Entree Poll!!1

Crud, the veal dish is is spread over 3 buttons. It goes from 'tasting' to 'sweetbreads' but I fear it won't be a popular option anyway.

why do people in the USA call their main course an entrée?

Hangover from service a la Française

Yum, foie gras.

http://steelturman.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/foie_gras_1.jpg

http://www.hsus.org/web-files/Ducks/540x360_ducks_pen_dead_cu.jpg

Hangover from service a la Française

but doesn't it mean starter in French?

No, Service a la francaise was more like a buffet, (with flunkeys) antrees were dishes that entered during the meal to great performance during the course of the meal. Plated courses came in later with service a la russe.

That goose in the bottom picture loves grain so much it's passed out.

Cheek with Layered Pasta, Crispy Sweetbreads
Cheek of what?

Yum, young carrots.
http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/790/420396.JPG
http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/883/20104917.JPG

"Dry Aged Beef"

Is this a euphemism (and *shortism*) for: it's been lying on the counter near the window cause noone has been gullible enough to order said slab of meat?

Hey, that's a good game to play Ned.

Yum, veal.

http://www.anonymous.org.il/pic/veal/eh109.jpg

http://www.atourhands.com/images/archive/slaughter/slaught55.jpg

http://www.atourhands.com/images/archive/slaughter/slaught55.jpg

I went for the duck.

Fuck it.
http://www.atourhands.com/images/archive/slaughter/slaught55.jpg

(probably not lunch safe)

Ed - you have resolved a long-standing mystery.

I found out about it in a very good book, a biography of Antonin Careme - Cooking for Kings.

British veal is not crated and is very good.

why do people in the USA call their main course an entrée?

Because we want to, limey. Why do you spell curb with a "k"?

I voted for the pancetta-wrapped yellow-fin tuna.

only when referring to the edge of a road.

I was being belligerent, not actually inquisitive.

I was being diarmingly, charmingly helpful as a way of being snide.

That kind of menu makes me grumpy.

I am going to call the restaurant at lunch to settle this question of the unspecified cheek.

Wait till the poll is over and send through our order.

Do you deliver over standard TCP/IP

I was being diarmingly, charmingly helpful as a way of being snide.

A very complimentary pair of posts.

Because we want to, limey.

Look Canuck, don't call me a Limey.

I assume you're joking. "Because we want to, terrorist." Better? (You might be Irish and if you are please note that was a dumb Bush-esqe terrorist reference.)

British veal is not crated and is very good.

I'm guessing that this restaurant probably doesn't sell British veal. Besides, most veal served in Britain comes from abroad where welfare standards are fairly minimal and young calves can still be held in solitary pens.

did you mean complementary?

Possibly.

don't worry about it

For a second there, I thought RJG was suggesting the calves got complimentary pens with their stay, which I thought was somewhat cruel.

xpost

I won't. I'm going to start telling people that on a purge diet to explain my poor cognitive functioning. And I'm working on a serious yet non-long term illness to explain to my client why their project might be late.

Okay, I've had a little coffee so I'm not so grumpy about the, um, try-hardiness of this menu. I shall make my choice.

I thought the Grouse would be appropriate to my mood.

there is an awful lot of blether on that menu, but I have seen worse.

Paupiette of Black Sea Bass in a Crisp Potato Shell. Tender Leeks, Syrah Sauce - Looks interesting.

Slow Cooked Monkfish with Sautéed Broccoli Rabe. Saffron Potato, Tomato-Pine Nut Broth - Even more interesting. Love rabe and the broth sounds like it could go with everything.

Pancetta Wrapped Yellowfin Tuna. Heirloom Tomatoes, Creamy Polenta, Balsamic Bordelaise - I just can't do barded fish and while it looks good, the rest is too humdrum to bother if I'm at Daniel.

Raw and Cooked Striped Bass. Tartar Roll with Sorrento Lemon and Fried Oysters. Muscadet Braised with Herb Salad and Pantelleria Capers
Pan Seared Halibut “en Matelote”. Red Wine Braised Trumpet Royale, Pork Belly - Not a fan of capers and I think cooking oysters is a crime.

Four Story Hill Farm Quail “à la Plancha” with Foie Gras. Stewed Romaine, Marcona Almond Emulsion - Sounds good. Depending on the apps, this is something to think about but not as alluring as the fish above.

Liberty Farm Pekin Duck. Spring Roll “Craquelins” with Sour Plums, Mulberries. Roasted Breast with Wilted Spinach, Saffron Cipollini - As big a duck fan as I am, this doesn't say a whole heck of a lot to me.

Tasting of Vermont Veal “Marengo”:
Tenderloin with Chanterelles, Peppered Quenelles - Meh. So what?

Cheek with Layered Pasta, Crispy Sweetbreads - What kind of cheek? Beef, one presumes. If you wanna go rich, this would be good, I bet.

Wild Scottish Grouse with Foie Gras “Cromesquis”. Rutabaga-Parsnip Purée, Seckel Pear, Black Currant Jus ($14 supp.) - Again with the rich. This is the kind of thing I'd definitely try or encourage my dining companion to get so I could taste.

Trio of Colorado Lamb: Roasted Chop with Garbanzo-Fava Bean Croquettes. Fig Leaf Shoulder Papillotte, Tenderloin with Fennel Confit - Again, this looks good but not really original enough that I'd be likely to go for it. Garbanzo-fava croquettes sound like fancy felafels and I have to wonder if the fennel can stand up to the lamb.

Duo of Dry Aged Beef: Red Wine Braised Short Ribs with Young Carrot Fricassée. Seared Rib Eye with “Allumette” Potato ($16 supp.) - The steak and potato offering for the expense account from Nebraska.

There are too many ingredients I don't like for me to eat off this menu. I know, I'm an idiot.

My first thought was Charlie Trotter's in Chicago, but they don't have full dinner menu available online. They do have some prix-fix and tasting course menus up and they choices seemed a LOT tastier, more original -- less stuffy and trad. than this. Kind of a sad and grey menu here MR BOLOUD.

($14 supp.) - Again with the rich

SCOFF SCOFF

It's not on the menu but ask for the Fricasse of Dover Sole with Hazelnuts with Green Asparagus and Oregon Morel Jus, with the Swank Farms crudite salad and a glass of Brundelmeyer Gruner Veltliner.

For dessert, try the Warm Grapefruit Tatin with Chilled Pomegranate-Green Tea Soup and Fromage Blanc Sorbet.

I went with the monkfish, since I don't eat meat and it looked better than the black sea bass.

Swank Farms crudite

sounds expensive

<i>It's not on the menu but ask for the Fricasse of Dover Sole with Hazelnuts with Green Asparagus and Oregon Morel Jus, with the Swank Farms crudite salad and a glass of Brundelmeyer Gruner Veltliner.

For dessert, try the Warm Grapefruit Tatin with Chilled Pomegranate-Green Tea Soup and Fromage Blanc Sorbet.</i>

you buyin?

glarg

I don't want to be rude but am I the only one who finds it slightly patronising to be shown pictures of dead geese and calves as soon as someone mentions foie gras or veal?

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

That poor goose. That almost makes me cry. NickB you don't have to get all Plague Dogs on me; I'm a very sensitive woman.

Traditional service al a russe sounds way magical. I'd love to try it but a good portion of the courses (as outlined by Miss Manners) are kind of bizarre (insofar as they are mundane foods that don't usually show up at supper).

1. Oysters or clams on a half shell. Alternatively, fruit or caviar may be served.
2. Soup (each guest may choose between clear or thick).
3. Radishes, celery, olives and almonds.
4. Fish, with potatoes and cucumbers with oil & vinegar.
5. Sweetbreads (or mushrooms).
6. Artichokes, asparagus or spinach inside a pastry.
7. A roast with a green vegetable.
8. Frozen Roman punch.
9. Game with salad.
10. Creamed sweet (such as heavy pudding).
11. Frozen sweet.
12. Cheeses with biscuits and butter.
13. Crystallized and stuffed dried fruits served with bonbons.
14. Coffee, liqueurs and sparkling water.

3, 5, and 12 (only because it's served after dessert) are the ones that give me the question marks. Apparently this is what Roman punch is made of (I had never heard of it until now):

4 cups water
1/2 cup orange juice
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup tea infusion
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup rum

I think it's the movie Big Night that has this wonderfully orchestrated dinner scene with service al a Russe...

2 went for cheek - despite not knowing what cheek it was? Anyone had Cod cheek, it's supposed to be the best bit.

I have, and it is, however pig cheek is the best kind of cheek.

cod cheek?? can you get the whole thing on the fork?

These threads rule - poll the main course now.

The Entree is the main course to these crazy yanks.

But Do you have Room for a little Dessert?

cod cheek?? can you get the whole thing on the fork?
Oh yeah, they bigger than you think. A cod is a big fish, or more importantly has a pretty big head. I tried to find a pic but I couldn't find one that showed the size of cheek vs. a fork.

2 went for cheek - despite not knowing what cheek it was?

They're all delicious.

Great sea urchin ceviche.

I don't want to be rude but am I the only one who finds it slightly patronising to be shown pictures of dead geese and calves as soon as someone mentions foie gras or veal?

Didn't mean to be rude or patronising and normally I wouldn't have pulled shit like that at all so I apologise - I guess I was a bit huffy yesterday. I just get quite bummed out that dead baby cows et al are just a casual lunchtime choice and don't really get questioned round here all that much. Compare this to something like the Michael Vick outcry and it seems that harming animals as a 'sport' gets you folks in a tizzy, whereas there's this total disconnect from those same animal welfare issues when it come to bourgeois cuisine. Should know by now that being all in-yr-face is not the way to go, but doesn't anyone else have a moral problem with that menu?

Besides which, picture = 1,000,000 words and all that.

Yes I do, with some of it.

the menu is from Restaurant Daniel (as in Boulud) in NYC, which I am not especially a fan of. what the 'cheek' is was explained by the first post - both it and the tenderloin were part of the veal tasting.

taken alone, my instinct might be to go with the tuna, at least in the current weather which would make the grouse and quail feel wrong (plus both have foie gras which i try to avoid), but i'd also think seriously about the monkfish, and would end up choosing it if i were having the eckerton hill farms heirloom tomato tasting as an appetizer, which i might be tempted to do even though it's not exactly the most chefly choice, and i could just go get the tomatoes at the union square greenmarket. i would take steve shasta's choices over any of this choices, but they sound like they are from a spring menu rather than a late summer/fall one.

m white otm re the steak and potatoes - ilx has chosen... unwisely

maybe i'd have the langoustines as an app http://www.danielnyc.com/daniel/menus/daniel_dinner_menu.pdf

ok, i'd go with the monkfish over the tuna

No posted pics of a dead monkfish, bcz perhaps they are exceedingly homely?

the homely monkfish!

homely is such a nice way of putting it.

http://www.monkfish-abbey.org/wp-content/images/monkfish_noaa.jpg