KD1191

Just returned from dinner at Schwa. 9 course tasting menu (became 11 with addition of comped quail-egg ravioli and 2nd dessert) was $110. The price is a steal, but I guess the difficulty of getting a reservation adds to the cost for some. Personally, I nearly gave up trying after about a month of calling, then all of a sudden they started answering the phone. The last three times I've called, I've spoken to a live human being by the third ring. I left the menu in the car, so I'll post an update tomorrow, but wanted to say that it is certainly worth every effort to get in. The signature dishes such as the Chimay beer cheese soup and the quail egg ravioli are as good as everyone says, simply phenomenal. Some of the other highlights were the cauliflower tortellini in cocoa nib consommé and the red bean ice cream cornet with Violet Hour bacon bitters. Service was remarkably efficient and overwhelmingly friendly and inviting. In certain other forums, I've read negative posts about attitude and atmosphere, absolutely none of which rang true on this visit. The chefs were warm and gracious hosts.

Just in case it isn't obvious from the above, the words horchata and orgeat share the same Latin root (hordeata).

Chef Grant Achatz of Alinea is in the midst of a series of posts on wine pairing over at the Atlantic. It starts with "Why Wine Pairings Matter". I can't say that I'd ever had wine that truly elevated food before I visited Alinea, and while I've had very successful pairings since, none have been as good. It's an interesting question, but I wouldn't think there'd be a problem truly experiencing a good pairing if you didn't swallow the wine.

Had the Blackberry Caipirissima this evening, but with cachaça. It was delicious, but I can't say I'd be tripping over myself to try it with rum. Is using the Flor de Caña a cost issue, or one of approachability? Love the idea of a classics page on the menu, now all that's really left is a non-alcoholic section. Amaro Nonino in a vodka drink...does TVH pour more Amaro Nonino than any other bar?

I've enjoyed the Chop House, Morton's and Gibson's (Ruth's Chris and the Palm not so much), but my favorite these days is Keefer's. It's a far more complete restaurant than any other Chicago steakhouse. The soups and specials are almost always phenomenal, and any of the 4+ potato presentations will top what you'd receive elsewhere. Meanwhile, the steaks themselves are the peer of any I've had in the city.

I haven't been to Dallas for about a year, but at the time I quite enjoyed two of the places mentioned above: Baker's Ribs in the Deep Ellum area of downtown and Sony Bryan's original location on Inwood.

Follow up to my previous post on Xoco. Returned today for the special head cheese and lengua torta with goat cheese and pickled vegetables, also tried the Aztec chocolate (with chile and allspice) and the chocoflan desert. All were really excellent. The chocolate is a much better bang for the buck than the aquas. The torta was heavenly, with unctuous cheese, bold meats and the crunch of the pickled veggies and crusty bread. Service has noticeably been tightened up, and is running quite smoothly. The line is held at the register in order for space in the seating area to free up. Arriving at 11:45 to a line just out the door, I had ordered and had a table 20 minutes later, and my torta arrived less than 10 minutes after that. Still no take-out, but lunch took considerably less than an hour.

I tried one of these last night - very interesting cocktail. I wouldn't have guessed, but this is actually a very nice way to showcase the apple brandy. I'm not sure I liked the Apry finish as much - might try some other variations on this theme. Yeah, I dialed the Apry way down in the recipe above. In many places you'll find apple and apricot brandy called for in equal measure, but that just wasn't palatable to me. In this version, I'd imagine the Apry can be subbed for another liqueur or syrup of choice to interesting effect.

Made some more of that maple syrup and played around with the applejack again tonight, but the most unexpected pairing was with a newly acquired bottle of Wray & Nephew Overproof in something akin to a Ti' Punch. 1/6th of a lime squeezed into an old fashioned glass, the resulting husk run around the entire inside of the glass and dropped in. 1 oz Wray & Nephew Overproof Rum 1 oz Flor de Cana 5 Year Rum Scant 1/4 oz Maple Syrup 2 Dashes Angostura Bitters 1 Dash Angostura Orange Bitters Stirred with faux-draft cubes. The maple plays the role of cane syrup well, but with some interesting spice in place of some of cane's funkiness...plenty of funk from the W&N, so I can't say the cane is missed at all.

Well, it's a bitter, and amaro means bitter in Italian, but I can't say I've seen Campari referred to as an amaro. I don't know if I could put my finger on exactly why. I guess, for one, campari is considered an aperitif, while amaros are generally digestifs.

Lou Malnati's is probably my favorite deep-dish, but having it once a year is enough for me. There's been a major shift in the city's pizza culture lately, with the explosion of thin crust at places like Coalfire, Spacca Napoli, and-of course-Great Lake. There's a feeling in the foodie community that deep-dish is for tourists. I don't know how true that is, but it's certainly the frame of mind many are operating in. See this recent post on Grub Street.

I'll second the recommendations for Pastoral and Isaacson & Stein. I'd highly recommend paying the few extra bucks and doing Topolobampo over Frontera Grill, the food and dining experience is in a completely different league. Avec is great, but if you have to choose one Kahan spot I'd pick The Publican. Add The Bristol as an option for well prepared, quality ingredients for a reasonable price. However, it can get busy and loud (as do Frontera, The Publican and Avec, for that matter). Check out Drinks Over Dearborn for an eclectic beer/wine/spirits collection, including local products. If you want more selection but less service, Sam's Wine is one of my favorite places on Earth.

As I mentioned above, for *** I highly recommend L'Astrance if you are willing to forgo ordering and give in to the experience of the surprise menu. I greatly enjoyed the food at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, but received the only real obnoxious attitude of my recent trips from their maître d'. In the more casual sphere, I've had very decent meals for the price at Café des Musées and Chez Robert et Louise. One of my favorite first stops when arriving in Paris is La Crêperie des Canettes. It's the first place I ever ate in the city, and so I often return when I need to acclimate.

Given the limited information provided in the initial request, I'm not sure "hijacked" is the appropriate term. This thread strikes as more 'stream of consciousness'. If you could provide some more information about where you're staying, what types of cuisine you like and preferred cost, I'm sure suggestions will be forthcoming. Saying you're going to Paris and are looking for 'any French restaurant' isn't much help. What would you say to someone who was coming to NYC and wanted 'any American restaurant'? Parisian restaurants, in general, don't tend to vary much by the season, so the fact that you're going in October doesn't really make much of a difference in the grand scheme, either. While I've never been, I am wary of Taillevent. From what I've read in the dedicated thread here, and elsewhere, it sounds like its demotion from *** to ** was well deserved.

Chef Grant Achatz discusses a 'shooter' of "fish sauce, lime, bird chilies, and lemongrass" prepared via rotary evaporation in today's volume of his 8-part series on wine pairing.

My wife and I had a very enjoyable meal at Café des Musées (49, rue de Turenne). I had the lunch menu, which featured a blood sausage terrine with green chartreuse and bavette de veau with quinoa. I believe they are also known for the superior quality of their frites. Everything was delicious and quite reasonably priced. It's only a couple blocks from Chez Robert et Louise (where the blood sausage is also very good).

And, if you want *** quality food with a bit more whimsy, I'd suggest L'Astrance.

There's both egg and milk in this punch adapted from the Gentleman's Companion and the Merchant Hotel Bar. White Tiger's Milk 2 oz Laird's Bonded Applejack 2 oz Whole Milk 1/2 oz Marie Brizard Apry 1/2 oz Rich Demerara Syrup (2:1 Raw Sugar:Water) 1/2 oz Egg White (approximately 1/2 of the white of a large egg) 1 Dash Angostura Bitters Shake vigerously with ice and strain into a tall glass, such as a Collins, filled with cracked ice. Garnish with freshly grated cinnamon or nutmeg.

Maybe a clear riff on a red hook? Death's Door White Whiskey, Cinzano Bianco Vermouth, Luxardo Maraschino

Autumn is coming...finally gave up trying to fight it. Applejack Old Fashioned: 2 oz Laird's Bonded Heavy 1/4 oz Maple Syrup (1:1 Granulated Maple Sugar:Water) Scant Barspoon Amaro Nonino Dash Angostura Orange Bitters Flamed Orange Peel

Poi is a sort of grayish purple...

I am always curious to see measures like "1/8 oz" and wonder how people hit those with any precision...do you merely consider a 'scant teaspoon' close enough or are you making two or more and measuring the multimple amount? For my own part I don't think I've ever seen any measuring apparatus marked with 8ths of an ounce, though 1/8 and 3/8 and 5/8 show up with some unnerving frequency in recipes. I was making two, so I was able to hit the 1/4 mark on my Oxo angled 2 oz measure without a problem. When making one, I usually use a bar spoon or fractions thereof for anything less than 1/4 oz.

A Creole Cocktail variation: 1 1/2 oz Rittenhouse Rye BIB 1 1/2 oz Punt e Mes 1/8 oz Amer Picon 1/8 oz Yellow Chartreuse VEP Swapping the Bénédictine for Chartreuse was an act of necessity, but I didn't feel it lessened the drink at all...at that quantity, I imagine plain yellow chartreuse would have been fine, too. The traditional Creole is one of my favorite drinks, and this is certainly a delicious minor riff.

Does anyone know the 'code' for determining the age of VEP? A trusted bartender was telling me it has something to do with taking the number printed on the back of the bottle and adding (and/or subtracting) numbers significant to the years of the founding of the Monastery or the gifting of the recipe or something to that effect, but I've since forgotten the specifics. My bottle of VEP Yellow (brought back from France, not imported, if that matters) has "J.1154" on the back, and says that it was bottled in 2007. Any idea how old the stuff inside actually is?

Had a great meal at Bhabi's Kitchen last night...the pistachio naan is really unlike anything else I've ever tasted. Perfectly spiced food and wonderful conversation with the proprietors. Sadly, we were the only diners in the entire restaurant. (There were a few carryout orders while we were there, but not many.) Bhabi is doing great work, but the "Check, Please!" effect has run its course, and I think he may now be a bit priced out of the local market.