docsconz

I made a cream of celeriac soup tonight with celeriac, chicken broth, creme fraiche, smoked salmon, celery,poppy and sesame seeds and salt and pepper. I pureed it with a stick blender. It wasn't half bad.

Somehow I missed juniorworm's report until now. Great job! I fully agree about the seafood. In addition to seeking out the Denia prawns, I would suggest the langoustines as unmissable.

I went to a pre-opening party there last night. They are poised for some big things. The space is great and the food will be contemporary Mediterranean meets Upstate NY with a mix of tapas, pizze and a changing array of main courses. Much of the product sourcing will be local. Plans are to do a lot of in-house charcuterie with Flying Pigs Farm pork. If the tapas and pizze served last night are any indication, the quality will be superb. Highlights included Flying Pigs Farm pork belly cooked in the combi oven for 14 hours, Spanish style garlic shrimp, arrancini, various Neapolitan style pizze made in their wood-fired pizza oven, shrimp & chorizo croquetas, chick-pea fries and a variety of Mrs. London's desserts. Michael London, arguably the nation's best baker according to Saveur Magazine, will be making breads specially for the restaurant, while Mrs. London's will provide many of the decadent desserts. The wine list will be extensive from mostly France, Spain and Italy and according to Michael London very reasonably priced. Their beer list will be just as interesting according to Max London. Speaking of wine, the men's room is wall-papered with wine labels of wines personally consumed by the Londons. This promises to make long waits as the occupants are likely to spend considerable time perusing the interesting display. For now they will be open for dinner from Tuesday through Saturday with plans to add weekend brunch sometime after the new year. The phone # for the restaurant is (518) 587-3535. It is located adjacent to Mrs. London's on Broadway in Saratoga.

Alois Kracher Jr. died this past Tuesday at his home in Austria from pancreatic cancer. He was a major force in bringing back the Austrian wine industry from major scandal in 1985. His Austrian dessert wines are considered amongst the finest in the world and are some of the finest I have tasted. He had in recent years ventured into other projects including making a fine Spanish dessert wine with Jorge Ordoñez and crafting his own sweet wine soaked bleu cheese. The wine making will be taken over by his 26 year old son, Gerhard.

I would say that Jean-George is much more innovative than Per Se, but neither are in the class of WD-50 in that area. I think people either tend to like innovative restaurants or they don't.

You would really have to try it for yourself. If you enjoy creative cooking, you will most likely enjoy WD-50 very much. If you are more traditionally oriented, it may not be to your liking. To me, it is one of the finest restaurants around. It's funny, I read some unenthusiastic reports and I begin to wonder if they have lost "it." Then I go back and have a fantastic meal and I cannot understand the negativity. The place is unique and the food is unique. It is not a cookie cutter restaurant serving all the same dishes that so many other restaurants are. In addition, the restaurant has a sense of humor. If someone is expecting a traditional eggs benedict, that person will likely be disappointed. OTOH, if someone can take that term as a reference point and go with it from there, I suspect that person would be quite pleased with what is on the plate. You can go to a lot of other places for that money, but in NYC, none of them would be unique the way WD-50 is. The one possible exception at this point would be Tailor.

Ummmm... that's a link to your Cabo trip. This is where I think you meant to send folks.... ← Oops Thanks, Carolyn. I fixed the link within my own post.

I disagree that Canteen shouldn't be a special occasion restaurant. I thought it was very special. The cooking is dynamite. It is certainly not the fanciest place, but it is quite intimate and unpretentious. If you would like something very fancy, Michael Mina, Ame and the Dining Room at the Four Seasons are all within easy walking distance from the Clift. I stayed there in October. Another place a bit further afield, but within walking distance if the weather is good is Coi. Quince is a restaurant that I would have liked to get to, but didn't.

Hi Matt, Welcome to the eGullet Society! I will defer to the culinary professionals for their inside advice, but I can probably give you a few general observations. First, do not go into the profession if making money or an easy life are high priorities. One can make a decent living, but becoming wealthy, while possible, is like going into theater. Many people do it, but few really rise to the top. In order to make a decent living in restaurants, people tend to work long, hard hours and rarely get holidays or weekends off. All that being said, I know many people in the industry, who really, really enjoy what they do. As with any career choice, you should choose it, because it is something you enjoy doing and can see yourself happy doing for the bulk of your life. Of course another factor is ability and talent. You may not know if you have it when you start, but keep an open mind if that does not seem to come with time and experience. One advantage of starting at your age (you might not think so, but 18 is still young and you have your entire future in front of you) is that if it doesn't work out, you still have plenty of time to do something else. Good luck!

Here is a link to some hotel and culinary tour packages for the Highlights Festival.

Here is a nice pictorial from 7x7 San Francisco on Chef Cosselman preparing "pikti" a Greek head cheese from a Berkshire pig while utilizing the whole hog.

Where do you source the Taylor Bay scallops?

We did have one restaurant meal that did stand out though and was by far the class of the meals that we had in Cabo. About a week or so prior to our trip I received a publicist's email on the restaurants of The One and Only at Las Palmillas. I had been considering making a reservation at Charlie Trotter's "C" or "Agua", but hadn't got around to it. In any case, there was a part of the release that really intrigued me. At the restaurant Agua they have an area apart from the main restaurant set up for intimate, private dining. They call these areas "moonpods." I replied to the email and received a response a short while later. Within a few days, my reservation for my wife and I was confirmed for one of the moonpods. The drive from the gate down to the hotel was like driving in a different part of the world. Whereas, most of Los Cabos is very desert-like, the area around Las Palmillas, as the name implies, was lush and full of palm trees. It gave the distinct impression of being in a desert oasis. Our car was received by the valet and we were greeted and escorted through the enchanted property to the restaurant Agua. Once there, we were taken to our table, a small table with a half-moon shaped booth facing directly onto the sea. Earlier in the day, we had discussed the possibility of another couple in our party joining us for dinner. Given the size and orientation of the table, that would have been impossible. The moonpods are for couples only. I must say that I have never dined in a more romantic environment! The chef offered to cook for us, an invitation I never refuse. The bread basket with a view overlooking the sea and San Jose del Cabo. The sound of the waves against the shore was a relaxing tonic. I couldn't help but think that Heston Blumenthal would not need an ipod with his "Sound of the Sea" dish, if he served it here. My wife and I were each served a different tasting menu with wine pairings. We were both started with an apéritif of Moët et Chandon, Brut Impérial Rosé, Epernay, France, n/v. Like at Esperanza, the minimalist lighting made it too dark to photograph without assistance. Once again, I had the menu flashlight to provide a spotlight for me with the obtrusive use of a flash. Of course, to some it would seem (and may be) ridiculous to worry about taking food photos in such a romantic setting. Well, I am incorrigible and I try not to linger too long with that aspect of a meal Suffice to say, it did not impede our ability to enjoy the meal, the surroundings and most of all our own company. In addition, all the other pods were far enough away and private that I doubt even a flash would have been an issue. Even so, I did not want to risk going too far. First Course Rock Lobster Salad, Thin Sliced Cucumber, Avocado Pearls, Turmeric Essence served with Sileni, Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand, 2006. Blue Fin Tuna Tartare, Diced Avocado, Lemon Vinaigrette served with Matetic Vineyards, "EQ", Sauvignon Blanc, Valle de San Antonio, Chile, 2005. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with yellowtail tuna, there is a reason bluefin is the one in the greatest demand. The tartare ws a supremely competent and tasty version of what has become a fairly standard dish. Though not groundbreaking, I did not mind eating it in the least. The lobster was a nice dish as well. It was cooked perfectly such that it was firm, but tender and succulent. The wines paired well, enhancing each dish. Second Course Baja Jumbo Shrimp Kataifi, Chayote Remoulade, Ginger Dressing with Casa Grande, Chardonnay, Valle de Parras, Mexico, 2006. Homemade Fresh Raviolis, Blue Crab Meat, Cherry Tomatoes, Shrimp Sauce Frank Family, Chardonnay, Napa Valley, U.S.A., 2005. Both of these dishes were delicious. The shrimp reminded me of a similar dish at Bouley in NYC. I loved that dish then. This was delicious now. The ravioli were excellent, but it was the sauce that particularly shone in that dish. The wines once again supported these dishes yeomanly. Third Course Sautéed Pacific Sea Bass, Charmoula, Green Olives, Lemon Preserve with MariaTinto, Blend, Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico, 2003. Parrot Fish “Sarandeado”, Saffron Cous Cous, Avocado Salad, Sautéed Heirloom Tomato with Acacia, Pinot Noir, Carneros, U.S.A., 2005 These dishes using locally caught fish were superb. The sea bass incorporated Moroccan spicing, while the parrot fish was served with , given the area, the more interesting, more Mexican treatment. The parrot fish itself was interesting, with neither my wife nor I ever having had it before. Acacia is a pinot noir I am very familiar with, heavily fruit driven. It works well with seafood and this was no exception. I particularly enjoyed the Maria Tinto, however. Recalling a tasting of mexican wines we did with Rick Bayless in Mexico City in 2006, I am more and more impressed by Mexican wines, especially those from the Valle de Guadaloupe. I suspect that the U.S. will be hearing much more from these wines before too long. They certainly provide a lot of value for the money. Fourth Course Tajine of Lamb Stew, Dried Apricot, Toasted Almonds, Moroccan Spices with Ferrari Carano, Merlot, Sonoma, U.S.A., 2004 Grilled Beef Tenderloin “a la Tampiqueña”, Mushroom Enchilada, Roasted Poblano Pepper,Grilled Nopal with CARO, Blend, Mendoza, Argentina, 2003. These were both very fine dishes. I particularly liked the tenderloin, though both my wife and I were getting quite full by this time as each of these plates were full sized and not really toned down for a tasting menu. The funny thing about the wine served with the beef is that the name literally translates to "dear" or "expensive!" Fifth Course - Dessert Dessert Quintet with Errazuriz, Sauvignon Blanc, Late Harvest, Casablanca, Chile, 2005 Quartet of Chocolate with Real Companhia Velha, Royal Port, Tawny 10 years, Portugal, n/v The quintet consisted of various preparations of tropical fruits from mexico, all competently done as were the chocolates. By this time, we were the only ones still around. I tried several times to get a photo of the Tru-like chocolate steps, but couldn't get one clear enough to use, so I used a flash for this one photo . When I asked for the bill, we were told that the meal was compliments of the house. I did not expect this, though i was not surprised to get the outstanding service we did. I thanked the manager and left a gratuity in line with what I expected the value of the meal to be. My wife and I took a leisurely stroll back through the grounds and stopped for a tour of Charlie Trotter's restaurant "C". The space and the kitchen are indeed beautiful. The couple from our group who had dinner there that night very much enjoyed their meal as well. This meal, comp or not, was clearly the best meal of this trip. The food was excellent. I generally preferred the dishes that spoke of Mexico, not necessarily because they were better dishes, but because I like to feel a sense of place when I travel and these dishes accomplished that. While the food and wine were excellent, they were not groundbreaking or worth a trip to Cabo solely for the purpose of eating it. I would say, however, that if one was looking for an excellent resort destination, Cabo is that. If one was looking for the finest haute cuisine and the most romantic meal in Cabo, one would not be likely to do better than a moonpod at Agua in the One and Only las Palmillas.

With the exception of one more meal, the remainder of our dining was not particularly extraordinary. One evening in San Jose we found a decent taqueria - Taqueria Mexico - that shone in a relative way. One particularly good and decadent item they had was a potato stuffed with mushrooms and cheese.

Even the best food in the wrong company is poor. That was a great meal!

I believe that there are two roads a chef can take if that chef really wants to make a name for himself. The first is to be a traditionalist and be as good within that tradition as one can possibly be. I met a number of Spanish chefs like that last year at the CIA's "Spain and the World Table" Conference. It is a wonderful thing when one can be recognized as a true master of a cuisine and deserving of absolute respect. The other avenue is to be daring and original. When successful, not only is that chef worthy of the same respect as the master traditionalist, but perhaps even more, because that chef has successfully navigated uncharted grounds and contributed to gastronomic evolution. Within either road the vast majority of chefs , traditional or innovative, produce an acceptable product though lacking in true greatness. Of course, as with any endeavor, true greatness is only ever achieved by a few. Nevertheless we can and should appreciate the efforts of those who honestly aspire to it.

We brought the fish back to the hotel and found one of the restaurants there that for a reasonable price would cook it for us and provide us with side dishes. In this case they were serving a seafood buffet, from which we could partake of the salads and the desserts. They made tuna sashimi for us. The fish was grilled simply. Funny thing is that the plate it was served on, is the same Dansk pattern that we have at home! Not everyone in our party ate fish. They, of course, were free to choose whatever else they wanted! We had a fair amount leftover that I brought back to the condo in ice and a cooler. It held well until the next day at lunch, when I brought it to another restaurant that was poolside nearer to our condos. They made a simple, but even more delicious meal for us. Fresh tuna tacos. Fresh guacamole and refried beans in fried tortilla cups were served on the plates with the tacos. The fish was once again grilled simply. This time it was served with a garlic butter. These nicely cooked vegetables and delicious rice were served as well. This meal really hit the spot.

I'm certain that there is a lot some enterprising souls could have done with the remains, but the reality is that it was impractical for us to take them or the crew as they required storage that we simply did not have. Even if we did, we were not really in a situation to take advantage of it.

Whether it is because Wylie has had a strong influence on Sam or because Sam left his mark on WD-50, it is clear that they are cut from the same cloth. Nevertheless, Tailor is not a clone of WD-50. Both restaurants have their own identities. The dishes speak for themselves. One similarity is that the atmosphere is equally informal and congenial. WD-50 is stronger in wine, while Tailor is more known for its cocktail program.

Very eloquently expressed idea, Judith, and couldn't agree more. I feel like we could fill in that "He" with a number of chefs in Italy, the US, and elsewhere, and the sentence would still fit like a glove. Fortadei may disagree (but I suppose that disagreement is exactly what makes eGullet the perfect place for debates such as this!) ← You're correct,I do disagree. My apologies for misspelling your name, fortedei! Could you explain a little bit about why/how you disagree with hathor's comment. Must a chef be more strictly loyal to his culinary roots in order to respect them, in your opinion? If so, would you say it is possible for Italian cuisine to evolve without such rebels? ← No apologies necessary about the spelling of my name. Below is what I said on this thread in September. Also go to the entry on Apr 21 2006 and in fact the entire thread of Identità Golose 2006. "Culinary tradition is always changing. Nothing is static. Evolution, however, takes a lot of time. When "evolution" happens on a time table which is speeded up, most often it ends up being a fad; fads happen very quickly and they disappear equally so. We'll see if what has happened very recently with ten restaurants in Italy is something that remains longer term, and becomes a tradition in some restaurants , or whether it is a fad. As I said in a prior post, very few Italians go to these ten restaurants and those that go to the others that are trying something different, never go back because they can’t stand different food which is poorly prepared. That is not what Italians do. I saw the nuova cucina, up close and personal in the 80s. At the time, food magazines and foodies, particularly in America and France thought it was a great break with a cuisine which was too traditional (and Italian restaurateurs readily went along, because if the French are doing it “we can do it better”) . Actually, Beppe Cantarelli and Franco Colombani had begun going back to regional cuisine just a few years before, so nuova cucina was trying to change something which hadn’t fully changed yet. It flamed out very quickly and a lot of restaurants got hurt. Innovation, in food and other areas, is a great thing in the hands of people who know what they are doing. Unfortunately, most of the top restaurants in Italy (lets say, as rated by the Gambero Rosso, if for no other reason than that guide is a good starting point for the “top” restaurants) have no clue as to what they are doing. Lets be honest; cooking technique, as practiced in Italian restaurants, leaves a lot to be desired (and I’m a fervent Italophile), certainly as compared to that in France. Notice, I’m only speaking of technique, not taste nor combination of ingredients. We can start with pastry and work our way from there (on the other hand it is truly pathetic when a French chef tries to make pasta or risotto… truly pathetic). France has it all over Italy in terms of technique. As far as I’m aware, only two chefs in Italy, again lets say in the top 20 of Gambero Rosso, had a great deal, if not most, of their training in France. These two, by the way, are head and shoulders above their peers as far as technique goes, and both have Italian souls, a great combination, although one of these two has certainly gone over to the other side with regard to fusion (perhaps in order to get a higher rating in the guides). Unfortunately in Italy, those who try to innovate, in most cases, are just mucking around. For every Calandre (I haven’t been there, but I’m assuming from comments, that he knows what he is doing) and there are few of them, there are many Fulmines. When you see what Caino has become, you weep for what she was (which was special). Innovation in cooking can be great if you’ve intensively learned the basics of cooking. Most of the “top” chefs in Italy have learned the basics of a very basic (but simply wonderful in my mind) cuisine. When they try to do something more, for the most part, they are just not up to par. Innovation for innovation’s sake is just foolishness and those who are trying to innovate, and are without technical competence, and are not staying within their sphere of competence, are condemned to repeat the failures of the past. It won’t be pleasant to see." ← I agree conceptually with you. Innovation is not easy, whereas screwing it up is. It is this very difficulty that has given the concept a bad name in certain circles because it has not been done well. When it is though, I believe it to be truly special and the epitome of fine dining. Where we may or may not disagree is the specific examples of good and bad innovative practice.

I wonder if it might not be more accurate to say that "if it's in a cookbook or magazine, its probably under copyright" and thus protected from commercial use. And even if that is not true, would it not be common courtesy to give credit? Going a step further, with regard to the comment "Yes, I thought it up myself", how would you feel if one of the diners at the table had seen the article or book in question and knew you were a liar? A rose by any other name may smell as sweet but a lie by any other name remains a lie. ← I agree. While the act of publishing may mean that the authors won't mind if it is copied, they may very well mind if the idea is claimed as one's own. There is a term for that and it is plagiarism. The most viewed topic ever in The Daily Gullet and also the one with the most replies, Sincerest Form covers this very ground. The details of the issue may not be quite the same, but the underlying princples certainly are.

It was indeed! I actually forgot to add one of the best parts - maybe because I didn't take any photos of them. before going out on the boat for the day we bought a boatload of a variety of burritos from a lady making them near the docks. I went off to finalize the financial transaction for the boat so I didn't get to see them being made, but they were truly delicious and really hit the spot for those of us who were able to eat them! They were actually some of the best things I ate all week. As for the remains of the fish after they were filleted, I would have been interested in doing the very things you did if I had a decent kitchen and equipment.

Tuesday morning a group of us including my two eldest sons and myself chartered a boat for deep-sea fishing. Cabo is regarded as one of the best places in the world for the sport. In fact, there was a marlin and tuna tournament underway while we were there. Only a couple of people in the group got sick and fortunately for me I was not amongst them. In any case, it took a little while before we found some fish running, but then we started reeling them in. Although we saw a marlin swim by, we didn't catch it. What we did catch were some pretty good fish for eating. My second oldest son caught the first fish, a beautiful and I do mean beautiful dorada or mahi-mahi. The colors faded fast after the fish was caught, though they were spectacular as it landed. This was his first time deep-sea fishing. He also caught a nice yellow-fin tuna. Another first-timer, my eldest son caught this yellow-fin as his first fish. In addition he caught another yellow-fin and the largest fish of the day, a dorada. I didn't catch anything as I gave up my rounds so that my sons could fish and I could photograph. Between the seven of us in our party we caught 8 fish - 6 yellowtail and 2 dorada. That was good because we had many mouths to feed back at the hotel. Our boatman filleted the fish for us right on board. He was a master craftsman making short work of the job. He started by skinning one half of the first dorada. He then portioned and packaged the fillets, before turning the fish over and repeating the process on the other side. Once he was done with the fish, he tossed the remains overboard. The process was repeated with the yellowfins. As with all the returning fishing boats the pelicans followed the boat in looking for some snacks. They were obliged with the remaining bait. Back on shore we filled a large styrofoam cooler with our fish and ice before returning to the hotel.

All of Carroll Gardens used to be considered as Red Hook until it started becoming gentrified in the 80's. BTW, Ferdinando's lies within your definition of Red Hook.

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