In Rotorua there is a beer place downtown called BREW that has a variety of their own beers on tap and makes a fun stop.

In Wellington, I was really impressed by the variety and range of craft brews at Hashigo Zake, a fun dark bar only a couple blocks from the Te Papa museum. We were there at after work time on Thursday and they had free nibbles at the bar, too. Sushi, duck breast on crackers, etc. I'm from California, living in Sydney and haven't seen so many craft beers from my beloved West Coast in a while. I didn't try them as I was more interested in the NZ beers, but the breadth of coverage they had was amazing.

great, thanks PhilD!

I am interested in Fix St James, especially with the wine program. Is there any feedback on their "let them decide for you" menu? I like the less formal tasting menu approaches (don't really enjoy the fine dining degustation with stuffy, stiff service and structured eating) and tend to enjoy places wehre you can easily share food and try lots of things.

What's the atmosphere like at Felix and Pendolino? My flatemate took a first date to Pendolino but I never heard of a second one ;).

Hi all - I've gotten such good tips here, I thought I'd come with my latest query. My birthday is in about a month, and still being somewhat new to Sydney, I am not sure where I'd like to go. I am thinking for 2 (me and my fella) on a Friday night. A few preferences/guiding thoughts:

- accepts bookings for tables of 2
- I live in the lower north shore and he's a bit farther north, so somewhere not too much of a hassle to get home from after a few drinks and dinner (so city, or accessible city suburbs, or lower north shore I guess?)
- prefer a fun or intimate but not stuffy or uptight atmosphere, something cozy but not in-your-face romantic maybe?
- mains in the $30s
- decent wine list or cocktails or BYO
- bonus points if you can recommend a good bar beforehand for drinks; definitely easier in some suburbs than others, I know
- for type of cuisine, I am open to most things, but my least favorites being Japanese, Chinese, and Korean. I will have just spent time back home in California, so should have had my fill of good Mexican and latin foods.

Thanks, I will look into these options. Sounds like Fiji Market is worth a visit for all sorts of fun ingredients.

I'd like to make some gumbo, and could use some help in finding the right ingredients. In particular, I would like to get my hands on some file powder and some andouille sausage. Any helpful suggestions?

Wow - fast response! Thanks. I meant to mention Cumulus looked like a good option, and I was surprised it fit the price based on recs here. Good news, I guess. What is the wait like on Sunday evenings?

Also - how is the food at the Little Creatures brew pub? Nothing to write home about? I like their beers and so does guy coworker.

I'm trying to figure out a good spot for a Sunday night dinner with two coworkers in Melbourne (we'll be down from Sydney). While we're on a business trip, it isn't really an all out expense account sort of company culture, and we won't have clients - just ourselves and no bosses - so don't want to go all out. However, I've been tasked with finding a "nice" restaurant in Melbourne. I think mains in the $30s would be a comfortable range. There's just 3 of us:

- one woman who I think is generally not very adventurous in eating habits but is impressed by "fancy" places (e.g. before a client lunch at Quay, she said "we're going to one of those places where I can't pronounce anything on the menu...should be great...as long I don't get something too weird")
- one guy who will eat anything and everything, not into fussy
- me, a San Francisco transplant into good food and smart use of quality ingredients and still in sticker shock at Australian restaurant prices

When i was in Melbourne a few months ago, I dined solo at Movida Next Door, and thought most of the food was quitegood but did have a hard time swallowing the price for some of the items. $5 for a croqueta (approx) feels steep when you compare to Spain!

I am struggling to see where to go since so many Melbourne standouts seem to be just degustations, and I don't think that's the way to go for us. Any help would be much appreciated!

that's a different location - that is 21st and Webster

Waterbar and Epic Roasthouse are neighboring restaurants, so I wouldn't do both in one trip for the sake of diversity. Waterbar is perfect for a lunch or afternoon of cocktails and raw seafood (it's a favorite for my mom and I to do drinks and oyters and waste a couple hours). If you sit outside on the patio you can watch people go rollerblading, biking, and walking past on the Embarcadero. Combine with a stroll to/from the Ferry Building, where you could have that drink at the Slanted Door if you're still keen,

Restaurants with views in SF are pretty focused on the Embarcadero, in my opinion. There are also other great places that are more of a people watching view scattered around the city. La Mar is a peruvian restaurant on the Embarcadero that also has good water views, particularly if you sit outside. They have a decent cocktail list, obviously with a South American slant. Lots of seafood options.

Boulevard is another good restaurant where a window seat could give impressive views. Not sure on their cocktails, though.

Yes, it's still happening in 2012. A family member works in the office building there that's coordinating. Reportedly all the trucks are pleased with their numbers so far and intending to continue, although the Wednesdays will be every other Wednesday unless another truck comes in. The lot was empty over the holidays for most of a couple weeks though.

There will also be limited parking available in the lot - you won't get towed if you park next to the truck just while you wait for food.

You can always check Roaming Hunger (though not 100% accurate) or the individual trucks pages and twitter feeds to see if they will be there before you head over.

Also, there is an Ike's Lair opening right in Uptown, next to Plum. Should be a nice lunch addition to the neighborhood.

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Plum
2214 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612

Ike's Lair
2655 Broadway St, Redwood City, CA 94063

It is still happening. The Tuesday vendor didn't get thier Alameda permit/license in time. Rest of this week and next should be on as scheduled.

And yes, it is next to Trueburger. I think the truck will be in the parking lot each day, not on Grand.

They're testing out a new lunch spot for food trucks in Oakland at 150 Grand (between Harrison and Webster). There is a set line up for the next two weeks:

Monday, 12/5 Curry Up Now
Tuesday, 12/6 Rib Whip
Wednesday Pending
Thursday, 12/8 Seoul on Wheels
Friday, 12/9 Chairman (formerly Chairman Bao)

Monday, 12/12 Curry Up Now
Tuesday, 12/13 Roli Roti
Wednesday, 12/14 Hapa SF
Thursday, 12/15 Seoul on Wheels
Friday, 12/16 Chairman (formerly Chairman Bao)

Check it out. If there's enough traffic and business, it could become a regular thing.

Thanks for claring on the double El Federales. My brother declared he'd be a regular at Bar El Federal if he lived there. And don't order a sandwich with blue cheese. They must have given me a half pound on my sandwich (good value, but had to take 90% of it off to make it eatable!).

Yes, La Biela is a nice stop and good for people watching. Pairs very well with a stroll through the Recoleta cemetary.

Also from San Francisco and spent a week in Buenos Aires in June. I neglected to do a follow up report, and my memory is starting to go fuzzy on specifics. Sorry this will be sort of a haphazard response.

Is Restaurante El Federal different from Bar El Federal in San Telmo? We went to Bar El Federal (very old, comfy, local vibe) and enjoyed it. Good value on casual food and decent beer. Lots of people hanging out for a while, using wifi, etc. Probably not a destination spot, but good if you're in the area.

We did go to Cluny and had a nice meal. Very different from everywhere else we ate in Argentina (closest to Azafran in Mendoza, I guess). Service was good. We had dinner there, and it's a good aesthetic and setting. A bit formal though at dinner, maybe not so much in the patio areas during the day.

If you like cocktails, a must is 878.

And I must say, I was really hesitant to go to Cabana Las Lilas. I thought it would be touristy, overpriced, and overrated. I only went when my travel companion got stranded an extra day in BsAs due to airport closure. Well it certainly was not overrated. Best steak of my life - straight ojo de bife, jugoso. It was so good I went back to days later alone (stayed on for a conference).

Second best parrilla experience was La Miranda (hip, felt sort of like an LA vibe to a parrilla with SF style servers, complete with tattoos and small flannel shirts). They had one of the better wine lists for our tastes. (Older vintages of Carmelo Patti, amazing.)

Parrillas we found to be overrated or just so-so: La Cabrera (overrated), La Brigada (so-so), had the special cut that they literally cut with a spoon, which was super tender but the service was HORRIBLE, very rude.

And something very fun if you like tasting menus is La Vineria de Gualterio Bolivar in San Telmo. The chef combines some molecular techniques in ways I didn't see anywhere else in the country. Great value.

I should note Yarra is still not as commercial and super touristy as parts of Napa can get, and there were a fair number of Shiraz and Pinots there.

We hired a car and drove. It was my first time driving in Australia, and I didn't have too much trouble of it, and Melbourne city traffic was fine. Not worse than driving through SF really. Also, Australia has pretty strick "drink driving" laws and I think the limit reaches down to .05 for one category and .08 for another. However, unlike the States you can get pulled over without reason - they have random breath test spots every now and then, so you can get tested without showing signs in your driving. Something to keep in mind if your whole party will be tasting (hello, spit bucket).

Have fun on your trip. Tassie has some great pinots! I like them lower alochol and Tassie seems to comply more often.

I'm an American from same part of the states as you (bay area), and would suggest Mornington over Yarra based on your post. Mornington felt a bit more "sonoma" and Yarra a bit more "napa" if you get my drift on the differences there in scale, commercialism, family/boutique winery approaches. I prefer Sonoma, and preferred Mornington. We did one day for MP with I think 4 or 5 wineries, a great fish and chips lunch looking out on the water, and all at a pretty leisurely pace in one day with a rental care from Melbourne as a base. My absolute favorite from my trip last year was Main Ridge Estate. Beautiful setting, great wines, but expensive ones. I'm also still getting my head around Australian wine regions after just moving recently, but Mornington is more known for Pinots than Yarra would be, and I don't think either is particularly known for Shiraz or SB though you can find some.

Scenery in both areas is very nice. Mornington has more windy roads glimpses of vistas. Yarra has more wide open pastoral sort of scenes.

second La Ciccia or maybe Nopa. I guess it depends on what you mean by interesting. For Lower Nob Hill maybe walk over to Lers Ros (though I would say this is cheaper than mid-priced) and use the extra budget for drinks at Bourbon & Branch afterward.

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La Ciccia
291 30th Street, San Francisco, CA 94131

Nopa
560 Divisadero St, San Francisco, CA 94117

Bourbon & Branch
501 Jones St, San Francisco, CA

We did stick with Suppenkuche. They handled a party of 14 well, and the atmosphere was great for our group. Food was good, beer was better. Headed to Smuggler's Cove afterwards, which was slow as always, but fun and delicious.

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Suppenkuche
525 Laguna St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Smuggler's Cove
650 Gough St, San Francisco, CA 94102

I found the quail hard to eat, and not all that exciting compared to other dishes. It tied with the frog legs for least tasty and interesting (prepared in the same style apparently) in my last visit with about 7 people ordering and sharing.

Rafanelli and Nalle make good wine and are both family operations in Dry Creek.

Thanks for all of the input and ideas. For now I've got a reservation at Suppenkuche.

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Suppenkuche
525 Laguna St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Quivira is a favorite of mine from that list. Some friends who like big red Californian wines have said good things about Pedroncelli and Papapietro-Perry, but I've never done either.

thanks, I appreciate it! i am thinking 10-12 people is most likely for dinner with more showing up after, but just in case I did put in that big range.

thanks, Ruth!

Any info on the vibe at Limon Rotisserie? Would it be a good place for a dozen friends to start a big night?

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Limon Rotisserie
1001 S Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94110

When you did this Chow dinner did you just wait for opening or do you have some sort of special reservation? I'm wondering if it's possible to book the whole place.

Thanks for the Buca suggestion. Right price range and location idea, but I'm not interested in eating there. I went once and thought it was blah, and I try to stay away from chains for dinners in these parts since we have so many good other restaurants. More interesting side of the food spectrum would be good. Something fun/innovative/interesting or just GOOD food.

adding criteria of not a chain, thanks!

I'm starting the brainstorm for a going away party I need to organize (for moi!) with my friends. I'd like to do a dinner somewhere followed by moving on to dancing/a bar/karaoke. So my criteria are:

- good for a group and will take reservations for 10-20 people
- preferably will do a group without restricting to a more limited menu
- people can get out for $20-30 not accounting for booze (the cheaper the better so people don't have to splurge, we have a mix of incomes and student budgets in the group)
- a place with fun cocktails or drink options, including pitchers, would be nice
- no need for a nice wine list as only a couple would appreciate it
- not Japanese or Korean (my two least favorites)
- accessible to a nice nightlife option for afterward, so within a 10 minute walking radius
- probably prefer SF as most friends are there, but I live in Oakland so would really appreciate good ideas here

For reference on my thinking, I thought of The Trappist and Beer Revolution in Oakland, but they're a bit too chill for the vibe I'm going for. Something sort of like Cha Cha Cha in the Mission is a decent option, but I did my birthday there a few years ago.

Any and all ideas are welcome!

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Cha Cha Cha
2327 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110

Beer Revolution
464 3rd St, Oakland, CA 94607