Stone

Bingo. What do we have behind door number 2 for this contestant?

I'm incapable of remembering the name (I just saw a bottle at a store last night), but it was something like Chateuax Sanciaro-Mallet, '82. (Sancario? Saciarno?)

I went to Ithaka tonight with my sister and her roomate. I don't have much experience with Greek food. Gyros, souvlaki, moussaka, spanokapita -- the usuals. Some were here, but the restaurant also offered a great selection of grilled seafood, seafood cooked with orzo in a clay pot, meats, etc. It was terrific. All the dishes had full, but even flavorings. No overbearing use of garlic; no dousing everything in lemon. No packing dried oregano on every open piece of flesh. Great food. The was deep, with whitewashed walls, and wood beams across the top. I can't say that it recreated something from Greece, but it was a nice, open, comfortable space. The restaurant was only sparsely filled. Most of the diners seemed to be speaking Greek. Waiting for my companions, I had a glass of restina. it was supposed to be a spice wine, with a "pine" scent. It wasn't. Just a bland white wine. But this was about the only black mark on the evening. We started with four appetgizer plates (I forget the Greek names). First was the combo plate -- Tzatziki, eggplant, and fish roe. Each was possibly the best rendition I'd have. The tzatziki was a cool, fresh yogurt and cucumber dip, with chopped parsley and a bit of chopped dill. The roe, was excellent, tasting creamy and smooth, with a the flavor of a mellow lox spread. (I hate lox.) The eggplant, mashed smooth and flavorful, with a bit of lemon. Two dolma, plump and tasty, finished it off. Next was Gigantes -- giant beans in a vegetable sauce. The beans were large and plump and perfectly cooked al dente. The sauce was like a base of flavorful vegetable soup, with tomato, carrot and fresh herbs. Excellent. After that came the charcoal grilled octopus before. Usually, I find octopus to be chewy and tough -- which I don't mind at all. But this came out charcoal grilled on the outside, and firm but tender on the inside. Two long tentacles, resting on a bed of shredded lettuce with a lemon infused oil drizzled on top. Finally, the spanakopita. This wasn't great, but certainly passable. The filo dough was a little dry and britle on top, and the spinach insdie a bit overcooked. Along with all of this was some amazing bread. Served piping hot -- I assumed it was cooked on the premises, but it came from down town. The was long and flattish, reminding me of ciabatta. Crunchy crust on the outside, soft and airy on the inside. Terrific. We got a large greek salad, which wasn't much. ("A Greek salad is a Greek salad", as the waiter said. No excuse, could have been better.) I was some chopped lettuce, a smallish amount of feta, with some leaves of endive. The final trophy was a fresh grilled red snapper. Perfectly cooked, fresh and tasty. The meat was white, flakey and moist. The skin was wonderfully crispy and perfectly spiced with oregano and thyme. The only slight criticism was the lemon oil that was poured a little too lilberally on top. The waiter deboned it for us -- promising a free meal if we found five bones in the meat. We found only two. For dessert, some baklava and an egg custard in filo dough. The baklava was, again, superb. Not the sticky sweet honey drenched filo pie I'm used to. This was a tall stack of firm filo, filled with ample crushed nuts and only slightly soaked with honey. A little cinnamon rounded out the flavors perfectly. The custard was hot and creamy, not too sweet, stuffed into a roll of filo (looked like a long blintz). Again, excellent flavor, without being overly sweet. it was a great meal. The final mention must be of the waiters. Two great fellows -- one tall and bald, one young and slim. They were charming and funny and helpfull -- although we could barely understand a word they said! Well done.

Yes, I forgot about this. I usually don't enjoy olives in my food, but this added a few bite of strong bitter flavor that kept bringing down the richness of the sauce. Very good. Maybe.

Not at all. Like I said, Suzanne was very causal and informal. The dish descriptions were likely memorized, but isn't that to be expected? Our main runner was more formal (younger, a bit nervous?), but I wouldn't describe his interaction as scripted.

The Restaurant Gary Danko As part of my week of food, I recently visited one of San Francisco’s elite eateries, The Restaurant Gary Danko. It was terrific. I had recommended Danko to my mother a while back for a business dinner and her reaction was enthusiastic. It was one of the best meals ever, she raved, and offered repeated, glowing reviews of the service. (When I told her that I’d eaten their, she again remembered how wonderful the staff was.) I had previously open been to two restaurants that are popularly regarded as making up the city’s top tier – Fleur D’Lys and Postrio. I can’t say that I paid enough attention at either. However, having had at least three meals at Postrio, I don’t recall anything special about the experience. This alone suggests to me that Danko is a step above, because I don’t think I could have not been impressed with the restaurant’s style and service. Danko is located on a dark streed corner on the Northern slope of Russian Hill. (It is perilously close to Fisherman’s Wharf, but I will not insult this place by pairing with that.) The outside is, seen at night, a dark brown, fronted with an impressively tasteful and forceful golden sign containing the intertwined “G” and “D” that are Danko’s logo. (See above.) The interior consists of two beautiful rooms, stylishly decorated without any hint of excess or showiness. Differing in the from both the opulence of Fluer D’Lys or the simplicity of French Laundry, Danko presents inviting rooms, with simple amber wood tones and other unexceptional touches. Although the entrance was crowded when I walked in, giving it a somewhat hectic feeling, this melted away quickly as the people were soon led to their tables. There are some photos of the interior on Danko’s website, but I don’t think they do justice to the restaurant’s comfortable feel. They are presented in a wide, narrow (think letterbox) format, limited to only a quarter or so of the page. This gives a low, claustrophobic feel to the photos which is not at all present in the restaurant itself. But, if you've got Internet access, they will give you an idea of the ambience. I arrived at about 9:15 for a 9:30 appointment. Some mistake had been made, as they had our reservation down for 9, but due to the crowd we would have to wait at least until 9:30 anyway. While waiting, I noticed another couple come in and telling the host that their hotel conceirge had made a reservation for them. None was to be found in the book, but the hostess made a call to the hotel, and five minutes later assured the couple that they would have a table. Earlier in the day, I sent an email to a wine-educated friend of mine, half-jokingly asking him to peruse Danko’s winelist and make a recommendation. (I was also gloating a bit, since he was still jealous that I’d been to French Laundry a few days earlier.) His suggestion was simple – Danko’s wine list, while excellent, was incredibly marked-up. Instead, he told me to spend my lunch hour at The Wine Club (located at 938 Harrison at 5th) and to ask them for advice. I printed out the wine list and made way to the Club. I didn’t want to spend too much time making price comparisons, but the one I did make suggested that my friend’s advice was well worth it. A Chateau Mouton-Rothschild '85 at Danko sold for $1,200; it could be had at the Wine Club for abou $215, which, including the $25 corkage fee at the restaurant is well worth the effort. I chose two, Château Cos d'Estournel, '89 and [one more I will fill in when I get home], figuring we would select one for dinner. I arrived carrying my little brown bag of wine and clutched it carefully as anyone would two glass hundred-dollar bills. After about 10 minutes, the hostess asked me if she could take the wine and hold it for me, and I agreed (not having any idea what I should do, but she seemed trustworthy). However, she simply excused herself and walked away. It took another 10 minutes or so for her to come back and fetch my bottles. While waiting I looked through the restaurant. The crowd was well-dressed, with dark blue blazers present as if they’d been handed out, and only a few gentlemen were without jacket. The bar was filled with diners, yet did not appear at all uncomfortable. The bartended appeared to be holding court keeping the diners entertained while at the same time making the necessary drinks and never looking hurried. I’m told that it is easy to stop by and get a seat at the bar for dinner, and I intend to do so. The staff all wore blue blazers, each with two pins on their lapel – the Mobile Five Star, and the Relais Gourmand crest. At first I thought it somewhat pretentious, but the outgoing friendliness of everyone in the place quickly dispelled that notion. My date, Cabrales of course, arrived soon before our reservation, and we were presently escorted to our table. The room was terrific, but I’ll leave it to her for a more accurate description as I had only a glance – as good manners demand, I offered her the inside bench seat against the wall. (If any women find this sexist and offensive, please let me know, and I will never do it again.) Although I usually try to grab the bench seat for comfort (the eating of this past week has left me just a smidge shy of morbidly obese), the chair at Danko were surprisingly spacious and comfortable for a fellow my size. Seated as I was in front of Cabrales, I had, of course, no inclination to look away. She, on the other hand, had six-and-a-half feet of reason to look throughout the room. My only criticism of the room was that the tables were fairly close together – however, the table to our right finished soon after we stared and I never noticed any sense of crowding. Our waitress, Suzanne, came by to explain the reservation. She was surprisingly outgoing and gregarious given the otherwise serious tenor of the restaurant (blazers and pins and all). At French Laundry the staff, although exceptionally friendly, knowledgable and helpful, was fairly reserved and formal. (Having been to French Laundry just four days before, comparisons are inevitable.) Suzanne was quite the opposite, bantering and joking with us throughout the meal. She explained how the menu worked. It was divided into five categories: Appetizers, Fish and Shellfish, Meat and Game; Cheese and Dessert. Diners could choose meals of three, four or five course, for $54, $64 or $74, respectively. The only limitation was that diners could choose only one course from the Meat and Game section, as Gary believed that those dishes only worked in the entrée size. Aside from that rule, a diner could choose any combination of the offerings, including a meal of five desserts. I was somewhat taken aback when she explained that doubling up on an appetizer or fish and shellfish would result in the kitchen modifying the portion size accordingly. I would expect that ordering another dish – and paying more money – would receive more food. But no worry – whatever they did with the portions, even I had more than enough food during the meal to make me more than happy (with one exception, noted below). The menu (our menu only differed slightly from the winter menu currently on the website) was extensive and varied in all respects but one – every dish contianed fruit, usually citrus. I understand that many, perhaps most, possibly all but one people enjoy the pairing of sweet fruit or tart citrus with meat and fish. I’m that one, and don’t particularly like it. I usually wouldn't criticize a restaurant for offering dishes that weren’t to my liking, but it did surprise me that there was no option to avoid citrus, pear, apple, cranberry or pomegranite. That said, it was easy enough for me to push aside an overpowering section of blood orange where necessary, and the fruit did not detract in the least from my enjoyment. Amuse Bouche We were brought an amuse of trout mousse, served on a small coin of brioche, topped with a smidge of caviar and sitting in small spot of dill jus. I’m not a fan of pureed fish (“beware the salmon mousse”), but I really enjoyed this. The bite was a small one, which limited the strength of the trout flavor. It was not too heavy and the texture of the mousse blended well with the brioche. The only shortcoming, noticed by Cabrales and me, was that the brioche seemed almost a little stale. I don’t know if that was because we sat at 9:45 and the bread had been prepared much earlier, or if it had just picked up some moisture from the dill jus. Either way, it was a slight imperfection at most. One point off. They brought over some bread, which was surprisingly ordinary. Just a hunk of French bread, room temperature. Cabrales again asked about the butter, which was “Challenge”. We’d never heard of it, but Challenge Dairy's website explains that it is a California coop, and claims that it is the choice of many of the world's top chefs. Gary Danko is featured in the site’s “Chef’s Spotlight.” Although I think that this focus on butter is slightly weird, since Cabrales brought it up, I’ll say that I liked it better than the organic butter (spiked with fleur de sel) served at French Laundry. This had a cooler, fresher taste, and was the kind of butter that reminds me how much I love butter. (FL’s was kind of flat with a slightly oily feel.) A member of the staff then rolled over a beautiful black and chrome cart on which were our two bottles of wine. He asked which we would like to start with, and I said that although I assumed the Cos D'Estournel was the better bottle, we would like his help choosing. Cabrales suggested that he hear what we were having for our meal, but he didn’t seem to hear. He quickly agreed that the 1989 was the better choice of the two. I have a feeling that, given the many different tastes on the menu, they wouldn’t influence greatly the decision between the two wines. He opened the bottle and decanted a bit. He offered me the taste, which I should have refused. Being slightly dim, I forgot that I was in the early stages of a cold, and the wine just didn’t come across well to me. On the tongue, it felt flat and heavy, and it was sharp and somewhat biting on the back of the mouth. There was not much flavor otherwise. But Cabrales like it quite a bit, and what the hell do I know about wine? Appetizer For appetizer, I had the seared foie gras. Cabrales had the glazed oysters. I chose the foie gras because I don’t recall ever having had it other than perhaps a small slice sitting atop a filet or other piece of meat. (I opted against the terrine, as I’d just had one at FL the weekend before.) It tasted great, but the texture was not much to my liking. The flavor was full and mellow, picking up good boost from the searing. Inside, however, was soft, with a consistency somewhat like a stiff pudding. For all I know, this is perfect. For me, it wasn’t bad, but was not overly enjoyable. It didn’t have much texture or mouthfeel. More disappointing were the caramelized red onion. They appeared dark black and had pretty much been reduced to a thick sludge, losing any identification with onion. I suspect that this may be because we were a late seating, and they were made much earlier in the evening and had been warming near the stove too long. That said, however, the taste was certainly enjoyable. Sweet and bold, with hints of balsamic. The fuji apples were sweet and offered a nice fresh crunch. In all, the dish worked and I feel it was a good introduction for foie gras. I’ll definitely sample more in the future. Cabrales’s oyseters were simply devine. This is a signature dish of Gary’s (the staff all refer to him as “Gary”, not “the chef”), and his website contains the recipe. (The recipe can be found on Chellenge's website under the Chef Spotlight section.) The broth is made from oyster juice, clam juice, fish fumet, and some cream. The oysters are poached in the broth and the dish is topped with two types of caviar – osetra and trout. The final dish is wonderful. When a spoonful is taken, the first taste is the velvetly smooth broth that bursts with the flavors from the fish, while being softened by the richness of the cream. It wakes up the mouth and readies it for the next guest. The oyster, plump and meaty, spills forth the fresh flavor of the ocean. Soon thereafter is the sharp brine of the caviar to finish the mouthful. Hitting the tastebuds and nose as it does after the strength of the broth and oyster, it blends perfectly without overpowering any of the senses or leaving any lingering fishyness. The broth carries away any excess saltiness, and the mouth is left clean and ready for the next spoonful. If you go to Danko, don’t miss out on this. Even those hesitant about oysters should find this easy to palate, both in appearance and flavor. Fish and Seafood Roast Maine Lobster with Chanterelle Mushrooms, Edamame Beans, Potato Purée and Tarragon We each chose two from the fish and shellfish selections (we opted against a cheese course). I chose the pan-seared grouper, and the roasted lobster. Cabrales also chose the lobster and added the Seared Scallops, Butternut Squash Purée, King Trumpet Mushrooms and Sherry Sauce (sorry, no picture of the scallop). My grouper was terrific, as much a visual delight as gustatory. The medalion of white flesh was only lightly seared, allowing bright color of the fish to remain. It was perched atop the juncture of three generous quennelles of fennel puree that were joined at the points and radiated outward. Framing this pattern as a backfrop was a glowing yellow sun of saffron sauce. The combined affect was a burst of color that was matched by flavor. The fish excelled in both taste and texture. While not overly thick, it was well-sized and moist and the first flesh had terrific bite. The flavor was strong without being at all fishy. The saffron sauce help up perfectly to the fish, with a bold aroma a smoothness that felt terrific on the tongue. It was accented perfectly by small sections of meyer lemon which burst with sweetness and and acidity. The fennel puree was the weak point of this dish, but again, that may have been due to my cold, not the preparation. I thought the texture too soft to add much to the overall dish, and I did not get any aroma of anise. (In fact, I had forgotten it was fennel, and thought it was a leek puree until reminded by Suzanne.) Cabrales’s scallop (singular) was another hit of the evening. The little fellow must have been seared very hot but only briefly. This developed a terrificly strong flavor and a good bite to the crust, leaving the inside moist and buttery sweet. It was served with small cauliflower flowerets, which I did not find anything special, but large chunks of King Trumpet mushrooms were a surprise. They were about 1” cubes, and looked like chunks of portobello. But they were lighter in color and had a mellower flavor. (The waitress said they were large oyster mushrooms.) The earthiness of the mushroom paired very well with the ocean of the scallop. The only drawback I saw with this dish was that there was only one scallop on the plate. Perhaps it was downsized because it was one of two appetizer selections (I think I saw other plates of scallop walking about with more than one), but I found this unnecessarily miserly of the restaurant, especially since I enjoyed it so much and wanted more. (Yes, I speak as if this were my dish, but Cabrales kept forcing upon me her food. At first I thought she wasn’t enjoying it as much as I, but in the end she offered it unexpectedly high praise.) We each had a course of roast maine lobster, which was every bit as good as expected. The dish was presented as half a small tail with the meat of a claw resting on a little dish made from one side of body armor. The two were curled about one another and propped in the center of the plate atop potato puree and chanterelle mushrooms, with a sprinkle of bright green edamame. I thought the lobster meat had great taste and texture, definitely the soft flesh of a younger animal. It did not have a pronounced “snap” to the bite that I usually find in lobster or shrimp. Cabrales didn’t enjoy the texture as much as I did, finding it, I think, too weak. The edamame added bright drops of green color, but no real flavor of their own. (We raised this with one of the line cooks we spoke with after eating, and he agreed. “It’s just a soybean.”) It was served with sections of blood orange, which I found too strong and pushed to the side. Although the lobster was very good, I thought it was one of the weaker ones on the menu – not because there was anything wrong with it, but because it was, in the end, pretty much just a good, or a really good, piece of lobster. I’ve had good lobster before, and unlike many of the other dishes, it didn’t offer me anything out of ordinary and didn’t truly amaze me. (For example, the “peas and carrots” at FL was a wholly new and exciting presentation of lobster to me. However, it’s not fair to compare the two, because other than lobster being the main ingredient, they are not at all similar dishes.) Meat and Game Birds Venison (Trust me, they looked better in real life.) The next course was meat and game. I had the duck breast over poached pear. Cabrales ordered venison tenderloin (neither of these are on the current winter menu, and I don't have my copy of the menu with me, so the exact titles will have to wait). The duck was served sliced and fanned, on top of chopped pears and a wonderful duck hash. The had a good flavor, but was somewhat underdone for my preference. This resulted in a chewyness that I didn’t enjoy, and there was a white line of fat running through the meat. The pears, however, offered a cool freshness and had a wonderfully gritty texture that I really enjoyed. The best part of the meal was the surprise cake of duck hash. This wasn’t mentioned on the menu – at first I thought it was some formulation of pressed risotto (risotto was served in a number of dishes) or potato pancake, but the first bite offered a an aggressive, smoky rush of peppery potato and duck. The sauce appeared to be a wine/jus reduction that contributed great meaty flavor to the dish. It received a good jolt of flavor from some cracked pepper corn crusting the breast and from juniper berries in the sauced. (Actually, one of the waiters thought they were huckleberries.) The caramelized red onion made another appearance here, and suffered from the same problem – it seemed overdone. However, it fit in well, helping to bring out and intensify the bold meaty flavors on the place. Putting aside the texture of the duck, I found, again, that the flavors of this dish were fairly familiar to me. This again prompts a comparison to my experience at French Laundry. Some of what I enjoyed most at FL were the brand new tastes and presentations. The creamy and buttery tapioca sabayon of the oysters and pearls, the papery crisp skin of the bass, the decadent richness of the lobster in peas and carrots. It dawned on me that Danko wasn’t giving me a similar sense of excitement because many of the tastes and presentations were familiar to me. I’ve had a lot of lobster, scallop, duck breast, grouper, etc. Don’t get me wrong though – almost everything I received at Danko ranked among the best I’ve ever had. This is more an observation and not at all a condemnation. Coincedentally, Cabrales tasted my duck and loved it – including the texture. On the other hand, she didn’t love her venison, finding the meat a bit overdone. To her defense, she had ordered it rare, asking the waitress to “err on the side of raw.” The thick slices of meat came out beautifully blackened on the outside, with an even, bright rosy color inside, rare to medium-rare, perhaps. It was just what I would have wanted, and with deft slight of hand, we switched plates. The meat was tender and delicious. The saucing was very similar to that of the duck. The only drawback for me was the inclusion of some crushed almonds in the saucing that I found to add a bitter taste. As noted above, we skipped the cheese course. Next time I wont. The cheese plate had a great looking assortment (a sample list can be found on the website), and when it was rolled to the table nextdoor, the aroma was wonderful. Dessert Flambéed Pears with Cornmeal Crepes, Toasted Almonds and Vanilla Ice Cream prepared tableside For dessert we decided to share the pear flambe with crepes, for two. The menu had a triple-chocolate mousse that was very tempting, but I want to experience the entertainment of the flambe prepared at our table. Suzanne rolled out a burner, with a plate of poached pears, four folded crepes (pre-made in the kitchen), and other goodies. She placed a wide shallow pan filled with a good amount of dark turbinado sugar on top of a hot butter. As she stirred the sugar to melt it, she added about two tablespoons of butter, and worked it into the sugar. After this she added the sliced pears, again stirring them to coat with the butter and caramelizing sugar. A stiff shot of cognac was poured in and boldly flambed. When this died down, she added a good helping of cream to finish off the sauced. As the sauce bubbled, she unfolded the crepes one at a time and rested them in the caramel before placing them on the plates and spooning the mixture with the pears on top. To this was added a scoop of vanilla ice cream and shavings of raw almond. I loved this all, but would have preferred more ice cream and less almond. The caramel was sweet and creamy and full of flavor. Cabrales, too would have preferred less almonds on the dish. We finished off with some petit fours and Cabrales had a double-espresso. I asked the waitress if we could have copies of the menu, and we were given elegant black folders in a protective envelope containing the night’s menu, authographed by the chef. In addition, all diners were given a gift of a small cinamon coffee cake, wrapped in beautiful gold foil. Although it was fast approaching 12:30, we asked for a quick glance in the kitchen. I was surprised both by how small it was (though I have little with which to compare it) and how clean it was, but, of course, the night was over and clean-up pretty much finished. Two of the line cooks (I don’t know their actual positions/titles) were there finishing up, and Cabrales engaged them in conversation. I was not surprised that they indulged our company, but what did surprise me was how genuine and welcoming they were. Each encouraged our questions and offered responses that prompted more, instead of simply trying to get us out of the way. (Of course, one poor fellow spent the entire time peeling about 14,000 baby carrots. He must love his work!) One of the surprises in the kitchen were two microwave ovens. It was explained that they were the best ways to heat or reheat small amounts of food quickly and evenly. The example given was that it was used to reheat small amount of grains. This openness reminded me of my mother’s report of the wonderful service she had. Wonderful it was. As I noted, our main waitress, Suzanne, was engaging and casual, without giving away any measure of service. Each food runner was also gracious and friendly and able to answer our many questions about the dishes. The hostess successfully managed the busy front of the house with a sincere smile contributed greatly to the restaurant full of happy diners. The bill came and the tally for the evening only made us happier. We brought the wine ($100, plus $25 corkage) and each had five courses at $74, plus the glass of champagne and coffe (the crepes were an extra $6, which leads me to ask, “why?”). The total, with generous tip, came to only about $275 ($375 with wine), not bad for the meal. In fact, I expect that I will make frequent trips to dine at the bar for a three course meal with a beer, which is probably one of the best deals in the city. And now for the best compliment of all. Although I told Cabrales that I thoroughly enjoyed the meal, I remarked, as set forth above, that it didn’t leave the impression that I had from French Laundry. Cabrales, to the shock and surprise of all on-lookers, said that in some ways she thought this meal exceeded what she’d had at French Laundry. The only explanation I can possibly muster for that is that whereas the meal met my expectations for such a place, it exceeded hers. After all, Danko didn’t even have the good sense to put the word “French” in the restaurant’s name, so how much could she had expected going into the night? (I'm not sure I've got the foie gras/venison/duck photos correct. Please do not let this reflect badly on the restaurant.)

I believe it's true that sabayon has no butter. However, the FL cookbook (p. 135) describes the sauce for oysters as peals as basically a scoop of buerre monte with flavorings. (I'm paraphrasing only slightly.) I assume that means butter, flavored by tapioca sabayon. (three edits, and I think it's close to English.)

What do you mean by that? lay a fish filet on the cutting board and salt it. come back 10 minutes later and it will have sweated. obviously, dunking pork in a brine overnight will have a different end result but the salt will still have an effect on how the meat cooks. i'm not saying so with a negative connotation either. But surface salt and brine solutions produce two different results. Brining increases the moisture content of meat. Wouldn't this have something to do with osmosis? If there's more junk dissolved in the brining solution than in the water in the meat, wont the water flow out of the meat to achieve an equilibrium? Kind of like water flowing out of your skin when you sit in the bath and start to pucker? I assumed that was why the brining water turns pinkish -- it's the blood in the water leaching out of the meat into the brine. I think brining intensifies flavor similar to sun-dried tomatoes -- by leaching out the water and leaving the flavor behind. But that's a wild guess.

It's fun to joke about this stuff, but can we hear from people who have these products? Someone wrote above that a chef friend praised the Popeil Rotisserie. I've heard that many restaurants use the George Foreman grill. I would think that a cheap sharp Ginsu knife isn't all that bad, as long as you're carefull with the flexible blade. Who owns infomercial stuff? How good is it? How long until it got stuck in the back of the pantry?

I was only commenting on your statement that people told you insider trading laws didn't apply to Martha. Maybe I misunderstood what you meant by that. Yes, juries and to a lesser extent Judges may ignore hard evidence and rule (intentionally or not) based on other subjective desires. Or so it seems. (Maybe they just see the evidence differently?) But in my mind, that does not equal an appearance of impropriety. (This actually, may be the same point you were making.) When a jury refuses to apply the law as given or purposefully ignores the facts (usually referred to as "jury nullification" (a recent example in Cal. is where jurors said they would have acquited a guy on charges of growing pot if they knew he was growing medicinal marijauna, even though that was not a legal defense to the charge)), it does not necessarily suggest a conflict of interest (i.e., a juror/judge has a relationship with the prosecutor or defendant). I think, therefore, that this is a different issue from the conflicted reviewer.

I'm not sure who you're talking to, but a bit of advice, everyone is subject to insider trading laws. Everyone. If Martha received material secret information and traded while she was in possession of that information, it doesn't matter what her relationship to the company, she is guilty. (Steve -- There is a "doctrine" saying that insider trading laws only apply to people who have a "duty" to the company not to trade on insider information. That "duty" was judicially created theory on which insider trading liability rests. (There is no law specifically prohibiting trading on insider information -- it's considered to be a form of fraud. People used to trade on insider info all the time, and there are many compelling arguments that insider trading has no negative effect on the market. The issue is really one of fairness and equity -- the average joe and jane should have as much opportunity to make money in the market as an insider, therefore, the insider is prohibiting from leverage his or her inside position.) But getting back to Martha, a recent Supreme Court decision on an unrelated case (Pillsbury? has pretty much said that the "duty" is carried with the info. And insider has a duty not to spread inside info, if he does, the person that receives the info also received the duty not to trade on in. (I haven' read the case in a while, so that's probably not a great summary.))

Let's go to McDonalds.

Do you use your saber?

Here's a link to a prior discussion of similar topic. Another.

Again, the good stuff is discussed when I'm on vacation.

This seems like a pretty straight-forward item, but I never get it quite right. They're always much too dry, or much too soft/oily. Should it be as easy as tossing with olive oil, adding some sprigs of herb, and popping in the oven? Should they be blanched first? Should I pour some stock in the roasting pan? How to utilize this duck/goose fat everyone gets on about?

I've never noticed that, and I go to Bi-Rite (Up 18th, a few doors down from Delfina) regularly. Anybody have a comment on the cheese selection at the Italian grocer, about 24 and Valencia? I go there for olives, and other gourmet items (I discovered Dulce De Leche there -- ohmygod), but have never sampled their cheese or meats.

I got the impression from Cabby and your posts that a certain type of VIP treatment for an individual diner was commonplace in high-end joints.

Does VIP treatment mean that they bring you little surprises between the courses so that the diner is not sitting there with nothing to do? Anything else?

Discuss.

I tried that (I google everything), but you get a lot of duds.

I don't get it. What's the point of the bag? Does it impart a pleasant flavor to the pasta?

Elyse - are you, the Lord?

When I can't find a recipe here (or don't want to alert y'all to what I'm doing), I check Food Network and sometimes Epicurious for recipe ideas. Any other good places that I'm missing?

First, get baked before you go. The food won't matter. Second, you'll probably be "evaluating" you meal differently from the standards/experience many people use when the post here. I don't think I'll ever have to worry about cricizing a restaurant because it's not as good as French Laundry. And in fact, if I had wanted to be picky, I could have reviewed FL much differently and with much more criticism. Third, I haven't read this thread, but I've heard only great things about CP. Fourth, what Gknl said about the wine. Fifth, I can't imagine that anything at a restaurant of this ilk will be bad enough to spoil a night out with your husband. Sixth, did I mention getting baked?