Special but not stuffy in Madrid?

Thank you both so much for your responses! I think Sacha and Viridiana both look like they will meet our needs perfectly. I'll let my dinning companion make the final choice.

Expect a full report of my Barcelona and Madrid trip posted in late July!

Hungryfina in Spain/Portugal

Special but not stuffy in Madrid?

I am heading to Madrid in July and I am seriously struggling with restaurants. We are there for three nights. We're definitely going to Sergi Arola Gastro one of the nights. I'm thinking a tapas tour for the second night. And I have no idea what to do for the third night. I'd love your help!

To give you an idea of what we're looking for - we are true San Franciscans who believe whole heartedly in the Chez Panisse way of eating (letting fresh, local, seasonal ingredients shine). I appreciate innovative cuisine (my two dinners at Momofuku Ko are among my top 10 favorite meals), but since we are already going to El Bulli on this trip, I don't think we want another long tasting course molecular experience.

Is there something hip & lively with really fresh, clean flavors? Must be Spanish cuisine (aka no sushi!). Price isn't an issue.

Thanks in advance!

Hungryfina in Spain/Portugal

Dell'Anima, Convivio, Scarpetta or return to the tried & true?

Thank you! We are going to go to Scarpetta Friday night and Sushi Yasuda Saturday night. I'll report back on how it goes!

Hungryfina in Manhattan

Dell'Anima, Convivio, Scarpetta or return to the tried & true?

I'm heading east to New York for the first time in almost a year and a half. During my last visit I ate at Momofuku Ko, EMP, and Blue Hill at Stone Barns. I used to keep up with the restaurant openings, but my new job has kept me too busy.

After a little research I'm debating between Scarpetta, Dell'anima, and Convivio. However, I'm not too excited about any of them. Part of me wants to just go back to Babbo, Blue Hill, Hearth, the Bar at the modern, or Prune where I know the food will be delicious and the scene will be lively.

Thoughts? Are any of my suggest restaurants worth getting excited about? Or is there something I'm missing? This should probably be on another board, but I've never been to Brooklyn and I'm open to venturing out their for a good eat.

Generally price isn't an issue but stuffy white glove service isn't my thing. I hate empty restaurants, but having amazing food is always more important than being trendy. I eat every type of food.

I'm going to NYC a month from Friday - so I need to make up my mind ASAP in time for reservations!

Hungryfina in Manhattan

Help in Porto please!

I am spending three nights in porto in mid June and I would love some help with restaurants. I have heard great things about special pork served in Portugal and any restaurants which feature this would be much appreciated! I don't like touristy, empty, fussy, or overly serious restaurants. A lively atmosphere and straight forward good food is definitely what I'm looking for! All prices and cuisines are great although I would prefer Portuguese food.

Right now I am thinking:
Chez Lapin (for traditional)
Dom Tonho (special night)
Cafeina (trendy)

D’Oliva sounds great but I'm headed to italy soon after portugal, and Foz Velha sounds great at well but a bit fussy for me.

Also does anyone know anything about Antunes or Tracadinho

Thank you in advance!

Hungryfina in Spain/Portugal

Opinions on Conde Naste "Hot Tables"?

Thanks for the advice! While I'd love to do a tour of restaurants with Elvis, I'm not sure that's what my dinning companions had in mind when they put me in charge of choosing where we'll we eat.

We settled on St.Albans, Barrafina, Benares, L'Autre Pied, and Hibiscus.

I've also heard good things about the exmouth and marylebone farmers markets so we;ll check those out as well (already been to Bourough, Notting Hill, and Pimlico)

We're also staying at Haymarket this time and I'lve never stayed outside of Mayfair - so I'd love any breakfast suggestions (casual cafes, healthy food) you have around Haymarket. Hotel breakfasts are always ridiculously priced!!

Hungryfina in U.K./Ireland

Bronte vs. Le CC&P for Birthday

I had the "club sandwich" dessert at Chez l'Epicier and was very underwhelmed. My dining companion did love her four different creme brules there though.

The only other restaurant we went to was globe - and obviously I got what I expected there (decent food, but more of a scene then a great restaurant)

I did have some great ice cream at that farmers market thing in little Italy though!

Hungryfina in Quebec (including Montreal)

Bronte vs. Le CC&P for Birthday

I'm sorry it has taken me a bit to report back - but we ended up going to CC&P and it was absolutely fantastic!!

Two complaints - I found out later my father had called and asked them to put a candle in my dessert or something which they forgot, and the service was very spotty (took a while to get our menus/order) and then get dessert menus and the check later.

The service issues aside, the food was terrific and the atmosphere was very special occasion but not too old/stuffy at all. I'd definitely recommend getting the vegetable side to share with main courses and ordering anything the waitress describes as a chef specialty. I had the venison for my main which was unbelievable and a beet salad to start which was a great fresh dish. I would say that the desserts were clearly not up to par. I actually didn't have any good desserts over that three day trip despite a ton of good food.

Overall I am really impressed with Montreal's food scene. Definitely first rate!

Hungryfina in Quebec (including Montreal)

Opinions on Conde Naste "Hot Tables"?

Also right now my list includes:
Wild Honey, Chez Bruce, Merkato, Zaika, Hereford, and St. Alban. And I'll have to narrow it down to four or five.

Hungryfina in U.K./Ireland

Opinions on Conde Naste "Hot Tables"?

Conde Naste's yearly Hot Table list just came out and for London the restaurants listed are:
1. Hereford Road
2. L'Autre Pied
3. Texture
4. Wild Honey

Would you all agree that these are the best "hip" restaurants that opened in London over the past year? There seems to be very little on this board about Texture and L'Autre Pied so it's hard to imagine that it's all that popular!

I'm headed to London next month and I'm looking for fun, lively restaurants. I eat everything and price isn't an object - but I hate stuffy and I hate empty. I'm also a California native and partial to that style of cooking - so not huge on gastropub cuisine. Would any/all of these be good places for me to eat at? Or do you have other suggestions?

Thanks!

Hungryfina in U.K./Ireland

Bronte vs. Le CC&P for Birthday

Thank you for all of the advice! I think we're going to go with CC&P and I'll definitely report back!

Hungryfina in Quebec (including Montreal)

Bronte vs. Le CC&P for Birthday

My mother and I will be in Montreal over my and she wants to take me out somewhere special. We definitely both love good food (of any type), but I hate empty/stuffy/formal restaurants where I feel like I can't talk too loudly and the average age is over 50. Price isn't an issue.

From what I've read on these boards Bronte and Le Club Chasse et Peche seem pretty equal on quality of food. I understand that anything in this fine dining range is going to have a slightly older crowd and a more formal atmosphere- but which one of these two feels livelier and warmer? I'm worried that Bronte will have the stale lacking-personality feel of many hotel restaurants and I'm worried about the "old members club" descriptions of le CC&P. Obviously if there are food quality differences please let know that too!

Also I may bring a friend who is a picky eater. Do you think both of these restaurants could cater to her? (like a fairly simple salad and pasta?)

Thank you in advance!

Hungryfina in Quebec (including Montreal)

Berlin - What do you think of my picks?

Hi!
Sorry this has taken me so long but I just wanted to report back on my Berlin Trip. First I'd just like to say that I had some really great dinners, but I think Berlin's food scene is still pretty young and has some growing up to do. It's probably just my californian bias, but I'd love to see more of Berlin's top restuarants focus on interesting presentations of classic german dishes with top ingredients instead of the fusion cuisine I found at so many places. Just my personal opinion though!

44 - Wow, this restaurant was expensive. And while it was quite good, I definitely don't think it justified the $450 price tag for two (obviously the dollar/euro conversion hurt here). We had four courses each and the food was experately prepared and beautifully displayed, but the flavor combinations didn't always mesh quite right - for instance a lobster salad with sweet meringues. Service was very friendly though and it definitely felt like a special occasion place. Just a little too stuffy for me.

Maxwell - I really liked this place. Despite the fact that we were asked to switch tables three times (poor communication among the waitstaff) and the fact that service was quite slow, the food was solid throughout and I loved the little court yard you walked through to get to the restaurant. I can't remember any of my courses, but I would definitely recommend it to someone who is looking for a business dinner spot.

Oderquelle - I loved oderquelle. It was possibly my favorite night. They were very understanding when we arrvied 20 minutes late, and the atmosphere was perfect. It was lively and packed and I heard mostly german conversations going on at the neighboring tables. I had a delicious soup to start, but my meat was a bit tough. My favorite part was when we asked for dessert, assuming they would bring us a menu, they just brought us dessert - since I guess there is only one option! We loved it though (and I wished I hadn't agreed to share!). Perfect family type restaurant. I would definitely go again.

Balthazar - Really great value meal. A little heavy on the european fusion end, but very good food, good service, a moderate sound level, and not outlandishly priced as far as upscale restaurants go. Although the decor was a little bit blander than I had expected (I had read somewhere it was supposed to be romantic), it would be perfect for a business dinner. I also enjoyed the communal table which helped make the atmosphere a bit more lively.

Monsiour Vong - This restaurant was great. I had zero complaints. My food was delicious, nicely spiced, and very reasonably priced. I could easily picture this place thriving in San Francisco (with me being one of it's loyal patrons). Definitely nothing german about it, but I enjoyed it nonetheless

Hungryfina in International

Fiamma??

Uh oh - I just made a reservation today for dinner next month at Fiamma and now I'm worried that I made a mistake.

First I read all these reviews on yelp saying that the restaurant was empty - I hate empty restaurants and my reservation is for a Thursday night. With all the nyt press I figured for sure it would be packed. Any recent experiences?

Also I just read chowhound reviews saying the the average age was 65 (I'm in my late 20s and try to stay away from overly formal/stuffy restaurants...) and that the food was overly salty. I'm worried because today was the one month mark from my reservation and I don't know if other restaurants will still have room.

If you have other suggestions I would really appreciate them. I'm from california and generally prefer clean, simple ingredients in a lively atmosphere. This was supposed to be the dressier night of the trip and we are also planning on Casa Mono and Allen&Delancy. In the past I've loved Babbo, Blue Hill, Public, Hearth, Pheasant, momofuku ssam bar, and liked joel roubochon and EMP.

Thank you!

Hungryfina in Manhattan

Berlin - What do you think of my picks?

Thank you both for the advice! I'm getting really excited about my trip! So far I've definitely dropped Remake and Gugelhof and added Monsieur Vong. Breadbaker has moved to a lunch visit, and In response to desylicious - I am staying in the Miette, but definitely willing to travel. Just to add on a whole other list of restaurants - these are some cafes I came up with. I'd love any other suggestions you have!

Café/ Lunch/ Bar/ Food Store
Savarin (trendy café)
Kakao (café - really good chocolate drinks and treats)
Wohnzimmer (best coffee)
Cafe Einstein (breakfast - touristy but still a must)
KaDeWe (must for lunch - big food hall)
Duckwitz (Lunch – looks good, attached food shop, opened in sept. casual)
Cafe Altes Europa (casual - popped up on a bunch of sites)
Pastaroom, (Goltzstraße 52) – lunch (daily fresh made pasta)
Newton (bar)
The Weinerei (bar – busy, hard to get into)
Wein-Salon (bar)
Kollwitzplatz Farmers Market
Winterfeldplatz Farmers Market
Albrechts Pâtisserie – (best french pastry)
Goldhahn & Sampson - Cool food shop
Café im Literaturhaus (old café, check out)

Hungryfina in International

2 Nights in NYC - BLT Fish and EMP?

Thank you for your suggestions! My selection responsibilities got taken away from me - so we're going to sfogolia (looks like they always keep some vegetarian options on their menu for my only fish eating friend) and Joel Robuchon . I had great meals at Robuchon in Paris and Las Vegas, so I'm sure this will be great too (although not quite what I had in mind - how can I even begin to complain). I'll make sure to report back!

Hungryfina in Manhattan

Resveration for El Bulli for May 2008

Nope I didn't get a response yet. But I e-mailed in on 10/20, and if you go on their website it says they are full. I'm praying that something happens and they decide to take my e-mail anyway, but I think the chances are highly unlikely. I'm trying to forget about it until I get an e-mail back saying one way or the other!

Hungryfina in Spain/Portugal

Berlin - What do you think of my picks?

Hey! I'm going to Berlin in December for 7 nights and I've been pouring over restaurant reviews trying to decide where to eat. Money isn't a concern, but I generally don't like fancy/stuffy/quiet restaurants - I'd much prefer something that is packed and lively. My list is below - and I still need to drop 3. I really want a mix of special occasion and casual restaurants (I can't eat a big meal 7 night's in a row). I'd really appreciate some input!

44
Maxwell
Remake
Il Punto
Oderquelle
BrewBaker
Borchardt
Balthazar
Storch
Gugelhof

Hungryfina in International

2 Nights in NYC - BLT Fish and EMP?

I'll be coming to NYC for two nights in November and I need one fish restaurant and one just special/delicious restaurant. I hate stuffy, overly formal, or empty restaurants - think lively, fun, but special occasion. Price isn't an issue and we eat everything although one night I have a friend dining with me who basically only likes fish.

I'm thinking BLT Fish (the upstairs part) for the fish night, but I've also come across some good reviews of Esca.

For the other night I've all of a sudden been hearing a ton about Eleven Madison Park again, and since I've never been there I'm interested in trying it out. I'm also thinking about Country though, which looks like it could be pretty cool.

Thoughts? Other options? I had basically the best meal of my life at Babbo, I loved Hearth, Prune, Public - that's generally the vibe I go for. Thanks in advance!

Hungryfina in Manhattan

Weekend Farmers Market (besides Harvard?)

Hi! I'm coming down to Boston for the weekend from Hanover, NH and I would like to fit in a farmers' market visit since I'll be missing my last Norwich, VT market of the year. I've read about the Harvard Square one on Saturday, and I definitely can hop on the T and go over there, but I'd rather go to one over around where I'll be (beacon hill/ boston commons). Any options? Thanks!

Hungryfina in Greater Boston Area

Resveration for El Bulli for May 2008

Reservations for 2008 are now full! I can't believe I missed it by like 4 days.....I'm kind of heart broken....

Hungryfina in Spain/Portugal

Prague - Traditional and Modern Eats?

If heading to Prague in December and I'm interested in having one czech meal and one meal in a modern/trendy restaurant. Price doesn't matter.

For the Czech meal I'm thinking a small, cozy restaurant (something kind of romantic and family run, but still lively, casual and not stuffy - my friend and I are in our mid 20s and this will probably be a precursor to checking out the night life). So far I've come up with Cerný Kohout, U Modre Kachincky, David, and Století.

For the modern restaurant I'm looking for a scene and good food. Nothing that would feel too serious or fancy (trying to keep the mood light, happy, and playful). Pravda (the more casual room), Square, and Kampa Park keep popping up with very mixed reviews. - but La Scene, Dynamo, Le Bistrot de Marlène, and Nostress look really good too. So does Barock but I'm not sure how I feel about Asian cuisine in Prague..

La Degustation looks amazing but I'm not sure if my companion is up for committing that much time for dinner (we're only there for two nights!)

Any thoughts about my picks or other ideas would be really appreciated! Thank you!

Hungryfina in International

Trying to choose (Jar vs Hatfield's vs Opus)

Next month I am heading to La for a couple of nights, and I need help settling on a restaurant. One night is already booked at Osteria Mozza and I'm having trouble deciding what to do the other night. I've basically narrowed it down to Jar, Hatfield's, vs. Opus.

It's a Monday night, so I thought Jar might be fun with it's mozzarella menu but I have a few reservations - 1) pretty much every time was available on opentable.com and I HATE empty restaurants, 2) do they offer the regular menu as well on monday's? 3) Could that be way too much mozzarella since I'm sure we'll have a bunch at Mozza the next night?

Opus I'm also nervous about because it has gotten a bunch of mixed reviews (people either seem to hate it or love it) and since it also had every time available on opentable.com

Hatfield's sounds like it is a safe bet food wise, but my dinner companion is bringing her teenage daughter and while I've heard she's an eater I'm worried that this restuarant might bore her since I've heard it's not much of a scene and has pretty plain decor.

Thanks in advance!

Hungryfina in Los Angeles Area

That Restaurant in Pacific Grove

Just for a different point of view - I went to Melange on Saturday night and hated it. I was honestly embarrassed to have brought my family there. I was nervous at first when I saw the place, frumpy is probably the best adjective to describe it. It looked like a small town restaurant trying to be fancy - this should have been my first clue.

To start I had the lobster hand roll and my sister had the shrimp with fried polenta. Both dishes were served with sauces that were far to heavy and goopey for the delicate fish they were supposed to compliment. The lobster and shrimp were both fine (not over or undercooked) but seriously needed some brighter, lighter sauces. For the main course I had the chicken and my sister had the duck. The chicken was so dry and plain that it was barely edible. I wished I could have saved the pool of left over sauce from my appetizer to try to moisten the chicken and give it some sort of flavor. The chicken came with a side of barely cooked risotto that was far too crunchy for me to try more than one spoonful. The duck however was even worse, it was half gray. Now I eat out a lot, and love duck, and I have never seen it such a weird color. My sister didn't have a bite because she was afraid of getting food poisoning.

On top of all of this the service was horribly slow and not very knowledgeable. All in all it was a very frustrating experience. Since Monterey is so close to San Francisco, I'd think there should be more than a couple of decent restaurants. I very very rarely give bad reviews - but I want to make sure other people don't end up as disappointed as I was. Needless to say I left without dessert and will not be going back.

Hungryfina in California

Burma Superstar- finally visiting tomorrow

Hi! Just wanted to say thank you for all of your advice. We ended up having a great time (and I was really happy that I called in advance because on a Tuesday night a table for 4 was an hour and 20 minute wait!). We ordered the tea leaf salad, samusa soup, cocnut rice, nan pia dok, pork pumpkin stew and Burmese Style Curry with Shrimp. It was the perfect amount for four people! We loved everything, especially the coconut rice (not dry at all like some reports!) and the nan pia dok. I'd say the least favorite of the night was the pork pumpkin stew which I actually loved when I tried it first but then found bland and mushy after I'd tried the other more brightly spiced dishes. Also, while I was really hungry, I would have appreciated it if the food arrived at a slower pace so I felt less rushed (although the rest of my party most likely would disagree with that). Anyhow I can definitely see myself returning and checking out B-Star Bar in the near future. Thanks again!

Hungryfina in San Francisco Bay Area

Burma Superstar- finally visiting tomorrow

I'm finally making it to Burma Superstar tomorrow night with three of my foodie friends. After a bunch of research I have almost decided what to order. Please help me A) Decide between a couple possible dishes, B) Know if I am ordering an appropriate amount of food, C) Let me know what you think about my choices. Thanks in advance!

1. Tea Leaf Salad
2. Samusa Soup
3. Sesame Beef
4. Coconut Rice
5. Either the Bun Tay Kauswer (Coconut Chicken Flour Noodle Curry) or the Nan Pia Dok (coconut Curry Flat flour Noodles with chicken)
6. Either the Pork Pumpkin Stew or the Burmese Style Curry with Shrimp
7. If we need something more (which I'm guessing we really don't) the Ginger Salad

And ginger lemonade to wash it all down!

Hungryfina in San Francisco Bay Area

Lunch in San Francisco

They're not new at all but I had a great birthday lunch at Kokkari this year and one at Zuni last year - I would highly recommend both. Salt House can also be good for lunch (but loud and not really a special occasion atmosphere) and super casual but my favorite lunch spots are canteen, slow club, and boulette's larder.

Hungryfina in San Francisco Bay Area

Healdsburg hotel and restaurant recs

If you are there on a Saturday definitely check out the farmers market and get breakfast from the mexican stand - amazing! My favorite breakfast on a non-market day is a cappuccino from Flying Goat Coffee (just off the square and has a lively buzz about it) and a apple cinnamon pastry from Downtown Bakery (it is busy but get it to go and sit on a bench in the square). Enjoy Healdsburg it's a cute little town!

Hungryfina in San Francisco Bay Area

Table 8 - Crowded?

So I have reservations at Table 8 for my birthday party dinner next Friday. Since it's my 25th birthday, I really want a place that's going to be crowded and lively and fun. I've read a couple of reviews on here saying it is crowded and a couple saying people just walked in without reservations.

I have a friend at Penthouse who could get my party in last minute, but there it seems like all scene and bad food (or at least not good enough for a special occastion dinner).

So anyone know what Table 8's scene is like?

Hungryfina in Los Angeles Area