Chef/Writer Spencer

my aren't we getting all Village Voice....

As a guy who has worked in both high end successful restaurants and high end unsuccessful restaurants that should have gone all the way...location is important, very important, maybe 64.56 percent of why closer to your audience is better. But, press and word of mouth is ultimately (if the restaurant that is off the beaten track can hold on until its merit is verified city wide) more important. A good press agent can make a TGI Friday's sound like Taillevant. Word on the street is the best way to sustain a good restaurant, next to press and marketing. That's just the way it is.

Ryland Inn is located in the county with the single biggest residential growth in NJ...over 8000 new homes within the last 24 months, , average asking price 440k. Rat's is located in the 4th largest municipality in the state, Hamilton Township, so while it is a shlep for N. Jersey folks, it is easily accessible to a densly packed area...295 is the most heavily travelled interstate, if I recall from something I read but I might be wrong. Amanda's is also in a densly populated area, but the dense population is in walking distance, so the parking issue is only relevant to some. Out of Rosie's list, RN seems to be succeeding despite its location...neither densly populated, nor is it in a pretty area that can be considered "destination dining"...like the Sculpture Gardens at Rats or the "Inn" feeling at Ryland. But, I second Rosie's bias of restaurants on Highways. as stated before, financial wealth does not insure that these people will frequent higher end restaurants....look at my example above.

Wonderful anomolies. PR giants, good food, an ability to translate high end stuff in terms that the less than savvy can appreciate. Honesty, good service, word of mouth. the ability to make nervous diners feel welcomed. good pricepoints. a combination of all. you'd be surprised how many restaurateurs think they can get by on a name and better than average food. Talent matters, as do the ability and willingness of an audience to appreciate talent. I agree to a certain extent. Without a doubt if the chef ain't on then the carion swoon eventually but I know a few mega talented chefs that haven't been properly PRed and are now painting houses. Talent isn't a sure fire means to packing a restaurant. Remember the chef from Northern Exposure..the angry guy, who freaked out when one of his prep guys (the big indian) used bacon instead of pancetta. Adam Arkin's character. With that guys talent he should have been commanding CIA grads at a Ritz Carlton but instead he was pumping out French classics in a diner.

Wonderful anomolies. PR giants, good food, an ability to translate high end stuff in terms that the less than savvy can appreciate. Honesty, good service, word of mouth. the ability to make nervous diners feel welcomed. good pricepoints. a combination of all. you'd be surprised how many restaurateurs think they can get by on a name and better than average food.

FOG CITY DINER SAN FRANCISCO.

When restaurants that are typically busy slow down for no apparent reason it's not uncommon to find waiters and cooks alike huddled around trying to come up with THE answer. "Everybody must have gone on vacation all at once." "School's back in session, parents spent all their money on school supplies." "Tax time." I believe that there's a collective unconscious that dictates the ebb and flow of the frequency of patronnage. A Murphy's Law, an unspoken shift. When restaurants located in under populated, poor or unsustainable locations are busy upon first opening, then, like the wind, die down and turn into Titanics, the reasons are a little more clear cut. Either the owners are shitty at PR, the food sucks or they've grossly miscalculated their abilities to turn chain restaurant junkies on to the Greek sushi idea they thought would pack the place in. I worked for a big time restaurateur who, when his first restaurant went "double platinum" thought it would be the next logical thing to open up a brasserie with his highly recognizable initials on it in a strip mall in an affluent part of town. He and his partners, while scouting locales, sat down in the abandoned Bagel Bar, looked out at the throngs passing by on the main thoroughfare and decried, "We're gonna make a mint." Unfortunately for them, they didn't realize that the folks that lived is this rich area were more into the burger and chain joints that were acned all around their spot. Those places packed, his place has now got a sign on it saying, "Sekisui sushi, opening soon." Then you've got the recession, which has been an utter death knell for restaurants country wide. I could go more in depth but reading Bourdain's "Owner's Syndrome and Other Medical Anomolies will suffice.

tell me you didn't say bona fide steven!

I'd hate to manipulate a sack of flour drunk.

i go for the vlasics...make a tempura batter with flour, soda, dill and salt...get the fryer at 340 and fry me some pickles...ranch dressing "infused" with prepared horseradish... know what i'm sayin'

Meaux (a town I lived in for three months) makes the best whole grain around. The best.

Is it subliminal that TASTE is no. 27. I know, I know, some you guys want to smack me. It's ok.

Lupa, Babbo, Esca, not OTTO.

ugh, English food again.

NOLA or one of Emeril's spots...There were more cajun references in that lead than at a hundred Wild Bill swamp runs.

This is becoming an endless shell game of semantics and definitions. Where's the point, under this shell--nope, shuffle, shuffle,under this one, nope--shuffle, shuffle. Is the world of food better off with what Adria has done. HELL YES. Are the rip offs flies buzzing in his ear. GOTTA BE. Are they any less of a force to reckon with because they like to make consomme into pappardelle...HELL NO. As long as there are chefs pushing themselves--even if they rip the masters off---then the dining public is more than likely going to benefit. And the excitement these guys create will ensure that gastronomy will remain a vibrant aspect of modern culture. (YES, I am bi-polar).

Thats fascinating. Why does it cook for so long? What happens to it after three ours? What effect does the sous-vide have? J Hey, no matter what hip technique you use if you cook asparagus for three hours--I don't care if youre using stalks the size of Kong's forearm---you're going to have soup. Can you coax more flavor out of vegetables with redneck sous vide? I say it's all smoke and mirrors...

uh, joke... I thought it was funny. Thank you Claire. Some folks just don't see my genius...

I didn't know there were more than two decent restaurants in the UK. There ain't no way in hell I'll get this one.

uh, joke...

Hey, Mansion on Turtle Creek....(he slinks back behind the hot line and deep fries self)

Wooopppsssss.....ST JOHN

Terrine....ah, just a guess, though it's not exotic enough---St. John Beef...Gordon Ramsay's place. Dessert...Daniel... I suck.

Sous vide? And what makes it redneck? The ziplock bags? As for the three hours, white asparagus isn't any tougher than green asparagus is it? Yeah, the ziplocks make the thing redneck. Ask Achatz if he's doing his sous vided caramelized dairy thing in a ziplock and you're sure to get a mind ful. I for one love rednecks, so don't take it as a slam.

Ha What a creative idea Deano! Sounds like something that my overly creative ex-sous chef would do. It also reminds me of Jean Louis Palladin's tasting of root vegetables. That was pretty cool actually.