Bern's as solo diner [with update]

[Scott_Watkins]

@Ian H

Damn I just flew into and out of Tampa on a golf trip a few weeks back and didn’t know about this place.

?! What rock have you been living under

[james_l_moleberg]

Personally, I find it rude to go into a restaurant of the caliber of Bern’s, which possesses such a talented group of wine servers and ask that you open the wine. But maybe that’s just me.

[Michael_Martin]

@james l moleberg

Personally, I find it rude to go into a restaurant of the caliber of Bern’s, which possesses such a talented group of wine servers and ask that you open the wine. But maybe that’s just me.

Francois is a legend. It is an honor to let him open any wine he wants.

[Robert.A.Jr]

@Michael Martin

@james l moleberg

Personally, I find it rude to go into a restaurant of the caliber of Bern’s, which possesses such a talented group of wine servers and ask that you open the wine. But maybe that’s just me.

Francois is a legend. It is an honor to let him open any wine he wants.

Knowing Brad and Eric, I’m sure they enjoyed the interplay with Francois. He was not ordering the Caymus.

[Francois_Audouze]

James,
I am not arrogant, by no mean.
But when Brad, whom I respect, began to open the wines that I had ordered which were of 1918, 1893 and 1895, I asked him if I could operate because I saw that with his tools we would have problems.

And it is the intelligence of Brad, and his immense openness, which made him accept that I operate. He looked how I did and was convinced that he would never have had the same result.

And imagine a man who is at the head of a fantastic cellar who told me after the first dinner: “when you come back, tell me your desire, I will make a selection of 50 bottles, you will choose what you want and you will open as you wish”.

And it is what we did. And he was the one who oriented the light in a proper way in order that I have enough light to open the wines that I had chosen.

The relation with Brad was completely friendly and natural. For the first dinner, at 3 pm we spent one hour to study together the wine list and we talked and talked.
For the second visit I visited the main cellar which is not the cellar which is in the restaurant, and we spent two or three hours together. He was pleased to meet me as I was pleased to meet him.

If there was not this friendly atmosphere I would never had asked to open wines by myself.
So, no arrogance, just friendship.

[Ian_H]

@Scott Watkins

@Ian H

Damn I just flew into and out of Tampa on a golf trip a few weeks back and didn’t know about this place.

?! What rock have you been living under

A great big giant one. Missed opportunity, reason to go back and play more golf and drink some wine I guess.

[Jayson_Cohen]

@François Audouze

James,
I am not arrogant, by no mean.
But when Brad, whom I respect, began to open the wines that I had ordered which were of 1918, 1893 and 1895, I asked him if I could operate because I saw that with his tools we would have problems.

And it is the intelligence of Brad, and his immense openness, which made him accept that I operate. He looked how I did and was convinced that he would never have had the same result.

And imagine a man who is at the head of a fantastic cellar who told me after the first dinner: “when you come back, tell me your desire, I will make a selection of 50 bottles, you will choose what you want and you will open as you wish”.

And it is what we did. And he was the one who oriented the light in a proper way in order that I have enough light to open the wines that I had chosen.

The relation with Brad was completely friendly and natural. For the first dinner, at 3 pm we spent one hour to study together the wine list and we talked and talked.
For the second visit I visited the main cellar which is not the cellar which is in the restaurant, and we spent two or three hours together. He was pleased to meet me as I was pleased to meet him.

If there was not this friendly atmosphere I would never had asked to open wines by myself.
So, no arrogance, just friendship.

Wonderful as usual.

Will you show us (photos of) your tools?

[DougS]

@Ian H

Does anybody have rec’s for similar-ish places in NJ/NY/Connecticut (particularly with the big and well-curated by the glass and 375 menus)?

I don’t think there’s any other restaurant anywhere with a wine list and pricing that’s comparable to what they have at Bern’s, especially for BTG and 375 mL bottles.

[Francois_Audouze]

I use them from left to right :

• a knife to cut the capsule (I have two in order to make one sharper by using the other to sharpen it)
• the normal corkscrew of sommeliers, just to lift the cork by 5 millimeters (useful as many corks stick to the glass)
• then the super tools which help to lift the cork. I have two because if I lift only a torn cork, the other is ready to continue
• then the small tools to lift what sticks to the glass. I have two because if one is dirty I use the second
• I try to never use the spoon, which is there to lift the pieces which would have fallen in the wine. And I am proud that it happens very rarely, even for the Hermitage 1938 whose cork arrived this way :

nothing fell in the wine !

[Robert_M_yers]

Wouldn’t a Durand help?

[Nick_Gangas]

@François Audouze

I am not sure that Brad is still there in the restaurant, because on my blog I had put a photo of Brad which was through a link to their website and this picture cannot be seen on my blog. Have you information about the presence of Brad in the restaurant?

I was there in August and Brad took great care of us. I also recently saw a pic here of Berns and Brad was serving them.

[Neal.Mollen]

@c fu

@S. Stevenson

Anyone who thinks their home cooked steaks are better than any restaurants they’ve been to, haven’t been to the right restaurants…

Or you’re just not very good at cooking steaks at home

Ha! Agreed

[M_Chacchia]

@François Audouze

I use them from left to right :

• a knife to cut the capsule (I have two in order to make one sharper by using the other to sharpen it)
• the normal corkscrew of sommeliers, just to lift the cork by 5 millimeters (useful as many corks stick to the glass)
• then the super tools which help to lift the cork. I have two because if I lift only a torn cork, the other is ready to continue
• then the small tools to lift what sticks to the glass. I have two because if one is dirty I use the second
• I try to never use the spoon, which is there to lift the pieces which would have fallen in the wine. And I am proud that it happens very rarely, even for the Hermitage 1938 whose cork arrived this way :

nothing fell in the wine !

You, indeed, are the man. Love it.

[mdavis]

@Robert M yers

Wouldn’t a Durand help?

My thoughts exactly. I have good success with mine.


-mark

[Francois_Audouze]

Durand is really a good tool, but it hurts the cork and as I keep the nice corks I try not to use it.

http://www.academiedesvinsanciens.org/une-nouvelle-video/
see the corks on this short video.

[Brandon_R]

@S. Stevenson

Anyone who thinks their home cooked steaks are better than any restaurants they’ve been to, haven’t been to the right restaurants…

I hope you’re joking. I’ve been to quite a few top steak houses in this country and, with an amazing piece of aged meat from Flannery, I can cook one every bit as good or very close at home. I also know I’m not alone in this on these boards!

[Peter_Chiu]

@Brandon R

@S. Stevenson

Anyone who thinks their home cooked steaks are better than any restaurants they’ve been to, haven’t been to the right restaurants…

I hope you’re joking. I’ve been to quite a few top steak houses in this country and, with an amazing piece of aged meat from Flannery, I can cook one every bit as good or very close at home. I also know I’m not alone in this on these boards!

Yes you are not alone …+ 1.

[Stuart_BeauneHead_Niemtzow]

not me

[Dave_McCloskey]

@RyanC

@K John Joseph

@RyanC

And the steak, while tasty, was nothing special. I had a 14oz ribeye, which was huge and seemingly much larger than 14oz (or other places are short-changing me). It was good but not nearly as good as I do at home routinely with a Whole Foods prime ribeye on the big green egg/cast iron. I guess that’s the reality of ordering steak and why I rarely do it–but I didn’t find the Bern’s steak on the same level as other great steaks I’ve had at places that really focus on aging/marbling/etc. May also be a product of serving 1,000 covers a night.

I’m with you. I almost never order steak of any sort at restaurants, though one must order steak at a steakhouse. I think we’re Texas spoiled. Prime beef and steakhouses here are as good or better, wagyu et al. aside, than anywhere else I’ve ever been.

Agree. Exhibit A: this $14.99/lb dry aged ribeye I picked up from Whole Foods last week. Cooked slow on the BGE followed by a cast iron sear, it was leaps and bounds better than just about any steakhouse steak I’ve ever had:

[resizeableimage=450,600]https://image.ibb.co/cCnCAx/IMG_2223.jpg[/resizeableimage]

You’ve touched on why I rarely go to steakhouses anymore and when I do my order drifts towards a Veal chop or rack of lamb. Last weekend I went to Sprouts and bought two beautifully marbled Ribeye’s I cooked on a Kamado Joe. Few steakhouses could compete.

[Bret_D_sk_n]

I’m going to be driving through Tampa on a Saturday towards the end of March. Unfortunately, no reservations until 11pm on the day we are looking at. If we show up right at 5 do we have a good chance of getting a spot at the bar or getting a table? Would love to try some of their offerings but need to temper expectations with the Mrs.!