http://www.blacknapkin.com Where Amateur meets Gourmet Sun, 26 Oct 2008 04:20:16 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en UPDATE: I got a much clearer picture of Apotheke's reservation policy, so I've spelled it out in more detail below. I'm writing with an update on the newest haute-cocktail scene in Chinatown named Apotheke.  As I'm sure many of you have already heard by now, it's opening in a former opium ... http://www.blacknapkin.com/2008/09/14/nyc-cocktail-update-apotheke-and-milk-honey/ So what does it take for a neighborhood restaurant to become not only an establishment, but a local staple?  Or, more specifically, for it to become intimately connected with the fabric of the area itself?  I'm going to use Cafe Gitane, one of my favorite casual hang outs in New ... http://www.blacknapkin.com/2008/09/14/a-neighborhood-delight-cafe-gitane/ I've recently had quite the distinct pleasure of imbibing a brand new type of wine for me called Moscato d'Asti.  That name actually designates a particular area of Italy, any what's special about all the wines from the area can be described as follows: imagine combining the heavenly sweetness of ... http://www.blacknapkin.com/2008/09/04/my-new-favorite-aperitif-moscato-dasti/ Ok, I promise this will be my last post about Per Se for a while, but there's just been so much to say that it would be a crime and injustice towards you dear readers to cram it uncomfortably into one post! So there I was two hours into our meal, ... http://www.blacknapkin.com/2008/09/02/a-peek-into-per-ses-kitchen/ Does the picture below from Per Se look familiar to you? If you've seen Pixar's animated movie Ratatouille, then it should definitely look familiar.  This is Thomas Keller's version of the classic provencial French vegetable dish named ratatouille, and its resemblance to the final creation in the movie Ratatouille is no ... http://www.blacknapkin.com/2008/08/30/another-per-se-tidbit-ratatouille/ It truly is difficult to begin such an important post.  Why is this one important?  Here are three reasons: Of my many varied dining experiences, Per Se has supplanted Chateau Cordeillan Bages in Bordeaux as the number one meal of my life This is the first post in my new design (I ... http://www.blacknapkin.com/2008/08/28/where-to-start-or-an-ode-to-per-se/ I must apologize dearly for my extended absence recently dear readers, but I've been in the process of moving from California to New York, settling in, and finishing up the redesign of Black Napkin.  In a week or so the new Black Napkin will be launched in all its wonderful ... http://www.blacknapkin.com/2008/08/25/wheres-mark/ Or is it?  I was so delighted the first time I had this fantastic roll, I immediately cursed my foolish self for not toting along my camera to share it with you.  So, of course, a second visit was most certainly in order, and I now proudly present the Pain ... http://www.blacknapkin.com/2008/08/12/sushi-without-rice-blasphemous/ 118 degrees 2981 Bristol Suite B5 Costa Mesa, CA 92626 (714) 754-0718 As conventional wisdom goes, a trip to a gourmet restaurant should yield a cornucopia of cooked goods, ranging from pork to salmon to beef to frog.  These dishes will likely be preceded by a savory salad and followed by a sweet ... http://www.blacknapkin.com/2008/08/09/who-said-food-has-to-be-cooked/ Seth Godin, the marketing guru behind Purple Cow and other books, writes today on his blog about appealing to who he calls "n00bs".  N00bs are those people who are slow at the uptake, who are not savvy, and who are generally not early adopters of any kind.  He writes: ... http://www.blacknapkin.com/2008/08/05/culinary-risk-taking/