Alain Ducasse

A waiter placed a shallow white bowl before me. On the bottom, making the corners of a square, lay four pastel-colored florets: yellow, ivory, pink and green. He poured in cauliflower soup and set down a bagel. “The topping on the bagel is ‘Dubarry’: chopped cauliflower and Comté cheese,” he explained. “In Escoffier, dishes made with cauliflower are called Dubarry, after Louis XV’s mistress.”

Bagel “Dubarry”? Alain Ducasse may have a sly sense of humor, but up until now New York hasn’t given him much to smile about. Mr. Ducasse has more Michelin stars than any chef in the world, but his first restaurant here, which opened eight years ago in the Essex House, was not particularly well received. The price (a $235 prix fixe) was met by outrage, as were such excesses as the selection of scary knives for carving your squab, the embroidered footstools provided for the ladies’ handbags and the choice of Mont Blanc fountain pens proffered for signing the bill. The Michelin Guide awarded Ducasse three stars, but nevertheless, it closed a year ago.  read more »

When Heath Ledger's masseuse found the actor unconscious Tuesday, she called Mary-Kate Olsen for advice before dialing 911. The NYPD spokesman said, "I'm not going to speculate on why 911 was not called first." [City Room]

Also, multiple types of anti-anxiety meds and sedatives, all prescribed to Ledger, were found in his apartment. [TMZ]

Paris Hilton updated her MySpace blog – she's "never been happier"! [Just Jared]

A who's who of city restaurants, like Michael Romano of Union Square Café and The Modern's Gabriel Kreuther, flocked to the preview of Alain Ducasse's new wine-themed restaurant Adour. Their critical palates were not disappointed. [Page Six]  read more »