cabrales

Gary -- Thanks for the input. I have never eaten at Le Stanc's, whether at the current restaurant or at Chanteclair when he was there. robert and Susan brown conveyed to me an assessment of Merenda that also suggested disappointment. Despite the increasing indications Merenda may not be representative of that of which Le Stanc is capable, I'll try to visit in the next few years.

I received a Bernard Loiseau "valued customer card" in the mail today. The card confers a 10% discount on hotel prices year-round, except for French public holidays. The discount cannot be combined with special offers, but applies to all room categories. Unfortunately, the 10% discount does not cover food and wine. Amusingly, the letter accompanying the card states: "You are indeed one of our most valued customers. To thank you for your fidelity, I am sending *you your own* personal valued customer card, which will give you access to a number of advantages. . . . You can use your access codes to obtain a great deal of *exclusive* information. For example, you can find out how many points you have accumulated for use on your next visit." I like the part about sending "you your own" card -- any one of those words would have been sufficient. Also, it's funny that the "exclusive" information is access to one's points, which are meaningless as too many points are required for even little awards. Apparently, a euro 30+ purchase at Saulieu or any of the three Tante restaurants in Paris can result in the receipt of the card. Update: I have now reviewed the "secure" area of the loiseau site. There is no useful information; just marketing.

I had a good sea urchin panna cotta at Artisanal recently. The sea urchin color and taste had been translated effectively into the smoothness of panna cotta. It was unusual that there was an aftertaste of chilli/peppercorn in my throat after the sampling of the item. I wondered what ingredient had caused that effect. I also thought there were very slight hints of lobster taste in the panna cotta for some reason. It was around 9pm by the time I arrived at the restaurant, and I ordered from the Bar & Late Night Menu (lower prices for smaller or, in some cases, possibly same-size?? portions) while seated in the bar area. The meal at Artisanal overall was average-minus, although my assessment did not reflect a sampling of cheese-based dishes (Gougeres aside) and the items I ordered leaned towards seafood. I knew my ordering (including the sequencing of the dishes) was a bit unusual at the restaurant, but felt like a piece-meal approach. (1) Three Among Specified Items for $13 -- White anchovies ($6 on bar and late night menu when purchased separately) -- Octupus with paprika ($6 on bar and late night menu when purchased separately) -- Gougeres ($6) (Other selections included Artisanal potato chips, Asparagus tempura, frites with parmesan, escargot pithiviers -- i.e., with pastry very generally, mushroom burgignonne, seaweed salad) The anchovies were average, as was the octupus which had been cut into small pieces and combined with chickpeas and a dark sauce. The 4-5 Gougeres with gruyere were appropriate. (2) Sea Urchin Panna Cotta -- Discussed above. The sea urchin item is ordinarily served only as part of the large seafood platter or the small seafood platter (for 2-4 people, at $58), which consists of: lobster, little neck clams, oyster, shrimp, sea urchin (the panna cotta preparation is not specified), ceviche (type not specified), crab and day boat items. However, when I asked the maitre d' whether I could order sea urchins standalone, he gifted me a panna cotta. I also received petits fours, which the bill indicated were normally $6 (?), but which were also comp'd. I have rarely been to a restaurant where petits fours are ordinarily charged to clients. (3) 1/2 Dozen Kumamotos -- These were appealing -- sweeter than most I Kumamotos I have had. (4) Crisp Skate Wing, with blood orange Grenobloise and cauliflower ($8.50). Described as being one of Artisanal's "signature dishes" when brought to me, this dish was very poor. The fish, while not of the freshest quality and overcooked, was not stale. A wing of skate had been deep-fried, and then an artificial-tasting, slimy sauce very reminiscent of sweet and sour sauce in Chinese cuisine added (with all respect to Chinese cuisine). The sauce was a reddish/orangish color, like certain sweet and sour sauces, and was too aggressive for the dish as well as plain bad tasting. Blood orange, an ingredient I generally like quite a bit, did not aid the dish. Worse, beneath the skate wing were numerous mini croutons and small bits of raw cauliflower. A misguided dish that I finished less than 1/3 of. I had two glasses of Chateau Le Sarte, Pessac Leognan 1999 ($8), followed by a glass of Vouvray with the skate. Items on the bar and late night menu included macaroni and cheese for two ($12), raclette Artisanal (8.50), rabbit au Riesling (12), grilled cheddar and bacon (10). On such menu were also various fondues ($22 for small version for 1-3 persons; varieties included Artisanal Blend; Fontina and White Truffle Oil; Vacherin and Wild Mushroom; add-ons included Kielbasa, beef tips and cracked egg). Items on the main menu included Steak Tartare (19), the Monday daily special of sweetbreads (18), boudin blanc with watercress and mustard vinaigrette ($10/17), fish soup (6.50), the Friday special of bouillabaisse (25) and the Sunday special of coq au vin. The by-the-glass selection of French whites was quite good. Items I wanted to sample included Beaujolais Blanc, Clos de Loyse (?), Chateau des Jacques 2000, and Menetou-Salon from Pascal Jolivet. I may return in time to sample the Organic chicken cooked under a brick, with pommes aligot (potato dish) and sherry vinegar ($19.50) or the Wednesday special of Poulet en croute de sel (chicken in a salt crust). However, my first visit does not leave me with a positive take on Artisanal's cuisine (leaving aside cheese-based dishes which I did not sample). Nonetheless, the sea urchin panna cotta was unusual.

dargin -- I don't know of one, but will ask (may take a week or two).

Noting that many responses in this thread to date have addressed desserts, I did some research by reviewing the "Haute Cuisine Francaise" book (apparently the most recent edition, although it is dated). The following were dishes that looked humorous from included pictures. Note I have not sampled any of the dishes described below, and the descriptions are based only on pictures included in the book. -- Raymond Blanc (Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, UK): Pigeonneau de grain roti en croute de sel (roasted pigeonneau in a salt crust) -- The crust of salt may be lodged within a pastry shell shaped to resemble a cute pigeonneau/hen (complete with wings made of pastry, eyes, beak, etc.). -- Paul Bocuse: Rouget barbet en ecailles de pommes de terre croustillantes (Red mullet with scales of crunchy potatoes) -- This was an entire fish, presented whole (with head, tail, etc.). The entire body of the fish was covered in golden-colored potato slices that were made to overlap and resemble medium-sized scales. -- Paul Bocuse: Volaille de Bresse truffee "Halloween" (Bresse chicken with truffles, Halloween style) -- This dish featured a sizable, very orange-colored pumpkin (likely, although an unusual squash is not necessarily precluded) that had been largely hollowed out. The cavity housed rice, diced carrots or pumpkin and little strands of black material I could not identify from the picture. Sitting in this rice mixture was an entire Bresse chicken, with black truffle slices lodged between the skin and the flesh. The "top" of the pumpkin formed a lid for this dish. -- Speaking of Bocuse, I believe Bocuse has a well-known fish dish. Fish is prepared inside a very large pastry crust that is shaped to look like a fish. There were certain desserts depicted that could be potentially humorous: -- Raymond Blanc: Le Cafe Creme -- This was an espresso cup and plate, all made out of chocolate. There were brown sugar cubes on the chocolate plate, and the top of the espresso cup had a white-colored material that resembled the froth of capuccino. There were even brown-colored swirls in the white material to mimic the effects of melted sprinkled chocolate. -- Michel Trama (Puymirol): Le double corona Trama et sa feuille de tabac au poivre (The Trama cigar and a "tobacco" leaf with pepper) -- This is the dessert mentioned by lizziee. I noted that the version depicted had a brown sauce on the plate in swirls, beginning next to one end of the cigar, intended to convey the effects of smoke. -- Patrick Henrioux (La Pyramide, Vienne): Piano au chocolate en "VT" praline amande et noisettes sauce, cafe torrefie (Chocolate piano) -- This dessert includes a small chocolate grand piano, complete with legs and ivory/black-colored keys. -- Marc Meneau (L'Esperance, Vezelay/St-Pere): Poires piquees a la vanile (Roasted pear with vanilla) -- This was quite unusual-looking. A roasted (?) pear presented whole and with the skin had little sections of black vanilla pods sticking out of every part of it (except the base of the pear, which was on the plate). There must have been at least 20 such little black protrusions from the pear. It resembled somewhat a fruit version of a porcupine.

Trotter's management style is described in the 2001 book "Lessons in Service from Charlie Trotter", by E Lawler and Trotter. I expect to read the book before I visit Trotter's for the first time. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearc...isbn=1580083153 The chapter headings in the book include: "Leading: Hiring, Motivating, and Training Your Staff --Help Wanted: A Passion for Service -- Stoking the Fires of Passion -- Learning the Ropes on a Tight Ship" Below is a link to the first chapter in the book: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearc...layonly=chapter Included in the chapter is the following discussion: "'You have to earn the best customers coming in the door. You have to earn the best employees willing to come to work with you. You have to earn the right to have the boss give you the best new equipment because of the way you are treating the current equipment'. . . . 'And I think we have that mindset here where fifty-five people have complete respect for everything around them. They are earning the right every day to continue earning these great opportunities. They take nothing for granted.' Of his fifty-five employees, twenty-five have been with the restaurant from five to fourteen years. 'They are the unofficial archivists or reviewers of the policies. They can point things out to the newer employees and remind them that it's not always done with such attention to detail at other restaurants.'"

PaulaJ -- Did you review the restaurant's dessert menu, given that you had cheese? If you did, was there a vegetable-based dessert? Note I have never visited Besson, but read snippets about him in R Olenay's "Reflexions".

I'd appreciate learning what egg dishes (non-dessert) at Felidia or another restaurant have been particularly memorable for you. In addition, your input on when humor can play a significant role in a dish (with any available examples) would be of considerable interest to me.

I don't have the answers, but note that the Charlie Trotter book "Gourmet Cooking for Dummies" I have been reading (and which is at home) did appear to have the answer to the batonnet question. The book is quite useful.

tommy & Wilfrid -- Could you discuss what you mean by the all-black crowd? [Pondering over own wardrobe]

Basildog -- Ditto Jinmyo's thoughts. On shark, I have never sampled its meat, even though I have sampled sharks' fin. What does shark meat taste like, and does flavor vary meaningfully across different species?

I was at Chicama from about 7:45 through 9:15. Afterwards, I went home and watched the World Pastry Cup on FN. The US team's Cirque de Soleil-themed presentation piece appeared intricate, although insufficient footage was accorded to the work itself. The Canadian team was unabashedly promoting Inniskillin ice wine.

Wilfrid -- I thought you were thinking alot about the poularde there?

Wilfrid -- I went last night (Sunday). It was quieter, and no reservations were needed. The ceviche bar, which could seat 12-14 possibly, had only 3 people.

tommy -- That might be because I can not cook at all

Steven -- Thanks for the advice. I have already visited for the first time, although that preceded my membership on the board. Still, I will probably revisit and sit in the dining room. I wonder what the minimum number of diners for the chef's table might be. Perhaps it would be a lower number if the table were not filled close to the day in question.

At Patria, one of the desserts is described as "chocolate peanut butter cigar paired with white chocolate espresso cup filled with shipped cream natilla". I have not sampled the current version of the dessert at Patria, but did sample a version from a few years ago that had a chocolate cigar paired with edible matchsticks (presented beautifully to mimic a matchbook). That dessert is pictured in Douglas Rodriguez's "Nuevo Latina" book, which I reviewed at Chicama recently. The dessert in the book is called "Smokeless Macanudo", and is described as having been developed by the first pastry chef with whom Rodriguez worked at Patria. Rodriguez proceeds to note that approximately 1,500 of the desserts were served at one event -- the Great American Smokeout -- one year in NY.

With a view to a comparison with Patria, I visited Douglas Rodriguez's Chicama for dinner recently. Sitting at the ceviche bar, I sampled a flight of eight ceviches for $45. Ordinarily, the eight ceviches are intended as an appetizer for four people at $90. The manager of the restaurant was kind enough to permit a 1/2-sized portion, and brought me an accompaniment of slices of nicely-prepared potato with an aioli-like garlic cream sauce. For me, for ceviches, Patria is clearly preferable to Chicama, although the selection at Chicama is somewhat larger. Patria's ceviches had a balance that was more appealing to me. Eight Ceviches -- Ecuadorean Ceviche: shrimp, roasted tomatoes and chillies -- Chilean Salmon Ceviche: mint, mustard and orange -- Rx No Prescription Ceviche: mussels, clams, calamari and octupus in spicy tinta de calamari -- Scallop Ceviche: on the 1/2 shell, conchita with spicy tomato and panca ceviche sauce -- Merluzza Ceviche: lemon juice, lemon oil, marinated cherry tomatoes and avocado -- Verde Ceviche: clams, merluzza, green tomatoes and parsley, crunchy garlic and bacon -- Spicy Corvina Watermelon Ceviche: with pumpkin seeds -- Shaved Calamari: with spicy tamarind and mango slices Taken with Veuve Cliquot ($12/glass) Churros -- Latin American donuts with cinammon sugar; hot chocolate and dulce de leche sauces For the salmon and the calamari ceviches, the saucing was not the thin-consistency saucing normally associated with ceviche marinades. Instead, the salmon (which was itself rather fat-tasting) had a denser, fattier texture in the saucing, including as a result of the mustard. The salmon ceviche was fairly good. The calamari, which was not a good dish, had significant honey in its saucing, which also contributed to a denser sauce. The scallop ceviche was too strongly spiced for the delicacy of the product. The Corvina (a white fleshed fish) with watermelon did not taste good, although it sounded interesting when listed on the menu.However, the Ecquadorean ceviche was fairly good, and the Rx No Prescription version was better than expected (with a hint of darkness provided in the saucing). Overall, an interesting experiment in ceviches and average in taste. Perhaps a bit too stark in many ceviches for my liking. It is difficult for one person to sample eight ceviches without losing the ability to taste some of them. The dessert was tasty, however. Three light-tasting churros were presented freshly deep-fried, with an espresso cup of wonderful warm-to-hot caramel-based sauce of medium consistency. I liked this sauce very much, and did not utilize the warm chocolate sauce separately presented. Service was good. Other observations: (1) There is a bar area near the entrance to the restaurant, at which a number of younger people who were not dining were taking in drinks, and (2) the back of the menu lists the entire team associated with the restaurant (including individuals with the titles of Food Runner, Sanitation, Butcher, and Bodyguard).

I received the latest Ducasse newsletter, which reminded me that there is a Chef's Table in the kitchen at ADNY (seating up to six people). Have members eaten at that table, and how much more expensive generally would dining there be? Note there was also a nice picture of a lemon, with the following associated indication: "Did you know that Monaco's neighbor, the old French resort town of Menton, hosts a unique lemon festival every year, to pay homage to the golden fruit, which is the symbol of the city?" Have members visited Menton during a festival period?

dargin -- Thanks It's not easy to find good French food in Hong Kong. What are your thoughts on Petrus? I have not been there in a while.

On the truffe en croute, I have always wondered why it appears to be available year-round, when black truffles are only in season during a limited period. For members interested in sampling the dish despite the price, note that it is possible to order a 1/2 portion of the dish at 1/2 the price. While one would not receive a whole truffle and the situation would be less than ideal, everything else is the same and the resulting pastry "ball" is more than 1/2 the size of the full. PaulJ -- There was an excellent salmon appetizer that I remember being very onctuous. I wonder if the sous vide/vaccum packing process was used for that? I'd be interested in hearing about all dishes you can describe, when you have a chance. For example, lobster is a well-prepared dish at Boyer. I wonder whether any special procedures are involved in its preparation. What did you think of Thierry (Boyer's right-hand person in the kitchen) -- it's fairly clear that he will take over when Boyer retires. When you have a chance, could you describe what "formal" meals in the actual dining room were included in your Ecole des Chefs program? Did you get to sit in the little semi-circular pavillon-like area in the room to the left-hand-most-side of the dining areas, with significant glass windows and encircled by potted flowers? Did you take aperatifs in the very large backside area overlooking expanses of lawn?

I have visited La Celle and Bastide during the last year. In my assessment, La Celle offers better food than Bastide, even though it is the latter that recently garnered a Michelin star. In fact, B Witz (the chef formerly at Bastide) is now at La Celle. Neither place offers particularly good food, but note I have not particularly liked Ducasse's style at any of his establishments.

Beachfan --

Rosie -- When you have a chance, please describe what charity event you will be attending and whether members of the public are permitted to participate (incl., as relevant, cost, date and location details).

Jinmyo -- Yes, I am surprised every time I visit Patria that I still enjoy it. Cello would be much more along the lines of restaurants I typically appreciate. I have visited Patria around six or seven times over the course of time. Note I do tend to order the same types of dishes -- the beef and the ceviches.