jandazza's Profile
Vancouver wineries?
My boyfriend and I are heading to Vancouver this weekend and thought we might do a little daytrip to a local winery. Any suggestions?
We may go car-less, so we'd love something on a train line. However, for the right winery we'd be down for a drive up to an hour. A place that has some great food nearby gets an extra gold star.
Thank you!
Oscar Potluck--but the theme is wacked!
I posted a thank you, but I didn't mention what everyone actually brought. My boyfriend and I were clearly the most clueless, because the food was seriously good and it made me a convert to this kind of theme party.
1. The best French Onion Soup I've ever had in my life (Julia & Julia -- I thought it had to be for Oscar nominated pictures, but I was wrong). I guess the key is to caramelize the onions within an inch of their lives.
2. Amazing Beef Bourguinon (Julia & Julia)
3. Bourbon chicken wings and buttermilk biscuits (Crazy Heart)
4. Strudel with creme fraiche (Inglourious Basterds)
We brought a salad with French greens and a lemon vinaigrette for An Education and some Hurt Locker Hummus, which worked, but hardly wowed like the other dishes did. Now that we know what we're in for, next year we plan to kick as much ass as the other guests.
Thanks again for the suggestions!
Oscar Potluck--but the theme is wacked!
HA! NellyNel, we totally stumbled upon that Epicurious article after I posted--and we totally cheated. Hurt Locker hummus and An Education salad.
How to impress a chef with a Westside brunch?
Hi Ciao Bob (and all Chowhounds)! Thank you all for your recommendations, which I intend to keep in mind--because they really all sounded fantastic--and which I have since forwarded on to my friends on the west side of town.
As for my guests? They canceled :(. Turns out that, as much as we all wanted to see each other, the dip down to LA from Montreal didn't make sense. Hopefully they'll get down for a visit soon and I'll be able to show off with some of your suggestions!
Memorial Day weekend in Vancouver
Hi! My boyfriend and I are traveling to Vancouver for Memorial Day weekend and would love suggestions on your favorite (not too expensive, we're on a budget) B&Bs, with great coffee and breakfast.
Also, while I'll definitely search this board for food suggestions, if you have a B&B recommendation and there are other great places to eat in the vicinity, we'd love to hear them.
A little about our taste: We prefer good food in casual, cozy, homey environments. Small, funky places with flavorful food are our favorites.
In terms of cuisine: we love sushi, pho, all Japanese and Korean food, interesting burger joints with great beer, daring vegetarian, middle eastern, and amazing localvore cuisine and wine. I am also an ice cream and gelato whore, and he'd sell his soul for the perfect cup of coffee. I also dig wine bars and he loves excellent local brews.
Tall order, I know--and not a particularly focused line of requests so, thank you for any suggestions you want to throw our way.
Oscar Potluck--but the theme is wacked!
My boyfriend and I just got invited to an Oscar potluck where we need to bring a dish inspired by one of the Best Picture nominees.
Whaaaaa?! The good news is everyone else seems just as clueless as to what to bring, so the menu is wide open.
Okay, here is what we have:
Avatar (Did they eat anything in Avatar? Can't recall... maybe I can just make something big and blue)
The Blind Side (football food?)
District 9 (Alien/South African cuisine?)
Hurt Locker (one of those pre-made army pouches of food)
An Education (haven't seen it yet)
Inglourious Basterds (someone is already bringing strudel)
Precious (mac and cheese, chicken wings, pigs feet)
A Serious Man (haven't seen it yet)
Up (chocolate... definitely chocolate)
Up in the Air (airline food?)
I'm not doing such a good job thinking out of the box for this one, Chowhounds. Please help me get the creativity flowing! Thanks all!
How to impress a chef with a Westside brunch?
I have a tall--TALL--order for the Chowhounds, but if you all can't do it, no one can. My faith in internet foodies is in your hands.
My good friend's boyfriend has just been hired as a chef at The French Laundry (yes, the one in Napa, owned by Thomas Keller) and they will be driving through Los Angeles to have brunch with me and my boyfriend on Sunday. They are staying in Brentwood and need to have brunch somewhere on the Westside. My dilemma is where to take them. I live on the Eastside and never get to the Westside for brunch (brunch is meant to be crawled to, on most occasions), so I'd love your opinion.
Oh! As a side note: They are both from Monreal and have spent a significant amount of time in Paris, so if you're inclined to make a suggestion that specializes in French food keep that in mind.
Honestly, I would have loved to have taken them to either Little Dom's in Los Feliz or Square One in Hollywood. Is there anything along those lines that you'd recommend?
Thank you so much!
Good lunch for Mom and Pop in Venice Beach? Or maybe Main Street in Santa Monica?
HI all,
My folks are visiting next week and I'd like to take them for a walk around the Venice canals and then for a nice lunch somewhere on Abbott Kinney. They have good taste, but will probably want a really nice sandwich, soup, or salad rather than a heavy meal. Also, they aren't cheapskates, but they won't let me pay and they live on a fixed income, so I'd rather something reasonably priced.
Bonus points for sitting outside.
Abbott Kinney is better, since I think they'll be charmed there, but Main Street in Venice is a great second option.
Thank you!
Cocktails in Santa Monica or Venice
Hi Chowhounds! I'm trying to find a fun, low-key place by the water to have some good cocktails tomorrow night with some friends. We'll be meeting up on the earlier side (around 6 p.m., if that helps). I'm picturing a beach shack that serves fun, colorful, beachy drinks (yes, we are all girls--but edgy girls :) ). Would love something with a little local flavor.
An example: I love Flake in Venice; if that served up drinks... especially by the water... it would be perfect.
Lunch in Salem?
I'd also suggest Old Spot for a low-key lunch or Finz for something a little more elegant (though certainly not over the top). I also like Gulu-Gulu on Essex St. for a light lunch. Great salads, sandwiches, and crepes and an excellent Belgian beer list. The Soup Factory and Cafe Kushko are also good, but low on any sort of ambiance. If you like Asian, there's also Asahi, which has good sushi (though they skimp on the fish) and really delicious Japanese apps and entrees.
A & J King's is not to be missed! I'm partial to their walnut-date and their apricot-ginger scones, but you can't miss with anything there. They may only sell it on Sunday, but they have an apricot fennel loaf of bread that will blow your mind. Get their iced chai! It's perfection!
I'd skip In A Pig's Eye. It's a fun sort of "local bar" kind of place, but the food really isn't that good. As a warning, stay away from the chili. It's unpalatable.
And, if you are looking to get a coffee or something, do Gulu-Gulu or A&J King--Jaho should be skipped. There are much better options in Salem.
Have fun!
Comfort food before the IMAX (Reading)?
Zalek's looks good, but I'm way to jazzed about Flatbread to go elsewhere. Thanks all for your suggestions!
Comfort food before the IMAX (Reading)?
YumYum, I was all down with the Fuddruckers but the said friend vetoed it. His snobbery is my gain though--since now I get to go to Flatbread!
Comfort food before the IMAX (Reading)?
There's a Flatbread in Bedford?! Be still my beating heart!
Comfort food before the IMAX (Reading)?
Hi Chowhounds,
A friend and I are going to the IMAX in Reading tomorrow and hope to find some decent comfort food (that was his request... comfort food) to grab before the movie. Any suggestions? I'm heading in from the North Shore and he's heading in from Cambridge, so it seems like we should look in Wakefield or Reading proper.
A good example of the type of food/price point we're looking for would be something like The Burren in Davis Square or The Old Spot in Salem (we don't need an Irish or English bar, but something that can feed us along those lines, without breaking the bank). Or, yummmm... the Flatbread Company in Amesbury/Porstmouth.
I've been searching the boards and nothing striking seems to come up. I guess I'm hoping for the best that there will be a diamond in the rough. And if there is a "must have" that is just outside the Reading/Wakefield periphery, feel free to suggest away!
Thanks so much,
jandazza
Decent Italian bread?
I have a bit of a picky dilemma. I'm making an Italian dinner for a friend on Friday but we're going to be crunched for time. Basically, I need to jet to his place in Cambridge immediately after work with all the ingredients and have it made in about 30 minutes. I've got the whole thing under control--except for the Italian bread! Where can I get good Italian bread after 6 p.m. in either the Salem-area or someplace in Cambridge.
I know Gloucester has some great bread (Sclafani's and Virgilio') but I can't get there Thursday or Friday--and I'd like it to be at least day-of fresh. Is there any place in Salem or Peabody that I'm not aware of? Seems like there are plenty enough Italians to warrant a good bakery!
Best Online Tea Retailer?
Adagio has some great tea, but I'm not sure it's the best for green tea. Adagio has a forum: http://www.teachat.com/ , which might be a good place to look for tips. Good luck!
Must have Pho Ga!
Tried their pho a few weeks ago. It was good, but it wasn't nearly as good as Pho Minh Ky. If I have it right, Sugarcane serves more of a Northern Vietnamese version (it's simpler and there are no bean sprouts and fewer herbs). I prefer the more complex, Southern Vietnamese pho you get at Pho Minh Ky. Though, I should say, my friend considers himself a pho connoisseur and he really liked Sugarcane.
Sugarcane's food, overall, is pretty good and comes at a great price. And they deliver!
Must have Pho Ga!
Thank you! I went to Pho Minh Ky in Lynn and got some of the most delicious--most healing--pho ga of my life. Not only that, but they were incredibly helpful, sympathetic and sweet; they even sent me away with some extra chili paste to burn out the cold. Great suggestion. Thank you!
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Pho Minh Ky
Lynn, MA, Lynn, MA
Must have Pho Ga!
Hello Chowhounds! I posted this on the New England board, but maybe I'll get a better response here.
I'm sick as a dog with a cold that's progressed from my sinuses to my chest. I need some Pho Ga and I need it fast (though I suppose I could settle for another Pho, if need be)! I live in Salem; where's the best Pho Ga in a five mile radius? If I need to drive into Boston for this I'll probably end up passing out at the wheel, so I've got to keep this close.
I thank you, as does my raging sore throat and my congested nasal passages.
Brunch in Ipswich?
Thanks treb. And I'm with you on the clams: Woodman's, for all its 'history' doesn't even come close to Farnham's. My friend is pregnant though (and we're meeting before 11 a.m.), so no seafood this time!
I'll look into Lewis'; maybe I'll find a new brunch option.
Brunch in Ipswich?
I still long for the days of Chipper's River Cafe and their breakfast bundles... does anyone know if they moved to another location?
Anyway, my real question is that I'm from Cape Ann and my friend is from Amesbury and we're trying to find a middle point to have brunch tomorrow. Wondering if any of the hounds have suggestions on where to go. We're thinking of meeting up in Ipswich.
Tango Grill Cafe Chelmsford, Chacacero Fix?
I got breakfast here last weekend and it was okay. The owner was a doll and, as someone mentioned, "eager to please," and the coffee was great. The waiter, as much as he touted his experience, didn't really seem to have things under control.
My cousin got the eggs florentine (I think they only have bene on the menu, but they were happy to swap out the meat for spinach) and she said the sauce was great and the homefries were good, but the eggs were cooked through. We kind of got the impression that wasn't because of the ineptitude of the kitchen staff, but more because the food had sat too long under the heat lamp.
I got the beef empanada, which was good but it was premade and just reheated. The waiter said they were special empanadas shipped in from Puerto Rico, which may have been meant to impress, but it actually kind of confused me. The empanada was good, but I really hoped for something fresh. I would have been fine with what I had if it had be a small take-out cafe but I was expecting something different. Wicked Local says that they make all of the food fresh, so maybe I missed something -- from the photos on Wicked Local that certainly appears to be the case.
Also, my chimichurri sauce came in a little plastic tupperware-type cup; I didn't love the presentation but the chimichuri was out of this world. I licked that damn tupperware clean!
I have friends who own restaurants and have been told to give every new place at least two months to get things under control. Maybe by then they waiter will step up and get the job done and they'll have a kitchen that functions well enough to serve up fresh empanadas.
I need a pizza that will knock 'em dead!
Hey there chowhounds,
I'm going to a pizza pot-luck on Friday, where the guests bring the toppings and we bake them up all night.
Should be fun, and I'd like to impress. I've gotten nothing but good advice from these boards, so I thought I'd see if you have any ideas that are simultaneously fun, quirky and delicious.
Whatever I bring needs to be easy (there's going to be a boatload of us, so I don't want to put out my hostess by taking up too much prep-space/time). Anybody have anything in their bag of tricks that they're willing to share?
I'm not afraid of "out there" ideas and I'm not afraid of anchovies.
Thanks!
Pizza in Piazza della Minerva: Please help if you can
error above -- the internet point was on the left and the pizzeria was on the RIGHT.
Pizza in Piazza della Minerva: Please help if you can
I last went there two years ago. I'm not 100 percent certain, but I think it's on Via del pie de Marmo. And it's pizza al taglio.
Thanks!
Eating like a Sicilian for a month
JFores! Palermo is my old stomping ground, so I have a few fantastic (and CHEAP) eateries I can recommend. I need to get in touch with my Palermitian cronies to get you names and specifics; this may take a little while, so feel free to email me a reminder to post up here. I'd be thrilled to share my favorite places with "the hounds."
Some stuff to keep in mind is that good, cheap food isn't that hard to come by at all; in many ways it will come to you in the larger cities.
In Palermo specifically, the Swarma on the street is consistently great, and is a fantastic representation of Palermo's Arab culture. You also can't really go wrong just grabbing an arancini di riso or a panelle. One place (that is written up everywhere, but definitely lives up to its reputation) is Antica Focacceria San Francesco, on via A Paternostro. It was a favorite of Giuseppe Garibaldi; any Sicilian worth his salt needs to make a pilgrimage there at some point.
You'll find fantastic octopus in Siracusa and incredible granita in Taormina. And the blood oranges, and other citrus fruits are unparalleled in cities that are shadowed by Mt. Etna, like Catania -- so pack your bags full.
You're going to have an amazing time! Buona Fortuna! And I'll be back with specific names and locations.
Pizza in Piazza della Minerva: Please help if you can
I am desperate to find the names of some places I loved when I lived in Rome; one such place is a small pizzeria right off of Piazza della Minerva. If you're walking east, going opposite the Pantheon, this place would be "behind" the Piazza. There is (or was) an internet point on the left, I believe, and the pizzeria was on the left.
I recall a pizza there that had finely diced tomatoes mixed with even smaller bits of anchovies and spices. It was INCREDIBLE.
Can anyone help me get more specifics -- either with a name or an exact location (i.e. street name) of the pizzeria and maybe a perfect description of what is on the pizza I so fondly recall. I'd love to recreate that pizza... for old time's sake.
Grazie mille
