242649 Mon Mar 29 15:05:57 -0800 2004 3 19 Outer Boroughs 0 1288595 I went to a new restaurant called Valise, on Fulton Street by BAM, and was really disappointed. The elegant facade, beautiful interior and great prices had me grateful that a wallet-friendly, good-quality restaurant had swooped into the neighborhood to feed BAM's audience before or after a performance...but the food was AWFUL!!! They gave me a mountain of heavy, buttered cod on top of soggy zucchini...at least three filets. The cod tasted under-cooked and was way too much for one plate...I still feel nausea thinking about that plate My wife ordered only an appetizer that was grilled squid on skewers above a mountain of plain old mesclun salad that was poorly dressed...way too much balsamic vinegar,. The squid was tasteless and the salad was sour and boring. Again, the balance of the plate was thrown off by the size of the portion. Another friend ordered the penne with vodka sauce and salmon...disgusting. The salmon disintegrated into little shreds. The tomato-cream sauce was not the least bit creamy but rather, it was grainy... .. I walked away sick to my stomach and could not get beyond the feeling that our meal had been prepared by someone who is totally insensitive to ingredients, balance, proportion and taste. I was told by the waitress that the restaurant--opened by an italian woman and her boyfriend chef--was only 3 weeks old. I hope it dramatically improves...no pun intended Mon Mar 29 15:05:57 -0800 2004 0 Xico Greenwald 1 1288606 Thanks for the tip. Did you try their desserts? Mon Mar 29 16:59:10 -0800 2004 1288595 0 Dorris 2 1288607 No...but they sounded bad Mon Mar 29 17:02:08 -0800 2004 1288606 0 Xico Greenwald 1 1288688 We had the same experience just the other night...with Paul Newman's own phony grainy Vodka sauce...which could make granite disintegrate. Tue Mar 30 23:26:55 -0800 2004 1288595 0 Mike R.