cabrales

Bux -- The all-female team you describe was likely coordinated by Maya. She directed the front of the room for the AmEx/Food & Wine Best New Chefs event last week as well. On the white truffle ice cream, I did ask about whether it was generally available, given the cost of white truffles and the inclusion of shaved slices on top of the ice cream. The dining room team indicated that it is generally a treat for friends of the restaurant, as you guessed. On the point about few members being able to afford being friends of too many restaurants, I'd say there's validity to the statement that there are currently few restaurant in NY I'd value being a known diner at. Who would want to be a known customer at a restaurant that offers cuisine one doesn't truly appreciate? Who would want to praise a cuisine to the extent one felt differently? I don't think a diner needs a lot of restaurants at which nice treatment is available; one needs to identify a handful of restaurants one adores and proceed from there. For purposes of ease of reference, the link to the November 2002 AmEx/Food & Wine Event description is below: http://forums.egullet.org/ibf/index.php?s=...52&hl=blue+hill Below are links to certain other threads on Blue Hill: http://forums.egullet.org/ibf/index.php?s=...030&act=SF&f=58 (Q&A material) http://forums.egullet.org/ibf/index.php?s=...16&hl=blue+hill (the all-tomato dinner) http://forums.egullet.org/ibf/index.php?s=...76&hl=blue+hill (the garden room)

Nick -- On that point, for me at least, the diners could not have complained about the food being cold. It was incumbent upon the diners to collectively determine whether they wanted to adhere to formal etiquette and wait, or to adopt the practical solution of starting before the absent diner's return. As for your indication of a return of the dish to the kitchen, what were you hoping would occur after the return (e.g., placement of the food in a way to preserve its temperature; cooking of the dish from scratch for the table)? (Breach #4)

Mao -- When you have a chance, could you discuss the amount and quality of white truffles provided, and the thickness of the shaving? What did you drink with the white truffle tasting menu? (Breach #3)

I had a very good meal at Blue Hill last night with another eGulleteer, whom I appreciated meeting. However, the meal was coupled with sadness with respect to a certain impending change to the dining room team. The meal was the first I had had within two days of a prior BH meal. I did not feel any sense of repetition with respect to the cuisine, however. The amuse was a small portion of nicely unanticipated canneloni of lamb with root vegetables. The pasta was supple, and surrounded nicely flavored, somewhat intense-tasting lamb. The orangish-reddish-colored saucing had a sophisticated rusticism to it, and I liked the refreshing morsel of a mini turnip and the two small slices of softened carrots. It was interesting that the hint of cumin in the dish was not in the canneloni portion, but integrated into the sweetened carrots. -- Mushroom Tart -- This was a dish I liked, with a saucing that intrigued me and that was difficult to deconstruct. The thin saucing had an acidity to it that I did not associate with, say, various types of vinegar. It contained mushroom jus, but it was more complex (in a good way) than that and not a saucing which (or a relative of which) I have ever sampled before. The dish was visually appealing, with a longish mushroom tart, described below, on one side and perhaps four or five clusters of small mushroom pieces (including a black trumpet variety and a chanterelle-family variety), presented with a sprig of baby greens in some cases and marinated in others. The mushroom tart was roughly shaped like a wide sausage. Its appearance reminded me of Adria's dish of langoustines wrapped in super-thin porcini slices, which was photographed in P Franey's (spelling) P Franey Cooking with Friends (or a similar title; a book with certain modified recipes from, among others, Guerard, Arzak, Bocuse, Danko). According to Franey, Adria's very thin slices of porcini were achieved by freezing the mushrooms prior to cutting them. The BH mushroom tart had slices of porcini of medium thickness wrapped around potato flesh that was between chunks and puree. Below the potato portion were small bits of cooked down onions imbued with the saucing for the dish described above. An intellectually engaging dish that I liked, although I might need to contemplate the texture of the potato a bit more. -- Spanish Mackerel with Pickled Onions, Pickled Radishes and Parsley Sauce -- This was an appealing dish, exhibiting significant Japanese influences (not just from the pickled vegetables, which were nicely prominent in the dish). The Spanish mackerel was well-prepared, as it as been on other occasions I have sampled this fish at BH. A very interesting saucing that, while clearly containing parsley notes, was more complex (in a good way) and that had more acidity than parsley would suggest. There might have been acidity not only in the pickled vegetables (sweet-sour, complex Japanese-like flavors), but also in the saucing. -- Sea Bass with Smoked Herrings' Eggs, Bak Choy or Similar Veggie, and Cauliflower -- Literally one of the best dishes I have sampled at BH. I considered this dish excellent. With the benefit of hindsight, I would have chosen to take in this dish over Jacque Pic's signature dish at Valence of sea bass with caviar in a champagne sauce (although the latter did have interesting temperature effects when the literally "sheet" of caviar, all atop the bass, was heated up at the table by the bass flesh). At BH, the bass was appropriately cooked, flavorful bass with a bit of smoked herrings' eggs on top and much, much more of such eggs spread beautifully in the medium-consistency saucing surrounding the bass. The saucing was nicely salted, and complemented the caviar-like flavors and, equally significantly, the marked smokiness of the herrings' eggs. When I initially saw the cauliflower (two small bits) included, I wondered whether it was necessary. It was arguably helpful to the dish. I had also initially wondered whether the relative crispiness of the bok choy-like veggie (even though it was sliced up) would have detracted from the bass and herrings' eggs focus, and whether something more supple (like spinach) might have been a better ingredient. A tasting of the dish allayed my initial mental doubts -- the bok choy was not at all conspicuous in the dish and was a good match. -- Capon with Turnip Puree and Chestnuts -- Nicely prepared, smooth flesh, with an appealing piece that had skin appropriately prepared. A nice intensity to the jus-based saucing, of which additional quantities were available in a little soup container placed at our table. I liked the "darkness" of the saucing, against the backdrop of a medium consistency, green-colored, but nicely sweet-ish turnip puree and the sweetness inherent in the chestnuts. -- White Truffle Ice Cream with White Truffles Slices -- A nice, light ice cream infused with a very subtle (appropriately) white truffle taste and topped by three slices of white truffles that had a tiny bit of olive oil and salt on them. I appreciated this pre-dessert considerably. An appealing inclusion of crushed, crunchy walnuts, although I would have subjectively considered the ratio of walnuts to ice cream slightly higher than ideal. -- Quince Granite, Poached Quince, Pear Foam -- This was comparable to the quince dessert I had sampled recently. This time around, I noticed some nice honey-like aromas, whether from the utilizaton of honey in connection with the poached quince or from the natural effects of cooking of the quince. The pear foam was a good match, and particularly interesting as I had recently smelled a ripe quince for the first time (at the hotel/motel/restaurants show) and had discussed with Steve Klc how comparable the aroma was to that of Asian pear. Maya provided the informed and welcoming assistance she did on Monday. Separately, I continued to be unable to take in alcohol, which was a shame in the context of last night's meal. I valued a discussion with Christopher. I was glad Mike was in the kitchen last night. We discussed, among other things, the Spanish mackerel. Mike wondered whether to serve me the same fish as Monday, even though the preparations were distinct. I assured him I liked that fish a lot when received at BH.

...who had also previously visited the restaurant. Wilfrid -- Apologies. I meant to say that Steve P and ahr had previously visited the restaurant together -- not very much time before the four of us went. The (appropriate) gist of Wilfrid's message was that I was the newbie within our group.

To my recollection, I have ordered off the menu at BH no more than once (if that) to date. The first time I went to BH, it was with Steve P and ahr (who had previously visited the restaurant and received the chefs' offer to cook for our table) and Wilfrid earlier this year. I wrote up my meal (very briefly), and, since I was the only woman in the group, it became evident presumably to Mike (who reads the board) that I was me. I liked the food, and revisited on different occasions described in this thread and others in this forum. I am happy to be treated excellently when I am at BH. For example, the two Concord grape menus which I was fortunate to have sampled. http://forums.egullet.org/ibf/index.php?s=...=11485&hl=awash On the scallops, I meant not crisp in the sense of deep-fried. When I indicated the texture of the scallops was not crisp, that meant that there were not as dense and elastic and substantial when bitten into than those I subjectively prefer. Note I now have a Canon 3.2 megapixel, very small, very light Powershot 230. Thanks to members for the recommendation in the thread from a while ago on digital cameras. This one serves my needs quite well. I utilized the camera at the eGullet tasting party last night (most of the pictures were not taken under the highest resolution mode); CathyL should be posting the photos she took and the ones I provided when she has a chance.

I had a good dinner at Blue Hill tonight, though the cuisine may have been slightly less appealing than most meals I have taken in at the restaurant. I was wonderfully welcomed in the dining room, and assisted throughout, by Christopher and by Maya (spelling?). The meal began with a cauliflower veloute in a shotglass, with a rather fluffy-looking celery and apple foam (yes, there had to be apple in the foam ). More than any other soup-based amuses I recall having had at BH, this version seemed to have the foam rather highlighted (in this case, by the low temperature and the unusual aroma akin to that of white pepper that was incorporated; I doubt the ingredient was white pepper, but more on that below). The cauliflower veloute was average. The first course were pan-fried bay scallops with turnips and a parsnip sauce. The preparation method for the scallops was appropriate, but I subjectively found the product's inherent texture not as "crisp" as I prefer. The scallops were cute, little bay scallops, nicely seared on top. Slices of thin white turnip had been set forth underneath the scallops, although they were not evident upon the presentation of the dish to the diner. The turnip had an intrinsic sweetness that had been augmented by perhaps a marination technique (??), and was additive to the dish. The green-colored parsnip sauce was rather savory, and perhaps I would have preferred a more noticeable bit of sweetness in it. This dish, like the amuse, had an aroma that invoked white pepper, although the causal agent was likely not white pepper. Overall, an average dish. Next, Spanish mackerel was presented with pickled black radishes and a green-colored parsley sauce. The fish was prepared just right (slow method, previously described). I like the flavorfulness of Spanish mackerel and the gentle curves in the ridges of its flesh, which I had last sampled as an hors-d'oeuvre at the AmEx/Food & Wine Best New Chefs event. The inside of the fish was, as usual, nicely cool and fleshy. I liked the controlled sweet-and-sour effects inherent in the medium-soft juliennes of pickled radishes considerably when coupled with this particular fish variety. A nice utilization of chives in the parsley saucing, which was nicely moderate in strength of flavor. A dish that I found to be good-to-very-good. Then, two pieces of lamb with nice fat effects along their edges. Nicely prepared no more than medium rare, with a jus-based saucing. I liked the pieces of still-somewhat-crunchy cabbage that had absorbed a bit of the saucing and that were quite tasty. There was a vegetable millefeuille with (deliberately) medium-thick vegetable slices, including carrots, turnips and radishes. The spicing on this vegetable offering carried Moroccan/Middle-Eastern-type flavors that I had somewhat mixed feelings about. The pre-dessert were pears, marinated in a slightly spicy, slightly cinammon-flavored reddish liquid (with a bit of alcohol). A fromage blanc sorbet smoothened out the rustic, wintery notes of this pre-dessert. The pear was incorporated in smallish chunks. This seems to be the winter version of the peach pre-dessert I had sampled on more than one occasion at BH. Our dessert was a quince coupe, consisting of poached quince, quince granite (slightly too "icy"), and lemon shortcake. There were pear connotations in this item. I finished the meal with a double espresso. My temporary inability to take in alcohol remains in place. It was bad enough that I was drinking chilled Martinelli's Sparkling Apple Cider (I prefer Pear) at the eGullet "horizontal" tasting party last night. Alas, I adhered to Pellegrino with lime all night tonight. The dining room team was gracious about my predicament. I am beginning to think that, on certain visits, I could have a slightly-better-than-50% likelihood (50% could presumably be achieved by long-term random guessing in picking a given chef) of detecting correctly which of Mike and Dan is in the kitchen. Possible preliminary observations, subject to gathering additional data points: (1) Mike likes using yuzu more, (2) some of Dan's dishes have an unusual spicing to them that I had, on previous occasions, believed to be an unduly heavy hand with white pepper and that this time around, I thought signalled his liking another similar spice with which I am not familiar, and (3) Dan seems to like green-colored, vegetable-based sauces more than Mike (although both appear to use this type of saucing quite a bit) -- this possibility is consistent with the prevalence of such saucing (in different guises) at Bouley, where Dan worked. Perhaps the above points are invalid; it's actually very difficult to tell, particularly when the co-chefs appear to collaborate intensively on recipes. However, had I not already known that Dan tends to cook on Monday evenings, I believe I would have correctly surmised that Dan had been the cuisinier tonight.

Hmm, my first violation of a self-imposed two-month ban except with respect to Blue Hill posts. However, free soup from three star chefs is something that I hope members who are in Paris in early December can take advantage of. The November 10 edition of the New York Times included the following in the Travel section: "As part of a celebration next month called La Semaine du Fooding, some well-known chefs will serve free soup at outdoor market areas across Paris and an upscale supermarket will feature 'culinary performances.' The event, which runs from Dec. 2 to 9, is sponsored by a group called Fooding, based in Paris, which aims to 'recapture the attention of the people, to give them a taste without giving them a lesson,' said Alexandre Cammas, a founder of Fooding. Each morning one chef ... will serve a fruit or vegetable soup at locations including the Bon Marche in St.-Germain on the Left Bank and the Palais de Tokyo on the Right Bank. La Semaine du Fooding will also feature 'performances culinaires' in which young chefs from across France will offer cooking demonstrations and tastings. These will be held at Le Bon Marche for one hour, starting at 6:30 p.m, Tuesday through Sunday. Information is available by visiting www.lefooding.com, which is in French only." For the convenience of members, I have summarized relevant parts of the website. I have provided commentary reflecting my subjective observations. The soup tastings are promising because they all involve three-star chefs (except as noted). Wednesday, December 4, 2002 * At the Marche Saint-Germain (4-8, Rue Lobineau in the 6th arrondisement): Around 11 am (times are approximate, given an event of this nature), Chef Alain Passard of L'Arpege. Free tastings. Commentary: Not to be missed. Thursday, December 5, 2002 * At the Marche Saint-Quentin (85 Bis, Bd Magenta; this is short for Boulevard Magenta; in the 10th arrondisement): Around 11 am, Guy Martin of Grand Vefour. Commentary: Interesting potentially because Martin recently published a book dedicated to vegetables, which is apparently the theme of the soup tastings by the chefs. Friday, December 6, 2002 * At the Marche Saint-Germain (see Wednesday's info): Around 11 am, Jacques and Laurent Pourcel from Jardin des Sens in Montpellier. They also own La Maison Blanche in Paris. Saturday, December 7, 2002 * At the Marche Saint-Didier (Rues Mesnil et Saint-Didier; meaning the streets Mesnil and Saint-Didier, in the 16th arrondisement): Around 11 am, Pierre Gagnaire. Sunday, December 8, 2002 -- At the Marche Saint-Quentin (see Thursday's info): Around 11 am, Yves Camdeborde from La Regalade. Commentary: This is not a three-starred restaurant, but potentially also worth attending. Members contemplating attending should check whether there are changes using the following website (click on the first "o" in the word "fooding"), and then check the applicable date. http://www.lefooding.com/index2.html

I almost forgot about the Blue Hill exception to my self-imposed non-posting. The BH dish demonstrated by both Dan and Mike was a pain perdu dessert. The brioche bread from Tom Cat Bakery was cut, using molds, into circular pieces that had a hole further cut in the middle (like a donut, but without "puff" effect). After dipping of the pain perdu into a mixture consisting of milk, vanilla beans, cinnamon, all spice (referring to a spice mixture utilized by BH that includes cardamom), sugar and egg, the pieces of pain perdu were set forth on a baking tray. An apple compote (currently consisting of four different apple varieties purchased from the Union Square Greenmarket) had separately been made, with seasoning based on vanilla beans, orange and lemon zest, raisins and butter. The apples were diced, and marinated in this mixture. Dan noted that the marked sweetness of apple pie was not the target; a measure of acidity added flavor complexity to the apples. Having several different types of apples also allows sweetness to be adjusted. Dan then observed that BH considers two factors significant in developing desserts: (1) seasonality of produce, and (2) ease of assembly when the space in the BH kitchen for dessert is very limited. The pain perdu dessert is easy to assemble because the apple compote and the below-described almond creme can be made a week in advance. On top of the pain perdu, there was spread almond creme before baking. The almond creme was composed of sugar, butter, almond flour, eggs, flour and rum. When the baking is completed, the final touch is to add pain perdu ice cream (which Dan noted was intended to have a gingerbread connotation). The pain perdu itself, leaving aside the ice cream, was good-minus (this is not a negative comment, given the non-ordinary-kitchen conditions under which the chefs were operating). There was a bit too much spicing for my subjective tastes, but I have never sampled a pain perdu that I have considered beyond good. The almond creme was not separately discernible, but aided the formation of a crustiness on top of the pain perdu. I considered the ice cream a bit too soft when served, even though the Pacojet had been utilized at the demonstration facility after having been transported there by BH. Also, for me, the pairing of a pain perdu ice cream with a pain perdu dessert was unnecessary -- perhaps a malt ice cream might have subjectively suited me better. An interesting discussion between Steve Klc and the BH chefs on their respective methods for utilizing Pacojet, including the need to adapt "ordinary" dessert recipes for the Pacojet. At BH, there are different Pacojet containerse of frozen ice cream, which get individually whipped up when dessert orders are fulfilled. Dan keeps the Pacojet close to the area where plating occurs at BH. He uses the Pacojet to make soup from the sweetest peas, and also to make certain spinash purees. The other party demonstrating during the morning session was Tribeca Grill's pastry chef. Malawry and edemuth assisted with prep work and the handing out of samples to audience members. At one point, Mike was kind enough to assist as well. It was nice meeting Steve Klc, chefette, edemuth and Suzanne F for the first time. I enjoyed spending much of the day with Bux and his wife. :laugh:

paw -- No. Rue Bonaparte is on the Left Bank. The Kurova venue is on the Right Bank, in the 8th arrondisement. Bonparte is the best location for the range of Herme chocolates, in my experience.

J Villas' "Between Bites" contains a chapter entitled "Bocuse and Me". In it, the bass in pastry crust dish is mentioned: "What he meant by sea bass was a large fish stuffed wtih a mousse of lobster, truffles and pistachios and baked in pastry. The chicken for two was a fat Bresse bird bursting with foie gras, sweetbreads, and root vegetables. And ... a meaty, gamy, roasted Bresse squab served wwrapped in robes of cabbage and golden puff pastry. ..." The chapter focuses on Bocuse's "overt obsession with the ladies" and also on a dinner at Felida to which Villas invited Bocuse. "Since I had foolishly told Lidia to prepare whatever specialties suited her, the array of dishes taht appeared on the table was staggering: an earthy ragout of wild mushrooms with gresh asparagus and white truffles; homemade fusilli with a sublime duck sauce; aromatic Istrian fish stew chock full of a half dozen varieties of seafood; massive veal chops stuffed with broccoli and pine nuts ... Obviously, Bocuse was impressed by this woman's talent and respect for traditional food."

Vrinat pays attention to every detail. In J Villas' "Between Bites", Villas mentions in passing: "My relationship with Jean-Claude Vrinat at three-star Taillevent in Paris has been such that, convinced that Michelin is as obsessed wtih clean bathrooms as flawless cuisine and service, he once literally demonstrated for me the correct way to swab a toilet." (p. 245)

The November 2002 edition of Travel + Leisure depicts a foie gras sampler dish from Campton Place. "Campton Place has been redone after 19 years. Ask for the decadent foie gras cart: a terrine splashed with vanilla bean oil; a roulade wtih prune chutney; a red-wine-poacched slice with grapes; and a hickory-smoked morsel heightened by pink peppercorns." Have members sampled this foie gras dish? Note I have never visited Campton Place. The same article depicts a mini (foie) burger (appears to have two small pieces of foie gras as patties) at Fleur de Lys. Have members sampled that?

This restaurant is receiving some press. In the November 2002 edition of Travel + Leisure, the Paris description by Christopher Petkanas notes: "The most exciting and original new table in the French capital is the Franco-Mauritian Le Chamaree (... dinner for two $88). Some of Chef Jerome Baudereau's [spelling] dishes demand a leap of faith -- they marry ingredients like chicken and betel juice-- but he's a brave and important talent." The other restaurants listed are Hiramatsu, Aux Lyonnais (now with a new concept and co-supervised by Ducasse's team), and L'Envue ("the chic new canteen for shoppers pounding the fashionable Faubourg St.-Honore").

Below is a small Washington Post write-up from November 3, 2002, on Vancouver: "Postcard from Tom. Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema's monthly report from the road. Be sure to seek out such local treasures as oysters, Dungeness crab and 'Indian candy' (that would be hot smoked salmon) in Vancouver-foodwise, Canada's answer to San Francisco. Here are three top spots for dining: LUMIERE (2251 W. Broadway, 604-739-8185) Using the best ingredients from across Canada, cooking maestro Rob Feenie stages an edible fashion show of small, fetching and fabulous dishes with his multi-course tasting menus (including a vegetarian option). Among my favorite memories: saffron-infused tomato water with spot prawn ravioli and lemon oil, and roasted veal enhanced with a chanterelle ragout and garlic froth. The dining room is spare and chic; the suave servers could all pass for movie stars. Eight-course chef's menu $ 60. OUEST (2881 Granville St., 604-738-8938) Ask for a table near the open kitchen and the chance to observe chef David Hawksworth, a veteran of some of Britain's top restaurants, prepare your meal. Choose from among roast duck with caramelized crabapples, local mushrooms with herbed gnocchi, or something whimsical, like a savory tart of figs and foie gras. This sure, seasonal, West Coast cooking unfolds in a two-story room made inviting with soft leather walls, cherry wood bar and cool marble floors. Dinner entrees $ 12-$ 25." There is a third paragraph on Sun Sui Wah, which focuses on dim sum there.

I was reviewing the Troisgros website, and came across the following promising-sounding white truffle dishes that I enjoyed at least contemplating. I have only had Troisgros' black truffle menu, never the white truffle one. FASCINANTE TRUFFE BLANCHE D'ALBA (Fascinating White Truffles from Alba) De fines lames de Saint-Jacques, des cèpes crus, de la mâche sur toast grillé 80 € (Thin slices of scallops with raw porcini, mache and toast) Cannelloni de mousserons à la Piémontaise 80 € (Cannelloni with mousseron mushrooms, Piemontese style) Noix d'huîtres chaudes à la " Magnatum Picco " 80 € (Warm oysters with "Magnatum Picco" truffles) Langoustine royale, la poire, le poireau, la truffe 110 € (Langoustines, pear, leek and truffle)

LML -- Do you choose Spanish or non-Spanish wines, very generally, when you are visiting San Sebastian? Also, what are your views on hake?

Steve Klc -- Thanks for the clarification. In prior years, what have been the better exhibitors? Apart from the demonstrations, are there food and wine samplings?

Suvir -- Do your prior post and Steve Klc's indicate you are participating in the same demonstration as Dan/Mike?

Marc -- Have you been to one of the Japanese restaurants on r. Mont-Thabor, behind the Meurice and buildings adjacent to it (sort of)? One of them is supposed to be fairly good (one of them that is closer to the Thuileries, on that side of the road, than on the other).

Lesley -- The festival period is rather long. Within that period, are there are few days on which key events/demonstrations are to be scheduled? Also, what is the pricing of the various events and when can reservations be made or tickets purchased?

Suzanne F -- I wasn't thinking of remaining for the entire day Saturday. Are you planning to attend the Blue Hill demonstration? (I guess I wouldn't recognize you even if I ran into you, however.)

Lesley -- What exact days do the festival occupy, and are guest appearances at restaurants a part of the festival?

I expect to be there, and hope to report.

In supporting Blue Hill, I didn't intend to refer to financial support, because the restaurant appears to be doing fine in that respect. I meant "support" in the sense of sharing in a restaurant's milestone events. Even though the F&W Best New Chefs award was announced many months ago, last night was a bit of a celebration of Dan/Mike's receipt of that award (arguably). It was certainly an occasion for BH teams to be scrutinized by other chefs, and important in that way too.