dfunghi

WOW! Victor. You have quite the command on Latin and I second Judith's praise to your Mycological prowess.

'34 Ygay? Was it ready to drink yet? I had the '68 about a year ago and it was young and tight.

Amuse is CLOSED. It has been so for a while and has been for sale. It was lit up at night to not look deserted while it was for sale. They also still did some catering. That all ended and the final chapter for Amuse has been written. I for one miss the black rice and baby octopus and the smokey ribs at Amuse. Brooke is at Beechwood and has a hand in the menu but is not in the kitchen nightly. Nick is and he does a great job. Beechwood's dinning room has slowed down enough to where you can get a table most times other than weekend prime time w/o res. The food is very modestly priced for the excellent quality IMO . They offer the BAR menu in the dinning room and it is full of yummie treats that can be made into a meal by sharing 3 or 4 amongst 2 people. We are in a sea of overpriced, undervalued meals in L.A. and it is a pleasure to go out and really enjoy ourselves for well under $100 ( inc. tax and tip) per couple with drinks. I am a big fan of the short ribs or the steak the latter being only $24 or so which is downright cheap for dry aged prime beef NY cut. I paid $42 recently in Hollywood and there was no difference in the two steaks other than price. You can pay even more in some of L.A.'s "hot" restaurants.

I had not seen that post before thank you for the replay. Amalia's is in the village of Bejas I believe and is a little white house. We were sent to her by another cheese maker in Bejas and her cheese was great. As was his ( the other maker) abd Bejas was much easier to reach than Sotres however Sotres has more to offer in restaurants / inns and stores. I did know that part of being the other side of the mountains and that is why ones is Cabrales and one is Picon and one is Valdeon however I find all to be about the same cheeses that vary more form producer to producer than town to town. I like your Coche comment and wish Coche was as easy ( and affordable ) to come by as the afformentioned cheese. I actually enjoy a nice chilled Spate or great Kabinet with the blue cheeses. I actually still have 3 whole cheeses , 1 picon, 1 cabrales, and 1 vaca cheese from raw milk that came from a small town in the Benesqua valley. Sort of a hard cheese with a natural rind. Really stinky but not too strong on the pallate.

Hortensia no longer makes cheese. I was in Sotres in May and went by her house. Some of her family were around and told me she no longer made cheeses. She is very old and was having trouble maintaining her livestock is what they told us. There are other cheese makers in and around Sotres. We also went up to a town where the Picon is made but the name of it eludes me at the Moment. Becas or Begas maybe. I can check my notes. It is at the top of a long mountain road that I imagine would be very snowy in winter. However there were a few cheese makers there and we met a couple . Other than that we had good luck just asking around for queso or fromag locolita.Even in my bad spanish I was able to locate some. Ask in gas stations or little bars. Or look for little signs pointing down dirt roads. David

Bux, thought you might find this post interesting. Scroll past all the quotes to thew bottom. http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...0entry1067394

Butterfly, Anytime you want to swap cranberries for some Iberico ( or chorizo, Manchego viella, or any other great things from there.) let me know. I will fed-ex you some. Hope you had a good Thanksgiving.

Not that it will help this year but maybe next, latvia, Lithuania are both trying to introduce cranberries into some bogs. They hope to have a crop by '06. I read this in a Agriculture trade paper I saw . Also in Western Russia they have been growing cranberries for years. Not sure if they are going to be easier to get from there but at least its closer.

I have that book in my library. I seldom try to cook from it because my skill at executing those dishes seems to fail me. Oso Buco, Bolognase, Roast pork, beef, chicken all I can do like a pro. Sezchuan fails me. Maybe I don't have hot enough wok? Or use enough garlic, or ginger? Anyway thanks fpr the tip I will dust off Mrs. Chiangs and see what I can do. I originally bought the book to make Dan Dan Noodles but they too never came out the way I hoped for.

Now you got them what are you to do with them? They have a very interesting type of heat and a very specific flavor. I am curious how to use them at home. We have a wonderful place here in LA called Yungai ( used to be Hua's) that uses them quite liberaly and I love them. They know when they see me come in to use "extra ma" is what our waitress always calls it.

I'd say we are of like minds on this one. I did talk to someone today at he Farmers Market in Hollywood who swore they could get into EB whenever they wanted to since they had a special "in" through a newsletter they read. When I stopped laughing I asked them if they meant D. Rosengarten( sp) and they said yes. I said they may have misunderstood David's advice on how to obtain a res at EB. Hollywood people are so funny sometimes. They get so used to never hearing "NO" here that they think the whole world is like that. I also had a chef ( not the owner chef but chef cuisine) from a restaurant here in Santa Monica ( the closest thing we have to a real French restaurant) that shall remain namelss ask me why I would want to eat at EB and to just eat at the place he works it was just as good or better. Oh how I miss New York and New Yorkers where their ego's are not swollen to the point of obnoxiousness. Of course NY is not the same city I left in late 80's. Anyway just thought I would share that story.

I suggest you shop on Saturday at Boqueria and prior while in France and plan to have a nice picnic in a quiet little park or square and have your own very special christmas dinner. You most certainly will find some panaderia and pasteleria open xmas morning. Other than that have some jammon , preserved Fois, membrillo, cheese,olives,roast pimento, asparagus, tinned tuna, etc, and wine. Take a towel from hotel to spread out or in case of inclement weather I am sure there are places to eat under cover that you can find or a local may tell you about. I am not sure if Park Guell( sp) is open 365 days but that would be good rain or shine. Most of all I would say save eating out for all the other nights since christmas is usually a crazy night and one in which most restaurants will be closed. Hotel restaurants excluded. And Mozel Tov on your wedding. Edited to add: Don't forget to get some amazing chocolates!

Bux, I fully agree with you about EB's reaction to such a practice should they hear of it or the unscrupilous nature of someone selling a res on ebay. I was just posing the question as to whether it was happening. I felt quite honered to be offered the 2 available seats for EB last year and certainly recognized the extrodordinary nature and generosity of the offer. I hope you don't misunderstand me to be saying this is a practice I endorse or would promote.It is one thing for fellow food lovers to help each other it is another, purely dispicable practice to "scalp" dinner res. at EB. As to French Laundry in Napa it is a whole different scene. The two are not comparable IMHO.

"I might even propose auctioning off ten percent of the covers to the highest bidder" On that note has anyone seen on ebay or perhaps craigslist people offering to sell their res. at el Bulli? We were turned down last year and about a month later we were contacted by a fellow egulleter offering to share their res, they made it for 4 and 2 canceled. They offered us the other 2 seats. Perhaps this happens more than peopel know. Unfortunetly for me my wife nixed it since we had already made our plans and we would be all the way in the Picos on the day available and would have to backtrack to Roses and then back to Cantabria. My wife loves me but not that much. We only had 18 days or so in Spain. So the point I am trying to make is try posting on craigslist or other sites that you are looking for EB res and maybe some kind foodie will come to your rescue. If not try to call EB everyday for a couple of weeks to see about a lucky cancelation when you will be there or next OCT 15th request a res for 2 people for anyday they have for the season at anytime, explain how you have tried for years to get a chance to sample such amazing food and would be willing to plan your trip arond the EB res. One othe rthing that may or may not help but wont hurt is I know for a fact the Chef Adria is very fond of farmers and locol food purveyors. He spoke last year at he Slow Food event in Torino and gave a very impassioned speech about the importance of his suppliers. Perhaps you know someone or perhaps you are someone which provides restaurants with products or perhaps you are a fisherman or bayman or farmer or forrager. It cant hurt.

A car is a good suggestion if in the budget. Lisbon is worth as much time as you can afford. Lots to see and do. Eat some Frango, go listen to some FADO. We loved the north coast above Oporto around Ofir. Many great beaches and seafood restaurants. Coimbra is great. Luso is a nice smaller town nearby the Bucuao Forest which as already mentioned is a very special place. Evora is a great university town with lots of ancient culture and great places to eat. Lots of little squares here and there.

Pinoxos should be on anyones list of BCN eateries as well. We also had a nice meal at Ca'Pep. Once you get away from the city center into the outer neighborhoods there are great little places whos names I did not get. We had some very simple and very delicious meals as a prix fixe lunch around 11-15 Eur PP. Some were as simple as homemade suasuge ( salicion?) ala plancha with some fried potato and soup or salad finished with a noney cake or flan. Simple but deliciuos. I am a big fan of soups so I was always impressed by the rich stocks with some greens and a few pieces of meat or some beans that transformed into hearty,rich,complex soups.

This is all exactly like last years thread. Many get in many do not. It appears Luis is an upstanding, honest, very hard working person. I would not worry about the language you wrote in or whether you had a "code" or anything else. There are I believe something along the lines of 2600 seatings and about 300,000 requests. Luis must dread the flood of e-mail every Oct 15th yet he still keeps the same system so anyone ( not everyone) has a chance for a table. I have heard of many cancellations at E.B. so if you are in the area why not keep trying as your dates get closer. Good Luck David

They have a sister restaurant in West L.A. on Palms and Sepulveda. Some say not as good. I disagree and have found the food to be about the same since I find the food varries from time to time anyway at both locales. This is a place we take out of towners when they visit and they never stop talking about it.

Thanks for the plug RJ. Your folks can find me Weds, Sat in Santa Monica or Sun Hollywood farmers markets.

Did you mean Naya when you said Nonya? Thanks for the info. The Ritz is out since we have kids with us and it is $105PP and no kids price /menu on NYE. As to Shiro I am not supprised to hear what you said. The chef is on the line at Orris every time I go and I go alot. I will look at the two others you rec'd. Naya is out unless it has changed owners. I had 2 very sad run ins with him last year. Both while at dinner at Naya. We have not gone back since last March or so. Plus do they have a new chef or is it running off of Scooters old menu still? David

Thanks again RJ but they are looking for something a bit fancier. They like the idea of Ritz Carlton but not the price. I used to eat at Naya when Scooter was the chef I wonder whats going on there now?

RJ, thanks for info. Orris is on Sawtelle near Olympic in little Osaka. Great place doing small plates and the chef is on the line most nights. It is the same chef as Shiro in Pasadena. Chef Shiro I believe. Excellent and I'm sure an EG favorite with westsiders. The Dinning Room did get great write up from Sherry but I have not heard any other or met anyone that has gone. Plus its expensive and there will be kids and they wont do anything but the $105 prix fixe on NYE. Even for kids. I doubt the folks we are joining would take the Metro. They might take a cab but have asked us to find something local. Parkside is kinda corparate and prob a zoo on NYE. I await further replys about Pasadena. BTW RJ I made the food section again last week. Thank You Russ.

Hi All, We will be having dinner on new years eve(NYE) with some family in Pasadena. We would like to keep it local as possible since they will not have a car. We love Orris and have wanted to try Shiro so any reviews would be helpful. They also found a place called Maison Akira which is doing a $100 PP prix fixe on NYE. We will be going out early so festivities don't matter. Any other suggestions for fine dinning in Pasadena? The Ritz Carlton is also doing an expensive PF on NYE although I have read good things about The Dinning Room restaurant at the Ritz. Any reviews? As always I put my faith in my fellow EG's to have the good info. TIA David

Ahhhhhh Super-Rica! I have been eating there since 1988 and must say it has never, ever disappointed. I was lucky enough to live in SB for 8 years and in that time ate there perhaps 300-500 times. Now , much like Russ I will take the 101 home from No Cal so as to stop in SB fro some super rica. And the line always moves fast and I alwys find a seat what I do hate however is the friggin traffic! What has happened? It takes 1 hour to go from SB to the Rincon on a sunday evening. But I digress. If you have the chance to go more than once you will see different specials on different days. The Sopes are amazing as are the chiliquiles. Other than that I am a die hard #6 ( chorizo tacos) #10 ( onion, peppers sauted taco) #16 eater ( la super rica especial, pablanos, marinated pork , cheese over tortillia) plus 6 -8 extra totillias. Ok enough of this Im going to SB next weekend for some food.

Closest "good' place would be Chloe. Probably less than a $10 cab ride each way. http://www.chloerestaurant.com/