Gavin499's Profile
Solvang, Santa Ynez, Los Olivos Wine Recommendations
My wife and I are heading to Solvang for the weekend to enjoy some tasting and celebrate our 1st anniversary. At the moment we're staying in Solvang (Hadsten House) and having dinner at Root 246. I'm open to suggestions for a different dinner, as well as lunch and breakfast in the area, but what we're most looking for is wine suggestions.
Here's what I know:
1)We're willing to travel a bit around the area, hence the title. I've been in the area a half dozen times and enjoyed some great wines, but we're really looking for something different.
2)We tend to prefer appointment experiences, since they are usually less crowded, which can be an issue on the weekends.
3)We tend to prefer old-world "style" wines, meaning good minerality, and less fruit bombs. Balance is key. No strong preference as to white or red wines, though I suppose we lean a bit more towards red.
4)If I were to define some of the things we like, my favorite grape (at the moment) is Granache, and we tend to enjoy Rhone style wines. We've been to Demetria and enjoy it a lot, just as a point of reference.
Ideas? Thoughts? I've searched the boards significantly, but most of the recs are from last year (or before), so I'd love any thoughts from recent (or permanent) visitors!
Cocktails
I'm looking to head to Montreal, probably next fall, so I'm in the early stages of planning my culinary adventure. I've found several suggestions for dining options (although I'm always open for more suggestions), but what I haven't found is a good place (or places) for cocktails.
Coming from Los Angeles (so you know my point of reference), I've been getting very into classic (and twists on classic) cocktails, especially cocktails using dark spirits. Trying to put some perspective, I've got 8 different bourbons, 4 sweet vermouths and 6 rye whiskey options in my home bar.
I don't tend to prefer loud spaces, though I'm not necessarily opposed. I tend to prefer somewhat more quite areas, food is optional, but good cocktails are a must. Any ideas? Does it just not exist in Montreal?
Dinner & Drinks
As clarification, we are planning on coming in on Saturday, and will be taking the ferry into the city proper, at which point we will be (obviously) subject to the whims of public transit.
Dinner & Drinks
So the wife and I are going to be in the Bay Area this weekend, and are planning to head into the city for at least one evening with her parents. We are looking for a place to get some good food and drinks, ideally not absurdly expensive (especially the food). We're not picky about the neighborhood, except that the food and drinks should probably be relatively close together, since we won't have a car in the city.
Just to specify somewhat, for food we're probably looking for something where entrees are in the low-20's or so, and/or we can get out (4 people) for under $200, excluding tax, tip and drinks. We tend to prefer upscale casual types of food, and probably avoid most "ethnic" foods, like Indian, Mexican or Chinese this time.
For drinks, the ideal setting would be a smallish bar, excellent drinks, with an emphasis on classic style drinks over extremely fruity, modern or trendy drinks. I love a twist on a classic, and the wife and I spent our honeymoon in New Orleans and loved Bar Uncommon, Arnaud's French 75 and the like. I don't particularly love an overly loud/trendy crowd, but don't mind waiting for a quality drink. Smaller crowds are probably better, especially with the parents along for the ride this time.
Any suggestions would be much appreciated!
New Year's Eve Dinner
My fiance and I would be interested in checking out a delicious meal for New Year's Eve in New Orleans. We're not tied to being at the restaurant to ring in the year, but we're big foodies and price is no object. We'll be staying in the French Quarter, so somewhere near enough to walk would be great. Especially since a cab might be hard to find on New Year's Eve.
We love a good cocktail, and music is great, so if anyone has suggestions on where to be after dinner we're certainly open to hearing them. Any ideas would be great!
Marin Rehearsal Dinner
My fiance and I are trying to locate a good place for a rehearsal dinner in Marin County for next June. We're definitely into good food, but unfortunately since the wedding party is so large (30-35 people) we have to try to keep costs relatively low. Here's what we're looking for:
1. Located near Novato. The wedding will be there, and everyone coming in from out of town (most of them) will be as well. Several won't have cars, so we'll have to coordinate travel, so near Novato would be nice.
2. Can accommodate our party comfortably. We'd love to have a private room, but it's not a deal breaker for us, if the space is nice.
3. Good food. We like good food, and don't want some nasty unpleasant food. That said, we're fine working with some of the most simple/less expensive products if they're prepared well.
4. Availability - The rehearsal dinner will be on a Friday. I know that makes things more expensive, and if you know of somebody willing to work with us, let us know. We're willing to do the dinner early (as early as 4:30PM if necessary) to try to keep our costs down as much as possible.
5. Cost - Here's the hardest part. We're trying to keep costs right around $35/person. That would include the meal, and possibly non-alcoholic beverages. We would like access to a cash and carry bar (wine, beer, cocktails if available) and our guests will likely indulge on their own dime, we just don't need it included in our price.
Are there any places that can do this around that area? We can't easily get into San Francisco proper, or all the way to Sonoma, but what else is out there?
LA Hound Heading to Boston
We won't have a car, but we're looking for great food in Boston. We'll be arriving in the morning, have all day and evening on Thursday, and then all day Friday. We're departing for Providence, Rhode Island on Friday evening, and can eat either in Boston or Rhode Island (or anywhere in between).
To put it in perspective, we've enjoyed some of the best food in LA, and for at least once meal we're looking for a meal where price is no (realistic) object. We'd like to stay under $200 or so per person, but that should be fairly easy. We're pretty hardcore foodies, so we'd love any suggestion for what to do on Thursday/Friday as well if anyone has good tips. Any help would be appreciated!
Duck legs - where to buy in Los Angeles - moved from Home Cooking board
Whole Foods in Woodland Hills has them on a regular basis in or near the meat department (by the poultry). It's good duck, and beautiful for the duck recipe from the NYT. There are better recipes, but that's a great one to start with.
Pheasant
I'm trying to stay out of the city proper if possible... especially since we'll be about 30 minutes(ish) north of San Francisco. If we can stay in Marin/Sonoma it'd be much more convenient for me... but of course maybe I'm stuck heading into the city. Thanks for the idea!
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30 Cafe
9850 Cabrillo Hwy N, Moss Beach, CA
Pheasant
I'm trying to find a place north of San Francisco, in either Marin County or Sonoma County where I can find fresh game birds. Most specifically I'm looking for pheasant, but fresh quail would probably suffice. I know about Liberty Duck Farm, but unfortunately duck's not going to work for this purpose.
Does anyone know if Bud's Custom Meats sells fresh pheasant or quail? Or if it's all frozen? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
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Bud's Custom Meats
7750 Petaluma Hill Rd, Penngrove, CA
DineLA- running reviews of places so far
Color me disappointed. I went to Spago on Friday evening for the dineLA menu (and also to celebrate my girlfriend's birthday). It's not the first time we've been to a dineLA restaurant, and in general we have had quite good experiences. I feel like we're also quite familiar with top-notch service and food that we have come to expect from a restaurant of Spago's quality. While we didn't expect the same level experience we have received at restaurants such as Le Bernardin or Providence, I was sorely disappointed.
Let me start by saying that the both of us (and our guests) were very impressed with the service when we arrived. Everything from the valet, to the host, to the bartender was excellent. Unfortunately, eventually we had to head to our table and meet our server, Jason. Jason was... abrupt to say the very least. When we requested the dineLA menus (something I had mentioned when we made the reservation prior), he replied "fine" and left to get the menus. Upon returning to the table proceeded to collect the normal menu. We asked if we would be able to keep the regular menu, since we were interested in potentially adding a couple courses to the meal, since it was a celebration.
Jason left, only to come back a few minutes later and inform us that the chef would not allow us to add any additional courses. Of course I'm skeptical (perhaps only a very slight notch below calling him an outright liar), but fine. Suffice it to say at that point we were already disappointed. When we subsequently asked if we could at least add the corn agnolotti, he hesitated before finally saying that we could indeed have one plate of that to share amongst the four of us (no more... apparently). He also mentioned that the agnolotti would have to come out at the same time as the appetizers. Of course, we all had appetizers, so this made things a bit awkward. While we ate our appetizers, the pasta sat in the middle of the table getting cold. Hardly what I'd imagine any chef would want for his or her food.
As a capper to the evening, since it was my girlfriend's birthday, and we'd come to Spago since she had wanted to visit for years, I made a specific point of confirming with the restaurant that it was noted. They informed me that they would happily provide a candle for her dessert. A small, but in my mind classy touch. I reconfirmed with the host upon checking in, and still dessert came and went with no acknowledgment whatsoever. No candle, no birthday wishes, nothing. It was disappointing.
The food was fine. It was not knock your socks off brilliant, and somewhat below what I would have hoped for a restaurant with such acclaim. That being said, if the service hadn't been perhaps the worst service I've had since TGI Fridays, I believe we all would have enjoyed the meal. As it was, we left with a poor taste in our mouth. After we left, we contacted the restaurant and spoke to a manager, who informed us that he would look into the situation and give us a call to follow up. During the call to management, they confirmed that in their system it was noted that we were celebrating a birthday, so it's clear somebody dropped the ball. To his credit, he was very pleasant and generally apologetic, if non-committal, across the board. Three days later, still no word. I'm holding out hope we'll hear something, but I'm growing skeptical. In all, I can't recommend the restaurant unless you can be sure to avoid Jason...
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Spago
176 North Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Temecula Wine Country
Fair enough re:summer visits. I've gone a couple times this summer, though I agree with you on the weather and crowds. I've found that Doffo, since it's somewhat hidden is MUCH less crowded (I've never had more than 1-2 other groups in at the same time, and usually small groups of not more than 4). Also since Briar Rose is appointment only, they are never too crowded. Also, great AC in both cases!
Thanks for the tips on Paso, if you've got any other good ones, I'd love to hear it. I've been up to SB county a couple times, but only once to Paso. We're heading up there next weekend, so I need some good ideas! I've been to Martin Weyrich and Turley, and you're right. Very tasty zins. Of course zin is not my favorite. I'm in a major grenache kick, and LOVE any of the Bordeaux grapes (if done well obviously). Also do enjoy a tasty pinot from time to time.
If he/you haven't already, you should try to hit Demetria in the SB area. Delicious wines, appointment only (but easy to get, especially on weekends). Beautiful property, but most importantly some of the best wines I've had in the area.
Temecula Wine Country
Been to Palumbo, and I think they're quite tasty. They're another one that we try to stop by when we're in the area. Please report back after you try Doffo and Briar Rose (especially) and let me know what you think. Always interested in another opinion!
Temecula Wine Country
My girlfriend and I have been down to Temecula about a dozen times in the last couple years and by and large have been disappointed. We were not impressed by South Coast Winery, and most of the others tend to have the overly commercial, excessively sweet wines that we don't enjoy (though clearly some do).
I would recommend two in particular that we do find to be quite good. First, Doffo Wines is a neat little winery off past most of the main wineries on Rancho Cal. They make good wines, and tend to be... Argentinian in style? Lots of Malbec, Cab Sauv, no whites of note. Overall some good ones, some decent ones, but definitely worth the trip.
The other one is Briar Rose Winery. You need a reservation, but we've never had any trouble getting one (of course, we're wine club members, so that helps). Their wine stands up against all the other wineries in the Napa, Sonoma, Santa Barbara and Paso areas that I've tried. Not all of them are the best in the world, but especially if you're a fan of complex and delicious reds, you won't be disappointed. I'd be curious to see if anyone else has been there and has any other perspectives...
What L.A. restaurants have caffeine-free Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi on tap?
Most of The Habit locations have it. Tragically, the one on Ventura near Van Nuys does not. Also on a smaller scale the bagel place (New York Bagel Cafe I think) in the shopping center on Van Nuys and Ventura Blvd in Sherman Oaks has it too.
Food near Hyatt Regency
I'm looking for a delicious meal for a Sunday afternoon. I don't mind spending some money, but especially since it's only a lunch, I'd like to keep it relatively within reason. We're coming from LA, so anything that's unique and delicious would be great.
Also would strongly consider any more "refined" restaurants, especially if any of them have good deals for a Sunday meal, or something along those lines. Any thoughts?
Uncommon Meat
Harmony Farms isn't bad, and they certainly have a wide selection, but keep in mind if you're looking for "fresh" you're out of luck. Basically everything they source is frozen. They have fresh beef and chicken (I believe) but anything more exotic than that is frozen solid. Up to you if that's a deal breaker, but it's worth noting.
Crave Cafe in Sherman Oaks
It's... acceptable. I saw it a while back, since I live nearby and was hoping for something really interesting. Pita Kitchen is great, but every once in a while it'd be nice to have some diversity!
Overall, food is decent, but unspectacular. I've had their lentil soup and one of their paninis (tuna), as well as a macaroon. The soup was actually pretty good and well seasoned, though I can't say I'm sure it's homemade. The soup was decent, but unspectacular. Less than great bread, less than great tuna, overall less than great.
In general I'd say give it a shot and maybe you'll have better luck than I did. They also serve breakfast and crepes, which I may have to try. I'd really like it to succeed, but based on what I had, I wouldn't count on it for the long run.
Restaurant Week / Dine L.A Good Values?
Not in my opinion. We tried BLT Steak for DineLA, and frankly we were a bit underwhelmed. I hear they have a number of delicious steaks on their regular menu that are supposed to be very good, but overall the options they have for DineLA are unimpressive.
One caveat, the popovers are delicious, and I thoroughly enjoyed their risotto (though not as much as the risotto at Gordon Ramsey). I guess my point would be for the same price (during DineLA) there are several options I'd put higher than BLT steak.
Clara's Tidbits
Is this place any good? More importantly I suppose, is this listing a good deal? I am planning a trip to Florida, and am curious if these are worth what they're selling for. What's good?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=130287345158
Restaurant Week / Dine L.A Good Values?
Gordon Ramsay at the London was a good value. Despite what some have said here, we had excellent service. The food was excellent, and certainly worth the discounted rate for DineLA. Five courses (amuse, appetizer, entree, pre-dessert, dessert), for that price is a great deal. Good cocktails, and a decent (if not spectacular) wine pairing if you're into that kind of thing.
(Not) Valentine's Day
I'm looking for a place to go "for" Valentine's Day. Fortunately me, my girlfriend understands that we're not likely to go out on Saturday itself. We're much more interested in saving our money and getting a better deal/better service/better food on a day somewhere near Valentine's Day.
Ideally I'm looking to spend somewhere under $150 for the both of us (if we could get under $100 that'd be ideal) including tax, tip, food and wine (if possible). We really enjoy tasting menus, or some sort of "full meal" rather than just ordering a la carte, but we can be persuaded if the right food is the right price.
Preferences:
She won't eat sushi. That's about it. Restaurants we enjoy (for reference) include Grace, Comme Ca, Hatfield's, Gordon Ramsey
We're willing to go for a special evening or for lunch instead of a dinner if the offer is better. Any suggestions?
Joe's Restaurant v. Grace Appetite Stimulus Plan
So I've got to decide between Joe's Restaurant or Grace for the Appetite Stimulus Plan... any thoughts? I'd lean toward Grace typically, but my girlfriend and I went to Grace just about a week ago (their game tasting menu was AMAZING), and we've never been to Joe's Restaurant.
Any idea what the menu for the appetite stimulus plan at Joe's looks like? I'm sure both would have delicious meals, just trying to make a distinction and any help would help!
Quarter Century Birthday
Looking for the best restaurant in LA for a birthday. Tragically, I'm not FLUSH with cash, so it's looking like my budget for the evening is going to be around $200-250(MAX). The girlfriend and I are looking for someplace that will have great food. Atmosphere is fine, and sometimes contributes to the food, but frankly we're not looking for romantic, or casual, or anything in particular (they're all fine). If the food's good, that's where we want to be.
Really looking for a tasting menu or something similar (wouldn't mind a standard a la carte menu, so long as we can each get an appetizer, entree and dessert). I would love to do the tasting at some place like Melisse, and have my eye on it for the future, but it doesn't appear that there's any way to get out of there for that price (at least if we want to make it the experience we'd like).
The 250(MAX) budget needs to include wine, so if there's a wine pairing with a tasting, hopefully that can be taken into consideration. If that's not possible, we've got some pretty good wine, so a reasonable corkage would be acceptable (but less thrilling).
Any help?
French Birthday Dinner
My girlfriend has a big birthday coming up and she's got family coming in to town. We're looking for a place to enjoy a delicious meal, without spending an insane amount of money. Her father is a chef in San Francisco, and really knows his food, and we'd really like to show him a great restaurant in the area. Here are our requirements:
1) French, Continental or American style is preferred. We enjoy Italian and the amazing ethnic food places around, but we're focusing on those styles primarily at this point (other can't miss suggestions are appreciated as well.
2) Price point should be at or near Comme Ca level. Unfortunately that rules out some of the bigger name restaurants like Melisse, or Spago. We're looking for appetizers around $10-15 range, entrees at around $20-30, and desserts $7-10. Obviously there can be outliers, this should be a general rule. Either a selection of relatively inexpensive wines, or a reasonable corkage would be appreciated as well.
3) We're based out of Sherman Oaks, but are willing to travel to most of Los Angeles if the meal is right.
Any help you all can provide would be great! Thanks.
Primitivo, Lula's, Elsewhere?
I'm looking for a great place for a delicious meal at a relatively low cost. Lula's and Primitivo have been suggested and are up for consideration. I generally don't like Mexican food that much (I like heat, but generally not that style of heat), so I'm leaning more toward Primitivo, but I haven't heard a lot of great things (here or elsewhere).
Here's what we need:
1) Around $20-25ish per person (cheaper is, obviously, better)
2) Around the Santa Monica/Venice area.
The rest is up for grabs. Things that are off-limits for various reasons:
1)Mediterranean food
2)Indian food
3)Sushi
Any help would be great!
Bluewater Grill Recommendations
I'm heading to Bluewater Grill in Newport Beach this evening with a few friends. Any can't miss items? I hear the bread is good, but I'm unlikely to subsist entirely on bread! What's delicious, if anything?
Serviceable Chinese Delivery in Sherman Oaks/Encino
I'll agree with Bamboo Forest, it's tasty and good if you're looking for that kind of "Americanized" chinese food (sometimes I am, and that's my go-to place). I love their Mu Shu Pork, but everything I've had their has been delicious. Be careful not to mix it up with the nearby, similarly named Bamboo Village, which is not nearly as good (in my opinion).
Jitlada Recommendation
Just read the recent Gourmet magazine review, recommending Jitlada Restaurant. Curious if anyone has any opinions on the restaurant as a whole? Does it live up the rave review?
My girlfriend and I are planning on heading down there in the next couple days, any can't miss dishes? Any dishes to stay away from?
We're always looking for great thai in the LA/SFV area, and if this is as good as they say, we might be in luck!
Warszawa Recommendations
Just figured I'd report back on what we had. I started with a simple (extra dry) potato vodka martini - delicious. I can safely say it was the best potato vodka martini I've had (I typically prefer grain vodkas), but if you're expecting ultra-smooth vodka, as my girlfriend was, stick to the grain vodka (or skip vodka all together!).
We had the Polish sausage appetizer, which was quite good. Very rustic, simple but tasty. For main course, she had the pierogi's (sampler style) and I had the duck. I though the pierogi's were tasty, but not terribly large. To be honest, she was left wanting more food, but the flavor was pretty good.
I had the duck. It was delicious, not at all dry, very moist, crispy skin and overall great taste. I love duck as a rule, and I'm constantly looking for the best duck I can find (Comme Ca is the current winner, and if anyone has other ideas, PLEASE let me know), this was above average duck. It was far from brilliant, but I wanted to use my fingers to pick meat off the bone more than would be acceptable in polite company.
We finished the meal with a glass of Wawel (sp?) which was incredibly sweet and interesting. Not my cup of tea, since I tend to prefer wines more on the dry side, but then it was a dessert wine, so what can you expect?
Overall I'd recommend the place as a casual dining experience. You won't be blown away, but in my experience they provide good food, good service and a unique atmosphere.
