crazeegirl

On July 9, 2016 at 7:38 PM, DonRocks said:

Beware! I just got this message from my (Russian) friend in Italy!

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Cinque Terre has restricted access these days.  Too many people at once, apparently.  Russian the first to miss the cut.

In the meantime I had to console myself with some superb testaroli al pesto and a bottle of Vermentino in Finalborgo.

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.  

39 minutes ago, Rovers2000 said:

I had a similar experience to Don, but we ate in Monterosso (the western most town of the Cinque Terre).  We ate at a restaurant with a patio looking out over the ocean, just before the entrance to the trail, and it is the best gnocchi al pesto with a carafe of cinque terre white wine (from the owners vineyard) I've ever had. 

Now, in hindsight was a meal of gnocchi and a full carafe of necessary the best lunch before embarking on a hike that spanned the next 3 towns (the leg to Manarolo was closed due to floods that had happened earlier in the year), maybe not - but it was still damn delicious

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!

I hosted a dinner for 25 at Bourbon Steak and the venue/atmosphere was great. The backdrop with trees and open space/large windows and enclosed from the main restaurant...the atmosphere was beautiful.

My idea is this: Every other thursday will be pig and pinot................over other friday will be sauvignon and seafood cast your votes on vidalias or my facebook page all..

what time does the event end thursdays/fridays? Thanks!

Anyone in quest to compare soup dumplings in NYC, you may want to consider Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao Soup Dumpling House in Flushing. A good friend of us took us there past weekend, swearing that it was better than what you can get in China. There was a 40 minute wait at 11:30am. The broth in the dumplings had a sweetness to it (for me, was not a plus) and a cleaner (less fat) palate. Other breakfast offerings such as freshly "squeezed"(?) soymilk with fritters and noodles dishes are also available. I still like Joe's better.

One observation and thought after lunching at Grammercy Tavern...why don't restaurants in DC have bountiful flowers and seasonal fruits and vegetables as part of their decor (cost factor, I am pretty sure).

More and more I dine in NYC, more and more I come to realize that we have a great dining establishments in DC. Yay!

Any recent experiences? Thinking about doing lunch here this week....

Looking for a good Sunday brunch spot in NYC - preferably Union Square or Chelsea. Anyone have recs?

How about the Union Square Cafe? Solid seasonal food and pleasant service!

We love Corduroy for special occasions, (or any occasion, for that matter)!

I second that! I would also consider going to Palena or Sushi Taro.

Calling out to the group to get some ideas on where to make reservations for a party of 15...cost is not a factor, but we are looking for something in the higher end-range. I was thinking BLT, Bourbon Steak, Corduroy...any thoughts? What places have you hosted larger parties? Given the short notice (next tuesday), I would like to cast a wider net and make calls to see if a private room or large table is available. As always, thank you!

I've been to Peking Gourmet Inn many times over the years, and have enjoyed it in the past. Fairly recently, I went to a large Sunday lunch banquet where I was firmly disappointed in everything except the Peking Duck (and the company).

Did they serve sliced cucumbers to go with the duck? We used to have cucumbers along side with the scallions as kids and had asked for it in the past, but didn't have it. I think around last year or so, they started serving it for charge ($3?). It add another element of taste and texture. Try it next time!

Our meal at Joe's was so disappointing. We tried all the dumplings and none had "soup." While the seafood ones were still ok, the whole point was supposed to be the soup. Our main courses were mai fun and a thicker pan fried noodle with seafood. These were nothing special, and much greasier than most chinese places where we eat in DC.

Further disappointing about Joe's was that we had two dirty glasses, and one with something floating in the water, a dirty plate, the table across from us had dirty napkins and other things under the table, and the bathroom was not clean. Perhaps my expectations were too high.

Sorry that your experience was subpar...I am wondering though whether you ordered the soup dumplings. Joe's is known primarily for their soup dumplings and not their other dishes. At least from my last trip to Joe's they had 2 types of soup dumplings: (1) pork and (2) crabmeat/pork. I am suprised that they didn't have any soup. Are you certain you ordered the soup dumplings?

Hey guys - going up to NY in a few weeks and planning out my eating. Joe's had been a potential on the list for xiao long bao, but reading above I guess that is no longer the spot. Any other recommendations? Or just forget xiao long bao and do otherwise.

So far on the list is: Caracas Aprea Bar, Tiam Falafel, Momofoku (Noodle bar and/or bakery), Sobaya, Macondo, Boqueria.. any other ideas? Thanks!!

I would give Joe's a try (perhaps others on the board who have tried to weigh in as well)...Try an order of pork and an order of crab soup dumplings. If you are inclined to eat anything else, I would try other things off their menu, but 2 plates of dumplings should be more than sufficient for one person.

Another place you might to try is Porchetta. Their seating is limited at best, so plan on taking the pork sandwich to go and have a picnic by a park! Their burnt potatoes and frisee salads are highly recommended as well.

Are you looking to try to particular cuisine or do you have a price range?

and then dinner at Soba-ya on 9th Street in the East Village. I wish we had an outpost of the Udon shop here. I had the weekend special udon, Chirashi, which was a hearty broth full of housemade udon noodles, a large piece of tamago, a shiitake mushroom, fish cake, spinach and some other goodies I'm too tired to remember. My sister was a bit disappointed in her tempura soba, which sported a large piece of shrimp tempura and one other piece of tempura and not much else. The cousin got the veggie udon and was quite content. We got out of there under $50, which was way below what I had budgeted for Saturday night.

Did you prefer the udon noodles to the soba noodles? Have you tried Ippudo, the ramen place?

We drove to Philly for dinner and then to NYC for brunch and dinner this past weekend. We tried brunch at Clinton Street Bakery, which was highly recommended by manyof our friends for its pancakes. We were forewarned about the hour waits, which we weren't planning to do with a 7month old...so we waited in line before the 10AM opening time. We tried the salmon eggs benedict, truffled fried eggs, blueberry pancakes, waffles du jour and sides of onion rings and bacon. Everything was good (recommend the truffled eggs, which comes with 2 sunny side up eggs on top of grilled vegetables and drizzled with truffle oil, but there was a sort of let down feeling because secretly we must have wanted something eyeopening due to all the hype. I don't think I'll be back since we have better brunch options here in DC, e.g., Creme, Leopolds, Blue Duck Tavern, but I am glad I got to try it.