Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I just got back from Corton. The website asks guests to refrain from using flash photography and cell phones. I accept that gladly. You quote Drew here as saying,

"No, we're not going to stop people from taking photos," Nieporent said. "We'd just like people to be considerate of the other people in the restaurant.""

So why, when I entered, was I told that no photography was permitted. I asked nicely and was told, "no". The host asked the chef and reiterated that it was not permissible. I explained that I would not use a flash. I explained that I would not use the photos online nor for any commercial purposes. Still, my request was refused. I feel lied to based on the website only saying that "flash photography" was not permitted and also the quote here from Drew. So Drew, why is this?

The food at Corton was good but, just like Momofuku Ko, I won't be back. I see no reason to reward restaurants who don't consider my desire for a permanent memory, valid. They can make any policies they like but I still get to chose where I dine. I also chose to deal with people who advertise honestly. Drew said that, "we're not going to stop people" but that is just what they did. That to me is deceptive.

In the interest of full disclosure, the host did comp a round of drinks for us because of this. Still, it, (please, please, pardon the pun, leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

How could any D.C. restaurant list omit both of Michel Richard's gems? Central and Citronelle are must-eats in D.C.! And for gelato, Pitango in Logan Circle is also now a must. I agree with most of the other ones on this list though, yum. And Good Stuff Eatery is delish too, I almost forgot! Get a mini-moo sized milkshake, you'll be glad you did.

I'm still all for Chiarello. It's his ass (and charity) on the line, not the sous chef's. He wanted a team that he felt could get the win, where is the harm in that? Sure he could have been a little more polite, but how much of that is editing magic? I was dyin to see him punch that little rodent, Dale!

I understand that most of them are capable, accomplished full fledged chefs in their own right. But in this competition, they were SOUS chefs.

The way the show went down was tawdry. If I want to watch trashy kitsch, I'd watch Hell's Kitchen or pro-wrestling or roller derby.

I dearly hope that the Bravo network people let the Spike and Dale schlock show fade into the horizon, never to return. I don't want to watch them.

Oh wait, Dale was on Anita's team? That's a relief: then Rick can still be my role model--I don't mind as much being disappointed with Lo...

jdmcdonald-

"So am I the only one who thinks that Dale and Spike (ugh!) need to be slapped?"

Nope. I'm with you. Those two lillipution egotists are annoying to watch. Both were rude and out of control. It made the competition into a soap opera and really took away from the pleasure of watching what has been up until now a fun series to watch. They were unlikeable then and even more unlikeable now.

We might as well have been watching the Jerry Springer Show with a bunch of hillbillies jabbing each ther's chest's while jawing and head bobbin'... "Oh yeah? You think yer a big man Bubba? Well, I'm gonno kick yer...." You get the mentality.

Anita should have called off nasty little Chihuahua Dale. Go bite someone elses ankle. This is a competition. The sous chefs are working for the Top Chefs. It was a teachable moment, but alas, reality TV b.s. prevailed.

And Spike? Is he full of himself or what? Lordy. I mean, the guy was chosen last. LAST. And Hubert deflately stated, "I'm stuck with Spike." Yet Spike, in his ever vainglorious, delusional, and over inflated egotistical thought process thinks it's a freakin' compliment.-- "In a weird type of way, it's very complimentary... "They don't want me to outshine their food or anything." Micheal Chiarello a jerk? Not compared to this twerp.

No, up until this last episode, it was a tough competition, but the respect and comraderie of the competing chefs shined. That's what I had enjoyed most about it. There was not all this ridiculous "drama".

This last episode was dissapointing and annoying to watch.

Very much over El Bulli and this toolbag... Not hate as much as I'm just tired of the ooooh'ing and aaaaah'ing over food that you have to guess at and think about.... I'm pretty much over molecular gastronomy... it's probably just me, but I'll take a really good taco and a beer as serious eats over a peanut butter foam and jelly egg any day.

I understand it is important to push the limits of food to see what can be done and figure out what is possible, but honestly, let someone else figure it out. I just want to eat something real...something really good!

Having not heard of the Amateur Gourmet before, I thoroughly enjoyed this post! Very funny, detailed, and I am totally envious!

Why the unfriendly non-comments about this post? It was entertaining and fun to read about the serious eats in a different format/context.

I had my first taste of an Uno's pizza during the summer of 1966. I was visiting a cousin who was a Missouri native and on Saturday night, we waited in the line to get in. Well worth the wait. And that was in the original with all the names carved on the wooden walls and a pizza such as I had never had before. But that's not so hard to do as I am a native of the deep southern part of Illinois and to the best of my memory, the closest we came to pizza was a package product my mother sometimes would make. Later, 10 years later, I moved to Chicago and one of the first places I HAD to go was to Uno's. Winter time, so always happy when we got in the door to wait -- it's not called the "windy city" without justification! So, we give our order to the waitress and we wait, and we wait, finally, name called. Think we had beers and perhaps a salad, but the much awaited pizza arrives, pipping hot at the waitress warns us as she does the bit with the handy tool and looseens the pizza from the pan and put a slice on each of our plates. Oh, did that bring back memories of that first one. We always had to order the same ingredients -- sausage, onion, mushroom and green pepper! OH! the thought of that, my mouth is watering already! We (that is my ex-husband and I) would often meet there for pizza. Then friends introduced us to their favorite place which was further north and west of the Water Tower area. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name -- just that it was a thin crust. And later, someone suggested we try Lou Malnati's -- we only lived a short distance away, so that one became our real favorite. The house salad was great and did not fill us so much that we had no room for that pizza that was always the small -- perfect for 2 people! Then we moved closer to the loop and we tried a few more -- there was one place, name escapes me now, but it was to the east off of Michigan avenue, and it too, was always a wait. Then we got even smarter and started getting forzen cheese & sauage ones which we started keeping in the freezer for those times when we just had to have a slice. And I added the green pepper, onions & mushrooms to those.
One evening while sitting in the bar section at Uno's, we were crowded next to a travelling salesman and since the space is so small, we got to chatting about food. He always made time to go to Uno's when in Chicago, but then some how my home town was mentioned and he said not matter how close he was to the neighboring town, he made a point of going to a Barbeque place -- Ray's in Harrisburg. Well, there is a man after my own heart -- althought my family favored another place, I had often eaten in Rays (and still get his sauce and find his grandson and get sandwiches).
Then there were other places for pizza that suddenly started popping up in various areas close to the loop. One place had a spinach pizza, another was close to where the ex worked and we had some pizza there.
I moved to San Antonio in '86, so no more pizza -- might have checked to see if someone could get a frozen one and overnight it, but that never occured to me and the price would have been silly. Then a move to St. Louis, a trip to Chicago for several reasons, so more pizza from one or the other of my favs. But while in St. Louis, they suddenly opened a "store" not far from us there. Well, was I disappointed!!! I told husband we could split one --- oh, was I wrong, too small and not the same crust.
But because of that we looked at the menu again and ordered a different style which was much better.
Then some years later, we move to the Philly area and discover the first night we are there -- our anniversary, no less, that there was a new Uno's almost in walking distance. So for years we went there for pizza. Fortunately, at some point a second one was opened and we not longer
had to put up with the rude, tired parents and screaming babies who had stopped at the first place they came to after they left Seseame Place. Summers at Uno's at that location were awful. But we did try several other pizza places over the years and I must say, that I have two favorites and they are Uno's and Lou Malnati's.
I did find it interesting one summer when we met my niece and her family at the Field Museum to see King Tut, her husband, who grew up in a Chicago suburb and also went to conventions at the convention center! Had NEVER HAD an Uno's pizza!!! My niece was in 7th heaven because, despite her 20 year + delay of seeing the King Tut exhibit, she also got to have some Unos! And I have a friend in Chicago who used to send me gift certificates from Lou Malnati's and I would order a pizza and a dessert. We also lived in Pittsburgh and I went nuts when we saw a new Uno's --- the franchise stores are not exactly the same -- and one thing missing seems to be the corn meal in the pans!!!

But I say Uno, Due or Lou Malnati's. I never cared for what they ordered at my last job in Pittsburgh when we had overtime -- they were thin crust and just not a Chicago style pizza. Close, but really NOT CIGAR!!!
Mary

I loved Adam. I have watched his new show several times. His humor is fun and he is great on camera but I would definitely like to see him do a cooking show. He is like Guy in that his real appeal is as a personality. I think he will be another star like Guy and will be one to watch- I am sure that Will Work for Food is just the beginning.

I have to agree about Aaron. He just isn't that interesting on his show- I have seen it several times and am just not that impressed or interested in watching it again. He still feels stiff and forced on camera to me and doesn't really have anything compelling to teach as far as food goes. He is another FNS dud like all the others execpt Guy. I think they have had a hard time picking the right winner every season but the second. JAG should have won Season 3 but he took himself out. I would still love to see him get a show on FN. I would like to see Lisa get a real cooking show too. She actually knows food and would bring a different element that is currently in short supply on FN. Aidia, Sonny, Aaron-- all duds

Log time reader - first time commenter...

Love the idea -

Much to the shargin of my wife I am going to try this idea out tonight. The biggest challenge to me is to ensure proper timing so that everything is at the proper heat to ensure that the butter, cheese and beef blend together properly and not congeal.

Cheers!

Seriously, this format has been done ten times over, and this version is neither informative nor entertaining. It's boring. Period.