Mark Sommelier

In small independant restaurants, the staff meal is always the catalyst for animosity between the cooks and the waiters. I worked for many years in a culinary temple here in DC. One night the staff meal was roasted squab elbows. I called Dominos, and when the pizzas came refused to give the cooks a slice. Ha! Revenge! The sous chef at the time was Eric Ripert. The place that I am lucky enough to work at now is quite amicable.

I found these comments about Rocco's on Digital City: http://aolsvc.kw.digitalcity.com/newyork/d...ype=userreviews

Tj, The veal chop was on the menu last time I had lunch there - for $16!!! A whole veal chop pounded, breaded and sautéed. Yum. We went to Galileo mistakenly during RW last year. I had a great time - everyone else there looked miserable. Go figure.

Tj, go for lunch at Galileo and ask if they can make you a veal chop Milanese. Awesome dish, best deal in town. Don't go next week, though - Restaurant Week!

In Santa Barbara, go to Citronelle at the Santa Barbara Inn at breakfast time for the fresh baked croissants and the fabulous view of the ocean. For a great kick-back lunch, to to Brophy's on the pier for oyster shooters, a basket of fried shrimp and cold beers.

Curiously, I liked the first show. I actually wept when they played the Largo al Factotum from Rossini's "Il Barbiere di Sevilla" in the beginning with Rocco driving on the West Side Highway. I also wept during casting call segment. Been in the business for 35 years, couldn't help it. I've helped open several restaurants. Nothing sucks more.

Craig, Let's just say that part of my art is making certain that doesn't happen. Tj: click on the WWW link on my post.

A true story: I walked into a liquor store here in Washington, DC to buy a bottle of Dom Perignon for a friend whose wife had just had a baby. The year was 1979. Since there was no DP on the shelf, the clerk went in the back to look. He came back with 2 gift boxes of 1969 DP marked $18.99. I said "$18.99!!??". He said "yeah, that DOES sound expensive. Let me go check the price". I said: That's OK, I'll just take them. That and the store I once visited that had a 70's vintage of BV Private Reserve Georges de Latour with the original $7.99 price tag were the two best bargains I ever found.

Craig, The fellow who ordered the Montrachets insisted that I get a glass for myself. He told me that my tastevin was too small! As for rejecting a wine like this - I would be the first one to say something is wrong with the wine.

Pet peeve of mine: The label only says Petrus, not Chateau Petrus.

Carema, I sell all kinds of wine. If someone orders a $25 dollar bottle, I'm just as happy because I know that those $1-2,000 bottles will sell also. It all averages out. Last night happened to be a record breaking night in our restaurant. I peddled over $10,000 in wine - more than half of it to those 2 tables.

Last night at work started out with a bang. The first table ordered a 1986 Ducru Beaucaillou ($300) and then a 1959 Leoville Las Cases ($1650). The Ducru is magnificent, still tasting young. Slight hint of brett on the nose, the wine is dense and full bodied. The Leoville came from the Mahler-Besse cellar and was in pristine condition. Top of the shoulder fill, the wine was in perfect shape. Very smooth, complex and mature. This was a great treat. The next table of 4 ordered a Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet 2000 ($450) for the aperitif! This wine is a show stopper. Dense on the palate, finish that goes and goes. Good oak integration. I think this wine will live for a very long time. This was followed by 2 Montrachets (1998 & 2000) from Domaine de la Romanee Conti ($1450 each). What can you say? I was in sommelier heaven. Both wines showed beautifully. I decanted each. The trademark hint of botrytis adds a surreal complexity to these dense chardonnays. Nothing else on the planet tastes like this. This is where I do the happy dance! The tab for 4 - a mere $4400. I wish every night was like this.

Wow, Tom really ripped them up. We had similar experiences with the service. All the waiters wear the same kind of "coolie" outfit. Hard to tell who is in charge.

I think it is great. People can REALLY overnight wine to you now. Of course, we don't know a whole lot about the temperature conditions on the ground or in the air. Maybe that's a whole other thread.

I'm a little surprised about your description of the wine as "angular and hard". The '99 is quite delicious after about 20 minutes open.

Pétrus is Latin for Pierre.

Jim, You should have served the Cote Rotie with the steaks and the Bordeaux with the cheese. Why did you buy '94 La Mission, anyway?

The portions are so huge, when they get to part about what cheesecake you want, you just start laughing.

Echezeaux, Of the entire list of St. Emilions you gave, only the garagistes use 80% or more of Merlot. Interesting, huh? Valandraud, La Mondotte and Tertre Roteboeuf. Of those 3, Tertre Roteboeuf can be bought for under $200. The '98 is still in the market. It is a thrilling bottle of wine.

Katie Loeb wrote: Katie, Life is a quiz, baby.

The single greatest, most haunting wine I have tasted in the last 10 years was a 1961 Petrus at a '61 vs.'82 tasting. At the same tasting, the '61 Cheval Blanc was a close runner up. They both left the '61 first growths in the dust.

Try Café 15 ( Café Quinze) in the Sofitel! The consulting chef is a 3 star Michelin.

Mr. Olney wrote a book about Chateau d'Yquem.

I love merlot. This proves that I'm not a snooty sommelier. No one has mentioned St. Emilion and Pomerol so far. French merlot is quite astonishing; nothing like California merlot. California DOES produce many very delicious merlots. Bulk merlot is insipid. Treat yourself. From France look for: Chateau Angelus 1995, Fugue de Nenin 1998, Tertre Roteboeuf 1996 or 1998 if you want to experience heady, powerfully scented merlot. From California my favorites are: Lewis Cellars , Arrowood, Emmolo, Pahlmeyer, Murphy-Goode Reserve. Jed Steele once told me that merlot was the crossover grape from white zinfandel. I think there is one rule with wine: drink what you like and don't apologize.

The classic pairing with Sauternes is with fois gras d'oie en gelée. Whipping out a Sauternes any time foie gras shows up is a big mistake, IMO. I much prefer any Grand Cru Alsatian wine with foie. Sauternes pairs well with white fruits - pears and apples. It is a disaster with chocolate - be forewarned! I also like it with Roquefort. As far as Jeremiah Tower's disgusting combination - it just shows: what do chefs know about wine?