janeabby's Profile
Help! Need recs for restaurants with yummy abundant mussels in SF.
a friend is coming in from florida this weekend and mentioned mussels as her choice for saturday nite dinner. will go anywhere in SF. any recs? ithanks
Your favorite meals in Montreal $25 and under (including tax and tip)
$25 is per person. sorry for the confusion. Most interested in bistro, quebecois, african, portugese, greek, bakeries, Chinese, vietnamese. Little Italy, Mile End, Plateau, downtown,the jean talon market, old montreal. thanks
Favorite meals to eat at the jean talon and atwater markets?
Hope to visit both jean talon and atwater markets while in montreal. What are your favorite foods and meals to at the market? Where would you bring the food if you wanted to sit down either in the markets or around them? Also any suggestions for restaurants around the markets.
Your favorite meals in Montreal $25 and under (including tax and tip)
CLARIFICATION: $25 PER PERSON
Quebec City- want neighborhood restaurant and food suggestions for around $25
We will be in Quebec City for 5 nites and 4 days beginning Sept. 21. We will be staying in Haute Ville and would like to explore beyond the walls of the Old City. We will be on foot and are comfortable using public trans and wandering around urban environments. Would love some suggestions re: neighborhoods to explore and restaurants, markets, cafes, bistros that serve meals for around $25 or less. We llive in San Francisco and like all kinds of ethnic food and would also love to taste the bistro food and Quebecois cuisine offered in your city (within and outside the walls). I only see references to Vieux Quebec, Parliament Hill and a bit on St. Roche mentioned in guide books. It would be great to see and eat in other areas as well. Thanks.
Your favorite meals in Montreal $25 and under (including tax and tip)
We will be in Montreal for 7 nites and 5 full days starting next friday sept. 16. We will be staying in the Plateau area, and will be walking and using public trans. We live in San Francisco, come from NYC and are comfortable with and enjoy exploring neighborhoods outside the tourist zones.
Please let us know some of your favorite restaurants and the meals you enjoy. We like all kinds of ethnic food and would love recs that include the full range of the great diversity your city has. Restaurants, bistro, cafes ,markets, street food, snacks, sweets. Thanks
Lake Almanor, Chester, Mt. Lassen area, need restaurant and food market recs
We will be staying in a cabin on Lake Almanor this month, (Mon-Fri. only). Will do some cooking in the cabin so would like food store recs but would really like to know good breakfast and dinner places. Nothing fancy. Anyplace around the lake is fine, we're staying in Prattville area, but willing to drive. Also we intend to spend some time hiking Lassen, so anyplace along the way would be helpful as well. Thanks
has j's pots of soul closed?
tried calling this afternoon and the number has been disconnected. anyone able to confirm that its closed? thanks
Pizza and good Italian food rec for SI near Ward Hill.
We are a group of people convening for a memorial celebration of one of our favorite elders. All native New Yorkers but living in places that simply do not have Italian American food like they do in NY. Would love to drag the group to a pizza parlour with heroes and some good basic NY Italian food. It will be next Sunday probably late afternoon.
Searching for Chicken francaise in Bklyn. Queen on Court St.?
No chicken francese at Queen. And it is clearly not the place (perhaps it is the offspring) that I ate in years ago. Anyway, still searching for the chicken francese but open to other suggestions. Any advice on Fragole?
Searching for Chicken francaise in Bklyn. Queen on Court St.?
There is no chicken francaise in San Francisco. I know its all over and been over in NY. But I crave it. Many years ago I had it in a place called Queen in downtown Bklyn. Is the Queen restaurant now at that location the same one? Do they serve that lemony garlicky butterey olive oiled dish I remember? Does anyone have a suggestion for where around Bklyn Hgts this dish could be gotten? I will be visiting NY next week and greatly appreciate a suggestion.
thank you for indulging me.
Next Tuesday nite rec for Bklyn Hgts
Coming from San Francisco and will be visiting a friend in Bklyn Hgts next week. She is new to the area. I am interested in an Italian restaurant for dinner that is under $40 per person including tax and tip. Italian-american or Regional Italian is fine.
thanks
Recs needed for uws, chinatown and west village.
thanks to all on the recs so far. anybody know a Dairy restaurant in Manhattan? Does the Pink Teacup still exist?
Visiting Natives need recs for Bklyn SI & Queens
We are two native New Yorkers, living for some time in San Francisco, returning to our hometown to take it all in.
We will be staying with friends in Queens for a few days and would like to take them out to some interesting restaurants (we have eaten at elias and uncle george). Any recs for great Italian or Greek food in Flushing, Bayside, Astoria or Long Island City (or any place in Queens for that matter). We might go out for a Chinese dinner in Flushing, so recs on a place for 4 people, authentic and local would be appreciated. Though SF has great Chinese food, it is limited in its selection of regional diversity re Chinese cuisine.
It is also possible we might hit the Bronx for an Italian meal. In the past we have eaten at Dominic's and it was great (abt. 15 yrs ago) so if there is somewhere absolutely fabulous and reasonable (no more than $40 per person inc. wine) we would love to take them there.
Additionally, we will be in SI for a memorial service and would like recs for a good restaurant, Italian or seafood, in the generally vinicity of Ward Hill and or the ferry to Manhattan.
Finally, I will be in Bklyn Hgts. with a friend. Any recs for dinner in the area? Many, many years ago, probably the mid 60s, my parents took me to a restaurant called Queen Pizzaria. It was in downtown Bklyn. It was a regular pizza parlor in the front and in the back, a simple formica tabled restaurant serving amazing, for the time, very different Italian food. The chicken francaise was a revelation as was the greens with olive oil and garlic (I know, this is standard fare now, but believe me it was not then). I would love to go back there, if indeed, it still exists and if it is still very good.
Anyway, recs for Bklyn Hgts please, info about Queen Restaurant and if there is a good breakfast place in the vicinity (not fancy and yes local), that would be great.
Thanks in advance, and I will report back on my trip.l
Recs needed for uws, chinatown and west village.
We are native New Yorkers, living many years in San Francisco, who will be visiting our hometown for a week in starting mid May. We have returned many times before but usually with a hectic schedule. This time we just want to wander and take it all in. Prefer locals oriented places (like a great "greek" coffee shop for breakfast).
We're staying on UWS for 3 nites then visiting the hinterlands then back to the West Village for 2 nites. Would like some interesting low cost ethnic places to eat on the UWS as well as breakfasts. We're walkers so anywhere in the vicinity is good.
We've enjoyed soup dumplings in Chinatown (Joe's Shanghai) but would love to branch out. SF has great Chinese food, but doesn't have the diversity of the various regional foods I often read about in NY. We're adventurous, like fish, seafood, all meats and vegies.
I'm sneaking in a request for good deli but I suspect I will find better fare in Queens where we will be staying for several days. If a good Dairy restaurant still exists on the lower east side, please let us know. Anywhere in Manhattan is fine.
We will be ending our stay in the West Village. Would love some recs on on low cost bistro food again locals oriented. Also breakfast recs.
Thanks, we will report back.
Ponce and south west PR food recs needed!
we will be in ponce and guanica for a total of 6 days at the beginning of march. would like recommendations for locally frequented and authentic regional and local restaurants, cafes, kiosks, markets etc. especially interested in seafood and seasonal fruit. we will be exploring the seaside towns and san german so please include the area. thanks
Ponce and southwest PR recs needed...
will be in ponce (3 nites) and then guanica (3 nites) later this month. would like restaurant, kiosk, street foods recs. we will have a car. in ponce would like suggestions for the historic area and la guancha. we are interested when in guanica to drive around go to different beaches and visit san german, cabo rojo, towns on the coast etc. interested in places where locals frequent, authentic and not upscale. especially interested in sea food. thanks
puerto rico for 12 days, suggestions please
i am very interested in local, puerto rican food, casual and inexpensive. your suggestions are wonderful and mouth watering. thank you, thank you!
puerto rico for 12 days, suggestions please
we are going to puerto rico at the end of february for 12 days. staying in old san juan (3 nites), in jayuya ( via ruta panoramica, 2 days-one nite), ponce (3 nites), guanica (3 nites) and again in san juan in condado (2 nites). would like suggestions for local restaurants in these places as well as favorite local foods (fruits, special dishes etc). please do not forget breakfast and kiosk/roadside/street food. thanks!
Nine Days in Mexico City, Report Back
about my use of d or dollars. where i remembered the cost translated into dollars, i used that. i really should have stated everything in pesos both for consistency and for appropriateness (in that this is an international web site). again, sorry for the oversight.
Nine Days in Mexico City, Report Back
oops, sorry, d=american dollars. hope that clarifies.
Report on Seven Days in Puerto Vallarta
After nine days in Mexico City, my partner S and I went to Puerto Vallarta for seven days and nites. We stayed in a small hotel on the very south end of los muertos beach with a view of the ocean. This place was an anomoly in that the places by the sea were usually very, very large and very impersonal. Breakfast was served on a veranda overlooking the sea. We ate there several days, very simple mexican breakfast, nothing spectacular but easy and adequate. fruit, eggs, tea and coffee. tortillas or rolls. the hotel is transitioning to condos (as is everything it seems in PV) so the focus was not really on the few hotel guests.
It was so different being in PV after being in Mexico City. Once out of the Centro in DFor the major tourist destinations (eg the pyramids) , it is really unusual to see tourists. It is easy to be a fly on the wall. Moving through Mexico City is traveling. Everything about PV is geared to tourism. i think you really have to go way away from the zona romantica or downtown (and not to marina or nuevo vallarto etc) to really be in Mexico. There is no mercado in downtown PV (the municipal market is all pretty much tacky tourist items- the restaurant stalls are about as authentic as any food you will find in the town but it is not a mercado like you would find in any town or neighborhood in Mexico- with food products and daily living objects). There were very few Mexican people in the restaurants we frequented and we did mostly eat in the quadrant of town referred to as the Mexican section.
We had breakfast three times at La Palapa when not eating at our hotel. Great view. Attentive Service Good Latin jazz. and great interesting breakfast. Omelot with huitlacoche. Breakfast burrito with cheese, vegies, and bacon, drizzled with a basil sauce- very nice. About 20d for two including tea.
Dinner
Cafe de Olla, Basillio Badillo 168, Zona Romantica. We had fish tacos. I don't know why but on our three taco dish plate only one taco had any flavor and any sauce or seasoning on it. People rave about this place. there are always lines. we didn't go back. didn't seem to warrant it.
Cafe el repollo Rojo, -Red Cabbage- we ate here twice. this is a very special place. you go to the corner of Lazaro Cardenas and Insurgentes (this street seems to be the center of the Mexican area downtown) and keep walking 5 blocks on Lazaro Cardenas until you get to calle rivera del rio. turn right and walk 1.5 blks to 204A. It is run by a very gracious woman, who introduced herself to diners on our second visit. it is clearly her invention. the restaurant is colorful and filled with souvenirs and art. there is a tasting menu of the meal that was served at diego and frida's wedding (300pesos, chile en nogrado, margarita, peanut soup, wine, a chicken mole or pipian, vegies, rice, flan- we shared it and ordered a totally unexpected interesting cooked spinach salad). other food is chosen by Lola brava (the owner) because it reflects her sensibility. A definite recommend. about 40-50d for two.
Polos- Madero 376. We had great fish and grilled shrimp here. very ample, very fresh. about 20d each including drinks.
El Brujo- no address remembered. very interesting "aztec" dish with steak, cheese, nopales, about 16d. great oysters- selection of rockafeller (so so) and garlic (amazing) 12 for i think 10d. we shared both dishes.
other
homemade candy store- nuestros dulces downtown north of rio cuale.
shrimp tacos- in sit down restaurant in the market overlooking the river. 15pesos each. if you don't like mayo specify.
jazz on the beach- next to blue chairs on los muertos beach is the ritmo club. good drinks and guacamole. free cuban jazz and latin jazz- check schedule.
food at mismaloya beach. be careful of the beach waiters here. ask them what everything costs. the waiter we had tried to charge us for the chips we had with our guacamole. he added a 5d fee to the people next to us just because. it made us wary and would advise that you have them write down the charges as you go. isolated situation- this was not true anywhere else.
yelapa. i got seasick from the water taxi trip (first time in my life and i grew up on boats) so i was in no mood to eat. the hotel lagunita had a very reasonable very varied menu and was quite low key compared to the other palapa restaurants on the main beach.
Le Bistro - on the island on rio cuale. there is jazz almost every nite in this very elegant restaurant from 8-9:30ish. you can have drinks or just coffee or dessert and enjoy the music and ambiance.
street food. we were in PV during the last 4 days and nites of the festival of the virgin of guadalupe. there was a lot of street food around the plaza near the cathedral. S tried some and raved. i was chicken and didn't.
The festival really enhanced our time in PV. It brought a very strong Mexican presence to the downtown area. at any time day or nite there were processions headed to the cathedral from various parts of the central districts. each procession was sponsored by a different store or hotel and the dancing and singing and chanting was very moving.
We had a great time but i would not recommend PV to someone like myself for a vacation. I much prefer Puerto Escondido or Isla de Mujeres. Even Playa del Carmen with forays into the Yucatan would for me be a more enjoyable recommendation. there are simply too many people (mostly americans and canadians), and too many condos and too much commercial activity geared toward tourism to make PV a place i would return to.
Nine Days in Mexico City, Report Back
got back a few weeks ago from a very interesting and rich nine days in Mexico City. after much thinking about the experience and what to write here, it is clear that we all respond to very different things when we define what we like about food. so a little context. we live in sf where there is a lot of mexican food. i speak pasable tourist spanish and understand more. my partner, S speaks a little and understands a little. in past years we have been to merida and the yucatan; oaxaca city and puerto escondido. in DF we stayed in a guest house, Casa Gonzalez, in a colonia north of the zona rosa, Chauhtemoc. it was easily accessible to public trans on the reforma and the insurgentes subway station, which we used both day and nite. S and i walk a lot and we enjoyed getting around the different colonias (neighborhoods) of the city. when it comes to food, it is the experience of the place as much as the food itself that often makes it special for us.
We used a great guide book"Mexico City, An Opinonated Guide for the Curious Traveler" by Jim Johnston (2006). it was filled with specific restaurant, food, secret gardens, museums, travel info, etc. not completely comprehensive, just what jim loves about his city. we used moon handbooks, Mexico City, 2005 to fill out the above with more specific info about travel, restaurants etc. we also used chow hound recs. the dearth of guide books focused on mexico city is an indicator of how much this is not a touristed city. (you will need to know the colonia in order to locate anything on the maps commonly available).
Breakfast- our guest house provided breakfast (as well as lunch and dinner) for 7, 10 and 13d. we had breakfast there once. lovely easy varied menu but we chose to explore other venues and areas.
La Habana- morelos 62 (right off the reforma east of the zona rosa) great 1950s style cuban restaurant coffee shop. we had huevos con machaca and a kind of huevos ranchero (with tortillas and coffee/tea). around 5d each. wonderful photos of pre castro cuba and great coffee and food. (had been in their sister restaurant in merida 5 years earlier, same food and vibe).
Flor de Lis- on calle huichapan aka calle de torreon near plaza popocatepetl, col. condesa.
probably the best breakfast we had during our stay. amazing soft tamales with cheese and zuchini, omelot with huitlacoche (corn fungus). fruit plate- very fresh and ripe papaya. again about 7d each.
Sanborns- on amberes in the zona rosa (not once but twice!). ok its a little like woolworths but in fact the wide booths and the waitresses dressed up in mexican doll costumes circa 1950 plus the space, quiet mexican music and decent affordable mexican breakfast and the ubiquitous pancakes choices (suprise?) were a great way to start the day on the way from our guest house to the metro. we tried a fancier sanborns on london in zona rosa, same price but cold and inattentive spaced out waitress. 7-10d each
Buen Cafe- on Amberes, zona rosa, small very congenial, local workers cafe. about 4.5d each. good, wide variety of mexican breakfast plus pancakes choices.
Oaxacan breakfast place (la bella luna?) on rio lerma corner of rio sena. the tamales were a huge disappointment after oaxaca and the flor de lis. the hot chocolate was great.
wings - breakfast at the airport on our way to puerto vallarta (see report back on PV). just fine. very overpriced.
lunch - we always ate so much for breakfast and so late that we fell into eating dinner and snacks - no lunch.
Dinner- we ate at casa gonzalez for dinner twice, once on arrival in a huge and unexpected rain storm (in december) and another coming back from the museo de anthropologia in the rain (again). adequate, simple, lovely environment, actually a good deal for 13d. fish/ chicken, vegies, rice, soup, wine, dessert (flan and a nut pie)- all home made.
Salon la Corona, Bolivar 24, Col. Centro. 70 yr old cantina in the centro. very lively. excellent tacos. we got there at 2:45 and got right in (ok this is lunch but it was our first day and it served as dinner for us as well). at 3 there was a line out the door. tacos are really cheap about 80-100p each. we had several different kinds and shared. i loved the al pastor and nopales (cactus). ditto for s but he liked the chile verde as well.
centro castellano- uruguay 16, centro. this spanish rest. was recommended by johnston and a woman we met at the museo franz mayer. we must have ordered the wrong dishes because we were seriously unimpressed. it was also quite high for very medicore food, 46d for two.
pozoleria tizka, zacatecas 59, bet merida &cordoba, col. roma. on johnstons recommend. wonderful green pozole (made from pumpkin seeds), with a very heavy man singing very romantic songs leaning against the wall in this very local place in the wonderful roma neighborhood. about 4d each plus beer. green pozole is quite different than the usual red. try it. they serve both.
Cafe la Blanca, cinco de mayo 40, col centro. this place was right out of the 40s. nothing seemed changed changed except the orange plastic chairs. decent cheap comida corrida (complete meals) all day. seemed like a place for the area workers. 7d each total.
El Dragon-hamburgo 97, zona rosa. by this point we really needed some vegetables so we went to a chinese restaurant that was just fine. lots of broccoli. good hot and sour soup. not cheap about 15d each. fair.
Meson Antiqua next to las lupitas on francisco sosa on the plaza santa catarina. col coyoacan. we tried to eat at los danzantes on the main plaza in coyoacan. very brusque service and way too much cigarette smoke. our so called non smoking table was just that in a sea of smoke. we moved on deciding to try something on the lovely plaza we had strolled thru earlier in the day. meson antiqua had what i would call fusion upscale mexican food that was quite good. we shared a salad (guaranteed filter water cleaned) and a beef filet dish composed of 3 filets with 3 different sauces. i'm not much of a beef eater but this was tender and the sauces and vegies all quite good. maybe 15-20d each. including dessert. also a non smoking floor (small multi level rest. with roof garden). at first all the cigarette smoking in d.f. didn't really bother me but eventually it did, so a non smoking section was really welcome.
Lynis- on the reforma near the japanese embassy and the statue of the angel about 4 blocks west of calle rio tiber and yes another mexican chain restaurant. someone at our guest house recommended the pollo loco soup and at 4d it was fine. good stock, chicken vegies, avo, rice, tortillas. we had an early flight to make the next morning. it was perfect.
Snacks etc.
Cafe at the museo franz mayor. an oasis across from the alameda and belles artes. beautiful interior garden cafe, great capuchino and peaceful classical music.
Cafe at the museo Ruffino Tamayo. museum not to be missed. lovely outdoor cafe in chapultepec park. great cap.
Dulceria Celaya (across from cafe la blanca on cinco de mayo 39, col centro) another johnston recommend, specifically the coconut stuffed lime (yes a parboiled lime stuffed with mildly sweet real coconut shavings) which i still think about. absolutely fabulous homemade candies store. the place itself is a gem, like a beautifully decorated cake. i think there's a sister store in the roma.
Nut candies in the mercados. all the market places have these flat round nut candies shaped like a 3-4 inch cookie. mixed nuts, peanuts or my favorite pumpkin and sesame seeds mixed with honey. 5-10pesos.
Nieves - Ice Cream- Helados Roxy, Mazatlan and Montes de Oca, Col. Condesa. an ice cream parlor since the 40s making great ice cream and nieves ( i think i have the spelling right). the nieves here are nothing like the snow cones or stuff they sell at the michmocan
chain ice cream store. we pigged out with 5 scoops (between us) on a hot afternoon. guayabana was sublime. fresa excellent. i would try any of the flavors. the ice cream was good as well. i don't know exactly how they are different except that there is much less cream if any at all in nieves. there is some milk in it or milk product. much different feel to the tongue and really great fruit taste comes through. close to a sorbet but richer.
Deep Fried Quesadillas. in coyoacan at the mercado de antijitos stall #14. around the corner from the plaza on calle Hiquera another great recommend from johnston. we had them filled with huitlacoche (corn fungus).
Mexico City is a great if difficult travel. It is noisy and lively, and to happen on the street including eating. We didn't do any street vendor eating but the markets and restaurants provide so much choice it didn't really seem worth getting sick on our short trip. A choice we made. It is a wonderful art filled city with lots going on all at once. I found being in Merida and Oaxaca much more pleasurable in the sense that they are easier and smaller and more gentle to the senses. but would say that I feel i understand Mexico much better after visiting DF and would recommend a stay here to anyone who likes traveling and exploring big cities with diverse neighborhoods, great art and very very good food.
2 wks in Paris, under 15 euros lunch/20 dinner per person
hi, we will be in paris for the last week of april and 1st week of may. we're staying in an apt. in the marais ( breakfast will be here). we are from san francisco and are looking forward to walking everywhere & using metro/buses to explore as well. we would like to to eat primarily french food and also ethnic food in the various neighborhoods of paris. we prefer eating with the locals and are fine with off the beaten track/hole in the wall places. i have collected some recommendations from this site but am hoping with more specific $ parameters people will be better able to respond. thanks
recommends for "real" food in dallas.
i am visiting with my aunt who lives near north park. we are both from nyc and i live in sf. we both enjoy authentic ethnic food and do not want or need a lot of glitz or glamour. i will be in dallas for one week. we have a car and a half hour drive is fine. recommends for texas style bar-b-que, tex mex, mexican, southern, chinese, a great breakfast place, and if there are any places where new orleaneans folks are now cooking would be much appreciated. thank you.
Fresh ice cream
i have been twice to the fairfax scoop. they let you taste to your hearts content. both times had fresh strawberry and lavender honey (2 flavors fine to a cup). i think i got the smallest and though pricey, not outrageous. both very, very, very, very good. the strawberry was really a lot of strawberry flavor and the lavendar honey was lovely.
Bernal Heights, SF
just wrote about the great salvadorean breakfast at nena's on mission nr cortland. check it out. (i don't know how to provide the link but you can search by writing in nena's). enjoy.
nena's, new owner, remodeled and great salvadorean breakfast.
ate at nena's on mission near cortland sat. the salvadorean chorizo and eggs scrambled with onions, green pepper and tomatoes was delicious. the dish came with casamiento (rice and beans), queso, and homemade salvadorean tortilla (thick and very, very tasty). all the food was carefully and thoughtfully prepared- excellent flavor and ingredients and very "clean" (not greasy) tasting. the service was warm, friendly and efficient. they have american breakfasts as well but will always have salvadorean breakfast- just ask if the sign is not displayed. my friends had platanos and eggs which were likewise fresh and flavorful.
