Daniel

[GordonCooks]

Many people want to see a restauarnt's list in advance so they can call ahead and have them open wines in advance of their visit. I've done that with Veritas among other restaurants in the past where they have opened bottles for me up to six hours ahead of time. Most places will do that with a credit card number.

That and also a lengthy wine wist takes a little time to read through and I like to scope out any possible "gems" as far as value or rarity. I don't have the wine knowledge a few of the members here have accumulated.

[GordonCooks]

Having laid out their original web site and having discussed the idea of putting the wine list on the site, I'm guessing they will not be amenable to  filling your request. Admittedly, one reason for not putting up the list is that it requires some work to keep the list up to date. Revising the menus is enough of a head ache, if you take it seriously. Nevertheless, I don't believe that was their primary reason for not publishing the list on the web.

I curious to know why someone would want to have the list and why a restaurant might be inclined not to publish it's list. I believe Veritas had, or has, it's entire list on the web.

Wouldn't they keep their list in a pdf format ? I assume they print it in-house or via a vendor. I assume they would not make their list public is the number of restaurants gleaning the hard work done by their sommelier. I attempted to send some emails via their info email but for some reason - I was denied access by their mailserver.

[Beachfan]

Try a phone call. That's how I got it from a couple of restaurants, including Fifth Floor.

[Bux]

Of course there were some obvious answers to my question. The most obvious reasons for wanting to see the wine list before hand are exactly the same as wanting to see the menu before hand. To make an unhurried choice or at least to pick out a few items to focus on at the last minute. I was, and am, curious about less obvious reasons including those that might make the restaurant want to keep access to the list more restricted. I strongly suspect GordonCooks is correct about other restaurants "gleaning the hard work done by their sommelier." It's a long list and difficult to take in and memorize at one sitting before dinner in the restaurant. While it's a public document in that it's available to read for the price of one dinner, it's not going to be easy to memorize significant sections in one sitting. Duplicating the cellar wouldn't be easy, or cheap in any case, but there is probably much that one restaurant can learn from another and I suppose knowing what to buy is one of them. Daniel has to pay a good sommelier for his knowledge and that includes what to select as well as what to advise diners. Nevertheless, the most valuable knowledge is not what was bought, but what the next purchase will be.

I'm surprised you had trouble sending e-mail to info@danielnyc.com. If you haven't had problems with other people getting your e-mail, I'd try again. The request to "info" should go to Daniel's office and be handled by his secretary and that's the most direct route I can recommend.

[GordonCooks]

I was just informed that Jean Luc is in France and my request has will be addressed when he returns.

[Wilfrid]

Le Cirque have their wine list on their web-site. A pdf format would be easier to download, but this is very user friendly just for browsing.

[porkpa]

I was the guest of friends for dinner at Daniel last evening. We all had a tasting dinner. With the exception of some of the dishes being, in my opinion somewhat oversalted, they were all at the very least quite good and in the case of one, truly extraordinary dish sensational. The dish in the spotlight was a poached egg served in a cheesy? sauce onto which black truffles were sliced. It was accompanied by a piece of toasted bread with some melted cheese of a different sort which again was laden with sliced black truffles. The server suggested that we dip the bread into the egg, much as one would dip toast into an ordinary egg yolk. We did and it was incredible. My two buddies said it was the single best dish they had ever enjoyed. These guys eat at 3 or 4 star restaurants at least 2 or 3 times a week. I felt that if it wasn't the best single dish I had ever experienced, it certainly ranked right up there.

During the course of dinner something which I thought was quite unusual occured. The dining room was packed as one would expect on a Friday evening. Daniel Boulud came out and sat down with a table of people who he obviously knew. He sat there for at least 45 minutes and maybe more. When we left at 11.00 PM(we arrived at 7.00) he was still at that table. He might have greeted two or three other tables during the course of the evening, but no more. Certainly Boulud can sit and greet whomever he chooses to. The people he was with were obviously quite important to him. The question I have is, was he subliminally(?sp) telling all of the other people in the restaurant that they weren't important enough to be visited by him? I'm not sure how I stand on this, but I thought that his behaviour was different enough so that I did question it.

Porkpa.

[Bux]

I don't think anyone not visited should be offended. I suspect it's safe to say that he didn't know anyone else in the dining room. Had he gone around the room and said hello to just about everyone and not stopped at my table, I might be offended, or at least puzzled. It all boils down to whether you go to a reastaurant to eat well, or to socialized with the chef. Why is any diner important enough to rate a table visit if it's not done as a matter of course?

I know Daniel Boulud and I'd be a bit surprised if he didn't at least nod my way if he was in the dining room. Usually he will stop and perhaps shake my hand and give my wife a kiss, but there are other members of his staff that will do the same. Still if he came into the dining room and ignored me while he sat for 45 minutes at another table, I'd assume they were very good friends or that they had some important business to discuss and it would not offend me.

I haven't been in Daniel for a while, but it's my recollection that he doesn't regularly make rounds of the dining room. I don't know who does these days. Have members seen many chefs, especially four star chefs make the rounds in NY? Are you or your friends visited at other restaurants?

[R Washburn]

Porkpa,

Seems like an odd criticism of Daniel. I don't really understand why you expected to be singled out with a visit, unless you are a good friend of his (or big time customer). Typically, I see him come out and say hi to a few tables of friends or long time regulars, but I have never felt slighted by him not saying hello. Just because he sends a nice card and a bottle of wine at Christmas, doesn't mean he knows me from Adam.

The only time he ever came to my table was during my first visit to the old Daniel, where he shook my hand and thanked me profusely for having lunch at his restaurant. He is definitely the friendliest chef I have met.

Robert

[GordonCooks]

Was the egg/truffle dish on the menu or was it a special ? My girl and I are there on Dec 7 and it sounds like a winner - Was there a wine pairing ?

[GordonCooks]

Still no list - I think I'm out of luck

[GordonCooks]

Of course there were some obvious answers to my question. The most obvious reasons for wanting to see the wine list before hand are exactly the same as wanting to see the menu before hand. To make an unhurried choice or at least to pick out a few items to focus on at the last minute. I was, and am, curious about less obvious reasons including those that might make the restaurant want to keep access to the list more restricted. I strongly suspect GordonCooks is correct about other restaurants "gleaning the hard work done by their sommelier." It's a long list and difficult to take in and memorize at one sitting before dinner in the restaurant. While it's a public document in that it's available to read for the price of one dinner, it's not going to be easy to memorize significant sections in one sitting. Duplicating the cellar wouldn't be easy, or cheap in any case, but there is probably much that one restaurant can learn from another and I suppose knowing what to buy is one of them. Daniel has to pay a good sommelier for his knowledge and that includes what to select as well as what to advise diners. Nevertheless, the most valuable knowledge is not what was bought, but what the next purchase will be.

I'm surprised you had trouble sending e-mail to info@danielnyc.com. If you haven't had problems with other people getting your e-mail, I'd try again. The request to "info" should go to Daniel's office and be handled by his secretary and that's the most direct route I can recommend.

Bux - If you did the new website - It's outstanding !

[GordonCooks]

My girl and I make our annual shopping trip this weekend.

I'm planning on Craft for dinner on Fri and Daniel on Saturday. Hopefully my flight will be on time on fri - But if not, what is a good back-up plan for late night dinner on Fri ? Lupa ? CraftBar ? I'm staying at the Ritz Carlton - Battery Park so I don't want to go farther than the Central Park (prefer SoHo, FlatIron, etc.)

What about Saturday Afternoon Lunch - I was planning in Aquavit or Artisinal but I'd appreicate any suggestions. We'll be in the Madison Ave area shopping.

I'll try to jot down notes on Daniel to post before I have too much wine

Thanks

Edited December 2, 2002 by GordonCooks (log)

[SamanthaF]

Union Pacific was perfect for lunch earlier this year.

[Suzanne F]

CraftBar serves until midnight, so if you miss your time at Craft, that's a good possibility. Similarly creative food, more casual atmosphere.

If you get in very late and don't want to venture too far from your hotel, go to Le Zinc. (Duane Street between Church and West Broadway, in Tribeca). Open until 3:00am. Younger sibling of Chanterelle. Eclectic menu -- bistro classics to a great bacon-cheeseburger. Fascinating wine list with some real bargains. Very much a neighborhood place.

[GordonCooks]

CraftBar serves until midnight, so if you miss your time at Craft, that's a good possibility.  Similarly creative food, more casual atmosphere.

If you get in very late and don't want to venture too far from your hotel, go to Le Zinc.  (Duane Street between Church and West Broadway, in Tribeca).  Open until 3:00am.  Younger sibling of Chanterelle.  Eclectic menu -- bistro classics to a great bacon-cheeseburger.  Fascinating wine list with some real bargains.  Very much a neighborhood place.

Thanks a bunch !

What about Next Door Nobu ? Anyone ?

Thanks

[Charles Smith]

If you miss a reservation at Craft, you're timing for Next Door will be off- later on the wait gets very long-

Le Zinc is a great suggestion, Lupa is a good choice if you like eating at bars, as is Babbo, although the wait there might be pretty long as well.

[GordonCooks]

Saturday Morning -

If anyone sees a 6'3" Amer-Asian with a goatee and a stogie in his mouth and the Union Square Greenmarket - Say "Hey"

[GordonCooks]

It's Official - Jean Luc is on my list. The day before Daniel and no reply whatsoever -

[lxt]

The clock was beating the final stroke of 7, our reservation time, as we emerged from the revolving door leading to the luxury of a soft bouquet of burgundy velvet dominating the main lobby. Before the eye got used to the lavishness of the room, we were gently taken for a dance, where the steps included slipping from our coats, being led to the main desk, and in a continuing waltz, being directed toward the bronze-studded mahogany doors and to the “ballroom.” Considering that my view of the High Renaissance is epitomized by the exquisitely balanced frescoes of Raphael and the expressive and colorful paintings of Titian, the main dining room with its carved pilasters and balustrades, strong contrasts of color, clear tones, and firm contours was a rather formal statement of theme where idealist neoclassicism was predominant. The interior of the room is arranged as tiers of galleries around a central space and reminded me of an opera house. Indeed, the high (about 20 feet) coffered and stenciled ceiling of the center “stage” provided such a vibration diverted high into the ceiling that the world’s leading opera singers, conductors, musicians and critics would have acclaimed the wonderful acoustics. In an environment where many vocalists sing in dissonance, however, the ultimate effect of music transforms into the unison of noise. By 9 p.m., it was quite clear that we had to engage our hearing to the extreme to make out the words of our captain.

It seemed that the center “stage” was allocated to the regulars, business people and other important diners. Their contingent was dominated by smoothly shaved men in almost uniform suits and ties, and fading women in overbearing makeup and low-cut cocktail dresses revealing hanging flesh, where their illusion of offbeat sophistication could otherwise be disturbed by the throngs of bare young arms and legs. There was one family including three children of ages around 15, 10 and 8 showing exemplary manners and straight posture. At the end of their dinner when the cart of beautiful-looking cheeses was rolled to their table, the usual scene of screaming children running around the cart that one could so easily imagine was replaced by a picture of children standing by the cart pointing politely toward their choices. It was almost artificial. We felt right at home.

We were seated at a table for the “audience” on the balcony tier a couple of steps above the main center area in the direction of the kitchen. A decorative partition separated the kitchen from the row of tables. A long rectangular lamp table with several empty bottles of wine leaned against the partition and a fine work of mosaic featuring a peacock finished the composition. This seemed to be a temporary station where a captain would mentor younger staff, which we had an opportunity to observe with pleasure and interest later in the evening. The dining tables in this area seemed to be well-spaced and well-sized, which allowed for privacy of conversation and a feeling of freedom. As soon as an impeccably trained staff helped us to position our bodies in the plush velvet chairs, a sumptuous feast for the senses began.

We contacted Daniel’s main office several days in advance to acquaint ourselves with their regular and tasting menus. Thus, upon our captain’s attempt to present us with a menu description, we told him of our selection, relieving him of the burden of this duty, and our conversation shifted to the restaurant’s beautiful Web site. We decided to go with the 5-course tasting menu with paired wines, sharing the options between the two of us. It began with an amuse bouche of three tiny savory nibbles presented on a two-tiered plate offering luxurious bites of a wonderfully creamy and pungent goat cheese tartelet spiked at the last moment with a pine nut; a smooth, creamy smoked salmon mousse served in an Asian porcelain soupspoon; and a tiny, rectangular, paper-thin piece of dried prosciutto surrounded by three types of lightly marinated tender but firm beets served in a white cup. This amuse deserves more attention. There are three kinds of beets: red, golden, and a red and white variety called bullseye. The flavor is similar for all three types, and we shouldn’t have been fooled into different sensory responses to them. However, the three richly colored tiny cubes of deep red and bright-golden beet and the half-circle of bullseye beet, accented by the white color of the serving dish, were so distinctive that the colors themselves allowed us to perceive perhaps just slightly different flavors. It was truly amazing how the color could affect our judgment, and if that was the chef’s intention, then the simplicity of its technical realization was fabulous.

The first course:

Marinated Hamachi Tuna with Fresh Fennel Bavarois, Shaved Fennel, Pink Grapefruit and Avocado

A raw piece of very light-colored and delicately flavored tuna, firm and shiny, was curled into a flower and placed in the center of a plate. The meat had a clean taste set off by creamy fennel and avocado(?) custard of a pale green color matching well with the long strips of thinly shaved fresh fennel marinated in lemon juice. Slices of pink grapefruit provided a beautiful color contrast, and a tiny piece of fresh avocado completed the composition. Each element of the dish was presented as a separate entity. The fresh fennel offered a crunch and added a refreshing citrus flavor of sweet licorice with bittersweet orange, where the anise-like note was secondary when taken with the tuna. The grapefruit, on the other hand, performed the role of a slightly acidic and sweet contrast. Each element had a purpose to offset, complement or transform the taste of the tuna, making it smoother or sharper, and experimenting with different combinations was quite enjoyable. The dish was exceptional.

Peeky Toe Crab Salad with a Gold Pineapple and Celery Gelée, Lime Dressing and a Crisp Pineapple Chip

Though the details of this dish’s presentation escape me, what comes to mind is a cylinder of sweet crab salad dressed with a thin remoulade sauce, crowned with a dried pineapple chip and surrounded by honey-sweet cubes of fresh pineapple. I thought that the sweetness of the pineapple overshadowed the natural sweetness of the crab meat. This dish had a much more direct and straightforward flavor than that of the hamachi tuna, which took me by surprise as I expected a little subtler taste to parallel the other choice of first course rather than oppose it. On the contrary, my consort was at a disadvantage to distinguish the subtleties of the hamachi tuna dish before clearing his palate since his taste buds were adjusted to the stronger course of the crab salad first.

The paired wine was Sauvignon de Saint-Bris, Goisot 2001.

The second course:

Herb Crusted “Bouchot” Mussels with Speck Ham, Seasonal Root Vegetables, Parsley and a Saffron Cream

A mussel cake positioned in the center of a shallow soup plate was almost floating in a foamy saffron-garlic cream sauce. Root vegetables mounded on the cake were of a deep red color looking gorgeous in contrast with the bright yellow saffron cream. A green stalk of parsley positioned along with the vegetables finished the palette of vibrant colors of this composition. As soon as the plate was in front of me, a pleasant, slightly sweet, spicy and delicate floral odor of saffron penetrated my senses and the earthy, just slightly bitter and somewhat fatty flavor, with a very slight garlicky aftertaste, was such a great background to the herbed and smoky ham and mussels. I enjoyed this dish.

Shrimp with Caramelized Cauliflower and Ginger-Gold Apple-Passion Fruit Chutney

Three(?) plump shrimp over chutney foam and tiny sprigs of cauliflower were served on a rectangular white plate. A thin slice of green apple topped the shrimp and thinly shaved sprigs of leeks (?) anchored the edifice. This was a very delicate-looking dish, but didn’t seem to move me. No, each element was executed perfectly: shrimp were sweet, meaty, and tender but not mushy; the chutney had the exotic touch of passion fruit and was sweet but not overbearing; and the gold apple brought freshness and light acidity to the dish. It just didn’t work for me in combination, and if I had a chance to replace one course on the tasting menu, my choice would be this one.

We drank Bourgogne-Chardonnay “les Herbeux” 2000.

The third course:

Skate Stuffed with a Girolles Duxelles, Creamy Spinach and a Bordelaise Sauce

When thinking of skate with its mild flavor and tender, flaky texture, what comes to mind is raie au beurre noir where the subtle flavor of the delicately poached or sautéed fish in a brown butter sauce with capers isn’t obscured, or how about a skate wing on a purée of cauliflower and potato, which emphasizes the fish sweetness on the palate? Skate in a bordelaise sauce was certainly not a conventional marriage in my recipe books.

This course was served in a soup plate where the wing was on a bed of spinach with the rich, dark, blood-colored Bordelaise sauce poured generously over it. A chanterelle mushroom and several pieces of chopped carrot were sketchily tossed around the hill of the fish and a sprig of flat-leaf parsley on top completed the dish. The sauce had a strong beef flavor and was there not to make the most of the naturally sweet, tender and moist skate, but to transform it into a different species. All that was left of the skate as I know it was its texture. Indeed, the texture was fabulous. Gently poached, the skate’s each little finger was bursting with flesh tasting rather like tender meat in combination with the bordelaise sauce. Because of the intensity of the sauce, a Châteauneuf-du-Pape complemented the dish very well.

Roasted Arctic Char with Lentils, Fall Root Vegetables, a Tarragon “Royale” and “Sauce Diable”

This was one of the most engaging dishes for me. A round piece of a medium-thick arctic char on a bed of lentils comfortably resting in a puddle of thin red-wine sauce with a blob of tarragon royale sauce on top, root vegetables on the side, and a green-colored diable sauce in a separate cup. All elements fit in a large oval dish. The fish had a succulent texture and a very light but distinctive flavor and was moist and buttery. I expected some hot notes in the sauce diable, but the texture was smooth, so was the flavor, and in my opinion it complemented the fish very well. I thought that tarragon royale was a little excessive and that the fish would’ve not lost from having two sauce combinations of just red-wine and diable, but the royale sauce melted quickly on hot surface of the char and bonded with the flesh. Each bite, either separately or in combination with the accompaniments was a symphony of divine tastes.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Domaine du Vieux Lazaret 2000 was the wine selected to accompany this course.

The fourth course:

Chestnut Crusted Millbrook Farm Venison with Braised Red Cabbage, a Seckel Pear and Spiced Sweet Potato Purée

I was watching impatiently how my consort was consuming the venison until I realized that if I didn’t ask, I wouldn’t get a chance to sample this dish. The answer to my request from this charming and kind man whom I have known for no less than 18 years was, “I think we should stick to our assigned dishes, dear.” I could imagine almost anything, but that venison would be in the middle of our relationship was too much for me to handle, and it wasn’t that I didn’t have anything to offer in return! By the time I was able to rescue this dish from his claws, the pear was gone; therefore my comments will exclude this element. About two inches thick, a log of venison crusted with chestnuts was resting next to the sweet potato puree with firm red cabbage leaves sticking out of the silky mass. A slice of poached pear was just touching the puree, but otherwise was positioned separately on a plate. A touch of brown sauce completed the composition. The meat was cooked almost rare and was extremely lean and tender in texture. Finely chopped blanched chestnuts, in which the venison was rolled, offered a crunch, but unlike other nuts their blandness didn’t disturb the main silky flavor of the meat, and a very subtly spiced sweet-potato puree well complemented the slight gaminess of the venison.

Pistachio Crusted Rack of Lamb with Dried Fruit, Saffron and Cinnamon Braised Shoulder and Cumin Chick Pea Fries

A thick piece of lamb chop, with a fitting array of vegetables, several dots of dried cranberry and a single thick bar of chickpea fries, was very good. Again, it was the attention to detail of all these marvelous garnishes that caught both my eye and my taste buds. The lamb was encrusted with pistachio flour, which was almost transparent in taste but added to the dark brown exterior of the meat. It was cooked rare, quite appropriately, with a deep, pink-red colored interior that was moist and flawless. The surprise element was the chick pea fry, which felt and tasted like a steak-house fry on the firm outside and offered a smooth, almost custard-like texture on the inside.

We drank Château Sociando-Mallet, Haut Medoc 1995

The fifth course (desserts):

Mandarin Orange Sorbet Vacherin with Ginger Meringue and Chestnut Ice Cream

I was in the mood for a light dessert, and I thought that this course should satisfy my preference. The rounds of striped Ginger Meringue built a sandwich shell for the dessert structure with two levels where sorbet and ice cream were in between. Several pieces of caramelized(?) orange were placed on the side of the plate, and a white chocolate straw leaned against the structure. I think I am missing something in my description, but it is all I can recall. It was barely sweet, very light and had a refreshing effect. However, it wasn’t a dessert that would leave a long-lasting memory.

The wine served was Côteaux du Layon-Beaulieu “l’Anclaie”, Ch.Pierre Bise 2000.

Dark Chocolate-Caramel Mousse Bombe with Passion Fruit Cream Center and Sauce

There were so many emotions attached to this dessert, that I had some difficulties finding the right way to express how exceptional it was. A shiny chocolate ball crowned with a delicate round chocolate cookie and a twisted decorative string of hard chocolate rising in the air was centered on the plate. One perfect caramelized blueberry cut in half was positioned on one side of the plate, and a splash of a bright exotic-green passion fruit sauce with floating fruit seeds on the other. The chocolate-caramel skin of the mousse gave it a glittering-shiny and almost wet effect and was soft, elastic and viscous in texture. The very first bite, wrapping the tongue in the buttery-smooth, velvet fabric of the chocolate mousse was overwhelming. It was simply divine, and forced an uncontrollable sound of satisfaction from both of us. The cloying sweetness of chocolate usually tires my taste buds quickly and the subsequent chocolate bites are not as sharply perceived as the first one. However, with this dessert, each bite only made you want to plunge the spoon into the mousse repeatedly as your senses only sharpened and formed an addiction to experience this pleasure again and again. A surprise came when I reached the middle of the bombe and a white mousse with a bit of acidic passion fruit tang released its gentle sharpness, penetrating the sweet and bitter chocolate flavor. I loved every moment of it, and was disappointed when the dessert was consumed and my plate looked like it had never known the luxury of holding such treasure. I sampled the chocolate mousse with and without the accompanying sauce, and both variations had their charm.

We drank Rivesaltes Hors d’Age, Domaine Força Real

The finale and culmination of our dinner was a plate of one-bite, tiny, almost artificial-looking ten sweet delights on a long rectangular silver plate. The pastry chef poured the bulk of his creativity into creating this spectacular tray of delights. Each of them was a state-of-the-art little pastry or candy in look and in taste, and if I were to describe all of them, it would take me another ten pages. Instead I’m posting the only picture that we managed to take successfully, which will, I hope, give you an idea.

A basket of warm madeleines placed on our table at the end felt like a graduation seal and was the last chapter in this engaging and exciting book, and they were excellent too.

One additional note, one of the things worth mentioning, is the bread. A waiter carries a basket full of bread around the room and serves each guest individually. The choices included rustic, garlic, olive, sourdough, nuts and raisins, and three seeds. Olive and sourdough were the best according to our subjective evaluation, but all options provided great quality and perfect taste along with the appropriately soft butter.

The service was admirable. With the number of changes of plates and forks, spoons and knives to accommodate the fish and meat courses, it was hard to imagine that the service could be unobtrusive. However, the excellence of execution was such that at times I found myself facing a new set of “tools” on my table without realizing when they were placed. Any attempt to leave the table would be noticed by the staff right away, and you would be helped out and back in again upon your return. You were watched every second of your time without noticing it. I’d suggest that the KGB fellows should go through training at Daniel.

Very touching moments occurred when Pascal, our captain, brought us an additional dessert of jellied grapefruit with whipped cream and, at the end of our dinner, Daniel’s regular menu, tasting menus for this season and as of three months ago and whatever additional material they had in-house on all the Boulud restaurants as a souvenir. It was extremely thoughtful and exceptionally nice since I had not requested it.

To express my thoughts on Daniel: James Russel Lowell observed that “Talent is that which is in a man’s power; genius is that in whose power a man is.” I know that some of you will tell me: “Wait until you get to Paris…” But for now, I have discovered my Paris at Daniel.

Edit: Corrected the second dessert wine, per Bux's kind observation.

Edited February 12, 2003 by lxt (log)

[awbrig]

awesome report! where are the other pictures?

[cabrales]

lxt -- Thanks for sharing your experiences. So many things to look forward to -- and wait until you get to France.

A fortunate and proactive diner could find resonance in a subjectively matched restaurant that moves her and sustains her spirit in small ways until her next visit; that gently, but markedly, shades her sensation of scents, light, colors and shapes; that has a cuisine that plies itself around her likes and dislikes, seeping itself into shaping those preferences; that makes her believe she is tasting so many products for the first time when she had taken them in innumerable times elsewhere; that begins to weave a history with her, laced with meals that murmur to her when she is exuberant, other meals that console when she is vulnerable, and yet others during disparate other times; that always has a place for her and goes out of its way for her; that, no matter how many other restaurants she visits, would always offer a cuisine that most pleases her ... That is the kind of restaurant that she could find

Edited February 12, 2003 by cabrales (log)

[Steve Plotnicki]

Bravo.

[jaybee]

Thank you LXT for that wonderfully detailed report, including the atmoshperics. (Fading ladies and hanging flesh--worthy of a scene in a Visconti movie). Aside from the venison, did your consort enjoy the meal as much as you did? One criteria I use to rank cookery is whether a chef peforms alchemy--creating a taste and experience that transcends and transforms the ingredients. David Bouley, at his early peak, did that. Jean Troigros as well. I suspect Robuchon, too, but alas I have not had the pleasure. Your description of the skate implies this transformation.

How did you rate the wines? Was there a stand-out?

Edited February 12, 2003 by jaybee (log)

[Steve Plotnicki]

One criteria I use to rank cookery is whther a chef peforms alchemy--creating a taste and experience that transcends and transforms the ingredients.

Clearly you aren't speaking about Italian food.