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Hi, list:

In the last two months, I have had two extraordinary experiences at two of
the best restaurants in America that I think are worth reporting on, These
days there are fine chefs all over the country most of whom, I suspect, are
more open than we may assume to the challenge of feeding us.

My first experience was at The French Laundry in Yountville, California,
where the chef is this year's winner of the James Beard Award (and known to
me as the chef of the late lamented Rakel in New York). I decided to take
my sweetie there for his birthday and hope for the best for myself.
Knowing, however, that great kitchens are staffed with people who know food
chemistry and pride themselves on what they do, I wrote a one-page letter a
few weeks before the date of our reservation saying we would like the
tasting menu and that I would be most grateful for whatever they could do
by way of necessary substitutions to accomodate the gluten problem. I said
"...for medical reasons" but figured explaining the disease was irrelevant
under the circumstances.

In my letter (which I noticed was displayed on a clipboard in the kitchen
the night we ate there) I outlined the allowed classes of food and gave
examples of disallowed foods, with special emphasis on the contamination
problem. I said I expected that some substitutions would not be possible,
and that would be okay--whatever they could do would be fine.

The result was beyond delicious up to and including a delicate flourless
cookie stuck into the flourless chocolate cake NOT cooked in a flour-dusted
pan (I checked). Instead of getting lobster on orzo, for instance, they
served me lobster with salsify on a citrus coulis--a spectacular
production. I suggested afterwards that if my dinner was not more trouble
than it was worth, I'd send the word out on the Celiac list. "Oh, yes!"
they said. "We would be delighted." The kitchen staff said it was fun-they
enjoyed the challenge. "Are you coming back tonight?" the pastry chef
asked. Ah, sorry, no, I said. "..because," he continued, "we could cook you
a whole new menu!"

Last night was my birthday dinner, at Lespinasse in New York. It was a
staggering tour de force. The chef custom tailored the entire menu, an
amazing symphony of broths and sauces built around my announced preference
(working from their fax'd menu) for oxtails rather than more common meats
like lamb. In other words, one of the best chefs in the world planned and
cooked an extraordinarily elaborate meal--for me. Gosh.

Granted,these dinners are rare events, too decadent to do very often even
if the price doesn't knock your socks off. But it is nice to know that
fantasy-level dining is not closed to us.

Here's to the sensual pleasures of food -- !!

Cheers,
Mary Brown
NYC