Standing Up Against Bigotry

J.C. Penney’s announcement that they had hired Ellen DeGeneres to be their spokesperson should have been just another passing notice on the business pages. But not so for a group known as One Million Moms. These women were upset and called on Penney – actually, tried to bully Penney would be more accurate – to dump Ellen. Why? Because she’s – GASP! – gay. Claiming that Ellen being Penney’s spokesperson would be “offensive to the majority of Penney shoppers,” they urged shoppers to contact Penney and demand that this decision be reversed.

Penny’s response was swift and firm: Ellen stays!

The response from Penney shoppers was equally swift: Applause for Penney!

Women bombarded the Moms’ Facebook page stating their intention to continue shopping at Penney. Some even said they would now purposely start shopping there.

Penney was also bombarded with messages — not of denunciation but of support. I’m an occasional Penney’s shopper. (Truth be told, I’m an occasional shopper in general because I hate to clothes shop. But not to digress…) As soon as I heard about this, I emailed Penney to congratulate them for not  knuckling under to these bigots.

Turns out, the “One Million” Moms have kind of exaggerated their numbers. They’ve only got about 40,000 members. Ellen has more than 9 million followers on Twitter.

Here is Ellen’s terrific response to these hate-filled women. In her closing comment about her values, she speaks for me!

NYT Thursday Puzzle – February 9, 2012

I’m in shock! I’ve now correctly finished two Thursday puzzles, one in January and now this one.

62 Across provides the clue to this puzzle’s theme: Travels over what’s hidden in the answers to the seven starred clues. That turns out to be the word “sea.” Correct answer to 62A: sails.

As of now, I’m doing better on Thursday than on Sunday. Since correctly finishing the January 1st Sunday puzzle, I have finished two others, but each has had an error.

Dining Out in 2011: Some Final Aspects

Most Disappointing Meal: Veritas
Fortunately, we did not have any meals in 2011 that were awful as happened in 2009* and 2010, so no “Worst Meal” category. Our meals ranged from good to fantastic, but it is truly unfortunate that our dinner at Veritas in January was a disappointment.

From the time it opened in 1999, Veritas was one of our favorite restaurants. We loved Chef Scott Bryan’s contemporary American cuisine and had many excellent meals during his long tenure. We did stop going there during the brief time Ed Cotton was executive chef because we heard the food had taken a decided turn for the worse. But then, Grégory Pugin was hired to helm the kitchen, and the cuisine took a huge upswing. His contemporary French cuisine was exquisite. Unfortunately, his tenure also turned out to be brief.

In August 2010, with no warning, the owner suddenly closed the restaurant — so suddenly that Pugin arrived on a Saturday to find the doors locked.  With no forewarning, he had been fired. I know someone who had a reservation for dinner that evening, and he wasn’t informed of the closure until six p.m.  Not exactly a fine way to treat either an employee or a patron. The owners posted a notice on the website that they were closed for renovations and would reopen in a few months with new decor and a new menu.

Fast forward to the end of December 2010. They had reopened a few weeks prior with Sam Hazen now executive chef and partner. He had a fine pedigree, so we had high hopes when we went for dinner. Though Michael fared better than I, my first course was only fair, and my main course was wretched. So, Veritas had the dubious distinction of serving me my worst meal in 2010. Needless to say, I was not keen on going back.

However, in January 2011, Michael convinced me to give Veritas another chance. Well, this time, the food was better than what I had had in November. But that wouldn’t have taken much. Judged against Bryan and especially Pugin, Hazen’s food was woefully disappointing. There was one bright spot: the desserts by Pastry Chef Emily Wallendjack. They were wonderful both times, especially the “Dark and Stormy” Sticky Toffee Pudding.

Photos of the December dinner can be seen here and of the January dinner here.

(*In 2009, my worst meal was in the Gramercy Tavern Dining Room.)

Runner Up for Most Disappointing Meal: “Bring Me Food” Chef’s Table, 90 Acres, Peapack, NJ

David Felton is the executive chef at 90 Acres. We had never eaten his food before going to 90 Acres. Based on what I’d heard about how talented he is and how terrific the food was when he helmed the kitchen at The Pluckemin Inn, my expectations were high. We were seated with a view of the kitchen and were provided with a list of the ingredients that would be used in the dishes we would be served.

Before departing, we received a printed menu of our meal. Unfortunately, while there was nothing really wrong with the food at the “BMF,” it didn’t wow us in any way.

Photo set here.

Most Disappointing Sweet Treats: Spot Dessert Bar

I had heard positive reports about this desserts-only place owned by the well-regarded pastry chef Pichet Ong.* But I liked only one of the three desserts we had, the soft cheesecake. The other two didn’t appeal to me at all.

*In September, Ong sold Spot to Ian Charlemkittichai. The menu remains the same.

Photo set here.

Most Unusual Setting: Chef’s Tasting Menu, Roberta’s, Brooklyn
Dining on superb haute cuisine in a pizza joint? What could be a more unusual setting for food of such high caliber? This dinner easily made my Memorable Meals list.

Photo set here.

Longest Tasting Menu: Chef’s Table, elements, Princeton, NJ

We had dinner at elements for the first time in 2009, which I wrote about in this post. In May, 2011, we returned with our friend Bonjwing Lee to do the Chef’s Table. In addition to remembering Michael and me from our first visit and knowing that I had written that review, they also found out that our dining companion was the “ulterior epicure.” So, the normally 9-course menu morphed into 17. Prior to this, I’d had no difficulty finishing a 13-course tasting. However, in this case, many of the courses were much larger than tasting-portion size. Thus, by the time we got to No. 14, the “48-Hour” Wagyu Brisket, I was too stuffed to eat even a bit and had them doggie-box the contents of my plate. I did manage to finish the desserts, but just barely.

Photo set here.

“Welcome Back!”: Chef Alain Allegretti, La Promenade des Anglais
We were huge fans of the restaurant Allegretti. (I wrote about two of our meals in this post.) So, we were very saddened when it closed in the summer of 2010. However, in September 2011, Chef Alain Allegretti returned as executive chef/owner of a new restaurant, La Promenade des Anglais. We generally avoid going to newly-opened restaurants. But in this case, we just couldn’t wait to have Chef Allegretti’s food agai, so  we had dinner there the second night it was open.  As we anticipated, everything was delicious, especially the fantastic Baba au Rhum, which made it onto my Memorable Desserts list. Another dinner not long after was equally wonderful. And most recently, we had a delightful lunch there.

The Mediterranean menu spans the Riviera coast from France into Italy. There is an excellent wine list. The staff, snappily dressed in striped shirts, vest, jeans, and sneakers, provides friendly, attentive service. The space’s very attractive décor captures the essence of Nice, Chef Allegretti’s hometown, and he has named the restaurant after the major boulevard located there.

La Promenade has rightly received universal praise from the professional critics, and the public has embraced it. It looks as though Chef Allegretti has a huge hit on his hands, and we couldn’t be more thrilled.

Photos sets of the three meals here, here, and here.

“Au Revoir!”: La Petite Auberge
La Petite Auberge was a favorite French bistro for years. I wrote all about it in this post. When we had lunch there in October 2010, little did we know that it would be the last time we would sit in that charming room. Exactly a year later, the owners retired, and La Petite Auberge closed its doors forever. We miss it!

Photos of our final lunch here.

Memorable Restaurant Meals in 2011

I didn’t title this list “Best Restaurant Meals in 2011” because for me, dining out is not just about the food. Other factors like the occasion and the company can make certain meals stand out from the rest even if the food might not have been entirely perfect. I did notice that many of the meals on this list contained a dish (and in some instances more than one) that made my other memorables lists.

Again, I didn’t limit this one to a particular number. I’m sure it will not surprise anyone who comes here with any regularity that we had quite a few memorable meals at EMP. Therefore, I decided to compile them separately.

There is one major difference with this list. Unlike the others, I was easily able to choose the meal that stood out from all the rest as THE most memorable.

First up, the other restaurants. All but two of them are in New York City, and only two of those are not in Manhattan.

notion, Oakmont, PA

The only trip we took during 2011 was our escape from Hurricane Irene. I chose our destination, Pittsburgh, specifically because I wanted to try this restaurant located on its outskirts. Our experience there more than exceeded my expectations. My post about that dinner can be found here.

Photo set here.

Roberta’s, Brooklyn

Most food-obsessed people know now about Roberta’s, the pizza joint in Williamsburg where two days a week, Chef Carlo Mirarchi is serving an extended haute cuisine tasting menu to a single table of (max) four people. But when my friend uhockey emailed me about it in early March, the word hadn’t yet spread and I knew nothing about it. In fact, I wasn’t familiar with Roberta’s at all. Strange that a guy who lives in Ohio knew about a place in Brooklyn when I didn’t. In any case, he was coming to New York towards the end of the month and had been able to secure a reservation. Would Michael and I like to join him? A haute cuisine tasting dinner in a pizza joint? Are you kidding? Well, the meal was spectacular! And the fact that we were enjoying it in the last place one would ever expect it made it seem unreal. Carlo is a truly sweet young man. And literally a day later, Carlo and this special dinner became known nationally when he was named one of 2011’s Best Chefs by Food & Wine Magazine.

Photo set here.

Corton

We hadn’t been to Corton since September 2009 when we had dinner there with J and the P.G. (At that time, there was a ban on taking photos which lasted only a few months.) I’d been wanting to return for sometime, and we finally made it back during Thanksgiving weekend. The menu format has changed since our last visit. They are still offering the 9-course tasting menu. But the 3-course prix-fixe, where one was able to choose from among several options for each course, has been eliminated. Instead, there is a 5-course prix-fixe with only one course – the main savory – with a choice between two options. That’s the menu we did. Liebrandt’s cuisine is extremely complex, and though the staff provided a short explanation of the dishes, I was never sure exactly what I’m eating. Still, everything we ate was seriously delicious. Service was perfect, and while some people find the space too stark, I find it pleasant and soothing.

Photo set here.

Jung Sik Dang

Our first foray into the world of haute Korean cuisine. A truly amazing experience which I described in this post.

Photo set here.

Tocqueville

Tocqueville is one of our favorite restaurants. We ate many times in its original location (now occupied by the 15 East) and have continued to do so in its current elegant space, which I think is one of the most beautiful dining rooms in the city. While we’ve had dinner there a few times, we go more often for lunch. Their 3-course prix-fixe, at $29, is a steal for cuisine of such superior caliber. Oddly, despite the many meals we’ve had there, we had never done a tasting menu. That omission was taken care of in October when we had the 5-course tasting menu at lunch. My request for certain dishes to be included was met with not a quibble, and we added white truffles for the pasta. For that course and the foie gras, the kitchen sent out two different versions, which we shared. There was a gifted cheese course, we were each served a different dessert, and we received an extra plate of sorbets. Our captain, Miguel, is a charming young man and, as usual, provided very attentive service. Lunch at Tocqueville is always lovely, but this one was truly special.

Photo set here.

La Grenouille

It really annoys the heck out of me that we waited such a long time before going to La Grenouille. That was dinner in 2009. Loved everything about that experience, and it would certainly have made my memorable meals list if I had had one. We had second dinner there with Bonjwing and a friend of his. During that dinner, I ordered the fabled Dover sole with mustard sauce for the first time and swooned. In 2011, we decided to go for lunch, specifically for both of us to have that Dover sole. Heavenly! I started with a superb pâté and ended with the sublime caramel soufflé. Disabuse yourself of any notion that the service is snooty. Au contraire! From the moment we entered until we said “Au revoir,” the staff couldn’t have been more welcoming and attentive. We were there fairly late during lunch service, so the dining rooms were rather empty. But we were never rushed, and so we lingered, enjoying the quiet and the lovely surroundings. It was such a memorable experience, we repeated it a few months later.

Photo set here.

The Peacock Inn, Princeton, NJ

We had been to The Peacock for dinner once many years ago. I have this vague recollection that it was for my birthday. The only thing I remember about the meal is that I ordered rack of lamb, but I can’t recall if it was a good one. Fast forward to 2010. The Peacock is under new ownership. In addition to refurbishing the guest and public rooms, they set out to make the restaurant one of the best around. To that end, they hired the chef de cuisine at Restaurant Nicholas (one of the best in the entire state), Manuel Perez, to be the executive chef. We went for dinner, had the tasting menu, and Chef Perez’s contemporary American cuisine with French leanings totally blew us away. Every dish was meticulously prepared, beautifully presented, and absolutely delicious.

Photo set here.

Lincoln

I don’t love the space at Lincoln. The dark, sloping ceiling makes the room feel rather claustrophobic. Fortunately, the food shines, and the second of the two meals we had there with J and the P.G. was truly stellar. For me, fat white asparagus topped with a duck egg; a superb duck breast with cherries, turnips and spinach; and a chocolate-hazelnut dessert. Michael and J also had the asparagus. The P.G. started with an excellent salumi plate. He and Michael had fish, while J. had pasta. Other desserts were sorbets and ice creams. Not a whisper of a complaint from any of us about anything because everything was perfect. Service, which had been excellent, did fall down slightly at the end. But it was the food and sharing the meal with J and the P.G. that made this meal memorable.

Photo set here.

La Silhouette

I had heard good things about La Silhouette but put off going there. Then, suddenly, there was a major change. The chef and owners parted company and a new chef was brought in, Matthew Tropiano, who left his position as executive chef at La Grenouille. When we finally made it to La Silhouette for dinner, we were totally knocked out by the cuisine coming out of Chef Tropiano’s kitchen. Foie Gras “A la Plancha” was sublime! I tasted Michael’s Sweetbreads with Butternut Squash Agnolotti. Amazing! We were gifted bowls of Wild Mushroom Risotto with Truffle Oil and Parmigiano. Fantastic! But afraid that we wouldn’t have room for our main courses, we ate just a little and had them pack the rest. I had Duck Breast with Figs, Turnips, Red Rice and Orange-Ginger Coulis, and Michael had Roasted Chicken with Beans, Kale, Tomato and Lardons. Both superb! Portions were so generous that we took home half of each. I ended with a lovely Milk Chocolate Terrine, and Michael had ice creams. I left La Silhouette thinking to myself that I had expected the food to be good, but I hadn’t expected it to be THAT good!

Photo set here.

Um Segredo Wild Game Dinner, Roosevelt Island

After Chef Dave Santos left Hotel Griffou, he started a private supper club. Some call this kind of arrangement “secret dining,” so he named the club Um Segredo, which means secret in Portuguese, which is based on his heritage. The first dinner we attended was the Truffle Dinner. While it was excellent, it was the subsequent Wild Game Dinner that totally blew my gustatory socks off. The dinner was also memorable because of the guests who attended. With the exception of Michael and one of the men’s dates, everyone was a member of the Mouthfulsfood Forum. I had met three of them before but for the others, this was the first time we were meeting in person. It was, to say the least, a very lively group. All had been to previous Um Segredo dinners, and everyone agreed that this one was perfection personified!

Photo set here.

Wong “Duckavore” Dinner

I adore duck! So, when I read on Chowhound that Wong, an Asian-fusion restaurant that opened a few months ago in the Village, was serving an all-duck dinner, I had to go. It was being served for four people and required 48-hours notice. So, I immediately contacted my Chowhound pal ellenost, who is also a duck fancier. She immediately agreed and brought along her duck-loving sister. From first course to last – an unusual duck ice cream dessert — the meal was a perfect. A duck lover’s dream! And it was made all the more memorable because we shared it with two wonderful friends.

Photo set here.

The rest beneath the fold.