This Just In ...
Kevin Fischer is a veteran broadcaster, the recipient of over 150 major journalism awards from the Milwaukee Press Club, the Wisconsin Associated Press, the Northwest Broadcast News Association, the Wisconsin Bar Association, and others. He has been seen and heard on Milwaukee TV and radio stations for over three decades. A longtime aide to state Senate Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature, Kevin can be seen offering his views on the news on the public affairs program, "InterCHANGE," on Milwaukee Public Television Channel 10, and heard filling in on Newstalk 1130 WISN. He lives with his wife, Jennifer, and their lovely baby daughter, Kyla Audrey, in Franklin.
Culinary no-no #217
THERE ARE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF
FOOD BLOGS, BUT ONLY ONE CULINARY NO-
NO!
This past week saw a smorgasbord of Culinary no-no’s:
A wacky prinicipal’s mandate that kids eat government school lunches they don’t want to eat.
An obese councilman in NY wants to ban toys in happy meals. Boy, that's original.
Chocolate milk is dangerous.
Ay yi yi!
That evil fast food giant once had a very cute jingle…how'd it go again?
Oh yeh!
YOU DESERVE A BREAK TODAY!!!!
So, let’s get up and get away to a really nice, special restaurant, shall we?
Let’s do French!
Bon appétit!
Alright.
Now, where to begin.
Let's start with....
Quail egg with anchovy.
Lovely.
So lovely.
Next!
Potage a la Tortue Claire...
That would be your turtle consomme.
Divine.
Could I have what's next, please?
Sir, that would be the third course, Fillet de Sole Daumont.
What you have there is an exquisitely prepared filet of sole accompanied by crawfish mousse.
Enjoy!
And then...
OMG!
Caneton Rouennais a al Presse...
Beautifully roasted and pressed duck served with a reduction of red wine, brandy and duck jus paired with Gratin de Pommes de Terre a la Dauphinoise...
Gratin of potato...but of course.
Now you know you're in a fancy schmancy outfit when at this point the wait staff brings out a dish that looks like this....
What exactly is that, you inquire?
No, it is not the corsage you gave your date to the high school prom.
It's called Salade Irma, a lightly dressed salad of nasturtium blossom, asparagus and radish. It serves as a digestif (to aid in digestion) and a palate cleanser. Now, if you don't understand, hit delete and call Domino's.
Back to our outstanding dinner.
We top it off with...
Bombe Ceylan
A lovely dessert combining coffee, rum and cocoa.
Throughout dinner, there are perfect wine pairings.
Magnifique!
Dear Lord, Kevin, everyone knows you’re leading up to something.
But so far, there’s nothing to complain about here (Unless, that is, if you can’t stand French food).
I know.
I know.
It’s gotta be the price.
Way too expensive. This is one of those Culinary jobs where you drop a bomb of some obscene final bill, right?
Wrong.
Though pricey, I would say this particular dining experience is well worth any sticker shock.
There are, however, other elements that make this dining excursion truly in a world all it’s own.
Let’s examine the details.
The previous photos are from special menu items now being served at one of the most anticipated restaurants in
At Next, you don't get a menu.
You get a playbill.
Every three months, the restaurant will change its menu to one inspired by a different time and place. Currently,it's
Very yummy, but…
After what I’m about to convey, you will never complain again about difficulty landing those tough tables.
Next does not take phone reservations.
It does not take reservations via the Internet.
Those who wish to dine on pressed duck and gratin potatoes and turtle soup, are you ready for this, must purchase one-time only, set-price tickets that start in the $45-$75 range.
That’s right.
As if it was a Packers or Brewers game, Next requires patrons to have a ticket.
Some news reports have people paying as much as $3,000 to get ticket holders to let go of their prized possessions, an entry into Next.
Naturally, there is now a black market for these tickets.
It’s unheard of in the restaurant business.
The waiting list to get into Next is 19,000.
To get a ticket, you must be on the restaurant’s mailing list. As much as I love duck, this seems about as much fun as running a marathon. From Chicago metromix:
“Depending on the day and time you book, the eight-course Paris 1906 meal runs $65-$110 per person before tax, gratuity and beverage pairings ($48 for wine, $22 for nonalcoholic beverages). For now, tickets for Next’s three-month-long Paris 1906 menu are being sold through nextrestaurant.com and are accessible only to those on Next’s mailing list, which numbered 19,000-strong at last check. Only tables of two and four are available, with the exception of the kitchen table. This six-person table will feature an expanded 14-course version of the
Again, the price (and it will be hefty) is not the problem. It’s getting to the front door and being allowed inside.
The Chicago Tribune has an appropriate headline in its recent account of the next phenomenon:
Would-be Next patrons wait in online purgatory
To avoid the interminable lines, Next wanna-be's will fork over whatever dough is necessary. The Tribune reports;
"Chris Mangless, of
Too much hassle?
On the other hand, how does that saying go? Everything is relative?
From the New York Times:
“I paid $250 for two terrible seats to a Cubs game that were maybe $50 face value,” said Brandon, who declined to give his full name because he feared he might be punished for scalping tickets.”
In other words, what’s so bad about forking out to fork into a Next evening?
Our family is planning a future trip to Walt Disney World. They have some pretty good restaurants, too, that require an attempt at reservation six months in advance. But all that means is a phone call.
I don’t doubt Next is amazing. I’m sure Jennifer and I would go bonkers if fortunate enough to dine there.
It is fabulous that entreprenuer extraordianaire, chef Achatz has been able to create an excitement resulting in demand that far surpasses supply. For that he is to be commended and then some and his success is beyond admirable.
But the
Sold.
Feast your eyes. It's about as close as you may come to Next...
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