docsconz

It has been twenty years since I spent any amount of time there, so I can't recomend any specific places, but I would like for Dominican or Cuban-Chinese places with emphasis on the3 Cuban parts of the menu. If you should get a little more time, 59th St/Columbus Circle & the Time Warner Center is only three stops on the A train.

Does anyone know what the primary breeds of pigs are that are used to provide "regular" supermarket pork? I assume most of this comes from breeds that have been manipulated to be leaner, or, "the other white meat"? Is there a special breed designation for the leaner pork and/or are there any standards to distinquish between pig breeds in terms of 'leaness" or "fattiness". I guess what I'm wondering is if you were searching to find a source for pork that was *not* derived from breeds specifically manipulated to be leaner how would you go about it? ← I believe any of the breeds labeled aas "heritage" predate leanness breeding. This is not to imply anything different to what jsolomon has to say. I also believe that how the pig is raised and what it is fed is of paramount importance.

I looked at the recipe ingredients not just the photo of the dish for the flavors before I made my post. Should go without saying. Let me know when Spanish food historians begin noting Indianish dishes in Spain. ← I can see how you may have taken my post to have been either a counterpoint or rebuttal of sorts to yours, though it wasn't at all meant so. I was simply observing that the look of the dish and the main ingredients (i.e. chick peas and spinach) would have been equally at home on an Indian food table even though the flavors clearly would not be Indian. I should have been clearer.

By looks alone, it would fit in well with an Indian dinner. Of course, the flavor profile of some of the constituent ingredients is very different so it is not an Indian dish at all.

Ron, that looks great. Did you use dried chick peas?

Most of the high-end restaurants I have dined at have sent out an amuse or several. This is less so at less formal or fancy restaurants in my experience.

I think that it is always a nice gesture, but unless it is something interesting and tasty it could backfire. i think it is de rigeur for a high end restaurant, though.

How rich was your stock? Mexican chicken stock is really very light and not at all like more French style stocks.

I don't think that thee is really anything to argue here. If something looks great but doesn't taste great it belongs on a wall and not on a plate. Nevertheless the best dishes are those that not only taste great but look great too. A little humor or cleverness doesn't hurt either.

While thee may be subtle differences in flavor between the heritage breed, to me the most important aspect is that they are not bred specifically for leanness. As such they have more of that old-time "porkiness" translating to more flavor and increased succulence. To me that means a more satisfactory piece of meat. That they tend to be raised in much better conditions such as the pigs at Flying Pigs Farm in Shushan, N.Y. is so much the better.

In the Boqueria, Bar Pinotxo, Kiosko Universal, Bar Quim and Bar Central are all good. Pinotxo and Quim probably offer a slightly more 'sophisticated' experience in terms of dishes/ingredients. Kiosko Universal has the most seating so is the best bet for a shorter wait. Was it any of these you were thinking of docsconz? ← Bar Quim was the one I was specifically thinking of, although the oothers are good as well. Kiosk Universal is also the simplest of the lot serving plenty of good, simply prepared seafood. Universal is likely the easiest ot replicate or surpass elsewhere as good as it is.

I know that you don't have much time in Barcelona, but one possibility to consider would be a short trip up the coast to Sant Pau. IMO that is the best restaurant in the near vicinity of Barcelona. Of the restaurants you mentioned I do not believe that there are any that are head and shoulders above the others. Two that I haven't yet ben to that would arouse my curiosity are Hisop and Cal Pep. While I liked Alkimia very much my preference was for Abac. You should have a gfreat time at El Bulli. I am amazed and disappointed to not have read any reports on the current season so far. I hope that you will remedy that Another option to consider for lunch one day would be the Boqueria where there are a number of excellent stalls in an amazing food environment. Unfortunately, I am blanking on the name of the stall that I would most strongly recommend. To me lunch there in this age of globalization remains a unique experience and one of my favorites of Barcelona, my favorite city.

Thank you. I do.

Probably help WF with their investment as the little lobsters are less likely to predate on each other. If their lives are va little less stressful there may be better survival and perhaps better quality of the final product. I think it is an intersting idea, actually.

For what it is worth, what I got out of the article is that the food, though it may be very good, almost appears secondary to the "scene". It will be interesting to see how things really pan out here once the restaurant is officially open.

I have the book and I have quail and lentils. That looks like a great starter to do from the book. I will have to check it out more closely and do a previously uncovered recipe or two.

I was impressed how excellent everything was without the principals being there when we dined at Ame, so unless the chefs who were there that night weren't there either when you were there I doubt that was the problem. Tasting menus are more popular at a certain style of restaurant that I believe Ame can be. This is, however, one of the drawbacks of a hotel restaurant as they must appeal to a wider clientele in which tasting menus are less of an option. When Molto and I were there we pretty much put ourselves in their hands. I find most topnotch restaurants are happy to do that for interested customers whether they have a tasting menu or night. Sometimes it works out even better than when they do already offer a tasting menu. Thanks for the compliments on the photos. No, I am not at all a professional, but I very much enjoy taking food photos and have started to get to the point that between the capabilities of my camera (Canon Eos 20D) and improving skills at post-processing lighting adjustment with practice, my photos are becoming more presentable. nevertheless I have a way to go before equalling the likes of Yellow Truffle or Philadining for example. I am now at the point that I prefer shooting without a flash even if the situation allows it.

Kai, I am sorry you had a negative experience. Out of curiousity, though, did you ask for a tasting menu?

If that was Mijita I don't remember them having a shrimp taco when I was there. Wherever, it looked good. I'm looking forward to the rest!

Wow, how could I have forgotten the grits. They were quite rich and very tasty. If there were any leftover it was only because I somehow overlooked that they were still on the table! If Vidalia gets lost somewhat in the shuffle it is only because there are so many other excellent options in DC. It amazes me how exciting and excellent DC has become culinarily over the past 5-10 years. Of course the trend started before then, but the depth of quality has grown to the point that DC is IMO one of the top 3 or 4 food cities in the US.

Thanks for the nice photos and lesson in dim sum, Ah Leung! The soup dumplings, I believe, look different than what I had there.

Now you do. 2nd City No More ← Thanks, YT. I think this quote answers the question raised above and is as I thought except there is no mention of doing this with guests.

Tony, you tasted what you tasted. I can't dispute that and I find your report interesting. One thing that has always impressed me whenever I have dined at WD-50 is the purity of flavor in those dishes designed to emphasize specific flavors and interesting novel flavors in those designed for that. While a couple of other members have now mentioned a similar experience to yours , the overwhelming number of reports including my own experiences have never mentioned anything like that. To me that implies that your experience for whatever reason was aberrant or your palate(s) far more sensitive than the majority of diners who have eaten there. While I believe that you do have a fine and acutely sensitive palate, I still suspect that the former possibility is the more likely scenario. Assuming that is the case there are any number of possible reasons for the aberrancy not all of which may be the fault or responsibility of the kitchen. I want to make it absolutely clear that I am not questioning your experience as a diner or your dining experience that night. However, when I read of an experience so alien to my own I am curious as to what might have been different or why.

As I understand it, the ban is strictly on the sale of foie in Chicago. So, if the chef was agreeable, would providing ones own foie for the chef's use circumvent the ban? ← So, how would this be done? The diner would call ahead to "order" foie from the chef who would purchase the foie on order from a non-Chicago-city source? I'm presuming that there are liability issues for a restaurant cooking things that clients bring in (ie. meats, produce, etc....) u.e. ← Why would there be any additional liability if the chef only served it back to those who brought it?

Could it be guests entering the kitchen? I don't have the article so I am only guessing.