tanabutler

Always a good idea. Mmmmmmmmmm.

Cross-post. I just wanted to admire this again. Great idea and nicely said, Dave.

Just coming in after having taken the better part of an hour to read this entire thread and compile notes... I can relate to this. We stopped at Tra Vigne for lunch one Sunday afternoon, and left almost immediately. The hostess was a sheer icicle of a human being, and the atmosphere was easily the most pretentious, unwelcoming I've ever seen—it made Beverly Hills seem like Harlan, Kentucky. The staff brought pretension to an art form. Hello? You're a hostess. (No, we weren't dressed like the Clampetts.) And "nitpick" is one word. Which brings me to the point I was going to make. I just got the eGullet newsletter in my in-box. FatGuy says: I can't help but be a proofreader—it's my nature (and it's been my profession). I would like to suggest that folks first use a word processing program with a spellchecker to craft their posts. I don't mean to be a snob about it—anyone can make a typo (thank heavens for "edit" buttons). But there are so many posts in this thread that are riddled with misspellings, bad punctuation, erroneous use of apostrophes (its/it's), and so on. I am probably not unique in saying that I have an instant response to such mistakes. They are like spinach on the teeth. Forgive me, but I think it needed to be said. If you want to be respected for what you write, write well and write properly. Eschew capitalization if you must, but in the name of your English teacher, wield your apostrophes with accuracy. It will only enhance eGullet's luster. If they can't take a joke, I don't wanna fuck 'em. And you can quote me—that's been my invisible tagline for twenty years. I didn't regard it as a review, since it was a highly personalized account of his experience. I read his bewilderment, and I believe he exhibited a certain willingness to being clued in, as well as some youthful ignorance (not to be confused with stupidity). I am a little in disbelief at those who would rebuke Adam for posting his experience by decrying his lack of sophistication, education, or his "gauling pallette." Good on you, ballast_regime. Emily, your entire post is wonderful and insightful. Beautifully done. Good luck with your professional endeavors as a writer. (Your description of Charlie Trotter's mannerisms are particularly compelling.) I admire your spirit, Adam, and your openness. Nothing you said would deter me from eating at Charlie Trotter's, and nothing you said would encourage me, either. I am able to read about your experiences without trying to assess your skills as a food reviewer, because it doesn't seem to me that that is what you were intending. (But you gotta give up on the Sondheim...Thus spake a Marietta girl.) And yeah, I say "more cats in the temple." You can borrow mine. I've got three.

Wow, that is simply fantastic!

Niman Ranch's bacon is The Best On Earth Ever. The label says (heh) "Heirloom Pork."

This could deserve a thread of its own, but I'm posting here because it has a certain relevancy. The Meatrix

Because I read this thread, I recognized Jonathan immediately when he appeared at the Outstanding in the Field farm dinner on October 12. This was at the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Sleepy Hollow. Pictures of the dinner Look at this gorgeous art. Frankly, people adored him. And he seemed to have a good time. As I have mentioned elsethread, the French pastry chef from Blue Hill served our cheese platter. He said, "Thees cheese iz hawsummmm!" Every single bite was Hawsummmm, and my friend, Betsy, who lives in Ringwood, intends to visit Bobolink. I bet the place is crawling, after Jonathan's visit to this big crowd.

Thanks, Mags, for the swift reply. Seabiscuit, the horse, is dead, and all the yeast in the world can't change that. The bestseller is one of my three favorite books last year (and the only non-food book). I don't think people are twisting themselves into knots, except the people who decry his endorsement because they think the food is shitty. I think that's snobbery, and it is the most uncomfortable aspect of this entire thread to me. "Lynch the Chardonnay drinkers!" Wears. Me. Out. I just don't think anyone who's getting money from Burger King can be on the board of overseers for Chef's Collaborative. I don't suggest putting him in leg irons, but clearly this kind of situation is more than a disconnect. I can only state it thus: Tony Bourdain's post rang the bell for me. I believe it rang the bell for many people, and here's why. (Mr. Bourdain, don't read this up-suckage.) Mr. Bourdain's got the authority—in the original sense of the word, the etymology of which means "to create." He has put himself in the same trenches that Mr. Bayless has. Probably a few more, given the disparity between the holistic leanings of Mr. Bayless and the jaded, smoke-coated, orgiastic self-indulgence which we all enjoy about Mr. Bourdain. Nevertheless. The notches on their belts are similar. Best-selling authors. Well-known chefs. Too bad no one ever publicly lusts over Rick Bayless, but that's life. In the non-celebrity quietude of his life, Rick Bayless helped a group of people forge an alliance and a charter and something with real purpose. Chefs Collaborative. And then who knows how he got to the point where, when approached by a corporation against whose stances he has publicly stood (without actually naming them by name), Rick Bayless compromised. "Compromise" means "a settlement of differences in which each side makes concessions." Burger King conceded $650,000, possibly, and Rick Bayless compromised his integrity as a spokesperson who opposes, strongly, the values that BK throws out into the world. I regard BK as I would a political machine. They find out what's popular and find a way to sell it, but with their own not-very-well-hidden agenda. As Mr. Bourdain put it—and I am assuming that, unlike the inhabitant of the White House, he does not pay people to write for him—emphasis mine: When Mr. Bourdain says, "They suck," it kind of cuts to the chase. It rings the bell. l pay attention. That is the effect on me when someone with personal authority and authenticity [and from what I've read, a genuine concern for the betterment of people's lives (who else would heroically want to liberate Berkeley vegans from a life of anemic despondency?)] writes about a fellow chef who took the path of least resistance. And in so doing, offers truly thoughtful and intelligent ideas about how Mr. Bayless could have played his hand differently. The situation isn't tragic. As we say in our house, "No babies died." (Apparently not, anyway, but I could play the "but babies are dying in third world countries where Burger King is raising beef instead of growing crops that could feed more people" card.) That's why I am involved all over again in this issue. I am not particularly moral. But I care deeply. I am trying to be as respectful as I can, but I'm human, too. (Human enough to resent food snobbery, but only when it's applied to me.) Thanks.

"The space was relaxing" is such a lovely way to put it. Welcome, Ken. Thank you for posting in such detail.

QUOTING MAGS HERE: 1) I did ding Mario Batali. I am the one who went off topic and said that his is, bar none, the worst tomato sauce I've ever had in my life. 2) I don't care if Rick Bayless eats at Burger King. I honestly do not care a rat's hairy ass. I have eaten at Burger King occasionally—probably three times in the last two years. I am not invoking snobbery and saying, "Well, how could anyone eat there? It's trash!" I. Do. Not. Care. I don't care where or what Rick Bayless eats. I have a big, big, big problem with him making commercials for Burger King, who IS part of the Evil Empire, for all the reasons mentioned in the Tony Bourdain Rant, above. Why? Because Bayless helped create the charter for Chef's Collaborative, and BK is the anti-Christ. Sing the "Sesame Street" song: "One of these things is not like the other/One of these things just doesn't belong." Here are the things. One of them is not like the others. Local • Organic • Seasonal • Sustainable • Burger King Hmmmmm. 3) I can't begin to count the ways that this is incomprehensible to me. Oh, I understand the difference between Janis Joplin, who would never have gotten a recording contract today, not with that face and hair, and Mariah "I Sing Notes Only Invisible Dogs Can Hear" Carey. I don't buy into celebrity idols. My disappointment in Bayless has nothing to do with his persona. It has to do with his betrayal of some very high values, values he helped form, put into words, and share. It has to do with him trying to have it both ways. Human? Yep. And wrong. Like I said, this thread was, for me, deader than Seabiscuit, until I read the Bourdain post, which offered alternatives to climbing in bed with a multi-national corporation that is toxic and greedy. Having seen what I believe is "the light," I have clarified and renewed my belief that Bayless absolutely did the wrong thing (for whatever reasons—I am trying not to judge his motivations, though I could do that if I wanted to re-read the 1000+ posts in this long-winded thread). I think he made a huge mistake, and maybe, just maybe, he could turn down future commercial opportunities with this greedy chain, and admit he did The Wrong Thing. The publicity of turning "traitor" to Burger King would surely inspire a new maelstrom, and he could use that publicity to get attention for an intelligent endeavor: perhaps putting some of Tony Bourdain's good ideas to work. And Jinmyo, I have already heard from one woman at the Chef's Collaborative, and she said (I quote): "Thanks for forwarding this along. I have to say that I appreciate the rant." She is going to check with CC and apprise me of any news.

Okay, I was kidding. Up in Sonoma County, follow the Russian River to the coast. There in the sleepy town of Jenner is a lovely place called River's End. The food is organic, local, seasonal and fantastic. The wine list is great: the owner is so committed to using local treasures. Eat whatever your laidback, smart server suggests. Best of all: cell phones don't work there! Yay. RIVERS END RESTAURANT & INN 11048 HIGHWAY 1 JENNER, CA 95450-9601 (707)865-2484 In Santa Cruz, I just discovered Parwana (Afghan for "butterfly") on Soquel Avenue at Seabright (where Bea's Koffee Kup used to be, next to the Rio). It was delicious. (I'll post photos soon.) More as I think of them.

Great topic. I'm not telling!

Okay, you got it. I'll let you know what/when I hear back. 650,000, huh? Did that all go to the Frontera Foundation, or did Baby Gotta Have New Shoes? Note to self: "Upsuck privately, so as not to revolt Jinmyo."

I was just about to unsubscribe to this thread, because I really thought this horse was deader than Seabiscuit, and then I read that brilliant Bourdain rant (brilliant for offering a creative solution rather than merely dumping bile and lynching Bayless). Sorry if this sounds up-suckish, but I am going to e-mail that to a few food folks I know who will appreciate it. I think I will pass it along, with all due respect, to the Chefs Collaborative folks and see if I can get a response about how their meeting went last month. That would be after October 10, when Peter Hoffman (National Chair for CC) wrote his letter explaining their policy on personal endorsements by its members. Presumably not much has changed, as Bayless's name is still listed on the Board of Overseers (that has a rather plantionesque ring to it, doesn't it?).

I'm loving this, Mr. Tommy.

Yesterday I made the very simple Tassajara recipe for green bean soup. LEMON BUTTER BASIL In the food processor, 1-1/2 cups basil with a stick of butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt, the juice and zest of one Meyer lemon. Let sit to gather flavor while cooking the beans. GREEN BEAN SOUP Sauté one chopped white onion in 4 TBL. butter until completely soft. Into boiling, lightly salted water, throw 2 pounds of green beans. When they are tender and still bright green, strain them and rinse with the coldest water possible, to stop cooking. In a big pot, toss the beans with the onions, and 2 quarts of stock (I used vegetable bouillon and green bean cooking water). Cook 15 minutes over medium heat, then purée in the blender. Top with a dollop of lemon basil-butter (or blend the whole business into the soup) and a few tendrils of basil chiffonade. ---------------- Other favorites I love to make: Mushroom soup Tuscan white bean with rosemary croutons (Greens cookbook) Carrot-cashew soup with ginger (the original Moosewood cookbook) Butternut squash with shiitake mushrooms and curry Oyster chowder Tomato soup with coconut and curry (Molly Katzen's Still Life with Menu) Roasted corn with lime-chile cream (Bobby Flay's Bold American Food) French onion soup Tuscan bread soup Moosewood recipe for vegetable chowder using only fresh, perfect summer garden vegetables (peas, corn, beans, etc.) Potato soup Cream of spinach soup (likewise chard soup, mmmm) Cream of red pepper soup (Molly Katzen's Still Life with Menu) Oh, and I make turkey soup after Thanksgiving. I will not put rice in it—that's so lunchroom. Instead, I use oranges, shiitakes, and the same herbs I use on the bird (rosemary, sage, thyme, tarragon), and very thinly sliced celery. I've sometimes added the leftover dressing (with shiitakes and pine nuts), and that's fantastic, too. (The oranges I put in whole, and cook them that way. When the soup is ready, I juice the oranges into it.) In restaurants, I love lobster bisque, clam chowder, avgolemono, vischysoisse, hot and sour, Tom Ka Gai, cheese soup, borscht, and this one Italian soup: a very very light broth with roasted chicken, slivers of garlic, lots of pepper, and tortellini. Making soup is one of my favorite ways to spend time in the kitchen.

I just wanted to see that one again. heh heh heh heh

Yesterday at Cabrillo Farmer's Market in Aptos: 18 huge oysters. 2 pounds of beautiful white mushrooms. A parsley plant. A pumpkin pie. A piece of chocolate for my six-year-old buddy. 18 eggs. 2 pounds of perfect green beans, which were turned into green bean soup with lemon basil-butter, from the Tassajara cookbook. Fantastic. Last week: Betty Van Dyke's dried apricots. Mmmm.

Much has been made of this point, from nearly the beginning of the thread. I wrote Chefs Collaborative and posted their reply to my letter, upthread. As I have said before, I think the very most generous motives that could be ascribed to Bayless's commercial is that he's hopelessly naïve about what he has done.

No list of fine dining in the South Bay should exclude Manresa, in Los Gatos, where chef David Kinch (formerly of Sent Sovi) presides. From the SF Chronicle: Dream cuisine at Manresa : "Food lovers will find much to celebrate at David Kinch's Los Gatos restaurant" Michael Bauer calls it "French Laundry South." When I was in NYC earlier this month, I dined at the fabulous Amma, where I met chef Hemant Mathur. He told me that he had lived for a year in this area, where he opened Turmerik in Sunnyvale. I cannot wait to eat there. The wine list is extensive, and I see they carry my new favorite, a Gruner Veltliner. (I live in Santa Cruz, and there is only one Indian restaurant, and I will likely not return there again. Very average at best, and dark and morose inside.) On my return flight to San Jose, I sat next to an Indian man who was visiting his family in Atlanta. They own an Indian restaurant there, so I trusted him to know good Indian food. He recommended Amber India for a good dinner, as well as Passage to India, which he said has a $12 buffet. Both are in Mountain View. Amber India website. I see in the reviews section that they are one of Michael Bauer's Top 100 restaurants. Passsage to India website (Unfortunately their site design needs some help. The black background and small font are difficult to read.) Here is a link I found to Indian restaurants in California: GourmetIndia.US. There are also the new restaurants in Santana Row. I haven't eaten there yet, but a foodie friend said the Mexican place there, Cazuelas, is wonderful. Cazuelas listing at Santana Row website: "Cazuelas Mexican Bistro is a full service restaurant that serves authentic Mexican food in a small plate/family style format. In addition to the food, Cazuelas also features a full Latino drink bar to complement the exquisite flavors of the food. The environment takes you back to the early 1900s when French influence was combined with Mexican architecture." There are a great many more details on the page, including the menu. I am eager to try it. I had a fine lunch at Habana Cuba in San Jose. The pork platter is about $9 and is fall-apart tender and perfectly spiced. It comes with black beans (a little on the soupy side), rice and fried plantains. All flavorful and, let me tell you, ample. This pork is the best of its kind I've ever had, and so plentiful that I had to bring home half to my husband. He was happy about that. A warning about Habana Cuba: do NOT, under any circumstances that do not include a knife at your throat, order a cocktail. Most especially do not order a Mojito. They don't have their liquor license, and they substitute some weird-ass Japanese spirit called "Soju," which the PDF of their menu describes as "Asian liquor similar to premium vodka. Originally a distilled form of sake, soju is today a unique breed of alcohol made from rice, barley and other grain." I assumed "soju" was Japanese for "bile." It was the worst drink I've ever had. It tasted like fermented Sprite. Sour, nasty, and revolting. And a ridiculously high $6. They have a good wine list, so I'd order wine next time.

How excited am I? My chef friend, Betsy, is going to Amma this weekend with my best friend, Lori, who is in New York rehearsing for the upcoming production of Bernstein's MASS (to be staged with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra on the 40th anniversary of Kennedy's assassination, and filmed by PBS). Betsy and Lori get to meet Suvir. So I'm trying not to be jealous but happy for them all. I don't know how successful I am in managing the jealousy, but pretty well, I think, since I can't wait to get back to NYC and return to Amma myself. With Betsy. I look forward to Betsy posting here herself. She loved Amma the first time, and I made her promise to take lots of notes. EDIT: YO, BETSY! Bring your chef's jacket so Suvir can sign it, too.

Ragu tastes ten times better than the Mario Batali stuff I bought at Trader Joe's. I am not exaggerating when I say his pasta sauce is the worst I've ever had in my life. It was oversalty, flat, dull and just plain dreadful. I had to mix in a whole lot of other tomato paste and real tomatoes to even make it palatable. After one serving, I gave the rest to my stepdaughter, who will eat anything. And even she agreed that it was wretched. The worst and never again. Trader Joe's should be ashamed. I can't believe Mario Batali would put his name on something so terrible.

I'll make a sign to wear around my neck for my next visit to NYC: "WILL PHOTOGRAPH FOR INDIAN FOOD" I like the way the light came out...moody but pretty. I wish I had a shot of the samosas without the flash, because the flash is boring. On the other hand, not having a tripod, the one without is blurry. Too blurry for use. I fixed the caption on the stuffed chicken breasts.

Photographs of Amma Suvir, there is one dish for which I do not remember the name. If you can tell me what it is, I shall edit. I apologize for the imperfection of the photographs. I will be acquiring a mini-tripod for traveling before I return to NYC.

Charmless block? (Grimes' review) No block is charmless that has trees. Suvir? I will meet you when I return to New York. I am disappointed in the quality of my photographs (which I did find), as I didn't travel to New York with a tripod. I can upload certain shots, but they are not a complete depiction of our experience at Amma. Perhaps that is best. Perhaps just a slightly blurred shot of the colors and the tone and beauty of Amma and the food would work. Let me see what I can do.