Richard in Cincy...just for you...

M

music-city-missy

Well-known member
we are on vacation and we made the trip to Staunton today and ate at Mrs. Rowe's. Lunch was fair and pies were good. I can easily recommend places at home in the Nashville area as good so I didn't think it was anything very special.

But then again, we ate at Brasserie Les Halles (Anthony Bourdain) Washington DC location and had both the chacroute garni and the cassoulet and thought what I made at home is equally good in complete honesty. Didn't help the AC was out in this heat wave and they didn't bother to tell me when I made the reservations that morning. Also thought that the service was poor for somewhere like that - expected much more.

 
Thanks for the report...

that's what I was afraid of. After all the build up I heard it sounded too good to be true. Oh well. I hope you enjoyed Monticello.

 
I start to wonder....

all of these places that people rave about are rarely anything special so I am trying to decide if I am too much of a snob, too picky or just that maybe my cooking really is better than I thought? I still love the experiences and do find wonderful places but when it comes to home cooking, I am more often than not disappointed.

 
Missy, I think you "hit it on the head". Recently ate at two raved about restaurants, ...

and told DH afterward that I wasn't all that impressed. He, very sweetly, said, "Honey, because you are a good cook and your cooking is so good, you know the difference when you are out there in a restaurant.". Needless to say, he got a big hug and a kiss from me.

 
My DH prefers my cassoulet to any we have had in Paris. But cassoulet and

choucroute garnie would be a hard menu for me to eat in the summer, especially with the AC out. Cassoulet especially is a winter dish in Paris.

 
I think you are correct:

your expectations are higher that the average patron. As your report confirmed, the reality of the "all homemade wonder" of this place was more in the marketing that the reality. I think the average person falls for that too readily.

I rarely eat out because I'm usually so disappointed with so many aspects of what is being served (service, attention to detail, proper presentation of food (cooked correctly, served at proper temperature, not allowed to sit after cooking), and a number of other issues. I'm usually left thinking, I could have made this so much better (and cheaper) at home.

There are now only a couple restaurants I go to here at home for this reason, and unfortunatley, one of those closed (the Mobil 5-star Masionette), the victim of its own perfection. People stopped patronizing it because they considered it too fussy. I found it one of the few places I could walk into and not have a thing to complain about because everything from the time you walked through the door to the time you walked out was done to perfection.

 
Either I am not discerning or we are living in a restaurant "heaven"--it is the latter.

Our city is becoming a great place for excellent and inventive food. We have a James Beard Dinner every year. Have had the Julia Child Birthday Dinner a few years ago. The new campus of Johnson and Wales helps, but we have beeen gathering a truly wonderful cadre of chefs and restaurants. Our culinary week-end the end of September will feature Ming, Anthony Bourdain,Sara Moulton,Wolfgang Puck, Sarah Foster (of Durham fame),Martin Yan and a number of others I will post. It is LOTS of fun and all free. Plus a Memphis BBQ qualifier.

 
You might...

I can't remember where you live but having J&W there surely helps. We have had several other less than impressive meals as we go. Le Bec Fin in Philly in a few more days should be the real tell tell. Will keep you all posted

 
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