Is this for their summer program or regular Harvard curriculum?

El Bulli was as magnificent an experience as I could have hoped for. It's located on the top of a mountainside in Costa Brava, overlooking the sea, and as you wind up the mountain, there is a definite sense of leaving the world as you know it behind. There is a tranquility and beauty to the area that is unsurpassed. My main reason for wanting to go was because after experiencing Adria 3 or 4 times removed from the source, I was curious about what exactly was the source and how it all fit together. On the evening I went, it fit together over about 27 courses. The price was extremely reasonable, although I have to admit, I did not pay, as I won the meal over a wager. (another story)

Restaurants don't get 3 stars just for the food, and the service was on par, or surpassed the most outstanding I have ever witnessed. It made me reflect on all of the ways we settle for less each and every day, and wonder why. Nothing was taken for granted, and all of the elements were explored: air, land, sea, aroma, and texture. They were taken apart, and put back together again - but you would be missing the point to think of Adria as merely a molecular gastronomist. He pays homage to the cuisines of Spain, and to his local sources. The meal began around 8:00 pm, and was finished by around 1 am. It was at times playful, mystifying, extroverted, and sincere. It made you laugh at times, and at others caused genuflection. Mr. Adria was humble in his role as teacher and master, kind enough to answer all of my questions through a translator, and offered a tour of his garden and kitchen.


coasta brava (view from elBulli)


kitchen (you can see the famous notebook on the table, and adria supervising the chefs)


spring

Brilliant post.

When he reopens as a one table restaurant or something, I will have to make a pilgrimage.

@super77m... What a great story. You can't stop there! Please give us Part 2 with a description of the meal (maybe not all five hours but at least some highlights.)

super77m, great stuff, and big thanks for the account! Love to hear more about your fine dining experiences if you're so inclined.

All right you molecular gastronomy otaku, and I know you're out there. We have an opportunity to try some Alinea-approved weirdness in SF's Mission District next month. Carol Blymore who's doing the Alinea at Home blog (she's cooking everything in their "cookbook" ... a Herculean task) is taking her show on the road. With Grant Achatz' help and approval, she came up with a menu of MC-ized versions of street food, or at least that's the concept. She'll be making numerous stops across the USA.



Carol's Alinea truck will be at the corner of 18th and Dolores on May 14th and 15th.

More information at the blog and on Twitter @AlineaOnTheRoad

There are more photos and explanations of what some of the items on the menu are at the blog.

Why does that picture of the truck scare me? The lady peering out of the window looks spooky.

Just had to.

^ that's too fuckin' funny

Excellent, Joe.

One of those "why didn't I think of that" moments. Nice one Joe.

The weird thing is that the lady is spookier than BF.

When she's not struggling to get a jammed van window open while someone takes a spooky photo of her, she's a real nice gal.

This ladies and gentlemen is what i like to call the motherload.
first "shipment" of chili back last year.


second "shipment" of chili today (this time i made my own fries)

OMG...!!!

Tommy's Chili in a cup? wha? how? when? where?

I need that.

Most if not all Tommys's sell tubs of chili like that. I've never tried it though, is it exactly like the real deal?

It's the real deal. It's ladeled straight from their tub'o chili at any of their locations.
My parents brought that container over.
The also ship across the country with dry ice.

Where's the link to the shipping?

I have to try some.

I live five minutes away from one and NEVER go. The Hat is better!

Tommy's chili is alright....what I don't like is the stuff that it goes on top of.

i've gone to the hat a couple of times.
the chili doesnt do it for me.

to get it shipped to you, i think you call this number: Phone: 626-357-9201
not sure anymore because their message board has been changed and they would always post information on how to get their chili shipped.

I need to come up with a good sob story so I can start flipping tubs of chili on this board. Chili for Gogas anyone?

Looking forward to this:
http://nytimes.whsites.net/talk/index.php

Tuesday | May 18, 2010
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

TimesTalks in San Francisco:
The Way We Eat Now

Traci Des Jardins of Jardiniere, Thomas Keller of The French Laundry, Michael Mina of the Mina Group and Kim Severson, New York Times dining reporter, talk with Frank Bruni, staff writer for The New York Times Magazine and former Times restaurant critic, about food, restaurants and how West Coast culinary trends influence the nation - in this special San Francisco edition of TimesTalks.

Address: Sundance Kabuki Cinema, 1881 Post Street at Fillmore
San Francisco

looks interesting!

Man I have a bunch of restaurants to post about. but most importantly, I will be attending this.

EDIT. fuck it sold out last night. SOMEONE HELP ME FIND A TICKET. PLEASE!

Also Joe, I meant to say marlowe, not Orson when we were talking yesterday.

Marlowe is the place I was walking about with the Brussels Sprout chips and the burger. Orson is the one owned by Elizabeth faulkner that everybody seems to hate.

I went to Orson, and hated it.

Caveat: the burger was not bad.

Alex Zavaleta Snacks in SF.

Local Foodie and Internet Personality Alex Zavaleta takes us on a gastronomical tour de force of his favorite San Francisco haunts at the Ferry Building and Haight St

http://vimeo.com/11005010