cabrales

This is probably related to biodynamic horticulture*, a very complex regimen evolved from the teachings of Rudolph Steiner. John Whiting -- Yes, the article did mention biodynamic principles having been used. I didn't know what the term referred to. "'What makes the farm special is the way the animals are treated. . . . The piglets are fed 'organic human grade food' (the secret recipe will be in an upcoming book [i thought you'd appreciate this plug!]) right up to their first birthdays . . . . The couple aim to attain the ultimate green standard -Demeter, founded by Rudolf Steiner in 1924 -practitioners of which are required to develop 'extensive, proactive methods of caring for the earth and the soil.'" On the outcome, Michel Roux Jr. is noted as indicating: "This is what chefs dream of -the perfect ingredients. With so much respect for their animals and land, is it any wonder that the finest produce to be found comes from Shedbush Farm?" The article notes R Blanc suggests that Shedbush's pork is a thousand times better than any he had previously sampled.

On UK farms with special breeds, the March 2, 2002 edition of The Times (London) has an article by Clarissa Hyman entitled "Respect produces the perfect pork chop". It describes the Bells' chemical-free "Shedbush Farm" in Dorset. Clients include Raymond Blanc and Michel Roux Jr. for pork. Tamworth pigs, as well as Aberdeen Angus, Portland lamb, Aylesbury ducks and Blackrock hens (?) may be available. "Some tenets are distinctly esoteric. Apparently, the zodiac plays a part in the sowing of crops. . . . Denise [bell] says they are inundated by hundreds of callers wanting a single pork chop [not an appropriate request]. . . . . It's important that people compose lists of foods they want and we will notify them when it is available seasonally." Shedbush Farm, Muddy Ford Lane, Stanton St Gabriel, Bridport, Dorset (01297 489304; e-mail: HeritagePrime@aol.com) Wilfrid -- I like your use of asterisks/stars as footnotes in your posts ;)

I read it in Figaro over the weekend, and checked the Michelin website before posting. (Interestingly, the restaurant is the only restaurant with any stars in Rotterdam itself.) A rough translation of the restaurant's Michelin annotations follows. Specialties named are (1) Pan-fried sole with morels and "molten" goose liver (March -- May), (2) Grilled turbot with anchovy cream and basil, and (3) Saddle of rabit with thyme and a small piece of the side with the "royale" preparation (October 20-December 30). Michelin notes: "An ingenious and creative cuisine awaits you in this semi-circular, modern pavillion. Choose seating on the side of the terrace to benefit from the view of maritime traffic. A treat!" ;)

The Times (London) reported in early March on the inaugural "World Master of Culinary Arts" award to be presented on May 16 in Paris. Second hand reports indicate this award may be intended for the "best chef" in the world (unclear). I have no meaningful information about this award, and wonder if it is serious. (I am also unclear what relationship this has to the Wedgwood Awards, which were also mentioned.) In general, for me, this type of award leaves much to be desired. Raymond Blanc of Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons was chosen among various nominees to represent the UK. The nominees not chosen included: Gordon Ramsay; Bruce Poole of Chez Bruce ("I was very pleased to be included in the shortlist myself. I never expected to win"); Marcus Wareing of Petrus; Fergus Henderson of St John; Kevin Thornton of Thonton's, Dublin; Michel Roux, jr of Le Gavroche; Rose Gray of The River Cafe. Ramsay is reported to have lamented: "Can you imagine if a British chef was selected to represent France [referring presumably to Blanc's French origins]? I am a bit miffed. I am not biased against Raymond Blanc, but I think there are brilliantly talented young chefs in this country who could compete . . . Raymond Blanc is 53 years old. . . . Today it is a young man's game, and we have chefs like Michael Caines [of Royal Clarence, Exeter]. . . and Philip Howard [of The Square] . . . ." The framework is for local panels of judges from each of France, the UK (including Ireland), Italy, the US, Japan, Australia and Hong Kong (represented by Yeung Koon-Yat of the Forum Restaurant) to select a chef from that jurisdiction to represent the applicable country. There is a list of nominees within each country and their restaurants are sampled by the local judging panel to arrive at the chef representative for that country. Then, the chef representatives of all participating countries have their restaurants sampled by certain judges from other countries. That the award has certain weaknesses is suggested by the very composition of the UK local judging panel: Terence Conran :( ; Nigella Lawson :( ; Rick Stein; Richard Sheperd of Langan's Brasserie; David Wright of the British Trade International. Roy Ackerman will participate in the judging at the international level. Do members know who will represent France or Italy? ???

In the 2002 Guide, Michelin conferred three stars on a Rotterdam restaurant called Restaurant Parkheuvel, Heuvellaan 21 (00 31 10 43 60 766). The chef there is Cees Helder. Do members have input on this restaurant?

On restaurant inflexibility, I'd be interested in hearing whether members have had experiences similar to mine at Pierre Gagnaire last year. The restaurant refused the *addition* of dishes to a tasting menu. Our entire table of 4+ people ordered the tasting menu. I then sought to order two dishes from the a la carte menu (full size, to be shared presumably) in addition to the dishes included in the tasting menu. (As background, I did this not because I like Gagnaire's cuisine, but because I wanted to sample more of it to be sure I dislike it.) The waiter looked at me with a serious frown, and said that including the dishes would disrupt the progression of the meal. I did not press the matter further. ;)

The April 2002 edition of Saveurs (French) lists Hiramatsu as the Table of the Month. Pudlowski notes, among other things: (1) “an exceptional wine list and a cuisine that is its equal”, (2) “a restaurant with a very talented team that is 100% Japanese [with respect to the kitchen, presumably], dedicated to French haute gastronomy”, and (3) “a cuisine that could not be more French, chiseled and cut like a rare diamond”. From Pudlowski’s description of the dishes, it might be the case that the menu has been revised. Dishes described include: (1) terrine of leeks, foie gras, truffles and a gelee of white wine (this appears to be conceptually similar to a dish from the prior menu called “Foie gras poêlé aux huîtres, poireaux au champagne et sauce aux truffes” or Pan-fried foie gras with oysters and leeks with champagne and truffle sauce), (2) line-caught bass “meuniere” style with artichokes (one dish on the prior menu was “Bar de ligne braisé sur coulis de citron confit” or Braised line-caught bass on a coulis of lemon confit), (3) braised turbot with bay leaves (one dish on the prior menu was “Turbot poêlé à l'orange, cœur de romaine au thym, gaspacho vert moutardé” or Pan-fried turbot with orange, heart of romaine lettuce with thyme, gaspacho with mustard), and (4) fruit salad with kirsch and a gelee of verbena. Pudlowski notes that Hiramatsu trained at Delphin at Nantes and at Petit Montmorency at Paris. The other chef at Hiramatsu is Hajime Nakagawa, who worked at some point with Claude Peyrot at Vivarois. I have an 8:30 reservation, table for two, at Hiramatsu on Saturday, April 6 that I will shortly cancel (for reasons not based on a lack of motivation to revisit the restaurant). If any member is interested in taking over this difficult-to-get reservation, please Messenger me and I will have the reservation name modified accordingly. ;)

Paris – Rare Breeds of French Beef The Figaroscope (March 27-April 2, 2002 edition) offers an article entitled “Is beef in fashion?”. The article mentions special breeds available at the following Paris restaurants (which I have never visited, except for Maison de ): (1) Le Christine – Beef of Coutancie (1 rue Christine, 6th 01 40 51 71 64) This beef is raised like Kobe beef, with cows receiving massages two times a day and taking in beef. However, Figaro notes the restaurant did not inquire how rare or well-done the diner wanted his beef and the serving of the dish left much to be desired. The taste offered “a limited amount of satisfaction”, with the beef being too young. Cote de boeuf is priced at 62 euros (total price for a serving for two) and faux-fillet is at 23 euros. (2) Le Galoche d’Aurillac – Salers Beef (41 rue de Lappe, 11th 01 47 00 77 15) Figaro reports tender meat even if it would have been preferable to have more fat in a “veining” effect. Traditional decor; precise cooking. (3) Maison de l’Aubrac – Aubrac beef (37 rue Marbeuf, 8th 01 43 59 05 14) ;) It is open 24 hours (please verify before reliance), and has an impressive wine list that is strong in Languedoc-Rousillon-originated wines. Guigal’s La Turque is available there, of course. Figaro reports more than 500 crus being included in the wine list. Figaro also notes that the restaurant’s bills are not particularly low, but indicates the quality and cooking of the beef is almost irreprochable. Aubrac beef is offered in many variations: cote de boeuf for two, entrecote, tartare, etc. This is the only restaurant in this post I have visited. I have tasted the tartare several times and liked it. The aligot recommended to me by Steve P is good as well, with its elastic-like qualities highlighted. (4) Le Saint-Amour – Salers (2 avenue Gambetta in the 20th, 01 47 97 31 26) An entrecote of Salers beef is described by Figaro as being very well prepared, as large as three of one’s palms and as thick as three fingers. One caveat is that the tartare is machine-prepared. A pave or entrecote of Salers beef is 15.60 euros. Another place mentioned for sampling beef (no rare breeds described in the article) was, among other things, 59 Poincare, 16th (01 47 27 59 59; supervised Ducasse and described as having a number of beef dishes).

I tasted Pierre Herme's creations for the first time recently. – The Ispahan (4.90 euros) – The Ispahan was quite delicious, but lacked some subtlety in the utilization of rose flavors. It is based on two rose-flavored macaron biscuits about the size of a woman’s palm. (As members may know, macarons typically have a bulgy ½ circular type shape for each half; the Ispahan looked less circular and more bulgy, disc-like in shape, due to the larger surface of the macaron.) The biscuits were a medium pink color, and had a luscious look to them that was enhanced by the single burgundy rose petal and the large raspberry placed on top. Plump rasberries occupied the space between the two macarons, adding, as Patrice noted, appealing acidity as well as juiciness of moderate density and color effects. Toward the middle of the space between the macarons were lychee fruit couched with a bit of cream; these were, unfortunately, a bit overwhelmed by the rose flavoring of the biscuits. For me, that flavoring, while appropriate for a very small macaron also offered by Herme (with rose cream), was too strong for a larger macaron for the lychee. I ate the Ispahan with my fingers, like a sandwich, and each bite would crush some rasberries to highlight their dark reddish interiors. This added yet another shade to the medium rose of the exterior of each biscuit and the maroon colors of the interior of each biscuit. Overall, the Ispahan is well worth a taste, and is a visually gorgeous item. Korova’s description of the Ispahan is: “biscuit macaron a la rose, creme aux petales de roses, framboises entieres, letchis” (rose macaron biscuit, cream of rose petals, whole rasberries, lychees). – Macarons (58 euros/kilo; there are about 55-65 macarons in each kilo). The flavors available for the macarons were (1) “rose”, with cream of petal of rose sandwiched by two small rose-flavored biscuits, (2) “caramel a la fleur de sel”, with a cream of caramel with butter and a special sea salt, (3) “citron” (lemon), (4) pistache (pistachio), (5) fruit de la passion et chocolat au lait, with a ganache of passion fruit and chocolate, (6) chocolat, with a ganache of bitter chocolate, (7) “huile d’olive et vanille” (olive oil and vanilla – not sampled), and (8) café (coffee). As Bux mentioned, the tastiest macaron by far is the caramel with salty butter – a balanced mixed taste of sweetness and saltiness; rich and satisfying. The rose macaron was nice, although it is likely not required to be separately ordered if a client is also sampling the Ispahan. I also liked the coffee flavor, although it lacked “depth”. I have never been a big chocolate fan (and, unusually, prefer milk chocolate to dark chocolate), so it was not surprising that I found neither chocolate-based ganache subjectively appealing. Apparently, there are periodic changes in Herme’s “collections”. Items available when I visited included: --Millefeuille Fruits Rouges Et Menthe Fraiche (a new item called Millefeuille of Red Fruits and Fresh Mint; ingredients in French included “pate feuilletee, biscuit amandes, compote de fruits rouges, creme a la menthe fraiche”) – Une Surprise (a new item called A Surprise that is wrapped in a vivid neon yellow translucent wrapper, like a giant bonbon; ingredients included “meringue, biscuit eclats d’amandes, marmelade fraises, fruits creme monte mousseline a la vanille”) –Tarte Au Café (Coffee Tart; ingredients included “pate sablee, ganache au café chantilly au café”) – 2000 Feuilles (2000 Leaves; “pate feuillette caramelise, praline feuillete et creme mousseline au praline”) – Millefeuille – Eclair au Chocolat – Carrement Chocolat (“biscuit moelleux chocolat, creme oncteuse au chocolat, mousse au chocolat, fines feuille de chocolat croquant”) – Paris-Brest (“pate aux eclats d’amande et sucre grain, creme mousseline au praline”) The above were available in individual-sized, small pieces. Other cakes were available for larger groups, including the Ispahan. Also offered were very few sandwiches and some bread items. Additional information on Pierre Herme follows. The 185 rue de Vaugirard shop (01 47 83 29 72) is currently projected to open for business in June. Korova and the existing Rue Bonaparte generally offer the same items for sale. Finally, Korova is relatively easy to access at 33 rue Marbeuf in the 8th arrondisement. It would be a less-than-3 min. walk from the Franklin Roosevelt metro station. ;)

Wholly apart from posting on eGullet, I take notes extensively because I'd like to be able to remember as much of my meal as possible several months or several years, or longer, from now. For me, notetaking can disrupt the flow of a meal slightly, but I consider the benefits with respect to recollection sufficient to outweight any negative effects. With respect to posting, it's important to me that my posts are as accurate as practicable. And I agree with Robert that it's a bit a matter of pride. It's also concern about other members' detrimental reliance on any information I may provide. As mentioned elsewhere on the board, when I am dining in France (unless any dining companions might object), I not only take extensive notes at the table, I photograph (without flash of course) dishes and decor (both exterior and interior, including photographs that might be displayed on walls, e.g., at Bocuse and Georges Blanc). Outside of France, I make judgments re: photography on a case-by-case basis. I photograph less frequently in the US ;) , and do not photograph temperature-sensitive or other dishes that are best taken in immediately (e.g., souffles, sorbet). Jinmyo -- Note my camera is not a digital camera, which I expect to purchase as soon as I have time to investigate the alternative models. However, my Canon Elph 2 (with 400-speed film) has worked decently at many restaurants. As Steven has indicated, a digital camera is much more effective for no-flash photography in restaurants. Note another problem is my generally low level of computer skills (except for typing), including scanning. ???

John Whiting -- While I generally do not send dishes back unless the ingredients are spoiled, I have sufficient confidence in two- and three-Michelin-starred restaurants to believe that replacement dishes would not contain "extraneous" materials. Perhaps that's naivete on my part, but I'd like to believe that, at that level in France, pride and professionalism would prevent the introduction of such materials. On the general question, alluded to earlier by Wilfrid, as to whether simpler, less ambitious places can offer flawless meals -- "flawless" is obviously an exalted standard (albeit a subjective one). For me, the assessment of whether cuisine is flawless is based on absolute standards (i.e., the ambition of the restaurant and its general "level" are not taken into account). Likewise for service. Thus, for me, it would be difficult for a less ambitious place to offer a flawless meal because those meals require orchestration and effort on the part of even an ambitious restaurant and do not just come about by happenstance. ;)

Some additional thoughts on the amount of "space" I need. Space includes space underneath the table for one's legs. I sometimes find, especially when seating is banquette style, that there is insufficient height between the level of restaurants' chairs and the bottom of the table. I like to cross my legs with ample room left over. ;)

Paris, Roanne, Paris. :p

John Whiting -- I agree wholeheartedly on L'Astrance. :p

Space is one of the things I am not particularly worried about, provided that it is not so limited that dining room team members are "brushing" up against me more than once or twice during a meal. Sometimes space allocation affects noise level and interaction with other diners. However, while I dislike background music, normal or even above-average chit-chat from adjacent tables is not particularly burdensome on me. I don't mind being seated at a "row" of tables side by side, so long as there are very narrow gaps in between (even ones through which I could not pass without pulling a table out). I don't mind being seated next to "serving stations" where food for other diners might be brought or where cutlery might be kept. In fact, sometimes that offers more of an opportunity to see the dining room team in action. On the arguably separate topic of positioning of the table I receive within a restaurant, I generally find that I tend to be seated at desirable tables even when I am not familiar with a restaurant (which is the bulk of the time). I know Liza and others have different views on this, but I believe dressing very well and polite confidence tend to foster that outcome. ;)

In the pre-crash Hiramatsu thread, there were discussions about how an 18-diner restaurant can be financially viable and what the chef's motivations might have been in opening up in Paris. Here's further background, suggesting how Hiramatsu might benefit economically from a reputation/brand bolstered by Paris achievements (excerpt from Bloomberg News, July 18, 2001): "Hiramatsu Inc., an upmarket Tokyo chain of French and Italian restaurants, plans to sell shares early next year, fending off an economic slowdown by opening mid-range restaurants and a string of delicatessens. . . . 'We can't grow if we stick to the very top of the market,' Hiramatsu Vice President Naobumi Karita said. . . . Hiramatsu is trying to sell shares at a difficult time, with Tokyo's Nikkei index trading . . . low . . . ." I have not followed up on whether a share issuance remains planned.

Wilfrid, Simon & Matthew -- What is the sourcing of the steak described to be, and what cuts were generally on the menu when you visited? For example, were there rare UK cow breeds? ;)

Below are my responses to Steven's questions: [1] If I had infinite financial resources, I would care approximately the same about imperfections in the cuisine offered during an expensive restaurant meal. But I should caveat that by saying I see meaningful imperfections in most restaurant experiences, particularly with respect to the cuisine. Such imperfections generally do not ruin a meal for me; I expect them, and frequently find them. I might be less careful (not care less, necessarily) in selecting wine at a restaurant (splurging on Montrachets and really old champagnes more). I would augment my already generous tipping at restaurants that are compelling to signal my appreciation. :p If I had fewer than my current level of resources, I would just limit my restaurant experiences to the extremely few restaurants I have identified as compelling. Now, that begs the question as to how, had I always had very limited resources, I would have ever been able to identify such restaurants in the first place. But, if I had the knowledge I have today, I would rather eat many meals modestly and a few exceptionally (at the "Chef of the Century" art level). I hope the "decrease" scenario is a hypothetical one ;) [2] I have had many flawless restaurant meals, and all at the same restaurant. The experience has generally been repeated consistently, although not without a very few exceptions. As I discussed in "Chef of the Century", for me, what is flawless is inherently a subjective question of match between a diner and a restaurant. [3] A diner has considerable power to influence the outcome of a meal experience. For example, he can: (1) choose with whom to dine or to dine alone, (2) familiarize himself with the restaurant's specialty dishes so that he can give them special consideration, (3) choose dishes wisely (e.g., a la carte vs. tasting menu, precise dishes in the a la carte case), including with respect to the combination of dishes, (4) think about the meal both during and after it, drawing on other dining experiences to find meaning, humor, contrast, etc., and (5) choose how to interact with the restaurant's personnel. [4] I generally do not complain to restaurants about poor cuisine, but I do factor the problematic situation into my overall assessment, over time, of the restaurant and make future dining decisions accordingly. However, I do complain when (1) wine pouring has been slow after a glass has been depleted (how else would one obtain more wine to intake?), (2) a napkin has not been replaced (a necessary item), (3) an ingredient in a dish is clearly spoiled (I would return the dish and order an alternative), (4) I have had to wait more than 15 minutes from my reservation time to be seated (typically not a problem at a three-star restaurant, as there is only one service), (5) there is extreme overcooking (e.g., medium rare ordered and medium well delivered), or (6) amuse-bouches or pre-desserts available to all other diners have been forgotten (this occured at one of my visits to Georges Blanc). That the list of situations in which I would complain is much longer than indicated above probably means I am not a push-over, although it takes quite a lot for me to complain about the quality of food. Addressing a complaint to my satisfaction does not result in forgiveness; it results in avoidance of further docking of points for the alternative of not having addressed the complaint. [5] For me, there are subjectively three compelling restaurants in the world and only one of them rises to the highest level of being devastatingly lyrical. I may well not locate even one more subjectively compelling restaurant in my lifetime. I am very happy with the current situation. (To be clear: compelling = "Chef of the Century" art experiences.) Again subjectively, in New York, London or Yontville, there are very good restaurants (incl. Bouley, if he has regained his prior Duane Street form, Union Pacific and Gordon Ramsay), but there are no restaurants I would consider compelling.

Not infrequently, I end up giving top restaurants I initially dislike more than three or four tries over time. The reasons are as follows: 1. Accommodation of Dining Companions' Choices. Even for restaurants about which I have reached negative conclusions, I may give in to close dining companions' desire to visit them -- without really having intended to give the restaurants a second chance. This is particularly the case when out-of-town guests or friends with a comparable level of food interest to mine specify a restaurant they would like to sample. 2. Work-Related Meals. When I participate in recruiting lunches, it may be colleagues who select the venue, including in view of budgetary constraints. We may receive input from recruitees who are non-permanent interns for a limited time, who have not previously lived in the region, and/or who may wish to otherwise sample better-known restaurants. 3. Bouts of Interest In Particular Food Products. During certain periods, I have experienced an intensified interest in particular food products (e.g., geoduck; wild strawberries; Charolais and Aubrac beef; rare UK pig breeds). If there is a restaurant that I have discounted, but that is known for a dish featuring the ingredient in which I am particularly interested at the time, I would be quite motivated to revisit. 4. Investigation of Cuisine. As Steve P suggested, it may take more than one meal to "feel out" a cuisine and for a diner to be satisfied that the restaurant is not suitable. Subsequent visits may allow a diner to come across dishes more suited to his subjective tastes, or to see commonalities in dishes delineating the style of a chef. Also, on a first visit, I sometimes see a visually, or apparently intellectually, interesting dish being served to other diners; my curiosity may bring me back to the restaurant even if the food the first time around were unconvincing. There are practices that border on being unforgiveable, except when undertaken by restaurants with the most lyrical cuisine. I am boycotting Gotham Bar and Grill, the bar area of which used to be a convenient place for eating without reservations. I have boycotted this restaurant for over two years now because, after I made a reservation for Dec 31, 1999 several months in advance and signed a detailed contract with the restaurant guaranteeing my attendance, the restaurant cancelled on me within a few weeks of Millenium eve. Gotham noted it had decided to close for the evening as it had not received sufficient reservations. I was offered a faint apology and a vague reference to the potential for a bottle of wine the next time I visited. I thought at least a comp'd dinner was required. Fortunately, we ended up at Chanterelle, with a quiet, but enjoyable, meal on Dec 31. ;) If Gotham's food were compelling, the described history would not in the least deter me from going again. However, I have not yet been tempted back.

The epicerie/delicatessen which specializes in Buerehiesel products is called, aptly, La Boutique d'Antoine Westermann. It is located at n°1 rue des Orfèvres in Strasbourg, in the general region of the famous Cathedral (03 88 22 56 45).

Bux -- The restaurant has confirmed it will serve me "La Poularde de Bresse cuite entière comme un baeckeoffe, aux pommes de terre, artichauts, citron confit et au romarin" (Bresse poularde cooked whole in a special dish, with potatoes, artichokes, confit lemon and rosemary). The price is 106 euros for a mandatory serving for two, but the restaurant kindly offered to "doggie bag" the second portion (my first doggie bag ever at a three-star restaurant) :p Given the 1 hour-plus cooking requirement, members visitng the restaurant might wish to consider pre-ordering this dish (not a requirement). ;)

Bux -- Speaking of Westermann, I have been contemplating ordering the "Poulet de Bresse cuit comme un Baeckeoffe" (Bresse chicken cooked in a special casserole) at the main Buerehiesel restaurant in the near future. http://www.relaischateaux.com/site/fr/Fich...ode=buerehiesel (dish on left) The restaurant recently noted in passing that there is an épicerie (delicatessen) in Strasbourg that offers "plats traiteur" (packaged dishes) made by Buerehiesel. Apparently, this epicerie has the same chicken dish in vacuum-packed individual portions! ;) I will do my best to obtain the name of this epicerie. :p So far, non-cream-based Bresse chicken dishes sampled in France that utilize steaming/poaching/boiling-type cooking methods include (not technical names): (1) J-M Lorain's chicken in champagne preparation at La Cote Saint-Jacques (Joigny), (2) Bernard Loiseau's chicken "Alexandre Dumaine" style at La Cote d'Or (Saulieu), and (3) La Mere Brazier's version of chicken in half-mourning (Lyons). Other such non-cream-based Bresse chicken dishes identified, but not yet sampled, are (1) Patrick Henriox's Bresse chicken with truffles cooked in a pig's bladder, along the style of Ferdnand Point, at La Pyramide (Vienne), and (2) Paul Bocuse's Bresse chicken cooked in a pig's bladder (essentially in Lyons). From the picture of the Westermann dish, his Bresse chicken might well rely on a steaming/poaching-type preparation method (??). ;)

... and does Luger allow BYO (with what corkage, if applicable)? ;)

My Old Spot exploits at St John continued with dinner in the restaurant area tonight. The reported smoking process for the OS utilized in the pot roast entree rendered it difficult to taste the pork, and I was happier with OS bacon served in the appetizer dish. Native oysters (six at 12 pounds) Cockles, Bacon (confirmed by kitchen to be OS) & Leeks (6.50) Pot Roast Old Spot & Prunes (15.20) Sauvignon de Touraine, Loire 2000, Alain Marcadet (4.10/glass) The hot appetizer of cockles, bacon and leek was nice. OS bacon in relatively small chunks was flavorful, and had likely been slightly (and appropriately) browned prior to incorporation into the dish. Its prominence was balanced by the plumpness of tiny cockles, and the rounded aspects of softened leek in small pieces and the mellow, but helpful, sauce. Chopped parsley added interest to the dish. The OS pot roast was a bit disappointing -- not poor, but not up to my subjective expectations. ;) The "roast" resembled, both in presentation and taste, two thin-to-medium-thick ham slices. Medium pink in color and quite tender, the meat had presumably been subjected to hanging and smoking, and reminded me slightly of certain maple-smoked hams, but with less sugar notes and greater saltiness. The meat was relatively lean, with the limited fat restricted to a thin strip. The accompanying, thin sauce reminded me of certain sauces, with a slightly sweet aftertaste, used under certain circumstances with ham. The utilization of juicy, relatively sweet prunes in the dish was helpful. Although a dining room staff member referred to the prunes with the OS dish as pickled prunes, there was not the acidity/vinegar-based aspects frequently resulting from pickling. In sum, my preliminary assessment is that the smoking process apparently utilized by St John on Old Spot may conceivably render the taste of this breed difficult to sample at the restaurant (?). (Middlewhite might be a better breed to sample there.) Nonetheless, a fairly good meal that helped appease my current curiosity with respect to OS. Appetizers on the restaurant menu tonight included (1) octupus, apparently served cold (7.00), (2) terrine (involving duck fat and pork, among other things; 6.00); and (3) pig's cheek and watercress (6.60). Entrees included (1) rabbit offal, bacon and mash (12.00), (2) steak pie (27.80 for two), (3) roast lamb, chicory and anchovy (16.80), (4) chitterlings and radishes (12.50), (5) wolf fish (?) and fennel (13.50), and (6) devilled kidneys (12.80). Desserts included brown bread ice cream (6.80; previously described), and a plate of madelaines (4.50). ;)

Since February 2002, the Westermann family has had a very informal and inexpensive "sandwicherie" up and running in Strasbourg. Secrets de Table is located at 39 "rue du 22 novembre" in Strasbourg (03 88 210 910). It is open from Tuesday through Saturday, from 9:00/10:30 (?) until 18:00. The facility is apparently being handled by the eldest son Jean of Buerehiesel's Antoine Westermann. Based on a review of its menu, this facility might have significant take-out traffic. However, if members happen to be in the area of the sandwicherie, it could be a good bet relative to sandwich shops with less impressive backgrounds. The sample menu for Secrets de Table mentions the following: -- The soup selection (2.90 euros for 25 cl; 4.60 euros for double that size) consisted of (1) consumme with Japanese pearls (likely tapioca or a barley-like product), white meat of fowl and Thai herbs, (2) a veloute of fowl (possibly chicken?) with mushrooms, (3) seasonal vegetable soup, (4) cream of lentils with chestnuts, (5) cream of carrot with coriander, and (6) veloute of pumpkin with ginger and orange. -- Sandwiches (2.90-5.30 euros) can be made with the following fillings, among others: (1) duck confit with spices and lemon (sounds good); (2) salad of cod, mayonnaise sauce with tomato; and (3) ham from farm-raised pigs, Comte cheese and butter. -- Tartines (unclear what this dish consists of; possibly smaller sandwiches??) (4.90-6.40 euros) can be filled with, for example: (1) mushrooms, ham, Comte cheese and tomatoes; (2) tomatoes, aubergines, zucchini and pumpkin confit; (3) a creamy mixture of artichokes with herbs, on bread toasted with thyme; and (4) aubergine "caviar", pork fat and tomato confite. -- Galettes (small cake-like items, presumably) include (1) risotto, mushrooms and flat parsley; (2) tortellini, tomatoes, thyme and basil; (3) carrots and coriander; and (4) fowl (likely chicken), lemon confit, thyme, rosemary and basil. -- Salads include (4.30-6.40 euros) include: (1) Taboule, parsley, coriander and "crunchy" vegetables (this appears interesting); (2) green salad with artichokes, ham, parmesan and grilled sesame; (3) beef, hard-boiled egg, tomatoes, cornichons, onions and herbs; and (4) white meat of chicken, rocket and dried raisins. Please note I have not sampled the food at this sandwich shop. However, it's likely such a shop affiliated with the Westermanns would provide a reliable, informal meal. Prices appear to be no higher than those a regular takeout sandwich facility would extract. ;)