[Those stars in full]

Wilfrid - Your post is thoughtful and well, philosophical! It manages to cut through much of the semantics that we often get bogged down in when we try and parse our way through these discussions. What we all struggle for is some common denominator to compare things that are unlike on their face. And what your post seems to come down to is that the Rolling Stones are a 3 star band, working in a millieu that might be less than 3 stars if one uses classical music as their baseline.

So what Michelin should do is extract ethnic restaurants from their list and recommend them seperately, awarding each food category a number of stars and then seperate stars for the listings in the category. So that way a Syrian restaurant can have 2 stars, providing that the category of Middle Eastern food is prefaced by say, a single star. Problem is, it's a bit convoluted and it gets back to your point of there being difficulty in expressing it to the public. The real issue here is that Michelin does not want to openly say that they feel that French cuisine is "better" than other cuisines. But they are most happy for that implication to exist through the way they award stars.

[Taillevent Merged topics]

Holly - That's Marc Veyrat. He's in Lake Annecy a few hours from Lyon. But it's bad news there as well as he is closed for the winter. During the wintertime he operates a restaurant in one of the ski resorts (Megeve?) But that might be too big of a schlep. But maybe not. Two choices within range of Lyon are Pic in Valence, about 100 km's south and I believe a 2 star these days, and Alain Chapel in Mionnay, 22 km's outside of Lyon which is also a 2 star I believe. I haven't been to either, though I hear that Anne-Sophie Pic is really doing a good job these days. And Robert Brown is the Alain Chapel expert here. Then there is always George Blanc in Vonnas a mere 66 km's from Lyon. But I'm not a fan of that place. But I haven't been in years and maybe someone could post an updated report. Anoher choice if you are going to Marseille is Jardin de Sens in Montpelier the most recent of the 3 star promotions by Michelin. You can take the TGV there right from Lyon, and the train from there to Marseille isn't much more than a few hours on the slow train.

[Those stars in full]

Andy - You make a good point about Michelin's raison d'etre. On the wine boards, any discussion of the critic Robert Parker is fraught with controversy. A while back, someone asked what the key to Parker's success was. After much bantering, some quite similar to the bantering going on here, a friend of mine (an ex-pat living in Britain of course) made the comment that what Parker did was corganize a hierarchy among the various regions of the world that produce wine, and the various varietals produced within those regions.

He was absolutely right of course. What makes Michelin successful, and Zagat successful, and Parker successful is that they present their recommendations numerically, well organized so as to clearly tell the readers what they believe the hierarchy of things are. I guess we all like lists of things. And despite the fact that the approach is somewhat flawed, they still offer the most concise perspective on not only where to eat, but when to eat there too, which might be even a more important fact than what to eat.

[Those stars in full]

Tony - As Jon so aptly put it, hierarchys and codifications are what drives cuisine.  And the same codification of technique and their application are what drives other artforms as well. I mean Louis Arrmstrong is Louis Armstrong because his Hot Fives and Sevens codify the way jazz is harmonized. And Escoffier is who he is because he codified cooking techniques in his time.  And today both jazz and cooking are still derivitive of Armstorng and Escoffier. And in light of their accomplishments, I find it hard to argue that pizza is as good as Foie Gras with Peaches in a Port reduction. Even though, I am in the mood for pizza far more often than I am in the mood for Foie Gras.

[Those stars in full]

Simon - Actually, it's the Judao-Christian point of view that's the winner here. You can add Islam, but that is really covered under one of the two strains of Judao (Sephardic.) And other cultures/religions have great culinary traditions. Hindu obviously, Buddhist, Mexican being derivitive of Native American cuisine, especially in their approach to their daily bread. Unfortunately it's the Wasps  who have lagged far behind in the development of interesting cuisines. It seems they have done nothing more than a bunch of boiling. At least the Brits have distinguished themselves by having ovens :).

As for people using sophistication as a way of segmenting society, I guess that's the bad bit that unfortunately comes with the good. It doesn't change the fact that Shakespere *is* more sophisticated than other writers. And any negative aspect of how he gets used should be ascribed to people who use it in that manner. But in no way should it reflect poorly on the artist himself.

[Those stars in full]

Simon - But your point about making Rann (is that the right name?) is spot on for my theory. Isn't it the most heralded of Moghul dishes because it applies the most technique and aren't the flavors are the most complex as a result?

You know I can take a brisket of beef, marinate it for 48 hours in some high powered marinade, and then apply a spice rub to it before cooking. I can then on my little Weber kettle BBQ in my backyard, slowly smoke it for 7-8 hours over flavored woods. It's an amazing application of technique, and the final result will be delicious. But what I will end up with is not worthy of a Michelin star. Why? The end result isn't sophisticated enough to warrant it.

So while I can say that the application of technique for Indian cuisine is sophisticated, and the result can be complex food, for me it doesn't rise to the level of sophistication that French cuisine rises to. So your Indian lamb recipe does warrant a star when it is executed properly, it just doesn't warrant two stars. And again, that might be a function of enculturation and perspective, but I've already covered that ground and admitted I use that perspective as a starting point.

[Those stars in full]

Simon & Adam - If one isn't willing to accept the premise that there are distinctions between naive art, popular art and high art, it makes it difficult to have a conversation about them. And if that is the case here, I don't have a reply to the argument that says Syrian folk music, or Syrian cuisine is as evolved as either Beethoven or French cuisine. If you truly believe that, aside from my personal opinion that you have gotten it all wrong, it is an unreconcilable argument because you simply believe in different culinary and cultural gods than I believe in.  But it all reminds me of something a very smart wine buddy of mine says whenever the conversation veers off on this tangent (actually she is quoting Tom Stoppard.) She always says Shakespere is better. Why, because it just is. And in that light I will say that Beethoven is just a higher expression of music as an artform than Syrian folk music is. But I guess people who have never left Alleppo, and who have never been exposed to Western culture might feel differently about it. But I feel like I am on the firmest of ground when I say that, the Michelin Guide isn't published with those types of people in mind. It's published for people who are willing to adopt the hierarchy it presents based on a fairly commonly held view of what is "better."

[Those stars in full]

Jon - Agree with you but I think you need to add Mexican and North African to your list of cuisines that have systemized methods of cooking. Both of those cuisines offer requisite amounts of technique to qualify them. But the problem with other cuisines is exactly what you put your finger on with the English meat and two veggies system. Simply roasting meats, while being delicious, doesn't exactly call for the application of much technique.

I can draw the following examples.

Roast a leg of lamb and serve it "au jus" with natural gravy. That would be the American way and the Brit way too I believe.

Roast it over a pan of sliced potatoes so the drippings flavor the potatoes. Greek style eh? Or even peasant French.

Or Roast it over a pan to catch the drippings, take the pan and put it on the stove, add some demi-glace, some red wine and a knob of butter and deglaze the pan. Slice the lamb thin and spoon the sauce over the slices. Wait, I feel a Michelin star coming on for that preparation :).

[Those stars in full]

Andy - I would tend to agree. But what flies in the face of that statement is the number of starred establishments they now have in Spain, including the three 3 star restaurants which are bound to grow in number. But I guess that Michelin's view would be that the technique practiced in the El Bulli's of the world is derivitive of French, or Haute Cuisine. I would love to hear his answer to that question.

[Those stars in full]

Simon - You have twisted my words. I didn't say French cuisine is "better", meaning one can't like Syrian cuisine more than French cuisine, I said that the techniques involved in French cuisine are more developed than other cuisines so the meals offer a level of technical complexity other cuisines do not offer. If you do not believe that is true, you are entitled to your opinion. But it is like telling me that Syrian folk music is better than Beethoven because you do not accept the enculturated point of view as to what is the best music. And I make the distinction not to argue that Beethoven is better in the absolute, but to make the point that that there is a line of thinking that accepts that premise (widely held I might add.) And if you are going to criticize Michelin because that premise is its starting point, you have an unresolvable argument. But if you believe in the hierachy of culinary technique that they start from, it is understandable how a Syrian restaurant couldn't possibly get 3 stars. But, as I pointed out in my last response, I think they are too slow to recognize  modern technique as well as traditional technique that deserve to be evaluated through a different lens. And that is why I personally cannot reconcile the gap between the 3 stars a place like Arpege gets and the 1 star a place like Nobu gets, even though the application of technique is not all that different, all the while acknowledging that  Nobu, even though sublime, is not as sublime or as cerebral an experience as Arpege.  As a result, Michelin end up being too slow to recognize the merits of a cuisines such as Syrian period. Which I might, add is it's main failing as a guide.

[Those stars in full]

Tony - Well the reason that Michelin feel that restaurants featuring different cuisines aren't as good as ones that serve French cuisine is because they are right about it. It hardly pains me to say this but, as much as I like the cuisines you have mentioned, as well as a few you haven't mentioned, there really isn't any cuisine where cooking techniques, strategy for serving the meal, along with the presentation of the meal are as evolved as in French cuisine. And that is before you throw wine and all of it's complexities into the mix. I mean French cuisine is so evolved, the organization of a proper tasting menu calls for a different wine for each dish. And the French have sufficiently different wines froim different regions to virtually have countless pairings. I can't think of another cuisine like that, even cuisines that have contemporaneous wine cultures like Italian or Spain. However, I think where this starts to fall apart is when you start going down  the food chain away from the 3 star restaurants and look at the restaurants they are awarding stars to for lesser application of technique like one stars. It's in this category that they do a poor job of identifying non-French restaurants that deserve a single star. And for me, when places like Nobu and Roussilon get the same rating it exposes this flaw in their system the most.  I mean I would like to be able to point to an Indian, Chinese or North African restaurant worthy of two stars but I don't even know where to begin. And maybe a good part of it is cultural bias, I've been enculturated to think of those cuisines as ethnic cuisines so I don't give them proper consideration. But if you ask me, I really don't think that's the case. I just think the French spent the 20th Century taking various peasant and ethnic dishes and refining them to the point of making them part of "cuisine." So as much as I think Michelin can be a waste, I also think their snootiness when it comes to French cooking seems to have a basis in fact.

[Taillevent Merged topics]

Holly - Hey good for you. I guess business must be slow as in the past I've heard of people who begged for dinner reservations and couldn't get them. As for the TGV, they offer a 25% discount for a Staurday night stayover. I just did it last weekend. It's easiest if you reserve yourself as you will have to buy the ticket in advance on a credit card and pick the tickets up the day of travel. The SNCF phone number is 011 338 92 35 35 35. If you don't speak French, they have people who speak English.

[Craft]

Brown - I'm glad you liked it. You were obviously there on a good night. I felt almost the same as you the first time I had lunch there. But I felt differently about it after a mediocre dinner a few weeks later. That was about 4 months ago so I should go back.

Shaw - The reason that Craft falters is because they are caught up in enmeshing diners in the concept of the restaurant instead of simply serving them food. When Robert says in his review that the food is on par with bistros in France, that is so far off from how they present themselves. Based on how the restaurant sells itself, one would think that something more profound is going on there. I think a good percentage of the people who have posted negative things about it would be less put off if the gimmick was removed. And maybe that has already happened when Robert says the mix and match part of the menu has been simplified.

[Angelina - Paris...what happened???]

Magnolia - I was in France this past weekend and I thought figuring out how to use Euros including the coins wasn't all that hard. I mean they say 1 and 2 Euros right on the coins. As for the poor service at Angelina's, what can I say. It happens everywhere from time to time. But in my experience they are pretty adept at turning the tables there, meaning they don't leave empty tables sitting around for very long. So who knows, maybe the second replacement host was on duty.

[Taillevent Merged topics]

Holly - First, it is very difficult to get a reservation for dinner at Taillevent unless you are on a special list of customers or know someone who can get it for you. So that might eliminate it from the getgo if you are set on dinner. Lunch is much easier, and in my opinion, can be more enjoyable there. The place has the feel of a private club more than a restaurant and I've found it livelier during the day than at night. Aside from these issues, it's not a place where you are likely to be wowed by the food. Don't get me wrong, the food can be great, but the goal of the restaurant is not to be shattering any barriers. Where they do excel is in their service and their wine list. It is possible to leave feeling like the King of England. And the wine list is a treasure trove if you are the type of person looking for Premier Cru and Grand Cru Burgundys at the equivelent of retail prices. But if you are looking for a cutting edge meal with fireworks, that's not the place for you.

I noticed from your itinerary that you are spending time in the provinces. If so, may I suggest that your blow out three star meal take place in the provinces and not in Paris. Since I see you are going to be in Lyon, may I suggest you blow your wad at Troisgros, a mere hours drive from Lyon. But if you are intent on doing so in Paris and want cutting edge, the best choices are Arpege or Pierre Gagniere. I ate at L'Ambroisie earlier this year and was disappointed. And I have never been to Ducasse or Le Grand Vefour.

[Gordon Ramsay Royal Hospital Road]

Simon - You should give it another go. It's worth the punt as they say. I'm usually not impressed by the upper end of restaurants in London like The Square etc. I mean they are fine and all that but I never see what the big deal is about. This was clearly more focused and quite enjoyable as a result. Actually, a trusted source was raving about La Trompette and I have to try it.

Jon - No other freebies I can remember other than an extra dessert which is escaping me at the moment. Unfortunately, I pay much better attention to the food when the occassion is merely social and not a business metting. As for The Ivy, the person I was lunching with has heavy juice there, like he can get a table on 20 minutes notice at a busy time. But it's another place I enjoy going to providing one accepts that they are not trying to win any awards with their food. Yet, I've never had less than an enjoyable meal there.

[Angelina - Paris...what happened???]

Magnolia - Have you been paying attention to current events? First of all, nothing could be easier to figure out than Euros. They are virtually the same as dollars and the Japanese people I have met don't seem to have any problem with dollars. Second, Angelina's used to be Runplemeyer's in the old days. I'm not sure when, or why they changed the name. Third and foremost, if you hadn't noticed, since Sept 11 tourism is down everywhere. When I was walking through the St. Germain section of Paris this past Friday evening it was deserted. It was something I had never experienced in Paris before. It was about 6:30 in the evening, a time the streets are usually full of shoppers as the next day is a non work day. But I found myself walking down streets where I was virtually the only person on the block. Even in London, a place that is still booming it was a bit muted. And my BA flight to NYC on Tuesday morning was a little more than half full. And while I can't speak to the goings on in Angelina, one has to see these things in their proper light.

[Gordon Ramsay Royal Hospital Road]

Some business meetings that came up at the last minute, mainly a lunch meeting on Monday brought me to London earlier this week. When I scheduled the lunch, I asked the P.A. of the person I was meeting with to try and get a table at either of the Gordon Ramsey restaurants. When she phoned me the next day to tell me they were booked, and that she had reserved at The Ivy, I was more than a little disappointed. But then good fortune kicked in. I called the restaurant myself about a reservation next month, and I figured I would give it a go and ask for a table for Monday lunch. After a moment of checking, they offered me a table for 1:45. Do they like Americans more than Brits?

I arrived right on time. My table wasn't ready and they sat us in the small waiting area. The place is much smaller than I imagined it. I was also expecting a gruff welcome and cold treatment. From the things you read about the place, it seems like Gordon himself is screaming at everyone as soon as they enter. But they couldn't have been nicer to us. In fact, one would think that they knew me and were welcoming me back. Maybe I was wearing the right suit? I asked for a wine list and poured through the pages for about five minutes while waiting for the table to be ready. The list itself was excellent, with many top choices in every category. But unfortunately it was a bit dear in price, though I have to say it had the requisite "bargains," if one can afford to call 200 pound bottles bargains.

After we sat, they served us a small cup of Pumpkin Soup with Truffle Oil as an Ameuse Geule. A nice warmup. I started with a Salad of Caramelized Sweetbreads which was stunning, showered with some capers that fortunately didn't dominate the dish as they often do. I followed with the Sea Bass steamed in Basil Leaves served on wilted spinach along with some fingerling potatoes that had dots of celeriac puree on them. And the entire dish was painted with dots of caviar. This dish was less successful overall than my starter, though still very good. But the others at the table had Turbot and Shin of Beef which were both excellent. A good cheese cart as well including a very stinky Soumaritine (sp?) from Burgundy. We drank delicious wines, draining both bottles with ease.

1999 Coche-Dury Meursault Perrieres - I am a sucker for Coche’s Perrieres. They are cut with such precision, like they are gems. And the wine sparkles that way too. The 1999 bottling is less fat than prior vintages. Stony and more mineral in style. Not as much lemon custard as the ‘’96 or ’97 bottlings. I know I sound like I’m complaining but it was still gorgeous. As with all young Coche wines, the wine just grows like crazy in the glass. And by the time we had drained the bottle we would have been happy taking it intravenously. 92 points and if this wine picks up weight it will merit a higher score.

1988 Henri Gouges Nuit-St.-George Pruliers - It started out a bit funky. But after about ten minutes the funk blew off and it turned into a delicious little wonder. Lighter in weight than I expected. None of the hard tannins, big acid characteristics of the ‘88’s. Nice Burgundy 90 points

It was a lovely meal. We started at 1:50 and it was well past 4:30 when we left. Nobody hurried us. The place wasn’t at all the way people talk or write about it. They couldn’t have been more accommodating. I could get used to being a regular there if I had to :). I need to go back for dinner as I understand they serve a tasting menu in the evening and that would be the best way to evaluate the place. A three course lunch is a difficult way to get a handle on what a chef is thinking. One more thing, the food was beautifully presented. The dishes were elegant and well organized without being overly fussy and it added to the overall experience.  Score it <b>A-</b> for now, but I anticipate the score to rise a notch after another visit.

[Steak Frites, Relais de Venise and "secret" sauce]

Mogsob - Try Le Gourmet des Ternes which is just off the Place des Ternes in the 8th. They have steaks of all shapes and sizes and will satisfy her urge. Make sure you book as it is small and fills up for each meal. The best hanger steak these days is at Le Mauzac, a medium size wine bar near the Sorbonne. I'd stay away from places like Au Boeuf Caronne on Avenue Jean-Jaures in the 19th which isused to be the meatpacking district. They are not what they used to be.

[Frisee Aux Lardons]

Smithi - If I had to recommend one in NYC, I would probably go with Les Halles. But in reality, I think that a proper Frisee Salad, which Bux accurately describes as something with Lardons and an egg on top, like Cassoulet, Pot au Feu, Bouillbabaisse and countless other French classics, just can't be found in the U.S. But if you get the opportunity, you should fly to Lyon, because almost every single restaurant serves that salad. No exageration.

[The Fifty Essential Manhattan Restaurants]

I've been having a hard time responding to this list. I mean there are a number of places I could easily dispute, but given personal prefernces I don't see how I could muster up a serious argument. In general, it's a fine list. And agreeing or disagreeing comes down to splitting hairs over the definition of the word "essential."

But even though my list would probably be different by at least 50%, if I was forced to only dine at your list, life would still be pretty good.

[The Fifty Essential Manhattan Restaurants]

Chris Russell - Is that you, "the" Chris? If it is, this is Steve, remember from the crazy wine dinners with Paul Silberbush from a few years ago?

(Edited by Steve Plotnicki at 12:28 am on Jan. 24, 2002)

[Ti Couz or d'Alloyau in Paris?]

Stellabella - You mean Ty Coz which is a Breton seafood restaurant in the 11th arr. and Dalloyau which is a pattiserie/teahouse with multiple locations. I can't comment on Ty Coz as I've never been. But I've been in the various Dalloyaus on a number of occassions. It is fine but, I much prefer both Laduree (about which The New York Times ran a story today) and Angelina whcih could have the best hot chocolate anywhere.

(Edited by Steve Plotnicki at 12:22 am on Jan. 24, 2002)

[Arpege: dinner and lunch; 2002-2004]

I had planned a last minute trip to France. Between the Marche au Vin taking place in Ampuis over the weekend, and business meetings that were crystalizing in London at the beggining of the week, it was enough to make me get on the plane for the overnight journey. I phoned a friend who was going to be traveling for the week in Germany and made plans to meet up in Paris on Friday. Once I decided to go, I tried to book a table at both Arpege and Gagniere but as they say, they were fully booked. But then a friend of mine informed me they had a late reservation at Arpege on Friday and invited us to join them. Now how can someone pass up an invitation like that?

In all my years of dining in France, I have never dined at Arpege. I must hold some kind of record for walking past a 3 star restaurant and never eating there. But in spite of the frequency of my passing, for some reason I didn’t feel a terrible need to go. But a few years ago when Mad Cow Disease broke out in France, Alain Passard the chef/owner of Arpege announced he was going to stop serving meat and would be concentrating on vegetables. As one could imagine, a controversy ensued with certain people raving about the “vegetarian” cuisine and others complaining that it was a crazy price to pay for merely vegetables. Well I’m a guy who likes to be in the thick of a good controversy so I decided it was time to see what all the fuss (or not) was about.

Our dinner was a special menu chosen by the kitchen. The person we were dining with eats there quite often and they always prepare a surprise menu. This night it was an 8 course affair and it was 11:00pm when they started serving us and 2:00am when we got into our taxi. The dinner itself was pretty much something that I hadn’t ever experienced before. Passard practices what he calls “non-aggressive cooking.” I believe his kitchen  does not have an oven.  Everything is slow cooked in either a sauté pan or roasted in a cocotte.  The philosophy appears to be to serve everything in the most natural state and the  best way to do that is to cook things at the lowest possible temperature for as long  as it takes to “sweat” the flavor out of it.

We were served the following,

Celery Root and Black Truffles from the Perigord baked in a salt crust

Lobster and Turnips with a hint of Rosemary in a sauce of Honey and Xeres Vinegar

Salt Baked Beetroot with artisinal Salted Butter from Brittany made by Mr. Bordier

Onion Gratin with Perigord Truffles and Parmaigian Reggiano

Langoustines with an Herb Emulsion and Grapefruit Juice

Scallops with Braised Carrots and Turnips from the Val D’Anjou with small shavings of Lemongrass

Wild Duck hunted by Mr. Aubry Fancois

Preserved Tomatoes flambéed in Calvados and stuffed with a dozen Savoury Flavors and served with a scoop of Mint Ice Cream

The celery root was a good way to start, calibrating our palates for what was to come. They served us each a quarter of an entire one, and the truffles were applied to each side. It sort of reminded me of the consistency of yucca when they serve it in a Latino restaurant. But celeriac is more pungent, yet still starchy and potato like. The truffles took the edge off and made it seem comforting. This next dish was my second favorite of the evening. It was very small and delicate pieces of lobster meat. Cooked for a moment, just until soft but retaining enough firmness to remind one they are eating lobster. The turnips were sliced paper thin and laid atop the lobster meat. They were more about texture than flavor. In between were very small cuttings of rosemary. This tiny little lobster “cake” was sitting in a pool of sweet and sour (honey and vinegar) sauce. It was a great combination of land, sea, sweet, tart, soft yet firm and crunchy. But it was the rosemary that really made the dish fly, adding an unexpected flavor and texture. Excellent and I can see making the same dish at home with thin slices of Diver Scallops that have been cooked for a moment. With these dishes we drank,

1998 Haut Brion Blanc - A wine with a great reputation, this was my first experience. In general I don’t drink much Bordeaux Blanc. What a beautiful wine. Amazingly ripe. There seems to be a good deal of residual sugar. But not overly sweet. So young. This bottle will last for ages and with time I think it will pick up some herbal notes that will blend in perfectly. Worth owning some to lay away 93 points

All of a sudden the captain appeared with three glasses of white wine, which he said was a surprise. “See if you can guess what it is.” I picked it up, smelled it and it seemed like young chardonnay, a bit woody too. I tasted it and it was fizzy. For the life of us we couldn’t figure it out. It was Champagne like, but not what I’m used to drinking. Then they appeared with a tray holding three small domes of Beetroot baked in a salt crust. Moments later they served us each an entire beet with the stem cut off and the top partially scooped out. Inside the little gorge they had created was a large pat of Mr. Bordier’s fantastic salty Breton butter. In my opinion this dish captured the spirit of Passard’s philosophy more than any other dish. Nothing but top quality vegetables, perfectly cooked and adorned with amazing butter. The beet was sweet as sugar. Served firm, but just soft enough for it to be something you could bite into. It had an elastic quality which would give way to a sudden crunch. And the butter, sheesh. Once again, a marvel of sweet and salty. Formidable. And the wine turned out to be,

1973 Dom Perignon - It turns out that the winemaker for DP was dining there that night and they were kind enough to send over three glasses to our table. Well you could have knocked me over with a feather when I found out what it was. Not only was it so very young tasting (like if they told me it was a 1995 I would have believed them), but they tricked us even further by serving it to us in a white wine glass. It didn’t have the yeastiness I associate with DP, which is maybe why I didn’t guess Champagne at first. I wouldn’t mind trying it again though, this time from a proper glass and giving it the requisite time to air out a bit 92 points

Next was a small gratin of caramlized onions and black truffle held together by some Parmigiano Reggiano. It was very light. The whole concoction must have been 1/8 of an inch from the surface of the gratin dish. Once again Passard reoriented our palates from the sweetness of the beets to the savory of the onions, which had the perfect amount of crunch to them to make them seem more substantial than just a vegetable. The gratin was followed by a row of Langoustines, their tails glistening from the sparakle of a bit of sel de Guerande while their bodies were gutted and filled with an herb emulsion, all tied together with grapefruit juice. Another instance of sweet versus salty but the inclusion of the taste of the sea had now set us off on a new direction.

1995 Haut Brion - I heard this was drinking well so I opted for it over some 1999 Burgundy they had listed. I figured why not make it an all Haut Brion evening? Well it does drink very well, especially for young Bordeaux. Will this ever go into a closed phase? More fruit in the balance than I know HB to have. It usually is all minerally and gravely. Maybe that will change with time but I’m not sure. It certainly doesn’t show like typical HB. If there was a flaw, the acid was a bit too prominent for my palate. A wine to layaway but also to be checked every five years or so. I thought the ’98 Blanc was the best wine of the evening 90 points

Then they served us Sea Scallops with some carrots and some turnips along with some tiny shavings of  lemongrass. This was my favorite dish of the night. The scallops were so dense, it was like someone took two or three scallops and compressed them into one. It was almost like eating steak. And the carrots were perfect, slowly cooked in salty butter until they were as sweet as sugar. Another dish where sweet, salty, firm yet soft from the scallops juxtaposed against two different types of crunchiness from the vegetables made for something unique. And finally they brought out a small but beautiful wild duck, which turned out to be shot in the North of France by a friend of the chef. One of us even found some remaining buckshot in the duck  After two hours of vegetables and fish, the texture and flavor of the duck was both strong and alarming. Maybe a bit too chewy and gamey for me. But I am not chasse crazy like some other people.

We finished with the famous Tomato dessert. They take a tomato, sort of a very large cherry tomato, blanch it, peel it, remove the insides, and then slowly sauté it over a low flame for two hours all the while basting it in orange caramel. They then make a filling of a dozen flavors like pistachio, cinnamon, clove, pineapple, etc and stuff the tomato with it. They heat it at tableside and our version was flambéed with Calvados just before serving. A small scoop of soft mint ice cream is served alongside it. Having heard about this dessert for so many years, I have to say it was sort of a letdown. I like the concept but the dozen flavors weren’t my favorites. Too much of the flavor of dried fruits for me. I would prefer it a bit sweeter. But now that I know how they make it I have to try it at home.

So how do I rate Arpege? Well it was certainly different. Passard’s approach is truly unique. The closest comparison I can think of is Senderen's foie gras steamed in cabbage leaves. I can also understand how some people would call it simplistic, and complain about paying those prices for vegetables. But I can see it from the minimalist perspective as well. And writing up these notes made me think through my meal in a way I couldn’t think it through as it was being served.

I think it is great that at the same time Passard's approach can exist, it is countered by Pierre Gagniere's approach. How can two approaches, both as cerebral as these are, exist at the extreme opposite ends of the spectrum? And if one can describe Gagniere’s cuisine as coming in flourishes and waves of harmonies, Passard’s cuisine is sort of like Erik Satie. Slow, sustained notes, each one important. I must admit that the former suits me a bit more when it comes to dining. I am better described as a glutton than a thinker. But there was something about this meal that is gnawing at me and it deserves further exploration.

Something else I found original was his approach to sweet and salty. I am used to the classic examples that are typically found in Mediteranean or in Asian cuisine. His was sort of a Northern European approach and it was new for me. Breton salted butter is the foundation and pairing it with the natural sweetness of root vegetables is the cultural equivalent of the other examples. So, I was going to give Arpege a rating of A, but now I found myself writing A+ because there is something about the meal calling me back there. And since I am going to be back in Paris next month, I hope I get to further explore its wonders.

[Lyon]

Holly - Hey I was just there this past weekend. I was going to write up my notes but then I saw your post. I was only there for one night and stayed at the Sofitel Bellecour because it was convenient. But I have to say it was very nice even if it was a businessman's hotel and I wouldn't hesitate staying there again. My room was right on the Rhone and had a beautiful view. Last year I stayed at the Cour des Loges in the old town and it was really nice in that Relais & Chateau kind of way. Old building refitted with a modern installation.

We ate two meals while there. First we got off the TGV and went directly to La Meuniere which is a traditional Lyonaisse Bouchon in the area a few blocks south of the opera house. I had what they call the "Buffet Lyonaisse" which is about 10 bowls of duck cracklings, pigs feet, lentils, endive in mayo, herring and potatoes etc. I followed it with a Monkfish Tail in Garlic Butter with some plain white rice on the side. The person I was traveling with had a huge slab of terrine, like two inches thick followed by some sausage slices in a red wine sauce with potatoes. Soul food. Very good and you certainly won't leave hungry. Lunch for the two of us was about ๠ with a bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape.

Dinner was at the Cote Rotie in Ampuis which I noticed Graham recommended. But I was at a dinner for 30 in a

private room upstairs and had to order from a set menu. I had some terrific pumpkin soup that was studded with pumpkin seeds, loads of shavings of truffles and it was topped with a slice of ham that was fried to a crisp so it would break easily on the bowl. Extremely good. My Dorade entree was also good, but the other choice which was a Daube of Beef Cheeks was better. It's a charming place and has a tremendous list of wines from the Rhone Valley. It's a 30 minute drive south of Lyon.