Waitman

You are crazy.  Anyway, they are very different.  Black truffles (which I do love) are more about flavor, and are generally cooked.  The white truffles are always served raw, and thinly shaved.  The white truffles are more about fragrance and the black are more about flavor.

In several tries at home and in restaurants -- including one RockStar joint that features an informal cafe -- I've tasted white truffles that were far more about expense than either aroma or taste. It was almost as though you'd pressed 20-dollar bills into cardboard and shaved them atop the pasta. I did have a Laoratorio white truffle dinner that was pretty fucking amazing, though.

Black truffles seem to "work" every time, even in my inexpert hands (best Christmas present ever) and, as for their aroma, the first time I stuck my nose into a bag of black truffles I thought my sinuses were going to be blown out. That was funk not to be forgotten (or avoided, even from across the room).

I talked to Roberto Donna the other night and he said that the truffles this year -- so far -- are excellent, much better than last year.

On the other hand, black truffles are better than white truffles anyway, and at half the price.

The star is for the restaurant. Sometimes a star will stay, even if the chef moves on or dies (as with Loiseau's joint) and sometimes the restaurant will lose the star(s) when the chef goes, as happened to La Bouride, a former 2-star, now no-star place I ate at in Caen.

Does Michelin give stars to chefs or to restaurants?  I always thought the stars were awarded to the whole package: food, presentation, service, decor, wine list, etc.  The chef is just one component of the award.  That Gerard Pangaud was once a chef at a restaurant that was awarded 2 stars at one time should be, at least in theory, relevant but not determinative of the quality of the subsequent establishmenet.

According to "The Perfectionist", the book about Bernard Loiseau -- the 3-star chef who committed suicide -- the official position of the Michelin people is that it's all about the food, and the chefs who go into debt and stress lining up swank interior designers and buying crystal and silver aren't actually improving their chances of acquiring (additional) stars. It's all about the cooking.

Clearly, there are a lot of chefs who don't believe thta, but that's what they say.

What's the statute of limitations on being a "two-star" chef? As far as I know, no one for Michelin has motored into any of Gerard's places for over a decade, and nothing said about him (outside Wahingtonian) in almost that long indicates that they'd be handing out multiple stars even if they had.

I move that references to his two stars be banned henceforth.

I'm splitting this into a new topic because I can say, without question, that Joe Riley is a GREAT person to know for any customer serious (or eager) about wine.

Expert or novice, I would not hesitate to seek out his guidance.  And I have on several occasions, too.  He's knowledgable, trustworthy, truly loves wine, and treats whatever "profit" his store makes as the result of his hard work, and not as any sort of pre-planned goal.

Ace Beverage (202) 966-4444.

Joe, when can I pick up my Dauvissat?

Rocks.

I'll pick that up for you, Rocks. Ace is just around the corner from my kid's school. Really, it's no problem.

To what Rocks has posted let me only add that I remember that duck -- eaten months ago -- as though it were savored earlier tonight and I still had the taste in my mouth. Best dish I have had this year, simple and extraordinary, like a Rothko.

Rocks, however, was a fool to drink bubbly with it. The German stuff that Slater had put on the list by the glass was possibly the best wine-food match I have ever come across. Alas, my notes on that night have gone missing.

I'm okay with "Rotbelly". Beats Subway anyday anyway.

Am I now kicked out of this forum?

I'm okay with scabies. Beats boils anyday anyway.

I am sure the much cheaper rent by Howard played a part too.  It enable them to dramatically increase their capacity and revenues.  They could not have afforded a similar sized space in their old location.

Time will tell.

The entire building housing the 9:30 -- The Atlantis Building -- was torn down (save the facade). Rent and location were moot; there weren't no place left to play.

(Rumors that the smell of the place caused the building to collapse are unfounded)

I disagree. Nothing about Potbelly is not loathsome, their food included. I would rather go hungry.

Last time I was at Indique, I felt like the food had lost some of the initial sparkle. On the trned scale, I'd say "trendy for an Indian restaurant in a yuppie neighborhood," rather than trendy on an absolute sense.

Can anyone recommend any mid-priced places in NYC? (That means something south of Per Se, Daniel, Le Bernardin, etc). Under consideration are Lupa, August, and Landmarc.

Go to the front room of the Grammercy Tavern. Spectacular food, beautiful but informal setting. No reservations, so early or late are your best bet.

I love fun trendy restaurants. That said, Cafe Milano was one of the worst meals I have ever had in my life, and the trend factor was zero, at least that is not the trend that I like. I would recommend Indebleu, Oya, Rosa Mexicana, or Ceiba. All great choices with great cocktails!

Milano's food -- once pretty good eatin' -- has gone downhill as the average age of the clientel has climbed. Also, now that they have the Side Room of Death, it's possible that even if you decided to run with the still (if often artificially so)- Beautiful Crowd, you'd end up in a windowless room surrounded by tourists.

I'd head for Zola or maybe one of it's Penn Q neighbors, or Zaytinya.

cool Hill staffers

I think you feel intimidated by the guys who measure their "manhood" by the food they eat.  More's the pity for them.  And, YOU CAN COOK!!!  I'll bet Mrs. Bilrus appreciates THAT particular talent. 

I think it's a reasonable descriptor that doesn't challenge anyone's gender identity. Someone says they want to go to a "masculine restaurant" I know what they mean: steak and martinis and certain clubby decore. I don't think it means "no girlz allowed," these days.

Never heard the phrase "feminine restaurant," though. I'm picturing salad, ladies who lunch, a little white wine, chintz...

Last time he overated what most thought was mediocre.

Edit to add - here it is - Etrusco

From Tom's chat today.

"In other news, I got a call last week from George Vetsch, whose work at Etrusco prompted me to award the Italian restaurant three stars ("excellent") earlier this year. I was subsequently surprised to hear negative reports from some readers and returned twice, a few months after my review, to see what the problem was. Indeed, the food was no where near as memorable as what I had experienced earlier.

Unbeknownst to me, Vetsch injured his hand -- badly -- shortly after my review and was unable to cook. In fact, his injury is so serious he can no longer work in a kitchen, period, and is considering a move to the front of the house (though not at Etrusco, which is looking for a replacement). "

Seems like this is poetic license - how could you know if the wines you were served "complemented" the food in a way you "read about" if you don't know much about wine? 

I thought I liked a painting when I was a teenager, at MoMA. A Van Gough. But I'd never taken an art history class so I'm sure I couldn't have told genius from cliche, and have never trusted my judgement on this one.

I like the tulips when they come in spring. My botany training, however, is sadly lacking, so it's likely that I am misinformed.

I got laid once. I thought it was a pretty good time, but it was only like my third time, so what the hell did I know?

I remember my first really good French meal. Spectacular, it seemed. But I waited for another 15 years or so to pass judgement, until I'd really studied the matter.

It felt like true love. On the other hand, I've never checked it out with a trained and certified marital counselor, so I guess we're just muddling blindly along.

As for wine, I gave it up. I liked the stuff, but I didn't have time to take the course.

Brains. Must eat brains...

I have something to add to this conversation.  Why do they take your drink order before you've ordered or had a chance to look at the menu?  I know enough to get by with wine selection and food pairings as I've taken the Sommelier Wine & Food Society Wine Captain's Course and enjoyed it thoroughly.  Is your initial drink order supposed to be an aperitif and not your wine selection?

At what point do you ask or even know if the restaurant has a Sommelier or Wine Steward or captain and is it rude to dismiss your waiter/waitress and their opinion of pairings?  How long should one wait in thirst with tummy growling for the Sommelier?  I’m sure if I was on a date, asking a kabillion questions about which wines would go with her vegetarian meal and my beef choice would be rather annoying to both of us and would probably also annoy the waiter who just wants to take your order and go back to the wait station and gossip with the managers and host/hostess.

The drink order is separate from the wine you're having with dinner. In many a fine upscale restaurant, you won't even see the menu until after you've had a chance to sip your aperitif for a moment or two and allow the cares of the day to slip quietly into the background. One of my many annoying habits is that I generally refuse to even open my menu before I taste gin; waiters who expect me to have food orders ready before they have brought my drink get an evil look and a mediocre tip.

Mark may know better, but if I were eager to to discuss pairings, I'd ask the waiter as soon as the wine list was dropped on the table who the best person to talk through it with me with was, and if they could drop by in a couple of minutes.

The poneytail guy is great.

To me, most of the wine at BC tastes as though it was stuff the distributor needed to dump cheap, in bulk. I never had anything awful, just many a disappointing bottle. It was inexpensive, but it was never a "bargain."

I'm with Sthitch. The place seems more like it's run by marketing professionals than by real wine afficianados. I have less than a block from my office and haven't been inside in over a year. Cute gimmicks, forgettable wine.

Wrong. So wrong.

-- 25 years and counting.

I guess she was expecting unsalted butter that tasted like butter (and not salt), the way good unsalted butter does.

We have not "dined" at the rooftop terrace but have had many a meal, unfortunately, at The KC Cafe, the caffeteria down the hall. As a food professional, it embarasses me that some of the things they put out are as bad as they are! We only eat there when we are super pressed for time and my blood sugar situation won't let me enjoy the opera without a meal beforehand. I do so find going into a hypoglycimic induced coma interferes with the second act of Tosca!

It usualy costs $40 to 60 for Kay and I to grab a bite there, without wine. Ohhh we do order something that comesin a wine glass and contains alcohol, but our $9.00 glass of beverage alcohol usually bears no resembelance at all to what I call wine.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey -- when are you going to start keeping Dino open late enough that I can get a bite after the concert? My season starts tomorrow night and, while I love Bistro and Old Ebbit, each in their own separate ways, a third option would be swell.

(I hear it's a neighborhood thing, true?)

I'd be hesitant to draw too many conclusion from a single incident that is as easily -- perhaps more easily -- ascribed to inexperience (worldly and professionally) as by malice. Perhaps more pursuasive: I doubt Tom would have given three stars to a place that he thought was gay-unfriendly.

Tampopo! It makes me so hungry for ramen, although my favorite scene is the girls' etiquette class at the Italian restaurant.

You watched Tampopo and your favorite scene is the etiquette class? Not passing the raw egg yolk from mouth to mouth, unbroken? Not shrimp drowning in saki on someone's tummy? Not the oyster girl scene?

Still the sexiest food movie ever.

StephenB: you think Big Night is precious and overacted and like Mostly Martha? I'd suggest that you have the criticisms reversed, and that Martha is a formula wrapped up in a cliche -- or perhaps vice verse -- but I actually like them both.

How about The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover.

Also, the food scene in Tom Jones is a classic.