llinza's Profile
Three days in Chicago - lunches near the Palmer house
Miller's Pub is a fun old school place that would be worthwhile for at least a drink. The food is fairly basic but they do have great old school bartenders.
The Gage is a gastropub with a wide array of great sandwiches and burgers. We had some wonderful mussels there once.
The Purple Pig is farther away but has fantastic small plates - no reservations so best to go at off hours.
I would think there must be some chicago style pizza nearby but perhaps others can make a recommendation. I do know you can generally call and order your pie in advance which would help you get out within a reasonable time frame.
Trip Report - Green Goddess, Commanders, Mandinas, Pascale Manales...
Thank you for the good suggestion to walk Magazine Street after CP's, and for mentioning Mandina's when you replied to my first post (that was the only reason it rang a bell when we passed by on the streetcar!)
Trip Report - Green Goddess, Commanders, Mandinas, Pascale Manales...
Our first visit was a VERY hot late May (pre-K), at midday on our 2nd day I realized I was just never going to dry off!
Trip Report - Green Goddess, Commanders, Mandinas, Pascale Manales...
This board was invaluable in planning our trip, both in answering questions and for reading old posts and trip reports, so I wanted to report back on our hits and misses.
Saturday
Old Coffee Pot – we enjoyed our breakfast and sitting on the patio was lovely, we had the lost bread and a combo that included ham, eggs, biscuit and callas. The lost bread was very tasty, similar to a flattened and crisper beignet. The callas was a bit disappointing very dry but with a surprising gingerbread spice flavor. The biscuit was perfect, warm, buttery and flakey.
We followed this with Bloodies at Pat O’Briens inside bar. After a stroll around the quarter we went back to the Monteleone, since our room wasn’t ready yet we had a sazerac in the expanded Carousel Bar. We loved the sazerac’s here and the expanded space is great.
Dinner was raw oysters and gumbo at Felix’s and we called it a night early since we had been up at 5AM.
Sunday
Breakfast at Green Goddess – I just love this small quirky restaurant. It was a bit chilly so we sat inside which was a lot of fun as we got to observe some of the kitchen action. I was hoping for the grits and grillades or chillaquiles that we had on our last visit but they weren’t on the menu. Husband ended up with a Pressed Blue Crab Sandwich – this was delicious, the crab flavor really stood out. I had the Shrimp and Pork belly Bahn Mi – a spectacular sandwich, the richness of the shrimp and pork were accented beautifully by the bright Vietnamese flavors of the dressing and greens. The drinks sounded fantastic but we stuck to the coffee which was dark and rich. Highly recommend both these sandwiches and would have loved to return for dinner.
We then hopped on the Canal Street line (which was running buses for a planned service diversion) to City Park and the Botanic Garden. Our initial plan was to head to Parkway Tavern after our park visit but we happened to pass Mandina’s on the way over and headed back there instead. My husband made the better choice with Creole Eggplant – this was an odd looking but highly addictive dish. The eggplant came mounded in a serving dish (looking a bit like chopped liver), it seemed to be roasted and cooked down into a stuffing like consistency flecked with perfectly cooked shrimp. To be honest, we didn’t quite know what to think of it at first but once you tried it you just kept wanting more. Tables all around us were getting heaps of fried oysters, shrimps and chicken – I knew that was what I should order… but in a healthy fit I went for grilled shrimp and pasta bordelaise. The shrimp were fine but the pasta was seriously overcooked with a floury taste and the ‘bordelaise’ was oil and parsley. The salad to start and bread pudding to finish were both basic and tasty. We loved our server, the festive family atmosphere and the old school vibe of the place and would return for the creole eggplant and to try some of the fried dishes.
We finished up the night with sazeracs and jazz at Irvin Mayfields and another round at the Carousel Bar.
Monday
After a breakfast of lattes and blueberry turnovers from Café Beignet we got dressed up and headed to Commander’s Palace via the streetcar for lunch. The Garden room wasn’t available so we sat in the main dining room which we really enjoyed. Service was attentive without being intrusive and there was a great happy buzz to the atmosphere. We started with an Apricot Fizz which was a nice light drink (akin to an apricot mimosa). To start we shared the Oyster Absinthe Dome – this was a creamy, briny delightful dish to share. They brought us extra bread to sop up the sauce – the bread throughout our trip was amazing but this was one of the best loaves. We also had the commander’s Martini (technically not a real martini as it was not gin based) and moved onto gumbo and turtle soup – the turtle soup was the favorite with a great depth of flavor and a beefy quality. The gumbo was silken smooth apart from the shrimp and sausage – but we agreed that we like our gumbo a bit more rustic and textured. For mains we had the smoked seafood cakes and parmesan crusted drum. The drum was the favorite, perfectly moist with a nice crust, the sauce had a nice acidity – overall a light flavorful dish. The smoked seafood cakes were interesting, we expected something fried and crisp similar to a crab cake but this was more a timbale of smoked fish surrounded by sauce. I think I would like this more as a smaller appetizer portion. For dessert we shared the warm pecan pie which was wonderful. We can’t wait to go back to Commander’s and do recommend dressing up.
After a brief stroll through the cemetery we made our way up to magazine Street for some shopping – I would have loved to try some sweets at Sucre but we were pleasantly full. We walked up through the 5000 area and then strolled back down again stopping at the Bulldog Tavern for a cider. They have a truly impressive selection of beers here and the folks we talked to were saying the food was tasty as well. We strolled some more and stopped into the Rum House for a frozen margarita (food looked good but we had another plan). After a quick look at our map we hopped back on the streetcar and headed to Pascale Manales, it was a pleasant 4 block walk to the restaurant. We had a dozen raw oysters which were huge and magnificent followed by the BBQ Shrimp and more fabulous bread. This was just an amazing treat – the oysters were briny, creamy and perfectly shucked and the shrimp were sweet and perfectly cooked. One note about the oysters – we had some huge ones on the trip, the size could actually be quite daunting but they were all delicious.
We then walked back to catch the streetcar and stopped into the Roosevelt hotel for another sazerac – we loved the bar and the murals but preferred the sazerac at the Carousel Bar, where we headed for another spin!
Tuesday
Breakfast at Camellia Grill – fun old school atmosphere. We had great fun chatting with the Chef and our server. I stuck with simple eggs over and grits while hubby had an enormous omelet with corned beef hash and cheese. Good spot for a basic and inexpensive breakfast in the quarter.
We wandered through the quarter had a frozen irish coffee at Molly’s in the Market and eventually made it to Napoloeon house for warm Muffaletta and Pimms Cup. We each had a ¼ mufaletta which was really tasty and moist, the bread was great and the ratio of meat to cheese to olives was perfect.
Husband was starting to come down with a bug but we headed to Emeril’s for his birthday dinner. This won out over Coquette (our first choice) because of proximity to our hotel but it was a nice choice. Service was friendly and attentive and food was solid if not stellar. They brought out a crab bruschetta as a birthday treat – this was a really flavorful 2 bite treat. For appetizers I had the pasta with crawfish and creole cream sauce. This was tasty but I would have liked a bit more spice. Husband had the BBQ shrimp – the shrimp were very small and sauce was quite thick – might have liked this more if we were not still dreaming about the shrimp at Pascales. For mains we had the ribeye and the scallop special – both were tasty and well prepared but the portions were surprising. My dish had 3 scallops on polenta with 3 grilled asparagus spears and 1 satsuma orange section – it looked like an appetizer next to my husbands very large perfectly cooked ribeye with a tower of onion rings. That said, the flavor of my dish was great and I had room for dessert. Dessert was the banana cream pie. This dessert deserves its reputation and is definitely sized to be shared. The list of wines by the glass was very good as well, I had a nice Albarino and finished off my husbands Pinot Noir.
We had planned to go to dba but husband really wasn’t feeling well so we headed straight back to the hotel.
Wednesday
Husbands bug was not going away but he rallied. After a light breakfast from café beignet we headed to the Ogden Museum and then strolled over to Cochon. We had a fabulous special soup of white bean and kale, wonderful depth of flavor from simple ingredients, fried cauliflower, mac & cheese and an oyster and bacon sandwich. Everything was really tasty and well prepared I’d love to go back to try their selection of meats. I read mixed reviews about cochon but I definitely recommend it as a lunch or small plates stop. I also had a swinekiller which was a nice, light gin based drink.
After some more hotel rest we popped over to dba to see the Tin Men play – it was a great show (7 PM and smoke free!) and the beer and spirit selection was terrific. We stuck to the Crispin Cider on tap but you could spend days trying everything here.
We planned to try French 75 at Arnauds for some small plates but it was filled with cigar smokers so we beat a hasty retreat. The kitchen at Hermes Bar was closed so we ended up at Felix’s – I got a shrimp po boy (eh) and husband got plain grilled chicken and white rice.
Before heading home Thursday I popped into Drago’s for some chargrilled oysters – they were wonderful! The oysters were nicely sized and perfectly cleaned and cooked. I read lots of mixed reviews but for me these were a winner and I’d definitely return.
All in all we had a great time with wonderful service everywhere and some fabulous food. Everywhere we went people were warm and friendly – once folks realized we were not local people were eager to give their recommendation for music or food or share a story about visiting relatives up north, the people of this city are really what makes it special.
We might even brave the hot weather to come down for a weekend and try some of the spots we missed like Coquette, Herbsaint, Galatoires and Parkway.
Commanders on Monday plus Bday rec
Thank you all for the great feedback. we have our res for Monday at CP and will definitely follow Littleman's route down Magazine Street. We are leaving Monday's dinner up in the air - not sure how full we will be after CP.
On Saturday we get in around 11 - the plan is to drop our bags and head to Green Goddess, wander the quarter and have some BBQ shrimp at Mr. B's perhaps drinks and snacks at Arnauds/antoines or dragos. If we have the energy this might be a good niht for Frenchman Street - would Mimi's in the marigny be worthwhile?
Sunday will be City park day - perhaps breakfast at Lukes on the way to the streetcar? We are open to other options . After the park we will do Parkway and perhaps Angelo Brocato.
We will scratch Pascale Manales but would like to do BonTon and Casamento's.
Tuesday - leaning towards August (good location, no cabs needed) but the idea of Dante's kitchen followed by walk up to Maple also appealing. Would one of Emeril's places be a better birhday locale?
Commanders on Monday plus Bday rec
My husband and I will be visiting Sat. Jan 28th - Thurs. Feb 2nd and I've become overwhelemed with choices! We have had two prior visits (pre and post Katrina) but both trips involved travel companions who limited our food itinerary.
This time it is just the two of us and we are looking forward to a relaxed schedule with lots of time for eating, wandering and indulging in some cocktails. We are staying at the Monteleone and will not have a car but are happy to hop in a cab or on the streetcar.
We have never been to Commander's Palace or Galatoire's but we thought we would visit Commanders for lunch Monday. Is this worthwile or will it be empty? Would we better off having lunch at Galatoires? I assume husband would want to wear a blazer for both of these at lunch?
It will be my husbands 50th on Tuesday so I'd love to take him for a special dinner but I've become glassy eyed with choices. We are most interested in food/atmosphere that we would not find in NY.
Places that are on my list;
Green Goddess -had a fabulous brunch there last October and definitely want to go back
Mr. B's for BBQ Shrimp and gumbo - on list last time but did not make it
Drago's for oysters - I know Hiltion gets mixed reviews but NYC doesn't really do grilled oysters
Coquette/Patois/Herbsaint/Dante's Kitchen- all of these menus look great! Would any of these be suitable for a birthday? Would August be more birthday worthy?
Parkway Tavern for Po boys
Pascal Manales -is this worth it or is Mr. B's a better choice?
Casamentos
Cochon - the menu is intriquing, thought it might be place to just get some small plates at the bar.
BonTon - this seems appeallingly old school
Brigtsens
we also plan to visit City Park one day (possibly Sunday) any good options nearby?
We generally like to have an idea of where we want to go without being tied down to too many reservations - but I'm not sure how feasible that is.
We plan on drinks at a number of venues including the Roosevelt hotel, Napoleon, Tujaques, Hermes Bar and of course a number of spins on the Carousel!
The more I read peoples trip reports the more I wish we had more time to visit!
98-year-old needs to gain weight, doesn't eat enough: Food suggestions
My father has found that putting the ensure in the freezer for a few minutes makes it much more palatable.
I also recommend protein powder to mix into shakes. Having many small nutrient dense meals is best - a too full tummy presses up on the already taxed lungs. If she likes peanut butter it is a great item to mix into shakes.
Russ & Daughters - Tipping?
Thanks for all the feedback! I'll continue to Not tip, but now with a clear conscience.
I have always tipped at Katzs and getting to do that as kid was a big part of the fun - handing it to the counter man just felt so 'grown-up'.
Russ & Daughters - Tipping?
For quite awhile I've been wondering about tipping protocol at Russ & Daughters - more specifically, "Should I be tipping the countermen? If so, how much?"
I do not go there a lot but when I do it is generally for a sizable quantity of fish and the place is fairly, and sometimes insanely, crowded. I have never actually spotted anyone tipping the counter guys, but they are so helpful it feels like I should be. There certainly is no tip jar in sight.
So do you tip at R&D?
Thanks!
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Russ & Daughters
179 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002
bars with hard ciders in/near Murray Hill?
The Brickyard on 9th Avenue between 52nd and 53rd has Crispin on tap which is a lovely dry cider (they have food as well).
Swifts on E 4th (South of Lafayette) is a great bar and always has cider on tap, most recently they have had Original SIn. Great proper bar, friendly bartenders, good crowd, no TV - but not a dive.
Their sister bar Puck Fair on Lafeyette off of Houston generally has a cider on tap as well (also a great bar).
Rattle & Hum on 33rd between 5th and Madison has a vast selection of beers and currrently has a number of bottled ciders(including Crispin). However, cider would seem to be a summer drink for them, on a visit a few weeks ago none of the bottles were on ice. (can be insanely crowded, I think I am in the minority but I do not care for the place).
George Keeleys on the Upper East Side usually has Original Sin on Tap as well along with a huge array of microbrews (can be insanely crowded).
Lots of other bars will have Magners or Woodpecker bottles but I prefer the drier ciders.
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Puck Fair
298 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10012
George Keeley
485 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10024
Chicago Trip Report - 09/2010
Last year I got lots of great help from the Chicago board in planning my trip - then due to many unforeseen circumstances I never got to post a review! We just returned from another great trip to Chicago so I wanted to take the opportunity to post a report now - I've noted last years visits in a few places as well.
Huge thanks for the Chicago boards 'regulars' for always posting such prompt and thoughtful suggestions.
Xoco - early lunch. We hit Xoxo around 11:30 on a weekday and had a 5 minute wait to order. Had the Cubano the Carnitos, churros and Chocolate cafe con leche. Both sandwiches were terrific, the cubano was grilled and a bit easier to eat but the carnitos won on flavor - the pickeled onions on teh snadwich were great. Churros were crisp and tasty but we are not really 'sweets' people. The chocolate was fabulous - dark and not too sweet. By the time we left the line was out the door - I would definitely go again but recommend going slightly off hours to avoid a hideous wait.
(In 2009 we went to Frontera Grill and sat at the bar for our meal - it was a fabulous experience but I could not get a reservation this time around.)
Purple Pig - late lunch. We sat at the bar and were able to watch the chefs and expediters at work which was tremendous fun. Loved this meal and would go back in a heartbeat. We started with the fried chorizo stuffed olives - these were salty and savory and a great beginning. Moved onto the eggplant caponata which arrived with grilled bread slathered with goat cheese - delicious! The capponata was smokey and rich with added sweet notes from raisins and teh crunch of pine nuts.
Shrimp/clams with rice was next - this was really tasty but just not as strong as the rest of our courses. Milk braised Pork was melt in your mouth tender and rich, I would have liked a more rustic sauce but teh flavir was fantastic. Finished with the ricotta and farro pudding with chocolate sauce which was divine - the farro added the perfect textural bite and the sauce was dark and flavorful. We wanted to have a second visit but did not get the chance.
Taste of Polonia - we shared the combo plate at this polish festival up in Jefferson Park. The polish sausage and sauerkraut and pierogies and stuffed cabbage were very good, the potato pancake was a bit mushy. We took the bus up here after an afternoon game at Wrigley - it was a fun way to see some different areas.
The Gage - early lunch. We had an early dinner here in 2009 and loved it so returned for lunch. In 2009 we had the vindaloo mussels and a pork lojn special which were both terrific. in 2010 we started with the chicken livers - crispy and rich, the hot mustard was a great accompaniement. potato and bacon soup with clams was next, this was very flavorful and velvetty but the clams got a bit lost. We also shared the gage Burger and the Brisket - these were terrific sandwiches but we favored teh brisket a bit more. It is served open faced with smoky swiss and paperthin apple slices and a slathering of horseradish - teh flavors melded beautifully. The burger was perfectly cooked and we loved the carmelized onions.
Big Jones - Sunday brunch and Wednesday dinner. We liked our brunch and the area (Andersonville) so much we returned for dinner! For brunch we had the crab cakes benedict and the country breakfast (ham, grits, voodoo greens, corn cakes, eggs) which were both wonderful along with great bloody marys. We also started with boudin fritters that were very tasty (sort of a fried rice ball with bits of sauage). they also brought us beignets which were OK - but paled in comparison to real New Orleans beignets. For dinner we had the crawfish fritters (rice balls with crawfish) as well as shrimp and grits and a tea smoked pork - both entress were great - Big jones also made a great, if unusual, sazerac that was very minty. The Andersonville farmers market also had some fabulous items - if we had a kitchen on this trip we would have been happy to buy everything!
The Swedish Bakery - we picked up an assortment of swedish cookies and munched on them over the course of a few days, really tasty and buttery and just like my grandmother used to make. They had a nice variety of cookies I just don't find in NY.
David Burke's Primehouse - Dinner. Loved this steakhouse, very nice atmosphere, great service. Our steaks were perfectly cooked Medium rare as ordered and very flavorful (we got the 40 day ribeyes), we had the fries and sauteed spinach as sides - both were terrific. We started with the lobster and shortrib dumplings, both were tasty but the lobster was our favorite with a really deep rich lobster flavor. We also had the seared scallops on thai fried rice - this was amazing, the scallops were perfect and the rice was rich but with a nice heat - our waiter mentioned the rice is fried in duck fat! Duck fat makes everything better :)
In 2009 we chose Gibson's for our steakhouse. the Bar area allowed for some great people watching and the bartender was nice. We had a horrible table (squashed along an alley to the kitchen - and we had made reservations in advance), indifferent service and so so steak (overcooked in parts and grisly/fatty) and sides. We could have hit a bad night or overbooked time but I would not return.
Hugo's Frog Bar - Late dinner. We walked in with no reservations and got a great table and great service (this was also true of our 2009 visit). We had crab 'fingers' which were delicious followed by their special steak (a ribeye) and a steak and cake (filet and crab cake). both steaks were cooked perfectly and the crab cake was all crab - almost no filler, really delicious. I realize Hugo's shares a kitchen with Gibson's but our food at hugo's has been superior and the atmosphere is much nicer.
Lao Sze Chuan - Lunch. We shared Hot and Sour soup, Chengdu Dumplings, Dan Dan noodles and a forgetable shrimp dish. We loved the spicy dishes the dumplings and noodles were not as hot as we can get in NY but they still had that nice peppery ma-la numbing. We ordered the lamb with cumin but they were out of lamb so we ended up with Empress prawns (not entirely sure of name) - prawns were good but the sauce was thick and sweet so not a favorite.
We also vistied the French Market but were full so did not try anything. This is a nice market but not something I would go out of my way for. Our breakfasts tended to be yogurt and latte's from Goddess and Grocer as that was downstairs from our hotel (the Sofitel).
We still haven't gotten around to trying chicago pizza or hot dogs but we may get around to that next time! We did have Al's beef scheduled for this visit but ran out of time for that as well. Chicago is a great city and we can't wait to visit again - next time I will try to plan for some reservations in advance.
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Swedish Bakery
5348 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640
Lao Sze Chuan
2172 S Archer Ave, Chicago, IL 60616
David Burke's Primehouse
616 N Rush Street, Chicago, IL 60611
Frontera Grill
445 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654
Big Jones
5347 N. Clark, Chicago, IL 60640
French Market Cafe
1973 W 111th St, Chicago, IL 60643
Taste of Polonia
221 Ruby St, Joliet, IL 60435
XOCO
449 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654
Delray -Tuesday food help
Cuban food sound perfect and happy to hear the Colony breakfast is good!
Thank you so much.
Delray -Tuesday food help
We will be staying one day/night in Delray Tuesday September 22nd. We will be in town around noon and then leave the nex day around 10am.
I'm looking for a good lunch or dinner/drinks option as well as a tasty but quick breakfast option. We will probably be staying at The Colony Hotel.
Bamboo Fire looked terrific but they would appear to be closed Tuesday.
We are open to all sorts of food but would love an old school Florida or regional take on things. Price open, just not super expensive.
The rest of our time in Florida will have been spent with ailing inlaws which can be a bit stressful so we are really looking for something fun, relaxed and tasty prior to heading back to NY. We chose to stay in Delray as it seemed a bit more low key than WPB.
Thanks!
Sunday with a Car-help needed.
Thank you, this is exactly what I was looking for! Walker Brothers sounds terrific and we are fans of Tiffany. Depening on the time I think we will try Flamingo's Seafood or Smoque for dinner.
I'll do some more board searches for Union and Marengo.
Sunday with a Car-help needed.
We will be visiting Chicago for 7 days at the end of July . I've been getting lots of terrific recommendations searching this board (every board should have their own nxstasy!)
We will be getting a zipcar for the Sunday of our trip to visit the Illinois Railway Museum in Union. Can anyone recommend a good breakfast on the way, maybe something worth trying that would not be easily accessible by public transportation? Any recommendations for lunch or maybe dinner around Union or on the way back to Chicago?
We will be staying at the Sofitel downtown and picking up the zipcar just a few blocks from there. We are NY'ers who eat everything and are excited to explore Chicago!
Thank you!
dinner place for 8 peeps next friday
You can't really go wrong with a steakhouse. Old Homestead would put you in the right neighborhood. My husband had his bachelor party at the Chef's Table at Smith & Wollensky which everyone was really happy with.
Best Ginger Beer for a Dark and Stormy?
I like Fentimens and Regatta, the Fentimens has a bit more bite and is a bit pricey. Fentimens can be found at Dean & Deluca.
Food that Most People Love and You Don't...
The food that others love that I find completely vile - Pancakes, big fluffy, syrupy pancakes. the thought makes me shudder, all that mushy sweet...ugh! I have no problem with nice thin swedish panackes or crepes.
Milk chocolate - too sickly sweet. Love dark chocolate.
Wok -what kind and where in NYC?
Thanks to everyone for recommending Kam Man, I'll be popping over there this afternoon!
Big thanks also to those who participate in the COTM threads, it was living vicariously through the Fuscia Dunlop and Vietnamese months that compelled me to finally buy a wok along with a few more cookbooks.
Food with Dark & Stormy?
Thanks to all of the great food suggestions! I really love the idea of coconut shrimp and jerk chicken. Spicy Conch stew sounds great but I think the conch would be hard to locate.
I've had a hard time finding ginger beer in NY as well. Fentimmens is quite good (but stupidly expensive) and tends to be carried near/with microbrew beers. I've found it at Dean & Deluca as well as a deli in Astoria that carries a big microbrew selection.
Whole Foods or Wild by Nature would probably carry a selection as well. Stewarts makes a really spicy ginger beer that I haven't been able to find lately. I've found a brand called Regatta that is very good at random higher end grocery stores but not on any regular basis.
I've heard that Goya made a good ginger beer but I'm not sure if they still do.
William Sonoma-what to buy?
Agree with all who have noted WS is expensive but in terms of upgrading some of your tired cookware here are my favorites:
A really good heavy stainless pan (I have a Sitram I adore!)
A big Le Creuset
Good Knife
Immersion blender (this gets more use than I expected and is great for my tiny apartment kitchen where there is no room for a food processor or blender.)
A rice cooker or slow cooker could come in handy as well.
Happy shopping!
Food with Dark & Stormy?
A good friend is kindly removing an air conditioner for me on Friday - I've promised to make Dark & Stormy's and I'm looking for suggestions of some light food to go along with them.
Maybe something caribean in flavor?
I'v got the Goslings, Fenitmens Ginger Beer and limes all ready!
Thanks!
Wok -what kind and where in NYC?
I'm looking to purchase a wok for use on my gas stove. It sounds like Carbon Steel is the best choice, or have I been misled? Should I be looking for a hand hammered version? I'm a novice wok user if that makes a difference.
Does anyone have recommendations on where to buy a wok in Manhattan? I work close to Chinatown but does anyone have a specific store recommendation? Would I be best sticking to Broadway Panhandler?
Thanks in advance!
3day trip to pittsburgh-where should i eat,stay?
We just got back from Pittsburgh so I thought I'd chime in.
We stayed at the Westin convention center location which was a good area for exploring the strip and we were able to walk downtown and to the stadiums from here (a longish but nice walk). The Original Fish restaurant in the hotel is a fine in a pinch but I wouldn't recommend it otherwise we had a very very late meal there the night we arrived which I found overpriced and forgettable.
In the strip we had a great breakfast at the counter at Deluca's, perfectly done eggs, crispy (just shy of burnt) hashbrowns and kielbasa and raisin bread toast. Bread slices in Pittsburgh are huge, like texas toast!
Kaya in the strip was great for dinner, we loved everything we had but the rib starter (big enough for an entree), seared scallops and the jerk chicken with manchego cheese grits were stand outs. Service was friendly, drinks were good and they use lots of local produce and meats - I would definitely recommend at least one meal here.
Primantis in the strip looked like a lot of fun but we had our Primantis sandwich at the ballpark. This is a sandwich worth trying at least once but I would recommend sharing one. The ballpark is great and worth going to if you get the chance - lots of food options.
Steel City Diner on Penn by the Westin - we had an enormous but really tasty breakfast here. Great red skinned hashbrowns! I wouldn't travel for this diner, but if you are in the area it was tasty and extremly reasonable. Entertaining people watching as well.
We took a cab to E. Carson Street one evening and also took a cab to Duquesne Incline. Buses look like a great way to travel here - definitely look up the routes beforehand - there are no posted route maps by stops.
E Carson Street has over 20 blocks of bars, pubs and night spots. We chose Pipers Pub which I'd recommend for the amazing selection of scotches and the Blackthorn Dry Cider. Friendly bartender and clients and without any frat vibe. We had no problem getting a cab back to our hotel from this area. This was a more vibrant night life area than the strip district.
The Original Oyster House in Market Square is worth going to for the fish sandwich. They have a monster fish sandwich on the menu - we got the regular and it was very big and very tasty. The onion rings were also quite good here.
I found the Duquesne incline a bit terrifying and would recommend the Monaghella incline instead. Station Square is at its base - the Grand Concourse restaurant was beautiful but we did not eat there - I'd recommend at least a drink at the bar to see the interior and then stroll across the nearest bridge back downtown.
We did not have a problem getting around on foot and people really were super friendly. Just one note, people who are not used to urban areas might feel a bit less comfortable in some parts - to get from the convention center are to the strip district you walk under an overpass and freight lines and throughsome warehouse/parking lot areas until you get to the main area, we are from NY and were not fazed by this.
Enjoy your trip it is a great city to visit!
Pittsburgh Late Night Thursday?
We are planning a trip to Pittsburgh to see a Pirates/Mets game in August. We will be getting in late on a Thursday, staying at the Westin downtown. Can anyone recommend a pub or tavern within walking distance that would still be serving food after 11?
Our flight lands at 10:30PM (assuming it is on time). A place that was not terribly smoke filled would be great! If they had Strongbow cider it would be a huge plus!
it is great to see how many informative posts there are on Pittsburgh!
Thanks!
Stone Crabs in/near Vero Beach?
We will be heading to Vero Beach April 26th and I'm wondering where in the area we could get Stone Crabs and other great seafood?
Any fun or funky road food stops along the way from Orlando to Vero? Anything particular to Florida we wouldn't normally find in NY? Trying to do some advance work before the inlaws take us to another chain!
Thank you!
Easter Menu Spiral Ham and......Help!!!!
Would you mind sharing the recipe for crab deviled eggs? They sound fantastic!
De Buyer Cookware is ABSOLUTELY Amazing!!!
I do not have an induction cooktop but, I recently purchased a Sitram saute pan and I absolutely adore it! It heats beautifully, is well balanced and I expect it to be virtually indestructible.
I did a lot of shopping before going for the Sitram. Paderno's are beautiful and felt great in the hand but the sides were much higher on their saute so I chose Sitram. If I need sides that high I would use my Le Creuset, but of course it depends on the pan you are looking for. I may try Paderno for the next fry pan I get.
Demeyere, they are shiny and lovely but the cost seemed unreasonable to me. I also really like the very industrial, rather than interior decorator, look of my Sitram.
If you are shopping in NY I highly recommend Bridge Kitchenware, they were fantastic.
Cork & Kinsale - what's good?
FishyFishy is indeed wonderful! Walking kinsale is great, you can take a harbour cruise as well - just a beautiful little town.
Up the hill, schilly Kinsale, is a great spot for at least a drink The Spaniard. Lovely spot to sit outside and watch the sunset. They have a more formal restaurant inside which we liked but did not love.
Down the street from the Spaniard is another restaurant where we had a terrific meal and great service but unfortunately the name escapes me! I'll post again if I remember.
I'd suggest heading southwest as oppossed to up to Cork. Lots of fabulous towns to stroll through Skibereen etc. the roads can be a bit scary at first but we did get used to them! Enjoy your trip - southwest Ireland is just beautiful!
