vmilor

Very good points. If, thanks to coming late to the debate, we draw up a balance sheet I think even the critics will agree with the following 3 positive impacts of the 50 pointer. 1. It helped to expand the overall market for wine by enabling the average consumer to rely on a yardstick (maybe the market would have expanded anyway without him but more slowly). This is a good thing for "sophisticated consumers" too because in a deeper market there will be more select wines. 2. It leveled the playing field by making it possible for the underappreciated regions (such as Piedmont, Southern Rhone, Priorat..) to develop their full potential and compete with the market leaders. We have many "jeune turcs" now who owe something to Mr. Parker. 3. It made sure that the underachievers who unjustifiably cashed on their name and manufactured plonk would be kept on their toes and either had to improve or they had to bear the consequences! But I am wondering (and would like to hear opinions) whether a dialectic process is unfolding in that positives are turning into negatives. Precisely: 1. Yes, Mr. Parker has never been for sale. But did not he develop strong preferences for not only certain styles (on which people here agree), but also for some individual winemakers. I have not personally met any of you but even in a short process I am developing preferences for reading more carefully certain messages. How can he be immune to this "human" frailty after 20 years in business, wining/dining and sharing intimate moments with these individuals? Would not certain distortions arise as a result, including but not limited to the grade inflation which is apparent. 2. Yes, he is a market phenomenon and there is a strong push to conform to his style and make wines which will score high when young. As a consequence are we not risking to trade off early appeal for ultimate long-term complexity? I can give examples of wines which he scored very high and were really(from a certain vantage point) tasty when they came to the market but they have dropped their fruit long before tannins resolved. These wines did not age nearly as long as Parker had guessed. In return there are other wines such as some 93 Red Burgundies that Parker deemed they should be drunk in 6 to 8 years and scored in the mid-80's, but these wines keep improving. Should not we be concerned that, given Parker's systematic overvaluation of overextracted wines and his stature in the market, the ageability of wines will be negatively affected?

I very much liked his 3 Pinots in the 80s, but was disappointed in the early 90s and stopped purchasing. I remember some cooked wines(was it the 90?). Did I make a mistake? Did he recover after a few mishaps?

We have been in Porto in November 2001 for a conference and thus stayed in a nondescript business hotel. Upon insider recommendation we enjoyed D. Tonho twice which is at the port. It is a fine seafood restaurant and the wild seabass in salt crust was very good. They also have good salumi. On our last night I met a Portugese businessman and professor who is also a gourmet and he recommended that we try Portucale but it was too late. By the way in the last issue of Wine Advocate(#144) Rovani(Parker's associate) has listed 4 portugese restaurants in Porto, Coimbra, Viseu and Praia do Guincho, respectively, as among the best meals of 2002 and provides some details. Why do not you take a look?

You are right. I looked at the menus I have. Only one of the menus has this dish:"feuillete de trufffe fraiche "bel humeur", salade de mache. In other menus it is not printed. But then the maitre d'/sommelier Pierre Lemoullac wrote down the dishes we had with beautiful handwriting(ask me, our French teachers used to spank us when we had ugly handwriting at middle school. Any connections to excellent cooking techniques??). The dish again reads:Feuillete de truffe"bel humeur". I know it is a cliche to use the term but Pacaud is a perfectionist among perfectionists. I once had a less than perfectly fresh rouget at Robuchon but never at L'Ambroisie. They are also very loyal to their suppliers. As far as I know they only use Lepeyre truffles from Perigord and Monsieur Lepeyre(whom actually I had met at Chez Panisse in 1991) is a customer who had told me that this was the best preparation of any truffle dish he knows of. Anyway my understanding is that they only include this dish in the menu if they have enough truffles which they consider sufficiently dark and ripe. They do not normally have it before January. Even in early January they may not have enough top quality truffles to include it in the menu. I mention it when I reserve and always leave the menu choice to Monsieur Pascal. He always remember that I eat everything but chicken!! A one word description of the dish is "ethereal". Pacaud's philosphy is that you either do not eat perigord truffles or you have to take large bites(Monsieur LeMoullac coined the term"craquer"). He simply slices a whole and large truffle in half, tops it with silky duck foie gras and keeps them warm in a moist pastry crust. He serves it with real sauce perigourdine, the like of which may have been eaten in Careme's times. On the side there is a mache(like butter lettuce or lamb lettuce) salad which is served with creme fraiche and thickly sliced truffles. There is more truffle in this salad than, say Ducasse had included in his own version(he does not do it anymore)and had called it, I believe, clafoutis de truffe. Now I had similar truffle en croute (in crust) in France zillions of times and in San Francisco, at La Folie once. Descriptions will be similar, except Passot added a prosciutto slice. They were all good. But the version in L'Ambroisie is something that is a conversation stopper. As soon as you slice it open, the aroma that fills the room is embarrasing(when it is not on the menu)and reassuring at the same time. Now Pacaud's style is like that. His dishes are not too difficult to describe and there are not too many ingredients. But (I can not prove that point) I believe they may be taking more research and time to prepare than some very complex dishes at places like El Bulli or Veyrat. Last November we were in Alba and had good dishes of the usual suspect. Then we came to Paris for one day and at L'Ambroisie we had "parmentiere de noix de st. Jacques au cresson, truffe blanche d'Alba" which was better than any anti pasti which I had tried in Alba with truffles. But the amazing thing is the QUALITY of truffles was better than (they were more aromatic) what we had tried in good restaurants around Alba which are frequented by the readers of this site. I still do not understand this. By the way the truffe feuillete is going well with 85 red burgundy grands crus which are drinking quite well now!

I will also order this book immediately as soon as I finish this message and let me add my tuppence worth of reading suggestions to a group which is thought provoking and interested in pursuing exceptional things. Somehow the encounter between Anglo-Saxon and Italian cultures inspires writers, and there is some good fiction as well as non-fiction which results. Forget the popular books with fancy titles which are superficial and market driven. But there is insightful stuff which go even deeper than the academic work by social scientists. My own favorite is several books by "a lapsed Anglo-Saxon", Tim Parks. Having been brought up in suburban England by a Protestant minister father, Mr. Parks ended up setlling in Verona, thanks to marrying his companion Rita. ( As I understand he is now commuting to Milano to teach, but his base is still in Verona). What makes Parks so unique is that, while he is astonishingly aware of the cultural baggage that travels with him(i.e. the cliches, truisms and caricatures), he is not willing to "go native" without a fight and his resulting trials and tribulations make the stuff of remarkable literature. While he attempts to come to terms and understand( in the Weberian verstehen terms) the social fabric (ITALIAN NEIGHBORS), the socialisation of children(ITALIAN EDUCATION) and the remarkable institution of soccer (A SEASON WITH VERONA) in Italy, Mr. Parks often points the gun at himself and shoots some of his own demons, but his witty analysis always eschews easy answers. Some of his fiction which takes place in Verona is equally thought provoking, i.e. the novel JUGGLING THE STARS and it's sequel, MIMI's GHOST where he tells the story of his"alter-ego", Morris Duckworth, a handsome and pennyless English teacher who plots his way through the very upper echelons of Veronese society via marriage, appreciation of beatuful things and ...well murder when things go out of hand. My wife and I were reading a set of essays by Parks (ADULTERY AND OTHER DIVERSIONS) and then discussing them during meals in Positano two years ago. Even less than stellar meals became enchanting. Enjoy....

I chose a bad word:"greed". Essentially I agree with you. But what Girardet did was odd. We had sent a $100 check. They cashed it out at a rate I have not found anywhere because when they brought the bill they gave us credit (in Suisse Franks) for what I calculated to be the equivalent of $ 75 or so. Other restaurants of the similar caliber in 1985 when this happened( I was still a student then) used to give your check back to you when you honored the reservation. I promise to go to my notes and write extensively on the 3 restaurants around Lac Leman I know well tomorrow. Right now (almost midnight) our 10 months old girl Ceylan(pronounced Jaelahn) is craving for my attention and in the meantime I risk to: a. Lose all my shoelaces b. Part with all the folders relevant to some past work c. get scolded by my wife whom I earlier teased about her spelling of pistachio(well, she was born here).

I was just cruising and read this. GREAT. Girardet was a top chef but very greedy. They cashed their deposit before you came and they gave you a terrible exchange rate. Rochat is a nicer fellow and every bit an accomplished chef. Despite his unmentionable tragedy the food did not suffer. I had 3 meals there in the last 18 months and will consider him to be belonging to the pantheon of all time greats. He does not need any coaching. By the way with Pont de Brent and ridiculously 2 starred Chateauvieux, the area around Lac Lemon probably possesses 3 of the world top 10(or so ) restaurants.

This statement stikes me as anything but factual. Let's assume that the appreciation is equally distributed across income groups. Then those with more time and ample means will have a chance to try more places, make comparisons, and learn from experience. This should be true, even is the baseline may differ across cultures and countries. I would expect most restaurants to rise to the challenge and deliver higher quality food if they can charge higher prices. But on the other hand, intuitively I agree with you. I have seen places, such as Guerard, which serve truffles and asperagus out of season. And when confronted, they justify the practice on the grounds that their "wealthy" clientele expects "luxury" ingredients all the time. I'm making these casual remarks because I think your statement, if not obvious, is very interesting, and it is worth further exploration.

This looks like mediocre food. What is it that makes it French? The use of foie gras???

Cabrales: we are talking about the same dish at Arzak. In the past I used to collect all menus and/or write lenghty descriptions with wine and food. Nowdays I am just enjoying things but sometimes my wife or I are taking notes after the fact(sometimes one week after) for future reference. Her notes on this dish reads: " 3 small juicy shrimp. A decomposed dish which you recompose yourself. It had potato crumbs, pistacio(sic) powder. A very little sauce of beet and a little sauce of boudin and prune. You dip the shrimp in the sauce and roll it in the powder". Lizzie: Tapa bars typically open at 2 till 3:30 and then from 9 till well past midnight. For a first time visitor what you have decided is interesting and despite my qualms about new Arzak and Akelare they too are worth trying. The only danger is that ( I have not been at Mugaritz) traditional Basque cuisine is not well represented. However, tapa bars may fill this gap. Dishes like "chipirones en su tinta", all shellfish a la plancha, bacalao pil pil etc., are not likely to be tasted in the starred restaurants and they go well with the fizzy txakolin. We used to go to tapa bars around 2 in the afternoon. Then we went to dinner around 11 PM or so and (following a stroll at the concha) slept around 3 AM and did not wake up till noon. Actually this is our preferred lifestyle and we are doing our best to corrupt our 10 months old baby girl to adapt! Please (in Spring) do not miss the roasted suckling lamb at Zuberoa. PS: Zortziko in Bilbao stands in no man's land between silly and traditional.

If red mullet is rouget then it is every bit a noble fish as loup de mer but somehow the best rouget preparations are always in Italy or Turkey because you do not need to do much to a fresh rouget which should be fried and eaten as soon as it is caught. I had the loup en croute there and I wholeheartedly second Cabrales. Old fashioned or post-post modern it is a great dish and really was more impressive than the soup. Actually the best truffe soup(en croute) I had was at Chez Panisse and concocted by Chris Lee. Truffe en croute is a different matter and nobody beats the LePeyre truffle prepared by Pacaud at Ambroisie. Sometimes it is not on the menu but you can order it when you reserve. Tell us how Bocuse is faring nowdays.....

Has anybody tried the newly promoted place in Milano, i.e. Sadler?

Apparently Aimo e Nadia in Milano lost a star and is now only one star. My experience with Michelin is that I do not always agree with them in promotions but agree in demotions(though they are slow in reacting). Also Giardino di Felicin at Monforte d'Alba is no more starred. There may be others but I have only checked places we may visit in end February.

Lizziee, I hope you have a great time in San Sebastien. Besides the restaurant, it is a jewel of a city. Before you go I recommend you read Kurlansky's "the Basque History of the World". Quite a fascinating book on Basque history. If you call Arzak you may ask to speak to senora Izar. She speaks fluent English and takes good care of foreign visitors. They will also respond to your fax in English. Since I seem to disagree with many commentators on Arzak though let me expound on previous remarks. I checked my notes. We have dined there 7 times. The first 2 were in the winter of 97. My notes star 12 out of 13 items 3 stars. Wild duck, woodcock, whole truffle in a potato crust, fish and shellfish, etc. all prepared without losing focus of the main ingredients and adding just the right touch of creative contrasts. We could not wait but changed vacation plans to experience more of Arzak in the summer of 98. We had great weather and 3 remarkable dinners on August 29, September 1 and September 5. Memories held. My notes also mention complimentary glasses of champagne +Armagnac and a Riscal Riserva 1961 which was remarkable for $60. We had one disappointing dinner on december 30,1999. The wine we had ordered(Artadi grandes anades 94) has not arrived till we were well into the second cigalas(langoustines) appetizer. There was tremendous resistance to accepting our order of " chuleta de buey a la brasa". This turned out one of the best grilled ribs I have tasted, accompanied by ethereal espelette peppers and scalloped potatoes. Otherwise desserts were as good as in the past(quince canneloni and the rice pudding with mango) but somehow the kitchen appeared to be having a lucklusted day.(But this was the day before the millenium and they were inundated with the French across the border.) Our last and unfortunately disappointing meal at Arzak was on November 30 of 2002. We found the cuisine tilting towards the deconstructivist school, but somehow wondered how well thought out and researched new creations were. Certainly the presentations are as artistic as in the past, if not more so. Small pieces of shrimp, pistachio powder and potato crumbs look interesting on the plate and can be arranged like a flower. You can of course recompose what is decomposed and perhaps enjoy the dish. I doubt though you will enjoy reasonably fresh rouget with lamb brain encrusted in poppy seeds. Perhaps an interesting experiment in texture and a "cerebral" dish, but not one that gives the pleasure rouget is capable of giving. Similarly desserts are also moving in the "cerebral" direction. Paprika infused chocolate sorbet with a tart tomato coulis was interesting but, believe me, nothing like Arpege's notorious tomato dessert.(But why should it be? After all the chef is "creating" not copying.) Fortunately, we had again good and friendly service and both food and wine prices are still fair. Maybe the new chef at Arzak will eventually settle in a hgher equilibrium. In the meantime, Zuberoa is still very good and in my opinion, Berasatequi is delivering what we expect 3 stars to deliver(but they rarely do) at very fair prices. It may not be a bad idea to try all 3 and then repeat the one that appeals most to you. Also a short note on tapa bars. Some of them(such as Gambara which is one of our favorites) have downstair rooms where you can eat tapas as well as whole portions. In the winter season we enjoyed truffle omelette, turbot roasted on the bone, angulas, etc. Niza hotel is not luxurious but close to the old part of the town and will not break the budget. They are welcoming too and they have a garage. It is very easy to drive both to Arzak and Berasatequi from Niza, but ask Berasatequi for directions. I hope this helps. Please let us know of your impressions.

Craig, I made reservations for 3 nights(february 25, 26 and 27) to Romeo and Giuletta@ Verona. Thanks. Vedat

Thanks Craig, this is the type of info. I was looking for. The all risotto dinner at Pila....sounds interesting. But I clicked on the site and still could not understand where it is located. Its own website did not work. Maybe there is a bug in the program...How far is this place from Verona? I am lousy in finding places but my wife so far never erred in driving to the most oddly situated places in bizarre locations so we are ready for the challenge!

I read a great review of Istanbul restaurants from Michael Lewis who captured some of the best things in my native country and stayed clear of the faddish. Therefore I am a bit puzzled that we disagree strongly on Arzak. I ate there quite a few time since 98 and I only see a downward trend. They are plagued with what I call the El Bulli syndrome, i.e. trying to be original and avant-garde but in a way that is not well thought out and too chi-chi. Too bad for an old favorite. There are also quite a few service lapses despite good intentions. I had 7 or 8 meals at Zuberoa and to me it is a better restaurant than Arzak though the last meal 2 months ago was merely very good and not spectacular like the earlier ones. Beware of the old Rioja wines though; I don't believe labels are accurate. I have only eaten twice at Berasetequi and 2 months ago he delivered a great meal, esp. top in shellfish, albeit his desserts are not on par (but neiter are desserts in El Bulli). I am very curious about Casa Nicolasa. Please tell me if you tried it. For tapa bars, I can only second other people's remarks. You do not need to speak the language. Just play darts with the list on the blackboard and select from the counter. By the way, if you like shellfish try El Puerto in Santander. In November, my wife and I really splurged there: one pound of Percebes(barnacles, french call it pousse pieds I believe), 2 portions of baby eels, 2 langoustines about 2/3 of a pound each and a 3 pound langouste! All fresh and well prepared and a reasonable price. Santander is quite nice but perhaps a tad less captivating than Donostia. By the way we had an average meal at the starred Zortziko in Bilbao, although a visit there is not a bad idea to see the notorious museum which makes a good topic of converstion for dinner. PS: Michael Lewis, if you read this I would be most curious to know how you go about selecting food/places in a new environment. I assume that you do not speak Turkish anc chances are that English speaking grand bourgeois of my county with whom you may have dallied would have taken you to "in" places in 5 star hotels or ersatz examples of "Ottoman" cuisine for tourists. What is your method?(I hope this question is not too intrusive, I apologize but I am puzzled)'

I can't help but (as a new enthusiastic member) tell the following story re. formality etc., in the French establishments. It was 1982 and in our early and mid 20s my wife and I were on honeymoon at the French Riviera. We wanted to splurge one day and chose Outhier's L'Oasis, then 3 stars. We were dressed casually but not in the casual-chique style we pretend to pass as informal nowdays but really really casually with non-designer jeans. I also knew nothing about the wine(those happy days when I did not ruin my mood getting angry at the wine merchants who shortshrifted me by telling they are sold out of Coche Dury' s Perrieres). Consequently I ordered the cheapest wine with a Montrachet word attached to it (probably a Chassagne), thinking it was the same as Le Montrachet which I had read somewhere was the best white wine on earth! Anyway our reception was phenomenal, we were seated in the largest corner table for 4 in a crowded room , were offered complementary champagne and what not and treated like a celebrity. Our waiter was esp. supercilious. It was as if he feared me. At some point he asked something about England and was taken aback with my answer that I did not give any damn about the country( this was Thatcher time whom I still detest). "Are not you English ?" he asked. "I am very proud to be Turkish" I replied. "Vay canina" he muttered ( no direct translation but in the context would read somethin like " O holy shit!" It turned out that he was Mr. Ali from Izmir in Turkey. And the incredible story went something like this. A young English lord of something, Mr Miller was vacationing in the area and was expected to come to the restaurant. When I showed up poorly dressed and given my last name (Milor no D at the end), somebody had mistaken me for the fellow. Who but a young English aristocrat-iconoclast would dare to go there so casually! Well sometimes you can dress casually in haute cuisine places. I do agree with Mr. Plotnicki though the thing I hate most in haute cuisine pretenders in France is not being allowed to pour your holy drink. In a couple great places he mentions(L'ambroisie and Arpege) this will not be a problem because the service will be smooth and discreet. But in lesser pretendors this is a serious problem. Vedat Milor

Craig, It is nice to have somebody post strong opinions on a very important topic! As we are planning a trip to Northern Italy in early March your recommendation is very timely. I would appreciate it if you provide some details about the cuisine at La Peca. Also, we are planning to stay in the adopted city of my favorite contemporary writer, Tim Parks, i.e. Verona. Have you been there and do you recommend it? Apparently, there are some good eateries in and around Verona, i.e. Perbellini, Il Desco, and the new *** in Rubano, called Calendre. Have you tried any of these? I would appreciate your or anybody else's opinion regarding eating in or around Verona. Thanks, Vedat