cabrales

from what i've heard, i like it just the way it is, please. cabrales, thanks for your post. makes me want to go tonight before they serve all the peaches de vigne they have.....do you ever have cheese there? Nesita -- Note the menu, at least sometimes, changes daily. One fascinating question is whether a diner familiar with Blue Hill could tell if Dan or Mike or both are in the kitchen, if she were not advised on a given night. Obviously, I have not visited close to enough times to be positioned to address this question. I have wondered about this question in the context of historically, Albert/Michel Roux in earlier periods of Le Gavroche, the current twins at Montpellier Jacques and Laurent Pourcel (even though Jacques cooks less than Laurent apparently), the period when Pierre and Michel Troisgros were cooking together, Jean/Pierre, Jacques Lameloise/his father, Marc Haeberlin/his father, Jean-Michel Lorain/his father, etc.

chop -- Yes, the dining room team member who assisted our table provided the description without my inquiring at all. I might have figured out on my own it was peche de vigne because I had seen a picture of an open peche de vigne in Gourmet magazine and I have been looking to sample peches de vigne. I've had a more regular-variety peach in a predessert at Blue Hill, and definitely prefer the peches de vigne. Speaking of peaches and their relatives, I sampled a mango/nectarine hybrid recently. It was only average.

Jinmyo & Nina -- I appreciate your comments about my affection for this restaurant are said with "smilies" attached. But I think what you are seeing is conviction in my assessments of a restaurant's cuisine and its subjective fit for me. It's very rare for me to find a restaurant I like. I have been thinking more about the Tomatoes! dish. It was strange that I found the very limited citrus segments in last night's version not unhelpful to the dish, but I reacted negatively to the inclusion of citrus segments in Alex Urena's dish sampled the night before at Marseilles. It speaks to how differences in composition and balance can make a large difference. Nesita -- On the cheese plate, Dan and/or Mike were kind enough to have offered to cook for our table every time I have been at Blue Hill. I haven't asked for a cheese course, and, for the cuisine offered by the restaurant, I might even think twice about accepting one because it might not be ideal, for me, within the progression of the meal.

Do members have estimates of how much income a hot dog cart can on average generate (please describe geographic location and number of hours worked a day, if available)?

I had another very good meal at Blue Hill recently. I invited certain family members from out of town there, and they appreciated the cuisine as well. Dan was cooking without Mike in the kitchen, and did a very good job -- just as Mike had without Dan when jordyn and I had visited. -- I liked the amuse of a shotglass of cucumber soup, although I would agree with jordyn that I preferred the shotglass of corn soup with the peanut oil taste "sandwich" (see above). Note the cucumber actually worked better with the sequence of this particular meal. The refreshing tastes of cucumber were there, but also present was the unexpected hint of slight sweet-sour sensations within the soup itself. Included was slight acidity, perhaps from a process not dissimilar to pickling (?) or marination in vinegar. This hinted-at taste reminded me of pickled vegetables that might be served prior to a Shanghainese meal (not that there were connotations of Asian food). Above the soup was a small amount of frozen yoghurt sorbet, which was helpful to the amuse. I also liked the ensuing papdom with marinated octupus and a bit of pureed avocado. The above were taken with champagne. -- "Tomatoes!". Can members believe that I received the dish I really wanted without specifically asking for it? It was as previously described, with a nuanced and balanced broth, except that this time around (1) the heirloom tomatoes included were a bit sweeter intrinsically, lending the dish a different (and equally appealing) balance between acidity and sweetness, (2) more basil appeared to have been utilized, relative to mint, and (3) there was one or two segments of citrus fruit included in with the tomatoes, instead of merely in the liquid. I found such differences from the prior Tomatoes! dish fascinating, with the progression rendering each more appealing. This was paired with a white wine utilizing the Tiramasso (?) grape, from a small producer that the dining room team member assisting me on the night in question (a wonderfully professional and helpful woman team member, like other team members I have encountered at the restaurant) discussed appropriately. The Tomatoes! dish also reminded me of the responsiveness of Blue Hill to available produce. It might have been the only dish that I have sampled more than once, on four visits there to date. -- "Maine Crabmeat Lasagne, Mussel and Grain Mustard Sauce". I really liked this dish as well, which appears to be among the better known dishes associated with the restaurant over time (?). Two appropriate pieces of lasagne revealed a middle area of "just right" crabmeat. The warm-plus temperature was just right as well, and the saucing excellent. Good mussel tastes as well. The green-colored sauce contained not only very gentle grain mustard, but also the tastes of possibly parsley (?), spinach or a similar vegetable (?) and very limited amounds of black pepper. The crabmeat lasagne was paired with a Chablis. -- Skate in a ginger-based broth. One of my favorite fish varieties (together with turbot and certain bass), when done right. And here it was -- tender too. The broth was a nice accompaniment to the skate, and appeared to contain ginger. However, its composition was difficult to discern. The one area of possible improvement in the entire meal was that there appeared to have been too heavy a hand with the white pepper (or similar seasoning) in the skate. Nonetheless, a dish I liked. An interesting (in a good way) pairing with a Rose that was not sweet like many are. -- Chicken in a mushroom-based broth. Ahh -- I couldn't think of an entree I would have appreciated more at this particular point in this meal. As members may know, I have a special interest in sampling chicken dishes. Bresse chicken from France has certain qualities that many chicken specimens in the US lacked. However, the chicken flesh in this dish was smooth, tender, flavorful (of chicken tastes, to be clear) and cooked just right. It pleased me so. What was wonderful is that there was (nicely) no skin on the flesh visible initially to the diner. Only when one looked beneath the top served sections did one find a single, slightly larger piece of chicken with the skin on. The skin was not crisp (appropriately); it was nice. I guess the chicken might have been poached, or otherwise cooked gently and/or at low temperature like certain other dishes at BH. Wonderful utilization of a sufficiently deeply flavored mushroom and soy-based broth that appropriately thin and of a brownish color. Nice elucidation of various included veggies, including zucchini (crisp in this dish, and in little chunks), small turnips (almost whole) and haricots vert. A subjectively stunning dish (and objectively, at least very good). Paired with a Cote Rotie. -- Peches de Vigne. Just when I thought everything about the meal had been so much to my liking, I received a further fascinating surprise. I have been thinking about peche de vigne, after having read a little blurb about them recently: Imagine my pleasure when a dining room team member brought forth a predessert with dark pinkish/burgundy peach flesh, in a similarly-colored liquid. Fragrant, beautiful rendition. And my first sampling of peche de vigne. -- Strawberries and lemon dessert. This was nice too, but I was still swooning from the peches de vigne. I switched with another diner, away from the Warm Chocolate Bread Pudding, due to my subjective quirk. Miscellaneous We were seated next to the large flower/plant arrangement. As on other visitsl, it was appealing, consisting of muted pinkish-toned leaves. As the tiny leaves were gently shed from time to time, they fell whimsically onto the ground and seating area close to me. The small flower arrangement on my table, including a dark pink-burgundy-colored orchid whose folds were nicely creased, was appealing as well.

C Squared and John -- Do you have a sense that some Usinger's items are in the price range of the other brands mentioned? I assume that profit maximization might be among the goals of C Squared's potential hot dog cart. Some hot dog carts in NY offer two types of sausages -- I wonder what the economic motivation behind that might be. What brand of buns, mustard (what type?) and ketchup do members think hot dog carts utilize? And what type of relish? Would it be unusual for hot dog carts to offer whole or sliced pickles?

Roger -- I can't provide meaningful input on Thai cuisine. However, would it be accurate to infer from your post that, in your assessment and to your knowledge, there are few appealing restaurants in NY, say, at which more authentic Thai cuisine could be sampled? Also, could you speak to the utilization of "hot" spicing in more authentic Thai cuisine, and whether the potential difficulty of that to the "European/American" palate might be one reason for the lack of understanding? On Nahm, while I have only dined there once, I have to admit that I have never seen the appeal in Thompson's cuisine: http://forums.egullet.org/ibf/index.php?s=...&t=4898&hl=nahm

I recently called the PR contact noted by other members, and was advised that Sketch would not be open before mid-to-late September at the earliest.

I'd have to agree that this place deserves either no stars or one star. (Obviously, under the NYT system)

I was among the participants in the Marseilles dinner, and rate the restaurant considerably more unfavorably. I deem the meal received to have been average-plus (the plus for the heirloom tomato salad only), even after adjustment for the restaurant's generous reduction of the $65 tasting menu price by $25/person in view of another participant in the meal. As a non-Bux participant and I discussed after the meal, there was not the sense of cohesion in a dish one finds at Blue Hill. I'd have to say that, if yesterday's dinner at Marseilles is indicative of Urena's capabilities (and understanding that Urena apparently has to adhere to a "Mediterranean" concept at Marseilles), at least with respect to my own preferences as a diner, Blue Hill is so much better off with Michael Anthony having stepped in as co-chef. (I feel a bit guilty articulating this, but it is what I believe.) -- Brandade Croquette. The brandade amuse was nothing special. While it was not stale post-deep-frying, it also did not have the obvious effects of having been just deep-fried prior to serving. Note this is a particular sensitivity of mine, and I have perceived this problem even at places like Marc Meneau's formerly three-starred, currently two-starred L'Esperance in Vezelay-St Pere (cromesquis of foie gras). I and others at the table heard the reference to aioli, and nobody at the table tasted the "cheese" mentioned by the dining room team member immediately after the word "aioli" in the dish description (and as part of the same phrase). The apparent mustard seeds were not particularly strong in flavor (appropriately), and were woven into the aioli. -- Heirloom tomato salad, fromage blanc sorbet. This was the best dish in the meal for me, although, like Bux and another eGulleteer, I found the inclusion of the citrus fruit in the tomatoes as distracting (not just unnecessary). The tomato water and the tomatoes were nice, however, with larger slices of a yellow-colored tomato and a red-colored tomato included amidst whole and half cherry tomatoes. The fromage blanc sorbet was a nice accompaniment to the Tim Stark (Union Square Green Market) tomatoes. The memory of the Blue Hill Tomatoes! dish made me judge this dish more harshly than I otherwise might have; the Marseilles utilization of heirloom tomatoes was better than that at Etats-Unis, Union Square Cafe and Citarella in my assessment. -- Shrimp Kataifi; romaine lettuce and [clam] sauce. I though the little phyllo fritters enveloping the shrimp (and deep-fried with it) were unnecessary, and detracted from the sampling of the single medium-large-sized shrimp. The sauce was appropriate, with tiny clams about the size of the nail on my pinkie dotting the sauce. For me, this was a dish that did not allow the shrimp's flavors to be conveyed. -- Poached branzini on a spiced mound of eggplant, tomatoes and fennel. This dish had two sources of disquilibrium-inducing effects. First, as mentioned by Bux, there was too much spiciness for me. There was a reddish-orangish spice along the edges of the filet of branzini that was a bit "hot". That would have been fine on its own. However, the eggplant also had significant amounts of spiciness in it of a different variety. This produced a dish that had two almost separate parts -- the fish and the eggplant portion. The eggplant cubes were appropriately fleshy a texture for the fish, but they were better not taken together. Note that the poaching utilized was not of the type described by various members to be available in Blue Hill. At Marseilles, the poached fish could have easily been slowly pan-fried fish, and lacked the delicacy and temperature contrasts offered by the BH methodology. -- Roasted halibut; shitake mushroom confit, zucchini, fennel and veal stock-based sauce. The halibut was accompanied by a saucing different from that set forth on the restaurant's menu. The halibut had two less appealing aspects -- (a) an undue hardening for some reason of the portions of the filet that were close to the edges (an assessment shared by another eGulleteer), and (b) lack of very good quality with respect to the intrinsic fish (not that it was of poor quality, however). The saucing, with the fullness and flavors of veal stock, was nice, and the mushroom pieces and the softened zucchini and fennel slivers were appropriately integrated when taken in. However, the saucing did not compensate for the hablit aspects earlier described. I note the use of a single green asparagus spear wrapped in bacon as part of the dish was distracting, and did not appear to work with the rest of the dish. -- Roasted duck breast, farro risotto and brick de canard. The duck slices were appropriate-tasting on a standalone basis, but, as was mentioned by Bux, the very creamy (in a negative way), dense farro risotto was not a harmonious pairing with the duck slices. The brick was in the shape of a samosa, and was appropriate. -- Trio of Desserts. The desserts were poor-minus. First, as mentioned by Bux, the fruit "ceviche" was impaired by a pungent (in a negative way) ginger sorbet. The strands of peach and plum below the sorbet were affected as well. The white chocolate "cup" holding the ceviche did not match the acidic, ginger-based ceviche. For me, a pastry-based, more neutral "cup" or even a glass cup would have been preferable. The ceviche, as limited as it was, was nonetheless the best of the trio of desserts. The white-colored item in the middle of the dessert plate, I ate so little of that I cannot meaningfully comment on its contents, except to say that it was poor. The chocolate-based ball-shaped item also left a great deal to be desired. As is obvious from the above, a very disappointing meal from a cuisine perspective. Decor The decor of the restaurant includes burgundy-colored arched areas and colored tiles that gave the restaurant very much of a "bistro" feel (as opposed to the connotations of a more ambitious restaurant). More significantly, the lighting was markedly too dark, and there were bouts of warm and cold sensations in the dining room as the air conditioning system was either turned on and off, or as it otherwise produced noticeable changes in temperature. For example, I had to put on and remove my shawl at least five times during the meal in response to temperature changes. The service was adequate, although the sommelier had an uneager and scruffed up look about him. I requested a tour of the kitchen, but was told that Urena would come by to say hello. There was akwardness when the chef arrived. I didn't want to say anything that suggested I was happy with the meal, so I asked him about what other tomato dishes he makes. He does not appear to make any other ones, and generally seemed relatively inarticulate. Now, as was emphasized to me by Mrs. Bux, that should not be counted against the chef, particularly when his native language is not English. However, to me, one potential interpretation as that the chef appeared to potentially lack a genuine interest in learning our responses to his dishes and, if true, that could be viewed as a negative trait. Significant discussion among our dining party continued on a number of topics, and some of us talked until past midnight (from a starting time for the meal of 7 pm). Miscellaneous The restaurant offers a cream-based olives, capers and anchovy spread for its long bread sections. The dominant taste was that of olives.

An amusing tidbit with respect to Toptable and Paolo: "Paolo, London W1 (Goodge Street) - Simple and fresh in its décor with granite tabletops, lovers of 'la cucina italiana' flock here. So go enjoy 2 courses for £14.50, 3 courses for £17.50 or 4 for £20.50. 1 pasta dish is £8.50 or a main course is £12.50. Offer ends 12th September." http://www.toptable.co.uk/details.cfm?rcode=B949 The above offer seems identical to what Kikujuro reported, without having mentioned Toptable (?).

Soba -- Are you planning to try for last, last-minute cancellations at French Laundry?

The indoor dining room is almost unbearably hot in the summertime. I don't know if it's a lack of air conditioning period (which could have been the case, given how hot it was), or inadequate power from a system that at least exists. However, it was uncomfortable even walking through the indoor dining room to the washrooms on the "upper" floor when I dined there during the summertime.

I wouldn't dispute that, although it should be noted I will NEVER have "taking in" problems when one day I "encounter" the mythical ortolan. The French cuisine aspect of that would bolster my confidence even more. It might be best to adhere to tomatoes for a while.

Wilfrid -- If you're timid, then what am I?

The library is indeed wonderful. There are large, comfy burgundy-colored sofas to lounge around in. Breakfast can readily be taken there, if one is having, say, coffee and pastries.

C Squared -- Presumably, the intended geographic location of your hot dog cart (city, area within the applicable city) might be informative of the types of things you might want to offer.

Below is Marseille's current menu: -- MEZE Warm vegetable -- piquillo pepper, mushroom duxelle, tuffle and goat cheese polenta, matbucha flan (6) Marinated seafood -- boqueron, fennel and tapenade oil, salmon gravlax with creme fraiche, bonito tuna (7) Fish -- shrimp ceviche, marinated striped bass, *brandade croquette* (8) Meat -- Chorizo sausage with bocconcini, poached foie gras with fig balsamic, moroccan cigar with hummus puree (8) -- APPETIZERS Chilled cauliflower soup; cucumber, avocado and tomato salad (9) Chopped salad; tomatoes, mozzarella, cucumbers, chick peas (8) Haricot vert salad; endive, radicchio, walnuts, blue cheese vinaigrette (9) *Shrimp Kataifi; romaine lettuce and green mussel sauce (14)* Lobster salad; poached lobster, sweet corn vinaigrette, micro-greens (15) Goat cheese and artichoke terrine; sundried tomato sauce (11) Sauteed sweetbreads; brussel sprouts and caramelized leeks (12) -- ENTREES Poached cod; scallions, mussels, cockles and broth de poisson (23) Sauteed striped bass; roasted peppers and zahatar sauce (23) Rabbit tagine; braised fennel, dried fruit and Israeli cous cous (23) *Roasted halibut; portobello mushroom confit, zucchini, carrot julieene and pil pil sauce (23) (modified)* *Roasted duck breast, farro risotto and brick de canard (20)* Short ribs and cheeks; hummus, romaine lettuce and horseradish jus (23) Morroccan seafood burger; salmon, shrimp, scallops, coriander, brioche roll and french frieds (18) Poached chicken; mushroom puree, swiss chard, pearl onions and dried fruit sauce (18) Marseille Bouillabaisse; scorpion fish, shrimp, mussels and cod (24) -- CHEF's SPECIALS Grilled calamari; ratatouille and romesco sauce (11) *Heirloom tomato salad, fromage blanc sorbet (12) * Grilled swordfish, with white navy beans, pearl onions and asparagus (24) Surf and truf; applewood smoked bacon wrapped scallops, pork tenderloin, sweet corn, shiitake mushrooms and green tomato marmalade (24) -- Seven course tasting menu at $65/person

The August 19, 2002 edition of People contains an article on Purdue University students who have come up with freeze-dried beer, a powder that can be rehydrated into a beverage or used as a seasoning for popcorn and pizza. "Their innovation was incorporating a step called freeze concentration, which removes water before freeze-drying and cuts costs . . ."

J Acord -- When you have a chance, could you discuss whether the fish sauce might have been garum, traditionally prepared?

Below is a thread illustrating the beginning of the planning for the guinea pig excursion: http://forums.egullet.org/ibf/index.php?s=...a+pig+in+queens

Robert -- How exciting! Here are additional thoughts: -- For aperatifs, consider taking them in the bar/lounge area. The decor here is quite beautiful. It's also a nice place to have a cigar or digestif after a meal. -- Sometimes, Troisgros will have a black truffle based menu as part of two tasting menus, even though black truffles are not in season (as in now). -- Michel Troisgros' cuisine is not necessarily like his father's (in the best possible way). MT utilizes certain Japanese ingredients (e.g., wakame -- a type of seaweed; Koshi Hikari rice). -- A bass dish with Koshi Hikari rice is excellent. An old dish of beef with Fleurie sauce is nice, and the aubergine appetizer (when available) in a gelee is very good. The restaurant will allow diners to order 1/2 portions of a number (but not all) of the appetizers. Pay attention in particular to dishes with acidity, including through the use of fruit with that component. -- On the salmon with sorrel, it is presumably worth a sample, although more for the historical value than for its deliciousness. -- Even if you are not eating at Le Centrale, there are certain food items that can be purchased there. This is not identical to the food and souvenir shopping possible through reviewing the items offered in the entryway to the hotel or opposite the wine cellar entrance. -- At least some rooms require guests to affirmatively lock them shut. -- In the refridgerator unit of guest rooms, there are bottles of Troisgros brand fruit juice -- As you know, this restaurant has a strong cellar, with stellar Burgundies. A visit to the cellars is worthwhile. There is a bottle of very old DRC. In the cellar, there is on the wall an old article with J-B Troisgros that discusses, among other things, the ideal temperature at which wine should be served. -- Before dinner and in the morning, walk to the back of the hotel where there is a huge expanse of glass, behind which is the large kitchen.

Paul -- I was eating salad and fried rice while Wilfrid and Nina were sampling the organs. As for the Lynch-Bagues pairing, Nina and I discussed whether the cuy might taste like squirrel. I posited the cuy would taste like venison or beef for some reason. I also thought the strength of a red wine relative to, say, a rose would assist me to take in the cuy.

Well, when I get the cuy photos developed, I might send them to you by regular mail.

Well, so far I've forwarded a few pictures to Andy. Do you have scanning capabilities? I sometimes have my pictures developed at a facility that could have them scanned on-line, but there are extra charges for the scanning.