Sam Mason's Tailor

[iheartoffal]

The guy with the tatooed arm bent over whatever it is he is prepping personifies what "cooking" has turned into.

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And your last couple of posts exemplify the sort of presumption that has become rampant among food writers (bloggers, message board posters, etc) in regards to what is really going on inside restaurants, what the intentions of chefs are, and why.

[Dave H]

Any gastronome worthy of the distinction

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You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

But I'm having a hard time piecing together exactly what you do think it means. Apparently a gastronome is someone who arrives at a restaurant and immediately asks for a tour of the walk-in so he can decide what to have his personal chefs in the kitchen make for him that night. It is important that all the food cooked there be sauteed or pan-roasted so that the flavors can escape into the air and make his brief jaunt through the kitchen more aromatic. (Also if the pure flavors of the ingredients make it into the food it could make him vertiginous, which is bad.) And that the kitchen be hot and noisy so as to add an extra element of discomfort and stress to the task of his personal chefs who will have to interrupt their jobs making food for the rubes ordering off the menu in order to custom-make his dinner from scratch. This makes it more sporting.

Also it is important that they not have tattoos because....? I'm getting stuck here, could you help me out?

[tan319]

Why does a "full sleeve tattoo" on a chefs arm become a point of contention or make one wary of the chef?

This is foolishness .

Have you ever seen the people who cook your food when you go out?

Tats, piercings and earring are often part of cooks gear and so be it.

Your concern about this part of things reek a bit of bullshit, sorry to say.

Regarding sous vide, most of those dishes, meat ones especially, usually start and certainly End up being seared or roasted a bit.

[BryanZ]

Honestly, this isn't even worth discussing. Foolishness indeed.

[robert brown]

Is it okay to use some means of identification, be it a toque a tatoo, to make reference or single out a photograph? Actually when I see other pictures, Mason looks a lot like latin music pianist Larry Harlow 15-20 years ago. I also don't mind being associated with food writers and bloggers.

[Sethro]

Good lord, chefs like Sam Mason are "taking short cuts"? I tell you what's prety quick an easy: fabricating a protein, cooking it, and serving it with a pureed starch and mother sauce. That's as old gaurd as it gets. To take new direction and incorporate unprecidented new technique requires extensive forethought, testing, patience, knowledge and skill. It is NOT easy, quick or any other adjective that defines "short cut".

I won't get into the specifics of "portioning proteins into bags" or other ridiculous misconceptions. Instead I'll sugest anyone who truly wants to gleam an understanding of what it takes to run a sucessful kitchen--traditional to avante garde--either try working in one or speaking with a chef about it.

I love food-blogging, but blogs in general are a license to publish your words for public consumption without any any qualification, oversight or scrutiny. Take that as you will.

Edited March 7, 2007 by Sethro (log)

[Vadouvan]

Good lord, chefs like Sam Mason are "taking short cuts"? I'll tell you what's pretty quick and easy, fabricating a protein, cooking it, serving it with a pureed starch and mother sauce. That's as old guard as it gets. Taking a new direction and incorporating unprecedented techniques requires extensive planning, testing, patience, knowledge and skill. It is NOT easy, quick or any other adjective that defines the phrase "short cut".

I won't get into the specifics of "portioning proteins into bags" or other ridiculous misconceptions,however I'll sugest anyone who truly wants to glean an understanding of what it takes to run a sucessful kitchen from traditional to avante garde should try working in one or speaking with a chef about it.

I love food-blogging, but blogs in general are a license to publish your words for public consumption without any any qualification, oversight or scrutiny. Take that as you will.

Thankfully, the first amemdment doesnt require qualification, oversight or scrutiny by our fellow men.

Edited March 7, 2007 by Vadouvan (log)

[Sethro]

Thankfully, the first amemdment doesnt require qualification, oversight or scrutiny by our fellow men.

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Yeah, but a blog is subject to a much higher circulation than say, a newsletter printed in your basement. Prior to the internet, anyone who wished to publish their thoughts would have to seek a publication that would be willing to stake their reputation alongside that of the author. This would of course narrow down the field of published authors to those who were qualified in their topic area. My point is that the advent of the blog has generated a massive nubmber of published food and restaurant critics, and the uninformed reader might have trouble distinguishing those who speak from intelligence from those those who don't.

I wouldn't squelch your first amendment rights, or restrict anyone from food-blogging--like I said I am a fan in general. Though as a member of this forum, I tend to reply to statements I find untrue or unfair, if for no other reason that to disassociate myself from them.

This is why most chefs won't post on a forum, even to defend themselves and their work (which is probably very smart from a PR stand-point).

Edited March 7, 2007 by Sethro (log)

[Vadouvan]

This is why most chefs won't post on a forum, even to defend themselves and their work (which is probably very smart from a PR stand-point).

Nope but they do have friends and acquaintances do it for them.

happens here all the time.

[Sethro]

Nope but they do have friends and acquaintances do it for them.

happens here all the time.

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Well I will buck the trend and stick around regardless!

[tan319]

The Electrician Will Totally Be Done in Ten Days

The newest installment of Sam Mason & Francis Derby ''Tailors Launch" on Grub Street in NY magazine.

Good read as usual.

[tan319]

The "Crew"

New Launch news, looking good!

[rich]

Based on recent reviews by the NY Times chief restaurant critic and his obvious dislike for avant garde, does this place have a chance?

[BryanZ]

Sounds like Chef Mason has put together a great team.

In regards to rich's question, if it is indeed serious, I think it's quite clear that Bruni doesn't always make or break a restaurant. The real question I think, is whether or not New York is accepting of this type of cooking. In a small, casual venue like what I'm guessing Tailor will be, I think it will.

[Jesikka]

Based on recent reviews by the NY Times chief restaurant critic and his obvious dislike for avant garde, does this place have a chance?

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It might just be because I count myself among them, but I think Sam has a lot of fans who won't really care what Frank Bruni has to say about Tailor. Other than Bruni's dislike for them, I think the recent avant garde failures have had other problems in common- namely location and price point (and, in the case of Varietal, perhaps vision).

Venue wasn't going to last in Hoboken; that area simply cannot support that type of restaurant. Unfortunately I never got to try it, so I can't say much more. Well, except that I love avant garde cooking and I didn't manage to make it to a restaurant half an hour away, which probably says something.

Gilt was certainly judged harshly and unfairly by Bruni, but it also was in midtown and at a pretty expensive price point. Although he made FAR too big a deal of it and it was later corrected for, the wines were extremely expensive. In my mind, Gilt's biggest problem with price point was that they were serving a 12 course tasting menu presented as three courses.

I only made it to Varietal once, but I found Kahn's desserts to be quite interesting, as were the wines. I didn't try the savory food because it didn't seem to fit into the avant garde category and hadn't been recommended. If the food had been on the level of Kahn's desserts (none of which thrilled me nearly as much as every single one of Sam's desserts that I had at WD-50), I think (hope?) that Varietal would be a lot more crowded. Nothing about Varietal felt cohesive.

The big difference between the avant garde cooking I've had in NY and elsewhere is that much of the NY food has not been easy or familiar. Less of it has had a sense of humor. My tour at Alinea, which I consider the best meal of my life, was rarely challenging. A liquid ham sandwich that I had at Les Magnolias outside of Paris was shockingly familiar, yet delightful. Kahn's desserts, with 20 flavors on a plate and certain WD-50 dishes designed more to push limits and force new perspectives than to taste great, are challenging. It seems clear to me that Bruni, in a food sense, does not particularly appreciate a challenge.

Tailor has a lot going for it. It's in the right location and it will be at the right price point. It has a built in source of fans from New York Magazine and WD-50, which we should not forget is in NY, avant garde and thriving- Bruni or no Bruni. It's not the kind of restaurant that would get immediate Times coverage, nor is it the kind of place that won't be crowded until it does. Although I haven't had Sam's savory food (although I'm not sure exactly how it would be different than his desserts), I find his desserts to be incredibly witty, easy and delicious. He is constantly able to find a balance between savory and sweet that is widely appealing. I am assuming that Tailor will immediately become one of my favorite places to hang out.

Bruni managed to pull it out for Ssam Bar, though I would have thought the food would be far beyond his comprehension or desire. Maybe Tailor will get similar treatment, if any?

[Sneakeater]

I don't know if it's considered appropriate to post things like this, but that was one of the best posts I've read.

[oakapple]

I agree that this is not the kind of restaurant that will be depending on Frank Bruni to get over the hump.

I am not even sure that Varietal was that type of restaurant. The dining room was half-full on each of two weekend evening visits, and most critics were at best lukewarm. Bruni administered the coup de grace, but Varietal was already on life support.

[BryanZ]

Nice post, Jesikka. Just a few points, however.

It's interesting how you note how you often prefer modern cooking to be "easy." Your observations on Alinea are largely on target, and this is something I have talked about with other eG members. For all the show and crazy service pieces, Alinea's dishes are relatively grounded in flavor combinations. Although some people will never get over the restaurant's showy fireworks (which I also love), it is fundamentally a more approachable restaurant that wd~50.

Your point on Gilt is well taken, too. Liebrandt was trying to emulate something closer the French fine dining model where a three course meal could include upwards of ten different dishes. At the time I thought Gilt was totally radical in doing that. After a couple recent three star experiences in Paris I see that Liebrandt was simply following that formula. There remains nothing like that in NYC to this day.

I would like to extend your ideas, however, and proffer that for modern cooking to gain a greater foothold in NYC, it does have to be much more accessible. And even more accessible than what Goldfarb is doing at R4D and Dufresne at wd~50. Both are still quirky restaurants that have yet to gain the unwavering admiration of somewhere like Ssam bar that everyone seems to love, regardless of their culinary convictions.

Personally, I would love to see a mix of both types of places. More accessible places like Tailor that offer modern cooking at a moderate price point to a young, hip crowd. At the same time, I also want an Alinea in NY, the return of Gilt under Liebrandt, Kahn to do whatever the hell he wants. There is a place for the simple and fun little Les M liquid ham sandwich (which I recently had but felt was a little gimmicky) and Kahn's mushroom caramel or wolfberry plate (which I feel really push people to think about food in a different way).

[Jesikka]

Bryan,

I agree with nearly everything you said. To be clear, I don't necessarily prefer the avant garde food eat to be easy, but I think that a restaurant that is introducing new techniques and flavors might be more accessible to NY diners if it were easy. I love eating at WD 50 and R4D (although I don't go to either nearly enough). I also like traveling to Flushing for brunch. Restaurants in NY do not fail or succeed because of people like me.

I think that NY needs a restaurant like Tailor before a restaurant at Alinea's price point could survive. I've spent a lot of time thinking about why that would be, but I'm not really sure. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it's that Alinea would cost twice as much in NY.

I too want Achatz and Kahn simultaneously in NY. I'd love to have high end avant garde for special occasions and low end avant garde as my neighborhood restaurant (and I'm hoping Tailor will be that- although it's a stretch from Greenwich Village). I do know that having both would save plane fare!

The only point you make that I disagree with is that "everyone seems to love ssam bar, regardless of their culinary convictions." A lot of people are very receptive to Ssam bar. I try to eat there several times a week. However, I suspect that I am generally eating next to people with similar culinary convictions. When they don't share my culinary convictions, they're probably not ordering the offal or even the chawanmushi. However, I wouldn't bring my pretend-they-keep-kosher parents there or a vegetarian. David Chang definitely has a culinary philosophy that a good portion of diners wouldn't agree with- no reservations, dark room, I-don't-even-know-what-to-say-about-the-music music, pork in absolutely everything and a mix of dishes that make it difficult to categorize.

That being said, I think you almost make a great point, which is that what Ssam Bar does well is introduce almost familiar and newish flavors in a way that less adventurous eaters find easy and familiar. Hamachi with edamame, horseradish and pea leaves is just sashimi/crudo. Rice cakes with pork sausage, collard greens and kimchi are pasta bolognese. Bread and butter, well... In essence, Ssam bar is doing exactly what Alinea does- presenting familiar dishes in a new and thought provoking way that is simultaneously safe and delicious. How could you be afraid of snails after the chawanmushi?

I think that Tailor will likely do the same, and if it does, I believe that it will be successful with NY diners- with or without Frank Bruni's approval.

[tan319]

Nice points here but,

It makes my stomach roll to even mention the Varietal debacle @ Tailor in the same breath.

Keep Bruni away from the place as long as possible.

I agree though that the crowd Tailor will bring in won't be the sames as your average...

Edited March 25, 2007 by tan319 (log)

[Vadouvan]

At the same time, I also want an Alinea in NY, the return of Gilt under Liebrandt, Kahn to do whatever the hell he wants.

my crystal ball says you may get your wish on both counts when Montrachet re-opens.

[Sneakeater]

Nice points here but,

It makes my stomach roll  to even mention the Varietal debacle @ Tailor in the same breath.

Keep Bruni away from the place as long as possible.

I agree though that the crowd Tailor will bring in won't be the sames as your average...

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Varietal isn't failing because of Bruni.

Varietal is failing because it's an incoherent concept, and because half of the menu doesn't really make it.

Edited March 25, 2007 by Sneakeater (log)

[BryanZ]

At the same time, I also want an Alinea in NY, the return of Gilt under Liebrandt, Kahn to do whatever the hell he wants.

my crystal ball says you may get your wish on both counts when Montrachet re-opens.

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Does this crystal ball have any sort of timeline? Unfortunately I will not be in NY for the majority of the summer, and I need to start planning my meals now.

[oakapple]

Keep Bruni away from the place as long as possible.

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The best thing that could happen is they price it low enough that Meehan reviews it, rather than Bruni.

[tan319]

Seems like it's getting kind of negative in here.

Maybe someone can start a new thread about shitty critics or sounding death knells about "different" restaurants or just post in the Varietal thread?

This is about a restaurant in the process of being built, no?