Death & Co. / Milk and Honey-esque bar in Vegas [moved from Manhattan board]

Thanks for the suggestions, John. Nobhill in particular looks like it might be right up my alley -- the cocktail menu posted on their Web site has some interesting choices.

megg333 in Southwest

Death & Co. / Milk and Honey-esque bar in Vegas [moved from Manhattan board]

I'm heading to Las Vegas in a couple of weeks and had the same question -- looking for places like Pegu Club or The Violet Hour in Chicago or PX in suburban D.C. Anyone have any additional suggestions, or know of any new top-notch cocktail spots that may have arrived in LV since this thread was last updated in July?

megg333 in Southwest

Seeking gourmet gift delivery in D.C.

Thanks again for all of the suggestions. A very helpful woman at the Italian Store said they could put together a lovely basket for me, and even have it delivered. I really wanted to use a local shop if at all possible, in part because my brother is new to the area and I wanted to give him a taste of his new neighborhood. I knew I could count on fellow 'hounds for assistance!

megg333 in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Seeking gourmet gift delivery in D.C.

Thanks for the recommendations. Unfortunately, Cheesetique doesn't deliver -- I'm so disappointed. From their site, it looks like my kind of place. Both Calhoun's and Uncle Brutha's were good suggestions, but the former only ships whole hams (and that's just way more than I need), and the latter's offerings are a little too limited for what I'm looking for. (Although a bottle of their sauce would be terrific in a variety basket ...)

megg333 in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Seeking gourmet gift delivery in D.C.

I'd like to send a basket of gourmet goodies to my brother, who lives in Arlington. I know there are plenty of online shops I could turn to, but I'd like to support a D.C.-area shop -- if you can recommend a good one. (I don't live in the area.) I don't have any particular type of food in mind -- could be themed (like all Italian products), or local goodies, or something else entirely. He's an adventurous eater, so no limits there. Balducci's may be my fallback, but I would love to hear of other local options. Thanks!

megg333 in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

North Pond seating options

Thanks to both of you for your help. We just returned home from our Chicago trip, and North Pond was a highlight. Although I'd requested a table in the outer room when I made our reservation a month ago, they (with apologies) seated us in the inner room instead. And frankly, I'm glad -- we were there on Saturday night, when it was blustery and rainy and cold outside, and the inner room was wonderfully cozy. I wouldn't have traded our table. And the food. Wow. We had the walleye cheeks and the seared tuna salad for starters, then the pork chop and the skate, and ended with the chocolate/pine nut dessert. Everything was wonderful, but the skate was by far my favorite -- the combination of rich skate, even richer brown butter sabayon and tart pomegranate puree was remarkable. Overall, I was struck by the fact that while the food they're creating could easily be served in a formal dining room, the atmosphere of the restaurant is so welcoming and comfortable -- no attitude, just intelligent, tasty food.

megg333 in Chicago Area

North Pond seating options

Thanks, nsxtasy. I've made reservations through OpenTable and requested a seat in the outer room, but it sounds like we won't be disappointed either way.

If we were to arrive early for our reservation, is there a bar area where we could enjoy a cocktail before we eat?

megg333 in Chicago Area

North Pond seating options

We're planning our annual trip to Chicago for early December and, after several years of being foiled in my attempts, we're having dinner at North Pond this time around. I understand that there are two dining rooms -- one that overlooks the open kitchen, one that looks out to the park. My inclination is to ask for a park-view table, although it obviously will be dark outside when we're there. Any recommendations, either way? Thanks.

megg333 in Chicago Area

Cocktails in Manhattan [Moved from Spirits board]

Thanks, KT. Jeans was my big question. We're planning a fairly casual dinner out and wanted to go for drinks afterward, but don't want (a) to have to schlep home and change into fancier duds first, or (b) to be turned away a la Campbell Apartment.

megg333 in Manhattan

Cocktails in Manhattan [Moved from Spirits board]

Heading to either Pegu or EO for the first time later this week with friends -- what kind of dress code can we expect?

megg333 in Manhattan

Need good chow in Tinley Park

Hey, fellow 'hounds. I'll be in Tinley Park later this week, staying at the Wingate at 183rd and Harlem, and I'm in need of a good dinner option for Thursday night. But here's the catch: I won't have a car, so walking distance from the hotel is a must. The hotel's Web site recommends Tin Fish, which has gotten some good reviews on this site in the past -- but the most recent that I could find is more than a year old. (And Phil Vettel's most recent review is from 2003.) And of course, the restaurant's Web site is "under construction," so I can't check out the menu. Is it still a good bet? What kind of seafood can I expect? Or is there a better bet at a similar distance from the Wingate?

Thanks, all.

megg333 in Chicago Area

Casual dress, fantastic food? Cafe Spiaggia/one sixtyblue

You're so right about onesixtyblue -- the food was fantastic. Although hidden is right: We were there during a big snowstorm in mid-December and could hardly get a cab back to our hotel! I will say that the service left a bit to be desired. I don't like hovering service, but we had to flag down the hostess when we had a problem with one of our entrees because our server disappeared. Maybe it's because we were seated along the windows instead of in the main part of the room -- it felt a bit like Siberia. But I'd still recommend it for the food alone. And as for Cafe Spiaggia -- some of the best pasta I've ever had. I had linguini with scallops, DH had a wild boar ragu that I was about ready to steal out from under him. Good service, nice vibe on a cold winter's night. One of my favorite places in Chicago.

megg333 in Chicago Area

Best house-made pasta in Vegas?

Whenever we travel, I'm always on the lookout for terrific homemade pastas -- we don't have any decent Italian restaurants back home. So we're heading to Vegas in a couple of weeks, and I'd love to hear your recs on where to go for out-of-this world, house-made pasta dishes. We'll be staying at THEhotel, but location doesn't matter -- what are cabs for if not to chase fabulous meals? Thanks!

megg333 in Southwest

Casual dress, fantastic food? Cafe Spiaggia/one sixtyblue

We're having dinner Saturday night at one sixtyblue. Never been there, but from previous postings, business casual and/or something a little hipper than that looks OK -- no coat or tie required. Am I reading that right?

And I'm wondering about Cafe Spiaggia. I'd assume coat and tie are de rigeur for its upscale sibling, but would nice jeans be OK at the cafe on a Thursday night? I'm jonesing for some homemade pasta, but we'll just have arrived in the city and probably won't be up for anything fancy.

Thanks.

megg333 in Chicago Area

Dining near ImprovOlympic?

Heading to Chicago next week, with a Thursday night res at North Pond and Saturday night at onesixtyblue. On Friday, we plan to catch a show at ImprovOlympic -- can anyone suggest a casual but tasty restaurant in the neighborhood where we could grab a bite before the show? Cuisine type not important; just looking for something interesting and different from our other two nights. Many thanks!

megg333 in Chicago Area