gb44's Profile
south bay bbq?
Try Emergency Barbacue on Old County Road in San Carlos. Not much on decor but the meats and the beans are great.
Medium Priced Place for Lunch Near Hyatt Embarcadero
Twenty or so need a fairly quiet place to get to know each other that offers some menu variety. I could only think of Kokkori but I've not tried it.
Thanks
Cetrella in HMB
Trying to get a current read on Centrella as I've not been in years.
Any recent experiences appreciated
prize chinese in the city or on the peninsula
Looking for a good mainstay in the city. Many posts and I'm not sure who is still up and running in this fast moving restaurant scene. Peking Duck out on 40th and Irving sounds good. Spicy Empire in San Mateo is close.
I'd appreciate a few ideas.
Thanks,
Greg Bellow
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Spicy Empire
105 W 25th Ave, San Mateo, CA 94403
Client Dinner in San Jose - Suggestions?
I agree. After many a fine lunch and dinner at 71 St. Peter, I was bitterly disappointed on my last visit.
??? Jeanty at Jack's
I asked because we had our wedding dinner upstairs and wanted to go back for our anniversary.
??? Jeanty at Jack's
It's been a while but I tried to find out what happened to this old place.
Are they still up and running? Is anyone else in there at 615 Sacto. St.?
Loire vs Burgundy
Another vote for Le Bon Laboreur, great meal but bring your credit card.
Sunday Dinner - Mid Peninsula
Can I have some suggestions about places from San Mateo to Millbrae - Price moderate.
Recent major disappointment at La Boheme on Burlingame Ave, but I was a guest.
Is that charascuria (sp???) in San Mateo still going. I'm in a carnivorous mood.
Thanks
Moroccan San Francisco
It was Mamounia, sadly gone I see. It sounds like Aziza for me.
Moroccan San Francisco
There used to be a fine place way out in the avenues. Any hits? Any other well liked places closer in?
Iberia in Menlo Park update (not good)
too bad as the Zarsuela was to die for, though we were starving when it arrived.
I see his resentment and the lousy tips the waitstaff received has morphed into a 19% automatic service charge as in Europe.
Alas its back to S.F. for good Spanish fare - unless there are places I don't know about.
Woodside Bakery
Not sure but I knew the original baker and his wife Sylvia, after whom my favorite pasta dish was named but is now barely edible.
Woodside Bakery
This place was a family fave until our most recent visit. No one liked what they ate, greasy, poor seasoning, overpriced. New owners have put this place on a bar with Bucks next door. Won't br going back unless its for pizza.
Iberia in Menlo Park update (not good)
I have to concur. I've boycotted this place because I thought the owner arrogant. In a forgiving mood, we tried again. Service was TERRIBLE. It took an hour and a half for our entree to be served and I had to ask after everything I got, water, bread, food, wine, and bill.
Then I found a 19% service charge on the bill.
I crossed it out and took half of the tip off before signing.
As everyone says if it weren't for the good food no one would go there! Zarsuela excellent but costly.
Milpitas dim sum
Has anyone had a recent good experience down there? Is ABC still good? Overpriced?
Thanks,
Lunch around Union Square
Meeting a bunch for lunch after a meeting. Suggestions or views on Scala's Bistro.
Thanks
South of N.Y.U.
We are going out in this area with friends who keep kosher, so that places with a strong pasta or fish emphasis would be great. Thanks
Centrella
I see the Chron touting Centrella today. We had a few great meals there some years ago, but had heard it lost is chef and its way. More reliable views than those in the Chron (ie: any) would be of help in deciding whether to go over the hill.
Iberia ... Menlo Park
Iberia used to be one of my family's favorite places for special days like birthdays when it was in Ladera. However, I had a run in with the owner over his corkage fee and never went back -over 10 years ago. His attitude was, you can afford it. It was his contempt for his customers and his arrogance that turned me off. Too bad, I have to go to Albregias (sp?) on Lombard to get first rate Spanish food.
Northern France
Chef June-
Yes it was a wonderful trip! I had more misfires in Champagne than anywhere else- restaurants far from our hotel and or being hungry at 5p.m.
Of the two places that were recommended, Vigneron was in a little town along the route des vins about 10 km. North of Epernay. The tour information office located it for us, but we has just come back from there and it was away from our hotel. The Bercerenaux was on a street of a similar name which came off of the main circle of Centre Ville in downtown Epernay. It was the ground floor of a hotel. Downtown Epernay again The Table Korbus near the church was mentioned positively.
Northern France
Compared with the hundreds of posts on Paris, outlying locations are hard to find on this board. However, my wife and I had a great adventure and found a number of very fine places to try if you're in the countryside. Of course we ate at plenty of mediocre places when tired or hungry or when we made a bad choice. There is no way to warn people off of such places as there are so many. I will focus on places worth seeking out. This is all the more important as the food is so expensive and, as those prices, its pretty disappointing to eat poor food.
Alsace- We stayed in Eugelsheim and ate twice at the beerstube Caveau du Heuhaus. Very cool little place full of locals. First I had the charcute plate, very typical five forms of pork over a bed of kraut. The second time I had one of the tarts -cheese and ham over a very thin dough done at high temp. My wife a salad eater, just enjoyed the place.
Two highly recommended places we could not get to for various logistical reasons. Caveau Eugelsheim is a one star right in the middle of town. The other is the Auberge du Cheval Blanc in Westhalen -right on the rue des vins. Auberge Alsacinne was just o.k. Maison Kammerzell across from the Strassbourg catherdral was surprisingly good.
Champagne - two highly recommended places are Le Vigneron in a little town just north of Epernay and Le Berceauxin in Epernay proper.
Normandy - ranking among our best eats in France was Le Bread in Honfleur. Just elegant first class French food, rabbit, fish stand out. There was also a fine wine pairing as someone is paying attention here, too. We also went to a fish place on the waterfront.Bistro du Port which served several fine fish dishes. We stumbled over Le Pommier just behind the cathedral in Bayeax and had a great lunch finished off by the best apple tart I ever ate.
Brittany - this is one of the seafood centers in France and we were guided to a fish place at the end of a tiny road in Port de Kerdruc near Nevez. I had oysters from Belon and broiled Lobster. My wife had crab- all outstanding.
Loire - probably some of the best eating we did. Les 2 Caves in Bourre was more remarkable for being in a mushroom cellar than it was for the food - broiled meats mostly.
St. Vincent in Oisly was just elegant, friendly, but hard to find. We had a wonderful lamb dish and a fine piece of fish over a bed of some sort of grain in a balsamic reduction. The Loire cheeses were great too. Dessert was a chocalate melt down!
Our last elegant meal was in Chenonceaux, right outside of the castle gates at Le Bon Laboreur. Perhaps our most elegant, definitely most expensive, and certainly the most snobbish, the food here was just great! Steak done to perfection and sea bass over asperagus was beyond belief.
Amsterdam
We were in town for 5 days and followed a number of the rec's of locals as well as using the International Board. I must find that I did not find much good eating in this city. Other than the pancakes and the rice jaffel (sp??) in the Indonesian places (particularly good one up the street from the concert hall), I found the other eateries disappointing.
We lunched at the American Hotel. Great art decco restaurant, but other than the croquettes - pretty mediocre. I tried Bark - a fish place also near the concert hall, very mediocre dinner. I also tried Het Melkeisje - once again great decor and a cool location but the lamb chops and fish were just so so.
Sacramento Italian
Those were the questions I was about to address when I re-read my post. Wedding at Arden Hills, party size 50-60. We will stay nearby and wondered if a local hotel or restaurant might suit. Conversative eaters make up a large part of the party, but we can move past Italian if necessary. Lucca downtown sounded about right, but it is far away.
Sacramento Italian
Good questions as I was about to expand my late nite post. The wedding is at Arden Hills in Carmichel and many will stay close. Party size 50-60. Italian first choice but other ideas welcome that would fit a group of conservative eaters. Nearby hotel based place might do fine.
Went to California Board and thought Lucca's might do, but it is far from our hotel.
Sacramento dining (moved from SF)
Just visited and tried Queen Sheba on Broadway nr. 17th ( I think) Really cool hole in the wall Ethopian place. Everything was great, but mixed platters really stole the show.
Sacramento Italian
Seeking a modest to upscale Italian spot in Sacramento. Probably for a large party before my son's wedding. Good food a must. Thanks
Mustard Tasting
The publicity surrounding Napa's Mustard Festival tempted me to attend, but what I really want is to fine a venue for a tasting that would allow me to select something that suits my tastes and to buy a couple of jars.
I have found occasional opportunities to try one or two at the Pasta shop on 4th ave in Berkeley or at Oakville Groceries, but this is quite limiting.
Any suggestions?
Bo De Ga Bistro on Larkin
This little place near the Asian Art Musuem and Federal Building was recommended by a couple of enthusiastic hounds. It was, as usual, a big hit with the four of us who dined there last night. I can, however, make some cliarifications that will make those who follow me somewhat better than ours.
First, to the wine list, which is remarkable for the type of restaurant that this is and that does not abuse its customers with big mark ups. Still the list was a B- and I did see some patrons bringing in bottles -something to consider.
The second is that I need to make a distinction on the menu between Vietnamese dishes and the psuedo - French additions that they make to fill out the menu. The Vietmamese dishes were superb, the recomended papaya salad was fresh and had a tasty dressing. The squab, minus the unnecessary head and feet, was also tasty and had a sort of dressing that was a cross between a salad dressing and dipping sauce with black pepper.
The three Vienamese inspired main courses included the vaunted fish with dill and peanuts - perhaps my favorite. The beef cubes were very tasty and reminded me of the long gone Sun Hung Heung's. The tiger prawns were also excellent, fried to perfection and well specied.
Now for the downside, the late add on of lamb ribs which was covered with an ersatz brown sauce that killed the taste of the meat.Finally the creme caramel finale left a great deal to be desired by lovers of flan.
However, if you avoid these French knock offs, you can have a great and moderately priced dinner.
Nice Dinner near Asian Museum
We are off to the city for a day of touring, topped off with an early dinner. Any suggestions in this area that will not break the bank?
