Maybe it is just my opinion, l am used to being the only one on a page. l am in San Francisco this week and the last two nights have returned to a restaurant that provided on of my best meals last year and a new one that has been lauded as the Fergus Henderson style of cooking rarely seen in US.
While both restaurants served nice food with good service in amiable surroundings, neither lived up to their old menu or old press reports. The food was frankly boring, nothing l could not have cooked for myself and thus no real reason to go to them.

Is it that restaurants as they get more well-known then become more mainstream and are then visited by patrons who are not as food motivated as we chowhounds might be and therefore do not care if the menu consists of salmon, lamb chops, and half a chicken as zillions of other restaurants l avoid do as well.

Must l go to a new daring place within a month or two or miss the original reason the place appealed to me.

These two lovely places on the last two nights when leaving made me feel l had wasted my time and money and the research l did was useless as was vastly outdated. As l spend a lot of time in europe and find changes are slower to occur if at all and many restauranteurs take what their initial concept was and rarely if ever change it, boy not here. Then again l might just be unlucky, but three places on the west coast l loved, loved, loved, last year were IMHO mediocre in both their menu selection and the now lack of edgy presentation.

Ate at Aziza last night, and remembered l had to reply to this post of yours. What a difference 18 months can make. There was almost no hint of Moroccan flavors in anything. Every dish was so 'precious' as before was so lusty, even the stellar speads were fussed up, so disappointed. Place was packed so they don't need me, but no return here.

Suspect the lack of gaminess is due to it being a pasteurized product rather than au lait cru. If you can locate the strange Corsican ones like a filleta or a pecorino, both in their raw state you will get your gaminess.

My 6 of their 1376's and the 1378's all look just like that puppy. It will last longer than your grandchildren, using mine for many decades, just about my fav knife for kitchen.

Beat the hell out of it with a green scrubby by 3M, should work fine, little oil and good to go.

Hangawi, though vegetarian and l am very not, was beautiful, great service and food just wonderful. In Korea town on 32nd.

Two things to consider, one cheese, greatly received in Japan and Korea, maybe HK as well. Large roll heavy duty aluminum foil for the friends who cook. Nothing else like it.

Actually now that l can get the very well done loaves, it is on my rotation of favs, Du Pain des Idees, Landemaine, Grenier du Pain, and some others.

Yes he/she did ask about Jarlsberg and l commented on Jarlsberg and it's fondue usefullness

While the melt on sandwiches works well, using as fondue IMVHO does not. For an experiment melt a bit of gruyere and a bit of Jarlsberg and see the difference. The fat in Jarlsberg is not from whole milk but lowfat with extra fat added back. The melt is very different, and a bit shiny which always struck me as odd.

l find a vast difference between the shops of the old warring brothers. The 'Poilane' in fame and glory and IMHO justified is the late Lionel who has three shops , Rue Cherche-Midi, Blvd Grenelle, and Rue Debelletmy
As PhilD mentions you can get the slices in plastic bags in many groceries, always the little Carrefours. Once the bread goes into a plastic bag, as cheese, it is dead.Gets stale and most important loses the bite to its crust. l travel from the far reaches of the 11th to Rue Cherche-Midi for mine. l ask for 'bien cuit' or well-cooked as l like a crust that will take your fillings out.
There are always samples of the excellent sugar cookies as well.

Thanks for your report, only one question for you. What was the temperature of the soup at Septime ? l have been there 10 times or so and soup is always barely tepid, hoping they have changed that.

La Bola on Calle de la Bola. Great cocida and one of my favorite tripes anywhere. After the tripe l went into the kitchen and hugged the chef.

Best Epoisses, Jean Gaugry only one left au lait cru, is made very near Gevrey-Chambertin. He has a stand at the Dijon covered market. Alain Hess cheese shop in Beaune is a jewel as well, wait until you see his laser aimed hard cheese cutter.
l also ate at Ma Cuisine a few weeks ago and although they were out of the highly rated boeuf bourguignon they served the pigeon of my dreams. Also a very aged selection of Taragonia Chartreuse, just a wonderful night.
The shop is La Fourchale in Saulieu and while most of their cheese is good and very well priced, their fromage fort is made on premises and is my single favorite cheese on the planet. Still nursing some from my trip in March there.

Mons in Roanne

Just there and found the shop to be very weak for products l was interested in. Help was wonderful, but bought virtually nothing.

Green and White about the same, both in markets and in restaurants.

For a finishing vinegar Blis, the syrup maker, has a few aged in their old syrup barrels, the top called Elixir, it is wonderful, but pricey.

Now have seen Speculoos ice cream in Paris as well as bits in a jar for sprinkling on stuff.

Been buying white asparagus here in Paris for @ 5 euros/kilo or $ 3 a pound. It is perfect and about the size of your, well you know.

Comte, l believe, is 2010, thus @ 36 months. Even when Souphie and l drove to M Antony in Alsace, none of his 48 month was available. OTOH bought the Marcel Petite 36 month at Ferme St Hubert and it was stand up and applaud perfect, at 39.The P'tit Basque was 21.40 at Bastille market.
l am in Manhattan a lot, email me on my info page.

Sure

Your prices sound about right. Dubois very, very aged amazing Morbier is 22.50. The oldest comte now goes for 46. His Italian cheeses are silly expensive, Testun la Barolo at 63, but most imported here are quite expensive.
Find his stuff to be priced far below Barthelemy and perfect shape.
For just normal stuff a man at Bastille market has very low prices for petit basque, beaufort, and others l get. On Beaumarchais side just Bastille side of the stand where a huge ham is handsliced every Sunday.
Another place not as well aged, but stunning selection is Ferme St Hubert on Rue Rochechouart, closest metro Cadet, Poissonerie, or Barbes-Rochechouart.
Sorry to miss you in June D&D but have stuff in states l have to do so leaving soon and back in September.

Half are kitchen knives, others are art folders. Have been using Dexter rosewood handles knives for decades and even with a plethora of Japanese knives purchased when l lived there for a while, other than fish use the Dexter carbon steels.
Most prized possessions are @ 40 Laguiole with ivory handles, all plein manche, all except 3 carbon steel, many from 19th Century.

At Dijon covered, Gaugry has booth for Epoisses and in Bourg-en-Bresse the covered market is great as well, waaay too many chickens.

From this post l bought some bars last week and they were indeed awesome even the milk at 45% was great.
Funny the salesgirl in the St Germain store was indeed a PITA, my bill was 19.80 and she would not take credit as they do not accept credit under 20 euros.

Lunch today at Guy Savoy also had an asparagus dish served with salmon caviar, ours worked as well as yours.
JCD has a house bordeaux for around 30 euros, works fine, l have also found they tend to upsell you on wine.
Thanks for your report and glad you had fun.

Thank you, large LOL

l actually find it refreshing that very little is censored on the site. As long as you follow the few rules, the mods leave you to it. Seems more adult to let you be you.

If article correct try to locate Te Mata 'Coleraine' long considered best of NZ reds. Lauber imports it. l use for the mystery wine at tastings and it always amazes those who do not know it.