holdthecow's Profile
Moab, UT: Good place for company dinner?
Hi Monopod -
You're correct, there's nothing outstanding in Moab. Maybe select based upon atmosphere and comfort for a large crowd? I've only been to a handful of places there, including the Brewery. That might work. You won't find a Fancy Place for a company retreat. It's Moab : )
Dining in Bozeman?
There aren't a lot of choices... my favorites for dinner would be, in order, Sweet Chili (Thai) - has a busy and popular atmosphere and decent enough food. Blackbird Kitchen is also popular (I haven't been in over a year) - note that they don't take reservations and it can get busy. Weekend nights especially.
call5105 - since you need to be in Belgrade/airport, you could just head straight up Jackrabbit Lane, skip Bozeman, and go to the Mint.
Bozeman, Montana eateries and things to do
Welcome to the boards : )
As a local, I'm going to reply to the parts of the post that pertain to food (we only discuss food on Chowhound.)
The resto scene in Bozeman has been anemic for many years - I've lived here for almost 12. Only in the past few years have there been one or two additions worth mentioning (and there have been a lot of closures.)
Blackbird is decent, but for my money, I prefer the consistency, good quality, attentiveness, and genuine attempts at authenticity at Sweet Chili for Thai food. Bozeman sorely needed a Thai restaurant, a real one, and the support it gets reflects that. They take reservations, they're honored and you can count on a visit from the owner during your meal.
Best coffee house is a very personal choice, and as shown by the reaction to the news that a Starbucks will be opening in Bozeman, it seems that no coffee house distinguishes itself here. In the article in our local paper earlier this week there were many scathing comments about Wild Joe's, specifically that the wait is interminable, and the coffee not good. I don't know anyone who patronizes it. I imagine it gets traffic from pedestrians on Main Street.
On the topic of coffee, I think our best coffee provider dovetails with my other favorite resto, and definitely the favorite for lunch - Chickpea Cafe. Another recent addition to Bozeman, the food is just plain yummy. Fresh, made with care, and there, too, the crowds show that we're happy to have Chickpea here. They make a terrific cup of coffee, and espresso, and fresh baklava, to boot. I have yet to see a decent pastry at any coffee house in Bozeman. (A side note, the bagels at Bagel Works are better than any bagel I've had in NYC in the past decade.)
La Tinga is so over-rated, I can't understand why people bother. Again, I think it's the downtown convenience for some. Anyone looking for Mexican food should make the drive to Helena - or Buffalo, WY. Seven Sushi, started by former Dave's employees, routinely runs out of fish, and earns quite a few complaints about service. I lost interest in the place. Dave's is still the go-to locally for sushi for good reason. Mind you, both of them make "American" sushi - my Japanese friends who live here shun both places.
Bozeman's gotten better, but it's got a long way to go. I seriously resent getting the check in some of these places, with big-city prices for laughable offerings. It's when I'm sitting in my favorite place, Restaurant Alma, in a food swoon, that I have a pang and realize how much I resent what goes on in Bozangeles sometimes.
2 dinners MSP: Alma + ?
Reporting back.
First night at Piccolo was yum. Looking at the menu to try to recall everything that was had. Father had the mackerel, and I think maybe something that was a special, and can't remember (being the vegetarian.) I had three courses to match. Had requested no beets, tho, because I do that all the time at home, and the third dish was beets. Everything was flavorful, and I think we even ordered a dupe of one of my dishes, I think a pasta, because it was outstanding.
Unfortunately, I awoke the next morning after developing a cold overnight (nothing like travel to kill the palate.) Brunch was at Haute Dish and we really enjoyed that. A great job w/ a deceptive menu - everything sounds good. I had the one egg dish that was vegetarian, dad had the dish with braised beef and sweet potato hash browns and cleaned the plate, even tho he reported to the waitress that something was "briney" or over-salted, and he kept trying to figure out which component it was.
By dinner at Alma, I'd completely drugged myself so that I could hopefully fully experience the flavors (it didn't work, and that's not a reflection of the food.) I had the celery root souffle, fried egg over greens, and the orechiette. Dad had the kale with chicken, bruschetta, and the orechiette non-vegetarian. We shared the quince crepe as it was the #1 choice of our waitress. Despite my dead taste-buds, it was still yummy, and I'm glad we did that.
Leisurely breakfast at Cosmo's the last day, we always have at least one meal while at the Graves, and the service and food is always outstanding. I don't know if restaurant week is still in swing, but y'all should get over there. I sense it's a resto that locals don't get to as much, but we've now stayed at the Graves 3x, have had breakfasts and lunches, and I've availed myself of room service a few times, and can highly recommend the vegetarian pad thai.
Incidentally, I spent some time Saturday (eek!) at the Mall, and had a sublime almond croissant at Pardon My French, and a nice cup of coffee. Waited interminably long for gelato for lunch and gave up.
The staff at Piccolo were so friendly and helpful. Adam (I guess his role is maitre d') wrote out a list of his faves for brunch for me, and also a fave dinner location where he used to work, Strip Club.
So once again, cooties not withstanding, a worthwhile visit and looking forward to the next one in not too long.
-----
Pardon My French
1565 Cliff Rd Ste 1A, Saint Paul, MN 55122
2 dinners MSP: Alma + ?
have booked Piccolo. mentioned being a vegetarian on the phone, and was told that would be a non-issue, she made a note in the rez, and we called it good : ) will report back on both, and whatever surprise mystery brunch i add.
Road trip from IA to WA
my current fave in Billings is Cafe DeCamp. always have a pretty great meal at Enzo's, as well.
-----
Bistro Enzo
1502 Rehberg Ln, Billings, MT 59102
Cafe Decamp
1404 6th Ave N, Billings, MT 59101
Korean in Bozeman MT or surrounding area (60 miles radius)
Zero Indian anywhere. As for Korean, I-Ho is it, and it's marginal. It's on campus, serves very large portions (catering to the student population).. If you're really in search of Korean-Korean, I would honestly not set yourself up for a disappointment and would pretend that you didn't know about it : )
Calling all Lincoln, NE, hounds
Having been to Lincoln several times, I always look forward to the next trip and the eats. I consider Lincoln an oasis in the desert when it comes to being a foodie. You'll be surprised, pleasantly, by the wide range of options and choices. The presence of all of the feed lots and agricultural conglomerates has resulted in a high number of immigrants in the city doing the work. You'll find Indian, African, Vietnamese markets, and restaurants ranging from more upscale, ie The Oven for sublime Indian food (two locations) to Sher-i Punjab (more low-key, tucked away, and just as yummy.) Blue Orchid is good, the Parthenon is decent (having lived in Athens I'm a bit picky about my Greek food). Nebraskans are open and welcoming people. Talk with them and you'll get all kinds of tips on interesting places to eat. When you find yourself traveling west on the highway someday, be sure to stop in Cozad and try the Italian restaurant and report back, it's Bella Italia.
-----
Bella Italia
114 W 7th St, Cozad, NE 69130
2 dinners MSP: Alma + ?
I agree, that's terrifically encouraging. Will check the location and logistics and may book that with some fair warning for me : ) Am I correct from google maps that it's about 7 miles/15 min ride from the Graves?
deep fried figs sounds sublime. maybe will be too late in the season?
2 dinners MSP: Alma + ?
Thank you for everyone's thoughtful responses. Hmmm.
What's the word on 112 these days? We did very much enjoy a dinner there, would love to know the feeling at present.
Piccolo does look pretty great, maybe a bit spare on the vegetarian options for moi. As a note, I prefer to go to 'better' restaurants, and hope that there are options, and don't shoot for the restaurants that are known for being specifically vegetarian.
We won't be able to drag ourselves out to Travail - one of us will be arriving Sat afternoon after making the trip from Asia. So, much happier to find a place closer to 'home'.
i'm so hungry already, just booked Alma...! thanks, again.
2 dinners MSP: Alma + ?
Thank you so much. We've had drinks at the Graves, but not 'in' the Bradstreet bar. Will do so this time. We've also had a handful of breakfasts and lunches at the hotel, and the food is perfection and the service sublime every time. Simple but elegantly prepared and presented.
A good option for us might be to add in Heidi's for brunch on Sunday, and dine at Saffron Saturday night.
2 dinners MSP: Alma + ?
Heading to MSP in a few weeks for the annual visit and am already hungry. Love your town. As with the last visits, will book Alma for the second of our two dinners. It's always a homerun and makes this vegematarian very happy.
Would love input on the other dinner. Perusing the boards, Saffron seems to be at the top of many lists currently. We'll be at the Graves, so that's an easy destination. We've liked 122. Have not been to Bar La Grassa (have been to Meritage so don't want to do that this trip.)
Less concerned with type of cuisine and looking for the knockout food. One of us lives in Asia, travels a lot, and gets a varied dining experience as a matter of course.
Any votes? And of course I will report back : )
tia
-----
Meritage
410 Saint Peter St, Saint Paul, MN 55102
Bar La Grassa
800 N Washington Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55401
Zuni, Delfina, Perbacco + SF Airport Vicinity Query - 1 Foodie Vegetarian 1 Carnivore
Very tardy follow-up!
Perbacco was perfect. Had the best gnocchi I've ever had - little bites of heaven, so light. I'd asked for a quieter table when booking, and was obliged, as well - had a lot of catching up to do.
We did get to All Spice. Charming. Seemed to be very popular, as well, and we were there on the earlier end of a Saturday evening. The layout (old house, of course) is a bit odd, and if returning I would ask for a table not in the front room - everyone coming and going is coming and going inches from your table. The food was flavorful. The carnivore was happy; I had a chickpea flour pasta, which was a first for me. A row of rolled very wide pasta ribbons, and I don't know if it was the prep or the ingredients but they were quite mushy and soft, which was a surprise. Again, the flavors of everything were interesting, and I would definitely consider it again if looking in that area. It was the opposite noise level of Perbacco - hushed and intimate.
Thank you again to everyone for the input.
-----
Perbacco
230 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111
All Spice Restaurant
1602 S El Camino Real, San Mateo, CA 94402
Zuni, Delfina, Perbacco + SF Airport Vicinity Query - 1 Foodie Vegetarian 1 Carnivore
I suspect that we will go - it really looks charming. Indian is the one thing that the carnivore doesn't eat much of so it might be a nice surprise. He was in Burma last year, so Burmese might've even been "ho-hum" for him! For this MT resident *everything* is grand.
As mentioned, have booked Perbacco for one of the other 2 nights, and am leaning toward Zuni over Delfina for our possible late-arrival other night.
Zuni, Delfina, Perbacco + SF Airport Vicinity Query - 1 Foodie Vegetarian 1 Carnivore
All Spice looks lovely, and has an impressive menu. If nobody chimes in, perhaps I'll be the one to dive in and report back : )
-----
All Spice Restaurant
1602 S El Camino Real, San Mateo, CA 94402
Zuni, Delfina, Perbacco + SF Airport Vicinity Query - 1 Foodie Vegetarian 1 Carnivore
The selection looks yummy - thank you for this tip.
Zuni, Delfina, Perbacco + SF Airport Vicinity Query - 1 Foodie Vegetarian 1 Carnivore
Pricey isn't an issue - good/best is : )
Zuni, Delfina, Perbacco + SF Airport Vicinity Query - 1 Foodie Vegetarian 1 Carnivore
Fair enough : ) Then let's indulge the vegetarian (who lives in Montana) and come up w/ a great Asian resto near the airport. Love Thai, Vietnamese, and Indian.
I did cruise the boards a bit, as suggested, re airport vicinity and will do so again re: those specific cities.
Thanks much!
Zuni, Delfina, Perbacco + SF Airport Vicinity Query - 1 Foodie Vegetarian 1 Carnivore
The carnivore is leaving Saturday night - checking into airport hotel for an early Sun flight... said carnivore made that suggestion as we will be taking care of some things at the airport Saturday afternoon pre-dinner.
We will have a car.
Vegetarian will be picking up a car at airport and after dinner will be taking self to Oakland for the next few days and enjoying Plum and others : )
Update: have booked Perbacco for the Friday
Zuni, Delfina, Perbacco + SF Airport Vicinity Query - 1 Foodie Vegetarian 1 Carnivore
menus are always less helpful than diners -- thank you!
Zuni, Delfina, Perbacco + SF Airport Vicinity Query - 1 Foodie Vegetarian 1 Carnivore
(note: one of us is an avowed carnivore)
I will be booking 2 SF dinners, Union Sq area (ish), and one on a Saturday in the vicinity of the airport. Out of the 3 places I've listed, I need to narrow it down to 2 btwn a Thurs and Fri, and then need to come up w/ something for Saturday near the airport.
Have looked at the menus, I think the weakest one for a vegetarian is Perbacco. Thurs nite dinner will be on the late side, so I'm leaning toward Delfina that night.
Would greatly appreciate some input on these specific restos - have cruised the board and seen comments on vegetarian options so not really looking to add another 6 to the mix ; )
Also, I've been to Greens (yum) and I expect we might do that for a lunch so that we can enjoy the view - have only been there at night.
ps: no "Asian", please - one of us lives in Asia and travels extensively.
Many thanks in advance.
-----
Zuni Cafe
1658 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Perbacco
230 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111
Delfina Restaurant
3621 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Around the loop from Jackson to Yellowstone in July.
Hi -
Local here... and am currently booking for a family member on a similar trek. Having been to Snake River Grill, I'd take a pass. We much preferred the Rendezvous Bistro in Jackson Hole. More lively, more locals and, frankly, better food. Booking that again for this trip - with only one night in Jackson Hole, and not limited as to budget for dinner, that's the choice. www.rendezvousbistro.net
Have a great trip!
-----
Rendezvous Bistro
Highway 89, Jackson, WY 83001
need Spanish rec for tomorrow
many thanks again. I'm leaning toward Txikito - looks like a sweet space and the menu's impressive. Tia Pol is heavier on the tapas as, I think El Quinto is.....? couldn't check the site as it apparently comes with a virus! but that's what I gathered.
thank you SO much for all of the speedy responses.
-----
Tia Pol
205 10th Ave, New York, NY 10011
Txikito
240 9th Ave, New York, NY 10001
need Spanish rec for tomorrow
hello -
Needing a quality, special occasion Spanish rec for this weekend. Perused the boards and didn't find enough consistent info re: that specific issue, only discussions about items offered at different places.
Is Solera a good choice? Would there be a reason *not* to go there? It's in the right neighborhood.
Many thanks in advance,
holdthecow
-----
Solera
216 E 53rd St, New York, NY 10022
Dining spots in Bozeman MT? & area
hello -
First, I'm a Bozeman resident. One who's generally dissatisfied with the dining options here (I think other Bozeman cities, ie Billings, Missoula, have better restaurants.) : ) And not knowing where you're coming from and what your expectations are, it's hard to make suggestions.
You should definitely post again closer to your trip, because in all honesty a couple of the newer places may not even be open - as in survive. Skip Ted's, skip Looie's, the John Bozeman Bistro is okay, but not great. Boodles may or may not be open by the summer - they'd hoped for a pre-Christmas re-opening and it's still on the months-out horizon. Keep that on your radar.
The two new places, Lemongrass Thai and Blackbird Kitchen... I hear mixed things. I've heard some bad things about Lemongrass - shrimp that smells so fishy and icky that my friend wouldn't eat it, her husband did and was, of course, not well. They haven't worked out the kinks of actually having a restaurant. 45 minute waits because no reservations, etc. Blackbird is for pizza.
As for Livingston and the Grille, it's questionable whether that can hang on, either. The food went way downhill after it was sold (it's no longer Russell Chatham's - hasn't been for a few years). They've cut back their hours and evenings of service, and even in the summer with all of the visiting fisherpeople it was deserted. The best thing going there was the bartender, who left to open his own bar.
The 2nd St Bistro has been much better than the Grille. If you're in Lvstn, that would be a better meal. Always more busy, always more locals. And skip Adagio, the "Italian" place - so-so pizza, and pasta - and you get to top it with processed pre-shredded parmigiano-substance ; )
Hope that helps!
Cody to Billings - any good food?
One of my new-fave places in Billings is Cafe DeCamp - make a rez if you go, it's tiny. And popular. www.cafedecamp.com
Another place, that I've mentioned before, is Enzo Bistro. In addition to the decent-for-Montucky fare, the seafood is pretty amazing. www.bistroenzobillings.com
I'm not as big a fan of Walker's as some...
Sun Valley / Ketchum?
Il Naso is a family favorite. Definitely for grown-ups - make a reservation and enjoy.
2nd of 2 dinners in MSP
as with before - love the suggestions and thoughtfulness. thank you all.
one thought on Sunday, to get that out of the way, perhaps... last visit, i'd planned that we'd attempt to get to Hell's Kitchen and didn't. btwn my dad's biz calls & last minute work things that always delay hotel exits, we ate at Cosmo. and it was perfect. so, instead of dealing with getting our respective acts together and trying to have another meal "event', and cab fare, i suspect that relying upon something that we enjoyed would be grand. the comments that i see about Cosmo on the board, including as of late, are that it's good, even outstanding, sometimes, but pricey. by the time we've bothered to get ourselves somewhere else, 6 of one, 1/2 ..... you get the picture. and Cosmo actually has a more elegant brunch selection. the waitstaff is exemplary. i think i've made an executive decision.
i went down a list of everything recommended to date, and none offer lunch on saturday. sorry, Sea Change does. i suspect that we'll be downtown in the hotel area most of the time that day.
thank you for the comment about Heartland and the menu change - saved me from asking that question! thought that might be the case. i think what looked uninspiring was a whole host of cheese-heavy things but i may be confusing that with another menu. does Meritage also change offerings?
2nd of 2 dinners in MSP
Everyone's so helpful! Much gratitude.
A few comments re: suggestions up to this point:
Vincent is closed for lunch, but for weekdays;
I didn't see the items mentioned for Sea Change on the lunch (or dinner) menu - the place looks lovely, but I've seen mixed comments on the board as of late.... anyone been very recently?;
We'll get in a cab and go wherever - that's not a problem. But perhaps lunch in StP would be more problematic and disruptive to being able to do a variety of Mpls things;
Interesting to see Heidi's mentioned - hadn't thought of that. Also have Lucia's bookmarked, and have seen some happy comments of late.
One additional note - I'm a vegetarian, other in party is not (you'll see a bit more about that in my first MSP post two years ago). I don't choose a place based upon that, tho. Find that a great restaurant is a great restaurant is a great restaurant. That being said, the Heartland menu looked a bit uninspiring to me. Saffron looks delish - and is walkable from the Graves where we stay. We enjoyed 112 very much last time.
