Michael Ruhlman

I have--and I'm delighted to hear it from someone else. It's an astonishing piece of work that's going to be around for a long time.

They're right. I owe mr bourdain a public apology. As I have stated before, I admire the guy (when he's sober), and he really can write circles around most food writers. I was having a rather volatile day yesterday, a rarity in here in ye olde suburbia. I beg his pardon.

LKL Chu, yes another Titan; Bourdain's is a pamphlet next to it. And, granted, Jason's question got me a little riled, but who is TB to shout potty mouth? this is mr skull-fucked by a walrus bourdain, writing. I'm gonna go put on my khakis and blazer and remember who I am. Ever since that dinner at Masa, it's been a downhill slide. gof forbid the long-suffering wife ever reads this thread.

Sorry, Russ. I gotta quit drinkin in the afternoon.

Jason, Why would I would I go out of my way to shill for Bourdain when I am soon to be promoting a book I wrote, albeit in a ghostly way with Thomas Keller, all about, devoted to, Bistro cooking, exactly like Bourdains book. Bouchon comes out in November. I have a personal stake in this book. It's an absolute monster cookbook. Bend your knees and keep your back straight when you lift it. Bigger by half than the FLC. An amazing book as far as I'm concerned, and one I care deeply about. I have stated here that I like and admire Bourdain's book. It is one of a kind. But Bouchon and Les Halles books are competitors. His sales are irrelevant to me except insofar as they might detract from Bouchon's. So why would I do it? Bourdain's people called me. They were blunt. They named a figure. It was right. What can I say? I'm just some guy in Cleveland tryin' to make a living.

When I first met McGee a year and a half ago, he told me he was revising his book, then he told me that he was really rewriting it from scratch. He was serious. The first book took him three years. The revision took ten. Whole chapters are new. What was four pages on fish is now a 30,000 word chapter. Gone is a lot of historical stuff replaced by practical stuff, like how to temper chocolate, how and why it works. It's an amazing piece of work. I wrote about Harold in this month's Gourmet. He's an exquisite and humane individiual, with a poetic sense of the world and a deep understanding of the science of everyday life. He's a hero. The book is due out from Scribner in Nov., but I know they're still hustling to finish up the index.

And KatieLoeb, I read your friend's Boochon review, sounds a little strident to me. Though a 40 minute wait will do that. I still think it has to do with people's perceptions and expectations. French Bistro food is some of the most ordinary food on earth. At Bouchon and at other great French Bistros, this ordinary food is perfectly prepared. But again, even perfect onion soup doesn't taste so good after 40 minutes.

Would like to reiterate Russ's typically on-the-money remark. I don't think you can replicate a french laundry or a restaurant with comparable ambitions. but you can increase the availability of exceptional restaurants if the style of food is replicable, as french bistro is.

Very true. He's mortified by people wanting to make more out of him than is actually there. All too human? Ask him to show you his knees.

I'm astonished you found Bouchon wanting. Shocked, even! I've never had an imperfect bite there. It's perfect bistro food. I bow to your authority, of course, but but if you're ever near there again or near its Vegas clone (there can be no French Laundry clone), I'd urge you to go again. (And many thanks for all your thoughtful responses here.)

true, even the sorts who enjoy a place like vegas deserve to eat well.

Every decent soul ought to have the chance once in his or her life to visit 32 Rue de Vertbois. It's magic.

Even when the food, from a technical standpoint, is not that demanding, eg at Bouchon, Olives, Spago, etc.?

Mulcahy makes a good and accurate point about the financial operations of these restaurants. It's funny money there in Vegas. Chrisamirault, thanks for the comments on the books, very good for the solitary soul. The oddest thing about the people in restaurants was not their resemblence to John Waters characters but rather their numbers--it didn't seem like many people were eating at any of these places. Maybe that's the reason for the steep prices everywhere (104 bucks for the kobe ribeye and lobster) Though Bobby Flay's Mesa on opening night had a line of middle american Boy Meets Grill fans lined up all the way back to Ogden's place. I'll ask Thomas next time I see him about the cards; judging from the unenthusiastic tone of his responses, I'm guessing he knew exactly how ridiculous this was but for some reason had no choice. KatieLoeb--I'd love to know the criticisms of Bouchon. Maybe it was food snobbery, but I really haven't seen much of that on this site. Maybe it was when the restaurant first opened and still ironing out kinks? Also, the Vegas Bouchon has an odd role to fill. A lot of people go there thinking only Thomas Keller and expect French Laundry food. Mark was trying to do some FL-style canapes for some tables to bridge the gap, but it threw the kitchen off and he admitted that he's since calmed down. I'd be surprised if the food was uniformly disappointing because it's not very difficult to do, as opposed to FL food.

Ms Sheraton: Would you comment on a current trend among high profile chefs to open outposts or branches of their flagship restaurant, or casual-fine dining restaurants? What are the pros and cons? Are we in danger of creating an abundance of McHighend restaurants with menus that are good from a conceptual standpoint but erratic in execution by less experienced sous chefs? Do the name brand chefs diminish their influence by doing so? Or does it potentially increase the quality of food in America generally? And what of the epicenter of this phenomenon, Vegas? MR

Admittedly, Thomas is a friend and a colleague, but I just returned from a restaurant tour of Vegas, and while the place is truly a vision of the end of the world, a moronic inferno if ever there were one, the dining scene is astonishing. And Keller's Bouchon is an oasis of calm sophistication 10 floors above the binging rattle banks of slot machines and nauseating carpet deodorizer of the main casino. Long time french laundry sous chef mark hopper runs the kitchen. The food is fantastic. If I am ever convicted of ax-murdering the good citizens of Cleveland and am given a sentence worse than death, a week in Vegas, I'll at least have Bouchon and numerous other fantastic places to eat at (had great ones at Bradley Ogden and Fleur de Lys, btw). As for those ridiculous baseball cards, well, even Keller makes a mistake now and then.

I don't think there is much difference in food quality. It used to be people recommended american bounty over escoffier, so this might be fashion. Everyone now recommends Caterina because it's new, beautiful, and serves exciting food. And every restaurant kitchen staff is headed by a chef instructor, all of whom I've found to be first rate. Some classes are good, some are less so. Some have 18 cooks, others 9. Remember that the entire staff of these restaurants changes every fourteen days, some every seven days. Think of that. Complete new front and back of the house. That ain't easy.

jogoode, I do owe you a meal, and if you return to the cia, go to Caterina, sit at the bar, order a pizza and a glass of wine and you'll feel better. The psychotic chefs in the background make for excellent entertainment as well.

I've got a copy of the thing and much as I hate to say it, it's a great book and would be a steal at double the price. Who else can make you feel abused and proud at the same time? I can't cook from recipes so I can't vouch for those, though they look excellent. The book itself though, the whole monster, well.... Don't get me wrong. Bourdain is still a raving lunatic. Absolutely. A menace to society? Let's just say I'm appealing to the governor of ohio to send the national guard to cleveland during bourdains book flogging tour. He's truly a twisted motherfucker. ... But no one can take this away from him--the guy can write like a bandit. And this ... it cuts me at the core to say it ... this is a really fine book.

I take full resposibility for at least one of those shitty meals jogoode suffered--it sounds like I must have been working grill station that week; the cia should not be held responsible. My favorite place was Escoffier because I love classic French and they did classic tableside service which almost no one does anymore and I found it very cool. In my experience, the service generally at cia is better than most places I've been to anywhere. Yes, inept at times but it's a school for crying out loud; it was always courteous thoughtful service, never a trace of attitude. But I'd try the Italian restaurant: it's the newest, has the most comfortable room and right now the most dynamic food. In my opinion.

Please, somebody, Fat Guy, make sure the new powers at the Beard House see Bourdain’s on-the-money manifesto. Can they read, can they hear? The fact that they’ve been using chefs’ money and work and time to feed and bloat themsleves is indescribably appalling. That they became besotted by their own perceived importance in the culinary world is more understandable, but no less appalling. They had better come clean, and do it fast, or IACP, a group run by culinary professionals, or some other group, will step in to fill the void.

Agreed with those in favor. An auspicious debut, not only the solid review itself but what he's clearly bringing to the table--an eubullient, life-loving spirit. Very hopeful.

I had the pleasure a week ago not only of dining there but of hanging out in the kitchen. The kitchen runs smoothly and cleanly. Chef Grant, at work, is one of the quietest chefs I've encountered. What I admired most is that the innovative techniques (which I have been very very skeptical of) are used to logical effect to create satisfying rather than simply surprising dishes. Grant's opening his own restaurant is something I'll greatly anticipate. And his partner Henry, clearly a unique ebullient talent in his own right, will no doubt take Trio in an exciting direction as well. I'm really looking forward to it all.

You're welcome. Let's do it again when Bouchon and Charcuterie books come out next year! Thanks for inviting me.

Thanks for all those comments. Try the pig's head recipe and tell me how it comes out!