kevinabeatty's Profile
Best restaurant in Buenos Aires- La Cabrera
We went in 2009 and LOVED Cabrera! My ribeye was overcooked (to Medium) but who cared?? The server was awesome, the starters were good, the steak was tasty and the wine was really really good. Serving sparkling wine and grilled sausages to us while we waited for seating was a really nice touch as well. We met another couple that night from Denver. We had a friggin' blast chattin' it up with them. We ordered 2 bottles of the wine because we loved it so much. The waiter, as he was bringing us the check said -- with a doggy bag in his hand -- "you liked this wine so much that i had to send another bottle home with you, free of charge". WOW!
Mumbai Restaurants Needed
Hi, I'm going back to Mumbai next month. i tried Khyber last time (disgusting prawn appetizer but yummy butter chicken....beautiful restaurant and excellent service).
This time I will be staying at the Renaissance by Powai Lake. Hiranandani mall area is close. I'm trying to find good Indian places in the nearby area for dinners. They must sell beer and/or wine. i liked the food at Kareem's but it was like eating in a food court and served no beer (Muslim run). i also liked the food at Saffron Spice but didn't LOVE it. Also it was a bit snooty. Any suggestions?? Must be within a mile or two of the hotel due to car service. Although i will be working in Vikhroli so something there would work too.
BTW, the Indian place at the Renaissance (Nuwab) sucks majorly. $14 curries that are absolute crap. Oh, and I asked for a dish to be spicier than usual and they literally just sprayed tobasco in it. It was absolutely disgusting. The italian place there isn't too bad though.
Oh, the Taj President has a good Italian restaurant inside it. And all the food I had at the Intercontinental last time was great.
Thanks!!
my graduation dinner
Floataway is way too expensive for this person. Ditto for Sotto Sotto. Alfredo's is a good choice for the price point. i'd also recommend Mali's thai in Va Highlands.
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Floataway Cafe
1123 Zonolite Road Northeast, Atlanta, GA 30306-2015
Sotto Sotto
313 N. Highland Ave., Atlanta, GA 30307
Floataway, _______, Watershed - fill in the blank?
What is FAB? What does that stand for?
Need to find a BYO in Conshohocken area that is not Blackfish
OK, have finally tried Pepperoncini and Fayette Street Grill. Pepperoncini is off Elm St. in downtown Conshy. The service was friendly and swift. It is not a BYOW, so i ordered a Sauvignon Blanc off the menu that was generic enough but tasty. The pasta we ordered was excellent. Tons of garlic, so if you hate garlic, BEWARE. But we found it marvelous and have returned several times. Not a fancy decorated place. So don't assume a grand dining hall. More like a pub with a dining area.
Ate at Fayette St. Grill last night. They sat us right beside the kitchen counter (it's an open kitchen, much like a Waffle House) and all we could smell was sizzling grease and raw fish. We had to ask to be moved because the smell started to get to some of my tablemates.
Near the front of the restaurant was much better...and away from the kitchen airs. I will tell you that the food is copious, from the app to the entree to the dessert. It is a fixed menu at $33 a person.
I ordered the pumpkin ravioli for appetizer. I got about 10 in a bowl with a nice sauce. The ravioli themselves were not homemade. A brand i'd eaten before from Whole Foods, actually. The pumpkin was pureed in chunks and it was pretty bland/tasteless once you actually bit into the ravioli. I wouldn't order again. I thought how much i would have much preferred to be eating the pumpkin ravioli at Alba in Malvern...but alas.
Then, i broke a cardinal rule of mine: "never order something that looks too good for the price". I opted for the special, with just a small $5 supplement, a grilled lobstertail with grilled shrimp and drawn butter. Served over green beans and white truffle risotto. The shrimp were tasty, but the lobster tail was raw in the middle. I had to send it back for more cooking. The green beans were barely cooked. Now, i LOVE my green beans lightly steamed vs. boiled, but anyone else probably wouldn't have eaten them. They were steamed for no more than 3 minutes. Fortunately, I could withstand them. The white truffle risotto i could easily have made at home. In fact, i have, and it tasted JUST like the one Fayette Street served. There were no actual white truffle shavings in it and very little, if any, white truffle flavor. I know what they used. It was a white truffle olive oil. I have used it before in risotto. The problem with a white truffle olive oil is that the powerful flavor of the olive oil takes over any white truffle. Using a grapeseed oil that has had white truffle aroma infused makes for a MUCH better cooking oil. So, the risotto just tasted of olive oil, althoug h the texture was not gummy. I dunno, the lobster and shrimp on their own were fine, but the accompanying starch and greens didn't fuse well at all.
I concluded with the maple creme brulee. Like most restaurants that cannot, due to its size, afford to have a pastry chef on staff, the desserts were the usual: cheesecake, creme brulee, a cinnamon bread pudding, and ice cream. While the creme brulee was large it was not firm nor rich. Tasted much more like a flan and i didn't taste any maple. I watched ice cream exit the kitchen for another table. 3 large scoops in a dish. At least 10 oz. of ice cream. Come on! Who wants to be served that much dessert?!?
Final Assessment of Fayette Street Grill: Not a bad neighborhood restaurant if you don't expect much and like very large quantity. Imagine it as an upscale diner and you'll be much more pleased with the outcome. Order the simple items. Complex items require complex ingredients and Fayette Street Grill just doesn't have them. The service was very congenial and quick.
I rank restaurants with the following scale:
4 - Best in the City
3 - Definitely Worth a Visit
2 - Good in places, but needs work
1- Dreadful. Avoid at all costs.
For Conshohocken restaurants, here are my ratings thus far:
Fayette Street Grill - 2
Spring Mill Cafe - 3
Pepperoncini - 3
Blackfish - 4
Shula Steaks - 2
Stella Blu - 3
Trattoria Totaro - 2
Atlanta - Near Piedmont Park and Masquerade Theater
i agree about Gilbert's dreish. Don't get me wrong: love to go to Gilbert's for drinks or light mediterranean nibbles. It's great. But brunch, i feel, is its weakest link. i've eaten brunch there 4-5 times and have taken out of town guests there for brunch (i like the atmosphere and for out of towners, the menu has a ton of different things to select from) and have never left impressed with the brunch food. In midtown, i really feel that the best affordable brunch place is Einstein's. It's kinda cliche, but i've always had pretty good brunches there at relatively inexpense. South City Kitchen has GREAT brunch, though it is a tad more expensive. I've also enjoyed the brunch at Front Page News off of Crescent.
Atlanta tapas recommendations?
i, too, like Pura Vida, but Loca Luna has always done me well (in midtown). Sweet Devil Moon, I feel is a tad overpriced. Fuego is great from 4:00-6:00 p.m. during the week. They have $1 tapas! It's pretty good too. Cuerno just opened up this year and it has a small tapas menu. I hear the atmosphere is why you go there, not so much the food. The most expensive out of this group is Pura Vida...but i agree, it's also the best of the lot.
ATL -- Downtown/ Midtown recs?
OK, i'll give you very specific recommendations that i think you'll be very happy with:
For Dinner: Ecco. Take the MARTA train to the North Ave. stop. Get off and walk toward the numbered streets. i think Ecco is on 7th st. (you'll cross Ponce de Leon before the numbers start...but that's your indication that you're going the right way. Ponce is parallel to North Ave. and just north of it. It's easy to get to from your hotel and in a cool part of town. Downtown is depressing.
For breakfast: Flying Biscuit in midtown. Take MARTA train to the Midtown stop. When you walk off of MARTA you should see 10th st. in front of you. If you don't, you went out the wrong side. Make a right on 10th st. and walk uphill. You'll cross Peachtree. Then Juniper. Then, next block is Piedmont. Corner of 10th and Piedmont is Flying Biscuit. i always get this one breakfast combo. It has like 2 eggs, chicken sausage, and the best peach covered buckwheat pancake you'll ever eat. All breakfasts include this amazingly fluffy buttermilk biscuit with cranberry butter to smear over it.
It ALWAYS has a long line on the weekends, so get there early if you can. The walk is very enjoyable. This is my favorite part of town, since it's right on the park (Piedmont Park), but i'm a bit biased as i live on 12th st! Enjoy!!! Let me know what you thought of the suggestions if you try.
Floataway, _______, Watershed - fill in the blank?
Baraonda is NOT closed. Jut ordered a prosciutto and arugula pizza from there this weekend. BTW, that pizza will blow your mind. You must try it. Italy in your moth. Wait, that didn't sound good...
Need help w/ 2 dinners in Atlanta
i'm gonna answer your original question from the 4:
Ecco - best choice
Globe- closed last month for good...so...no
Peasant Bistro - it's not bad, but why settle for mediocre to good when in Atlanta?
Two Urban Licks - It's sister restaurant is about the same distance from downtown (One Midtown Kitchen) and i prefer way more. TUL is good for apps but avoid the entrees and desserts at all costs. OMK also has a cool wine deal. Bottomless glass of wine. You pay $22 and you get to pick from 5 whites, 5 reds, a dessert wine, and a sparkling wine. As many glasses as you want! That's the lowest tier, with higher tiered wine selects at $33, $44, $55 (something along those lines) for unlimited glasses. The $22 tier isn't that bad though; however, i usually go for the $33 tier. You can always receive wines from a lower tier than the one you ordered from *if you're curious about one*. It's a great way to just snack on different apps.
To collaborate with other posters, Sotto Sotto is just as good as Ecco but a bit further cab drive.
Woodfire Grill is great but a tad more expensive. i love eating here. Thursday nights now are 1/2 off bottles AND glasses of wine (can you see a theme for me here?!).
i'd also recommend Rathbun's or Rathbun's Steak. They're both excellent. Not far from downtown.
If you're looking for a meal to end all meals, go to Bacchanalia. It's the best in Atlanta, hands down, and also not that far from downtown. It will run you about $150/person, including wine, but it's amazing.
Also, Cuerno, a midtown spanish loungey restaurant has really good food and atmosphere. It's pretty close to downtown too.
Loca Luna has great tapas and is not too far from downtown. It's near One Midtown Kitchen. Inexpensive tapas with a fun atmosphere. It is the sister restaurant to Eclipse de Luna (mentioned by another poster herein) and tastes about the same.
Floataway Cafe may be a little too far.
Atmosphere french bistro is really nice. It's in midtown, although on the other side of midtown. It's in an old restored house. Great steak and frites. Also a good scallop dish with foamy white truffle sauce.
Atlanta - Good, easy to get to and late night..
The food at Bamboo Luau used to be great about 7-8 years ago. To this day, they had the best Chicken & Garlic Sauce i have ever eaten in Atlanta. Tried them about 6 months ago and the food didn't taste nearly the same. The entire recipes of old are gone. Some of the worst chinese i've eaten in the ATL in like 5 years.
Best Indian in Atlanta
Really? I've eaten at Panahar (which i thought was quite good though not the best indian i've ever eaten) and Rose of India. I was sort of disappointed with ROI. The sauce for my dish definitely tasted like it was canned. Really wasn't good or homemade tasting. And the owner was very intent that you know that he was only going to be BYOW for another week. That pissed me off a bit. Not that they were transforming to a joint with a beer/wine license, but the way he broadcasted it. But, ultimately, it will be the food that has me not coming back.
Atlanta - midtown recs
i think Daddy D's is the best of the bunch you had listed, Liz. Not quite downtown, but not far. Definitely not midtown.
Puerto Vallarta restaurant report
i tried the crickets. They were only $100 pesos and i thought "why not? you'll never have the opportunity again, probably". They were not bad. Didn't have the smelly cricket flavor I was wary of. Also had the duck. It was just "good" for me, though. I had much better dinners at much smaller prices elsewhere.
Puerto Vallarta restaurant report
i also thought El Arrayan was one of the most disappointing meals I had in PV. It was just OK, but the price tag was very high for PV. For a better gourmet PV experience, with a similar price tag and wonderful atmosphere, i'd highly recommend Trio, downtown. Very nice.
Lunch Just Off of Route 40 Near Statesville or Hickory?
OMG , i used to live in Claremont and raved to fellow Chapel Hillians about Claremont Cafe cheeseburgers. Good to have the back up! Also, my dad lives in Statesville and used to take us to Keaton's as kids. i thought it was weird, at age 10, eating at a converted gas station, but makes a ton of sense now, with all the trendy restaurant openings!! haha, but Keaton's never was a trend spot. Just good original fried chicken. I do remember being aghast, even at aged 10, about their omnipresent sanitation grade of "C". Wonder if that has changed.
Need to find a BYO in Conshohocken area that is not Blackfish
We ate at Trattoria Totaro's on Spring Mill for my birthday the other week. The appetizers and entrees were basic home cooked italian meals. Nothing fancy AT ALL, but basic trattoria fare. The food was a tad under salted, but some salt fixed it up nicely.
I will say that for $20-$30/entree it totally wasn't worth it. In Atlanta, you would pay about $14-$17 for the same food. Also, the atmosphere was like being in a take out shop...which it is. The service was also like a small diner: nice, friendly, but nothing extraordinary.
After eating, we decided to try one of their great desserts mentioned on this website by others. My b-day was a Wednesday and when i asked about desserts, the waitress informed us that she was in charge of making them and had not made any that night since it was gonna be a slown night (we were one of only 2 tables that night). She said she had 2 left over desserts from Tuesday night or ice cream. Yuk. I ate at Blackfish the next week and there is absolutely no comparison in food, service, or atmosphere. Blackfish the best we've eaten at in Conshy. Trying Fayette St. Grill and Pepperoncini this week.
Blackfish (Conshohocken) - mediocre
i ate here for the first time last Tuesday. I'm in Conshohocken on business and it is just 5 or 6 blocks from my hotel.
I was alone on a Wed. night at 9:00 and thought i'd have no problem getting a table. Wrong! The place was packed! I waited for 20 minutes and then was seated. The server and hostess were great about holding my white wine in a chiller while i waited. The server, Nina, was excellent. She had my wine chilled in a zip when i got to my table.
This night there was an amuse bouche of a peach foam with cilantro and something else. It was perfect! A good light palette opener.
Next i tried the foie gras. I thought the appetizer selection was severely limited, so i went with an old fave. While the foie gras was adequate, it was nothing special. I would rate it as: good.
They were out of the wild striped bass that night...which is what i wanted. Halibut was served instead as the fish and i wasn't feelin' halibut. So, i went with a house specialty entree of surf and turf (day boat scallops with braised beef ribs) and parsnip puree. The entree was fantastic. The day boat scallops were cooked perfectly. I will say the braised beef was a tad over braised but the sauce was wonderful and potent. The parsnip puree was outstanding. i think i would like to try that dish earlier in the evening (my entree came at 10:00). i think the braised beef would have been much better at 6:30 or 7:00. Overall i'd get the entree a rating of: Very Good to Excellent. Unlike the other poster, i prefer a restaurant that has a very limited entree selection. i prefer a few things, all cooked very well than a lot of things cooled good to very well.
For dessert, the selection was not very imaginative. So, i went with my old stand by, creme brulee. The creme brulee was sizeable (i could only finish 1/2 of it) and expertly cooked. Nothing fancy, but just good basic creme brulee...very firm (i hate runny creme brulee). I had a coffee with it and it was outstanding.
Throughout dinner my server was excellent. i'll definitely ask for her again when my work group comes back after their labor day break.
I'd give it 3.5 out of 5 stars
Definitely worth the venture and it is a BYO!
btw - the chef came through during dinner and was very friendly.
A dining plan for Mid-Town Atlanta...Good? Bad?
i think i read recently that he will be heading the restaurant, Home, where Haven used to be. I took a look at their menu and it didn't impress me too much. Too heavy.
Puerto Vallarta - Best tacos
I've been to PV 6 times in the past 5 months and after sampling many different restaurants, I have come to the resounding conclusion that the best food i've had in the entire city was found at an unmarked, though large, taco stand. It is on the corner of Federico Medina and Francia. It is always packed and for good reason.
Try the steak asada or fried fish tacos or quesadillas. The camarrones are good too. Phenomenal. And don't forget to lace them with the ""help yourself" marinated red onions. Yum. Tacos run about 90 cents to 1.20 and quesadillas are about $2.00. Worth every penny and more. The stand is called Mare y Terra Tacos, but the name only exists on the menus. I go there each visit, at least once a day.
Kevin
Puerto Vallarta - Best tacos
I've been to PV 6 times in the past 5 months and after sampling many different restaurants, I have come to the resounding conclusion that the best food i've had in the entire city was found at an unmarked, though large, taco stand. It is on the corner of Federico Medina and Francia. It is always packed and for good reason.
Try the steak asada or fried fish tacos or quesadillas. The camarrones are good too. Phenomenal. And don't forget to lace them with the ""help yourself" marinated red onions. Yum. Tacos run about 90 cents to 1.20 and quesadillas are about $2.00. Worth every penny and more. The stand is called Mare y Terra Tacos, but the name only exists on the menus. I go there each visit, at least once a day.
Kevin
A dining plan for Mid-Town Atlanta...Good? Bad?
Blais is now in Florida working at another restaurant. The food is much less imaginative (no shocker) without him at the helm. It's a bit tiresome, now, for me. Reflects more bar food than haute cuisine.
one midtown kitchen
Yes, many times. It was best when Richard Blais was head chef. The new-"ish" chef, Tom Harvey, is probably my least favorite. As a result, i don't eat there any more.
Best Indian in Atlanta
i ate at Rose of India upon recommendation of this board. The soup was very good, but the Chicken Tikka Masala tasted like it came from a pre-made mix. i've had much much better.
Puerto Vallarta restaurant report
Just got back from my 3rd trip in 3 months to PV and added a new restaurant to the list: Trio. This restaurant was voted one of the top 3 restaurants of PV. After savoring New Years Eve dinner there, i can definitely see why.
We started with the venison salad. The venison was a carpaccio-style, drifting through mounds of arugula and walnut dressing. I will say that its one of the most complex and delicious salads i've ever eaten. I was amazed.
The next course was the lobster raviolis with shrimp. This, too, was cooked well and had a nice taste, although the lobster was hard to distinguish.
The 3rd course was the sea bass in mediterranean herbs (mainly basil) with balsalmic'd tomatoes. When I dug in the fish was dry and obviously overcooked. It had the texture of talapia...something was wrong. The waiter was judging our faces for any sour expressions and immediately swung by to ask the problem. I let him know that the fish was overcooked and asked if he may bring me another one. He obliged swiftly, and within minutes a new entree was on the table. Bliss! It was superb. My date literally said, "it's like a mouth orgasm". We were in heaven.
We thought dessert was next, as the waiter had indicated it was a choice between the duck/root vegetables and the sea bass. But he was wrong! The duck breast arrived next, immersed in a mushroom ragout and root vegetables. The serving size was beyond plentiful, but i will say we were least happy with the duck, of all courses. It was cooked to perfection, but the flavor was a tad off. I'd rate it "good".
The final course was just wonderful. Homemade cranberry ice cream with mounds of smashed cranberries, with pumpkin chunks expertly sweetened. A chocolate flourless cake sat to its right, but was entirely overshadowed by the pumpkin and ice cream.
We were very happy with the dinner and the romantic atmosphere. We'll be back! Thanks to Paula, et al. at Trio's!
Just Returned from Puerto Vallarta
No sign any longer at La Palapa...at least not the night we were there. Bronwen, i, too, usually don't mind a long wait while on vacation. You're right. Does give time to sit back and enjoy. But we'd prefer that for dinner. With lunch, we have things scheduled before and afterward. Lunch really doesn't need to be a 2 hour adventure. Plus, they never came by in the 45 mins. to offer more chips to nibble on either. It was a tad depressing.
You're right, hot tamale, about the 6:00 nightly opening of El Arroyan. We're going Friday night at 6:45! My flight gets in at 3:48. i can't wait!
And just scheduled another trip back Christmas week. We'll have to try Red Cabbage then!
Just Returned from Puerto Vallarta
We go to Puerto Vallarta every few years and happened upon La Palapa the last time we were there by accident. It was just amazing!
So, we had to go back and experience it again -- and of course we had to take in some other recommendations from chowhound...
La Palapa - Initially we were seated in one of the oceanside tables and that was a mistake. Street peddlers kept coming to the table and interrupting our conversation. We finally asked to be moved, since the management didn't intervene. Once inside (well, under the palapa), we were off to fine dining! We started with the roasted tomato mussels. The mussels were some of the largest i've ever eaten and were very tender to be so big. The flavors from the tomato were delightful and the texture was creamy. We asked for extra bread (which is great there btw) to sop up the remainder of the tomato cream.
My dinner companion had the tuna which i found to be OK, and i had the chilean sea bass encrusted with macadamias and over a bed of sauteed leeks in guanabana sauce. Very good. The sauvignon blanc by the glass was very good too and recommended.
Although our food was very good that night, it wasn't great. Although I liked my fish, it definitely wasn't one of the very best fish dishes i have eaten.. And at 320 pesos....it better be amazing. Our visit 5 years ago was definitely better. I think we'll strike out and try some other places next time. But, i'd definitely advise to go here yourself and give it a try.
We ate at Langostino's the first night. We saw it as we walked Los Muertos beach. We knew it was just a touristy restaurant, but we liked the view and wanted something quick and inexpensive. The food was filling and served its purpose, but nothing to write home about. The service, however, was the worst we received (BY FAR) during the entire trip. We had to continually go after to find our server. He was plain bad. He knew we weren't happy, so he automatically added a 15% gratuity into the bill -- nice.
We ate almost every day at this mexican restaurant right off Los Oltas (right beside the elementary school), but can't remember the name! It was like Olas Nostros or something. Very dependable and good mexican food. Food was fast, fresh, and yummy. We ate there at least once a day. Pepe's, right next door was only open for dinner and late night. It was like a closet with small card tables inside. Tiny. Very good cheap late night fare, however. We would usually have our fill of chicken quesadillas, tortillas, and beers and leave never with a bill over $20.00 for the lot. We were there @ 2:00 a.m. on more than one occasion.
We finally found El Arroyan, but it was not open for lunch. So, we never made it through the doors. Next time. I'll be back next month, so definitely will try.
Went to have lunch at El Dorado on our last day. It is right beside La Palapa. Not many diners when we were seated. Heard from many that it was good, albeit expensive, mexican food. Sat down, ordered margaritas and our lunch. They were right. Food is expensive as the lunch entree i ordered was 155 pesos. Slowly drained the margaritas. 15 minutes passed. 30 minutes passed. 45 minutes passed. We finished our margaritas, left money on the table for them, saw our waiter at the door and said, "Cancel our order. We'd like to eat before our vacation ends". Won't be back there.
Kevin
Puerto Vallarta restaurant report
Wow, good recommendations. I've saved the URL for El Arrayan and will definitely be eating there. Last time i was in PV we ate at La Palaypa due to some great internet reviews. We ate at lunch and it was just dead. We were a little nervous, but tried anyway. MAN, what a great meal. We absolutely loved it. Best food we had eaten all week and were devastated that we tried it last day. My friend had grilled fish (I think it was snapper) which was perfectly cooked with a scented risotto cake and some veggies--all of which were phenomenal. I had the lobster/crab enchilada and it was out of this world. Best i've ever had. We're going back in October when we arrive again.
Best Steak in Chicago?
I like Morton's a lot. But Tramonto's in Wheeling was exceptional too. We had the 40 oz. tomahawk chop that was just sensational!
Gibson's was a good atmosphere and good steaks, but not amazing. I agree that they need some more seasoning. Great place to have a martini though and people watch. If you do a sapphire martini w/ blue cheese stuffed olives and follow with one of their burgers you'll be very happy. :-)
New Tramonto/Gand Restaurants in Wheeling
We've been staying at the Westin and have tried all 3 restaurants as well. We like the atmosphere of the sushi bar. Just a great, relaxing place to have some sake, a martine, or some light sushi. The sushi is good, but not the best we've had in the area. But it's up there.
Osteria has been great each time. Delicious pasta dishes. I really like the duck dish too. Haven't tried the pizza yet, but probably will next week.
The steak/seafood restaurant is our favorite. Hip, though refined decor, and wonderful service. You feel like you're downtown Chicago or midtown, Atlanta. The wine selection is out of this world. The tomahawk chop (40 oz.) ribeye should not be missed, but definitely be shared!
The desserts were good, though not exceptional. Sides were ditto. Still, altogether, definitely worth it. Will be back soon.
