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screetchycello's Profile

ORLANDO VISITOR'S DINING GUIDE - A Hound Perspective - I-Drive/Convention Center

We went to Delish on our way out, and thought it was really good for basic sandwiches and bakery goods - nothing crazy insane but much better than chain food. They were very friendly. Reminded me a bit of Noah's Bagels, only with much better bagels.

Korean noodles in the Peninsula or South Bay?

Awesome, thank you both so much. I *knew* I wasn't searching on the right keywords.

From that thread, Jang Su Jang looks promising. We'll check it out and report back. But if anybody has any other ideas, I'm all ears. Thanks for the help!

Korean noodles in the Peninsula or South Bay?

My very pregnant friend is having a craving for Korean noodles. She didn't know what they were called, but said they were soupy, like pho or ramen. And spicy.

I don't know much about Korean food, my foodie friends were no help, and I don't know any Koreans to ask (the friend in question is Vietnamese).

Does anybody know what she's referring to, and ideally know a place in the South bay or Peninsula that serves these? Thanks so much!

Family reunion in Palo Alto area- what to do about meals?

Back-a-Yard over in Menlo Park. They're fantastic and do great take-out. Don't try eating over there, though, you'd fill up every table and then some.

There's also Patxi's Pizza in downtown PA. You can either do take out or get a half-baked pizza for later.

Or Mexican.... there's a million burrito places nearby. Try searching the boards for ones close by.

And if all else fails, Chevy's is fast and fairly cheap.

Who's gonna cater my wedding? (Peninsula)

Yeah, I talked with Hugh Groman, too, and he seemed like a good guy. I didn't try any of his food, though, so I can't speak to that.

Who's gonna cater my wedding? (Peninsula)

We went with Fork & Spoon Catering for our upcoming wedding this September. They're not cheap, but we were really impressed with their menu and their food.

The only guideline we gave them was "Californian", and we didn't change a thing from their initial menu they sent. We walked into our tasting session thinking there's no way they're worth the money they charge, and they totally were. I gladly paid their tasting session fee.

We also looked at Ann Walker catering, which several people liked on the boards, but I didn't think they were all that. They were very nice, but the food was just OK. Typical wedding fare. They were a little more than half the price of Fork & Spoon, though.

http://www.forkandspoonproductions.com/

Good bakery in the South Bay area

Sugar Butter Flour over in Sunnyvale is good. I've never gotten a full cake from them, though, just cookies and pastries. They were quite good, though.

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Sugar Butter Flour
669 S Bernardo Ave, Sunnyvale, CA 94087

I need Banquet Recommendations for rehearsal dinner

I've only lived in the area for a couple years, so I don't know all the options. Here's what I can think of. Hopefully they're not too silly.

I've been to Frankie, Johnnie and Luigi in Mountain View once with a group of maybe 25 and that was no problem. It has a fun atmosphere to it. I remember the food as being decent if not terribly memorable.

If you want something fun, look into Buck's in Woodside. It's a "diner", but a diner in the richest town in rich Silicon Valley. I've been there for dinner for a friend's birthday, and it was really good. It's a bit of a drive to get out there, but it's a very pretty drive.

You might try Gamberdella's in Menlo Park, which is about 10 minutes drive north of campus. It's a nice spot, and they have decent Italian food. I think they're big enough for you.

A friend of mine likes Iberia in Menlo Park, and it has a nice backyard garden. There was a thread complaining about the service a while back, but my friends didn't have a problem the twice they've been there.

Try searching in the Mountain View area, which is about 10 minutes south of Palo Alto. There's a lot of good restaurants down there. San Mateo, which is maybe 20 minutes north of Palo Alto w/no traffic, has a lot of good places too.

Top Five Restaurants in San Mateo

I second this. We've had dinner there twice, and it's all good. The catfish is especially tasty.

Oh, and if the peanut butter pie is available, go for it. It sounds weird, but it's the best thing ever.

The Red Lantern in Redwood City?

We just went tonight. It was good! They did a nice job on the decor - it's lovely.

We started out with the Lumpia and the fried calamari. The lumpia was quite good - a fried eggroll with minced meat and vegetables. Mmm. The calamari was breaded and fried nicely.

I had a glass of the Chenin Blanc and my boyfriend had a glass of the Zinfandel. I liked the Zin - nice body and spice. The Chenin Blanc was also good - very light. I didn't get a cocktail and regretted it - a table next to us had something tall and red with an umbrella. It looked tasty.

I got the Cambogee Beef and my boyfriend the lamb shank. The beef was fantastic. It was cut into bite sized cubes and seared. Great flavor and perfectly done. The lamb shank was cooked perfectly (the meat fell right off the bone) but the flavor was lacking. It wasn't bad, just ordinary. A basic curry dish.

For desert, we got the fried bananas with vanilla gelato. It was good, if basic. No surprises.

Service was very friendly, if a little schizophrenic. Our server showed up right away (we weren't ready) and then didn't come back for ten minutes. And then tried to leave after our drink orders. (We had enough time to think it over, thanks!) But that was the only slip - the food came out fast and water was refilled often.

I'd like to go back in a couple months after they've ironed out the kinks and developed the menu, but it looks very promising.

Strauss Eggnog at the Cowgirl Creamery Stand, FB

They do indeed, and it is tasty! Light with real nutmeg.

Loose/Bulk Spices in Santa Clara co. / Sunnyvale area?

I adore Penzeys. They have excellent stuff, and it's cheap. I've never been disappointed by anything I've ordered from them, and I've probably spent $200 there in the last two years.

American takeout in East Bay?

When I lived in Albany, my housemates often did takeout from Barney's. There's one on Solano and one on Shattuck, I think.

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Barney's Gourmet Hamburger
5819 College Ave, Oakland, CA 94618

knife sharpening in the South Bay?

I'll second the Perfect Edge rec. They did a good job on our knives, and it's cheap, too. Something like $6.

Cheap between-class places to eat near UC Berkeley?

Thanks! Yeah, it's not phenomenal by any means. I just remember it being a) close and b) not bad. It has been a while, though.

Cheap between-class places to eat near UC Berkeley?

When I worked there a couple years ago, I ate a lot at Slurp, which has noodle bowls. They're on Telegraph. At that time, you could get a big bowl of wonton noodle soup for $5.

There's a Thai place in the Durant food court that isn't bad for cheap student eats. I can't remember what it's called, but it's all the way in the back on the left.

I ate a lot of meals at Caffe Intermezzo when I was a student, but that was six or seven years ago. I was never that big on their salads, but their bread was decent.

Bakery near Palo Alto

There's Sugar Butter Flour in Sunnyvale. I haven't had their cakes, but their pastries are excellent.

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Sugar Butter Flour
669 S Bernardo Ave, Sunnyvale, CA 94087

Where can I find the best Fresh Fish in RWC?

They're in downtown Menlo Park, near the Trader Joes.

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Draeger's Supermarket
1010 University Dr, Menlo Park, CA 94025

Where can I find the best Fresh Fish in RWC?

Yeah, Draeger's has an excellent meat department. And a great wine department. Those are the two reasons to shop there, IMHO. I like Whole Foods better for everything else.

COMING FROM UK - DINNER WITH A VIEW!

There's this post too:

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/421089

Notice the quote: "You've encountered the great SF paradox. The place you are looking for does not exist. Water, view, and tastiness exist in inverse relations to each other."

There's also this thread too:

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/422193

You might look for a Mexican or South American place, since there's good ones here and I don't think you can get that in the UK. (I could be wrong.)

best breakfast in palo alto

None of these places are actually in Palo Alto, since I rarely go there for food, but they're all close:

Country Gourmet in Mountain View. Good, unfussy food.

Stacks in Menlo Park. This place is packed on weekends, so come early or be prepared to wait. I know many people who adore Stacks, but I like the food better at the other two places.

If you don't mind a bit of a drive, Buck's in Woodside is the best of the three. The place is surprisingly unfussy and fun for being in Woodside, one of the most affluent towns in the world. The service has always been excellent, and the food is great.

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Country Gourmet Restaurants
2098 W El Camino Real, Mountain View, CA 94040

Stacks
600 Santa Cruz Ave, Menlo Park, CA 94025

Buck's
3062 Woodside Rd, Woodside, CA 94062

Ways to enhance chocolate?

Cooks loves putting a tablespoon or two of instant expresso powder in all their baked goods recipes. They say (and I agree) that it really brings out the chocolate flavor, without making it taste like mocha.

DIY butter?

Not unless butter is pricey or you've got access to really cheap cream. If I'm remembering right, last time I did this, I used a pint of cream and got approximately a stick of butter.

A package of butter at TJ's is about $2.50 in my area, and a pint of cream was like $1.50. So it's approximately 2.5 times more expensive.

DIY butter?

I googled around and found this:

http://www.wisdairy.com/OtherDairyProductInfo/Butter/ButterFaqs/GeneralButterInfo.aspx

"There are two main types of butter produced in the U.S. – sweet cream butter and cultured cream butter. The United States primarily produces sweet cream butter, which includes lightly salted, unsalted and whipped butter....

Cultured butter, a rich butter made from cultured cream, is popular in Europe and is now being produced in the U.S. It is available in most regions of the country. As with lightly salted and unsalted butter, it’s available in both sticks and tubs."

Cultured butter isn't 'better' or 'gourmet' - it's just a different type of butter.

Keeping Ice Cream Cake Frozen

Hey all, thanks for the recs. I think it'll depend on how hot it is tomorrow. If it's as hot as it's supposed to be, I might just buy the ice cream and assemble there.

moving to Atherton

I second this.

Keeping Ice Cream Cake Frozen

I'm making an ice cream cake for my sister's birthday. The party's an hour away, so I need to find a way to transport it.

On ice in a cooler? On dry ice in a cooler? Give up and buy ice cream on the way?

Thanks for any ideas.

moving to Atherton

Getting around is difficult without a car. It depends on where you live and where you're going. Check 511.org for details. Riding a bike isn't a bad option, either -- there's a lot of bike paths/avenues. It's mostly suburban sprawl, though.

moving to Atherton

Not all that great. I was spoiled rotten by the Berkeley food scene, and had to drastically reduce my expectations when I moved to Menlo Park a couple years ago.

There's good individual places, but you have to hunt for them. Mountain View and San Mateo have nice downtown areas, but IMHO Menlo Park and Palo Alto tend to be overpriced and not all that great.

fresh point reyes oysters

Totally worth it. I've been to Hog Island several times.

If you can pick a day to go up there, go when it's sunny. Tomales Bay is pretty in any weather, but it's spectacular when it's sunny. It's on the coast, so it's frequently foggy.

Also, Olema Inn is fantastic if you want to stay up there for dinner.