jl0328's Profile
Oysters
Thanks barryg. I must have overlooked that tab on their website. Definitely worth a visit!
Oysters
I was recently at the Oyster House and only saw raw and fried oysters on their menu. I just returned from New Orleans and fell in love with charbroiled oysters. Looks like Catahoula might have what I'm looking for. I haven't seen many reviews on this restaurant..might be worth a try!
Oysters
Looking for places that serve oysters baked, broiled or charbroiled. Any new combos on the Philly food scene?
Soft shell crabs in Philly
I tried to get them at Fish last night and they were the only thing on the menu NOT available. Such a bummer! Next time I'll call ahead.
cipollini onions?
Iovine Brothers in the Reading Terminal Market usually has them in their refrigerators (by the registers).
Where is your favorite place to buy Babka?
Looking for a basic babka in the Philly area. Most places seem to carry raisin, chocolate and cheese. Which one should I try this year??
Sunday Brunch in Center City Philly or University City.
Cafe Lift does a decent brunch and they're BYO! We can usually find parking right in front on a sunday morning.
Birthday dinner? San Juan, PR
No, unfortuantely neither of the places I listed are beachy.
Niche is located in Condado beach at the Arcadia Hotel. The restaurant is very romantic and sits on the hotels water supply - you can see the water thru the clear "bricks" in the floor. We walked from the Renaissance which took about 15-20 mins each way. They offer valet parking.
Jose Enrique is around the corner from the Sancture market - just on the other side of Rte 26.
Neither will disappoint!
anything new in Aruba
I second Carte Blanche. Great dining experience! Be sure to book early!
We also like
Driftwood
Madame Jeanettes
The Blue Lobster
Wacky Wahoos
Birthday dinner? San Juan, PR
My BF and I just returned from PR. Unfortuantely we had trouble finding restuarants with a waterview or beach feel to them...so odd for an island. Anyway, we had 2 amazing dinners during our week stay.
The first was at Niche (http://www.nicherestaurant.net). Definitely splurge on the lobster over risotto. Hands down the best lobster we've had in all of our travels. Their housemade cocktails were delicious too!
The other restaurant, which came reccomended by the GM at Niche, was Jose Enrique. Every dish was better than the next. One word of advice - get there early! We arrived aroudn 6 and by 7 there was a 2 hour wait. Unfortuantely we were heading to Fajardo to do a late night Biobay tour so we missed out on the desserts..they looked amazing! The table next to us confirmed they were worth the calories!
Enjoy your trip!
One night in Philly -- Fish or Barbuzzo?
Honestly I think I've only had dessert once at Fish and don't remember how it was. I usually end up with the mussels and skate. I've never had a bad meal at Fish.
But I always go to Barbuzzo knowing I'm getting the budino. I've often stopped in just to get one to go after eating somewhere else - yes it's that good!
One night in Philly -- Fish or Barbuzzo?
Be sure to try the skate over truffled spaetzle..IMO one of the best dishes in the city!
Take a walk after dinner and pickup dessert at barbuzzo - their budino is to die for!
http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2011/09/caramel-budino-with-salted-caramel-sauce
Key West list..looking for some feedback
I'm heading to Key West for the first time with my sisters in just 17 days! We'll be in KW for 4 nights. Looking for some feedback on our picks so far...
Dinner
Cafe Sole
7 Fish
Santiago’s Bodega
El Siboney
Hogfish
Brunch
Sarabeths
Cuban Coffee Queen
any other recs?
We're hoping to try the fish tacos at Garbos Grill and chocolate covered key lime pie at Kermit's.
Any other must eat/drink spots?
Best Martinis in center city
We ended up at Franklin Mortgage. Only a 15 minute wait at 7pm on Friday so not too bad. We expected the room to be a bit more darker and romantic but it wasn't. At least the drinks didn't disappoint!
Best Martinis in center city
Looking for a great spot for a special birthday martini tonight. Thinking the 4 seasons, but not sure if they have specialty drinks or just the basics. Suggestions?
Aruba - Carte Blanche reservation (12/22)
I have a reservation for dinner at Carte Blanche on Thursday, December 22nd at 7:30pm. Unfortunately my bf and I are no longer able to attend. I just checked their site and there is not one reservation available for the rest of the year. If anyone is interested in it, please let me know.
It is quite an experience!
http://carteblanchearuba.com/
Mica questions
During the week there are two options -a la carte or the tasting menu. The 5 course tasting is $70 and the 7 course is $90 (appeared that a soup and cheese course is added). Add on a few drinks and you’re over $100 for dinner on a Thursday night. Our service started off strong. We were encouraged to try the tasting menu as it displays the chef’s creativity. Based on this statement my dining partner and I thought we would either receive 2 different plates per course or something different than the tables around us. Neither turned out to be true. As the dining room started to fill up we were left with empty drink glasses and felt as though we were constantly searching for someone. All in all the food was decent, but towards the end we started to feel like it or food was coming off an assembly line. The complimentary chocolate brulee looked and tasted as though it had been torched hours before dinner service and was just waiting to be served. I wasn’t wowed by any particular dish and definitely feel that the tasting menu prices are a bit high for the spot. It’s unfortunate because I’m always in search of a great place just outside the city for our monthly dinner. I’m not sure if I’m still coming off of a unbelievable experience at Per Se last weekend or if this place just doesn’t hit the mark for me.
Mica questions
Heading to Mica tonight for dinner. Looking for some recs on must try items! Also, is the menu now served a la carte or is only a tasting menu offered - if so how much is it?
Thanks!
Saxon + Parole
Has anyone tried this place yet? I just saw an article about razor clams with egg and caviar - looks delicious!
Happy Hour- Friday night
XIX at the Hyatt at the Bellevue does great (big!) martini's for $6 during happy hour. They should have their fireplace going by then..great view of the city from the 19th floor. Be sure to get there early to grab a seat! Another great HH place is Valanni on Spruce St. Enjoy!
Need Help Choosing Carribean Destination
We have just booked our third trip in a row to Aruba. We stay in the high rise area so there are plenty of places to walk. If you must travel by taxi - they are regulated so you'll always know how much you'll be paying. There's a great grocery store in Aruba where we stock up on snacks, breakfast foods and liquor at the beginning of the week. It's about an $8 cab ride ea way but saves us $$ for dinners out. Some of our favorite dinner spots are: Carte Blanche (limited to14 ppl per night - tasting w/ wine pairing), Madame Jeannettes, Driftwood, Wacky Wahoo and El Gaucho.
I've been to St Martin (both sides) and wasn't overly impressed with the feel of the island. Would recommend Aruba over and over again! Good luck!
Fun, boozy brunch in Philly?
Highly recommend Kanella or Monsu since you can take all the wine you can drink. If you don't want to take booze check out Valanni.
ISO brunch menu with great smoked fish options
Looking for somewhere more formal than russ & daughters or Barney Greengrass. Also looking for something more than salmon.
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Barney Greengrass
541 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10024
Center City Dessert?
Barbuzzo and Osteria have my favorite desserts (budino) in the city. And the both have a decent beer selection.
Place for Drinks before dinner at Bistrot la Minette
Adsum has some great cocktails too.
Recommendations for a solo diner in Philly
Zahav's bar is good for a solo diner. They also have a few high tops near the bar. Another great place to eat at the bar is Barbuzzo. They have 2 bars - one overlooks the kitchen.
Special Occasion for 12 in CC (with vegans ...grrr)
Check out Meritage - http://www.meritagephiladelphia.com/chefs-tasting-menu.php They do a full vegan tasting menu on Tuesdays. Maybe they would accommodate you on a Fri/Sat with enough notice.
Dinner around 8th and Walnut
Check out 13th st..great places like Barbuzzo, Zavino or el vez.
Razor Clams
Thanks Claredin! I'll have to check it out. Were they a special? How was the rest of your experience?
Two day trip to Philly, need help
Definitely check out Barbuzzo for lunch.
They put together a great anipasta everyday. Wednesday night is center city sips - check out this site for some great cocktail ideas http://www.centercityphila.org/life/Sips.php.
