cabrales

In "Delights and Prejudices", Beard makes some observations on dining at home: "I have eaten in restaurants all over the world, but when I come home to my kitchen, I realize it is there that I can best satisfy the eccentricities of my own palate . . . . One of my greatest pleasures is having *six to eight* people to dinner and serving a simple but elegant menu with carefully chosen wines and handsome table appointments. . . . These events are relaxed and casual, for I'm afraid I am not fond of formal entertaining. I try to establish a theme in the menu, and if I happen to be entertaining friends from abroad I feature dishes they do not have in their own countries. Last year, for example, I had two friends from England to dinner who wished to sample the best of American beef. After a first course of razor clam bisque, made from the canned clams from Oregon and heavy cream, I served some succulent, grilled beef with tiny braised new potatoes and tiny French peas, which are now sold frozen with butter in bags, and delicious they are. . . ." I found the excerpt amusing because of the reference by Beard to canned and frozen ingredients. ;)

I like mini lychee jelly cups. The cups are each about 1/2 the size of one's pinky, are made of plastic, and are peeled open like single serving cream containers. Then, there is a bit of light syrup that allows the capsule of jelly (with a piece of lychee suspended inside) glide into one's mouth. They're usually found in Chinatown, and also come in flavors like green apple, mango etc. I like them refridgerated. http://www.crackseed.com/category/candy/ly...jelly_cups.html (not depicting the better brand) http://www.safetyalerts.com/recall/f/02/f0000162.htm (FDA indicated candies should not be offered to children and the elderly, due to choking risks)

magnolia -- Troisgros, although it's a train ride to Roanne and it may not have availability. ;)

Liza -- As you may know, the Troisgros salmon dish has been mentioned in other threads, including: "Chef of the Century" under "General", p. 3 (Bocuse's meal served to VGE included Troisgros' salmon dish) "Frozen Truffles Not Bad At All" under "Cooking" (my meal involving the salmon dish) ;)

magnolia -- Hiramatsu is open for lunch, at least some days. You might want to ask about whether a Menu d'Affaires (Business menu; or similar name) is available. If I remember correctly (check the pre-crash Hiramatsu thread), the cost was 45-50 euros. I'm uncertain whether, with its increasing popularity, the restaurant is still offering the "business lunch" menu. Also ask about what items are on it before reliance. The a la carte is likely the same for lunch and dinner, although I've only gone for dinner. http://www.hiramatsu.co.jp/lang_french/carte.html Dinner reservations are certainly hard to come by nowadays. I wonder if lunch reservations may also be becoming scarce. The maitre d' indicated that Hiramatsu might be changing the menu in the next 2-4 weeks. ;)

Liza -- Consider some variation of Troisgros' sorrel sauce, used for the famed salmon with sorrel dish. http://www.troisgros.fr/anglais/table/saumon.htm There's another version of the recipe (unclear whether the same) in the English version of the Troisgros' "Hachette"-published books (both the Pierre/Jean collaboration and the Pierre/Michel edition). ;)

magnolia -- Thanks for the update ;)

grahamtigg -- It could be that creativity and consistency are in tension, but I tend to think it's more likely a matter of "fit" between a diner and a restaurant. Thus, I probably would not say that Jardin des Sens is a bad restaurant, period. I would say that it is a poor restaurant for me and, in my assessment, does not deserve the accolades it has received. My two meals during a single visit there were during 2001. I was suffering from a severe cold, and my sense of smell was rather impaired, during that visit. Even under those conditions, I readily ascertained that the restaurant is not for me. ;) Perhaps the restaurant could be subjectively wonderful to certain members. I did like the rooms, though.

Well, nobody is actually going to come out and say that they are ordering it for status, but if that is the case -- in NYC, it is, (unless they order bubbles) then ice does not defeat the purpose. If a diner preferred sparkling (in the bubbles, carbonated sense) water sufficiently over flat (which tap would be), he might order bottled water for taste reasons (separate from the "flavors" of the water). Having the sparkling effect would not necessarily be affected by tap water ice cubes, although I agree that such cubes are not a good idea. ;) I don't know if there have been board discussions on the question of whether sparkling bottled water interferes more or less with food taste than flat bottled water. I'm sure there have been, and "minimization of interference with the sampling of food" might be another argument for choosing a neutral flat bottled water for restaurant dining. I drink sparkling bottled water at restaurants -- Badoit or Pellegrino. I drink only bottled water (or tap water that has been previously boiled and refridgerated) at home. It's for health reasons, particularly under the current environment of concern about terrorism. Poisoning of US water supplies is admittedly an extremely remote possibility, however. ;)

My second meal at Hiramatsu was very disappointing food-wise. The location of the restaurant is still lyrical, and made more so by an unabashedly medium pink expanse of sky the evening I visited, but no amount of locational advantage can offset the defects in the dishes sampled. There is a Voiturier (person dedicated to parking cars) now, for a restaurant with 18 seats, and it was he instead of the dining room team members that gracefully led me into the restaurant. The dining room staff members remembered me from before, and were welcoming as well. The problems began early, as the Aiguillettes de pigeonneau au foie gras et consommé de julienne de légumes (Pigeonneau slices with foie gras and a vegetable consomme) was indicated to be unavailable only after I sought to order it. This is a dish I have been contemplating ordering for some time. See pre-crash Hiramatsu thread. The amuses of Spanish ham (now overly drizzled with olive oil) and the royale of black truffles were as before. The tenderness of the egg custard went well with the intense meat-based consumme, which had complex connotations that brought to mind certain "dark" mushrooms. I ordered the Turbot poêlé à l'orange, cœur de romaine au thym, gaspacho vert moutardé (Pan-fried turbot with orange, heart of romaine lettuce with thyme, green gaspacho with mustard) as an appetizer. (It is intended as an entree, and the size was left intact.) There were two pieces of turbot; one was markedly underdone and almost tasted (unintentionally) raw in the inner sections. Both pieces lacked the flavor of the fish, and the blandness was unaided by the moderated (in a negative way, but nicely textured) green gaspacho sauce (with no noticeable mustard taste). The orange taste advertised on the menu was nowhere to be found. The long romaine sections lining the curved outer area of the plate were the only arguably nice part of the dish. I also sampled significant portions of the Homard Breton rôti aux pousses d'épinards et son beurre aux fines herbes (Roasted Brittany lobster with spinach shoots and herb butter), ordered as an appetizer by my dining companion (also intended as an entree, and ordered without a reduction in size). The lobster was appropriately prepared, and tasted crisp and fairly good. The head portion was available for sampling as well. However, the butter-based sauce was very traditional and there was nothing particularly interesting about this dish. Then, the worst pigeonneau dish I have tasted in some time. The plump body of the Pigeonneau rôti au miel, sauce vin rouge liée avec son foie (Pigeonneau roasted with honey, red wine sauce with its liver) was literally drastically undercooked. (It takes quite a lot for me to say this, in the context of pigeon.) Furthermore, there was a smell and taste to the meat of the pigeonneau that was unattractive (I am not saying it was spoiled, to be clear) and that sickened me ever so slightly. The concentrated red wine sauce was too aggressive for the dish. No more than a bite was taken. The lentils in a small cup accompanying this dish were also inferior. My dining companion's Noix de veau au sésame, sauce vin jaune au curry (Veal with sesame, yellow wine sauce with curry) was disappointing, although not as misguided as the pigeonneau. The cheese was nice, and included Mimolette, Roquefort and Epoisse. However, my dessert of Cassonade brûlée de café corsé, sabayon à la cannelle (brown sugar "burned" with full-flavored coffee, cinammon sabayon; note this was not a creme brule) was very poor. The item arrived in a cup, with frothy capuccino effects too heavily laced with cinammon. Beneath was a "gooey" dark brown mixture that reminded me of mud with small grounded gravel in it, both in taste and in texture. Misguided intensity in a dish that I found unacceptable and that had apparently been praised by certain French restaurant critics. I also sampled a bit of the Millefeuille aux oranges confites accompagné de son sorbet au chocolat amer (Millefeuilles of confit oranges accompanied with a sorbet of dark chocolate). This was better than my Cassonade, with interesting small oranges and only two thin "crisps" that made up the millefueille and that sandwiched the oranges and cream. I do not intend to return to Hiramatsu, unless the feedback from other members who visit is overwhelmingly positive. It is possible the restaurant had a particularly bad night, as Chef Hiramatsu was apparently not in attendance (expected to be 50% of the time). However, the many problems I perceived in the cuisine would appear to suggest that Hiramatsu remains a work in progress, to say it kindly. Members interested in sampling the restaurant should not necessarily be deterred by this post, and may wish to consider it in view of, among other things, the generally admiring professional reviews the restaurant has garnered. ;)

A couple of additional observations on Korova, which happens to be located very close to Maison d'Aubrac (offering Aubrac beef). I had tea there Saturday afternoon. As Margaret reported, the queues were considerable (often 8+ person deep) in the take-away, pastry purchase area. I seated myself in the Korova restaurant, which offered the pastries at apparently comparable (unclear whether exactly the same) price levels to the take-way scenario. I had the Ispahan again, which was perhaps more beautiful than last time. I noticed that a single dew drop on the burgundy rose petal was replicated using a clear (likely sugar) solidified drop. A pleasing feature. I again liked the juicy fragility of the rasberries, and tasted the texture of the lychees more toward the center of the macaron. I also sampled the olive oil and vanilla macaron -- the only one I had not tried before -- and found it only so-so. Then, two wonderful caramel macarons with fleur de sel. All accompanied by green tea with fresh mint. ;) I was tempted to try the lemon tart, which had slivers of lemon peel, positioned curled and flat on the surface of the yummy-looking (apparently) lemon custard. The Pierre Herme "signatures" listed on the Korova menu included (1) Tarte chocolat, (2) Tarte au cafe, (3) Plaisirs sucres, (4) the Ispahan, (5) 200 Feuilles, and (6) Carrement Chocolat (a chocolate box with gold leaf on top). The "Autumn/Winter 01-02" creations were indicated to be the Arabella, and Tarte au chocolate au lait (milk chocolate tart). The more "substantial" dishes on the menu utilized during the afternoon tea period were relatively limited: (1) Poulet fermier roti au Coca Cola, puree de pommes de terre (Roasted farm chicken with Coke, potatoe puree), at 24.50 euros, (2) Pastrami a la "Yiddish Mamma", pain aux cereales (pastrami with bread), at 17.50 euros, and (3) Jabugo Spanish AOC ham, at 20.00 euros. I am not aware of what menu items are available during lunch or dinner. My own guess is that Korova might be a better place for sampling Pierre Herme's pastries than for taking in a meal.

For the two meals I have taken at Boyer, Boyer was talking with guests a great deal when the latter were taking their aperatifs in the outdoor area facing the expanse of back lawn at Les Crayeres. Also, he toured the dining room for much of the service, sometimes chatting more than 3-5 minutes with each table. It appeared to me that, on those occasions at least (note I began each meal relatively late), Boyer couldn't have been cooking that much and it was likely T Voisin (sic) that was overseeing the service. Do members have input on Boyer's touring of tables during service? If Boyer tours as much as I think he does, PaulaJ's interactions with him might be even more limited. ???

In the several months prior to his retirement, M Bourdain had offered special themed meals at the restaurant. One may have focused on dishes he had created for royalties/ celebrities. Did members sample any of the meals in the "farewell" series? ;)

Beachfan -- The dinner sounds superb; I am looking forward to sampling my first meal at the rejuvenated Bouley. What is the restaurant's BYO policy, incl. corkage levels (if available)? What was the general level of receptiveness towards BYO exhibited by restaurant personnel? :)

I have been thinking about the effect of fleur de sel on the sweet caramel macaron. In the macaron, the salt was not "distinct" from the remainder of the item. And its utilization was difficult to pinpoint or to describe. Pierre Herme and other chefs' utilization of salt in pastries and other desserts is described in an August 30, 2000 NYT article (A Hesser's "There's a New Flavor in Town and It's . . . Salt; Dessert Traditions Go Over the Shoulder"): "Salt's traditional role in desserts was to elevate flavor. But it was never used to this extent. . . . Mr. Conticini [at Petrossian, Paris]. . . has been stretching dessert's definitions . . . . Fleur de sel is sprinkled on hazelnut and chocolate cakes. . . . The salt does not emerge in every bite; just now and then a faint crunch will appear. At these moments the flavor changes -- it comes alive more, then retreats, and the cake becomes sweet again. . . . '[Fleur de sel is] one of the major ingredients,' Mr. Herme said. 'If you want to see what it can do, you get a slice of baguette, you put ordinary chocolate on top, and you put it in the oven. After five minutes, when it comes out, you sprinkle some olive oil and put maybe four or five grains of fleur de sel on it, and you will see how fleur de sel can push the flavor of the chocolate. It's amazing.'"

On the US, the jury is passable. F Metz of the CIA is a supportable "neutral" (i.e., non-restaurant-operator) choice, and A Soltner and J Mariani are also appropriate. I think J Chodorow's places (incl. Asia de Cuba) are commercialized, over-hyped and do not offer an appealing cuisine. Thus, I wouldn't choose. On Peri Wolfman, she is listed as VP of Williams and Sonoma and also as "author". A quick Web search suggested she writes, with respect to food matters, mostly on place settings and cutlery! While I don't know enough of her background, perhaps a weaker judge as well. ;) On France, Verge and Michel Bourdin (formerly of The Connaught, London) are "alright" choices, but nothing more than that. The Figarao journalist is a decent choice too. The others, I don't know enough about to comment. There could have definitely been alternative panel members, that's for sure. ;)

andrew -- Thanks for locating the Website. The US representative is T Keller -- appropriate. There are some obvious omissions from the local nominees list, when one looks beyond Australia. For example, in the US, Alain Wong from Hawaii is included, but David Bouley and Charlie Trotter are not. (For members who do not access the site: Vongerichten, Seeger, Perrier, H Keller, Colicchio, P O'Connell and Boulud were other nominees) For me, the French nominees list is also very much "open to question" (even taking into account the subjective nature of inclusion and exclusion). I'm glad they included the chef at L'Esapdon at the Ritz, as his food is good. Bras, Westermann, Martin, Jung and Boyer are probably justifiable. But Rostang, Dutournier, Savoy and C Willer (La Palme d'Or, Cannes) are also nominated, whereas Troisgros, Pacaud and other more deserving chefs are not. That being said, the US and French nominees lists are not so "off" (like the Restaurant Magazine article) as to be, on their face, lacking in credibility. ;)

I'd appreciate input from members as to whether Pierre Herme's pastries, including his luscious macarons, are available at certain, yet unidentified Wegmans stores in NJ or NY. If a member has leads, please indicate which pastries may have been sampled. For background on Herme, see "Pierre Herme" under "France". (I'm posting a similar inquiry on the NY board) A February 27, 2002 New York Times article ("A Delightful Taste of Paris, by Way of Rochester", by Florence Fabricant) indicates: "Mr. Herme's exquisite filled chocolates . . . are now being made in Rochester under the chef's supervision and using French chocolate and butter. . . . . Four Wegmans stores, in Princeton, Manalapan and Bridgewater, N.J., and Pittsford, N.Y., also sell the chocolates. . . . **Several Wegmans stores sell his pastries, including assorted macaroons**." [The article does not appear to indicate which, as the previously mentioned ones appear to relate to chocolate sales] http://www.wegmans.com/aboutUs/storeLocator/ (indicates location of Wegmans stores; note that site in general offers chocolates that at least are based on Herme's recipes) The mail order chocolates are described here: https://www.wegmans.com/ocs/item_detail.asp?ici=1259 (prices begin at USD$17.00 for 7 oz or approx. 23 pieces) I wonder if they could even faintly resemble Herme's Paris creations? ???

Indeed, I'm surprised to hear people who know the restaurant business talk of sending dishes back to the kitchen when it's so widely known what may very well happen to the next dish before it's presented to them. :(John Whiting -- On things that might happen to dishes, are you referring to the inclusion of spit, or other forms of corruption of dishes? I note you mentioned the possibility previously, and wonder if you have experiences in this regard (including through stories from "spitters"). :p

jaybee -- Please consider discussing what dispute(s) were involved, and how AMEX or other corporations assisted? ;)

jaybee -- Apologies if I didn't make clear that I enjoyed your post, and would have done the same thing with respect to the souffle. . ;) (Note the reference to continuing to take in a dish, as opposed to flushing it) In my preceding post, I was posing a separate question on finishing what's on a plate in restaurants. Your post was not only enjoyable, it prompted me to think about when a diner might begin to care about how the consumption (or lack thereof) of food is perceived by the servers/providers thereof. :p Have you ever ended up not paying for a dish with which you were unhappy, after you refused to pay? I have not yet attempted to refuse payment, although I have been tempted on a very, very few occasions. ;)

At certain restaurants, have members continued with a dish even though they were indifferent to it/disliked it, just so that the kitchen team would not feel insulted if it examined what remained? ;) For members who work in the restaurant industry, have kitchen teams in which you have paricipated examined food that's left on plates and can you tell which diner has left what? For me, continuing with a dish for the sake of any third party is generally misguided in the restaurant context. ;)

Margaret -- I bought at least one of each type of macaron (except for the olive oil/vanilla). However, there were so many other patisserie items to try that, with the price of each item being low in absolute terms, I seriously thought about buying more than I could finish and merely taking one or two bites of certain items. But it seemed wasteful, and I didn't carry through with it. The next time I visit, I might have to revisit that possibility. ;)

John Whiting -- I can "enjoy" a meal if the food service, wine service, wine recommendation or waiting time between dishes is flawed. However, if the standalone quality of the dishes does not meet a certain minimum level, I tend not to be amused. I generally don't pout, and do continue to pay attention. But sometimes it's hard to pay attention to food that one clearly doesn't want to eat when a pattern of dishes makes the situation obvious ;)

jaybee -- Here's an attempt at clarification. When there's somewhere (Restaurant X) that (1) I have determined (based on inquiry, guides, research, etc.) is subjectively interesting to me, (2) is located geographically close to the restaurant I end up visiting (say, Restaurant Y), (3) I have never visited before, and (4) for some reason I do not end up eating at, Y might offer a good meal, but that meal will be in the context of my unmet desires for X. Thus, my overall level of happiness is lower. If I went to Biarritz or Bayonne, for example, and could not secure a reservation at Arzak (within a quick drive across the border), my level of happiness would be diminished. That's not to say that I wouldn't appreciate Auberge de La Galoupe or that I can't accept one can't visit every interesting restaurant within a geographic area at once. It's merely to say that there are quite a few never-before-visited restaurants that have a "force of attraction" for me once I'm within a certain geographic proximity to them. Note that effect occurs for me with restaurants at different levels, to different degrees. Surprisingly to me, it recently happened a bit during the day between when I heard about the Charcuterie trolley discussed in the UK forum and when I visited the relevant restaurant. ;) Your mention of last-minute changes or choices is interesting. Bux has also mentioned how sometimes he does not make all reservations on any given trip, allowing for some meandering. When I travel, I am most deliberate about which restaurants I go to. I try to make reservations way in advance, and research and ponder about alternatives. That's part of how I set my sights on particular restaurants within a geographic area, and that is part of why I experience heightened curiosity when I am unable to eat during that trip at the places chosen.