humble drinker's Profile
San Gimignano
Isn't it Osteria delle Catene on Via Mainardi 18 near Porta San Matteo?
New Michael Mina in Polanco-First Impressions
Thanks for the detailed review.
It reminds me of Arzak -Tezka.
The food of Tezka is not bad at all, but does not live up to Arzaks's reputation. Only the prices of Tezka surely do so, considering Mexico's living cost.
IMHO, the food they served was not as good as they did in the US might be the reason of those failures you mentioned.
2 weeks in Italy on a limited budget - help!!
For Florence, try tripe stands.
There are plenty of them, but the following ones are excellent.
- One at the corner of via dei Macci and Borgo la Croce, near the Sant'Ambrogio market.
- One in front of the American Express office on via Dante Alighieri near the Duomo.
They serve a couple of tripe dishes such as Lampredotto, tripe salad, tripe sandwich and more. The stand in front of the AE sells various takeout foods other than tripes, too.
I tried both of them, and personally prefer the one near Sant'Ambrogio market. I cannot recall how much it cost me, but it was incredibly cheap. You can also have some cheap rosso with your tripe dish. I think this is one of many ways to eat well and cheap in Florence.
Oaxaca Restaurants
How about la Olla? It's Pilar Cabrera's restaurant. It's right next to Casa de las Bugambilias, a B&B operated by Pilar. My friends and I enjoyed a lot her food.
www.laolla.com.mx
One more thing. Do not miss the 20 de noviembre market. We loved there so much that we ate there three times during our short stay in Oaxaca.
Have a nice etrip.
Mexican Wines?
Great thanks, wineman3.
I've always wanted to try more Mexican wines.
Thanks again for your wonderful info.
Florence, Rome, Sienna suggestions.
In Siena, we had an excellent meal at Il Rialto. It is on Via del Rialto 4, a 3 minute walk from Il Campo. We had not heard much about this place before, but went there anyway trusting the recommendation of one of our friends.
Although the place was full of tourists like ourselves (very different from our friend's experience. He told us that Il Rialto was totally local), the food was outstanding. Simple and unpretentious. I had pici al porcino and trippa al pomodoro, and all excellent!!!
About restaurants in Florence and Rome, there are many postings already, which you can easily search on this board. If I add one more, it will be Trattoria la Casalinga in Florence. It is on Via de Michelozzi 9r, just off Piazza Santo Spirito. They serve not fancy, but honest, simple and basic Tuscan dishes at very reasonable prices. Reservations are a must. Or you had better get there earlier before the regulars hit the place. We got there on a Wednesday around 1 pm, and had to wait almost 1 hour.
One Year Anniversary In Florence- I NEED IDEAS!
How about a picnic in Fiesole?
From Fiesole you can enjoy the eat-your-heart-out view over Florence.
The view from Fiesole is great at any time of the day, but my favorite is late afternoon, about sunset time. Grab some bread, prosciutto, cheese and wine, and get on the bus No. 7 at Piazza San Marco.
BTW, it was Fiesole where George first kissed Lucy in "A Room with a View".
"Budget" Eating in Tuscany???
In Rada in Chianti, there is this alimentari, Porciatti Alimentari (Piazza IV Novembre 1-3), where you can buy excellent selection of proscuitto, sopresata, salami and a variety of good cheeses. We tried various alimentari in different towns, and we loved Porciatti Alimentari the most.
In Greve in Chianti, I recommend Enoteca Fuori Piazza (Via 1 Piazza Trento, across from the main SITA stop. Closed on Monday). We had lunch there last week, and the place was packed with locals. They serve a variety of antipasto and light meal at reasonable prices. We had one good bottle of red (one of their two house wines - Lamole di Lamole, 12 euros) and 2 antipasto, 1 secondo, 1 dessert with coffee and paid 55 euros including tip.
We tried Latte di Luna in Pienza (Via San Carlo 2/4, at the west end of the main street inside the gate), which deangold mentioned. It was a Saturday, and the place was packed with tourists like ourselves. However, the food was good and hearty. Half a liter of house wine, a big bottle of sparkling water, 1 antipasto, 1 pasta, 2 secondo, 1 controno and 2 espresso cost us 45 euros.
If you have a chance to go to Montalcino, try Il Moro (Via Mazzini 44, midway down Via Mazzini between Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Cavour). Lots of people raved about Grappolo Blu, but we heard that it has become pretentious, so we tried Il Moro instead. It is a good and basic trattoria. When we were there, some policemen and a couple of people in uniform were eating. It looked like a lunch joint of locals. Their pici al ragu was really good. The lunch for two of us cost 41 euros (we ordered as we did at Latte di Luna).
Red wine for Kimchi?
Totally agree.
I would not waste any of my good bottles to drink with Kimchi.
What to eat with a Château d’Yquem 1929
Agree with zin1953 and froggio.
I would drink it on its own.
Please, leave us a note on how it was.
Suggestions for Pino Grigio , a gift
How about Palmina Aliso Vineyard from Santa Barbara?
What to order in Madrid/Valencia?
Too difficult... there are too many dishes not to be missed...
For me, the best is a dish of jamon iberico de bellota from Jabugo with a glass of caña (draft beer).
Adding to the suggestions of Maximilien:
For tapa or appetizer,
- Bonito en escabeche (Bonito tuna preserved in escabeche (kind of pickled?)
- Boquerones en vinagre (anchovies in vinegar)
- Boquerones fritos (fried anchovies)
- Pulpos a la gallega (Galician style octopus dish)
For snack,
- Bocadillo de tortilla (Spanish potato omelet sandwich)
For meal,
- Mariscada (huge seafood platter)
- Dorada a la sal (bream grilled in salt)
Surprisingly Madrid is a great place to eat fish and seafood. The fish market of Madrid is the second biggest one in the world after Tokyo.
For churros y chocolate, head to Chocolateria San Gines.
Many guide books rave about the place, so it might be mistakenly considered touristy. But, they serve the best churros and chocolate ever.
Oh, after a heavy meal, una copita de Orujo and anise-flavored rosquillas (kind of Spanish donuts) will help your digestion.
What and where to eat in San Jose, Costa Rica?
Going to San Jose, Costa Rica in June for work.
This is my first trip there.
I checked the board and Bakea seems to be THE place to go.
Any dining suggestion other than Bakea in San Jose, CR?
Thanks.
Need Some Help with DF & Acapulco Meals
Dear Drosa,
I'll only comment on DO - your dinner choice for the Day 4.
Please, DO NOT DINE AT D.O.
It's a totally overpriced not-worth-the-trip place.
Although they have a quite good wine list, their food is definitely mediocre pseudo-Spanish. Their jamon - which is their "especialidad" - does not live up to the price they charge. Believe me. I lived in Madrid for more than enough time to distinguish good food from mediocre one.
Since you're planning to dine at Izote and Pujol on Day 1 and 2, I would like to recommend you to try fondas or cantinas for Day 4 dinner. Near your hotel, there is a good one, Fonda el Refugio (Liverpool 66, 5207-2732). It's not fancy, but the ambience is totally welcoming, the food is good and the price is reasonable.
And prepare yourself that in Mexico high-end restaurants, which do serve great food, do not always offer professional service.
See http://www.chowhound.com/topics/512344
Moscato d'asti Clarte '99 -- too old?
I agree with Chicago Mike.
You'd better get some backup bottle, since Moscato d'asti is not for aging.
It's highly probable that the 1999 bottle you have already lost the freshness and aroma.
Disappointed by Pujol
Thanks for your reflections, Veggo and Cristina. Teneis razon.
I still believe that those places definitely have much work to do to improve the service, but I'll be more at ease, enjoying the way it is.
Disappointed by Pujol
Well, the food was good, but not so impressive. I was so annoyed at the mosquitos and the overall service that I could not appreciate the food properly.
By the way, I had asparagus with haba beans and bits of peanuts(so so), and trout with mushrooms in burnt onion sauce (very good). And yes, I could have wine after all.
I have a besetting question everytime I visit a fancy restaurant in Mexico.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE MAITRE D', WAITERS AND BUS BOYS and sometimes with the sommeliers?
Well, Mexico's fancy places have plenty of wait staffs(in numbers), but they either do not know or do not care what they do. There are always too many wait staffs, but no one seems to work attentively. They are friendly, but simply are not interested in doing their job.
For example, when my wine or water glass is empty, the waiters are too busy chatting and joking AMONG THEMSELVES, and when I am in the middle of very important conversation, they constantly come to my table, asking "Finished?". They are not rushing you out, they just ask you "finished?" like a habit.
I'm not talking about common food joints, but about those so-called "sophisticated" places. I'm not talking about one or two experiences, either. This is an observation for two and a half years and not only in Mexico City but also in other parts of Mexico.
I speak Spanish very fluently, so I do not think that there is any kind of miscommunication between me and the waiting staffs.
I do not go to a fancy restaurant just to eat food. I look forward to an oasis that refreshes my hectic life for a couple of hours. Unfortunately, here in Mexico, inefficient and incompetent waiting staffs quite often ruin the meal.
Tajin?
I'm afraid that I'm the only one who does not like Tajin.
It's too salty for me, and I prefer eating fruits and vegetables just as they are.
But, most of my colleagues, who are Mexicans, would never eat jicamas, grapefruits, mangos, watermelons and others without Tajin. They love it.
Red wine for Kimchi?
Kimchi, the quintessential Korean sidedish has really strong flavor and aroma. It is very spicy - though there are not-so-hot varieties -, and has strong smell due to the fermentation and the ingredients like garlics, fermented fishes and seafood, and chilli powder.
It is quite challenging to pair a wine, especially red one with Korean food mainly thanks to Kimchi's strong flavor.
A few months ago, a Japanese manga writer, Tadashi Agi paired Kimchi with Librandi Gravello 2001 from Calabria, Italy (a blend of 60% Gaglioppo and 40% CS). According to Tadashi Agi, Librandi Gravello matches well with spiciness of Kimchi, since Gaglioppo grapes are grown in Calabria, where red hot peppers are also cultivated.
Well, which red wine would you pair with Kimchi?
FYI, the manga series , written by Tadashi Agi and drawn by Shu Okimoto, is soooo popular in Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong that the wines mentioned in the manga were SOLD OUT and their prices soared at least 30% upward in these countries.
Best place to try morcilla in Madrid or Barcelona
I would like to recommend you to try LA TAHONA. I cannot tell you this is the best place, but they serve really really good morcillas which they bring from some special supplier of Burgos.
Actually La Tahona is very famous among the locals for their roasted baby lamb, lechazo asado - one of the typical dishes of Castilla y Leon. They also serve really really good jamon, morcillas, chorizos and their wine list is quite decent with good selection of Ribera del Duero. Oh, and their bread... freshly baked from their firewood oven is soooo good.
La Tahona is located at Capitan Haya 21 in business district near Plaza Castilla, a little far from the historic center.
The ambience is elegant, and packed with businessmen. It was one of my favorite places when I lived in Madrid.
La Tahona has a cheaper version, Asador de Aranda, but I didn't like it. Though both served the equally good quality of lechazo, other dishes such as jamon and morcillas were way better in La Tahona.
Capitan Haya has lots of good restaurants, since Spanish businessmen like to talk on business over good food.
I would like to recommend you another place on the same street, called El Espigon (Capitan Haya 58). Their specialty is Andalusian food. They serve unbelievably good fried seafood, and their jamon de jabugo is THE best.
Madrid--Roast Suckling Pig
I agree with kathinmadird, and recommend you El Botin.
Yes, it is touristy, but they serve really authentic and excellent "cochinillo".
At first, I had kind of rejection due to its touristy trait, but came to acknowledge that their food is honest and of good quality.
During the time I lived in Madrid, I also took my clients and visitors to El Botin.
Any suggestion on good lunch spots in Zona Rosa of D.F.?
Thank you. I love Fonda el Refugio. I'll try the area between the Diana and the Angel. Thanks again.
Disappointed by Pujol
Pujol... No matter how good their food is, they aboslutely need improvement of their service.
Today, around lunch time, I found myself in Polanco.
Since it is quite difficult to eat well near my work place - Zona Rosa -, I wanted to give myself a special treat, so I went to Pujol.
The food was good as usual, but THE SERVICE AND THE AMBIENCE WAS REALLY DISAPPOINTING.
First of all, there were a lot of mosquitos flying all over the restaurant. I just could not understand that a restaurant like Pujol had not tackled the problem beforehand. The maitre D and the watiers explained me that it is because of sudden change of climate.
First of all, I'm not a visitor, but a resident here. This increase of temperature started more than 2 weeks ago. It is really lame that they blamed the climate.
Secondly, please...give me a break.
The lunch cost me more than US$80, and here I'm in Mexico.
if you want to charge US$80 for a lunch in Mexico, please, at least make sure that your restaurant is hygienic enough not to have those annoying insects!!!
Lastly, the attitude of the sommelier was bizarre.
The sommelier neither knew which wine he had available, nor had much knowledge on the wines that he had in their cellar.
What a shame.
I'm accustomed to be disappointed by Restaurants of Mexico due to their poor service or inadequate attitude. However, I did expect more from Pujol.
Any suggestion on good lunch spots in Zona Rosa of D.F.?
Thanks, guys.
Gomexico, I have often walked past Chalet Suizo, but not tried yet. I'll definitely try it. Thanks.
Coffee from Oaxaca,Mexico [Moved from Midwest Board]
Oaxacan coffee is one of my staples. I love its smooth but intense flavor.
Actually last month I went to Oaxaca city and could buy some great coffee.
Oh... I loooove it.
seeking Rioja wine recs....
Recently, two wine bloggers in Spain - Gabriella and Ryan - elaborated an extensive report on the wines of Rioja.
Visit their blog, www.catavino.net and consult their Rioja report at http://catavino.net/rioja/
Though they are in Spain, they are well connected with many US based wine bloggers and know which Rioja wines are available in US market, so I'm sure they can give you some helpful advices.
What to eat at Pujol?
I would like to recommend you to go for their tasting menu, which offers their strong dishes in smaller portion, so you can try a little bit (?) of various dishes.
When you dine at Pujol, you should try Mexican wines.
Very few restaurants in Mexico City offer good selection of Mexican wines like Pujol does.
Among their selection, the wines of Vinas Pijoan of Valle de Guadalupe are my favorite.
Especially Leonora of Vinas Pijoan goes really well with the tasting menu. You won't be disappointed.
Santa Fe recommendations?
Hope that this is not too late.
I strongly recommend La Mar - a Peruvian cevicheria, also recommended by bigotes.
La Mar has two branches, and that of Santa Fe is located in the 2nd floor of the Edificio Escape, Juan Salvador Agraz 37, and Tel 5292-9776.
On the ground floor of the same building, there is a restaurant called "Bros". It is a great place, too. Their specialty is seafood, and they have really good draught beer.
"Tierra de Vinos", across the street, is also a good place to eat and hang out. It's an enoteca + bar + restaurant. Although their menu is quite limited, they have decent wine list and good food. The address is Juan Salvador Agraz 60.
Santa Fe also has a good Japanese restaurant, called "Shu" in Calle Tres 55, Tel. 5292-4834. It's an upscale version of Suntori, and offers a good selection of sushi.
Any suggestion on good lunch spots in Zona Rosa of D.F.?
Hi. I've been for a few months in Mexico City due to my work, and having difficulties in finding some good lunch spots in Zona Rosa.
I've tried lots of places, but most of them were disappointing (dirty, so-so food, bad service, or too expensive to go to everyday for lunch).
I've tried many of the fancy restaurants in Polanco. However, (1) they are too expensive to eat everyday (I cannot afford an US$50-70 per person lunch everyday), and (2) they are too far from Zona Rosa, where my office is located.
Does any body know good lunch spots at reasonable prices in Zona Rosa?
Thanks.
