Mark Sommelier

Mmmmmm......... sounds like 2 good places to avoid.

In a formal service atmosphere, kneeling down is inappropriate. The only restaurant I ever ate in where it seemed natural for the waiter to kneel down at the table was a Morrocan restaurant where we were all lounging on low couches.

Lower down the Post story they cough up that today's Hearty "Burgundy" is a blend of Zinfandel and Carignan. Will anyone admit to nipping on it while you cook? I'd be interested to know what it actually tastes like. ← It sure as hell doesn't taste like Burgundy.

At the restaurant I work in here in DC, normally reservations of fewer than 6 people are taken on faith and confirmed by phone the day before. New Years Eve is a special night. At our restaurant the reservations are faxed contracts and prepaid. N0 SHOWS don't figure into the equation. I will say this to PatDC, there is a lot of play on the reservation book on the last 2 days of the year. This may explain Corduroy's behavior.

Rocks, et al, I would like to suggest that the one familiar acronym that is missing in this conversation about critics impact on a business is "PR". PR is what keeps the chef's name out in front of the public, not the review in the paper of record. Masa, as an example, has had huge buzz. His restaurant appeals to an extemely narrow segment of the dining public, to put it mildly. PR keeps chefs faces in front of our faces. Rocco, Thomas Keller, , Daniel Boulud, Emeril. Thoughts?

You can buy dried morels. Many chefs prefer them. You can reconstitute them in a variety of liquids.

I have one thing to say: agar-agar

NEWS FLASH!! Twist is now Fino. A bunch of pasta and Italian sounding dishes have been added to the menu. Everything else looks the same.

Care to elaborate? Come on, Johnny, spell it out for the folks! My anecdote: Last year a table of 4 came in, rang up a check over $500 and then wanted to argue when the check came that they should pay $30.04 for dinner. Showing them the list of participating restaurants that DID NOT include ours didn't help. This has happened every year since RW started.

quick answer: They don't take reservations in the cafe. Try to get two stools at the bar.

Hackleback has an extremely short season, not more than a month. The Hackleback caviar I tasted this year was excellent. Great texture and flavor. It is not cheap.

Add Le Bagatelle on K St. to the list of French Restaurants. Chez François was were Equinox is now.

Mark Randolf.

No, Nadya, dear, Mel Krupin was the maitre 'd for many years at Paul Young's on Connecticut Avenue and then Duke Ziebert's almost until it closed. The deli opened after he left there.

I had dinner at BdC 2 nights ago and Yannis and I had a nice chat.

I thought I started a thread on 21 P. Anyway, can't find it... This place opens on Thursday night and the menu looks great! You won't miss BDC, I mean BeDuCi.... ← That menu is all over the place. And it is huge. Kind of scares me.

The Wine Specialist has always been a good source for independant bottlings of Malt Whisky. These are much harder to find than the distillery bottlings like Glenlivet, Macallan, etc. Look for the single cask bottlings from William Cadenhead, Murray McDavid, Signatory, Adelphi. They are much more interesting and bottled in tiny numbers. The Cadenhead whiskys are bottled cask strength ( 112°-130°), so be careful!

Are you looking for a particular whisky? The Wine Specialist at 21st and M St. has a good selection. If there is a special whisky you are looking for, it could take a week to get it.

It changes from year to year.

Went tonight. Sat at the bar. Excellent food all around. Steak Tartare. Goujonettes. Chips. Charcuterie. Quail. Top notch. Even the olives and nuts were great. Give it a try.

Germany is a slippery slope. Both terroir and otherwise. ← Silly boy. The slopes in the Nahe and Pfalz are terraced.

Ha. You start with Donnhoff. Then you learn about Muller-Catoir.

Ditto. I just got back from a most satisfying lunch there. An excellent cassoulet on a cold rainy day was the perfect antidote.

Dear raisab, You are agreeing with 4 or 5 posters here. Not the majority of posters to eGullet who have not answered this latest attack. Don't confuse that , please. I go there often. I always have a good time. Not because, as DCMark said, I'm a VIP, but because I know how to talk to people. Some people go to a restaurant to have fun. Others go to make a test. Which do you do?

If all of the above is true, please explain why the place is packed all the time.