cabrales

Jinmyo -- Please don't worry. I chose Esca not only because the crudos interested me, but also because I liked certain Babbo meals I had had a while ago (no recent visits to date). Sampling a dish is part of a process; sometimes the substantive outcome is undesirable (as in this case), but that does not detract from the appropriateness of the process.

Not only soaked in oil, but in a heavy-consistency oil that was likely to overwhelm the flavors of many fish varieties. Also, use of the same oil in all three parts of the flight of crudos. :confused:

Below are the dark chocolates included in the chocolate tasting (the pieces were expertly cut for sharing by ahr/Alan): (1) Payard -- Palet d'Or: Dark chocolate ganache infused with crushed coffee beans and rum covered in dark chocolate and finished with 18K gold leafing [in speckles] -- Picasso: Dark chocolate ganache infused with earl grey tea, wrapped in dark chocolate (2) Martine's -- Piano: Soft butterscotch caramel -- Oval (shaped like a sea shell): Double chocolate truffle (3) Pierre Herme-Wegman's (order of tasting may have differed slightly from sequence below) -- Deep Indulgence: Dark chocolate ganache, dark chocolate coated -- Regina: Rasberry and dark chocolate ganache, dark chocolate coated -- Perlia: Chocolate caramel ganache, dark chocolate coated -- Finesse: Hazelnut gianduja with toasted, salted peanuts, dark chocolate covered -- Rovival: Praline with toasted almonds, dark chocolate coated -- Esmeralda: Pistachio flavored almond paste, dark chocolate coated (4) La Maison du Chocolat -- Yoko: Tea infusion flavored ganache -- Bacchus: Ganache with raisins flambeed in rum -- Zagora: Fresh mint infusion flavored ganache -- Garrigue: Fennel infusion flavored ganache -- Andalousie: Lemon infused ganache (5) Valrona Chocolate Bars, courtesy of Sandra Levine -- 71% Bar -- 56% Bar -- Unspecified lower percentage Many thanks to other participants for their company and their food and wine contributions.

I'd appreciate it if, in discussing the evolution of Indian cuisine taken in at restaurants or at home, members could include a description of the service expected to be associated with that cuisine. For example, at the private banquets that Suvir has described, are there "full-time helpers" attending to each guest's every need? Other themes potentially worth consideration: (1) How do Indians tend to view their cuisine (e.g., refinement, complexity, range) relative to other Asian cuisines and to European cuisines? (2) Has there been a fusion-like trend of incorporating European ingredients, or a trend towards foods that require less time to prepare and/or consume? If not, could there be such a trend as time progresses? (3) In connection with Indian weddings, I have heard of celebrations spanning several days. Could the sharing of food during weddings and other special events (e.g., holidays) result in meals melding into one another, and what effect (if any) has that tendency had on the evolution of Indian cuisine? Suvir -- I do not intend to add to the items for your consideration and for the consideration of other members by adding the above factors. :confused:

Steve Klc -- On why I chose not to post a detailed review, let's just say that it would not have been pretty. For a chef whom I thought was capable of much, Bouley (or his team) did not offer a dinner that impressed in *any material* way. The wait was an issue (around 45 minutes), and the service (except at the maitre d'/captain level) was poor. Finally, I only had an appetizer, entree and dessert and not the prix fixe menu which would have permitted more extensive tasting. You are accurate that I am familiar with Bouley's prior work. However, I have not taken, and do not take, notes or photograph at Bouley. Since my visits to "old Bouley", which I deem the relevant point for comparison (as the bakery was just not the same), my cuisine preferences and expectations have changed in a material way. Thus, it's hard for me to gauge my old assessments of excellence against conclusions based on my subjective preferences today. That's perhaps a long-winded way of saying that I think I have changed considerably as a diner since the "old Bouley" was operating.

I stopped by Aquagrill recently to inquire about the varieties of oysters available at this time. I was having lunch at Fiamma Osteria, which is directly adjacent to Aquagrill. The variety of oysters, particularly from the West coast of the US and Canada, was interesting. Here were the oysters available at the restaurant on a particular day: -- Blue Point -- Connecticut -- Pearl Point;Willapa bay -- Oregon -- Cortes Island; Fanny Bay; Malaspina; Chefs Creek; Royal Miyagi; Viking Bay -- British Columbia, Canada -- Samish; Sisters Point; Nootka; Hama Hama; Hood Canal XL; Westcott Bay -- Washington -- Belon; Belon XL; Pemaquid -- Maine -- Duxbury -- Massachusetts -- Moonstone -- Rhode Island An oyster sampler of one of each oyster was $47.50 per person. The oysters a la carte were priced from $1.65 to $2.50 per oyster, with most being at or above $2.00. Do members have input on the oysters at Aquagrill? I may be able to report soon. The restaurant offers one of my preferred bottles of less expensive white wine -- Didier Dagueneau's Pouilly Fume, "Pur Sang" (in this case, 2000 for $68).

Apologies if these questions highlight my lack of knowledge regarding Indian cuisine. I wonder the extent to which religion (e.g., Hinduism) and societal structure (e.g., greater number of children per family on average than typically found in certain non-Asian societies; historical role of caste) have influenced the development of Indian cuisine over time. Also, I would be interested in better understanding whether the relatively low representation of women among top-tier chefs is also present in India. (I am building up over a long period of time to address this question in the context of restaurants located in France.)

I had a disappointing dinner at Bouley (relative to my very high expectations, to be clear) recently. The meal represented my first experience at the "new" Bouley (the non-bakery predecessor of which used to be my favorite restaurant in the US). I will not furnish a write-up until after several more visits, as this is a restaurant on which I would not like to make a hasty assessment. In the meantime, below is the Spring & Early Summer Menu 2002 of the restaurant: Appetizers Panache of three salads: roasted foie gras with quince puree and fresh cherries; frciassee of porcini, hen of the woods and shiitake mushrooms; satay of scuba dived sea scallops and Flordia shrimp with fresh bay leaf sauce (23) Return from Chiang Mai: chilled Maine lobster, mango, fresh artichoke and Serrano ham, passion fruit, fresh coconut and tamarind dressing (16) Tuna sashimi with shaved fennel, dressed in herb oils and spicy marinade (14) Dairy Free Ravioli of Scallops, served with lemon thyme and foie gras sauce (22) Chilled Seattle golden creek, Maine belon, Blue Point and Kumamoto oysters on the half shell, wine and shallot dressing (16) Grilled eggplant terrine with red bell pepper, Italian parsley sauce (14) Steamed Malibu sea urchins served with Kaffir lime, shiso and baby celery leaves, Oscetra caviar (18) Spring garlic soup with South African porcini mushrooms (12) Salad of smoked trout with green apple, avocado and celery dressing (12) Ceviche of scuba dived sea scallops with Asian pear, fresh pomelo and Meyer lemon dressing (16) Japanese yellowtail with Cavaillon melon, hon-shimeji mushrooms, ginger aromatic sauce (16) Entrees Roasted monkfish with a fricassee of wild mushrooms and fresh artichokes (32) European turbot steamed with wild ramps, hen of the woods mushrooms and geoduck clams (34) Roasted wild salmon with a pecan crust, sweet corn, organic sorrel, a sugar corn and early garlic sauce (34) Maine lobster with sweet peas, fava beans, haricots verts, pinot wine sauce (36) Black bass prepared in a scallop crust with white asparagus, salsify, jasmine rice and sauce Bouillabaisse with Tahitian vanilla (34) Eraly season soft shell crabs with a coconut tempura, crispy cabbage, spicy citrus dressing (36) Pennsylvania all natural chicken, steamed in buttermilk and porcini mushrooms, green and white asparagus, my grandmother's prune and leek potato gratin (34) Long Island duckling with Acacia honey glaze, spring wheat berries, garlic chives and ginger, green tomato chutney (32) Rack and loin of Colorado lamb, roasted with young carrots, turnips and roma beans, zucchini mint sauce (36) Roast venison filet, with a crust of black trumpet mushrooms (36) Seattle, Washington Kobe beef with Asian celery puree and horseradish sauce (56) Cheese (18) Desserts Warm pine nut tart, with apple lemon grass sauce, mint, vanilla and white asparagus ice cream (12) [Note utilization of vegetable in ice cream, relevant for purposes of another thread] Apple orchard prize, slowly baked apples with caramel and phyllo crunch, cinnamon ice cream (!2) Pineapple carpaccio with cilantro and lime sorbet (9) Creme brulee infused with Tahitian vanilla, cassonade crust (11) Chocolate frivolous. Bittersweet chocolate tart, chocolate souffle, chocolate creme brulee and chocolate parfait, pistachio and coffee ice creams (14) Sweet pleasures. Fine leaves of milk chocolate; milk chocolate ganache and chantilly; light crisp pralin on a toasted hazelnut Dacquoise (12) Tahitian vanilla-carolina rice pudding, with fresh blackberries, blueberries and golden plums, sorbet of ten exotic fresh fruit flavors (11) Hote Valrhona chocolate souffle, with prune Armagnac, maple and vanilla ice creams, chocolate sorbet (13) Fresh Rhubarb and Meyer Lemon parfait with strawberries and rhubarb, cherry and litchi sorbets (12) Note there is also a $75 prix fixe dinner.

Steve -- In the period surrounding your birthday, did you open any special bottles (including in connection with home cooking)? Also, when you have a chance, at which restaurant do you have the fondest memories of having celebrated any birthday?

Wilfrid and I had a poor lunch at Esca today, at prices that could have purchased better food. The restaurant was very slow during lunch, but we did not mind as we were happily chatting away. The amuse was bruscetta with a blush-colored smearing of mackerel mixed with soft beans. It was average. We each ordered the crudo appetizer consisting of three small (i.e., quantities comparable to 1-1.5 sashimi slices each) servings of the raw items described below. The three items were lodged in indentations along a single translucent long, rectangular glass plate, with crushed ice for visual effect beneath. (1) Tilefish with sea salt -- This was poor; too heavily salted by a considerable margin. Wilfrid and I agreed that the ability to sample the flesh of the tilefish was precluded by the overslating. There also appeared to be a bit of pepper in this item. The three crudos all were weighed down by a relatively thick-consistency olive oil that, to me, was unattractive. The utilization of the olive oil in all three also made the three less distinct than one would have liked. (2) Fluke with sea beans and radish -- This crudo was the best of the three presented. Nonetheless, it was slightly oversalted, and was nothing special. The sea beans were fine, and the thin slices of small radish mitigated against the saltiness. (3) Yellowtail -- This was alright, and had an interesting textural component from the bit of creamy item on top of the fish fillet. I was disappointed with the crudos. The lobster spaghetti with chilli and mint I ordered was passable. The lobster was described as being from Maryland, and as being 1 lb. The meat was not overcooked, and was appropriate (but nothing special). Pieces of lobster were presented in their shell, cut into sections. The pasta was alright, and did carry a taste of shellfish and some type of alcohol that was not unappealing. It was a tomato-based sauce, and the mint was appropriately subdued (but capable of being tasted). An average entree. Unfortunately, Wilfrid's bacalau (sic) -- salted cod -- was very pooor. The dish was described as cold marinated salted cod. Small square filets of the salted cod was presented in cold temperature, with dashes of balsamic vinegar that could not assist with the significant over-salted taste of the fish. Wilfrid has acknowledged, upon ordering, that salted cod is a dish that does not always get executed properly, but this was poor indeed. Two quartini of Italian whites (including the Arneis I had had last time) were shared. The shared dessert was a trio of sorbets. The rasberry rhubarb did not contain rhubarb tastes, and was so-so. The lemon campari was nice, but the best was the pink grapefruit. Fresh and gentle-tasting. Overall, a disappointing meal. :confused:

I wonder if members who drive following a meal might adopt the arguably limited strategy of "front-loading" their wine consumption during a meal (e.g., taking aperatifs and several glasses early on). :confused:

As members may know, the appropriate ingredients for a traditional bouillabaisse are discussed in Waverley Root's "The Food of France". The necessity of rascasse is also discussed in Craig Claiborne's Food Encyclopedia (1985): "Mr. Root rather strictly outlines the definition of a genuine bouillabaisse . . . he declares that there is one fish imperative to a proper bouillabaisse and that is rascasse or devil fish [aka scorpion fish], and the remainder of the catch may be somewhat free-wheeling but bearing such names of conger (conger eel) and grondin (sea tobin) . . . . A true bouillabaisse, he concludes, must be made exclusively with fish from the Mediterranean. I do not dispute Mr. Root and his conclusions, but I feel strongly that by using local fish from the Atlantic and Pacific shores of the United States you can produce a 'soupe de poissons' that would be a peer of the finest bouillabaisse."

SobaAddict70 -- That's my impression as well (but not with respect to the reference to "trash", necessarily). The point of my question is that a dish should not be called a "traditional" bouillabaisse when bouillabaisse (at least in Marseilles) traditionally includes specified ingredients, including scorpionfish. And when I ask a dining room team member questions that probe relatively well-known facts like that, he should respond with knowledge (or at least not be dismissive of the question).

Bux -- Perhaps my expectations are unrealistic and/or my tastes are quirky (which I have noted several times on the board). The chocolates remain to be sampled Sunday by a group of members. We will try to let the couverture chocolates melt in our mouths, as Claudia Fleming and her chocolate tasting group were described as doing in the past year with respect to Martine's, Pierre Herme Wegman's, La Maison du Chocolat and Godiva's. I thought Payard a more interesting inclusion than Godiva's. I am going to bring a bottle of Evian (flat probably better in this context) for my use before/during/after the chocolate samplings. The macarons at Payard were better than those at Fauchon-NY. (Note the cashier at Fauchon-NY indicated that macarons and certain other items had been shipped from Paris in assembled form -- ?) Note I did not sample any of Payard's menu desserts or patisseries. They could be good, even though they do not sound as interesting as Herme's (but whose items would, speaking of patissiers that are not also chefs of savory items?).

Below is the entry under beer in Craig Claiborne's Food Encyclopedia (1985): "Beer is often called for as a liquid in recipes, and it does, of course, contribute a slightly different flavor, although the difference is not a matter of pronounced bitterness. I prefer to cook shrimp in beer if I want a platter of boiled shrimp. . . . Beer is also used in a batter for deep-frying. In this case the beer substitutes for yeast as a mild leavening agent. The best-known main course prepared with beer is the cabonnade flammande of Belgian cuisine. There is also a beer soup, but the samples that I have tasted are nothing I would recommend. It is said to be a German specialty consisting of a light beer thickened with potato flour. Flavored with lemon peel and various spices, including cinnamon, it is sweetened with sugar and served hot with pieces of fried bread."

Below are the appetizers and entrees not ordered: Chilled green asparagus soup with croutons and a thyme cream ($7) Warm green lentil and skate salad, frisee, watercress and ginger-scallion dressing (12) Potato "tourte" layered with goat's milk brie and toasted walnuts (12) Seafood salad with Maine crab meat, baby shrimp, squid, pink grapefruit and green asparagus (13) Green asparagus ravioli with English peas, pea shoots, fava beans and hon shimeji mushrooms (13) (I wonder if these are equivalent to shimeji mushrooms) Twice baked upside down cheese souffle, light parmesan cream sauce, white truffle oil (12) Specialty of the House Terrine of homemade foie gras with pickled pearl onions and toasted country bred (17) Sauteed Daurade (this is sea bream), rice crust (26) Sauteed Arctic char, fricassee of radishes, baby turnips, heart of romaine, pearl onions and a sorrel sauce (26) Peppered NY sirloin steak with homemade french fries (29) Roasted whole squab with various ingredients (28) Roasted stuffed farm-raised chicken with garlic-mashed potatoes and a wild mushroom jus (24; my dining companion ordered this; its appearance was not appetizing, and the taste of the chicken was unduly dry and overcooked) Roasted rack of lamb, garlic-herb crust, fvricasse of morels (33) There was a six-course tasting menu for $65 (?; please verify before reliance), and possibley a pre-theater menu. There was also a section on special seasonal ingredients, including Hawaiian white tuna that the maitre d' recommended. He described the tuna has having been flown in overnight from those islands. I rarely order tuna as a main. My observation is that tuna is not frequently seem on French menus at top restaurants in France as a main. Note that Payard's leaflet describes a Madeleine Flowerpot Centerpiece ("a beautiful, as well as delicious, contribution to any special event, such as weddings, baby or bridal showers and birthday parties"). If the flowers are made from madeleine-like materials, this item might be a possible gift for a foodie significant other or spouse. Call 212-717-5252 ext 193 for details (please verify before reliance; cost unspecified). Somehow, a meal at a restaurant seems much better than a Madeleine flowerpot. Finally, for parties at home, Payard offers nice looking canapes. They are small squares of equal size, and can be set beside one another in a patchwork, geometric pattern. The cost is unknown.

I had dinner at Payard Patisserie & Bistro recently. The food was poor, and the desserts offered by the bistro were not sufficiently appealing-sounding for me to order that course. This visit was my second, with my initial visit a number of months ago having been disappointing. I doubt I will need to visit again. :confused: Warm Crispy Pig's Feet, Haricots Verts and Frisee Salad with Shallots ($11.00) Traditional Bouillabaisse of Chilean Sea Bass, Mussels, Clam and Squid (25.00) 1/2 Mersault, Moill____ (or similar name) late 90s (35.00) The pig's feet were prepared somewhat unusually. The gelatinous portions of the feet had been separated from the bones (not included), and formed into a somehwat flat circular-shaped disc (like the shape of a medium-sized scallop). The disc had then been deep-fried. Three discs surrounded a large salad of decent haricots verts and frisee. There was appropriate acidity to the salad. The pig's feet discs were so-so, although they were aided by the shallots (mixed with a bit of vinegar and utilized almost as a sauce). It was the bouillabaisse that convinced me that Payard's executive chef, Philippe Bertineau (formerly of Daniel), needs to improve his cuisine. The liquid base was fine -- an orangish color that had graininess (not in a bad way) and reminded me of a cross between fish stock and shellfish stock. However, the pieces of fish included inside this moderately thick base did not taste particularly fresh (not that they were stale) and had been overcooked by some margin. The taste of Chilean Sea Bass could not be discerned, and my assessment of the imposter-like (in taste; not an allegation the fish was not utilized) pieces in the bouillabaisse was rendered more harsh by my recollection of the bordering-on-very good Chilean Sea Bass taken at Cello recently. In addition, there were pieces of a bland white fish and mediocre salmon in the bouillabaisse, as well as small mussels that tasted fishy (in a bad way) and a single passable clam. The squid were in tiny rings, and had no meaningful taste. The aioli was not noteworthy. I left over 1/2 of the dish uneaten. The dish lacked many of the ingredients deemed a component of "traditional" bouillabaisse, as its name touted, including rascasse (scorpion-fish) in the case of the traditional Marseilles example. I was not tempted by the desserts (which included a warm banana tart with white chocolate mousse, upside down bittersweet dark chocolate souffle pistachio ice cream, kafir lime leaves and blueberry creme brulee, and macarons). It was a reflection of the poor quality of the savory dishes that I had no desire to sample dessert at the bistro of a reknown (at least in New York) patissier. However, a review of the names of the desserts made clear that Payard's creations are not "pushing the envelope" in the way that Herme's are. Overall, a poor meal. The prices, while not expensive, could buy better food elsewhere (including at db bistro moderne, where there is also a less formal atmosphere). Background The bistro is lodged on two floors behind a large entryway that houses the patisserie/chocolate shop. There are little round tables in the middle of such shop for clients to sample patisseries or drink coffee. The patisseries in the glass cases looked decent, but their descriptions also seemed less compelling than Herme's offerings. (I appreciate that Herme is a very high standard.) The chocolates were named after artists (in the conventional sense of the term, to be clear) and were as follows: Picasso: Early Grey Ganache Gaughin: Kirsch and Grand Marnier Matisse: Peanut Praline Orange Fragonard: Chocolate Orange Peel Bonnard: Caramel Ganache Rocher Noir Chagall: Praline Wafer Van Gogh: Almond Paste Pistachio Renoir: Cinnamon Ganache Rodin: Rasberry Ganache Degas: Coffee Ganache Mediant Blanc, Mediant Noir Muscadine Chocolate Truffles More of the described chocolates were based on milk chocolate than is customary for a top chocolatier in France. I bought the Picasso and another dark chocolate-based variety to include in Sunday's chocolate degustation. That degustation now will include (1) Payard, (2) Pierre Herme -- Wegman's, (3) Martine's, and (4) La Maison du Chocolate, and will focus largely on dark chocolate. I also sampled the blueberry macaron (a pale lavendar/blue color that was beautiful, but with an artificial-tasting jam in between the halves instead of a creamier mixture) and the coffee macaron (not poor, but no Herme!). The macarons were approximately $1-1.50 each. Other flavors included chocolate, pistachio and coconut. The Payard macarons were a bit better than the macarons at Fauchon -- NY, but were not appealing in taste. Decor and Service Except for the maitre d's assitance, the service was mediocre. When I called for a reservation, the friendly reception spoke French and French was also spoken by the maitre d' upon my arrival. It appeared promising. However, while certain waiters were fluent in French, others only pretended to be fluent. For example, one pretended to understand what water I was ordering, but did not know that my question regarding the availability of Badoit (which is almost never offered in NYC restaurants) referred to a brand of water. He said "gazeuse?" (sparkling?), and I thought he was asking about the version of Badoit I had ordered, and said yes. Imagine my amusement when the individual brought Pellegrino. When I asked a different waiter if the bouillabaisse had scorpion fish, it was clear he did not understand the context of my question. He said, "no -- it's bouillabaisse"! (By this time, I had switched to speaking English). The decor is average, for a bistro-like restaurant. The wine list was below-average for a non-bistro restaurant.

Simon -- When you have a chance, please consider providing an update on how you are

Steve P & lizziee -- Did the French police use a device for arguably more precisely measuring alcohol levels, or just ask for physical and/or mental task performance? On the latter, members with decent tolerance would have more of a chance after meals.

lizziee -- How would lunches be addressed? Would one diner refrain from drinking meaningfully? I have, from time to time, utilized trains or, in very limited circumstances, taxis (with resulting higher cost).

How do members address the problem of having taken in wine during a meal if there is a need (for one diner at least) to drive thereafter? I either travel on my own, or have traveling companions who are not eager to forego wine. :confused:

robert and Susan brown and I had dinner at Joe's Shanghai, midtown, last night. While I remain of the belief that the only reason to visit JS is for the soup dumplings, below is a description of other dishes sampled (names of dishes not from menu): (1) Vegetarian Duck Appetizer Spicy White Cabbage Appetizer The vegetarian duck was less tasty that some I have had elsewhere. Nonetheless, it was not poor, and the diners agreed it had a nice smokey aspect to it for some reason. While the use of bean curd skin, bamboo ingredients (described, but not clear in taste in the dish) and sliced mushrooms was to be expected in this dish, the skin of the vegetarian duck represented a considerably larger percentage of the total item than I had expected. The spicy white cabbage was appropriate -- the sweetness in the cole-slaw-like pieces of cabbage was pleasant, and the spiciness appeared only very sporadically. (2) Sharks' Fin Soup We shared one order of sharks' fin soup, which appeared in a ceramic jar with a lid. The soup was appropriately thick in consistency and intense. There was a clear meat stock grounding for the soup, but its taste suggested that meat could have been chicken or beef. Discerning the base was rendered more difficult by the fact that there were some connotations of the use of soy sauce (rather limited) in the soup (not in a bad way). Nonetheless, a decent soup if one is not looking to sample sharks' fin. There were strands, and the texture of, sharks' fin in the soup, but it was not necessarily of the highest quality (consistent with the pricing of the item) and was not the prominent feature of the soup in our assessment. (3) 2 orders, Soup Dumplings with Crabmeat and Pork -- Need I say more on this dish? I didn't discern a reduced quality relative to a recent sampling of the same item in Chinatown. There appeared to be less "soup" than in Chinatown, but I have had slightly different soup quantities in either place. Perhaps more on the "soup" inside the dumpling -- There is a certain, non-greasy oiliness or lusciousness to the soup that appeals. Even though I have historially not had problems with breakages of soup dumplings (it happened from time to time, of course), during the meal, Bux's post made me more conscious of why I have not had such problems and I was a bit more concerned about avoiding breakage. The strongest part of the soup dumpling is the little "gathered"/"puckered" tip that represents the "tallest" part of the dumpling. This is the area where the "dough" for the dumpling was closed. Breakage problems can be reduced by using the tongs to gently grip part of the puckered area. Breakage might be induced by the dumpling having a clingy piece of green cabbage next to it (to the extent it is a dumpling placed near the edges of the round steamer container). Quick clearing of adjacent cabbage areas (but not the cabbage below, obviously, the dumpling) with the tongs might help reduce breakage. (4) Squid with Peppery Salt Tofu with Crabmeat Our dining party considered ordering an interesting-sounding eel dish, but balked at the indication that the eel was frozen. We opted instead for curled squid. The peppery salt was not added in undue quantities; it was integrated into the light batter surrounding the pieces of squid. Initially, we thought the squid was perhaps a bit "mushier" than we would have liked, but we did not necessarily think that by the end of the meal. The tofu/crabmeat dish which is listed as the last item under "Joe's Exotic [!] Specialties" on the menu is not the tofu/crabmeat dish I had sampled previously (the previous dish utilized the yellow-colored, with roe and jus presumably, crabmeat included in soup dumplings). The crabmeat dish we received was less aggressively flavored (not in a bad way), with peas and more neutral saucing. The strands of crabmeat were appropriate, and the tofu was quite soft and smooth. One significant difference between JS Manhattan Chinatown and JS Midtown is the latter's wine list (and "normal" cocktails selection). We had a Macon Village that the restaurant had appropriately chilled with our meal. There was more than one bottle on the wine list that we considered acceptable. Overall, the party enjoyed the soup dumplings considerably. Some of the other dishes exceeded my own low expectations concerning non-dumpling items at JS

In the Northwest, what is the duration of the period during which CRS is available retail? Also, does CRS king roe (or CRS sockeye roe) taste special (the former was available earlier this week at Esca, NYC)?

I'd appreciate member input on what restaurants offer good cuisine in Carlsbad, CA, or in nearby San Diego. Note trips south of the border are not contemplated.

Liza -- What is "VIP"?