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In Palermo I totally recommend Ai Cascinari for traditional palermitan food - fabulous. Other places of particular note were Franco Il Pescaturi outside of Palermo in Porticello for the ultimate in fresh seafood, Fattoria delle Torre in Modica with traditional Sicilian foods served imaginatively and creatively and La Foglia in Ortygia with very tasty food in a funky (in a good way) atmosphere. If you like chocolate, get yourself to La Dolceria Buonajuto in Modica for some unique and delicious special chocolates.

I remember having the chicken neck at Cibreo back in 1998. I enjoyed it and the whole experience of Cibreo, although I don't really remember too many other details. I would return when back in Firenze.

Absolutely, All you need is to be available, let whoever is organizing the event know and pay your share! Welcome to eGullet!

As I and others have said, a "reasonable" policy of charging no-shows is acceptable, but this is not only egregious, it is stupid business.

As cool as this blog is and it is very cool, I would love to see the blog from Umbria

One will find "red marrow" in the "flat" bones of adults such as the sternum, ribs, vertebrae, pelvis, etc., which is why some will see redness in the marrow of rib chops and the like. The marrow in a veal shank is, however, yellow and very rich in fat. It does contain precursors for blood cells and can convert back to "red marrow" in times of anemia or hypoxia.

Bone marrow in mature long bones (from which I believe most culinary marrow comes) is primarily "yellow marrow" rich in adipose tissue. While it is not pure fat, it is indeed pretty close and for culinary purposes it essentially is.

The problem with this cancellation fee is that it is 100% no matter when one cancels or why one cancels. I don't have a problem with a reasonable penalty for no-shows, however, I do resent a cancellation fee when I act responsibly. The policy discussed in this topic is particularly egregious from any number of angles.

I for one enjoy both the "earthy" cuisine a la Slow Food and the creative genius of chefs like Keller or Adria. The one thing that must be common with both is great taste. If that is there, then the "cerebralness" and whimsy of the creative chef add another element of enjoyment and to my mind is worth the extra money. Without great taste, creativity by itself is not sufficient for a great meal.

Great pics and description. I'm thinking of finishing off a culinary trip to Spain in October with a few days in Portugal. My question is how best to spend them? Lisbon, the Algarve and Douro are all extremely enticing as well as other areas. Figure three nights. I know that it is not enough time to get anything remotely resembling a comprehensive overview, but what I want is a beguiling taste. Any eGulleteers available to meet for a meal then?

This is absolutely disgusting! OK, that is an exaggeration compared to things that truly are disgusting. Nevertheless, I am apalled by the nerve of Hyatt to institute something like this - Corporate chutzpah that cannot and should not be tolerated. I guess that the initial practice of charging in advance and not allowing for cancellation refunds is bad enough, but then having the nerve to put the service charge with it as well? And for essentially non-existant service to boot!

While you were in a tight space given the special occasion and the fact that your mil chose it, I think that policy should be completely condemned and indeed boycotted. It is unconscionable IMO. It is one thing to charge a penalty for last-minute cancellations, it is another whole thing to have a no-cancellation policy period. Unless completely forced to complete the reservation for "political" reasons such as you had, I would refuse to make a reservation at any restaurant instituting that policy and I would make sure they knew that that policy is unacceptable.

It's too bad I am not a hunter as we have a number of wild turkeys on our property. A week or so ago I woke up to seeing a tom courting a hen on the alawn area in front of my house. He was in full regalia - a very impressive sight. On the other hand, if I was a hunter I wouldn't have been able to witness that sight. Turkeys are actually very impressive and beautiful birds. I have absolutely nothing against eating them. In fact we had a roasted red bourbon this past week. Delicious. Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers and mothers-to-be!

No doubt this is true I do agree with you that this fetishism is the worst part of the wine world and that this event represents the worst part of that. Nevertheless, I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to try some of those wines at this event if the opportunity sans $25k cost were offered to me. The problem is the sheer excess that ultimately disrespects the very thing an event such as this is supposed to celebrate - great wine. I have been to fabulous wine dinners with 10-12 wonderfully aged first and second growth Bordeaux's or equivalents from other regions and even at these more approachable line-ups the individual wines don't shine as brightly as they might otherwise. I am, however, happy to have had the opportunity to sample a number of wines that I might not otherwise have been able to. The thing is there were not so many as to be overwhelming. The dinner discussed here is overwhelming - at least to me. The bottom line to me is if that kind of money for a weekend was no object, I would probably amass my own collection of those wines and enjoy them in a way more suitable to what they deserve - no more than several at a time to compare and contrast with a few good friends.

The old Village Gate on Bleeker. The food was nothing special, but man the jazz was the best

While on the whole I do agree with your sentiment, I can imagine many things worse than this . It is a colossal waste and I daresay most if not all of the attendees will be there just to say they were. It is true that no single individual can really appreciate all these wines together or the food for that matter given what is likely to be the sheer quantity and richness of the cuisine. Nevertheless, if someone wanted to pay my way, I wouldn't mind trying just a few of the wines and morsels served with them. Actually any one dinner/tasting would likely be phenomenal, but combined they are suicidal/vinicidal.

The Palace? It was featured on 60 Minutes with Andy Rooney. That was the one. Anyone here ever been? What was it like? It was the first restaurant to capture my imagination through the media.

Thre was a restaurant in NYC in the early 80's that i had never been to myself, but supposedly was "the" place to dine. It was very expensive for the time. I can't remember what it was called. Any thoughts?

That was a regular spot for me and my wife when we were dating. I don't really recall any specific dishes, but it was one of our favorites for "fine" dining.

Does the $25K include hotel? It actually sounds cheap for what is on the list, although I can't imagine that all together like this the wines can really be appreciated. While an extravaganza, it is almost a waste. It is perfect for someone who can afford it and wants to be there just to say (s)he was. I have to admit as much as I would love to taste those wines with that food, I couldn't possibly appreiate so much in so short a time (and survive). Where are Bourdain, Ripert and Ruhlman?

I brought back the best sun-dried tomatoes from Sicily available at the outdoor markets. I would second the capers from Pantelleria. They are superb. Another product would be lentils from Ustica.

Ah well Taurus' will out Since I had no intention of cooking my own birthday dinner, we went out. However, I won't hijack your thread by posting about it. I hope you had a wonderful day and your dinner was awesome! No hijacking involved. I hope you had a day at least as great as mine.

I better try an older Joly if that is the consensus Thanks, John.

I did. All I can say is that if this wine is still going to improve, watch out. It is a stunning wine right now, It is voluptuous and full with layers of complexity. Thank you all for the suggestions and birthday wishes and a Taurus belly bump back to you Tana. We are certainly of a similar mindset on many things culinary - it must be the bull in us Oh, by the way, the crabs werren't too shabby either. we also had roasted blue potatoes, sauteed sugar snap peas and sauteed fiddlehead ferns. I ws happy on my b-day

They can't have too many "regulars" yet, can they?