I have read many of the dim sum threads. It seems that for quality and upscale ambience, Yank Sing is the consensus choice. We only have about 4 hours in downtown, on a Sunday, in SF and wanted to stroll Chinatown. I am afraid that a trip to Yank Sing will not afford us the opportunity to walk around much.

We once had unremarkable dim sum during the week in Chinatown, though I cannot recall the restaurant's name. Is there anyplace closer to Chinatown that remotely compares to Yank Sing?

Thanks.

We are making plans for our annual pilgramage to Napa Valley. We find ourselves eating at many of the same places. We enjoy Farmstead, JoLe and Botegga; but has there been a new arrival on the dining scene we shouldn't miss?

Thanks.

We have never travelled in Europe , but want to plan a trip to Italy with the very strong emphasis on food and wine. We are not totally opposed to a tour, but do not want to be restricted and do not want to be with seniors. I am afraid that I don't know how to start my research. The internet search results are too voluminous.

We would like to travel late in the spring or late in the summer of 2012. Can anyone help us get started in looking?

Budget is not particularly an issue; and we do have a car.

We have one night in San Jose on our way north on July 4th, 2011. Interesting, bordering on quirky dining would be our choice. Any thoughts?

Thanks.

We will be in Vancouver this summer and I have started my homework on places to eat. The Glowbal group has several restaurants including two Italian choices that sound interesting. Can anyone comment generally about Italian Kitchen, Trattoria, and Sanafir.

Thanks.

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Sanafir
1026 Granville St., Vancouver, BC V6Z 1L5, CA

Italian Kitchen
, Vernon, BC V1T, CA

We were in Whistler about 10 years ago and enjoyed this Greek restaurant in the Village. Is it still a worthwhile destination for one of our two dinners?

Thanks.

We enjoy the atmosphere at the bar for an after dinner drink at the Martini House. Jolie has the more interesting dining experience, in my opinion, at least partially because of the ability to sample and share the small plates.

Have you thought of Bottega in Yountville, Michael Chiarello's restaurant?

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Martini House
1245 Spring St., St. Helena, CA 94574

Bottega
6525 Washington Street Suite A9, Yountville, CA 94599

The restaurant formerly owned by Michael Chiarello in St. Helena is Tra Vigne.

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Tra Vigne Restaurant
1050 Charter Oak, St. Helena, CA 94574

My favorites when I travel to to Napa are both associated with Michael Chiarello. His former restaurant in St. Helena and his current venture in Yountville, Botegga both boast excellent service and hearty pastas.

We are taking our twenty-something son and his girlfriend to San Francisco and have decided on the North Beach Italian neighborhood for simple fare. He prefers gnocchi and pizza. The rest of us are pasta-holics.

What are the preferences among the hounds, considering the following list. I realize that some of the above may not be strictly in North Beach; but that's the atmosphere I am looking for:

North Beach
Antica Trattoria
Scala’s Bistro
Fino Bar
Frascati
Ristorante Milano
Caffe Delucchi
Trattoria Pinocchio
Trattoria Contadina
Caffe Maccaroni

Thanks.

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Antica Trattoria
2400 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109

Frascati Restaurant
1901 Hyde Street, San Francisco, CA 94109

Trattoria Contadina
1800 Mason Street, San Francisco, CA 94133

Ristorante Milano
1448 Pacific, San Francisco, CA 94109

Trattoria Pinocchio
401 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133

Caffe Restaurant
1854 Euclid Ave, Berkeley, CA 94709

I saw a number of older posts re good Italian restaurants in North Beach. What are the current recommendations for both Southern and Northern Italian fare.

I am also looking for a Brazilian churascurria in the downtown area of SF.

Thanks.

We are staying in the area of little Italy, transplanted New Yorkers, now living in Fla, yearning for the pizza of our childhoods.

We went past Lombardi's today at 3pm and discouraged by the hour wait. We are also within walking distance of Arturo's on Houston. Which restaurant has the better pizza?

Thanks.

We will be staying in SOHO at the Blue Moon for a few nights; and we are intererested in unpretentious ethnic dining in addition to our splurges at some more publicized places. Spanish and Asian cuisine recommendations would be ouir preference. We can certainly travel beyond walking distance.

Thanks.

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Blue Moon Mexican Cafe
1444 1st Ave, New York, NY 10021

Does anyone have anything to say about this restaurant at 44th and tenth?

Thanks

We very much enjoyed a tapas style dinner at JoLe last summer and were looking forward to doing so again on our upcoming trip fro Florida to California. When I checked the restaurant's website, it appeared that the concept had changed a bit. I did not notice nearly the number of small plates that four of us shared last year. Am I dreaming; and in any event, are we as likely to have an enjoyable experience?

We are travelling to the Napa Valley from Florida for the forth or fifth time and have our favorites among restaurants and wineries: Tra Vigne, JoLe, Del Dotto and a few others. Have there been any new openings in the last year or so that are interesting in the moderate to fine dining range? And, does anyone have any information on the predictability of the offerings at Ad Hoc for purposes of an advance reservation. As for the wine part of the trip, we generally enjoy tours, not just tasting rooms.

Thanks.

My favorite when I have visited Charleston in the past has been Fulton FIve, an upscale Italian restaurant off of King Street.

Does anyone have any dining suggestions for St. Simon's? I especially appreciate ethnic foods, but will settle for exceptional Southern fare.

Thanks.

I too was interested in this restaurant on my planned visit to Toronto next week, until I saw a posting indicating that it was for sale. Is this not a concern?

Thanks.

I don't know why I leave the "A" out of NiagAra. Is it really pronounced?

Any thoughts on some fresh 'sparagus?

I am arriving at the Toronto airport late in the morning and driving to Niagra on the Lake wehre I have made dinner reservations at Peller and Stone Road Grille for the two night stay.

Has anyone got any thoughts about where I might stop for lunch on the way?

Thanks in advance.

I have been asked to pick between these two restaurants for dinner with friends on our trip to Toronto in a few weeks. I welcome the advice of the Toronto chowhounds.

Thanks in advance.

Yes, I do. I always try to have fresh anchovies at Spanish and Portuguese restaurants.

I have not eaten in this restaurant in a few years and will be visiting SF next week. Has anyone had any recent dining experience there?

The Del Dotto cave tour in St. Helena is about $55.00 but includes a large number of wines tasted out of the barrels in the caves and some ports at the conclusion of the tour. When I first read about this tour a few years ago, I wondered how the price could be justified. The tour and wines are well worth the money.

The folks at Silver Oak could not have been any less interested. My two one ounce pours for $10.00 were over in five minutes.

Domaine Carneros at the south end of Napa is an informative tour, explaining the process of making sparkling wine. It has to be one of the prettiest spots to take a tour in the wine country.

Do they do dim sum for dinner? Does anyone?

I would like to have my cake and eat it too. I am looking for an authentic meal in Chinatown in SF, but not so authentic that we cannot understand the menu or staff. I wanted dim sum and had read the posts re Yank SIng which appears to only be open until about 3 pm.

Any suggestions for me?

N-i-a-g-A-ra! At least I spelled Lake correctly. :)

I did not find many threads on this subject. Does anyone have any suggestions for two nights of dining? The type of cuisine is not as important as the quality. Quirky lunch places would be interesting as well.