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monsterriffs

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Everything posted by monsterriffs

  1. monsterriffs
    Let's add Arigato to a list of must-try places in Santa Barbara. This is easily the best sushi I've ever had, and while it has a lot of the annoying Americanized rolls and fusion crap, the sashimi and nigiri menus are serious business.
  2. monsterriffs
    I'm tempted to call this a fail, but I'm aware of the nuances at play here. Quite frankly, Pho 14 suffers from these pretentions. While their ingredients are top notch and very fresh, the soup recipe is middling-to-good, and it should not take 20+ minutes to get a bowl of pho. The charm of a true pho joint is that you get a great bowl of food in a bare bones atmosphere within 5 to 10 minutes of ordering. I am reluctant to see this experience go "gourmet" - particularly Pho Hot - because good pho doesn't require these sorts of aspirations.
  3. monsterriffs
    The wait last night at around 8 PM was an hour and fifteen minutes. So, we packed up and went to Granville's instead where we got seats at the bar and better food.
  4. monsterriffs
    I'm making my biennial trip to the Santa Barbara area next week and I'm looking for recommendations. I seriously know nothing about the area except for the fact that there are a lot of wineries and an In N' Out close to the 101. Help!
  5. monsterriffs
    Top-Siders are slightly more acceptable because they are a whole shoe, although because they are intrinsically tied to boating and the ocean, they are probably more appropriate for al fresco dining within a 3-mile radius of the beach or a lake. Barker Blacks are sick. I almost bought a pair of the jodhpur boots they had on sale recently on Gilt, but I couldn't bring myself to drop that kind of cash, even on a discount. Arguably, Barker Blacks are greatly preferred to Top-Siders because they are a more traditional dress shoe, even if they are a little bit funky.
  6. monsterriffs
    Mandals should be verboten from any dining establishment that is not within 500 meters of a beach.
  7. monsterriffs
    3 stars from Sietsema.
  8. monsterriffs
    I think I'm just going to start wearing a white dinner jacket with shawl collar at every dining establishment I patronize from here on out.
  9. monsterriffs
    I am going to register my vehement opposition to the notion that wearing a suit is considered "sad". If anything is sad, it's the business casual uniform of a blue oxford button-down shirt w/ khakis, and it is a pox upon the American workplace and culture on the whole. I long for the return and widespread acceptance of men's business attire like that of the 1940s to 1960s-era (think 'Mad Men'), where being well-dressed was respected rather than being spat upon. How this relates to restaurants nowadays is that in the days of yesteryear, I doubt any man would have been caught dead in a restaurant wearing anything less than a suit and tie. However, I am willing to concede that while I do love my casual wear, one really has to dress for the restaurant and the occasion. I'm not likely to wear a suit or sportcoat and tie when visiting Ray's Hell-Burger (I will argue that it would make more sense for Ray's The Classics, though), and similarly, I'm not likely to wear a black t-shirt and jeans when going to CityZen or Restaurant Eve. Luckily, we live in a country where the freedom of expression is protected. But would it hurt us to express a bit of respect through our attire to our beloved chefs and restauranteurs?
  10. monsterriffs
    Yeah, seriously great news for us Dupont office drones in that area who lament the fact that there's nothing nearby!
  11. monsterriffs
    Word is she's single now. Make it happen and don't forget the extra-strength Valtrex.
  12. monsterriffs
    Fresh Path Valley chickpeas with chive blossoms. Get it now. You're welcome.
  13. monsterriffs
    Surprised that Jamie hasn't posted this up here yet, but Carole Greenwood peaced out of Buck's and Comet.
  14. monsterriffs
    +1. Only way to fly on 9th.
  15. monsterriffs
    It's part of my daily regimen, followed by a tzatziki moisturizer.
  16. monsterriffs
    Let's see, this past week (and change) was a busy one, dining-wise... Last Saturday - Zaytinya - Even though Greek food (and related Mediterranean food) is something I have on a regular basis, I still enjoyed my dinner and company here last weekend. The peinirli was my favorite dish with a super crispy bread and nice balance of sweet/savory. Wednesday - Restaurant Eve Tasting Room - A few of us went here to see off Mr. Eric D and what more can be said other than OM NOM NOM NOM! The five courses and assorted bites were outstanding, although for me the standouts were the trio of amuse bouche at the outset of the meal, the Irish White Pudding with depuy lentils and hollandaise sauce, and a flan of cheese with a certain type of mushrooms with an unusual name. If someone can recall the name of the cheese and mushrooms in question, I would be very grateful. Additionally, the wine that rocked my world that evening was the burgundy paired with the Polyface beef tenderloin course. Thursday - 2Amys - Nice little late dinner here. Spicy chickpeas and a great goat cheese w/ fig jam to start and a great pepper and salami pizza. This past Saturday - Commonwealth - I love this place and its dank decor. Plus the food is great, but it consistently requires an extended nap afterwards. Saturday's dinner was kicked off with Welsh Rarebit, which wasn't really anything special, and the Chicken Pot Pie which had a great flaky crust and huge chunks of tender dark meat chicken. I passed out almost immediately after eating there though.
  17. monsterriffs
    I had the scallops w/ sweet pea grits recently for dinner when I went down to Rustico to keep Eric company on St. Patrick's Day. The grits in that dish are outstanding. While the scallops were fine, the grits are the star of that dish.
  18. monsterriffs
  19. monsterriffs
    Whoa, had we known about the blog sooner, we would have known that Kaz has been serving ramen in the winter!!!!
  20. monsterriffs
    I just read this thread for the first time in months and noticed the Airblade discussion. I have to be honest - I love those things. Of all the hand dryers I've encountered, I think that's the most effective one I've used. Did anyone gorge themselves on miniburgers for 3/6/09? How was it? Has Pfizer sent anyone a complementary pack of Lipitor yet?
  21. monsterriffs
    You're new here, so I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. I know nothing of how frequently you've dined out and how many times you've dined at a given establishment. However, all of your posts so far have dealt in extreme absolutes and sweeping generalizations and I'm not sure its possible for something as nuanced as fine dining to be painted in black and white, as you seem to have a predilection for. I think its worth reading through the threads prior to going to an establishment to get an idea of what to expect and then comparing your experience to what others have said. Your meal may have very well been an anomaly. I certainly have enjoyed my meals at Vidalia in the past (I remember the shrimp in the shrimp & grits as being rather substantial, in particular) and I have experience excellent service in the past. Word is bond.
  22. monsterriffs
    In situations like this, common wisdom is that dark wash jeans are allowed if they paired with an odd jacket, dress shoes, and dress shirt. After all, the Prime Rib apparently allows dark wash jeans now.
  23. monsterriffs
    I suppose it's a bit like saying "I'm never drinking again" the day or days after a wicked bad drinking experience. Only his bad experience was the mgmt at Hook.
  24. monsterriffs
    Bahahaha, straight outta "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."
  25. monsterriffs
    I think we were due for another herpetic outbreak of comments in this thread anyway. Where's the eValtrex?
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