Ali B's Profile
NY Pizza near Lincoln Center
Mmmm... I second Sacco's. It's great, especially the anchovies!
Steak Frites in NYC - not the restaurant with the same name, but the dish.
Hi all,
I am looking for classic french bistro-style steak frites in NYC.
I'm not looking for a New York style steak house steak, so doesn't need to be compared to Wolfgang's Luger's etc, but a just a good French Bistro steak. Price doesn't matter (but less is better!) and doesn't have to be fancy but just delicious. Any neighborhood is ok. Oh, and the deliciousness factor of the frites is important, too. And comments on condiments are appreciated as well!
Thanks!!
~Ali B
Current favority hawker center/street vendor/restaurant dishes in Southeast Asia
I have recently become obsessed with rice porridge in Singapore... the one that is filled with pickled cabbage, crispy garlic, and a raw cracked egg on the top... the one I love is in Amoy Street Food Centre on 1st level, and there is an old man who takes your order (I think it's called "FAMOUS PORRIDGE"... when you order your porridge (fish, chicken or pork) he asks matter-of-factly "egg, no-egg?" SO delicious. I like the chicken, but my husband likes the pork... the pork is definitely more flavorful, but they put some innards in there, so don't get it if you're afraid of innards. There is one in Maxwell Food Centre in Chinatown that is slightly better, but the queue at Amoy is so much shorter that I never go to the Maxwell one. A wonderful breakfast or lunch... I don't think it's open for dinner.
Food Tourism in Malaysia and Indonesia
Malacca is also famous for pineapple tarts and iced kachang. Yum. Only allocate like 1.5 days there because there's not much to do...
Graduation lunch - Dallas
I love reviving old posts!
Anyway, along these same lines.... can anyone recommend a good place to hold a bridal shower/lunch for about 15 people?
Thanks!
what roses are you drinking?
Well, I had the 2007 Kosta Rose... I thought it was really good. Love the screw top. :-) I went out and bought 2 more bottles after I had the first.
gluten-free dairy-free sugar-free in Hollywood
There is a new bakery opening called BabyCakes (the original is in NYC). They are known for their vegan, gluten free, "refined" sugar free baked goods. But I don't think they are opening until the early winter...
http://www.babycakesnyc.com/
what roses are you drinking?
Why don't you like the rose? I'm just curious because a few others have said good things about it on the boards, and I am looking into buying some. Thanks!
What are you drinking right now?
How was the 2007 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Rosé? I found some and I am wondering if it's worth buying. I can't seem to find any tasting notes on the internet. How would you describe it?
Thanks in advance!
Memorial Day Weekend! 5 women looking for some good eats on the Westside
Wound up going to Hal's. I got the turkey burger, which was actually really good! It was a little too peppery... but good flavor overall. The only weird thing was that the waitress asked how I wanted my turkey burger cooked... I thought there was only one way to cook a turkey burger because it has to be cooked all the way through.... I just asked her to cook it however they recommend it. Am I mistaken on that? Anyway, the fries were good (I got a side of fries, but the turkey burger comes with salad, not fries). Side caesar salad was a little soggy, but I kinda like soggy caesar salad... it reminds me of a place I used to go to when I was a little kid, haha. I also tried the fava bean hummus... I needed to add salt, but it was pretty good. Hal's is a little loud, but it was perfect for our group. I would definitely go back.
Yellowtail Collar
Katsuya in Brentwood -- the yellow-tail collar is the best deal on the menu!
Takao, also in Brentwood (not to be confused with Taiko, across the street in the retail center with CPK & Daily Grill).
Casual/Healthy Dinner in Santa Monica?
Parking outweighs everything?
How about California Chicken Cafe. They have a parking lot in back:
2401 Wilshire Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90403
But I am pretty sure they don't serve alcohol.
Memorial Day Weekend! 5 women looking for some good eats on the Westside
I have reservations at both Hal's and Primitivo for now. How do these two compare to each other? Which one has better food... and which is better for a party of five?... we would probably prefer lively to formal.
Where to take an LA foodie in Sherman Oak or Encino?
So, we wound up going to Pinot Bistro.
First of all, I called ahead to ask about BYO and they encourage bringing your own wine – no corkage fee! So that was a plus, in my opinion.
The ambiance is nice... nothing special, but there were enough people there that it felt lively, but not too loud.
I had the frisee salad with bacon and poached egg to start ... it was not bad, but I have had better versions of this salad before.
For my main course I ordered the short rib special. The meat was well-prepared, but it didn't wow me – the short ribs at Bandera are exponentially better. And they served it with bone marrow which was disgusting! I have never had bone marrow, but my boyfriend has eaten it many times and he also tried mine and said he had never seen bone marrow prepared like that before and that it was not good. My uncle, who is a surgeon, said it reminded him of surgery – gross!
My boyfriend ordered the farm chicken – it was pretty tasty, but it was pan fried in a lot of oil, so it was almost like eating fried chicken – good flavor, but undeniably fried. So if you’re trying to order the chicken to make a “healthy” choice, I would steer clear. The fries were good, too.
I will say the service was attentive and nice. We were waiting for our entrees for a WHILE... (Although it was a Saturday night and we had already had appetizers and drinks, so we didn't mind sitting and dining for a while... ) when they came out to tell us that they had an embarrassing incident with the chicken in the kitchen and they had to re-cook it .. Basically, they dropped the chicken on the floor when they were plating it... so they offered to comp our dessert and brought a drink or two on the house. It was really nice considering we were enjoying our conversation and we didn't complain or anything... to give an idea of how long we waited, it was a 3 hour dinner, which I think is pretty long for a place like that. Anyway, I give them a lot of credit for coming over and offering dessert – I think most places would wait for a complaint before offering anything. So, I give it positive marks for service (except for the whole dropping the chicken on the floor thing – but I guess accidents happen!).
Oh, and the bread pudding was pretty good – especially since it was on the house.
Overall, a pleasant experience and reasonably priced, but I would not choose to go back again. Food was mediocre at best and it's too far from where I live to make the trip back for mediocre food.
Great cheese shops?
I went to Whole Foods on San Vicente @ Barrington (Brentwood) yesterday to buy some cheese. They have a decent selection, nothing amazing, but enough to get a variety if you need to get something quick for guests coming over last-minute and whatnot. I was looking for truffle cheese, which they did not have. Also, they had some cheeses there that had a sell-by date of April 13th! Um, that was a month ago! So make sure you check the label before you buy any cheese there.
Celebrate with 18 year old guys
I was also going to suggest Wolfgang's. Sounds like it would be perfect for the occasion.
Have any Chowhound Faves Broken Your Heart
I second Josie... they have a good wine list, but I thought the food I got relative to the cost was extremely disappointing. I don't think I would head back any time soon unless someone else was paying. The food is good, but not special.
Memorial Day Weekend! 5 women looking for some good eats on the Westside
I have four girlfriends coming from out of town (Chicago & DC) for Memorial Day weekend... We are going to Koi Saturday night, but looking for a low-key, less expensive dinner spot for Friday night.
I am hoping to come up with something near the beach (at the request of my guests), i.e. Venice, Santa Monica, but anywhere on the Westside will do. I was thinking something along the lines of Bodega (Broadway @ Lincoln)... small plates, reasonable wine list... but they don't take reservations on Fridays, and I don't want to take my chances with a table of 5. Doesn't have to be small plates, but something good for 5 people, not too pricey, and of course great food!
Thanks in advance!!
NY Foodies Comin to Town!
AOC all the way.... I always say this restaurant feels like it could be in New York, the food and the atmosphere are great. You MUST get the brioche with prosciutto, gruyère and egg (I think I have probably raves about that dish in 3 other posts, LOL).
Where to take an LA foodie in Sherman Oak or Encino?
I am writing with hopes to bring this post back alive for some more recent reviews/recommendations. Looking for a place for Saturday night with my uncle... want great food, good wine (or we can bring our own) ... nothing "ethnic" unfortunately... I don't think he'll go for that. The menu at Max looked like it would work, but the reviews on here have been really mixed. Anything better than mediocre in that neck of the woods? Thanks!
Sushi Katsu-ya (Encino) Report
What is the cost for a meal at the Encino restaurant? The Brentwood Katsuya (different owner, etc) is pretty pricey.
Westside Dinner Alternative to Nook
Once I called Nook to make a reservation, but they were booked, so I asked the host if he had any other suggestions in the area. He recommended Fraiche ( www.fraicherestaurantla.com ). I have not been there yet, but it recently received a rave review in the New York Times ( http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/05/dining/05count.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=dining ). I suppose you could do a search for it on the chowhound boards as well... if you go, please let us know how it is!
Wolfgang's in Beverly Hills - Anyone been?
I had the Schlag, too! Man, I have missed that stuff since I moved out to the west coast. Gotta get the hot fudge sundae with extra schlag. The meal is not complete without it.
Wolfgang's in Beverly Hills - Anyone been?
I think the cocktails were great... I had an excellent vodka martini. Makes sense the Manhattan was good and the margarita was not.... in the defense of the restaurant, margaritas are not a typical steakhouse drink, so the bartenders probably didn’t get a lot of training/practice with that…. However, you are right that a good bartender should be able to make any popular drink fairly well... especially at those prices.
As for the food: the porterhouse here was delicious…. It came out perfectly rare in the center and served on a sizzling hot plate. Finally a steakhouse in LA that can satisfy that Peter Luger craving.
Fritto Misto
I went here recently (sometime early this year) and I thought the food was pretty blah... If I remember correctly, I ordered the Chicken Marsala, but I substituted the linguini with some weird whole wheat pasta (I figured, if the food's not that great, may as well be a little healthier, right?). I found the whole thing kind of disgusting at first, but the whole wheat pasta really grew on me... it has a really unique gnarly shape and texture that I find myself craving sometimes! I wouldn't say this place is great by any means, but the portions are really large for the price... and that pasta... well, it's kind of mushy and by no means cooked properly, but for some reason it stuck with me and I would go back in a heartbeat for it. Unfortunately I can't get anyone I know to go back. Haha.
L.A.'s Worst Wine List...go!
I went to Bodega last night (a Tuesday), and while I agree the wine isn't great (as the bartender astutely put it, "you won't be finding any Opus I on this list") it is drinkable and reasonably priced. On Tuesday night, you can get any bottle of wine on the list for $20 (except wines on the "premium" list). Granted these bottles are probably $8 at Ralph's, but $20 for a passable bottle of wine in a restaurant isn't too terrible. The food's not awful either, but I would say that the food and wine are there to compliment the atmosphere and not the other way around. Definitely not a great foodie hangout, but not a bad place. The chopped salad is actually pretty good and the grilled brie on fig challah was decent as well.
What makes LA a foodie city? Tell Me
I agree with foodhypnosis': the food in LA is much less accessible than in NY. And in my opinion, most of the times I have gone way out of my way, the food has been mediocre. Yes, Das Ubergeek, Angelinos like trendiness more than good food... but I am accumulating a list of places I think are worth the trip. The most recent finds are in the Reseda area:
Sandwich Express, which serves delicious Bahn Mi -- the closest I have come to the Bahn Mi get in NYC.
Lum-Ka-Naad Thai: Be prepared for some authentic Thai flavor - spicy and delicious. The anchovy salad is salty with a great texture. And the Naked Mermaid is flavorful and fresh (raw shrimp -- kind of like a thai ceviche). The noodle dishes are great, too... BYOB.
I don't think either of those fall into the "fancy linen-napkin" napkin category Das Ubergeek mentioned above.
Best Burger in LA
I FINALLY made it to Father's Office. I had an Office Burger, the sweet potato fries, regular fries, Beet Salad, and a special Duck Confit salad. I don't know what to say: everything was delicious. I really think this would be my favorite neighborhoodie spot if it weren't SO hard to get in! The Burger was really great....the people I was with snuck in some ketchup, and I think that definitely added to the the flavor, but it really was not necessary at all. The caramelized onions, bacon compote and cheese are really all you need! The sweet potato fries were so good that my boyfriend, who "doesn't like sweet potato fries" helped me finish the whole mini shopping cart. Yum.
Thanks for the recs, everyone... I definitely have more eating to do!
What makes LA a foodie city? Tell Me
I moved to LA from NYC about 5 months ago and I have been disappointed with LA from a foodie perspective. Sadly, I have had very few "wow" experiences since I have moved here.... and that is not for lack of trying... (Although as some Hounds mentioned above, the SGV is good for Asian food... I have had some good Dim Sum there... I will post again if I can remember the name of the place...)
Other than that, there are really only two places I have been to that I crave going back to:
1) Father's Office... delicious Burgers, salads, and sweet potato fries... a great local burger joint, but be prepared to wait a LONG time for a table.
2) AOC... great small plates and a go-to spot for me. Again, I would say there are places just as good in NYC for this kind of food, but I really love this spot. You have to try the brioche with prosciutto, gruyère and egg... simple, but SO good.
And... I have to give an honorable mention to the taco trucks... Stop if you see one and get some al pastor and chorizo & cheese. If you search the boards, you will find some favorites and their locations, but they are not always easy to find.
I am still on the hunt for the "wow" places, so please post if you find some great spots.......
