The Divine Miss "M"

[Vadouvan]

"I'm glad to see lfabio on egullet, if for no other reason than to provide a knowledgeable counterpoint to the Grand Pontificator. "

can we just let the personal stuff go? please?

if you are referring to who i think you are, he's known personally to many of us, and he's got serious cred.

egullet is just better when the personal stuff is kept out of serious discussions.

Indeed Bill indeed.

Besides "pontification" is far more honest that cryptic shilling for those with whom we are associated and claim to be wine knowledgeable when we are raving about 2001 Pichon Lalande....

I like Fabio and we rib each other all the time.

Its all in good fun.

Like phil said ...spirited discussions.

M is going to get much better after the kitchen expands, just spoke to the chef a few days ago and it's a case of the facilities catching up with the talent.

Katz is is probably the best cook I have ever worked with easily.....

Edited April 4, 2007 by Vadouvan (log)

[HD73]

"I'm glad to see lfabio on egullet, if for no other reason than to provide a knowledgeable counterpoint to the Grand Pontificator. "

can we just let the personal stuff go? please?

if you are referring to who i think you are, he's known personally to many of us, and he's got serious cred.

egullet is just better when the personal stuff is kept out of serious discussions.

Indeed Bill indeed.

Besides "pontification" is far more honest that cryptic shilling for those with whom we are associated and claim to be wine knowledgeable when we are raving about 2001 Pichon Lalande....

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Is it me, or was that another personal attack right there?

I'm sorry to continue forging ahead on this off-topic path, but I couldn't let it end on such a hypocritical note. If you'd try to be a little less harsh, dismissive and mean, I think you'd find that the "personal stuff" disappeared of its own accord. Perhaps it's just the difficulty of conveying tone over the internet - the friends who vouch for you make this seem likely - but in print, you don't come off as a friendly person, to put it very, very mildly.

[dagordon]

Is it me, or was that another personal attack right there?

I'm sorry to continue forging ahead on this off-topic path, but I couldn't let it end on such a hypocritical note.  If you'd try to be a little less harsh, dismissive and mean, I think you'd find that the "personal stuff" disappeared of its own accord.  Perhaps it's just the difficulty of conveying tone over the internet - the friends who vouch for you make this seem likely - but in print, you don't come off as a friendly person, to put it very, very mildly.

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I'm hesitant to perpetuate discussion of this issue, because it seems entirely inappropriate for the board, let alone a thread about M Restaurant, but:

In the interest of interpreting posts how they are intended to be and avoiding future misunderstandings, I feel compelled to say that anyone who knows V knows that he has strong opinions and doesn't mince words, but is also one of the truly nicest and most pleasant people you'll ever meet. His posts are not at all manifestations of anger or bitterness but are simply expressions of strongly held beliefs.

[KatieLoeb]

Jebus! I take one night off for Passover and this is what I find when I check back in.

All of you back to your corners. This thread is for discussions of M alone. For any of the personal stuff you can avail yourselves of the PM system and wear it out. Stop bothering the rest of us with it. And for the record, since I know all of the players involved here, I'll simply state it's a case of strongly held beliefs and lots of (different) experiences butting heads. That's OK. We call that spirited discussion. But leave the personal attacks out or I'll be forced to put on my ugly moderator hat*, and y'all know how much I hate to do that. Consider yourselves warned.

As for the outdoors, we'll be ready in two to three weeks when it's consistently warm enough out. And brunch awaits the kitchen expansion. It's sorely needed.

*Ugly Moderator Hat. The hat itself is ugly, and I get ugly when I'm forced to wear it. Capiche?

[SaxChik]

a BIG BIRTHDAY THANK YOU to ms. katie, queen of the cocktails!

i had my big birthday dinner at M on tuesday. we ended up with six people and everyone left very, very happy. we got to sample a large portion of the menu ... 1st courses included the risotto, quail, scallops and pork belly. 2nd courses included duck, steak, tuna and sea bass. for dessert, molten chocolate cake, bananas tartartin and creme brulee. the food and the servers were lovely and i can't wait to go back when it's warmer and eat al fresco.

[KatieLoeb]

Lauren:

Happy to help you celebrate your big day! Sounds like it was fun from start to finish. It was good to have to work a little for your crowd of cocktail enthusiasts. Keeps me on my toes! I hope the boys were feeling OK after all those Adios Mothers. It's basically a blue LI Iced Tea and can pack a whallop if not consumed judiciously.

[dagordon]

We stopped by the bar at M last night intending to just get a couple of cocktails, but the spring menu looked so good...

Cocktails: I started with a Corpse Reviver No. 2, then a Parisian Martini with Hendrick's, Lillet, thyme syrup, and an orange twist. M Punch for dessert. They were all fantastic, but the Corpse Reviver was my favorite; a lot going on in that drink.

This was only our second time having the food at M -- our first experience was a tasting menu several months ago. We were underwhelmed with the food then; everything was solid, but nothing particularly memorable. The food last night was simply on a different level from the food that we had the first time. Perhaps our first visit was simply on an off night?

We had the romaine salad and the quail to start, followed by the black bass and the boneless rack of lamb. The bass was quite good; the other three dishes were superb. This was my first time (knowingly) having quail from Griggstown Quail Farm in Princeton, and it was one of the best quail dishes I've ever had.

There was something studiokitchen-like about the lamb dish, both in presentation and concept. (Wish I had a picture.) A row of perfectly pink lamb medallions in jus with a spring pea and morel concoction parallel to it and a roasted spring onion with micro spring onions on top of it off to the side. This was just a home run. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it all day. The lamb itself was wonderfully tender and flavorful.

Oh, and a quite generous portion of Roaring Forties Blue for $7.

Very impressed with the food last night.

It was a blast sitting at the bar, enjoying Katie's company and skill, and we twice bumped into friends at the bar.

[mattohara]

what am i, chopped duck liver?

[dagordon]

what am i, chopped duck liver?

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You two were involved in the second episode of bumping into friends -- but I didn't know how closely to protect your anonymity.

[rae]

what am i, chopped duck liver?

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Quite the opposite. I have been singing your praises all day because dagordon surprised me with a cupcake carrier from Grocery today, which he said you told him about. I'm a very happy girl.

On to the food. As dagordon already described, the food and drinks last night were fantastic. The romaine salad was killer. It was red romaine lettuce with pancetta crisps, parmesan, and croutons. Oh pancetta crisps, so sinfully good.

Unfortunately I didn't get more than one bite of dagordon's quail, but the one bite I did have was delicious. Sweet but not too sweet. It would go right up there with my other favorite bite of quail, from Casa Mono in NYC.

The fish was solid, and was very light, which allowed me to eat more lamb. So good. I could have ordered a second portion of the lamb but I was holding out for a cupcake from Naked (unfortunately by the time I got there they were out of my favorite - peanut butter frosted chocolate cupcakes).

As for the drinks. They were bangin'. I'm usually not very into mixed drinks and tend to order scotch or just wine, but Katie has a magic touch. I had a Strawberry Smash to start, which combined strawberry and anise flavors to perfection. Perfect for a nice summery night. I also had half (a very large half) of a Pommeranian which was also great.

I can't wait to get back there.

Edited May 23, 2007 by rae (log)

[KatieLoeb]

Thanks everyone! You all know how much I love having a receptive group of "taste testers" for the mad science.

Random parties at the bar are always the most fun. I had a blast too. Thanks for making my night.

Oh my. A cupcake carrier? Now that is a truly romantic gift.

[Andrew Fenton]

I also had a great dinner at M, on Friday night. The folks were visiting from out of town, and I wanted to impress them: it did the trick. Unfortunately, it was a little chilly that night, so we had to sit indoors, but the food didn't need a special setting; it more than holds its own.

We let Katie pick our cocktails; she nailed it, of course, with... er... I totally don't remember the name of what I drank. But there was strawberry involved, and tarragon syrup and Pernod: probably the Strawberry Smash rae describes above. A terrific spring cocktail.

The tasting menu was a beet salad, then a little quail leg, a really extraordinary piece of halibut, and finally, Wolfe Neck steak. Everything was great, and at $55, a bargain.

The one odd issue was with service: the waiter didn't want to tell us what was on the tasting menu, claiming that the chef chose it spontaneously. I don't mind being surprised, but I thought it was sort of weird. First, I just don't believe that the chef is back there improvising: I guarantee you he knows at the beginning of the evening what's going to be on the tasting menu. And more importantly, what happens if somebody is allergic to a dish? Do they go back and make something else, or is the diner just out of luck? It was strange, and a little precious for my taste. But hey, I eat anything; and I wasn't disappointed. Good stuff.

Edited May 24, 2007 by Andrew Fenton (log)

[MarketStEl]

Four-day workweeks begin June 4 and last through August 17.

I'm past due for a happy hour visit. Watch for a familiar face one of these next few Fridays.

I'm sure you won't disappoint.

[Diann]

There was something studiokitchen-like about the lamb dish, both in presentation and concept. (Wish I had a picture.) A row of perfectly pink lamb medallions in jus with a spring pea and morel concoction parallel to it and a roasted spring onion with micro spring onions on top of it off to the side. This was just a home run. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it all day. The lamb itself was wonderfully tender and flavorful.

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This is why I was disappointed when your first experience at M was rather mediocre -- when I had the lamb during the winter (served with vanilla-parsnip puree and prunes, I believe), it was VERY reminiscent of studiokitchen and I got all excited at the prospect of eating food like that again.

I'm glad you enjoyed it the second time around.

[mattohara]

I guarantee you he knows at the beginning of the evening what's going to be on the tasting menu.  And more importantly, what happens if somebody is allergic to a dish?  Do they go back and make something else, or is the diner just out of luck?  It was strange, and a little precious for my taste.  But hey, I eat anything; and I wasn't disappointed.  Good stuff.

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i like that at Pif chef walks the fine line. we ask for 24 hours notice but he always keeps a few extra ingredients on hand for the surprise tasting that walks in the door. in that case he does improvise. but even the regular tasting menus that we have on the books he starts putting together early in the day but aren't finalized until around 5 when we have to get the menus for that night printed up.

sorry, off topic!

edited to add that i also had the corpse reviver 2 and it's a really refreshing and tangy summer drink everybody should have (katie make for them) at least once this summer!

Edited May 25, 2007 by mattohara (log)

[KatieLoeb]

Andrew:

The tasting menus do change over the course of an evening. It could be because someone has a food allergy issue or a serious distaste for a certain menu item, or it could be because that's what Chef wants to send to that particular table, or it could be simply that we've run out of a particular item. Since I'm pouring the wine pairings, I can definitely tell you that the tasting courses are not etched in stone.

[jelly]

I guarantee you he knows at the beginning of the evening what's going to be on the tasting menu.  And more importantly, what happens if somebody is allergic to a dish?  Do they go back and make something else, or is the diner just out of luck?  It was strange, and a little precious for my taste.  But hey, I eat anything; and I wasn't disappointed.  Good stuff.

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i like that at Pif chef walks the fine line. we ask for 24 hours notice but he always keeps a few extra ingredients on hand for the surprise tasting that walks in the door. in that case he does improvise. but even the regular tasting menus that we have on the books he starts putting together early in the day but aren't finalized until around 5 when we have to get the menus for that night printed up.

sorry, off topic!

edited to add that i also had the corpse reviver 2 and it's a really refreshing and tangy summer drink everybody should have (katie make for them) at least once this summer!

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Matt, when did David start doing tasting menus again? (Michele)

[mattohara]

i thought they had always been there. if not, maybe when dave cain left and he started working in the kitchen again. 65$/head and let us know if you have any allergies/faves/least faves! (advance notice required to track down some harder-to-find ingredients)

i think M will be our next tasting adventure. katie can we pair halved cocktails with courses? that might be a fun first, cocktail pairings. and i can't think of a better place to test it!

[Andrew Fenton]

The tasting menus do change over the course of an evening.  It could be because someone has a food allergy issue or a serious distaste for a certain menu item, or it could be because that's what Chef wants to send to that particular table, or it could be simply that we've run out of a particular item.  Since I'm pouring the wine pairings, I can definitely tell you that the tasting courses are not etched in stone.

Really? So what does the restaurant do when they bring out a dish and it turns out that one of the diners is allergic to it, or can't or won't eat that dish? I suppose you could take it back and replace it; but then the customer is sitting there waiting while the others are eating.

[KatieLoeb]

When a tasting menu is ordered the server usually asks if there are any food allergy issues. Usually only a problem with shellfish which isn't often on the menu. Most folks that are fussy eaters would never be adventurous enough to order a tasting menu anyway, so it usually takes care of itself.

[Andrew Fenton]

When a tasting menu is ordered the server usually asks if there are any food allergy issues.

He didn't ask us. Fortunately, we're all omnivorous...

[KatieLoeb]

He didn't ask us. Fortunately, we're all omnivorous...

I apologize for that. It should have been addressed.

i think M will be our next tasting adventure. katie can we pair halved cocktails with courses? that might be a fun first, cocktail pairings. and i can't think of a better place to test it!

I'd be happy to split a cocktail into two glasses for you, but I'm not sure that I've done enough research/experimentation at M to really do this concept justice with the current menu. The paired wines are a better bet at the moment.

I'm currently working on a paired cocktails with food menu for an event next month at a restaurant down in Cape May a dear friend of mine operates. There's a new line of vodkas from Modern Spirits in California that come in very interesting flavors that we're building a dinner around. It's still a work in progress but more along the lines of what you're proposing. I'll be happy to PM you the details when the menu and drinks are finished, hopefully sometime in the next week or so.

[brucedelta]

I probably owe an apology to our favorite local mixologist because we visited M about a month ago and never posted.

In any case as has already been said many times Katie makes it seem simple to whip up a drink with just the suggestion of ingrediants. In our case my wife suggested she liked Caprinio, a brazilian drink with crushed limes. Katie did not have the exact ingrediants but offered her interpretion which my wife found to bitter but I liked because it removed the cloying sweetness so I took it right over and skipped the need to select a single malt. So I was then all set and Katie dived right into a new effort and found something good for the Mrs.

I had the Tuna ordered (as always) per the chefs recomendation. I always assume if the chef does not recomend it rare they are likely to not know enough about fish selection, care, handling, and prep to make rare the best bet. I recieved beautiful slices of ruby fish with a nice sear on the outside.

Shirley had the NY strip (wolfs neck I think) and she found it delicious and prepared to her liking.

I also fondly recalled the white pollenta that was served to her as a side, because she took a bit and thought they were lousy mashed potatoes. I reminded her that the menu said polenta, because I was looking forward to it since I enjoy polenta. Her not so much, so we swapped some sides.

We had a good wine pairing although I would be hard pressed to recall what it was if I saw the list again.

Overall a good visit and this post was actually triggered by my desire to revisit and book a outside table. I think return visits are the best indicator of the success of a meal, and we will return soon.

[KatieLoeb]

Thanks Bruce. Always happy to try and find the right beverage for each guest. I consider it my job description as Spiritual Advisor.

Last night may have been the most perfect evening to date to sit outdoors. Low humidity, light breeze and pleasant temperature. I wish it would stay that way eternally. Sadly though, the bar is empty because everyone wants to be outside. So come in and stop and have one with me first and then move outside, OK? I'll look forward to seeing you soon!

[Natasha]

Katie, are you working tomorrow night? I have to kill some time solo in the city, and I can't think of a better way to do it than sitting at your bar and making your acquaintance. I've been wanting to stop in for some time, but I hope next time my husband will be with me and we can have dinner!