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I notice no US affiliation. With liability concerns what they are here, I am not surprised. In the right setting I would think that it would be fun, though I don not think I would go out of my way to do it. I imagine the food is fairly straightforward and not the principle point of the exercise.

ha, didnt think he would call you on it, sad attempt above ← I completely stand by my assessment of the dish, but that doesn't mean that I don't love lots of what Wylie does. I would certainly count myself among a small population of NYers interested in making sure that avant garde cuisine exists in NY. If there's not room for discussion (or "calling me out" as you put it), then there's no reason for sites such as egullet. I'd be happy to drop off a few bags of my pizza pebbles at your house for you to enjoy. ← The pebbles are clearly worthy of discussion and your opinion is certainly valid, though I disagree with it. What I objected to, was your use of the word "objective" when you gave your opinion, which is by definition "subjective," as is mine. Would I want an entire meal of pizza pebbles? No, but as a small part of a tasting menu, I enjoyed them very much as I did other iterations of the pebble concept. Of course, I would think that Wylie's free lifetime supply of pizza pebbles to the four of you would be like getting "free" foie gras in Chicago before the ban was rescinded.

Thanx John. The meal was fantastic. ← Amazing looking meal! Though not a clone, the influence of Alinea appears to permeate this restaurant. From what I saw and read, this restaurant appears to be a must on my next Chicago visit, which can't come too soon.

Excellent report and photos, David. The food at L'Atelier is certainly impeccable. The egg dish is interesting and very similar to one that Dan barber serves at Blue Hill at Stone Barns. I would be curious to know whose dish and technique this really is. Is it Barber's? Robuchon's? Someone else entirely? My guess is that the egg is cooked to temperature in a water bath or other precisely temperature controlled device, then peeled , coated in panko and quickly deep-fried. I have had Barber's version and it is wonderful.

Wonderful report, Shaya. I'm sorry that I missed Don Emiliano when I was there.

That is a pretty impressive line-up and may just require a roadtrip!

The 2008 International Chefs Congress is shaping up to be another spectacular event with a roster of culinary superstars that one has come to expect from this conference. This year's theme is The Responsibilty of a Chef and will focus on mentoring, sustainability and community. Notables include Grant Achatz, Joan Roca, Heston Blumenthal, Rene Redzepi and Michel Richard amongst a host of others. Once again, much attention will be focused on the revolution in mixology including the likes of Audrey Saunders and Toby Maloney. The location this year will be uptown at the historic Park Avenue Armory at Park Avenue and E. 66th St.

Here is an approach that I may have to try - a recipe for Boar Loin, Boar Ragout, Vermicelli, Bok Choy by Chef Akhtar Nawab of Elettaria – New York, NY as adapted by StarChefs.com. He cooks the boar shoulder in two steps. The initial one is at 180ºF for 9 hours with a browning level of 3. Then he separates the meat into portions and does it again at 120º with 0 browning for about 50 minutes. Interesting.

While you may find the pebbles revolting, what makes your opinion any more objective than mine or others who find them fun? I am not discounting the validity of your opinion, just questioning your subjective use of the word objective in this instance. I, for one, have never had three year old vending machine food, so I can't relate to the comparison. I have had pizze that have tasted like the pebbles, though, and enjoyed the reference to them.

I always new that Vegas was decadent, but this takes the cake!

Regardless, if a chef serves a truffle tasting menu nobody assumes the menu is uncreative simply by virtue of having truffles in every dish. Rather, in order to judge the creativity of the menu, we have to look at how the truffles are utilized. Two chefs could do truffle tasting menus, and one menu could be totally dull and unremarkable while the other could be brilliantly creative. And if that chef did a small-format restaurant with a set menu, and served only brilliantly creative truffle menus all season long, it wouldn't make it any less creative. ← But I'm not aware of any chef in this town that has made a truffle tasting menu the central element of a restaurant. ← does no one here remember 325 Spring Street? ← That fact that this restaurant appears to not be particularly well remembered may be an indication that a truffle oriented tasting menu doesn't generally work beyond a limited seasonal approach. As wonderful as truffles are, it is extremely difficult to keep them perpetually interesting without adding real variety.

My criticisms of Las Vegas are just that. They are certainly not criticism of your experience there, of which I am extremely envious.

David, I sincerely appreciate your insights and views on LV dining, which despite my criticisms, I do enjoy. Las Vegas is a fun town and I am happy that there are excellent dining opportunities there of varying economic and stylistic levels. However, I highly doubt that there are very many people who dine at Guy Savoy or the other ultra-high end restaurants who would not otherwise afford a trip to Paris. Getting to Paris is actually not that much more expensive. One thing Las Vegas isn't anymore is cheap unless one is a high roller, but then they can afford those Paris trips if they wanted.

Outstanding report, David. Thanks. The passage extracted below from your post illustrates my point about Las Vegas. Clearly there is a lot of talent and creative spark there. I do enjoy it for that, however, I also find that so much of what is presented there is dependent on its "luxe quotient." That is to say that the more exotic and expensive something is, the better it must be, seems to pervade the thinking of restauranteurs and diners alike in Las Vegas. Obviously, I am generalizing and there are certainly exceptions to that, but the approach to wagyu and Kobe beef is certainly illustrative of that feeling. My point is not that dining in LV is not and cannot be wonderful - it most certainly can be and often is - but that at the bottom of it, it is still lacking in something, ironically, possibly due to the excess that you so well describe.

If there is one city right now in the world that I haven't been to, but most desire getting to for culinary reasons, it is Copenhagen. The articles John pointed out illustrate why, though my conclusion was cinched at the latest Madrid Fusion, where a number of those chefs including Rene Redzepi presented.

The novelty aspect of Alinea is certainly very strong as it really is a unique restaurant, however, that is fully backed up by outstanding food. The fact that it is ever evolving, though with consistent quality makes it a must for me whenever I return to Chicago.

Thanks, Nancy. Any restaurant can have its ups and downs. I have yet to find a Mexican restaurant outside of Mexico that performs with as varied a regional palate as well as Bayless' restaurants do.

Hi Alex. That was a big travel day, but hadn't been a big eating day due to the travel and the desire to eat well at Can Roca. Sometimes, though circumstances conspire against one. Had the weather been decent that day, travel would have been much easier, quicker and less stressful. My frame of mind would probably have been better as well. One advantage we had, was that we didn't drive to and from Can Roca as our friend handled that chore once we arrived at their home. In retrospect, I would plan it the same way again, but hope for better weather I have been using my Canon 20D for about three years now. I think I may have upgraded my ability to use it. A simple answer to your question about the interactive wine list: no. Your schedule in NYC made mine in Spain look like I was at a resort!

I would suggest going with an open mind and have whatever appeals to you or go with a tasting menu. Don't let others' opinions prejudge dishes for you. The pizza pebbles are fun and good if you can appreciate them for what they are. Enjoy!

For Mother's Day I made Lamb Three Ways: The aforementioned braised mutton shanks (ok so it wasn't really lamb three ways ), a butterflied leg of lamb and some lamb chops, all from Elihu Farms and purchased at the Saratoga Farmers' Market. The osso bucco was cooked as per the previous post. The leg was marinated overnight with rosemary, garlic, S&P and Vea Coffee Oil while the chops were treated with S&P and pimentón. The leg and chops were cycled for thirty minutes at 130ºF with a Browning setting of 5 equating to a cooking temperature of 170ºF for that time before holding for four hours at 130º. The internal temp of the lamb when I removed it from the oven. The leg directly from the CVAP. The chops directly from the CVAP. The leg after a quick, high heat stove-top sear. Both the leg and the chops were cooked to perfect uniform interior doneness, despite different thicknesses of different areas or individual portions. While the meats were very moist and juicy, unfortunately none of the flavors or seasoning outside of the pimentón on the chops really shone through to any significant degree. Like sous vide, it is very easy and reliable to achieve an anticipated degree of doneness, however, I am discovering that seasoning and flavoring product may involve more than what I have so far done. For example, it seems that the salt and pepper pretreatment of the meat doesn't really do much. I may try my seasoning after the CVAP cooking and before searing or possibly after the final sear. Another option would be to wrap the seasoned and flavored meat in plastic wrap for the cooking to simulate the conditions of the sous vide bath. The things we do for science!

Here is a report on a recent brunch I had with friends at Frontera earlier this month.

During a recent visit to Chicago, we returned to some tried and true places, including Saturday brunch at Frontera. We arrived at the restaurant as it opened at 10:30AM. My wife and I had flown into Chicago the morning before, while our friends had taken the same flight that morning. We walked from our hotel, the Burnham, in the Loop to the restaurant and then back again afterwards, when we walked to Milllenium Park and came across the Polish Day Parade. The four of us were seated at the perfect rear corner table slightly elevated over the rest of the dining room and overlooking part of the kitchen bar. I love the decor at Frontera and Topolobampo. It is vibrant and lively, both traits that go well with Mexican restaurant dining, with wonderful art from the Bayless collection, gathered over Rick's many trips south of the border. We wanted an early meal since we would be doing the Tour at Alinea that night with drinks at The Violet Hour before that. We also didn't want to sell the food at Frontera short. Brunch was the perfect solution. We started with cocktails despite the hour of the day. I had a tequila based version of a Bloody Mary, the name of which unfortunately escapes me. It was superb! Not being decisive in ordering appetizers our waiter suggested that we order the "Entremés Surtido: appetizer platter of cheesy quesadillas, crispy chicken taquitos with sour cream, tangy ceviche tostadas, crunchy jícama salad and guacamole" so we did. Great choice. Jicama Salad Ceviche Tostadas Cheese Quesadillas Chicken Taquitos Guacamole We made short work of all this - delicious and satisfying. We each ordered a different main. Enfrijoladas de Huevos "Toreados": black bean "enchiladas" filled with green-chile scrambled eggs. 24-hour Neuske's slab bacon, Frontera salad Tamale with pork and sesame mole - a special Chilaquiles L Guajillo: quick-simmered tortilla "casserole" with rustic red guajillo chile sauce, homemade crema, aged Mexican cheese (queso anejo), sunny-side up egg. Tangy baby greens. Enchiladas de Mole Poblano: homemade tortillas rolled around Gunthorp free-range chicken, doused with Mexico’s most famous mole; black beans. They were all excellent. I particularly enjoyed the Neuske's slab bacon in my dish. Mexican Vanilla and Mango Flans with Mexican Chocolate Shavings We shared the appropriately sweet dessert. I preferred the mango while others preferred the vanilla. Overlooking part of the kitchen with a dining bar. What is not to love about Frontera? The food is great and the ambiance and service are wonderful. I suppose if one arrives at a peak time and has to wait in line for awhile that can put a damper on things

Funny that you ask. Yes, I have been working with red meats, in particular beef and lamb/mutton. I recently braised mutton shanks or osso bucco in tomato sauce with rosemary, garlic and jalapeño for 8 hours at 180º with a 150º hold for four hours. I didn't take any photos of that preparation because it wasn't particularly photogenic. The mutton was tasty and cooked through, but it wasn't falling-off-the-bone cooked through that would have made it better. Doing again, I would probably cook it for the fourteen hours or so that I cooked the pork shoulder. I did several preparations with red meat to try to achieve sous vide-like perfect throughout cooking temperature. The first night I did it with several different cuts of beef, 2 chuck steaks and a hangar steak that I bought that day at the Farmers' market. The chuck steaks were nice thick cuts that looked really good. The chucks were over 1.5 inches thick while the hangar was maybe an inch thick. The chuck steaks are on top with the hangar below. Close-up of one of the chuck steaks. I cooked them for an hour at 130ºF and let them hold for another hour at the same temp. I guess you could say that they cooked for two hours at 130º. I applied S&P before cooking. The hangar has much more color on the outside despite the same cooking environment. At this point, the interior temp of one of the chucks was 121ºF. I finished them in a hot pan to get some sear. The interiors of both steaks were in fact perfectly cooked and wonderfully juicy. Given that I had S&P'ed them pretty liberally prior to the CVAP like I usually do to steaks before more conventional cooking techniques, they were surprisingly (to me) lacking in seasoning and depth of flavor. The flavor wasn't bad, just not what I would have liked and expected. I had recently pan-seared some porterhouse steaks from the same source that were outstanding. Granted those were porterhouse steaks, but these should have been flavorful cuts, albeit perhaps a bit tougher. Lamb to come...

Frontera Grill/Topolobampo would fit nicely, I think. It is within easy walking distance on a nice day even if across the river.

Perhaps the most influential person in American wine making history, Robert Mondavi. died today at the age of 94.