Joe H

I'm actually not sure of the exact location of "old" Sibley. There's no address on my birth certificate other than the name of the hospital (don't believe that I'm talking about this!!!). But, it was a different location than the Silbey at MacArthur and Loughboro. I really want to say that it was off of North Capitol Street.

There are a few of us. My wife, too, who was born in P. G. Hospital and went to Wakefield when I was going to Blair. As for Jeff Gildenhorn I have never met him but believe that in addition to the American City Diner he also owns/owned Circle Liquors and the three or four restaurants/carry outs adjacent to it. According to his resume when he was running for D. C. Mayor he went to Coolidge in the late '50's, a time when a lot of families started to move out of D. C. and into Montgomery County with Silver Spring and Blair their first stop. This also explains Jerry's Sub Shop, Weile's Ice Cream and a host of others that moved around this time, the latter two from Kennedy Street, NW. Forty years later those who lived in Silver Spring have now moved on to Germantown with a scattering in Bethesda and a handful like myself in Northern VA. For what it's worth Blair's senior class in 1964 had almost 1,100 students (not an exaggeration), of which over 40 now live in the San Francisco Bay area. I was almost one of them, accepted at Berkeley, but never left here for a variety of reasons, most financial.

Jeffrey Gildenhorn? Something similar I believe. I only post on here occasionally but am a regular on another message board, Chowhound. Thanks for the nice words, they are appreciated. I was born in the "old" Sibley Hospital. I probably miss Griffith Stadium as much as anyplace. As a kid sitting in the bleachers in 1956 I came within two or three feet of catching an opening day home run hit by Mickey Mantle. It was seventy five cents for a bleacher seat! And, from the time you stepped off of the street car you could smell the Wonder Bread bakery blocks away. The Howard Theatre was two or three blocks down the street, the original Bohemian Caverns a couple of blocks away. Arthur Godfrey had a radio show and Roy Clark and Jimmy Dean alternated between the Crossroads and the Shamrock with Connie B. Gay trying to make D. C. the Nashville of the Mid Atlantic, if you will. Years later I passed plane geometry because Goldie Hahn didn't cover her paper, Ben Stein graduated from Blair the year before and Connie Chung had never heard of Maurie Povich in 10th grade. A kid named Jon Nusbaum said that if he was elected Class President that his father, who owned Banner Signs, would buy a McDonald's franchise and move it to where Ertter's was. Nobody believed him and he didn't win the election. I have no idea where he is today but my guess is that he is a successful politician, probably a Republican, somewhere.

There are quite a few deals out there even on better hotels. Marriott, Intercontinental and others are offering LESS than half price 21 day advance purchases which are non refundable. Airfares are also very low. I just returned from Paris on business. I left Washington for Paris on Monday having bought the ticket only one week to the day before. The roundtrip airfare was $375.00 total. I should note that I did little shopping and there were no expensive dinners over the four days I was there. Nor did I buy expensive wine although I did stop in Auchan and Carrefour and found several E 20 bottles that I thought were worthwhile. If you plan and put off large purchases and starred dinners until the dollar strengthens I think Europe is still quite "doable." This is not the time to go shopping, say, for gold in Verona or a Brioni suit in Rome. On the plus side there are very few Amercans. Italy, even Venice, felt and sounded Italian in the restaurants! A great time to just get out and explore, just be prepared for $5.00/gas (@$1.28 rate of exchange) and you'll be all right. What you save with deals and discounts can help offset the exchange rate.

I just returned from Paris yesterday as well as Venice a month ago. Both were on business. The first trip the Euro was in the low to mid 1.20's. On Wednesday of this week it touched $1.29 while falling back to $1.24 yesterday. For anyone travelling to Europe I cannot emphasize what a shock it is to have this rate of exchange. I have ten to twelve trips a year to Europe on business and have done this since the '80's. The French Franc today is roughly equivalent to 4.7 versus the US dollar (with the Euro at 1.28). 4.7!!! In 1985 it was 12, in 1992 it was about 7, weakening to 6.5 later in the '90's. The lira was as strong as 2,200 in 1985 and was 1600 to 1900 through much of the '90's. Today it is about 1400. It is nice to say that something is 20 Euros or 10 Euros or 50 Euros. Just remember that with a credit card you are going to add about 30% on to this price. For a week in Verona and Venice and five days in Paris there were virtually no Americans. The few that I did find were like myself American businessmen trying to capitalize on the weak dollar. I just want everyone thinking about Europe this year to understand that it is as expensive as at any time in 50 years. It would be nice if the Euro was on par with the dollar. Unfortunately, it's nowhere near.

Jerry's when the original owners had it then later when Max and his wife made it locally famous. Jerry's was named after Sol's son when it first opened on Kennedy Street, NW. Adam Schwartz and Bob Beigleman bought it around 1980 after both working in the Wheaton store while going to Maryland. Today I suppose there are several hundred. The other subs in Wheaton that were popular were the ones in a small Italian deli in the back of a shopping center, fronting a parking lot. I think that was called Marchone's but I only went a couple of times. Pop's on Henderson was the other big deal in Wheaton and this was for pizza. I went to Blair, graduating in '64 and there were several places that were considered best for pizza, starting with Luigi's downtown (still there). Anna Maria's and Gusti's were also a big deal, then a step up to the Roma. Next were Ledo's and Pop's. Shakey's opened their first Montgomery County store on the Rockville Pike in the '60's; McDonald's first Montgomery County store was also the one on the Pike which opened in the late '50's. (Hybla Valley was the first.) Shakey's sliced their pizza with a butcher's knife on a wooden block. Every pizza had a small strip of aluminum foil on it identifying what it was. Shakey's was good pizza but different from all of the others. The D. C. pizzarias, as much as anything, were known because it was a big deal to go downtown on a date. Pizza was a natural once you got there. Mario's was at River and Little Falls Parkway adjacent to an Amoco. Bish Thompson and O'Donnell's were both considered to be superior to Silver Spring's Crisfield's. But this was the '50's and '60's when they both had really good food and rum buns to die for. The original O'Donnell's was adjacent to the Warner Theatre on PA Avenue and dated to the 1910's or so. Wooden floors, beamed ceilings, a lot of atmosphere and the best overallseafood restaurant in D. C. Crisfield's was a step up from Kushner's on Piney Branch near Flower but not considered great, just a less expensive alternative. At some point in the '60's or '70's Bish Thompson's started going downhill, down O'Donnell's closed and the Bethesda store wasn't quite on the same level. Then Calvin Trilling called Crisfield's "the best fish house in America," Julia Child discovered it and Phyllis Richman, who grew up here, began to rave about it after ignoring it for years. She summarized one review by suggesting Gifford's up the street for dessert. Washington also had great fish sandwiches at Benny's on Maine Avenue where fresh french fries were fried in lard and fresh fish was piled four filets high with homemade slaw and hot sauce on Wonder bread. Horace and Dickey's is a pale imitation of this today although Boyd's (who they bought out) was once just as good. I remember going down there with my parents in the '50's and stopping at the YWCA for their chocolate chip cookies which were legendary. Ben's Chili Bowl was good as was the nearby Hazel's "Texas Chili." (Which the Hard Times Cafe copied when they first opened in Alexandria. The Post had a full page feature celebrating the return of "wet" chili and Hazel's to the D. C. area in the '70's.) I remember going to Ben's after seeing James Brown at the Howard in the early '60's. I went with some friends from where I had a part time job at the Safeway at 14th and U where I was the only white person. Across the street was Wings and Things with Mambo sauce where I became a regular every night that I worked. At 14th and Swan nearby was D. C.'s redlight district. Further downtown, on 9th Street at E was the Gayety Burlesque Theatre. Hecht's, Woodie's (two buildings), Lansburgh's, Garfinckel's-all were still open then. The Capitol was the city's largest theatre on F street with 5,000 seats. A blcok down was the Palace and several blocks further down were two more theatres. F street was the center of downtown Washington. The Mall had temporary buildings everywhere left over from WWII. Washington had a clear Southern identity in the '50's and '60's. When you crossed the 14th Street bridge, you immediately found a Southern Accent from anyone born in Alexandria. Today you have to go south of Fredericksburg for this. In fact Old Town then was almost exclusively segregated and poor as was Georgetown in the early '50's. Rosslyn was literally a collection of pawnshops.

"Way back when or at least a decade ago." Damn, am I old. Gifford's in Bethesda is NOT the Gifford's that opened in the early '30's in Silver Spring. When it closed in 1981 or 82 the name was sold and that is what survives today. The man who made ice cream for Gifford's from the early '70's until its closing opened York Castle on Georgia Avenue in Montgomery Hills using the exact same base as Gifford's. The "base" is different from the base that today's Gifford's uses. He also made Swiss sundaes, pumpkin and peach in season and made ice cream sodas the correct way using a small scoop of vanilla ice cream, blended with soda water to start as well as heavy whipping cream made from scratch. Today York Castle's primary, non tropical flavors are Gifford's flavors. Still, it's not the same since Gifford's served ice cream on metal dishes and banana splits in long rectangular glass bowls. I haven't had a sody or sundae in several years so I don't know if these have changed. Their biggest sundae, the "Big Top," that sold for $1.00 in 1955 (when hot fudge sundaes with hot fudge served separately in a little ceramic pitcher-was 35 cents) disappeared when Gifford's closed. Their chocolates, the home made fudge and other candies have also, for the most part disappeared. Not to burst any bubbles but there is little resemblance between the Gifford's of today (and their purchase of the name when the original owner got into tax trouble) and the original store that had lines literally 100 long on summer nights in all four stores. The closest anyone can come to Gifford's is probably in Cincinnati at one of the original Graeter's which have much of the same ambience and spirit. Steve's had a franchised outlet in College Park near Route 1 and Knox Road in the mid '70's. At some point Steve Herrell closed his Boston store and moved to Northampton, Mass where, as of two years ago, he still sells some of the best ice cream in America along with the nearby Bart's. With all due respect to Capitol Hill I never thought it matched the personality of the original Bob's on Wisconin. Of course I never thought that Gifford's, Bob's or Steve's were as good as either the Unviersity Pastry Shop at Wisconsin and MaComb or the Calvert Pastry Shop across the street from where Bob's later opened in the mid '70's. And don't forget Wagshal's or Avignon Freres and, if any grandparents are on here, Reindeer in Silver Spring, Polar Bear on Georgia Avenue and, in the '50's the original Martin's Dairy on Georgia Avenue near Olney where you ate ice cream with cows grazing nearby. No smell on earth was more authentic and timely for eating ice cream! Last, I should pay homage to the greatest, most spectacular ice cream parlor of all: Weile's in Langley Park, home of the $30.00 Lincoln Memorial sundae which was created for a party of fifty (yes, 50) to eat. Breyer's ice cream which meant that it was mediocre but after they moved from Kennedy Street, NW (about the same time in the late '50's that Jerry's Sub Shop moved from Kennedy Street to University Boulevard in Wheaton) they developed a legendary reputation for incrediblly huge, over the top sundaes and hamburgers. Today, it is a pawn shop. When I was a kid we took bike hikes from Piney Branch and Flower to Wheaton just to eat subs. And to Langley Park for sundaes and Silver Spring for Swiss sundaes and when Ledo's opened in '57 we took bike hikes there as well. In fact I can actually remember several friends and myself going to Ledo's for pizza and stopping at Weile's for a huge sundae on the way back. It doesn't seem like that long ago!

Given the exchange rate of $1.284 to the Euro (two years ago it was .84)I think I would now consider a Honeymoon in the U. S. Bush has priced us out of Europe. Unfortunately, I am being very serious. Europe is horribly expensive for Americans because of the weakness of the American dollar. Literally 50% more expensive than two years ago.

Le Calandre is up five points for this year in GR bring it more in line with Michelin's three stars.

I said that da Fiore was $350 for two with 40 Euro (US $50) wine. You had a meal that cost 122.50 Euros which is US $151.90 (@1.24 exchange) + tip. At da Fiore there is nothing factored into the bill for the tip. Therefore if we double your US $151.90 and add a conservative 15% we arrive at US $349.37. (122.50 X 1.24 X 2 = US $303.80 + 15% (US $ 45.57) = US $349.37. Sorry, I was off by 63 cents. I also hope that you left a tip otherwise your reception may not be quite as friendly as you think when you return. da Fiore is arguably one of the two or three best restaurants in Venice. Having said this it is not any better than Testiore but at least 30 to 40% more expensive. I believe that it is overpriced. I stand by my comments: US $350 for dinner for two with 40 Euro for wine is too much for da Fiore. I should also note that twelve years ago da Fiore was no more expensive than any other restaurant on its level in Venice. With Patricia Well's reviews and various acclaimations as well as the single Michelin star it's pricing has gone through the roof. This is a very good restaurant. We agree on this. What we disagree on is that Alle Testiere is as good for 70% of the price. As for Le Calandre, well, this is the best restaurant in Italy. At 125 Euros prix fixe it is a steal.

Testiere was excellent-again. An absolute must for any visitor to Venice. Avogaria was truly horrible. Absolutely wonderful interior-we really wanted to like this place. But the food was just abominable. I know of no other way to say it. Most tasted warmed over from several nights. Galeon was a surprise, very good overall. Still, based on seven visits to Venice in ten years, Testiere is a must on every trip, Al Covo and Galeon are similar, slight edge to Galeon both two notches below Testiere. da Fiore excellent but horribly overpriced; perhaps along with Testiere Venice's best. But with a rate of exchange of $1.24 da Fiore is now $350 for two with 40 Euro wine. Because of cost I would not return.

After visits to both Dal Forno (incredibly hospitable and friendly) and Le Calandre last week I am now convinced that: 1. Le Calandre based on their one month old "Winter" prix fixe is the best restaurant in Italy. 2. Romano Dal Forno's 1997 Amarone is the greatest wine I have ever tasted. Certainly it has the greatest nose. We were fortunate to also taste his 2000 and 2001 Amarone and Valpolicella from the barrels. Four nights in a row I drank his Valpolicella in restaurants, before, during and after meals. Regardless of how and when it should be drank this-for me-is a great wine. At 70 to 75 Euros in most restaurants I also regard it as a bargain. Earlier tonight three friends of mine and I shared one of the bottles I brought back with a triple creme. Yes, the pairing was better than with dinner. Still, this wine is so delicious, so enjoyable I already miss it-and I just put the glass down! His approach to drinking the amarone is interesting: open the bottle, put the cork back in and reopen it a day later, serving it at room temperature. We did this with a bottle of the '97 although it was still really too young. (A note: he has magnums and double magnums aging in his cellar that will be released in three more years; he also personally considers his '98 to be the best he has made.) Still, after thirty years of drinking more wine than I should have this is the (pick your adjective) most enjoyable red wine I have ever tasted. I also brought back four bottles of the Recioto,the firs of which I will open on Christmas Day. Additionally, he makes a sweet white dessert wine of which I have only one bottle. Nettare Annata 1995. I have the impression that this may the most special of all of his wine, certainly the smallest production. In any event I've put it away for ten years or so with the two bottles of '97 Amarone that I brought back. A note here: I also brought back some Quintarelli Valpolicella and we tasted this along with the Dal Forno this evening. Delicious. Still it pales next to the Dal Forno. In Verona Dal Forno Amarone was going for 260 Euros for the '97. He sells it at his winery for less. Much less. with a two bottle limit. But I suspect that for the most part this is only to the few that visit. Le Calandre has just evolved so much from my first visit five or six years ago. He now features an eight course chocolate dessert that is jaw dropping in its presentation. The centerpiece is a small dish of White Alba truffle....gelato, made from white truffle puree. Fish and chips Venezia is served with a small glass of beer and instructions on when to drink it. The most incredible pasta fagiole (perhaps the dish of the night, too) with raw fresh shrimp and red arborio grains for crunch. Glasses were served with spoons and instructions to "dig to the bottom." One featured beef braised in Amarone, another veal and wild mushrooms. But even saying this is an injustice. Depth of flavor along with contrasting flavors playing off of each other. Smoked risotto made from Tenuta Castello Vialone Nano (which is also sold by Massimiliano is his adjacent store). Based on last Dcember as well as this one meal which, including dessert and pre dessert and various amuse, stretched for 18 courses/tastes I now regard him as the chef who will take Italy to a level that previously was only reserved for the French and Spanish. Massimiliano, for me, can now challenge anyone in Europe. When I think that he is charging 125 Euros while Ducasse, Vrinat, Gagnaire all push 300 Euros, Le Calandre is an actual bargain for the experience that is offered.

"Mesozoic clientel," huh? Steve, I'm going to suggest that if you have a problem with me or my opinions you contact me directly at my e-mail: wwthrills@aol.com. You seem to harbor some type of jealousy/resentment/anger/disagreement/disapproval forsome of what I've written about for several years and I think we should discuss this. I must tell you that I do deeply resent your apparent indifference to any restaurant going out of business. I would think that your being in the business you would know better, or at the least, care. I say this because you really seem not to. Perhaps I am misreading or misunderstanding your comments-I am willing to hear you out and admit that I may be overreacting. It might be productive for you and I to meet for a glass of wine and try to understand each other so that we don't carry this any further. Sometimes people can passionately disagree and still be friends, or at the least civil. What say? I'm serious. If you add that you support Bush we will have a LOT to discuss since I do not and I'm always up to a good political discussion as well. A sincere offer for a peace treaty.

I'm probably wrong to lump certain restaurants in with Citronelle, Maestro and Le Relais (I'll come back to this) since there is a different price point as well as a different audience. I realize that Zaytinya (with 150+ seats) and the type of menu that it has, in a sense, could almost lend itself to a more casual ambience. On my three visits, all on weekdays during dinner, it was much dressier. But I can see where I may be wrong on this. About Le Relais: I stand by my point. When Yannick was there I would have walked out if he had let someone sit next to me with sneakers on. I never went to Le Relais before Yannick I was there. I did go to Le Pavilion and did have a level of expectation when I walked into the room. To say this is in a strip mall creates an impression of a laid back casual ambience that could not be further from the truth. With $35 to $40 entrees and $20+ appetizers once you walked in the door the ambience seemed smartly suited to an upscale suburban chic if you will. I cannot imagine that ANYONE would have felt comfortable having dinner in there. On three or four weekend visits in the spring and fall almost every man had at least a sport coat on and the few that didn't were still dressed well. Sneakers were totally inappropriate; anyone would realize this as soon as they opened the door and left the strip mall expectation. I could see a summer afternoon sitting on their terrace dressed more casually. But again, dinner at Le Relais with checks in the $250 to 400 range + depending on wine had much more in common with Citronelle and than with the image of a any "strip mall." About Le Relais failing: I have a sister who had one of D. C.'s 50 best restaurants (source: Richman). She worked her ass off (and still does) 80 to 100 hours a week, every week. She also filed bankruptcy a number of years ago after killing herself trying. Steve, I wouldn't be so cavalier or indifferent about someone failing. Perhaps I am reading something into your comment that I shouldn't; still, Cam announced he was leaving. This restaurant had not attracted a following before him, there could have been no reason for its owner to believe it would survive without him. He also tried to bring Cam in with a percentage of ownership, I think fearing that eventually Cam would leave. For whatever reason Le Relais was successful when Cam was there ONLY because of Cam. I am also assuming that in Cam's last year it was overall successful. Weekends there were several week waits for reservations; weeknights I don't know-I never went. As for Steve's comments about Italian leather, El Bulli and so forth, what is your problem? Is there something wrong with my travelling extensively in Europe and favoring several restaurants there, including a recent experience at Le Calandre or a visit to Dal Forno meeting the winemaker? On having lost interest in visiting El Bulli where I cancelled a reservation? Yet would fly back across the Atlantic to go to Le Calandre again. On the one hand I am fortunate to have certain experiences. On the other I spend far too many nights away from home hating travel that I am locked in to because of my business. You must also know from my three + years of posting on Chowhound that I love Washington, D. C., was born here and know that I am lucky to live here. You must also know that I have said many times we are fortunate to have Fabio, Roberto and Michel. I remember when this city had La Salle du Bois and the Shrimpboat. The first was terrible and the latter is still missed by me.

Whether there is a dress code or not, do the others in the industry on this board feel that sneakers would be appropriate in their restuarant? In Citronelle? Firefly? Steve, you've already noted that you have no problem with this at Zaytinya or Cafe Atlantico. I have to tell everyone on this board that this is a real problem with me: if someone doesn't have enough common sense to dress appropriately at a restaurant and the restaurant doesn't enforce a dress code I will not go back. If a restaurant needs the business of someone dressed inappropriately then they certainly don't need mine. For me appropriate dress is a sign of respect for both the restaurant and for those at adjacent tables. Dressy casual is one thing-sneakers are quite another matter. Frankly, I'm very surprised that Steve feels sneakers would be appropriate for his restaurants. For me the acceptance/allowing of them in a better restaurant speaks volumes. My apologies but I cannot help but feel that way. I wonder if others in the same restaurants react the same way when customers walk in wearing them. They certainly can influence the restaurant's ambience. I should also note that which by now must be obvious: if a customer is dressed inappropriately I blame the restaurant for allowing them in. I don't remember ever seeing customers in Zaytinya or Atlantico in sneakers but I find it extremely interesting that Steve seems to welcome them.

"nice clean sneakers." In a restaurant where diners at the adjacent table may have been spending $150 or more per person. Are you serious? You really don't understand that wearing SNEAKERS to a restaurant like this is an insult to both the restaurant and to those who you may have been seated next to? Sneakers. To a restaurant where Yannick Cam is the chef? Fortunately there are dress codes that are enforced.

Jamin was not Robuchon's restaurant, rather a former student (if you will) of his as were several other restaurants including Astor. There are a number of posts about L'Atalier on here including a link to a lengthy post of mine on the thread about L'Astrance which talked extensivly about L'Atalier. Some of his food from the days of his mid '90's restaurant are available at L'Atalier but they, for me, do not seem the same. It is a totally different kind of ambience as well as a different intention in what he is trying to accomplish. Simply, the presentation-even with the same exact dish-is totally different. You are not going to react to the dish in L'Atalier in the way you would react to it in his previous restaurant. One was a formal dining room, the other (and I realize this is debatable), for me, an very upscale diner.

My wife and I are there from Wednesday, Jan. 14th to Sunday when we return. Your posts are quite interesting, I probably need a bit of time to"absorb" them. I am inclined to revisit Violon (as I should have without hesitation!), Les Elysees and Jamin, all three for dinner. This leaves the same kind of consideration that so many on this board have, where to have the all out meal? Gagnaire was a possibility but to be honest I do not want to spend what could be thousand dollars on a dinner for four (290 Euros each + 3-500 for wine + 15-20% dollar conversion + tip). This is why I had considered lunch but if we do go to Gagnaire most likely we would do his lengthiest tasting menu. I may decide that Les Elysees is best for four for dinner. Perhaps even Violon. On my first visit to it I was so impressed that my wife and I cancelled a reservation at Tallievent to return the next night we liked it so much. He has three or four dishes including a crab and black truffle risotto with croutons (for crunch) that is off the menu and equal to anything I've had in Italy. There was also a roast veal dish that was extraordinary as is his way with foie gras. Actually, I'm now talking myself into this as I type (getting very hungry, too) since I remember a very alcoholic Baked Alaska that I really enjoyed. Very good lobster salad also. OK, Violon for the meal for four. Les Elysees for my wife and I. Jamin, also. Pacaud is at L'Ambroisie which I have never been to. The former chef of Les Elysees is now at Tallievent which Patricia Wells (who I somewhat disagreed with about L'Atalier) raved about in January of this year. My one visit to Tallievent was five or six years ago with a different chef; the service was superb, we enjoyed the room. Cabby does have superb taste. I trust your opinion for Les Elysees but having disagreed with Cabby I owe her opinion an opportunity, too. Tallievent for the last night. Perhaps flawed logic. Now all I need to do is secure all of the reservations but I've never had problems with the three stars in the past because of a "relaitonship" that I can take advantage of when I experience difficulty. I doubt if this opportunity would exist for L'Astrance, however.

Vmilor, I've read this thread with a great deal of interest especially since I return to Paris for a week in mid January and will have four or five better meals. First, this is the link to a post I put on Chowhound about my visit to L'Atalier about two or so weeks after it opened in May: http://www.chowhound.com/boards/intl/messa...ages/19460.html When I visited the restaurant Patricia Wells had just published her rave review two days earlier. My post was several days after this. And, yes, I was able to visit his earlier restaurant in Paris in the mid '90's before he closed it. First, without wasting your's or anyone's time and reciting where I've been these are my priorities on this trip and I am curious about your thoughts: 1. L'Astrance. Any opinions on getting in other than calling at 4:00AM EST one month to the day even if it is a weeknight? 2. Les Elysees. I'll trade you with Ambrasciata for this one and will go. Any suggestions? Reserve a month in advance? Now? 3. Is Jamin still as good as, say, two years ago? 4. Tallievent. I was there five or six years ago with a different chef. Any thoughts on today? 5. Pierre Gagnaire. I've had dinner there. Alternatively to another dinner would I recapture the overall experience with a visit at lunch? This is a business meal with someone who has never been and I am not familiar with his luncheon menu. 6. Now, don't laugh, but there is an Italian restaurant called L'Osteria that is supposed to be very, very good. I can't eat French every day. Any thoughts? 7. Last, I've had 9 dinners at Violon d'Ingris, all in it's first two years when Christian was in the kitchen every night. As a bias, I also think his wife Catherine is absolutely superb in the front room and a wonderful lady. Having said this I have not been in several years and know that he has lost a star as well as having opened two more restaurants which will divide his time. My last visit, for the first time, there was not just one but two misses. In -part this has kept me away. Have you or anyone else been in the past few months who ALSO WENT IN ITS FIRST OR SECOND YEAR? Thanks.

By the way if you read some of the comments you'll find that a lot of people wanted to change some part of the recipe or one of the ingredients. When I think back on it I was not overbearing enough!You could change the amount of reggiano to two cups instead of three but other than that everything must stay the same. Also I hand carried on "blue ice" in a plane fresh gorgonzola en malga from a cheese shop in the Bologna market along with a 3 kilo chunk of reggiano which was moist on the inside. When I got home, about 14 hours after buying it I made this. It was incredible. Still, if you can find Mauri brand this is as good. I've also made this with various combinations of quattro fromaggio and many different kinds of individual cheese including eppousses (sp?)(it was interesting, "eppousses risotto""). This is still the best and the greatest deph of flavor.

Thanks to both of you. I am a serious cook who immodestly believes that I can do some things as well as anyone anywhere assuming I have access to the proper ingredients. Not a lot of things but some things. One of the dishes that I make myself which is better than any I have had anywhere else (Le Calandre included) is a toasted pistachio gorgonzola dolce risotto which I make with MAURI gorgonzola dolce (Very important) and the Pila Vecchia violane nano along with the best freshly grated reggiano and country butter (even Pleugra) that I can find. I also use chopped toasted pistachios ecause I want some crunch. This is an incredibly rich dish which uses far more butter, reggiano and dolce than you will even want to consider. Don't skimp on anything. This is a dish that is about 6 to 8 bites. The recipe I have found will probably seve 15 or so because of this richness. This is the link to what has become something of a notorious post on Chowhound because of my authoritarian manner in it. I apologize for the tone but there are too many people (including my sister who owned a restaurant that Phillys Richman once called one of D. C.'s 50 best) who cut corners. This is a dish to make exactly as I do. So an apology in advance but if you are into risotto and have the technique down I promise you risotto better than any you have had anywhere. (If you disagree PLEASE tell me where and I will go. I am probably as obsessed with risotto as the people at the rice mill!) http://www.chowhound.com/boards/general11/...ages/30466.html This generated about 200 responses on, I believe, four or five initial posts including this. It has been brought back up by a whole bunch of people who wanted to prove that it would not be as good as I promised. To the best of my knowledge there is no one who has made this CORRECTLY that has not said it is the best they have ever had. I have also made it for several chefs in the U. S. along with a number of friends, two of whom claim to have eaten in every two star and three star in Italy along with having been born in Vicenza and marrying a woman who only semi facetiously claims was because her mother made the best risotto he ever tasted. He is also the man who first told me about Calandre and the restaurant at the rice mill. He believes this is better than his mother in law's white alba truffle risotto. The other now makes it himself flying in the ingredients. I will request a table close to the kitchen. It is very important to me and thanks again. I will also try to find the artisinal arborio that Le Calandre uses. Thanks again.

I was just at Battebecco about six weeks ago. This was my fifth or six visit over the past eight or ten years. It will be interesting to hear your thoughts.

Thanks again, Craig. I've wanted to go for a long time and will go on this trip.

I'm familiar with the restaurant at the rice mill. I know several people who have been and echoed your feelings, although I've never been. How long does it take to drive from the center of Verona there?

Thanks, Craig.