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I will continue to follow your reports here with great interest. Thank you. This topic is a blog on the lifecycle of an American vineyard with all the ups and downs.

When I travel I love nothing better than visiting local food markets. Where are the best ones in Lisbon and what should I be looking out for in early October?

Best of luck, Owen!

That is why I said "sort of like". Michael, it is obviously not the same thing. My point which was not clear enough was that people who try to get people to register to vote generally have an interest in the votes those new voters will cast, preferably for a desired candidate or outcome. The direct financial reward incentive is the difference. In the poliical vote process it is generally done with an appeal to the voter's self-interest, a much more indirect reward. It wouldn't appeal to me. The question is could you vote on the place before actually eating there in order to get the discount in order to try it. I wouldn't be surprised if that has been done. That IMO, is truly fraudulent and the possibility of that happening is enough to make the practice deplorable.

The wine service does indeed sound phenomenal. If I had to choose, I would prefer a restaurant with great food and mediocre wine service to wine with great wine service and mediocre food. It sounds like Cru may be a winner on both counts.

I had one of the best and most memorable meals of my life at UP that happened to be centered around scallops including a dish with raw scallops, tomato water and a few other items. I found DiSpirito to be very inventive and the room stunning then, so my comment comparing Cru to UP was offered as one of positivity and not criticism. Since that time I've not had the same level of experience repeated at UP.

A live scallop? Can you give more information? How was it presented that it was live and not just raw? The restaurant sounds wonderful. I will have to make a point of trying it when in NYC. It sounds a little like Union Pacific a few years ago.

It's an interesting concept - sort of like getting people to register to vote in an election. Presumably the people who would do it are people who like the restaurant anyway, since as Owen said, people who didn't like it would probably not do it to get the discount. On the other hand, those people might do it out of irritation of the brashness of the promotion. I would feel much worse about it if they just gave anyone $20 cash to vote.

The Slow Food movement is big in Italy as I have personally seen. A major interest of the movement is with the field of wine. Has it influenced you in your approach to making wine and if so how? If not, why not?

Thank you for joining us! How is the 2004 vintage shaping up? Are conditions so far on track for an exceptional vintage, very good, average or poor? Obviously, even if things so far are exceptional, that can change with some poorly timed bad weather, but it is probably too late to improve things if the conditions have so far been poor. When do you expect to harvest?

The nice thing is that one doesn't really have to choose. I love them both.

I am confident that you will enjoy yourselves if you enjoy creative cuisine with a respect for tradiotion. Have great trips!

I spent parts of the last two Novembers on the Amalfi coast. The weather remains comfortable, but most likely not beach or pool weather. The crowds are markedly diminished, but so are your options regarding hotels and restaurants as well as shopping. two years ago we stayed in Sorrento at the Hotel Excelsior Vittoria. This was nice, but extremely empty. We had a car and used it to get around the area. Last year I stayed in Positano at The Hotel San Pietro just prior to its closing for the season. This was particularly beautiful. We did not have a car here, but it wasn't really a problem getting around the Amalfi coast by taxi when we needed to. To be technical sorrento really isn't on the Amalfi coast since it is on the Bay of Naples side of the Sorrentine peninsula. To actually stay on The amalfi Coast, you should stay in Positano, Amalfi or Ravello. while restaurant options may be fewer, there are still plenty including Don Alfonso in Santa Agata di Due Golfi. That is also a hotel option. I enjoyed my visits very much both times.

Great job, Owen! Nice pics and nice reporting. I may actually have to get there one of these years. It looks like a lot of fun. If I get a chance I'll post some pictures from the recent Washington County Fair later on.

Cyn, I have been to both Osteria Francescana and Hosteria Giusti, both last November. I found the food at Francescana to be be very creative, flavorful and whimsical in an international style with very strong Italian underpinnings. Indeed Massimo Bottura is a protege of Ferran adria, having worked at El Bulli. I enjoyed it very much. Here are a couple of photos that should give an indication of what some of the cuisine looks like: Pork tenderloin wrapped with pancetta with balsamic vinaigrette, raspberry vinegar, onion marmelade, mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts and Chianina Toscana over mashed potatoes It is not classic Italian food, but it still respects tradition. My notes from the visit: "The decor of the restaurant was very modern and smart mixed with some traditional elements such as the ceiling. This is also an apt description of the cuisine , which based on high-quality traditional ingredients is presented in new and creative ways. My favorite dish of the evening (I had a tasting menu selected by the chef) was a leek and truffle tart with generous shavings of black truffle. i considered this dish a true "wow". The food, decor and service were on a par with other world class restaurants I've been to. If you want traditional don't go. If you want creative flair, I recommend it highly.

His point about an increased demand for upper end wines is not that the demand will be driven by American boomers but by increased demand from economically emerging parts of the world such as China. this argument does indeed have some cogency to it.

An interesting article and generally good news for most wine consumers-the exception being the future collectors of "collectible" wines, who according to parker will be paying outrageous sums by today's standards. This, of course, is good news to those currently collecting said wines. Of particular interest to me was his emphasis on the decline of wood in most of the world's wines and the increase in diversity. i especially hope the latter comes true. I don't think he really went out on a big limb for any of these prognostications, but it is interesting to see them all in one place, espoused by a person of his stature.

Cool "trailer". too bad there wasn't a mention of the Alinea project on eGullet in the article.

Steven, I respect your writing and opinions very much. We obviously have a disconnect here over our perceptions of Bruni's criticism. As such, I am very interested in your specific criticisms of this review, whether it be here or in another topic.

Another fun feature of the electronic edition of the New York Times is the audio slide show. One for Per Se, narrated by Bruni, is available from the Dining and Wine Section. I'm sorry that I'm unable to give a direct link.

Steven, Exactly how has Bruni dug "a deeper hole" with the Per Se review? I can understand how people have been taken aback by some of his writing such as focusing on specific patrons or not focusing enough on the food, but I certainly don't see any of that in this review. I see the review as concise, well-written, informative and yes, still entertaining. I don't mind being entertained if there is substance to the writing. That is certainly the hallmark of Jeffrey Steingarten's writing and also yours.

This is the kind of thing the web and eGullet were made for. Thanks, Carolyn for the continuing saga.

Nice photos. I am getting nostalgic already! I need to return there soon.

Indeed you are correct. This is just another sign of my early dementia It is why I originally stated that it was "probably too far north to qualify for this thread" At least I had my sense of geography right if not the proper names.

His best review yet in a number of ways.