Waitman Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 Perhaps, at this very moment... Cases of wine are piling up on the docks of Bordeaux and in the warehouses of Florence, Beaune and St. Helena, as brokers, speculators and producers watch the prices of the world's best wines drift back to earth... Mid-level restaurants are considering dropping entree prices back under $30, maybe even $25, while owners of establishments calling themselves "bistros" or "cafes" consider pricing their offererings as though they actually were bistros or cafes... Banks have decided there are quite enough branches on city streets for the moments, forcing landlords so drop rents and offer space to restaurants who will in turn have more leeway to price their offerings as though they were bistros or cafes (or trattorias or cantinas...). Restaurateurs are deciding not to mortgage their future to Adamstein and Demetriou and entice diners with their food and value rather than their banquets and etched glass, thus allowing them to price their offerings.... Diners are deciding that dining out is important, but that they'll put off the truffles and dry-aged porterhouses for the moment in favor of vegetables, offal, crepinettes and the like, and those too-often neglected culinary avenues will appear more often, more creatively on more menues... Chefs are honing up on their crepinettes and putting the truffles on hold, raising the general skill level on lower-cost preparations in ways that will linger (as with lower lease costs) when the economy turns up... Since chefs are buying fewer truffles, the price of truffles at Balducci's is dropping... More wines of personality and class are becoming available in the shops for $10 and in restaurants for $20; more truly excellent wines are becomeing available for $25 and $50.... The Ray's model is catching on... The price of a martini is dropping back to single digits... And, for those odd moments when the future seems momentarily secure, reservations at CityZen are easier to get... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Bravo. Especially the bit about the truffles. I'm going to go back and savor that passage again. Man I hope crepinettes make a comeback. Maybe I'll be able to find caul fat again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Bravo. Especially the bit about the truffles. I'm going to go back and savor that passage again. Man I hope crepinettes make a comeback. Maybe I'll be able to find caul fat again. I've had caul fat several times very recently - two that I can remember are the country terrine at La Chaumiere, and the pan-roasted venison at New Heights. I'm certain I've seen it at least once or twice more in the past couple of months, but I can't remember where. Cheers, Rocks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 I meant to buy and bring home, for my pate & crepinettes. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Slater Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Get used to hackleback caviar. That's all I can say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Landrum Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 I'm going to go back and savor that passage again. For you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sthitch Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 I meant to buy and bring home, for my pate & crepinettes. :-) You can get some here, when I buy it, I separate and vacuum seal it in useable portions, and then freeze until ready to use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DameEdna Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 OMG. Next I will be hearing that bitter tears add a little je ne sais quoi to those glasses of Bordeaux. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 For youI love you, man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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