docsconz

Cool. Thanks.

By no means is the space in NYC bad. It just isn't up to the same standard as the food or the plates. He really has a remarkable collection of plates - truly beautiful pieces. It was almost as enjoyable anticipating the next service pieces as it was the food.

Oh to be young again! Betwen the booze and the oysters I would be curious to see your liver function tests in a month or so. Funny hearing about Krystal. A college buddy of mine was from the family who owned the chain, which is (or perhaps was) based in Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, I do believe.

Who's behind it?

Do I have to phone to confirm my reservation at Alinea? It wasn't mentioned on their website, unlike Charlie Trotter's where I have a reservation for the previous night. ← They will most likely call you, but if you haven't heard from them by the day before or so, I would call them.

If I can find fault with Soto, it is not the food or the service. If anything, it would be the space. It isn't bad, but neither is it extraordinary. However, I will take great food and service with a mediocre space over a great space with mediocre food and service any day.

This sounds like an absurd product, but probably not for this reason. This appears to be an old wives' tale according to Harold McGee.

Based upon my one meal, I would agree.

The sushi at the end was an excellent way to finish the meal, David. It was light and delicate. There was no difficulty in distinguishing the nuances of the fish or the rice.

Fun topic! I'm taking notes

Eric, if being a winter hot-spot is any indication, Max London's Restaurant on Broadway will continue to be the place to dine and deservedly so. The food is well done Mediterranean featuring tapas style small plates from Spain, pastas and wonderful wood-fired pizze from Italy and a number of French inspired dishes as well. The wine list is interesting and reasonable. In addition, they probably have the most serious and possibly the best cocktail program currently in Saratoga. The space is lovely. The normally very good service will likely be stretched thin like everywhere else in Saratoga in the summer. Beekman Street Bistro, Chez Sophie and Springwater Bistro continue as tried and true. Chianti is in a new location (ho-hum), though the restaurant never really appealed to me. I always saw t as more glitz thn substance. I'm suspicious when they take expensive wine bottles from the wine racks within the warm dining room. Mouzon House has a wonderful space. It is a restaurant that I really, really want to love, but I have been disappointed the last few times that I have been. Perhaps this will be the summer that I finally make it to Ciro's, however, living in the area, their season coincides with the time I try to avoid dining in Saratoga. I have heard good things about Lanci's though I haven't been. Saratoga National Golf Course has a new restaurant, Prime, that surprise, features steaks. It replaces Sargo's and is related to Angelo's 677 Prime in Albany that I have heard positive comments about. Speaking of golf courses, my favorite summer restaurant in the region is Farmhouse at Top of the World, overlooking beautiful Lake George. It is worth the trip for well prepared seasonal and local ingredients, much of which is grown on site. No restaurant in the area does more or better with local food.

For you, Rona I took these the morning we walked through Varanasi.

A shower and breakfast awaited us back at the hotel. After we enjoyed some free time, we went to the Radisson Hotel for lunch. I was thrilled with the well done Kayasth cooking of the region. The Kayasths are a sect of Hindus who were influenced culinarily by the Moghul rulers that they closely served. Unlike most Hindus, they eat meat though not beef. Highlights included a rich lamb soup, the best papadams and breads of the trip so far, great dal, stuffed potato, local grilled fish, paneer balls and other great dishes. It was one of my favorite meals of the trip so far. Aam Ka Panna Mint based welcome drink. Not overly sweet. Delicious. Yakhni Shorba Lamb based soup. Tawa Machali Local griddle cooked fish. Clockwise from the fish, Malai Kofta Dilkhush - paneer, raisin and spice dumpling with onion and cashew gravy; Dum Ke Aloo - potatoes stuffed with paneer and dried fruits with tomato-onion gravy; Dum Ki Daal - black and yellow lentils simmered over a tandoor; and Subz Miloni - a blend of spinach and seasonal vegetables. Parathas, Kulchas and Rotis Dahi Bhalla - lentil dumpling with yogurt and tamarind chutney. Kesari Rasmalai and Jalebi Chef Vivek Bahadur I would not have guessed that one of the tastiest meals of the entire trip would have taken place at a Radisson Hotel in Varanasi, but it did!

Thanks! I haven't tried that lobster dish yet, but after that meal I will look forward to trying that and whatever other dishes he cares to make for me. I can understand your disappointment in losing him.

DAY EIGHT: Sunday March 9 Sunrise on the Ganges overlooking the Ghats of Varanasi: this was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. We left the hotel around 5:45 AM to head over to the Ganges in Varanasi. The sky was already lightening with an eerie color. Our bus took us to a certain point from which we had to walk. The path down to the Ganges was bathed in orange light from the sky with people in various modes of dress, costume, face paint and infirmity moving in various directions and selling a number of items for worship, ritual or sustenance as well as items for daily living such as toothbrush twigs from the neem tree. Manu said that this wood has medicinal and antiseptic qualities. He purchased some, which he gave a sample of to each of us. Preparing Neem Toothbrushes The scene as we reached the top of the steps was surreal. The sides of the path downward towards the river was lined by people of extreme poverty, with a variety of infirmities, while the ground was littered with the personal detritus of people and animals all the while filled with sounds of drums, chants and horns. The sheer number of people was increasing by the minute with a palpable excitement in the air as the devout Hindus arrived at this magical spot. It was indeed magical despite the filth, squalor and poverty. Manu stopped to describe and illuminate what we were seeing. He told us about the meaning of the umbrellas along the shore of the Ganges, that they were places for Brahmins or priests from around the Hindu world so that pilgrims from various regions and with various languages could come and connect with one of their own. We eventually made our way to a boat that had been hired for us to take us out into the Ganges. As we entered the area of the boat we were blessed with a tikka from a Varanasi Brahmin. Shortly after we boarded the long row boat with two oarsman in the front and a helmsman in the back. The scene as we made our way into the river was otherworldly as the sun rose over the far side. Its light illuminated the bathers descending into the water as well as those arriving on the steps and celebrating their good karma. There were multicolored saris, long white beards and sounds of rhythmic chanting. Once we were out in the river we received a flower garland and a candle boat from Manu. The candle was for us to float out into the Ganges in order for us to send good messages to the departed. The light of the sun was getting stronger, casting a warm glow on the shore of the Ghats. It happened to be a tripmate’s birthday. He was honored with special beads in addition to his garland , a special vermilion tikka and a chanted rite to celebrate his good karma. This was a thrill not just for him, but for all of us as we were able to share in his glow. We eventually made our way to a cremation site at which several were already underway and another commencing. We were asked not to take photos of this ritual. As we headed back several boats came by to sell beads and trinkets. We slowly made our way back to the shore above the place at which we boarded. We arrived back on shore to wander the narrow streets of this ancient city eventually arriving at the area of the Hindu Golden Temple. This is an area in dispute between Hindus and Muslims. The original Hindu Temple was replaced by a mosque centuries ago when control of the city was wrested from the Hindus by the Muslim Moghuls. The Hindus now wish to reclaim the site while the Muslims wish to retain it. As a consequence security is extremely high with no allowance for any electronics or cameras as we were searched before entering the central area. As it was, all we could do was get a glimpse of both the temple and the mosque from a distance.

Thanks for the translation. That's funny! I wish that I had more of a stomach for trying some of the street food. I particularly enjoy samosas, but I was warned against buying them from the street as they tend to be made in advance and sit there in the heat with ingredients like potatoes that are great culture media. A few other fellow travelers were inveterate street food eaters, though, without apparent ill effects.

While cow butter is our standard, I like goat milk butter every now and again for something different. I find that freshness is much more important with this butter than ordinary cow's milk butter, though.

Before dinner we were treated to a lecture on Vedism by the Swami Anant S. Shastri. He explained that the ancient roots of India stem from Vedic culture. These are captured in two major epics, one of which is the Mahabharata, which convey the Baghavad Ghita or Laws of Karma as seen by the Vedics. He explained that the Vedas have two essential elements, those of knowledge and ritual. He explained that struggle is life and life is struggle. The Ghitas themselves do not espouse any particular religion. Instead, he says, they are a guide for life. He continued to explain that there are five universal noble forces, the first of which is “Dharma” or “law eternal”, from which all the universe is created. From law comes faith, then truth and love divine. These “noble forces” are constantly up against a multitude of evil forces, however, the noble forces are strong as exemplified by the fact that “even a small lamp can defeat a large amount of darkness.” The Ghita says, according to Sri Shastri that the approach to life should always be positive. One should always fight defensively to support noble forces rather than to initiate fights against evil forces since one “can not eliminate darkness.” Shastri was dressed in traditional garb of India with large, colorful markings painted across his forehead. He spoke in slow measured tones that sometimes made me threaten to nod off, but his message was quite interesting , especially in light of the dark times our world faces at present. It was truly food for thought. We followed with a vegetarian Ayurvedic dinner. Vegetarian in India does not mean “Vegan” as within most of the vegetarian cultures milk and even fish and sometimes fowl products are often served. The universal vegetarian taboo is meat flesh. Within the Ayurvedic culture, milk based products such as yogurt and paneer are welcome, however, plant products like onions and garlic are not as they are felt to stimulate an appetite for meat. Our dinner at the hotel was served on individual silver thalis, trays with a variety of small cups containing samples of dishes. Among the most interesting was one containing jackfruit and another with dal. Thali Raw Vegetables Jackfruit Peas and Paneer Ras Malai Dal Raita

From the stupa, we took the bus over to a nearby Buddhist temple from the Sri Lankan order of monks, This famous temple, Mulagandhakuti Vihara, has a mural inside painted in the 1930’s by a well-known Japanese painter, Kosetsu Nosu. We were allowed to visit the altar and its golden statue of Buddha. The whole thing was quite moving as we were there as the sun began to set. Our return drive to the hotel once again gave a sense of the perpetual motion of this city sacred to so many people. On our way back to the hotel we stopped at the Mehta Silk Works, which specializes in the ancient and dying art of brocade. We enjoyed a demonstration of the process as well as a display of their wares. A number of us spent a few rupees on their fine products. In addition to what I bought there, I obtained several swatches of silk to bring home with the idea of choosing and ordering material for curtains.

We had a chance to freshen up and relax a little before meeting up with our guide, Manu, a Brahmin and teacher with a degree in archaeology, met us and continued a lecture in the bus that he had started on the trip from the airport on the nature of Hunduism, Buddhism and Islam and their relation to Varanasi. As we headed to Sarnath, the place of Buddha’s first sermon in the 5th century BC, he focused on the life story of Siddhartha, the Buddha’s given name, from his birth as a Hindu, the crown prince of the land, in a forest, walking immediately upon birth with lotus blossoms springing up under his steps to his youthful seclusion in the palace, to his venturing forth with a servant and discovering old age and death, to his marriage and son to his venturing forth into a life of asceticism fasting for 60 days reaching enlightenment or “nirvana” to his first sermon at Sarnath, a deer park, to his death and ultimate release from the cycle of life and death. His lecture was truly fascinating. It was continued in the Archaeological Museum at Sarnath at which, unfortunately no electronics were allowed. The museum was fascinating, holding the stonework that is the symbol of India, the Lion Capitol of Asoka, whose image is visible on each Indian banknote. The sandstone capitol, built by the devout Buddhist Emperor Ashoka in the third century BC to honor the Buddha had a special polish, the formula of which has been lost and unable to be reproduced after the time period that the capitol was built. Because of this, the capitol has a shine that has not been produced on sandstone since. For such an old piece, it is also in remarkable condition. From that piece, Manu, showed us and explained in wonderful detail several other pieces in the museum. This was truly the finest lecture I have heard in some time. It was so good that Manu attracted a crowd, including two young students from Varanasi. They were so into what Manu was saying, they followed us through the museum tour listening intently, nodding in understanding with genuine broad smiles and bright eyes. Once we had some free time to explore the museum, I struck up a conversation with the two friendly students, who proceeded to show me some other significant pieces of the museum, which they come to at least once or twice per week. Though they themselves are Hindu and not Buddhist, their reverence for Buddha is strong as Buddha remains a key figure in the Hindu religion representing the ninth embodiment of Vishnu, one of the three principle gods of Hinduism. From the museum we would proceed to the archaeological site of Sarnath where Buddha’s first sermon was to have taken place. The students were so genuinely fascinated and friendly that after asking Manu, I invited them to join us at the archaeological site for further lectures. The archaeological site was the deer park of Buddha’s first sermon. It was also the home of a number of monuments built by the Ashoka, called stupas. The original site of the Lions was here, part of the original pillar still present and visible. We saw a number of Buddhist monks wearing the burgundy robes of the Tibetan order and the orange robes of the Sri Lankan order amongst the pilgrims. The Dhamek Stupa, the largest in existence is supposed to provide good karma to those who walk around it in a circle. Of course, I did so several times.

DAY SEVEN: Saturday, March 8 I had a light breakfast as this was the first day that I felt that my blood sugar was somewhat of an issue. The previous day was very sedentary with a lot of food spread throughout the day. I woke up early to urinate and had some frequency to follow. Fortunately, this would not be a big day of eating as it would be a travel day to Varanasi. Since it was Saturday, the traffic flowed smoothly, so our trip to the airport was uneventful as was our flight to Varanasi. The passengers were much more varied ethnically than was apparent on other flights. In particular, there appeared to be a large number of Japanese passengers on board the plane. The explanation for this is that Sarnath, a site just outside of Varanasi , is the site where Buddha gave his first sermon. The site is therefore of major significance to Buddhists of all nationalities. It was quite hot and dusty as we descended from the plane. We collected our baggage and piled into the bus. This one was somewhat better than the dirty, smelly one of Delhi, though it was not quite as nice as the one in Kerala. The drive to the hotel was eye-opening. The traffic flowed at a crawl as the road was filled with trucks and vehicles of all types . This enabled us to get a good view of the countryside and villages as they limped past. It was already apparent that this would be an India different than what we had already seen, only we were yet to realize how different. Once again our arrival at the hotel was met with ceremony. In addition to the forehead tikka, we received a necklace. This time instead of a flower garland, it was a beaded necklace in colors chosen to complement the clothing we were wearing. In my case since I was wearing light green clothes, I received a lovely string of sea green beads. The mint based welcome drink was less sweet and more refreshing than others that we have received. The hotel itself was old, but quite charming. The grounds were beautifully landscaped with the grandest collection of flowering plants , especially dahlias, that I have come across so far on this trip. My room was comfortably appointed and pretty, number 403.

Thanks, Bruce. I think it depends on the class of the home whether women do most of the cooking or not. As you will see, we ate in a few homes, most of them upper-caste. Though the ladies of the houses tended to run the kitchens, much of the actual cooking in those situations was done by (hired) males. I'm not sure that is typical in most homes, however.

I did not pay for the meal directly, but I recall looking at the menu and being very impressed by the prices. With the exxchange at the time, the raita was around $16/bowl or something like that. The meats were in the $30-40 range if memory serves me. The wines and other beverages were quite high though I no longer remember any specifics. I don't mind spending money on food and wine (obviously, I think ), but I do not like being taken advantage of. That was the impression that I had at the time of Bukhara. It charges relatively high prices because of its reputation. Thus is the power of the market. It is very good, but I do not think that it is that good. Based on its reputation and its relative cost it should have been the best meal of the trip by far. Not even close. I hope that I answered your question, Brooks.

Thanks for reading! Julie Sahni runs some trips to India on her own that I'm sure would be excellent as well.

The cauliflower was battered and deep fried before being finished in the tandoor. While I don't have photos of saris per se, I do have some fabric photos that I'll post at the appropriate times.