weinoo

Of course, none of those are true "appetizing" stores like Russ & Daughters. And let's face facts: there might be 100 places buying from Acme; they're not all getting the same product. How about this one: Peter Luger gets all the top quality porterhouses?

I was surprised, but recently I led a tour group, and we started at Russ & Daughters. Mark Russ Federman, the 3rd generation Russ, told me that they get their smoked salmon from a number of different sources. Which I guess proves your first point.

I don't know that innovation is that important. Quality, yes. But I go back to my example of Batali and a place like Lupa. Still good, on occasion, great. But certainly not groundbreaking.

Without sounding too flip, perhaps there should be some small business knowledge, some cooking knowledge, etc. Has anyone taken any classes or worked in the business before?

Funny, as I was channel surfing tonight, I saw Todd English was on HSN shilling his "line of Mediterranean-inspired cookware, appliances and gourmet foods. Episode 33." Now, I never ate at any of the early or groundbreaking English restaurants (if indeed there ever were any), but the first time I ate at one of his restaurants, it was in Vegas...and it sucked. So, I don't know the answer to your first question. As far as Tom C. goes, I think his restaurants are still putting out some pretty damn good food.

I don't know that DiPalo or any of the local places will have relevant knowledge. They purchase their curds, I believe, and the problems I've been asking about have to do with making curds. I'm sure Polly-O or another curd supplier has knowledge, but I figure they use industrial processes that wouldn't be relevant to me. Ahhh, quite true. Maybe you can get Ann Saxelby to give you two a lesson!

Yes, Pepin is so off base for this topic...the OP speaks to chefs who have expanding restaurant empires; that was never Pepin.

What about taking a little road trip down to DiPalo's and ask if you can watch them make theirs?

He may not have much to do with his Burger places, but he has lent/sold his name and cachet to them; he therefore should at least care about the food being sold. Now, Bar Americaine is interesting to me. I can't remember the last meal I had there; for that matter, I can't remember the first one either, but I'll have to give it a try. Can you name for me the restaurants (which was the point in the original post) in which Mr. Pepin has been the chef, owner or principal partner?

Is Blue Ribbon really known in "some circles" as the best fried chicken in NYC?

I guess what I'm driving at is the fact that the chefs I referenced above, the food they're selling now, whether in the restaurants which catapulted them to fame or in new ventures, is not as good as it once was. Forget the fact that it may not be providing thrills; I can live with that, since I get so many thrills elsewhere . Let's take Flay, for instance...his burger place, at least here in DC, sucks. I mean, you're Bobby Flay! Can't you make sure your burger places are making great burgers? Jose - this is a man who arguably brought the small plates concept to fruition in the United States. So why is Zaytinya as tired as it is. Jaleo, too. And Oyamel, just another Mexican restaurant in a sea of mediocrity, in my opinion. Let's look at it another way...another early Food Network star whose empire keeps expanding - Mr. Batali. I still love eating at Lupa. Otto is still as good as it always was. maybe Babbo has fallen a notch or two, but I haven't eaten there in ages. Del Posto - 4 stars. Obviously, he has great people running those restaurants and has been able to keep them. Can't say the same for the other two.

I guess this topic could also be called "chefs who, due to their expanding empires, have restaurants where the food has declined from what made them stars." But that title is way too long. I'm starting with: Jose Andres Bobby Flay Now save your cards and letters. I respect both of these chefs tremendously. It's just that, well, their restaurants are tired. Don't you think?

The recipe I used is on the bag of the coarse grind cornmeal. It's the same as the 3rd recipe you link to above, except for the grind of the cornmeal...

Another question, because, you know, I just like to annoy people with questions: What turns you off about the buttermilk? Too tart? Bad consistency?

So your recipe should be baking powder instead of soda?

I don't, But Batali has always said that the pasta water at the end of a shift is the best due to how much starch is in it.

Wow, Chris and Jane, awesome stuff. Chris - I will try these as soon as I get to WF and pick up some of the recommended cornmeal. Have you experimented with buttermilk and/or the addition of baking powder?

Yes. I've also had the arepas which Panaderia Canadiense gives a great recipe for above. Back many years ago, I'm pretty sure I ate at Mark Miller's Coyote Cafe, the eponymous cookbook which I've just pulled off the shelf. Miller's 1989 recipe calls for "coarse cornmeal (polenta)" (and minimal soaking) as well as a/p flour, which is the same as recipes from Joy and The NY Times Cookbook. Also, as in many of the other recipes I've found, both baking powder and baking soda are used. It's not the holy grail, though.

Those sound nice, Panaderia Canadiense, but they're definitely not the product I'm aiming for, which is much more of a pancake and is not made with masarepa.

Just last night, I decided I had to have cornmeal pancakes with my dinner...don't ask me why. So I followed the recipe on a freshly opened package of Bob's Red Mill Coarse Grind cornmeal, and using that same coarse ground cornmeal, made a batch. They were okay, good even, but I felt that the coarse ground cornmeal didn't soften enough and created a texture in the pancakes that I didn't love. Then I started leafing through a few of my cookbooks (which isn't always the greatest idea, cause once I get started...). Most, if not all of the recipes I came across, call for yellow or white cornmeal, but don't specify the grind; they are, however, fairly close to the proportions on the Bob's bag. So...do you make cornmeal pancakes? Are they called flapjacks? Johnnycakes? What's your recipe? And, how do you use them? Breakfast? Sweet or savory? Tell me everything you know, please.

It looks like they just want to totally eliminate any possibility of a customer saying they got sick from something that wasn't cooked enough.

Er? But not Jersey. Jersey is in the Channel Islands near France. That's where the cattle breed came from. OK. When we say Jersey in New York, we mean New Jersey.

Mmmmmm....Parkside. The real deal, but a schlep from practically anywhere on the island on Manhattan.

Right, Southside was very good. Last year, a couple of friends and I were given the special treatment by Mike Mills - some of the best ribs I've ever had in his little private tent.

Don't think that can be classified as a Negroni . I can certainly call it a variation. Of course you can...but it ain't a Negroni. I love the Old Pal, bitter and dry; what's not to like?. Another fine variation, which I think was "invented" at Rye, in San Francisco, is the 1794 Cocktail.