Rich's Profile
Creme de Violette
Does anyone know what C de V they use at Comstock Saloon? The Aviation I had there was among the best ever, and I attributed it to the C de V that was a lot less sweet, and pinker than the Rothman and Winter that is so prevalent. Thanks.
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Comstock Saloon
155 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
Best Bar Dining?
I will be visiting for business from San Francisco, and am wondering if any of Chicago's top restaurants ( e.g. Alinea, topolobampo etc.) have bars that serve their full menu and cater to walk- ins. TIA.
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Alinea
1723 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614
Best Happy Hour at a High End Restaurant
Farallon has a deal called "Six until Seven" with selected drinks and apps for six bucks until seven pm.
http://www.farallonrestaurant.com/6until7.html
Port, Foie and Cheese
It is a vintage '63. I have never been a fan of multi-course, hours-long dining affairs, finding that I fill up somewhere between courses three and four on a regular basis regardless of the size of the offerings. Thanks for a tantalizing idea though.
Port, Foie and Cheese
Thanks Robert.
Does Manresa have a bar area where you can eat casually?
Port, Foie and Cheese
I have a bottle of '63 (the year I was born) Fonseca that I want to enjoy on my birthday. I really want to be able to sit at a bar, have the wine decanted and enjoy it slowly with some foie and cheeses. Danko's would be perfect, but they sell the '63 (around $900!!!!), and I don't think it is appropriate to take a wine in that is on a restaurant's list.
Any ideas?
traditional English christmas ingredients
The British Food Centre in San Carlos.
1652 El Camino Real
San Carlos
SF - Anyone actually eat at Pig & Whistle?
The English, believe it or not, do eat Irish bacon (and Danish etc.). Thing is, Irish Bacon is about the only lean bacon available in the US. We call American-style bacon streaky bacon and it is never acceptable in a Full English. Anyway the P&W is about the only place in town to get sausage rolls and a good pint. That alone is reason enough to go.
Favorite Dive Bar in SF..
Try the Black Magic Voodoo Lounge. Corner of Van Ness and Lombard or the Route 101 at Van Ness and Bush. Both divey, and usually full of local color.
French Fries and a Drink at Spruce
The best Aviation ever was made by David Nepove (Mr. Mojito) at Enrico's. Used to be the only place in town to get a decent one (sans Violette).
Mendocino and vicinity? What's to eat...
What about the restaurant at Stevenswood Lodge? I ate there about five years ago and it was excellent. Is it still any good?
Russian Hill
If the dish is sweet it is too sweet, if it is salty it is too salty etc. my point being that everything is overdone.
Russian Hill
It also refers to foods that are in the salty/spicy category as opposed to sweet.
Russian Hill
You nailed it on the head. For $50.00 without beverages, uninspired chicken, lamb and beef with muddled sides and competing flavors is something I can cook at home. As for Luella, subtlety is just not in their repertoire. Everything is too sweet, too savory, or too buttery. Just my opinion and if you enjoy them, as many do, more power to you.
Russian Hill
For solid Italian, both Antica and Ristorante Milano are good local bets. Pesce still impresses me with their take on Venetian small plates, mostly seafood oriented. For a true SF experience House of Prime Rib is down the street and for upscale, delicious Italian influenced food, Acquerello can't be beat.
Russian Hill
It continues to amaze me that people rave about Frascati and Luella. Both are average at best, with surroundings that far outpace the food. I have eaten at both a couple of times as I live half a block away, and will trek to Milano, Pesce or Antica anyday rather than succumb to another disappointment.
Local crabs in the peninsula?
They are still around. Peninsula/All Shores Seafood. I bought a couple of nice crabs last week, although they were scab crabs (Monterey). They have a large live tank, and a crab cooker in front of the store.
Allegro Romano - ?
We went to Allegro last night for the first time, and were very pleasantly surprised. The ambiance is kind of kitschy, with flower petals and glitter on the tables, and stock italian favorites playing over the sound system, but the food was wonderul and the service some of the best I have had at any restaurant. The pastas were all wonderfully al dente and the acompanying sauces were bursting with flavor. What was really surprising was the little extras thrown our way all night. Complimentary bruschetta, strawberries with dessert, multiple pours of port for all in our party, and roses for the ladies when we left. We (a group of three) had two salads, three pastas, two desserts and a bottle of good Chianti Classico and the bilI was only $150 including tip. It was a throwback to the days when restaurants really cared about their clientele, and didn't process you through like a money-making commodity. We will definitely return.
Good eats in Eureka
Must recommend Folie Douce in Arcata. All organic... great wine values. Had a very good lunch at La Petite Maison In Ferndale too.
Horror on the North Coast
We thought about it, but that would have meant possibly suffering through another attempt, and by that time we just wanted out. I'm not sure our complaints would have been well received because I honestly don't think they had the skill or knowledge in the kitchen to a) Know what they had done wrong or b) Improve.upon the first effort.
I did fail to mention the entertainment, which was not the good jazz being played, but the comedy of watching almost every plate and cheque being delivered to the wrong table.
Horror on the North Coast
My partner and I had the misfortune of dining at the Benbow Inn this evening. I know that sophisticated city dwellers such as ourselves shouldn't expect miracles, but when an institution boasts "brilliant creativity", "classic European training" (the chef), and "truly innovative menu", it creates a certain expectation of palatability.
After being seated 20 minutes late (in an otherwise sparsely populated restaurant, by a hostess who looked like someone had just left her at the altar), we decided to skip appetizers and head straight for the mains. B ordered the duck breast with blueberry sauce and Humboldt Fog mashed potatoes, and I had the special that night, seared scallops on a bed of morel risotto with some kind of sauce.
Let's start with the duck breast. Or is that shoe leather? The first warning sign was when the waitress didn't inquire as to how we would like it done. That's OK, because it was done. Well done. So well done it was hard to cut through. That, in fact, was what the duck breast had in common with the scallops. Never in my life have I had a scallop the consistency of a hockey puck, but lucky me, tonight was the night. On a bed of rice so congealed I would never have known starch could exist in any other form.
The Humboldt Fog in the mashed potatoes was MIA.
Dessert was a sandwich and apple pie from Ray's Market in Garberville.
Truly the worst (Oh yes this is the best part, each entree cost over $32.00) hundred bucks with wine I have ever spent. At least the cheap Barbera was drinkable and thanks to its synthetic cork couldn't be screwed up.
Avoid this place like the plague.
S.F. Restaurants and Bars - Bachelorette Party
Go to Cortez. The Redwood Room, Swig and Ruby Skye are all within a block and a half.
Looking for Scottish Kippers In SF
"You Say Tomato" on California between Larkin and Polk usually has them.
Looking for non-restaurant but food related recs for Prague, Vienna, and Budapest.
Please give us an update when you get back. I will be doing the same trip this summer, albeit Budapest for 3 days, Vienna for 2, and Prague for 5. Woud love to know what you found.
Liverpool Lil's report
It smells like a Pub. Kind of a sour-beer-fermenting-in-the-carpet odor. I love it. Food is so-so, but it's the only place around that serves a decent steak and kidney pie.
Frascati report
I couldn't agree with you more. There are many better options in the neighborhood.
Wine Shops in SF
If you like Italian wines, Biondivino on Green at Polk has a very impressive, fairly priced selection.
We chose Luella...
I honestly can't see what all the fuss is with Luella. I've eaten there a couple of times and in both instances the food was so rich it was almost inedible. Subtlety is not in their repertoire. I guess if you like to be slammed with big flavors this place would work OK. I must note, however, that the staff is amazing.I live down the street and am as equally unimpressed with Frascati. I'd much rather make the trek down the hill to Pesce, Tablespoon, Antica or a couple blocks south to Milano.
Buena Vista Changes Whiskey Brands for it's Irish Coffee!!
Went there to check it out New Year's Day, and I have to say the IC's taste so much better! No harshness anymore. Now if only they would use Blue Bottle, or even Peets, they would be magnificent.
bloody mary brunch in san francisco
Levende has a nice brunch, and used to have a self-serve Bloody Bar, with different seasonings, veggies, Clamato, tomato juice, V8 etc. I haven't been in a while, so you should probably call and check first.
http://www.levendesf.com/
