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Yes, Ellen, these are superb photos. You are certainly whetting my appetite for Ducasse.

Toddski, Welcome to you as well!

Most of the views posted here would indicate that it is. I will be trying it for myself for the first time in December and will report back, especially if it is transcendant or a major disappointment.

Welcome to eGullet! You are certtainly entering the world of haute cuisine with a bang. IMO, the trick to enjoying it is to relax, let it come to you and not to worry too much about the money. The other trick is to not let your expectations get away from you. Go with an open and inquisitive mind and remember that you are the customer. Go with the full tasting menu and get the wine pairings to go with it. That is the easiest way to dine at Per Se to get the most out of it withoput being self-conscious. While 5:30 PM is generally early for dinner, you are essentially there for the evening. If you are used to staying up very late before going to wrk the next day, the 10PM reservation should be fine. If not, I would recommend the earlier reservation. As for photos, go ahead and take them as unobtrusively as you can (i.e no flash), but don't be surprised or upset if they ask you to stop. Best wishes on your special occassion.

I wasn't referring to the brining aspect. I'm getting two fresh-killed red bourbons and I wouldn't think of brining them. I guess I need to be more specific about what I was asking. Could you please be more specific about the "lies"?

a bit more to read about .. discussion on Bourbon Reds ← Before you give much credence to the cited aticle, this guy believes in brining turkey and has a problem with believing that a person would prefer an un-brined bird. There are also several outrageous lies in the article. ← Please be more specific.

I would fly in for that if I could arrange the time.

What is the latest on a projected opening?

I have to go back. Your description of the scallops in particular sent me into a swoon.

What areas of the south have most intrigued you?

The Food Lover's Companion to Tuscany was a mainstay of mine when we visited Tuscany in 1998. It is an excellent book. A similar book about Campania will be a welcome addition. Please tell her that I am a fan of her work.

Corbezzolo are rather tasty IMO. My son and I found a wild tree bearing the fruit last year walking along the ridge overlooking Positano. We ate a bunch after we saw some Italians doing it. They were delicious. I also found, bought and ate some this fall at the Boqueria in Barcelona. These were still good, but not as good as that initial discovery.

Great job, Wendy! Thanks for a glimpse into Seattle and your life.

terrific report & thanks. how did your "au vin" sauce turn out? ← Thanks. Since a number of us are eGulleteers we are talking about the possibility of doing a more detailed report on the production including photos. The sauce was spectacular on Saturday night and even better last night. It is very rich and complex.

It took a week to make the coq au vin with a lot of work. it also (no surprise) turned out to be a fairly expensive dish following Delouvrier's recipe. It was, however, delicious and even better today as leftovers. The legs, thighs and wings of the roosters were particularly outstanding. The breasts were still on the dry side.

If the trip included Pais Vasco on the itinerary or was a generic trip to Spain, I would wholeheartedly concur, but given that this trip appears to be centerd in Catalunya, L'Escala anchovies provide a little more in the way of terroir as a souvenier.

I have no idea if the food is any good or not, but I love the name. It is a great play on words.

As someone from outside the area who has eaten at Palena and had very good service this post caught my eye, so much so that I went back to June 3rd to check out your original complaint. I can understand your being annoyed by what happened there, but that really isn't an uncommon policy. It certainly isn't isolated to Palena. I'm sure restaurants have their reasons for policies like that and maybe someone who is involved with a policy that doesn't seat members of a party until all are present can explain its rationale. Perhaps you can be more specific about the other bad service points you mentioned but that I failed to see described so that the restaurant could perhaps correct them if they are legitimate and systemic and also so that the rest of us can be truly aware. Any place can have an off night, but your accusations are rather vehement. To be honest, in light of most of what else is written here and my own personal experience it is hard to take your complaints seriously without more detail. Forgive me if I somehow missed it, in which case I would appreciate it if you could direct me to them.

I'll second the recommendation of Dauro. I was fortunate to visit the producer in September. It is state of the art and immaculate. The oil is outstanding. It is a combination of three different olive types - korneiki, arbequina and another the name of which escapes me at the moment. It should be widely available at gourmet stores in the area. It was when I was there. Interestingly, they bottle throughout the year in order to maximize freshness. If I can get around to it I will post on my visit there with photos. As far as the anchovies, if they are from L'Escala I don't think the brand matters very much as they are uniformly good.

It is not just the prices that are good, but the price for the quality of the product. I can get salmon here for those prices, but not that salmon. The same is true for most of the other seafood, but then I don't live on the coast. If I want really good seafood I get it shipped to me and pay accordingly. On the other hand I get great lamb, pork, beefalo and free-range chicken locally. ← I totally understand what you are saying. Is it ok if I insert our family mantra here? FRIENDS DON'T LET FRIENDS EAT FARMED SALMON! Wild, wild, wild!! ask your restaurants and don't order it otherwise. They add COLOR to those farmed fish to make them pink!! ← You're preaching to the choir Actually I usually order a whole copper river salmon every spring and have it shipped. We freeze most of it and have it throughout the year. Nice dinner. I love good crab.

It is not just the prices that are good, but the price for the quality of the product. I can get salmon here for those prices, but not that salmon. The same is true for most of the other seafood, but then I don't live on the coast. If I want really good seafood I get it shipped to me and pay accordingly. On the other hand I get great lamb, pork, beefalo and free-range chicken locally.

One tidbit I would recommend is that if you are nauseated (Nauseous is something that makes one nauseated) do not eat. If you are ill with a stomach bug or side effects of a narcotic pain medication do not eat unless you are hungry. Thirst is not sufficient, although by all means drink if you are thirsty. If one persists in not being able to hold fluids down, one can become even more dehydrated creating a vicious circle that results in even more nausea and vomiting. In this situation IV fluids may be necessary. Hunger is the best indicator of a settling stomach. That is the advice I give to my post-op patients. Nausea is a potential side effect of any narcotic. Codeine and morphine are related so that if one has a problem with one of them they likely will have the same problem with the other (codeine is a bfreakdown product of morphine). If one class of narcotic is a problem try a different one as some people are more effected by one than another.

Nice prices on the seafood. I'm jealous.

Is that a problem? I'm of the school that there never can be too much shellfish.

I find with the stinkier cheeses including bleus that there is a fine line between optimum ripeness with its heavenly attributes and utter disaster. This is particularly true of some of the more piquant bleus like cabrales and roquefort which get ammoniaized at the drop of a hat it seems. Do you buy all your wines directly from area wineries or do you shop at Seattle wineshops? I very much appreciate your emphasis on buying local when possible. You are fortunate to have some pretty darn good local sources for a lot of things.