docsconz

Thanks! I have been meaning to complete the report, but have been quite busy with a number of things. I hope to do so today or within the next few days.

Ron, those are some of the finest photos I have ever seen taken at Alinea, which has had its share of fine photos taken there. The meal looks absolutely outstanding and has me salivating for a long overdue return visit. I think the tagliatelle with the white truffles are a nod to Chef Achatz' days at TFL. Great to see Chef Achatz staying at the top of his game and more. BTW, Edsel, your photos were none too shabby either!

I will absolutely second Casa Montaña, but would not write off Ca Sento so quickly. My meal there was sublime and at the top of a great year of dining for me. I could not discern any issue with the maitre'd nor did I do anything to "get on his good side." The remainder of our significant meals were taken outside the city.

I haven't yet been to Cucharamama, though it is a restaurant that I do hope to go to some time. I agree that NJ has some fine food and food worth visiting for, but I would not go so far as to say that food enthusiasts from NYC must get to NJ or they haven't lived. I think if one happens to be going to NJ anyway or if one wants a change of scenery from NYC then NJ is a perfectly good destination. Though I visit NJ fairly often to visit family and I generally manage to eat well while I am there, I have yet to eat someplace there that I would make a special trip there solely for that purpose. Actually there has been one exception - the first eGullet pig roast! BTW, I have never taken the extreme position of "New Jersey never, ever being a compelling culinary destination unless one happens to be in the area already". I would have liked to have been to The Ryland Inn or Venue for example, but never got there when I had the opportunity. Still that is different than saying the converse which is to paraphrase, "one must go to NJ to dine or one's dining experience is not sufficient." I see nothing wrong with someone choosing to visit NJ to dine, though one is not necessarily compelled to. Worthwhile and necessary are two different things.

I had a quick visit to the Metropolitan area this weekend, staying in NJ and playing mostly in NYC. Though my wife and I went out to eat in NYC Friday night, we ordered some take-out pizze from Amano in Ridgewood. While takeout is not the way to go there as the pizze got a little soggy, the flavors were very good and the potential was easy to see. They weren't cheap though. They were true Neapolitan style, but were they worth a trip from NYC? Only if one were on a quest to sample all of the better or most Neapolitan style pizze in the area. Otherwise, it is a good stop if in the area. On Saturday, largely as a result of this topic, my son and I went to Mitsuwa Market in Edgewater. We had some very good ramen, black sesame ice cream and an interesting visit to the supermarket. I would be very curious to try out some of the other vendors. Even though I preferred the salt ramen at Setagaya in NYC, the ramen was quite good and the place very busy. We waited about twenty minutes from ordering. The visit was worthwhile having been in the area and I will do so again when back in NJ, but I would only make the trip from NYC if I had a serious jones for buying Japanese ingredients to make at home. I bought a variety of mushrooms including matsutake, fresh yuzu and a few other interesting items. Although I do not agree with the extreme angle of Fat Guy's argument, I would say that New Jersey is worth a visit by food savvy New Yorkers as there is plenty of good and interesting food to be had there. Are those same savvy New Yorkers really missing out if they don't go? I would say that while worthwhile the offerings I am aware of from this and plenty of other visits in NJ are not so compelling as to make it essential for anyone from NYC to make a special trip there just for the food offerings.

This is a continuing travesty. They should grade Spain the same way they grade other countries. Either Spain should be receiving more stars or other countries should be graded more harshly. I suspect one reason they don't worry to much about Spain is because Spain has its own competing Campsa Guide that is done along lines similar to Michelin.

I understand that for at least this coming Monday, Alinea will be open. I do not know if that is a one time thing or a new policy.

I think much of the difference is that Chef Kinch is obviously experimenting with various forms of Molecular Gastronomy (our soy sauce powder, for example, and occasional foams) where there is none of that at TFL. And, as often occurs with experimentation, missteps and mishaps occur. Considering I have dined at Manresa -- what? -- three or four times now? I have been through dozens and dozens of different courses, some perfection and others that quite simply did not work. I get the feeling that Chef Kinch is enjoying playing in his kitchen and is not afraid to show his short-comings in those occasional missteps. At TFL, there is no possibility of that, but there is also not an elemental of playfulness that Chef Kinch portrays. TFL quite simply *knows* what works and what is successful and they are very careful to not stray from that tried-and-true formula. Hence there is no need for any form of the Molecular Gastronomic tricks that many other chefs utilize in order to Wow the customer. They don't need to. They are the Obi-Wan to all the other Jedi Knights who know and comprehend the Force, but are still working on attaining its perfection. ← This is an interesting post. I think the lack of playfulness at TFL is the very thing that leads some people to characterize the restaurant as not having "soul." While I very much enjoy the food at TFL and Per Se, I also very much enjoy the very playfulness that is lacking there. To me that is the very thing that elevates a well prepared and delicious meal to a sublime meal. I like to have all my senses and my intellect tickled during a high end meal. Playfulness and gimmicks are certainly not sufficient in themselves to make a meal great, but they are what can really put a meal over the top.

There's no doubt that the Day of the Dead is a big deal for Oaxaca's tourism. But it's still a valid holiday, and the locals would celebrate whether or not any tourists came. This is a time for remembrance. People really do believe that the spirits of the dead return to visit them--literally. The bustle at the markets, the construction of the altars, and the cemetery visits felt sincere to me. Perhaps some of the displays in the center of the city are more oriented to tourists. I would compare it to Christmas in the U.S. Sure, there's plenty of retailing going on, but the people who live there are celebrating their holiday too. ← Thank you. That was what I suspected.

This is a very interesting suggestion...

While I think I know the answer, I will ask the question anyway. Do you get a sense that this holiday has become a show for tourists or is it still true to its roots?

Fantastic report so far! Oaxaca is a place that I am dieing to get to nd it looks like there could be no better time than the day of the dead! The photo of the woman dying the wool reminded me of my trip to Peru. They used the very same dye sources and methods. I wonder where they arose first? I'm looking forward to the rest.

If they can execute, I think they will have a monster hit on their hands. It is a very timely concept. The menu reminds me a little of the competition in Paris on The Next iron Chef with twists on regional American dishes.

This is certainly good to her!

Great report, Jason! Napa is always fun to visit and you seem to have made the best of it. It has been a few years since I stepped back from intensely studying the world of small production wineries. I had previously been buying a lot of wine and was into knowing all the top small scale producers. That was truly dizzying as world-wide production of top quality wine has grown so much and the costs with it. Your report reminded me why I got into that in the first place - it looked like it was tremendous fun!

Plenty of places can open, but when some of the finer places in town can't stay open or become marginalized that is cause for concern.

That's the last line from Platt's review. Funny thing is that if he didn't like the food, (he actually said he did), I don't get this line. If he did like it as he said he did when commenting on specific dishes, I don't really understand the panning of the restaurant. I also couldn't tell from the article whether he is one of the "city’s grizzled, increasingly nostalgic band of restaurant critics" that looked forward to the arrival of a chef like Trabocchi (from his review of Fiamma in the same article) or one of the "younger, well-heeled diners" for whom "the appetite for showy auteur cooking has declined". FWIW, I will be dining at both Fiamma and Tailor very soon and will report back on both.

Interesting question. It has been way to long since I have been in Montreal and I miss the food there. Though I can't really say that this is the reason I haven't been back (mine is really just one of being otherwise busy and not making the time to get there), I doubt the renewed strength of the Canadian dollar against the US can't be helping matters. First, there is less of an incentive for bargain hunting Americans to cross the border and second is the converse. Canadians are flocking to the US compared to recent years. Both aspects take business away from Montreal restaurants, especially at the higher end.

You raise a good point. Though where I live we have access to higher end models and service (mostly due to proximity to Saratoga), this is a legitimate issue. Ideally the "best" will not require much service, but it certainly needs to be available. This is a strong argument against ordering a fancy appliance from a distance. We have had a GE Monogram for the last 13 years, but now it has a valve that needs to replaced and it is no longer made. It has been a good dishwasher, but not so good that I couldn't conceive of trying a different brand. Funny thing about low water dishwashers is that if one does have to rinse a lot to get dishes clean, one probably uses more water than higher water user dishwashers. That was ultimately the case with us for the GE Monogram.

Seriously, doc, take a lesson from a professional glutton... ← Those take home caramels were seriously good too, though we didn't have them that night. ← Yes, the box was full of house caramels.... but, you see that Ritz Carlton bag in the background? That was filled with petite fours that the server insisted I take. ← I may have to revise my opinion of the restaurant!

Seriously, doc, take a lesson from a professional glutton... ← Those take home caramels were seriously good too, though we didn't have them that night.

It was that good! Thanks for picking that up!

"A very good restaurant in its category" is how the Michelin guide defines a one star rating. This is what they gave The Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton in San Francisco. Based on my meal there last month, I would have to say that it is indeed a very good restaurant in its category, that category being haute cuisine. Nevertheless in this age of grade inflation, that doesn't seem like it should be enough of a grade for this excellent restaurant. My wife and I dined there solo at the end of what had been a very, very good trip for food. We were greeted warmly and showed to a nice table for two with reasonable light for photography. We opted to let Chef Siegel cook for us and did not regret it as he and his team prepared separate menus for my wife and I. After a glass of champagne our meal started with... Seared Samna with ponzu gelée, persimmon scented with lime and breakfast radish. Samna is a long, thin barracuda like fish from Japan. The skin was exquisitely crispy and delicious - a nice start. Sea Urchin Panna Cotta lobster, avocado, Tahitian vanilla bean oil. This was another dish that we both received. The panna cotta was unctuous and the combination sang a beautiful song. Quail Egg 64º golden osetra caviar, croutons cedar smoke essence The bottom line on this dish is that it was delicious and perhaps my favorite of the evening. Nevertheless I couldn't help but think of Joan Roca who I saw do a demonstration using smoke and seafood in the very same serving dish a year ago at the CIA's Spain and the World Table Conference. Our first wine, a delicious gruner veltliner. The next course started the dual servings. My wife was served Fennel and Pepper Soup with basil creme fraiche which she very much enjoyed. I received an ethereal Butternut Squah Soup with bacon jerky, foie gras and shiitake turnovers. The shiitake turnover is in the background of the photo. My next course came under a cloche. Cold Smoked Toro, geoduck sashimi, toybox tomatoes, shiso buds, persian cucumbers... ...kaffir lime zest This was delicious, but when I tasted my wife's course, I wanted that! Sashimi of Live Spot Prawns, yuzu and pink peppercorn gelée, fresh wasabi and crispy heads. Though I didn't get a good photo of this ethereal dish, I did get a good taste The crispy heads were particularly noteworthy. At Michael Mina I was disappointed by my shrimp dish, but not so here. It outshone a very, very good toro dish. Medai, abalone, artichoke puree, mirin reduction Sea Bass, butternut squash, pomegranate, pomegranate foam These dishes were good, but ultimately not memorable relative to the other dishes we were served. Maine Lobster, veal cheek, scallions, peas, golden moki mushrooms, sweet and sour This was my dish and quite a delicious surf and turf variant. I did not have a photo of my wife's Maine Lobster, shiso purée, baby turnips, baby leeks, lobster sake reduction, though it too was outstanding. The lobsters were I believed butter poached. Hot Foie Gras, sleeping beauty apple juice with long pepper, pickled huckleberries I love seared foie gras more than any other foie gras preparation and this one was seared perfectly. Unfortunately, it was served to my wife Chilled Foie Gras, fig and szechuan pepper terrine, tawny port syrup, purslane, grilled bread. Fortunately, this exquisite preparation went along way towards minimizing my envy. Duck, baby bok choy, carrots, matsutake bouillon I generally prefer duck a little more rare than was served here. Nevertheless, it was flavorful and quite satisfying. Poularde Breast, baby beets, fuji apples, quince paste, chicken jus The dishes were in this case presented to the most appropriate diners given the predilections of my wife and I. I love duck and will eat it anytime I get a chance. My wife, not so much. She would prefer chicken to duck almost always. This was great chicken, but I was still happy with the duck. Niman Ranch Lamb Ribeye, jimmy nardello peppers, la strada eggplant, lemon verbena scented ricotta Millbrook Venison Chop, butternut squash, spaetzle, brussels sprouts, sun-dried plums, bacon jus Once again the selection gods were at work as my wife got the dish she preferred. I would have been happy with either, but my wife is not a huge fan of venison. That dish was the epitome of autumn. The butternut squash was sufficiently different from the soup that I did not in the least mind its repeat appearance. A selection of cheeses from the cart. Though I no longer recall the specific cheeses I chose from the ample selection, they were all well- aged and perfect for service. Desserts Lychee sorbet, hibiscus yuzu seltzer Very refreshing. Strawberry Fig Sorbet, shiso cloud, pomegranate seed Nicely done and also refreshing. Caramel Pot de Creme, fennel seed funnel cake, pumpkin seed cloud, kobacha squash marmalade By this time my wife and I were quite full. This dish was busy, but still enjoyable on my very full stomach. Petits fours - Neither of us could even attempt a cannele that is how full we were. The meal, which combined European ingredients and technique with a strong Japanese influence was simply superb from top to bottom. The wines were excellent, the room elegant and comfortable and the service efficient and professional. I can only wonder why this restaurant has not fared better by Michelin. Given some of the reviews on here and elsewhere, I have to wonder if there are inconsistencies. Perhaps, but the experience of my wife and myself was stellar. Though I was not sufficiently blown away by originality and sheer pleasure to think of the restaurant as worthy of three Michelin stars, my experience would place it squarely in the two star range. Edited to change the bed to bread!

It seems like Miele and Bosch are favorite companies. Any particular models stand out? Does anyone have any experience with Viking?

I've searched the forum and while there re a number of topics that discuss dishwashers, for the most part they are discussed in relation to their perceived value. I am interested in what eGullet Society members consider the best dishwasher on the market. That makes a dishwasher "the best"? Forget about cost. The best dishwasher has to be ergonomically functional with a large capacity flexible enough to hold a variety of items to clean, do a great job cleaning even tough loads, be quiet, ecologically sound, reliable, easy to use and attractive. Is there a model that fits all those criteria?