JimN's Profile
Downtown to East Side Providence - Breakfast & Lunch Recs?
Thank you for the very helpful comments and suggestions. I've seen the mixed comments on Local 121, so we'll probably just stop in for a cocktail. Will definitely consider adding Chez Pascal to the itinerary. Thanks again!
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Chez Pascal Restaurant
960 Hope St, Providence, RI 02906
Local 121
121 Washington St, Providence, RI 02903
Downtown to East Side Providence - Breakfast & Lunch Recs?
I'll be visiting Providence September 5th through the 11th. The city used to be my stomping grounds back in my mid-twenties, but since moving to Los Angeles over 20 years ago, I'm pretty much out of touch with the current culinary scene in Providence. Only dining I've done there on trips in recent years has been at Al Forno - an old standby.
My wife and I will be staying at the Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown on Weybosset, so we'll be within walking distance to College Hill/Thayer and much of the downtown area.
I've searched the board for dinner recs and plan to check out Gracie's, La Laiterie, Red Fez, New Rivers, Local 121 and Cook & Brown. Any comments on these establishments are welcome.
Can anyone recommend a spot within walking distance of the hotel to pick up good coffee and pastries, and maybe also a full breakfast place? The hotel serves hot breakfast (included), so we'll take advantage of that most days. Would be good to have options, though, just in case.
I'm also looking for lunch spot suggestions. We might check out Nice Slice on Thayer, but that's all I've found so far. Are there any Gastropub type places in the area that are open for lunch? Any other places that you would recommend? Is it worth the drive down to Narragansett to try Crazy Burger?
Thanks!
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Red Fez
49 Peck St, Providence, RI 02903
Local 121
121 Washington St, Providence, RI 02903
La Laiterie
184-188 Wayland Avenue, Providence, RI 02906
Nice Slice
267 Thayer St, Providence, RI 02906
Urasawa appetite?
Nope. Like I said, having his undivided attention did make it an extra special experience. We were really enjoying ourselves, and at the time we didn't even think to ask him to slow down. We were able to talk to him about all sorts of subjects and even got a full tour of the restaurant, kitchen and the hidden private dining room in the back. No complaints, but yeah, at some point my wife hit her limit. We still laugh about her going to hide in the bathroom. I'm sure he would have gladly slowed down if we had asked.
Urasawa appetite?
Last time my wife and I had dinner at Urasawa the total seating that evening included us and one other couple. Sadly, the other couple seemed completely uninterested in the food. It was obvious when they sat down that they were pretty much just there to talk and drink, and maybe have a snack. Very odd. Anyway, since we might as well have been the only couple in the restaurant that night, we had Hiro-san's undivided attention. This was good and bad. While it made the whole experience extra special, it also made for a rather quick pace. I didn't have much trouble keeping up. On the other hand, my wife had to go hide in the bathroom for a while to digest. My advice: get in some exercise before the meal and arrive hungry. If you find yourself getting too full, then perhaps you could skip some of the courses and stick to what you consider to be the highlights. Problem is finding a tactful way to communicate this to Hiro-san. Good luck!
What do you like at Bristol Farms?
I occassionally hit up the Westchester one for items that I can't find anywhere else, including Whole Foods. Those items include:
Burrata
Smoked Mozzarella
Good selection of dried chiles
ISO - Coconut Water
I agree! Their meat selection is pretty hard to beat. I love their homemade sausages. Great selection of prime beef, etc. They also have an awesome, fairly priced wine selection. I should also mention that their produce section is pretty darn good for a market of this size.
ISO - Coconut Water
Bob's market on Ocean Park in Santa Monica carries Zico brand coconut water. Comes in single serving carboard box containers. No sugar added.
http://www.zico.com/
http://www.bobsmkt.com/
Best chips and salsa?
La Cabanita in Montrose
Border Grill in Santa Monica
Tacos Por Favor in Santa Monica
JOSIE OR URTH CAFFE FOR PUNKIN PIE??!
Main differences: Urth Cafe's pumpkin pie is huge and has a non-traditional graham cracker crust. Josie's pumpkin pie is standard size and has a traditional pie crust. I think their prices are very similar (approx. $30), so you get a lot more pie for your money at Urth. Both pies are tasty, but I prefer Josie's version for the traditional crust. It's one of the best pie crusts I've had anywhere. Too bad it serves only 6-8 people max.
Premium Tequila
Ditto the suggestion to explore Blancos. Yes, there are some phenomenal Anejos out there, beautifully mellowed by the oak. However, nothing showcases the pure taste of Agave better than a fine Blanco Tequila. I'm a huge El Tesoro fan, and vinosnob has offered up some other great suggestions for fine Blancos.
Father's Office Dud
Wow, I'm surprised! I definitely would've sent it back. I'll agree that the FO experience can be a bit of a hassle, but in my experience, the food has always been exceptional. And I'm talking about countless visits over the years. I sure hope that this was an isolated incident. I'd hate to think that the place is sliding downhill.
Lucques tonight - what to order?
Too late, I know. Anyway...
Had dinner at Lucques last week. Standouts were:
- Starter -
Moroccan antipasto: chickpea purée, roasted beets & carrots and feta yogurt.
- Main Course -
Grilled poussin with glazed root vegetables, green olives and grilled preserved lemon.
I don't recommend the Alaskan cod with estrella squash purée, golden raisins and pedro ximenes. Nice taste, but it's very rich and kinda gets old after a few bites.
Had an amazing chocolate dessert, but unfortunately, it's not on the most current menu.
ALE in L.A.?
You're referring to Lucky Baldwins, on Raymond, just south of Colorado. Their 8th Annual Belgian Beer Festival just started this past weekend. 51 Belgian beers on tap, with more to come. http://www.luckybaldwins.com/specialevents.html
Las Ruinas in pasadena
I miss them, too. I think both slowrider and carter were in contact with the owner.
My first Mozza experience
You pretty much described my experience in two visits to Mozza. Both times, I got there right at opening time and sat at the pizza bar. It's a little bit awkward having the servers work from the same side that you're sitting, but it's worth it to be able to watch the pizzas being made.
I've read a lot of comments about the noise level. Personally, I didn't notice the noise level being out-of-control, and I'm generally pretty sensitive to that. On both of my visits, the restaurant was completely full with people waiting. Perhaps it's not quite as loud at the pizza bar?
I just don't understand the haters. In my experience, the food and service at Mozza are absolutely perfect.
La Cabanita - Montrose - What to get?
My favorite dish is the Mole Verde. Really interested, tangy, spicy, green Mole sauce. You can get it with Chicken or Pork; I prefer the latter.
Needin' A Beefy French Dip
As others have said, Houstons. Consistently great. Fries and slaw are awesome, too.
Name this cocktail...please
You could try The Mixilator for new cocktail ideas: http://www.cocktaildb.com/mixilator/
Antarctica Beer?
I totally agree. When you're really thirsty during hot & humid weather, pretty much any cold beer hits the spot. When I'm dehydrated after a long bike ride, nothing tastes better than a light, clean Pilsner. For me, an ice-cold Warsteiner is perfect. I'm sure there are plenty of folks out there who feel the same way about an ice-cold Antarctica.
Antarctica Beer?
It's an InBev brand: http://www.inbev.com/brands/2__3__2__antartica.cfm
Gets pretty poor ratings on Ratebeer.com:
http://www.ratebeer.com/brewers/inbev-brasil/123/
You might contact InBev and ask if it's distributed in the US:
guest@labatt.com
1-800-268-BEER
Good luck!
Informal poll: Best Mexican in the LA area
Yeah, not really a big loss. I haven't been to Paseo Colorado for quite some time, but I think the space is still vacant. Per the current directory here:
http://www.paseocoloradopasadena.com/PASEO%20COLORADO%202006%20DIRECTORY%20PRINT.pdf
I think Border Grill was in space #203. The merchant list doesn't show an entry for that space.
La Super Rica type rest. in la/oc
Loteria Grill at the Farmer's Market (3rd and Fairfax). Don't forget to have your parking ticket stamped.
Need a cake that just screams...January
I think a good Tres Leches cake would be well-received, but I don't know where to get one in WeHo. La Bodeguita de Pico serves it, but I haven't tried theirs and don't know if they'll sell whole cakes.
La Bodeguita de Pico
5047 West Pico Blvd. (one block west of La Brea)
Los Angeles, CA 90019
323.937.2822
http://www.labodeguitadepico.com/
Ojai lunch with bikes?
Boccali's would work. It's my usual stop after riding the Sisar/Gridley loop (mountain bike ride). They serve pretty decent pizza and pasta. Patio seating. Beer and wine available. It's about a mile and a half east of downtown Ojai, just before the road starts switchbacking up out of the valley. Warning: Cash Only!
Boccali's
3277 East Ojai Avenue
Ojai, California 93023
(805) 646-6116
http://www.boccalis.com/index.html
American Roussanne
I'm familiar with this story, not to imply that it's not true. I'm also a big fan of Rhone varietals, particularly ones produced in the Central Coast and Paso Robles regions of California. To my tastebuds, Viognier and Roussanne wines produced by wineries that I like taste very different. I have little doubt that I could differentiate between the two in a blind tasting. The article that you referenced states the Roussanne usually has much less body than Viognier. I find this very interesting because I think that Roussanne, or what I've come to know as Rousanne, definitely has more body than Viognier.
American Roussanne
L'Aventure, out of Paso Robles, CA, makes a great Roussanne. Sells out pretty quickly, though. And I agree with Whiner's recommendation for the Qupe Bien Nacido.
Your experience w/Jade Range or Viking Range, 30 inch, all gas
No, they both vent to the outside. With an exterior ventilator, the blower is mounted either on an exterior wall or the roof. With an interior ventilator, the blower is mounted inside the hood behind the filters. For obvious reasons, the exterior ventilator will be much quieter. However, it is more expensive and the installation is more difficult.
Your experience w/Jade Range or Viking Range, 30 inch, all gas
Lots of good choices out there, I'm sure. 600 CFM should be more than enough for the 30" range. But if you have the choice between an interior or exterior ventilator, you might consider going with the exterior version. It will be much quieter.
Informal poll: Best Mexican in the LA area
The Pasadena (Paseo Colorado) Border Grill location closed down a long time ago. The Santa Monica location is still very alive and kicking.
Favorite Leda flavor?
These four seemed to be the favorites last time I bought Leda's cupcakes:
Passionfruit
Dulce de Leche
Lemon
Chocolate Peanut Butter
And I agree with techbod about buying more than you think you need. Most people can easily eat three cupcakes, as they're only about two bites each.
Enjoy! You won't be disappointed.
