Gastronomie

The Chowhound Sandbox

Many of the folks who read this blog know that I used to be a frequent Chowhound poster who was asked to leave after refusing to bend to Jim Leff's will after being accused of "shilling".

I've refrained from posting about it on Gastronomie primarily because at the end of the day, it's Jim's sandbox, and he can do whatever he wants, I suppose.  And, the truth is that there are a whole lot of really friendly, kind, active posters over there who, in their own words, "put up with his arrogance" in an effort to create a nice little community for themselves.

But I discovered something today, while researching dining options in Chicago for an upcoming conference, that really pissed me off.

In this thread about Sweet & Savouries restaurant (caution: link has audio), one woman posted a very negative comment about being refused an a la carte menu, despite there being one on the restaurant's website. While I agree that this is a pretty unsettling situation to walk into, particularly if one has a budget to stick to, she never talked about the food, or the service, or anything else that supposedly makes Chowhound such a bastion for "don't-call-me-a-foodie" foodies.

Later in the thread, it becomes obvious that the discussion had veered into "off-topic huffiness" and in true Chowhound form, those posts had been promptly deleted. No surprise there, I thought.

Until.  I went over to LTHForum and found this thread, which blows the whistle on the fact that  David Richards, the proprietor and chef of Sweets & Savouries, posted a response to the original poster, advising that (a) on the night in question, the a la carte menu was, in fact, available and that several other tables had ordered from it and (b) he had refunded the full $400 tab back to the patron's credit card after receiving an email expressing her dissatisfaction.

Guess what? It was deleted, on the "moderator's" (censors?) whims. As were the posts following its deletion, asking the original poster to clarify whether she had, in fact, been comped.

Here's the REALLY ironic part about all this: the LTH thread wasn't even all that complimentary towards the restaurant. But -- and here's what distinguishes one man's playground from a REAL community -- the thread evolved. And a real discussion was had.  And no one's posts were deleted.

I'm not saying all this to bash Chowhound, or to tell you not to frequent the site. Because, really, it can be a good resource (obviously, since I'm still using it for research). Just be aware that you may be getting a somewhat narrow, "houndish" view of the restaurant world.

 

Technorati Tags: Food | Food & Drink | Chowhound | San Francisco | Chicago

Boulder's Coming Up in the World

I love Colorado.

C and I have talked, extensively in fact, about moving to Boulder or Denver. We could live quite well in here and we could buy a nice little house on the profit we've made on the loft.

The scary part of all this, which really keeps us from moving forward with the plan, is that once we LEAVE the Bay Area, it's unlikely we'll ever be able to afford to move back again.

So, I suppose I'm a pretty lucky girl to have the Boulder contacts that I do, and to have the luxury to eat as well as I do in the Denver Metro area.

Last night, a group of us went to dinner at the brand-spanking new (we're talking 10 days open) Restaurant 4580 in North Boulder. Martin Hammer, proprieter & Gen. Mgr took incredible care of us, while Kelli Kingsford put a sexy and delicious spin on some very comfortable dishes.

Once we were seated, I ordered a luscious and well-loved bottle of '03 Domaine Pavelot Guettes and an assortment of "small plates" to start our table of six off.

(Side note: There's something so incredibly cool about being the only girl in a team of, say, 15 boys. I love it, and I wouldn't trade it for all the tea in China. So here's a shout-out to TSch., who knows a good thing when he sees it, and doesn't shy away from the 'status quo'.)

Anyway.

The Mussels at 4580 are amongst the best I've had. But, you know... you can get mussels just about everywhere. So, if you're feeling it, you'll order the Bacon-wrapped Chorizo-stuffed Dates (so good that I only got a photo after the plate had been pillaged). Yeah. And then, to supplement, you'll order the Batter-fried Shrimp, happily nesting in their light and delicious batter, loaded with delicate lemon zest.

Taylor & Toponia, How Do We Love Thee?

I've written about Fatted Calf a couple of times before. But for some reason, I've never actually sung the praises of the pirate's booty we bring home from their stand at the Farmer's Market once a month.

Unlike so many more forward-thinking folks, I never place my order prior to market day, primarily because I am kinda wishy-washy, and not very good at planning meals that far in advance. Plus, I like walking up and taking my pick of what sounds best to me at that moment.

And so it was that a couple of weeks ago, I found myself giddily asking Taylor to pack up a pair of Lamb Crepinettes with Cumin, Persian Mint & Orange for me. I had visions of using the fat from the crepinette to make a warm vinaigrette for a pungent greens salad...

Of course, after getting home, I realized I'd failed to PURCHASE any pungent greens, and all I had in the fridge was a sad, slightly wilted bunch of baby arugula. So I set about frying up these bad boys (using Biggles' suggestion to use a dutch oven to minimize oil spatter), and rooting around the crisper to find something suitable to accompany such delectable charcuterie.