snack

snackspot: le cirque –first meal

I had my first meal at Le Cirque 3.0. I say first, because I’m fairly certain I will return. Before we go any further, remember that I do not review restaurants. It seems unfair for many reasons, detailed here. For this specific diner, it would be particularly inappropriate to review when I was a guest at "friends and family" on Saturday night. Translation: I ate for free and had very attentive service and smiles. This is not a review, but a sharing of a few thoughts.

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Sitting at one of the banquettes along the wall I wondered…which are the power tables? Where’s Siberia? Marco and Mauro Maccioni once told me about a regular at Le Cirque 1.0 who always wanted the table in the front by the door. To her it was prime real estate, to them it was drafty. Seems one diner's Siberia is another's table of choice. It may take some time to establish the habits of the new dining room, to see who sits where. Or maybe it’s the whole place. It’s only 100 seats – and everybody wants to go. Could be wall-to-wall VIP. Sources say the media was in full attendance at the opening lunch today, so I'm sure someone will give us a road map soon.

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Chef Pierre Schaedelin has put together a menu that walks the line between modern and classic with a very light touch. It’s not jarring. There is flow and harmony. You can see the care and work put into handling the ingredients and getting them to the plate. Everything seems precisely trimmed, shaped, cut and cooked, without appearing overly fussy or stuffy. My favorite dishes from the appetizer category, a study in tomato, and a study in English peas. Lovely.

Pierre is a cook. He works on the line everyday. He has no interest in dancing in the dining room or endorsing a line of super-toques. Even though he’s relatively young, Pierre is old school. I like that. How many chefs are at the pass during service in this town?

papersnack: tony bourdain’s nasty bits

Chef turned gastro-adventuring author Tony Bourdain has circled the globe a few times in search of the most exotic and extreme edibles for your viewing pleasure. His latest book, The Nasty Bits (Bloomsbury $24.95), is a compilation of previously published articles. I read it. I liked it. I wrote about it.

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Some of it was new – like articles from the UK and down under – and other bits more familiar. Regardless of freshness, the reading induced laughter and an immediate desire to smoke, drink, eat and get on the next plane to Asia. (And get the number of his book agent.)

Nice when a civilian reviewer says something like “Bourdain portrays his subjects with an authenticity that rings true,” as they often do. But how does Big Time Book Reviewer know ‘authentic’ from sitting in a cubicle at The Major Publication? I’ve been to many of the spots detailed and know many of the chefs described and yes – it’s exactly like that. But you don’t have to be in insider to enjoy, and any chef will tell you - the nasty bits (collected varietal cuts, usable trim, scraps, and bones) are often the tastiest part.

hotsnack: gary gets a room

Sources say Gary Robins has signed a deal at the now dormant, but soon-to-be-revived Russian Tea Room. Word on the street is his current spot, the Biltmore Room is no more. Stay tuned for details on the grand re-opening of the RTR under new management.

snackspot: le cirque – the leftovers

As expected, the media is frenetically covering the opening of Le Cirque version 3.0. The party reports will morph into early reviews as soon as they open for lunch on the 31^st. I did my part with a front page story last week. Though the piece weighed in at 1320 words, there were some details I couldn’t fit in, but are worth noting.

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Pastry chef Regis Monges came up to Beacon Courtfrom Le Cirque Mexico. He’ll offer 16 desserts on the menu. Eight will be Le Cirque classics, like the chocolate stove, crème brûlée and chocolate soufflé. Eight will be original modern sweets like a study in tropical fruits and a waffle martini. Petit fours will be classic as well, like pâte à choux swans. When was the last time you saw that outside of a Parisian patisserie?

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Sommelier Isabelle Husser also came from Le Cirque south-of-the-border, along with chef David Werly, who is now in the post of executive sous-chef.

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Sirio’s autobiography is now available in Italian.

hotsnack: cans film festival

Tonight is the gala opening of the Cans Film Festival. No, not the one in Cannes, France, the one downtown at the IFC Center. It’s the Food Bank's three-day cinema event and there’s a little something for everyone.

Remember the last time I mentioned there was a cool Food Bank event – and you didn’t go? And then you saw all the star-studded fun you missed with all the hunger-fighting celebrities? On the honorary host committee for Cans film Fest are: Chairmen Stanley Tucci and Oliver Platt, Peter Boyle, Kristin Chenoweth, Kenneth Cole, Billy Crudup, Alan Cumming, Hope Davis, Tony Danza, Edward Norton, Mary-Louise Parker, Aidan Quinn, Paul Rudd, Peter Sarsgaard, Lili Taylor, Liv Tyler and Patrick Wilson. Who knows who will show up tonight. Tickets are still available.

snackspot: le cirque

Gotham’s been talking about the new Le Cirque since 2004, when Sirio Maccioni announced the closing of the old Le Cirque 2000.  The pr machine’s in high gear now that parties are on the calendar, with the opening date of May 31st in sight. Expect a media blitz of epic proportions. If you’re one of those types who must be first to get in, but are not one of those types on the invite lists, there is a way. It will cost you $79.20. Culinary Insiders. Are you free Monday night?

partysnack: chef's night out part deux

I received a flurry of emails from people asking how the chef’s night out party went down. In an ironic twist of fate, I was laid low over the weekend by a nasty cold and didn’t go. But Brett did and he blogged it. Good man.

partysnack: chef's night out

If you’re a player in the industry, you’re probably getting ready to head to New Yorkfor the James Beard Awards happening on Monday night. If you’re a civilian, you may have read about it this week. The JBF awards are considered the Oscars of the culinary world.

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Back in the day, the parties would start on Friday night and go until Tuesday morning. I remember one year I clocked 36 hours of cocktail parties over the 3-day weekend. The biggest fete was always Chef's Night Out with everyone (more than 1,000 of us) pilling in for a late night of revelry and catching up with everyone from around the country.

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This year, somewhat mysteriously the party seems to have dropped of the radar. The past five years running I’ve always found the invite in my mailbox. But not this year. I wondered if I’d somehow dropped off the list? Turns out, I’m not the only one. I’ve received call, emails, queries and questions from chefs across the country. “What happened to chef’s night out? I didn’t get invited this year.”

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My sources say the usual JBF invite list of 1000 or so names was culled down to about 500 by the party planers (budget issues or some such). So yes we all fell of the list. But don’t feel bad, lots of chefs (even some nominees) and industry folks (including press and people at JBF) fell off too.

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My sources say the party is indeed happening at the not-yet-opened Chinatown Brasserie located on the corner of Lafayette and Great Jones in the old Time Café space in NoHo. I happened to walk by today and they were installing the lights, had all the tables piled in cartons on the sidewalk, and a sign in the window announced an open call waitstaff interviews.

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It is the usual day, at the usual time. You all know what I mean. (I’m being coy intentionally to keep out the party-crashing civilian riff-raff)

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I don’t know about you, I might go anyway. Want to come with? We may get turned away at the door, so maybe let’s make an alternate rendez-vous point. Comments are open if anyone has a suggestion.