gbm's Profile
Visiting Naples
Thanks to both of you. We wound up going with a few other recs from friends, family, and the concierge at the hotel.
Miromare - nice midscale Italian food. We ate outdoors on the patio. It overlooked the water (I think it was the Gordon River). Everything was good and I would recommend the place for the setting, but the food was nothing I couldn't get at any other Italian restaurant.
Roy's - apparently they have another one in Hawaii, and possibly elsehwere. The food was fantastic. I had the ahi tuna, but the short ribs and the snapper were also particularly good. The service was terrific. They couldn't have been nicer or more accomodating. Highly recommended.
Truluck's - maybe it was overhyped, but it was not my favoirte restaurant of the week. It was crowded, and noisy. Although our server was very nice, the overall feel of the restaurant was a little pretentious. The salads came out so fast they must have been pre-made and waiting to be sent out. They were good, but it's hard to go wrong on a salad. I had the ruby trout which was delicious. It was a very large portion. My wife had the halibut which was also very good. Although I didn't like the atmosphere, the food was really great and I would go back given the opportunity.
Campiello - upscale Italian. Very large, very busy, but also very welcoming and made our large party feel at home. Although it was upscale, it was definitely not like Truluck's. I was comfortable in my jeans and flip-flops. Other tables had people wearing everything from shorts to polos to trousers. There was a kids' menu which was great. I started with the spicy calamari which was amazing. Everyone that tried it commented on how light the breading was and how good the calamari tasted. It came with a pesto or aioli which was also very tasty. For dinner I had the tagliatelle with lamb sausage which was excellent as well. I would return here in an instant.
Visiting Naples
Visiting Naples with the family and looking for nice dinner options with the children (7 and 10) and really nice dinner without them.
Lunch in Providence
Thanks.
We wound up being too late to get lunch on the way up due to some car issues and too early on the way back. Maybe next year.
Lunch in Providence
Driving through Providence this Saturday with the wife and kids. Looking for a nice, quick brunch or lunch place that's clean and friendly. Need a salad for mrs gbm and chicken fingers, pancakes, or grilled cheese for the kids.
Thanks.
DiNardo's -- Scott's Corner
Thanks jfood.
DiNardos is a bit pricey for what you get, so we generally do take out. The pizza is less cheesy than Pinocchios, which is a big plus for the mrs. It's unfortunate, because they make one helluva meatball at Pinocchios. (Haven't tried the Pound Ridge Pinnochios, but I assume it's the same).
DiNardos is a quick trip up Ponus Ridge for me. Nino's may be a bit far for take out, but maybe I'll bring the kids one night and give it a shot. I agree with you on Viccolo - definitely last of the bunch.
DiNardo's -- Scott's Corner
Has anyone else noticed the little sign they put up at DiNardo's?
My wife recently picked up dinner and saw a small sign indicating that they have been found to have elevated levels of lead and copper in their water. As a result, bottled water - sparkling or flat - is now available instead of tap.
Soooo....what do they cook with? And do they have well water or city water? If it's city water, is it a larger problem or is it just an old building with old pipes?
I realize I could find out by calling and asking, but they are closed at the moment and I won't remember to do this tomorrow.
Best Chinese Restaurants - Stamford CT
Great food, but I agree it's a bit on the pricey side. We do takeout from there about once a month.
Best Hamburger in Fairfield County
No clue on the beef and haven't paid much attention to the bun, but Cherry Street East in New Canaan and Rory's in Darien are the tops in my book.
Margot's in Stamford anywho been there lately
In the Bull's Head market? If that's the one you are talking about, they have great food. Only been there for lunch, but the salads and veggie burgers (and I do not like veggie burgers) were great.
Valentino's In Yonkers
Used to be great, but it went downhill a few years ago...now it's only good. If you are willin gto travel, you are better off on Arthur Ave in the Bronx. Roberto's or Mario's. I heard that one of them opened a new place, too, it's probably fantastic.
BBQ Joints Westchester and Fairfield Counties
I haven't tried Smokey Joe's, but I am wondering if there has been a revolution at Ash Creek and The Cookhouse. Tried both - couple times each - over the past few years, but no more recently than a year ago. They were awful - fatty (bad way) meat, overcooked, and covered with glop. If you have been there recently, tell me what their best items are and I'll give them another shot.
Mateo's in Stamford
Looks like I am the first to eat there, which I find hard to believe. Here is my experience. Nice atmosphere inside. A little loud, but what do you expect in a family style restaurant. The wait staff was terrific. Very attentive and right on top of a dairy issue.
Salads and apps were nothing to write home about - we had the house chopped salad, caesar, and baked clams.
Main courses were shrimp Wendy (which went so fast i didn't get to taste it - reviews were positive), rigatoni bolognese, ravioli, and chicken Mateo. Chicken Mateo is essentially chicken scarpariello (on the bone) and sausage with assorted vegetables. It is a large dish, but mostly (in our experience) sausage and vegetables. These were terrific, I think the sausage is house made, and the chicken was cooked perfectly (juicy, not overdone) but we would have liked a little more chicken.
All in all, the food was very good. The red sauces were clearly the standout and the service was terrific. I will definitely return for a second meal. It's a great place to take the family for dinner.
Oh, if you don't like garlic you might want to think twice about this restaurant. It wasn't overpowering, but it was in everything. Made me very happy...
North Star in Pound Ridge
Slightly off topic, but it may give other some more comparison info...
How is DiNardos? Came very close to eating there with the kids a couple of weeks ago, but the evening was hot and humid and the doors were wide open. We were not interested in staying to try it out. Took home some Joe's Pizza instead - probably the best pizza around, though Pinocchio's has better sandwiches.
Also, glad to see you put Sole and Bonne Nuit in the same sentence. Bonne Nuit is probably my favorite restaurant in the area - though I find it more of a winter restaurant than summer - warm, cozy. Haven't been there recently and can't wait for the weather to turn chilly.
recommendations in boulder
Thanks so much for all your recommendations. Just a brief review in case you are all interested.
Dinner for two at the Kitchen was fantastic, though a bit slow. I think that is just our 'New York' coming through - not to mention jet lag. Should have eaten at 6:00 instead of 8:00. Anyway, very accomodating, terrific lamb chops and salads...and the waitress who asked if mrs. gbm was "dairy free" when she asked whether the leek and potato soup was cream based made our dinner perfect.
Carelli's was great for a big family dinner. Walnut Cafe provided a very tasty lunch (though there were more flies in that restaurant than I saw in all of Boulder). Efram's (spelling?) catered an event we were at on Sunday and their food was incredible (even after the drive from Longmont...or Louisville, can't get those two straight).
The kids ate with grandma and grandpa gbm while we hiked up to Royal Arch and then spent two hours in the playground. Mrs. gbm and I agree we could have spent the whole week there hiking, if only we had the time...and the babysitting.
Guess we'll have to find time for a return trip.
Mateo's in Stamford
Supposedly the well known and respected Long Island "chain" is opening in the old Fio's on Long Ridge. Frankly, an empty lot would be an improvement on Fio's, but I have heard such great reviews of other Mateo's that I am looking forward to another old fashioned family Italian place in Stamford. So - have they opened? has anyone been there?
Sal's Pizza, Mamaroneck
Pizzas are a very personal topic. Some like them crispy, some like fluffy dough. In Mamaroneck, there are Sal's families and other pizza place families - and the two don't mix. I married into a Sal's family and in ten years have not even sampled another local pizza place. We live out of town and eat all sorts of pizza anywhere else, but nothing is like Sal's. I'm a convert.
recommendations in boulder
we are taking the family to boulder in a few weeks and would love some recommendations on both kid friendly restuarants and more adult restaurants too. thanks in advance.
Fifty Coins in New Canaan
No - and I never claimed to have tried it. I might have gone back to give them a second shot (minus the large group) but (1) no one has given it rave reviews, (2) there are two other burger places in the area that do get rave reviews, and (3) well, honestly, I'm still holding a bit of a grudge for the whole reservation thing.
For anyone who is interested, by the way, Cherry Street East and Rory's are the two other places. I have a really hard time deciding which I like better.
Fifty Coins in New Canaan
I am so disappointed. Tonight, after reading about 50 coins here at chowhound, we decided to give it a shot. We called ahead in the afternoon, knowing that our party of 10 would be difficult to seat, and we didn't want the kids to have to stand around and wait. On the phone, they couldn't ahve been nicer..."we don't usually take reservations, but I will tell them up front. It won't be a problem."
What does that mean to you? To us, it meant this was a great place, willing to accomodate a large group. Well, we were wrong. They did not hold a table. They offered to seat four of us and let the other six wait for a separate table (they didn't think they would be able to get us all at one table together for about a half an hour).
We left...and had a great time (and mediocre food) at Tequila Mockingbird. However, they were so accomodating and pleasant, it made it worthwhile.
I would highly recommend Tequila Mockingbird for a family dinner. I would not recommend starting a new restaurant in the space when 50 coins closes. That spot just seems to be bad luck. (We ate at Savvy too, and mrs gbm had gazpacho spilled in her lap...when we returned for another try, we wished we hadn't).
