London : Article Spotlight

A Critical Talk With Frank Bruni

BuzzEditor — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:46:00 GMT

Frank Bruni

Photo: Soo-Jeong Kang

In the foodie circles of New York City, Frank Bruni needs no introduction: up until last week, he was The New York Times’ restaurant critic. Upon the occasion of the release of his memoir, Born Round: The Secret History of a Full-Time Eater, in which he confronts his dysfunctional relationship with food, he chatted with the Buzz about what it was like being the most powerful critical voice in the New York restaurant scene.

Zagat Buzz: You were the first Times critic to have a blog. How has that helped or hindered the job?

Frank Bruni: A lot of resources and staffing of a lot of news organizations have decreased, so I think the blog represents a new heightened pressure on a restaurant critic to provide content. But it was nice to have another outlet for single visits to restaurants and thoughts or observations that don’t fit neatly within the parameters of a review.

ZB: Because of the Internet there has been a rise in the forum for public opinion, which has prompted debate on how powerful the role of the Times critic remains. What’s your take on that?

FB: I think the Times critic’s voice is muffled slightly by the profusion of voices out there, but that voice is still plenty loud. With the Times critics you know what the person’s method of survey was and you know the person is an independent voice. With criticism on the Internet, it’s not clear whether it’s coming from an invested or un-invested party. It’s completely unclear whether the person rendering an opinion has had anything other than one entree on one night long ago at the restaurant. The Times is one of the only places to go for an opinion that is informed by multiple visits to a restaurant for an opinion that is not indebted to anyone, that is truly independent in an economic and ideological sense.

ZB: How did you feel about the star system?

FB: The star system is very imperfect because there are so many restaurants that hover between two ratings. But consumers want handy measures, whether it be a number on the Zagat rating or a number of stars, and I think stars are consumer-friendly and they are such a part of New York Times and New York restaurant-scene lore.

ZB: What was the biggest surprise for you about the NY dining scene over the last five years?

FB: I was surprised at how every year Italian food took another leap forward in terms of it becoming fine-dining food in New York. I’ve been surprised to see just how cult-popular a lot of foods that seem to have fallen out of nutritional favor 10 years ago have become. I lived through years of the pork belly explosion, the bacon explosion, the hamburger, fried chicken... these sorts of foods have really been embraced in an enthusiastic and really expansive way.

ZB: What has been the biggest disappointment?

FB: I still feel there are certain wonderful cuisines that aren’t amply represented among the top tiers of New York restaurants. I wish we had a first-rate three- or four-star-level Chinese restaurant. I would say the same thing about Middle Eastern.

ZB: Which food trends over the last five years do you hope will stay?

FB: The one we just talked about, in terms of caloric comfort food, and a worship of meat. I’m very happy with those sticking around. I think the city’s wine lists have improved remarkably during my tenure. It’s not so much that the wine lists of great restaurants have improved, but the attention that restaurants at a one- or two-star level will pay to their wine list and entire beverage program [has improved]. The array and quality of beverages in a restaurant has grown much more intense and sophisticated over the last five years. I don’t think it will go away.

ZB: Which trends do you hope will go away?

FB: I think we are overly invested in small plates. I think we are overly invested in menu segmentation where you’ve got snacks and sides and this and that. There are too many restaurants that feel to me, as a consumer and a critic, not like freedom of choice but the tyranny of bill gouging – and you can tell which ones they are when you look at the menu. There are a few too many $8 and $9 sides on menus around town. But they may be going away now that we are in recessed economic times.

ZB: What was the most profound thing that you learned about yourself through the job?

FB: I think this job requires an incredible amount of stamina and a pretty thick skin. I suspected I had the stamina, but I wasn’t sure I had the skin. And I’m relieved that my skin turned out to be a little thicker than I feared that it was.

It was such an exciting challenge, and if you want to challenge yourself, you need to expose yourself. I would remind myself constantly, ‘You are the biggest spoiled brat and baby if you accept all of the privileges of a position like this and then let yourself get upset about the scrutiny and the cat calls.’ You can’t wring your hands and engage in a personal sob story over the fact that sometimes people are mean to you because you have been given an incredible privilege. There should be a price for the privilege.

ZB: In terms of people being ‘mean to you,’ in the book you share some of the fiery reactions to negative reviews from people like Jeffrey Chodorow and Keith McNally. Did you get equally passionate responses for good reviews?

FB: Absolutely. One example: I got an e-mail from Maria Hines, the proprietor and chef of Tilth in Seattle, which I rated 9 on a list of recommended places in the nation, and she said, ‘I have needed another bathroom since we opened, but I didn’t have the money. Within a couple of months of that write-up our revenues went up so much that I had the money to put in another bathroom, and I want you to know that I am going to casually refer to it as the Bruni Memorial Bathroom.’ That is just the biggest thrill in the world to know that you have the opportunity, when someone is doing really good, earnest work, to be part of the reward.

ZB: When you gave Minetta Tavern a good review, did Keith McNally apologize for calling you a sexist because of your review of Morandi?

FB: No. I think that what Keith McNally said was ridiculous, and I wouldn’t even want an apology for it.

ZB: I thought it was interesting that you picked such a modest spot, The Redhead, for your final review. Can you explain that choice?

FB: I didn’t think I should make a big deal of my final review because the Times has a grand tradition of restaurant criticism and restaurant critics, and I was just a link in a chain. I thought making a big deal of my last review would just be the wrong thing. It would send a self-important message that would be inconsistent with the way I saw my role.

ZB: At what point did you decide to leave and why?

FB: I always thought I’d do this three or four years tops. I’d never done a beat or a job in journalism more than three years. I figured this book’s release would come at a time that I was ready on an emotional level to leave the job.

– Kathleen Squires

The Unsung Heroine of Julie & Julia

BuzzEditor — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:32:00 GMT

By Nina and Tim Zagat

Tim and Nina Zagat share their thoughts on the film.

So just how good is Meryl Streep as Julia Child in Julie & Julia, the Nora Ephron film that's had the food world salivating for months? Last Thursday we attended the movie's premiere in New York and we're happy to confirm that she's fantastic. We knew Julia over the years and Streep captured her in every nuance – so much so that from now on, people are likely to remember Streep playing Julia as the real Julia. Ephron's masterly touch with actors no doubt deserves some of the credit as well.

We had no particular expectations for Amy Adams, whose role was to re-create a person neither of us had ever met. But she was excellent as the 30-year-old Julie Powell, who cooked every recipe in Mastering the Art of French Cooking in one year and detailed her experiences in a blog. Seeing Julie and her husband was like a flashback to ourselves at the same age, becoming more and more interested in food. As a break from studying law, we found the same satisfaction in cooking and eating Julia's recipes, though we certainly got through far fewer of them than the determined Powell did.

In terms of production values, Julie & Julia is about as good as it gets. The scenes from Julia's life in the late '40s and thereafter – particularly in Paris, as she discovered French food and learned to cook at Le Cordon Bleu – were so well done that we felt transported back to those days. Having lived in Paris a few decades later and eaten more than our fair share of restaurant meals there – not to mention Nina's time spent at Le Cordon Bleu (more on that in a minute) – the movie evoked many wonderful memories. The scenes with Julie in her Queens apartment were also realistic but, needless to say, nowhere near as romantic.

Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia

Photo: copyright Columbia Pictures

When it comes to storyline, however, the film falls a bit flat. Perhaps moviegoers who aren't already familiar with Julia Child's life will get a kick out of seeing it on screen. But as for Julie's life, watching somebody cook 500-plus recipes in a single year just isn't that dramatic. Yes, it's interesting to see how a love of food and cooking transformed the lives of both protagonists – something we can very much identify with, since it transformed ours as well – but it isn't compelling enough to hold the film together.

But back to Le Cordon Bleu, where Nina took many classes during our two years working in Paris. We were particularly struck by the film's portrayal of Madame Brassart, the school's longtime owner and director. Basically, the film portrayed her through Julia's eyes, and Julia clearly disliked Brassart – not surprising, since she flunked Julia on her first exam.

Having known both women, we can safely say that it's hard to imagine two less compatible people. Julia was tall and assertive with a loud, braying voice in English – one can only imagine what she sounded like in French. Madame Brassart, in contrast, was petite, elegant and aristocratic, and spoke impeccable French and English, as well as several other languages. She also was an important figure in culinary education, having successfully led Le Cordon Bleu from the late '40s through 1985. As her niece, the distinguished ceramicist Martine Vermeulen, of Feu-Follet Pottery, reminded us just last night, she had the clearest skin and the most piercing blue eyes – "You could never put anything over on her, not with those eyes."

From our point of view, Madame Brassart was much more sympathetic than portrayed in the film – she had a great sense of humor and could be very funny in an understated way ("Laughter was de rigueur with her," her niece said) – and her achievements as a culinary educator, much like Julia's, are indisputable. Maybe the French equivalent of Nora Ephron, if you can imagine such a thing, will make a movie about her. Nobody can match Meryl Streep, of course. But in an ideal world, we'd cast Leslie Caron.

This article also appears on The Atlantic's website.

Dish from the Julie & Julia Premiere

BuzzEditor — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 17:23:00 GMT

Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia

Photo: copyright Columbia Pictures

The stars were out last week for New York City's red-carpet premiere of Julie & Julia, opening Friday, 11 September. Zagat Buzz was also there, and we scored some tasty quips from the likes of chef Anthony Bourdain, restaurateur Drew Nieporent (Corton, Nobu), our own Tim and Nina Zagat, and writer Julie Powell, the real-life “Julie” of the film. To see photos from the event, click on the names.

Anthony Bourdain

Zagat Buzz: What do you think TV chefs today could learn from watching reruns of The French Chef?

Anthony Bourdain: Cooking skills. They could actually learn how to cook. And humility. A desire to communicate by raising people up and making them better, rather than just making them feel better about themselves. Julia made everyone want to be better and cook better, and she would convince them that they could. We need more of that.

ZB: How did she influence you as a chef?

AB: As a human being I think she influenced people who never knew her name, never saw her show and never read her books. We all eat better today because of her. The entire industry as we know it, and the celebrity chef industry...all of that is due to her. I was influenced by Mastering the Art of French Cooking. It was on my mom’s refrigerator when I was a little kid. It influenced the way I grew up and my entire value system.

ZB: Who do you think should play James Beard in his biopic?

AB: I don’t want to see that biopic. I think they should turn the Beard House into a methadone clinic. You know, something useful.

Drew Nieporent

ZB: How has Julia Child affected your career as a restaurateur?

Drew Nieporent: I used to come home from grade school and watch [in his best falsetto] Julia Child and The Galloping Gourmet, so she was part of the reason I got into the business in the first place.

ZB: Did Julia Child eat in any of your restaurants?

DN: She used to come into Montrachet and she came to Nobu. I was having lunch with her once at Nobu, and she reached over with her chopsticks for the sushi and she just froze. She was frozen for like 60 seconds, and I thought, oh my God, she’s going to die here at Nobu, but luckily she was alive, it was sleep apnea or something...True story.

Julie Powell

ZB: Which dish was the most challenging for you in Mastering the Art of French Cooking?

Julie Powell: There were different kinds of challenges. There were technical challenges like they show in the movie, where I bone a whole duck and stuff it with pâté and sew it back up – that was technically challenging and really exhilarating. The real challenges were slogging through stuff that you just know is not going to be good, like doing 10 aspic recipes and knowing they are all going to stink. It would take this enormous effort of will just to get up and do the next steps...I mean that was the part where I was like, “Why am I doing this again?”

ZB: What dishes did you feel like you really mastered?

JP: I’m pretty damn good at omelets. My beef bourguignon comes out very reliably now. I loved the baked cucumbers; I do that all the time.

ZB: What’s your favorite NYC restaurant at the moment?

JP: At the moment it’s Prune. I think it’s just good honest food. You can just tell that there’s no B.S. about Gabrielle Hamilton. Her attitude is, “I’m going to put food that interests me on the table, and you’re going to eat it.” And I love that because it’s anti-trendy and anti-mediocrity.

ZB: Where are you going to dine to celebrate the film release?

JP: My family and I are going to Sammy’s Roumanian, and pour lots of schmaltz.

Tim and Nina Zagat

ZB: I understand you have some great Julia Child memories.

Tim Zagat: We knew her for a long time.

ZB: Did she contribute to the early surveys?

TZ: She liked what we were doing, and of course we loved hearing that from her.

Nina Zagat: She also gave us a lot of ideas on places to include.

TZ: She traveled a lot, and she always found places that we had never heard of.

ZB: What do you think is the most inspiring thing about her life story?

TZ: I think she took fear out of the American cook. People felt that if she could cook, they could. She would do something like drop an entire leg of lamb on the floor, brush it off and say things like, ‘The germs will be killed by the stove.’ That made people feel relaxed.

NZ: The point about cooking is to be relaxed and for it to be fun.

ZB: Who would you like to see play James Beard in his biopic?

NZ: [Laughs] Someone very big!

–Kathleen Squires

Gluten-Free Menus on the Rise

BuzzEditor — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 20:24:00 GMT

More and more restaurants are offering gluten-free dishes.

When Tom Kaplan, owner of Hugo’s in Los Angeles, had a customer get sick after eating his white fish piccata, the seafood wasn’t to blame. It was the gluten in the bread-crumb coating that set off a week-long bout of intestinal distress in the customer, who suffers from a genetically inherited, autoimmune disorder known as celiac disease.

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. It’s what gives bread its elasticity and structure. When people with celiac ingest gluten, it sets off an immune system response, which damages the villi of the small intestine. Once thought to be extremely rare, celiac is now believed to affect almost 3 million Americans, although up to 97% are undiagnosed. Eventually, it can lead to nutritional deficiencies, osteoporosis or gastrointestinal cancers. The disorder has no cure or treatment other than the elimination of gluten from the diet.

Gluten is ubiquitous in American cuisine – wheat flour is used as a thickener in sauces, a coating on meats and as an additive in soy sauce, salad dressings and even ketchup – and few restaurateurs have worked to offer alternatives on their menus.

But Kaplan is one of the happy exceptions: “The time seemed right to make a commitment to getting rid of all hidden glutens in our restaurant,” he recalls about his decision to develop an extensive, exclusively gluten-free menu at Hugo’s that includes french fries cooked in an uncontaminated fryer, and a variety of pancakes and desserts.

Vanessa Matlin, Director of Programming for the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness believes chefs shouldn’t view gluten-free cooking as a great challenge. “There are hundreds of ingredients that chefs can use in their dishes,” says Matlin. Her group provides training programs to help restaurants implement gluten-free practices in their kitchens, such as encouraging chefs to “store gluten-free ingredients above regular ingredients, use separate cutting boards and keep food prep areas clean.”

While restaurants that offer gluten-free options are usually conscious about avoiding contamination, in a hectic kitchen, things can happen. Someone who knows a thing or two about the risks this creates is Betty Alper, chef-owner of The Balanced Kitchen in Chicago, an entirely gluten-free, all-vegan restaurant (it’s currently doing catering and events only until it reopens in the eco-friendly business center Green Exchange this fall). A celiac herself, Alper says, “I’m really sensitive and always get sick when I eat out, so I don’t do it anymore."

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, Ms. Alper experiments with different flours and oils to find combinations that approximate the taste and consistency of conventional baked goods. Her greatest successes have come from using brown rice flour, tapioca starch and various nut flours: “I made graham crackers the other day using teff, and I also made funnel cakes.”

Restaurants that serve only gluten-free fare are paradise for celiacs. However, many eateries find it more practical to offer both a gluten-free and a wheat-intensive menu, to suit both celiac customers and their gluten-loving companions.

At the regional Italian restaurant Rialto in Cambridge, chef-owner Jody Adams says, “We plan the menu, so that all of the dishes will be adaptable in some way.” This includes ensuring that a dish contains no hidden glutens, and that any obvious ones (such as pasta or bread) can be easily omitted.

Meanwhile Opus in New York offers celiac diners a dozen pasta dishes made with corn-based penne or spaghetti, but non-celiacs can still order traditional, homemade pasta. Brothers Enzo and Guiseppe Lentini also serve an array of main plates, beers and desserts, half of which are gluten-free. “We do this for people who say they haven’t had a good pasta dish or a good cheesecake in years,” says Enzo.

– Liz Curry

The following London restaurants either offer gluten-free menus (or celiac-friendly substitutes): Hell Pizza, Leon, Mela and Wagamama.

Talking Chow With Alan Yau

BuzzEditor — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:37:00 GMT

Alan Yau has opened an outpost of Hakkasan in Miami.

Photo: courtesy of the restaurant

Hong Kong native Alan Yau took London by storm in 1991 with the launch of his groundbreaking Japanese noodle chain Wagamama, and his streak of success continued with Busaba Eathai, Hakkasan, Yauatcha and Cha Cha Moon. So it’s no surprise that there was a collective sigh of disappointment among foodies when plans for his much anticipated U.S. debut in New York's Gramercy Park Hotel, Park Chinois, fell through in 2006.

Fortunately, the wait is over: Yau has arrived stateside with an outpost of Hakkasan in Miami’s Fontainebleau. Zagat Buzz caught up with the renowned restaurateur to find out about his latest venture, and the details behind Park Chinois’ derailment.

Zagat Buzz: So, why Miami?

Alan Yau: After the Gramercy Park/Ian Schrager experience, I just wanted to go somewhere else where there is less pressure and expectation. [Hakkasan] will allow us to do things properly before coming to New York. I also wanted an organization that could give unqualified support, and I found the Fontainebleau Group extremely upfront and professional.

ZB: What did happen with the Gramercy?

AY: We encountered difficulty in bringing the kitchen brigade over. Our visa application was rejected twice, and Ian then told me he was considering someone else.

ZB: Are there certain dishes on the Miami menu that are indigenous to the area, and can’t be found at your other places?

AY: We have a chicken with fresh coconut and local scallops, which are very different from Scottish scallops.

ZB: How much time will you spend in Miami?

AY: Once a month, weather permitting. I prefer low season, and I tend not to go into the hotel’s lobby. I didn’t realize it was going to be like an upmarket Club Med.

ZB: What will it take to get you to open in New York?

AY: I am actually looking at a site at the moment. It isn’t a restaurant now, but I can’t talk about it. This time around we might do it on our own, so we have absolute control.

ZB: Is there a particular neighborhood you want?

AY: The spatial dynamic is more important to me than the location; it has to have a certain proportion and shape. I am looking for a perfect rectangle on the first floor. Each baby of mine is viewed like a human. The atmosphere is essential to make the energy and social dynamics work – I need all areas to be fronted by activity. In London, the cage, which is what we call the dining room, is fronted on the north side by the kitchen, on the west side by a tea station, south by the bar and east by the lounge, squeezing the energy tighter. The vibes are different than at other restaurants. One of the things that attracted me to the Miami space was that one wall faced the sea.

ZB: What attracts you to New York?

AY: New York will actually be easier than Miami. We are getting a local team of chefs and more interesting ingredients because New York has a proper Chinatown.

ZB: Do you think that diversifying with high- and low-end restaurants as you do is the key to success in this economic climate?

AY: The restaurants we have in the lower market are performing better, and Hakkasan is down a bit, but if I had only high-end places, I would consolidate to make sure all the units were running efficiently.

ZB: So what is your time frame for future projects?

AY: I’d like to open a Hakkasan-type restaurant in New York by next summer and Abu Dhabi a year from now.

– Beth Landman

American Dining's Service Deficit

BuzzEditor — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 21:27:00 GMT

By Nina and Tim Zagat

Building a better front of the house.

Tim and Nina Zagat share their thoughts on service deficiencies and how to remedy them.

Over the years that we've spent surveying hundreds of thousands of diners, one fact becomes clear: Service is *the* weak link in the restaurant industry. How do we know? Roughly 70% of all complaints we receive relate to service. Collectively, complaints about food prices, noise, crowding, smoking and even parking make up only 30%. Moreover, the average rating for food on our 30-point scale is usually two points higher than the average rating for service. Given the fact that identical people are voting, and that there are hundreds of thousands of them, this deficit is dramatic.

It's easy to complain, but how should the industry correct the problem? To start, it's necessary to understand that there are two elements of good service. The first is hospitality. If you're warmly received by a restaurant, starting with the reservationist, you'll automatically feel better. The most successful restaurants understand this, and make sure to fill their staffs with likeable people (I'm thinking of NYC's Danny Meyer, Chicago's Rich Melman, and the New Orleans Brennan family). One famous restaurateur we know says that he never hires anyone unless he thinks his wife would like them. The second element is professionalism, e.g. where to put the utensils, which side to serve from, and being able to explain what you're serving.

How to rectify this? It's helpful to look at the recent history of restaurants in the United States. 25 or 30 years ago there were very few middle-class Americans who wanted to become chefs, and there were hardly any professional culinary schools. Today there are over 100 culinary schools across the country producing thousands of bright young chefs each year. The public now perceives chefs as respected professionals–celebrities, even. Besides having a 24-hour TV channel devoted to cooking, there are food shows focusing on chefs on the major networks and myriad cable stations. No wonder chefs are seen as stars. But when was the last time you saw a show that focused on waiters or maitre d's, and how many schools pride themselves on teaching service skills?

Our suggestion is that we create front-of-the-house divisions at every culinary school in the country. These schools would elevate the professionalism and the respectability of service in the hospitality industry. They would save restaurants the enormous cost of training wait staff from scratch and reduce the high turnover most restaurants face. In addition, the schools should adopt many of the restaurant management courses that are already in the curriculum for chefs.

In light of the Obama administration's focus on creating jobs and providing necessary education for those careers, I can't think of a more useful program to support. It wouldn't just help the restaurant business. It could help many other "service" industries–retail alone is a big, and struggling, sector. (Just think of the prices you might be willing to pay if your gas-station attendant were polite and actually serviced your car.)

Bear in mind the number of restaurant jobs is vast–well into the millions–and there is a restaurant around almost every corner that needs well-trained help. The only thing they need to remember is that likeability should be a preliminary requirement for the job; after all, we're talking about hospitality.

This article also appears on The Atlantic's website.

Chewing the Fat With Stanley Lobel

BuzzEditor — Thu, 21 May 2009 14:25:00 GMT

Stanley Lobel

Photo: courtesy of Lobel's Prime Meats

Renowned butcher Stanley Lobel, whose family has been in the industry for five generations, knows meat. As co-owner and operator of the New York institution Lobel's Prime Meats, and co-author of the recently published Lobel’s Meat Bible, he is one of the most trusted authorities on the subject, with his store attracting a loyal following among celebrities, politicians and devoted foodies alike. Having already illustrated that steak is still prime, we spoke to Lobel about why it deserves to be, and asked him to share some trade secrets and opinions on current trends.

Zagat Buzz: What makes for a good steak?

Stanley Lobel: A really great steak is not very soft. A really great steak has a combination of softness and flavor – flavor is critical. Cook it with a little kosher salt, olive oil and that’s it.

ZB: So when you want steak, where do you go?

SL: To my house. Although I do have one restaurant that allows me to bring my own, the only catch is that I’ve got to bring one for the owner!

ZB: How are your clients dealing with the recession?

SL: I thank god I’ve felt nothing in terms of the recession. We’re very fortunate. I guess maybe our clients are just well-heeled, and I think a lot of them would rather have a good steak rather than a good stock...I know the way I feel – when I want something, and I figure how much money I’ve lost, I’ve got to be crazy not to have what I want. If I wait, I may not be here, or I may not want it anymore!

ZB: Many restaurants seem to be hosting whole animal roasts. What's your opinion of this trend?

SL: The whole purpose of cooking that way is because of economics. It’s much more reasonable to cook larger sides of beef with slow cooking, which enables the meat to become soft and tender...I think once the average person gets that taste, whole roasts are here to stay.

ZB: Is there a cut of meat from the past you’d like to see more of on modern menus?

SL: The old-fashioned pot roast is a cut of meat that comes from the first cut chuck. It has enormous flavor, and is not being used in restaurants at all. The average cut they use now is bottom round, eye round, top round and brisket – those are the normal cuts and are flavorless. But when you take this specific cut that I’m talking about and pot it, it’s not good – it’s magnificent.

ZB: And there’s no place where can you order such a thing?

SL: Nope. One of the biggest problems I find with the food industry today is that you can take any piece of meat and mask it, and make it look good and make it taste good. But when you start with the right piece of meat, it doesn’t just taste good, it tastes incredibly good, like something you’ve never eaten before.

ZB: What cuts of meat would you recommend to convert a vegetarian to meat?

SL: I’d have them over to my house, and I’d barbecue. Grilled steak is by far the best. It’d be either a rib steak, which is extremely flavorful, or a hanger steak, which is also incredibly flavorful and extremely juicy.

ZB: Conversely, what would you suggest for a person who feels they’ve had it all?

SL: Rabbi, priest? [Laughs.] For the person who wants to be a connoisseur, I’d have to go with a filet, a prime grilled filet. Filet is soft, normally speaking, and doesn’t have the flavor that a real steak has, but when you use a prime filet, it has the combination of the flavor and the softness, and makes an incredible steak. But it must be prime.

ZB: How do you feel about the public being more involved in finding out where they get their meat?

SL: I think it’s incredibly important. With what we do, everything comes from a special farm that produces for us. But unfortunately not everyone has the ability to get that kind of product. There’s a lot to be done in that area.

ZB: What’s one thing that we can improve on when purchasing meat for home preparation? Any widespread mistakes?

SL: If I go into a supermarket, or go into a Costco, Sam’s Club or a BJ’s, I have a tendency to watch what people do and how they buy. And what they look for is bright red meat, and it just surprises me how they don’t understand that meat needs graining – those little flecks of fat in the meat to make it soft, which is not the fat culprit. The fat culprit is fat that’s on the outside, not the fat that’s in the inside. So the most [common] mistake that people make is not knowing what they’re buying. But then again, that’s why we just came out with our new book, Lobel’s Meat Bible.

ZB: For your money, what’s a good cut of meat to get?

SL: If I was a consumer and needed to cut back, the way I’d cut back would be in quantity, not quality. I’d rather have one steak once a week, and have the best, than a lot of steak during the week that’s just food going down your stomach. That would be my preference, no two ways about it!

– Jacqueline Wasilczyk

The Zagats' Atlantic Adventure

BuzzEditor — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:27:00 GMT

Tim and Nina Zagat

The Atlantic launched its impressive Food Channel last week, and today senior editor Corby Kummer posted a gracious welcome to two of its contributors, our very own Tim and Nina Zagat. You can read their first article – about how the industry will weather the recession – right here.

Know Your Bubbly

BuzzEditor — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 17:47:00 GMT

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it's a good time to talk about champagne, an essential accompaniment for any festive meal. James Hayes, associate beverage director for the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group (and former head sommelier at New York City's Per Se), chatted with the Buzz about the basics of bubbly.

Zagat Buzz: How did the tradition of drinking champagne to celebrate special occasions get started?

James Hayes: Champagne has always been associated with both royalty and luxury, and for good reason. Reims, in the heart of Champagne, houses a famous cathedral where the kings of France throughout history were crowned. Quite obviously they served the wines of the region at the coronation celebrations, giving a start to champagne’s reputation as a wine of kings around the world.

ZB: What temperature do you recommend people serve champagne at?

JH: Temperature is a very important consideration for all wines and champagnes that is often overlooked. Frequently, I find that some restaurants serve whites too cold and reds too warm – it can really do a disservice to a great bottle. For me champagne is, in most cases, best served cold – about 43–45 degrees. There are certainly exceptions to that approach: some top Tête de Cuvée champagnes and older vintage champagnes will show their best closer to about 52 degrees. At the end of the day, your personal preference is really the only thing that matters.

ZB: Does the type of stemware used actually make a difference?

JH: The type of stemware does make a difference. The safe play is always a traditional flute, but some champagnes benefit from a larger glass. Jacques Selosse is a champagne producer whose wines are so rich they taste much better in a Chardonnay-style glass. The bigger bowl gives them a chance to breathe and open up – they become much more complex. One consideration to remember is the bubbles. If you like your champagne very bubbly, then stick with a flute – the bigger the glass you use, the faster the carbonation will disappear.

ZB: What champagnes do you recommend for celebrating a special occasion?

JH: Unfortunately, good champagne is always going to be fairly expensive. For the best values, look to the “multi-vintage” or “non-vintage” blends – these are champagnes that contain wines from a few different years, and typically are produced to showcase a producer’s “house-style.” One of the best values out there is a small producer named Aubry – their multi-vintage brut can typically be had off a restaurant wine list for under $100, which for a top-quality bottle is a good deal.

James Hayes

Photo: courtesy of Per Se

In the midrange, you can step up to vintage-dated champagnes – wines that come from a single year. One of my favorites year in and year out is Pol Roger – they make very pretty, clean and pure champagnes that are great at the start of a meal.

If you are looking for a super-special bottle of champagne, there is certainly no shortage of choices. Practically every producer has a Tête de Cuvée or top bottling of champagne in their lineup. For Moët & Chandon, it is Dom Perignon, for Louis Roederer it is Cristal. All the most famous and luxurious champagnes out there fit into this category and they are always very expensive. Everyone has a favorite – mine is Krug’s Clos du Mesnil, a single-vineyard champagne produced from 100% Chardonnay. For me there is no champagne more delicious and more elegant.

ZB: With prosecco becoming more popular, do you feel people are becoming less selective about drinking “pure” champagne?

JH: Nothing will ever replace true champagne – the soil and climate in [the Champagne] region is simply more perfect than anywhere else for producing great sparkling wine. Other interpretations from around the globe offer a fun, and less expensive, alternative, but most simply do not come close to matching the elegance and complexity found in a great bottle of champagne.

ZB: How long can you hold onto an average bottle of champagne before it turns?

JH: It depends on the wine and how you store it – some top champagnes can last for 50 years or longer if cellared perfectly. Most multi-vintage champagnes are ready to drink when you get them. I wouldn’t recommend keeping a bottle of one of those around for more than a couple years.

ZB: What desserts do you recommend pairing with champagne?

JH: Look for similar flavors in your wine and on your plate – for young white champagnes, apple or stone fruit tarts and pastries work great. For rosé champagnes, lighter berry desserts are perfect. For older champagnes, nut- and caramel-based desserts are a nice match. One big no-no is any kind of chocolate – I have found it to be a dreadful pairing with white champagnes especially.

ZB: Any tips for popping the cork without breaking a lightbulb?

JH: Practice, practice, practice – opening a bottle of champagne perfectly is easier said than done. Try your best to ease the cork out slowly, trying for a “hiss” instead of a “pop.”

Shindler's Dish: Aye Cuy-rumba!

BuzzEditor — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 21:21:00 GMT

Cuy, otherwise known as your childhood pet.

photo: Merri Howard

In Lima, Peru, local foodies ecstatically describe the wonders of the Nouvelle Andean cuisine of local culinary powerhouse Gastón Acurio (who recently opened a restaurant in San Francisco), the Italian cooking of Ugo and Sandra Plevasani, and the wonders of the Central Market, where on any given day a sizable portion of the estimated 3,000 species of local fish can be found for sale.

By contrast, in Cusco – an hour away by plane, and 12,000 feet higher – what the local eaters speak of, with near-religious fervor, is cuy (pronounced "coo-wee"), otherwise known as the guinea pig. Peruvians eat an estimated 65 million of the rodents a year, and it's a good guess that the majority is eaten in the countryside outside of Lima.

Should anyone have doubts about the obsession Peruvians have for guinea pig, spend a moment studying the mural depicting the Last Supper in Cusco's Plaza de Armas – look carefully, and you'll discover that Jesus and his disciples are dining on platters of guinea pig. (I've checked through my New Testament, and feel fairly sure that no mention is made of guinea pig being served as the main course. Or as a side course.)

On a recent trip to Peru, I had eaten my fill of ceviche in Lima – it was clearly time to give guinea pig a try in Cusco. At a small, second-story cafe called A Mi Manera, hidden in the back of a shopping complex, while my wife and 10-year-old daughter chewed on alpaca steak and pasta, I went for the cuy. Which arrived in a state of…"cuy-ness" that left us all a bit breathless. And not just because we were two miles up.

Unfortunately, my Spanish isn't quite good enough for me to have noticed that the guinea pig was served "qua" – roasted, and served whole, with the head on one end , the tail bud on the other and, in between, the four legs sticking up in the air. It looked like a cartoon rodent that's been bopped on the head – all that was missing were Xs for eyes. There was no denying the guinea pig-ness of the guinea pig, no mistaking it for, say, chicken or even rabbit.

I looked at it for a while, unsure how to dive in. And my server, noticing my confusion, offered to take it to the kitchen to prepare it further. Which sounded like a great idea, until it came back dismembered – the head and feet were separated from the corpus, which itself had been cut into six parts. This did not make it look any better. Nor did it help when my waiter pointed out that the best part was the head – the brains, he told me, were particularly succulent. Oh.

So, how was it? Well, I'm not going to say it tasted like chicken. Nor am I going to say it was a cross between gerbil and hamster, with a hint of ferret. Instead, it was a boney thing, with a crispy skin that was decently porkish, and a smattering of meat within that was notable for its greasiness. I passed on the head, though I did annoy my wife by pretending that the head was speaking ("Eat me! Eat me!"). It gave me bragging rights as well – probably for the rest of my life. But unlike much of what I experienced in Peru, I don't dream of my next cuy. As the old pun goes, "One egg is an oeuf."

– Merrill Shindler, Zagat Editor, LA

Tracing Giraldin's Tree

BuzzEditor — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 23:47:00 GMT

Silvano Giraldin

photo: Courtesy Le Gavroche

Everyone’s seen those family trees showing the lineage of chefs from restaurant to restaurant, from the Big Daddy originators to the current young hotshots. Yet it’s not often that we pay similar attention to that key position that keeps a restaurant running smoothly: the general manager.

Last year saw the retirement of one of London’s most revered front-of-house maestros, Silvano Giraldin, who was the public face of Le Gavroche for 37 years. Starting his career at a catering college in his native Italy, Giraldin then travelled throughout Europe to learn languages (he speaks five) and experience life in different countries – a valuable background for dealing with an international clientele. In 1971, at the age of 23, he started as a waiter at Le Gavroche and became general manager by 1975. He later founded the Academy of Culinary Arts' “Les Artes de la Table” as well as its first service competition.

While Giraldin remains one of Le Gavroche’s directors, his managerial mantle has been passed on to Emmanuel Landre, a 10-year veteran who worked his way up from waiter to assistant manager under Giraldin before assuming his current role.

But Landre isn’t the only one who learned his craft from one of the best. Here’s a look at the rest of Giraldin’s family tree:

Jean-Claude Breton: Now at the helm of Gordon Ramsay’s flagship, 68 Royal Hospital Rd., Breton met Ramsay during his tenure at Le Gavroche (1979–1989) and first joined him for the 1993 opening of Aubergine. Meanwhile, one of Breton’s protégés, Stephane Reaubourg, is now putting his skills to good use at Tom Aikens.

Enzo Cassini: Working at Le Gavroche from 1988–1990 prepared Cassini to manage Zafferano, where he’s kept the same team since the restaurant opened in 1995.

Dominic Corolleur: Before joining Hélène Darroze at The Connaught last year, Corolleur worked with Jean-Claude Breton at Royal Hospital Rd. and other restaurants in the Ramsay stable.

Michel Lang: Trained under Giraldin at Le Gavroche from 1982–83 and now manages Alain Ducasse’s Louis XV in Monte Carlo.

Diego Masciaga: After working for Giraldin from 1982–86, Masciaga landed at The Waterside Inn in 1988 and became manager after just five months – he’s now been there for two decades.

Thierry Tomasin: Tomasin was chef sommelier at Le Gavroche from 1991–2002, then left to become general manager at Aubergine and finally opened his own restaurant, Angelus, in 2007.

– Susan Kessler

Best of the Buzz, 2008 Edition

BuzzEditor — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:43:00 GMT

The Buzz is on break until the new year.

Chicago deep-dish pizza

photo: Emily Capo

From the historic U.S. election to the roller-coaster world economy, calorie counts to baconnaise, 2008 has been a tumultuous year. Here’s a look at some of the things we were Buzzing about over the last 12 months:

how to survive next year's inauguration
the best of Chicago's deep-dish pizza
12 must-see Manhattan murals
a trip to el Bulli
budget-friendly foodie staycations
behind the scenes at Top Chef
chatting with Joël Robuchon
the world of sustainable seafood
secrets of New York's sushi chefs
the ins and outs of shochu and sake
New York restaurants that weren't and never will be
how a restaurant menu is designed
Zagat turned 30

And that's just a sip of the soup! Here's hoping that 2009 will be just as exciting.

Holiday Gifts for the Literary Foodie

BuzzEditor — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 23:05:00 GMT

Looking for gift ideas for the gourmand readers in your life (other than, naturally, all the latest Zagat guides)? Fret not, here are some recent books from top toques around town.

The Big Fat Duck Cookbook, Heston Blumenthal (Bloomsbury Publishing £100): This book is definitely “big” and “fat” with 532 pages, a grey cloth binding and slipcase, and beautiful photography and stunning illustrations throughout. It tells the story of the meteoric rise of Heston and The Fat Duck, and explores the chef’s obsession with the science of cooking. Read recipes for 50 of his signature dishes such as snail porridge and bacon-and-egg ice cream.

British Seasonal Food, Mark Hix (Quadrille Publishing £25): The owner of Hix Oyster & Chop House has created simple recipes – think prawn cocktail and haddock fish fingers – with seasonal ingredients organized month-by-month at their peak. There are no endless lists of ingredients here – just inventive recipes accompanied by eye-popping photography and original drawings.

The Clatter of Forks and Spoons, Richard Corrigan (4th Estate £25): The chef-owner of Bentley’s and the recently opened Corrigan’s likes to keep it simple with his imaginative British and Irish recipes, many of which are provided here. He even includes the one for his fabulous Irish soda bread.

Cooking for Friends: Food from my Table, Gordon Ramsay (HarperCollins Publishers £25): Ramsay’s latest book offers more than 100 modern British recipes to cook for friends and family. Each recipe is introduced with an insight into why he’s chosen it and includes tips on how to re-create it perfectly. With an emphasis on simplicity and seasonal ingredients with a low-carbon footprint, the majority of the recipes are short and easy to cook.

Curry: Classic and Contemporary, Vivek Singh (Absolute Press £20): In his third book of modern Indian cooking, Singh (Cinnamon Club and the recently opened Cinnamon Kitchen) shares recipes for old classics and contemporary interpretations accompanied by mouth-watering photographs.

Fish, Tom Aikens (Ebury Press £25): This beautiful fish and seafood book from the man behind Tom Aikens and Tom’s Kitchen provides a guide to which fish we should be eating, which to avoid and why. Its 200 recipes are organized by cooking methods such as grilling, barbecuing and one-pot dishes, and it also offers step-by-step photographs of techniques such as de-scaling and filleting.

Made in Great Britain, Aiden Byrne (New Holland Publishers £25): The former head chef of The Grill at The Dorchester, Byrne is now at the helm of his new country venture The Church Green Pub/Restaurant. His book showcases the best of British ingredients with 150 recipes and gorgeous photos, and also offers stories about Byrne's visits to a micro salad plantation in Wiltshire and a rare-breeds farm in Gloucestershire. Not to be missed: a photo of Aiden in a wetsuit hand-diving for scallops.

Today’s Special, Anthony Demetre (Quadrille Publishing £20): Demetre, chef/co-owner of Wild Honey and Arbutus, has stocked his book with recipes from his restaurants and plenty of wonderful photos. Like any good bistro chef, he makes use of cheaper cuts and wastes nothing. And for the cocoa-inclined, don’t miss the Warm Chocolate Soup recipe.

– Susan Kessler

Take a Foodie Staycation

BuzzEditor — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 21:10:00 GMT

View of London

Photo: Avanti Sharma

If vacationing in another country seems like an impossibility given these tough economic times, why not try a foodie staycation instead? Forget the luggage and passport – there are plenty of restaurants with food and atmosphere that will make you feel like you’re thousands of miles from home. Following are some options.

La Famiglia

7 Langston St., SW1; 020-7351 0761

Get whisked away to Tuscany by Alvaro Maccioni and his daughter at this circa-1975 Italian with a cosy, cosseting vibe.

Levant

Jason Ct., 76 Wigmore St., W1; 020-7224 1111

This Lebanese has it all – a sultry and decadent setting, belly dancers and platters of mezze, adding up to an experience sure to make you forget you’re in Marylebone.

L’Oranger

5 St. James’s St., SW1; 020-7839 3774

So what if you can’t actually afford to go to Provence? This old-fashioned St. James’s French features a skylight, garden and très magnifique Provençal cuisine.

Lucky 7

127 Westbourne Park Rd., W2; 020-7727 6771

No need to cross the pond to get a taste of classic American eats like juicy burgers and thick shakes thanks to this Notting Hill diner; it’s affordable to boot.

Santa Maria del Sur

129 Queenstown Rd., SW8; 020-7622 2088

Buenos Aires comes to Battersea courtesy of this Argentinean’s steaks, wines and music. Friendly service completes the picture.

– Jeff Freier

Zagat's 2008 Airline Survey Results Are In

BuzzEditor — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 12:41:00 GMT

The results of our 2008 Airline Survey are in, and while there were a few positive developments, the industry as a whole is hardly flying high in the public’s eyes.

First, the good news: average overall ratings – factoring in Comfort, Service and Food scores – rose slightly for premium and economy class performance in both the domestic and international ranks. Not surprisingly, premium class showed the most improvement.

And a number of carriers – including Continental, JetBlue, Midwest and Virgin America domestically and Air New Zealand, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Singapore and Virgin Atlantic internationally – turned in solid performances despite the tough conditions facing the industry.

Still, in the domestic economy ranks, several airlines again scored better for their websites than for their in-air performance. And the 9,950 surveyors who participated continued to express a high degree of airborne discontent (read some of their comments here).

Other survey highlights:

– Among large domestic airlines, Continental was voted No. 1 in premium class while JetBlue took top honors for economy. Looking at just the U.S. “Big Six” – American, Continental, Delta, Northwest, United, US Airways (soon to be “Big Five” with the merger of Delta and Northwest) – Continental led in all categories, as it did in ’07. It was also deemed the best value among all airlines for international flights.
– Among midsized domestics, Virgin America, the low-cost, high-style newcomer launched by Richard Branson in 2007, continued to impress, ranking No. 1 in premium and No. 2 – after winner Midwest – in economy.
– Singapore Airlines keeps gaining altitude: it topped the international ranks in both premium and economy classes for the ninth Survey in a row.
– Delay-weary fliers cited Southwest as having the best on-time performance among domestics. Southwest was also saluted for offering the best value domestically as well as the best website, frequent-flier program and luggage policy.
– Top in-flight entertainment honors went to JetBlue domestically, Virgin Atlantic internationally.
– When booking, 60% of surveyors use airline websites, while only 4% call the airline. Sites such as Expedia, Travelocity and the like are used by 18%, while 9% book through work and 8% use a travel agent.
– 65% of surveyors use their frequent-flier miles for free flights; 25% use them for upgrades; and 10% don't use them.

This year’s Survey included 17 domestic airlines and 68 airlines that fly internationally. Each surveyor took an average of 16.3 flights per year, for a total of 162,000 annual trips; 38% were for leisure, 62% for business.