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llwb

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  1. And we will be there. Suggestions for a good place in the neighborhood for lunch will be appreciated. TIA llwb
  2. Looking for the restaurant in the Carlsbad - La Jolla area that serves the best, most well-prepared food in the most casual atmosphere - often a hard combination. We are a large family group from out-of-town(no young children) who want to eat well but find the social part easier to accomplish in a more informal atmosphere given our number(10). Thanks for any recommendations. llwb
  3. I am sorry to report back that the Copper Beech Inn was a great disappointment. A family group of eleven had an early dinner there after the Wesleyan graduation this past Sunday. It turns out to be one of those pretentious places that has all the externals right - but doesn't have a clue about the core of the experience - the food. Most of what we ate was less than undistinguished - it was actually in the "not very good" catagory. Among the dishes we tried and did not like -- the Poisson a Fumé de Bois (salmon, mackerel, sturgeon-best of the three)$10, Ris de Veau en Meurette à la Bourgogne(the least pleasant preparation of sweetbreads I can remember)$14, Assiette des Charcuteries (unidentifiable and uninteresting pate plus two pieces of what might have been breakfast sausage)$12, Côtelette de Veau Grillé aux Champignons Sauvages (variously described as mealy, stringy and mushy)$34. Those who ordered the Coq au Vin and the Entrecôte Marchand de Vin$31 declared them just O.K., while the person who had the Seared Tuna was pleased. The desserts we tried - Marquise au Chocolat, Sauce Café and Crème Brûlée au Chocolat de Valrhona among them - were measurably better than the rest of the meal. The best item I personally ate was the very well made cheese puff we were served with our cocktails. One hates to be so negative - but at these prices and with these pretensions, I cannot be otherwise. llwb
  4. Looking for a really nice place with really good food for a group to have a celebratory late lunch/early dinner after attending graduation at Wesleyan. We expect that such a place will not be inexpensive, so price will not be the determining factor. TIA llwb
  5. llwb

    Diwan

    My husband and I were there the evening before Suzanne F. We had the Tasting Menu (n.b. Suvir, I ended up writing Chef Hemant a letter instead of calling) and it was wonderful. We were not quite up to the pleasurable task of consuming every last morsel, but we did the best we could - the food kept coming and it was all delicious. I mean all. But I think the crunchy rice cake, the halibut, the okra and the incredibly tender and flavorful chicken stood out. We drank King Fisher. The atmosphere was friendly and Chef Hemant visited our table twice to name the items that were about to appear. He seems happy in his work and this made us feel relaxed. It was a great dinner and a nice experience altogether. I plan to meet a friend at Diwan for lunch on Tuesday.... Thank you Suvir for your encouraging words! llwb BTW, they were out of the Chai Pots de Creme that night too.
  6. llwb

    Diwan

    Thank you Suvir. I did just call and the tasting menu will be on as of this Saturday. I did not have the guts to ask to speak with the Chef - but my call was transferred to the Manager and he seemed to know what I was talking about. Nothing specific was said on my part (I am not a telephone person) or on his about the nature of this tasting menu, so I am just going to hope we will get to taste at least some of the things I have been reading about. Is an email to Diwan a possibility for purposes of clarification? Please ignore if inapporopriate. llwb
  7. llwb

    Diwan

    Suvir, do you have any idea if this tasting menu will be implemented by February 7th? TIA llwb
  8. Yes, I had the same good results - scored the skin and removed the fat as I went along - there was less of it than others mentioned (Broome Lake) - however I found that the 2 cups of broth had nearly cooked away by the time the dish was done. The recipe does not mention this, but under the circumstances how could it be otherwise?! llwb
  9. I have been looking for a recipe that assures the thin and crisp kind. I would be glad if you share the recipe. TIA llwb
  10. I second this. We had a late lunch at Bistro Zinc last Sunday and enjoyed it a lot. The food is not "haute" in any sense - also not "great" - but the place has a nice feel to it and one can definitely have a more than passable lunch there - especially with a few glasses of wine. llwb
  11. llwb

    Jarnac

    A group of 5 had dinner at Jarnac the other evening. The place struck all of us as very simpatico. Both Tony and Maryann were exactly as described here in earlier posts. I had the Duck Rillettes to start and it was disappointing - kind of anemic in taste - really almost tasteless - and overly smooth. But the B.L.T. - quite large enough for a main course - was very tasty and an idea that worked as far as I was concerned. Among other dishes, the "Grilled Jumbo Shrimp with Corn Fritters and a Tarragon Remoulade" and "Roasted Baby Chicken with Walnut Butter" were eaten with pleasure, while "Veal Marengo with Sautéed Mushrooms and Green Olives" was described as "dry" and uninteresting. We liked our wine very, very much - Overlook Chardonnay 2000, Landmark. The "Chocolate Chocolate Cake with Espresso Gelato" was only O.K. The food was not quite up to where I'd hoped it would be, but we all had a really good time anyway - I think because it's a nice place.... llwb
  12. llwb

    Cafe Boulud

    see-- http://forums.egullet.org/ibf/index.php?ac...68de8994625c859 we were there 8/14
  13. The end-result was that six of us had a very jovial and delicious dinner at Cafe Boulud. There has been some debate about the "decor" - we all liked it alot - it is, pleasingly, the very opposite of "edgy." And there was another very welcome lack of trendiness - we could converse in normal speaking tones in spite of the fact that every table was taken. Each one of us was enthusiastic about his/her dinner choices, and only the bread, I felt, although there was a variety of it, left something to be desired. I personally singled out the SALADE DE PISSENLIT - Warm Salad with French Dandelion, Chicken Livers, Lardons and Croutons $16 which I thought was extemely tasty. The POTATO RÖESTI Shallots and Rosemary $6 got general special mention. I tried a glass of the white Chateau-neuf-du-pape $13 referenced in another thread and it is good (but I am no expert). Everything conduced to a fine evening!
  14. Good luck on your hunt and please let us know if you find what you are looking for, where you find it, and how good it was.Will do. Currently leaning toward Cafe Boulud or...Le Perigord....
  15. I spent some time today at the Wine Spectator site but could find no mention of an article "earlier this year" on The Four Seasons. I'd like to check it out on line as well if someone can identify the issue. TIA
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