Restaurant review: The Silver Skillet

While we were down in Atlanta, we decided a nice Father's Day treat would be to tuck into a good southern breakfast at a classic roadside diner - enter the Silver Skillet.  It was a cinch to find, standing defiantly tall (one story tall) amongst a sea of towers and new development, just past the I-85 on 14th.

The Silver Skillet has been a foundation in Atlanta for years and has that certain sense of history about it.  From the packed room, they've well earned the loyalty of their customers and don't need to periodically re-invent themselves - the food must speak for itself.  I found myself drawn to a yellowed sign advertising peach cobbler, thinking that if the sign has been there this long, the cobbler must be amazing - but first things first, we came for breakfast.

I had the signature southern breakfast with battered and fried centre-cut pork chops, eggs, grits and gravy.  The eggs came as eggs do, you can't ask for much more than that, but the pork chops really hit the spot with a purpose.  I have to admit, I don't normally do pork chops for breakfast, but it may be time to change my mind - the batter was delicious and crispy, and the pork was tender and juicy.  The grits were tasty and creamy, yet neutral enough to work with either the eggs or a splash of maple syrup depending on your mood.  You know they mean business when the gravy is its own thing - it was rich, thick and wake-you-up peppery - perfect for a breakfast chop.  The Skillet's biscuits almost stole the show - soft, tender and oh so cozy warm.  Where were the jams and butter?  In a napkin under the warm biscuits - considering I get pretty peeved at hard table butter, this small but simple detail really warmed my heart.  Had a taste of the buttermilk pancakes - pretty hard to go wrong there either.  Sadly, I couldn't get around to the cobbler, so it'll have to be next time.  Well done, Skillet, well done.

the southern breakfast

Restaurant review: Gladys Knight's Chicken and Waffles

We took a trip down south last week - way down, to Atlanta, Georgia.  I was told by my friend Jen that a trip to Gladys Knight's Chicken and Waffles was inevitable and mandatory.  I wasn't going to fight it - I love fried chicken, I love waffles, how can you go wrong?  I've often been curious about this pairing - while I'm all on board for each one separately, I'd never eaten them at the same time, and felt I should wait for the right opportunity just in case there was some hidden nuance I might miss if I just threw it together myself.

what you came for

Certainly, fried chicken is a passion in the south, and you will rarely be disappointed.  While the restaurant has a full and impressive menu, I had to go for the signature dish, and Gladys did not let me down.  Four hefty and delicious fried legs of chicken and a flawless waffle.  I'm not sure if I was enlightened as to the original purpose of the pairing, but it all came together like magic.  I had to order a corn muffin just because and it was just plain great.  To be honest, I would have liked to camp out a while and work my way through the menu, there was so much that was beyond tempting.  Others at our table had crispy fried catfish (fantastic), jerk and chipotle chicken spring rolls (ridiculous), sauteed corn with jalapenos (drool) and gravy smothered chicken (gaaaaaa).  We were so well fed we officially didn't get to dessert, but I insisted we get a sweet potato cheesecake to go to have later - so glad I did, it was simply great, even out of a box.

smothered chicken, corn and macaroni

The decor is what you might expect, memorabilia and photos from the career of one of soul music's great artists along with shots of some of the more notable visitors over the years.  Our meal was graciously watched over by Stevie Wonder, 50 Cent and George Clinton - not bad company.  

Pay Gladys a visit at 529 Peachtree st. NE, Atlanta, Georgia.  Give her a call at 1-404-874-9393.  Get there early as a line forms fast.

Restaurant review: El Parian

I'm not sure if this really counts as a restaurant review or cantina review, but I'm not starting a new category - you can get food and drink here and that's enough.  Our hosts in Guadalajara said we had to come here for a couple principle reasons - it's one of the best places to see Mariachis and drink tequila (two of the three things you MUST do in Guadalajara), and it's the largest cantina in the world - ok, I'm intrigued.  Set in a grand old building with a garden courtyard in the Tlaquepaque area of the city, El Parian is actually a cluster of cantinas all co-operating as one.  

Depending on the individual section you sit in, the food is "standard" for Guadalajara - which means it is pretty great for bar food anywhere else in the world.  What stands out will be the very impressive menu of tequilas.  Think Mexico is all cheap?  Work out the exchange on some of the premium varieties on the bottom of the list.

The setting is fantastic, open air, trees, and a great building in itself.  The entertainment is just what you came for, roving bands of mariachis for hire - at times four or five playing simultaneously around the courtyard.  A few times a day, the central bandstand fires up with the main band along with a nice review of regional music and dance from around the country - you came for a taste of culture right?  Sure, on the surface, it seems a bit touristy, but with good friends, tequila and mariachis you can't help but have a great time.  Go to the main plaza in Tlaquepaque and it's just southeast - look for the big sculpture of the mariachi, and it's the big building behind.

Restaurant review: La Chata (Guadalajara)

So there we were in Guadalajara, the clock is ticking, we need to eat a Torta Ahogada, so where do we go?  Really, you can pretty much get one almost anywhere here, but Ismael suggested we go to La Chata to get our fix.  Conveniently located near the centro historico, it was an easy stop for lunch after a nice walk around town.  This isn't a small place, but they keep it packed and maintain a line out the sidewalk at most times - must be pretty good.  What especially touched my heart was being offered a complimentary beer (not some pansy-ass virgin cocktail) once we got to the indoor section of the line.  La chata is known as well for pozole and platillo jaliscence (a fried chicken dish), but we came for the tortas.

What is a torta ahogada?  It translates to "drowned sandwich", reminiscent of a pambazo, but mostly for the fact that the sauce is on the outside of the bread.  Done properly, there is a specific type of crusty bread used (birote) that holds up well to being sauced.  Inside is sliced or chopped roast pork (usually leg), then the whole thing is smothered in a spicy sauce.  La Chata's sauce is available in a toned down version probably better suited to visitors, but if you want you can get the "original" sauce (we drizzled some over the top of our tortas) for the real experience - be warned, it will rip your face off.  Depending on your sense of public cleanliness, this is most likely a knife and forker to eat.

Get your sandwich on.  Or whatever you fancy.  Find La Chata at Avenue Corona 126.

yea baby!

Restaurant review: Ideal bakery (Mexico City)

Mexico has a love for pastry shops, and the Ideal bakery is one of the best.  Set in a beautiful old building, a visit here let's you admire some great colonial architecture while indulging your sweet tooth.  This place is pretty much always busy, so the rotation on the product is fantastic - when we were in ther last, the poor guy working in the shop could barely put down a tray of "besos" before it was cleaned out.  We usually go for a nice selection of pastries, but Ideal has great rolls and breads and can handle anything all the way up to elaborately themed wedding cakes.  Even if you are just there for some pastries, give yourself some time - the selection is colossal, and if you see an empty spot, it probably belongs to something really good and will get replenished in a few minutes.  And don't forget to admire the room and balance those calories with a little culture.  Happy hunting!

Restaurant review: Pujol

This year Carla and I had the pleasure of trying another of Mexico City's top restaurants - Pujol, headed up by Chef Enrique Olvera.  Along with Biko, Pujol boasts a position on the San Pellegrino list of the top 50 restaurants in the world (#36 in 2012).  Whereas Biko drew upon its Basque roots, Pujol is undeniably all about Mexico - but don't be fooled, the level of innovation in the presentation of the classics is extremely high while maintaining a very traditional feel.  One of the things that struck me the most was the hoja santa tortilla - upon presentation, you can only see the masa of the tortilla, but the underside has the leaf of the hoja santa fused to it.  As we usually do, Carla and I went for the tasting menu - here's how it went.

 The amuse bouche:  roasted baby corn with corn husk mayonnaise, a miniature aguachile, and a tea of corn and ancho chilis.

 Souffle with celery, lemon and coriander cream (inside) and caviar.

 Beef tartare tostada with alfalfa and serrano chili.

 Fish ceviche taco with hoja santa tortilla and beans.

The hoja santa side of the tortilla.

 Fried frog leg with chayote squash, cauliflower puree and poblano chili sauce.

  Squash blossom tamal with epazote xikil pak sauce and queso fresco.

 Suckling lamb taco with avocado and green pea puree, tomato and hoja santa sauce.

 Yucatean pork confit with raisin and cumin mole, almond, tamarind and clauliflower.

 Roasted baby banana, zested macadamia nut, chamomile, cacao and cream.

Thyme biscuit, lemon gelatin, pulque sorbet, cookie soup and white chocolate.

Guava sorbet, worm salt, and mezcal flambe.

Chocolate mousse with citrus cream.

We were also met at the door on our way out with some stellar mignardaise.

And there you have it.  As expected at this level, service was excellent, but the restaurant maintained a very relaxed and casual atmosphere.  They are very accommodating if you need English translation, just be aware that some local culinary terms just don't translate well.  Book in advance as most nights do tend to sell out.  Find Pujol at Francisco Petrarca 254 in Polanco, Mexico city.

Restaurant review: Los Danzantes

If you are looking for a nice dinner out and want a bit of a departure from the national standards, Los Danzantes have you well taken care of.  I wouldn't question their patriotism, the food is undoubtedly Mexican, but they give their chefs freedom to interpret the national dishes as loosely as they like, and it's always interesting to have a meal with them.  Want even more interesting?  Forget microbrew pubs, these guys distil their own mezcal.  Carla and I first went to the one in Oaxaca City, and were so impressed we made sure to go to the one in Coyoacan as soon as we got back to Mexico City - loved it again.  In 2010, we made it to the one in Playa del Carmen to complete the trifecta.  Since Carla's family is from the capital, we know the Coyoacan branch the best, but we always enjoy it and find something interesting on the menu.  Over the years, at various restaurants, we have tried many interesting dishes, among the most notable, huitlacoche fondu and a quince and goat cheese empanada - one of the finest desserts you can imagine.  You'll find it a stone's throw away from the beautiful Parroquia de San Juan Bautista at Jardin del Centenario 12 (metro:  Viveros).

Restaurant review: El Quadrilatero

Sooner or later while in Mexico, you are going to have to have a torta.  They are not just a sandwich, they are a passion.  Usually you get them on a bolillo bun (similar to a Portuguese bun), they are generally served hot and stuffed with something delicious.  I don't think I've actually had a bad torta, but it has become a tradition of mine on my visits to go straight to the king - El Quadrilatero, and bear witness to the monster that is The Gladiator.  

Started by the luchador Super Astro, the restaurant is dedicated to  Mexican wrestling, and decorated appropriately.  More importantly, they dish out some of the finest tortas around and have no doubt about handling the biggest appetites, as they also specialize in making the most colossal sandwiches you've ever seen that actually get eaten (forget about Guinness record one-offs that take 16 people to hold it).  The giant of giants is The Gladiator, which reportedly weighs in close to 1.5kg, and there's usually one in the window on display.  If you can down The Gladiator in 15 minutes, it's on the house.  Thankfully, you can get regular sized tortas here too, including a "micro" version of The Gladiator, and yes, it's delicious.  7am - 8pm Mon - Sat.  Find it at Luis Moya 73 (metro:  Juarez).

the Gladiator!

Restaurant review: El Jarocho

El Jarocho has been absolutely killing it on the coffee front for decades.  It is mandatory for me to pay at least a couple visits anytime I'm in Mexico City.  Starbucks has arrived in town, but they have nothing on these guys - have you ever seen a Starbucks with daily lines down the block?  That's how good El Jarocho is, and their customers are loyal.  With three shops in the Coyoacan area, if you are faced with a big line at one, you might get lucky at another (as we did tonight).  For me, the Moka is the perfect blend of coffee and chocolate, for stopping by, but I'll usually grab a bag of beans to take home to Vancouver.  The chai tea is outstanding as well, if that's your bag - I'd put it up against just about anybody's.  6am - 1am daily. The main one is at Cauhtemoc 134 at the corner with Allende (metro:  Coyoacan).

Restaurant review: El Moro Churreria y Chocolateria

Most trips we take to Mexico City eventually find us at El Moro for churros and hot chocolate.  Just down the road from the Palacio Bellas Artes, it's centrally located and been delicious for over 70 years.  Watch them pipe the churros into bathtub sized fryers, then sip on one of a selection of premium hot chocolates available.  If you can handle a little extra sugar, the Espana is the thickest and best for dipping your churro.  24 hours a day most of the year and always hopping.  After walking around the Centro all day, you need a break.  Find it at Eje Central Lazaro Cardenas 42 (metro: San Juan de Letran).

Restaurant review: Alinea

 My account of the meal Carla and I had at Alinea has been a very long time coming.  Since I hold down a full time job, the task of tackling such an event before work is intimidating (I prefer to post stream of consciousness start to finish).  Today is a day off, so here I go.  There is a bit of story around it, which adds to the magic on our end - I include a bit of it here to show that sometimes someone's looking out for you.

Back when Carla and I were balancing a relationship between Canada and Mexico, I flew down on a standby flight (on crutches no less) for a visit.  On the way back, the usual layovers in San Francisco or Los Angeles were booked up, so I was sent on a milk run through Chicago with a 12 hour overnight layover.  I'm sorry, but O'Hare airport at night is about as exciting as paint drying.  I noticed that transit ran to the airport 24 hours a day, so I decided I might as well have a look around town.  I was smitten.  Between the bridges, lake, and all the history, I was sorry I hadn't planned this route and spent a few days there.

the entrance

Flash forward a year - Carla and I went backpacking in Peru, but this time planned ahead, and scheduled a three day stint in Chicago.  I also went as far as getting a reservation at Moto.  At the time, the buzz in the industry was about a new restaurant, Alinea, which was likely going to be the next French Laundry.  Before leaving Vancouver, I tried for reservations, but there wasn't even a website - I couldn't find any contact information at all.  During a pause in Mexico city on the way back from Peru, I finally found an address on opentable.com - I thought no way getting in, but maybe I could stop by and get a copy of the menu to show the guys at work.

Totally by luck, the weekend we spent in Chicago was during the blues festival.  Blues legends playing for free in the park - world class city all the way.  It was also a scorcher of a weekend.  So Friday afternoon, after listening to music, cooking in the sun and running through the waterpark, we thought we would walk by Alinea and try to get a copy of said menu.  We misjudged the map.  I'm not sure how far it is (maybe some Chicago locals can tell me), but we walked from Millenium park to Alinea, and almost missed it, they aren't big on the street level advertising, I think it was the valet sign that let me know.  So we poke our heads in, walk down the hall and peek in the dining room, shorts, t-shirts, sunburns and all - "may I help you?" - the maitre d' 

 - "yes, well, I'm sure you're full up, but I'm a chef from Vancouver and I was hoping I might get a copy of the menu to show folks back home.  We're all very excited about what you're doing here"

 - "well, sir, I'm afraid you just said the magic words.  If you can find a suit and get back here in two hours, we have a table for you"

the kitchen

 - "Really?  Uh, wow.  We'll be right back."

We couldn't have been staying farther away.  We raced across the city (to our $12 hostel), showered, dressed up and raced back.  We even ditched the subway partway and jumped a cab. We made it.  It was still scorching hot - I was trying not to sweat up my suit, putting on the jacket and tie outside the door.

 - "well you two sure dress up nice - champagne?"  and it began.

Alinea is not a big place, intimate, modern basic tones so as not to try to compete with the food (it couldn't anyway).  Looking in the kitchen, I saw an army of cooks - rather than trying to squeeze the most volume out of each cook, the focus is clearly on quality.  These guys work long days no doubt, but the approach to each member's tasks is what sets restaurants like this apart. Focus.  One image I have in my head was someone cutting fish - referencing to the environment I worked in at home, it was in slow motion, but absolutely perfect with every slice.

pb&j

We were sat at our table, then brought the bread service - our first taste of the legendary goat butter.  Our amuse came held up by wires - peanut butter and jam - wafer thin toasted bread wrapped around a grape with peanut - delicious, modern, acrobatic, imaginitive and playful - this is how they roll.  

hearts of palm

A couple courses later came the hearts of palm - a series of five miniature pedestals, each with a different filling (among them green pea, parmesan, black truffle) and designed to be eaten in sequence from most mildly to strong flavoured - beautiful and elegant.  

beef with A-1

Beef with A-1 brought us a perfectly sous-vide portion of meat and perfectly smooth pomme puree surrounded by all the flavours found in A-1 sauce, deconstructed and each element dealt with in it's own way.  How many moves on that plate?  Delicious again of course, and showing a true academic approach to one of the most commonplace condiments.  

hazelnut puree

Hazelnut puree came next, which I really enjoyed since you had to break the suspended tube of granola and spill it's contents into the puree - audience participation and really illustrating how fine dining can be at best a temporal art form - if it doesn't perish, it never fulfills it's destiny.  

foie

A few courses later came the foie gras, one of the greatest enigmas of the meal for me.  Served with sweet onion and walnut, at first glance looked like about the most perfect torchon of foie you are likely to see, then cutting into it, we found that the foie was completely encapsulating a perfect cylinder of rhubarb foam - I was completely stunned.  Being trained as a chef, you often sacrifice a bit of surprise when eating (not enjoyment) simply because you have learned a few tricks of execution and refinement.  The joy of the surprise of being surprised cannot be described.  I think I know now how the foie dish was done, but to be honest, to go there would almost spoil it. 

burnt orange

Believe it or not, at this point, we were about halfway through the meal, and we were served a couple sweeter courses so our palates wouldn't get overwhelmed - midway "dessert" courses as it were.  Almost back to the start of the meal, the burnt orange was served suspended on a wire, to be eaten "hands free" - just lean over and eat it all one go.

porcini

The porcini soup was lovely, served with a plantain ravioli, kola nut and sunflower seeds.  When you see a lot of wild mushroom soups, it's nice (and a bit pricier) to once in a while focus on one and pair it up with some specific flavours.

The bison was the meat course of the "second round".  It was served with beets (in a sheet) and blueberries and a side dish of smoldering cinnamon for aroma.  Note the colour on the meat - how it's a perfect medium rare right to the seared edge - that's what new techniques can accomplish.

bison

bacon on the rocking horse

To keep the surprises going, we had been trying not to glance at other tables too much, but we knew something funny was coming - periodically, a table in the room would break out into giggles and laughter.  Bacon on the rocking horse was the reason.  Crusted with butterscotch, apple and thyme and hanging on a wire, it hits your table and rocks erratically back and forth.  Tasty?  You bet, but how nice to have such an elegant room and unbelievable food and maintain a sense of humour.

sassafras cream

As we entered into the dessert courses, the sassafras cream presented another challenge - how do you get the creamy centre into the disk of mandarin ice?  Chef Achatz gives us that one in the book, but I'll let you look it up.

strawberry

The strawberry dish was another creative eater.  Lemon verbena foam, argan, and freeze-fried strawberries all held in a tube.  Grab it and suck the contents through and let it mix in your mouth.

"Liquid chocolate" looked like a little mousse cake, but was actually a tile of  loose ganache held together only by the chocolate coating.

liquid chocolate

Finishing off was the sponge cake - skewered on a vanilla pod sitting in a glass with tonka bean and vanilla froth.

spongecake

We were done.  Amazing.  We had lost track of everything but each other and the food.  With everything we had eaten over the course of the hours, the amount of food was perfect - you didn't have to roll us away from the table, though the sensory overload left us a bit dazed.  For a meal we weren't even supposed to have, it sits at or near the top of our all time best meals list (once a meal hits perfection, it seems unfair to put one over the other).  Alinea is like Disneyland for foodies, and for cooks, it's like going back to school.  I know I thanked them repeatedly that night for the last minute reservation and I'll thank them again now.  Thank you. And thank you Chef Achatz and crew for all the good hard work you do - I hope I've done some justice to the experience of Alinea.

Restaurant review: Biko

Today's restaurant review is on Biko, in Mexico city.  Many of you probably haven't heard about it, maybe partly because Mexico city gets a bit of a bum rap on the tourist charts due to the lack of beaches.  Don't be a fool, it's one of the best cities in the world (ask my wife Carla - she's a chilanga herself) and actually boasts two restaurants on the San Pellegrino top 50 best restaurants in the world list.  Biko ranks #31, right behind Michel Bras.

The anniversary of our Canadian wedding is actually on the Mexican independence day, so the occasion of our visit happened to fall on the huge bicentennial celebrations.  I have always looked up to Arzak, one of the great restaurants in Spain, so when I found out that there were ex-Arzak  chefs at Biko, the choice was easy.  Biko is definitely what you would classify as a "modern cuisine" restaurant, which makes it all the more interesting that they are so close to Michel Bras on the San Pellegrino list.  I think it shows that the judges must be very open minded since despite stylistic differences, both restaurants are an experience to remember.

Considering the bicentennial excitement going on in Mexico at the time, the atmosphere in Biko was calm and refined.  No screaming coming from the semi-open kitchen, just professionals in both front and back of house.  As per our usual, we went for the tasting menu with wine pairings and were soon brought an amuse-bouche which contained a miniature take on an empanada and a wild mushroom soup.  A note on the soup: it was interesting that coming from the west coast of Canada, if you order a wild mushroom soup, no matter how well or poorly executed, you unconsciously expect a certain range of flavour that's regional to us - for example, hints of chantrelle, pine or trumpet mushrooms.  Of course, in Mexico city the regional mushrooms will be different, and the soup was a pleasant representation of that - I suspect some of the earthiness came from huitlacoche (a mushroom that grows on corn - the "Mexican truffle"),  but it's difficult to nail down the rest.

The foie gras was paired with pistachios and a real number:  a cube of hibiscus espuma that stood its ground, yet was infinitely airy and soft.  The tangy hibiscus definitely a local, yet perfectly suited pair up with the richness of the foie.  One dish had squid with a squid ink fondant potato caramelized onion and a squid ink sauce.  A difficult one to photograph, but worthy of note, the squid was beyond perfectly cooked and how often do caramelized onions make you stop and say "holy crap!  these are amazing!"  Moving into dessert courses, there was a play on words with a plantain dish "plata-no oro" roughly translated to "not silver - gold" and the delicious plantain "bar" was hidden underneath a crispy gold shield.  In addition to the tasting desserts, we just had to try a couple others, and gladly so.  The "cheesecake" was encased in tuile tubes and was topped off with a Manchego cheese cotton candy - "you can take the Spaniard out of Spain, but ..." - amazing.  We also had "soil" - a plate of a mixture of cake and cookie crumbs looking like dirt, rocks and pebbles complete with weeds and a flower.  Not only did it look the part to a "T", it was a worthy dessert, delicious and stimulating to the imagination - textbook modernity.

Maybe an advantage to being separated by the European world of restaurants, this meal came surprisingly into budget considering the expertise involved.  All the staff was friendly and courteous - Chef Bruno came out a few times to check on us - and even waited outside with us to make sure we got our cab home alright.  If you happen to be in Mexico city, take the time and treat yourself at Biko, you won't forget it.

Restaurant review: Michel Bras

Last summer, my beloved wife Carla and I went to World Youth Day in Madrid, Spain.  Early in the planning process for this trip, my mind turned to the fact that since we happen to be going to Europe, we should look into eating at a decent restaurant or two nearby.  Not that one suffers terribly eating anywhere in Spain or France, but by making a point to eat at a "decent" restaurant, I mean Michelin rated - I mean prepare yourself for a show.  Places like this, apply for a reservation months, if not years in advance, then plan the rest of your vacation around the reservation you are given.  With Michel Bras, we made our arrangements for a late August meal back in January.

foie gras

Michelin favours those restaurants which have something "special" about the location - in addition to a good meal, is there something else that serves to make the journey memorable.  With Michel Bras, yes, yes, yes.  The restaurant is in Laguiole, l'Aubrac in southern central France.  There is no train station.  You will likely have a hard time even pinning it down on a map.  It took me forever between the restaurant website in one tab and Google Earth on the other just to find out exactly where it is.  With no train station, we decided to rent a car from Madrid, then I had to find a map big enough to even show Laguiole.  Luckily, someone also lent us a car gps - huge help.  Driving into Laguiole from the south, it's all rolling green hills and beautiful farmland.  When the gps told us we were two minutes away from town, there wasn't a building in sight, then we rounded the bend and up popped the prettiest little hamlet you could imagine, a little cluster of stone buildings watched over by a church on the hilltop and guarded by a scattering of contented cows in the surrounding fields.  They say people have tried to lure Chef Bras away from here - I can see why he doesn't want to leave.  For such a tiny place, Laguiole is world renowned for three things:  Laguiole cheese, Laguiole knives, and one of the best restaurants anywhere.  Indeed, in an informative video at the cheese factory, even Michel Bras' mother is interviewed.

aligot potato!

remain calm

Maison Bras is situated a little ways out of town, and also serves as a small hotel.  By custom design, the rooms are set into the hillside in rows so that each room has its own little lawn and garden and a totally unobscured view across the valley towards town and the meadows beyond.  If you are going for dinner, might as well spend the night.  After checking into our room and taking a walk around the grounds, we made our way to the lounge for dinner "come by anytime after 7pm" they told us.  It was strange not to have a set time to show up, but it's all part of a well planned system of service.  Give the guest their freedom, they will come when they come.  We sat in the lounge, were given the colossal wine list (98% French of course) and served a couple cocktails.  We also received the first few amuse-bouche in the lounge, which let the restaurant pace people in accordingly for a smooth kitchen service.  Eventually we were led into the elegant dining room for the show.  The meal?  Superb.  Not so focused on "molecular" food like many top restaurants, rather flawless execution, inspired and natural feeling food.  One dish was a salad where every vegetable has been prepared in a slightly different way.  The foie gras had no monkey business, just a perfectly cooked slice with appropriate accompaniments.  The almost mandatory aligot - mastery.  The cheese cart could have killed me - really, it's huge.  We each tried about 5 different varieties (declining the Laguiole varieties since we had earlier been at the factory) and still didn't try them all.  The dessert courses were creative, delicious and have proper substance - no plates with a collection of powders, airs and gels that leave you wondering if something was forgotten.  The "Biscuit" with the encased warm compote was fantastic and the flight of mini "ice cream cones" was great - they all looked the part to perfection, but only one was actually a sorbet, the rest were all compotes, cheeses and concoctions made to appear as such.  They also brought us a special course to celebrate our anniversary with a candle obscured by a huge cloud of spun sugar - pure technique.

"ice cream"

Staying the night, we were also treated to a wonderful breakfast - breakfast amuse anyone?  Fresh cheeses, charcuterie, breads and juices.  To start your day with such a variety of flavours and not walk away over loaded takes skill.  The administration knew that I was a chef, and took this time to introduce me to Michel's son Sebastian and show me the kitchen - again the service anticipating and extending itself to the guest experience.  It was special to be able to thank them personally for an amazing stay.