Death Pool

[Orik]

Btw looking at the very well curated Minnesota Ethnic Food Book from ´86 the perspective is that of a collection of distinct ethnic cuisines (The Finns, The Swedes, The Jews, The Blacks, The Mexicans, The Hmong, and so on) with little acknowledgement of adaptation to the locale. What we may associate with the regional cuisine there is primarily the cooking of the dominant nordic ethnic groups with generic midwestern trash food and a couple of local tokens in the style of a Japanese prefecture tourism office - wild rice and walleye. (although of course walleye from the local lake is no longer fit for human consumption)

[Sneakeater]

1 hour ago, Adrian said:

Inn at Little Washington current menu: https://theinnatlittlewashington.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/IALW_Sample_Dinner_Menu_20237.pdf

I don't think it's ever been "traditional" low country cooking, but he's sort of the master of traditional American haute cuisine, which is a lot of European and  mixture of some American traditions, as you said. He's not making "hoppin' johns" an acceptable bistro dish. It's a different thing. What Brock did is that he made those vernacular dishes acceptable for dressed up people in good bistros and fancy spaces. Which also put some of those trad places on the foodie tourist map.

I've never been to The Inn at Little Washington, but it sounds like it could be a prime example of a restaurant that is excellent without being "significant".

Of course, it gets dick attention from the food media.

[Sneakeater]

Whereas, just to be crystal clear, "Brooklynizing" makes things "significant".

[voyager]

21 minutes ago, Sneakeater said:

...it could be a prime example of a restaurant that is excellent without being "significant".

Great phrase.    I've eaten at way too many restaurants that were "significant" without being excellent.   

[Adrian]

50 minutes ago, Sneakeater said:

I've never been to The Inn at Little Washington, but it sounds like it could be a prime example of a restaurant that is excellent without being "significant".

Of course, it gets dick attention from the food media.

Other than the documentary? It gets lots of local, regional attention, but, nationally, it does not. Poke around Eater DC and the Washingtonian and WaPo.

Pugnacious me would say it's the kind of restaurant that people here say they want but don't actually patronize. 

More fairly, it's probably not a restaurant that should get a lot of national attention. It's "interesting" as  historical artifact, it excellent in its style, it's got a full dining room bolstered by three Michelin stars, but in what way should it command national attention beyond the occasional appreciation? 

58 minutes ago, Sneakeater said:

Whereas, just to be crystal clear, "Brooklynizing" makes things "significant".

Is this true? Is it still possible to "Brooklynize" a restaurant?

[Sneakeater]

Depends what you mean by "still".  Right now it's hardly possible to do ANYTHING.

[Orik]

By now you need to Kingstonize restaurants.

[AaronS]

I lived in DC for a long time and never met anyone who liked eating at the inn at little washington, and that includes most of my parent's friends who hated the local restaurants but ate pretty well when they travelled. go for the service, go for the experience, go to say you've gone were the kinds of things people would say. I was shocked it got three stars, even knowing how weird the NY guide is.

[Daniel]

9 minutes ago, AaronS said:

I lived in DC for a long time and never met anyone who liked eating at the inn at little washington, and that includes most of my parent's friends who hated the local restaurants but ate pretty well when they travelled. go for the service, go for the experience, go to say you've gone were the kinds of things people would say. I was shocked it got three stars, even knowing how weird the NY guide is.

Have you been?  It’s pretty incredible:  

[AaronS]

no, I never went because those people were a lot more knowledgeable than I was. at the time I decided not to go I had just had bad meals at citronelle and that roberto donna place that they told me would be bad and I figured I had wasted enough money.

I remember one of your posts about it, it's the only positive thing I remember from someone with good taste.

[Wilfrid]

15 hours ago, Sneakeater said:

I've never been to The Inn at Little Washington, but it sounds like it could be a prime example of a restaurant that is excellent without being "significant".

Of course, it gets dick attention from the food media.

It used to be drooled over, many years ago. I never went either.

Just looking at a map, I had imagined it nearer D.C.  Actually almost a 3 hour round trip.  The only circumstances in which you'd eat there would be a trip specifically to eat there, right?

[Anthony Bonner]

When I was living in DC in the late 90's it was definitely not-not getting attention from the media. It was like this looming pillar casting its shadow over the fine dining scene in DC from 90 miles away.

[Anthony Bonner]

there are these little restaurants on these back roads of these little fancy jersey hamlets that when  I drive by them they remind of what I would expect a good traditional restaurant in Spain would look like.  Every time I drive by them for like a split second I think "Wouldn't it be cool to open a place and run it on 50% Gross Margins with incredible product. Look there's the train station - perfect for the city crowd" and then I rememeber I'm an idiot.

[Daniel]

1 hour ago, Anthony Bonner said:

there are these little restaurants on these back roads of these little fancy jersey hamlets that when  I drive by them they remind of what I would expect a good traditional restaurant in Spain would look like.  Every time I drive by them for like a split second I think "Wouldn't it be cool to open a place and run it on 50% Gross Margins with incredible product. Look there's the train station - perfect for the city crowd" and then I rememeber I'm an idiot.

my buddy just closed down his restaurant outside of Frenchtown.. He will rent it to you cheap! 

[Daniel]

13 hours ago, AaronS said:

no, I never went because those people were a lot more knowledgeable than I was. at the time I decided not to go I had just had bad meals at citronelle and that roberto donna place that they told me would be bad and I figured I had wasted enough money.

I remember one of your posts about it, it's the only positive thing I remember from someone with good taste.

I liken Inn at Little Washington as what I was hoping the French Laundry would be.. Amazing american food, in a beautiful setting, with perfect service.  One of the best meals of my life.  His cookbooks are amazing, i have made almost everyone of his published recipes when I use to follow recipes.. He is one of my biggest influences.   He is essentially my favorite cook, almost taught me to cook,  i think he is a freaking genius.  But, opinions are opinions.. I don't think any of us are wrong. 

My French Canadian friend was heading down to D.C for some reason, i told him to take the trip to Inn at Little Washington, he had the meal in the kitchen.  He never even heard of the restaurant prior and he still talks about the meal a couple of years later.