cabrales

Here's one I forgot to add to the original list of 7: (8) decent knowledge regarding wine. I'd currently flunk this factor too, although I am working on it.

Lesley -- Mistakes are arguably worse in a book, where there is more time allotted for the completion of the work. Like you, I note mistakes in books too -- PaulaJ -- The Pere Meurice salad is described in Serge Dansereau's "Food & Friends. A chef's journey through France & Italy." Like other discussions in the book, the assessment of Boyer is favorable: "We visited the kitchen with Gerard [boyer]'s chef de cuisine, Kerry [note obviously wrong name] Voisin, and observed the well-honed skiills of the brigade. . . ." As for the cost of meals, a food writer interested in saving money could, say, live in a youth hostel and take in lunches at three-stars (e.g., under euro 75 for both Lucas-Carton and Grand Vefour). Also, certain three-stars are less expensive than others (e.g., L'Arnsbourg's and Jardin des Sens' tasting menus are relatively reasonable for the applicable level of restaurant). You might comment that one has to pay for plane tickets, etc., and that would be accurate. But how many food writers have gone to Paris and eaten other food? Two-starred Jamin has lunches, I believe, under 45 euros (check the thread with that name in the French forum prior to reliance).

Bux -- Your recollection of the service is consistent with mine, although I might be indifferent between that type of service and the "warmer" kind. The younger co-maitre d' (?) Pascal and Mde Pacaud are hardly following the Vrinat model.

Bux -- I agree that it is not a serious error with respect to its likelihood to lead potential diners astray. However, it was a serious error in the sense that it illustrated, glaringly, the lack of knowledge in respect of the subject matter, of the Washington Post food writer(s) involved. Why had they not tried to educate themselves on who's who at the top level in France, a country whose food, as discussed in another threads, is viewed favorably by certain parts of the dining population in the US?

list the signature dishes (including seasonal availability) of each past and present Michelin three-star chef prepare a family tree of each major chef, showing his disciples, their progeny, etc. list dishes at restaurants that require pre-ordering (e.g., chicken at Lespinasse) list available off-menu dishes (e.g., the chocolate "bomb" and little molten-chocolate-center madelaine/beignet-type items -- a single dessert -- at Town; probably one of the better desserts at the restaurant, although that may not necessarily be saying much) at restaurants list the signature dishes of applicable US pastry chefs

pirate -- When you have a chance, consider discussing how the restaurant personnel might have been "encouraging" you to order more and/or otherwise increase your expenditures? Also, do people know what the respective formal titles of Pierre and the younger, thinner and brunette Pascal (angular faced) might be? Pascal seems to be at least co-maitre d'.

Steven -- When you have a chance, please consider discussing how "significant knowledge of cooking methods" might not be necessary?

I'd appreciate members' input on which (if any) of the requirements listed above they consider appropriate for a Washington Post food writer to have. In another thread, I have professed to flunking all of the requirements except for (7).

I don't know whether there are two or three rooms because I have been seated on every visit in the first, large dining room with tapestries when one walks in from the Place des Vosges door (I think there is only one door, but can't be sure). There are large mirrors, lots of flowers, chandeliers and light and space. I had assumed that was not the less desirable room, but perhaps the other room(s) is even nicer.

Steve Klc -- I'd fail 1, 2 (due to lack of significant experience in Miami, Atlanta, Arizona's major destinations, Chicago, New Orleans and LA), 3 (obviously, requires understanding of cooking), 4 (except with respect to French cuisine), 5 and 6 (due to inability to identify restaurants/chefs in Italy and Germany). I would only meet 7. But then I am not, and do not aspire to be, a professional food writer.

lizziee -- I could easily be wrong, but my impression has always been that the "front" room is the one closer when one walks in, and it definitely has tapestries. It also leads into a little nook where there is the kitchen door. It is quite a large room. The "back" room is the one after that, no? Does the "back" room have tapestries too?

Steven -- I would imagine the qualifications are multi-faceted, but should include presumably (1) dining experience at all major restaurants in and around DC (including Baltimore, etc.), (2) familiarity with all major restaurants in the NY, Boston, Philadelphia, Miami, Chicago, Atlanta, Arizona's major destinations, New Orleans, LA, San Francisco, Seattle, Las Vegas, other similar cities and major restaurants in Napa/Sonoma, (3) significant knowledge of cooking methods, (4) significant understanding of French, Italian and Mexican cuisine and ideally understanding of certain Asian cuisines, (5) some knowledge of American culinary history and the history of restaurants in the US, (6) ability to identify all Michelin three-star restaurants (not just those in France) and general understanding of certain two-star restaurants, coupled with some dining experience at the three-star level, and (7) ability to recognize the 2 or 3 significant restaurants in Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Brazil, Vancouver, Toronto, etc.

Steve -- I personally find it disappointing that a leading US newspaper has a team responsible for the food section that would not have the knowledge of Michelin three-star chefs' names/restaurant affiliations as basic, background knowledge. Note also that Loiseau has been at La Cote d'Or for many years. These are leading restaurants in France. Why are people who are writing professionally about food lacking in such rudimentary (for a professional) knowledge? The mistake is worse than a European food writer not being able to distinguish between T Keller of French Laundry and H Keller of Fleur de Lys -- at least those chefs have the same last names and San Francisco is the closest sizable city to Yontville. The mistake is also worse than a US food writer not knowing the difference between three-starred Gordon Ramsay, Royal Hospital Road, and currently-unstarred Gordon Ramsay, Claridge's, in London or thinking that Gordon Ramsay is the chef actually cooking at Marcus Wareing's Petrus (where Ramsay is co-owner and a significant insider, obviously). The Post's mistake is even worse than confusing the various Roux cuisiniers. The Post is understandably most knowledgeable about "local" (i.e., DC and environs) restaurants and cuisiniers. But that is obviously too low a standard to which to hold its writers. Shouldn't any food writer at The Post be informed about the New York, Boston, San Francisco, LA, Seattle, Chicago, etc. dining landscapes at a minimum? Do you think that a food writer from The Post would know, for example, the names of the chefs at Blue Hill in NY, Julien in Boston and Hawthorne Lane in SF? Is it appropriate to expect them to at least have such knowledge? If not that set of restaurants, how about Le Bernardin in NY, L'Espalier in Boston and Fleur de Lys in SF?

stephen -- I have dined there, and typed up some of the menu items while comparing the menus applicable during meals in 2001 and this year (see the most recent posts first): http://forums.egullet.org/ibf/index.php?ac...4d7e10054e9a271 B Pacaud's signature dish is langoustines with sesame and curry, and that has been the subject of some discussion on the bord in the context of the utilization of spices, etc. in French cuisine. The restaurant has no prix fixe menu, and is a la carte (If you are interested in a 1Q 2002 menu, I could consider typing it up over the weekend -- it's not particularly long). The restaurant is open Saturday lunch, among other times, and is therefore a potential target if you are visiting from London for the weekend, unlike certain other three-stars that are not open on weekends. There has been speculation on the board that it might be easier to secure reservations when the caller speaks French, rather than English. Reservations have to be secured way in advance; I forget the exact policy, but an interested diner should just call. Where one is seated has been reported to have a significant impact on the meal experience. It is less desirable, generally, to be seated in the "back room", where it has ben reported US diners might be placed. I have not yet been seated in the back room, and cannot comment. When one enters from Place des Vosges, one will pass through the better areas for seating first. Among others, lizziee and Bux have dined at L'Ambroisie and might be able to provide additional input. Not a personal favorite of mine, but well worth a try and clearly better than such places as Taillevent, in my assessment.

As lizziee mentioned, Laurent Gras is now the chef at Fifth Floor. For other members who may not be familiar with Gras, this chef is pedigreed: "Chef de Cuisine at [three-Michelin-starred since Gras' departure] Restaurant **Guy Savoy** in Paris for two years. Next, he spent five years as Chef de Cuisine Alain Ducasse at Restaurant Alain Ducasse and Hotel de Paris [?] where he achieved three Michelin stars. In 1997, Gras decided to strike out on his own and headed for New York and the Executive Chef position at the Waldorf Astoria's Peacock Alley. He quickly earned three stars from the New York Times where critic Ruth Reichl began her review, 'The three best meals I have eaten this year have all been at the same restaurant: Peacock Alley.'" http://fifthfloor.citysearch.com/3.html

lizziee -- When you attended the R&C event, who were the chefs in charge of your table? How does one get wind of R&C events in the US? When Jeanne McManus had her Q&A, she mentioned the described Paris event, but also indicated that particular event was not open to the public.

anil -- When you have a chance, could you consider clarifying your arrangement with respect to living arrangements in Paris?

Malawry -- Thanks When you have a chance, please consider discussing whether you are having enough rest nowadays.

Here is a very rough translation (due to time constraints) of a small portion of the the Relais Gourmand menu: I. OFFAL -- Coeurs de pigeons et purée truffée en paupiette de chou vert au four, sauce brune savoureuse (Pigeon heart and a puree of truffles with green cabbage), by Kiyomi Mikuni of Restaurant Mikuni, Japan -- Cake aux Oreilles de Cochon ou aux lardons (Cake with pigs' ears or with bacon), by Jean-Paul Lacombe of Restaurant Léon de Lyon, Lyon -- Ris de veau et chou vert braisé aux truffes (Veal sweetbread with green cabbage braised with truffles), Christian Denis of Restaurant Clos St-Denis, Belgium -- Ris de veau à l'andouille de Vire, chutney de pommes et oignons (Veal sweetbreads with andouille from Vire, apple and onion chutney), Gilles Tournadre, Restaurant Gill at Rouen -- Ris de veau meunière en crépinette d'épinards, un amour de purée (Veal sweetbread with crepinette of spinach and purees), Mikuni II. SHELLFISH -- Aigo de homard (Aigo of lobster), Jacques Chibois of Bastide de St-Antoine at Grasse -- Coquilles Saint-Jacques crispy (Crispy scallops), Jean Joho of Everest in Chicago -- Couronne de coquilles Saint-Jacques et le risotto de riz sauvage aux champignons des bois (Crown of scallops and risotto made with wild rice and forest mushrooms), Denis -- Homard de Bretagne assaisonné au jus de pomme verte, racine de persil, amandes et noisettes à la cannelle (Brittany lobster seasoned with green apple jus, root of parsley, almonds and hazelnut with cinnamon), Guy Martin from Grand Véfour in Paris -- Homard rôti a vif, court fumet à la vanille Bourbon (Roasted lobster with vanilla), Gilles Étéocle of Hostellerie La Poularde -- Homard poché, jus de canard au gingembre et à l'estragon (Lobster, jus of duck with ginger and tarragon), Alain Labrie of L'Auberge Hatley, Quebec -- Poêlée de langoustines et vermicelle de riz à la mayonnaise de foie gras (Pan-fried langoustines with rice vermicelli with a foie gras mayonnaise), de Juan Mari Arzak, Spain -- Poêlée de homard en anchoïade (Pan-fried lobster), Michel Rostang, Paris -- Risotto croustillant de langoustines aromatisé à l'huile d'olive et au soja ("Crunchy" risotto of langoustines seasoned with olive oil and soya), Mikuni -- Saint-Jacques en "sandwiches", jus citronné (Sandwich of scallops, citrus jus), Charlie Palmer of Aureole, NY -- Sabayon gratiné d'huîtres Malpèque sur une julienne de légumes racines (Gratine'd? sabayon of Malpeque oysters with a julienne of root vegetables), Anne Desjardins, L'Eau à la Bouche in Quebec -- Strudels de langoustine ou de queue de homard au beurre de mélisse (Strudel of langoustines or lobster tail with lemongrass butter), Labrie -- Tomate et homard, vinaigrette au corail (Tomato and lobster, vinaigrette from the corail), Alain Deluc, Barbizon in Belgium SNAILS -- Escargots de Bourgogne, version traditionnelle (Snails of Burgundy, traditional version), Jean-Michel Lorain of La Cote Saint-Jacques, Joigny -- Escargots petit-gris poêlés et Pommes de Terre nouvelles écrasées à la crème de Persil et à l'Ail (Pan-fried "petit-gris"-type snails with potatoes, cream of parsley and garlic), Lorain -- Escargots petits gris au persil et à la fondue de tomate ("Petit-gris"-type snails with parsley and tomatoe fondue), Lorain -- Raviolis d'escargots de Bourgogne dans leur bouillon d'ail doux (Raviolis of Burgundy snails with their bouillon of garlic; this is a signature dish), Jacques Lameloise, Lameloise at Chagny That's just the beginning of the meal.

It has been more than 1.5 years since I last visited Annisa. The prices were quoted as $68 for a 5-course meal and $88 for a 7-course meal. Could members who have visited more recently provide an indication as to whether the course count above included amuses, etc.? In addition, please provide an indication as to the approximate number of dishes from which one can choose (if that is the case) as part of the described meals.

Nina -- One form of it can result from insanitary handling of food and/or contamination of certain food products: http://forums.egullet.org/ibf/index.php?s=...&f=1&t=3279&hl=

lesley -- When you have a chance, please consider whether Hepititus shots might be appropriate prior to the trip.

Basildog -- Your post reminded me of how thoughtful you were when I visited your restaurant. http://forums.egullet.org/ibf/index.php?s=...&f=9&t=6316&hl=

With food, Chateldon or Badoit (sparkling) in France, and Pellegrino (even though a bit starker) in the US.

I forgot to mention there were little popsicle-presentation-type items after the primary desserts.