Bond Girl

Welcome to eG, Sam. Here's a question I've been meaning to ask...You had one told me that most of your dishes are some sort of de-constructionist/reinterpretations of classics like french toast or carrot cake. Are there any classic desserts warrant no deconstruction or reinterpretation and should just be left the way it is?

Room 4 Dessert is Will Goldfarb's new dessert place. The joint promises lots of re-interpretation of lots of childhood desserts. I personally can't wait for the Cotton Candy. Going to friends and family tomorrow night. The place officially opens for wednesday. Will report back. Room 4 Dessert 17 Cleveland Place Between Spring and Kenmare (212)941-5405

I can't wait. Love Sam's dessert.

Only when it comes to Indian food at Darbar's down the street.

Now that's crime against food...although aunt jemima may not be classified as food...

Had I written the script, this scene would have continued thusly: You've never had anyone give you the Aunt Jemima ot ? The name's Bond Girl, pal--not Bondage Girl! ←

I wonder if that approach and pick up line has ever worked for him before? ← I'll never know. I cut him loose before we ever had a first date. I do know that when I responded with angry silence to that first msg, he sent a follow-up saying "your lips, I mean" and then "winked." ← Bad dates are like bad restaurants, some people just think they can get away with it.

Sugar, Caramel and Other Desserts....diabetes runs on both sides of the family.

Although I am quite married these days, if I brought a woman back to my swinging bachelor pad, and she did this, she would find herself on the curb in very short order. ← Yes, she'd have done something very bad indeed, very bad. Deserving of a good firm spanking, I'd say. ← Actually, I once dumped a guy for throwing out my lump of black truffle. he didn't know what it was and thought the rice had spoiled. Idiot!

How's about those that needs to pointificate loudly on every food item before they eat it. I once ate with a guy (not a date) that went on for 15 minutes on the intricacies of a foie gras terraine, before placing it in his mouth. He did the same thing with the monk fish and the venison that followed. Then, there are the ones who won't order dessert because they are so "full" and then went on to eat most of the desserts that you ordered-now that's an actual date. The worse are the high maintenance eaters: those that requires constant attention from the servers. A guy I was having dinner with got his fingers caught in the bathroom door so the server bought him a glass of ice for his injury. He not only whined loud enough to be heard in the small restaurant, he made the poor server change the glass of ice 15 times during course if the hour long dinner. Now that date, I wanted to smack.

Oh, you guys just want to know the "R-Rated" version of "How I found oout i'd be a hopeless dominitrix"

Thanks everyone for being so encouraging. Ypu guys are too nice.. This means a lot to me.

My friends once joked that I'm probably the biggest turn-on for him since I'm still punishing him after several months.... Seriously, I've not heard anything from him since summer, but it might be because I've programmed my phone not to take his calls. If I've learn anything from this experience, it's that my inability to be a warm and fuzzy date is equally match by my inability to infllict pain on others. At least not intentionally.

Also if you can get over to Park Slope, try Sette-Amanda Freitag's new restaurant. Seriously good food, solid technique and good flavors.

I feel your pain. If misery loves company then can I tell you about the spoiled dungeoness crabs that were given to me recently?

Gosh..I don't know what to say...but Thanks.

I agree with Oceana totally. Neal Gallagher's food rocks big time. Sunile I can take it or leave it. My own personal "Didn't Know What the Fuss is About" award of the year goes to Cafe at Country-badly cooked and flavorless food, sloppy service and a decor that would be rather dull without the gaudy chandeliers. But, that's just my 2 cents....

If the late dinner I had at The Cafe at Country was not the most horrendous dinner I had in 2005, it's the most horrendous meal I had in the last decade, even out doing my pretty terrible dinner at Jewel Bako. The she crab soup had a lot of flavor and no seasoning. My friend's foie gras terrine tasted bitter and slightly spoiled. The cheese gougiere was similarly under seasoned and lacked the elegance that one associate with a choux pastry. Instead, it was heavy, gooey (since it was piped with melted cheese that overpowered the delicate choux), and bland. The kitchen might as well just melted a glob of cheese and throw some dough on it. My other friend's Cod fish was about the best dish all night. The Cod was well cooked, and the salted cod cakes was actually well seasoned. The scallops on the other hand was over cooked and dry with taste resembling that of a dry spongey disk. Meanwhile, it was sitting in some cauliflowers that is card board like and a sauce that is sickeningly sweet. To my great dismay, my dining companions ordered dessert-a lemon custard tart with some burnt eggwhites on top. Now, I know this is not possible, but it's actually true....The lemon flavor on the tart and the white puffy stuff on top of the tart tasted fake....Like they just dumped some synthetic lemon oil or lemon essence on the thing....which is weird because lemon is cheap and doing a lemon dessert isn't hard....Then again, nothing really surprise me these days. The pastry underneath the custard was as tough as a rock, and could be used as a weapon if thrown at someone. We literally had to saw it apart. I was sick for the next day. My dining companions fared better but then again they are not eager to return to the Cafe at Country either. For my part, I would like to introduce them to a wonderful seasoning called "salt".

I've been there twice and both times I was disappointed. The dishes are expertyly cooked but none of it was really very exciting. All the flavors are very traditional and rustic in pairing. My dining companions on both occasions complained of the portions being really small for the price. Service was, and still is, a huge issue so frequently my food either arrived cold or melted. Desserts are the pits with traditional cakes and pastries that seemed to have been frozen for ever and tasted like it. For the price and hassle, I'm not sure eating at a restaurant with David Bouley in the kitchen is really worth it.

I went to the opening of the place, but that was not a good judge of anything since (1) it was the opening and (2) they had no gas that day. Last week, I returned for drinks and apps., now I know to sty away from the vegetable fries which was greasy and tasteless.

I think you can buy tickets at the door. My friends went yesterday with a whole bunch of people and they all bought tickets at the door. Ice Cream Party, the demos are great. Go oon sunday for the best of the best. You will be able to get some pretty good interactions if you go early.

I will try to share pictures as well. For all you guys who wants to say hello, I will be there sunday afternoon.

Even with its one star Michelin rating, the place has really gone down hill. I had dinner at Jewel Bako last night and the whole dinner was beyond bad. We were served a tiny amuse that didn't tasted like anything except radishes. The miso soup uses really good dark miso but the soup base lacked seasoning, so the whole thing just tasted bland. My date and I shared a green salad, which was not extraordinary by any standards, but that was the best part of a bad meal. The nigiri sushi we ordered took more than half an hour to arrive. Our waitress apologized that the sushi bar was very busy, but the place was half empty. My date and I wondered what happens when the place is filled up. What arrived at our table half an hour later were two cheesy looking trays that looked like it came out of the average east village sushi bar...actually, you'd probably get better sushi at the average east village sushi bar for a fraction of the price. The cut of the fish was so big that it covered the rice completely. In retrospect that was probably intentional because the rice was tasteless, cold and clumpy. Some of our fish tasted like freezer burn, others tasted so fishy that I was sure that it was stale....but hang on, wasn't there a rumour that sushi bars usually have the freshest fish on Fridays? I guess, the rule didn't apply to the newly expanded Jewel Bako. My date, who has been working with sashimi quality fish for more than 15 years, flicked a piece of fish off the ball of rice and said: "Hey, I never seen this in a yellow tail." I peered over at his tray inquiringly. "See this," he pointed at a circular indentation on the underside of the piece of yellow tail. "That tells me this fish has fungus. You usually see it in Tunas, but they've got this in their yellow tail. You shouldn't eat that." I decided to take his advice. Despite the expanded space, Jewel bako continues to offer one dessert. We decided to skip it and get tea instead. Well, that was luke warm too. Really. Like a typical bourgeois that has hit it rich, Jack lamb flitted about the room, occasionally thumbing his copy of the Michelin guide. For those thinking of visiting this place, save your money. If you want mediocre sushi, there are plenty of places in the neighborhood that will give it to you for a lot less than $135.

I'm there for the Sam Mason demo as well. He rocks big time.

It's that time again. November 10 through November 13th. Anyone going? If so, what are you excited about seeing? Demonstrations? Vendors?