newguy

I am a fan of the (your) rating system. In my opinion, you are allowed to give Grammercy a higher rating than Le Bernardin if you want. Maybe 30 other people have a different opinion, so what? Everyone has different experiences at restaurants. Personally I love Le Bernardin, I often tell people that my meal there is what made me become a cook. I've also been told by people there that they've had better experiences at 1 star establishments. To each his own... Keep these coming, it's great reading.

I have to get out more in NJ. I don't know 1/2 of those places.

Thanks!

Why is the "open mind" necessary for serenade?

can you please put the link up for this if/when they put it on their site?

Lots and lots of work.

My wife and I had a fantastic lunch at the Blue Door this passed summer. For 2 it was about $120 with tip and no serious drinking. I'd go back there in a minute. They were working on revamping the menu with Claude Troisgros since he acts as a consultant there. I also wanted to try Azul, but never made it there.

Taste of Asia - Chatham Serenade - Chatham Chengdu - Clifton

They yellowtail appetizer had tremendous flavors, but the size of that dish was just amazing. To serve something that small is embarrassing. I too, don't mind smaller portions. I don't believe in giving these gigantic portions just because they are very expensive, but when I left Cafe Gray I was starving and had to eat a bunch of junk food at home.

I was in this week with 3 other friends. I had never been to Lespinasse, so I have no comparison. However, I just wasn't that impressed, and we ate the same dishes being mentioned above. I found the room confused. The lights didn't match the mirrors. It was like being in a few different places at one time. Having to walk almost outside the restauraunt to use the restrooms are quite inconvient, and I was caught in some kind of traffic jam of waiters and customers trying to get in and out of the dining room on the way back in. I also believe that the servers were just as confused. They stand around, hovering, looking, but were not attentive, as we had to ask for someone to take a wine order and then ask again to refill the glasses. I also saw possibly the smallest appetizer I've ever seen, even for ny standards. I believe it was the yellowtail. This entire dish could have been finished in 2 bites, and it was $19. None of us ordered any of the same dishes, so we were able to try a wide variety of things. A few were good. I was dissappointed in 2 appetizers, 1 entree and 1 dessert.

i second the blue door

We live close to the Garlic Rose. My wife and I went once, and won't be going back any time soon. The food is fine, at best. It's loaded in garlic, so if you like that, it's ok. But I wouldn't waste the drive from ny for that food.

what if you dried something out such as butternut squash and pulverized it into a powder and mixed that powder with a salt or sugar or both combination? chestnuts, butternut squash, potato, sweet potato, orange peel... just a few tops that may work

Been for lunch 5 times, love it. Went for dinner with my wife. It seemed like it wasn't even the same place. Tasteless salads, dry duck, extremely dry grilled "prime" steak. No chance that is prime meat. I wrote a longer write up 5 minutes ago, but when I hit reply, my computer crashed. It was much more informative than this.

Arrowroot will produce a glossy, shiny finished sauce and corn starch will create that gloppy, almost to thick type of sauce such as in chinese foods.

how come no one mentioned silvadene? the best burn cream on the planet.

thursday was penne bolognese. friday fried chicken, corn, watermelon. saturday was home made pizza.

you may not want to add pineapple to your salsa if you are serving it for dessert too.

we are currently adding it to the saute of yellow carrots, braised baby fennel, green and yellow beans and snap peas for a dish at the restaurant. we add it in right at the end, so it doesn't even really wilt at all. keeps it's citrusy crispness. we also had it once with lemon cucumbers, tomatoes, real fresh herbs and a fantastic tomato vinaigrette for a shrimp dish.

I have just recently figured out, or been told at work the purpose of black pepper. It really cuts through fat. Same reason why many French recipes add a dash of tabasco into fatty dishes. The spice itself cuts the richness. We make risotto. I'll taste it without pepper, then reseason, and it has a definite difference to it.

They are just becoming available now. It's actually good to soak the crabs in milk, dry them off and lightly dredge in flour. Then saute in a hot pan with oil. Heads up though, those soft shells POP and will send that hot oil in the direction of your forearms.

I had dinner at spice market on Friday, and I didn't find that the food was tapas style or that we had to order many dishes. I ordered Vietnamese spring rolls, a green papaya salad and halibut. My wife ordered a lobster roll, skate, and coconut sticky rice. The skate does not come with anything, so the rice was necessary. 2 desserts, and we were out the door absolutely stuffed. Great meal. Sorry to be off topic here.

We both laughed. The meal was so good it didn't matter. I'm a cook, so I just chalked it up to some miscommunication. I can see where people would be mad, but I don't care about stuff like that.

I always wanted to go there, but always chose another place of this. My wife and I had the bite menu last May at Aquavit. Probably one of the best meals of my life. Absolutely sensational. Lot's of fish courses, the foie gras ganache which is great, and a venison last course. It was 15 courses I believe, with the 7th course being a "breather" which was a glass of Aquavit. There was only one complaint. I told the waiter it was our anniversary, bring a candle in something. So out comes another food runner with an extra for us, and says "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" I had to turn to my wife and say "anniversary."

I know it's odd to have those 2 soups. But since they are being "playful" with the caesar salad soup, it's a play on the traditional salad as a last course or intermezzo in France and Italy. Pretty cool idea, espeicially if they change the amuse.