docsconz

Not to make this a thread about pizza, but Patsy's does indeed serve Neapolitan style pizza even if it isn't la vera pizza napoletana. Dave, I'm not sure why you would say that it is not Neapolitan style.

I'm bummed that I missed the blood orange! There is a topic in New York on The State of Gelato in NY right now. There is no doubt that Arlecchino if it were in NY would be at the top of the list there too.

Sounds like a good idea. I remember when Quilceda Creek was under the radar!

Since Bruni is writing for a NY based paper he should be familiar with the best pizze NY has to offer if he is going to write about pizze from elsewhere since that is what his principle audience will be able to compare it to. At this point it is not about luxury, but simply about quality and standards. That doesn't men that the pizze have to be the same or even similar styles. he should be able to distinguish what is different about them and make the article pertinent to his principle audience. If he could take the pizze at Mozza's and compare them to the best NY pizze and in turn compare those to the best Italian pizze so much the better.

Why it's a cider press!

Not as something for him to cover per se, but certainly as a point of quality reference.

Thanks for the feedback, Brian and welcome to eGullet! Without the work of yourself and others like you the Conference couldn't have been the success that it was.

The reason someone might care about scores and not so much for the resale value is ego as in "I have a 1000 bottle collection of RP 100 point wines aren't I a discerning buyer of wine and therefore an all-around great person?" It can be impressive to serve these wines at a dinner party or even to just show them off in a cellar!

Well said, Elie. elBulli is a place to encounter food in new ways and to expand one's perceptions of what food is and can be. It certainly makes no sense to me when manipulation results in an inferior product, but I have never encountered that at elBulli. The first time I had the spherical olive I was beside myself. Was it because it was "better" than a good regular olive? No, but because it was as good, but different and unexpected. It brought out my sense of wonder and amazement. To do that anywhere is great, but to do that in an extraordinary setting with the best service anywhere is superlative.

Your comments and thoughts on the various restaurants you visited are well thought out and presented. I have had similar experiences at various restaurants myself, where I have been disappointed for various reasons, not all of which are the fault of the restaurant. I think it is especially true when traveling since so many external variables come into play including too much food over a short period of time and simply being tired. Of course the truly great meals still stand out, but the little things become so much more magnified in that context - at least in my experience including my most recent trip to Spain.

No way do you give her a cent! If she comes in, it wouldn't be terrible to give her a store credit for the sandwich only, but if she gets what she asked from you that will only reinforce that ridiculous behavior and encourage her to do it elsewhere. She should have returned the sandwich either uneaten or partially eaten. Now if she got sick from it and that could be traced back to your establishment it would be a different story. That could indeed have "ruined her day."

If you were able to do that I would say that Ca Sento is a must. Our meal there was one of the best I've ever had.

Ah, big difference In that case I definitely suggest L'Esguard if you can get in. Other possibilities include Sant Pau, Can Fabes, Gaig, Sauc, and Hisop amongst others.

I think Valencia is the perfect choice for your needs. My wie and I frequently saw and walked past things that made us wish we had our children with us. The Gulliver playground in the Turia Park should be do not miss. One place in Valencia that should be a great lunch option for you is Casa Montaña. The food is superb. I would also strongly suggest at least one paella lunch. I wrote about Levante here. It is an excellent option if you should have access to a car. If not, there are a number of paella restaurants near the beach. While I can't personally recommend any, I'm sure that others here can. Speaking of the L'Oceanografic, there is a restaurant in there that is actually pretty well regarded. The diners are surrounded by the denizens of the deep. It might be perfect for you and your children.

it is a unique experience. I expect that you will enjoy it. While I am not sure that it would be the kind of restaurant that I would want (or could afford) to go to every week, it would be a treat to go to every now and again.

Eliot, I think the micrifilm primarily added crispy texture to that dish. It worked as that made the dish particularly intriguing. It was as if it was a sugar brittle without the added sweetness of sugar. While I thought the dish a tad sweet for my taste it wasn't due to the micrifilm.

Tercera Parte Our wine for this part of the meal. It was bold, but did not overpower the food. I particularly enjoyed trying wines from the regions we visited throughout the trip. The quality is exceptional. the value high and it was simply fun to become acquainted with wines I was previously unfamiliar with. Rosa del Azafran from Spanish meaning saffron rose. Their classic salmon in waters of beet, saffron, orange and ginger; cooked in an edible envelope of transparent and crunchy Micrifilm along with black olives, red ginger, crunchy dried seaweeds. Texturally this dish was phenomenal. It was also delicious though a tad sweet for my preference. Salmon is a fish that is now seen only rarely on high-end restaurant plates and that is a pity as it remains the wonderful fish that it has always been. Orestes from the Greek signifying "Mountains". Pigeon breast en "crochette", roasted and served on a barbecue at the table, perfumed by the incense of myrrh. At the bottom of the plate lie greens, caramelized truffle and spices. Overlaid on that were trumpets, porcinis and black truffle. A pigeon broth was poured over top of the constructed dish. This was the ultimate in constructionism, a beautiful and delicious dish. In addition to perfuming the pigeon breast the incense lingered over the table anointing us with a sense of the mysterious.

Gabe, thanks for the information! The raisins are Pedro Ximenez.

When I tasted Rafael Vidal's paella valenciana that he had made for 800 people last November at the CIA?Greystone's World Of Flavors Conference on Spain and the World Table I knew that I just had to taste this at its source. Though my wife and I had been to Spain (predominantly Catalunya) several times over the past few years we hadn't ventured down into Valencia or Alicante. This was the impetus that we needed. That there were other incredible restaurants to try as well as an exciting city on the rise in Valencia and America's Cup activities and races didn't put a damper on the idea either. Located in Benisano' a small town with a pretty old castle about 20 minutes inland from Valencia city, Restaurante Levante, is a charming family - run traditional restaurant founded by Rafael Vidal Sr. and his wife in 1968. Over the years, honors piledup on the restaurant, which was eventually taken over by the founders' son, Rafael and his wife Fina. In addition to running the restaurant, Rafael and his wife travel all over to make paellas for large groups and events including for the King of Spain himself. The day we drove down from Barcelona was a puente or "bridge day" that is the day between a weekend and a holiday. In this case, Monday April 30th was the day between the weekend and May 1st or May Day, a particularly big holiday in Valencia and the equivalent of Labor day in the US. This bridge day was quiet at Levante which worked well for us as Rafael Vidal had some time that he could spend with us. We arrived early at the restaurant shortly before its 2PM opening time so we took a short walk to view the town's charming castle. By the time we returned, it was open. We were seated at a table in the middle of the room and immediately brought a plate of delicious marcona almonds to nibble on. While we specifically came for the paella we wished to try a few of their other dishes. We left it in the hands of our waitress and Rafael Vidal to decide what to bring us. All we told them is that we would like to try some of the house specialties. We were started with the aptly named Delicias de Queso con Calabaza y Almendra or cheese fritters with pumpkin and almond. These were rich and satisfying with a nice crispy coat and soft, creamy interior. Acelgas Rellenas de Morcilla or morcilla stuffed greens over toast with a cream sauce. Morcilla is a blood sausage from pork. This dish too was rich and delicious with the richness countered by a touch of sweetness from some dried fruit. Calamari Fritas These were perfect fried calamari from local squid cooked in a light beer-batter. They were sweet, tender and as good as any I've ever had. I find fried calamari to be a good benchmark dish as it is easy to do reasonably well, but very difficult to do so that the dish is outstanding. This one was outstanding. We left our wine choice to the Vidal's son, Victor who has assumed the duties of sommalier at the restaurant. He chose an excellent Valencian wine, the producer of which we would become more familiar with more during our trip. This was a delightful blend, hence the name. One of the grapes, bobal, is a local variety that amongst others was put to excellent use here. Puntillas con Habitas y Ajos Tiernos or small squid with favas and garlic. Rafael was telling us that as much ass he loves his favas with this dish, when he was in California he had a bean that he thought would be perfect for it. he could not find that bean anywhere he said. I suggested that he contact Rancho Gordo, because if anyone can determine the bean he is looking for it would be Steve. The dish was excellent, but I was beginning to feel that we should leave room for some paella. Rafael kindly invited us to come and look at the paella preparation. In some places the paella pan is set out on a communal table to share. not so, here, where the paella is apportioned from a central location with fresh paella constantly rotating in. A completed paella awaiting apportioning. He took us upstairs to a top-floor kitchen where the paella is cooked over wood and vine-cuttings. The smoke is an essential ingredient to an authentic paella. At Levante, Vidal uses Senia rice to make his paella. He says that Bomba rice is easier and more forgiving, but doesn't absorb the cooking juices as well as the senia and theefore does not impart as much flavor. Senia is tricky though as if not cooked carefully, it has a greater tendency to burst rather than remain whole. . Vidal is known for his beans, especially the variety known as garrofo' a type of Lima bean. Though the paella is best when the beans are fresh, the next best thing according to Vidal is to use frozen beans (he grows his own along with much of the rest of the produce at the restaurant). These are what was in our paella. Following the frozen beans, dried beans make for an acceptable paella. In addition to the beans, green-beans of the variety called ferraura are an essential component to an authentic paella valenciana according to Vidal. The other essential components include chicken, rabbit, tomato, water and rosemary. Our appetites re-fired, we returne to the ddining room to sample what we came for. It was delicious and well worth the trip! The paella was served with a salad that included white asparagus, tuna, tomatoes, hard-boiled egg lettuce, onion, olives and O&V. After the paella, the Vidals gave us fresh squeezed orange juice from their own home-grown oranges, a sampling of their house-made desserts and then some 1964 Gran Reserva de Fondillon to finish the meal. All were delicious. The desserts made by Rafael's wife, Fina, included (clockwise from top) Brazo de Gitano or membrillo roll; dried fruit pudding, tarta de requeson con frambuesa or cheesecake with raspberries and pumpkin, almond and membrillo cake. Translation: Fondillon is an oxidized, old wine, its flavor sweet without being cloying; its density obscuring the glass; a scent of old mahogany. That pretty much describes it. The Family Vidal.

A wonderful and fascinating report as always, Therese - keep it coming!

What was the consistency of the pineapple fries...raw pineapple...fried...hot / cold? What was under the creamy top of oyster yogurt course? There is no doubt that the imagination, creativity and inventiveness that is on display be that the serviceware or the actual creations is amazing! Not to sound like Alice Waters, but in the case of the tomato course...why? The perfect heirloom tomato vs freeze dried tomato, I would have liked to seen the natural product incorporated with the inventiveness. Though I am looking at an image rather than tasting it as you did. Obviously, not many, if any diners will eat that course more than once so the novelty will not be challenged. ← I do not believe that the pineapple was actually fried. The consistency was dryer than raw pineapple, but it wasn't simply dried. It wasn't crackling crisp, but it had bite. Somewhat candy like but without the cloying sweetness of candy it had perfect pineapple flavor - a curious but delicious bite. The oyster was basically oyster yogurt - creamy and delicious but without the flavor dilution that cream or real yogurt would have provided. I have no idea how it was made. Unless someone is able to weigh in here we just might have to wait for the 2007 book! Why the tomato? As Itried to get at above - it is not a question of preference. It was pure flavor that one was able to think about on its own terms because of the novel texture and presentation. Those elements took away the predictability and put the flavor out there on its own terms. I am all forr the perfect tomato, but this restaurant isn't Chez Panisse. What it does is make one look at ingredients, flavors and textures in new ways. This did that - at least for me.

The next wine, this one from Mallorca - unusual in itself - was crisp and a fine match for what followed. Passion Fruit Raisins These were tasty morsels to break up the savory elements in the course of the meal. Interestingly, these were not listed on our printed menus nor the original kitchen ticket. Icy Truffle of meringue To be honest I don't remember much about this dish. Haricot bean with Joselito PancetaThis was one of my favorite dishes of the night. It had a wonderful mouthfeel and great pork flavor integrated with that of the beans. Parmesan Frozen Air with Muesli This dish was fun, refreshing and yes, delicious. See smoz' post for a nice photo with the muesli added to the frozen air. Anchovy with ham, Stevia Air and Smoked Toasted AlmondIf I wasn't full I would have loved this dish with its use and play on the different taste elements of salt,sweet (Stevia is a natural sweetener from a South American plant), bitter and umami. As it was I couldn't really appreciate it. It was killing me that here I was full and fighting with myself with the bulk of the savory courses and the desserts still to go. This was not a good day to not be feeling my best! Gorgonzola Shell, Celery and Apple This dish was subtle, but anther one that I couldn't fully appreciate. At this point in the meal I was shot with my taste buds responding to sweet more than anything else. I had to get up and walk around several times to keep things moving. Each time I did, I managed to feel a little better and rejuvenate for a couple more courses. The tragedy for me was that here I was having my dream meal and I was unable to fully appreciate it. While my stomach was having a hard time, I was able to appreciate the care, effort and ideas that went into each dish. I couldn't and wouldn't finish most of the dishes to preserve what I could of my ability to taste and appreciate them. This got me through the meal without falling into utter despair and once I came to this realization I was able once again to enjoy the meal for what it was and what it meant to me. LYO Tomato with Textured Olive Oil The freeze-dried tomato, textured oil and basil was simply a classic tomato salad in a different form. It was delicious and fun. Is a dish like this something I would generally prefer to the original? Flavor wise it would stand up to any non-deconstructed and manipulated salad of the same ingredients so it did not lose anything there. Part of the textural allure was the novelty. That, of course, would be diminished with subsequent tastings, though the textures were pleasant in their own right. In sum, while I don't know that I would prefer it to the original, I can't really say that I would prefer the original either. This was therefore a successful modern course in that it was at least as delicious as the original (and perhaps more-so) while being fun, creative and beautiful (despite the poor quality photo). A number of the preceding courses as well as the following courses were based on traditional combinations or tweaked from traditional preparations either with the addition of new and/or unusual ingredients, textures and techniques. The LYO tomato is an example of the tweaking of traditional preparations while the haricot bean and Joselito panceta is an example of a variation on traditional combinations utilizing creative technique. There was a range of flavor profiles from pure examples of the ideal product to quite complex flavor combinations. Examples of the former include the pineapple, and other fruit dishes while the anchovy is a clear example of the complex flavor combinations achieved within the context of a single dish. More examples of elements of Catalan tradition will be forthcoming.

Can Roca is not open on Sundays and I believe Can Fabes is open for lunch only on Sundays, but I may be mistaken. Even if they were open, to do either on the same day as elBulli would be madness

...continuing into a more savory realm... Oyster Yogurt This was amazing. It had perfect oyster flavor and brininess, but with the consistency of fine yogurt. Tempura of Pedro Jimenez These tempura sweet grapes were to follow the oyster yogurt. They provided a fine counterpoint. Brioche of mozzarella A couple of people in our party preferred to avoid uncooked items and so were sent this instead of the oyster. I did not try it. Fresh Almonds These "crystal almonds" are available for only a brief couple of weeks as they occur during a specific part of the maturation of the almond. It is a product that Adria considers as one "with soul". Unfortunately for me, it came at a time of the meal when I was particularly sated and not sufficiently recovered to fully appreciate. My loss as it is unlikely that I will ever have the opportunity to try one again. Crab "Anemone" ala Romana This fried crab puff was fun and delicious. I am a sucker for anything with crab. I was starting a brief cycle of gastric recuperation, but then crab will do that for me. Even so, I wish that I was hungrier to enjoy the dish as much as it deserved. The above courses were served with Pazo de Señorans Seleccion de Añada 2002 Albariño from the Rias Baixas. I love albariños and this one was excellent. As the next courses were served with a different wine accompaniment, I will break here for now.

elBulli is a perfect option for a Sunday afternoon in Catalunya as most of the restaurants in the region are closed. Personally, I doubt that you will have to worry about another meal, but should you be so inclined I believe Gaig in Barcelona is open on Sundays and would likely be a nice counterpoint to elBulli.