Some appearances at the David Chang dinner at Lantern

veganhater is right--David Chang was there, sat at a table, and didn't move around much. I expected that. I think that in this age of celebrity chef culture, we kind of forget that chefs are back of house guys, most comfortable working their tails off surrounded by others who are working their tails off. I was reminded of that at the Chang dinner. I've never been to culinary school (no plans for that), but I don't think they have a class there called "what to do in case you get famous and people expect you to be all nice and a PR person all of a sudden". I'm not being critical of earlier posts, I just realized this kind of funny expectation to be sweethearts that we force on chefs once they become famous.
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MissFancyPants in Southeast

Some appearances at the David Chang dinner at Lantern

what wine did they pair with the fluke sashimi in buttermilk? that's got challenge written all over it!

MissFancyPants in Southeast

Some appearances at the David Chang dinner at Lantern

Thank you SO MUCH for this post! Gives me something to look forward to. My husband and I always get two orders of pork buns when we go to Momofuku, I am definitely looking forward to those tonight! My dad found them inedible we took him to the restaurant, but he doesn't like pork belly in general.

I tried making the cereal milk panna cotta a couple of weeks ago, it was my first time working with gelatin. DISASTER! I have a whole new appreciation for the dessert. The panna cotta didn't set. Powdered gelatin is no friend of mine. The first time I ate cereal milk anything was cereal milk softserve at Milk Bar (NYC, also David Chang). That inspired me to turn my failed panna cotta into cereal milk ice cream bars. Not a total disaster, but to durhamois' point above, it is extremely rich, with a very bold sweet/salty/creaminess best eaten in small portions.

MissFancyPants in Southeast

Some appearances at the David Chang dinner at Lantern

Yes, I've made the rice cakes from the cookbook, but I've got to admit, I didn't make the rice cakes from scratch. We used the store bought ones (oval discs a bit larger than quarters) that are very different from the rice cakes at the restaurant. The Korean Red Dragon sauce recipe is DY-NO-MITE! We use it on everything. Ssamjang changed my life.

So did you make the rice cakes? Curious if they are worth the effort. We are still perfecting the texture of the roasted rice cakes in this recipe, but even when they are bad they are soooo goood.

MissFancyPants in Southeast

Possibilities for Valentine's Meal (Triangle, NC)

1. Panciuto (Hillsborough) OR Herons at the Umstead Hotel (Cary)
2. Cypress on the Hill (Chapel Hill)

We moved here from NYC a year ago but my family is from this area and we have been visiting here for years. I've been to all the usual suspects for "fancy" dinners, but Panciuto and Heron's offer the best fine dining in the area.

A special restaurant isn't just about great food. Panciuto and Herons understand that an amazing dining experience demands excellent service and a delicate atmosphere that doesn't feel precious or too heavy handed. The food is superb at both, but the style of the restaurants are very different. At Panciuto, you feel like you are supporting a food entrepreneur who is all about the locavore movement. We went on 1/15/10 for my husband's birthday and were greeted with liqueur glass filled with a bit of champagne. Thank you very much! The food was excellent. I was disappointed in the wine list. It was all Italian, and although it was reasonably priced, we weren't thrilled with anything we tasted. Our waiter was terrific though, and brought us several tastes before we settled on a very good bottle for under $40.

Herons is Fine Dining with a capital F for FANCY. This restaurant offers the best service I have had in years. I'm barely into my third decade, but I feel like the older I get the more this matters. The food is outstanding. We decided not to go with a tasting menu but crafted several courses a la carte. The sommelier here, Justin Tilley, is awesome. He completely understood our tastes and did a great job pairing wines, styles, and price points that were spot on for us.

Cypress on the Hill was excellent, but it has been a while since I've been there. I was really disappointed in our server, and the whole fried fish I ordered there this summer didn't rock my world, but I have recommended it to people who have been in the last few months and really enjoyed it. Good luck!

MissFancyPants in Southeast