docsconz

Superb report, David. Wing Lei is the only restaurant in Las Vegas right now that I would make a point of returning to the next time I am there. I haven't been to Alex yet. One point about eating the spot prawns. Your waiter would have been correct to say that most non-Asian Americans do not suck shrimp heads, but he was wrong to apply the term to Caucasians in general as the practice is standard in Europe, especially along the coasts. I very much enjoyed doing that with the langoustines and Denia prawns that I recently had in Spain - magnificent! One difficulty is that in the US it is quite unusual to ever be served the heads - such a pity. It is almost impossible to buy head on shrimp, for example, retail other than at specialty markets or direct from the fisherman. Any degree of processing and the heads are gone. But that is one of the beauties of Wing Lei.

I had dinner tonight at Karavalli on my way back from NYC from the Fancy Foods Show. The Saratoga space is much nicer than the one in Latham and the food was very good. I will go back.

In addition, the burgers are not the only items on the menu and the butchers are likely doing more than just making 200 hamburgers per day.

I do recall seeing Lafite, but think that he was told that they were out of the Cheval Blanc.

In fairness to the writer, he does not make the unsubtantiable claim that Lucille's burger is "the best in the world." He considers that it may be the best in the world.

Nice post, Bryan. I don't get to WD-50 nearly as often as I would like. Last time I was there was January at which time I had all new dishes. It is interesting to see that not one of them was on your list and none of those on your list were being served then. Your point about continued creativity there rings very true.

Mouzon House has been open for awhile. It has a bit of new Orleans flair to it and is located adjacent to the farmers market. Max's is the place that hasn't opened yet.

You should certainly consider adding Beekman Street Bistro, Mouzon House and Karavalli to your list. Beekman offers Slow Food Style local produce cooking while Karavalli is a branch of the much heralded Karavalli group of Indian restaurants. The latter is located where Mino's used to be. Mouzon House is owned by the same people who own One Caroline. Although I am not sure if it will be open in time for the meet, Max's at Mrs. London's is a restaurant that I am looking forward to.

Is this your first trip to Italy? If so, then Tuscany and Umbria is a good choice. My suggestion would be to rent a villa as a base then with a rental car you can venture out and explore. One of the things that is really fun about Italy is exploring the food markets, buying produce and cooking it yourself, which is easily done with a villa. Our first time in Italy we did just that and rented a villa just outside of Siena. Each day we ate out one meal and cooked another. Some days we ate lunch out and had dinner at the villa. Other days were reversed. Stay in one place and experience the rhythm. Once you have you will be hooked and wish to return and explore other parts of Italy as well.

It has been the best season in my memory for upstate NY cherries. Last night my wife made cherry pie. I have never had better pie - period. It was that good. I'll be in Michigan soon for a college visit with my son. Any great sources for cherries around Ann Arbor?

Another nearby caterer that you may wish to consider is eGullet Society member Pete Swanson's Trellis Fine Catering. Best wishes!

In the immediate vicinity of elBulli, Rafa's is the one that gets the most attention from the food obsessed. It is wonderful and a great contrast to elBulli, however, it is only open depending on the availability of quality fresh seafood. So while you may be unlucky and not get to eat there, if you do, you will know that the seafood is pristine and as good as it gets. Having a car opens up all sorts of possibilities. Certainly Can Roca isn't terribly far and also a great restaurant, but there are plenty of other great restaurants north of Barcelona as well. Other Michelin 3*'s include El Raco de Can Fabes and Sant Pau. L'Esguard is worth a journey too. There are also a number of other intriguing restaurants that I have not personally been to including Can Jubany in Vic. For yet a different side of Catalan cooking you can venture into nearby France. Collioures and Banyuls Sur Mer are not far and are good for some interesting wine tasting as well as a bite.

Gusteau certainly reminded me physically of Fernand Point. I very much enjoyed the movie - more than my kids. We went as a family Sunday night.

All I know is that the prices have skyrocketed beyond my wherewithall and interest. No thanks.

I concur with these recommendations. Clearly there are a number of other worthwhile restaurants as well. Further discussion of this legitimate question should be directed to another topic though as it is OT for this one.

Wonderful, wonderful work, Steven. The interview provided more than a glimpse into the history of restaurants in NY (and beyond) over the last 30-40 years or so and brought back many memories. A few mentions in particular that stuck out for me was Michael Lomanaco's mention of Monte's Venetian Room in Brooklyn, a restaurant that remains one of my lifetime favorites for its linguine with white clam sauce (my benchmark for the dish). Funny thing is that he was working there as a cook at the time I recall as its heyday. The other mention that brought back many fond memories was lape's mention of Sidewalkers, the Maryland crabhouse on the UWS. That was one of my wife and my favorite restaurants in the mid-80's. We used to collect matchbooks from restaurants and had a large collection in a big jar, which has disappeared over the years. Now I tend to collect menus and business cards. the menus are more meaningful, while the cards are easier to keep.

I haven't tasted the stuff, so I don't know how it compares. FWIW, it does not have the label of balsamico tradizionale di Modica. They describe it so: . I am skeptical. I agree with Judith regarding Gustiamo.com. While not cheap, the quality of the products they sell is top notch.

Monday is indeed quite difficult. Unfortunately, L'Esguard is closed on Mondays, though that would have been an excellent choice. I don't know if Sant Pau is open or not.

I definitely do not recommend eating at both places on the same day. A disservice will be done to whichever is second. Both are great. Can Fabes is more of a contrast to elBulli. Enjoy!

Preferred location?

Excellent report and photos, Neu and welcome to the eGullet Society! One important thing that your report shows clearly is the constant metamorphosis going on at elBulli as dishes are constantly being tweaked. I'm not sure that results necessarily need to be better so long as they are different and not worse. I also think that you touched on an interesting aspect of a meal at elBulli. The snacks are clearly the most approachable and "fun" aspect of the meal. The flavors tend to be very pure and emphatically delicious (at least to most who have them ). In addition the textures and presentations offer amusing surprises that highlight Adria's sense of playfulness. The main body of the meal becomes much more challenging to one's concept of delicious and forces one to appreciate a dish on a number of levels. While I have never had a dish at elBulli that I haven't enjoyed, some have resonated with me more than others. During my most recent meal, the haricot bean with Joselito was clearly one of the most delicious and one of my favorites, but it was also one of the most familiar. The brains probably pushed me the most, but I also found them to be very enjoyable. These dishes are not straightforward ones that rely on purity of flavor the way the snacks do. They are complex and often challenge preconceived notions - more than most other restaurants. While they don't always hit homeruns for every diner, I find that they are rarely major failures either. That is remarkable considering the uniqueness of the menu and the sheer number of creations that arise from the Adria and his team.

Fantastic! What is the first batch going to be?

Very Vermouths, huh?

Its great to see Chef Wabeck back in the saddle where he belongs! I am looking forward to my next DC trip that much more now.

Excellent post, Karen. Another aspect that brings him into the world of "art" is the way that he has documented his ouvre via the chronological progression of his elBulli books. I am of the opinion that what Adria does is indeed edible art. It is certainly creative - with an output that few artists in any area can match and has clearly evolved over time. I think what we have here is a convergence of the worlds of art and cuisine. The art world has broadened to include all sorts of elements not previously considered under its aegis while the culinary world has evolved into greater and greater creativity incorporating myriad elements not traditionally under its wing. Adria will not be the last culinarian so honored.