cabrales

I'd appreciate available member input on the cuisine at Chateau de Locguenole in Hennebont, near Lorient. The restaurant in the chateau is a Michelin one-star and member of Relais Gourmand (the facility is rated a "yellow" intermediate classification with respect to the accommodations by Relais & Chateaux).

tommy -- When you have a chance, could you consider discussing why not? Do you like "regular" clam?

tommy -- Not at all. Thanks for posting the pictures, and for leading other members to consider this product to the extent they had not yet focused on the quoted materials. Do you plan to acquire geoduck in Chinatown and prepare them? One method of preparation is to prepare a clear bouillon (e.g., shellfish based) and then dip thin slices of geoduck momentarily in the bouillon. Geoduck are also good raw, as sashimi (assuming the diner is confident in the quality of the specimen).

tommy -- Below is a thread on geoduck: http://forums.egullet.org/ibf/index.php?ac...2610e23b20c4115 In other threads:

JD -- If I have never visited a restaurant, I adhere to Michelin ratings to determine which restaurants I will allocate time to visit. I engage in research (eGullet, French guides, French articles, review of a restaurant's website, including any indicative menus) with respect to alternative restaurants to visit. Note I have a soft spot (separate from cuisine-driven considerations, with no negative connotations with respect to quality of cuisine) for restaurants in France with history (e.g., L'Oustau de Baumaniere, L'Oasis, Drouant, Le Moulin de Mougins, 59 Poincare and Maxim's, none of which I have visited). Once I have visited a restaurant, my subjective assessments become the only relevant basis for evaluation, to be updated with subsequent visits. Michelin three or two star status is relevant to me. I have most other French guides, but do not place significant reliance on them. I place no reliance on MOF (Meuilleur Ouvrier de France, spelling) or other awards. In the US, I place no value on awards a chef might have won. In NY and a few other cities, I have a sufficient understanding of the range of restaurants to make decisions independent of a chef's accolades. I sometimes use the NYT Guide to NYC Restaurants, but more as a general reference after I have decided on a restaurant to visit. Note, with all respect to US restaurants, that I subjectively consider the general level of cuisine in the US to be below the level in France, and thus have fewer incentives to allocate time to researching restaurants, etc. For new restaurants, I sometimes look at a site recommended by a friend -- it's the site affiliated with the New York magazine (not New Yorker). I also have subscriptions to many US and French food publications, and receive some information through them. I do not feel the need to be among the first to visit new restaurants in New York because I do not generally expect them to be as promising as new restaurants in France.

JD -- Partially disparate objective functions do correspond to my beliefs. A significant (not the only significant) objective as I dined out was to identify and callibrate the restaurants that subjectively suited my preferences. When one finds a restaurant that is ideal for oneself, it is a special accomplishment. I am content with the restaurants I have identified, and I visit other restaurants mostly out of curiosity (when the ones I have identified are not geographically accessible) or when I am geographically distant from preferred restaurants. I do acknowledge that a three-star rating tends to suggest a restaurant that has a higher likelihood of being appropriate cuisine-wise than a two-star. So there are certain more "objective" parameters.

Beachfan -- Below what I would have hoped for, had I not eaten there before. However, I generally like apple-based breads and the warm, apple raising bread was fine. I think objectively the bread does leave something to be desired, even in relation to certain other NY restaurants. Note I do not know much about bread.

Steven -- I do not plan to travel very much within the US. Are there indications the reception in NY for Voicestream is less than acceptable?

My exploration efforts with respect to Bouley continue. At certain points in time, I have wondered why I care enough to continue to visit this restaurant with such an open mind. My recent lunch reminded me of the "better" side of Bouley meals. I shied away from the lunch tasting menu, which has remained largely comparable in the past two months (only one of my two poor meals during the past two months had been sampled with the lunch tasting menu in place; the one positive meal prior to the instant one cannot generally be attained when I am not dining with certain people -- this is consistent with a history of such discrepancies at the "old", Duane St. Bouley). Thinly Sliced Scuba Dived Sea Scallops in a Carpaccio Manner with Fresh Pomelo, Cherry Tomaties, Cape Gooseberries and Citrus Dressing ($16) [A bite of Braised Japanese Yellowtail with Fresh Mango, Hon-Shimeji Mushrooms, Tamarind Dressing and a Ginger Aromatic Sauce ($14)] Maine Lobster with Sweet Peas, Fava Beans, Haricots Verts, Blood Orange and Port Wine Sauce ($34) Fresh Strawberry Soup with Lychee Sorbet Warm Pine Nut Tart with Apple Lemon Grass Sauce, Mint, Vanilla and White Asparagus Ice Cream (not on the lunch dessert menu; but available) Tahitian Vanilla-Carolina Rice Pudding with Berry Compote and Sorbet of Ten Exotic Fresh Fruit Flavors (complimentary) Hot Valrhona Chocolate Souffle with Prune-Armagnac, Maple and Vanilla Ice Creams [Pistachio added], Chocolate sorbet (complimentary) Champagne 1/2 Puligny-Montrachet The meal was considerably better than the two "poor" meals I have had at Bouley during the last two months, although markedly below the level of the "very good" meal I have had there during the same period. The amuse utilized on certain prior visits of Maine crabmeat had now mutated into Maine crabmeat underneath a tomato gaspacho with a little dollop of avocado puree (guacamole-like in texture) above. It was nothing special. The scallop carpaccio contained fresh seafood, but was not particularly balanced in its flavors. The pomelo (sometimes referred to as white grapefruit and common in certain parts of Asia) was an appropriate accompanying item, but there was no indication of the cape gooseberries (presumably South African gooseberries or "physalis", spelling). The citrus dressing turned out to containg significant amounts of blood orange, according to the dining room team member who brought the dish. I inquired why I had not been alerted to this upon ordering both the scallops and the lobster main "with blood orange and port wine sauce". Laughably, the dining room staff member returned to indicate that the blood orange connotations were almost not noticeable in the lobster main (whose presentation on the menu referenced blood orange). The jus was a thin citrus-based jus that was not noteworthy. Overall, the dish was average-plus. Slices of cherry tomatoes were helpful to the dish. My dining companion's braised yellowtail was noticeably better. Note that the scallop illustrates one of the less appealing aspects of Bouley's progression since the old Bouley. While he has utilized citrus-based sauces and citrus-based garnishings (or items utilzing "exotic" fruit, which, for the restaurant presumably includes passion fruit and mango, items included in the ten "exotic" fruit sorbet) for some time, they are more prominent than before. For example, three of the seven appetizers on the lunch a la carte menu contain citrus/exotic fruit -- (1) Return from Chiang Mai -- Chilled Maine lobster, *mango*, fresh artichoke and serrano ham with Thai curry dressing, (2) the described scallops, which have a citrus dressing, and (3) Braised Japanese yellowtail with *fresh mango* (as discussed above -- the mango manifested itself in the form of little circular slices on which a large cube of hamachi had been placed). In the entrees, there is the lobster with the "blood orange" and port wine sauce. The lobster main was good-to-very-good. The freshness from peas and fava beans against the "darkness" of the port-based sauce (the blood orange flavors were indeed difficult to detect). Served in a largish bowl that had red coral-like patterns on it. The lobster was cooked just right for me (which is slightly on the undercooked side), and its sauce was attractive. Note that lobster with a port-based sauce is one of the signature dishes of Roux's Waterside Inn in London (albeit not with peas and fava beans). The Bouley version was slightly sweeter, and contained less port relative to other ingredients than the Roux version I recollect. The lychee sorbet in the pre-dessert was appealing. Desserts were fine. The white asparagus ice cream was nice, and the pine nut tart was appropriate. This is among the more attractive Bouley desserts in my mind (which is not necessarily saying much). The rice pudding, previously served in a star-fruit-shaped white bowl, is now presented in a sundae-type glass with a wide top and narrower bottom. There is an unspecified fruit compote at the bottom, followed by the layer of rice pudding, and the sorbet on top of the glass. Overall, a good-plus meal, with the lobster main bordering on very good. Service continued to disappoint.

Steven -- Thanks. I will investigate the possibility of purchasing a local phone once in France. In the meantime, however, the Voicestream US plan is not bad and there is no extra charge for enabling coverage in France (apart from calls actually made). I asked about the partner carriers in France, and was told there were three, including the significant carrier Orange.

I'd be interested in any updates relating to the Gagnaire venture.

JD -- Exactly. Except that game theory would suggest that if I knew you might have a lemon .... ? It's a multiple-round game. Note that the problem is more than one of information asymmetry. It is also a problem associated with there being, in my mind, no "objective" valuation of a car that might or might not be a "lemon" with respect to a particular buyer. It's as if buyers' utility functions were widely disparate, such that a car that certain buyers might consider to be non-lemon were a lemon for certain other buyer. For example, I would consider Taillevent and Gagnaire "lemons" among Paris three-stars, whereas for other diners, that might be their favorite restaurant based on their subjective preferences. Note also that the paradigmatic lemon problem concerns one seller/buyer combination, with no repeated interactions over time between such parties (let alone information exchange with other parties). Unlike the lemon problem, (1) a particular diner can use her own past experiences and might know that a particular restaurant is a "lemon" and still be unable to unilaterally "discipline" a restaurant, and (2) the same "product" (i.e., the lemon) can be sold to multiple buyers (e.g., if one views different meals as essentially the same product). Returning to point (1), in other words, even if Diner A knows after the fact that Restaurant G is a "lemon", Diner B presumably does not because he has not yet eaten at the restaurant (or believes that cuisine is subjective and needs to make the evaluation for himself) or does not understand the difference. Thus, even after the purchase of the "lemon", Diner A is unable to discipline Restaurant G to force it to accept lower prices for its "lemon" products. The classical lemon problem involves a problem that all parties recognize, if they had the information, to be defective. Alas, restaurants are not such creatures.

Nick -- When you have a chance, please consider discussing the sourcing of the Pacific stone crab claws. Have you considered a non-mustard-based dipping sauce for the item?

John -- While I agree that expensive restaurants should be good, could it be that many expensive restaurants *need* not as an economic and practical matter be, and are not, good because there are sufficient diners who cannot distinguish good from poor cuisine and the dining group as a whole therefore does not sufficiently "discipline" expensive restaurants having poor cusine? Note no connotations regarding diners in various countries were intended.

jordyn -- Thanks for the very useful information. Voicestream is promoting a basic package of (600 weekday minutes + unlimited minutes on weekends + free long distance and roaming within the US) for $39.99/month ($29.99/month for the same package with 200 weekday minutes). It's a decent deal even before taking into account the ability to use the same phone in France. According to one person at Voicestream, calls made from France to other points in France or to the US are 99 cents per minute -- not terrible (pricing to be confirmed; interested members should verify prior to reliance). The two models I am considering are the Sony Ericsson T68M and the Motorola V.60. Do you have thoughts on either of the phones? http://shop.voicestream.com/do/saveHome;js...x=30&GO%21.y=17

I do not consider restaurant prices *intrinsically* unreasonable in London, Paris or New York. If a cuisinier provides appealing food (and, sadly, most do not), why should he not reap the financial benefits associated with his capabilities, just like an inspired architect or a skilled doctor? To me, the cost of ingredients is largely irrelevant, except to the extent their purchase cost for the restaurant would justify a *higher* price for the dish (e.g., caviar, truffles). As an aside, I also believe that wine prices and bottled water prices are not necessarily too high. A diner is not "forced" to purchase any particular bottle of wine or to purchase water. If he chooses to make such purchases, he should be prepared to pay what the restaurant has decided upon to maximize its profits. I should note that, in the last decade or so at least and speaking very generally, many three-stars in Paris have not earned great returns, to put it gently. However, the overhead is very significant at the three-star level. A January 20, 1999 New York Times article ("Teetering at the Summit in France", by F Prial) noted: "The fact is, starting up and running a three-star restaurant is astonishingly expensive. Typically, such a restaurant has two employees for every customer that its dining room can hold. And with France's heavy taxes [a significant factor], even dinner bills of $500 a person fail to cover costs. . . . Mr. Ducasse divides France's luxury restaurants into three groups: * Those that have been run by families for generations, like the Auberge de l'Ill, owned and run by the Haeberlin family. Jean-Claude Vrinat, the owner of Taillevent, in Paris, inherited the business from his father. * Those run by restaurateurs like Mr. Ducasse and Mr. Loiseau who succeed by engaging in many side activities. * Those that survive with the help of strong backers. Alain Senderens, at Lucas Carton in Paris . . . [Arrangement may have changed since the article?]" The unfortunate aspect regarding high prices, for me, is when the cuisine is no commensurate with the prices. However, I believe I can tell the difference with respect to my subjective preferences and, while I might overpay a restaurant several times to sample poor cuisine, I will soon come to a subjective assessment it is overcharging and not visit absent special circumstances. As to prior indications that large segments of the dining population may not be able to tell the difference between good and poor cuisine and would therefore continue to be overcharged, they are free to pay whatever amounts they consider appropriate.

I'd like to add that I like the cuisine at Gordon Ramsay RHR considerably. I also like the cuisine at WI.

stephen -- L'Ambroisie is more expensive than Gordon Ramsay RHR and likely more expensive than Waterside Inn (whose Menu Exceptionel is 75-80 pounds, or around 120 euros??). However, subjectively, if a diner had already dined one or more times at GR and WI, I would imagine that the potential incremental fulfillment from visiting another three-starred restaurant might be somewhat greater than an additional meal in the UK. Also, to the extent that GR and WI are accessible from London without transportation to Paris (if not hotel accommodations), there is another cost consideration that might be relevant. Note L'Ambroisie is open on Saturday for lunch, such that theoretically a day trip on a very reasonably priced Eurostar or discount airline ticket might be feasible. Whether lunch at a three-star is a substitute for a dinner at a three-star is, to some extent, diner-dependent. Among the Paris three-stars, I would say Taillevent is definitely more inexpensive than L'Ambroisie. A 3Q 2002 Lucas-Carton menu (very rough translations; two prices indicate without and with glasses of accompanying wine chosen by the chef) is below (Appetizers only described below): Feve beans, chanterelles, "new" onions, asparagus points, zucchini flowers with crests of chicken (57 euros; 73) Duck foie gras pan-fried with Szechuan peppers, mango, papaya, lychees and passion fruit (58; 81) Appetizer of Brittany lobster with polenta based on corail (89, 124) Langoustines with crunchy vermicelli, cream of clams and related items and almonds (93; 124) Oscetra royale and white onions from Cevennes with Sicilian pistachios (145; 1995) Asparagus from the vally of Durance, raw and cooked (71, 86) Entrees are in the 49-75 euro range without wine, and 83-108 euro with. The exception is the Brittany lobster with vanilla, which is 120; 157. Interesting appetizers are rather expensive a la carte at L-C. Note, however, that Lucas-Carton has a prix fixe menu during both lunch and dinner (lunch is at under 75 euros, with significant choice; dinner as of 4Q 2001 was without choice in the prix fixe). I cannot recollect how much the prix fixe dinner price was. As of 2001 (likely; I have several versions, and did not date them), Taillevent's very reasonable a la carte prices were (1) 210 through 240 for appetizers (IN FRANCS!), and (2) 260 through 310 FF for mains (except for a lobster dish at 460 FF). I had thought, prior to reviewing the Taillevent menu, that the restaurant did not have any tasting menus. However, at the bottom of the menu, there is an indication that a tasting menu in six services suggested by Michel del Burgo is 850FF. Note Taillevent is rather inexpensive relative to other Paris three-stars. Guy Savoy prices are discussed in one of robert brown's three related threads on the French board. For me, it's the quality of the cuisine against which prices should be considered. Thus, I might consider L'Ambroisie to be more expensive than Taillevent (prix fixe and a la carte), Grand Vefour (I have only eaten at this place twice at lunch, during which there is a 71 euro prix fixe; a la carte would likely be less expensive than L'Ambroisie, though), possibly Ledoyen (I have menus from 1Q and 2Q 2002, and could type them on the board if you were about to go to the restaurant; I didn't think the place was more expensive than L'Ambroisie), and Pierre Gagnaire's prix fixe (no comments relative to Gagnaire's a la carte). However, for me, the cuisine of L'Ambroisie, while not subjectively compelling, is likely more appealing than the cuisine of the other restaurants described in this paragraph (except for Ledoyen). Note certain other members have a more favorable assessment of Gagnaire than I do.

Last night, I made a satisfactory meal from large, moist morels (e.g., some were the length of my pinkie). I heated up Rouge Rillettes (inaccurately described as goose and pork pate on the label) and added some water, fresh chives, and crushed peppercorns. The morels were braised in the resulting very flavorful liquid until they had softened and the rillettes and morels had absorbed back some of the flavors. I wasn't sure what wine would go well with this dish, so I had a fairly run-of-the-mill champagne. Then, I cut into eight pieces the medium-sized, purple-exterior fig I had also purchased. I began by pouring in a dessert wine, Grgich Hills Violetta (Napa Valley late harvest) 1995 (natural sugar at harvest 30% by weight, residual sugar 11% by weight). I added some honey and a few squirts of lemon juice. The figs sat in this liquid for about 15 minutes. The resulting fruit was acceptable, arguably more interesting than fresh figs.

On three-stars outside of Paris, most of them have rooms associated with the restaurant. The only exceptions are Paul Bocuse (there are living areas in the same buildings, but not for diners or other guests, per second hand reports), L'Arnsbourg and Buerehiesel. In many cases, the rooms followed or were constructed/acquired with the restaurant. Possible exceptions may include (highly uncertain as to reliability of this information; there are likely other facilities): (1) Pres d'Eugenie (Guerard married a woman whose family operated spa-type facilities; he apparently met her while she was dining, in a non-romantic context, with Bocuse); and (2) Les Crayeres (Boyer purchased the establishment from Pommery affiliates; unclear whether private banquet facilities were operating in the building prior to purchase).

Bux -- Agreed on the Paris three-stars. While I have not visited all Paris two-stars (20 in the 2002 Michelin), the following are in hotels: Ambassadeurs (Crillon), Bristol, Le Cinq (Four Seasons), L'Astor, Les Elysees (Hotel Vernet) and Les Muses (Scribe). At least 30%. One-stars in Paris in hotels include: L'Espadon (Ritz; in my mind, worthy of two stars with the chef change in 2001), Le Meurice, Clovis, Relais de Sevres, Celadon (Westminster), Gualtiero Marchesi pour le Lotti (I'd appreciate member input on this restaurant -- it may be decent), Le W (Hotel Warwick), and Montparnasse (there are likely others).

Jon -- Your purchase is wonderful I wonder if some of the monkfish liver could be steamed inside green cabbage, a la Alain Senderens' foie gras dish? Also, Artisanal's sea urchin panna cotta led me to think that perhaps monkfish liver could flavor panna cotta as well. B Edulis and Liza discussed monkfish liver in connection with the first eGullet pot luck in New York. One of them might have a helpful recipe.

stephen -- Pacaud's L'Hiver 2001 (Winter)menu is below. Note that, although the menu was still in place during 1Q 2002, there will have been at least one or two menus released since that set forth below. On the right hand side of the Winter 2001 menu is a picture of a relief attributable to Jean Goujon (16th century) from the Hotel Carnavalet, Paris. A different relief from the Hotel is included in the Autumn 2001 menu. Marbre de foie gras de canard, celeri-rave et truffe (Duck foie gras, celeriac and truffles) Euro 75 Viennoise d'oeufs de poule mollets, mouillettes a la truffe (Egg dish with truffles) 82 Soupe de noix de Saint-Jacques en parisienne de legumes (Scallop soup; vegetables) 68 Huitres "speciales" chaudes au caviar, sabayon au cresson (Oysters with caviar in a hot preparation, sabayon of watercress) 84 Feuillantine de langoustines aux graines de sesame, sauce au curry (Langoustines with sesame and curry sauce) 71 Fricassee de homard sauce civet, puree Saint-Germain (Lobster fricassee, puree Saint-Germain) 110 Blanc de turbot braise aux deux celeris, julienne de truffe (Braised turbot with two types of celery; truffles) 90 Escalopines de bar, poelee d'artichaut et tapenade de truffe (Bass; artichokes; truffle tapenade) 86 Corolle de noix de Saint-Jacques a la mousseline de persil, beurre au safran (Scallops with a parsley mousseline, safron butter) 73 Suggestions du jour selon les arrivages (Daily suggestions according to the market) Feuillette de truffe fraiche "bel humeur", salade de mache (Truffle pastrywith mache salad) 120 Carre d'agneau en nougatine de truffe, etuvee de legumes d'hiver (Lamb with a truffle nougatine; winter vegetables) 80 Poularde de Bresse "demi-deuil" en hommage a la Mere Brazier (Bresse chicken in "half-mourning" in honor of Chef E Brazier) 85 Filet de boeuf de Salers poele aux echalotes grises, bordelaise a l'anchois (Pan-fried filet of Salers beef with grey shallots, bordelaise sauce with anchovies) 82 Canette de Barbarie rotie aux ecorces d'agrumes et baies de genievre (Barbary duck roasted with citrus ?) 150 for 2 persons Fromages frais et affines (Cheese) 26 Biscuit tiede et sorbet a la mandarine (Warm biscuit and sorbet of mandarin) 26 Tarte fine sablee au chocolat, glace a la vanille (Chocolate tart, vanilla ice cream) 26 Millefeuille au caramel, pommes vertes cristallisees (Caramel millefeuille, crystalized? green apples) 25 Miroir de chocolat aux marrons glaces, sauce moka (Chocolate "mirroir"? with candied chestnuts, mocha sauce) 28 Salde d'oranges et pamplemousses roses en gelee (Salad of orange and pink grapefruit with gelee) 24 Assortiment de desserts et patisseries (Assorted desserts) 34

Steven -- Thank-you for the description On dining room team members, L'Arnsbourg is the only three-star for which, when I dined, the dining room team was at least 50% female. The team is led by Cathy Klein, sister of the chef.

It would not make a difference. I always carry at least one Visa card and my Amex.