cinghiale

I guess my experiences there have been different -- direct interaction with the chef. I'm truly an amateur at omakase, but I've followed with interest the postings of others about dinners at, say, Jewel Bako or high-end places in LA. My last omakase had us talking with the chef about, e.g., what he called "snapper", but how that designation was only an equivalent for this fish harvested near Japan. We could ask him about transportation, freshness, other uses, etc. He described the taste and compared it to other fish. That piece of sashimi was served and savored. Feedback followed. Next round then prepared. Maybe I was fortunate. But, you know, at the prices being charged, isn't it reasonable to expect a little instructional theater with your dinner? There are other perfectly good sushi houses in our area (I've yet to try the place in South Jersey that get raves here), but I believe what sets Morimoto apart is its ambience and flair. I was just disappointed by a plank of sushi described with extended index finger as "yellowtail, salmon, mackerel, sea bass, and shrimp".

The dishes were terrific. I can't speak to them all, since I wasn't dining with the intention of posting and didn't take notes. A tangy mackerel and a bass/foie gras combo stand out. The last dish (firm white-fleshed) I sent back, since I found it overcooked, and they returned with a beautiful scallop dish instead. But: the sushi's just a toss? Hasn't been my experience before. Each sashimi was carefully prepared directly before you, interaction with the chef seemed to be encouraged. I was frankly disappointed that at that level, they just deliver a plank with five pieces of nigiri and a curt, bored explanation. As for the wine, again, the list is not extensive. Very odd to be out of one of six or eight white wines on your wine list. The restaurant simply failed to deliver on the quality they claim justifies the price.

Had the medium omakase late Tuesday night. Having done the "small" one several times, I was expecting the addition to be into more of the warm dishes, and this seemed to be the case. Also, got a terrific toro tartar in a delicious broth to start. However, at the end of the meal, usually the highlight, the chef simply plunked down five pieces of nigiri with a cursory explanation. In the past, the end has been sashimi, served serially and with a proper explanation, thereby affording interaction with the chef. That is, I think, an integral part of omakase, particularly for a novice. So, was the staff just trying to hustle us out the door? Two issues relating to the context: First, we arrived at 9:15, and the restaurant wasn't full. The hostess informed us that the sushi bar closes at 10:00. We went upstairs for a drink, but my date, who works in the biz, insisted we not linger over our drinks, since the staff wouldn't want to wait all night just to serve us. Fair enough: we were seated at 9:30. Shortly thereafter, the chefs began cleaning up for the night. Second, for those familiar with the Morimoto hierarchy (Im not), our chef was the lanky, mustachioed fellow who always seems to be in charge of the crew, manning an area nearest to the dining room. In the past, I've had the taller, younger guy who works nearest the kitchen. The latter chef has always been most accommodating, once preparing additional sashimi for me when my dining companion went on strike near the end of the meal. Finally, they claimed to be out of the Gruner Veltliner, a wine I happen to enjoy with sushi. Given that their wine list is small and the selected wine was also their least expensive, I came to feel that I was getting hustled. Am I off base? If not, should I write a letter of complaint?

I put myself through law school doing bail interviews in "The Tank" in the basement of the Round House. Dunno about Baltimore cops, but Philly cops can really dish it out. Then there's the quaint practice of giving arrestees a "ride" -- hands cuffed behind their backs, prisoners are tossed into the back of a van for a wild trip across Philly's poorly paved streets. One man suffered a permanent disability after one such ride. And don't forget John Timoney going toe-to-toe with the anarchos at the RNC.

The Wire is set in Bal-more. Last season did feature several trips to Philly, though -- including a visit to the "harbor" here. Yeah, right.

For some inexplicable reason, the Inky decided to do a non-Food Section piece on CCK. Good bio on Carman; good-bye-oh to another insider joint? Just gotta love the sassy talk, though.

I hope this question doesn't come too late, but... Your lessons on consomme and cream sauce were very informative, Jack. By coincidence (i.e., prior to reading your seminar), I've tried three times during the past six weeks to make fish quenelles, and they've been a failure. I used a procedure essentially the same as the one you outline, but I've had two problems: (1) the quenelles never "flip", poaching essentially from one side only and forcing me manually to turn them over, and (2) they taste like, well, watery, mealy fish dumplings -- none of the divine, airy delicacy that I know from restaurants. What am I doing wrong? For fish, I haven't used pike, as it's out of season, and instead used cod. As for technique, I haven't ever "strain[ed] the pureed mixture into the smaller bowl." How does one "strain" a rather thick mass? Are copious amounts of cream needed to hold the "dough" together? I use maybe 4 fl. oz. cream to 8 oz. fish (you call for 250 gm/250 ml ratio). Should I use more? Do fish need more egg white than chicken? Having made mass quantities of stock (beef, chicken, veal) last weekend, I can't wait to try your consomme technique, and I hope I can pair it with a quality quenelle. Thanks.

Craig Laban, food critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer, reports that they may use "steak", but it ain't Philly: "McDonald's, at least for now, is limiting the new sandwich to a relatively small audience, so the embarrassment is contained locally. But its inevitable marketing success could have a big impact on business at our region's huge number of independent steak shops, which have always held their own against the chains. And the sandwich has suffered the ultimate insult of not receiving an official McDonald's Mc-label. It's not a McSteak, a McSixer or even a McWid."

I did Pasion last night, and I'd have to say it was great, much better than Alma de Cuba. The room(s) is nicer, the staff more knowledgable, and noise level very acceptable. Started w/pre-menu arepas -- terrific. Three balls (coulda been flatter and easier to eat): (i) chicken picadillo w/avocado lime sauce, (ii) bacalao w/roasted pepper sauce, and (iii) foie gras w/chocalate sauce. #3 was decadently good, but the other two were also delicious. The cakes themselves were light and flavorful. $11. Apps were Ecuadorian Shrimp Ceviche and Corn Bisque w/Creme Fraiche. Weird that both AdC and Pasion have the same ceviche, name and all. Pasion's was presented much differently -- in a square bowl rather than AdC's glass trough. I preferred Pasion's (wasn't easy to eat outta that vessel, though) and thought the sweet/spicy flavoring was more muted, subtle than AdC's. Corn soup was delicately flavored and really enjoyable. Mains were skirt steak and chicken. The skirt steak had a marinated quality to it (coulda been the chimichurri, I guess) and was grilled perfectly. Really tasty. Came buried under a rather large mound of yuca fries. The chicken was a leg/thigh combo with a little breast. Much better flavoring than AdC's. Came sauced with a tasty, super-tangy guajillo sauce. The goat cheese-stuffed black-bean tamale was a little too sour for my taste, but it complemented the chicken nicely. Dessert was a delish Cuban flan, served with a pastry "hood". Had a bottle of Rioja from California (Baja) that was OK @ $34. Two mango/papaya mojitos (quite good) @ $8/each. Coffee, water. $135 + T/T. Pasion really did a nice job, with the menu inspired and fresh despite the onslaught (apparently reservations were nearly double normal last night).

Oops. That's what I meant (I think )

Anyone care to comment on experiences? I'll go first: Alma de Cuba, Sunday, 7:30 PM. The lounge was virtually empty and very quiet, a dramatic contrast from the dining room, which was have-to-shout-to-be-heard loud though only about 3/4 full. I wish we'd chosen to eat in the lounge, though the cushy seating there almost makes eating impossible. Starters were shrimp ceviche and wild mushroom empanadas. The ceviche was quite good, though the sweet/spicy sauce was a bit cloying. The empanadas were the major disappointment of the night: flavorless, dry, overbaked (?) dough holding a tasty though unimpressive mushroomy ragout-ish sauce. Mains were chicken breast over chicken rice ("Arroz Imperial") and Cilantro Honey Mustard Glazed Salmon. The chicken breast was lacking in any noticeable flavor and was a bit dry. The rice dish, however, was delicious: it was fresh, well-seasoned and had a sweet component to it that harmonized well. The salmon and lentils were very well prepared. We tried one each of the desserts. The lemon verbana flan is said to be a Rodriguez signature, and it was truly delicious. The other dessert was a coconut-based cake, accompanied by strawberry sorbet made out to look just like a strawberry (in the dim light, anyway), and both were quite good. We drank two glasses each of open wine @ $8/glass + two coffees @ $3.50. Funny how a $30 three-course ends up being $130 for 2 after T/T. But seeing as the menu prices hover in the high $20s, low $30s for mains, and $15 for apps, it proved to be a bargain for checking out what the restaurant is like.

Dock Street Brew Pub is directly across Filbert St. from the RTM. I've never been, so can't comment on noise levels.

Craig: I've made this recipe (w/the shrimp) that you posted last April with great success (and feedback). I quote this to ask two questions: (1) When is a carnarino appropriate? Only with seafood risotto? Does it essentially replace the wine? (2) What precisely is the soffritto? (I assume it's the sauteed onions.) Is it a generic or risotto-specific term? Is its composition variable? Under what circumstances is it included or left out? Thanks for a great seminar. I love making risotto, and the finer points you raise/discuss can only help improve my skills.

I, too, will be in Vienna in November and have been researching various sources for several months. Steirereck is on my list. Here's the info from Fodor's.

That's really cool, Katie! Pick up a copy of Harper's; there's a lengthy description of his studio and how he goes about his work.

Yep, that Dmitri's just hired a manager (friend of mine). She's holding staff interviews at Izmir Cafe at 9/Bainbridge. If anyone's interested, pm me, and I'll try and pass it on to her.

In this month's Harper's, there's a moderately interesting piece on the cold case-solving Vidocq Society, which holds its periodic meetings here in Philadelphia. Toward the end, there's a particularly nasty episode where the "master profiler", along with the skull reconstructer, goes to dinner with two Texas lawmen ("hicks", I believe Mr. Profiler called them at one point) at a "westside" restaurant called L2. It kinda freaked out the Texans (acquarium, bathrooms labelled "WC", which led to another joke at their expense). They thought it was a gay bar. The cosmopolitan Vidocqians knew better that L2 is an example of the utmost in urban cool. (They end up at Doobie's, which the writer describes as a "pit", or somesuch). I'd never heard of it, so I googled and got 22/South. Wassup? Anyone been? The only food I heard mentioned in the article was meatloaf. Is it a comfort food joint? Shoulda gone to Bella instead. PS: The ending's kinda sad for Phila, too. These cosmopolitan types leave the Texans to walk home from 22/South to the Comfort Inn, which I assume is the one at Penn's Landing. Wandering lost thru CC Philly, they're unable to hail a cab from the street (earlier, one of them asked to hail one from the Downtown Club because he'd never done that before) and end up getting accosted. Thanks for a nice presentation of Philly, Harper's.

I'm casting my vote for Bryan Sikora at Django. If "getting a lot of press" is the criterion, perhaps Rittenhouse Square eateries are more on the media's radar. But for creativity, presentation, and making use of local ingredients -- the latter being an especially important criterion for me -- Bryan is near the top of my list. Consider price, too. Quite the bang for one's buck. As for Shola, while the Studio Kitchen meals are quite good and creative, I don't think he qualifies until he actually opens a restaurant. If he can recreate, on a consistent basis, what's goin' on in West Phila, then he deserves a nod. Until then, he's still unproven in my book. Edited for : what the hell is a "star chef"?

Keep at it, Ali! I'll be paying a return visit in the next couple of weeks.

I'm a big fan of George's, too, Jas. Love it dripping wet. Can I get an "Amen!" for the RPS at John's Roast Pork? Hiz un Tony Luke's iz neck-n-neck, IMO.

It's just fun to bash Starbucks. Even the Washington Post is getting in on it. While not particularly compelling, the story referred to a pretty humorous Onion piece (apparently a different story than the one Katherine linked to): "The Starbucks pandemic inspired a story in the Onion about a Starbucks opening in the bathroom of an existing Starbucks."

I recently picked up Julia della Croce's Umbria: Regional Recipes from the Heartland of Italy and it seems pretty representative of the food I had last fall during a two-week trip through Umbria. The recipes are a little light on technique (I'm still having trouble mastering the umbricelli [i'm using spelt flour]), but some odd-sounding combinations have turned out great -- like sausage braised with black grapes.

In my Umbria cookbook, Julia della Croce emphatically states that spelt is an incorrect translation of farro; it's emmer wheat, she says. So, I followed Adam's link with interest. According to Abundantlifeseed.org, she's only partially correct: Large farro: Small farro: Medium farro:

For other "city folk stuff" with a rental in hand, I'd add (i) on 38, Target in the thing opposite the CH Mall (better than S. Phila), then (ii) shift over to 70, head east a bit farther, and hit Miel, then (iii) head back west, exit Cuthbert (south), right on Park Drive (Cooper River) to Moore Bros.

Sara: dead-on tie, but your info was better