Mark Sommelier

No.

Bingo! I agree with you, too, Michael.

I am. It sucks ventworm nut! (however, I did enjoy Ronnie Mervis' comments today) ← Agreed.

Thunderbird and Cheetos. What could be a better pairing than that?

Multiply the bottle cost by 5 and divide by 16 to get your drink price. Round it up to the nearest dollar. This ain't rocket science......

. . . . ← I've had but one meal at the Beard House and I didn't think it offered great value, but it's a charitable institution and value is not necessarily the reason to eat there. Interestingly enough, I had a dish there that I had previously eaten in the restaurant whose executive chef and sous chef were cooking that day. The biggest difference between the preparation of the dish at the Beard House and as served in the restaurant was the amount of foie gras in the stuffing. The restaurants donate all the food as well as the talent. Although the chefs complained about the facilities and the kitchen, they were able to replicate the quality of the restaurant's cooking. Sometimes Fat Guy nails the situation. An experienced and accomplished chef can produce great food under less than stellar conditions. ← Some of this is true, Mr. Buxbaum. Did you know that sometimes the restaurants have all the food that they are going to present at the Beard house donated to them? The wine, too. The kitchen is notoriously small. Everyone attending the dinner has to pass through the kitchen. It isn't a lot of fun. There is some kind of exchange of money between chef and Beard house, but it isn't much and it isn't clear for what.

Charles, Rutabagas, like every other thing, taste good as long as you use enough BUTTER

Thanks, John.

Attention Michael Ruhlman! This should be the subject of your next book. Famous Chef's Walk-ins. Yikes!

It's called a sauce spoon. In a formal French restaurant a clean one should be on the table throughout the meal.

I think the more fundamental question is, why is it such an affront to a chef to have someone lean on the pass? Should I take offense next time someone comes to talk to me and puts a hand on my desk? This is the stuff that gives chefs the rep of being more high strung than thoroughbreds. Get over yourself for godsake. ← What I find bewildering is why DP chose to slap the kid's hand rather than, in the grand tradition of chefs since time immemorial, shout in a voice loud enough to be heard by the folks in the parking lot "Get your freakin' hand off the freakin' pass before I fire your freakin' freak-a-deak ass".

As a student in Vienna many years ago, Zu dem Drei Husaren was always a special treat. It was the first really luxurious meal I can remember. They had a spectacular rolling buffet that came to the table before you ordered main courses. I cracked up when the waiter carved my knodl (dumpling) tableside. Great fun was the Augustinerkeller, under the Augustiner museum near the Staatsoper.

These guys are more than just bartenders: Flair Bartenders The bartenders at Kahunaville in the TI hotel in Las Vegas could do this stuff. It was amazing.

I ate at the Bristol last year and was completely blown away. The setting, service and above all the food were magnificent. It definitely ranks as one of the great meals of my life. Raphael was exceedingly gracious, and we were given a tour of the kitchen and summer garden, plus a souvenir book about the history of the hotel. Every aspect of the dinner from start to finish was perfect.

In Europe, McDonald's used to charge for ketchup.

I was there last month. Across the street from the school is L'Entrecote. They serve one thing there: steak and frites. 16 Euros. Excellent sliced entrecote with great fries, quick service, extremely busy. A must try is La Tupina. Great, simple Southwest cooking. I liked it so much, we ate there twice in 3 days. It's on the Quai de la Monnaie near the river. There are plenty of simple bistros along the pieton just past the Grande Theatre de Bordeaux.

Thought the piece was "fair and balanced". DG's has been having some problems of late and D seems bitter. ← David has been gone from DG for quite a while.

I once read that Champagne goes with EVERYTHING. I take it you agree? ← Nope.

I feel the need to comment on this and the other recent comments about sous vide cooking. As someone who works in a restaurant that Monsieur Goussault has consulted in, I must re-iterate what Ms. Hesser's article itself stated: there is no boiling going on. This is very low temp cooking. It is much more complicated than just sealing food in a bag and heating it. There are many steps involved in the preparation of the foods involved, including searing in a pan at the start and before the food is served, cooling and heating in steps to achieve different effects. This insures the right texture and color. The temperatures involved are between 130 and 155 degrees Fahrenheit. I can personally attest that the results can be amazing and delicious if they are done correctly.

Well, "herb" in American English is "erb"; maybe someone pronounced "carb" that way, you know, "arb," and that kinda sounds like "erb." Or, then again, maybe not. ← The question was followed by "I'm on Atkins..." ← An Atkins story related to me by a server from another restaurant: Customer orders the steak and potatoes and says: "I'm on Atkins, so can you hold the potatoes and add extra steak?". Yeah, right.

France goes on vacation in August.

Michael, I used to go every summer with friends. I found that either the water was too cold or that it was infested with jellyfish. One summer our one week stay coincided with horseshoe crab moulting season - smelly crab shells all over the beach and also in the waves like flying samurai swords. The traffic, as you mention is atrocious on the weekend. Mid-week is much preferable. Once at Grotto is enough. Rehoboth did have my favorite all-time restaurant name, though. A Chinese restaurant called "Wonton Desire".

Old Ebbitt Oceanaire Tosca (at the bar, maybe) New Big Wong in Chinatown (look at all the fish tanks, ask if Kim is working, she understands live food)

Here is the repsonse of the "other" board: Chickenhound