shanshan's Profile
authentic mexican in Orange County - but not too divey!
Thank you. We are totally cool with not having fancy linen napkins etc. Just trying to avoid the $2 taco tuesday draw or garden plastic chairs in the dining room. Want it to be great food, but not "divey". Wine glasses not required by any means at all.
Casa Oaxaca would have been great giving the location, but lack of vegarian options is an issue. Seasfood is not an option for the vegetarians as well.
Realizign there may not be that "perfect" place -- what do you think the best option is in Santa Ana? I'm thinking Casa Oaxaca may be it. Having the wife call and her family can cope with the vegarian options there.
authentic mexican in Orange County - but not too divey!
Thank you for that link. I spent a good deal of time yesterday reading it! My quesiton is, of the restaurants mentioned which are the fanciest? a lot of yelp reviews of those restaurants suggest they are more casual/fast foody, vs. "nice" sit down. Doesn't have to be fancy, but has to be comfortable enough to not feel like a fast food/divey. Taco Tuesday shouldn't be the best selling point!
authentic mexican in Orange County - but not too divey!
Thank you for all of the responses! I will pass on Avilas and Taco Rosa. I don't find either of them particularly good to be honest (I went to Taco Rosa once on recommendation and found the food to be honestly very bland.. my wife who is not a foodie found it to be the same and was upset that i dragged her "all the way there".. which isn't that far).. and it I imagine the food isn't so authentic vs. what someone could easily find on the East Coast (where the in-laws are traveling from).
authentic mexican in Orange County - but not too divey!
Hi Folks.. a different spin on the "authentic mexican" question. I work in Newport beach. Father-in-law is in town and asking me to take him to authentic mexican place tomorrow evening with some other family folks. To define authentic for us.. .really a low bar.. we are asian... never been to mexico.. although like spicey food and know that most tex-mex is americanized up the wazoo. So no preference for regions or knowledge of regions.. but enjjoy great sales.. moles.. the wife's side of the family is vegetarian.. my side is not.
We will be based in Newport Beach.. and can drive to say Santa Ana or to Tustin or Laguna... but probably any further is problematic. On flip side, I'm not gong to Sol Cucina or Javiers!
Based on searches in this board there are many options in Santa Ana. However, it seems many of these options are cheap options vs. good sit-down options for a family with 2-3 kids. I'm not saying cheap = bad.. but I think will need a modicum of ambience for this crowd. [i however am salivating at some of these options mentioned for Santa Ana!!!]
Thank you for any suggestions.
Quick Rio Review
Thank you for such a comprehensive reply! I wish I read your suggestions before going to Rio. If the restaurants in Leblon/Ipanema are Times Square, indeed there are many terrible reviews out there (Sushi Leblon, Zuka, Cafe Jobi, Quadrucci, and so many other often cited/reviewed restaurants all being in Leblon for example)!
In terms of Zuka, that was the destination restaurant we went to. The general reviews on Zuka are quite positive (e.g. on tripadvisor), although many say "they don't get the hype" (for all online reviews, I like to read the 5-star reviews as much as the 1-star reviews). So I was unsure if place could live up to the hype. Indeed, put me in the latter camp (indeed, I would go worse). My wife and I did not finish many of our dishes.. we felt the quality of ingredients to be very high.. but execution better on paper than on plate! And for very high prices. To say the least.. wish one of us ordered the Tuna instead. Perhaps we went on a bad day
P.S. I did write my review very quickly and perhaps should have taken care to note that street churros are not for the divine.. but a tasty street-food snack experience. Same for Pizza Guanabara.. just noting what I found there vs. seeking it out. Very much a late night scene. I went there to see what pizza the locals seemed to eat.. I think it is unfair to call this place the Sbarro of Rio... but you seem to be local so I will defer to you.
P.P.S. is Leblon really equivalent to Times Square, and not to say Soho? Not saying Soho is a bastion of culinary excellence, but if I went to some of the highest price restaurants in NY they would not be in Times Square?
Quick Rio Review
Was in Rio for 4 days.. wanted to share quick notes before I forget (trip is now 2 months ago). Wasn't a culinary experience, but some nice memories.
1) Avoid avoid avoid Zuka. Much better options on the same street. Zuka was terribly overpriced. The food had great ingredients, but prepared very poorly. Lemon risotto looked and tasted like sour curd (shocking bad). Breaded shrimp were overbreaded shrimp that could have been made at the olive garden. The bait and switch on wines is appalling -- twice sent bottle back because it was a different year than advertised on the menu. Food was the main event and felt like I paid $200 for nosebleeds at Yankee stadium on a Tuesday night and the other team failed to show up. Can't stress how overhyped this restaurant is! Please avoid.
2) Had a GREAT meal next door at Quadrucci. Warmed up with a drink at a bar (great) and food was great. Great lamp chops. Great risottos (we tried 2, a malbec and an arthichoke). Tapioca cream desert was so good my wife wouldn't let me finish it all (sometimes she lets me take it all down). I wish I went to this restaurant a second time. Oh yes, the mushroom puffs.. I ordered those twice. I'm not a mushroom guy but those mushroom tarts were so mushroomy.. the caprese ones were eh (wife ate those).
3) Had a quick lunch at an italian place called Prima. I had very low expecations, but the food was solid. Was not a fancy italian meal that would knock your socks off. But pasta perfectly cooked in well executed, not too fancy sauces... hit the spot
4) I think I had sorbet a place liked ?Vero?. Please order the lavander pink lemonade on my behalf. Amaaazing.
5) Went to Venga. A popular tapas place it seemed.. huge crowd. Food was disappointing, although the locals seemed to love it. One sausage dish felt like diced hot dog on a toothpick.
6) memory now stretching. We did a buffet on New Years (only think available). Was actually a pretty good experience. It was definitely premium pricing, but I thought it was fun to see all of the different salads, desserts, meats etc. Maybe there is a high-end one somewhere.. but the fun isn't to do it in a high end hotel, but with locals!
7) in St. Theresa we went to Bar do Mineiro. We hired a guide and he took us there for lunch as his go-to spot for Feijoda (spelling?). That stew just isn't my thing.. so I can't opine. What i do know is that we got there a little early and 1 hour later there was a line of 15 people waiting to go in. And my taxi driver was loving his food. My wife is vegetarian and ordered a salad.. that was just lettuce and avocado and heart of palm.. no dressing not good for her. For meat stew this seems like the popular place to go. Its not a place folks say you should go to though, so its a little off the map, which I liked. I forget the name of the 2 other places in St. Theresa we did not go to.. 1 is up a windy hill and fancy restaurant.. folks we spoke to said food sort of average at best so not worth it.. and there was another local-type spot in st. theresa (?sabor?), our taxi told us it was more expensive and not as good. St. Theresa looks like a touristy area anyway to me so many they are all tourist traps.
8) Churro from street vendor. Fantastic.
9) Academy of Cachacha for drinks. Not very fancy for such a fancy name! 1 block away from a super market and sort of divey feeling. But not a bad place to tell your friends you went to. Strong, albeit quite sour, drinks for us.
10) Late night pizza guanabara. Wow. Look at that cheese. Is there even tomato sauce!? Just cheese and bread. And packed late night. hung over was great.
11) Quick bite at a cafe ?now i can't remember? Simple place with great salads and light sandwiches. I got a chicken paillard and the chicken tasted like real chicken (not purdue)
I hope this helps. Spent vast majority of our time in Leblon/Ipanema. Don't see why would spend any time anywhere else really. Not sure if Rio is the city for us.
Best Sandwhich in Orange County?
I don't think Harry's is that expensive, but agree its more expensive than a Subway etc. (because of the ingredients.. the ribeye uses real ribeye etc)
Best Sandwhich in Orange County?
Chicken Di Gorgio is FANTASTIC.
Pulled Pork is SOLID.
Ribeye is a fine option.
Friend had the pastrami and thought it was very good.
For me, I'd try the chicken di gorgio and the pulled pork. Im' getting hungry now.
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Harry's Deli
17881 Sky Park Cir, Irvine, CA 92862
Best dishes in San Francisco with an egg on top?
Savory.. I would recommend the weiner schnitzel at Canteen. I don't normally like runny eggs running all over the place.. but that dish was great/satisfying/comfort food (I enjoy a good weiner schnitzel anyway). I would order it again.
Ninja New York?
I remember it being pretty bad food for price -- this was ~2 years ago. Fun theme indeed.. the "ninjas" scared us a few times and was super cool.
Foodwise the steaks were a debacle. Over cooked and the sauce they poured all over it was despicable. I would suggest going a la carte sushi and not getting the dinner meals (unless the steaks have been changed) which will be cheaper and on average better.
"You have no interest of my experiences four years ago" but perhaps others will...
San Francisco Trip Review (Quince, Dosa, Canteen)
A quick trip to San Francisco and wanted to share my thoughts:
Quince:
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Vegetarian tasting menu was essentially selection of dishes from the regular menu and could have been assembled a la carte for cheaper than the tasting menu price. Overall was very good, but ended on a flat note:
Artichoke Veloute: very good/great
Zucchini Alla Carbonara: very good/great (feels like just missing something slight)
One other pasta dish (?pasta/asparagus/farm egg): very good (I only got a little to try)
Tortelloni con due ricotta: I found to be bland, especially after prior dishes
Traditional tasting menu (also ending on a flat note)
maine lobster (corn, english pea and lemon verbena essence): superb
pasta alla chitarra (sardine, eggplant and basil): very good (has potential to be great)
tajarin with lamb and zucchini: OK (has potential to be very good, but missed for me)
squab & foie gras (cabbage, chanterelle): inedibly salty
Net net, I thought it was a very good meal, but perhaps not worth the $ for a tasting menu, and going a la carte is a better avenue. Unlikey I would be back unless I was in SF for a longer period of time and could spread out the restaurants. On a side note, decore and service were very good. If I lived locally I would most likely come back at least once.
Somes dishes were great, a few missed, but most were good/slightly different enough to keep it interesting.
Canteen:
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Went for lunch. Had the cream of corn soup and the schnitzel w/ cabbage and egg. Corn soup was very good.. very light and luscious.. could be construed as "milky" but did not bother me.. I would have put in dabble of some other flavor on top (similar to the basil oil you see on tomato soup) but that is personal preference. The schntizel was not what I expected: deep fried schnitzel that looked oily with a poached egg and cabbage slaw on top in a mustard/paprika type sauce -- and I don't really like poached eggs vs. better cooked peers. However, it was delicious comfort food. Crispy, meaty with a egg running around with a nice cut from the sauce/slaw. I would order the schnitzel again for sure.
Dosa
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Yes it is overpriced vs. its peers, however it was very good. Paid $38 for a lunch that my favorite spot in NY would cost $28. I do prefer my favorite spot more, that said Dosa did pretty well. Ordered the pani-poori as appetizer.. thought the mint water was a bit strong and could have been diluted a bit, but still was was good. Ordered a mint chuntney dosa and a mini-uttapam plate. Enjoyed the mini-uttapam variety (what a great idea!) and really enjoyed the dosa. Sambar was rich and flavorful (albeit a hair big on spice, similar to the mint water).. and I thought worked very well with their particular style of tomato and cocunut chutney (helped cut the spice). I had no gripes at all paying more for a quality south indian meal and would be back if I lived in the area (and I imagine a regular depending on the other offerings in the area).
Late night San Francisco Burrito
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Went to El Farrolito at 1AM. As of now, I don't understand the San Francisco burrito hype. Will have go back again sometime and try another place. The burrito I had had tough meet (carne asada) and too much sour cream.. was indeed a fast food burrito and not memorable at all. Terrible way to end a night.
Urgent Help Needed! SQPR or Quince for this weekend?
They are willing to put together a vegetarian tasting menu, if given notice, which I assume means today but could be tomorrow perhaps (although unlikely).
Urgent Help Needed! SQPR or Quince for this weekend?
Thank you you the response. [My understanding is there are 2 different, fixed, tasting menus to pick from each night (vs. "devising it yourself")]
Urgent Help Needed! SQPR or Quince for this weekend?
Thanks again
Curious why you say go for half bottles vs. full bottles. Also, are there enough vegetarian items on the menu a la cart? I got a sample menu emailed to me. The way I see it there are 2 vegetarian appetizers, 2 primi and 0 vegetarian entrees. Which maybe is enough.. definitely cheaper :)
Urgent Help Needed! SQPR or Quince for this weekend?
Thank you. There is a spot for 2 at 10PM.. and I am willing to dine that late/make a "night" out of it although it is definitely less-than-ideal.
Would you saw go with tasting menu or a la carte? My girlfriend is vegetarian and so if I go with tasting menu I believe i need to let them know today if they are to make a vegetarian tasting menu for her. It kills me to go tasting menu without wine pairs.. but I don't want to spend $400 on dinner..
Urgent Help Needed! SQPR or Quince for this weekend?
Flying in from SoCal, recently moved from NY -- only have time for one "good" dinner in San Francisco. I had a reservation at Chez Panisse made weeks ago, but I canceled after reading underwhelming reviews.. I guess it just seemed too "classic" and I didn't want to miss on my only night in SF (i.e., risk being in the 50% that don't appreciate it)! I will be doing Slanted Door for lunch the following day.
Have narrowed it down to either SQPR or Quince (a la carte or tasting menu) - but must make a reservation ASAP! I don't want to spend $400 on this dinner (not a special occasion dinner), so in the case of tasting menu, I would not be getting the recommended wine pairings (unless highly recommended). My date is vegetarian, so a vegetarian tasting menu would be much appreciated by her for the experience (Savoy in NY did a great one for us on Valentines Day.. her meal was better than mine!).. that said I feel Quince's a la carte menu to be quite strong as it is.
Ideally meal would be $200 all-in, but I am fine with $250-350. Tasting menu + wine pairings would be $320 before tax-tip.. so basically $400 for 2. Figure a-la carte + wine (Quince again) to be $200-250 before tax-tip. And figure SQPR to be cheaper.
So SQPR or Quince, and Quince tasting menu or a la carte? Many folks of past spoke highly of Quince, but perhaps the new offering is less strong? Is SQPR the new king? I'm surprised not to find an extensive review of the two in comparison, online.
Other restaurants considered and nixed:
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Classic italian -- wanted something uniquely SF
Firefly -- seems like a good option, but not respected as others.. tofu chile relleno also seemed too casual to be a "great" restaurant
Coi -- too $
Canteen -- limited menu selections and current "Week #" on website did not appeal. No lunch/brunch menu available
Jardiniere - I figured Quince was more the cult SF favorite..
Le Folie - Could not get website to work
Chez Panisse - seems risky... and reservation gone now anyway...
Zuni -- I forget why honestly..
Gary Danko -- I assumed very formal, did not look into it
Boulevard -- lack of vegetarian options. Upon calling, restaurant said they could do a plate of "seasonal vegetables". For such a well-regarded restaurant, its a shame they don't more for vegetarians than your local Applebees!
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Slanted Door
Ferry Slip, San Francisco, CA 94111
Zuni Cafe
1658 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Chez Panisse
1517 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94709
Gary Danko
800 N Point St, San Francisco, CA 94109
Artisinal brunch
Artisinal to be more low key than the "fascination/scenes" you are probably used to. Its a good one to have in your backpocket in the area, in IMHO. I have walked in there a few times without a wait, vs. the "cooler" places with the 1 hour waits etc. you talk about.
That said, last time I have gone was a while ago and I can't comment to the food there too much. I remember French Onion soup and mac'cheese being very good. I also remember being able to order a side of different cheeses with my meal.. e.g. I would ask for $5 worth of a sharp cheddar etc. and they would happily oblige. I liked that a lot.
Apiary-Any must have dishes?
Mushroom soup was phenomenal.
Rabbit Papperdelle I thought was very good.. but I was underwhelmed by it vs. other other posters on this board.. rabbit was much more meaty/tender vs. other presentations I have seen.. but overall the dish failed to "wow" me with big flavor.. but perhaps I was looking for someone else in the dish...
I wish I had tried the chicken... per kiworan's comment on not finding great chicken in restaurants..
What's your Strip Steak rating?
I used to go to Sparks all the time for their strip. But a few years ago I found it to be inconsistent.. and sometimes not even served hot?
Questions about Sarvanas and South Indian food in general
stereotype of south-indian food will be sambar (tomato based hearty soup.. although can be of varying consistency) + a starch (typically idli/dosa, but you can see vada/uttapam etc.)
When I go to Saravana I typically get:
1) Idli
2) Mini-ghee idli (mini-idlis, immersed in more sambar + ghee [clarified butter]
3) Channa Batura (deep-fried bread + chickpeas to eat it with)
4) Dosa (I am not an Uttapam person..)
You can google up all these terms and I'm sure you will get photos. Note #3 is not your typical meal, but very enjoyable (baturas are huge/puffed up fried bread and I like chickpea subjis a lot).
You can try the Thali there as well with the various curries etc. I haven't had it, but I'm sure its good. I just go to Saravanna for my sambar fix. Sometimes I have asked for extra tamarind or lemon in their sambar though.. their sambar is much richer than peers in the area.. but I feel not sour enough (which I think they make up for by extra fermenting their idlis etc. to make them more sour).
For Dosa I think in big picture you can break down into super-crispy or not. If you want the super-crispy, just ask your waiter which one is super-crispy.. a lot of times called "paper dosa". I like paper ones as a kid, but today I order idlis 90% of the time when I have south inidan.
If you go the thali route and want the non-veg entrees.. for $8.. I think Haandi's Meat Platter is a neighborhood steal. It may be intimidating when you go into Haandi (a lot more intiminidating than going into Saravanna for sure).. but the counter guy will work with you. Just ask for the Meat Platter Combination (you get 2 meats, 1 vegetable, plus rice and a naan).. pick out your meats/vegetables.. and take a seat. The waitor will bring you the naan separately. For meats try to stay away from chicken tikka masala.. they have a great selection (e.g. try the achar chicken, or a chicken kebab + a lamb curry). If you can order comfortable at Haandi.. you are good to order anywhere...
Tipping on Tasting Menu
May drop in to WD-50 for the tasting menu tonight. Was just wondering, do you folks tip the 20% on the tasting menu or tasting menu+wine pairing? I personally hate dropping a few hundred bucks on a bottle of wine, already marked up a few hundred bucks.. and then tipping 20% on top of the markup (although I do offer sommelier a taste / bulk up tip to accomodate him)
Keens Review + Photos
what a great report - thank you. Curious what you think of Wolfgangs Park vs. Lugars?
Nirvana Indian Food
I checked out Nirvana a few days ago for dinner. I was impressed. I was pretty inebriated so take this all with a grain of salt.. but I will be going back to report again..
Nirvana was slightly more expensive than other places in area. Bill came to $85 (ex-liquor/tip) for: Lamb Vindaloo, Chicken Curry , Channa Masala, Daal Tadka, Bhindi Raita, Onion Kulcha, Plain rice (which oddly was an off-menu request). I am told they have a great lunch buffet deal that is very popular in the area.
Ambience: Lounge downstairs was basically full bar, with a fun bartender. But pretty deserted. I am told they have some sort of event on Wednesdays that are popular. Upstairs is the dining room. A little kitschy. Nice space, but they tried up to the romantic quotient a little.. creates a odd vibe (I was there with a friend). I asked, but this is NOT the same Nirvana from Central Park South years ago.
Service was good. Friendly, knowledgable.
Food: Non-greasy and very good. Chicken curry, daal, raita, kulcha and rice were all very good. The lamb would have been great but it was way overcooked. I was fairly ravenous so I ate it vs. ask to send it back (not sure what their reaction would be, but it was so overcooked they would have to replace it). Chicken curry reminded me of curries in India.. it just had the right spices put into it (for me).. wasn't exact how I remember (I like potatoes in it), but the spice blend they used just seems better than other places. The channa could have been more firm, but it was non-greasy and close to what I've had in India so I liked it as well. Wouldn't say its the best channa I ever had, but it was good.
Conclusion:
Unlikely this is best indian in the city, but I would be back. I would like to compare it against other mid-tier Indian restaurants (I haven't been to Copper Chimney in a while) and see how it stacks out. I am looking for a place to replace Dhaba (I really think quality fell off there hard) and think Nirvana fits that for now. Ambience could be improved re my own tastes, but its fine.
Would be curious if folks had their own comparisons of Nirvana vs. Copper Chimney or other places?
Need Minetta Tavern recommendations
Probably not, as its NY. But the first 1 or 2 to try might be able to slip by.
Manhattan Steakhouse sizzling bacon appetizers
I just had some at Wolfgangs tonight :)
Need Minetta Tavern recommendations
I have Plat AMEX. My experience is such that the concierge service never has any special/exclusive reservations. They literally call up restaurant and ask for availabilities...which is a waste since you took the time to call up AMEX in first place. That said, Minetta Tavern probably appreciates such pomp, i.e., their reservations desk may positively respond to an inquiry by American Express on behalf of a "Platinum" member etc. Its an interesting angle worth exploring.
jazz brunch in nyc please
Yup.. Nolita House has I believe a Blue Grass trio that plays and I thought were very good.
cheap indian food in manhattan
not sure if up an running yet... it must be as they have a daily menu... but the sign-up form doesn't work, and you need to sign-up to do anything... I keep getting "choose city' error.. but drop down box for city has no options to select.. (and being a drop down box, I can't type my own in). So one can't sign up (you may want to tell your friend).
looking at prices ($10).. seem reasonable. Would hope if there volume came up, price would decrease or quality would increase. Haandi for $8 does a great great job for me and there other some other thalis in the area that reasonable.. but its tough to get a thali for delivery.. so if this tiffin service was real high quality.. I could see myself using it for lunch and dinner occassionally. I would use this service over lunch from the indian carts as I think this would taste better/healthier (less greasy) for extra $2.
