Fleur de Lys report:

I am currently on a foie gras high, particularly since there was a Hubert Keller sighting (in that, I almost ran into him coming out of the bathroom.) Sadly, I processed that fact only after moving by him to get back to my table. Doh!! Although I have to agree with my friend, who said he looked more liked a homeless man than a "Top Chef".

The restaurant is a beautiful space. Very warm and cozy. The whole room is enveloped in fabric and the ceiling is a tent of fabric. The service was stellar, if a bit overwhelming since a different server/sommelier came to explain every dish and wine.

I started with a duo of Hudson Valley foie gras. I loved the seared duck burger with foie gras on a brioche bun. I was not really a fan of the baked dish of fois gras, truffles, and potatoes. Why? Because, for some reason, they added shitake mushrooms—to truffles and foie gras! Wrong wrong wrong. (Wine: a lovely Ste Croix du Mont).

My main course was quail stuffed with ris de veau, spinach, pine nuts and served with roasted parsnips, baby leeks, and foie gras. Heaven! (Wine: a light Sonoma syrah).

My sort-of final course was a selection of five artisanal cheeses including a great chevre and roquefort (Wine: porto). After we were finished, they learned it was my birthday and brought what can only be described as a deconstructed canoli, with a candle inside of the thin wafer shell. So I also had dessert. One of my friends had the vegetarian tasting, which he was very impressed with.

On top of the fabulous meal, we began the evening with amazing drinks (I had cucumber gimlets) in the Library at Bourbon and Branch aka Buffista bar heaven. The bar is unmarked. You buzz at the door and give the password “books” (i.e., I don’t have a dinner reservation but please let me go back into the bar). Someone then leads you through the restaurant to a swival bookcase/door and into a dark book-lined room.

So much fun. And now, off to bed.

X-posted with Natter.

Alton Brown talks about Next Iron Chef - I totally missed the premiere.

Did you guys watch? I heard from a friend that it was good.

I'm watching as we speak -- it's lots of fun, and they've got some serious talent. (Although that makes me more bitter than ever about how little Food Network programming involves actual skill with food.)

eta: They're doing a rebroadcast Thursday at 9 and midnight ET, if those times work for you.

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Michelin has just announced its third annual New York City restaurant ratings. Jean Georges, Le Bernardin and Per Se remained the city’s only restaurants with three Michelin stars. (Alain Ducasse at the Essex House was among them the first year, before it closed.)

Gordon Ramsay at the London joined Bouley, Daniel, Del Posto and Masa among the two stars restaurants, along with Picholine, which had previously had one star.

In perhaps the the biggest surprise, Craft lost its one star.

Poor Colicchio!

And who is the chef at Per Se?

Per Se is Thomas Keller

Courtney is Day 37 skinny already. They better vote her off soon or she will seriously have to be airlifted out and fed through an IV.

airlifted out and fed through an IV

I read this first as "airlifed out through an IV." Which with her, might even be possible.

I never had any desire to eat at Craft. Part of the pleasure of eating out, for me, is that someone else has already done all the hard work of figuring out what goes with what, and putting it together in advance.

I am enjoying a such schadenfreude watching a snotty New York waitress much skinnier than me die by starvation BY CHOICE! Suck it, wench! Courtney, Jean-Robert and, um, the Christian lady just booted seem remarkably ill-suited to this game, and it's pretty satisfying to see them fail.

I *loved* Next Iron Chef! It's like Top Chef on steroids! Whee!!