jaybee

Les Halles, Park Bistro, Balthazar, Mirabelle (86th/Col), Demarchalier, L'Acajou, Quatorze would make my list as evocative of a traditional French bistro. I wonder what bistros in France (Paris) you would use as benchmarks to answer Baruch's question? For traditional bistros, La Tour de Monthlery (Chez Denis), Le Petit Marguerey, Benoit, La Fontaine de Mars, Les Fontaines and Chez Pauline are a representative sample of the places I would use. BTW, really good question.

After enjoying the burger at City Hall (Thanks to Fat Guy), I was tipped by Henry Meer to their "secret." "We mix brisket in with the sirloin, pan broil then finish in the salamandar for a crust," Meer told me as I left the restaurant. As quick as I could I ordered a mix of 1/2 pound brisket and 1 1/2 lbs sirloin ground at my neighborhood Ottomanelli's. The perplexed look of the butcher not withstanding, he checked the paper I gave my wife, shrugged, and filled the order. Making two baseball sized patties, slightly flattened, I broiled them in my trusty forty year old "QuartzBroil" to a nice top crust. The result was the best home made burger I've had to date. The meat tasted, well, meatier, beefier with no greasiness. The middle was moist but not overly juicy and the crust was nicely al dente. Just a little salt, pepper and ketchup with a fresh kaiser roll and I was in heaven. I repeated this performance again the following two nights with similar results, though the three day old meat lost a some of its ultra fresh taste, it was still better than any previous burger I've made. Maybe I'm just kidding myself? If any of you burger lovers try this mix, I'd like the hear what you think of it. I intend to make it my regular burger mix from now on. NB: my brother in law was turned down by Schaller & Weber for the brisket grind. They did not want to cut up the piece for only a portion.

Fat Guy sent me to City Hall in a quest for a great hamburger. I loved the place and enjoyed the burger. I tried Henry Meer's "secret" mix of ground sirloin and brisket for a home broiled burger. The results are very, very good. Broiled to a nice crust with a soft juicy interior, the burger has a full meaty taste. Somehow the brisket brings out the taste of the sirloin so the result is flavorful, moist and not at all fatty. Intuitively, I tried 1/2 lb brisket and 1 1/2 lb sirloin. Seems like a good ratio. Unlike City Hall, I did not bake my own onion roll, but the burger was so good that fresh seeded rye bread or a kaiser roll was just fine. If anyone else cares to experiment, I'd like to know the results.

PL is tops in my steak book. Has anyone eaten recently in La Cabaña in Buenos Aires? I had one meal there many years ago and it sticks in my memory as one of the most incredible steaks meals ever. Maybe it was just that fact that the steak was the size of a Buick. I remember a steak dinner at Sostanza in Florence with great pleasure. But given a choice of anywhere, and a sufficient appetite, Peter Luger's would be my first choice. By the way, did you know that the restaurant belongs to the family of the wife of famed publicist Howard Rubenstein?

Not exactly a diner, but the Lexington Luncheonette (corner of 83rd and Lexington) serves classic burgers, tuna melts, egg creams and all that simple fare we associate with good fast food. The place isn't retro, it just is as it was, a real luncheonette. Service is always friendly and the lemonade is fresh made. If you crave White Castle, there is a redoux called Sassy's Sliders on Third and 86, right next to The Papaya King. http://www.sassyssliders.com/home.html The fries are very good and the burgers are just what a real down and basic burger lover wants when the mood strikes. Order no less than four per serving.

Fat Guy's recomendation of City Hall's burger sent me there today. Absolutely one of the best burgers I've had anywhere. The house-baked onion roll is delicious, the meat perfectly broiled with a nice outer crust and juicy interior. Henry Meer greets diners as they leave. Upon complimenting his burger, he told me that they grind brisket in with chuck and sirloin. The taste is womnderful. The deluxe comes with a large portion of crispy fries. Add a tall draft of Stella and you won't find a better lunch! Thanks Fat Guy for hipping me to this place. I'll definitely return for a more "serious" meal.

It all depends on your willingness to spend a lot of money and how much you really love caviar. A friend treated me to the grand caviar menu a few months ago. We ordered the top of the line caviar, blinis and iced vodka. I am a bit of a caviar freak so I was in heaven. The caviars (beluga, osetra and sevruga) were superb, the blinis perfect, with just a little creme frais or melted butter to go with it. I did not look at the check, but I know it must have cost more than 跌 (probably over 踰). I've enjoyed caviar at Caspia in Paris and a few other places that make a specialty of it, and this meal was as memorable as any. But if you are looking for an enjoyable meal, you can get that there without going over the top with caviar. Then again, you won't get better anywhere else.

Mark, thanks for the cues. We'll try some of these bye and bye. We will have to tear ourselves away from Tamayo though.

The Fat Guy gives a rave to City Hall's burgers, but it wasn't mentioned here. How come? The web site says they have reopened. Is it worth the trip downtown for a burger at lunch?

Steve, You ask good questions. I admit that my "evidence" on bean storage is purely personally anecdotal and my opinions are based on hearsay. But the hearsay comes from Mark Zuckerman, founder and former chairman of Pasqua Coffee Bars, a now defunct chain that started at the same time as Starbucks, was not a clone, but was swamped by Schultz' tidal wave. Mark is a real coffee man so I take his point of view very literally. I found Pasqua's coffee beans to be the best I've ever had. It's hard to disagree that the best method for bean freshness is to buy small qualtities and use them within a few days or a week, storing them in an airtight container. For best taste, frozen beans should thaw before use, shouldn't they?

Burger musings: I love hamburgers more than any other single food. Burger Heaven, located in several places has never diappointed me. I used to order burgers at The Carnegie Deli on rye toast. They were delicious (haven't eaten there in 6 years though). The 21 burger was to finely ground for my taste. It was a disappointment. Avenue (85th and Columbus) makes a very good bacon cheeseburger and great fries. White Castles are great when the mood is right. I used to love the burgers at Grants on 42nd Street (long gone) These floated about 1/4 inch above the griddle. A mound of onions long cooked sat on the side. The sign shouted "Guaranteed 100% all MEAT!). The smell of the onions stayed on my hands for at least six months. Even forty years later I sometimes think I can smell them between my fingers. The burger at Artie's was great when they first opened. I think it was top broiled. But now it tastes like it's grilled. My favorite burger is to buy fresh ground chuck at Ottomanelli's (or other good butchers), make loosely packed patties about the size of a major league baseball slightly flattened, with salt and a little pepper sprinkled in them when formed. I broil these on a "Quartzbroil" that has been preheated to the max. When one side shows a nice crust,I flip them and broil for another 2-3 minutes. I prefer to eat these on hard rolls or fresh rye toast with raw sliced red oinion and thinck slices of beefsteak tomato. Oh God, I just made myself incredibly hungry!

I mentioned that I received the new Bodum Santos automatic vacuum coffee maker for Christmas. I'm still learning how to use it. So far one or two pots were spectacular and several were weak. I don't know if it is my fault (I suspect so). I am experimenting with coffee beans, grind and ratios. I'll keep y'all posted on my progress.

In the never ending quest for the best home brewed coffee, I, like many others, find the French Press does the job. However I've yet to discover the way to get best results from it. Would those who have enlighten me. How much ground coffee per cup? Medium or course grind? How long to steep the grounds before plunging? Water just off boiling? What else? Spill the beans.

For hot chocolate fans, I had a cup last night at SQC, Scott Campbell's new place on Columbus and 73rd. It is quite good. Essentially it is melted Vahlrona chocolate served with a topping of whipped cream. It is the consistency of a drinkable pudding, and can be spooned. To me is was in the category of Angelina's though others in my group disagreed. BTW, the food at SQC is quite good, with a varied and interesting menu. I'll move to the NY forum for that discussion.

How disappointing. Hot Chocolate at Angelina's is always de rigueur when I'm in Paris. BTW, in NYC a cup of hot chocolate that is a Proustian reminiscence of Angelina's can be had at Avenue, on the corner of 85th and Columbus. The former Avenue chef Scot Campbell recently opened his own place (SQC) on 73rd and Columbus and probably serves a similar cup but I'm not sure.

I can see your point. Except that there is both air circulation and humidity (albeit freezing) there, both of which hasten the loss of volatile gases and alter the flavor. The oils do not freeze, they get a little sluggish (more viscous) but they still convert to gas over time. None of the people I know in the coffee bean business (growers, roasters and retailers) endorse the freezer as a method of preserving freshness. They all say vacuum or at the least, an airtight cannister or package.

I had this salad at Les Halles last week. It was quite good, though the dressing needed some help. The lardons were the best I've tasted. I also have had good versions at Demarchelier and and the "new" Jean Luc on Columbus Ave. and 85th street.

The apple "pie" I make most often is tarte tatin. From my first taste in a Paris bistro I fell in love with this dish and vowed to learn to make it. I use Granny Smith or Golden Delicious apples. I don't think the variety preferred in France are available here. Julia Child's tip to let the sliced apples sit in a mixture of lemon juice and sugar for about 20 minutes before cooking in the caramel was key. They lose a lot of their water, absorb more butter and sugar and keep their firmness. Some lemon zest and a little nutmeg add good depth to the taste. I use vanilla sugar which I make by storing 5 lbs of sugar with cut up vanilla beans in a cannister. I'd welcome other apple variety suggestions from tatin fanciers.

The freezer does nothing to keep whole beans fresh. That is a myth. Coffee beans contain volitile oils that carry much of the flavor. These oils turn to gas which floats away in the air. That's why coffee loses its taste over time. The strong aroma you smell from fresh beans is that gas escaping. Ground beans lose flavor more quickly than whole beans, but within 7-10 days, whole beans will have lost more than 50% of their oils. The only way to prevent this is to keep the beans in a vacuum. Putting them in an airtight cannister helps, but a vacuum is best for long shelf life. Of course if you use your beans within a few days of buying them fresh, you have nothing to worry about. I'm not sure how long beans keep their flavor in a vacuum. In my experience it can be more than two months if the container is not opened and reclosed more than a few times.

I purchased a "freshsaver" device that allows me to vacuum seal coffee beans after each use. It takes a few seconds to use. Beans keep their taste much longer when stored in a vacuum. I've had "fresh taste" from beans stored this way for up to two months! This method also allows me to keep a variety of beans on hand. Question, how many scoops of beans equal how many scoops of ground coffee? Is there a ratio? I use a Braun burr grinder set for medium grind.

Re. Bodum Santos--Thanks DStone. I have the newer and much more expensive model! It is some contraption. It does make delicious coffee when you get the proportions right. It is hard to clean and quite awkward. But then, driving a five speed 1960s vintage Ferrari is hard too. Hopefully this will be worth the effort and won't join the coffee maker graveyard in the hall closet. . Just bought two pounds of Sandra's recommended coffees from D&D. Can't wait 'till morning.

I'm off to D&D tomorrow. Thanks. BTW. Has anyone else tried the new Santos Bodum coffee maker?

I'm sure this group have some informed opinions of where to get the best tasting beans to brew coffee at home. I'm referring to morning coffee, not expresso. I prefer a rich, "winey" coffee with some acidic sharpness. I use either a French press or the new Bodum Santos coffee maker (which can make an excellent brew, almost as good as the press). I am tempted by the site offering Fresh Kona I found somewhere in this forum. I can get to most Manhattan retailers easily. Awaiting you, java mavens.

Beef in Paris? You might try La Cote de Boef in the 17th, (4 rue Sauccier-Leroy, metro Ternnes), La Tour de Monthlérie (Chez Denise) in the 1st. There is a "steakhouse" (sort of a Parisian Peter Lugers) out in the old meat district (I think it is Le Lion d"Or, but I'm not sure of the name or the exact location. We once had a real steak pig-out there. Moissoinier (in the 5th) serves a good onglet, and the cotes de boeuf at Les Fontaines (Place de Pantheon) is a specialty, as is steak au poivre. Les Fontaines is a surprising place, as it looks like a rather ordinary café but has an amazing selection of choices and delicious food. The "new" chef/owner trained with the founder for months before he would allow him to buy the place.

I believe you are correct. They used to be open on Sundays but I according to my bistro maven they recently got religion.