Tony Bourdain visited some amazing places in the No Reservations "Pacific Northwest" episode, but none got my mind racing like his crashing a meeting of Gypsy, an underground, members-only dining club. Although their mission statement is rife with the kind of superlative that is likely to attract the most rarefied and narcissistic foodies, ("We are entering a new golden era of food with the most educated clientele ever and the most daring chefs ever. Gypsy is the place where these two groups can come together and become electrified with possibility."), their guest chef with no boundaries approach seemed to be right on.

No, they're not the punk rock of cookery, as much as I'd like to see something like it. There is a certain amount of sneering in the face of authority, however, and I need to give a special shout to the chef who talked about smuggling raw-milk cheese into the US - specifically to have it featured in this meal - in his kid's diaper bag. Chef, I salute your daring and your commitment to your ingredients.

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LEGAL DISCLAIMER: The author and readers of this journal are absolutely and collectively opposed to the unlawful importation of cheese, and continue to discourage unlawful conduct of any kind. Under no circumstances should the presence of accolades for a chef or any other party engaging in unlawful importation of cheese be construed as endorsement or encouragement to engage or to participate in such activities. The author adamantly discourages any traveler from purchasing raw-milk cheese with the intent of importing it into the US, especially if he or she then removes any label that could indicate that the product was aged for less than 60 days, wraps it carefully in at least two ziplock bags, and packs it in checked luggage.

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