Wanda's Profile
enjoyed mostly ethnic food in South Beach
YEs, sorry about that, I meant Tin Tin! Very pleasant.
enjoyed mostly ethnic food in South Beach
Just returned from a few days in South Beach and was delighted with all the relatively inexpensive, tasty ethnic food there was to be had (which I found based on recommendations here). I liked the lunch at Puerto Sagua on Collins and returned next day for Cuban coffee and guava & cheese pastry. I liked my dinner at the Haitian restaurant Tin Tin. I had a delicious potato appetizer at the Peruvian restaurant El Chalan on the Beach, so filling I had no room for a main dish! (but I did have some good natural juice, mango I think). I had wonderful key lime pie at Joe's Stone Crab; the so-called "takeout" part has tables & counter and was just fine (other part too pricey). Wish I'd had room for a crab cake sandwich; will have to return some day for one. Thanks to everyone at Chowhounds for your great recommendations.
Kingston Suggestions?
The Indian restaurant in uptown Kingston, called something like Kingston Indian Restaurant, was quite good. It is on Wall Street not far from Le Canard Enchainee. We were there for lunch (not for buffet).
early morning near penn station
Parkin, as it turned out, we did not have to go to Montreal directly from NYC. Instead we boarded the train further north at a somewhat later hour and so were able to get great sandwiches. We also brought cookies and fruit and bought coffee and water on the train--everything worked out fine. The ride was quite scenic (and the food in Montreal great too).
Hyde Park / Rhinebeck
Terrapin for lunch is just the bar menu, with outdoor dining or (often noisy) indoors; the dinner (in the fine dining area) is completely different, very pleasant but also much pricier.
For lunch food your best bet foodwise is probably Bread Alone, sitting in the back (including some outdoor seats in season), prices reasonable. Gigi's has very good food but is very overpriced, even at lunchtime; the rosemary french fries are exceptional; bar staff is nice. The Japanese (M-- something; it means "maple") behind Bread Alone does a nice inexpensive hibachi lunch--if you are 2, 1 have steak, 1 have shrimp, and split, and get the extra fried rice (as well as noodles that come with it). You can have the same food for much more money at dinner. The other Japanese, tiny place down Garden Street, may have better sushi; I don't know as I don't eat it. Aroi, the Thai restaurant, also has lunch specials, good curry as well as Phad thai, interesting pumpkin custard dessert (split it) but portions have grown smaller for the lunch special, dinner much more expensive. Fosters had decent sandwiches esp London broil, their specialty, and French dip, reuben, burgers, some soups, but indoors is dark and barroomy (except in the back, which is diner-y) and outdoors the chairs are very uncomfortable. Arielle has good food most of the time and is nicely designed, even if tables are very close. Lunch in the green room of the Beekman Arms is still quite pleasant. Calico has good food but tables really close together, and they haven't changed their lunch menu in over 10 years! The new Mexican on Garden Street is very pleasant with a nice staff but also pretty overpriced and fairly mediocre foodwise, many items taste more like Italian! Millhouse Panda, the Chinese, is mixed, some dishes good, many not, and its lunch hours are bizarre. The bagel shop opposite Millhouse Panda has good bagels, including with eggs and cheese, good prices, no atmosphere, can be hard to get seats; also, the bagels run out fairly early. The health food store (down Garden Street) has a little café with uncomfortable seats. Pete's Diner has good omlets; not sure what else is (probably the soup). Village Pizza is OK for pizza and carries Jane's ice cream; also may have outdoor seating in season in the back.
Le Petit Bistro is good if pricey, dinner only. The Local is also dinner only; so is the Italian down Garden Street (P something); have not been to either.
The Indian south of the village on Route 9 is reopening shortly under new management or ownership, with a new name. It used to be one of the best places in town, so hopefully the new version will be good too.
The diner north of town has just reopened; I haven't been.
new restaurant is opening in the space where the Starr Café was.
Zen Dog was pretty dreadful when I was there (twice); may have good music, though.
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Bread Alone
45 E Market St, Rhinebeck, NY 12572
Vegetarian Midtown Lunch?
Bay Leaf now closed
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Bay Leaf
49 W 56th St, New York, NY 10019
getting to Himalayan Heritage
Thanks, everyone, for the tips. My aim is not to use the Metro so much as that I thought it would be faster, as I am coming from Union Staiton just around midday, and also that I've never used the buses when in DC, since I'm not familiar with where they stop or go, but I've used the Metro many times.
Butte & Helena & Missoula
Can anyone recommend the best breakfast and lunch places in uptown Butte MT (the part where all the historic sites are) on a Monday and the best breakfast, lunch, and dinner places in downtown Helena (near the capitol and visitor center) on a Saturday and Sunday and breakfast, lunch, and dinner in Missoula on a Tuesday or Wednesday? Looking especially for reasonable prices, good food, interesting ethnic, BBQ, local color, bakeries, ice cream, breakfast. Will have access to hotel shuttle in Butte and Helena but cannot go too far. Thanks so very much for your input.
getting to Himalayan Heritage
I'm coming in to DC briefly and am interested in having lunch on a weekday at Himalayan Heritage on 18th St in Adams Morgan, near Kalorama. To get there from downtown by Metro, should I go to Dupont Circle or Woodley Park/Zoo Metro stop? If the latter, is it relatively safe for a female in the daytime to walk across Calvert St from Woodley Park to the restaurant ---it seems to go through some parkland areas. Any tips on what to order would also be welcome--I'm interested in the Nepali dishes, not standard Indian fare. Can you get it at lunchtime, or do they have a (boring) buffet? Thanks!
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Himalayan Heritage
2305 18th St NW Ste 1, Washington, DC 20009
Minot, Havre, Whitefish
The food on the Empire Builder is not bad, though it depends on the dish and the chef. I would recommend eggs or French toast at breakfast, the hot lunch specials with small salads, and steak or half chicken (not fried) at dinner. If you get a sleeper, the food (except for tips and booze) is included, and there is usually a wine tasting (free to sleeper passengers) in the afternoon you go through Montana; also, you usually get champagne splits and chocolates at turndown. If you travel coach, you can pay to eat in the diner, although it's harder to pick your dinner hours (sleeper passengers have first choice); I think you can also pay for the wine tasting (if there's room); dinners are pricey but breakfast and lunch aren't bad. Desserts are not gourmet but not bad. Eating in the diner is an important part of the long-distance train experience, and it is usually pleasant; you sit with fellow passengers and get to chat.
You will not have time to grab a meal at any of the stops you mention. You might want to overnight in Whitefish, a cute small town, or spend a few days at Glacier Park (seasonally), although that would be costly if you are getting sleepers all the time. Rail fans usually stay at the Isaak Walton Inn, a seasonal stop on the edge of Glacier Park; don't know what the food is like there, though.
The train splits in Spokane (in the middle of the night), with the dining car traveling with the Seattle branch and the sightseer lounge traveling with the Portland branch. The scenery westbound is gorgeous from about daybreak (around Pasco) to Portland, so be sure to make use the lounge--you can eat your box breakfast in there. You will be very full by then so you won't mind whatever you get, and you can have a fine meal once you arrive in Portland.
Downtown Wilimington DE esp Ethnic
Reporting back: We went to Evelyns and really liked it, had a big meal for a very late lunch the day we got in--pork cutlets, yams, collard greens all esp good, and they brought us sweet tea from the back even though not on the menu. Portions huge. Nice little place, homey, friendly, just the sort we like. We also liked the "lawyer's row" we walked down to get to it. We were so full we never even had dinner. Another day we had an early dinner at the Thai place in the Riverfront Market--mixed reviews on the food (good curry & Thai iced tea, bad pad thai), a little overpriced for the "milieu." Afterward we walked down the riverfront, very pleasant, and found a pretty good ice cream place, Molly's, for dessert.
Another day we each had a big burrito for lunch at El Diablo in Trolley Square, to which we walked--it isn't very far, and once past the highway, the homes are very attractive. The burritos were excellent, if not authentic Mexican--everything nice and fresh, and we especially liked the pineapple salsa.
Saturday night we thought of going to the Peruvian in Little Italy, but the hotel shuttle was booked with others, and we didn't want to spend nearly $20 on taxis. We then figured we'd go to Orillas, but they didn't answer their phone (it was busy for over 1/2 hour) so we couldn't make a reservation, and there was no online menu with prices that we could find, and the streets had seemed creepily deserted after dark, so we decided we didn't want to risk walking there and finding out we couldn't get in, and I really didn't want to walk back in the dark, even though it wasn't far. . . . So instead we caught the hotel shuttle to and from the place some others had booked it for, the riverfront, and wound eating at the Iron Hill Brewery. Steak was good, crabcakes not good, prices way too high, beer of the microbrewery wheaty sort that I don't care for but others loved.
In New Castle we had lunch at Jacks on Delaware, had croque monsieur, tasty, and came with home-made fries and cole slaw, all very nice, if a little dull; Prince (recommended by someone here) would have been our choice, but it has closed, and the Cajun place that took its place got only a weak recommendation from someone who'd been to it. We really liked walking around in old New Castle too, and seeing the buildings open to the public; the bus ride there was easy and cheap (though went over a zillion speed bumps) and ran reasonably frequently.
But Travelmad, you should be depressed about downtown Wilmington. It is filled with central Asian workers at the banks, and there is even a sari shop, rents clearly cannot be that high, so why on earth you cannot support an Indian restaurant is beyond me. Perhaps there have been some bad ones, that closed? It cannot just be lack of patronage in Wilmington in the evening--that Iron Hill Brewery was packed so there is enough nighttime business to be had, and a good Indian restaurant close to the banks et al should do a booming lunch business on weekdays as well. I did not see as many Latinos in the area, but I did see a Dominican beauty parlor right downtown, so again, a little bodega selling tortas and the like for lunch would not be amiss. Instead there was some icky chain place (qDobo?) that we gave a miss. The other real problem is that lower Market Street is too deserted at night, and it shouldn't be . . .if there were lots of decent cheap ethnic eateries, ready parking, and some police presence, it could all be turned around quickly, esp with that music theater now open (which did seem to attract people). But what you really need more 20-30 somethings with more venturesome eating tastes than beef and brew--don't know why Philly, so close by, has all sorts of great ethnic eats and downtown Wilmington doesn't, esp with that cool train station and such frequent train service from all over the place, you'd think Wilmiington would be a foodie haven.
Downtown Wilimington DE esp Ethnic
Thanks, everyone. I just found out that the hotel has a free shuttle too, though it won't always be free, I gather it would take us to restaurants if it is. So if there are any good ethnic or other inexpensive interesting selections in under 3 or so miles of downtown (definitely not more than 5 miles) that you want to add to your recommendations, feel free. We like ethnic, central Asian best, but good, interesting food of all kinds, if not too expensive--no pizza, burgers, brewpubs, not very big on plain fish. Also, is there a really good ice cream or gelato place downtown or near it? Just wondering. . . .
Downtown Wilimington DE esp Ethnic
Thank you all so much for your tips. I am thinking we will take the bus to New Castle, because I want to see New Castle (we have some free time to go places), but I'm not sure I'd take the bus really far (i.e. into the suburbs) for food unless there is something to see nearby. I don't think we'll be there long enough to take the SEPTA into Philly, but you never know. I was just hoping for some decent ethnic eats within walking distance of the hotel. Not necesssarily at night--lunchtime is fine too. I think we'll probably go to Orilla and El Diablo. I see there is also a Thai place on the riverfront--is that any good? And no one has commented on Evelyns. If you have other reasonable places to recommend downtown, please let me know. They don't HAVE to be ethnic, just interesting and not too expensive. Thanks again.
Downtown Wilimington DE esp Ethnic
Hi, Will be in downtown Wilimington DE this spring without a car for several days. Would like to have some good food, esp ethnic--central Asian inc Indian, Afghan, Nepali; Far Eastern (except not sushi), Mexican and other Latin of any kind, Caribbean, eastern European, Spanish, Greek, Turkish, other mideastern, etc. Also like southern food (esp pulled pork), good breakfasts, pastry. Not interested in pizza or burgers. Walking is fine--we are willing to walk 1-2 miles if it's near interesting things to see and safe, no highwayys; also happy to take public transit if possible, but we're trying to avoid taxis. I saw already here at Chowhounds a soul food place called Evelyns and a tapas place called Orillas that both seemed like possibilities--your opinions? OK to walk to them? Also, there was a Mexican on Trolley Sq that looked promising--is there a trolley one can take there? Any other recs strongly appreciated.
Tragedy in Rhinebeck
Now it seems like it isn't opening--sign that was there has disappeared
downtown in Winter Park - anything new?
I will be in downtown Winter Park without a car for about a day and a half this January or February--probably a Friday and Saturday. I like ethnic food and other inexpensive places with good food and esp like to eat a big lunch. Last time I was in Winter Park I had a decent Turkish pizza in a place called Bosphorous on Park (some items were too expensive for me but I could afford the pizza) and some very nice Cuban food & coffee (including guava pastries for breakfast) in a place on Morse just over from Park. I plan to return to these but was wondering if there is anything new. I saw a Thai place called Orchid--is that any good? seemed a little pricey but maybe not for lunch? Note that though I won't have a car, I am not averse to walking a bit. Any recommendtions?
Also, where is the best place to get ice cream or perhaps gelato in that part of Winter Park?
Drina Daisy in Astoria OR
I liked the Bakhlava, but not as much as the borek. I think that's because it had been refrigerated, and the borek was freshmade. It was delicious.
Are there any places that have Finnish food in Astoria, esp Downtown or that Finnish neighborhood by the bridge? Since there is such a large Finnish community, I thought that might be fun to try. (but not lukefish, or whatever that humorous dried fish sailors' dish is called)
River North Friday lunch with kids
When I got to Xoco at 11:15 one AM, there were already very long lines! But I think maybe only 20 minute wait.
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XOCO
449 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654
Babani's & Sawatdee, Downtown St Paul
Thanks for your feedback, everyone. I too had and loved the soup in Babani's.
Re Thai: I do find it can often be below par in un-Chowhound-recommended restaurants, big city and small, but we were really tired & Sawatdee was pretty near our hotel, so I never checked online as I probably should have. BTW, I meant to say "service," not "servant," in my post. Sorry my typo made me sound like some sort of 19C aristocrat, which I'm not!!! I cannot figure out how to edit the post.
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Babani's
St. Paul, MN, St Paul, MN
Babani's & Sawatdee, Downtown St Paul
While visiting St Paul we had dinner in two downtown ethnic restaurants near our hotel, one good, one a bit poor. Thumbs up for Babani's, the Kurdish restaurant on St Peter St near W 10th. Food was tasty, interesting, and reasonably priced, not gourmet but very good home cooking. Decor was very nice as well, and service pleasant.
Thumbs down for Sawatdee, the Thai restaurant on Robert St & E 9th. Though a nice enough place with pleasant servant, Sawatdee offered very mediocre phad thai full of bean sprouts (ugh) and a curry of only average tastiness. The restaurant was not particularly inexpensive for food of this sort, either. We did like the Thai iced tea, though.
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Babani's
St. Paul, MN, St Paul, MN
Drina Daisy in Astoria OR
While on a cross-country trip we spent a day in Astoria Oregon and had a marvelous meal in a Bosnian restaurant (of all things) called Drina Daisy. I have had borek in better known Yugoslav restaurants in New York and Milwaukee but frankly the borek here was far far superior, much more delicately made, with a crust more like Greek phyllo pastry. My friend had the vegetarian borek (which had a different name) and loved that as well. The bread and dip served beforehand and the delicious specialty coffee we had afterward were also marvelous. Prices for the items we had were also very reasonable. The place and service were also lovely. So, a strong recommendation to all you Chowhounds!
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Drina Daisy
915 Commercial St, Astoria, OR 97103
Portland downtown, Pearl, or elsewhere not too far from train station
It was drizzling, so we went to Ping's rather than try a food cart. We loved it--and when we came out, the rain had stopped, so we could enjoy a walk around Portland. Thank you for the recommendation--it was a really good one.
Zen Dog: Rhinebeck
I am definitely not disgruntled staff, just a digruntled customer. The place is expensively appointed and the seats and sofas very comfortable, some of the decor attractive, but some very tacky. They opened with one lunch menu (and manager), soon dumped the menu (and manager) and upped the prices. Sandwich I had was $9 and nowhere near as good as Bread Alone's (which are slightly cheaper), the pizza I had was nowhere good as the skizza at Gigi's (which is slightly more). The pate was good but fairly unexciting bread came with it, and not enough bread. One time I had red velvet cake, which was refrigerated and all dried out. The staff was nice but many did not know English all that well, and some were overly solicitous to the point of being encroaching. Perhaps the place has improved since my bad experiences, but I continue to hear negative reports, so unless I hear different ones from people I know personally, I have no intention of going back to find out. Rhinebeck has plenty of restaurants. There is another new restaurant called the Local that just opened and has local products too.
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Bread Alone
45 E Market St, Rhinebeck, NY 12572
early morning near penn station
Hotel is right near Penn Station. The Tip Tock Diner is a great tip. Any others, especially small delis or a bakery that could be a little cheaper? Or someplace with a little more imaginative foodor tastier baked goods?--or am I dreaming when I think such places might be open so early?
early morning near penn station
I will be catching a northbound early morning Amtrak from NY Penn Station to Montreal and, though I love the scenery, I'm not too found of the onboard food on these trains without real dining cars, plus they alway seem to run out of the few choices I might purchase (I like the coffee but not the food). I'd like to bring my own food, but unfortunately the hotel where I'm staying has no fridge so I cannot buy it the night before (nor does it offer any breakfast that I can poach). Obviously I can bring fruit and pastry (which I can buy the night before), but I was wondering if anyone had a recommendation for a place right near Penn Station (I have no time to go far afield) open before 8AM where I can get something interesting for the train--or at least a tastier sandwich or even a fresher bagel and cream cheese. Thank you so much for your advice.
Portland downtown, Pearl, or elsewhere not too far from train station
We are arriving in Portland OR by train in late morning and have several hours layover before catching a bus from the train station. We are looking for some good reccommendations for reasonably priced ethnic lunch, esp Latin, central Asian, or Far Eastern other than Japanese. If the weather isn't dreadful, we plan to walk around Portland's downtown/Old Town--past Pioneer Courthouse Square and then down to the river, over by the South Parks museums, and in the Pearl; if the weather is really bad, we'll probably spend a lot of time at Powell Books. So, anyway, any recs in these areas of the city would be greatly appreciated. (It's unlikely we will have time to get to NW 23rd or over to the East Side or any places further afield.)
Last time I was in Portland and needed to be not far from the train station, I had dim sum in Fong Chong in Chinatown, which I thought was pretty good . . . but that was several years ago.
Any ideas? Thanks for your input!
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Fong Chong Restaurant
301 NW 4th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
Montreal this Weekend - Neighborhood/Chowish Restos
Try Le Binarie on Mont-Royal (just 1 block down & across St Denis from the Mont-Royal Metro stop) for brunch or lunch. Get the special platter of tortiere, meat balls, veggies & beans--may be called a Quebecois platter, I forget, but it's under $12. Note that this resto is tiny, don't know what seating will be like at a busy time. (We showed up on the latish side of lunch on a weekday and it was fine. I think they are open later on Friday but on Saturday maybe only to 3.)
Also go to Jean Talon Market (M: Jean Talon, then walk 2 blocks or so to the market) for Les Soeurs des Sucreres (sp?) maple syrup pies (d'erable)--in the first row of the market. Bring some home!! Customs will not trouble you with nonmeat pies. Saturday morning is especially good time.
Inexpensive Ethnic near Toronto Union Station?
Wanted to thank you all for your recommendations. We went to Little India on Queen & thought it excellent; we had begun bharta (an eggplant dish) and a new-to-us Sri Lankan roti-with-egg dish, very tasty. We loved all the other food we had in Toronto too, mainly central Asian, including momu & another Nepali dish at Mount Everest on Bloor St W and dhosa & chaats at Udupi Palace in Little India neighborhood. Another highlight was peameal bacon & egg at Carousel Bakery in the St Lawrence Market. We were disppointed the gelato place on Wellington had closed but we did have ice cream at Summer's in Yorkville, quite good, a tad pricey. We wished we had more time & room to eat more & do plan to come back!!!
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Little India
255 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5V1Z4, CA
Udupi Palace
1460 Gerrard St E, Toronto, ON M4L2A3, CA
Rhinebeck area - cozy lunch?
Just wanted to add, if you like Japanese hibachi, Momiji, behind Bread Alone, can be fun to meet & talk, not too busy, take a corner hibachi seat for best conversation (one on each corner I mean). They have a $9-10 lunch special; you can get 1 steak special, 1 shrimp special and share; in addition to the soup and noodles that comes with it, recommend you also get 1 order of the fried rice to share too. Then when you are done, if still hungry, you can get the espresso gelato (maybe just share 1) at Leonardos.[ note that none of the other gelato at Leonardos that I have tried, nor their sandwiches, were very interesting\, but the espresso gelato was pretty good]
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Bread Alone
45 E Market St, Rhinebeck, NY 12572
leonardo's in rhinebeck - opinions?
The espresso gelato is OK; I wouldn't bother with anything else.
