Debbie's Profile
Stella! Good meal but with some significant missteps (sadly)
We have dined at Stella MANY times. The food has typically been very good but when we recently dined there in late August, things were "off." To start we were asked to wait at least 20 minutes in the bar area. Moreover, the risotto was inferior and sticky. On the other hand, Tenderlion was well cooked and the sea bass and duck were very good. HOWEVER, the service was simply terrible for a restaurant of this caliber! My husband sat for at least 15 minutes with the wine list in hand waiting for ANYONE to come back and take our order and then a second round of drinks came that we had NOT ordered. Many servers were running around the restaurant but none was warm, friendly, or attentive. Don't get me worng, the food at !Stella is very good----but poor and unfriendly service is simply intolerable at such high prices.
Twenty 8 Tables (Saratoga Springs)
Most of us ordered the very generous salads first. Two shared an enormous seafood casserole special...and loved it. Two had chicken parm and another had the chicken breast with carmelized onions (that particular entree did not recieve rave reviews though.) We shared many desserts (sent over by Ron) but can only recall that the cannoli was very good! Sorry FDR, but we ate at Siros and Prime at Saratoga National in three nights and our selections are a bit of a blur! BTW, Siros and Prime were really great too!
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Prime at Saratoga National
458 Union Avenue, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Twenty 8 Tables (Saratoga Springs)
Went last week (on Thursday night). We were a table of 7 and the service was great. Owner came over and sat down. Everyone was happy with their food. It may not please real foodies but we thought it was among the best in Saratoga. The atmosphere was fun, dark, and lively.
Saratoga Springs--Upscale recommendations
Sorry financialdistrictresident!....just hit your link....but would still like to see a menu and hear from someone who has been to Siro's new Trattoria.
Saratoga Springs--Upscale recommendations
Thank you very much for your suggestions! I will ask for Steve at Saratoga National.....Twenty Eight Tables looks quite nice....I was considering Chianti (have been there before when they did not take reservations) but may switch this one to Twenty Eight Tables. Am I correct that "The Lodge" has been sold and re-opened as Siro's Trattoria?? I see a few scattered mentions of this online and have read Trakman's post but there is no website or menu as of yet that I can find. I am concerned that it may be too soon to try this one. Would love to hear if anyone has been or knows. I appreciate everyone's advice!
Saratoga Springs--Upscale recommendations
I am traveling to Saratoga next week. Have been there many times before---but need help selecting two upscale restaurants. Thus far, we already have reservations at Siros and Prime at Saratoga National. After searching the boards, I was thinking of Mouzon House or Maestros (have never been)---or possibly Siros Trattoria---but wasn't sure if it is actually up and running. Would like a nice/comfortable atmosphere with great food (American French, or Italian). Cost is not really a factor and we have a car. Any advice and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
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Mouzon House
1 York Street, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Prime at Saratoga National
458 Union Avenue, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
nice restaurant for birthday
Suggest Casa de Angelo in Fort Lauderdale. The portions are large and it is considered an upscale venue with very nice decor and terrific service. Its Italian and has a large menu with many, many specials. Try the apple tart or warm chocolate cake for your birthday treat. Both are wonderful. I would suggest Red if you're thinking about South Beach. Also very nice and has lots of selections. This is a steakhouse but has plenty to choose from. Its trendy and fun....Can't go wrong with either of these in my opinion......
Kane Steakhouse
Went last weekend. The new design is lovely but somehow the space is still somewhat loud despite the fact that the dining room was not full when we left at 11:30. The service was simply awful. Our table of four had to ask the waiter to take our drink orders more than once and then we also had to make a special request for our wine selection as well....! After ordering the wine---we were told that they were out of the bottle we had chosen. We noticed our waiter slowly typing other orders onto a nearby computer screen and this may have resulted in the long delay we experienced in being asked for our food orders. The Kane salad was fair, burrata and wedge salads were better. We ate steaks and fish but nothing was great or comes close to similar dishes at Red or Prime 112. Lobster mac and cheese and creamed spinach were both good. Sweet potatoe fries were tasty (and quite sweet rather than salty) but onion rings were not very good at all. Doughnuts for dessert were very good but another minty dessert (which I can't fully recall) fell short and was left relatively uneaten. I wanted to like Kane the experience was less than stellar.
Foodies Visiting Miami
For great Italian food I would add Osteria Del Teatro on South Beach to the suggestions provided thus far. It is extremely consistent, has warm service, and the dishes are delicious. The menu online only gives a small sampling of the offerings.
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Osteria Del Teatro
1443 Washington Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Ft. Lauderdale - ISO great fried chicken, baby back ribs & ice cream! (Not necessarily at the same place!)
For ice cream----I love Kilwins at 809 East Las Olas Boulevard. It's located right in the heart of Fort Lauderdale.....I looooove the coconut ice cream with pieces of toasted coconut shavings! But all of the flavors are terrific. Kilwins also makes a wide variety of chocolates, candy apples, fudge, etc. (http://www.kilwins.com/) Jaxons is pretty good too but its more old school and, in my opinion, I think Kilwins tops it. Enjoy!
South Beach for 50th B'day - thinking about the following:
Just adding another opinion here.....I do not consider the inside atmosphere at Casa Tua to be all that special. This is just my personal opinion, of course. Sitting outside there is nice but I always worry about the weather. Another consideration for italian food with atmosphere would be Il Gabbiano which is on the water and has both inside and outdoor seating. My favorite italian restaurant on South Beach for wonderful food is Osteria del Teatro. I always enjoy the food there but it is less trendy than the others for a 50th BD. (I prefer the food there to Casa Tua. though). I haven't been to the new Forge only because the reviews have been so mixed. Wherever you go....have a wonderful birthday dinner!
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Casa Tua
1700 James Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139
South Beach Cafe
121 5th St, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Can anyone suggest a local bakery that will deliver chocolate covered strawberries to the UES?
I am also interested in local delivery of a gift basket containing liquor (not necessarily wine) as well. I am from elsewhere so any advice from locals would be greatly appreciated!
Please help NYC-er narrow down restaurant choices
Sometimes too many opinions can get confusing.....but based on your "narrowed down list" above-----I'd skip Casa Tua. This is my personal opinion, however, I am just not impressed and have stopped going there. If you want great italian, then I would suggest Osteria del Teatro. The food and service are wonderful there and its right in South Beach. I'm also a big fan of Michael's Genuine and like Michy's too. Hakkasan is decent and perhaps more trendy than some of the others. Enjoy.....
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Michy's
6927 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, FL 33138
Hakkasan
Miami Beach, FL, Miami Beach, FL
Casa Tua
1700 James Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139
South Beach Cafe
121 5th St, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Maialino versus Locanda Verde
Looking for excellent italian food in an appealing, stylish atmosphere.
Which would you suggest? Other recommendations would be appreciated too. Thanks in advance!
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Locanda Verde
377 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10013
Maialino
2 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10010
Looking for 2 places for dinner spots that I can't miss and 2 for lunch??
For one of your dinners in Fort Lauderdale I would suggest Casa de Angelo or Valentinos. Both are italian and are consistently good. I would say that the atmosphere is more upscale at Casa de Angelo but the food is great at both. If you go to Casa, ask to sit in the wine room. Just fyi, Valentinos does not have a full liquor license. Goiovanni (the chef there) spends a great deal of time working with various chefs in NYC.....
Cuvee
Still wondering if there has been a recent change in chefs at Cuvee.
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Cuvee Restaurant
322 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70130
Cuvee
I have liked Cuvee in the past but have noted that there may have been a change in chefs. I have also read a few poor reviews online of late. Can anyone who has been there recently adivse me further? I am looking for an upscale atmosphere for 9 people who are just meeting for the first time. Price is not an object but we would probably do best with a varied menu. Love August but think it may be a bit too much. Will Stella accommodate large groups? Thanks in advance....!
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Cuvee Restaurant
322 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70130
Mark Militello
Glad my info was correct.
http://weblogs.sunsentinel.com/features/food/restaurants/blog/2010/06/chef_mark_millitello_now_at_tr_1.html
Will try and report back.....
Mark Militello
Heard a rumor that Mark Militello was now at Trina in Fort Lauderdale. Can anyone confirm or refute?
BLT Steak Miami, not to be confused with the yet to open STK Steak
Went to STK last night. Had a 9:45 reservation for 3 and when we were still not seated at 11:00---we decided to leave. The host staff was rude and many others were overheard complaining loudly. The music is way too loud but the attitude of the staff says it all. Interestingly, I have dined several times at STK in NYC and really enjoyed it there. We ended up eating a late dinner at Osteria del Teatro which was superb----so all was not lost!
Anniversary and Christmas in Scottsdale
OOOhh conflicting thoughts on T Cooks! Just to clarify, (Beach Chick), Are you suggesting that we switch T Cooks to Christmas Eve because I metioned that this day is also our anniversary and you like the setting at T Cooks better for a special occasion than Binkleys? Is T Cooks more the more upscale of the two? I forgot about J & G Steakhouse but will surely consider it as well as Cowboy Ciao mentioned above. I live in South Florida where we too have a Boubon Steak so probably won't opt for that.....Thanks for the help so far!
Anniversary and Christmas in Scottsdale
I have never been to Scottsdale but plan to be in town for four days, staying at the Phonecian. Will be there for our weding anniversary on Christmas Eve and on Christmas day as well. I have booked Binkleys for 12/24---Is this a good choice? I have also noted favorable reviews for T Cooks, The Misssion, Zinc Bistro, Kai, Petite Maison, etc. We love to eat wonderful food and are open to most suggestions aside from sushi. We would also prefer a beautiful and/or fun atmosphere so that our eveings will be special. We would greatly appreciate ANY advice or suggestions.
Any suggestions for Fort Lauderdale restaurants?
Hey Edible Complex. I read and respect your reviews quite often on the NOLA board. (Going there tomorrow in fact and eating at Stella and Cuvee). If you are at all interested in Italian, I would suggest Casa de Angelo and/or Valentinos. Both are in Ft. Lauderdale and are terrific IMO. Casa is a bit more upscale but Valentinos is just as good if not more creative. Have a great time!
TOP NY Capital Region-Albany, Schenectady, Saratoga, Troy
I am looking for three meals in Saratoga with good food AND a nice atmosphere. Price is not a big concern. We have a group of 8 and would like to have an upscale dining experience. "Sceney" or "trendy" is ok too as long as its not too loud or too casual. We are in town for opening weekend of the track so I know I need to get the plans set now. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
birthday luncheon in fort lauderdale
I had a very nice birthday luncheon at Capital Grille. The restaurant has several private rooms and I believe they will allow you to pre-select the menu items so that you could keep the price down. They do a VERY nice job for a special luncheon there. It has that upscale, special feeling too.
Ft. Lauderdale: Great Italian & Steak Places
I would add Valentino's on Federal Hwy for italian. Chef Giovanni serves creative and wonderful food. The service is terrific too. This is a small restaurant so reservations are strongly suggested.
Staying at Westin Diplomat on Hollywood Beach. Any great restaurants in the area?
Not sure that there are any "great restaurants" in this area but for dinner, I would probably choose Timo in Sunny Isles or Fulvios in downtown Hollywood. Those are nice with pretty good food and are within direct proximity----but the choices expand if the poster would consider travleing to Fort Lauderdale (a drive of 20 minutes or so).
Help Me Add Balance
Thank you all for your responses and suggestions! ScarlettNola, I too LOVE Stella! We come to NO often---and the only reason that we didn't select it for this particular trip is because we will be dining with 9 people and I believe they won't take more than 7 at a table there. In fact, I wrote a "stellar" review on Stella! awhile back on the board....We're still "stewing" about this decision. What's the atmosphere at Tommy's and 11-79 like? We've got one or two older relatives and then a group of 20 year olds so we'd like to stay comfy and "upscale" but not too formal. A French Quarter location (or not too far bc we're staying at the Windsor Court) would probably be better for this night because we'll just be flying in at 5:30 ( and have to make an airport pick up at 11 PM) so that's why I didn't go with Vincents. Also, didn't choose Irene's because I would prefer having a reservation. MiLa's menu looks ok but it seemed a little limited....Like I said, still undecided!
Help Me Add Balance
Coming soon for a long weekend. We have reservations at Cuvee for Friday night and August for Saturday night. But we need to make a selection for Thursday that would be perhaps a bit different. We would like to select somewhere with a stylish, upscale, and comfortable atmosphere and were thinking about italian---but it doesn't have to be. We've never been to some of the following, but they are under consideration. Eleven Seventy Nine, Tommy's, Maximo's, Pelican Club, (Bayona or GW Fins---been to these two). A varied menu would be terrific and so would any advice offered! Thanks.
Steak 954-Fort Lauderdale
Decided to be amongst the first to try Steak 954 on Friday night. The restaurant is located in the newly opened W Hotel on Fort Lauderdale beach. We arrived on time for an 8:45 reservation for two. Several friendly hostesses greeted us at the desk, but advised us the our table was "not quite ready", despite the fact that we could see empty tables in the dining rooms. We waited about 15 minutes in the lively bar area before being seated at a table overlooking the ocean. Although it was dark outside, this table must have a wonderful view at an earlier time. The restaurant is comprised of three dining rooms. The dark wood floors, bright floral wallpaper, and modern touches give the place a "hip," urban feeling. It has an very impressive reef aquarium tank with live jellyfish that is visible from many vantage points in the dining rooms. We liked the space but the main dining room (where we were seated) had a high noise level. The various servers who came over to our table were friendy and went out of their way to welcome us as locals. When the loud fire alarm and its accompanying strobe lights went off, the manager visited each table to appologize for the glitches and inconvenience associated with this new restaurant. The menu is similar to that expected of a classic steak restaurant. (See the link in the posting above for accuracy). We started with a tomatoe mozzareela salad and one romaine wedge with blue cheese/bacon dressing. Both were large and quite good. My husband ordered filet mignon, medium plus---but honestly, it was served well done and very dry. I had the miso cod with bok choy which was very good, although the miso sauce was a bit too thick in my opinion. Whipped potatoes were great and the creamed spinach had a good blend of spinach to cream. You could acutally taste the fresh chopped spinach which I liked a lot. We ordered a bottle of Caymus cabernet priced at just over $100 (sorry don't recall the exact price). We were just too full for dessert and weren't overly enticed with the offerings although the server touted the Baked Alaska. Another issue came about when we mistakenly received the check belonging to the couple next to us and they received ours. Ours was more pricey so the other couple noticed it immediately...lol. My husband had a premonition that the valet tickets had been mixed up as well, so we rushed to the bell captain's station. This DID turn out to be the case, as we saw our car being driven up from the garage BEFORE we had turned in our valet ticket! We will probably go back again. However, its classic offerings won't make me frequent Steak 954---but I liked it despite the problems encountered.. It was a nice evening and the space in an of itself is a good additon to the Fort Lauderdale restaurant scene.
