kukubura's Profile
MSP 'hound's first trip to NOLA - help!
It's out in the same direction as Brigsten's but Dante's Kitchen is fantastic.
As for the whole dress code thing... New Orleans is just... different.
MSP 'hound's first trip to NOLA - help!
Right, Hunt. There's a reason dress code comes up again and again in the NOLA forum. It's a critical element to dining in some of these places. Before CH (and without a southern fine dining background) I was ill-prepared once we moved beyond exclusively eating in po boy shops when visiting NOLA. I like to think that this board contributes to people being better informed than I was at first.
First time staying in Baltimore
If you do go to the farmer's market not every stand is a winner. For me the fried fish is the best, partly because the fried fish sandwich topped with their unique cole slaw and Matouk's hot sauce is incredible and partly because the proprietor Ollie is a one-of-a-kind sweetheart and his stand is an oasis, with reggae playing and tables for relaxing.
The mexican stand has some damn good chorizo tacos if you get them "con todo."
The falafel, crepe, cajun and pit beef stand aren't so exciting.
Vienna: Help with Tentative Restaurant Itinerary
You might be right. I just looked at their website and they have hours for "work days" and holidays. Don't know where I got sundays from. http://www.phoenixhof.at/index2.html
EDIT: Google translate seems to think that they're open Sundays from 18:00-24:00. I dunno.
First time staying in Baltimore
Lexington is safe, but you do need to leep your wits about you. You will be approached and you will see skeevy people. Someone from Philly can handle it but I also know that CH has sent some folks from less urban climes there without any prep and I remember them being pretty freaked out. I'm all for out of towners visiting Lexington Mkt, hell I used to go there allll the time. But it definitely ain't Reading Terminal Market.
First time staying in Baltimore
My favorite restaurant in the price point (more or less) of Woodberry is Jack's Bistro, but they don't do reservations and are a neighborhood fave so they get crowded. Still, the menu is highly inventive (unlike WK, which is solid but very plain food, with great cocktails)
First time staying in Baltimore
You're missing a lunch now, right? Did you say you have a car? If yes, consider zipping up to Jake's for some very special roadside pit beef, ribs and chicken: http://www.urbanitebaltimore.com/baltimore/pit-boss/Content?oid=1462963
And there's always CH legend Grace Garden, south of Bmore in Odenton. I don't know the Chinese scene in Philly, other than soup dumplings, but the years-long thread on CH about Grace Garden has a loooot of info.
Also, if you don't have Ethiopian in Philly (I have no idea) Dukem is the endearing Bmore outpost of a popular DC restaurant and it's not too far from downtown.
First time staying in Baltimore
The best?!? My how we fall all over ourselves here!
Woodberry is good but compared any number of Philly places it might underwhelm.
Vienna: Help with Tentative Restaurant Itinerary
Well, my experiences are fairly limited but I can tell you know I know:
Nussdorf has some small family run heurigen that give a good sense of how it's been done for generations. Kierlinger was the one that we really liked.
Stammersdorf is also full of heurigen and includes our favorite, Wieninger. They are straddling the old and the new with both a traditional vibe and buffet but also a chef looking for innovative things to add to the experience. We love that place.
Grinzing is where the tourists get shuttled for heuriger experiences and apparently is to be avoided.
Am Reisenberg is a modern heuriger that we haven't been to but sounds interesting.
Here are a couple of blog posts that my wife did on our heuriger experiences that you might enjoy:
http://tastytrix.blogspot.com/2010/04/heurigen-hopping-austrian-dispatch-with.html
http://tastytrix.blogspot.com/2011/11/almost-wordless-wednesday-on-gluttony.html
Also, I might just not recognize the names but do you have a traditional, modest beisl type restaurant on there for dinner? Sturmi's favorite Rudi Beisel is great. Also, more rustic and laid back, Phonixhof is a personal favorite for just very traditional Viennese in a friendly pub-like atmosphere. Pretty sure they're open on Sundays.
First time staying in Baltimore
!!!ALARM ALARM!!!
I don't think Brewer's does lunch.
And Woodberry only does brunch on sat and sun.
First time staying in Baltimore
The pastry chef at Wit and Wisdom is top notch. If you like a a little tartness in your dessert, look for the meyer lemon curd. Really fantastic.
Also, if you're looking for another place to stop for a drink, check B&O Brasserie near the Inner Harbor. The bar chef is a genius. His cocktail menu is bold and great. I often just let him make me something off the top of his head based on what he's passionate about that that point in time.
First time staying in Baltimore
I can't figure out how MIss Shirley's is one of a kind. It's nothing special at all.
Vienna: Help with Tentative Restaurant Itinerary
In my two visits to Restaurant Sperl I've determined (through exhaustive research!) that they are all about soups and dumpling/spatzle/knockerl dishes. Really, really great. And the courtyard is lovely, for sure.
Looks to be a great trip! But are you planning any heuriger visits? I'd recommend it, since it's such a distinctly Viennese thing and is so fun.
MSP 'hound's first trip to NOLA - help!
Mr B's is a little more casual than you might think, although I always like to dress up a bit more than usual there and elsewhere when traveling. At lunch you'll be fine there as long as you don't look like a mess.
I might scratch Commander's if you're not going to dress up a bit. I've seen people underdressed there but they don't fit. It's a place to do it up right.
I'd also scratch Galatoire's. If you're not going to dress up you probably shouldn't go. The "show" isn't an official show. It's more of... an expression of human behavior and exploration of the upper limits of volume and lubrication.
Need Help with Large Group on Mixed Budget with Several Vegetarians in New Orleans
I can't imagine a bachelorette party bypassing Commander's for lunch. Call ahead, tell them the score, they'll hook you up.
Special, but casual dinner in Prague
U Zlateho Tygra will serve you a glass of white wine while your husband drinks beer--and the wine might even earn you an extra sneer from the ornery server!
If you want a lovely wine experience, the Wenceslas winery has an outdoor serve-yourself patio with an amazing view where you can share a carafe of Moravian wine (or just get a glass)
Keller and Aduriz's Controversial Comments
Yeah, I like the perspective that sustainability is important, but also remembering that it's not the ONLY factor in eating. Ideally something should be sustainable AND good/interesting/offering a point of view. But that there can be different proportions at play in that equation. Some people are didactic to the point that they lose perspective on the other sides of the equation (this applies to both sides of the argument)
Keller and Aduriz's Controversial Comments
Interesting. I read another article recently that took in a few more points of view on the whole farm-to-table concept than usual: http://www.urbanitebaltimore.com/baltimore/no-farm-no-foul/Content?oid=1471001
For reference, the restaurant that is most talked about in there (Woodberry Kitchen) is the most heavily hyped restaurant in Baltimore. If you read the Bmore forum here it gets recommended over and over again as if it invented food. It's good, but not the be-all-end-all the way you'd think. The article goes into a lot of detail over its philosophy and what some other chefs think about it (and, as a side note, the fact that WB is powerful enough locally that other chefs remain anonymous while discussing their thoughts on it is pretty telling about a smaller dining market.) A good read from a smaller pub.
Have motorcycle. Will travel for good food. (DC, MD, VA and WVA)
I'd ride that hog up to Chubby's in Emmitsburg and show it some REAL hog! (plus amazing brisket)
Also, ride up (or down) Falls Road just north of Padonia Road to Jake's from amazing ribs, pit beef and general bbq-on-a-picnic-table awesomeness. Not just a general wings and sandwich place. A real, genuine homecooked roadside joint run by a great guy
9+ days in Mexico City: The Trip Report
FYI: Here's a video I put together of La Merced: https://vimeo.com/41746600
Help a poor Los Angeles hound visiting Baltimore and DC
B&O has an AMAZING cocktail program. Urbanite just put out an article on it in yesterday's food/drink ezine: http://www.urbanitebaltimore.com/baltimore/cerebral-sips/Content?oid=1473415
The food is very good also, although it's sort of new American so not unique for a visitor. But very good.
Help a poor Los Angeles hound visiting Baltimore and DC
Oh I thought they said they may have a car in Baltimore. Without a car I'd say you're screwed in Bmore. There's no real public transportation to speak of (that you'd want to ride) other than the light rail which is very limited. All of my recs in Bmore will require a car. Frankly for some of them I'd rent a car, they're that good.
Help a poor Los Angeles hound visiting Baltimore and DC
I wonder what someone from LA would think of Woodberry. The've cornered the market on hype and can deliver solid food, but are expensive (for Baltimore) and in a bigger city would just be one of many similar solid restaurants, probably not top tier.
Jack's Bistro is more interesting, in my opinion.
Help a poor Los Angeles hound visiting Baltimore and DC
There is no pizza in Baltimore that I would recommend someone from out of town eat. I like some of the joints here but wouldn't waste a meal if I were visiting.
If you have a car and want a picnic table casual, nice weather lunch then drive up Falls Road to Jake's, just past Padonia rd. Place is seriously off the charts:
http://www.urbanitebaltimore.com/baltimore/pit-boss/Content?oid=1462963
The best restaurant in the state (in my not-at-all-comprehensive opinion) is Grace Garden in Odenton. You say you can Chinese food covered back home, but check out the years-running thread on Chowhound about it and decide if you want to try it out. Some dishes need to be ordered 1-4 days in advance...
Help a poor Los Angeles hound visiting Baltimore and DC
Matthew's is nothing. Don't bother.
9+ days in Mexico City: The Trip Report
Good to know about the sitios. I saw the one next to the cathedral but it was so jammed up with doubledecker tour buses I thought it was connected to that. Either way, your metro system is fantastic.
For those who want to see lots of pictures of beautiful Mexican food, some photo-filled posts are up at tastytrix.com There's a section in the sidebar with links to the trip reports.
