country boil. I like grits with lots of good cheese slowly worked in, but I withdraw that if it isn't authentic Southern.

The caviar and snow egg sandwich consisted of a shot glass, aubergine puree at the bottom, crumbled dry-ish snow eggs above, topped with a dollop of black caviar. Nice contrasts. (Didn't dine with Bourdain, I should explain, just ate the same menu on another occasion).

I have peered inside this place but not ventured in; thus a useful report, and thank you.

If we haven't done this before, we should definitely start a separate thread. I am wondering, Marcus, what you do drink with cheese, and I have decided views on the camembert question. Shall we?

I was cheekily implying that your sweeping comment was an affectation. I know the arguments for white wine and cheese, and unquestionably there are some cheeses which will destroy any red wine, but a pairing which has pleased millions for centuries must have something going for it. (Another thread, I suppose...)

The ocean trout dish was described as "signature" when it was served. My dining companion and I could detect no flavor whatsoever in the fish, although we liked the crust. None of which is to dispute Bourdain's view - heaven forbid - just to reflect on how people can leave a table with such a different take on the same meal.

Well, there you go. That is exactly the meal I ate at Testuya last week, and I felt it was a let down. My comment was "The cooking was careful, imaginative, and rich in luxury ingredients, but none of the dishes really caught fire.."

No temperature problems to report.

As long as it wasn't just the curse of Wilfrid. As for celebrities, the table behind us were certainly acting and dressing like they were straight off a magazine cover. Extraordinary.

Did you have trouble getting your reservation, Cabby? I am becoming increasingly sceptical about some restaurants' reputations as being hard to reserve. Take the comments about the difficulties of getting a table at Testuya in the Asia, etc forum. I got a table with about two weeks notice, and the dining room was by no means full.

Oh look, here's my Claude's degustation. Surf around and you will find more info about the place.

Et voila.

Many meats which you might find in your doggie bag can make a happy home in a breakfast omelette the next day. Might need chopping or shredding of course.

Long time since I've cooked anything. Simplicity last night: mangu de platano - smooth-mashed green plantains with butter - prepared by the Beloved. A ragout of minced beef, sweet peppers, vine tomatoes, onion and garlic prepared by me. Washed down with a few fingers of 10 y.o. Laphroiag. I think we were in the comfort food zone there, and very nice too with snow still on the ground. Chocolates and Carlos V brandy to send us to bed.

That's worth a thread of its own. I couldn't agree more, and it depresses me somewhat. It seems an utterly sufficient reason for trying to do BYO.

Our server told us where the red snapper came from. But he mainly seemed terribly frightened of us.