Dmnkly wrote:
Canelé
Never had one of these before, and now I see what all of the fuss is about. No point of reference, so I can't say whether it's a shining example of the genre or a total dud, but I sure enjoyed it.

One of - if not THE - best in the world.

Louisa Chu wrote:

Dmnkly wrote:
Canelé
Never had one of these before, and now I see what all of the fuss is about. No point of reference, so I can't say whether it's a shining example of the genre or a total dud, but I sure enjoyed it.

One of - if not THE - best in the world.

I would second that!

Also the macaroon is, IMHO, comparable to ones found on the Champs-Élysées. I would even go so far as to say comparable to Pierre Hermé's.

wish L20 would open a bakeshop so I could have boxes of their macarons and mini croissants

Stephen wrote:wish L20 would open a bakeshop so I could have boxes of their macarons and mini croissants

I concur. It is amazing that Chef Gras is able to produce top quality products in one location. Normally I would have to go to a boulangerie and patisserie to get items of this quality. Thanks chef, for bringing a little bit of France here in Chicago.

Laurent Gras taking a leave of absence from L20

Laurent Gras has taken at least a temporary leave from L2O, the restaurant he built with Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises.

...

To be honest, I don’t know if he’s going to take a month off…or if he’s never going to come back. I don’t know,” says Melman. But he stresses that his relationship with Gras is solid, and that Gras’s reasons for leaving were purely personal. “My relationship with him is terrific,” he asserts.

SSDD

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

Will be interesting to see what happens once the Michelin stars are announced.

Is it wrong that I'm actually more interested in returning to L2O, now? My one meal there was something of a disaster...but just this morning I realized I had a very healthy balance on a LEYE gift card and thought maybe it was time to give it another shot. Now, I think it's almost a must.

Agreed, but I'd probably give the staff a few weeks to be sure they regain their total balance.

Doug Psaltis is now a "corporate chef" at L20. I'm not sure exactly what his role is at L20, but I've wanted to eat at one of his restaurants for a while. I enjoyed his book Seasoning of a Chef and the subsequent eGullet thread.

How often do you all think that Laurent Gras actually cooked in the kitchen of L20?

I don't know, just curious if any change will be noticed.

Shaggywillis wrote:How often do you all think that Laurent Gras actually cooked in the kitchen of L20?

I don't know, just curious if any change will be noticed.

He was there a lot. He's known for being a very hands-on chef with a tireless work ethic.

Not sure what his leave of absence means or how it will manifest with diners.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

Shaggywillis wrote:How often do you all think that Laurent Gras actually cooked in the kitchen of L20?

I don't know, just curious if any change will be noticed.

He was there a lot. He's known for being a very hands-on chef with a tireless work ethic.

Not sure what his leave of absence means or how it will manifest with diners.

=R=

We made reservations a while ago for early February. It will be interesting to see where things stand at that point.

As much of a big shot Rich Melman is, I'm sure he's considering boarding a plane to France right now. I can't imagine the anxiety and consternation that a newly full-dining room and a missing auteur can cause. (Imagine the final scene of Field of Dreams, but instead of headlights, it's well-heeled folks getting off of planes, and cabbing it to L2O.) I have to say, the Laurent Gras angle is, unexpectedly, the most exciting part of the Michelin drama.

aschie30 wrote:I have to say, the Laurent Gras angle is, unexpectedly, the most exciting part of the Michelin drama.

If Gras never returns to L20, would it be fair to say the 3-star rating has little or no lasting meaning for L20? I suppose only time will tell.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:If Gras never returns to L20, would it be fair to say the 3-star rating has little or no lasting meaning for L20? I suppose only time will tell.

As long as the Michelin Guide is current (and even for a year or two afterwords), the 3-star rating will have a huge meaning for L2O and its bottom line; Gras or no Gras. The Euro-tourists will flock there regardless.

stevez wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:If Gras never returns to L20, would it be fair to say the 3-star rating has little or no lasting meaning for L20? I suppose only time will tell.

As long as the Michelin Guide is current (and even for a year or two afterwords), the 3-star rating will have a huge meaning for L2O and its bottom line; Gras or no Gras. The Euro-tourists will flock there regardless.

Yes. I was really thinking about the artistic side of the equation but it seems there will be a significant economic effect, which will resonate for a while, regardless of how future Michelin guides rate L20. The question in my mind is more about accuracy. If Gras doesn't return, will the rating still be meaningful in that sense? Will it even be the same restaurant? For example, Mado was listed in the Bib Gourmand category this time around but with the Levitts having left on 11/1, it's clearly no longer the same restaurant that received the designation. Will the same be true of L20 if Gras "has left the building"? Only time will tell.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:For example, Mado was listed in the Bib Gourmand category this time around but with the Levitts having left on 11/1, it's clearly no longer the same restaurant that received the designation. Will the same be true of L20 if Gras "has left the building"? Only time will tell.

I agree with you on this. Only time will tell, although in the case of Mado it's a significantly bigger change. It's the same restaurant in name only. In the case of L20, they are at least attempting to keep the same vision (I assume).

Psaltis seems the journeyman chef. Seems that he bounced around NYC for quite a while but never really landed anywhere for long. I ate some of his food a several years back at Country and found it to be fine but far from 3-star quality. Gras clearly had some chops. We'll see what Psaltis does with whatever team is left in place. You can find his Chefdb profile here, http://www.chefdb.com/nm/3915

Similarly, I wonder if the cook at Twin Anchors leaves, will it still be worthy of its Bib? What if the Thai Village kitchen changes hands? And What if Miss America gains 10 pounds?

BryanZ wrote:Psaltis seems the journeyman chef. Seems that he bounced around NYC for quite a while but never really landed anywhere for long. I ate some of his food a several years back at Country and found it to be fine but far from 3-star quality. Gras clearly had some chops. We'll see what Psaltis does with whatever team is left in place. You can find his Chefdb profile here, http://www.chefdb.com/nm/3915

The mere mention of his name stirs up memories of one of the biggest dust-ups I can ever remember at eG (linked to upthread by Darren72).

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:The mere mention of his name stirs up memories of one of the biggest dust-ups I can ever remember at eG (linked to upthread by Darren72).

=R=

And it reads just as well now as it did back in 2005!

I had originally written something along the lines of "notorious eGullet thread," but my understanding of the behind-the-scenes is third hand and I thought it was best to leave it alone.

ronnie_suburban wrote:

Shaggywillis wrote:How often do you all think that Laurent Gras actually cooked in the kitchen of L20?

I don't know, just curious if any change will be noticed.

He was there a lot. He's known for being a very hands-on chef with a tireless work ethic.

Not sure what his leave of absence means or how it will manifest with diners.

=R=

He was there the night of the meal I posted about when I began this thread - we went in the kitchen and he was on the line working every detail of dishes with the team. From what I've read/heard he was perhaps the most detail oriented chef in the business - from his dress, to the cleanliness of the kitchen, to each dish's execution, to his own health and lifestyle.

I'm very happy that L2o got three stars - I also sincerely hope Gras returns.

http://uhockey.blogspot.com

Who is the new executive chef for L2O now?

Sounds like Gras is not coming back

“I love L2O and am very proud of everything we achieved there. But [owner] Rich Melman and I have always had different points of view on L2O. In July, we talked about changes he wanted to make, and for me, these changes would alter the character of L2O and ultimately make it a different experience. I let him know then that I would be leaving

Exploirng opportunities in NY, according to Food & Wine

http://www.foodandwine.com/blogs/mouthing-off/2010/11/17/fw-exclusive-why-threestar-laurent-gras-is-leaving-l20

Glad I made reservations at Alinea and not L20 for my post-New Year, three star celebratory meal.

From The Stew, ouch

Ursiform wrote:From The Stew, ouch

Rich Melman to The Stew wrote:"And there were issues with how he treated the front-of-the-house people; he was dismissive and not interested," Melman said. "And I told him, 'I want you to be much more open about these things.' I had a customer call me, upset, because he'd made a special request, and nothing outrageous, and he (Gras) refused."

Uh oh. Anyone else wondering if Melman is referring to this incident?

aschie30 wrote:

Ursiform wrote:From The Stew, ouch

Rich Melman to The Stew wrote:"And there were issues with how he treated the front-of-the-house people; he was dismissive and not interested," Melman said. "And I told him, 'I want you to be much more open about these things.' I had a customer call me, upset, because he'd made a special request, and nothing outrageous, and he (Gras) refused."

Uh oh. Anyone else wondering if Melman is referring to this incident?

That's exactly what I thought of too...but then, I just spent a riotous evening re-reading that thread a few weeks ago. I'm not surprised that Melman suggested that the shabu-shabu needed improvement (it did/does?), and I'm not surprised that Gras declined Melman's help (exactly in line with his reputation). Sounds like irreconcilable differences.

kl1191 wrote:I'm not surprised that Melman suggested that the shabu-shabu needed improvement (it did/does?), and I'm not surprised that Gras declined Melman's help (exactly in line with his reputation).

I have to admit that when I read Melman recount how he wanted Gras to improve one dish (the shabu shabu), and Gras refused, I couldn't help but think of the alleged accounts of Billy Beane dialing up the dugout, and telling the A's manager to take the pitcher out.

onix wrote:Who is the new executive chef for L2O now?

Francis Brennan is your temporary answer.

Rich Melman suggesting someone needs to become a "better-quality human being" is like...