docsconz

The renovations havent finished yet, but the market is working as always. The best time to visit it is in the mornings, the earlier the better. El Cabanyal is within 5 minutes walking distance with Casa Montaña. ← As always, Rogelio, thank you! Do the renovations make it difficult to get around? Any idea when they are expected to be completed? I have tried their website, but find it difficult to get around.

Given your summation, what else is there to talk about with this restaurant?

Any knowledge on the current state of the Mercado Central? Have all the renovations been finished? What is the best time to visit there? El Cabanyal? How close is Casa Montaña to El Cabanyal?

I like it! I am looking forward to having paellas at the source. Whether or not any particular way is the "proper" way, is of not so much concern to me. The greater concern is how delicious it is! I had a chance to eat some paellas and other rice dishes in California this past November at The Spain and the World Table conference including some prepared by Rafael Vidal of Levante in Benisano'. They were delicious. It will be interesting to see if I can pick up on any differences eating paella at Levante itself.

I hate carrying cash and if I have to pay with cash I generally buy significantly less than I would with a credit card. Because I am spending more, I leave a larger tip so I have no compunctions at all about it.

Does anyone know if New Jersey and/or Pennsylvania fruit has been affected?

You have probably already done this, but here are CAMPSA's recommendations within 25km of Pamplona. The great Basque restaurants are within 75km of Pamplona. A bit further afield and more off the beaten track, but Enrique Martinez of Maher in the Navarran town of Citruenigo (according to CAMPSA about 83km from Pamplona) is doing some delicious and interesting things with food, especially vegetables.

Moderator's Note: The discussion on paying credit card fees on tips has moved to a topic of its own as its relevance extends beyond this topic and the New York region. It can be found here. Any additional discussion within this topic should be limited to direct applicability to the allegations made against this restaurant. General discussion on the restaurant Telepan should continue here.

Moderator's Note: This topic has been split from a discussion based on allegations of unfair labor practices at the restaurant Telepan in NYC as the discussion has relevance far beyond that specific discussion.

For those who may be interested there is a nice little highlights video on the 2006 Congress here. The same page offers an opportunity to purchase a full DVD of the event and provides a preview to the 2007 event coming up in September.

Thanks for this Magnus. I don't agree that HB is the only chef who tweaks and improves stuff on his menu, but he is one of the few who makes a fetish of doing so. ← Very nicely put. In this same paradigm, though from the other side, I am told that Passard is still serving dishes unchanged from 10 or 15 years ago, and several are ubiquitous. His menu is measurably static. But the criticism rarely addresses this (I thnk Francois Simon may have weighed in, but that's all I've heard of). one is reminded of your ad hominem admonition. ← Clearly there are many restaurants that are static in their menu. What sets HB apart for criticism on this count is that he is such a visible standard bearer for creative, hypermodern, vanguard, avant-garde cuisine (choose your label ) that expectations for continued creativity and inventiveness are high as his principle stylistic peers are clearly doing so. I would still love to get there at some point to sample what he has done. In fact, I would like to do so before he does change the menu!

Laudable job, Rona. Do you have any idea what kind of fish they were? They look to have been quite tasty.

Thanks for your fine reports, Rona. I really enjoyed going through the photos on webshots. You have some really wonderful ones of children in Yemen.

A good friend of mine is 'Bigfoot" from the book "Kitchen Confidential". I spoke with him about this many years ago. He said that he has his waitstaff pay the credit card fees, and that it is absolutley legal. He is a self proclaimed labor law guru. This was about 8 years ago. ← Depending on what percentage of their tips he was collecting for this purpose, it might be legal and still manifestly unfair. I have no knowledge of what types of actions in this situation are legal under labor law; however, in any case, I'm commenting not on legal issues but on questions of fairness. I've noticed that other types of establishments, such as gas stations, charge less to people who pay cash. Why is it that in a restaurant, it would be fair to charge an employee instead of a customer for a fee that is solely the result of the choice of mode of payment by the customer and the management's agreement to accept that mode of payment? ← As credit card use has become more popular and prevalent throughout society I think the number of businesses who charge a differential to those who choose to pay with a credit card has declined sharply because it is poor business for most of them. Because of their ease of use amongst other reasons, credit cards are here to stay. It is the rare business that can discriminate against them as people will simply take their business elsewhere. People also tend to spend a lot more when using credit cards, so why should businesses take the chance of alienating their customers, the majority of whom do pay this way? If people are spending more in restaurants than they might otherwise , the tip amounts increase as a result as well so the waitstaff are also likely to be significantly better off even if they have to pay the fees on their tips.

This is bad news indeed as I particularly look forward to these peaches in the summer.

I don't think that it is unreasonable to have the people benefiting from the tips paying the credit card fee after all that is money the restaurant doesn't see. Why should the restaurant pick it up? On the other hand, there is no way that those collecting tip income should be paying any part of the credit card fees beyond what they themselves are collecting.

Fascinating topic. I look forward to reading more about it. This is a part of the world that I would be very curious to explore though I don't see it happening for quite some time if ever. I may have to content myself with voyeuristically exploring it through your and other eyes, Rona!

Thanks for another outstanding report! The Capalbo book is relatively new, I think. If it is as good as her book on Tuscany it will be a very welcome addition to the library. I loved Naples with all its vibrancy. You did a great job of capturing some of its essence. I look forward to more reports from you!

I emailed my friend Maria, a Chinese-Peruvian chef, about these alien-looking vegetables, and today I received her reply: "It's called caigua, a vegetable. The one in the photograph is a very young one. I'm familiar with the more matured form, which is about the size of a bell pepper. They are normally eaten stuffed with beef and bread, very tasty." Doc, Maria told me she very much enjoyed your photos. ← Thank you so much for doing that! It clears up one of the mysteries of this thread. I'm glad she enjoyed them.

Thanks Doc...I wish, that Truffle character's got me a a country mile or at least a few hundred courses at Alinea....Chef Barber should be sending you a thank you card as well ← Thanks, Molto. Clearly the quality of your photography is outstanding as is YT's. But you have really done a great job of documenting Chef Binkley's work over time as YT has done with Chef Achatz at Alinea and Philadining with Chef Olunloyo of Studio Kitchen. Unfortunately, I can't claim such continuity though I have my own photos of my experiences with the work of each.

Great to see that Franny's is still doing it right. It has been awhile between reports. This place reminds me a bit of Two Amys in DC or vice versa.

Great report, Michael. It will be a must read for any eGullet Society member heading to the Eternal City.

Stunning stuff - even more so considering the relatively compact kitchen. It is amazing that Chef Binkley doesn't get more press than he does on a national and international level. He is creative, but his creations work at the elemental level of taste as well as whimsy. Thanks once again, molto e, for your fine documentation of his work. What Yellow Truffle is to Grant Achatz you are to Kevin Binkley! ...and congratulations to Chef Binkley for his induction!

Excellent report! Not only is there no market in NYC to compare to La Boqueria, I don't believe that there is one in the entire United States to compare. There are a few others in Spain that can though. The top markets really are remarkable and beautiful places.

I'm excited that the 2007 reporting season for elBulli has arrived. Thank you for the fine report, but I wouldn't worry about spoiling surprises. First off, for most people this is unfortunately as close as they are likely to get to Rosas and secondly for those of us who are lucky enough to have been there or will be going there, it still has to be experienceed. I recently found out that I will also be lucky enough to spend my next birthday at elBulli.