Sous Vide Sous l'Attention

Prep Work...
By now we have all had a day to ponder the prophecies parsed in the NYT's bombshell on the methode sous vide, and many of us have even begun to wonder whether the work was a bombshell at all! For those of you who have better means of spending your time than fetishizing food in the city, an explanation is in order. In short, after the famed foam phenomena sparked Ferra, Sous Vide became the new black; ushered east by Thomas Keller, the process has appeared at virtually every fine dining menu East of the Hudson since. The actual mechanics involve placing meat, fish, chicken, hell, even fruit in a cryovacced bag along with seasonings, and then placing the pampered pouch in a water bath held exactly at the contents desired temperature. From fundamental physics stand, the lack of oxygen creates a unique reaction that enhances the taste and tenderness. Further, when properly executed, the food is always perfectly cooked and overcooking is in impossible as the water never rises above the desired temperature.
Undercooking is an entirely different story!
(In fact, when relaying my own experiments and experiences to the adventurous, I am certain to stress that Chicken is not a good starting point!)
However, pros have different tools at their disposal than home chefs in Manhattan, i.e. they actually have temperature control on their ranges. Even more importantly, they use vacuum sealers replete with four digit price tags, as well as commercial grade water circulators designed for laboratory use.
Still the process is not without its dangers and the NYC Health Department seems eager to quash it until the procedures are properly codified.

The Meat...
The initial reaction to the article amongst foodies was something to the effect of, "Quelle damage! No more sous vide! Zut Allors! Merde!"
However, a Barthesian close read is required to understand what has slipped beneath the radar. The stealth secret here is the fact that Ms. Bowen does not masquerade as a Delphic deity, rather she reports on an ongoing crackdown... Yet, I still see sous vide on menus across town. Restaurants were aware of the change in rules long before the Times ran the piece, and it seems evident that most have opted to continue using the technique either playing a numbers game with the inspectors or swallowing the fines. (Damn the Tournedos!)

Plating...
Keeping deductions in mind, I spoke to some restauranteurs, chefs, and eaters last night. The following themes emerged.
- By the time that we are inspected, the regulations will be in place and the issue moot.
- What is Per Se going to do?
- By the time the codification occurs, the trend will be over.
- What is Per Se going to do?
- I've moved on to the Nitrogen fad.
- Sous Vide is safer.
- Finally, we hear, that the fining is not really a rampage; kitchens with better records, both historically and in regards to sous vide, tend to receive some leeway.