Best restaurant advice ever?

[fdbaker]

From Frank Bruni's last piece as the NY Times restaurant critic:

IS THERE ANY BEST, SAFEST WAY TO NAVIGATE A MENU?

Scratch off the appetizers and entrees that are most like dishes you’ve seen in many other restaurants, because they represent this one at its most dutiful, conservative and profit-minded. The chef’s heart isn’t in them.

Scratch off the dishes that look the most aggressively fanciful. The chef’s vanity — possibly too much of it — spawned these.

Then scratch off anything that mentions truffle oil.

Choose among the remaining dishes.

I plan to follow this advice and see how it works out.

http://events.nytimes.com/2009/08/26...ws/26rest.html

 

[DNW]

Great article. Too bad I'm moving from NYC this week.

 

[Piobaire]

Originally Posted by DarkNWorn

Great article. Too bad I'm moving from NYC this week.

Where ya going, and why?

 

[VKK3450]

Originally Posted by DarkNWorn

Great article. Too bad I'm moving from NYC this week.

Ummm, is this news going to affect your food pron production company?

K

 

[Cavalier]

Sushi Yasuda, I *love* that place.

 

[lpresq]

In KC, Bourdain listed few things to remember when selecting entrees.

RE: Sushi

Fish/Seafood is delivered on Monday and Thursday. Consequently, avoid sushi restaurants on Monday b/c you will likely be eating fish that was delivered on the previous Thursday.

 

[DNW]

Originally Posted by Piobaire

Where ya going, and why?
The great state of Washington, DC. The pastures seem to be greener there.

Originally Posted by VKK3450

Ummm, is this news going to affect your food pron production company? K
Our new place has a gas stove, and there's no way in hell I'm leaving my cooking equipment behind. DNW Food Pron Co. lives on.

 

[VKK3450]

Originally Posted by DarkNWorn

Our new place has a gas stove, and there's no way in hell I'm leaving my cooking equipment behind. DNW Food Pron Co. lives on.

K

 

[Rambo]

Originally Posted by DarkNWorn

Our new place has a gas stove, and there's no way in hell I'm leaving my cooking equipment behind. DNW Food Pron Co. lives on.

 

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by lpresq

In KC, Bourdain listed few things to remember when selecting entrees.

RE: Sushi

Fish/Seafood is delivered on Monday and Thursday. Consequently, avoid sushi restaurants on Monday b/c you will likely be eating fish that was delivered on the previous Thursday.

This is wildly inaccurate, if not an outright lie. It does make for great reading though.

 

[lpresq]

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

This is wildly inaccurate, if not an outright lie. It does make for great reading though.

Please expand. Also, Im sure all would appreciate any tips you would be willing to share as a professional in the field.

 

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by lpresq

Please expand. Also, Im sure all would appreciate any tips you would be willing to share as a professional in the field.

Most restaurants (talking anything respectable, not any ****** grease shack in the world) are getting their fish orders every second day now, and there is a bigger emphasis on quality fresh ingredients in general than there was 10 years ago when Bourdain wrote his book. Not only that, but even the people that DO get fish twice a week aren't all on the same schedule---- fish distributors can't distribute to every restaurant in the city in only two days--- so the Monday/Thursday thing only applies to restaurants that actually order on those days. Others order on different days. On top of that, it's relatively well established that Bourdain embellished the truth and exaggerated on occasion to sell books--- not to say everything he says is false or incorrect or even exaggerated, just saying that certain things (like the fish, like every cook in the best dining places being high at work, like etc etc) were blown out of proportion, in my experience..

I only have one tip or rule for dining. Eat at establishments where you feel you can respect the kitchen, respect the staff, respect the chef, and where they will all return that same respect. If that happens, the rest of the stuff shouldn't ever be an issue.

 

[cchen]

+1 to the above. Also top sushi restaurants should be getting shipments every day.

 

[lpresq]

Keep in mind the locale. NYC and Chicago are major distributors. In Indy, sushi restaurants seem to get their fish out of Chicago on Monday and Thursday.

 

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by lpresq

Keep in mind the locale. NYC and Chicago are major distributors. In Indy, sushi restaurants seem to get their fish out of Chicago on Monday and Thursday.

Where are you getting sushi in Indy?
There was one place I used to go to up on 86th, but most of the rest were scary.