Ron Johnson

Tommy, I guess your right. He clearly deserves it for ordering a "veggie" burger and relying on the store employee's affirmation that it is vegetarian. Why would anyone think a "veggie" burger is vegetarian? However, it is ashame that we have to adopt a buyer beware attitude toward retailers of all types, including restaurants. Must be nice for the sellers though. Employee: "Um sir, shouldn't we tell the customer that these 'veggie burgers' are cooked in meat grease?" Manager: "why? whats he gonna do sue us, don't you know that no one wins lawsuits against fast food restaurants after the McDonald's coffee case." Employee: "I guess your right, and screw him, I am just a highschool drop out who makes 5 bucks an hour." Bevis and Butthead rule.

A guy I know ordered one of these things. He is a strict vegetarian and asked beforehand if there was any meat or meat product in the BK veggie (remember the McDonald's fries incident), and was assured that it was 100% vegetarian. After consuming said product, he related a very severe case of the trots and spent much of his afternoon in the restroom. He returned to BK to tell them about his reaction, and was told by another employee that the BK veggie are cooked on the same contraption as the regular burgers so that they absorb the "juices" (read grease) of the other burgers for flavor. Being an omnivore as we humans were intended to be in my opinion, I rarely have much empathy for vegetarians, but this did seem wrong to me as (1) he asked before ordering and (2) the thing is advertised as the BK veggie. In the case of McDonald's fries, it isn't exactly like they were touting them as a menu items for vegetarians.

I read that article also. Interesting for me to see that Danny Meyer wanted to bring the barbeque from his childhood in St. Louis to NYC. Well, that may explain why the barbeque sucks. I lived in St. Louis for 4 years and Memphis, TN for 6. There is no such thing as St. Louis barbeque anymore than there is Columbus, Ohio barbeque. Memphis is a barbeque town. It seems to me like he is trying to emulate Memphis style from the consultant that he hired. The guy is from Illinois, but apparently won the Memphis in May Barbeque Contest twice. I have cooked in that contest for a team that finished a very respectable 7th, and to win is quite an accomplishment. He must know what he is doing, but he should have told Danny to leave the St. Louis aspect out of it. Danny is no dummy thought, barbeque is a cash cow. You buy the cheapest cuts of meat and cook them in mass quantities. I know a restaurant in Memphis that makes a 1200% profit on a slab of ribs. Of course he buys them by the truckload from a huge farm in Arkansas.

I have a friend who went to Craft last month. He didn't like it, but now he pronounces it with the "ft" at end in a "p" sound. Go figure.

Helena, have you tried the pasta risotto method, and if so, how did it turn out in your opinion?

As most people are aware, you have recieved much acclaim for your braised lamb shank recipe. This seemed to be a dish that really struck a chord with the dining public, restaurant critics, and your fellow chefs. Not only has the dish become ubiquitous across the country, but braising has a new-found popularity in American fine dining that can be traced to you as well. My question is who are the chefs that impress you as having the potential to have this type of impact in the world of cuisine? Who are the chefs that make you sit up and take notice, and what is it about their cooking that does so? Finally, in your opinion which dish or type of cuisine will be the next "Lamb shank" of American dining? Thanks in advance for your response.

Somewhat off-topic, but I am very interested in the fact that you are travelling with your dog. I am also a dog owner and hate leaving her behind when I take vacations. I would appreciate it if you would include in your travelogue some mention of how you handled having Momo with you, such as what type of accomodations allowed pets, what restrictions were in place, and where you left him while dining out, etc. Thanks.

Tony: Oxford: City Grocery Memphis: Barbeque: Cozy Corner; Interstate; Rendevouz Upscale: Raji's; Cafe Society; Cielo Locals only: Fino's Italian Grocery; Hueys; the North End. Bars: Alex's Tavern (the best burger); Ernestine & Hazels (best jukebox); Zinnies (best drinks). Have fun and remember that Beale street is for tourists.

Yup, it is produced by United Distillers here in Louisville. Rebel Yell has that same smoothness found in Maker's Mark because it also uses winter wheat instead of rye grass. However, it doesn't have as good of flavor profile because it is more mass-produced and not aged in barrell as long. of course, the trade off is that it is cheaper.

I have tried it on several ocassions. Now that I think of it, I don't know if there is a bourbon whiskey that I haven't tried. Rebel Yell is ok. The best bourbon for the money is Maker's Mark, no contest. If money is no object then there are several that I like: Jefferson Reserve, Woodford Reserve, Evan Williams Single Barrell, Blanton's; Pappy Van Winkle, Booker's, Basil Hayden's, Knob Creek. Maker's is ultra-smooth which I like because I drink my bourbon neat or on the rocks. Its smoothness comes from the use of soft winter wheat instead of rye. Maker's is really too smooth for use in an Old Fashioned. For those I like something with a little more kick like Bookers.

Helena, glad you liked the Wine Lover's Page. I think that Steve Plotnicki would agree with me that it is a good resource for wine no matter what your level of expertise. It also generates significantly more traffic than the other wine forums, so I find it more informative.

Tommy, do not go anywhere near the winespectator website if you are looking for any valuable information regarding Burgundy. Choosing a decent burg is hard enough without throwing those bufoons into the mix. My 0.2, scrap the burgundy altogether and spend the 80 bones on a Northern Rhone. You can get a very good Cote Rotie for that price. Look for '90, '95, or '99.

Plotnicki: you would have been one helluva of a litigator. Tony: I really don't want to argue about how much influence Consumer Reports has in the world of home appliances, especially now that Tommy is apparently getting into the business.

LOL, you are kidding me? Can you post a link to that? I would LOVE to see how Consumer Reports ranked their wine. I wonder if one of the criteria was how badly it would stain your carpeting if spilled?

yeah, what Tommy said. Thats what I meant. He's like smart and stuff like that.

Tony: why not rank automobiles, skis, vaccum cleaners, running shoes. Whoops, they already do that. Its also done with movies (thumbs up/down) and food (3 out of four stars). My public radio station also ranked the best songs of the 20th century. Why is it more offensive when Parker does it, than say Consumer Reports? Is it because its wine? I don't buy it. Just because you don't agree with the manner in which someone ranks wine, you shouldn't begrude him his right to rank it in the first place. It just so happens that Parker is the first to be so consistent and accurate in his attempt so he has gained the largest following. I like the fact Parker does what he does. When I see a Parker shelf talker taped to the wine bin and I see the score of 93 and the accompanying blurb of descriptors I can generally rest assured that it is not a wine for me. However, it may prove quite helpful for another shopper.

Tony, it sounds to me like your gripe is with John Q. Public, not Robert parker, Jr. Secondly, I have yet to have any single person prove to me that Parker is incapable of reducing wine to a set of scores and ranking them. Why can't he? On the otherhand, I have repeatedly proven to myself that I often do not agree with his ranking, but we have discussed that already.

Benedictine spread Burgoo corn pudding country ham fried apples catfish chicken and dumplings Ale 8 soda spoonbread cobbler sorghum and molasses biscuits rolled oysters ####, I am getting hungry.

I wasn't aware that only Americans loved Parker. I believe he sells more copies of his books in France than he does in the states. I also understand that he is revered in Australia due largely to his unabashed love affair with their style of winemaking. You say that you will not concede crediting Parker with exposing the problems of the French wine industry because they were well-known before. Ok, you don't have to. I never said that is why Parker is popular, just that it is one of the things that I respect about him. As for the scoring system, its what we all were exposed to in school and with which we are most comortable. It also allows for more degrees of gradation than a 4 or 5 star rating. Ratings don't do much for me, but I know some people who find them very helpful when browsing the bins at the wine shop. Tony, I feel that I have been very clear that I am not a Parker supporter. I do not take his periodical, and do not buy wine based on his advice. That being said, I also do not engage in character assasinations against the man just because I don't agree with him. As long as he keeps touting the over-oaked, tannic, fruit-gob, new world cult style wines, I can afford all my favorite little gems from the Rhone, Loire, and Languedoc. Cheers.

Tommy, I read that article. Do you agree with the descriptions of the wines listed in that article? In other words, are they accurate? A few sounded worth trying for the price. What are your particular favorite LI cab franc producers?

Good call Tommy. My faves from Loire are Bourgueil, Chinon, and Menetou Salon, which is pinot, not cabernet franc interestingly. These are great everyday drinking wines and pair well with an amazing variety of foods. I also like Cote Du Rhone, generally those imported by Mr. Lynch and of a single village designation such as Sablet. I also like other cheaper Rhones such as Lirac, La Rosine, and Vin de Amis. In the summer Cru level Beaujolais slightly chilled is nice, I prefer Moulin a Vent. Also in warmer weather, I like dry roses such as Tavel and the Bandol rose from Domaine Tempier.

Tony, I understand your music/wine analogy and agree with you wholeheartedly as far as personal preferences go. However, my remark about illegitimacy had to do with the collusion and graft that goes on in the wine industry. For example, the artificial manipulation of the free market supply and demand system by the negociants in Bordeaux in order to insure their own personal wealth. ####, the whole 1-5 growth classification system was created to further this. Equally as illegitimate is the horrible practice of the Burgundian wine producers to blend wine purchased from the Rhone in order to "beef-up" their wine in poor vintages. Those bastards! My point about thwarting illegitimacy was merely that Parker is an outsider and not willing to look the other the way at such indiscretions. He simply calls it like he see it and for that I applaud him, but the Bordelais hate him. Now getting back to your analogy, I would agree that he champions a certain style as being superior when I would argue that it is merely different. And, just as in music, degrees of difference do not equate to degrees of inferiority or superiority. A person who loves jazz and a person who loves classical music will never agree on which is the better genre, but that doesn't make either of them right. Parker loves the inky, black, tannic, highly-extracted, fruit-forward wines of the world. While I like some of these, I prefer a different style. So when Parker gives a wine that I like a low score because it doesn't fit his criteria, I think that he is wrong. However, I relish the fact that the retailer had to slash the price 20% because no one will buy a wine he rated 83! cheers.

Parker is the most legitimate, no doubt about it. However, he is useless to the consumer unless you share the same preferences that he does. These preferences have been detailed exhaustively above. While Parker's preferences overlap mine in some limited instances, southern Rhone and Italian Barbera come to mind, they are miles apart when it comes to anything from California, Bordeaux, northern Rhone, and Tuscany. I would also add Burgundy, but he has hired Rovani to review that region. That being said, I am not a Parker basher. For too long wine has escaped the scrutiny that thwarts illegitimacy. Parker drives the industry nuts by providing this scrutiny. My only gripe with him is that he can be just as devastating to those who make a good wine but not in the style he likes, as he can be to those who make a bad wine. A subtle, rose colored Bourgueil from the Loire Valley is never supposed to have the over the top punch found in an Aussie Cab/Shiraz blend, but that doesn't make it a defective wine. Unfortunately, the public believes it to be so when they see that Parker gave the wine a score of 85. If you are like the Fat Guy, and know that your palate is consistent with Parker, then his reviews are a gift for sure. I think that the wine world is better for having Parker in it, although I hate when he gives a wine that I like a score over 90 because the price goes through the roof.

Steve: You hit the nail on the head. BTW, do you have a link to that Atlantic Monthyly profile? Wine is at its best when paired with food. Parker wines pair with steak au poivre and thats about it. I mean I like steak au poivre, but I don't want it everytime I uncork a bottle. Incidentally, a good tip is that I have found that I tend to like wines that Parker rates between 80-90 points. Plus these wines are usually marked down because the average wine buying public won't buy anything that is rated below 90.

Macrosan: I don't think that Old World and New World wines shoulde be compared as which is the better wine. There is no better wine. Some of my friends love those monster Turley zins and big full-bodied california cabernets. Sometimes they are exactly what I want as well. In fact, I have much of that type of wine in my cellar. However, my preference is Old World wines, mainly those from the Northern Rhone Valley. For my personal taste, you just can't beat the expression of the terroir and other subtle flavors that exist aside from fruit. The problem is that the two leading wine publications, Wine Spectator and Robert Parker, are both proponents of the New World style and have palates that reflect a clear preference for that style. So as a result, most of the wine drinking public, who aren't certifiable wine geeks, are left with the impression that these New World wines are superior when they get scores of 97, 98, and 99 from these publications. I think it is strictly and matter of preference, but I do find that the more subtle Old World wines do tend to pair with food better. If you really want to get more into that topic, I suggest you read Willie Gluckstern's excellent book, The Wine Avenger. Also to get an idea of how true Old World wines are crafted, I suggest Kermit Lynch's book. Cheers.