Blue Hill at Stone Barns

[robert brown]

I had a similar problem when I had dinner there in June. There was a private event going on, and the kitchen didn't bring out my main course with those of my companions. They brought me an extra and complimentary course. It doesn't really absolve them. In fact, the overall service got compromised by the event. I like the food there, however. I need to go back after my several-months absence to check on my nearly-infallible dictum that restaurants only get worse.

[bpearis]

We also ordered a separate plate of the creamy eggs for everyone to try. This plate was overly salted.

This has to be the first time this complaint has ever been lodged against any Blue Hill dish.

[Curlz]

This has to be the first time this complaint has ever been lodged against any Blue Hill dish.

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I concur; it was very salty!!

[Stone]

Note the italics and two exclamation points.

[SobaAddict70]

Every restaurant has an off day from time to time. I suppose when it occurs at an establishment of BHSB's caliber, it's cause for mentioning.

I'd just as sooner shrug it off to circumstances based on that one visit. Now if it happened again, that's different...

Soba

[Curlz]

I find it interesting that Robert Brown also mentions he had problems there on a (different) day when they were holding a special event. Perhaps they just can't handle anything in addition to their regular seatings. But if that's the case, perhaps they should re-think those events! Or at least forewarn those with reservations...

Don't get me wrong; I greatly enjoyed most of the meal, and would like to go back there on a 'regular' day/evening. I just hoped it would have been a different experience, as I didn't expect to have these types of complaints. I'm also wondering if the 3-course brunch is a regular Sunday occurrence or if they only have it available when there is another event on the grounds...does anyone know?

[Stone]

Every restaurant has an off day from time to time.  I suppose when it occurs at an establishment of BHSB's caliber, it's cause for mentioning.

I'd just as sooner shrug it off to circumstances based on that one visit.  Now if it happened again, that's different...   

Soba

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So when it comes to reviewing or discussing restaurants, "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all?"

[robyn]

The salmos was very well cooked, but I didn't think it was anything special, same with the lamb. We also ordered a separate plate of the creamy eggs for everyone to try. This plate was overly salted.

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I used to think that too much salt was only a southern problem (I live in the south). The more I read - the more I realize it's a national problem. I cook "low salt" (which is basically "reasonable" salt as opposed to "no salt") at home. And I now make it a point to ask servers to tell chefs to hold off on adding extra salt to the food during last minute prep or before serving (what's in the basic prep is frequently fine - it's usually a heavy hand with the salt shaker before serving that's the culprit). Salt is something that you can always add at the last minute if the dish isn't salty enough. Robyn

[SobaAddict70]

So when it comes to reviewing or discussing restaurants, "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all?"

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My personal motto is "Call it as you see it, but also keep it real."

YMMV.

Soba

[Bux]

So when it comes to reviewing or discussing restaurants, "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all?"

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I didn't hear what you seem to have heard.

If one person reports a problem, it's not unreasonble for another to note that it's the first time he's heard that complain about that restaurant and it's also not unreasonable for a third person to note that it's both reasonable for one person to make the complaint and for him to ignore a single complaint from a restaurant that's had many positive posts. It neither disputes the complaint, nor does it say the complaint should not have been posted. It simply says the post will not deter him from eating there.

I've registered an opinion that people who expect four star restaurants to be absolutely perfect 100% of the time and to provide a perfect experience to every diner at every meal, are naive. I don't think anyone has suggested that Blue Hill or Blue Hill at Stone Barnes is even a four star restaurant let alone perfect. I have been served overly salted dishes at four star restaurants by the way.

That you had an oversalted dish at Stone Barnes has not been doubted, but it does seem to be a rare thing. Was it oversalted enough to return to the kitchen? Did you return the plate? Did you eat the eggs? Did you comment on the dish to the waiter? None of these thing reflect on your post, but they do affect the chance of the error being repeated.

[Stone]

I'm not sure why you're focusing so much on the eggs. We mentioned that they were overly salted. Are you suggesting that this is not a valid criticism? Neither Curlz nor I suggested that this -- or any other part of the meal -- would stop us from returning. Nor did we suggest that any restaurant had to be 100% 100% of the time. But that doesn't mean that we are wrong to point out the restaurant's errors. I'm certain, Bux, that if I scrolled through your posts about various restaurants some would include criticisms of various aspects of a meal. That's the point of the exercise -- reporting the good, the not-so-good, and the bad. I think any suggestions that errors, such as significant delays in being served, should be shrugged off and omitted is, well, odd.

[tommy]

i'm trying to figure out how the "keep it real" comment applies, or what the implication was.

i think bpearis' original post about the salt was meant a bit tongue-in-cheek anyway. well, maybe not tongue-in-cheek, but something anyway.

Edited October 13, 2004 by tommy (log)

[Bux]

I'm not sure why you're focusing so much on the eggs.  We mentioned that they were overly salted.  Are you suggesting that this is not a valid criticism? Neither Curlz nor I suggested that this -- or any other part of the meal -- would stop us from returning.  Nor did we suggest that any restaurant had to be 100% 100% of the time.  But that doesn't mean that we are wrong to point out the restaurant's errors.  I'm certain, Bux, that if I scrolled through your posts about various restaurants some would include criticisms of various aspects of a meal.  That's the point of the exercise -- reporting the good, the not-so-good, and the bad.  I think any suggestions that errors, such as significant delays in being served, should be shrugged off and omitted is, well, odd.

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What I tried to say was that I didn't read anyone's response to your post as saying any of your criticisms weren't valid. What was said was that they took them in stride, which is fair for them to do. In fact, I recall someone saying that because oversalting was never reported before, it made your post even more valid. It's not just criticism, it's news. The point is that news is often news because it's a report of the unusual.

Once again, I'm saying you seem to misread the replies to your posts. There's a world of difference between taking something in context and suggesting someone omit comment or shrug something off. If someone implies they're taking your comments in the context of those of other diners or their own experiences, it doesn't imply that you should not have posted those comments.

I don't think saying "keep it real" was helpful, although the intent may have gone over my head.

[SobaAddict70]

So one dish out of several hundred, served day after day, night after night, was oversalted.

Report on it, or not -- but one shouldn't be shocked, shocked (a la Casablanca) -- that this happened. It happens all the time, regardless of whether the restaurant in question is a nameless one star or an amazing three star such as BHSB, at least IMO.

I guess a better question is, will you be back?

Soba

[tommy]

I guess a better question is, will you be back?

Neither Curlz nor I suggested that this -- or any other part of the meal -- would stop us from returning. 

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Don't get me wrong; I greatly enjoyed most of the meal, and would like to go back there on a 'regular' day/evening.

perhaps only if there's no special event.

Edited October 13, 2004 by tommy (log)

[bpearis]

So one dish out of several hundred, served day after day, night after night, was oversalted.

Report on it, or not -- but one shouldn't be shocked, shocked (a la Casablanca) -- that this happened.  It happens all the time, regardless of whether the restaurant in question is a nameless one star or an amazing three star such as BHSB, at least IMO.

I guess a better question is, will you be back?

Soba

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I only made the comment that I did about this being the only report of oversalting is because the most frequent complaint you hear about Blue Hill is that everything could use a little more salt.

[phaelon56]

I haven't eaten there but found the comments relating to service problems the truly significant point. These came from two separate parties who ate there on two different occasions and were bolstered by the mention of "friends who were served one course and gave up waiting after one and a half hours". The bread (at $8 per basket no less) had to be requested three times, the patron was advised that the delay was due to the need to warm it and it arrived at room temperature?

Nearly any restaurant, pricey or not, will on occasion over salt a dish or make some other misstep with the food but the service issues described leave me disinclined to visit there. My fine dining budget is quite limited and the occasions on which I can indulge are rare. I'm paying for and expecting to receive an appropriate level of service as part of the overall package. It sounds as though, at least on the two occasions mentioned, they fell far short of delivering the type of service one expects as a given in such establishments.

[Jaybert41]

I haven't followed this thread closely, but I will through in a few comments to add a little fuel to the fire.

I ate there a few months back and was completely underwhelmed with the food; mainly in terms of the proportion of ingredients on the plate. The first four or five bites were good, but everythibng thereafter was overkill and started to detract from what the original dish began with. Smoked Trout with pistachios and Peas for example was amazing in the first few bites, but once the trout was gone, all I was left with was several spoonfuls of peas and pistachios and an empty glass of wine to boot.

I can overlook the proportions of the food for the time being but the timing of the meal was utterly terrible. Our meal took forever!

There was four of us on the table and they knew that we were industry people and had offered to cook for us because of it. It literally must have taken 18-20 minutes between courses. That is fine in a luxury restaurant, but when the "chef offers to cook for you" and it ultimately entails four courses; 20 minutes is too long to wait between an amuse and starter course. Also, we put our selves in the sommeliers hand as far as wine pairings go and it ended up that he had poured the wines long before any food had arrived. Naturally we drank the wine as we waited, leaving little of the 2 ounce pours left for our food.

Now either somebody needs to step up and pour some more wine, or get the food out to the table faster.

While I love and support the concept of Stone Barns, it just didn't deliver. I am sorry to say that I was completely underwhelmed and left with a grave disappointment for what it could have been. Not to mention that five of my colleagues have experience similar meals.

A real shame in a sense.

[Curlz]

Did anyone see the piece on BH@SB this morning on the CBS Morning Show? I turned it on just in time to catch the last 20 seconds.

[Bond Girl]

Sunday night dinner at Blue Hill with Bux, Mrs. B and their friends. We were first taken on a tour of the grounds and dazzled by the sunset over the Hudson, which really sets the mood for the food to come. As I am not a wine drinker, I will leave Bux to fill in the holes. The table sat down to a pleasing amuse of broccoli soup served in skinny flutes. Then two set of delightful amuse arrived, the meat eaters at the table each got a croquette of head cheese while I had a cauliflower and broccoli on a skewer lightly dressed with balsamic vinegar. There was also a set of mussels with razor clams on another skewer.

Of course, early winter would not be the same without Nantucket bay scallop and it arrived here glazed and served in a bed of rutabega and soy bean sauce with chopped squid. Next up was a dish of fresh winter vegetables served in a chestnut puree. I don't know about others at the table but this dish can turn me into a full time vegetarian. The cauliflowers and broccoli florets was done to perfection. There were also peas and beans in there that gave the dish a good textures, and the grapes provided a good counterpoint with a nice dose of sweet acidity.

A fried farm egg coated with panko and nuts on a bed of micro greem salad followed. Bux would like the egg to be more flavorful, while I thought the egg was perfectly fine for a non-meat eatign palate. The apricot in the salad gave the dish an unusual shine in flavor.

The meat eaters at the table then got a dish of chicken soup with rosemary dumpling, turkey breast and garden vegetables, which some thought was on the salty side. And, I got a piece of seared foie gras with squash puree and pumpkin seeds that made everyone jealous. The squash gave the foie gras a really good balance, and the pumpkin seed made the texture interesting.

Then there was a trio of pork for everyone at the table, and I had a smoked lobster with shelled bean stew with oyster mushrooms. The dish was definitely inventive in the quiet way and the stew was cooked bouillabase style with made it flavorful without the heavy taste. Although, I would have preferred a less salty combination.

A yogurt sorbet floating on a soup of apple and rosemary cleansed our palates. This was a wonderful conbination, but the rosemary was a bit jarring for the apple soup. Then, we all had a pumpkin souffle with cinnamon ice cream. Mrs. B thought the cinnamon was too strong, but I enjoyed it just fine.

The restaurant had a beautiful rustic decor and the service is excellent. The only complaints from the whole group was on the lighting. While many people would have loved the ambience and categorize it as "romantic", others would probably have preferred to see the food they were eating.

All around it was a wonderful experience and I would definitely go back again when the opportunity arises.

[Stone]

And, I got a piece of seared foie gras with squash puree and pumpkin seeds that made everyone jealous.

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Does that make you a lacto-ovo-liver-vegetarian?

[Curlz]

Does that make you a lacto-ovo-liver-vegetarian?

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Good one, Stone!! I wondered about that too...

[Jason Perlow]

Colameco's Food Show on PBS had an episode over the last weekend about Blue Hill at Stone Barns. Its really quite amazing what they are doing over there, especially with the 25,000 square foot greenhouse they built for growing vegetables.

[Bond Girl]

And, I got a piece of seared foie gras with squash puree and pumpkin seeds that made everyone jealous.

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Does that make you a lacto-ovo-liver-vegetarian?

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Never said I was a Vegetarian....I just don't like the taste of meat.

[woodburner]

Bond Girl,

Thanks for the encouraging report. I've been following this thread as it has been drifting wildly from good to so-so.

Did you have to reserve far in advance for your dinner?

woodburner

Edited December 2, 2004 by woodburner (log)