iowagirl's Profile
Visiting Berkeley for the First Time - Need Critique's
Thank you all so much for your thoughtful and informative replies. I will definitely be making my way to Local 123 for that espresso - maybe not between yoga and class, but for an afternoon pick me up for sure!
I LOVE grocery stores when I'm visiting so Berkeley Bowl will be a great side trip for me and I'm done with my class around 5, so if the farmer's market is still going that Tuesday, I'm so there.
With all of these amazing sounding options, I'm almost thinking of doing my own little tasting tour on Sunday evening when I get there. Maybe those olive flutes at PiQ, a few snacks at Ippuku, a bite from Cancun Taqueria (any must-haves?) and end with a good dessert? Is Gelateria Naia a decent spot for that? Or Five - since it's right at "home?"
I'm bummed that Cheeseboard is closed on Monday - that would have been my first choice for pre-CPC snack. But I could only get that reservation on Monday so ... it looks like I'm leaning toward Cesar for a snack and drink before. Unless Lush Gelato is good enough to have dessert before dinner! And I'm definitely not going for the pizza at CPC - too many other things I will likely want to try and that would fill me up! One of the downsides of eating alone!
Can you tell I'm a little excited?
Visiting Berkeley for the First Time - Need Critique's
So after much more thought and consideration here is my final itinerary -
Sunday - walk in to Ippuku. My plane gets in at 5:00 and I think this makes the most sense in case of delays, etc. I am coming from Iowa, after all!
Monday - keep my reservation at Chez Panisse Cafe for 9:00. Since it's a later reservation, maybe time for a snack before?
Tuesday - keep my 7:15 reservation at Plum. Punchdown for a glass of wine before.
Wednesday - grand finale at the early seating for the chef's counter at Commis. Is my best bet to cab it here?
Any good coffee in the immediate area? I'd love to find a place to caffeinate after yoga and before class!
Again - I SO appreciate your help. And I WILL report back.
Visiting Berkeley for the First Time - Need Critique's
Just booked the chef's counter at Commis for Wednesday the 28th! YAY!
Currently I have Corso on Sunday, Chez Panisse Cafe on Monday and Plum on Tuesday. I'm stongly considering switching Ippuku for one of those (Chez Panisse Cafe?) - do I need to reserve Ippuku? And is Plum then Commis too much in a row? I could maybe switch Plum to Sunday or Monday or swap it out all together? Would I be better off with Pizzaiolo or something lighter? Too many choices and not enough time!!
I really want a good mix of great food - that's all.
Again - thanks so much for your help and patience!
Visiting Berkeley for the First Time - Need Critique's
Okay - so I took a closer look at Commis (had ruled it out due to cost, but responses here made me rethink) and it does look amazing. I have to say that I have never done a true tasting menu, and it is something I am VERY interested in trying and my husband is not. It seems to me to be the perfect time to take the plunge - is it the perfect place? I can get a reservation for the last night I'm there ...
Visiting Berkeley for the First Time - Need Critique's
I typically prefer that as well - I just wondered if it would make sense to try an Alice Waters restaurant since I'm not sure when I'll have another chance. If it really isn't worth it and others are taking her philosophy to higher levels, I'm intrigued ...
Visiting Berkeley for the First Time - Need Critique's
Thanks for the logistics information regarding Plum, Roxie. I am a woman, so that factors in - would you reccomend cabbing it instead of public transport? Or is there a better choice for food and logistics?
Visiting Berkeley for the First Time - Need Critique's
Thank you SO much for the specific recs at Ippuku - I'm going to make that a definite stop. My course offers lunch, but I'd rather venture out if it's close! Thanks for those recs!
Visiting Berkeley for the First Time - Need Critique's
I actually agonized between Commis and Plum and ended up leaning toward Plum because of the logistics. But if it is really worth the swap ...
Visiting Berkeley for the First Time - Need Critique's
Thanks, Robert and rubadubgub - Ippuku looks awesome and is certainly not something I have access to here in Iowa City!
And my reservation at Plum is on Tuesday the 27th, so a pre-dinner glass of wine looks to be about perfect!
Visiting Berkeley for the First Time - Need Critique's
Hi SF Hounds - even though I'm a Midwest hound, I regularly lurk on your board and pine for the amazing, fresh, local food you all enjoy. I'm attending a three day course at the David Brower Center and staying at the Hotel Shattuck Plaza with four free evenings for dinner! SO excited!
So far, I've made reservations at Chez Panisse Cafe, Plum, and Trattoria Corso. I'm also debating Gather, partly because it's so close to my hotel and I do love the concept. I'd love your thoughts on my choices so far and also any recs for that last evening - which is a Wednesday. Is this too much of the same? Do I need something more ethnic? I eat anything and am up for most any adventure - won't have a car but am comfortable with public transportation and will be solo, so places where I can get a good sense of the menu eating for one are ideal. I'd like to keep the total food bill around $100 (wine has its own budget). I'd also prefer to stay in the East Bay (unless there is a really good reason to venture out) just to maximize my time.
Thanks for your help, and for your infinite patience with these and similar requests! I do promise to report back - it may not be as eloquent or picture perfect as some (like uhockey!) but I will give it my best try.
Comfort food after a break-up
Or find some new, delicious restaurants/coffee shops etc to add to your rotation!
Single 30ish female oenophile pescetarian on solo vacation to Iowa City...
Wonderful - and thanks for sharing!
Single 30ish female oenophile pescetarian on solo vacation to Iowa City...
Thanks, ctscorp! I've googled Taste a bunch of times and this never came up for me. Odd!
Single 30ish female oenophile pescetarian on solo vacation to Iowa City...
Hi JBD - and welcome! Iowa City is a great little college town, and we do have some tasty vittles around here!
For a fun vibe, small plates (with an emphasis on local and seasonal), and a nice wine list, try Devotay in downtown Iowa City. It's located on Linn Street, which is far enough from campus to be relaxed, but close enough to still be hip and youthful
http://www.devotay.net/
Across the street from Devotay, is another favorite - The Motley Cow Cafe - also with an empasis on local and seasonal. Very creative, but small menu and another good wine list.
http://www.motleycowcafe.com/
I also like One Twenty Six, on Washington, right in the heart of downtown. Great wine list and very good food. They have just opened a sister restaurant, Hearth, next door that seems to focus more on small plates.
http://www.onetwentysix.net/
If you want to get away from downtown, you could try Taste on Melrose. They don't have a website, but I've found the chef to be extremely engaging and accommodating and they have a reasonable wine list as well.
Pretty much everyone is friendly here - Iowans are just kind of that way! So please don't hesitate to ask if you'd like any more info.
And an aside to Doug - the Redhead is for sale! Owner is moving back to Chicago. Very sad! But I heartily agree with Augusta if you want to take a little road trip.
Foods you can't keep in the house because you can't stop yourself eating them
I totally agree with you about cashew nuts! My husband thinks I'm crazy - but now I can tell him I'm not the only one who finds them too soft and too sweet for a nut!
Iowa State Fair
We're making the annual family trek tomorrow. I'm looking forward to:
Cheese curds
Shakes at the Dairy Building
Tater Graters
Pork chop on a stick
Wonder Bar
Lots of lemonade and beer!
And my BIL loves the Beef Sundae!
There are about 7 of us, so we can eat bites of a LOT of things. Our favorite summer day!
Taste on Melrose, Iowa City
Oh yeah - the new Lark was destined for early closure; horrible location, terrible service, inexperienced management and sub-par food.. We certainly didn't shed any tears when it closed! And my grandpa really loved the east side Midtown, so we tried the west side branch. Once.
Taste on Melrose, Iowa City
My in-laws from Chicago were in town last weekend and they always insist on taking us out for a "nice" meal when they visit. While we love the gesture, my MIL has some serious food sensitivities which makes it an interesting adventure, at best.
In the past, we've tried the new Lark (ablsolutely horrible experience, but they had really liked it in its Tiffin location), Iowa River and Power, and Linn Street Cafe. Having mixed results at the last two, we decided to try Taste on Melrose for this trip. Knowing that they have a limited menu, I called the restaurant on Wednesday to give them a heads-up about the MIL's restrictions and to make sure there would be something for her to eat. I spoke with Brandon, one of the chef's and he couldn't have been more accommodating and gracious. He even offered to hold a couple of pieces of salmon from the lunch offering of salmon ceasar salad in case she was not able to eat anything else on the dinner menu.
We had a wonderful meal, and MIL did end up eating the beautiful piece of wild salmon - which they grilled for her. My picky 14 yo loved the hangar steak and they were so nice about subbing the yukon gold mashed for the wild mushroom risotto that it was supposed to come with (they did the same for my FIL as well!). The more adventurous 17 yo was very happy with her grilled prawns and lemon-chive risotto (which I sampled and loved - very summery and light tasting) and i thought my pan-roasted scallops were done to perfection - and loved the accompanying carrot puree. The black olive relish provided a nice tangy contrast to the sweet scallops and puree - just a lovely dish. DH had a pasta dish that, in my opinion, was the weakest of the entree's - chicken and peppers with a spicy cream sauce. It tasted good, but became rather one-note after a few bites.
We started with the Iowa cheese plate - which was Maytag blue and a gouda, served with figs and grilled olive bread and the pesto bread salad. Both were very good, with the bread salad being a surprise favorite of the 14 yo - even with the spicy arugula! Too full for dessert (plus MIL baked, so we had goodies at home).
It was so nice to have such attentive and accommodating service - both chef and server went out of their way to make sure EVERYONE was happy with their meals. I also love the way they have the menu separated into half tastes, full and half tastes, and full tastes, so you can really design your meal to your appetite. DH and I were quite impressed and will make Taste a regular in our rotation.
Best bar food at a KC Hawkeye bar
My sister and her husband live in KC (and my sister is a die-hard Hawk fan) and they often head to the "OP" (the Other Place) for good bar food and lots of black and gold. They particularly like the taco pizza ...
We're gonna fight, fight, fight for Iowa ....
DC Conference Visit - recap
So glad Pizzeria Paradiso worked well for you - sometimes there is nothing quite so indulgent as tasty take-out pizza and bad hotel tv! And I'm an olive lover, and still think they make that pizza!
Best of Negril, Jamaica
Hi Sean - we love Negril (our 6th trip was Feb 09) and usually really enjoy the food - especially the fresh fruit. This trip pne of our favorites was the Negril Yoga Center - wonderfully fresh, made-to-order food in a peaceful, tranquil setting. I had a homemade feta cheese omelet that I still dream about and the pad thai was really tasty as well. They are only open for breakfast and lunch (close around 2:00). Very sweet service too.
We also really like Angela's for romantic Italian dining - the setting is so nice, upstairs from the beach (near Bar-B-Barn) and the jerk sausage pizza is really garlicky, cheesy and good.
We also really liked the casual, tasty food at Sun Beach - which is also our favorite bar - Sophie, Dennis and Robert are wonderful and the jerk chicken and the jerk chicken salad were perfect lunches.
For real romance and finer dining, I'd highly recommend the Rockhouse on the cliffs - they have it all, setting, atmosphere and fairly creative tasty cuisine.
Hope that helps - we honeymooned in Negril too! Congrats and have a great time.
Iowagirl
IOWA CITY, IOWA
I had one bad experience at Bluebird (ice cold eggs and green chile) but great coffee, and one decent lunch experience - an interesting chicken salad on a croissant. I think it is inconsistent at best, but I'll give it at least one more try. I hated Graze and have mixed impressions of Saloon - we really enjoyed it on summer night on the patio with several cocktails, but I found my two lunches there really mediocre, so the good experience may have had more to do with the weather (and the cocktails) than the food. I hate the new Bread Garden - seems like nothing is fresh anymore. LOVE Oyama for sushi and Thai Flavors for my Thai fix.
There's definitely some good food in Iowa City, and enough diversity that we can all find our faves!
DC Trip Report
Thanks, Mussels - I'm glad I inspired you to a night of jammies! I 'm sorry the pizza was too salty - I'm an avowed saltaholic (i know it's not good for me, but ...) so I probably didn't notice - or I just drank more wine. Enjoy the other great spots that are SO close to the Palomar - I love staying there!
iowagirl
Negril, not A.I.
Hi Misnatalie! We're heading back to Negril for our 6th trip in Feb. We like many of the same places as Domaine, but also have had good luck with:
Angela's (near Bar-B-Barn) for excellent jerk chicken pizza and an amazing jerk sausage pasta dish
Irie on the Beach (Rondel Village) - my husband had a delicious shrimp curry and I really enjoyed my escovitch fish. They also have very cheap (and cold) Red Stripe!
Have fun and report back!
iowagirl
DC Trip Report
Thanks, Sam - that was why I felt so lucky to be where I was! It was an effort every evening to go back out for dinner, but with great food so close, it was well worth it once I got there. And the carry-out pizza in my jammies didn't hurt either!
DC Trip Report
I was just in DC for a conference, stayed at the Hotel Palomar in Dupont Circle right on P Street. Ate very, very well - mostly just a stone's throw from the hotel.
I got there on Friday, Jan 9th and had reservations for Central. This was my second trip to this restaurant, and I certainly branched out this time! Victor was my waiter, and after he realized that I really was interested in a great meal and wine, he was wonderful! I ended up with a glass of sparkling wine to start, and the frog legs. They were really tasty - tender and very garlicky! I don't have a lot of experience with this dish, but I do know that this tasted very good and was a great first course. I followed that up with the rabbit - my first time! That mustard gravy was sooooo good, the rabbit was tender and moist, and the spaetzle was a great counterpoint (and soaked up that delicious gravy!) I was too full for dessert (my first trip I didn't have an appetizer and had the famous Kit Kat Bar), but Victor poured me a glass of red dessert wine that was the perfect ending to a great evening. I loved the bustle of the dining room, and I had a great view of the kitchen while I ate. I'll definitely be back to try more of that menu!
Saturday night, after a long day setting up and working, I called Pizzeria Paradiso and ordered an Atomica pizza and pears marsala for carryout. It was absolute heaven to sit in my jammies, eat that delicious pizza and have a few glasses of red wine. The pizza was the perfect combination of briny olives, spicy salami and creamy mozzarella, with just the right amount of pepper flakes to wake your tastebuds. I loved the chewy, crispy crust, and the carry-out service was prompt and very friendly.
On Sunday, after another long day, I was walking back from the metro and on impulse stopped at Mark and Orlando's right near my hotel. The greeting and service were so gracious and welcoming, I felt right at home. The upstairs was closed, and the downstairs had 3-4 tables full. They sat me at a nice two-top right by the window and took great care of me! At one point, Mark (at least I think it was Mark) asked me how I'd heard about them, and of course I said "Chowhound!" I ordered the char with kalamatas, roasted garlic and gnocchi - and while it wasn't relevatory, it was very well-prepared and the flavors went well together. The fish was perfectly cooked and the gnocchi were nice and light. I decided to have the trio of homemade ice creams for dessert - the flavors were vanilla, pumpkin and strawberry. Of the three, the vanilla was the standout - rich and creamy witha pronounced vanilla flavor. The pumpkin and strawberry both suffered from being too icy, but the strawberry had great flavor.
Monday night was another gem right near my hotel - Pesce. I had stopped on the way back from the metro to look at the menu, and the lobster risotto looked too good to pass up. So I went to my room, changed and walked the two blocks back. Again, the staff welcomed me graciously and were attentive and friendly. I ordered the Ceasar salad with anchovies and the lobster risotto - the Ceasar was delicious - not overdressed, fresh crunchy romaine and the anchovies were perfect. The risotto came with a healthy portion of lobster, which was well cooked but had an odd-tasting (almost cajun) seasoning. I liked the pieces that were less seasoned the best. The rice was fine, but I think I'd go for the mussels next time.
Finally, on Tuesday night I got done with work at about 9:00 and decided that carry-out pizza was about all I could handle. So I called Pizzeria Paradiso again and this time ordered the Genovese - pesto, potatoes (add olives) and a salad. The pizza was very good, but I think would have been too bland without the addition of the olives, and the potato slices were a little thick. But still much better than anything I can get here in Iowa City!
All in all, I had a great trip and ate very, very well - especially considering that I rarely wandered further than a few blocks. I really wanted to get to Teaism for breakfast on Wednesday morning and to stock up on salty oat cookies for the plane, but a blizzard in Chicago prompted me to hurry to the airport instead. For all the good that did me!
Can't wait to come back!
Iowa City
We tried Bluebird this Saturday for breakfast and found it both good and bad. My 13 yo stepdaughter ordered the french toast with whipped cream (I tried to talk her into the grilled bananas, but ...) and a side of bacon. Hubby had the Popeye omelet with the addition of swiss, and I had the Huevos Epsteinos - eggs over easy on top of polenta with smoked pork green chili covering all.
The French Toast was fine - basic, every day french toast, but it's one piece to an order - priced at $4.95, so not a surprise, but stepdaughter was happy for the side of bacon!
Hubby's omelet was tasty, and the vegetables (spinach, tomatoes and mushrooms) seemed fresh - his complaint was that the cheese was melted on top of the omelet, instead of incorporated within. I thought that it might have been an afterthought since it was an add-on, but then we saw other omelets served the same way. His rye toast came a few minutes later, and was really just warm bread - no crunch at all.
My Hueveos had good flavor and the eggs were perfectly cooked, but it was served cold. The eggs, the chili and the hasbrowns were just plain cold. The polenta (really rich and cheesy, very tasty and comfort food like) was warm, but the dish really suffered from the temperature. I should have sent it back, but we had waited a while for the food to come, and everyone else's food was hot, so ...
The coffee was really good, and i think they have some potential, but really need to work on the timing issues! I think my breakfast was sitting for a while waiting for the french toast and the omelet. It was quite busy, and they have lots of wine bottles and beer bottles displayed - I'd like to see a lunch/dinner menu.
Negril/Jamaica report (warning: long)
We love Negril, and always look forward to the jerk at Bourbon Beach, the patties from both Neville and "The Indian" and we had wonderful meals at both Norman's at the Bar-b-Barn (not to be confused with Norma's) and at Angela's for the jerk sausage pizza (sometimes we just crave cheesy and greasy!) and the pasta with jerk sausage and a creamy tomato sauce. We also like Irie for breakfast - especially the tropical french toast, and had a very decent dinner as well. Curry shrimp and escovitch fish with a starter of that tasty pumpkin soup.
We usually stay in a condo, and take some time each afternoon to stop by at our favorite fruit vendor for some fresh fruit for dessert later and for breakfast.
Going back in February - can't wait for the beach, the jerk, and all the irie days!!!
Salt Lake City Report (long)
So with the best laid plans, I left for Salt Lake City with a list of places to try. Due to business obligations, however, I only made it to three (and two of those were not even on my list!).
After setting up my exhibit on Sunday morning, I headed out for a walk to enjoy the beautiful weather and find some football. I ended up at Squatter's Brewery and very much enjoyed a couple of Full Suspension Pale Ale pints, an organic greens salad and a (heaping) order of garlic and herb fries. The fries were really tasty - hot, crispy with lots of rosemary, thyme and garlic. There were way too many of them for me to finish, however, and lost some of their luster as they cooled.
I headed out to Bambara for dinner and thoroughly enjoyed my experience. The host was very gracious and didn't look at me funny when I told him I would be dining alone. He smiled, welcomed me and asked that I wait a minute for them to clear a table by the window. A perfect vantage point, I faced the salad/app station of the kitchen, where I could watch the bustling activity. Perfect. I looked at the Dine O Round menu, as the almond crusted ono sounded good, but my waiter talked me into the cedar plank salmon instead. I started with a glass of sparkling wine, which went well with both the bread and red pepper hummus and my starter of the roasted corn bisque. The bread was just alright (cold and kind of greasy) but the soup was delicious - very sweet and corny, with a little crab meat garnish. Rich and very tasty. My salmon was also very, very good. The cedar plank added a nice smokiness to the fish, and I really loved the little pucker from the prickly pear sauce. It was also my first time trying a nopalito, which was grilled and placed atop the white bean and corn salsa. I loved both accompaniments - especially since the salsa had a nice kick! I paired the salmon with a glass of the Latour Valmoissine, and was very satisfied. Too full for dessert, I left well-fed and happy.
I meant to try Acme or Tin Angel on Monday night, but after a long day exhibiting and a strenuous yoga class, I came back to the hotel to find they had turned down my bed, left a bucket of ice and a robe. So it was room service and a bubble bath at the Grand America. The garlic and pesto roasted chicken was actually tasty, and I loved the rosemary sauce, especially because they let me sub out the roasted fingerlings for mashed. Bottle of wine I had bought from the liquor store on Sunday, and it really was the perfect end to a long day.
Tuesday was a business dinner at Martine where they only presented their Dine O Round menu, which listed 7-8 tapas, 5-6 entrees, and 5-6 desserts. You could pick tapa, entree and dessert; soup or salad, 2 tapas and dessert; or soup or salad, tapa and entree. There were three of us, and we each chose one of the options. I had the salad, which had greens, candied walnuts, grilled heirloom squash and canary lentils with an apricot champagne vinaigrette. The squash was very good, but there were too many lentils and I'm not sure the walnuts really added anything. The other two both had the soup - and eggplant tomato bisque which they both said was wonderful, but I didn't taste.
I ordered two tapas - lamb and chorizo with polenta and the utah trout with tomato fennel salsa. Both of them were delicious - the lamb was wonderfully gamy and the trout wasn't at all fishy. I also had a taste of my companion's wild boar short ribs which were absolutely amazing - the best thing we had all night. The two entrees were the lamb and the duck - the duck was so tender and done just perfectly, it was also a very large portion! The cherry sauce accompaniment was perfect - tart and not too sweet. This was a very solid entree. The lamb was also tasty (much the same as the tapa version).
We had two desserts at the table - a peach jealousie (sp) and the grilled gingerbread. The gingerbread was clearly the better dessert - wonderfully spicy and sweet, with a good caramelization from the grill. The jealouise tasted like a soggy peach pie to me. All in all, a very good dinner, especially with a very nice bottle of rioja to wash it all down.
I regret not making it to Mazza (which happened to be right next to the yoga studio I found) the Red Iguana and Acme, as well as the Tin Angel, even though the sweet potato black truffle flan isn't on the menu anymore. Salt Lake City was beautiful, though, and I hope to have some business opportunities there, and have my list ready!
Thanks for all of your suggestions and advice.
iowagirl
Dad's approach to Dinner... your stories
My mom did 99% of the cooking when my sister and I were growing up (and probably does 100% of the cooking now). Dad was in law enforcement, so worked all kinds of odd shifts (nights, midnights, etc,) and I do remember that when he worked nights, he would make breakfast for us - he made the BEST homemade egg mcmuffins.
On the few occasions that my mom left town, he would go to the grocery store and "stock up." My mom still tells the story of calling home to check in to find me crying hysterically - "Dad went to the grocery store and used all the money to buy junk food, what are we going to eat??" He and my sister had loaded up on Twinkies, HoHo's, chips, candy, ice cream and pop. I wanted real food. He did make a mean steak and fries, though!
