mnebergall

If there's enough interest, I'll talk to the Chef and see what he says. I can't promise he will do more eggs though. I'd like to explore raising the price point a little and doing a choice between a ribeye and a strip. But that would be up to Michael. The flat-irons and hangers were wonderful last night.

Oh, that toast. Yes, another of the amusing anecdotes of the evening. An elderly gentleman (I would say late 70's-early 80's) was having dinner with his spouse. He got everyone in the restaurant's attention and proposed a toast to his wife. While we were at the opposite end of the restaurant had trouble hearing what he said, it was obvious that he and his wife were celebrating an anniversary (either that or he asked her to marry him and she said yes). We all joined in the toast. It was quite touching.

It wasn't toast, it was foccacia bread, with just a hint of herbs (thyme, I think.) Perfect for wiping up the last traces of the crab bisque.

You know, those eggs are a prime example of Chef Michael using the ingredient he knows best, steak, and weaving it into something totally unexpected, the deviled egg. Damn were they good. He blended the yolk with some mustard to make a very tangyy sauce to put on top. Cornichons on the side. I could tell he was enjoying himself.

I'm guessing Costco et al aren't getting San Marzana DOP cans. Even in specialty stores those can be hard to find. Non-DOP tomatoes from Italy should be much easier to get. That's right, you're only guessing. I bought a gallon can of the suckers the other day ($2.79). I scrutinized the can before I put it in my cart. It says right on the front "San Marzano" and they are imported from Italy. The name on the can is Nino (or Nina, I can't remember). When I get home, I will look closer and give more complete information. But I'm faily sure they are the real McCoy. I could be wrong though.

The devilishly good eggs are not on the menu. I get the impression that he made them especially for us.

I will try to paraphrase the story that Chef Michael told us about "The Face" wine (appropriately named as JPW apparently got "faced" drinking it). According to Chef Michael: The land on which the grapes for this wine are grown had belonged to a certain family for generations. During some land reform program instituted by the Italian government (oxymoron??), the land was appropriated and the landowner was kicked off of the land. It was broken up into smaller parcels and divvied up among the local population, which proceeded to run it into the ground (pun?). The land fell into disrepair until more recently when the original landowning family was able to reacquire it. They replanted the vineyards and are now producing first rate wines. "The Face" is one of their lesser wines, but we all liked it although once we started tasting the other wines and comparing, the consensus was that the other wines were better. We would have been perfectly satisfied with it. The reason we called it "The Face" wine is because the entire label is taken up with a black and white photo of a man's face. And the labels, while all having a picture of the same man's face, did not all have the same pose. This is just one of the little anecdotes that made the dinner that much more interesting and raised the "stakes" a notch or two. Also, while making the "devilishly good eggs," Chef Michael set up such a din in the kitchen hand chopping the steak tartar that it was difficult to talk and we all wondered what the hell he was doing back there. He is excused for the racket. Thanks again to Chef Michael for putting together such a special menu for us. I only lament the lack of a digital camera last night, the only physical evidence is the styrofoam clamshell in my refridgerator. If there is sufficient demand and the Chef is willing, perhaps we could do another one of these (no repeaters, except me). edited for grammer and punctuation. Edited again to add the last two paragraphs.

Montesierra, not Montesino.

Sorry folks, my otherwise reliable Verizon DSL picked this afternoon to crap out on me. I did not get the word that JennyUptown was not going to be able to make the dinner this evening until I sat down at the dinner table at Ray's and got the news. If I had known, I would have been able to fill the two seats. I felt bad because Michael got shorted two spaces at the table and two other eGulleteers were denied the pleasure of a memorable meal at Ray's the Steaks. Chef Michael pulled out all the stops. I will let the others elaborate. Suffice to say that the Chef Michael had a "devilish" grin on his face at one point.

Here is what I remember as a consumer in the mid 70's: The Japanese-made Cuisinart processors were well made, but similar in appearance and performance to the French made Cuisinarts, which had a Pabst motor. News reports, and industry information at the time indicated that Cuisinart, of Conn., had lifted the French design, after a disagreement with Robot Coupe, and had the machine made in Japan. There were lawsuits over this, and Cuisinart won, in U.S. courts. Robot looked like a loser, and their product was not available in the U.S. or Canada. The fancy tubes and push buttons cames later. I have a Robot Coupe food processor that I bought in the early 80;'s. It closely resembles the Cuisinarts that were also available at the time. Mine has a chrome body. I still use it. I have a whole set of grating discs, etc. (which I never use).

Welcome to eGullet Daddio.

The only serve three egos.

This has to be one of the most thought provoking threads I have seen in a long time. I have started to post a half-dozen times but have held back.

I think any restaurant slump in NY this August will come to a screetching halt when the republicans all show up for the their convention.

Buttercup: Welcome to eGullet.

It all depends on how you place your shots.

Bottom round is very lean and sometime tough. I would marinate the steaks and then slap them on the grill and cook only to medium rare (3-4 minutes/side, depending on thickness). Because it is so lean, smoking would not be recommended. The longer you cook it the tougher it will be.

Looking forward to seeing everybody Sunday evening. If there is a question, PM me.

Back to the fermented pineapple skin juice, Todd uses this stuff in his new redition of a pina colada. He uses a martini glass and pours coconut foam on the top of the colada. I plan to try one the next time I'm in there.

I could probably do a BBQ run on Saturday. Count me in as a "probably."

I don't do mojitos. But Todd has this fermented pineapple skin stuff going on behind the bar. Very interesting. And as for Eve having deviled eggs, I didn't see any on the menu. But I'll bet if you asked the chef, he could whip some really good ones up in no time. I'm curious why your curious about deviled eggs at Eve??? I don't get the connection with mojitos. Goodness, I didn't know pineapples went into mojitos. Subtle cool cucumbers, I can see, absorbing the (traditional) intensity of flavor and adding a little at the same time. But PIÑA!? Sure that's for a mojito? As for my obsession with deviled eggs (half joking), there are a few reasons for that. One is that I like the little suckers, but another is that I see them on menus now more than I can ever remember. I've eaten deviled eggs in some fine restaurants. Some are much better than others, some ridiculously expensive, some with truffles, some regular and honest... But to make good deviled eggs, you have to have soul. I know Irish people have soul, so I'm not that worried about Eve. "Joycean Eggs" **** And finally, I have personally, and personality goes a looooonnnnng way. Perhaps you should exlore the "devilishly good eggs" at Ray's the Steaks.

I don't do mojitos. But Todd has this fermented pineapple skin stuff going on behind the bar. Very interesting. And as for Eve having deviled eggs, I didn't see any on the menu. But I'll bet if you asked the chef, he could whip some really good ones up in no time. I'm curious why your curious about deviled eggs at Eve??? I don't get the connection with mojitos.

Todd Thrasher at Restaurant Eve was telling me last night that he makes the best mojitos in town.

Restaurant Eve, in Old Town, is worth investigating.

I'm sort of like an old typewriter. I start at the left side and eat to the right side and then hit the carriage return.