Comments on: Is it time to stop worshiping high-end restaurants?

By: Kathy

Kathy — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:00:56 +0000

I don’t have the ethnic options you do, Steve (I miss Oakland).
Finding a consistently good high-end restaurant is like finding a good wine, season to season ya just don’t know-chefs come and go, suppliers come and go, servers and owners come and go…. but the prices don’t get cheaper because the kitchen or FOH is having a bad night.
And….you can’t send the bill back.
I like tasting truly great sauces, fantastic seafood, bone-in anything, and stuff that certainly doesn’t come out of my kitchen. And I like the conversations that flow with great wine and food (that’s assuming the table mix is good and that is my part of the deal.)
But when the bill is high and the service is low, it drives me nuts (as my kids know – we took the kids and boyfriends to Villandry in London few weeks ago for a birthday and the service from beginning to end, including the fast-pour by the sommelier trying to sell another bottle, could not have been worse. It distracted me so much, I don’t really know whether I liked the food…oh yeah, my scallops were overdone. tragedy.)
In NV, Don Giovannni is usually great food and service, as is étoile at Domaine Chandon. French Laundry was good under the Schmidts and was good last time I was there.
Expectations. Taste. Service. Talk about a kamikaze profession…

By: Charlie Olken

Charlie Olken — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:50:07 +0000

The black cod at Ame is bigger than that picture looks, but Steve did not like the presentation, and neither did I.

But, on the same night that I did not like my black cod, my table mates have the best prepared piece of swordfish I have ever tasted and an absolutely ethereal piece of smoked sea trout (essentially the same color and texture but far more delicate than salmon).

There are reasons why I have not rushed back to Ame, but the size of the portions was not one of them.

By: Larry Stanton

Larry Stanton — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:44:59 +0000

Steve, looking at the serving size of that cod in the bowl, reminds me of an experience at a very upscale restaurant on a very special occasion. I ordered “scallops in white wine w/ scallions and dill in a reduction sauce”, with one sliver of crab and shrimp, each laid artistically on the scallop . When my entree was placed on the table, I asked where were the other scallops…one not being what I ordered. “Oh, sir, would you like to order a second entree?” Had I had a scale, total food weight was in the high 1 oz. range. I don’t care how good it is, this ridiculous habit some of these “up-scale” restaurants have of serving a $32 entree that weighs slightly over an ounce is just pure unadulterated b.s. Thank God the wine we drank was our own, as they had the wines at 2.5 to 3 X the retail price. Food like that loses its flavor for me, and I don’t care if the King of England once ate there.

It only happens because the customers allow it to happen. I since have gone mainly to really good ethnic restaurants, with great food that doesn’t need a microscope to identify dinner. In this economy there are plenty, and they are just delighted to see anyone who walks thru their doors. “Upscale” restaurants have worn thin with me, and I eat out now to get fed, not just teased. The food is terrific, needless to say, and the wines are only 1.5X, not “upscale” rates. Same wine, too.

By: Steven Mirassou

Steven Mirassou — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:43:49 +0000

Steve:

I think it’s too early to tell whether this reprioritization is permanent or not. 2002 had a very similar feeling (from a wine sales standpoint) yet wine prices climbed dramatically until late last year.

By: steve

steve — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:05:51 +0000

Dylan, I got my shodan (1st degree) and was about to take my nidan (2nd) when I had to hang up my gi. I still practice, especially my kata, which I love.