high mountain's Profile
Quince Corkage fee and policy
Arrived 15 mins. early waited extra 25 past the res. 'offered' drinks....turned up on the bill for $50 with no mention of cost prior. It was to me (mis)understood that they were offering drinks for the inconvenience of standing at our table watching long finished guests stare at each other. It worked out in the end but was awkward to say the least.
Truffles and mushrooms in Rome
Well, just back from Milan-Bergamo-all of Umbria and Rome. As for the truffle season it has been a very slow start with the rains just beginning. There were whites at Peck as well as Ovoli and Porcini. Ate whites with fonduta in Bergamo delicious. As for Umbria I hunted porcini several times but only had success one day at Somavilla straddling the Umbrian-Tuscan border. Of course it was my first time hunting in Italy so I was quite happy.
I had to buy truffles in Rome due to my travel plans and not in other "fairer" markets. I wound up going to an amazing shop named La Tradizionale in Rome. Prices were 6500 per kilo and they had blacks as well which I did not buy. Bought just over 1/3 of a pound and had them cryo-vacced in tissue and packed them in a cooler with an ice pack in my suitcase. Declared them and then gave some double talk to customs....saying I just had olive oil and grappa....never even opened my bag. The season should start in earnest now but it will be shorter since the cold is coming. Thanks to everyone who helped with this thread!
Truffles and mushrooms in Rome
yikes...that is brutal...was it at JFK? I'm flying into Newark....
Truffles and mushrooms in Rome
good advice, I know they must be cleaned of all dirt...should be around 3 or 4 pounds. Here is the list of approved items from the CBP site
General List of Approved Products
Aloe Vera (above ground parts)
Bat nut or devil pod (Trapa bicornis)
Breads, cakes, cookies, and other bakery goods
Candies
Cannonball fruit
Chinese water chestnut
Coffee (roasted beans only)
Fish
* Flower bulbs
Fruits, canned
Garlic cloves (peeled)
Lily bulbs (Lilium spp.) for planting
Maguey leaf
Matsutake
Mushrooms
Nuts (roasted only)
Palm hearts (peeled)
Sauces, canned or processed
Seaweed
* Seeds for planting or consumption
Shamrocks leaves without roots or soil
St. John's Bread
Singhara nut (Trapa bispinosa)
Tamarind bean pod
Truffles
Vegetables, canned or processed
Water chestnut (Trapa natans)
Truffles and mushrooms in Rome
sounds like the right place...definately the season so no worries there.
mille grazie
Chez Panisse--How's the food, really?
Being in the business, I know that Chez Panisse doesn't make money, but it's not because they're spending it all on priceless ingredients. They just pay their staff a lot and have more staff than they need.
What? This is a joke...stop with the generalizations about CP you clearly have no idea what you are talking about. Don't mean to belittle your opinion but it is off-base...like behind the bleachers in right field. As someone that has worked at CP on and off for 13 years in many capacities your comments are baseless.
Truffles and mushrooms in Rome
I'll be all over Northern and central Italy for a couple of weeks, ending in Rome. I hope to bring back several thousand dollars worth of truffles and wonder if anyone has a recommendation for a shoppe in the Eternal City? Anyone specifically to ask for? I can speak conversational Italian so don't be shy!
Quince Corkage fee and policy
Don't feel bad or I should say don't feel like you aren't "special". I've done business with Quince since they opened, eaten there a dozen times, sat at the chefs table (minimum $1000) and still get charged the $35 corkage. In addition to that once my party and I arrived early for our reservation and waited for our table for 40 minutes. While waiting we were offered a couple of glasses of champagne presumably to take the edge off the people sitting at our table that refused to leave an hour after they finished their meal. Since there is no room to wait anywhere, it was raining outside, I know a few folks, I'm in the business we figured what a nice treat. After we all ordered the special tasting menu made just for us (read more expensive than normal) the bill arrives and there is the corkage and there are two glasses of champagne for $50! I was livid....they took them off but I was made to feel like an a-hole...I'll still do business with Quince I just won't be dining there again anytime soon.
