Ambrose

I had my first Hell Burger last night. I took the advice of some of the posters here and kept it simple my first time. I had the white cheddar, tomato and dill pickle slices on an au poivre patty. I ordered it medium rare. It was not as pink as I was expecting but it was quite delicious. The cracked black pepper was so fresh and strong that I felt a little bead of perspiration on my brow. I have never in my life had such a flavorful au poivre preparation. I think that the bun problem has been addressed. Mine did not lose structural integrity despite the abundant juiciness of the meat. I brought my own fork and I was glad I did, but I only needed it to finish the last few bites of meat after deciding that I had too little room for both meat and bread. The only side I ordered was the cole slaw. It was tasty. I am always afraid of finding an overdose of celery seed (it seems to be a very common problem) but the good folks at Ray's clearly know better. The selection of unusual and gourmet sodas was really quite impressive. I had coke in a glass bottle which is the only way to have it. I wanted to go back and order a red drink called Dracula's Blood to take home but the line had gotten long by then. Now I can look forward to it next time. That and a big fat slice of foie gras. Or should I try bone marrow (with a nice bordelaise sauce to double my dose of marrow)? Some choices are a pleasure to confront.

Before I had dinner at Montsouris last night I checked this thread for reviews. The butcher steak with golden mashed potatoes was enjoyed by so many posters it stuck in my mind and narrowly beat out the duck to become my entree order. I am glad it did. The steak was excellent. It arrived on my plate a lovely medium rare with a delicious brown crust encasing the rosy interior. I would also recommend the pate I had to start. By the time I was finished with both orders I was too full to try dessert. I wish it had been otherwise because I very much wanted to sample the chestnut cream. Though very good food was my expectation, I was pleasantly surprised about the atmosphere. After reading some reviews I was prepared for a dining room as loud as a college bar. Not only was the decibel level reasonable to subdued, but our server exhibited none of the haughty or rude behavior that so many other posters endured. I was seated at 6:30 on a Wednesday night so the crowd was likely not at its zenith, but I stayed until around 8:30. Whatever the explanation the staff was professional and courteous, the atmosphere was pleasant and I look forward to returning.