sarahinthecity's Profile
Tough one - Pittsburgh: Sunday night Graduation dinner. 2 foodies, 1 vegetarian, 2 cheap parents
I'm actually leaning towards Church Brew Works now. Not as fancy looking, but veggie options, craft brews, and low(er) prices should do the trick!
Tough one - Pittsburgh: Sunday night Graduation dinner. 2 foodies, 1 vegetarian, 2 cheap parents
Ah, Legume looks good, but I am so turned off by the overuse of ramps! They are in almost every dish on the menu right now.
I'm looking into Casbah and others some more, thanks for those.
Tough one - Pittsburgh: Sunday night Graduation dinner. 2 foodies, 1 vegetarian, 2 cheap parents
Here is a tough one. I want to make reservations for a graduation dinner in Pittsburgh this Sunday. I found several great looking places (nine on nine, toast, avenue b) and all are closed on Sundays!
We are: two foodies, one vegetarian, and two parents who don't want to break the bank (i.e. entrees under $30).
Help?
The Breakers - NFL games?
Thanks - watching the Eagles. I'm going to a conference, with only about 3 hours in between events, so I didn't want to leave the hotel.
The Breakers - NFL games?
Hello! Does anyone know if The Breakers has a lounge with all of the NFL games on Sundays? I'm headed down but don't want to miss the game!
Thanks!
Foodie anniversary dinner in Portland
Phew - thank goodness for you guys! I didn't realize so much would be closed Sunday. Just made a reservation at Fore Street. They were booked up otherwise for the whole weekend! Wow Five Fifty Five looks great! There are SO many choices, 5 days won't be enough time!
Foodie anniversary dinner in Portland
We're a mid-20s couple from DC going to Portland this weekend for our first wedding anniversary. We're big foodies and love trying restaurants that are interesting and different - nothing stale or boring! I've used the boards to narrow my search down and wanted to get some advice from you all. Since its a special occasion, I'd like it to be an upscale place (kind of hard to tell from their websites, which seem a little outdated?), but not stuffy.
Where would you recommend for our anniversary dinner on Sunday night?
Hugo's (My husband is super excited for the blind tasting)
Fore Street
Bresca
Also, here are the some places I flagged for other dinners, any favorites?
Salt exchange
Caiola's
Bar Lola
Petite Jacqueline
Thank you!
Best French and Italian in Boulder, CO
From something like September 30-mid-October. The whole time we're in Colorado!
Best French and Italian in Boulder, CO
I'm staying in Estes Park for my honeymoon (yay!) in October and haven't found many good looking restaurants there, but I found a ton in Boulder. Can you all help me narrow the choices down?
French: Brasserie TenTen, Radex, Mateo, L'Atelier
Italian: Colterra (is this kind of French too?), Alba.
So sad, Frasca is closed for renovations during this time.
I think we'll also go to Zolo one night and try French and Italian on 2 other nights.
Also, if you have any Fort Collins recs, I would love them! Thank you!
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L'Atelier
1739 Pearl St, Boulder, CO 80302
Colterra
210 Franklin St., Niwot, CO 80504
Great cocktails in Dallas?
Staying at the Four Seasons Las Colinas, willing to drive 30 mins.
Great cocktails in Dallas?
I'll be in Dallas for a weekend. Where can I go to drink unique delicious cocktails? Other suggestions for cool bars to try also appreciated!
Are there any cheap Charm City copy cats?
I want to get my fiance a fun cake for our wedding next year. I love what Charm City Cakes does, but cannot afford $500-$1000 for a groom's cake!
Does anyone know of bakeries that do similar work to Charm City's at a more reasonable price?
Wedding is in Virginia if that helps, about an hour from DC near Front Royal.
Kora in Crystal City - Review (2 thumbs up!)
Had dinner at Kora in Crystal City that just opened a few weeks ago in the old Bebo Trattoria space. The chef is Morou Ouattara from Farrah Olivia. I live in the neighborhood and had several disappointing experiences at Bebo, so I was happy to see a new restaurant opening. What a pleasant surprise it was!
They have a fantastic gin fizz, made with ginger soda. Nice wine list, with reasonably priced, well-paired glasses of red and white. We started with half orders of the butternut squash tortelloni and the squid ink tagliatelle. The tortelloni was the perfect balance of sweet butternut filling with savory butter sauce and some kind of fancy oil (maybe truffle oil?). It was also cooked very nicely, al dente. The calamari on the squid ink pasta was very lightly breaded, so it was slightly crispy and delicious.
For entrees, we had the salmon and quail. The salmon was cooked perfectly medium, crispy on top. It paired perfectly with the saffron orzo and there was that great butter sauce again. The combination of the salmon with the orzo was clearly well-thought out because the textures together were awesome. The 2 quails were stuffed with sage sausage and served on top of polenta. It was easy to eat because the quail had been deboned in the middle. Our waitress suggested a nice red to pair with the slight gameyness of the quail. We skipped dessert in favor of getting a couple more cocktails at the bar.
Our waitress was attentive and friendly, a welcome attitude compared to the disjointed, awkward service at Bebo. The space is still pretty and has been updated with a purple theme.
We've recently struck out with Italian restuarants at Dino and Potenza, so I was thrilled to find this great new spot. Its one of the best restaurants we've been to in Arlington or Alexandria. I'll definitely be back, frequently I hope. Highly recommend it!
Coming to DC with 8 year old
I always take younger family members to Luigis off of L street just south of Dupont. Its the kind of place we would go to at home in Philly, casual Italian, pasta and pizza -- the kind of place where dinner comes with a salad or minestrone.
My Search for a Decent Sunday Brunch (Ongoing)
Third. Terrible service, none of the waiters spoke English when I was there last month.
16th & K NW
Not sure how it is at happy hour, but I went to Olives at 16th and K the other day for lunch. The bar area looked awesome and the food was delicious.
Belga Cafe review
Sounds good, I will check out those other spots. We went over to Matchbox for dessert, had the ice cream sandwich and a chocolate molten cake with ice cream. They have a great space, love those giant tall ceilings.
Belga Cafe review
Went to Belga Cafe last night. It was excellent. From the reviews on the board, I expected snooty service, but didn't experience it. The hostess was very nice and checked in with us a couple times while we waited for a table. They bought our table some macaroni croquettes on the house to start, delicious. We tried the oxtail consomme and the cheese plate to start. The consomme came out in a french press pot to get poured in the bowl, a nice touch, and it was tasty. The cheeses were brie, blue, and two stinky varieties, not sure the exact type (our waitress was nice, but hard to hear and had an accent). Wasn't really a fan of any of them, not the restaurant's fault, just my taste.
For entrees, we had the lamb, beef stew, and venison. I thought the lamb was too chewy, but my friends liked it. The beef stew was tasty, maybe a little bit overcooked because it seemed chewy for slow cooked stew meat. It came with Belgian fries which were delicious (although they came out with no salt on them). I've never had such tender venison as this dish. What is usually a hard, chewy meat in my opinion, practically melted in your mouth (still has that gamey taste though).
My boyfriend tried 2 of the Belgian beers, dark ones to pair with the venison. The waitress brought out ones she thought would be good, he liked them both. I thought the prices were reasonable for DC, beef stew was about $17 I think and the other two were around $25. Plus, valet parking outside was $6, can't beat that downtown. The restaurant itself was a great atmosphere, dark lighting with flickering candles and close-set tables with pretty place settings. Unpretentious with a neighborhood feel. I would definitely go back to Belga and to that neighborhood in general.
Unusual food / wild game dinner?
that is the best idea ever, we went to pearmund a few months ago and loved it. i just got on their waiting list, i'm third in line and they haven't had any cancellations yet. i'm disappointed, that is really the most perfect idea. back to the drawing board.
Unusual food / wild game dinner?
Last year I took my boyfriend to Butterfield9 for a wild game tasting menu for his birthday. He loves unusual food and wild game. I'm trying to think of a good place to take him this year in DC or anywhere in Northern Virginia. I'd prefer to keep it upscale, but am open to all suggestions. Thank you chowhounds!
First visit to San Diego! Where to eat?!
Ok! Were home, time to run down our fabulous San Diego dinners.
Thursday we went to the Linkery which was an awesome place. Great decor and lighting, we got a burger which was yummy, not the best ever but good, and some sausages which were only okay. Good beer list and tasty Sangria! When we told the waiter at our hotel where we went, he indicated that it was in a bad neighborhood, which we thought was funny because were originally from Philly, so we'd know a bad neighborhood when we see one!
Friday we went to Hacienda de Vega which was such a good atmosphere, live band and good Mexican food. Although the drinks were big and mediocre, the carnitas and polla nevado were very tasty. It was my boyfriend's favorite meal of the trip, he said they had the best carnitas ever.
Saturday we went to George's California Modern. We got a drink at the ocean terrace first which I loved, that was so California just like you all said. The bartender was fairly rude though and didn't acknowledge us standing there for 15 minutes. But, California Modern was delicious, I got sea bass and black forbidden rice (I loved the one I had at Azul so much, I ordered it again, but Azul's was better), it was very good. It was cooked to medium which made it a bit hard to get pieces apart to eat because it wouldn't flake. I got a nicely paired (by our server) half glass of white wine which was a nice feature. I loved the atmosphere there and really great service.
Sunday we went to Cavillion for brunch and sat on the patio which was so tranquil and lovely. We had beignets which were just poofy funnel cakes in my opinion, but good. We had steak and eggs, and braised short ribs and eggs, came with rosemary potatoes and toast. All very good. We really enjoyed Cavillion, especially the patio. Also, fantastic service.
Sunday night went to Starlite for dinner, what a cute space. Cocktails were just okay, not what I expected, but DC may have spoiled me, although my boyfriend loved the cucumber martini. I really disliked our waitress, she kept forgetting about us, and getting the showy couple next to us everything they asked for quickly. They ran out of the special slow cooked beef, so we both got steak, it was fine. For appetizers, we had mac n cheese and octopus, both were good. They had no side dishes for the steak other than salad, so I ordered pomme frites which the server forgot to bring until I was done with my steak, and she never noticed and charged me anyway. It was a really strange crowd in there which made us laugh, full of crazy hair, leather, and other eccentricities. Didn't feel very loungey or up scale because a bunch of people had on jeans and t-shirts. If I went back, it wouldn't be on a Sunday night.
Anyway, afterward we went to Jsix which was so pretty and so California, nothing like that in DC! I got a good Sidecar to drink there. I think it would be better with less loud rap music and fewer bottles of beer in favor of cocktails, but hey, that's just me. I'm really glad we went over there, it was cool, and we found $3 parking! Monday we went to Temecula and ended up skipping dinner, I had wanted to try the Better Half, but they were closed Sunday (for labor day) and Monday.
We had lunch Tuesday at Mariscos German, we got fish tacos. No one told me the menu would be all in spanish, so we just got two grilled, one fried, one shrimp. I loved the fried one, the tortilla was nice and hearty and the fish was really tasty.
Tuesday we had our last San Diego dinner at C Level which I loved! What a beautiful place. I got a great cocktail with dark rum and orange zest, best one of the trip. We had the lobster bisque and she-crab soup, both delicious, although I preferred the lobster with the big claw meat in the middle. Then, I had the black and white sesame salmon with wasabi mashed potatoes, and my boyfriend had a bacon-wrapped filet mingon with goat cheese mashed potatoes and asparagus. The portions were gigantic, I only finished half of mine, both were very good though. But, the goat cheese mashed potatoes were out of this world, I can't get them out of my head! We each got a wine flight, we had the eclectic whites with Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and one other and the interested reds with tempranillo, and two others I can't remember. We did save room for dessert, we had a trio with Mojito sorbet, orange sorbet, and Oreo cookie ice cream. The Oreo cookie ice cream looked chocolatey, but it wasn't, it tasted exactly like a frozen Oreo. It was really out of this world. One of the best ice creams I've ever had, and I have a small obsession with the stuff :-).
All in all, we had some fantastic meals and drinks at unique, fun restaurants. Thank you all so much for your input, we wouldn't have had such a fabulous time without you. I would recommend all of those restaurants to friends. I appreciate all of your responses and ideas!
First visit to San Diego! Where to eat?!
I loved George's! We ate at California Modern, it was just what I was looking for! Might go back for the Ocean Terrace later this week. And the Linkery and Hacienda de Vega were really fun too! I think I'll try Starlite tonight for drinks and dinner, then head to Jsix for drinks.
First visit to San Diego! Where to eat?!
Alright, thanks, I think I'll cancel Mr. A's.
First visit to San Diego! Where to eat?!
Hey all, were here! Went to Azul last night. The food was great, really memorable macadamia crusted sea bass, but I have to say the atmosphere wasn't my style. Cards on the table, were 23, mature for our age, but Azul seemed geared for way older people than us. White linen table clothes, old carpeting, not trendy at all, tables filled with business dinners, and no young people. I'm worried that the other places I picked are going to be the same. George's, Mr. A's, Island Prime, etc... what do you think?
First visit to San Diego! Where to eat?!
Thanks for the thoughtful replies. Were staying at the Rancho Bernardo, so Cavillion and Hacienda de Vega are close by.
First visit to San Diego! Where to eat?!
Thanks, you all have been so helpful! Two final questions before we leave (in 3 days!). Here is my short list of places to go: Azul, Hacienda de Vega, the Linkery, George's California Modern, the Better Half, Cavillion for brunch, Mr. A's, and C Level at Island Prime.
I've never been to San Diego before, should I be worried about parking at those places? Paying $20 every night for valet will put a damper on dinner (and my budget!).
Also, I don't know what to wear, should I just figure on skipping jeans and sticking to skirts or capris with pretty shirts? Or fancier?
Thank you again!! I can't wait to leave!
Private brunch ideas?
I'm planning an annual meeting and we need a venue. Any ideas? Here are the parameters:
- Private brunch for 25-50 people (mostly couples in their 30s, some will bring their little ones)
- Lots of on-site parking
- Within an hour of DC (DC-MD-VA all acceptable)
- No more than $30 per person (less is better!)
- Some kind of uniqueness is appreciated (brewpub, on the water, winery, etc.)
I had been looking at (so far) Rams Head Annapolis (where we had it last year), Indigo Landing, Clyde's in Tyson's Corner...
Thanks!
First visit to San Diego! Where to eat?!
Thanks for the great input. I did some research on my own too. Here's my list: If you had to choose 7 of them, which would you pick?
Marine Room
The Linkery
Georges at the Cove Upstairs
Bertrand at Mr. A’s
Peohe's (brunch?)
Hacienda De Vega
Island Prime
Trattoria Acqua
Zocalo
Azul
Studio Diner (lunch?)
JRDN Restaurant
For fish tacos: El Pescador, Brigantine, or South Beach Bar & Grille
Cocktails: Starlite and JSix. Any more drinks recommendations?
Also, will I need to make reservations for these places? Thank you!
