New Yorker Profiles Achatz

Interesting profile of Grant Achatz in the New Yorker this week including the revalation that he completely lost his sense of taste in his cancer treatment at the end of last year. (It's slowly returning but could take up to a year.) Lots of interesting information on the science of taste and the realities of his options if his cancer returns.

Plus, the Sun Times tells us Terrance Brennan and Artisinal (among other nationally known chefs) are opening projects in Chicago soon. I know a lot of cheese lovers who will be happy to make the pilgramage to an outpost of Artisinal. (hat tip to Grub Street)

Chef Shuffle, Devouring Downtown, and Achatz

Some New Chefs in Town: Sometimes a new chef is a great excuse to give a restaurant you'd written off another try. Word has it that Dunaway's has a new chef (we hear the former sous chef has taken over the kitchen). Wine Canine notes that the much-loved former Pidge chef, Casey Uglow, has taken over in the kitchen at Plum's Upper Room in Zionsville. And Cory at Property Lines reports that Jake Brenchley, the chef from the Bloomington Scholar's Inn, will take over the kitchen at what they're calling S.I. (Sexy and Intimate), the new name for the remodeled Scholar's Inn on Mass Ave. opening in February. They're also starting from scratch on staff when they re-open.

Winter Devour Downtown Dates: Mark your calendars for January restaurant week which actually runs for two weeks, January 21-February 2. Check out their website for the growing list of participating restaurants as well as their $30 prix fixe menus. It's a great way to try some new places and revisit a few old favorites.

Grant Achatz Cancer Free: Good news on the Achatz front. Ruhlman reports that after chemo and radiation therapies for aggressive cancer of the tongue, the well-known Chicago chef is cancer free. The statement from Chef Achatz and follow ups from Bruni via Ruhlman's blog.

Mmmm. Smores! If you made the marshmallows a couple of weeks ago from the link at What Geeks Eat, here's your chance to finish them off. (What, you say? Leftover homemade marshmallows? How is that possible?) A perfect smore bar cookie. What's not to love about chocolate, graham cracker crust, and soft goo.

Thursday Duke's Mixture

Hey, kids, there sure are a lot of you playing on the Internets these days! Yesterday, we had a record high traffic day with significant new benchmarks set for both page views and unique visitors. After a record October, it's nice to know so many people care about great food (with a fair dose of snark) in Indianapolis.

Beaujolais Day on it's Way: It's that time of year again with the third Thursday in November -- Nov 15 -- fast approaching. If the foodie year had high holy days, Beaujolais Day would usher them in. (I keep typing "beaujolaid" day. What does that mean? I think I could get behind that holiday!) Dr. Vino's take? As long as you're drinking a high carbon footprint wine flown in from France, you might as well drink some good stuff. Skip the Nouveau. Go for the Cru.

Final Culinary Expressions Cafe: If you've been meaning to schedule a night at Ivy Tech's Culinary Expressions Cafe, next Thursday, Nov 15, is your last chance. Culinary students will cook and serve an a' la carte menu with dishes from Mexico, South America, France, Italy, and Spain. Cafe is open 6:00-8:00 p.m. in room 407 at Ivy Tech Community College on Fall Creek Parkway. Call 921-4450 for reservations. Cash only.

What I've Been Drinking: 2001 Carmen Reserve Shiraz/Cab blend from the Maipo Valley. Tasty.

RagingServer.com -- Want to get a first hand look at the life of a server? Raging Server -- a blogger in Nashville -- will give you that look. And it's usually not pretty. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll tip better.

Achatz Update: A big shout-out and thanks to regular reader and pal KC who emailed yesterday to note I'd missed an update on Grant Achatz. (I've been skimming Ruhlman's blog since I'm behind in watching Next Iron Chef and trying to avoid spoilers.) From Ruhlman:

"...grant finishes radiation this week I believe and tumor virtually gone, docs enormously hopeful. if surgery is necessary, i'm told it will be minor."

Achatz was also featured in People magazine a few weeks ago with a great picture (even hairless, he's cute) and update. The lesson? Patients have to educate themselves and take control of their own treatment. He reports no change in his palette so far except for a minor panic when he accidently downed a Diet Pepsi instead of his usual Diet Coke.

Achatz, Letters, and Cookbooks

Grant Achatz Update: Ruhlman has an update on the latest cancer treatment. So far, so good.

Letters, We've Got Letters: A big shoutout to the Wine Canine for his letter in this week's IBJ pointing out the flaw in the victory for Indiana wine drinkers -- the bottle limit clause. Last month, a judge struck down two of the three sections of Indiana's wine shipping law allowing out of state wineries that are properly licensed to ship to Indiana wine consumers. But as Mark points out, it's not perfect. Some of you will need to watch out for that 24 case (216 liters) limit. Wineries will be.

Comedy Club for Sale: Just in case, you know, you're in the market for a large space with a stage suitable for music venues with a bar and grill next door. If so, you could be in luck. IBJ reports One-Liners on the south side is for sale.

A Glimpse Into Cookbooks: Many of you who know me personally know that professionally I've been in the cookbook industry for a long time. And like all editors and publishers, I'm always interested in what works. We know what doesn't, that's for sure. For a rare glimpse into how cookbook editors decide what you will find in stores (based soley on what's sold in the past and what they think bookstore gatekeepers will let you have a crack at), Publisher's Weekly has an article on what's working and where editors think the market might be headed next. These days, I get a lot of questions about whether a particular cookbook would be a success. The sad answer is usually "No." From PW:

Despite Tony Bourdain's smash success Kitchen Confidential, food memoir remains a tough sell. Editors struggle to get attention for their authors if they don't have their own TV shows. And readers want cookbooks with color photos, yet aren't willing to pay higher prices. On the upside, cookbooks focusing on locally grown and organic foods no longer appeal strictly to high-end readers. Chef cookbooks are out, simplicity is in. And there's still room for upmarket books that don't promise dinner in 30 minutes.

Update on Achatz Cancer Treatment from WSJ

Today's Wall Street Journal has an interesting article on Grant Achatz, his cancer, and the alternative treatment he's currently pursing. (The first three doctors told him the only option was to remove the tumor and part of his tounge.)

Top Chef, Chicago, and a few Updates

Report on Grant Achatz: Via Michael Ruhlman:

"I was able to have breakfast with Grant Achatz on Saturday and was delighted to see him looking strong and fit. You’d scarcely know he was battling anything at all, let alone going through chemo to treat squamous carcinoma of the mouth. He was at ease, confident and determined. As he always is. And he ate one of Nookie’s enormous omelets. Best news of all: doctors say treatment is exceeding expectations."

Top Chef Sightings: Oh, so sad to see Tre go. I've long loved Abacus in Dallas. However local-connection Brian Malarky, Ryan Nelson's counterpart at The Oceanaire in San Diego is still doing well in the competition. But where are they now? Bourdain reports that Tre is trailing with some major restaurants in NYC as he well deserves to be. This professional and creative chef will land somewhere great. Also, Ted Allen reports Dale is currently working at Sola on N. Lincoln in Ravenswood (Chicago) where chef Carol Wollack is reportedly doing a great job with the food.

Where is Gail? Loads of fans are asking where Gail Simmons has been on the show in the past few episodes. On her blog, she reports the show was filmed in April and she was slammed at Food and Wine magazine with the Best New Chefs awards as well as planning for the F/W Food and Wine Classic in Aspen. (Aspen is one of the premier food events in the use with experts, fans, wine makers, chefs, and foodies from across the country eating, drinking, learning, schmoozing, and partying for a week.)

One Year for Foie Gras Ban: And as long as we're touting Chicago, yesterday marked the one year anniversary of the city's ban on foie gras. NPR reports only one restaurant has been cited and the health department (under whose enforcement this falls) has openly stated they have better things to do. It's readily available at many restaurants if you just know who -- and how to ask. And at least one local chef has likened the ban to prohibition calling these restaurants that serve the underground delicacy "duck-easies". Twenty Three Skiddoo!

Grant Achatz Battles Cancer

Yesterday, news began hitting major outlets that Grant Achatz of Alinea in Chicago has cancer (mouth and tongue). His release is here (via Bruni at the NYT):

“I wanted to personally report that I have been very recently diagnosed with an advanced stage of squamous cell carcinoma of the mouth. I have consulted several prominent physicians and will likely begin aggressive treatment within the next few weeks. I remain, and will remain, actively and optimistically engaged in operations at Alinea to the largest extent possible. Alinea will continue to perform at the level people have come to expect from us — I insist on that. I have received amazing support from friends, family, and everyone who has thus far been told of the disease, and I look forward to a full, cancer-free, recovery.”

Gourmet's Top 50 Restaurants for 2006

Everyone's been talking about it for a week or more and the Gourmet list is out! Number 1? Alinea in Chicago. Only one other Chicago eatery made the cut -- Charlie Trotter's at 13. Is Tru a blatant omission? Can you really compare Alinea to the venerable Berkeley standby Chez Panisse at number 2? And is it fair to lump all of Thomas Keller's places together at number 3 listing it as French Laundry/Per Se when there are clearly very two different restaurants? As anyone who writes in food knows, compiling these kinds of lists are fraught with challenges and often the result of much discussion and more than a little disagreement. Everyone will raise their own questions. Maybe all is best decided by eating with as many of these wonderful places as possible.

A few other notes: Look at the quality coming out of Las Vegas! It makes me want to go with foodies! No surprises from New York. Daniel, Masa, Le Bernadin, and Jean Georges -- no surprise with the New York offerings. Nice turnout from Texas! And look at the midwestern listings in Minneapolis, Cleveland, Madison, and Milwaukee.

Here's the full list (from Slashfood):

1. Alinea – Chicago, IL
2. Chez Panisse – Berkeley, CA
3. The French Laundry/Per Se – Yountville, CA; New York, NY
4. Spago – Beverly Hills, CA
5. Joël Robuchon at the Mansion – Las Vegas, NV
6. La Rêve – San Antonio, TX
7. Masa – New York, NY
8. Alan Wong's Restaurant – Honolulu, HI
9. Daniel – New York, NY
10. Le Bernardin – New York, NY
11. Magnolia Grill – Durham, NC
12. Michel Richard Citronelle – Washington, D.C.
13. Charlie Trotter's – Chicago, IL
14. Arrows – Ogunquit, ME
15. Cyrus – Healdsburg, CA
16. Striped Bass – Philadelphia, PA
17. Babbo – New York, NY
18. Locke-Ober – Boston, MA
19. Canlis – Seattle, WA
20. L'Auberge Carmel – Carmel, CA
21. Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare – Las Vegas, NV
22. Restaurant August – New Orleans, LA
23. The Inn at Little Washington – Washington, VA
24. The Dining Room in the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead – Atlanta, GA
25. Vetri – Philadelphia, PA
26. Fore Street – Portland, ME
27. Jean Georges – New York, NY
28. Higgins – Portland, OR
29. Da Marco – Houston, TX
30. La Belle Vie – Minneapolis, MN
31. Parker's New American Bistro – Cleveland, OH
32. Michy's – Miami, FL
33. Frasca – Boulder, CO
34. Gramercy Tavern – New York, NY
35. Providence – Los Angeles, CA
36. Restaurant Guy Savoy – Las Vegas, NV
37. Zuni Café – San Francisco, CA
38. Urasawa – Beverly Hills, CA
39. Bacchanalia – Atlanta, GA
40. Sanford – Milwaukee, WI
41. York Street – Dallas, TX
42. Manresa – Los Gatos, CA
43. No. 9 Park – Boston, MA
44. Trattoria Nostrani – Santa Fe, NM
45. Cafe Juanita – Kirkland, WA
46. Paley's Place – Portland, OR
47. Lantern Restaurant – Chapel Hill, NC
48. L'Etoile – Madison, WI
49. Herbsaint – New Orleans, LA
50. Nana – Dallas, TX