Keithstg

Which outpost at Logan? I can think of at least three throughout the airport.

What with all the construction we didn't make it to SP's this summer - hope to have some excellent pizze etc at a place of yours next summer!

Where are you now? Still at Sweet Pea’s?

I've only been to one DR.com event (the beef tasting at Vidalia), but would be happy to attend events going forward if folks want to organize them.

I have to say, this thread is remarkable. Usually out-of town chefs get skewered, no matter the pedigree (see Lee, Sursur and especially Ripert, Eric). Yet ice cream from an absentee chef is nearly universally praised. Wow. Guess these other chefs should get busy making ice cream in the flyovers. I've had the ice cream in Columbus and thought it was very good, and The Whole Ox in Marshall carries it. That said, its no 2 Amy's, or Moo-Thru. Or maybe it is, with better marketing --- 2 Amys (DonRocks)

The Ashby Inn will be offering free lunch for Veterans on Veterans day, FYI.

Aureole - Cafe Un Deux Trois - Quality Italian - Orso Cafe Un Deux Trois is the worst of the bunch, but still serviceable. Honestly, I'd probably go to Aureole or DB Bistro.

Don’t know about Bart, but we get our Turkey from the Whole Ox and have done so for years. We usually get two - a larger local turkey and a smaller Kelly Bronze. I’ve been very happy with both the birds and the store!

Couldn't agree more.

I ate at Mirabelle on Monday night, and sadly have to echo the service issues documented upthread. But, first the food - let's focus on the positive. Everything we ordered was exemplary. We had the gnocchi and foie gras pate for appetizers. Anyone remotely familiar with the gnocchi from Palena knows what to expect, and these did not disappoint. Listed as a "fricasse of black trumpet mushroom gnocchi and petite gris snails, this tasted exactly as I remembered from Palena. The pate, which was called All Parts of the Rabbit or some such thing was an ENORMOUS slab of foie along with some rabbit confit, some mushrooms and bread. There was not remotely enough bread for the dish, but more was provided and the amount of food here was astounding - easily enough for two portions. Our mains were the roast guinea hen/ boudin and the navarin of sea scallops and urchin. The guinea hen breast was brined in a way similar to the much remembered chicken at Palena, and the boudin would have given Marcels a run for its money. Just superb. The sea scallops looked to be fantastic, but I didn't get a bite. All in all, we could not have been more pleased with the food. The space is also beautiful, btw. Service was supremely odd. Things started off well enough, with drink orders being taken quickly and our drinks (the Colonel) were well made. That was the high point, though. Our server was pretty frantic - she spoke very quickly and in a very rushed tone - we must have been asked three times if we were ready to order yet. Very quirky, and not in a good way - reminiscent of the server back in the old days at Palena who always volunteered to cut your chicken. Perhaps the most noticeable error in service was the treatment of the wine we ordered. We went for a '96 Beaucastel, which was in fine shape, if a bit heavy for the scallops, but oh well. The sommelier working the floor decanted the wine, but didn't use a screen or decant carefully so consequently each sip was filled with sediment, from first to last, hindering our enjoyment. This issue was so noticeable that our server came over to change out our glasses, tut tutting at the somm all the while. I have to admit that I didn't voice my displeasure with the treatment of the wine, but perhaps I should have. Not sure who is doing the training here, but there is a long way to go until the service matches the food.

As luck would have it (or not), I found myself at the Springfield location last week for the first time in about 17 years and asked for "Chicken Alamo", per the discussion upthread many moons ago. Wow. Totally revolting. I should have known, but went against my better judgement. Oh well. Fortunately it will be at least another 17 until I return. Incidentally, this location is directly off of "Bland Street" - seriously. Too funny, and perhaps the best descriptor for this area ever.

Or for folks from away.

Off the top of my head in two seconds, Mark Furstenburg. That said, I'm more likely to head into DC for Mirabelle than I was before this review. Been eating more in NY and Maine lately.

Congratulations and best wishes!

To Richard Keane and Bill Meehan. 16 years.

Ditto Glen Manor. I'll also plug Slater Run Vineyards - tasting room is in Upperville, VA - winery is also in Upperville but only open to the public occasionally.

For France, no Bocuse? Trosigiros?

Alice Waters isn't a chef. Visionary, maybe. Maybe.

I've said it before, and it bears repeating - Batard is the best fine-dining deal in NYC. Was there last week, and despite restaurant week crowds Batard delivered a wonderful experience. We opted out of the restaurant week menu and the three of us sampled the majority of the "regular" menu dishes. I started off with the Octopus Pastrami, which was reminiscent of David Dunlap's Octopus carpaccio from his Ashby Inn days (with the addition of pastrami spices, obv). The octopus was bound into a terrine and served warm-ish, along with ham hock, pommery mustard and roasted new potatoes. The ham hock was a nice accompaniment to the octopus, as was the mustard, which helped cut the richness of the dish. Not sure why it's obligatory to include potatoes in each Octopus dish, but there they were. Didn't add a ton, but didn't detract either.The others in our group had the foie terrine (duck confit, apricot, mache salad, hazelnut viniagrette) and the scallop crudo (avocado mousse, lime, radish, black sesame) both of which were excellent - but when is foie ever bad? We then moved on to a pasta course, where I had the rabbit sausage (spigarello, preserved lemon). This dish was flawless, and my favorite of the night. Really not much else to say about it other than every component worked harmoniously. Reminiscent of a Roberto Donna prepared risotto, back before I stopped patronizing his establishments. In fact, all of the pasta dishes were standouts - the others being sunflower seed pasta (roasted quail, spinach and olive oil) and agnolotti (taleggio, caramelilzed onions, roasted tomatoes, parmesan). I got a bite of the sunflower seed pasta and it was also excellent. Although the pasta dishes were the standouts, mains were no slouches either. I had the lamb, which included the rack and leg, along with runner beans, romesco and pistacios. The rack was a bit more rare than anticipated - I would have prefered less than 30 seconds more in the oven, but was still good. The leg was compressed into a terrine-like square and was excellent. Other mains included steamed black bass (goldbar squash, tomato, black olive) and a pork schnitzel, although I have waited too long to document the dish and it' already off menu - replaced by a roasted chicken dish now, I believe. Wines were two burgundies - a 2010 Domaine LeFlaive Puligny-Montrachet and a 2008 Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle - Musigny. Both were singing. We skipped dessert/ cheese and headed over to Compagnie des vins Surnaturels for wine and cheese, but had another truly memorable meal. Service was excellent and the pacing was also on point - at no point did we feel rushed, despite a huge crowd for mid-week in August. Batard continues to provide tremendous value and a fantasic overall experience.

I guess two different concepts - NIK in Winchester is a straight up Italian-American joint, while NIK's Broiler room is a cross between an Italian-American restaurant and a steakhouse. No dry-aged beef in Winchester.

Agreed! Have heard about the overcrowding, but Centurion card holders still have family access and dedicated areas.

Thanks! Looks like I'll stick with the current card and continue to swallow the big annual fee. I've got access to most lounges, and the Centurion lounges are now in most of the airports I frequent.

Interesting - can you expand on this? How often are lounges closed I'm considering downgrading to Amex Platinum, but lounge privileges are important with frequent travel.

Couldn't agree more, Don - Tom's cuisine and Corduroy are worth making an effort for. If "dressing up" now constitutes "more than shorts/ tshirts", we have well and truly lowered the bar.

My son's baseball schedule has finally stopped, but had us traveling througout VA and beyond this summer. Last weekend saw us heading home from West VA via route 340. In an effort to avoid eating in West Virginia we headed into Berryville to try the rumored Neighborhood Italian Kitchen (NIK) offshoot. For those who are unfamiliar, NIK is probably the best restaurant in Winchester now that One Block West is going away. A strip-mall Italian-American joint that makes it's own mozzarella, cooks everything to order from scratch, and cuts no corners. NIK's Broiler room has opened just off the main strip in Berryville, conveniently located next to the ABC. In addition to the "regular" menu we have come to enjoy from NIK's Winchester, the Broiler room has added a selection of steaks, dry-aged in house. As with the NIK in Winchester, the prices are unbelieveable. $24 for a 20 oz bone in shell steak with your choice of side, and $13.95 for a chicken parm dinner large enough to serve two! While I can't comment on the ingredient sourcing other than to say that (a) mozz is made in house, and (b) suffice to say that the steak isn't wagyu and the chicken isn't green circle I can say that the dishes are made with care. We started with mushrooms oreganata and calamari, both of which were excellent - I prefer the sauteed calamari at NIK's Winchester, but was over-ruled on this order. The oreganata was well balanced between garlic, oregano and parsley - you'll often see versions leaning too heavily on the garlic, but not here. Mains were Rigatoni with Meatballs, Chicken Parm x2 and the 20 oz. shell steak with fries. The Rigatoni and meatballs were enjoyed - the bite i was able to steal impressed me with the brightness of the tomato sauce. The meatballs themselves were large but relatively light - I would guess a ground beef and pork sausage mix. The chickens parm were also excellent - the very same bright tomato sauce worked as well as a topping as it did in a more starring role with the rigatoni. Finally, my son inhaled the 20 oz shell steak, which came cooked to the requested medium rare, and with a generously charred exterior. The fries were potato wedges, and seemed to be made in house vs. the frozen variety. We were far too full to contemplate dessert, and left with basically an entire chicken parm dinner ready for the following day. The wine "list" is short and unremarkable, however they do have at least three offerings from Winchester's Escutcheon Brewing Co on tap, so I'd lean in that direction. We will be back.