OakTownHound's Profile
Special occasion restaurant for returning natives?
Hey folks - we are Bay Area natives exiled to NYC for the past couple years. Will be in town soon and looking for a restaurant to celebrate my wife's 30th birthday.
Our go-to-special occasion places in the past included Zuni, Aziza, and Camino. We'd happily return to one of these old favorites, but since we've been gone for a couple years, are there any new places (or old places I've forgotten) that would be worth trying instead?
The places I mentioned are pretty much our price point, although we could go a bit higher if the food/experience was worth it. We'll be a group of 5 or 6. We are adventurous eaters and love anything delicious and interesting.
SF would be ideal, East Bay ok too.
Thanks!
Zaab-Elee, new Thai in the east village, now the best Thai in NYC, perhaps.
They've certainly toned down their heat levels, if not the other flavors in their food. We asked for our food "Thai spicy" this Saturday night. They warned us that it would be VERY spicy, we insisted, and they said ok. The food we got was a medium level of spicy by American standards, and not even on the charts by Thai standards. Our food included several dishes that should be quite spicy, including papaya salad, the pad phet crispy pork, and chicken larb. Great flavors otherwise, definitely better than 99% of the Thai food I've had in the U.S., but this restaurant has toned down their use of chilis to the point that even insisting on "Thai spicy" won't get you spicy food.
Torrisi strategy?
Oh, that sounds great. Do you know how early you need to be in line to have your choice of seatings?
Torrisi strategy?
My wife and I are planning to go to Torrisi on Monday night, but need a bit of help with timing and strategy.
Here's the deal: I can arrive as early as need be to get in line. But she can't be there until 6:15 or 6:30.
So if I get in line early enough for the first seating at 6, she won't have arrived yet. I guess we want to aim for getting seated in the second round (8:30 maybe?). So, what's the best way to execute this dinner given our timing?
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Torrisi Italian Specialties
250 Mulberry St, New York, NY 10012
Where to find mason jars & lids? Columbia/Morningside/Harlem preferred
Thanks, all, for the advice. I've been meaning to make a trip down to Zabar's anyway.
Where to find mason jars & lids? Columbia/Morningside/Harlem preferred
Just moved to the city and am in desperate need of Mason jars and lids. Why are these always so hard to find?
Somewhere near Morningside Heights/Columbia/Harlem would be preferable, but I'll travel if need be.
Lima: One lunch and one dinner
We'll be in Lima for just one day next week - there are lots of great suggestions on this board, but if we only have one lunch and one dinner in town, are there two can't-miss places that rise to the top?
We're happy with pretty much any budget range except for over-the-top blowout. Upscale places would be fine, but we'd be equally happy with a hole in the wall if it has the best food. We have no eating restrictions and like all cuisines, although we'd certainly rather have food with a distinct Peruvian character rather than great french food, for example.
Best fine dining lunch deal?
Thanks all for the great suggestions! I hadn't thought of Del Posto - looks like it could be great. I'll report back after my trip if I end up going with one of these options.
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Del Posto
85 10th Avenue, New York, NY 10011
Best fine dining lunch deal?
When I was in town last spring, my wife and I had a fantastic lunch at Eleven Madison Park, when they were still offering their incredible two- and three-course lunch deal (for $25 and $35 dollars, respectively, I think).
Now that it's been discontinued, what is the best fine dining lunch bargain in the city? Is there anything that compares to what EMP offered in terms of price and quality? I'll be back in town in a couple weeks, and as a grad student, this is the only way I can experience the best high-end food that New York has to offer.
Thanks - I'm looking forward to another delicious week in your city!
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Eleven Madison Park
11 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10010
Where can I find fresh galangal?
I was at both Russo's and the Allston Super 88 today, and Russo's fresh galangal looked much better - younger, more tender roots as opposed to old gnarly ones at Super 88. Probably not a big difference in a soup, but makes a huge difference if you're using the galangal raw in a salad, for example.
Where to find fresh turmeric root?
Success! A huge mound of perfect-looking fresh turmeric at Russo's, right next to the galangal. And this after their produce guy told me on the phone that they were out and wouldn't get more until next week.
Thanks for all the tips!
Where to find fresh turmeric root?
Anyone know where I can find fresh turmeric root in the Boston area? I'm in Cambridge, so nearby would be great, but I'm guessing options are limited.
It looks like this: http://importfood.com/media/fresh_turmeric_1l.jpg
Barcelona over New Year's weekend - everything closed?
Thanks everyone for the extremely helpful responses! We're looking forward to a delicious week.
Barcelona over New Year's weekend - everything closed?
After a traumatic New Year's weekend experience in Naples where the entire city is shut down, I'm wondering what happens in Barcelona.
We arrive Dec 30 and depart Jan 5. Given that the 31st and 1st are a Friday and Saturday, and Jan 2 is a Sunday, will many restaurants be closed for that full 3-day period?
For lunch and dinner on New Year's Eve, will we be better off shopping and cooking in the apartment we've rented if we want to avoid exorbitant set-price mandatory menus?
When will the Boqueria and its restaurants (Pinotxo, etc) be open? I've heard it's closed Sunday and dead on Mondays. If it's also closed the 31st and 1st, does that mean Tuesday the 4th will be the only day to shop/eat there?
Thanks!
Granada dinner on Christmas: easy and low-key
My family and I will be arriving in Granada on the evening of Dec 25 after a long day of travel from Boston (supposed to be there already, but we were screwed by Heathrow/snow/chaos!).
Given that we'll be exhausted and arriving late (around 8:30 pm), where could we get a delicious dinner that would be reasonably quick and low-key enough for five exhausted travelers? Of course, it has to be somewhere that's open on Christmas!
We're staying in the AC Santa Paula, so we could just book their restaurant - EL Claustro - if that would be a good option. If not, somewhere near the hotel would be great.
Any suggestions?
S&I Thai - Quick Report (and bubble tea questions)
Just went to S&I for the first time last night. My wife and I are long-time students of Kasma Loha-Unchit, the Thai cooking teacher who runs www.thaifoodandtravel.com and without a doubt, this was the most authentic Thai meal we've had in the U.S. outside of her kitchen.
We ordered from younger woman (not the older woman who seems to run the place) who spoke great English; when we told her we had spent time in Thailand, wanted authentic, Thai-style food, and could handle it Thai-spicy, she steered us towards some great dishes:
pad ped pla duk - crispy catfish & thai eggplants stir-fried in thick red curry paste. This dish is tossed at the end of cooking with basil, kaffir lime leaf, and shredded krachai (also known as "fingerroot"), and pickled green peppercorns. Some of these herbal flavors are rarely found in U.S. thai restaurants, and we were totally thrilled with this dish. And the heat level seemed on par with what we get in Thailand or Kasma's kitchen, which is to say fiery as hell.
pad ka na moo krob - stir-fried chinese broccoli w/ crispy pork. A simple but well-executed vegetable dish to balance the heat. I belive this was cooked with fish sauce, fermented soya bean sauce, and not much else.
gaeng som - this is not a dish I've seen mentioned on this board thus far, and it was spectacular. Gaeng som is a southern-style sour fish curry. It's a brothy curry, made without coconut milk: the base is seafood broth flavored with a fresh curry paste curry paste heavily redolent of shrimp paste, along with other typical curry paste ingredients (dried chiles, galangal, shallots, garlic, etc). The sour flavor comes from plenty of tamarind pulp. This is usually made w/ crispy catfish, but since we already had another crispy catfish dish, they cooked it with shrimp and cha-om, a green Thai vegetable cooked into an omelet and cut into squares, as pictured here: http://en.petitchef.com/recipes/sour-curry-paste-prik-gaeng-som-fid-877481
This is the first time we've seen gaeng som on a Thai menu in the U.S., and I'd highly recommend trying it next time you're at S&I. It's pungent, sour, salty, complex, herbal, aromatic, and fiery - everything Thai food should be.
We also tried some cookies - the flat, deep fried ones. They're sweet AND salty with a strong aroma of ground white pepper and perhaps onions. Interesting, but probably not my ideal dessert...
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S&I To Go
168A Brighton Ave, Allston, MA 02134
Inexpensive but authentic in the Lange?
Hey there,
Traveling for a few days this week in Piemonte with a couple friends before heading to Turin for Terra Madre.
Here's the deal: we're grad students, and our taste greatly exceeds our budget.
We'll be based near Alba for 2 nights, and near Monforte d'Alba (Monchiero, to be exact) for one night. We have a car so can travel around as necessary.
Can anyone recommend some great places for relatively inexpensive but authentic and delicious meals? We don't need anything fancy, but want to eat regional food that's cooked with love and care.
And another question - will we be able to taste anything with white truffles without breaking the bank? I'm guessing no...
Thanks!
Agriturismo in Piedmont?
I'll be in Turin with three friends in late October for Slow Food's Terra Madre conference, and we have a few days to travel beforehand. I'm wondering if anyone can recommend a nice agriturismo in Piedmont, maybe in the Langhe?
We're grad students and thus on a budget, so are looking for authenticity and good food but not luxury. We don't need a place with a swimming pool, tv, internet, etc. Ideal would be simple accomodations (and thus inexpensive!) with good, traditional food. We'd love somewhere that is a working farm first and an inn second.
Last year, I stayed at Agriturismo Serafina on the Amalfi coast and it was wonderful - 50 euro per day for room plus breakfast and dinner; the place was operated by a family that had farmed the land for six generations, and everything we were served - meat, oil, wine, fruit, vegetables - was grown or produced on the premises.
So, any recommendations?
Lunch options near Powell & Market?
Hey there,
Just started working right at Powell & Market, and would love to get some tips on the weekday lunch options around here. I know there's Out the Door in the mall, and Cancun Taqueria up at 6th & Market. What else? What are the best (reasonably cheap) options?
Apologies if there have been previous discussions on this, but I didn't find much in my search.
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Out the Door
845 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Bentara recs? (New Haven)
Hey there,
Heading to Bentara in New Haven tonight for the first time with a group of six. Never been there before - any recommendations for the most interesting/delicious dishes?
Thanks!
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Bentara
76 Orange Street, New Haven, CT 06510
Henrietta's Table?
I've had dinner there twice after reading positive reviews and been disappointed both times. The sell the "farm-to-table" image very hard, but the cooking just seems uninspired. It feels like they know the location and upscale-rustic vibe will keep the business coming in so they don't put much effort into the food. The menu reads great, but tastes like they're just trying to churn out inoffensive product - there's no love or care going into the food, and even the ingredients don't seem all that top-quality. The food is perfectly fine but definitely doesn't justify the price point.
Sustainable, seasonal, delicious breakfast/brunch?
I have a very specific query:
I'm looking for somewhere for a group of 5 to 8 people to have breakfast or brunch on a Sunday.
The criteria:
-preferably in Boston (although Cambridge would be okay too)
-very tasty food (of course)
-must be somewhere that values sustainability/seasonality, etc. A "Slow Food" type place.
-need not be at all fancy - in fact, somewhere nice but very casual could be perfect
-not too expensive. $20/person (without drinks) would be an absolute upper limit, but would prefer below that.
A secondary criterion - not a dealbreaker, but would be nice - is that it be quiet enough to talk.
Thanks!
Review this San Francisco Hound's List!
Okay, folks, here's the semi-final plan:
Weekend Brunches:
Locanda Verde
Prune OR Belcourt
Weekday Lunches:
Eleven Madison Park
Momofuku Noodle
Dinners:
Motorino OR Co.
Franny's OR Roberta's
Rack & Soul
something ethnic - maybe Xi'an
perhaps split a shake shack burger & hit up some food carts for snacks as needed
So, have I mis-prioritized? Is anything here too duplicative? Would you swap anything out for something else? Will the two brunches (Locanda Verde, then Prune or Belcourt) be too similar - should I do something else for the other weekend lunch? I've left out Spotted Pig - big mistake?
Thanks again - I'm getting excited and hungry!
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Eleven Madison Park
11 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10010
Rack & Soul
258 West 109th St., New York, NY 10025
Spotted Pig
314 W 11th St, New York, NY 10014
Belcourt
84 East 4th Street, New York, NY 10003
Momofuku Noodle Bar
171 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003
Locanda Verde
377 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10013
Motorino
349 E 12th St, New York, NY 10003
Review this San Francisco Hound's List!
I think we might do lunch at Eleven Madison Park based on the raves I'm reading on this board. How do the prix fixe options work? I assume the 3-course is starter, main, dessert. Is the 2-course starter & main or main & dessert? Also, is there a dress code for lunch? Will I need a jacket?
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Eleven Madison Park
11 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10010
Review this San Francisco Hound's List!
Wow, thanks to everyone for all the detailed, well-informed advice! You have, of course, greatly complicated my life now that my list has roughly tripled in size. :) I will do my best to report back afterwards before I get re-buried in my spring semester.
Review this San Francisco Hound's List!
Hey all,
I'm a a San Franciscan (currently in grad school in Boston) coming to the city for spring break with my wife next week. Please review my list of restaurants below and let me know:
-What I should drop from the list
-What I'm missing that NYC does better than San Francisco (and don't get me started on Boston...). There's not much ethnic food on my list... Chinese? Other Asian? Something else?
Some considerations:
-We'll be staying a few days in Brooklyn and a few days with friends up near Columbia - but we're on vacation so will likely be schlepping all over the place every day.
-As grad students, price is definitely a consideration - we might go for one splurge meal, but midrange and cheap (for New York) would be great.
-We are omnivores and like any type of food as long as it's good! Sketchy/dingy locales don't scare us.
So, here's what's on the list so far:
The Breslin and/or Spotted Pig
Co. and/or Motorino
Momofuku Noodle Bar or Ssam
(if we could snag a Ko reservation, that would be our big splurge, but unlikely!)
Locanda Verde
Rack & Soul
Lupa
Prune
Casa Mono
Degustation (possible splurge?)
And a few Brooklyn places (will I get in trouble for this?):
Franny's
DiFara's
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Lupa
170 Thompson Street, New York, NY 10012
Rack & Soul
258 West 109th St., New York, NY 10025
Spotted Pig
314 W 11th St, New York, NY 10014
Momofuku Noodle Bar
171 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003
Locanda Verde
377 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10013
The Breslin
20 W 29th St, New York, NY 10001
Motorino
349 E 12th St, New York, NY 10003
Sunday night, East Bay dinner: help an ex-Oakland hound
Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. It was a tossup between Corso and Camino, but since we were just in Florence, we decided Corso would be a bit redundand, so we're going to Camino.
I've bookmarked this thread for reference next time I'm in town. Thanks again to all!
Sunday night, East Bay dinner: help an ex-Oakland hound
I moved away from the Bay Area two years ago and am back for a brief visit - where should I go for a Sunday dinner with familiy in the East Bay? I would go with my old favorite, Pizzaiolo, but it's closed, as is Adesso, which I would love to try.
Are there any new places (new meaning opened in the past year or two) that may not yet be on my radar that would be open Sunday? Ideal price point is in the Pizzaiolo/Dopo range, although we could spring for something a bit more pricey like Camino or Flora if it would be worth it.
Food shopping in rome
Thanks everyone for the suggestions. We ended up going to Volpetti where they let us try EVERYTHING, and we picked some wonderful olio nuovo. Thanks!
Food shopping in rome
Where is a good place to buy good olio nuovo, dry sausages, cheese, and other similar goods in Rome? I tried the campo di fiori market but other than the fresh produce, it seemed more tourist-oriented. I'm looking for quality.
