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Bathtub.

Chef Mark Picone (of Mark Picone @ Vineland Estates) recently took in a meal at Babbo the evening before his Beard dinner. This is his take on the meal (from a review Mark posted on my website): Ristorante Babbo is in such high demand that you have to make your reservations at least six weeks in advance, so we did that. And when it is acknowledged that we have a participating chef in the party one would think on the professional level, there would be a reciprocated level of hospitality shown. I can appreciate the fact that we were early for our reservation and, given the restaurant’s popularity, should not have expected our table to be ready. Could you imagine, people waiting at the front door, side stepping table one, jostling the people at the bar, and somewhere amongst all of this the coat check taking place and the host wanting to know if you had a reservation. So, let’s look beyond the formalities. We are briskly ushered to the second floor, past a wonderful display of dining room accoutrements and seated at a very small four top, big enough for two people. We are presented with our menus by the sommelier and our host informed him immediately that all four of us would have the pasta tasting menu ($59 per person, US$) complimented by the reserve selection of wines ($90 per person, US$). Our bruschetta of chickpeas as the assagine was delightful, well seasoned, had good balance of flavour, and was just enough to tease the palate for what was long expected to be a wonderful evening of food and wine. Unfortunately, this is when the evening started to take a down turn. Our first plate of Black Tagliatelle with Sweet Peas and Mint with the addition of salted ricotta was wonderful and by far the best plate of the evening. So pray tell, why would you ever put it up against the ’98 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Riserva Bucci? What a faux pas on behalf of the sommelier! To have something as complimentary as peas and mint with that slightly salted ricotta cheese and underlying taste of the sea, to be totally overwhelmed by this grand reserve wine, not so....… This dish was followed by Asparagus and Ricotta Mezzalune with Sage Butter. These not so "little" moons (4) that were nicely garnished with fresh asparagus, really lacked any wow flavour, in part because the quantity of sage used in the sauce completely overwhelmed what little filling was inside and dwarfed the subtlety of the asparagus. Now the wine ’00 Pomedes, Scubla, which would have been a far better match with the first course, did nothing for this dish. It should be noted that when our host asked for more cheese, he was completely ignored. Our dish of Garganelli with Funghi Trifolati, (the Garganelli as long as pencils) was nicely complimented by a semi-firm goat cheese, which accentuated the mushrooms but did nothing for the pasta. The wine, ’00 Coteau lu Tour, Les Cretes, (100 % syrah) was a beautiful match. During the course of this dish, the question was posed to the sommelier whether a particular component was garlic or not. When he was unable to answer the question, one would only ask, how on earth can you match a wine if you do not know the fundamental ingredients or core flavour components of the dish? It was later determined to be garlic, an imperative for anyone who would be matching food and wine. Our next dish of Alejandro’s Pyramids with Butter and Thyme was once again doused in a sauce of butter and the flavour of thyme grossly overwhelmed whatever little amount of filling there was. This puree of braised beef ribs left much to be desired. When matched with the ’96 Ghemme “Collis Breclama, Contalupo”, I would beg to ask the question, were we matching the flavour of thyme or trying to accentuate the flavour of the pasta? The structure of this wine cried out for a dish of wonderful rich flavours that might have included somewhat spicy, herbaceous, earthy tones. How unfortunate for this match not to have been made in heaven. This was the second dish of four units and how unbalanced it looked on the plate. Not so appealing to the eye. Our final pasta dish, Pappardele Bolognese, was both light and slightly over salted. The complimenting Parmiaggiano Reggiano unfortunately accentuated the sauce’s weakness. Of all dishes, this was one that should have been the best or the highlight of the pasta dishes, yet not so. Our ’96 Brunello di Montalcino, La Serena was an acceptable match but, unless they pulled out some show stoppers for the cheese and dessert to follow, I started to seriously question this reserve selection of wines. In fact, I became suspicious when the sommelier did not know that garlic was an integral component in the preceding dish. Our Stracchino Fresco with Dates, Walnuts and Thyme was acceptable and the relish to compliment the cheese was actually a well-concocted taste sensation, but I’m curious as to why raisins seemed to be a curious component of this relish. The sommelier noted that the matching wine, ’88 Bianco Amabile, Quintarelli, might have an oxidized aroma! I would question that to be a characteristic of a quality wine and would only beg to ask why some one would serve such a choice? The final course of Saffron Panna Cotta with Citrus Three Ways had great saffron flavour, but I think the dish lacked citrus three ways. It should be noted we were also provided with the pineapple crostatta and a rather large spoonful of sweetened cream. And this was very good. But oh sooooo… not a pasta tasting menu! On a more positive note, I should mention that, had it not been for the junior servers, our evening would have been a total disappointment. Their efficiency and the speed at which they worked, was delightful to observe. I would question why any Italian restaurant would be playing Pink Floyd -Dark Side of the Moon at 11:30pm, but then anything goes in New York. So when asked for a bottle of oil to garnish a dish (much earlier in the evening), it was a surprise to be answered with, “we’d have to check with management”. And in retrospect, given the amount of butter that was used, to finish a sauce or dress the plates, it would have been lost regardless. What a shame because the label of Bastianich oil was actually quite good. This would have been an evening soon forgotten if it had not been for the company and the fact that the following night we were going to the James Beard House to showcase hospitality and culinary artistry, which usually includes the following: a warm greeting at the entrance; a fine ingredient prepared in a true honest fashion, with a respect of tradition and a sense of creativity for the present, a standard of service that is guest oriented and driven by core fundamentals and finally, wine that is harmonious with the chef’s beliefs and food preparation. As for the perceived dollar value of the evening, when examining the exchange rate with respect to our meal, it was truly a shock! When breaking out the cost/person I was disappointed knowing that we were never provided with a tasting of the wine for approval or satisfaction and that seems odd knowing we had crystal to compliment the wine. Yes we were given some sweets (piccola pasticceria ) after the meal, but what do they use for espresso? As for customer service - not so Molto! P.S. In the spirit of the culinary world, we had brought Mario a bottle of our VinItaly 2003 Grand Gold Award winner - 1999 Vidal Icewine. I will tell you that we were impressed being told that Monday and Tuesday nights are `family’ nights. Good work Mario!

Otilia's Mexican Restaurant 7710 Long Point Rd Houston, TX 77055-3608 Tel: (713) 681-7203 Pico's Restaurant 5941 Bellaire Blvd Houston, TX 77081 Tel: (713) 662-8383 http://www.picos.citysearch.com/

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies Chocolate Chip Cookies like Mrs. Fields makes -- These cookies are a combination of oatmeal and chocolate chip. They are very rich, but very tasty. The recipe was obtained from a friend of a friend, who supposedly paid a large amount of money for it. However, the cookies do not taste exactly the same as the name brand. Yield: approximately 60. A blender works very well to powder blender chops the oatmeal finer than a chocolate bar should melt at the touch the oats and the chocolate bar. The food processor. The powdered of your fingers. I prefer my cookies just barely done, so that they remain chewy. If you want to send your taste buds into heaven, butter the cookies as they come out of the oven (still hot), and eat them still warm with a glass of cold milk. Note that cocoa is not the same thing as a shredded chocolate bar. Note also that oatmeal is not the same thing as quick-cooking oats or instant oatmeal. Oatmeal means "rolled oats," such as Quaker oats. 2 c Butter 2 c Sugar (granulated, white) 2 c Brown sugar (dark brown) 4 lg Eggs 2 tsp Vanilla extract 4 c Flour (sift before measuring) 5 c Rolled oats (oatmeal), powdered finely 1 tsp Salt 2 tsp Baking soda 2 tsp Baking powder 24 oz Chocolate chips 8 oz Chocolate bar, finely grated 3 c Chopped nuts (I prefer walnuts, but use your favorite) 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cream together the butter and the sugars. 2. Sift together flour, oatmeal, salt, baking soda, baking powder and shredded chocolate bar. Add eggs and vanilla to creamed sugar and butter, then mix all ingredients together. Mix chocolate chips and nuts into mixture. 3. Drop by onto ungreased cookie sheet in small drops. Bake 6 minutes or until done. ( RG332 )

Lesley, you're obviously extremely "in the loop" with the Montreal dining scene -- what is your opinion on this?

Umm. Crack kills, buddy.

I love chewy chocolate chip cookies the best too, Suvir. This recipe definitely satisfies my desire for the chewy. :) Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies Yield: 5 dozen Ingredients 2 c Butter 2 c Sugar (granulated, white) 2 c Brown sugar (dark brown) 4 lg Eggs 2 t Vanilla extract 4 c Flour (sift before measuring) 5 c Rolled oats (oatmeal), powdered finely 1 t Salt 2 t Baking soda 2 t Baking powder 24 oz Chocolate chips 8 oz Chocolate bar, finely grated 3 c Chopped nuts (I prefer walnuts, but use your favorite) Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cream together the butter and the sugars. 2. Sift together flour, oatmeal, salt, baking soda, baking powder and shredded chocolate bar. Add eggs and vanilla to creamed sugar and butter, then mix all ingredients together. Mix chocolate chips and nuts into mixture. 3. Drop by onto ungreased cookie sheet in small drops. Bake 6 minutes or until done. NOTES: Chocolate Chip Cookies like Mrs. Fields makes -- These cookies are a combination of oatmeal and chocolate chip. They are very rich, but very tasty. The recipe was obtained from a friend of a friend, who supposedly paid a large amount of money for it. However, the cookies do not taste exactly the same as the name brand. Yield: approximately 60. A blender works very well to powder blender chops the oatmeal finer than a chocolate bar should melt at the touch the oats and the chocolate bar. The food processor. The powdered of your fingers. I prefer my cookies just barely done, so that they remain chewy. If you want to send your taste buds into heaven, butter the cookies as they come out of the oven (still hot), and eat them still warm with a glass of cold milk. Note that cocoa is not the same thing as a shredded chocolate bar. Note also that oatmeal is not the same thing as quick-cooking oats or instant oatmeal. Oatmeal means "rolled oats," such as Quaker oats.

Yes, but do you really think the people in Montreal being served that amuse are aware that it was "inspired" by Grant Achatz? When a chef works to create a unique experience for the patrons of their restaurant, it hardly seems fair for another chef to simply steal the idea and use it to garner his/her own critical acclaim when they contributed nothing to the dish's conception in the first place. To me, it's like taking an artists painting, maybe adding a stroke or two, and resigning it with your own signature.

Hmm.. it sounds like he quite clearly ripped off your dish, Grant. You're far too nice. It seems to me like he took more than a full stomach away from Trio.

Hehehe, it's good readin'.

Hahahah, good call :)

Hmm.. honestly, Thomas Keller above anyone else. Second choice: Bill Gates

Avalon is one of my "go-to" spots in Toronto. Chris McDonald is a culinary genius, in my opinion. If you're lucky enough to sample his Salt Cod Custard amuse, you'll fall in love.

If you aren't prepared to offer anything but "it's irrelevant, and I won't say why we were disappointed, but we just were", you're giving the restaurant bad press with no justification of why. What did you like about the dishes? There had to be something. And you're welcome for informing you of the proper name of the restaurant you're criticizing.

Gourmet burger (Daniel?) Shrimp / Foie Dumpings (Vongerichten) Lobser w/ Rosemary Vapor (Achatz) White Chocolate / Caviar (Blumenthal) I dunno if these are correct or not, but they were the first to pop into my head..

Being young is certainly no indication of experience, knowledge, or passion. I think Trio and it's chef prove this every single night of service. I too would love to dine with Ryne, the man knows his food, and I'd say he knows Trio better than any eGulleteer. Have a great time, guys! TDF, awbrig?

Susur. Not Susar.

Ontario: maple syrup, bacon, fiddlehead ferns, Susur. :)

William Grimes reviews 66 in this week's NYT: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/09/dining/09REST.html ** In my opinion, 66 deserves three stars. Or, am I totally off the mark?

They make AWESOME sorbets.

Mine still hasn't come yet. I'm going to be entering a deep, dark depression soon.

For what it's worth (and I've done quite extensive tasting), I find that I enjoy Vermont maple syrup better than Canadian maple syrup. Given, the difference (for me) is barely discernable, but still enough so that I'm able to favour one over the other. Having traveled through Vermont many times, I've also concluded that they are FAR more proud of their maple syrup than we are in Canada. I mean, it's friggin-well everywhere! I was half-expecting to be able to order McSyrup at Vermont McDonald's locations.

Not only did he criticize the service/food at Susur, he claimed Susur was garbage. He even threatened to open a restaurant in the city simply to take Susur down. He's an immature little brat. Of course, Susur didn't retort and was completely professional about it all. Too bad Weenie couldn't do the same. MANY people have negative feelings toward Mr. Feenie in the world of food professionals. He isn't a well-liked man, and any respect he has garnered through his cuisine is overshadowed by his disrespectful personality.

I've been told that the Guinness served in North America is nothing like what is served in the UK (taste wise). Is that true?