BN1's Profile
Best place for dinner in Yuba City????
Unfortunately, you have a big problem for a ”celebratory dinner”. Drive to Sacramento if at all possible. I would recommend Waterboy’s, Mulvaney’s, Biba’s, Press Bistro, etc. in Sacramento. City Café in Yuba City is expensive and not very good. The Refuge is not good. I avoid the Bonanza. I also avoid Marcello's Italian Restaurant, which I find extremely disappointing, but then I go to Italy every year and eat in the finest Italian restaurants in SF and LA otherwise, so I’m jaded. Ethnic food is about the best choice in Yuba City, i.e. Mexican, East Indian, Asian, etc. Sopa Thai gets good reviews. Pasquini’s (Italian) in Lomo about 7 mi. north of Yuba City on Hwy 99 may be the best semi-fine dining option. Chains are the rule in Yuba City, so if you especially like Applebee’s, Chilie’s, In & Out Burgers, Lumberjacks, Red Robin, etc., you are in luck.
http://pasquinisfinefood.com/
http://www.sopathai.net/
With and without food.
Sunshine842, you wrote “England's long development of their food alongside wine is because they brought it from the conquered regions of France and Spain.” It’s not really significant for this discussion, but England didn’t conquer France, rather the Normans of France conquered England. A Norman king then married into the large wine-producing landholdings of France.
From Wikipedia: “Although domestically popular, French wine was seldom exported, as the area covered by vineyards and the volume of wine produced were low. In the 12th century however, the popularity of Bordeaux wines increased dramatically following the marriage of Henry Plantagenet and Aliénor d’Aquitaine.[5] The marriage made the province of Aquitaine English territory, and thenceforth the majority of Bordeaux was exported.[5] This accounts for the ubiquity of claret in England.”
With and without food.
I drink a lot of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and I have often been disappointed when I have opened one for dinner guests. As you describe, they have been undistinguished. I think I am opening mine when they are too young. After a long decant and when my guests are long gone, I find them delicious. Usually, it’s not possible to get an aged CdP at a restaurant. I have had some restaurant bottles that were excellent with my meal, so I assume those were designed to be consumed as younger wines. I find a good wine pairing reacts with the food and creates new, enhanced flavors. I paired a bottle of Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel with my wife’s pan-seared pork chops with shallots and an apple cider-pan juice reduction that worked unbelievably well. Because of that success, I ordered a Carol Shelton Rocky Reserve Florence Vineyard Zinfandel with pork chops at a restaurant. However, the star of that meal was the wine paired with the chicken pâté appetizer. For me, it’s all a big experiment.
north bay food recs: marin sonom and napa counties
I give a big second for Diavolo in Geyserville, My wife and I both found our food to be excellent in the categories you mention, plus the dessert was outstanding. It featured Meyer lemon from our server’s own tree.
Bolzano
After reviewing my trip receipts, I need to correct my prices above. My tuna and onion pizza was 9 euros and my wife’s sausage, ham, mushroom pizza was 8 euros. One trip to the salad bar was 6 euros, which made my meal 15 euros. For dinner our first night, delicious lamb chops were €18, which were the most expensive thing on the menu I believe.
We try to eat at Cavallino Bianco (usually lunch) at every visit for their wonderful potato salad. It came with my meal the first time I had it, but we noticed a woman next to us just had a plate of it for her whole lunch. My wife is a convert now, so we both have to have it.
I was searching the lowest shelves in Enoteca Baccaro a few years ago almost on my hands and knees, when I came up with a bottle of 2004 Marchesi di Barolo Grignolino for €8.50 while our bruschetta was being prepared. Immediately, we retired to our room after stopping at the outdoor market as barberinabee suggests. With fresh, ripe tomatoes (in winter), bread, cheese, meats and our wine, we enjoyed a feast .
Bolzano
I did not name the restaurant on purpose because my casual search on the internet indicated that this was available at various locations around town. Our pizzas were from the dining room at our hotel, the Magdalenerhof.
http://magdalenerhof.it/en/
Our trip started in France where very inferior breakfasts were 15 euro per person. All our Italian hotels featured excellent breakfast buffets. If you subtract a 30 euro breakfast, our room in Bolzano cost 85 euros for two in comparison (a little higher in the summer). We love Bolzano and have returned year after year. Don’t miss Otzi at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology.
The Dolomites have us under their spell. We have driven almost all of the major routes in the area. They are like our Grand Tetons, only over and over and over. We also stayed in Merano where the hotel gave us the Merano Plus Card. This allowed us to ride trains, buses, funiculars, cable cars, etc. for free. We went up the cable car to Merano 2000 with incredible views and people from 2 to 70+ years old enjoying the sled hill, ski hill, bobsled run, “Alpine Bob”, x-country trails and hiking trials in the snow. The March temperature on the hiking trails above Merano was in the 70s, while there were snow sports in the mountains. Our Merano hotel, the Sittnerhof, has its own vineyards. We especially enjoy their Chardonnay.
http://www.sittnerhof.it/en/information/index/1-0.html
The first photo is one of the Dolomite peaks, the second is the Sittnerhof hillside Chardonnay vineyard.
Bolzano
My wife and I enjoyed our 10+ inch, wood-oven pizzas for dinner in Bolzano last month for around 15 euros. They were delicious and left us stuffed. Included in the price of the room was the breakfast buffet featuring meats, cheeses, fresh & canned fruits, breads, cereals, bread rolls, toast, croissants, strudel, juice, choice of coffee drink, boiled eggs, etc. Also, they offered fried eggs and prosciutto to us at no extra charge. A late-morning trip to the buffet, a beer at a hof on the hiking trail, a gelato and the pizza/salad bar dinner gave us one of the cheapest food days of our 3 week trip. The wine list was extensive and although I’ve enjoyed the local St. Magdalener wine with pizza before, the nice Barbera d’Alba I chose was simply outstanding with our pizza choices.
Healdsburg WHITE (Winery) and Olive Oil Suggestions
Porter Creek Vineyards - Viognier
A tiny tasting room on Westside road
http://www.portercreekvineyards.com/pages/wines_viognier.html
Restaurants in Verona?
This older post may be useful.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/605694
Restaurants in Verona?
I've had a good meal at Osteria de Fontanina, but they were out of the stinco on their menu that I especially wanted. Once, I really had fun with the owner of Trattori Tre Marchetti when ordering my wine. He searched all over the restaurant and then his wine cellar for my selection, but couldn't find it. He made up for it with a really good bottle that he chose for us.
http://www.tremarchetti.it/en/
Restaurants in Verona?
In past years, I have been in the area during the Verona Wine Expo. We could not get a room in Soave 13 miles away, let alone a restaurant reservation. I think the wineries book this stuff a year or more in advance. My wife and I really like the Verona area and were there just a week and a half ago. We really enjoyed Trattoria Al Calmiere, one of the city's most traditional restaurants, where they cook over an open fire. Probably, this is not what you are looking for.
two questions about dining ettiquette in Italy
I am responding from Merano, Alto Adige, Italy at this moment during my 12th or 13th trip to Italy. You are an American, so tip whatever you want. I usually leave 5 or 10 percent depending on how great the service was. We almost always get great service. The Italian waiters we encounter seem to want us to really enjoy our meal. Maybe it depends on weather you will ever return or not. Often, we are recognized from prior visits, where people remember that we are from California, know what I do for a living and ask about my year. We ate in Udine, Friuli Venezia Giulia, IT last night at Hotel La' Di Moret, where we were given an excellent Prosecco before dinner, I was given a glass of Passito Colli Orientali del Friuli because my wife ordered one for dessert and I was given a glass of Grappa because I probably needed a digestive at that point. The waiter also helped me select a fine bottle of wine for my suckling pig dinner. Why would I tip a guy like that?
Barrel tasting - advice/info I should know?
I agree completely with Midlife about buying wine at wineries. However, I would add that sometimes one can get close-outs on wine at the wineries that are great bargains. Some years ago at Mazzocco Winery on Lytton Springs Road, Healdsburg I got a close-out case of 2001 Zinfandel for $8 something a bottle. I only have one bottle left, but every one has been better than the last. The first one was delicious, that’s why I bought a case.
Sacramento - which of these restaurant.com spots are worth checking out?
My wife and I went to The Press Bistro early on a Saturday night without reservations. At about 5:30, they were almost full, but we got a couple seats at the bar. The food is really good with interesting preparations and they have a neat wine list. We had wine, but the bartender gave us a taste of one of their signature drinks. It was a pear infused vodka cocktail; wow, dessert in a glass. We had a great meal in a lively place.
Lunch in Lodi?
My wife and I both enjoyed our burgers at Andre’s Café a couple years ago. They are not gourmet, but they were tasty. This may qualify as a dive.
http://www.andresburgers.com/index2.html
We also like the soup & sandwich lunch at Phillips Farm Café at the Michael David Winery on Hwy 12 near I-5.
http://www.michaeldavidwinery.com/
US Credit Card Problems at Roman Restaurants??
My wife and I go to France and Italy every winter, so I know it requires an attendant to use our credit cards. We use our cards almost exclusively because it appears that Visa gives the best exchange rate. The first time we entered France we had a terrible time getting off the toll highway, since the road signs switch colors between the two countries. There were unmanned toll booths that required coins every few feet down the road, which took all our change. At the last one, we didn’t have enough coins. As cars started to back up behind us, we asked for help with sign language from a couple of maintenance workers who were chatting with each other nearby. They motioned for us to back up to first toll machine (no coins). We did that but we only had American credit cards. Although I was afraid that I would never see my card again, I stuck it in. The gate went up, the card came back and we got the hell out of there. I was sure the 80 cent toll would be $10.80 including service charges on my bill, but I was pleasantly surprised to see only the 80 cent charge.
Venice at Christmas
My wife and I have been in Italy in December. I would give the same warning as Santo Stefano about reservations on December 8th for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, if you plan to go out. We were turned away at 3 or 4 restaurants in Parma before they took mercy on us at Ristorante Cocchi in the Hotel Daniel. The Christmas season seemed as more of a subdued religious holiday in most of Northern Italy, but in the Austrian influenced Alto Adige, they really celebrate the season. The police had the highway exits blocked in Bolzano for the Christmas Fair because there was no place left to park.
http://www.bolzano-bozen.it/sito/bolzano-magazine/?m_acc=1
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Ristorante Cocchi
Via Gramsci, 16a, Parma 43100, IT
Les Vins de Vienne Condrieu La Chambée 2007
Cellartracker.com is an excellent reference for your question.
http://www.cellartracker.com/list.asp?Table=Notes&szSearch=Les+Vins+de+Vienne+Condrieu+La+Chamb%E9e
Recommend White Wine for Wine Newbie
I would suggest that you purchase Andrea Immer Robinson’s “Great Wine Made Simple”, which will explain what you are tasting and point you towards the style you prefer. I drink mostly French, Spanish & Italian white wines, which seem to be less expensive as most that I buy are about $10 or $12. Pine Ridge, Chenin Blanc/Viognier at $10 is domestic wine I really like. These $10/$12 wines are the suggestions Bill Hunt made above.
Special Occasion Dining - what are your expectations?
Oracle, you hit the nail on the head with "tries to maintain....." The chef has changes twice since the sale. I was sad when it changed hands, since I always got a deal on my room and once my wife got a return-welcome letter on her pillow hoping that we would make the Huntington our home away from home. That is just what we would have like to have done.
Special Occasion Dining - what are your expectations?
I think they blew an easy chance to score goodwill, which should be very important during these hard times.
My family has a episode that we have never forgotten. When my daughter graduated from college in LA, she and my wife wanted to go to high tea at the Ritz Carlton Huntington in Pasadena. Sadly, they were booked, but when they found out it was a special occasion, they set an extra table. Then the hotel presented the plate pictured below.
Best wineries to visit in Nap Valley and Sonoma for high quality Chardonnays
I have discovered that I really enjoy French and Italian Chardonnay, especially Burgundy Chardonnay. With that in mind, I don’t enjoy most CA Chard, but Keenan in the Spring Mountain District of the Napa Valley is an exception. To me, its balance, light oak and non-malolatic fermentation make the fruit flavors really shine.
http://www.keenanwinery.com/current-releases.aspx
healthy, inexpensive N. Tahoe and Grass Valley options?
I don't know him, but the onscreen label said Chef Kane, Grass Valley, CA.
healthy, inexpensive N. Tahoe and Grass Valley options?
Bennyboy1, have you seen Chef Kane in the infomercials on TV promoting those little counter top infrared cookers? He says he can't make his restaurant function without them.
Tahoe/Incline reccos
I have always heard that Lone Eagle Grille was expensive and overrated, so I’ve avoided it. On New Years Day a couple of years past, my wife and I tried it because nothing else was open. The place was packed, especially the lounge, which featured a roving, singing guitar player, who was very good. We had no reservation, but a table for two was open and we were seated immediately. The sommelier was just starting to carry foreign wines and I ordered a delicious French Cab Franc that was very reasonably priced. I had short ribs that came on top of truffle oil infused mashed potatoes. The truffle flavor leached up into the short rib creating a wonderful combination, especially with the wine. It was a fairly inexpensive, excellent meal that I still remember. I guess I hit a jackpot that day.
Foodie related ideas for 2-3 weeks travel in greater Cal
If you do venture to LA, the San Gabriel Valley on the east side of the LA area is the Mecca for Asian food in California. You can check out the LA Board here on Chowhounds for endless recommendations. To continue the mission history thread, Mission San Gabriel was the most economically successful of all 21 California missions. At Mission San Gabriel, Father Sánchez essentially saved Jedediah Smith and his men, who were the first Americans to explore California.
December is one of the best times to be in the San Gabriel Valley. I always spend Christmas in Pasadena and the weather is usually warm and beautiful.
"Service Charge" Added Onto Bill, What Gives? [moved from LA]
That's correct in that the tipped employee is supposed to keep accurate records for both income and monthly payroll tax purposes.
"Service Charge" Added Onto Bill, What Gives? [moved from LA]
In CA servers receive the full minimum wage of $8.00 per hour, time and one-half over 8 hours, plus tips.
To Wine Or Not To Wine....
Obviously, it’s nobody’s business but your own as to what you choose to drink with your meals. However, there is a point that seems to be missed by several critics of wine drinking. Many of the regions of Europe developed local foods that complement the wines grown in their area. It is a match that yields a third flavor, distinct from either the wine or the food. It is often referred to as 1+1=3 when talking about wine pairing. It does not require expensive wine to achieve this, just the correct wine. Other areas of the world have beverages other than wine that complement their foods. I never drink wine with Mexican food, I drink Mexican beer and so forth. But it is heaven when the food and the wine work together and this is what foodie-wineos hope others get to experience.
Pasadena restaurant
The three of us in my family just had dinner the other night at Central Park. We all liked everything we ordered and it was not expensive. I'm pretty critical of wine lists, but they had a good selection of moderately priced wines. We had good service also.
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Central Park Cafe
219 S Fair Oaks Ave, Pasadena, CA 91105
