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I think Ramsey is a real jerk. I was watching an episode of "The F Word" on BBC America. During the opening he introduced the two new chefs in the kitchen. One he described as " ...a 22 year old American girl from Los Angeles". Then, right after saying that, one can hear Ramsey's voice overdubbed saying "Unfortunately". Like the jerk added the insult in the editing room!

I thought about if for a second and then deleted all his shows from my DVR, and all future recordings. If the Scottish twit wants to pick on American girls, he can kiss my ass. What a freakin' loser.

Nor is it original. Alice Waters invented this Dadaesque approach to desserts many years ago. I sat and watched the jaws of a young man and the girl he had intended to impress drop as the waiter (Probably Pigrim at that date) placed the $8 peach plus knife in front of them. "But," stammered the young man, "I thought it was a *dessert*. It's just a peach!." The waiter looked the length of his nose at the kid, pulled himself up to full height and hissed, "It's the *perfect* peach."

There are a number of birthday suit clad emperors prancing around in a Alice Land, where Gordon Pilgrim and Judy Rogers got earned their stripes. It's not surprising that they picked up a few tricks there. In fact, knowing what the cadre is willing to pay for "perfect", $8 may reflect the standard product markup.

Some of us have learned, however, that perfect is second to best tasting most times. Those of you who visit farmers' markets may have noticed that the better fruit you bring home is never quite as good as the sample..and if you look closely at the sample, it's usually one with a brown spot or two.

I love white fleshed nectarines though it seems a little pricey for one plain nectarine uncut to be served as a dessert. Presentation is sorely lacking in my book.

For the sum of $4.50 I would have preferred the nectarine slices fanned around the pit with a small dollop of flavored whipped cream. Flavorings could range from a crystallized ginger mixed in with the whipped cream or vanilla bean whipped cream or even a more traditional flavor which compliment nectarines such as cinammon whipped cream. It's not as if simply partially slicing a nectarine is all that labor intensive and it does make for a more visually appealing dessert whether it's whipped cream or simply heavy cream.

Now that I live alone I've found I enjoy a small amount of heavy cream which has been lightly sweetened with either sugar or honey and poured over fruits such as nectarines, strawberries or white fleshed cherries. (something I'd never had before until my small grocer purchased a flat of the white fleshed cherries).

The original Chowhound post was in error, as the actual price for this pristine, though unsliced, nectarine was $4.50, not $8. I still this is taking ingredient fetish a bit too far, but it isn't a complete rip-off.

Chefhorn, poiting out that even more ridiculous things happen somewhere else doesn't make this any LESS ridiculous; it just means that someone in Japan might consider this a bargain.

Perhaps the nectarine IS that good ... the menu should've mentioned it. This may be customary some places ... generally not in the US.

i'm a pastry chef looking for a job, if they're hiring. i'd be great at plating whole nectarines.

A Fool ....... whoosh! ....... His Money

Simply send it back and say you've changed your mind. Or keep it, and leave it as a portion of the waiter's tip. Tell the waiter beforehand, so maybe he can get the point across to the management as he's asking to cash it in for the $8.00.

The fruit bowl at Chez Panisse cafe is $8 and was nothing more than a whole plum (Harold's Miracle Plum) and a handful of berries. Sounds ridiculous but it was totally worth it.

It seems to me the issue is presentation and expectations. If the menu had said, "The most perfect and delicious whole nectarine we could find", it wouldn't bother me. In fact, given the right mood, I would consider buying it. I certainly don't spend $8 on fruit everyday, but having splurged on Indian mangoes a couple times, I've learned the value of truly transcendent fruit.

The price of it isn't what gets me; nor is it the fact that it's just a nectarine by itself. What I can't get over is that the pastry chef (or, more likely, someone else in the kitchen) either didn't have enough professional pride or couldn't be bothered to at the very least put a lettuce leaf under the darned thing so it wouldn't roll around. That photo could have been taken at any hospital cafeteria.