jeanpoutine's Profile
Three nights in Healdsburg (Cyrus and where else?)
We are splurging on Cyrus our last night in town, looking for more moderate to low priced options for the other two nights. I'd like to keep it in Healdsburg so that we can enjoy plenty of wine with our dinner and have a leisurely walk back to the hotel.
How is Dry Creek Inn these days? It's not cheap either, so I don't really want to drop the coin for a 2nd medium-expensive dinner if its not great. Is it a better option for lunch? I know they had a MIchelin star at one point but don't anymore. Not sure if that is meaningful or not.
I like the looks of the menu at Scopa, any other places to check out in that price range?
We are also looking for cheap, quick lunches on the road between winery visits. We will be mostly in the Russian River Valley and points north, so it looks like Santa Rosa and Sonoma would be a little out of the way but maybe workable. We may just end up doing picnic lunches, so tips for places to stop and eat would be appreciated also.
Thanks!
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Scopa
109 Plaza St, Healdsburg, CA 95448
Guidance needed for a group of chefs/sommeliers
Hello hounds of mtl. I am a former Montrealer, now living in Chicago, where I work as a sommelier. I'm organizing a 3 day trip this summer for a group of chefs, sommeliers and a couple of non-professional hardcore foodies. I have a pretty solid idea of where we want to go, a lot of ground to cover and not a ton of time, but I wanted to make sure we are not missing any place absolutely essential, especially newer places that have opened since 2006, when I left town. Also, I was pretty broke during most of my 7 years living in Mtl, so my first hand knowledge is more steamies and poutine than fine dining (although we are looking to cover the full range on this trip). My boss told me to try to find out "where the chefs eat", but I do not know anyone working in the industry in Montreal anymore. Price is not an object (although value is, not looking to spend for the sake of spending), these guys have no problem shelling out as long as the goods are delivered. Places that serve late are a bonus as we will probably eat 2 dinners most nights.
Anyway, here is my short list:
Le Club Chasse et Peche
Au Pied du Cochon
Joe Beef or Liverpool House (which one?)
Toque
Milos
DNA
L'Express (or Lemeac? somewhere else?)
Mas Cuisine (Brunoise was one of my very favorite meals)
Other places I had thought of/heard of:
Le Local
Ferreira
La Chronique
La Montee
Kitchen Galerie
Garde Manger
We will also be hitting some more casual/quick places for a bite (Romados, Lester's, Banquise, etc.)
Thoughts/tips/suggestions?
Thanks!
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Joe Beef
2491 Rue Notre-Dame W, Montreal, QC H3J1N6, CA
L'Express Restaurant
3927 Rue Saint-Denis, Montreal, QC H2W2M4, CA
Mas Cuisine
3779 Rue Wellington, Verdun, QC H4G, CA
Le Local
740 rue William, Montréal, QC H3C 1P1, CA
Kitchen Galerie
60 Rue Jean-Talon E, Montreal, QC H2R1S5, CA
Where to go for amazing high end food?
Another vote for Avenues here. I haven't eaten all over town, but I have been to Avenues and Schwa and I found the calibre of cuisine very comparable between the two, albeit in radically different environments (couldn't get much further apart in terms of style and service than those two really). The wagyu ribeye at Avenues is in the discussion for the best thing I've ever eaten.
If you were interested in Schwa or Alinea, it might interest you to know that Chef Duffy shares common roots with Achatz and Carlson going back to Trio where Duffy was sous chef.
Client heading to town. Need to shamelessly kiss his A**
For steak, I would definitely consider David Burke's Primehouse, especially if you care about quality service and a real wine list.
I would also add Avenues to the $$$$ category. Depending on your guest, I think Alinea could be a bit challenging for some non-foodies, while Avenues would provide some of that creative technique and wow factor while being a bit more approachable. I would definitely rather go there than Tru. Best service I have ever had.
Restaurants in my new 'hood - Division and Wood?
I lived in this area for a year and never found much on the Division strip that really did much for me, but there are lots of good options in the neighborhood.
Pasadita (3 locations on Ashland south of Division) is among my favorite taquerias in Chicago. Purists tend to prefer the minimalist east side location, but the bigger sit down place on the west side is my go to for the rib eye super burrito. I live in Pilsen now, but I still hop on the 9 bus from time to time to get a Pasadita burrito.
Also, Piece on North makes excellent thin crust pizza (East coast style, not Chicago cracker crust) and brews their own beer. I also love Harold's fried chicken on Miwaukee, and while it is certainly not among the bbq greats in Chicago, Smoke Daddy on Division turns out a tasty pulled pork sandwich.
Looking for duck legs and fat
Frozen duck legs are available at Paulina Meats, and from what I recall are not too exorbitant by retail standards (roughly $6-7 for two legs, depending on weight.....more for confit). I've only had the confit but it was very good. They also have small tubs of fat but I remember thinking they were pretty pricey, (although I have never purchased duck fat so I don't really know what a good price would be). I do imagine you would be able to render a good amount of fat from the legs though.
I love Columbus Meats, they are my go to place for steak (unless I want to splurge at Paulina or Gepperth's), but I am quite certain they do not carry duck or pork belly. Definitely try their steaks though, typically $7-8/lb. for choice or better strips, t-bone and ribeye. I'm not blown away every single time, but its always at least decent and sometimes as good as choice from Paulina for less than half the price. Everything is cut to your specs too, which I like.
Nearby Peoria Packing carries pork belly but you have to buy the whole thing, which is much too much for my purposes. I have sadly yet to find anywhere that will sell you just 2 or 3 lbs. of belly. Peoria is cheap cheap though for pork, chicken, sausage etc., as well as some beef (ground chuck, short ribs, anything you want to slow cook), and on occasion will have decent ribeyes for 2.99/lb. The steaks are very hit or miss though.
Wine Shop
Just FYI the Tasting Room and Randolph Wine Cellars are the same establishment. RWC is the retail store, the Tasting Room is the wine bar.
Binnys and Sams are fine if you need a lot of choice, and have a good idea of what you want, but to echo other comments, the service can range from non-existent to hit or miss. there are a few good salespeople at those stores but they seem to be more the exception than the rule. Also the quality control at the buying level seems spotty, whereas at the good indie stores I feel like they are more discriminating about the product they bring in.
For me I have found the best combination of knowledge, service, selection and pricing at RWC and Wine Discount Center. I have also had good experiences at Lush, Gentiles, Cellar Rat and Perman, but they are smaller and more limited.
Midtown or just South of Midtown BBQ
Have you been to Honey 1? I am a bbq aficionado, although by no means an expert, and I find their ribs and pulled pork delicious and authentic (so far as I can tell). They do have tips and links as well, but I find it hard to resist the pulled pork and my SO loves ribs...
fulton market butchers
Peoria Packing is great for cheap cheap prices. I tend to shop there for things like chicken, pork, bulk sausages, ground beef and stuff like short ribs. However, I do find the quality of their steaks often lacking.
For nicer steaks at still reasonable prices, I love Columbus Meats on Randolph. They carry choice or higher beef, and will custom cut and trim to your needs. T-bones, strips and ribeyes are typically $6-8/lb.
Budget friendly but high quality wine for a reunion
For a red, I love the Celler de Capcanes Mas Donis Montsant. It's a Spanish syrah/grenache blend made from very old vines, and is absolutely delicious. Its juicy enough to appeal to a crowd, but interesting enough for wine people. It's a custom bottling for Eric Solomon, who's wines are well distributed nationally and retails for about $12-13 in here in Chicago.
Wedding venue with REALLY good food?
I am going to be getting married in Toronto, and we are looking for a venue with top notch food and a capacity of at least 125. We are both really into food and wine but don't live in Toronto, and want to find someplace with something other than bland banquet food. I would love to find something creative and fresh, with a good wine list or the possibility to bring in our own wine. A nice setting would great too of course, but I have been to too many weddings at "nice" places that have really mediocre food. Any thoughts?
Please Help this LA Hound avoid a Chain Steak
Maybe David Burke's Primehouse? It's not a chain in the sense of Morton's, Smith and Wollensky, etc., and is definitely new and hip, with service and decor that you wouldn't expect from a "steakhouse". They have incredible dry aged steaks, and while I've never tried them, a number of the non-steak options do sound tempting. I also like their wine list, which you can peruse of their website. They definitely offer a lot of diverse alternatives to the standard overpriced big name cabs.
Alinea - corkage fee versus their wines
Yeah, in my experience most 3 and 4 star restaurants in Chicago take their wine programs very seriously. You will pay a markup of course, but I have never had trouble finding suitable wine in the upper echelon of Chicago restaurant. I have on occasion encountered pushy upselling servers, but have ultimately never really had a problem with the wine I've ended up with.
I love BYOB but would never do so at Alinea. If you are looking for a BYOB experience with that style of cuisine though you could try getting a table at Schwa (my advice would be not to leave a message, but just call during the afternoon until you get through to a live person - if you are flexible you might be able to get in).
Particularly if you like old world wines, you will probably find many gems here that you might not come across on the west coast. IMO, we are really the best market in the country for imported wine other than NY.
Best Bifana
Hey,
I've skimmed the Frango Churrasco thread, but I am really craving a good bifana. I havent had one since I left Montreal a while back. I was a regular at Romados for a number of years, so that is really my benchmark. Any thoughts?
Portuguese, Pasteis de Natas?
are there any portuguese restaurants in the chicago area? i've been craving a bifana ever since i moved away from montreal. please help!
