innocente

We found out that the show was to be aired on Saturday night (Sunday morning, I guess) at 3:00 am. Naturally, we taped it and watched the results with breakfast this morning. The hardest part of the annoying pbs reschedule was avoiding this thread to keep from finding out who was 86'd. The look on Michael's face when he tasted Yannick's terrine was priceless--old stone face looked like he was eating--well, you know--cat food? L.

Mention of "Martin"s" on Bway around 60th brings back memories. When I used to fly in from Canada every month to go to the Met throughout the 70s and 80s, I was on a budget and always got cheap, basic food at Martin's (meatloaf, chicken etc). Don't forget the Cafeteria at the West Side YMCA across from Lincoln Centre. I used to stay at the Y on my Met visits and ate at the Cafeteria when even Martin's was over my budget. The Cafeteria served walk-ins as well as Y denizens (still does). Now, since the Y has been there forever, I assume that the Cafeteria has been there serving since the--what?? early 1900's. That must make this eaterie amongst the longest standing in the neighbourhood. L.

My low tech passive system involves wrapping each bottle in bubble wrap then filling as many Rubbermaid containers as I need, then throwing a wet face cloth inside. Every so often, I check to see if the face cloth is dried out, then re-moisten it. The apartment is always hot but the wine I take from the rubbermaids seems moderately cool most of the year. Read about this apartment method in the local paper's wine column. A relatively el cheapo low tech storage method IMHO. L.

K. and I were in New York for five food filled days last week. Amma was on our list and indeed, we had the tasting menu (veg and non veg) and can only agree with everyone else. The food was like no other Indian joint in our experience back home in Ontario. The service was great and of course, the heralded Bikki convinced us that beer is a poor second to a properly chosen wine flight. We put ourselves into the hands of our jovial server and couldn't have been more thrilled with the variety and quality and sheer novelty of the items on the tasting menu. We bow before you, Suvir and Hemant, not to mention Bikki and all the rest of the talented and charming staff of Amma.

Vox--Do tell. How did the restaurant fall from grace for you?

While my wife grabs the financial section, my first read from the Saturday Globe is Joanne Kates's column. It usually "reads aloud" well so we both get a good laugh from her writing. She seems to focus on demographic issues in terms of service. Since K. and I are in the same demographic, age-wise and, I'm assuming, waist-size wise, we "hear" her loud and clear. There are indeed some lousy eateries in TO.

Living less than 2 hours from Stratford and being diehard theatre goers we make the trip several times a year - sometimes for a weekend, but more often for a matinee and dinner. Bijou has become a favorite - but really more during the top and tail of the season when reservations are easier to come by. The food is consistently very good, the service friendly and the value excellent compared to most of the higher end places in town. Down the Street was our past favorite, but in the last two years we've felt that the food has suffered as the "scene" has escalated. I guess it depends which you're after as to whether you will still enjoy it as much as previously. Woolfy's is on the list and has been for some time. Maybe next year. Just a bit further down the road is our find of this year "Smith and Latham" in St. Mary's - a bright and airy bistro type restaurant. We had a very good dinner ( I'm sorry but the details escape me) and superb service. The hostess/ owner is particularly charming. Her husband is a wine geek and is in charge of the wine list, which has some interesting picks from Niagara. We'll certainly return during next season - even though it's in the opposite direction from home. Cheers, Kathy

You said it--a royal pain in the ass. If the food wasn't so good, I'd tell them to fuck off. If that allowed? Here, I mean...

K. and I were VERY annoyed when we dropped into Jamie Kennedy's Wine Bar yesterday (Tues) around 5:15 after seeing The Producers. We were told, along with three or so other drop ins that no tables or bar seats were available since they were taking reservations "for the Holidays". So there were all these empty tables and all these fully occupied bar and kitchen seats. The expressed policy of the restaurent, as we had been told by the waitstaff on a previous visit, was that there would be NO RESERVATIONS. The whole concept of the place is that it is first come, first served during the hours of operation. Grrrrr............. Wouldn't it be nice to be consistent, especially since we could have easily phoned for a reservation days ahead to coincide with our visit to the city. My guess is that some high flying Jamie Kennedy groupies are too self important to take a chance on an empty seat being available when they want to dine. So he's been pressured to accept reservations. Well, the idea of a drop-in tapas style place was a good one while it lasted--approximately 5 weeks, by my count.

My birthday present from K. was a China oolong Jasmin Cheung Hao. It's so so so good in the late evening when it's time to sit back and read. And the scent is intoxicating too.

So here's the menu and wine suggestions as of Saturday last: Grilled Flatbread with Three Dips--2000 Quinta de Ventozelo Tinto, Douro Yukon Gold Fries with Lemon and Mayonnaise--Pacina Chianti Colli Senesi, Tuscany Yukon Gold Fries as Poutine--Chianti as above Artisanal Cheeses with Wild Rice Roti--2000 Rockford Semillon, Barossa Valley Winter Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette--2002 Cave Spring Dry Riesling, Niagara Pate with Jardiniere Vegetables and Celery Root Salad--1995 Chateau Megyer Tokaji Aszu Lobster Bisque--Semillon as above Tajine of Vegetables with Poached Quail Egg--2001 Laurent Brusset Cairanne Cotes du Rhone Villages, V. Chabrille Fluke Vin Blanc with Fennel Puree and Spinach--2000 G. Chavy Bourgogne Chardonnay Double Beef Consomme with Celestine and Mushrooms--Lustau Oloroso Sherry Roast Galantine of Capon with Various Onions and Yukon Gold Potatoes--2002 Righetti Valpolicella Class, Veneto Braised Oxtail with Leek and Marrow Toasts--2002 Vineland Estates Cav. Sauv, Niagara Steak and Ermite Sandwich with Pickles and Gaufrette Potatoes--2001 Maison Derlann Pinot Noir, Beaune Summer Fruit Sorbets--2002 Hubert Lignier bourgogne Aligote Bread and Butter Pudding with Raspberry Puree--1994 Quinta de Ventozelo LBV Port, Douro Prices range from CDN$ 5-11 for the food, CDN$ 3-6.50 for the wine in pourings of 3oz/6oz/500ml/750ml with prices increasing with pour size. The Yukon Gold Fries are the best fries in the universe. Served spilling out of a rolled paper cone. You don't have to order the flatbreads to enjoy them. The intense Rosemary steam wafts across the room as they are carried to ANY table. The cheese plate contains 5 or 6 cheeses (French/Quebec/Pasteurized/UnPasteurized??) with roasted nuts, warm figs, prunes and lots of Roti. We weren't the only table that had to coax the names of the cheeses from the server. They need to know that foodies are INTERESTED in details. Same with the wine pours. And other dishes. The servers have to bone up a bit more on EXACTLY what the ingredients are in these fantastic morsels. That should come with encouragement and nagging. The Lobster Bisque was intensely flavourful--startlingly tasty. The Beef Consomme was elegent and flavourful Galantine internal garnish very savory--the meat was thick and moist Braised Oxtail superb Bread and Butter Pudding--to die for--huge portion--sensuous texture, not overly sweet. There's also a large wine list by the bottle. Perhaps K. would fill in the blanks for me??

K. and I wandered into Jamie Kennedy's Wine Bar on Saturday afternoon. It's newly opened and quite undiscovered as yet. This will change--fast! We sat and grazed our way through seven of the dozen or so "tapas-style" selections with wine pairings that happened to be on the menu that day. We emerged onto the street a few hours later, a bit high on the food and the vino, with big grins on our faces. It's a neat space, very welcoming and informal. Lots of wood with cool stools around the open kitchen space and long bar, with only a handful of tables. The wall of preserves in mason jars works as design and is great fun as well. No reservations--just show up any time between 11 and 11 and order as few or as many of the tasting portions as you can handle. The prices are incredibly reasonable for the quality and size of the portions. This is hearty comfort food, (soups, braises, bread pudding) prepared with flair. It's all about flavour, folks. Don't expect a formal presentation of amuse, aps, mains and deserts. The concept is pick and choose. If you want more, just keep ordering, in any order that strikes your fancy. More on the menu and wine list when I have more time. The message now is--go and experience great value for money before this place is discovered by the foodies and the social x-rays and the line-ups form. As of this past Saturday afternoon, you could waltz right in and have the undivided attention of the friendly staff with Jamie ever present in the background, getting things up and running.

Here's some of the current menu at cafe Pasqual's Apps: alder smoked salmon with scallion Bread and Herbed Cream Cheese Chilled roasted tomato soup Pigs & Figs--Grilled mission figs wrapped in applewood smoked bacon on mixed greens with Cabrales and Balsamic vinaigrette Iroquois corn tamal with roasted chile ancho, zucchini and asadero cheese Tacos el Presidente--roasted poblano rajas and Niman ranch beef with guacamole Napo's chitlacoche with roasted chile poblano pususa--griddled corn masa cake with seeet pepper/onion escabeche flash sauteed spicy vietamese squid salad with Tamarind, garlic and lime on mizuna and arugula leaves Mains: Pan seared yellowdin tuna ginger, garlic and Yuzu with mango sambal and banana rice cake Grilled chipotle shrimp and seared sea scallops with a stack of griddled corn cakes and ancho chile butter with baby watercress Spaghetti squash tossed with sugar snap peas, shiitakes, cherry tomatoes and sauteed patty pan squash with melted chihuahua cheese on garlic baguette with garlic chives Free range organic chicken mole enchiladas with calabacitas, fresh corn torte and orange jicama salad Plato supremo--chile relleno, chicken mole taco, cilantro rice with watercress, jicama and orange salad Spinach, jack cheese and red onion enchiladas with sauce of guajillo, ancho and arbol chile, cilantro rice and grilled banana Costillas rojas y verdes with tomatillo and d'arbol salsa served with watermelon salad grilled corn on the cob and ancho chile butter

K. and I have just returned from our first visit to Sante Fe. We were down for the opera festival. Five operas in five days--wow, but that's another site... More details later but we ate at El Farol, Banana Cafe, Pasqual's, and twice at the O'keeffe Cafe. We also took a cooking class at the Sante Fe School of Cooking and ate the lunch that we watched being made from scratch. In Taos, we had lunch at Doc Martin's. Flying out of Denver, we grabbed a dinner at the Fourth Story as well. That's a lot of eating (and drinking) for us--especially before the opera (they start at 8:30 PM) . Will give details when we get over jet lag. Overall, we were impressed with the Sante Fe aesthetic. Man, those portions are huge!

Hamilton is my home town. There are no good restaurants in Hamilton. None.

Just back from a few days in Toronto. We had dinner at Avalon, Lai Wah Heen and JOV Bistro. Briefly, I'll just say that Avalon was a wonderful experience. The tasting menu was structured to include the cheese course as an integral part of the meal, rather than as an after thought. A fine selection of cheeses, by the way. The highlight being a peppery Cabrales. The tasting menu with wine pairing was superior. Service efficient and friendly. JOV bistro was also a great evening of dining. Lively and fun, with interesting food and wine in the Trust Me tasting. Lai Wah Heen has lost it's edge. The Premium Meal for 4 was OK, but that's all. And the room was maybe a quarter full on a Friday night. Has the Metropolitan Hotel decided to downgrade its food programe? More details on the actual menu later.

Can't resist adding my two cents worth. I swooned over that ahi with lemon/pepper jelly. I still have a clear memory of the mouthfeel and wonderful combination of flavours and textures of that presentation. As you said, the gelee simply melted in the mouth, leaving the suggestion of lemon and the gentle bite of pepper to complement the fresh, purely textural element of the ahi. I also went mad over the duck breast with the black rice and lapsang souchong infusion. The smokey aroma and somewhat tar-y background taste of the tea went so very well with the duck. A knockout. Like you, Lesley, I prefer big flavours. So the "lavender" infused onions left me wondering if the lavender was a matter of visual appeal rather than scent or taste, since the latter two elements were too subtle for me. I asked the chief when he did his rounds. He enthused about that particular ingredient, leading me to wonder if there was a gap between theory and reality in the final result. Likewise with the lobster jus element in the elegently simple loup de mer presentation. Sure, there was a hint of lobster essence, but I guess I wanted to be nipped in the butt a bit more. We noticed as well that the chief was generous with the fleur de sel throughout the meal. Those "salt bombs" that hit us between the eye teeth occassionally were a delightful surprise. All in all, a lovely space, staff that was young, charming and cute, and, important for us, an educational component in the presentation, communicated with sincerety and genuine pleasure.

Well, K. and I had an early dinner at Rosalie this past Saturday. We ate at the unfashionable hour of 5:30 since we had to be out to get to the opera by 8:00. I say "unfashionable" because aside from the two of us, there were maybe 4 or 6 other people in that big space. True, it was snowing and blowing like mad outside. But, when the staff outnumber the diners and all those mirrors reflect one's middle age imperfections and amplify the ultrathin charms of the waitress-gals preening before the glass (they had nothing else to do) questions arise. I mean, have the beautiful people moved on to the next "happening" place so soon? Luckily, the lights were dimmed twice as our meal progressed. Again luckily, this happened after we had read the menu. This is not an intimate space. High tech high school cafeteria decor came to mind. It's loud. Annoying sounds bounce off all those hard surfaces. Young guys holding up the bar are noisesome with their exclaimations and propositions. Cool wood and cold glass and vast open spaces abound. But then we had been eating at cosier places like Anise, Passe Partout and Les Remparts the previous few evenings. We felt like anthropologists exploring a new corner of the Montreal culinary universe. K.'s onion soup was bland. It was deconstructed in the sense that the cheese and bread were served on the side as a toasted cheese sandwich. The onion broth lack flavour. It needed to be salted (no pepper at the tables) to even begin to hold our attention. My app was pleasing. Chanterelles and wild mushrooms in a light saucing with peas and other fragments of vegetables. I liked the play of textures and earthy flavour. Surprisingly subtle in a nice way. My main was the lamb special. Generous amounts of perfectly cooked lamb slices on a bed of green lentils and spinach. A wonderful selection of winter veggies decorated the plate. All were very flavourful and toothsome. The saucing was appropriate. A new benchmark for lamb. K.'s main was the "Touraine"?? sausages. Four substantial country sausages with mashed potatoes and assorted veggies. The meat was tastey with interesting textures. The veggies again were exemplary. Our shared creme brule was OK--we've had better elsewhere. Didn't seem technically up to snuff or especially interesting. The service was rough and ready. These girls are tall and thin and look great but don't know very much about food. Like cheerleaders everywhere, my guess was that they were waiting for the guys to come in from football practise so that they could do some serious flirting.