MichaelCE
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Posts posted by MichaelCE
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I think you would enjoy staying and eating at Le Montrachet in Puligny-Montrachet.
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I think that chicken is considered a homely dish. In restaurants you will very often see its cousin, the pintade. When chicken is on a restaurant menu, it will often be an AOC bird, for instance a Bresse, and be treated with much respect and given a high tariff. This has little in common with the ubiquitous chicken on US menus.
Even if it is a lesser AOC, like Loué, it is treated with respect. Usually it is roasted; the crispy skin is one of the main points. It is a specialty at famous restaurants like Arpège and L'Ami Louis in Paris or La Petite Maison in Nice. It is ubiquitous around Bresse. There are also very upscale specialties with truffles under the skin. You will find less of it in restaurants affecting a Provençale theme where fish and lamb predominate. Pigeon and pintade also seem more local there.
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My two dinners at Jean Georges were very disappointing.
I have never done the bargain lunch. Per Se is wonderful and I echo the thought that you don't want to give up a hard to get reservaton. 
I also think it would be a great experience for the right kind of kids. To me Le Bernardin and EMP are the only two restaurants in NY in the niche below Per Se (although we are going to try the renewed Daniel tomorrow night.) 
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Thanks all for your replies. I have so far booked Louis XV for Saturday lunch (when I think they do their bargain lunch menu - is this correct??), Mirazur for lunch (sensational value form what I can see) and La Reserve for our final night.
Has anyone got any advice on the following which I've also come across on my readings... (mainily on the great 'Wandering epicures' blog):
La Table du Cap
Le Mayssa (Villefranche)
Voile d'Or
Cheers again.
Paul.
Paul,
La Table du Cap is closed, unfortunately. Laurent Poulet is looking for a new location, but has not yet found one.
Le Mayssa has an interesting setting and is okay.
We have had a lovely dinner out on the lawn of La Voile d'Or. It is a luxury hotel, but without the glitz of La Réserve.
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I had the impression that the whole thing was designed by the effiency expert of The Charlie Palmer Group. The lack of real division between the Bar Room and the Dining Room saves space and steps, but ruins the ambience of the Dining Room. But the real howler is the Parallel Tasting Menu which the website explains is to serve an eight-course tasting menu in the time it takes to serve four courses. The cuisine is okay, but has an assembly line feel to it. I loved the old Aureole, but the wine cellar is all they brought from it.
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"Four stars?!" You must be joking. We dined at Marea last night and it was quite ordinary. The famous octopus, bone marrow sauce on the fusilli is basically tomato. There was no evident sea urchin in the crab sea urchin spaghetti. Marea seems to be a comfort food restaurant, like Convivio, but better located. The clientele reflected that also.
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While I eat out in upscale restaurants a fair amount, I'm not a regular anywhere. But I see a big difference in our treatment between those places who recognize a knowledgable diner in the first few minutes and those who don't, such as Daniel (not recent) or Jean Georges.
Two questions:
Is there some cross referencing of people on Open Table shared by restaurants?
Do those of you who have dined many times at Momofuku Ko expect us to believe that you are not getting preference in reservations?
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We dined at Mathias Dahlgren last August and loved it. It was not just that the food was so imaginative and well executed. There was a joie de vivre about it
which didn't fit the Swedish stereotype. We also liked Leijontornet. -
Greeting, I am white lotus from the NW forum. I have met some of you on your visits to Seattle & @ the Heartland Gathering. I hope you are able to give me imput on a dilemma.
My dear friend who is throwing this party for his long time partner is having difficulty figuring out the right restaurant to have this dinner for about 14 to 18 people. He lives in San Francisco and folks will be flying in from all around the US for this. I have looked at your forum index of restaurants which although interesting, did not assist me in getting any new ideas as to give helpful imput.
He was originally thinking about possibly something like Jewel Bako. BTW, I just heard that this venue may no longer be a great place. I digress, anyway, non-Asian family members of the birthday person informed him that they "don't do any raw fish" so now he is in a quandry as to what kind of place to book. The venue doesn't necessarily have to be Asian.
He wants the place to be elegant, modern, visually stunning & of course, have yummy food. The budget for the dinner will be about $60 - 80 dollars per person. The dinner will be on a Monday evening in sometime in July after the 4th. Thankyou for your time and thoughtfulness in advance.
Also, as I will be traveling by myself, any ideas where a mature-ish Asian-American should park her accomodations without loosing her bank account (I am still having to come up with one more year of college tuition for my kid). Since this is not food related, would you mind letting me know about any good websites or other leads via PMs or email.
I hope that I can meet some of you & return the favor if/when any of you visit us in the NW. Many thanks again. Cheers, wl
I think you should check out the private room at Aquavit.
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Hello.
Off to Beaulieu Sur Mer (in between Nice and Monaco) in early September for a week. Food is one of the main reasons for me visiting (not so for the wife...) so want to make sure I spend wisely.
Firstly Louis XV is a must for me. First of all I don't know whether to go for 2 lunches so that we can eat off the lunch menu on both occassions (if this is still going) or whether to just go for one evening on a blow out. Main stumbling block on this decision is how comparable the lunch menu is to the a la carte and whether a lunch there in September is bearable with the heat.
Other places I'm thinking of are:
The Chevre in Eze - is this worth it and if so for lunch or dinner?
La Reserve de Beaulieu - not mentioned on gullet much but has ** and the website has quite a tempting limited menu in the evening for a very reasonable €95 for 4 courses with most items coming off the carte (although not sure if this is available to non residents?). Again any recent reports welcome.
I understand there's another couple of places in Menton - what are these like and again worth it or not?
The plan is for 2 nice lunches and 2 nice evening meals made from the above with the rest of the eating taking place at Les Agaves in Beaulieu which I believe to be as good as ever (visited the area once 5 years ago when I was a bot less food obsessed!!). However while that is the plan I'm more than interested in finding more casual places to eat especially as the ingredients are so good so any stunning 'bistro' options are most welcome.
Any advice welcome especially re Louis XV. BTW do the hautey places turn their noses up too much at very rusty French speakers?
Cheers.
Paul.
Going from East to West:
Mirazur on the Italian border above Menton is a must. From Beaulieu it is a bit far to drive back in the evening, at least for us. Lunch might be better.
L'Hostellerie Jérôme in La Turbie is very good. La Chevre d'Or is a pretentious, overpriced tourist trap.
La Reserve de Beaulieu has excellent cuisine. In September reserve for a table on the edge of the terrace. But it is a fancy hotel. If you like the ambience at the Louis XV, you'll like it there.
Les Agaves in Beaulieu is ok. It is not open for lunch now. The new thing in Beaulieu is Les Vents d'Anges, just opened by Christian who used to run Le Catalan. He was at Les Santons in La Turbie and has returned to Beaulieu. The pizzas are great and the Catalan Mixed Grill is sensational, but you might need a certificate from your cardiologist to have it.
In Nice I am recommending Millésime 82, which opened three months ago.
I don't think that hautey places turn their noses up too much at very rusty French speakers, but if you are not coping, they will speak English to you. They do turn their noses up if you dress badly, speak loudly, complain unduly etc. Less hauty places will tolerate your French if you speak softly, smile etc.
Have a good time.
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Moderator's Note: For a discussion of L'Atelier from its opening in New York City through 2008, under Chef Suga, please see this topic.
I've been dining a lot at L'Atelier in NY as of late, and I'm somewhat surprised to see that it doesn't garner the same sort of attention for its counter food as some of the other important restaurants in town like JG's, Per Se, Adour and LB. Maybe people don't like paying for the discovery menu, from where the best stuff comes, but some of the best food in NY is available there. In any case, I think it's fair to turn our attention again to this restaurant because, for better or worse, Chef Suga, the great Tokyo L'Atelier chef who founded and (I believe) perfected our NY branch, is leaving for a new L'Atelier in Taipei, and he will be replaced by a certain Xavier Boyer from L'Atelier in London. I've been eating at L'Atelier NY during the transition, and here are my initial impressions (based on two meals):
Suga was a Japanese chef with Japanese tendencies. He was nowhere better than when preparing kobe beef or shrimp sashimi. The purity of his flavors, and the delicacy of execution, were key in most of his plates. Boyer is a very different chef. He's oriented more towards the land, and the earthly flavors of foie gras, quail, and veal. He is also more deliberately French, it seems to me, and so the reorientation of the restaurant might thus be said to be a somewhat radical one. The new specialties being rolled out include a truly wonderful foie terrine with port wine reduction gelee, serve with toasts; quail stuffed with foie gras (this didn't excite me, though it's apparently a classic in London); a lovely, if understated, veal, in a provencal style; and a red mullet that is interesting, but still lacks a something one might describe as a "more rounded" perfection.
It is my feeling that Boyer's food is quite promising, overall, and I'm inclined to keep L'Atelier near the top of my restaurant list for now. I would say, however, that one might, at least for the moment, regret the departure of Suga, which is a huge loss for New York. One wonders about all the factors motivating the decision. I know nothing about Boyer (and would love to learn more), but if Boyer can equal Suga's work in his own mode, we should be quite happy. In the next months, I will continue to keep all abreast of my evolving opinions on these matters--and I hope you all will do the same.
A note on the kitchen: Under Suga, one hardly noticed the labors of those cooking in the kitchen. Now one notices them. This isn't to say that there isn't discipline there, but one does have the sense that we have moved from a Japanese aesthetic of Zen and orderly silence to a more Euro-American ideal of improvised movement and communication.
I ate at L'Atelier for the first time two weeks ago. I sat at the counter and had the Menu “Découverte” at $190, plus $125 for the wine pairings. I'm glad I went, but the price is not justified except by its location in The Four Seasons. The foie gras course was particulalrly ordinary and disappointing; I understand that it had just replaced a terrific foie gras course. For a full report see the last post on my blog.
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We will be spending 6 nights in a B&B in the village of La Motte-Ternant near Saulieu. It is central to most of Burgundy. The only dining spot that has been recommended to us is Ma Cuisine in Beaune, we have requested a reservation. Because we will also be in Paris for a week we can not afford the grand 3 star places, but we are not interested in bargain dining! We are curious about Loiseau des Vignes because they have so many wines to taste. Any opinions?
We will be in Sens for our 1st 2 nights in France. Does anyone know anything about La Madeleine or any other good restaurant in or near Sens?
Le Montrachet in Puligny-Montrachet is a good spot.
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L'Univers is on no one's recommended list that I know of. One visit was enough for me to know that it's not a restaurant at which the conception is distinguished. Locals don't go there. I was going to say that La Petite Maison has declined rather preceipitously in the last year or two, but, yes the chicken is the only dish worth having. Next time you go and want good Nicoise cuisine, thkink of not just La Merenda, but two doors away at Lou Pistou or Cantine de Lulu. Still, as I said before, L'Aromate is the place I am concentrating on.
As I wrote above, Grand Cafe de Turin, near the bus terminal ofr Gare Routiere, has also fallen off a cliff. I believe the fish places either side of it are owned by the same people.
I agree about L'Aromate. I also like Dom Camillo Creations and Le Diamant Noir.
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Yes Alain Llorca has moved to Juan-les-pin Hotel Belle Rives - nice spot -- should be a nice addition to the coastal restaurant scene.
Le Table du Cap is a sad story - great spot in Cap Ferrat with veryy inventive cuisine - Laurent Poulet is a nice guy - just couldn't make it long enough.
Today I read that Sébastien Chambru, MOF 2007, a young Burgundian chef from the Four Seasons Hôtel des Bergues in Geneva is taking on the mission of putting the Moulin de Mougins back on track. Stéphane Arnal, who has filled in since the Llorcas left will go to Les Vieux Murs in Antibes.
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We only went to four restaurants in our short stay three weeks ago. Based on one meal at each we found Biko to be much the best restaurant in all respects. Pujol, Izote and Azul y Oro are all good, but not at the same level as Biko.
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Yes Alain Llorca has moved to Juan-les-pin Hotel Belle Rives - nice spot -- should be a nice addition to the coastal restaurant scene.
Le Table du Cap is a sad story - great spot in Cap Ferrat with veryy inventive cuisine - Laurent Poulet is a nice guy - just couldn't make it long enough.
I think we expect the Moulin de Mougins to find another two-star chef. The business they get from congresses in Cannes is immense. They will support a two-star, but that kind of clientèle makes it hard to maintain standards.
Laurent Poulet's website says he will announce a new address in April. I hope to be among his first customers when he reopens. That spot in St-Jean is a restaurant graveyard.
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Can anyone recommend a good restaurant in Cannes? Next week, I will be staying at the Martinez, so La Palme d'Or is a possibility. I've eaten at La Mère Besson and don't see a reason to go back there.
You are lucky that the Palme d'Or will be closed. It is a high-priced tourist trap. You should consider going to Tétou, which is a short cab or train ride away in Golfe Juan. But only go if everyone in your party will have bouillabaisse. Have the Martinez concierge reserve for you.
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We are recently back from a week in Rome. Our best discovery was Le Mani in Pasta. It has great food, a vibrant ambience and is inexpensive. It was our best meal after La Rosetta, which cost three times as much. For full reports see
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Gault Millau's 19/20 for La Chevre d'Or is absurd.
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Hey everyone! Considering most people on here are fairly avid diners and have an obvious interest in food (if you don't then you took a really bad turn when searching for the latest football results on google!), what/who do you think are the next generation of stars in France? I don't just mean two stars waiting to become three stars, I also mean the local restaurant waiting for their first star or the new bakery/patisserie who are producing some really good stuff etc etc.
I'm sure there are similar threads to this one but I haven't managed to find one!
Going back to the original question of young no-star chefs with star potential: I suggest Mickaël Gracieux at L'Aromate and Benjamin Bruno at Le Diamant Noir, both in Nice, and Laurent Poulet at La Table du Cap in St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.
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Looking for recommendations in the NNJ area for great chocolates or other unique food gift ideas for the host who has everything.
What do you usually bring when invited to a dinner where the host already has a huge wine collection, fully decorated home, etc.?
Not chocolates, but in the same spirit: mustards, tapenade, walnut oil, anchovies, etc
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Okay. We've been to France maybe 20-25 times at least.
For a week or two weeks at a time.
I've been studying for years at Alliance Francaise.
I understand quite a bit in France, if people speak slowly.
So, my comprehension is good.
I tell my fellow classmates and teacher in Philadelphia about menu French and French slang from our French friends.
However, my grammar and accent are HORRIBLE.
I just don't understand subjunctive, and all those other terms. Maybe I never learned them in school?
I never get any better.
It's embarrassing.
I'm still in the early levels of French class, and I just don't get any better.
David Sedaris was better than I - many years ago!
We live in France half the time and have become quite fluent, although still evidently foreigners. I learned a lot by listening to the news on television which is presented in clear French. I also recommend joining a club, in our case a tennis club, but it could be anything. The Institut de Français in Villefranche-sur-Mer is great for intense instruction.
The subjunctive is not optional; ordinary people use it. But I disagree completely about a foreigner trying to use slang. It is like a 12 year old trying to look cool by smoking a cigarette.
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Don't know if this is the appropriate place to ask but does anyone know if the gastroville site has stopped posting for good. I can't re-read anymore old reviews and miss the erudite and journeyed commentary and opinon.
You can still go to the website and read the excellent old reviews, but the last post was on January 29, 2008.
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I will be in Sydney for 10 days. Where should I be eating? I have already made reservations at Tetsuya and Rockpool.
Anything else that should not be missed?
Don't miss Pier. Be prepared to be disappointed at Tetsuya's.
Chez Bruno in Lorgues
in France: Dining
Posted
We also have a thunderstorm story. We were sitting outside on the terrace at Bruno in perfect weather when an unexpected black cloud came over and started dumping rain. Everyone picked up the plate for whatever course they were on and calmly went inside and finished. Then there was the time my wife had gone to the ladies room when Bruno came around to take our order. He was so miffed he wouldn't come back and the maître d'hôtel had to take care of us. I recommend going to the restaurant of Bruno's youngest son, Benjamin, in Nice: Le Diamant Noir.