cabrales

I agree with Andy that the restaurant almost tries to surprise and tease with respect to the naming of dishes (e.g., the snail porridge Andy pointed to), the utilization of ingredients (e.g., coxcombs) and, sometimes even, presentation (e.g., the pre-dessert lollipop was served with the "rod" part placed into a shotglass filled with inedible items that looked good). I am a bit surprised by my own acceptance of Blumenthal's cuisine, given how much I hate gimmicks (e.g., the set-up and cuisine at Marc Veyrat's Ferme de Mon Pere) and the deliberate and unnecessary combination of unusual ingredients (e.g., sometimes, at Pierre Gagnaire). Also, I don't ordinarily like it when a restaurant seems to have to "try hard" on the perceived creativity front. In that context, Fat Duck offered an interesting meal for me, in that it led me to ask why I didn't object to certain aspects of the restaurant that I would ordinarily take issue with. I have not yet come with particular insight on that front. Perhaps it comes down to the simple observation that the food did taste good, and was modern in the way that L'Astrance is (but without the subtlety with respect to creativity or lyricism of L'Astrance -- that's not a negative comment on Fat Duck, to be clear). Note that the lunch special appears to be an ideal way to sample Blumenthal's cuisine -- Bray can be quite pretty during the spring/summertime. The lunch special was such a good deal that I seriously thought about taking 2 orders of it, such that I would have also sampled the skate entree (a fish I like, when done well) and the pumpkin veloute with ceps and pigs' cheeks. However, I decided not to, in view of reservations at The Capital today (lunch report to come). I agree with Steve P's comment that the taste of certain dishes was not outrageous. For example, the lamb shank was a relatively classic preparation, albeit with greater notes of sweetness than one would expect. Also, the pairing of garlic and parsley with snails is a "black letter" traditional combination. Here, of course, the utilization of oats and Jabugo ham in the same dish was not traditional, but the central tastes in the appetizer were garlic and parsley and snails.

Jon -- I agree that St John ocassionally suffers from oversalting, but to the extent it exists, it is not so pronounced as to diminish the overal quality of the dish in question. With respect to food in the bar area, I have also found some sandwiches to contain too much butter and/or mustard, from time to time. I believe my tolerance/preference for saltiness is at least average, if not slightly above that. Also note, as background, I prefer subtlety in a dish (not that that has any necessry correlation with saltiness). I have not viewed a London restaurant other than Petrus as having significant over-salting problems. In the US, when a restaurant offers salt and pepper table-side, I find myself using those items from time to time.

ajay -- An ortolan is a tiny, tiny birdie that people used to trap in the Landes region of Southern France. It is supposed to be one of the greatest delicacies one can have. It is best, reportedly, for one to take the bird into one's mouth whole. I think the birdie is of the yellowhammer family (?). The birdies fly over France during a very limited portion of the year. The French President Mitterand had two for his effective last meal, after Marennes and chapon. He had it with his head covered by a napkin, which is a traditional aspect of sampling ortolans. These birdies eat berries, among other things, and are typically force-fed after they are trapped, then drowned in Armagnac. A delicious preparation is apparently to roast them in their own fat. Paul Bocuse wrote a book on the preparation of game (translated into English) that contains at least 4-5 other ortolan recipes. I have copied down relevant recipes, in case members need it. The ortolan is now, sadly, prohibited in France, Monaco and the UK. I posted about this birdie, but the search function did not retrieve the post and I can't remember its location. Ducasse served ortolan in NYC to the press, before a 1990s Le Cirque dinner in which Bocuse, Boyer and R Verge also prepared dishes. Ducasse brought a special spit roaster from France for the occasion.

Andy -- If you noticed, were there any cooked items involving Old Spot or other rare breeds (e.g., ham; chops that had been cooked)?

I had lunch at the much-discussed Blumenthal's Fat Duck in Bray today. This was my first visit, and I had a very good meal. If Wilfrid has the time to make the short journey to Bray and has not visited Fat Duck before, this restaurant should be preferable to Petrus, Embassy, La Trompette, etc. The lunch special menu is a very good value-for-money. I could have had a wonderful meal for under Pounds 40 with wine by the glass, had I cared to limit costs. Lunch Menu, Three Courses at Pounds 27.50 (Items not chosen included in square brackets) -- Snail Porridge, Jabugo Ham, [Veloute of pumpkin, fricasse of ceps and pigs' cheeks, or Parfait of foie gras, fig compote and Banyuls] -- Braised Lamb Shank, [Petit sale of duck, green coffee sauce, pommes puree, or Poached skate wing, cockles, braised celeriac, and tonka bean veloute] -- Salted Butter Caramel, roasted pistachios and peanuts, chocolate sorbet and cumin caramel [or Nougat Glace, praline rose, fromage blanc ice cream] Glass of Louis Roederer champagne (approx. 13-14) Glass of Aligote Goisot, 2000 (5.50) Glass of Chateau Jouvent Graves 1996 (9.00) Coffee and petits fours (separate charge, 3.95) The first amuse was average -- an emulsion of green tea and lime sour, served in a slender V-shaped glass. This was light and airy (perhaps due to Adria influences? note I have never eaten at El Bulli). A dining room staff member indicated that vodka had likely been utilized in the dish, but this was not apparent. The tea flavors were too suppressed, resulting in a certain blandness and an emphasis on the citrus elements of the flavoring. The lime tasted much more like green apple to me, with nice notes of sweetness combined with sourness. Overall, however, this dish was still slightly bland and tended on the insubstantial side. Then, a much better second amuse of a little serving of Pommery mustard ice cream, to which was added (from a cute ceramic jug) a gaspacho of red cabbage. Amusingly and wonderfully, this liquid was a beautiful medium purple in color. It tasted refreshing and yet also (appropriately) salty and with a subtle "kick". I do not recollect having seen a purple this intense in a dish, except when violets or lavendar saucing was used (e.g., Club Gascon). The appetizer of snail porridge was appealing. I generally do not like oats, but here softened small oats were integrated with diced bits of snail, garlic and parsley. A parsley-based oil bound this satisfying dish together. The Jabugo was appropriately limited to thin slivers atop the porridge mixture. The reference to porridge is a misnomer, if it connoted Chinese-style congee consistency. This dish was much more a risotto-type preparation. On top of this mixture were placed thin, translucent strands of fennel -- this was unnecessary in my assessment. The Aligote white Burgundy taken with this dish is a relatively classic pairing with snails. For me, the snail porridge was the best dish of the meal. The lamb shank tasted good as well. I received a very generous portion, with a large angular expanse of bone protruding from it. The textures were nicely varied, with the caramelised and darkened overtones of the outer portions of the shank giving way to tender, well-prepared flesh inside. The only very minor area of improvement was that the sauce, which was nicely made, was a very little bit sweeter than I personally would have preferred. Softened slices of carrots were a good accompaniment. A dish I enjoyed, and paired with an appropriate wine by the glass recommended by the sommelier. A trio of pre-desserts arrived. A thin circular-shaped crisp, which the maitre d' described as a "lollipop", with red chilli flavor; a beetroot gelee (quite dense, but not in a negative way) and a tart with basil and a bit of dried fennel on top. Quite different, although it highlighted the desire to be different as well (I guess there's nothing wrong with trying to appear innovative). The dessert was a rich, elastic piece of dark-tasting caramel. As discussed in the "Pierre Herme" thread under France, there is a trend to combine saltiness with sweet sensations in dessert, and this dessert was consistent with that trend. The salted butter did add interesting elements to the caramel, and, while not a big fan of chocolate, I liked the melting chocolate sorbet as it hit the caramel. There were too many hard pistachio bits embeded in the caramel piece for my liking, but that is a pet peeve. The cumin ingredient in this dessert, described on the menu, was not noticeable. The meal ended with a chocolate containing tobacco (a la Adria), with a thin crisp (as thin as a veil) with bacon flavors (taken separately). A very good meal, with no obvious flaws. I am beginning to consider accepting the position that it might not matter whether Blumenthal derives "inspiration" from other chefs, so long as his food tastes the way it does. Fat Duck deserves its two Michelin stars. Modern and well-prepared food. Perhaps Blumenthal tries hard to make his dishes seem innovative, but the flavor combinations on the plate generally worked. I also found the menu interesting enough to ask whether there was a table available for tonight or tomorrow's lunch, perhaps due to cancellations. (Unfortunately not yet) The restaurant appears to be less busy during Saturday lunch than during Saturday night or Sunday lunch. It is closed Sunday dinner and Monday all day. Access, Decor and Service Bray can be accessed from Paddington station, from which I took a 30-40 minute trainride to Maidenhead (Pounds 7.50 return fare). Then, a quick (less than 10 minute) cab ride (approx. Pounds 5-6 each way) brought me to the little bend in the road that I had passed at various times on my way to Waterside Inn in the same town/village. There was the Fat Duck! The exterior of the restaurant is quite unassuming. However, the interior is modern, with hues of yellow, turquoise, and some limited amount of purple/light green in the artwork. Wooden beams. A fireplace area with a modern-looking sculpture placed inside. Chairs of a color between mustard yellow and a light olive. Modern artwork, and a large glass wall area near the entryway with blue hues. The maitre d' was wonderfully detailed in explaining each dish. The dining room team member who, together with the maitre d', primarily assisted me spoke fluent French (Andy -- I don't know why I like speaking French at restaurants in London, but I do). The sommeliers recommended fitting selections by the glass, and were knowledgeable and friendly (and spoke French). It was nice that the service was effective, but not stuffy. I liked the "French" aspects of this restaurant: (1) the availability of Chateldon sparkling water (less common in London and not available at, for example, Petrus), (2) the provision of Langiole knives for the lamb, and (3) butter from France, brought to a table in a large circular slab and described as having been aged appropriately (this butter did not taste impressive, but the effort was there). A fairly strong, although in some cases not inexpensive, wine list (including Delamotte champagne, an item I like alot even though it probably does not have appeal to most). The tasting menu offered was Pounds 75: -- Roast scallop, caramelised cauliflower puree, jelly of Oloroso sherry -- Crab biscuit, roast foie gras, crystallised seaweed, marinated salmon and oyster vinaigrette, or Cauliflower risotto, carpaccio of cauliflower, caramelised cauliflower puree [Wilfrid -- deconstruction of cauliflower?] -- Poached breast of Anjou pigeon, a pastilla of its leg with cherries, pistachio cocoa and quatre epices, or Poached-grilled red mullet, veloute of Borlotti beans with rosemary and vanilla -- Pineapple and chilli jelly, pain d'epices ice cream and crab syrup -- Delice chocolate, chocolate sorbet, cumin caramel The a la carte menu is Pounds 58 for three courses: Appetizers -- Roast scallop (see above) -- Crab biscuit (see above) -- Cuttlefish cannelloni of duck, maple syrup, parsley and perilla broth -- Cauliflower risotto (see above) -- Ballotine of foie gras with jasmine, jelly of mead, Sichuan peppercorn -- Lasagne of langoustine, pig's trotter and truffle (6.50 supplement) -- Radish ravioli of oyster, with truffle and goat's cheese, fromage de tete Main courses -- Pigeon (see above) -- Saddle of lamb cooked at low temperature, lamb tongue, onion puree -- Pot roast best end of pork, gratin of macaroni (for two) -- Roast spiced cod, castelluccio lentils, braised cockscombs [interesting!] and pea puree -- Sweetbread cooked in a salt crust with hay, crusted with pollen, cockles a la plancha and parsnip puree -- Red mullet (see above) Dessert -- Delice Chocolate (see above) -- Chocolate coulant (M. Bras) [note crediting] with blue cheese, fromage-blanc ice cream, Sichuan pepper and wine pear -- Tart tatin, bay leaf and almond foam, vanilla ice cream -- Millefeuille of pain d'epices, pineapple and chilli jelly -- Smoked bacon and egg ice cream, pain perdu, tomato jam [interesting] -- Artisan cheese from La Fromagerie (if additional course, 10 pound supplement)

Amat is supposed to have hosted a dinner a while ago for Relais & Gourmand chefs. The topics their meeting discussed included "forbidden foods". Amat was reported to have served ortolans. This was the first time T Keller had ortolan; D Boulud refused to take one. Another interesting tidbit about Amat is that he wrote a book in French with a title referring to the new physiology of taste (not necessarily along Brillat-Savarin lines, of course).

Andy -- I wouldn't necessarily classify Petrus as a British restaurant. It's as close to being a French restaurant, in my mind, as a British one. Just like I wouldn't classify Gordon Ramsay RHR or Claridge's as a British restaurant.

Tony -- Yes, BUT that would not have been the case, were it not for the oversalting. I'd be interested in hearing whether other members have had this experience of oversalting or not. This is not the first time, and the last time I experienced it at Petrus was over 6 months ago. :confused: I have not encountered oversalting at other Gordon Ramsay-affiliated restaurants in London. Also, of the "bracketed" restaurants in my original post, I'd say that, ambition-wise and style-of-cuisine-wise, the Capital and Putney Bridge are slightly better comparables for Petrus than Embassy or La Trompette. However, when I consider subjective satisfaction from various meals, I would bracket Petrus with the described restaurants.

Helen -- When you have a chance and if you remember: what flavors were available (e.g., rasberry)?

I had dinner at Petrus tonight, beginning at the late hour of 10:30. The meal is best summarized as something that is initially appealing, but that unravels when scrutinized with any level of care. That being said, it would be a close call between Petrus and, for example, Embassy (in case Wilfrid was wondering) because the service is better than that at Embassy and there are certain Gordon Ramsay touches (for better and/or for worse) that may appeal if one has not yet sampled Royal Hospital Road. For example, the amuses of chicken liver mousse and aubergine spread were comparable to that at RHR, and the little bits of bread on which to place the above items were the same. However, at Petrus, one has chips enlivened by Parmesan or some other cheese, instead of just potato chips the way I had them at RHR. Also, at Petrus, there were elongated breadsticks served at the same time. Similarly, the granite of pineapple pre-dessert is very similar to that at RHR, but here there is no dried thin piece of pineapple atop the shotglass like one sometimes (but not always) finds at RHR. The service is not at the level of RHR, and the "Frenchness" of the dining room team is lacking (although the sommeliers can speak French adequately). I took in the menu degustation (in the Pounds 60-70 range), instead of 3 courses for Pounds 55 (a la carte dishes indicated toward the end of this post). The degustation menu consisted of (square brackets denote absence of exact name of dish): -- [Haddock veloute, with potatoes and truffle shavings] -- Pressed terrine of confit rabbit with trompette mushrooms, cabbage, toasted pain poilane, and horseradish cream -- Pave of halibut, served on a bed of wild mushrooms a la creme, asparagus, sweet and sour baby aubergines and a veloute of asparagus -- Braised pork belly with pan-fried foie gras, spinach, shallots and baby leeks, truffle pomme moussline, braising jus -- [Earl Grey tea creme, granite; brioche with mascerated raisins, Baileys ice cream] Glass of Ruinart Blanc de Blancs 1990 1/2 bottle of Chassagne-Montrachet, Ramonet (sic) 1993 Glass of Hermitage, year unknown I have to begin by saying I have always liked very much the decor of Petrus. The angular curbed, aristic limbs of the trees with the artificial burgundy limbs; the burgundy-dominated seating area; the burgundy carpets and curvy chairs of the dining room; the large, dark paintings of food spreads. Petrus used to offer the decor that I would have picked, had I been a chef who opened my own restaurant. Alas, the decor was modified during the very end of 2001 to (a) add a wallpaper of a relatively "flashy" (relatively being the key word) golden color, with little square patterns in gold, and (b) add a wooden partition with greenish shaded glass between the seating area in the front and the table closest to such area. The effect was glitzier, but clearly poorer to me. I got a sense there was now something artifical and strained about the slightly renovated decor. The haddock veloute was a bit salty for my tastes, even though it did carry some elements of smoky flavors and did have little cubes of potato inside. A bit disappointing, given my heightened expectations. I don't know why my expectations were this way, given that this was the third time I had dined at Petrus in the past year and each prior time I had not been particularly enthusiastic about the place. When I had been ordering, I had asked the maitre d' whether it was too late for fresh French black truffles. He graciously admitted it, and said that the truffles were from China! (These could be the lower quality varieties offered by mainland China. Their limited utilization in the dish meant that it was not a big deal either way.) Moving on -- the terrine of confite rabbit was very good. The terrine cross-section was interesting, with different sections, including a part with the tenderness of well-prepared rabbit. The slice of terrine sat next to (1) beetroot -- ravishingly burgundy in color and adding acidity, and much more prominent than the cabbage advertised for the dish on the menu, (2) chevril or special parsley (it was hard to tell), (3) tiny chanterelles, and (4) a fairly intense reduction, with a hint of vinegar. The Poilane bread was nice, although the restaurant was unable to confirm that it was Lionel Poilane's rather than Max (I believed it was, as it is L Poilane that has a spin-off boulangerie in London now). The horseradish cream was brought and served at the table -- not bad. By this time, I was realizing that the sommelier was correct in surmising that my Chassagne-Montrachet choice was not necessarily ideal for the tasting menu (too late!) The halibut dish that followed was slightly overcooked, and the sweet and sour elements of the saucing, even though covered by a surprisingly sweet asparagus sauce, were unhelpful. I found this dish interesting in a negative way -- it did not offer a set of flavors that melded well with each other. The halibut was to confirm an assessment that I have had during other meals at Petrus. Wareing needs to focus on his utilization of salt -- it was excessive in the halibut as well as in the haddock veloute. There is a pattern of excessive salting in particular of fish-related dishes, that detracts severely from the chef's cuisine. :confused: I readjusted myself for the main course, which was accompanied by a glass of red. The pork belly was nicely presented as a roundish item, with the belly piece curled around itself. There were nice fatty elements within the pork meat, and tenderness too. However, this was an overly aggressive dish in view of the stark expression of Chinese five spice powder. A dish lacking subtlety (for me, that's a significant flaw), although the pork belly itself was nicely prepared. The mashed potatoes with a very few truffle bits were tasty. Nobody offered me a cheese course, for which I was too tired anyhow and which would have entailed separate payment under the tasting menu had one also taken in a dessert. I settled into the best course of the meal. (It is not generally a good sign for the meal when that course is dessert, as much as I clearly respect patissiers and like well-executed non-dark-chocolate desserts.) The dessert I chose was served as two items brought simultaneousl. First, and significantly, a beautiful cream (almost the texture of thin creme caramel) with a balanced Earl grey tea flavor. The clarity of the Earl grey tea tastes was wonderful, as was the slight persistence of the tea effects in the mouth. Second, a small brioche with likely sweet alcohol-drenched white and dark raisins, sitting in the run-off rom the melting of a so-so Baileys ice cream. Overall, the meal was clearly deserving of a strong Michelin one star, but no more than that for me. The pattern of over-salting, among other factors, rendered the meal one that did not please greatly overall. Based only on my own dining preferences, RHR is by far my favorite restaurant in London (that's a significant caveat, relating to geography), with La Tante Claire following at some distance. It's unclear to me that I would necessarily prefer Petrus to La Trompette, Embassy, the Capital or Putney Bridge. Petrus is a restaurant with ambition that does not execute at the level suggested by its ambition. I tried to speak French to a man who was either the maitre d' or his assistant. He could not speak French, but was quite nice about it. The sommelier team was pretty good. Below is the current a la carte menu (leaving aside the dishes chosen: Other Appetizers -- Wild mushroom ravioli with sauteed langoustines, caramelised red onion, courgette, artichoke crisps, port and foie gras veloute Sauteed meallion of stuffed confit pigs trotter on a bed of lyonnaise onions and thyme, served with French onion soup Pan-fried scallops and red mullet with a salad of baby artichokes, beetroot and sliced truffle, creamed cepe dressing Pan fried tranche of foie gras, caramelised baby chicory, Sauternes sauce Fricasse of frogs' legs, cepes, baby spinach and pan-frie foie gras served with a veloute of jersualem artichokes Confit fillet of salmon on glazed chicory, clams and fennel a la Grecque, caper and raisin puree, sea urchin sauce Marinated sea bass with Osietra caviar, pickled baby cucumber, served with a chilled tomato consumme (8.00 supplement) Main courses Pan fried medallions of John Dory, celeriac fondant, fried squid with tomato vinaigrette and fennel puree Braised fillet of turbot with chevril on a poached pomme Anna, caviar veloute Roasted sea bass with sautted artichokes, asparagus, lemon confit, vanilla sauce (the lemon confit did tempt me) Roast breast of Anjou pigeon on a parsnip galette, with caramelised red onion, smoked ham tourte, garlic, rosemary, and a truffle game jus Best end of lamb served on sliced potato baked in lamb stock, braised root vegetables, sherry vinegar sauce infused with rosemary Roast fillet of Scottish beef with Madeira truffle sauce accompanied by braised choucroute, foie gras, sauteed wild mushrooms, baby artichokes (for two)

Margaret -- I'm sorry to say I think it's a problem with Sammut, not a problem with the dish itself. That being said, I haven't sampled the dish sufficiently to say with indicate the aforesaid with any conviction. :confused: Consider Loubet -- much, much better. I don't understand why people aren't struck by the marked difference after the first meal at each place.

Kim WB -- Thank-you for having taken the effort to look in response to the contents of this thread

Steve Klc -- Can one study Herme's book if one has literally no cooking skills?

Simon -- Was it that Robin's example inspired you to become a good cook, or that Robin was "hands on" teaching you techniques, recipes, flavor combinations, etc.? Also, is it strange to ask whether a member has been so entralled, upon tasting a single extraordinary dish at a restaurant, that he wants to know how to cook so as to prepare that dish (at a minimum)? (Update: Wilfrid's observations are somewhat responsive to this) Or have people been motivated, in even learning how to cook basics, to pattern their cooking after a particular chef's cuisine (i.e., not Escoffer-type)?

robert -- This restaurant sounds so promising! Lemon might an underutilized ingredient in its interesting non-dessert forms (obviously excluding lemon juice for fish, etc.). Are members aware of any NYC, London or Paris restaurants that make good use of lemon in such forms?

blind lemon higgins -- Yes, I have started to feel some measure of (shared) responsibility, depending on the circumstances, when I have made direct recommendations (as in ajay's case) or when a favorable post about a restaurant experience could arguably be viewed as an implicit recommendation (as perhaps in your case, with St John). I appreciate that members collect information from multiple sources, make their own judgments and generally decide whether to take into account or not information gleaned on the board. Also, I appreciate that multiple members typically provide input on a given restaurant, including with respect to meals taken at different points in time. Despite these arguments, I do feel a bit bad when the resulting meal does not pan out ideally for another member. The predominant reason I am concerned is that the other member has had an experience that disappointed him. Turning to the more "selfish" or egotistical possible explanations for my discomfort, I concede that part of the dynamics is that the member providing the explicit or implicit recommendation does want to "respected" or "trusted", as you mention, by the recipient of the recommendation. In my case, that dynamic is there, but in a rather muted form, to my knowledge. The reason it's muted is that, as I have mentioned in various threads previously, I see restaurant going as a personal and subjective experience. Not that there aren't some restaurants that most members would not agree are poor. But that, leaving that pool of mediocrity aside, for restaurants that are able to truly potentially please, they may not please every diner. Perhaps trust and respect are very emotion-replete words, and, like reading professional restaurant critics, it is a matter of seeing, over time, how a member's preferences line up with other members'. I just don't know how to address any "learning costs" that may come along the way.

The Winter 2002 edition of Edward Behr's "The Art of Eating" notes the following regarding Herme and Conticini: "The fall theme [for Herme's collections] was the color chestnut, and the spring theme is to be transparency, expressed in apperance, texture, flavor. Just three locations are intended for Paris but others are planned for other cities . . . . (It's not clear, however, what he seeks in the United States, either in his books or his relationship with the Wegmans chain of supermarkets)". "Peltier is the palce to watch under the patissier Philippe Conticini. The main Peltier location was closed for two months to be radically redone in a new manner to suit Conticini's about-to-be-launched new pastries. The shop hadn't reopened in time for this issue." The locations of Peltier are: 66 rue de Sevres (7th), 01.47.83.66.12 (open daily) 6 rue Saint-Dominique (7th), 01.47.05.50.02 (open except Sundays and Mondays) The Behr magazine has a nice tidbit on sauce spoons, and on Escoffier.

For the symbolism that may inhere in a meal taken together (in this case, the discomfort and oppression of multiple wives who feel they have to compete for the affections of a man and who do not really want to dine together) and the unspoken during a meal, "Raise the Red Lantern" by Zhang Yimou. The food scenes in this move are very limited, though. http://worldfilm.about.com/library/films/b...eredlantern.htm And, "Shawshank Redemption", one of my favorite films (the food scenes are not the reason I like it; more the theme of perseverence). It contains scenes in which prison politics are played out in the form of bullies' handling of the protagonist's food and the significance of seating arrangements in prison cateens.

BON -- Can I infer from your post that I have finally identified someone who has tasted Fugu and who can describe it? Do the limited amounts of poison taken in give some sort of "thrill"?

FriedaL -- Speaking of pigeons and appreciating that palombes may not be popular to pursue in your particular geographic area (even though they are from the South broadly), do you have any input on palombes? I tasted them in Paris during 4Q 2001, at a tiny bistro, and the meat did not leave a strong impression on me. (General note: I have also seen palombe on the menu at Helene Darrozze in Paris, during the right season). The marron glacee ice cream from your locality sounds good. I have to admit to having been disappointed by the marron glacee flavor of Berthillon ice cream, although I did not take it at a Berthillon store, but only at a Paris cafe that sold such ice creams. I had heard so much about this flavor, and also about the frais des bois (wild strawberry) variety, beforehand. I have yet to taste Berthillon's frais des bois, which (together with blood orange, certain peeled green grapes, and cherries, particularly Rainier) are my favorite fruits. Also (and apologies for all the questions), do you cook with Menton lemons?

FriedaL -- If you'd like to discuss it, I'd appreciate your views on Sammut vs. Loubet, and how they rate relative to one another. For once, the French female chef is significantly overrated. Sammut has one star, and that is appropriate (in an absolute sense) in my mind (despite my never having particularly appreciated her cuisine). She receives quite a lot of media coverage, and has a book published. It is also appropriate that Loubet (for other members, whose restaurant is also located in the smallish village of Lourmarin) has two stars. He is in my mind one of the strongest two-stars in France (together with J-M Lorain at Cote Saint-Jacques, Joigny, and O Roellinger at Cancale -- two restaurants Fat Guy has mentioned elsewhere -- and excluding M Meneau; no information on E Jung). Yet compare Michelin's commentary on the two restaurants (roughly translated): Sammut -- "A *graceful culinary haven*, facing the mountains of Luberon. You will appreciate, apart from the table [i.e., the cuisine], elegant rooms decorated along themes of artistic trades." Loubet -- "A vaulted dining room with exposed old stones and the remnants of a mill. Ravishing terrace. *The herbs, aroma and flavors of Luberon fill your plate*." Reading the two commentaries, one might believe the restaurants are more comparable than they are. :confused:

magnolia -- When you have a chance, please consider discussing whether you made it to Hiramatsu. The new "Spring" menu was released onto the restaurant's website. Below are translations: APPETIZERS -- Nage de homard breton à la mousseline de caviars et purée de fenouille (pour deux) par personne (Nage of Brittany lobster with a caviar mousseline and fennel puree, for two) Euros 46.00 -- Grosses langoustines poêlées à l'orange, jeunes brocolis et leurs purée d'asperges blanches (Large langoustines pan-fried with orange, young brocoli and a puree of white asparagus) 42.00 -- Pavé de foie gras“Roti d'or”aux aubergines cuites à la citronnelle, sauce truffé au balsamique (Foie gras pave, "golden roast", with aubergines cooked with a lemongrass variation, truffled sauce with balsamic vinegar)38.00 -- Bar à la vapeur parfumé de la mer, ses petits légumes de provence (Steamed bass with aromas of the seas, little vegetables from Provence) 38.00 -- Foie gras au choux printanier, sauce aux truffes (Foie gras with spring cabbage, truffle sauce) 40.00 MAIN COURSES -- Bar à la ligne, cuit minute, sauce “Château Chalon” parfumée à la fleur de thym (Line-caught bass, cooked slightly, "Chateau Chalon" sauce and perfurmed with thyme blossom) 42.00 -- Asperges vertes, goujonettes de sole et de langoustines en côte à côte, coulis de moules safranées (Green asparagus, sole and langoustines side by side (?), a coulis of mussels with saffron) 42.00 -- Eventail de rouget en filet poêlés accompagné de ses tomates et leur crème d'olive (A fan [no typo] of pan-fried red mullet fillets, accompanied by tomatoes and olive cream) 34.00 -- Dorade fumé sur son coulis de pomme de terre au raifort, crème de caviars au champagne (Smoked sea bream on a coulis of potatoes with horseradish, a caviar cream with champagne) 44.00 -- Civet de homard breton accompagné de sa jardinière de légumes et de son coulis de corail à l'huile d'olives (Stew of Brittany lobster accompanied by vegetables and a coulis of corale with olive oil) 68.00 -- Côte de veau de lait braisé, sauce d'olives façon périgourdine, et haricots verts fins à la crème de mayonnaise truffé (Braised side of milk-fed veal, olive sauce "Perigourdine" style, green bean or French bean with a cream of truffled mayonnaise) 40.00 -- Carré d'agneau parfumé au thym avec son velouté de cresson, fricassée de foie gras de chèvre en ravioli (Rack of lamb flavored with thyme with a watercress veloute, a fraicasse of foie gras and chevre ravioli) 40.00 -- Rouleaux de lapin fermier aux courgettes, émulsion de truffe (Roll of farm rabit with zucchini and a truffle emulsion)40.00 -- Poitrine de canette de Challans fumée et sa printanière de légumes, sauce violette (Smoked breast of Challans duck and vegetables, violet sauce) 42.00 -- Ailes de pigeonneau rosées au champagne, lardons fumés et petits pois parfumés au romarins, crème d'ail au cerfeuil (Pigeonneau wing with champagne, smoked bacon and rosemary-flavored peas, garlic cream with chevril) 42.00 DESSERT -- Méli-mélo de fruits rouges de saison à la gelée de lavande au“Bonnezeaux” sur un lit de rhubarbe citroné (Meli-melo of red fruits of the season with a lavender gelee and a "Bonnezaux" on a bed of rhubarb with lemon) 16.00 Biscuit au chocolat chaud et sa glace vanille à la menthe fraîche (Hot chocolate biscuit with vanilla ice cream and fresh mint) 20.00 -- Petite soupe de cerise au Marc de champagne sucré (Small cherry soup with sugared Marc de champagne) 15.00 -- Millefeuille de marjolaine aux fraises des bois et crème glacée à la verveine (Millefeuille with marjoram, wild strawberries and verbena ice cream) 18.00 -- Savarin d'agrumes accompagné de sa crème chantilly au rhum et de son sorbet au chocolat amer (Savarin of citrus fruit accompanied by chantilly cream with rum and bitter chocolate sorbet) 16.00 Several observations, based on a comparison of the Spring menu with the Winter one: -- Hiramatsu utilizes champagne in saucing from time to time. -- The utilization of more expensive ingredients (e.g., caviar, truffles) continues, as discussed in the original Hiramatsu thread (not linked). I wonder what truffles Hiramatsu might be utilizing at this time of the year, if they are fresh? -- Some of the fruit-based desserts sound good.

blind lemon higgins -- When you have a chance, could you take a look at the linked "Go to Embassy" thread under this forum?

Michael -- So we better understand the constraints, how intolerant to fat is your father?

Wilfrid -- Following up on the explicit or implicit "recommendation" aspect of some board posts on specific restaurants, have there been instances when you have felt bad if you indicated a restaurant was good, but a member taking your post (at least partially) into account visited and had a less-than-wonderful experience? :confused: If you have not, how do you think you might feel about it? For example, blind lemon higgins had a mixed meal at St John (see "Son of St John" under UK; not linked), and you appear to have experienced the same sentiment when you were there earlier. While Simon and I did not explicitly recommend that blind lemon higgins and you go to St John, our frequent posts (largely favorable) about the restaurant could be viewed as implicit recommendations. Another example may be in the context of certain of ajay's experiences. I'd be interested in blind lemon higgins and ajay's views on this. I have thought about these matters in part because I believe restaurant experiences are to a large extent subjective, and there are good or not "fit" issues between a particular diner and a particular restaurant. While certain restaurants may offer food and other aspects of a quality that they would find resonance with a larger number of diners, there are highly personal aspects of a restaurant experience that render potential reliance by other members a sensitive matter. Steve P and I could, I assume, theoretically experience the same dishes at Pierre Gagnaire and come back reporting very differently. Or consider the different assessments Holly and I had of Ferme de Mon Pere recently.