BigboyDan

You're welcome.

I own a Bluestar 60" with griddle and grill, the best of the US made; the best out there, over-all, are the hyper-expensive French made La Cornue and Molteni, or the British Aga.

Thanks for the pictures! I've only been home two months after spending nine months in France, and I want to cry... ahhh, cheese and Saturday markets.

Michael, Rigged? No. But as you know, all we viewers had was what we saw. Katie is a New Yorker, the job was in New York... her personality wouldn't get her in the back door of most places outside of the Northeast. By the way, you're taller than I thought.

Hard for me to say, having only eaten there once under Tierry, who basically continued Boyer's efforts (after he worked for him so long, what else could he do?) and once under Didier. Elena worked for Ducasse in New York, I've not eaten there. Here's a photo of an ADNY menu under Elena: menu

Outside of spices and flavorings: Del Monte "French Cut Green Beans" - exellent; with onion, bacon drippings, lemon-pepper, garlic salt. Ranch Style pinto beans - the standard, eaten by every Texan Tuna, any decent brand Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles - Rotel history

Greatest line ever, Homer: I'd kill my whole family for the taste of one drop of sweet beer.

I have, in May. Same. It's just that they did not regain the three with Tierry, so... What Michelin demands, Michelin demands...

Actually Autumn is the winner - chef de cuisine in Washington state instead of on the line in a New York sweatbox.

This whole show is weird. What's the point? What does Ramsey hope to gain?

I wonder why there aren't more couscous places in America? Is it the lack of North African immigrants or is it something else? Yes. Yes, and spaghetti. There's no way to substitute for Mexican food when one craves it - painfull.

If I remember right, most of the male contestants were over 23, one was 37 and another was 42 even; thus my remark above about the males being dolts...

Favored doesn't necessarily imply intent. I've worked with many 23ish line cooks over the last thirty years (I was one too) and the good ones were worth every penny spent on them, the too few females were worth their weight in gold. Nothing improves the dynamic of the line more than including competent females. Now from what I saw on the show, most tests seemed to meet the skill sets that a Sous chef should have, that which exceeds that of an early-twenties line cook. I wonder how the show would have been different if the contestants had been 27ish...

In a line cook contest: the chance that natural events would result in only the three females becoming finalists out of twelve contestants is, well, zero. Either the males were chosen as dolts comparatively, or the females were chosen as superior, or the females were simply favored in the process. That's it.

Tin Star Austin is closed - fused out.

Three chicks, huh?

You won't need reservations for many places, except the very touristy and/or multi-starred. But, Bofinger is a good choice for your last night.

Here a 75005 list of places that I like: (Of course, you can enquire here, Hotel Pantheon, Restaurant Les Bouchons de François Clerc - French/Bistro 12, rue de l’Hôtel-Colbert 75005 Paris 01 43 54 15 34 ChantAirelle - French/Auvergnat/Bistro 17, rue Laplace 75005 Paris 01 46 33 18 59 Moissonnier - French/Lyonnais/Bistro 28, rue des Fossés-Saint-Bernard 75005 Paris 01 43 29 87 65 Rôtisserie du Beaujolais - French/Bistro 19, quai de la Tournelle 75005 Paris 01 43 54 17 47 Quai V - French/Contemporary 25, rue de la Tournelle 75005 Paris 01 43 54 05 17 Chef Patrick Goimbault Le Cosi 9 rue Cujas 75005 Paris Tel + 33 1 43 29 20 20 (Corsican cuisine) Le Mauzac 7 rue de l'Abbé de l'Epée 75005 Paris Tel + 33 1 46 33 75 22 (cuisine typical of the southwest of France) Le Balzar (Brasserie Flo) 49 rue des Ecoles 75005 Paris Tel +33 1 43 54 13 67 (traditional French cuisine) Mavromatis 42 rue Daubenton 75005 Paris T tel : 01 43 31 17 17 (high-quality Greek cuisine) L'AOC 14 rue des Fossés Saint Jacques 75005 Paris Tel +33 1 43 54 22 52 (rotisserie, French cuisine, excellent meat and rice pudding to die for) Le Colbeh 22 rue Mouffetard 75005 Paris Tel +33 143 37 96 32 (high-quality Iranian cuisine)

Re: photo #26 I got caught once hanging ducks like that by the health department. After the screaming and the two-hundred dollar fine... well, I still used them.

Jaymes. Uh-hem. When a restaurant is identified as offering interior Mexican food, what does that mean? It references Mexican standards that are derived lower than that of the bordering Mexican states. Saying that an Austin restaurant that offers Michoacana is offering interior Mexican food, well... that's akin to saying that a restaurant in Morelia that offers baked ham, collard greens, grits and apple pie is offering interior American food. That's all.

La Cocina de Michoacana does interior Mexican food. ← Andrew, I wish that Manuel's and Fonda San Miguel did interior food; rather it's like eating hotdogs and hamburgers and corn-on-the-cob and potato salad in Guadalajara. Jaymes, La Cocina de Michoacana is the type of restaurant that I referenced above, simple food, simply prepared. ------ The problem with using the term interior Mexican food is that is a catch-all for Mexican standards: ceviche, moles, cochinita pibil, huachinango Vera Cruzana, bisteca Tampiquena, etc. You can get these offerings in many places in Austin, Houston and San Antonio, but they're just aproximations...

"CIA food" Infecting all parts of the country.

No website, but you can start here: http://www.dininginfrance.com/ledoyen.htm

-- The new Whole Foods is a marvel; just went there myself for the first time last week. -- Threadgill's on North Lamar should be your choice of the two establishments, better food, better music, and better 1960's stories. -- No Austin restaurant, including Manuel's and Fonda San Miguel, does interior Mexican food. There are, however, a few East Side eateries (where no one speaks English) where you can get authenticly prepared Northern Mexican foods - cabrito, tripe, Café de Olla, Capirotada, escabeches, arracheras, horchata, etc. -- Cafe at the Four Seasons, is just that, a Cafe. The Austin Four Seasons deliberately avoided the San Francisco or Chicago type trappings that Austin diners would have avoided; though, usually, the food is better than that of your description.

I'm 47 years-old. As I mentioned in a post on this thread that was moved, I'm from Austin, I just no longer work in any kitchen here. In years past I worked for The Driskill, Lakeway, LaTour, Jeffery's (fed Bush a couple of times), The Quorum Club and a few more in other US states going back over thirty years. After college in 1979 I went to France to stage with Alain Chapel and La Tour D'Argent (both three-starred at the time), and, Wah-lah! I go to Paris every other year for around nine months at a time and I cook there as an eternal starred-kitchen Sous; otherwise, I work at UT. I did eat at Aurora about two months after they opened, and I am probably too critical of my experience there. The chef has a good Dallas pedigree and needs time to flesh-out his new restaurant, it is a beautiful place.