Did they know you had been before? When I went twice in one week the menu the second time was completely different (but to be honest I would have been very happy with the same one again ;))

I'm going there later this week for a Friendsgiving dinner. Since it'll be a large group I think we'll try a bunch of things on the menu, any particular dish to avoid?

I wasn't that impressed by the steak tartare - I like tartares that are a little off the beaten path, but I didn't get the sense that the meat was as high-quality as others I have had.

Definitely make sure to get the duck or the braised halibut - the latter was a revelation, while the former is just duck cooked really damn well. :)

Has anyone had breakfast at Al fiori in the Langham NYC? Any suggestions or comments? I'm a little worried as I tend to not like hotel breakfasts, and the last one star place we had while staying at a hotel, Boulud at the Surrey, was just totally underwhelming.

For me breakfast is not really star related, it´s mostly only the diningroom. Often completely different kitchen-team. Only had dinner at Al fiori, no breakfast.

Many thanks!

Last night we had one of our two best meals of the year, and a place that I once said was my favorite restaurant in the world because it executes a chef's vision: it's small, there are no menus, great and unpretentious service, good value and superb wine pairings. Formerly the number 1 ranked restaurant in DC, but now number three according to the only respectable guide in DC: Washingtonian. Sure it has a michelin star and minibar, which I didn't particularly care for (like Fat Duck this summer) had two, which only reinforces my belief that michilen stars are trash. But yes, it had one, as much as the dreadful Benoit with it's horrible service and mediocre food but interesting location. I say french restaurants often get a free pass, but that's just my opinion.

Yes, I am talking about Komi. One of the the first place that Mr. and Mrs. Obama went out to many years ago. Absolutely delightful and almost an entirely new menu since we last went. It's my ideal vision for a restaurant. Just blows away (or maybe I like the cuisine more) all the 3 star places we went this year by miles.

Only downside is that I believe there's a no camera policy, which is actually a boon and made the meal better since I didn't have to see people pulling out their camera, knowing that I needed to focus on the event itself.

I still have yet to try Pineapples and Pearls, however.

Komi is near the top of my bucket list, but I've never been able to manage a reservation. How difficult was that, or did you just call up a concierge service?

the first time around we were armed with phones. This time, there was a notice on the website that they had an opening last night, so I sent an email, received a phone call and booked. Super easy, but it may just be luck.

I had dinner when it first opened - it was delicious. My wife did have dinner there some years ago for brunch and found it nearly inedible. YMMV.

We had a 2-star day in Chicago last weekend - brunch at Roister and dinner at Blackbird. Roister brunch was great. We had both the avocado toast and foie gras toast to start, and would eat the foie gras toast every day if our wallets and waist lines could take it. For mains we had the biscuits and gravy (enormous and delicious) and the fried bologna sandwich (surprisingly tasty, particularly because of the pickle). Dessert was the foie gras candy bar. Really enjoyed our brunch and would gladly return for dinner next time we're in town. Loved the seating right at the open kitchen, and the staff were fantastic.

Blackbird has been on our list for a few years. We had a 7pm reservation on a Saturday night, so of course the restaurant was packed. We were not huge fans of the incredibly close seating along the bench on the side of the restaurant. It was impossible to enjoy our meal without overhearing what was happening at the tables on either side, and it forced the wait staff to awkwardly put stuff on my side (bench side) of the table instead of placing it correctly. We had the tasting menu and were not blown away by anything. While the food was "fine," I would not say it was worth $500 for 2 (including pairings). Our other one-star dinner experience in Chicago (Boka, this time last year) was far superior.

Wasn´t there a time Fois Gras was banned in Chicago?

If true, it would have been well before my time of eating in Chicago....

The foie gras ban in Chicago was from 2006-2008.

What do folks think about Dinner by Heston Blumenthal in London? It's open on Christmas Day, which is why I booked a reservation for dinner there, but one of my coworkers (who is a London native) said it is vastly overrated.

We despised it. Not quite as much as St. John’s, but nearly as much. Would never return. Haven’t been interested in any of his restaurants as a result, either. Vastly overrated is a very fair characterization.