beachbunnySD's Profile
Palm Springs Sunday Brunch ?
cheeky's has a fantastic breakfast/brunch - it's our favorite in palm springs. i've also seen norma's get fantastic reviews.
king's highway at the ace hotel does a solid job.
none of these options have live music.
oyster specials. NOT at the bar
fish 101 in leucadia has a fantastic HH and oyster specials. no need to sit at the bar. i'm not a fan of oysters myself, but we're here quite frequently and i see many guests taking advantage of their HH special. oyster selections are posted daily.
http://www.fish101restaurant.com/
austin itinerary - any edits/suggestions?
bummer - i guess accuweather.com isn't so accurate. it's saying upper 70's at night.
likewise, fantastic views + fantastic food don't really marry very often here in san diego either. for as much coastline as we've got, it seems restaurants rest on their laurels when they have a view to attract customers.
thanks for all the help. i'll be sure to report back after our stay in your fine city. we're certainly looking forward to checking out austin and lake travis.
austin itinerary - any edits/suggestions?
thanks for the recs everyone. would you replace parkside or el arbol with uchiko? i'm 6.5 month prego and therefore can't experience all of the wonderful offerings they have. although it does look like they have some cooked items.
also - any suggestions for a lunch or brunch resto with a view near town lake, and good food?
austin itinerary - any edits/suggestions?
thanks amysue. question though - i see that austin is in the 70's in the evening, would el arbol's patio not be tolerable for dinner?
noted on torchy's - red's looks great, but not during the middle of the day. i think we're half nuts to be visiting austin in the dead of summer! is there anywhere near town lake, or that has misters that combines a nice view and decent food?
austin itinerary - any edits/suggestions?
hello fellow CHers. my husband and i are spending 3 days/nights in austin next week and would love some critique of our itinerary if you feel strongly we're missing anything notable.
lakeway - 1 night/day
*rocco's (going with family, can't really change this one)
*breakfast at lakeway resort
*open to lunch suggestions this day - black star co op looks intriguing
downtown - 2 nights/days
we're staying at the radisson across from the congress st bridge, so walking distance spots are ideal as we won't have a car.
*breakfast/brunches: la condesa, + need one more rec
*lunches: franklin BBQ, torchy's tacos
*dinners: parkside -OR- el arbol??? lambert's bar menu
thanks in advance for your help. we've researched this quite a bit and want to be sure we're sampling the best austin has to offer.
san diego wedding caterers redux
congrats on your upcoming wedding! what venue did you select? another vote here for authentic flavors.
San Diego New Places Opening
fish 101 is actually quite good. quality, fresh ingredients prepared simply and everything made from scratch. it's only been open a few weeks and my husband and i are regulars already. casual, friendly vibe, nice attention to detail. the fish sandwich is one of the highlights (we've had it now with copper river salmon, yellowtail and sea bass - it changes daily based on the catch). fish sandwich has pickled onions, org greens and a homemade aioli on a soft italian roll. so good! homemade chowder is excellent, not pasty at all and more of a loose style (no flour). grilled asparagus is simple and elegant with shaved grana padano and a few drops of truffle oil. shrimp po boy is excellent as well, similar to the fish sandwich. interesting wine and beer list and great HH and oyster selections. such a great addition to our neighborhood!
union kitchen + tap was a bit of a clusterF when we went. food was just meh. their menu reads like they're putting a bit of a spin on things, but the execution was terrible. awful homemade ketchup, lukewarm food, bland pizza and slow service. we had to ask for knives 3 times and each order of beer took 15 minutes to deliver.
hapifish was pretty disappointing. overdressed coleslaw made with brown cabbage, grilled chix with no discernible marinade, pineapples from a can, spicy ahi was so spicy it was inedible, uber greasy onion rings. we really wanted to like this place because it's close and has a fun, casual vibe. the food just fell flat on it's face.
RIP Knight Salumi
Noooooooo! Their fennel sausage was a monthly staple in our diet. What a disappointment; for Knight and for San Diego.
Burger Lounge Expansion
fair enough, but at the very least they could use hormone-free milk. burger lounge uses foremost milk, who make no such claims that their cows are not hormone-treated. alta-dena is another large scale producer and also carried by whole foods, jimbo's and the like. and would be a seemingly good option to move to.
i happily shell out $7 for a wee little pint of laloo's goat's milk ice cream, but i guess it's all relative to where your priorities lie ;)
Burger Lounge Expansion
i like burger lounge burgers, but take issue with the fact that they don't carry through their grass-fed/free-range philosophy to all of their menu items. it's clearly such a marketing piece for them, and i give them kudos for making this stance on beef (it's also the way i eat). but it drives me bonkers that their milk for the milkshakes isn't sourced as such, as well as the chicken. where is the consistency in their soap box???
New site for Pacific Coast Grill in Cardiff
i concur. good happy hour to be had at PCG. i for one, am happy it's moving a little father norther, closer to me.
Where do they make the best burger in the county?
jayne's gastropub - their burger still shines through year after year as my favorite in sd.
pop up resto coming to encinitas
in ludobites style:
http://la.eater.com/archives/2011/01/24/ludos_sous_launches_his_own_temporary_eating_space.php
30th birthday party fit for a foodie.
we had my husband's 30th at urban solace a few years back. we reserved the patio for our group on a saturday, from 4 - 7. we were well within your target budget and had the same amount of guests you're looking at. the events manager was great and we customized the menu to my husband's tastes. it was a fantastic night, as we just wandered next door to bar pink to celebrate the latter part of the evening, which takes care of your other concern ;)
Blue Ribbon Artisan Pizza Encintias
my friend and i tried blue ribbon last friday. the homemade burrata app was excellent, although pricey (nearly as much as a pizza). we then shared a californian pizza, which was just okay, fairly bland and innocuous (and i love white pies). we were also taken aback at the size of the pizzas - fairly small - basically a personal size. for $14 - $16 each, we weren't expecting to have to order our own. i didn't however, have the crust issue sdgourmand described. ours had nice color and blistering. to be fair, we love pizzeria bruno, and perhaps selfishly i was dreaming of a bruno 'north' so we wouldn't have to trek to north park to get our fix. i'd give blue ribbon another shake, but i'm certainly not in a hurry to get there.
Sustainable Restaurant List
i think starlite would fit your list. their beef is sourced from brandt (corn fed, but sustainable).
tender greens as well.
and a thank you for starting this topic!
Palm Springs
i second cheeky's! for breakfast or lunch. great spot. king's highway @ the ace hotel is also a great option for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Free-range, non-commodity restaurants in San Diego
cuppy, i eat the same way you do: 1/2 vegetarian but when i do eat meat i'm selective about choosing naturally/humanely raised proteins. it's nice to hear there are others joining this path, as i catch so much grief from others (co-workers, relatives, friends etc) for my choices. many days i find it easier to say "i'm vegetarian" vs. "i only eat humanely raised, sustainable meats." people give you the weirdest looks if they think you're going to launch into a diatribe they don't want to hear.
starlite and ritual tavern would also suit your needs, and are pretty well regarded here on CH. side note on burger lounge, it's problematic to my mind that they go so far to tout their use of organic beef (applause), but use foremost brand milk in their milkshakes (boo). why wouldn't you extend the same natural/organic principle to the milk yielded from cows if it's such a principle in your use of beef? puzzling.
alta strada or scampo? first time visiting boston
thank you for the great feedback! much appreciated and i think we will stick with scampo, although prezza does look tempting. will report back after our trip!
alta strada or scampo? first time visiting boston
hello boston CHers ~ my husband and i will be in boston for two nights, a monday and a tuesday. we are eating at toro monday night, but would like to find a great italian resto for tuesday night. based on food + wine's boston list, and the recs on this board i have narrowed it down to alta strada or scampo. although i am always hesitant to to choose a hotel restaurant, scampo looks a little more our speed (touch more casual, hip).
any input one way or the other? not looking for romantic, just great food and great vibe. thanks!
Anniversary Dinner in Palm Springs
we found johannes to be overrated and overpriced. not a great combo.
we were out in march and actually had fantatstic meals at our hotel - the ace hotel. we had previously dined at their sister resto/hotel in portland (clyde common) and decided to give their new location a whirl. solid offerings, moderately priced, consistently good food.
santa barbara dinner - narrowed it down to 4
thanks for the recs all. we decided on jade for dinner. if we wanted to carry on somewhere else for a glass or two (or three) of wine, would opal work? or maybe blue agave? someone also mentioned live culture is a new wine bar?
santa barbara dinner - narrowed it down to 4
jade looks promising, thanks for the rec. does anyone have a menu link? their website is not functional. actually half the restos in SB don't even have websites that i can locate...
what do you think of opal as a back up option?
santa barbara dinner - narrowed it down to 4
thanks for the reply, input aside from orig choices is appreciated! we don't have to be downtown, anywhere between goleta and downtown works too. was hoping to stay in the price range closer to jane. what about petit valentien? or cafe luck?
santa barbara dinner - narrowed it down to 4
getting together with an old friend next weekend over dinner in santa barbara. want somewhere comfortable, where we won't feel rushed, will be able to hear each other, and of course the food has to be good. looks like elements, jane, julienne or square one will fit the bill. need your help narrowing those down to the best choice please.
wine bar in santa barbara?
after numerous searches, i am coming up emptyhanded. sb chowhounders - does a wine bar exist in santa barbara? not a tasting room, but a wine bar with evening hours, charcuterie, cheeseboards etc... there was a place called firebird 7 or 8 years back, but it's long gone now. they seem to be on every corner here in san diego (wine steals, 3rd corner, syrah, apertivo, splash, sogno di vino etc etc), but i can't find a single one in santa barbara.
San Diego - Luc's Bistro
we are here weekly without fail! ditto all the positive comments above. and i also echo leannabe's post - it's our default resto for 'nobody wants to cook' night! and it sure doesn't hurt that luc's is super easy on the pocketbook...
Glass Door Restaurant in Porto Vista San Diego Review
thanks for the report. i was wondering about this place and if it would fall victim to the dreaded 'view' syndrome. i'd give it a whirl for drinks.
Palm Springs trip report
we actually just returned from a weekend in PS as well. typically i don't expect greatness from hotel restaurants, but we were more than pleasantly surprised with the restaurant at our hotel - king's highway. the ace hotel is a small chain and we had visited their sister location in portland, and the restaurant clyde common (a chowhound favorite). we were not disappointed with their palm springs location! very moderately priced, nice attention to detail. the grilled tomatoes at breakfast were delicious!
sadly, we ventured off hotel property for dinner one night at johannes and had total buyer's remorse after dropping $140 on a slightly better than average dinner. urgh.
