Twin Cities visit (MSP)

I have to say that the MSP chowhounds are among the most friendly and interactive that I have met. It is rare that I have too many places to go in the time available but that has happened here. It will be 3 dinners at Alma, BLG and piccolo. We will fill in the nooks and crannies with all of the other great options plus the art museums and all the other Twin Cities options. One gripe: taxis look to be rather expensive. I know that is not your fault. Thanks for everything. Tom Hall

Tom Hall in Minneapolis-St. Paul

Bar La Grassa--First time

So, how many were there? Two, or more?

Tom Hall in Minneapolis-St. Paul

Twin Cities visit (MSP)

So how does one choose between Bar la Grassa and 112 given that they have the same executive chef?

Tom Hall in Minneapolis-St. Paul

Twin Cities visit (MSP)

So I have done some more reading. Are there any favorite regular/traditional Vietnamese places? Tom Hall

Tom Hall in Minneapolis-St. Paul

Bar La Grassa--First time

So just checking: you had two appetizers, three main courses and three desserts?? I think that would make anyone would happy ; )

Tom Hall in Minneapolis-St. Paul

Twin Cities visit (MSP)

Yeah, I read that and it made me consider going to Corner Table but I see that piccolo gets a lotta love here. There is NO WAY that I want to go to Travail and wait for a table. I hate that game.

Tom Hall in Minneapolis-St. Paul

Twin Cities visit (MSP)

My wife and I are making our first visit to the Twin Cities (discounting my brief trip in 1977) for about 2 days and 3 evenings before heading to Rochester. We will be staying at Graves 601.

I tend to favor the New American school of food along with local available options otherwise not usually available. We live in central California (the uncool part of the state but not that far from San Francisco) so we don't need Mexican, Korean, Chinese. We want some nice dinners with food most important but we also like wine. I am considering Alma, 112 and Corner Table for dinner. We would be interested also in Vietnamese, possibly favoring the (yeah, right) "authentic." knowing that is the unreachable ideal (and I am not really interested in drinking live snake blood or the like - long story). So I will probably willingly eat at Ngon Bistro for the pho and banh mi.

Are these choices reasonable? I cannot find anything recent about Corner Table. I might like some truly "local" options and cheap breakfast/lunch options including some gastropub options, burgers, etc. Thanks, Tom Hall

Tom Hall in Minneapolis-St. Paul

Dining Help-Staying at The Depot Renaissance

How is the food at Vic's?

Tom Hall in Minneapolis-St. Paul

need help searching San Diego boards

We have not been to San Diego forever and are coming for a meeting at the convention center. We will be staying nearby without a car. I want to do a little reading before asking more specific questions. What are the best terms to use to search that area? I am assuming "downtown" and "convention center." Would I be correct to assume that we won't have much rapid transit to leave this area? Thanks, Tom Hall

Tom Hall in San Diego

Anything new on the Central Coast for breakfast and lunch?

I am talking about Cambria down to around Santa Maria and inland to SLO, Atascadero, Temlpeton and Paso. We will be staying in Cayucos and have not been down in about 4 years.

Is McPhee's still around and good in Templeton? Any place for coffee? We once had a great breakfast at a NOLA type Cajun place in SLO. We generally go for breakfast and lunch and have dinner and local wine at our house. Thanks.

Tom Hall in California

Pizza and Chinese food in Central Valley

Very sorry. I somehow made you female in my mind. I trust you male, female (or other -VBG) especially about Stockton.

Tom Hall in California

Sunday brunch/lunch help

We did get to Cotogna's finally and it is great.

In California and the rest of the western US that I have lived in (CO, OR, MT, WA) and extensively visited (WY, UT), brunch is almost always a Sunday event, except at Cotogna.

We were in NYC a couple weeks ago and it is an kind of daily meal at many places. I was more than amazed but I think the NYCers are saying that about me.

Thanks again, Robert.

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Cotogna
490 Pacific Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133

Tom Hall in San Francisco Bay Area

Seven days in NOLA for meeting

Tommy's was my favorite of the trip. Old school but great service and great ingredients cooked and served properly. A reasonable wine list at reasonable prices. I must say again, great service.

K-Paul's was very good but larger groups eat upstairs where we were A very crazy NOLA group was up there and they were WAY over the top needing attention and making noise. This is no criticism of locals overall who are the friendliest and most fun people I have ever met (perhaps Tuscans excluded).

My message is: try Tommy's. I will eat there every time I visit.

Tom Hall in New Orleans

Seven days in NOLA for meeting

August was great for lunch at $20.11 IIRC.

Tom Hall in New Orleans

Seven days in NOLA for meeting

I agree. Their food was not good. I had to submit to a friend and will not ever eat there again.

Tom Hall in New Orleans

Wineries with great white wines in Santa Ynez Valley

I totally agree about Tangent. Amazingly good aromatic white wines at a more than fair price for the west coast. My wife is a nearly complete and total red wine bigot and willingly , even eagerly, drinks their wine. Very highly recommended.

Tom Hall in California

Pizza and Chinese food in Central Valley

I live in Modesto and Dynasty is the only place I will even consider eating here. All the rest is greasy swill. And I am referring to their "Americanized" "Chinese." Their dim sum is very reasonable and quite good. Also well priced IMO>

Trust ricepad on Stockton. She realy knows that area and is very reliable.

Tom Hall in California

SF to San Luis Obispo eats

Nepenthe has extraordinary otherworldly views. The food is expensive for what it is, if it was really, really good. But it is only mediocre, at best.

Tom Hall in California

Anything around Pinnacles National Monument?

Quick answer is no.

I have eaten at Carnitas Michoacan in Gilroy. Order the... carnitas. They are very tasty and reasonably priced.

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Carnitas Michoacan
7484 Monterey St, Gilroy, CA 95020

Tom Hall in California

ISO low-key Morro Bay restaurant

+ 78 on Taco Temple. I know that this is late and Taco Temple does not have a good water view.

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Taco Temple
2680 Main St, Morro Bay, CA 93442

Tom Hall in California

First NYC visit freak out - going to Midtown; need help

Never had east coast pizza and have been advised that the left/west coast is the wrong coast for pizza so I probably need to try all kinds but it is a fact that coal cooked pizza is not available anywhere in the west half of the country.

Tom Hall in Manhattan

First NYC visit freak out - going to Midtown; need help

THAT is an amazing and helpful post. Many, many thanks.

Tom Hall in Manhattan

First NYC visit freak out - going to Midtown; need help

More details:

Casual better. My wife does not like raw fish, my son is not big on vegetables; none of us are big on offal. Asian options are fine. We live in northern California and eat in Monterey, San Francisco and Sonoma wine country frequently. (So I like Passionfish near Monterey, Boulevard in San Francisco and Syrah in Santa Rosa).Time duration is not a huge factor and we can eat late since 10 PM east coast is 7 PM west coast. We would like some "only in NYC" options like the local pizza style and the Druze place I saw. Lunch and dinner are main interests. 2 of 4 are interested in wine. I don't mind 1 or 2 nights at $100 for food/person hopefully with a reasonably priced winelist to buy a bottle or two to share.

Tom Hall in Manhattan

First NYC visit freak out - going to Midtown; need help

This board and NYC seem overwhelming. We will be staying 6 nights at the southern edge of Central Park. There are 4 people and I am the real chowhound but all 4 of us like good food though ideas about what is good varies as do adventure levels. A major focus will be the usual art museums, some shopping and at least a couple Broadway/off Broadway shows. I need some guidelines to search the site so I can ask decent questions. Cost is not a real issue but I can do with my spouse complaining about prices at every meal. Thanks

Tom Hall in Manhattan

Lunch near Cal Pacific Med Center (2340 Clay St, San Francisco)

I would appreciate week day lunch ideas near this location. Anything good is fine. I would like to dine in about 1PM. Thanks, Tom Hall

Tom Hall in San Francisco Bay Area

Sunday brunch/lunch help

Sea Salt was very good. I had the Dungeness crab eggs benedict. Enjoyed by all. Cotogna only does brunch on Saturday. Kind of odd but we are going there next time.

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Sea Salt
2512 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94702

Cotogna
490 Pacific Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133

Tom Hall in San Francisco Bay Area

Sunday brunch/lunch help

Sea Salt it is. Thanks, Robert.

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Sea Salt
2512 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94702

Tom Hall in San Francisco Bay Area

Sunday brunch/lunch help

Oakland is OK, too.

Tom Hall in San Francisco Bay Area

Sunday brunch/lunch help

I apologize for not having done much research but I this came up shortly. I need a reasonably nice place for Sunday brunch or lunch in San Francisco, Berkeley or Albany. I found Prospect and Cotogna in San Francisco and Sea Salt and Plum in the East Bay. Thanks, Tom Hall

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Sea Salt
2512 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94702

Cotogna
490 Pacific Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133

Tom Hall in San Francisco Bay Area