Bux

I've not found morcilla to be significantly different from boudin noir. There is variety in style and quality in both. I've had morcilla in Argentine restaurants, but none of the ones I remember are still in business. I've had it in some Puerto Rican and Domincan greasy spoons whose names I don't recall. Balthazar has boudin noir on their brunch menu with eggs and potatoes. The only retail source I know if is Salumeria Biellese, 376 Eighth Avenue. (212) 736-7376.

When Per Se was $175, I think we paid about somewhere around $168 for the long tasting menu at Daniel. It may have been a course shorter, but it's really hard to measure those things because of the size of courses as well as the fact that sometimes you get two separate preparations on a tray that could easily count as two courses from Daniel. Desserts don't seem to be measured fully either. My overall impression was that Daniel was the more solid meal although Per Se hit a few highs that I wouldn't have wanted to miss. The discrepency with Daniel is that it serves three course meals as a base. Per Se only serves that long menu. In fact, I believe Daniel doesn't serve the eight course tasting menu on Friday and Saturday evenings. In spite of the elevated price, they probably make less profit per diner, per hour on it than on the three course prix fixe meal. From Daniel Boulud's web site: Three Course Prix Fixe $92 Four Course Prix Fixe $103 Five Course Prix Fixe $125 Eight Course Chef's Tasting Menu $168 I think the math suggests the value meal is at the high end, although some times five or six courses is really enough.

I am also somewhat surprised regarding Dutournier. We had a superb meal there years ago, but he's been overlooked for so long, I assumeed his fate was sealed. Perhaps there's still hope for Roellinger. It makes me want to return to Paris before the announcement is made officially and I can't get a reservation.

I'm not sure professional food critics give such detailed reviews of individual elements. That's what I, and other inarticulate members, do when we're stuck for truly original and erudite things to say. It's a relief to have an alternative post. I think comments such as this are very telling about a restaurant. At a two star restaurant years ago, after I selected a red wine for my main course, the sommelier told us to leave some for the cheese and returned to suggest a particular cheese we should add to our selection because he thought it went very well with the wine.

Alexhills, We've really come very far in America as have other countries, but I suspect you'll agree that even though the best meals in France no long leave the best meals in America in the dust, a trip to France soley for the gastronomy is still worth the voyage. I've no doubt that the rising standard in the US has been set by a generation of French chefs and we're still developing own own traditions of exacting dedication that match that set by French brigades. A dozen years ago, I might have said all the great chefs in America are French. Many Americans also like to point to Alice Waters as the anti-Julia Child who showed the world the importance of fresh produce as opposed to French technique. In fact, Alice herself has always credited her time in France as inspiration for her dedication to the quality of raw materials. We've begun to put it all together here.

What's not to like. They've really pulled back from the creative position they took when they first opened, but the meals show no less sign of deep talent. 405 € seems exceptionally inexpensive for five meals like that and a bottle of wine. Did the kids all have the tasting menu? I believe we paid about 305 € for a shorter menu with one nice bottle of wine last year at this time. The courses were a bit larger and then again, we had two glasses of very nice champagne. I recall them bringing our tab up quite a bit.

Absolutely a bottle of muscadet. There are other wines that go well and my wife prefers sancerre or pouilly fumé, but muscadet is, in my opinion, the perfect wine to accompany oysters and for that matter, steamed mussels. It is also the wine Brittany may claim as it's own although it could be debated that even muscadet is made just outside its borders. I will admit that without the oysters, muscadet can seem harsh and even unpleasant. If necessary have a oyster and then start drinking the muscadet. I don't pretend to understand the various names and terms that may appear on the menu. I don't even always know which refer to the oyster and which to the place of origin, either historic origin or where they are raised. It's my understanding that the numbers refer to size and not to quality. I don't know which size tastes best, but generally the middle sizes seem most comfortable in my mouth. It's all quite relative. My preference, but it's not a stong one and I won't argue they're the best, is for the flat ostrea. In France those are the Belons, native to Brittany, and the Marennes, although I'm not even sure a Marenne oyster has to be a flat or plate. Fines (de) claires, I believe, refers to the fact that the oyster has been raised in shallow marshes near Marennes, well south of Brittany on the west coast of France. They often, or usually, have a green tinge from the local seaweed. Crassostrea oysters are generally referred to as common or Portuguese. Although widely cultivated along the west coast of France and the coast of Brittany, they originated further south in the Atlantic. Marennes oysters would not be from Brittany. In Brittany, oysters are cultivated both in the north near Cancale and in the south in the Gulf of Morbihan. Speciales are special, but I don't know that the term has any legal meaning. Bulots are large sea snails served boiled and should be accompanied by fresh home made mayonnaise. My assumption was that Gillardeau and Cadoret are either place, names or trade names. They are the latter, or more correctly, producers. Gillardeau in Marennes and Cadoret in Brittany. To the best of my knowledge, all oysters are farmed, rather than picked in the wild. The Tourist Guide of the Marennes Basin suggests that the Belons are long gone from Marennes and that the Portuguese are being replaced by oysters imported from Japan and Canada, but this is an area south of Brittany. It should be noted that within my French oyster consuming life, there have been at least a couple of times that oyster production in some part of Brittany or the west coast has been devastated by some act or accident such as the sinking of an oil tanker, or harmed by the temporary appearance of poisonous organisms that invade coastal shellfish operations all over the world. So historical information and personal memories may not always reflect current conditions. My sense is that if full recovery hasn't been reached, sufficient progress has been made so there should be a good sampling of excellent oysters, at least until the next disaster.

Johnnie (RW Jr) Apple wrote up a nice piece in the NYT. ← All about langoustines, and worth reading for that, but little if anything as I recall, about oysters.

Is there anything seasonal about the tórtola? It sounds like something I'd like to keep an eye out for.

A couple of other recommendations in the area around Cinc Sentits come to mind. Taktika Berri for tapas. It's been mentioned before and it's first class. It pretty much had a local clientele that was casually, but well dressed more than working class, but had a very welcoming vibe, possibly because it didn't seem over run by tourists. The hot tapas were fresh and hot, coming from the kitchen in small batches as opposed to sitting around for a while. The cold tapas also seemed fresh and tasty. L'Olivé, a restaurant I would describe as flying under the radar of destination restaurants, but it's also a restaurant to which I've returned for a second visit and one that pleased me both times. Prices are reasonable and the food has been very good across the board. The wine list is well stocked at the low end and the bilingual menu is rather vast, but almost all of it is traditional Catalan food. Bilingual in Barcelona means Catalan and Castilian, although tourists seem to fine their way here. The last time we were there, there was a family of five from South America next to us; a table with two couples, one of them local, the other anglophone and with a baby; and less fortunately, a loud table of five or six Americans who seemed to have met each other on a cruise. I've described at least one of my meals in a past post and there's no point in trying again as the meal is less fresh in my mind. By the way, in regard to cruise ships, Barcelona has an incredible concentration of tourists and rivals Paris in that regard, plus it's a Mediterranean cruise ship port. My apologies to those who enjoy cruises, but when a ship unloads so many tourists at once--and for the most part, they are those who touch base one night in a country--it has a noticeable effect on the culture of the city. L'Olivé is not a prime tourist destination as far as I know. Cinc Sentits has been even less affected, possibly because it's new. So far notices have only appeared in places likely to be read by gastronomes. I think Jordi would like to keep it that way--a clientele of locals and knowledgeable food driven visitors--but I suspect Cinc Sentits will soon be appearing in all the popular guide books. That's just another reason to try it soon.

How could I forget Ca L'Isidre. It's been so long since I've been there, but it's a wonderful restaurant for less cutting edge, but up to date, versions of more traditional Catalan cooking. It should be on any short list of places for the first time diner in Barcelona. In terms of a day trip, I don't know the train schedules from Barcelona to Girona and back, but remember that you will also need to take a short taxi ride to Can Roca. I don't know how much time that will leave for sightseeing, but I think the food alone is worth the journey and Girona itself can easily support a full day's sightseeing. There are a few museums in the old quarters and at least a couple of churches worth seeing, but even just a few hours exploring the streets and walls would be rewarding. In terms of transportation to and from Barcelona, Sant Pau up the coast is a short walk from the electric commuter line and just about the easiest restaurant to reach by public transportation. I don't know where the nearest station is to Hispania, but I suspect you will also need a taxi. I wish I could remember the prices, we had a large and very good lunch there. It struck me as a very family type place. I don't recall it being expensive. Judging by looks and sophistication of decor, one would expect Cinc Sentits to be rather expensive. Looks are deceiving.

I enjoy churros, and frankly I enjoy the little ones more than the fat porras, but it's not one of my very favorite things to eat. I don't seek them out and may not pay too much attention to them, but what I seem to remember is that when they come with sugar, it's not powdered sugar or very fine sugar, it's plain old granulated sugar. The kind you put in coffee. Perhaps there are some elegant bars or coffee shops in Madrid where they come with powdered sugar.

Much as modern art is now from a historical period that's been codified and put behind us, the "future of dining" makes me think about Horn and Hardart Automats, frozen TV dinners and nutrient pill replacements for eating altogether. The future is almost a twentieth century preoccupation. We have seen the future and survived it. Where do we go from here without the baggage of having to make dire predictions and assumptions that technology will rule the way we live? Dining may be the art of eating, and it may be a social function, although I think we can dine alone. We can certainly dine at home, but when the topic was raised, I immediately thought of dining out. The panelists however, needn't restrict themselves to discussing restaurant dining. If any of us were to be transported back a century ago, I suspect we could all adjust to dining in most of the restaurants available to us and most of us don't have that much trouble when we travel halfway around the world. Yet, in my lifetime well short of a century, I've seen tremendous change in the way I dine at home and abroad. Of course I've changed, but my options are really significantly different and, on the whole, though not universally, I'd say they're significantly better. We'd all more likely be at the race track if we could predict the future, but this is a subject that's interesting and germane to our mission. We have three panelists whose thoughts on the future of dining are probably going to be interesting and worth reading, even if they don't prove to be accurately prophetic. Although Clark Wolf may not be a household, or dining room, name, he's an industry consultant who actually gets paid for his opinions on the subject as part of his services. Michael Ruhlman has written extensively and in depth about the art, as well as the profession, of cooking from in depth looks at learning to cook professionally to running the restaurant. Most of you have likely already read one of more of his books. Steven Shaw, perhaps better know as Fat guy to eGullet Society members, needs even less of an introduction. His recent book is subtitled "Restaurants from the Inside Out," but focuses on the interaction between diners and restaurants, an area in which we've seen as much change as any other in dining. Let's hear a reaction to the topic from each of our panelists to start the discussion. Steven will go first as he's most familiar with our format. Michael will follow and Clark, who's new to the eGullet Society will get the advantage of reading his fellow panelists and avoiding their mistakes.

sit at the bar and tell him $100 limit. or just order ala carte... it's easy enough. ← What he said. We spent $115 apiece last night. That included tax, (not tip) a beer and two orders of cold sake (several cupfuls in each order). We didn't set a limit. We just deferred to his suggestions and stopped when we were full. One of us stopped one or two orders ahead of the others. I think I've spent a bit more as well, but you shouldn't have a problem having an excellent meal on your budget. I'd urge you to let him feed you after you set the budget and let him know if you have any favorites or dislikes. We expressed neither.

If Can Roca is hypermodern, it is so in a way that's delcious. That's not always what everyone associates with hypermodern cooking. Our last meal there may well have been the finest meal we've had in Catalunya at least. It's really had to make those kinds of statements and given the progress that some other restaurants in the area may made in the years since we've eaten there, they may well have the ability to serve the best meal. From Girona, one would need to take a taxi to Can Roca, which is out of town, but only a short drive away. Cal Pep was an experience we'd like to forget. We paid for dishes we didn't order or eat and were glad to leave even though we were still hungry. Average food at best and unacceptable service. Perhaps one does better if sitting in front of Pep himelf. Cinc Sentits is on everyone's list for good reason. Those searching for great food will find this one of the most reasonably priced places on their list. Those looking for great buys, will find this likely the most outstanding restaurant on the list. You should eat there.

I would assume Danny Meyer's involvment in this is as a profit intending business. That of course, is within the greater context of his, and the USHG's involvement in Madison Square. It's been my understanding that they've plowed considerable money into improving the park. I'll guess they're a major supporter of the Conservancy. That park was a dump when Eleven Madison Park first arrived on the scene. Danny Meyer seems to get considerable credit for being good to the neighborhood that's supported his businesses, and that, in turn, has probably been another good business move. The USHG has played a good part in making NYC a better place to live and I wouldn't begrudge them from making a good profit. The who tennis thing this weekend was sponsored by American Express. Blue Smoke and Tabla sold food out of stands. I don't know if it will happen again next weekend. The 12 oz. cups of Stella Artois at Tabla and Brooklyn Beer at Blue Smoke were different sizes which was amusing, but not enough to check out which was over or undersize. More annoying was that after buying your beer, you were hassled by park rangers about where you were standing when you drank it. The $3 kulfi mango ice pop was too soft to stay on the stick and had to be eaten with a spoon. It was also shot glass size and a very poor value compared to the custard on the other end of the park. The $7 pulled pork on a bun from shake shack and the even better (for my taste) braised short ribs with horseradish raita were far more interesting than Shackburgers for me. They were also pricier. I don't like the fries and the burgers are good, but the draw for me is really being able to eat in the park. New York Burger opened a branch on Sixth Avenue near 21st Street. The burgers come with lettuce and good tomatoes and are thick enough to be at least pink in the middle. There's a choice of toppings although the standard lettuce and tomatoes and free raw red onion are just fine, especially with the choice of sauces at the free sauce bar. I recommend horseradish sauce or old fashioned ketchup or mustard. They can be mouthwatering burgers, but you'd have to carry them over a few blocks to eat them in the park. Add the sauce when you eat them or you're liable to have a very soggy burger, depending on sauce. For a burger in a restaurant setting, I sitll like Balthazar.

I've always called them churros as even the straight fat ones are called churros here in NY and I suspect most of the new world, although the porras shape seems to dominate. It's the shape I first encountered in Spain forty years ago and I can't remember what it was called, but we bought some from a stand someplace in northern Spain, probably the Pais Vasco. More recently, we've tended only to find the true churro, thin and formed into that imperfect circle. I prefer them that way simply because there's more crunch to dough. I've been known to sprinkle sugar, from that available for coffee, on them when they come without sugar. My beverage of choice, if I'm not eating churros from a paper cone on the street, is cafe solo. On the other hand, cafe solo doesn't need churros. Hot chocolate might as it's sometimes too thick to drink. The churro serves as my spoon. "Dunk" implies that the chocolate arrives as a liquid. I've had camembert cheeses that were runnier than most hot chocolates in Spain.

Decency is a relative thing. I am reminded that even in countries where people could be fined for kissing in the streets and a real bikini on the beach was scandalous, today it's not uncommon to find sunbathers of both sexes wearing nothing but the skimpiest of bottoms. Even in France, bathing attire has shrunk over the years I've been visiting. Some of the low end wine prices I've seen still seem a bit indecent to an old timer. I take the good with the bad.

And sometimes they are called churros? Are porras, churros by another name or are they different. they sound like churros although most of the churros I've had are served sprinkled with sugar. rancapino, welcome to the forum. Your English is fine and certainly better than my poor Spanish which hasn't stopped me from enjoying Spanish cooking, although I have the advantage of having a wife who's spoken Spanish since she could speak.

Spicy or spicier, I'm going to guess that part of the appeal of such food is based on the use of local free range chickens in Portugal. From Marco_Polo's page: One doesn't hear enough praise or appreciation for traditional low alcohol wines, particularly on hot summer days and evenings.

My memory is very foggy on Sokolov. I seem to recall liking his reviews and being pissed he was fired. I also seem to recall some controversy about his short tenure. He later wrote a food column in a rather surprising magazine. I believe it was Natual History Magazine, and it was actually not so surprising as he wrote about indigenous or regional foods and traced the history and development of those foods. Generally good stuff and quite interesting. It appears he's been with the Wall Street Journal. I think I knew that, but forgot it as soon as I knew it. He's still got the same sense of humor than led him to comparison taste dog food. From this year, his thoughts on the government's new "food pyramid."

Honestly, you can use it in place of butter to make something like a bearnaise sauce. It would be called sauce Auchoise because that's what it was called by André Daguin, father of Ariane Daguin (D'Artagnan foie gras and other products) and the first chef to serve duck breast rare as if it were a steak. We finally made it his restaurant in Auch in the Gascony region of France, during his last year before retirement. On the menu was duck breast with sauce Auchoise. I asked what it was and was told. I can't say the thought of a mouthful of duck fat seemed as appealing as one of butter, but since it was the chef himself who was taking our order and describing a house specialty, I felt I couldn't refuse. Duck and goose fats are as tasty as butter or good olive oil and generally considered to have a composition closer to olive oil than butter in terms of saturated fats. It's one of the healthier animal fats. Anyway, the dish was wonderful, but rich. Indeed, it was wonderful in the way rich foods are wonderful. We've kept duck and goose fat for longer than I'll admit to in the refrigerator and even longer in the freezer. As Marlene said, send it to me and I'll let you know if it goes bad.

I've eaten at a couple of restaurants before I was a friend of the house and after. It was a different experience, but the quality of the cooking didn't change. If it was a four star experience after I was known, it was a four star experience the first time as well. A misconception here is that a top restaurant kitchen operates with a chaotic system wherein some diner's food is cooked by a novice while others have their food cooked by the top chef. The likelihood is that there's one guy cooking one particular dish and that everyone who orders that dish has had it cooked by the same guy. It's highly unlikely that many dishes are ever cooked by that chef who has his name above the entrance. There are no inexperienced line chefs at a top restaurant. There are also not a lot of inferior duck breasts being accepted by the steward at a top restaurant and those that slip in are likely to become pate. These restaurants pay top prices and the business is highly valued. Suppliers know they often don't get a second chance if the supplies don't pass muster. There's more than a bit of exaggeration on both sides here, but the real issue is whether a VIP critic can spot if there's inconsistency in the cooking, or if the kitchen can hide it from him. I suspect that may depend more on the sophistication of the critic than of the efforts by the restaurant. My guess is that a mediocre chef can hide his incompetence from an unqualified reviewer than a top chef can hide much from a knowledgeable critic making several visits. I daresay the odds of finding the chef with the same name as the restaurant in attendence is by no meals guaranteed on any given day. I assure you that the chef doesn't cancel his charity dinner in Rio simply because he suspects one of the tables that night is reserved by a major critic.

How long was Claiborne in that chair? At the time, it seemed like forever, but I was much younger and time moved so much faster.

The spherical shape is a product of the process. His melon caviar is not imitative of melons, although they too are round, but much larger and with a rind. That he's chosen the olive may have something to do with the fact that it is round. I don't know if he could have used a pepper or an anchovy.