Steve Plotnicki

Suvir - I want to know you aren't responding to the questions being asked of you by certain people in the "Poll" thread Including myself?) The questions are all valid and legitimate, and your avoiding them is making a bad situation worse. Would you be kind enough to address them please.

Jaybee - No I'm saying that I can't figure out why people like the '91 La Chapelle and '91 Chave. I've had them both on numerous occassions and I never find them enjoyable. Yet many people really like them. As for other La Chapelles, and Chaves, here's a link to a La Chapelle/Chave tasting I went to at Veritas last year. Chave/La Chapelle Shootout

Well I agree with what you said. Come to my house and I will pour for you 1996 Regusci Cabernet Sauvignon and while it isn't a heralded vintage (or wine), you will think you are drinking 1994 Bryant Family. But regardless, my comment wasn't directed at off vintages, but that vintage in particular and those two bottlings. Like I said, I know many people who have high regards for that wine, I just can't figure it out myself.

Cabrales - I see that Yves Camdemborde likes to invert his boudin noir/potato dishes. When I was there last year, I had a Shepherd's Pie made from Boudin Noir. It sounds like he just flipped the sausage and potatoes. And also mine was a main dish and not a starter. And Nick, Yves is from Bearn so the word Bernais (which Cabrales might be spelling incorrectly) probably means "in the style of." Bux - I agree with you that Regalade is a throwback to the old style bistro. Except there is something that is modern about the food there that I haven't put my finger on yet.

Aside from the thrill of your moment, which can certainly enhance the way something tastes, I never found the '91 La Chapelle to be all that good a wine. Same for the '91 Chave Hermitage which also is heralded as "underrated" and good value for the money. Everytime I have either of those wines I find them muddy and lacking clarity. I can't figure out what people see in wines from that vintage. Even the Chave Cuvee Cathelin which sells for $500 a bottle doesn't do it for me. Give me the '89 or '90 of either of those wines any day.

"I pronounce that this is not a pie moment" Andy - I couldn't agree more. And neither was that other instance I might add.

Hey guys this is a food website. Stop talking about dating and sex. Go take it outside to a place like Britdate.com. (I would post pictures of pie here (which I am throwing at you) and a few dozen "Stops" in gigantic and colorful lettering if I knew anything about computers.) Otherwise carry on.

Tighe - Well of course they grill fish everywhere, including the south coast of Turkey. But if a restaurant passes themselves off as "Turkish," as Dalga does, there needs to be some connection in the food to it being Turkish. I promise you that if you went to Elias Corner which is a Greek fish jjoint in Astoria, you would come away feeling you just ate a Greek meal. But more importantly, Dalga was ordinary grilled fish. Afterwards my wife and I were able to repeat our too often used mantra of "no need to go back there." And it's too bad because I like eating Turkish, even Turkish fish. Go to Nazar it's better. Nina - I try and avoid going anywhere with true Hebrew speakers. They chuch too much.

No it's been called Taci Beyti for many years. I'm trying to remember who recommended it for the first time, maybe it was Sietsema or Leff? Hmmm, I can't remember. And it used to be on Coney Island Avenue a block from Kings Highway. I've been there at least 5 times. How about Mabat, the kosher Yemenite just off of Kings Highway on ....., I can't remember the street but it's one off of Ocean Parkway? Have you ever been there? That's good too, but kosher has its limits if you know what I mean. Don't you dare try and outkebab me.

I've been to Taci Beyti many times, Not up to the level of Sahara.

Lullylou - There used to be a second Elephant & Castle in Soho. The Greenwich location is the original I believe. And the same people operate Noho Star and the Temple Bar. I will work on my Nouvelle Ashkenazy menu. It will feature a "lightened" version of cholent. One of the better borschts in town is the "Meat Borscht" at EAT. It's a hot beet borscht with chunks of boiled potatoes, chopped beets and hunks of flanken (notice how potatoes are chunks and flanken is hunks.) It is quite good and worth spending the outrageous money they charge to try it, In fact as I wrote earlier, they have the best chicken vegetable soup in town as well. Not cheap at $20 a quart though. Blue Heron - I would think that any place where beets grow, you can find a borscht. And I think that they threw whatever else they grew into the pot, or chpped up and into the bowl.

No Dalga is on 62nd Street between First Avenue and York Avenue. It's right across the street from the movie theater.

Tighe - I've eaten at Dalga and wasn't that impressed. It was mostly grilled fish and didn't seem to have much about it that was Turkish. The best Turkish restaurants I know of are not in Manhattan. For kebabs, doner, etc., Sahara in the Gravesend section of Brooklyn is the best place. But for more substantive cooking liked lamb shanks, baked fish etc., Nazar on Queens Blvd. in Sunnyside is the best. If you want to stay in Manhattan the best place is Pasha on 71st Street on the upper West Side.

I quite like eating in the bar at Pont de la Tour. It is mostly grills and a raw bar. There isn't much they can do to screw it up and as long as the quality is half good, especially in that setting. When I was there in February I had the scallops that were wrapped in a bacon rasher and grilled. Served with Beranaise sauce they were quite good. Not a bad steak frittes there either. On the whole, better quality than what they serve at La Coupole these days.

I would say hot, still slightly steaming. Very chilly soup, hot smashed fingerlings and some cool cucumber for crunchiness. I guess a dollop of creme fraiche and a spinkling of chopped chive couldn't hurt either. Deep pink, yellow potato, and two shades of green from the cukes and chives. Sounds like lunch at DB Bistro Moderne if we served it in a martini glass Maybe I can start a new food trend. Nouvelle Ashkenazy. .

Have you tried to fancy it up by whipping the sour cream into the borscht in a blender? The whole thing thickens and gets a lovely silken consistancy. If you were able to get really good potatoes like fingerlings and steam them and then smash them, and top it all with a bit of chopped cuke (no pits please) it takes the soup to another level. All you need is a nice chilly sauvifgnon blanc or gewerztraminer.

Toby - Thanks. I have the book and have enjoyed reading it. But it's not at the location I am logged on from.

Welcome Jordan. And thanks for that contribution. I agree that Bayliss's book (I assume you are speaking about his first book) is the best of the genre. But Zarella's books are full of passion and shouldn't go unnoticed. There's another book on Mexico that I like but can't think of the name. Something like A Cook's Tour of Mexico where they go to food markets in each region. It gives you a good feel for one of the world's great, but underappreciated cuisines.

Jacques Maximin is supposed to have the worst temper of them all. Max Bernard of Park Bistro told me a story about him when they worked together at Club A many years ago. Someone sent their food back, something like the scallops were undercooked etc. Maximin asked Max to step outside the back entrance where he was screaming at him never to do it again while waving a large slicing knife in his face. As for Bondo's original question, I think yelling goes on in lots of professions, not only in kitchens. But I think that societal behavior changes more slowly in places where the traditions are historically chauvenistic and authoritarian in the first place. Doesn't anyone see a connection between the employment of apprentices or stagieres and the type of behavior being described? I can't think of many other work environments where the lowest workers screw up right under boss's nose. Yelling will stop in places like law firms before it stops in kitchens. And it will probably stop because someone will bring some type of abuse case/ interference with job performance case based on a superiors abusive treatment. Then like most laws, it will trickle into every other profession.

Aurora - Well I was only feigning being snide. I have nothing against Trotter and I'm not a professional cook so I have nothing to be envious about and nothing to be spiteful for. Based on my only visit, I will admit to thinking Trotter to be one of the countries poorer restaurants in that category. All sizzle and no substance. If I had to compare it to anything I would call it the American Ducasse. Everything perfect, but no real purpose to the food. And while I am open minded about giving it another chance, I can tell you that I never met anyone I considered a serious foodie who ever enjoyed his meal there. Now how useful his cookbooks are to chefs might be another thing and I make no remarks as to that topic.

Jaybee - Pesquera is a inexpensively priced wine from the Ribera del Duero region of Spain, which is in the north central portion of the country. It is made from the tempranillo grape and aged in American oak casks. Tempranillo is the same grape used to make Rioja, but as opposed to the style if wines made in Rioja which is more Burgundian and floral, the wines from Ribero always seemed more Bordeaux like to me. In fact, in recent years a few of the new wineries in the region are growing cabernet sauvignon and making bottlings that are either exclusively CS or blends with tempranillo. Pesquera is an inexpensive producer that makes a good quality wine given the price point (around $20 a bottle.) Certain people criticize the wine as not being of sufficient quality, but I have had 25 year old bottles that have aged beautifully and were delightful to drink. In better years they make a Reserva (about $35 a bottle), and a Gran Reserva ($75 a bottle) and in perfect years they make a super luxury bottling called Janus ($100+) a bottle.

John - I'm afraid that the Lauden book is no match for "The Hawaii Kai Cookbook." Aurora - Just ignore the Suvir stuff. Why do you like the Trotter books, so you can make tall food? Actually I'm just being a bit snide about Trotter. I haven't eaten there since 1994. But my meal was less than impressive. In fact, downright mediocre. I get conflicting reports on the place. Some people love it and more find it ordinary. The best comment I heard was that if you live in NYC, you won't be impressed. But I'm going to go back one of these days.

Lxt - You're in the wrong thread. Go over to the Union Pacific thread on the NY board and read the bottom of the thread about chocolate, and how restaurants like to serve it to women.

Don't go. If you want to attend a cental coast wine function, the best one is the Hospice de Rhone in Paso Robles but it took place 3 weeks ago.

Bedlington Cafe in Chiswick. But not on the High Street. It's sort of behind Hogarth's House and halfway to the Kew Bridge. Very unassuming in a coffee shop setting. My office used to be near there so I went all the time. Haven't been in a number of years though.