BigboyDan

French, at a two-star in Paris - until August 1. Then back to Austin for fall/winter private cheffing..

Guajillo gravy: contradicition of terms, and cultures. I too have cooked "Southwest cuisine" in Austin and Santa Fe (you know where). What we are talking about is not French techniques or high quality ingredients - we're talking Meskin food: tacos and tamales. Half the fun of Cochinita Pibil is cooking it out back in a hole in the ground, or mole at abuelita's for Sunday dinner, or barbacoa in an E. 7th dive. ... Like, I gotta' great laugh reading posts on the New York board where there was a discussion of which Zinfadel goes really well with Texas BBQ. By the way, spoonbread, what type of cuisine are you cooking now?

No Citronelle?

"Perceive Mexican food as haute and it is."

High-end mexican restaurants are a thing of the long-ago past. I went to a restaurant in Guadalajara in the early seventies (sinced closed) that was similar to that which many of the posters on this thread are searching. It was something out of the huge supper clubs that one sees in the movies from the thirties: a huge room with a band, cut glass chandeliers, two waiters per table, cigars in the mouths of Dons, silk dresses and pearls on the Donas. They ate French cuisine. It's just all too expensive. And to what end? Mexican food is peasant food; to want to make it anything else is folly. Fonda San Miguel offerings have always been mediocre to decent - nothing more, we in Austin have always identified it that way.

migas: mee-GUS - noun; spanish for crumbs; similar to, hormigas: ants. Migas are thought to have been popularized, if not invented, in Austin. There is a California version called Migas, but it seems to be different than which is normally found in the Capital City. I've never really seen Migas offered in restaurants outside the Austin-San Antonio area, usually priced dirt cheap and offered all day. Cisco's version has always been my favorite. ------ Here's the simple recipe that I've cooked in Austin eateries for thirty years (feel free to list your favorite version or favorite restaurant's): Saute a handfull of pico de gallo in one ounce of oil in a preheated frying pan over medium heat; after one minute, add three stirred eggs to pan and cook to scrambled; just as the egg are setting, add a half-a-handfull of pieces of crispy corn tortilla, and fold into eggs. Place on heated plate and stripe eggs with three ounces of chile con queso. Add sides of: refried beans, papitas (fried potatos), and one of bacon, chorizo, or sausage. Eat with flour tortillas.

Burrito and Burro are the same thing, the former term being used in the Texas and the latter in the West. Generally. In Texas Breakfast Burritos are larger flour tortillas that are filled with any combination of eggs and whatever, rolled-up tight and closed (breakfast burritos are never deep-fried), plated seem-side down, and sometimes covered with chile con queso - made them a million times.

"I have family members on the pig and chicken committees so I got into a lot of things." A well-turned phrase fifi - been to many a "Fat Show" over the years myself, always great eatin'.

Y'all New Yorkers keep goin' to the Salt Lick - perfectly fine with me.

Greetings from Austin, Reading posts from New Yorkers talking about "Mexican food" is too damn funny. Keep it up. Best series of articles written on the subject: http://www.houstonpress.com/special/texmex.html

"impatient", eh? Well, much of your statements underline my thoughts. But, the French Michelin means money and success/failure to many French restauranteurs. Period.

Lou, The Red Guide IS FOR TOURISTS, it IS a tourist guide! The present-day life of a two or three star restaurant very much depends on tourists. There are only a few exceptions: Lassere, Laurent? Why would a hotel invest in a high-profile chef and his/her restaurant? Because they have tourists staying in their hotels. Locals don't pay 300 euros for dinner very often. Philippe Groult who owns Amphycles lost half his patronage after losing both of his two stars, saying, that "the Japanese and Americans don't come anymore." I did my stages at Alain Chapel and Tour d'Argent (when both had three stars each) in 1979 and 1980 respectively. Because I spoke English I spent much time telling English speaking tourists all about what they were eating.

Two locations: Le Relais de L'Entrecote, 8th, 15 Rue Marbeuf; Tel: 01 49 52 07 17 Le Relais de L'Entrecote, 6th, 20 bis rue saint benoît, 6th; Tel : 01 45 49 16 00 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other good steak places: 59 Poincarée, 16th (Ducasse) Rôtisserie d'en Face, 6th (Cagna) Le Gourmet des Ternes, 8th, Place des Ternes La Cote de Boef, 17th, 4 rue Sauccier-Leroy Moissoinier, 5th Les Fontaines, 1st And, of course, La Coupole, 14th.

John Whiting, It goes deeper than that . I don't live in New York nor Paris. When I visit each I am always a tourist. Tourists do touristy things. ADPA, Le Cinq, Gangiere, etc. are in Hotels. Now, the Traveler may spend more time in a foreign city than that of a tourist. Like you. It's your money that determines whether a one star survives. By the way, chains do serve a purpose: they keep the masses out of my favorite bargain-but-wow-what-great-food places.

You can always get a job (anywhere on Earth really) if you'll work for free - almost no "paper work" involved. Most 2 & 3 stars don't pay, nor should they, considering what you learn. Just make sure that your visa staus is in order, and start banging on kitchen doors. Do NOT screw-up your last few months at school.

The Michelin Guide is just that - a guide. And it's star-rating system only matters in France and French speaking Switzerland and Belgium; same with GaultMillau. Rating restaurants in Germany, say, using a French inspired mind-set results in an inacurately decribed view. In Germany most restaurant reviews (by Germans) are concerned with food and drink offerings, environs and service are not considered all that important. Except for the quality of buxom of the waitress, of course... Spain and Italy have their own mindsets that require other guides.

Bagel machines cost ten grand each - not worth it for a stand-alone store. Tortillas anyone?

Ah, the shallow lives of the shallow...

Think he's going back to FL? http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/a...op_chef_returns http://www.observer.com/pages/observer2.asp http://www.time.com/time/insidebiz/article...-586219,00.html Noooo.

"Of course it makes you sad for the employees, but you can't say it's gloom and doom for the business,'' said Clark Wolf, a New York-based restaurant consultant. "In a sense, it's good news that a couple of dinosaurs are dead. More than ever, New York needs vitality more than it needs monuments." What a bunch-of-crap.

Sounds like you need some lovin'. Haven't called Mom lately? "The meal was nice enough. The place is gorgeous, overlooking the Seine and with an inside décor to match the location. Two-star material here. As for the food, the 30 euros lunch menu with no choice as to dishes is a very good deal." Enough said.

I like San Angelo, and I'm from Austin. I'll second Peasant Village. Peasant Village - 23 South Park Street, ph: 915.655.4811 American, seafood and steaks; $12 to $20; dress casual. Open for lunch and dinner. ------------------------------------ Also: Harlow's - 532 West Beauregard Avenue, ph: 915.657.9392 Family café; American cooking, barbecue and steaks; $8 per person. ------------------------------------ Mejor Que Nada - 1911 South Bryant Boulevard, ph: 915.655.3553 Mexican and American cuisine; $6 - $8. ------------------------------------ Twin Mountain Steak House - 6534 US Highway 67 South, ph: 915.949.4239 Seafood and steaks; $12 to $20; dress casual. ------------------------------------ Ichiban Japanese Steak House - 2412 College Hills, ph: 915.944.2926 Japanese fare and steaks; $20 and $30; carryout is available. ------------------------------------ Taste of Italy - 3520 Knickerbocker Road , ph: 915.944.3290 Italian; $8 to $12 ------------------------------------ Cotton Patch Café - 4132 Sunset Drive, ph: 915.947.1316 Family style; Southern American food; carryout is available.

Coyote Cafe came and went (laughed outta' town) in 1994-1995. The above article is from that time. There's an enormous amount of talent in Austin, many recently laid-off due to high-end restaurant closings; and there is a large chef's school with a gazzilion students looking for externships - good luck getting a job at any kind of decent pay. The best way to go about it though, is to network with others in your job description who currently HAVE jobs. One company that is always looking for pastry people is Whole Foods. Start there.

LINK!?!?!?!?! Please. Like pulling digital teeth trying to find the list... Thanx

Tom's is a fun place to go with a crowd but the BBQ is average, the real thing (for San Antonio) is at Bob's at 5145 Fredericksburg Rd. That's it.