PeterPoint

France, with a food culture second to none in the West (including the Americas), has long since solved the "problem" at eateries (I'm not sure about its globally branded US Fast Food outlets) by legislating that all menus, bills, checks and the ilke must state clearly that a fixed 15% service charge and tax (%?) are included in the individual menu items or wine list bins. As general rule, the French do not leave an additional pourboire unless there has been some special service or food experience beyond expectations.

I'm trying to track down a Paris eatery where I can find an old Burgundian staple which has disappeared from menus & blackboards. Saucisson de Lyon, pommes a l'huile. Recommendations or sightings would be most welcome.

The first of the Godfather trilogy has a delicious moment when Clemenza tries to teach Michael, who's hiding out after shooting down a police captain in an Itallian restaurant, just how to make Italian spaghetti and meat balls. This kitchen scene is worthy of Julia Child at her best. Watching it certainly made my gustatory juices flow. There is a tenuous link in "real life" with the mob & gastronomy when the reputed mafia boss, Paul Castellano, was wacked by a team of shooters as he was about to enter one of New York's finest steak houses, "Sparks". I don't think that the Peter Luger Steakhouse - arguably New York's finest - ever saw anything quite like this on its doorstep. Phew!

Well, of course, it was no surprise to me to read here about the ongoing traditions of the Paschal Lamb by those who have posted on this topic. Easter always coincides (more or less) with the Jewish Passover. The Last Supper was a Passover gathering for Jesus & his disciples and they would have eaten lamb as their religious tradition dictated. Evidently the Judeo-Christian world perpetuates this divine tradition. However, when I lived in France I noticed that roast kid (goat) was often substituted for the Paschal Lamb.

Dateline Bangkok late 2014/early 2015: France has now replaced Italy as the perceived sine qua non of European fine dining with the opening of two local outposts of French Michelin starred restaurants: Joel Robuchon's burgeoning foray into Asia of his successful L'Atelier brand & Jean-Michel Lorain's J'aime eatery, a Bangkok outpost of his flagship La Cote Saint Jacques at Joigny in France. I wonder if any of our forum's Southeast Asian expat & local gastronomes have visited the aforementioned and, if so, what is their take on the head-to-head start-ups in Bangkok. Does Bangkok merit a Michelin guide of its own?

Oh lordy! I have just attempted - and failed - to post a request for information on French Dining about a Michelin 1* restaurant Bernard Morillion at Beaune in France. I've established that it is closed. My carefully worded post was rejected on the grounds that I am limited in the number of posts I can make. I have not made many posts at all and none in the last few days. I tried to get through to a moderator on this hic-cup but went round-in-circles. Sacre Bleu

Would some kind soul in the know inform us of the disappearance to the excellent Michelin 1* star Bernard Morillion restaurant in Beaune. It no longer exits. Just to jog someone's memory, it was located as part of the Cep Hotel. It was one of my favourite 1* star restaurants in France and I would like to know when it closed and what happened to the marvellous husband & wife team who cooked & took care of front-of-house operations. The chef-patron was of the old school - more Escoffier in his repertoire than "nouvelle cuisine" [sic] - and his larger than life wife who was certainly une grande dame. Whenever I lunch/dine at a French retaurant I envsion this lovely restaurant as my personal benchmark for the quintessential French Michelin 1* restaurant of the old school genre. Call me old fashioned...or what?

Thank you for your warm welcome. I am a British expat happily retired and living for many years in Southeast Asia. I lived and worked for many years in London with stints living and working in France (based in Paris), New York (I never ventured out the city!), Hong Kong & Bangkok. I was fortunate to spend most of my working life in publishing with a focus on hotels and restaurants. I intend to share my love and experience of the great cuisines of the world with our community of like-minded people. That goes for wine as well.

Thrilled and delighted to be able to share my all consuming passion with our community in cyberspace. For more than half-century, I have persued pleasures of the table in dear old Blighty - that's the UK to all & sundry - plus working stints in France, New York, Hong Kong & Bangkok. I worked for many years in the world of food & wine.