docsconz

Different solution to the same problem. The drive-thru is simply the walk-up counter in a different form. In some respects represents even more of a fast food mentality than walk-up.

By this definition, drive-through would not be fast food -- a bizarre omission that reveals the problem with taxonomies like this! ← Your drive-through point is one of semantics and nothing more. ← Dave Thomas would disagree. ← How so?

For a very funny take on Alinea see this video.. It works best if one has actually been to Alinea, but I think anyone with a familiarity with what the restaurant does or Chef Achatz will enjoy it.

By this definition, drive-through would not be fast food -- a bizarre omission that reveals the problem with taxonomies like this! I think that FF is a cultural category defined not by this or that criterion but by the attitudes people have about it. Portland food trucks, 1950s cap-hop service joints, New England clam shacks, diners... all have been called fast food at one time or another but today wouldn't necessarily fit the definition. I just read Josh Ozersky's Hamburger, which tells the story of the beef and the bun, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a clear definition of "fast food" in it. Did Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation even have one? ← Your drive-through point is one of semantics and nothing more. The intent and the result is the same even if the physical delivery point is different. I would add that fast food is something either largely prepared ahead of time with final preparation, assembly and delivery to a waiting customer or something able to be cooked and finished quickly for a waiting customer. It may be easier to define it by what it is not - food prepared to order for table-side service. By this definition, not all hamburgers would be considered "fast-food", which I think is legitimate. That said, I think Shake Shack still fits within fast food even if the service isn't all that fast.

Fast Food is anything where one goes up to a counter, orders and waits for it to arrive as opposed to table service. Some FF is faster than others and some FF may be slower than some table service establishments like diners. Some FF restaurants are designed for maximum throughput efficiency, while others more for a quality product. FF comes in all sizes and shapes from McD's to the food cart on the street to a pizza slice to Chinese take-out to Five Guys. It is food for people on the go. FF has developed a negative connotation in certain circles, often rightfully so, however, ff isn't necessarily bad and can, in fact, be quite excellent - see many cultures street carts and street food. It all depends on the approach and the final product. A place where economy, efficiency and throughput speed are the highest priorities is less likely to have a worthwhile product than one for which the product is the most important element. This is the difference between a place like McD and Shake Shack, Taylor's Automatic Refresher or even Five Guys.

While it shouldn't have any bearing, I still think that it probably will. So much of this list is about buzz. What makes the list somewhat plausible is that many, maybe even most of the restaurants that make it are deserving and arguably belong on the list. What makes the list something of a travesty is the poor execution when it comes to rating restaurants in Asia and japan. C'mon, Bukhara in Delhi is probably not even the best restaurant in Delhi let alone Asia. Granted it fell out of the top 50 last year. I suspect that you are right about the Scandinavians. I think that you will see some shuffling in the US with Alinea rising and Charlie Trotter falling. It will be interesting to see if any of the bistronomic restaurants will make the list. Momfuku Ssam Bar probably stands the greatest chance because of all the hype it has received. I wouldn't be surprised to see Bras and Gordon Ramsey fall as well. Bras because of many reports of slippage and GR because he seems to have taken a massive pr beating over the past year. We'll see.

I don't see anyone overtaking elBulli for the top spot. The restaurant is simply too famous, too unique and too good. The only restaurant that possibly could at this point is The Fat Duck, but that could only happen if the tally was done prior to their recent difficulties. as simply unfortunate as they were.

I thought this topic was going to be about the restaurant Charles in NYC using Frank Bruni's review to cover their windows.

It doesn't sound to me as if she insulted her intended customer base. I think she made her point loud and clear.

I think what it says is that the current restaurant scene bores him — hence, the selection of a restaurant that did not really cry out to be reviewed, coupled with a format that was meant to entertain more than inform. ← Marc, just because the restaurant was doing its best to appear exclusive, doesn't mean that it wasn't review worthy. It was that very aspect that begged for a review. I haven't been to this restaurant so I have no idea how accurate Bruni's review was or wasn't, however, it had a ring of veracity to it. I think that the review was also timely in its beating up of pretension and a desire for snobbish exclusivity, two traits that are very much out of public favor at the moment. Perhaps that is a bit opportunistic on Bruni's part, but I think his reviewing style here was quite original and seemed to fit the subject.

Actually I thought it was one of his most entertaining and informative yet!

Pizzeria Bianco is very, very good and worth a visit, but the world? The clam pizza at Pepe's in New Haven, Ct. and La Vera Pizza Napolitana in Naples, Italy represent the very best to me.

Though it would work well any night, Noca's Sunday Supper has generated some very positive buzz.

I remember when I was a kid, Yogi Berra was the spokesperson for Yoohoo. He was one of the few athletes popular with both Yankee and Met fans.

Try here.,

Keep going!

Good quality (though not luxe) ingredients and creativity are more important than ever. Anyone with skill can make a tasty dish from luxe ingredients, but creativity is important to make interesting dishes with mundane ingredients, thus the rise of the bistronomic phenomenon.

Nice report. Looking forward to more.

Certainly sounds like a meal I would have loved - with great company too!

Your description captures the essence of what this style of cooking can achieve when it is done well. The sense of wonder and glee in addition to the satisfaction of having eaten a good meal can't be beat.

I loved Yoohoo as a kid, but I haven't seen it in ages. I must admit, though that I haven't been looking for it either.

I have to admit, the list made more sense in the context of the magazine, especially given that they were selected by the individual writers, to whom the specific restaurants do "matter" for whatever reasons. The Slanted Door wouldn't be on a list for me, but I respect that it can be on the lists of others.

I was surprised to see that the sauces in Bryan's photos looked so runny. No xantham there, I suppose.

The only thing that I would add is that Inopia should be on your tapas list for Barcelona, especially now that Albert Adria will be concentrating his work there.

I think that is a very interesting and apt analogy, Sam.