Patt1's Profile
Fried chicken in Palm Beach County
We just bought a place in North Palm Beach. Can anyone recommend a good place for fried chicken?
Shorty's (BBQ?) in Palm Beach Gardens on PGA
I went to high school and have such fond memories of Shorty's in South Miami. I was thrilled to see Shorty's in Palm Beach Gardens, and couldn't wait to go. Sadly, I was hugely disappointed. I will be the fiorst to admit that perhaps I have glamorized my 45 year old memory of the original, but the PGA version didn't even come close! The chicken was dry, the corn overcooked, and the service terrible. I won't go back.
Pittsfield/Lenox
Sorry to read that you had a bad experience at Trattoria Il Vesuvio. I love their lasagna. I never order anything else, so I can't comment on the rest of the menu. My husband likes the fettucine alfredo a lot though.
Name your favorite Pittsfield MA area restaurants...
I second the recommendation for The Dragon. Excellent Vietnamese food (great spring rolls!), though I've read reviews that called the menu "pan-asian." The restaurant is now run by one of founder Kim Van Huynh's sons. Another son, Hung, was the winner of Top Chef Season 3 (Bravo TV). Good food seems to be a family tradition.
Bizen or Fin
Nothing, as long as the training is adequate. But the obvious lack of attention and commitment to preparing the sushi on the occasion I wrote of says little that's good about the training. Even were the service acceptable, which it certainly was not, I'm not comfortable eating raw fish prepared by someone with his eye on a friend rather than on the fish.
Name your favorite Pittsfield MA area restaurants...
All of these are in Pittsfield. Trattoria Rustica (McKay St) is good for Italian Reservations are recommended this time of year. It is in a lovely space with lots of exposed bick and an outdoor courtyard.
Brix (West St) is a charming wine bar with a limited but tasty menu and an unbelievable wine selection. If you are interested in wine, have a talk with the owner, who is very knowledgeable and happy to share.
On July 30, what used to be Spice (North St) is reopening as Jae's Spice. Jae Chung owns several Asian restaurants in Berkshire County and in Boston. The former Spice took a lot of criticism before closing for prices too high for the area (and perhaps the food), but Jae's has announced that entrees will cost between $9 and $19. We have enjoyed Jae's (great innovative fried rice dishes, good sushi) in Williamstown, North Adams, and Chestnut Hill. It will be interesting to see how the new Jae's Spice plays out.
Bizen in Great Barrington
(Cross post) Sorry, but I can't get on the Fin bandwagon. We have been there several times (always hoping...), and we are always disappointed. "Disappointed" took a step back last visit, and became "appalled." Since it was winter, we shared the place with only two other tables. We ordered edamame, and a variety of sushi and sashimi. Not too difficult. We waited... and waited... and waited, easily 30 minutes. We could see the sushi chef, and while we we were waiting, he was chatting up a young lady sitting at the sushi bar. It was not until she left that he even began preparing our order. While we waited, however, the phone rang, and the server took a sushi take-out order from the owner (who has several other restaurants in Lenox). He came in ten minutes later, picked up his order, and still we waited.
Add to this a blaring radio in the kitchen; the fact that the sushi chef was paying more attention to his friends than his work (which really made me nervous since we are talking about raw fish here); sushi that was no better than ordinary; and a very high price... Well, let's just say that all hope is gone, and we won't be returning.
Bizen or Fin
Sorry, but I can't get on the Fin bandwagon. We have been there several times (always hoping...), and we are always disappointed. "Disappointed" took a step back last visit, and became "appalled." Since it was winter, we shared the place with only two other tables. We ordered edamame, and a variety of sushi and sashimi. Not too difficult. We waited... and waited... and waited, easily 30 minutes. We could see the sushi chef, and while we we were waiting, he was chatting up a young lady sitting at the sushi bar. It was not until she left that he even began preparing our order. While we waited, however, the phone rang, and the server took a sushi take-out order from the owner (who has several other restaurants in Lenox). He came in ten minutes later, picked up his order, and still we waited.
Add to this a blaring radio in the kitchen; the fact that the sushi chef, who is not Japanese, by the way, was paying more attention to his friends than his work (which really made me nervous since we are talking about raw fish here); and a very high price... Well, let's just say that all hope is gone, and we won't be returning.
Spice in Pittsfield MA closing
The headline in today's Berkshire Eagle announced that, Spice, one of the most popular restaurants in the area, has closed for an indeterminate period of time. Citing financial difficulties, the owners were vague about whether the restaurant will reopen in the future. We've eaten at Spice many times, and in general, had very good meals. If it remains closed, it will be a loss. Interestingly, Spice has a sister restaurant next door, a burger place called... well, duh... Burger. We had a terrible meal (how do you mess up a burger?) the one time we tried that, and it is staying open, at least for the time being.
Lenox, Lee and Great Barrington MA - I need help!!!
Barood's, a new restaruant in Lenox, is well worth a try. Featuring French food and crepes, it is a worthy addition to the Lenox dining scene.
Auckland Restaurants
We were in Auckland in January, and had a wonderful meal at Dine (I had the lamb, my husband had the John Dory fish), owned by celebrity chef Peter Gordon. It's in the Sky Tower downtown.
