RIP Trattoria Corso [Restaurant is not closed; this is about service issues - CH Team]

I've been to Corso twice and enjoyed my experience both times. My friend is visiting me from out of town and wanted Italian, and I was going to take him there tomorrow (!), but I hadn't heard about the chef change. Has anyone else been since this happened? What were your thoughts? If it's really taken a dive I don't want to waste a meal there (I want to show off the Berkeley food scene!), so I'll take it as an opportunity to realize my long-held dream of trying out Rivoli.

adk in San Francisco Bay Area

The Toaster Oven - new sandwich shop in Berkeley, on Telegraph

Hmmm. I appear to have paid $5.43 for my food, which works out to exactly $5 (assuming 8.75% sales tax). The sandwich was not enormous -- I think there's little doubt that you get more bang for your buck with Subway's much-hyped $5 foot-long -- but the price is comparable to the Chipotle just down the street, and unless you're going for banh mi I think it's hard to find even a quick casual sandwich around Berkeley for less. Got any recs?

adk in San Francisco Bay Area

Thai Noodle represents sugary, flavorless Americanized Thai food at its worst

I've often been disappointed by the lack of late-night dining options near the downtown BART station. My go-to is Arinell Pizza for a quick slice; there's something about eating thin-crust on those checkered floors by the light of the neon sign at 9:30 p.m. that I find inherently enjoyable. But even they close at 10, and this probably doesn't count as what you're looking for.

adk in San Francisco Bay Area

Solo dining options in downtown LA

Though I've never dined solo there, I also like Drago Centro. I've eaten at Water Grill once and really enjoyed it; they're currently closed but are scheduled to reopen for dinner on Tuesday, Jan. 24, so if you'll be in L.A. after then and want seafood, that's an easy pick.

adk in Los Angeles Area

Best Italian (money no object) in L.A. area for a VERY picky eater

I realize this thread is years old, but people are still updating...

If money is no object, Osteria Mozza is a pretty fantastic place. On two occasions I felt like the servers were trying to upsell me, which I abhor, but the food (and people-watching!) is very, very good.

I also second the recommendations in this thread for Osteria Momma and Angelini Osteria (probably my favorite restaurant in L.A.), though they might be a bit noisy for a one-of-a-kind celebration, as requested in the original post. I'm a fan of Drago Centro as well.

I've only been to Valentino three times, and the last visit was a number of years ago, but I left very disappointed on the last two of those occasions. The service was a complete disaster (took over an hour for us to get our appetizer, etc.) and I recall thinking my food was overpriced. But perhaps things have changed, or I just came on two very bad nights.

adk in Los Angeles Area

One year of date night dinners

If you haven't yet been there, I third Ippuku. It's a fantastic place for adventurous eaters.

adk in San Francisco Bay Area

The Toaster Oven - new sandwich shop in Berkeley, on Telegraph

I was strolling down Telegraph Ave. in Berkeley yesterday and passed The Toaster Oven, a new sandwich shop with a crushing mass of students inside. The decor and vibe reminded me of my favorite sandwich store ever (Potbelly's, in Chicago), so I had to try it out. The line was very long but, as advertised in the store, it moved quickly. I got a BBQ chicken sandwich with the works (if I recall correctly this included tomatos, lettuce, onions, pickles and - crucially - hot peppers). It was really good!

The store has a prime location, just next to the university. A woman who worked there said they opened on Monday, though a bit of googling reveals they have three preexisting locations in San Francisco. Highly recommended.

adk in San Francisco Bay Area

Kung Pao in the East Bay

Mission, I'm afraid some things have changed for the worst. A few months ago I had the great misfortune of getting the kung pao as takeout from King Dong. It was epically monstrously bad - little nuggets of chicken under a glowing neon-orange sauce whose bland and indigestion-inspiring monotony was broken only by the jalapeños which served as the vegetables. Stay away.

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King Dong
2429 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704

adk in San Francisco Bay Area

You decide: Daniel v. Jean-Georges

Thanks for the response! Your description makes a lot of sense.

Also, while I searched around the board for a while before making my original post, I somehow did not come across any of the other numerous threads which addressed this very issue. I'm sorry for asking what is obviously a tired question. For the sake of others who might come here wondering the same thing as me:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/627426
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/491177

There are also a number of others that are linked to in the first of these. (Don't let this stop you from giving advice, though!)

adk in Manhattan

You decide: Daniel v. Jean-Georges

My SO and I will be in NYC for her birthday and I'm planning on taking her out to a really nice place. I was fortunate enough to score reservations at both Jean-Georges and Daniel, and now I have the delicious problem of having to pick one. At these prices, I'm looking first and foremost for a transcendent experience. Also, we're from the west coast and have eaten at a number of fancy-pants places in San Francisco and L.A.. Is one of the two "more different" than stuff out here on the west coast? Any advice or information would be really appreciated!

adk in Manhattan

Pho Ha Noi, San Jose

Does anybody know if they still offer unborn eggs? (And if not, what Pho places in the south bay do?)

adk in San Francisco Bay Area

MOZZA -- takeout?

I've yet to try it myself, but Pizzeria Mozza is indeed now accepting takeout orders from the plebeian hordes. It's got at least one fan: Irene Virbila called it "the best takeout from a restaurant I've ever had." Get the goods at www.mozza2go.com.

adk in Los Angeles Area

Dry Creek Kitchen & Healdsburg Wineries

Sorry for the year-old response - I totally forgot about this thread! I'm reporting back what little I remember in the hopes that it might be useful to someone else.

We ended up going to Iron Horse for sparkling wine. The normally gorgeous vineyard that the outdoor tasting "room" looks out upon was closed for replanting, so our view was mainly one of gently rolling hills of dirt. But we both really enjoyed the wine and I'd certainly recommend the experience.

Though we had good experiences at some other wineries the highlight of the trip was undoubtedly Rodney Strong. We arrived some 15 minutes before closing and ended up staying long after all the other customers had left. This was entirely the fault of our fantastic pourer who repeatedly set up parallel tastings between the wines we paid to taste and the estate wines we did not. He also selected and poured us off-menu wines based on our reactions to the stuff we were tasting. And to top it all off he was extremely friendly, answering all of our questions and engaging and leading us through what turned out to be a very lengthy tasting process. I don't know if it was because they had a lot of open bottles they had to use, because our pourer was feeling especially generous, or if the tastings at Rodney Strong are always this great, but we had a blast and will certainly be going back.

And the food? After the warnings on this board we opted to skip Dry Creek Kitchen, but couldn't get a reservation at some of our other top choices on such short notice. We ended up dining at K&L Bistro where I had a delicious onion soup. I wish I could say more, but unfortunately the rest of the meal was largely forgettable.

adk in San Francisco Bay Area

Poutine near Montreal University?

I arrived in Montreal from my native California over a week ago for a conference and have been staying in the dorms at Montreal University. I suspect that most of the other attendees have been primarily eating at the many restaurants on Cote-des-Neiges, but by digging through the goldmine of information posted by you hounds I've managed to eat and drink at some truly outstanding places (Schwartz's, Olive & Gourmando, Fairmount Bagel Bakery, Ripples, Dieu Du Ciel ). I've also had the good fortune to ignorantly wander into some really good restaurants (Boutan, Greasy Spoon), and though I have experienced one or two small misses, my trip has been a delicious and extremely gastronomically satisfying one.

But now I need your help! I'm leaving Friday and I still haven't managed to get my hands on poutine. Another post claimed the crown jewel of the city was La Banquise, but that's pretty far away and I was looking for something a little closer. Are there any restaurants serving up delicious poutine near the university? I'm willing to go far if need be, but closer would certainly be better.

Also, one more question. Though I've achieved most of my Montreal food goals, there's still one more (besides poutine) that I've failed in: I haven't made it to Jean-Talon. I've frequented the large farmer's market that takes place each week in San Francisco near the ferry building, and the main thing keeping me from making the trip to Jean-Talon is the nagging question of whether this market is sufficiently better or different to merit the journey. I suspect I know the answer, but what are your thoughts?

Thank you so much for all the helpful information already on this board, and thanks in advance for your answers to my questions!

adk in Quebec (including Montreal)

sonoma wine tasting - narrowing down our options‏

You're absolutely right; indeed, my experience at C. Donatiello was quite enjoyable, a statement which I realize seems to directly contradict my earlier post. The hosts weren't particularly friendly (though they weren't rude either), so my companion and I took our pours away from the bar and sipped them while reclining in a pair of remarkably comfortable chairs. It was extremely hot that day and we'd already visited several wineries, so it was great to just relax and soak up the AC. The fact that one of the wines was so bad actually made the experience more fun.

However, OP said that "we're looking for the best sonoma has to offer - wine is passion - so quality is paramount." When I said I had "a very bad experience," I was using the wine's quality as the sole metric. It's entirely possible the bottle we tried was the exception rather than the norm, but that was my experience.

adk in San Francisco Bay Area

sonoma wine tasting - narrowing down our options‏

I haven't been to most of the wineries you listed, but I had a very bad experience at C. Donatiello. I was there last summer and something was horribly wrong with one of the wines they poured me - it was easily the worst tasting I've ever had. I don't know if it was a problem with that particular bottle or with the wine itself, but I didn't stick around to find out.

adk in San Francisco Bay Area

Wineries with good wine + picnic area

Arista in Sonoma has a Japanese garden adjacent to the tasting room; when we visited last summer, my girlfriend and I spent quite a bit of time sitting at a table taking in the scenery (though I recall there only being one table, so you might be out of luck if it's occupied). It was a nice experience - one of the workers even poured for us outside!

http://www.aristawinery.com/arista/index.jsp

adk in San Francisco Bay Area

Las Vegas Tasting Menu Deals

I'll be in Vegas this coming weekend and am trying to decide between L'atelier de Joel Robuchon and Picasso. If the tasting menu were $75 it would make my decision a breeze, but I just called and was told it's ~$150! Am I missing something, or has this "special" been discontinued?

-----
L'Atelier De Joel Robuchon
3799 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV

adk in Southwest

Cupertino - suggestions please?

I'm not a huge sushi eater - I stick mainly to California , unagi, and spicy tuna rolls - but I've enjoyed these, as well as other meals (bento box, udon) at the following Japanese restaurants in and around Cupertino. I prefer Sushi Kuni, but call ahead first - they seem to be closed at strange hours.

And I'm sorry about your experience at Fontana's. I've eaten there several times and while it's not the greatest Italian food I've ever had, I've always enjoyed my meal.

-----
Tomi Sushi
4336 Moorpark Ave, San Jose, CA 95129

Sushi Kuni
10211 S De Anza Blvd, Cupertino, CA 95014

adk in San Francisco Bay Area

Where to buy truffles?

Thank you all for the very helpful comments! After reading your responses I decided to purchase my truffle from The Pasta Shop inside the Rockridge food mall. My experience was mixed. The short version is that the truffle was quite good, but I won't be going back.

Here's the (much) longer version. I contacted Juliana, who was extremely enthusiastic over the phone and who encouraged me to come to the store the following day to brainstorm truffle recipe ideas with her. Although I already had plans for my little fungus, I accepted the invitation - I was exchanging gifts before the truffle pick-up date, and wanted something tangible to actually give. Juliana said she would be delighted to write out and sign a certificate "for one gorgeous black truffle"; she would either do it for me the next day, or would write it out in advance before I arrived.

Unfortunately, when I made the hour-long trip to the store Juliana was busy in the basement. The woman at the cheese counter called her by phone, but Juliana declined to come up and there was no note waiting for me. I placed my order and was told that I would be e-mailed some kind of truffle certificate before the end of the day, but that didn't happen either.

A couple of days before Christmas, shortly before I was supposed to pick up the truffle, something came up and it turned out I wouldn't be able to cook for the recipient until just before New Years. So I called to see if there was another truffle delivery at a later date. Juliana informed me that she was getting another shipment a week later and was delighted to postpone my pickup, since she said she had an overabundance of interest in the pre-Christmas batch.

Unfortunately, that's not the end of the story. I called The Pasta Shop around noon the day I was supposed to pick up my truffle to make sure the shipment had arrived. Juliana was out and the woman who answered the phone didn't know; she told me Juliana would call back within an hour. 90 minutes later I called back; this time Juliana was there, and she informed me that there was some problems with the shipment and she was trying to arrange a delivery from a wholesaler near San Francisco; it wasn't clear if the truffle would actually make it. Obviously I wasn't thrilled at this news. Several phone conversations later I was informed that the truffle would be arriving, so I left to pick it up.
When I arrived at the store Juliana was behind the counter and my truffle was waiting for me, wrapped in gauze and encased in a small plastic container. It smelled incredible. However, the price was a very round number, and it seemed obvious to me that nobody had bothered to weigh it. When it was put on the scale at my request, it turned out that I had been overcharged by almost 25% - and this despite the fact that the price per ounce was higher than either of the two figures I'd previously been quoted. Juliana offered a quick "sorry" and the comment that she'd gotten a different weight the first time, but that was the only explanation I got.

And the truffle itself? It was fantastic. I used it in a couple of dishes over the next three days, the best of which turned out to be a very simple breakfast of truffled scrambled eggs. The little fungus was unbelievably aromatic as well; my clothing smelled the entire first evening I used it.

Overall, were it not for the price screw up, I would probably return to the shop again. There were certainly some things I was very happy with (Juliana's initial enthusiasm, the shop's willingness to delay my pickup, and - most importantly - the quality of the truffle itself), and some things I found disappointing (no note waiting for me, nothing e-mailed to me despite promises to the contrary, the price per ounce changing, me having to discover myself the problems with the truffle shipment). But I can't get over the blatant disregard of customer service by pricing the truffle without weighing it. To me the overcharging was inexcusable, and I will not be going back to The Pasta Shop.

adk in San Francisco Bay Area

Where to buy truffles?

I'm looking to purchase a single truffle (of the fungal, not the chocolate, variety) as a holiday gift for a fellow foodie, and I'm wondering where the best place is to do this. I think Far West Fungi (in the Ferry Building) sells them, but I don't know of anyplace else. Where would you recommend looking?

adk in San Francisco Bay Area