Wilfrid

And one might add that art is not the only thing Paris offers apart from food; but we'll all do what interests us. I was struck by Jonathan's comment about capacity. I agree with that; my ability consume multiple meals decreases steadily as I get older (young Steven is barely out of diapers, of course). But even if I physically could eat a 2/3 star meal every day for three days, I wouldn't. Doing so, or building a trip around one spectacular restaurant, seems to me to be only a part of gastrotourism. However, the majority of travel destinations, sad to say, do not offer upscale restaurant experiences far beyond the level of what one might enjoy at home (if home is New York or London, anyway). An important part of gastrotourism, for me, is figuring out what people eat and enjoy outside of upscale restaurants. Markets and food shops, as Steven says, but not necessarily "gourmet" shops. Local supermarkets and grocers, street food, domestic food (if one gets the chance), simple restaurants; all of this helps to build up a picture of the local cuisine. Looking at the countryside (if any) helps to, as does a knowledge of the country's history and culture. Which can often be found in museums and galleries, as well as - above all - in the streets.

I loved the instructions. I expect it would just not be the same without the margarine. Oh well, so much food, so little time. That's my excuse.

Thank goodness I don't know what that is. Is it equivalent to Hamburger Helper?

Vanessa, the pictures and content on the Harrington web-site are the same as in the book (I don't know if the web-site has every recipe). It's really very attractive.

In the bars I use regularly, smokers are dutifully wandering outside to light up. I smell fresher when I leave. It will be interesting to see whether the law is being followed in less central parts of the city, and whether it will be enforced in the longer term. The ban went into effect at midnight on Saturday - a time which seemed gear to cause maximum inconvenience. In one of my locals, a neighbour who doesn't even use the bar looked in at 1am, saw someone smoking and called the police. These are people who give non-smokers a bad name.

I only wish I could replicate your experience to see. I've just picked up a boom about the glory days of the cocktail bar in the Waldorf Astoria. Some weird recipes. Should be worth a thread when I'm a little more into it.

I'm not a big fan, but if Fleur de Sel pairs crusts them with almond powder and gives them a backdrop of pungent wild ramps again, I'm in.

I don't think the verbs and nouns are the issue. The issue is that if we accept the involvement of perception, it is perhaps hasty to reject the role of psychology. If that's the case, then elements extraneous to the chemical and physical properties of the food may be relevant to its enjoyment. That's not to say that facts about decorative yellow chicks are central to the discussion.

I largely agree, but it's not hard to get from there to Bishop Berkeley's view that matter does not exist. And then you'll have to go and kick a stone, or something. (No, no footnotes, do your best everyone.)

I'm happy San Domenico isn't innovative these days. You can just relax and enjoy the food.

Then what's that bulge in your pocket?

Indeed. I seem to remember being told that William Grimes wouldn't get a bad meal at Lespinasse, like I did. You know, I can post reports of restaurants I go to, day in day out - I wonder how many I've posted on eGullet. I can be positive or negative and get little or no response, let along detailed critique of what I've said. But I would have bet $100 there was going to be this post mortem on my fairly balanced (I thought) take on Diwan. Unfortunately, I could get no takers.

Actually, it's by no means obvious that the taste of food is a function of the food's physical and chemical properties alone. As with heat, while the disposition of an object's molecules is clearly relevant to its temperature, what feels to hot to one person will feel cold to another. Similarly, the state of an individual's organs of taste and olfaction influence how food will taste to them, and thus one can readily imagine what tastes sweet to one person tasting bitter to another. We could have a debate about which is the "true" taste; personally, I think that - as with the temperature example - one simply has to stipulate whether one is talking about a disposition of molecules or a sensation experienced by specific individuals. However, to the extent that the state of an individual's organs affects how something tastes to them, then unless we dismiss the possibility of psychology influencing that state, Blue Heron's hypothesis is not obviously false.

Meanies.

Who else?

Oh how I've missed you, Your Uniqueness.

Oh yeah, of course.

Does Andy pour ketchup over his food before tasting it? Just asking. My dad used to. I'm reminded again of one of my favorite Shaw lines, which I won't quote correctly: where he's talking about a dish at Bid (late, lamented) where your angle of approach could make for some interesting forkfuls. Because I agree that the way the food is plated opens up and closes down various gustatory possibilities. Whether that's best described as a presentational or culinary factor is a question upon which I am agnostic. Note also that presentation does not necessarily mean "artistic" or "artful" presentation. The blessed Fergus Henderson has a deliberate, wilfully non-fussy approach to plating, which is consistent with the overall conception of his cuisine (as I explained to him in his Q&A ).

Do not risk the downtown location. The boudin noir used to be okay, but I do not know if I have sampled it since Arnaud Carre stopped making it, so there's a risk. The frisee salad with lardons is acceptable. I would stick to the simple dishes and avoid "regional specialities" and the like.

Raisins go with cheese. A slice of fruitcake and a piece of cheddar, please. Pannetone if the fruitcake's all gone.

How true. I wonder if we have a true difference in physiological reaction here, because if I drink red wine with Brie, the wine tastes - if anything - fruitier. Hmm, maybe we should think about a eGullet (am I allowed to say that?) virtual tasting. Those of us interested could agree two or three cheeses, a couple of reds, and report on the flavors of wine and cheese before and after being tried together. I am not thinking of a general wine and cheese pairing experiment, just something more modest to explore the red wine question further. And I am thinking mainstream wines and cheeses. Anyone interested?

Thank you for your help, Macro. I'll get some therapy for spelling "nicker" that way :blush; And we'll help you with some remedial tuition for meaning to write "gauchely designed knoves[sic, apparently]".

Ah good, I've shaken someone's world anyway.

I will provide footnotes in future.

Kronenberg, Lowenbrau, Carlsberg Export, Stella Artois (a fine, crisp beer), Red Stripe (full flavored), Grolsch. Not Bud, thank you.