crazeegirl

Thanks Don for the warning! I'm going in September so perhaps the crowd will slow down.... will definitely have to look into the closing before heading out there. But much of itinerary is complete, 1 day Pisa, 6 days in Tuscany wine country, 2 days in Florence and 1 day in Cinque Terre. Can it be September already? I'll have to dig up some old recommendations for Florence and wine country on this board.

gosh...i so can't wait...thank you for the dreamy recommendations. wish i could fast forward to end of August. Did either of you stay overnight? Would two days be sufficient?

I'm planning a trip to Pisa-Cinque Terre-Tuscany (staying at vineyard) ....would love any recommendations of restaurants along the way. I (am) was planning to drive but reading this post concerns me re: driving. Are there driver options? and if so, where would one inquire?

i highly recommend going on a walking tour with culinary backstreets. i did the mediterranean, seaside of barcelona and it was not only a culinary experience but they really take you to the backstreets. be prepared to eat. i think we stopped by 15+ places with bites from each stop. i would also check out paco meraldo! http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187497-d945264-Reviews-Paco_Meralgo-Barcelona_Catalonia.html

i'm headed to barcelona/san sebastian/mallorca in september and would love any new recommendations. voraciously taking notes of earlier recommendations! my daughter is coming with the us and one question i had was...do restaurants generally open after 8/9? need to bring the afternoon siesta back into practice so she can be up past her bed time.

Have you tried Nakwon? Usually no wait time, and if there is one, pretty short. I highly recommend the Kalbi (ask them to cook table side vs. kitchen) and pork belly BBQ. If you have the patience, I would recommend Ju Mak Jib, but don't expect good service. The service is painful, but many Koreans, in spite of quite of bit of price difference between other Korean restos, for example, $22 for order of pork belly at Jumak vs. $15 at others, go because of high quality and fidelity to how ban chan is at home. For some, the wait, pain in the XXX service may be a turn off, but I still see myself nursing my soju as i get my first banchan 30 minutes after being seating on a biweekly basis. : )

hi nick/don, just to follow up on the byob...as much i love my wine, i like my belgian beer with bbq...does byob apply to wine only? if so, will you have beer we can order from your menu? thank you...i didn't want to break any rules!

I am planning to recruit 3 friends!

agree with JoeH's comments. my favorite restaurant these days...whether it is lunch by the windows facing the waterfront or the bar. One thing I would nit pick is the consistency of "al dente"-ness of their pasta. I've experienced this time to time at fiola and again past weekend at fiola mare--it can be overdone past al dente. I did note to the bar staff, and certainly not deal breaker at all because the appetizers, pasta dishes and whole fish are still amazing, and I love the folks running this operation for their dedication and hard work, but at this caliber and price point, I wonder if they need to just focus on consistency. Fiola Mare feels like a staycaytion, especially at lunch with a champagne over looking the waterfront.

I'll be staying in the Soma District, close to Union Square first weekend of May. I would like to stay away from tasting menus but other than that all is game. That said, if you highly recommend a resto with only testing menu option, I wouldn't discount it either!

i am heading to SF in few weeks and was wondering if anyone had any new restos to add to what has been mentioned or special call outs! it's been awhile since my last visit so want to brush up my hit list!

thanks everyone for your suggestions. had a blast! from blt to hakkasan to pool side at mondrian and beachside at delano. i have to say my favorite was mandolin. so so simple! http://www.mandolinmiami.com/ just the kiddo and me, but the resto was romantic and the food was amazing! not in sobe but definitely worth the taxi ride to the deco district.

i am staying at the mondrian in southbeach for 4 days and would love some restaurant recommendations. i will have a kiddo (3yr) old with me, who has been to a wide range of restaurants--and can behave at upscale restos (i tend to go on the earlier side). i am not renting a car but i hear most places are accesible via cab. if this is NOT the case, please advise as well. any recommendations for lunch, dinner, snacks would be appreciated! thank you!

I am planning a birthday weekend around dinner at Blue Hill Stone Barns next month. I would love to get some recommendations on where else to dine, wineries to visit and hotels. Thank you very much in advance!

Hi! I would love to get some restaurant recommendations in Newport News area. I need to take some clients out and can't find anything other than chain restaurants. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!