BigboyDan

Two for for lunch at Arpege with a modest Riesling - 230 euros total per person. I worked in French kitchens for many years - European products blow the rest of the world away. I'm not a Francophile; just been there, done that. edited for typo

"All is vanity..." I chose LC and Arpege as the two places that have offered, and delivered, the quality of food and experience that have resulted in my feeling justified in forking over 175 smackeroonees to eat dinner. Anybody want to tell me that Trotter or any other American chef can get the same quality of ingredients that can be obtained by a chef in France? Let's see... 175 at Trotters... 175 at Arpege... hmmmmm.... now 75 at Trotters... ok. Value is tough to quantify, right? Philosophers posit. But we all know it when we don't get it, don't we? That, more than anything is the theme of origional post, and that can not be challenged. Like paying $100,000 for a BMW roadster and then inviting a passenger to drive it only to hear him say, "Hundred-grand?? Geezawhiz, no way I pay a hundred-grand for any car! It's just four wheels, man. I'm keepin' my Mustang. It's fun and get's me there too.... " Gucci, Cardin, de Beers don't just target rich people, they target rich people wannabes.

I'm sorry. I didn't realize that He is a living god: http://topchefs.chef2chef.net/recipes/trotter/

"...Jamin was originally Robouchon's restaurant..." Yep. Owned it. The big deal for Robuchon is to refine his new restaurant to match his newly redefined professional life. The thing for me is that he wanted out of the three-starred culture, and what it now stands for: "World Cuisine."

I would rather eat a bag of dirt than spend $175 sans wine (each, in this case) for ANY meal anywhere on earth except at Lucas Carton or Arpege. Some of you need to get a grip on the basic: The Food and The Wine. Screw the glassware. Too bad it is so easy to separate fools from their money...

Jaymes, Uh.... yeeeeeeeeeees. I agree on renting a car a going to Lockhart if you are a BBQ fanatic. I haven't be to Iron Works, San Miguel, Chuy's in years, literally. But, I'm not a tourist. Heck, might as well take that rental car to San Antonio...

Uh, Jaymes... They're tourists. Most of the restaurants mentioned are not the best in their catagories (Iron Works, Chuy's, etc.) - but that's the point: we Austinites go to these places in droves because they're fun and so very Austin. Like us going to Bourbon Street and the Quarter.

If you want to stay around downtown and get the best "Austin" feeling; Tex-Mex: Cisco's Angie's Las Manitas Chuy's Trudy's South Curra's Hamburger joint: Hut's Dirty's Sandy's BBQ: Artz Rib House John Mueller's Iron Works Sam's Home style: Hoover's Threadgill's Hill's Cafe Finer dining: Jeffery's Chez Nous Castle Hill Paggi House Aquarelle Jean-Luc's Bistro Vespaio Vegetarian: West Lynn Cafe If I were a tourist and if I were to pick several places to eat for the first time: Chuy's, Barton Springs - Austin version of a kitchy Tex-Mex, you'll love it. John Mueller's - might as well eat the real thing Hut's - "Austintatious" Castle Hill - Southwestern menu Jeffery's - President Bush's favorite Austin eatery Threadgill's - you can learn a lot about Austin here West Lynn Cafe - heart of West 5th area and Clarksville There are many more of course... you'll need to bar-hop and walk these areas, all easily done: Start at E. 6th Street and Congress Avenue, walk east to Red River, turn around and walk back on 6th to Congress, on the other side of the street. Turn south, left, and walk down Congress to 4th Street, turn west, right, and you'll be in the Warehouse district, tons of Austinites out on the town. Later go to MLK (19th) and Guadalupe and walk the "Drag" up to 24th. This is the University of Texas.

You're welcome: http://www.innattwinlinden.com/

Yep.

You don't say what she likes to eat, or what type of atmosphere. So, in addition to the BBQ joints mentioned and staying away from chains, Downtown, within walking distance or cheap cab ride (definitely go to Produce Row, at least once): Mexican - Las Canarias, (210) 518-1000, 112 College St. in the La Mansion Hotel. Tex-Mex - Mi Tierra, (210) 225-1262, 218 Produce Row. El Mirador, (210) 225-9444, 722 South St. Mary's St. La Margarita, (210) 227-7140, 120 Produce Row. Continental - Polo's at the Fairmount Hotel, (210) 224-8800, 401 South Alamo St. Eclectic - Biga on the Banks, (210) 225-0722, 203 South St. Mary's St., Suite 100. Southwestern - Zuni Grill, (210) 227-0864, 511 Riverwalk St. French - Le Reve (best restaurant in town, must call for reservations), (210) 212-2221, 152 East Pecan St. Steak - Little Rhein Steak House, (210) 225-2111, 231 South Alamo St. Home style (fantastic German deli-style) - Schilo's, (210) 223-6692, 424 East Commerce St. Very San Antone - Boudros Bistro, (210) 224-8484, 421 East Commerce St. Liberty Bar, (210) 227-1187, 328 East Josephine St. And, of course, for the 750 foot view - Tower of the Americas, (210) 223-3101, 222 HemisFair Plaza.

"New York has contributed nothing to cuisine besides deli and cheesecake." That I did not say. "... American mediocrity..." That I did not say either. "Fusion is a gimmick." That I did say. Fusion is not evolution. Just the opposite. Fusion is mating a horse with a donkey.

Spoon is marketing. Fun. Marketing IS what NY does best. Fusion is gimmicktry - here, there, Paris, everywhere. Duck confit tamales. Sheesh. I talk to French chefs all the time, I used to be one. They are aware of what happens in the US, in the same way that the NBA is aware of the French basketball league. There are Tex-Mex restaurants in Paris, makes me laugh everytime I go into one. Seeing those French youths in Levis and cowboy hats pulling up on their motor-scooters, with James Dean sneers, eating duck confit tamales... Choose from a hundred different places: http://www.guideameriquelatine.com/rest/rest.html edited for typo

"...it's so five-minutes-ago". Glad that I didn't hold my breath: http://www.asiainnyc.org/2_4_featurefood.html What's important to French chefs are the articles in New York periodicals either lauding or panning their wares, and the tourists who read them. Look, NY is an amazing place to eat, just not a place to eat anything really amazing. Except pizza.

I know where Alain Ducasse gets his new ideas to make money. "Ka-freakin'- ching!"

(The quality of French food drops like a boulder off a canyon wall outside France's borders.) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This conversation brought to mind an episode of the British show, "Chef!" -- the one where Gareth goes to Lyon to represent England in a big international cooking competition. Towards the end of the episdoe he grumbles as he receives second place it Category A, third place in Category B, and second place in Category C. Meanwhile various countries recieve first prizes, and he hardly notices. He is flabergasted when he receives the Grand Prize as best overall (because he was awarded a prize in every category we are to presume). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- One needs to question the point of the competition, re: I might ask what has NY offered the rest of the world of its cuisine? Little Italy style Italian? Frankly, I've eaten better New York Italian in New Jersey lately. Delis? Cheesecake? What else? Exactly what is NY food? Lesser interpretations of others' cuisines? Paris takes from others and makes something even better. It's one thing to have 183 examples of ethnic foods, but another to invent, re-invent, and cultivate one of its own. (New Orleans Cajun/Creole, Austin for BBQ ) As mentioned in another thread, New York needs a kick at the top; only two 2004 Mobil five stars? Trickle down theory works in the restaurant biz. edited for typos

Fat Guy, Good point, about you living in New York, it's all right there. I wonder what a Parisian would answer. Large international cities are just that, international, and most eaters could do well in any of them. Frankly, when I'm in New York I crave thin-crust pizza. Now, about service...

I would ask, "Which major city would you want to eat in if you could only choose one, and why?" If asked, any choice of New Orleans, San Francisco, Lyon, Mexico City, Hong Kong, Bejing, etc., as well as Paris or New York could be someone's answer. Me: Paris, hands down. You know why.

I vote Au Pied de Cochon. Of course, some nights are better than others. Aux Halles 6 rue Coquilliere 75001 Paris ph. 01 44 13 77 00 The simplest soups need the freshest and best ingredients. Learn to make stocks, your life will be better for it. Proportion up/down quantity as needed; the more beef to veal stock ratio, the stronger the meaty flavor: 2 onions, thinly sliced 1/4 cup unsalted butter 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cups beef stock 2 cups veal stock Sliced French bread Sliced Gruyere cheese - Peel and then slice onions into thin rings. WASH THEM IN WATER. Dry onion slices with paper towels. - In a heavy sauce pan over low/moderate heat saute onions in butter until soft and browned, 30 minutes. - Add flour, stir, and then gradually add both stocks while stirring. Return to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. - Add salt and white pepper to taste (take into account the saltiness of the cheese and bread). - Toast French bread slices. - Place toasted slice of bread into soup bowl. Pour soup over bread, then bring bread slice to top of soup (bread needs to be completely soaked with soup). - Put cheese slice on top of the slice of bread and put under broiler until cheese melts; or, bake in hot oven for 5 minutes. - Eat. Careful, hot soup can be a tongue-burner.

Didn't know about Bouchon Vegas. I guess that you have answered our questions concerning Keller's intents. edit for typo

robert brown, Yes, Kobe. La Tour d'Argent is in Tokyo. And I agree on your view of Blanc. Nothing wrong with "getting tired" or just plain burning out - it's just that Robuchon didn't want to go back or continue in a three. The mid-nineties were considered the low-point for no-expense-spared french gastronomy, its survival as an institutional part of France was questioned; answer, still not known for sure, except that there are more starred restaurants in France than ever. Now, about the decline in French farmers... Keller may have hit his "wall" at FL, re: '... living off of the three or four dishes that he has been." New York does seem to need a wake-up at the top. If Keller (and Kunz?) can do it... go, go, go!

About Robuchon: we all though that if he wanted out of his three star (which he owned) where did that leave the rest of us? Did his action portend a "downsizing" of French haute cuisine? In France the man is called the "chef of the century" and is considered a national treasure. He wasn't sick. Too old? No. Nobody leaves a three that he owns. Even Ducasse doesn't own the Louis XV. Eventually Joel opened his Atelier, which signaled (just by naming it Atelier at least) a shift in his professional attitude. By doing so he made a complete break from Jamin and the three starred level; an important point in the French gastronomic mind-set. Philippe Legendre went to Le Cinq from Taillevent to see if he could gain a three. Alain Chapel opened a restaurant in Tokyo and sent Jousse there to work it, but Chapel considered himself a "consultant". Rostang, Gagnaire, Savoy, Vigato, Ramsey all opened bistro type places sure, but mainly to do something different cuisine-wise, make money, and offer the public greater access to their respective talents - but none are located three-thousand miles away. Keller did open Bouchon up the street. What does he really want in New York? Maybe he wants to work at a menu different than that of FL. Big-time money? Big Apple glamour? The point is: if Keller is not in the FL kitchen two-hundred days a year, it's not the same place. Which is fine. At least he didn't go to Las Vegas...

Fat Guy, Robuchon sold Jamin at three stars; scared the Hell outta' everybody. Jinmyo, "...a transmission of style larger than himself." Gonna' have to explain that comment. One goes to FL for no other reason than to eat Keller's food.

In Michael Ruhlman's "The Soul of a Chef", Viking Press, Ruhlman quotes Keller saying, "that he hopes The French Laundry will go on without him after he leaves." This was written in 1999 and published in 2000. I just talked to a FL supplier, D'Artagnan Foods, and the two people there that I talked to (this is their speculation) felt that if Keller's efforts in NY were successful, he would stay in the east and sell FL. Hmmmmn. Charlie Trotter has a disadvantage that Keller doesn't have concerning his restaurant, it's named Charlie Trotter. And, it would be difficult to sell or close his restaurant (and go live in Cataluna) without losing the goodwill gained under his personal name. Keller should be able to get a decent price for FL if he sells out, especially if Per Se succeeds. I would think that the backers of Per Se would want Keller's full attention...

eliotmorgan, Ducasse has as much talet as anyone. I have eaten at ADPA in Paris and loved it. I'm not denegrating the ADNY kitchen at all. I'm just asking that Ducasse, "get back in the kitchen once in a while and hold off on becoming an empire".