Bux

I buy most of my mussels at the Chinese fish market on the south side of Grand Street just west of Christie Street. They're usually in bags from P.E.I. or someplace like that in Canada and you can check the date on the tag. My ultimate mussel dish would be the simple French moules mariniere steamed in white wine, shallots, butter, thyme, bay leaf and parsely and served with a chilled bottle of Muscadet. If there are better versions they don't bring back memories of Brittany for me. The mussels, if not the memories, are actually better in Belgium where they typically add celery to the liquid, but it's the mussels that are better not the broth. Optimun cooking time is probably about five minutes depending on size. I tend to cook them less, but my wife says they are usually underdone.

I've got to get it out of my system so I don't bug Dan about it once more. I'm going there soon. Once I told him I thought they improved the situation and he replied that they put us in a corner where there's more light.

You hear that guys?

My guess is that you're not likely to get wild Alaska salmon in Chinatown. There are some quality items that can be found in Chinatown, but when it comes to salmon the competition seems mostly on price.

I have found it interesting that while the Italians are very proud of their mechanical slicers--ask Mario Batali and other restaurateurs in NY who have trusty imported, if not vintage, slicers--Spaniards insist that a ham be hand sliced for maximum quality.

I am one of those guys who believe you should not go into a restaurant without the intention of ordering at least three courses (two, on rare occasions). Every place that serves food in France is not a restaurant. A brasserie is a brasserie, not a restaurant. I remember entering Brasserie Flo (I wrote that without the "Brasserie" and it looked like an invitation for a wise retort--I said crack not retort and saw how this was going) at a late afternoon hour. I was asked if we wanted lunch. I said we wanted some oysters. The reply was "of course, have a seat." We ordered wine and eventually some cheese and more wine and I had a dessert, but there was no problem when we said we just wanted a few oysters.

I find their new desserts interesting, but often less successful than the savory dishes. I also like the atmosphere and think the place was very well designed and very handsome. Oddly enough the review in the Times found a lack of decor. I'd prefer brighter lighting however, but that's a complaint I have about many places in NY. [As for the desserts, they've just hired a pastry chef--see my post below.]

I believe existing cigar bars were grandfathered, but have some onerous regulations that may be phased in. There was an article in the Sunday NY Times about water pipe middle eastern cafe bars in Queens. There was an admission from city council members that they had been overlooked in the legislation. I trust they will be overlooked in the enforcement, but it's an example of a minority that is abused by the system. If only they had the money and clout of cigar smokers things might be different.

Restaurants are public places of a sort as they are places of public accommodation. They are no less public than any workplace. Restaurants and bars are different from other workplaces and restaurants are different from bars in many ways. I have mixed feelings about the law in the abstract. On the purely personal and perhaps selfish level, I will be happy to eat and drink in a smokeless environment. My tolernace to smoke decreased when I stopped smoking--no big surprise there--and it descreased further when I stopped hanging out in bars. When NYC passed it's first no smoking in restaurants law my tolerance decreased even further and I abandonned a couple of small restaurants that chose not to enforce the law. I believe second hand smoke is unhealthy, but I am careless about my health in so many other ways that I don't raise that as a concern. I am just so much more comfortable when I don't smell smoke. It doesn't take much to get me coughing but the smell of even a little of it is unpleasant. I find the odor offensive in restaurants and have been pretty happy to avoid most bars up until now. I did enjoy meeting people at the GT bar.

That's probably been our number one place in Chinatown for more than a few years. I forgot about the new shop Eddie mentioned that runs through the block between Mott and Elizabeth. It is a little bit more expensive, but everything looks good there and although I haven't adopted it as a regular place, I've been happy with the little I've bought. Overall it's a market worth looking at. The meat looks good too, although Grand Sausage is my first stop for pork in Chinatown. Chinatown? Geez, it's across the street from Ferrara's and between DiPalo's and Piemonte Ravioli in the heart of Little Italy or what used to be Little Italy. NYC keeps on changing.

EJRothman, are you talking about the guy right on the northwest corner of Grand and Chrystie? That's one of two places we use regularly. The other one is the guy just across Grand Street, one shop west of Chrystie. At one time based on small samplings I'd say Chinatown was not only a better value, but offered better fish. Frequent purchese over a long period of time makes me want to agree with Fat Guy. Caveat emptor wherever you buy fish and I've had problems with supposedly reputable shops unloading questionable stock. Whole fish is always easier to judge than filets or steaks, but I've come to the point where we buy the latter as well. I've bought salmon at Citarella one day and on Grand Street the next day at a third the price and thought the downtown salmon was tastier, but I've also bought salmon that had a tinge of fishy smell when I got it home at another time. A questionable purchase every four or five years is not going to lead me to abandon Chinatown as a source, but I visually examine the whole fish and pick up the salmon and smell it if in doubt. As far as shell fish go, most of the mussels are tagged these days and you can examine the labels for dates, most shrimp have been frozen but sometimes you can find those wriggly guys sold live at premium price. I will however, pay the premium at the Greenmarket for what they offer.

I wonder if there's any argument that regional cuisine isn't getting less regional. I've had the impression that regional restaurants in Paris have always been the result of some provincial chef moving to Paris and opening a restaurant. Hélène Darroze could be a classic example, except that the times have changed. The provinces have changed and Paris had changed. Local traditions and cuisine are disappearing and the interest now from both chefs and diners is for the new, the creative and the imported. It's often hard to guess if the chefs or the diners are driving the direction of the food. Worse than anything else may be a trend towards caring less about the part food plays in the average Parisian, or Frenchman's life. Eating out is a diversion of the sort that doesn't support the old foods. It's not just that the regional food is disappearing, but French food is decidedly less French than it used to be. A regional restaurant might not so much be representative of a place as much as it would be of a time and place. The consolidation of the great old brasseries into a couple of chains is, as Victor notes, another sign of the times and of homogenization. While we may lament the loss of the old brasseries as individual expressions, I suspect their fate would have been worse had they not become part of a collection. They are reliable and a far sight better than the Leon de Bruxelles, Bistro Romains and the like, or so I expect. I have not felt duty bound to try these "regional restaurants." I've been mentioning that I find Spain exciting now because I can find regional rustic food of excellent quality as well as creative new cooking, but I wonder how long that will last. "Mario Ribal, 55, is the fourth-generation owner of La Grava, which used to be a restaurant and bar for factory workers, in the nondescript, blue-collar town of El Morell. When Ribal traveled to El Bulli for a meal several years back, he experienced a revelation. "We used to have traditional cooking here, cooking of the grandmother," Ribal says. Now his 26-year-old son, Gerson, a culinary school graduate, is making sirloin tacos with macadamia nuts and asparagus," -- Bruce Schoenfeld, Wine Spectator - Web Features - The New Mediterranean I will content myself with good honest cooking be it traditional, creative or a healthy combination.

From the CBS NEWS report on the death of Loiseau Is CBS off the wall, misinformed, or ahead of the curve on this. The guide may have regained in recent years some of what it lost since it's best days, but can it acurately be described as having gained in prestige and power in recent years? How often is tv news accurate.

1) So the Spanish women are real head turners and you could never watch where you're going. 3) It's taken me a long time to adust to the fact that Spain is no longer cheap and hasn't been for years. The food seems to be a good buy. 4) I am ready to believe that Italy will succumb to Starbucks before Spain. My wife usually drinks cafe con leche and I almost always have cafe solo, but we agree that Spanish coffee is superb. 6) Spanish desserts can be interesting, but until this century, I don't think they've developed much since the Arabs were driven out. Spanish pastry has been an especially weak point in my mind. I suspect we'll be seeing a lot of new stuff all over the country inspired by what's going on in Catalonia these days. Tapas served in the bars ringing the Plaza Mayor are terrible, but some of the best in Madrid can be found in the little bars in the first ring of streets around the plaza. Many, if not most or all, of these places serve one variety of foodstuff--mushrooms, ham, seafood, tortilla, etc. I've been told (not by anyone on this board) that the ham at the Museo De Jamon chain, is crap. From that I can only deduce that the lowest level of ham in Madrid would be prime stuff in NY.

I think you're right. I think a lot of Americans mistake the formality of French social conventions as rudeness. Certainly they take our casual attitude and informality as rudeness and it doesn't help that many Americans seem to believe their style should govern, even on French soil. Cafe and brasserie waiters also have a reputation to defend. Locals expect a certain attitude from them. There's no reason to take offense when they play their role.

John, Suzanne and Steve, as I recall the news and rumor around that story, I seem to recall that there was more than a hint that the fire was set by someone else and that Schillinger père was sleeping in the restaurant to protect it. Apparently there were previous incidents of vandalism against the restaurant. It's possible I read a sanitized story, but I had the distinct impression that suicide was not suspected. I do not recall the name of the restaurant in Alsace nor do I recall if it had one or two stars.

There was a thread here on the announcement of his death. It's been merged with one in Food Media and News as the apparent suicide of a three star chef is international news. Bernard Loiseau R.I.P.

I think the amuse has to preface the meal and set the diner up to appreciate what's coming. It needs as much as anything to tune the diner's palatte to what will follow. I've felt the meals at Blue Hill progress very well from the starters or amuses. Stephen, Im a bit embarrassed to tell you exactly how sensitive and intelligent I thought your report was, because I've been a long fan of Blue Hill touting the restaurant almost from the time it opened. I remember my daughter telling us we've got to get there quickly before it's discovered. I'm still a great fan and consider the chefs to be friends, so enough said. I'm just thrilled they had the opportunity to serve someone who enjoyed the food as much as I do.

Now that I've reread the thread, I'm not sure I'm clear on where "there" is. I assumed California, but others seem to think France. Needless to say, I'm here, not there.

I suggest you do a search on "argent." For some reason I don't know why "tour d'argent" or "d'argent" does not bring the same results or any results. Here's one thread of interest. Tour d'Argent Duck #1 M. It's very famous for its duck press. I suspect one should order the duck if only for the history. The restaurant has been reduced to two stars, still a mighty significant rating in Michelin, but it's rarely on the lips of gastronomes for it's current offerenings and more spoken of for its place in the history of gastronomy. Whenever I am asked for a recommendation of a restaurant of a dish, I want to know something of the person who is getting that recommendation as I don't think it's entirely reasonable that my tastes should dictate their tastes or that what pleases me, should please them. As this is a very well known, elegant and expensive restaurant, I'm curious to know how or why it was chosen if the person in question seems less than familiar with what it has to offer. I suppose it may well be a business luncheon or that he's (she's?) an invited guest.

Robuchon retired at an earlier age. True Robuchon retired at the height of his influence and is coming out of retirement, but with a less demanding sort of restaurant and not with the idea of managing a three star enterprise heavily in debt. I suspect too much of Loiseau's attention and focus were drawn away from his cooking by his overreaching businesses. It's a pity as we loved that meal. His "cuisine a l'eau" didn't become more popular elsewhere and he himself didn't hold to it's philosophy either. By the time we ate there, it was only an influence on his food as he reintroduced some cream and better into his food. I second the recommendation for Burgundy Stars as an interesting book for those wanting some insight into a great French provincial restaurant.

I've never been in Brasserie Lipp. Although I'd admired it from the outside, I've picked up the impression that it's an overpriced relic and haven for snobs and tourists and thus not the good value cheap bastards search for even when dining at Gagnaire or Ducasse. Widely divergent opinions here lead to me to google for other opinions. Daniel Rogov in his page In the Foodsteps of Hemmingway at Strat's Place says: Jack, a Belgian with unique love for Paris and good food at a good price has this to say on the Paris-6th arr-Saint Germain des Prés-Walking-Brasserie Lipp-Church of St.Germain page of Jack's Inimitable Travel Guide. [For the record, I was the one to add "inimitable" to the title many years ago when I hosted the embryonic site at worldtable.coms.] Searching for "Lipp," I even got a referral to John Whiting's page Whiting's Writings - Le Brasserie Balzar. There's more information to be found at each of these links.

Had some in Louisiana. It fit that description. Another white meat, fried and not too tender, but I don't recall anything fishy about it. Maybe there were passing pork off on tourists for all I know. Never had it in sausage. About those nuggets, anything like Rocky Mountain Oysters? Tough nuggets, that's a bitch.

Unfortuantely the secret of finding good cheese has little to do with knowing what names to ask for. Poor conditions during shipping and storage can ruin the best cheese.

We enjoyed our meal in January of 1995. In retrospect it seems a simple menu, but I assure you it was perfectly cooked and a treat. I regret not having the chance to return. In memory Bernard Loiseau La Côte d?Or Menu a 850 FF Caramelized cauliflower soup Poached oysters with caviar and aparagus with oyster sauce Ecrevisse with cabbage Sandre with red wine sauce, shallot compote Chicken breast with foie gras and truffe sauce, mashed potatoes with truffles, and pencil thin leeks. Cheese course Passion fruit sorbet Wafer thin cookies with pears and nuts (almonds and hazel nuts) in a buttery caramelized sauce Chocolate wafers, chocolate ice cream and an orange sauce