I'm planning a trip to Paris around christmas time, and am dinning at two 2/3 * restaurants for lunch. I've already decided on l'Arpège, but the other I'm stuck on. I want something different, and maybe cheaper than l'Arpège. I was thinking l'Astrance, Le Cinq, or Ledoyen. Thank you in advance.

I'm currently planning my trip to Paris around christmas, and need help in deciding lunch near the rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré or Avenue Montaigne (shopping). There isn't too much of a budget, but I want to keep it short, which would eliminate many expensive choices. I am open to any type of ethnic cuisine.

I'm still planning our trip, and haven't gotten to Paris yet. Trip is in December, so quite a ways a way still.

I think I'll go with Pollen Street Social. I've heard of it before, and it will be more unique to London, when I will be going to Paris afterwards.

I'm planning my first trip to London, and need help in deciding between Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester or The Square. Which one is better in terms of food?service?

P.S. I will be going to Paris afterward if that makes a difference

I reviewed my trip about two weeks ago

We went there two weeks ago, and substituted for the oysters and pearls and there was no up charge.

Hello,
I just returned from my trip to New York. I would like to thank you all for your suggestions and comments on my previous post. Some restaurants we weren't able to go to because we were to exhausted to travel across the city and back.

Luke's Lobster: Excellent Value and Great Tasting, nothing else to say.

Lunch at Le Bernardin: This was equally the best and worst meal I had on the trip. The meal started out with a wonderful smoked salmon spread with. The first course however I could barely stomach and probably should have asked if I could get something else. I had the "surf and turf", roasted bone marrow and sea urchin and bacon crisp. The entire plate was overly salty, slimy, and disgusting. But, the restaurant quickly redeemed itself with the next course, black bass. The fish was cooked perfectly and married superbly with the sauce and acorn squash, and the top skin added a nice crunch. The dessert was also amazing, a carmel and coffee combo that ended the meal nicely. In conclusion, I regret ordering the surf and turf as the rest of the meal was extraordinary, and the bass was the best fish I had ever had.

Dinner at Café Boulud instead of a planned Little Owl: Although I was disappointed about being unable to go to the Little Owl, I had always wanted to go to Café Boulud after my trip to Daniel. I had not ordered an appetizer originally but since the rest of the table did, the chef brought me a complementary butternut squash soup that warmed me up for the rest of the meal. My main course was a goat cheese ravioli, with pasta better than most italian restaurants. I'm glad we went here and finally got to try Café Boulud, but will have to wait for The Little Owl until next time.

Lunch at per se: This was the most superlative meal I have had and will ever have in my life. We started off with the standard salmon crepenettes and cheese balls, which were both great. Our first course was "Oysters and Pearls", which exceeded my expectations of this famous dish. The warm mixture of the tapioca and caviar just sent me to another world. The second course I opted for the supplement of the fois gras instead of potatoes. It was topped with a cherry gelée and was well worth the extra charge. For the third course it was a seared sea scallop, and although I don't normally like scallops this was an exception. The fourth course was lamb neck with a mint reduction, on par with the rest of the meal, divine tasting and cooked to perfection. For dessert, I had "chocolate popcorn" an interesting take on sweet and salty done in an excellent. The after meal desserts were definitely overload and wish I could have eaten it all. The usual frozen cappuccino and doughnuts, the little chocolates, the dessert tower, and the take home chocolate cookies, all were excellent and made the meal even more worth the cost. Overall, I wish to return very soon and even wondered why the meal didn't cost more than it did.

Was too full for dinner

Lunch at Café China (nobody warned that Szechuan Gourmet was closed!): Chinese food at its best and a well deserved michelin star. Had the sweet and sour baby ribs, and couldn't get enough of them. Great Lunch

Dinner at Asiate (Mandarin Oriental)(instead of Momofuku Ssam Bar): Asiate was basically normal food, that is expensive for the view, However, I could look down on the city for days if Asiate was the cost. Had dumplings that were average, saw the sliders that looked good.

Washington D.C. for two nights

Dinner at Babbo: Excellent dinner, surprised it doesn't have a Michelin star. Had the famous black spaghetti with rock shrimp, which has well deserved hype. Service is definitely a strong suit, and the upstairs was very romantic and intimate. Also a good value, will come back for the pasta tasting menu next time.

Lunch at Jean-Georges: Best value in the city, too bad I felt slightly nauseous. We left NYC to go home right after this lunch and it was a perfect end to the trip. Started with a pea amuse bouche, which was creative and original. Then had the peekytoe crab dumplings, in a divine sauce that I can't seem to remember. The pairings went together well, and Jean Georges certainly knowns how to make sauces. My main course was red snapper in a lime and herb broth over a lettuce puree. The Fish was great, but I couldn't help but compare it with Le Bernardin, and it fell short. Still, very good and the first time I have had snapper. We opted for dessert, and I had carmel and chocolate. Overall an amazing meal, and glad I went.

This 5th trip rounded out the restaurants that I wanted to go to. Chefs Table still intrigues me and Bouley will definitely be on my list for my next visit. Thanks again for all your help.

-Until Next Time, lhenry

I finally got my hotels, so this caused me to switch around my restaurants a little. I will be staying at the Plaza Athénée for the first two nights, then The Sofitel for the 2 nights after that. Then I will be off to D.C. For dinner day 1 I've decided to switch in Luke's Lobster at the Plaza Food Hall. Then, for day two put in The Little Owl. Day 3, I will go to Kat'z instead of Gramercy Tavern (Tavern Section). Day 4, I will do lunch at Szechuan Gourmet, then the rest is the same.

Etete had availability, and am excited about my first ethiopian restaurant.

Also, I would like to thank you all for your suggestions. I will post a reviewed itinerary when I get back.

@miltronix I don't plan traveling outside central D.C. and the National Mall Area, as we won't be renting a car. Also, Minetta Tavern would push me over my already pushed budget, even though I do want to try it.

I think I will put both Luke's and Katz for dinner, and decide when I get there and see what my mood is like.

Per Se: Again, I would love to get the full tasting, but it would be out of my budget. Do you know if you can substitute the normal first course on the lunch menu for the oysters and pearls on the full?

I just got reservations to per se for my preferred date!

I was able to get a reservation at Rasika Penn. Quarter, but didn't have availability until the next night. Hopefully Etete will have room a day earlier.

Jimmy T's isn't open on mondays, but sounded good. Also, I definitely won't be able to have a late lunch because of how hungry I get early on (I don't eat a lot for breakfast) and would be miserable during the tour. How about Steve's suggestion Good Stuff Eatery?

I planned on going to the penn. quarter location. I don't mind the noise, but is the food better at the west end location?

I will be visiting the nation's capital for the first time next month from March 31 to April 2. I will be arriving by train from New York City, but don't have my hotel yet. I plan on staying in Penn Quarter of near the White House. I like most food, including spicy, but need your opinions on the restaurants I have planned for right now.

Day 1:

Dinner at Rasika

Day 2:

Lunch at Le Bon Café or Mitsitam Café (At NMAI) (Have a tour of the Capitol at 12:30, so a restaurant nearby would be nice)

Dinner at Etete (Never had Ethiopian food before!)

Day 3:

Lunch at Bistro Bis (Leave D.C. from Union station at 1 P.M.)

Thanks,
lhenry

We got our airfare, arriving on March 27 and Leaving on April 3. However, we have decided to include Washington D.C. in our trip from Sunday morning to Tuesday Afternoon (31-2), but will move Jean Georges to the day we leave as we have a late departure. That means I won't be going to Katz, The Little Owl (sadly), or Gramercy Tavern, and will transition those days to the D.C. boards.

P.S. I wanted to thank you guys again for your help, and look forward to your help again. Will post a review of my trip when I get back.

How about switch Luke's and Gramercy Tavern since kathryn said portions were on the smaller side?

BTW: Is there a difference in quality between the locations of Luke's?

We went to EMP last summer when lunch was $74 pp for 4 courses, and I don't feel like paying 5 times what I will already be paying at Jean Georges (Never Been) for something I've already tried.

I think SG looks better to me.

I trust your opinion and will stick with Shake Shack.

I will put Ssam Bar in for Dinner Day 4.

Finally, Luke's lobster roll sounds better than sushi. We have enough fresh sushi on the West Coast, so Maine Lobster will be a nice change.

Thank you so much for your advice!

I love spicy foods, and I don't care about the atmosphere as long as the food is good.

The days aren't that set in stone, because I have yet to get airfare, but yes I am aware of the days those restaurants serve lunch.

What are the best cheaper (<$20) burgers in city? SS interests me because of their frozen custard and affordable burger with good reviews.

I've always wanted to try Ssam Bar, maybe for dinner day 4? As the prices aren't on the menu, would it fall under the category of around $30 for an entree?

Also interested in Sushi Yasuda, but would probably put me over budget. How much are the sushi rolls about?

I have enjoyed previous help from Chowhounders, and would appreciate it again for my upcoming 5th trip to New York in March. We are staying at Central Park South. Open to most foods.

Day 1:

Dinner at Café China or Szechuan Gourmet (Never been to a Chinese restaurant in New York, would prefer it to be midtown or CP South)

Day 2:

Lunch at Le Bernardin (3-Course(Always wanted to go, love fish))

Dinner at Shake Shack or Minetta Tavern (Never been to SS, is MT worth extra for burger)

Day 3:

Lunch at Per Se (Never Been, will do 5-course)

Small Dinner at Gramercy Tavern (Tavern Section)

Day 4:

Lunch at Rouge Tomate (Business Lunch Prix-Fix)

Dinner at ? (Open to anything, want entrees to be around $30 or under (Interested in Spotted Pig?))

Day 5:

Lunch at (Taking train to Cold Springs in Hudson River Valley)

Dinner at Katz Deli (Never Been)

Day 6:

Lunch at The Little Owl

Dinner at ? (Something Very cheap ~ $10-$15 pp,Thinking of Luke's Lobster?)

Day 7:

Lunch at Jean Georges

Dinner at Babbo

P.S. Wondering if I should do dinner Daniel instead of Lunch at per se. I Have been to Daniel before and loved it, and a dinner seems more special (Can't afford dinner at per se). But I have always wanted to go to per se.

Thanks,
lhenry

We got back from our lovely San Francisco trip about 2 weeks ago, and had a wonderful time with divine food thanks to everyone who helped me on the previous board.

P.S.: We were unsuccessful in getting a Atelier Crenn reservation.

Lunch Z&Y: Pretty exhausted from a day of traveling so it was nice to sit down and have some great Chinese food. We shared the hot pepper chicken and that was it as it was very early in the morning. The chicken was cooked very well and the spiciness was perfect. It was an excellent authentic Chinease choice.

Dinner at Perbacco: We walked in and were quickly shown to our table upstairs (where we noticed no one else seated) our server was very attentive with our drinks and food. I had the tagliatelle which tasted nice, although it wasn't to pleasantly presented with a heap of brown meat sauce on top. My mom had the pappardelle which looked much better but didn't get a chance to taste. Wasn't my favorite restaurant but it wasn't bad either.

Lunch at Cotogna: This was one of my favorite restaurants of the the trip. I had a prosciutto, candied walnut, and apple/pear antipasti which was very light, crisp, and delicious; a perfect starter to the coming lamb sausage pizza. The pizza crust was light and thin and as equally delicious as the anti pasti. The atmosphere was cool, and the only downside was how close the tables were/

Dinner at Kokkari Estiatorio: This was the second all greek food restarant I had been to and has set my standards very high. We started out with an octopus appetizer, and I had a pita bread with pepper spread, both very good. For an entrée I had the lamb kabob with was tender and moist and cooked perfectly. Also one of my favorite restaurants of the trip.

Lunch at Yank Sing: We arrived at 10:00 in the morning thinking it would be pretty empty but people poured in and the large room was suddenly full just after we came. As many warned the ladies are pushy but we didn't mind declining. We ended up getting the XLB, pork buns, spicy chicken, walnut salad, and shrimp rolls. My favorites were both of the buns especially the XLB and the vinegar sauce. The lady told us how to eat them, you pick them up with chopsticks and set them on a soup spoon and then put vinegar the bottom of the spoon. This technique worked very well. Yank Sing is definitely a must return for me.

Dinner: We were both full (still from Yank Sing), and didn't feel like going to dinner. We waited for A.C. to call but by the time the day came we couldn't get a reservation anywhere else.

I will have to wait and see next week. Hopefully I can get in for dinner when they open, but I am happy with the collection of restaurants so far if I am unable to get in.

No I am using both methods. We are currently on AC's waiting list, and we also hate eating late so that really isn't an option. Our dinner is usually 5:30 or 6:00.

I would do something similar, but I am finding it very hard to get a dinner reservation at Cotogna. And, I don't mind two days of italian food in a row either.

also instead of Atelier Crenn?

Okay then I'll switch out the restaurants like above then.

If we have time for afternoon tea I would love to have it at the Rotunda, but it all depends on if we feel up for it and can fit it in.

I live in Portland, OR, and while I can get international french food, it isn't quite on the same level.