docsconz

Not too shabby, FFB! What I am really curious to see is what restaurants made people happiest in 2005. Fancy is not a requirement. Rafa's, on my list is far from fancy, although it is sublime (and not easy to get to unless one happens to live on the Costa Brava).

It is a bargain for the quality of the food.

Morimoto also used that technique in Iron Chef on his "Japanese grill" in the tag team match where he and Flay teamed up, cooking langostines on top of burning pine branches, if I remember correctly. I guess it doesn't quite look as cool as when Chefg does it, but I suppose it should do the trick. ← This still soundsd like a very different approach that likely resulted in very different flavors secondary to the smoke. I would imagme that Alinea's and WD-50's approaches to pine and perhaps Gilt's owe much more to Adria's technique than this.

How could I forget Studio Kitchen when it was mentioned in the post directly above my own?

I know that I have had the best restaurant meals that I am likely to have in 2005, although one never knows. Nevertheless, the likelihood of anything I might have beating out my top ten for the year is pretty low. This has probably been my most outstanding year of eating of my life so far. My top ten: El Bulli 28-Aug Alinea 3-Dec Alinea 21-May Citronelle 22-Apr WD-50 10-Dec Erlowest 22-Jan Jean Georges 9-Dec Jaleo 20-Apr Rafa's 29-Aug Each of these was particularly outstanding in its own way and many other extremely deserving meals were by necessity left off this list. Yours?

My 2006 list includes Minibar, Gilt, Manresa, TFL, the Oval Room in DC for places I haven't yet been and repeats to Alinea, WD-50, Gary Danko and Jean-Georges. Unfortunately I don't have any high end plans outside the US, although I expect to eat very well during a trip to Mexico City. I would also love to get to Brinkley's in Phoenix.

...and everything else!

I would love to get back to Chicago in '06. Another visit to Alinea would be tops on my list. I would also love to get back to Moto and to Avenues for the first time. While many of the other restaurants listed sound great, I don't have the sense that any of them are special enough to compete with these for the limited time I would have in your fair city.

Interesting. I would think that flavor would be a smoky pine and very different than the pine essence I got at Alinea and WD-50. That also doesn't sound much different than what cedar planking does for salmon.

Knowing Jose Andres, I would bet they are.

I believe that restaurant food photography has become much more commonplace. That being said, a lot depends on location and lighting. We sat in a relatively private alcove with pretty good natural light. If in a situation that you are not shooting bright flash directly into another party, it is not usually much of an issue, but discretion is always necessary. If one is obnoxious at a high end restaurant with a camera someone generally lets you know it.

the cuttlefish and lamb is traditional mar y montana: the sheep graze in the hills above the mediterranean where the squids are loaded before being redistributed. ← What were the techniques like in the 70's with which they were successfully able to use pine? I am not in the least bit surprised by the Adria's in the 90's. I know Bras is one of the earler Molecular Gastronomists as well, but I wonder how they manipulated things then before the real advent of the molecular gastronomy movement. Just for the sake of clarity cuttlefish and squid are terms often used interchangeably and while the creatures are indeed similar, they are different with different characteristics on the platter and the palate.

One set that jumps immediately to mind is hzrt8w's Chinese home cooking tutorials. They are engaging in a way that single photo cannot be. They are amazing and translate extremely well into actually using them to cook from.

Philadining, were you there for lunch? If this was dinner and at night, I would very much be interested in your secrets for getting pictures like these without a flash. I can see during the day with a window table, but at night? In any case nice work. The hotos do convey a reassuring sense that the food remains top-notch. I am looking forward to the descriptions.

They got that idea from Oriol Balaguer in Barcelona. Whether he originated the idea is another question. It is a cool feeling.

I'd consider it, but doubt that I would do it. I don't need to and we still like the seasonality of the birds nearby especially when they have chicks in the spring. I have nothing against the concept, though. I have been close enough to them that I could reach out and grab one if I were willing to risk a peck.

We literally found these birds on our doorstep last weekend when we came home from NYC. It turns out our housesitter had been feeding them. Now they won't go away. I don't mind them in the fields or within eyesight (actually, I kinda like that), but when they are camped on our doorstep, they leave a lot of droppings that make a real mess and get our dog sick.

Wild turkeys have been hanging around my house again now that our dog is getting older It would be kinda cool if they weren't so messy!

from michel bras and maximin it was in vogue about 1975, from bulli vogue about 10 years ago, culminating in the woods spray, about five years ago. Thanks for the historical context, Akwa. I doubt that they were using pine then like they are now at least back in the 70's. Do you know how they used it then? I have never seen it in any American restaurant prior to Alinea a couple of weeks ago and my high end European experience doesn't go back that far. also a traditional pairing in the first flavors of the mediterranean cookbook; probably both of these flavors and combinations date back much longer, but recent fashion in france then spain is pretty linear. ← Is the cuttlefish and lamb pairing traditional or the mar y montana? The latter I know is. I wouldn't be surprised if the former is as well, although I am unaware of that particular tradition if it already exists.

I wouldn't refuse Godiva, but I wouldn't go out of my for it in any form. The chocolates that I had recently that were truly outstanding were from Kee's Chocolates in Soho, NYC. This is truly a small artisanal shop with great quality. Check out the PDF of the menu linked to on the coming web-site. I particularly enjoyed the black sesame and yuzu bon-bons.

A number of restaurants that specialize in Tasting menus will split a pour between two people if you ask. Not only does that make the amount of wine more reasonable for those who wish not to overindulge, it also makes it more economical. Not all restaurants will do this and some only for regulars, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

Very nice review. Hopefully Casa Mono was for lunch Certainly subject to debate, but in another place. I personally subscribe to the maxim that a picture is worth a thousand words. Nevertheless, you did a nice job below and some restaurants are much more difficult to photograph in than others and some are more amenable. Interesting. Pine seems to be the current vogue amongst top American avant-garde chefs. Within the past wo weeks I had pine scented/flavored dishes at both Alinea and WD-50. Both happened to be extraordinarily delicious. The cuttlefish and lamb dish sounds like a Catalan influence as the "Surf and turf" combos are a major part of that cuisine. They call it "Mar y Montana" and come with all sorts of interesting combinations.

This has to be one of the most interesting dining experiences in the US right now. Not only does the food look fantastic and very interesting, the whole concept of the smallness and privateness make for what must be an extremely intimate experience. Whether in a small restaurant,, a private home or a large Michelin 3-star restaurant or equivalent, I find the best meals give a great sense of intimacy along with great food. Fabulous photos, Philadining!

Pedro, perhaps on that thread you can tell us what was disappointing to you about Sant Pau and whether you have ever felt satisfied there?

Now that's an adventure! Thanks for relating it.