tarnation's Profile
Easy, cheap eats in DC - do they even exist?
Another Californian here (grew up in SoCal, lived in the Bay Area for years). I have found no true cheap eats in DC that I could recommend. Northern VA has a bunch, but you need a car.
Depressing.
I don't understand the attraction of Dangerously Delicious Pies
Have been going to the DC location and have been finding the pies to be excellent, in particular the flaky crusts. Better quality than your average Amish market pie. And better than what I remember from the DDP in Baltimore, though it's been years. They are ridiculously expensive though, I generally only go when I have a discount.
best indian food in london?
Is Lahore on Church Street still open? Google is not yielding an address or mention. If it's still around, can someone let me know the address? Am in London for the next few days and don't think I'll be able to get out to the more far-flung Indian and Pakistani restaurants, though I'd love to.
London: lunch and late-night dinner for actors
NYC hound here in need of recs. My partner is working in London; living near Regent's Park, working at the Old Vic (Waterloo).
I've read many of the London threads (thanks to all the posters), and feel pretty well stocked on market recommendations and further-afield ethnic recommendations.
Since he is working during dinnertime, I'm looking for lunch deals; Launceston Place, Arbutus, Hibiscus, Dinner all sound good but but not cheap. Any budget lunch suggestions?
Would also love to hear about restaurants open past 11:00 p.m. that wouldn't be a lengthy trip from the Old Vic (or alternatively, from Regent's Park).
We are adventurous omnivores, especially interested in anything we can't get in NYC but anything good will do. Thanks for your help!
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Launceston Place
1 Launceston Pl, Kensington, Greater London W8 5, GB
Saluggi's Pizza
This place is great. I don't know if they've changed recently or if the other comments are incorrect, but their mozzarella is fresh! More than fresh, they make it themselves on-site. Really good, not greasy at all.
Incredible crust. We like the Brussels sprout pizza. Nice balance between the traditional and the new-artisanal. We take the subway from the UWS to get this pizza. (And the beet-arugula-lemon vinaigrette salad is lovely too.) Highly, highly recommended. To our taste this place rivals the best in NYC. (Though our favorite is still Frank Pepe's in New Haven.)
Give it a try--they don't seem as busy as they should be, given the quality of the pizza.
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Saluggi's
325 Church St, New York, NY 10013
Have Laird's apple brandy, need drink ideas
We use a lot of Laird's in cocktails and here's our take. We don't use Calvados for mixing. Cheap Calvados is generally not very good or flavorful for cocktails, and expensive Calvados is really not for mixing. You will get much more from Laird's BIB (the 100 proof apple brandy, says bottled in bond on the label, the label is black). We don't ever purchase the 80-proof Laird's applejack, since the BIB is so superior for mixing (because of the proof and the flavor). The BIB is perfect in a Jack Rose. Also, you just can't beat the price, I just bought a bottle for $17.99.
The Laird's 12-year is awfully good. We confess to having mixed with it, but it does deserve to be served straight.
Great recipes above btw!
Bemelmans Bar - cover, etc.?
Your husband won't be overdressed in a suit--when I was there all the men were in suits. I agree with the previous posters, why not dress up.
But I'm sad to say we didn't have a good time there. The Bemelmans murals are amazing, we loved seeing those, but our waiter knew NOTHING about cocktails in general or their drinks menu specifically, which is really a shame in a bar with that history. Our drinks were good though, we probably should have sat at the bar. Not sure who was bartending that night. I wasn't crazy about the atmosphere--in the early evening, all the other couples were prostitutes with businessmen. And of course the drinks are very expensive, and inferior to the best NYC cocktail places, which are half the price. I'm still glad we went, but we're not in a rush to go back.
appelstroop
I saw some the other day at Schaller & Weber, the German grocery on the Upper East Side (2nd & 86th). They have their jams spread out in different areas so look carefully or ask for it.
NYC to Maine Gastro Roadtrip
Thanks for the advice all! I am compiling quite a list with the help of the chowhounds, keep it comin'.
NYC to Maine Gastro Roadtrip
Hello Hounds,
Am piggybacking on this post to see if anyone has anything to add for the fall season. We are going to be in Maine this coming weekend (my first time visiting), staying not far from Boothbay Harbor. We live in NYC, and will be driving from Buzzards Bay, MA. My thinking was that we probably won't venture more than a couple of hours from Boothbay Harbor, so that we don't spend all our time in the car. I have pored over the Maine posts and feel educated on the subjects of lobster rolls and high-end restaurants in Portland.
As far as non-restaurant destinations, I am possibly interested in the following wineries/distilleries:
www.bartlettwinery.com
www.sweetgrasswinery.com
...and possibly in the Common Ground Country Fair. We would love to hear recs for places (restaurants or other food-related spots) that are especially distinctive to Maine. And anything that would be particularly good in September. Thanks.
Ginger Beer in Maine- Stewarts, Goslings or Barritts
We have done extensive tasting of ginger beers (and ales) for cocktails, and after tasting everything available in the US, our favorites are: Fentiman's, Maine Root, and Reed's Extra Ginger (ONLY that variety, not the premium or the regular). These three are different, so it depends on the cocktail you're making in terms of what you'd want to use. Fentiman's (English) may not be so easy to find, but get some if you see it--very complex, spicy and delicious. Maine Root is sweeter and less complex. We know you said you hate Reed's, but you may want to try the Extra Ginger variety if you haven't already--it is very spicy and very effective in cocktails. We too dislike the other varieties. Good luck!
Florence report
Thanks to all the chowhounds who have written up their Florence tips: they were very useful for our trip in May. We didn’t make it to half the restaurants we wanted to try (Teatro del Sale, next time!), but here’s our two cents on a few places we went:
TRE SOLDI (Via G. D’Annunzio 4/a/r): found this originally through Slow Food, and also was highly rec’d by our B&B proprietor. Am surprised there aren’t more recs of this restaurant on the forum—it is really excellent. Perhaps the reason is geography. It is in the eastern part of the city, definitely off the Florence beaten track. (We were staying out in that neighborhood, so it was nearby for us.) Of all the places we ate in Florence, this is the one I wished we could return to several more times—it is absolutely worth seeking out, take the #6 bus if you don’t want to walk. (A very easy bus ride from the center—you can catch it at Piazza San Marco or closer to the Duomo if you wish). No tourists eating there at all. The menu is not completely traditional, but far from wacky. They describe themselves as “cucina creativa su base regionale.” They have a prix-fixe lunch option which was a great deal at 11 euros, with lots of choices. Prices were good overall. The woman making their pasta is a genius—be sure to order pasta or gnocchi. We had: grilled vegetables, penne alla Daniele, salsiccia from the cinta senese pig on a bed of fagioli (perfection), gnocchi in a creamy-cheesy sauce (name eludes me), and veal. Good house red. Service 10% is included, coperto is 1.30/person (not charged if you get the prix fixe). Our lunch for two was 41 euros (one prix fixe, one a la carte, glass of wine & coffee). I’m including all these prices to demonstrate what a good deal this place is for Florence—seek this place out fellow hounds!
SOSTANZA: Much written elsewhere on the board re this. There were only five tables lunching in the time we were there—3 tourists, 2 local. We had the tortellini al sugo and a great zuppa di paesana (cabbage-vegetable) to start, then pollo al burro and trippa alla fiorentina, and fagioli. Best dessert we had in Italy, other than gelato—it was a Pavlova with wild strawberries (I think they called it a meringa). Yum. We loved the atmosphere and the proprietor, and liked the food a lot, but it felt just a bit overpriced to me. I know it’s the exchange rate and all—but this is not a fancy place in the least, and I’m not sure I can justify 9 euros for a side of fagioli. (Even when they are excellent.)
DA MARIO: Also much written everywhere re this lunch place, which is just outside the Mercato Centrale building. Busy mix of tourists and locals. We had a most eccentric local join us at our table for 3, which was great. Very little English spoken by the staff, despite the tourists, which I liked. We had, at the suggestion of the waitress, tortelli al sugo, which were large and flat and filled with potato. I hit the Italian food wall at that moment and followed with a salad (not too good, but I just couldn’t fit in another Tuscan bite); Mike had the rabbit, lovely. Compared to Sostanza, Mario is much more casual, noisy & bustling, has a fend-for-yourself vibe; Sostanza is a notch above Mario food-wise, but Mario is perhaps a better value. Worth a visit as everyone says.
NERBONE (Mercato Centrale): Loved it. Only had the bollito sandwich but will try more things next time.
Gelato: we tried several and liked GELATERIA DEI NERI (via dei Neri, 26r) best. Awfully good.
CAFFE RIVOIRE: Historic cafe on the Piazza della Signoria. If your feet aren’t too tired from museum-going, try having your cioccolato or espresso while standing at the bar. Ours were 1 or 2 euros—you pay a premium to sit inside or out. No tourists were standing, and you can chat with the bartenders if they’re not too busy. The cioccolato was out of this world—like the best, darkest chocolate pudding ever, turned into a beverage. We’d go back in a second!
CANTINETTA DEL VERRAZZANO (via dei Tavolini): Nice little place, centrally located, great stop for snack/sandwich/glass of wine. Also a retail bakery. Done up for tourists, but appealingly. (It is connected with the Castello di Verrazzano winery in Chianti.) Couldn’t stand our English-speaking waiter, who did the obnoxious-as-entertainment New York thing—since we live in New York, I didn’t need to experience this in Florence. Our panini & snacks were great though. Avoid the house red.
IL VEGETARIANO: We needed a break from heavy Tuscan meat-eating, but we’d be in no rush to go back here. Didn’t live up to its hype. Sort of interesting to see the crunchy side of Florence, but it was much like the crunchy side of any other city. We had: brown rice with walnuts & mushrooms, escarole torta, seitan, etc. The food was pretty good, but I’d say there’s no particular reason to go unless you’re a vegetarian or having an unmanageable craving for brown rice. There’s more interesting chow and atmosphere elsewhere in Florence. (Fyi, I’m not a vegetarian but often order like one.)
PUGI: bakery on Piazza San Marco. Lovely schiacciata, definitely an above-average bakery.
In the Mercato Centrale: our favorite shop was Baroni Alimentari. I believe it was Alessandro Baroni who helped us a couple of days in a row. Wonderful man, incredibly enthusiastic about food, delightful. Beautiful selection, ask for recommendations. They carry olive oil, jams, mostarde, cheeses, etc etc etc. Our suitcases were several pounds heavier because of Mr. Baroni...
We also liked Perini—their focus is more prepared foods (they also make sandwiches, etc.), and it’s a more hearty-noisy-touristy place. Lots of samples & salesmanship. Mike got a porchetta sandwich that was fabulous.
Warning: not sure if it’s real ignorance or willful ignorance, but no one in the Mercato Centrale will tell you that it is illegal to take meat or meat products back to the USA. We were told “it’s okay if it’s vacuum-packed,” which is false. Non-aged cheeses are also not okay—read the regulations or risk the anger of Customs.
Listings of where to eat in Venice
Mnwinship’s compilation was really helpful to us on a recent trip to Venice, as were all the chowhounds’ comments on this board. Thanks to all! Here’s our take on a few of the spots mentioned:
Il Refolo (right off Campo San Giacomo dell’Orio): really liked this place. Definitely order the pizza with artichokes and lardo, which was fantastic. (Because of the lardo—yes, we know Venice doesn’t make the best pizza in the world. New Haven does. :) Reasonably priced and we LOVED this neighborhood (Santa Croce). Nice to sit outside. Casual, pleasant, and a welcome break from the several-course overeating that Italy induces. Our lardo leftovers were even more delicious the next day.
Alla Zucca (also in Santa Croce): we didn’t have as good an experience as others. We ate late, though not by Italian standards (9:30)—we were the last people in the restaurant and the staff and kitchen seemed tired and distracted. May just have hit them on a bad night. On the plus side: I had mozzarella caprese that was absolutely fantastic, what you dream about going to Italy to eat. Just the usual ingredients, but the best ever. I also tried the lasagna, which I’m sorry to say was the worst thing I ate in Italy. It seemed to be almost entirely cheese, and to have been sitting for a while & congealed on the plate. Really not good. Mike had better luck with a pasta with gorgonzola & pistachios—very rich, he loved it. He also ordered a filet (beef) with guacamole—as you can see Alla Zucca is not a traditional trattoria—the waiter returned later to say they were out of filet and could they make him a “skewer” of the same meat? I assume at the end of the night they didn’t have one nice cut left, so they were improvising with small bits. This was somewhat disappointing, and I was a little horrified that Mike had ordered a dish with guacamole in the first place, but the eventual dish was delicious on its own terms, though not traditionally Italian of course. Our contorni and dessert were just fine, nothing noteworthy. Overall, what colored the meal most (other than the notably bad lasagna, which was perhaps the victim of the beef delay) was the atmosphere & staff—it felt distracted, worried, tired, uneven, which was very unusual for Italy in our experience. Again, maybe just a bad night—they did apologize and say they'd had a busy night. I know this is a beloved restaurant for residents of this neighborhood. Website: http://www.lazucca.it. The menu currently on the website is entirely different from the one a few weeks ago in the restaurant—I assume the real menu changes frequently. Dinner for two was 69 euros (1 antipasto, 2 firsts, 1 second, 2 contorni, 1 dessert, 1 glass of wine, liter of water).
Both Il Refolo & Alla Zucca had a fair number of non-locals, which appears par for the course in Venice.
Tonolo: bakery/pastry shop near the Frari church (a must-see). Lovely pastries, though we were at a needing-to-sit moment and it is a standing place. Also serves coffee.
Wine bars: Cantina Do Mori is definitely worth a stop. Plan to stand. Really great cichetti.
Al Prosecco (also in Santa Croce, on Campo San Giacomo dell’Orio, near Il Refolo and Alla Zucca) is a delightful place to sit outside on the square in the afternoon or early evening & watch the kids play. We liked the prosecco col fundo (bottle-fermented), the spritzes (Aperol or Campari—we are total converts to the Aperol spritz and highly recommend trying one while in Venice), and all the snacks we tried were good. Great waiter.
A bar suggestion: as someone had recommended to us, one late afternoon we headed straight back to the small bar at the back of Caffe Florian (one of the historic/super-touristy cafes with orchestras on the Piazza San Marco). The bar seats about 4—we were the only ones there. The bartender manning it is making drinks for the whole place, and he is truly amazing. He has been working there for 19 years—10 years before that at a private club in London—and is the real deal. Once we realized we had struck gold, we had him make all the classic whiskey cocktails so we could watch his technique and enjoy the results. He clearly enjoyed making cocktails for people who cared. A tipsy local joined us after a while, definitely a regular, who marshaled her few words of English to tell us he was “THE BEST! THE BEST!”
Obviously, Italy is not a cocktails place, but if you have a yen for one, or you just want to get out of the Piazza San Marco craziness, this is a great stop. And if you want to stay Italian, order an Aperol spritz or a Negroni, or one of the Florian specialties. Fyi—the prices are reasonable at the bar; there is a big premium to sit indoors, and more I think to sit outside with the orchestra. We had 5 drinks at the bar (nice free bar snacks also) for 36 euros.
Light lunch and winery tour in Chianti
Not an expert in this arena, but we just got back from Chianti, so here's our two cents. Winery tours are not a standard thing in Chianti, so only the larger and more touristy wineries will have them set up. We didn't go to any of these, but you can find them on the web, along with reviews from others--one you could try is Castello di Verrazzano. I hear they have meals but maybe not "light."
If you're driving down the Chiantigiana road from Florence to Siena, one place we loved that would be perfect for a light lunch is Il Vinaio in Panzano. Panzano is small--you drive to the old town section (you can see the medieval church on the hill), and Il Vinaio is right across the street from the front entrance to the church. Just a few minutes from the Chiantigiana (222). Sit outside, enjoy the unbelievable view, order a panino corretto (I recommend the grappa one) and some olives (best olives we had in Italy) and ask the charming proprietor to recommend a local wine--it's fun to try different things by the glass. The setting is stunning.
There is a winery, Fattoria Le Fonti, whose vines you can see on the slope beneath Il Vinaio. We really liked their Chianti, and I understand they do direct sales right there--not sure about tours but you can find them on the web and ask. Their sign is just a little ways down the street from Il Vinaio. Lots of places don't have "tours" but might be willing to show you around.
Il Vinaio is open on Sunday I believe--always good to check when in Italy though. (It also doesn't open necessarily when it says it will, but that shouldn't be a problem after noon.) Sunday morning (8/9-2ish) is market day in Panzano. The market isn't especially noteworthy, but you could stop at Dario Cecchini's butcher shop for a snack or some Tuscany-seasoned-salt or some red-pepper mostarda. All in all, Panzano would probably be a fun lunch stop on a Sunday.
Fall Italy Trip Planning Questions
Pietro and others: I'm having some of the same difficulties as Mrsricho in planning a trip to unfamiliar territory from afar. In Chianti, we plan to stay in an agriturismo in Greve for 2 nights and at a B&B in Panzano for 2 nights (split due to lodging availability). Here's the question: I wanted this part of our trip to be slower, less urban, less seeing-of-sights, and thus plan to travel only via bicycle, scooter, or bus during this time. We will go to Montefioralle of course, and I've read everyone's recs for Greve and Panzano. What other restaurants in this area, given our limited transportation radius, would you recommend? We hope to get to Radda and Castellina. (Recs for bakeries, enotecas, or other food-related establishments would also be welcome!) Michelin-starred is probably out of our price range. Thanks for all the recommendations for Italy, they have been invaluable in planning our trip.
Bologna--lunch near train station?
Hello Hounds,
Planning a trip to Italy in May and this board has been indispensable. One question we'd appreciate help with: we won't be staying in Bologna this trip, but it turns out we need to catch a flight from there on a Saturday. If we want, we could arrive early via train and stop for lunch & a walk, rather than going straight from the train station to the airport.
We don't know anything about the area around the train station--are there good food prospects nearby and walkable? Hopefully we could check bags at the station, but otherwise we'd be lugging them like Ugly Americans. Is this a stupid & logistically painful idea, or might this be a pleasant stopover? Thanks for your help.
