Podie1956's Profile
Best Lobster Shacks within 30 miles of Boston?
Have car, will travel! Where can my husband and I casually chow down on lobsters away from the big city?
Fresh Boston Seafood in March?
We will be spending four days in the Boston suburbs and one full day (Saturday or Sunday) in Boston. We both love seafood but don't know what's fresh in March, where to eat it, and if "fresh" even matters in this age of fresh frozen food. Price is not a concern but we don't want to have to dress up as we'll probably be walking around the city all day. I appreciate any and all suggestions! Do any of the Italian restaurants have great fish and/or lobster?
Red Fish Grill or Acme Oyster House?
Looking for a place on New Year's Eve where we can wear jeans and a t-shirt and enjoy seafood. I've been to Acme and Red Fish Grill was recommended to me. Also, does anyone know if the Acme Oyster House in Metairie is as good as the original?
Colony Restaurant on Longboat Key was Awesome!
Four of us went to the Colony Restaurant tonight and had their Tuesday night Lobster Special. For $34.95 they served two 1.25 lb Maine lobsters, a few steamed clams, a few delicious steamed Green Lip mussels, boiled potatoes and corn on the cob. Everything was EXCELLENT. They have a stone crab special on Thursdays so I might have to try that one too. But I urge all the area Hounds to hit this place up on Tuesdays!
The resort itself is currently closed but the restaurant is open!
Atlantic City Boardwalk?
Opa was closed when I was in AC three weeks ago but I'm hoping they were just renovating or something.
We tried a new place called Evo that was quite good.
Best Chinese in Vancouver?
Sorry, I should have mentioned that I'll be staying at the Marriott Pinnacle without a car. I'll use your downtown recs. Thanks!
Good Food near Capitol Hill Seattle
We're spending two nights at a B&B in Capitol Hill and (weather permitting) plan to walk to Pike Place Market. Any good places to eat along the way?
Best Chinese in Vancouver?
I keep reading that Vancouver has one of the largest Chinatowns in North America, yet all the "best Chinese" posts I read recommend restaurants in other parts of Vancouver. Do we even need to go to Vancouver's Chinatown to find great food? Or do we go with Lin's Restaurant and Tea House or another of the posted recs? And by the way, any Korean restaurants?
Recommendations for Thanksgiving dinner in Gainesville?
I saw ads for two very good Thanksgiving buffets that I have gone to in the past - one at the Hilton on SW 34th Street across from campus, and the Paramount Hotel on SW 13 St (also Hwy 441) south of SW 16th Avenue.
Several area restaurants are closed on Thanksgiving. With the students off and usually out of town, most people opt to stay home. All the chain restaurants will be open, I'm sure.
Orlando Sports Bar to watch Bowl Games
We were at Friday's Front Row on I-Drive a few weeks ago and were very disappointed in the layout and quality of the TV's. Also, they'll change channels on you you just because one person asks a TV be changed even though you've been watching it for the past hour. There are few large screens and the older, smaller screens are not very clear. My vote also goes to the Ale House.
Recommendations for Thanksgiving dinner in Gainesville?
I'm not sure about the traditional meal part, but my favorite restaurants in Gainesville are Paramount Grill on SW 1st Ave in downtown and Dragonfly, also in downtown. I'll check the Sunday paper tomorrow to see if there are ads for traditional meals.
Gainesville recommendations?
Oh, and Tony & Pat's closed when they tore down that whole shopping plaza to build a Kohl's. Now that Kohl's is complete, they will possibly add some restaurant space, which may inclue Tony & Pat's.
Gainesville recommendations?
Newberry's Backyard BBQ DOES have pulled pork now, and also Brunswick Stew as a special a few times per month. La Fiesta on NW 39th Ave and I-75 does have a mole on the menu, not sure about al pastor.
As for the general area, I have tried Great Outdoors in High Springs five times now and have had five terrible to not bad at all meals. The service remains poor, however.
Looking for Pretzel bread/rolls in Orlando
I've had the brats and they're great too!
Great Outdoors in High Springs
Since I see a lot of ads for this place - one even in the NY Times - I thought I'd report on my three visits there. It is a gorgeous historic building that has been gutted and rebuilt with a freshwater springs theme and just seeing it made the first visit worthwhile.
I went for lunch soon after it opened and enjoyed a spinach salad and decent service. Then I went for dinner with my husband. It was early and we were one of only three tables occupied. We ordered the mussels for an appetizer and pondered our main courses. My husband ordered the seafood pasta (which was excellent), and since their specialty is Harris Ranch beef, I thought about a steak, but when I said I wanted something light, the waiter suggested the pan fried trout.
I don't like fried food, but he assured me this was lightly coated with nuts and pan fried. My first bite tasted like a tablespoon of oil and I looked around for the waiter, but he was nowhere to be found. Our drinks were empty and I thought he'd be back to refill them, but he wasn't. Finally, I ate about half the fish (which was served on top of sweet potato fries) and gave up. When he finally removed the plates and refilled our drinks (we had to ask him to refill them), he didn't ask how it was or comment on my half-eaten fish.
But I thought it deserved another try so a friend and I went for lunch and I ordered the hamburger to try the beef. She didn't ask me how I wanted it cooked so I specifically said I did not want it overcooked, between medium rare and medium well would be great. She dropped off what looked like a lump of coal on a hamburger bun and left before I could ask for a different burger. Once again, our server disappeared. We saw her chatting with another server by the kitchen door, and despite both of us waving for her attention, she appeared completely oblivious to us. I took a couple of bites of the dry, burned hamburger and left the rest on the plate. She returned when my friend's plate was empty (she had the spinach salad) and we asked her to refill our drinks. She said, "Oh, you weren't that hungry?" when she saw what was left of my buirger. I said I was still hungry, that I'd been trying to get her attention to tell her the burger was way too overcooked.
She did bring over a manager and they did offer me something else, but it was too late by then. They removed the charge for the burger.
So if you want to try this place, have the seafood pasta and bring a whistle to call the server!
Looking for Pretzel bread/rolls in Orlando
I always drive to Yalaha German Bakery for pretzel rolls. It's a ittle under one hour from Orlando and worth the drive!
local seafood/fish restaurant in gainesville?
Executive Chef Bert Gill at Mildred's in Gainesville (on triangle between University Ave and SW 2 Ave at about SW 36 St) prides himself on using Florida ingredients and always has a nice fish dish on the menu. Same for Paramount Grill on SW 1 Ave and just east of Main Street downtown Gainesville.
Fried chicken and waffles in Orlando
OK, now I'm really curious, because a BBQ place outside of Gainesville just started advertising "Chicken and Waffles on Sundays" and I've been bewildered! Is this normally served with gravy or with the maple syrup one poster mentioned?
Gainesville Recommendations [split from LA board]
I've been to both several times. The Great Outdoors is expensive at dinner but good. It is run by the person who owns Ristorante Deneno (always excellent) in Alachua, who ALSO owns a piece of Floyd's Diner in High Springs. My pick would definitely be Deneno, but the brand new Great Outdoors is more beautiful inside.
Looking for something good in GainesviIlle
MT's and Mark's are fine if you want expensive steaks - in the $35 range at Mark's. If you want to keep it simple, inexpensive, but still good, check out Conestoga's in the charming Main Street of Alachua, just north of Gainesville. Exit 399, turn left, go to 3rd traffic light and turn right, Conestoga's is about 100 yards up on the right.
If you want great barbecue or pizza, exit 387, turn left, and travel about 11 miles (50-60 MPH) to Newberry. For the great pizza, turn left at Main Street and go a couple of hundred feet to Villagio's on the left. For the BBQ, continue straight through the light and Backyard BBQ will be on the left two blocks later. All good choices, all inexpensive.
Poppy Hill Tuscan Restaurant in Fredricksburg VA
Recently had lunch at this basement restaurant and enjoyed it very much. Everything was fresh and tasty, particularly my grouper and all of our desserts. The service was also friendly and knowledgeable. It's about 10 minutes from I-95.
Has anyone been to Bay Ave Trattoria recently?
I've eaten there twice in the last few months and each time was excellent. Looking forward to your review!
BBQ Place near Potomac Mills in VA?
I bet this is it! Thanks! I'll be there Memorial Day weekend!
Gainesville recommendations?
Tony & Pat's has been closed for several months now. For Italian food - pizzeria style Italian food - I second my own earlier recommendation of Villagio's Pizzeria, 10 miles west of I-75 Exit 387 in the town of Newberry (179 S Main Street). And if you want BBQ, Newberry's Backyard BBQ half a mile farther west, on Newberry Rd, is the real deal.
BBQ Place near Potomac Mills in VA?
Someone told me there's a good local BBQ place near Potomac Mills Mall (NOT Smokey Bones!) Anyone know what they're talking about?
Hands Down- Best BYOB in Central Jersey?
Wow, is my sense of direction wrong and shouldn't Bay Ave Trattoria in Highlands be included? I had another wonderful meal there last week and it was really great to bring a bottle of wine rather than be imprisoned by ridiculous prices. The pan roast of clams was delectable as always, and the goat cheese "strudel" on top of the beet salad was seriously addictive. My prawns were perfect and luckily I got to appreciate my friend's scottish salmon as well! I know some of the people on this board have had a couple of less than perfect experiences here, but to me it's food heaven.
Soft Shell Crabs at NY Noodletown?
Anyone know if the soft shells are in yet at NY Noodletown?
Gainesville recommendations?
Add a little pizza place to the list of Gainesville (well, Newberry) great eats: Villagio's Pizza at 179 N. Main Street, Newberry, about 10 miles west of Gainesville and 5 blocks from the very popular (and often recommended here) Newberry's Backyard BBQ. Absolutely the best pizza I've had in 22 years in Florida!
Where is REAL NY pizza in Florida ?
After years of searching for true NY pizza in Florida, one opened up just a few blocks from my work in Newberry, about 10 miles west of Gainesville. It's called Villagio's and is located at 179 N. Main Street in Newberry. Small place but spectacular pizza!
Finally Found Great Pizza in Florida!
When my husband and I moved to Florida from NJ 22 years ago, we didn't know we also had to say goodbye to our favorite food - pizza. Over the years we've put lots of miles on our vehicles driving to places somebody said was good, and then ending up disappointed.
So when a guy showed up at my work saying he had just opened a real NY pizzeria down the block, I just rolled my eyes and thought, "Sure you did."
Well, it's fantastic! The pizza wasteland of North Central Florida has been saved!
Try Villagio's Pizza in Newberry, FL. It's 10 miles west of I-75 Gainesville exit 387. I don't have the exact address but it must be something like 211 S. Main Street, Newberry, FL 32669 since it's right near my office. It's the same town with the best BBQ around, Newberry's Backyard BBQ.
Trust me, this is the real deal!
