cabrales

Perhaps an egg or chicken dish, no?

lizziee -- Other examples of dishes being named after well-known diners/events include: (1) Current (pre-Ramsay) menu at The Connaught, London. It includes Consomme "Prince of Wales", Fillet of Angus beef "Aristolte Onasis", and Petit ouefs (eggs) de cailles "Arnold Bennett". http://www.savoy-group.com/connaug....te.html (2) Bocuse's Soupe aux Truffes V.G.E. (truffle soup in honor of former French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing) http://forums.egullet.org/ikonboa....8;st=60 (relevant page in "Chef of the Century" thread under "General Forum") (3) George Blanc's Bresse chicken dish that has G7 in its name, utilizing a foie gras-based sauce and named after a meeting of the G7 leaders. (4) Le Gavroche in London is reported to omelette Rothschild (?) as a dessert. This stems from M Roux, senior's (of Waterside Inn, Bray) former cooking affiliation with Cecile of such family. http://www.asiacuisine.com.sg/Nacws/1998/5/267/ (5) All-Star Cafe -- Certain menu items are noted to be favorites of certain sports star owner/affiliates.

I had another meal at Grand Central Oyster Bar recently. The oysters were at the same general level, except the Kumamotos were again good. I tried Bluepoints and wild Belons. This time, I sat at the bar area closest to where Oyster Bar employees were shucking. However, it is not practicable to speak with them directly, although they were clearly within view. I asked a server, who again seemed stretched with respect to coverage, and was recommended the Bluepoints. I tried the restaurant's caviar sandwich ($8-9) for the first time. Toasted, with a sturgeon caviar grade that fell below Sevruga (expectedly, given the price). There was a generous amount of lower-quality, but not unappealing, caviar and an appropriate amount of diced hard-boiled egg between the pieces of toast. For some reason, the sandwich was average-plus. I drank a Sauvignon Blanc from France by the glass that was average. As of earlier this week when I visited, the restaurant still offered Copper River Salmon. I had thought we were past the season for that particular item, or very close to it.

Bapi -- The largest picture in the NYT article is one of Bosi's cauliflower soup in an eggshell, to which you referred. The veloute is served inside an eggshell, which itself is perched on a base of salt. Julienne of truffles appear to be draped over the top of the eggshell. I have never eaten in Ludlow, and the above description is only from the picture.

There is a chapter by Kenneth Roberts (1955) on "The Marrowbone Matter" in "Endless Feasts: Sixty Years of Writing From Gourmet" (ed. Ruth Reichl 2002). "I have three marrow spoons . . . at one end is a shallow bowl [?] three-quarters of an inch wide and two to three inches long. At the other end is an even narrower bowl -- more of a scoop than a spoon -- only a quarter of an inch wide and three to four inches long. The larger bowl is, of course, for spooning marrow from large-tubed marrowbones. The smaller is for poking marrow past the osseous obstructions that frequently and irritatingly crop up in even the best and largest marrowbones." "My research into the mysteries of marrowbones led me into an intricate correspondence with dietitians and experts on fats. What was the relationship, I wished to know, between marrow and the ordinary fat around the edges of a steak or a chop? . . . ." There is a marked difference in my book. What do members think?

Yesterday's NYT Dining section had a 3/4 page article on Hill (Merchant House), Bradley (Mr Underhill's) and Bosi (Hibiscus) in Ludlow. Entitled "An Astonishment of Riches In a Tiny English Town". The article notes that culinary tourist numbers are growing, and the three restaurants have approx. 21 tables combined. Without connotations I agree, below are excerpts from the article: -- "For a country that has not entirely shaken a reputation, now undeserved [not implying due to the efforts the three described chefs, I hope], for dreadful food, the cluster of stars in Ludlow is a phenomenon worth exploring. They define a hub of culinary excellence of the sort one might expect to discover in France but surely not in a nation where sweets are called puddings and bubble and squeak is the name of a national dish." -- "'I think Claude [bosi] will have two stars before too long,' said Mr. Hill, of the Merchant House, exhibiting the generosity that is typical of the three chefs here but would be an anomaly elsewhere. 'It's quite odd,' said Mr. Bradley of Underhill's. 'We socialize. It's rare in England. In Suffolk, where we were before, it was tremendously cutthroat. This is a rare opportunity to walk over to another Michelin-starred restaurant.' And so they do, eating at one another's places several times a year [each is one-starred]. If Hibiscus offers Parisian haute couture, both the MErchant House and Mr. Underhill's are Saville Row, serving the chefs' interpretations of modern British cooking." -- "As in all such constellations, it is unclear how long Ludlow will keep its three stars. Mr. Bosi has professed an interest in moving on. Mr. Bradley would like a larger place. And Mr. Hill said he has no grand plan to stay. Wise diners will book accordingly, before the night sky changes conce again."

Opentable appears to have a program similar to frequent flyers, involving dining checks. "Dining Cheques are gift certificates from OpenTable which can be redeemed at OpenTable restaurants nationwide." 100 Points is earned for each reservation made through the site. The redemption amounts are as follows: 1,000 Points = $10 Dining Cheque 2,500 Points = $25 Dining Cheque 5,000 Points = $50 Dining Cheque 10,000 Points = $100 Dining Cheque 300 Points are awarded for registration. So, with each visit, presumably, one is earning $1 towards a dining check. Less than what one might tip a coatcheck person. Also query whether one would want to use a dining check when one is visiting a restaurant with which one is attempting to develop familiarity. Perhaps the check could be utilized while sampling a new restaurant that one doubts has good cuisine. :confused: Note some interesting restaurants are included in the opentable network. Annisa, Union Pacific, Lespinasse and db bistro moderne are among the restaurants one can book online now. ADNY, Cello and Daniel had "coming soon" annotations next to them on the opentable site.

Rail Paul -- To clarify, is the tracking of information about clients specific to a given restaurant? For example, if I dine at Restaurant A, which uses opentable and which notes my preferences, I assume that Restaurant B using the same software does not receive the information collected by Restaurant A. Do members know whether all restaurants that rely on opentable to accept some reservations have the tracking software? In other words, is the tracking an integral part of the software or an additional, purchased add-on? Hmm -- This might present opportunities to establish oneself as a recognized diner at places at Daniel (although the Bruno Jamais problem might still exist). :confused: Also, are members who are affiliated with restaurants aware of ways in which Amex can be helpful in obtaining reservations, apart from the platinum reservations service?

lizziee -- Do you know what Ludovic Lefevre might have left L'Orangerie for?

Lady T -- Thanks for your input. The Gourmet Cooking for Dummies book by Trotter appears quite informative (I have only read 2 chapters). I generally have decent ideas for dishes; my problem is lack of culinary skill.

I am about to cancel lunch reservations on Friday, July 5 at Pierre Gagnaire. If any member is interested in taking over the reservation (which could likely accommodate two through four persons), please Messenger me before noontime tomorrow.

Wilfrid -- Thank-you; I and others enjoyed the Riesling and the other bottles. Our dining party was happy that the wine we collectively brought matched the dishes which we took in, but of which we were unaware when choosing the BYO wine, well.

Michael Anthony, formerly sous-chef at March, won the First Annual Bertolli Sous Chef Awards. As reported by the spring issue of Art Culinaire, the runners-up were Gregory Short of the French Laundry and Stefano Zimei, formerly sous-chef and now executive chef at The Federalist in Boston. One of Anthony's creations photographed was the Smoked Salmon Belly with Avocado-Yogurt Puree an Pickled Watermelon. Note the utilization of pickled eggplant in the dish described by Food & Wine. I wonder what other uses pickling has at BH.

I have sampled a crudo dish as part of two separate meals. :confused:

Wilfrid -- I did not have temperature-related problems with the meal, and did not receive indications from robert or Susan on that front. Note we ordered primarily cold appetizers, and had the intermediate risotto course on its own. I ate the monkfish first, then the beef and finally the chicken. Taking in fish entrees first might, as you know, mitigate temperature-related problems.

lizziee -- Is there a related question as to how diners taking in meals at Gagnaire in Paris (or previously in St Etienne, although that is an arguably distinguishable context) view his cuisine? In other words, what is this chef's cuisine, even before the question of collaboration with another chef and the different geographic location are taken into account? :confused:

Rachel -- In view of the bone marrow thread, Jason might be intending another timetable for your revisit Wilfrid -- Yes, no meat appetizers. I'm glad robert, Susan and I chose the US belons (not as "thin" height-wise, with respect to the flesh as French belons, and more substantial; but good) and the Wellfleet oysters. The Glidden variety was so-so. The squid was appropriate, with little rings accompanied by olive oil and sufficiently spiced. The bread was unimpressive. With the appetizers, the party had 1992 Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs (not as nice as we would have hoped, although time opened helped). The party took the spring peas and proscuitto risotto as an intermediate course after the appetizers. This dish was significantly oversalted. The restaurant's presentation of all dishes in the center of the table facilitated sharing, and this occured with respect to the entrees and entree sides as well. The Porterhouse was good-to-very-good, substantial and with nice meat. We enjoyed it with the wine that I leave to robert to discuss. The bernaise accompanying the porterhouse was appropriate as well. This was perhaps the second-best dish of the evening, particularly given the two sections of bone marrow included. The monkfish was a disappointment, not because the flesh was poor or the cooking overdone. The composition of the dish was not appealing to me, given the dominance of tomato in the saucing. The combination, in the context prepared, did not work. The chicken was average, with crispy-ish skin and a sauce of medium consistency bearing a little bit of sweetness. I would not order either dish again. The sides were not impressive either. The hen of the woods, while appropriately cooked, was noticeably oversalted. The morels were soggy, immersed in a jus-based liquid that was itself unappealing. Due to my concentration on the steak, I did not meaningfully sample the fingerling potatoes. One of the desserts (the lemon one) was, unfortunately, the best dish of the evening in my assessment. Our party shared (1) mint chocolate chip ice cream, (2) a chocolate tart (which was inadequately described), and (3) a lemon steamed pudding, which was wonderful. We had wanted to order the chocolate souffle, which was described to us as requiring only 7 minutes of cooking time (due to some type of special machine?). Unfortunatley, it was sold out. Portion sizes were substantial. Service was fairly good, although we had to advise the dining room team of a significant understatement of our check. We had to wait around 10-15 minutes for our table, relative to the scheduled time. When we first arrived, the seats at the bar were all occupied. Overall, an average-plus meal, but only because of the Porterhouse and the lemon dessert. Otherwise, I would have rated the meal below-average relative to restaurants with its aspirations.

I don't think I need to taste the crudos again. I tasted three varieties (albeit somewhat similar in style) with Wilfrid, and then the goeyduck separately. All suffered from the same significant problems of heaviness in the EVOO and masking of the inherent tastes of the seafood. :confused:

Below is the current dinner menu at Craft ("*" denote dishes taken in during a recent meal with robert and Susan brown; overall assessment of the cuisine -- average-plus, with a good-plus Porterhouse and very good steamed lemon pudding): FIRST COURSES -- Fish & Shellfish Raw * Fisher's Island Oyster 3 * Wellfleet Oyster 3 * Belon Oyster 3 Glidden Point Oyster 3 Yellowfin Tuna 18 Hamachi 14 Cured/Marinated Arctic Char 13 * Squid 12 Sardines 14 -- Meat Charcuterie Proscuitto 12 Foie Gras Terrine 18 Duck Terrine 18 Rabbit Ballotine 13 Roasted Sweetbreads 12 Foie Gras 20 Quail 11 -- Salads Mizuna 12 Beets 12 Mixed Lettuce 12 Arugula 10 Frisee 12 Stringbeans 12 MAIN COURSES -- Fish & Shellfish Roasted Skate 22 Halibut 24 White King Salmon 26 Striped Bass 25 Braised Lobster 30 * Monkfish 26 Red Snapper 25 --Meat Roasted * Organic Chicken 24 Sirloin 35 Sweetbreads 24 Quail 26 Hangar Steak 22 Loin of Lamb 28 * Porterhouse for Two 72 Braised Beef Shortrib 24 Rabbit 26 SIDE DISHES -- Vegetables Roasted Asparagus 8 Red Peppers 7 Jerusalem Artichokes 7 Carrots 8 Spring Onions 7 Sauteed Spinach 7 Lambs Quarter 7 Sugar Snap Peas 8 Braised White Asparagus 12 Wax Beans 7 Spring Peas 8 * Spring Peas & Proscuitto Risotto 12 -- Mushrooms * Roasted Hen of the Woods 12 Roasted Shiitake 8 Marinated Chanterelles 10 Roasted Bluefoots 12 * Braised Morels 13 Truffle Vinaigrette 6 -- Potatoes Gnocchi 9 Puree 7 Gratin 7 Boulangeres 8 * Roasted Fingerlings 7 -- Grains & Beans Lentils 6 Farro 6 Soft Polenta 7 Marinated Chick Peas 7 The Current Chef's Tasting Menu ($85) is as follows: -- Marinated Squid, Marinated chick peas and arugula -- Roasted Halibut, braised sweet peas and braised morels -- Roasted Quail, sauteed lambs quarter and soft polenta -- Braised beef shortrib, braised wax beans and potato puree -- Balsamic Strawberries with vanilla ice cream -- Dessert sampler

I remain curious about the potential Gagnaire impact on Sketch. Do members have applicable updates?

On glenn's observations -- While I have not yet utilized opentable and do not know how Boulud currently deploys the system, below are certain excerpts on opentable from L Brenner, "The Fourth Star" (2002, addressing the 2000-2001 period): "Open Table is a computerized reservations system . . . if it words as planned, it will radically simplify keeping track of a wealth of information about customers -- everything from what they ate on their last visit to whether they're a journalist or a friend of one of the sous-chefs. Further down the road, customers will even be able to reserve a table on-line [this has already occurred]. The program will automatically print out soignes [guests to be accorded favorable treatment] . . . ."

Artusi -- Thank you

I'd appreciate learning what your favorite type(s) of egg might be. Is it chicken egg?

I attempted to prompt my recollection of desserts sampled at Park Avenue Cafe. One item is/was called perhaps "Opera in the Park" or "Park Avenue Park Bench" (?). The following website describes the dessert as being a chocolate concoction in the general shape of a park bench, with an edible lamppost. I very vaguely remember having sampled an interesting-looking dessert at Park Avenue Cafe some time ago. http://cuisinenet.com/info/cnetrst-319/?v=237

The 2002 NYT Guide contains the same favorable description of Esca. :confused: Note I use that guide more than Zagat or other US guides. I like the longer narrative, and the inclusion of certain dishes to consider sampling.