Pan

87 degrees in New York as of 11:51 am EDT. I've inaugurated my air conditioner for the season but must shortly go outside. This morning, when it was 72 degrees, the weather report was warning about an ozone and heat alert, and my allergies started to act up. Summertime in the city.

Mangosteens grow in Malaysia, and the fruit is prized, but as far as I know, the peel is thrown away. A really good mangosteen is one of the better fruits around. Overall, though, during my trip to Malaysia last July-August, my favorite fruits were rambutans and bananas. But I figure rambutans don't grow in India, is that right?

I don't follow you at all. The text review is as subjective as the star rating. Besides, at least he explained his reasoning. To my mind, you're being too critical of this new critic's first review.

I get it now. So much for reading comprehension.

Hiroyuki, please translate the expressions that are not translated in your last post. Thanks a lot.

Great report as usual, oakapple! Sounds like a winner!

Give me a break! What is so great about Babbo and the whole new trend in NYC dining is that there are no more rules. The old school may prefer muffled Mozart to Moby, but old-school formality has gone the way of La Cote Basque and La Caravelle. The Times needs to move with the times. If we can appreciate the beauty of a bare-wood Mission-style table at Craft, or eat $300 sushi in comfort wearing jeans at Masa, why shouldn't we rock out with Lou Reed while we enjoy our lamb's tongue? Batali's iconoclasm works. Babbo positively radiates with energy and quality -- yes, even in the music played at the bar. Bruni may not enjoy rock 'n' roll but -- guess what? -- it's here to stay and a lot of us do. The feeling I got from the review was that Bruni indeed did enjoy his visits to Babbo very much and does admire the establishment. 3 stars is not a failing grade! Also, when I was reading the review, his remark that the music was emblematic of what makes it a 3-star rather than a 4-star did raise my eyebrows, but that wasn't all he said about the ambiance, and the crowding also played a role. Had he given the music as the only reason to award 3 stars rather than 4, I would ridicule his review - but that wasn't what he said.

No. He kept his 3 Michelin stars and killed himself shortly after finding out. If you've never known a depressive who committed suicide, you're lucky. I don't think it's necessary to eliminate the star system when there's a critic who gives such clear explanations for his ratings as Bruni did in this review. I did get the distinct feeling that he would have given the restaurant four stars if the ambiance had been different. He certainly loved the food.

They are both accurate. It is New Indian Cooking. In America. Were it in France, it would still be New Indian Cooking. But in France. Were it in India, it would still be New Indian Cooking. But in India. I'm sure there are as-yet-unconnected pockets of this movement everywhere there are significant concentrations of Indian chefs: the UK comes to mind as a candidate. Steven, I'm confused. In "The Art of Eating in New York and some reflections on authenticity," I thought you were arguing that whatever is cooked in New York is authentic to New York. So is it New York cuisine, Indian cuisine, or both? Or did I misunderstand?

You mean like the fact that your parents live in the wrong school district and no teaching or learning takes place in your school, and you show up at community college having never been taught how to behave properly in class, take notes, understand what you read, or study, and it's your fault that your parents - if they're around - were illiterates and couldn't teach you what you weren't taught in school? Your viewpoint might be a little more nuanced if you had taught at Bronx Community College and Queensborough Community College like me. Don't get me wrong: I do insist that my students take responsibility for their education and fail them or give them low grades when they don't. That's part of my job. But the idea that low achievement is solely due to poor choices is - well, I think I'd be best advised not to use any adjectives here. I know very well that the fact that my parents are both intellectuals and my older brother has always been a science and technical whiz helped me more with my education than most of what I learned in school through at least the end of high school and probably further. But I suppose it was a good choice for me to have those parents and older brother.

Ok, I'll discuss it. Income disparity is not immoral. Any society offering free choice is bound to have both winners and losers, as well as every gradation in between. Can you think of very many counter-examples? By comparison with the U.S.? Yes, almost every other highly advanced economy, starting with much of Europe and Canada. But of course, that's only in a comparative sense. Clearly, even in a country as highly influenced by democratic socialism as Sweden, there are richer and poorer people, and I think that's fine, as long as the general welfare is taken care of adequately.

You mean all those old-looking furnishings in the current Lundy's location are fake?

I refuse to eat non-Chinese Thai food with chopsticks, but I use chopsticks for certain dishes in Malaysian restaurants in New York, because they're all really Chinese-Malaysian, anyway.

Wow, a vehemently discordant note from RobinsonCuisine! I thought it was a great review. He made absolutely clear what he loves so much about the food and how he characterizes it, and what he feels about the ambiance. Anyone reading the review would seem to know what to expect when going to Babbo, which is great. And it's very well-written. I also think it's quite reasonable for him to begin with an Italian restaurant, given that he's just come from Rome. One thing that interested me is that his years in Italy didn't cause him to downgrade the food at an Italian restaurant in New York. I also think that this may be a theme on the New York restaurant scene for some time, and it was a good thing for Bruni to address in his first review: It will be interesting to see his take on non-Italian restaurants in the future, and I look forward to reading future reviews.

Well, we agree on that; I just don't want us to go overboard.

I'm not arguing that most fine diners have genocidal tendencies. It's just that when people claim that love of fine wine, fine dining, fine art, or fine music makes people moral, I remember the Nazis, who stole loads of fine art, supported some fine music, and enjoyed big banquets while planning their assembly line of death. I was really hoping not to go into this kind of disgusting detail, and merely hint at what I was thinking. But frankly, ethical behavior is something that has to come from the core of a person's being, not from whether they can use the right fork and be polite to their friends over an extravagant French dinner. So please, let's not rationalize the delight of the senses and good relations within a person's social circle as inherently ennobling. That may be good per se, but certainly can't be counted upon to make someone evil into someone good, someone opportunistic into a person of integrity, or someone selfish into a person who cares about anyone outside his/her social circle.

Within their circle, but that doesn't necessarily say anything about their attitudes toward people outside of their circle. Decent behaviour some of the time is certainly a start. I don't think so. People who are perfectly charming to their dining partners can be involved in horrendous crimes against other people. History teaches us that.

Within their circle, but that doesn't necessarily say anything about their attitudes toward people outside of their circle.

That was terrific writing, Steven, but can "New Indian" be a style that comes out of the U.S.A.? Nouvelle Cuisine was born or at least popularized in France, was it not? Are there restaurants in Delhi or Bombay serving food like what's served at Tabla?

I was going to post a link to a site that has the hilarious Chico Marx "Why a duck" bit, but I guess it may be in violation of copyright. Anyway, that was my immediate thought: "I say, that's a viaduct." "All right. Why a duck? Why a-why a duck? Why-a-no-chicken?"

Funny, when I see a play that sucks, I feel angry that I've been cheated of my time, regardless of what I paid. Similarly, if I splurge on food and it's not that good, I don't feel guilty; I feel let down, maybe even cheated.

I'm sure all of us would say the same thing; otherwise, we wouldn't be eGulleteers.

Thanks, Rich. They mentioned Nick's Pizza in Forest Hills. I went there a few years ago and liked their pizza very much. We should visit Nick's some time as part of the Pizza Survey. It's easy to get to by taking the E or F to 71 St. and walking a very short distance.

Understood, FG, but that's a lot different from just pointing out that everything is unique and, in an absolute sense, unduplicable.

Yes. That's the short answer. The longer answer is that I understand that few Koreans home-make it anymore, especially in cities, because it's so widely available in stores.