Bux

Lots of freshly cracked black pepper. Any sort of cured meat with fat according to taste should work. We use pancetta, but used to use blanched bacon before pancetta became so widely available. We blanched the bacon to rid it of the smokey taste which is not authentic to the dish, but I imagine it could be very good and very tastey with the additional flavor of the smoked bacon. It's a question of preference and level of authenticity desired. Are you just making dinner or recreating the taste of a past experience. There's a validity in having the second affect your cooking and I don't mean to say "just" as if that's not enough. We need to understand the options we have use them well, or not use them if they interfere with what we want. I can't see the addition of any liquid making this dish better, by that I suppose I mean more intensely what I think of as "carbonara."

Tomoe is a bargain, although not as cheap as it used to be when there were no lines (in the late 1980's ) Portions are large, and in fact, that's been a connoisseur's complaint.

The answer to that question is yes, about once a week. Information is available on a need to know basis. For what it's worth, There's always a learning curve when you enter a different culture or environment, or when you deal with someone from outside your culture. For all that, there are overlapping "cultures." There may be a new York culture--or several that may or may not overlap in places, such as a west side culture, an east side culture, an uptown culture or a downtown culutre and the last two are relative to how far north you live on the island of Manhattan--and there may be a "midwestern culture or cultures, but there are also restaurant cultures including one that defines behavior in a stratum of cutting edge Italian restaurants across the boundaries of other cultures. eGullet is a culture and one in which I might point out that the word "tourist" has a loaded meaning that is never going to be fully apparent to those who arrive this year. I can tell you that it has something to do with eating starches, and trust me that it won't make much more sense if it's further explained. Long before eGullet came into being, a stranger on the Internet asked me to recommend some restaurants in Paris. Not even knowing if the stranger was a person or a dog, (that's not going to mean much if you never saw the cartoon in the New Yorker years ago) I wasn't sure if she'd like the ones I liked so I asked what kinds of restaurants she liked at home. She answered "Applebbee's." I was stymied. At the time, I had never heard of Applebee's and assumed it was a local restaurant in her home town. I asked for a kind of restaurant and she gave me the name of a local restaurant or so I thought, but she thought she was replying in terms of a type of restaurant everyone would recognize. When I figured it all out, I realized she was a rube from the midwest and that she'd only be an embarrassment to sophisticated Americans abroad and I talked her into going to Italy. Now, If I needed a smiley for that last sentence, for anyone to understand I am kidding around with people I consider my friends and intellectual equals, as well as my socio-economic superiors, this place is in trouble. This site is rampant with leg pullining. Newbies should not be quick to take offense and people shouldn't push for retractions. At the same time, a simple apology for a statement that was too easy to take out of context will go a lot further than a detailed defense. I am a supporter of the midwest. I have eaten very well in Chicago and Philadelphia.

I hope I was clear that I wasn't recommending La Régalade for this occasion. Although it's a restaurant that's alost the opposite from l'Astrance, they both share a focus on food rather than service, but they both lack a certain style I would want at this dinner. Of course it's all so subjective and I don't even stay at the Crillon. Gagnaire is an excellent choice in my book, but I've become cautious in recommending it after one report I've heard. It's not everyone's cup of tea.

The UWS must be in a different city than Nolita. I talk to the checkout people in the Met, although I don't get into the conversations about their kids like other people do down here. The problem with generalities is that they sound like stereotypes. As often as not, generalities will get you in hot water faster than analogies. Of course that might seem truer to someone who speaks of generalities a lot.

If it was my last meal, I wouldn't worry so much about it being memorable, after all how long will I have to remember it. I might pick a place like la Régalade and just relax and enjoy myself. In fact I'd probably pick a place with comfort food rather than avant garde cuisine. The three restaurants you've listed are all quite different. I've been to two of them, but haven't made it to WD-50, but think I can say they are all different. If all three of them were in Paris and you had to pick one of them, which one would it be?

I was discussing this thread with Mrs. B over lunch and sort of repeated what onion said and she looked at me with some incredulity. I failed to notice what she had noticed. They're made with square slices of white sandwich bread cut in half on the diagonal and each half sandwich triangle resembles a bikini bottom. I suppose you have to understand that just about all other sandwiches in Spain are made on rolls. On the other hand, she could be dead wrong, but the premise was too good to argue with.

The current Michelin shows a price of 120 euros for, what I assume is, the tasting menu. An a la carte menu should run less than 100 euros, but I'd suggest the tasting menu as it requires no decision and ensures you'll have a well composed menu. Assuming you have no food issues, this is a wonderful place to put yourself in the hands of the chef. Just over three years ago, the two of us spent about $250 for the tasting menu with a bottle and a half of inexpensive wine, two coffees and bottled water. Prices are steadily rising and the dollar is not very strong these days. Nevertheless, I suspect this is a good value meal. You won't do as well in France for comparable food.

It's great to have depth of coverage on Arzak, Akelarre, Berasategui, etc., but there is also great opportunity for culinary reward at the lower more regional chef category. I, for one, really appreciate your "Monday night" recommendations. One of the problems of planning an itinerary based on dining, is that if you're in Spain, or France, for a week, you have to be somewhere on the night "all" the restaurants are closed.

I might have volunteered Ducasse at the Plaza Athenee in response to your original post, but less likely after your qualifying post. I'm in agreement with Hollywood here. It's a subjective decision. Tell us more about yourself. What other restaurants have you liked anyplace else in the world. Have you been to Paris before? How important is the ambience and service? L'Astrance is wonderful and creative, or was when we were there a few years ago, but I don't know that it's the kind of place I'd recommend for the ultimate single dinner. I'm assuming you want to match the Crillon in some abstract way say in terms of formality.

Do people still look for the luncheonette in which Seinfeld met his friends? People go to restaurants for the damnest reasons. Food often has little to do with it.

Sixteen bucks for veal parm and no chance of touching Rocco, you wuz robbed brudda.

The first time I saw "bikini" on a menu, I thought it was so sexy, I had to have one. Then I discovered it was, as you say, just a grilled cheese sandwich and it didn't appear to be the best cheese or ham, so I passed. I assume the bikini tapa at Comerc 24 transcended the genre. As for our knowledge, some of us take eating very seriously. And vserna is a ringer, so to speak.

Both of these statements may be true, but a first time visitor from the US to Spain, is not likely to be insulted by their offerings and may find it very accessible and a decent enough place to get one's bearings, especially when budget is an important factor. For reference, the Michelin lists the Meson Cinco Jotas chain, but not the Museo del Jamon. We'll have to try Meson Cinco Jotas next time. The last time we were in Madrid, the Museo was all too close and in our face after we checked into our hotel, and so much better than what we had on the airplane.

Welcome to eGullet. We're delighted to have another local corresspondent in the Spain forum, especially one who leaves informative mouth watering posts. I enjoyed both the objectivity and the subjectivity displayed in your post. I hope we hear more from you on both the creative and traditional food. Where in Spain are you when you're not spending a weekend in Barcelona? Many US readers may not be familiar with "bikini" as a food. I believe this is a grilled ham and cheese sandwich and a popular snack in bars and cafes. I've never had one, but clearly this was not the usual bar offering.

I have to admit that at times, I'm a bit reluctant to allow myself to express my reactions to certain restaurants in Spain. I have not really found my footing Spain and am often far more surprised by what I find, that when I eat at French restaurant for the first time. Maybe that's part of the excitement of exploring and dining here, and the cause is partly due to less familarity with dining in Spain, but perhaps even more so to the rapid changes occurring in Spanish cuisine and restaurants. It's also a matter of reading too much about the starred restauranrts in France and searching out the Spanish restaurants on little more than a few brief mentions. Nonetheless, I didn't expect Can Roca to be in a characterless building in a very-nondescript modern suburban neighborhood that appeared rather residential in character. All of that left me totally unprepared for the interior which was quite urbane (dress varied considerably from elegant tie and jacket to shirt sleeves however) and which would not have been out of place on the upper east side of Manhattan or in the heart of Paris, but even that did not prepare me for the most unprovincially professional service. This is like being in Buffalo and finding a restaurant better than all but a handful in Manhattan. Actually like being in a new suburb of Buffalo. (Caution, I found the wine lists, rather pretentious in format and presentation, but not the help in selecting wines, nor in their service, both of which were on par with top restaurants in France.) Let's face it, that image of a set for El Cid serving as the decor for Spanish restaurants has been a hard image to kill. So this was a real sleeper for us and, in a way, I'm sorry if we build your expectations too early, though I doubt the food will disappoint you. On the whole, I think the Spanish Michelin Guide's standards are as high or higher than the French Guide

They don't call it the Rive Gauche for no reason.

I believe it was already disclosed that Gideon was not related to Chodorow. Gideon is a distant cousin to one of Chowdorow's partners, but this was discovered after he was hired. It's apparently a distant relation and Gideon was unaware the guy was involved in the show, I mean restaurant, and the guy was unaware of Gideon. Personally, I believe Rocco is following a script more often than he's running the restaurant. If you haven't followed this link posted earlier by ronnie suburban, you should do so now. Rocco'$ details Restaurants are what used to be Rocco's business.

Yes, yes, yes and yes. We have a very wide membership here. About the only common denominator is an interest in food and, here in the Spain forum, an interest in food in Spain. Some of us eat out, some of us cook at home, others cook professionally, etc. I've heard Martin is really nice. My daughter and son-in-law had met him in NY and he was most hospitable to them when they met again at the restaurant. Unfortunately, he was not there the day we arrived for lunch, but we ate very well nonetheless.

Girona is a bit a trip for dinner, or even lunch, from Barcelona, but it's a city that easily deserves a day of it's own. We arrived in the evening and stayed two nights. We had dinner at El Celler de Can Roca on the second night and it was the fitting conclusion to a great day. I can't remember where or what we had for lunch, although I think it was outdoors with the setting being the appeal. We looked for tapas the night we arrived and either didn't look in the right direction, went out too late, or the pickings are as slim as we found them. Can Roca made the trip for us.

I've not tried crossing the pont du Garilgliano on foot, but I assume it has a pedestrian sidewalk. If so, you might want to stroll through the very modern parc André Citroën in the 15th arr. across the Seine. There are some nice fountains and large greenhouse or conservatory.

Deviled eggs confused me too, if these were raw eggs we were supposed to be working with. Deviled eggs as an example of an egg that was never exposed to heat is not the way to suggest this is the work of qualified scientists. Anyway, proper mayonnaise is made from raw eggs and good oil, preferrably extra virgin olive oil. No heat for the egg or the oil.

It appears that Ofoto's terms of service prohibit the storage of photos for use by web sites and that they block these images from appearing on our site. From Ofoto's Terms of Service: The use of Ofoto to display images in messages posted here should be abandoned because it doesn't work and because it violates Ofoto's terms of service and therefore ours as well.

I'm not sure how to take that. Let's see, you worked at Tour d'Argent and Alain Chapel and you're now teaching creative writing to grad students. Hmm. Actually I'm replying mostly to note that Atelier, as used in L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon is the same word used to describe either an artist's studio or an auto mechanic's workshop.

In light of the first sentence, good luck in your pursuit of the second. I noticed a code on a bottle in Spain and thought I'd cracked that, but it had no relevance to the code I found on a bottle here. There are several possibilities. they may use different codes on export bottles, or it wasn't what I thought it was.