bcnchef

Chef Achatz is here in Barcelona at Alimentaria 2004, the huge food and beverage fair that runs all week. So is Tom Collichio of Craft. I am hoping to catch them both tomorrow morning at demos they are putting on, and will try to post a picture or two afterwards. So I don't think Chef Achatz will be able to respond to this post until he returns to Trio... J.

That is exactly how I met Ghatim -- at Soba. When they were opening, those San Diego acquaintances I mentioned before walked by and went in for lunch. They became regulars and told me about it a few weeks later. Our new restaurant isn't open yet, we just started construction after working our way through the thicket of permits (and the complete shutdown of all the government offices for Christmas...) here in Barcelona. It is a slightly new concept for Barcelona -- a tasting menu only restaurant -- that we hope the local foodies will like. A few more details available here. We hope to open in May, keep your fingers crossed! Would love to see you, Bux, and any other eGulleters there! J. PS - In a further "small world" coincidence, I just found out that you used to work with my sister at Netscape a few years ago. In fact, after I told her about your post she told me that she actually ran into you once at Soba a few months ago...

My list of the best things to eat in the Bay Area: www.foodlover.com/dining/sfobest Have a great trip and let us know if you find any new gems! J.

Very impressive stuff Neil. I can't believe that you managed to produce all of this stuff after just 6-months of classes. You've clearly got natural talent. Good luck at the Bellagio! J.

As an aside, and not that it matters, but Laura was the General Manager in Yountville, and last I heard, was also dating Chef Keller.

Stephanie -- in an odd bit of 6-degrees, I see that we have a mutual acquaintance! I was just browsing through your web site and noticed a photo of Gatim in one of your albums. I met Gatim through another acquaintance from San Diego last year and he has been a great source of advice and help getting our new restaurant off the ground. Next time you see him, tell him Hi from Jordi. J.

Man I could NOT agree with you more. There is an absolute dearth of good Mexican food in town. I have been dissapointed so many times now that I have basically given up. Having lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for 7 years just before moving home, I have been horribly spoiled when it comes to good Mexican food. I am usually the one piping up about how fantastic the food is in Barcelona, and certainly nobody can argue about the quality-price ratio, but if ethnic food is your thing, this town does not deliver (and least not yet). We Catalans dig bleeding edge "Adria-esque" cuisine, but seemingly aren't too eager for a good mole... or naan... or pho... or... :) Jordi -- bcnchef@hotmail.com

Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions. I am familiar with Arzak´s "Egg Flower", having enjoyed it last summer. It was fantastic, but it is too labour-intensive for our place. Individually hand-tying and setting up the eggs in plastic-wrap will take up someone's entire morning. I need a method which works in the shell, ideally, and which I can hold at the right temperature during service. The hotbox idea sounds like a winner if I can figure out the details. I am going to do some experimenting this weekend with the various methods outlined above and see what I come up with. I will post my findings later in the week. Thanks again! Jordi. -- bcnchef@hotmail.com

Paula -- speak to us! :) The rice cooker idea sounds interesting. I guess I will just have to experiment with a few different plans and see what happens. If any of you have eaten an egg like this, is it really that different from a normal poached egg? Some people seem to think that it is creamier, but I am wondering... Thx. J.

I read a review recently of the slow poached eggs at WD-50 and was wondering if anybody had details on the exact technique used, and if the results really are that different from a standard poached egg? J.

Catalan, like French, has a particularly rich selection of swear words... :) Aren't you the world traveller... France.. Spain.. China.. Perhaps I cannot afford you? :) Drop me a line when you make it to Barcelona, either before, during or after your stage. My address is bcnchef AT hotmail DOT com J.

Quite honestly, I'm not sure how I got so lucky. I sent an initial request (in English) and got a response saying that they were booked for the entire season. I replied to that email (in Spanish) saying that it didn't matter what day, what time and how large a table but I would take any seating they had. I may have even sent a third message in Catalan, I can't remember exactly now. In any event, a couple of weeks later, I got a confirmation. I'm as surprised as anyone as I wasn't expecting a positive response after that first message. Hey -- if you are thinking of remaining in Spain after your stage, get in touch with me. I'm launching a new tasting menu-only restaurant in Barcelona. Not exactly El Bulli style, but certainly interesting stuff. We should talk. :) Jordi.

My list of the best things to eat in SF. It's more street food than fancy restaurants, but a good alternative to the suggestions you've already received in this post. http://www.foodlover.com/dining/sfobest Jordi.

Thanks for the welcom. Haven't worked in New York, and my experience on the ground here in Barcelona is obviously different than the situation in NYC. Not just from the numbers perspective, but also legally, as Jackal has pointed out very well. I just thought I'd share my experiences since I'm smack in the middle of things. Hope to close second round next Wednesday.. Wish me luck! J.

I'm in the middle of this process myself. I closed an initial round of funding a few months ago and am about to close a second (and final) round next week. Our capital needs are a fraction of what you need though, the cost to open a restaurant in Barcelona being more "reasonable" than NYC. The suggestion to work your existing network of contacts is really the best advice. Not only do these people already know you, there is an inherent amount of trust, which you will definitely need if you want someone to give you 100k of their hard-earnedmoney. I found that the first few meetings and discussions inevitably lead to "and they told two friends, and so on" and before long we were over-subscribed. Our second round is almost entirely populated by friends and business contacts of our first-round investors. Restaurant investors are not your typical angels either, in my experience. Like another poster mentioned, they are invariably caught up in the "romantic" notion of owning a restaurant. Focus on this in your meetings and also in your business plan, which should also act as a marketing brochure aimed at these investors. Presentation is very important, so hopefully you are handing out plans in full colour, with lots of photographs of highly stylized and well shot food as well as descriptive text that gets the idea of your restaurant concept across. I also highly recommend scheduling test dinners, either at your current place of business if the environment and food style is similar to what you are planning, or at your own place. Both of our first investors signed up the day after a test meal. Have you considered talking to the management team at your current restaurant? It depends on your working relationship and you might not want to signal to them so soon that you are about to leave. HOWEVER, you mentioned that you were pretty hot, so they are unlikely to fire you. Additionally, restaurant investors are ALWAYS looking for hot chefs. In many cases a restaurant is built around a chef, so if you indicate that you want to start your own business, they may rather invest in a new place with you as opposed to just losing you outright. Lastly, I would encourage you to find a less-expensive way of launching the restaurant. You are trying to raise a lot of money and you improve your chances of success significantly by lowering the bar for the first time out. Good luck! Jordi.

Really? I hadn't heard this, that's terrible... There were two places with similar names if I remember correctly. Apparently one is run by a cousin or brother-in-law or something of the original...

It's taken longer than I thought to finish this list, but finally here it is. I could have added another 10 items I think, but just couldn't find the photos for them... Take a look -- anything you think has been left off? Anything you disagree with? :) http://www.foodlover.com/dining/sfobest Jordi.

Congratulations! I'll see you at the end of August -- after much gnashing of teeth, begging and a little good luck, I managed to snag a table. Jordi.

No doubt -- it is definitely hot and humid in August, and also at the end of July here in Barcelona. That said, this year has not been typical. In fact, we've had the hottest summer here in 50 years and it has been a scorcher. Count on spending 2:00-5:00 indoors in the comfort of air conditioning, or down at the beach cooling off. It does cool down a bit at night, but not tremendously. The best times of year to visit in my mind are May-June and September-October. Particularly September-October because the worst of the tourist invasion has gone, the locals have returned from their vacations, all the shops and restaurants have opened, the fall produce is hitting the market and the weather is glorious. Jordi. http://www.foodlover.com

If the reservation is still available, I will take it. I had a reservation two years ago that I had to miss, and have been terribly distraught about it ever since. I live in Barcelona, so can definitely make it. You can send an email to jordi@foodlover.com (I tried to send a PM or an email via the board but was unable to)... Would love to share stories about other restaurants in town if anyone is interested! Jordi.