In Breaux Bridge, LA, just off of I-10: Cafe des Amis. Exquisite!

Antonio's.

Not open for lunch, though.

Crazy Fish in Lake Wales.

Looks good, unlike the original Yummy. Favorite menu items?

Hi- also a New England/East Coast Snowbird, here. My 70th birthday coming, with children and grandchildren in Tampa. Ages 10-70. Need some suggestions not quite so expensive as Oystercatchers for a Saturday night dinner. Ambiance counts. Other than steakhouses, pls. Which are best ambiance Chinese? We've done the Columbia; it was fun.

Grilled cheese, grilled octopus, tsaziki(sp), melanzanasalat(eggplant).

Hi:

We lived in Greece for two years. Closest for us is Mykonos. They have the best "mezetas" or appetizers. Order them like Tapas, 10 minutes apart. Better than mains.

We spent a few days with family, in Tampa, and a weekend with old college chums in Clearwater beach. Thought I would report on two hits and one miss:

The hits: The bait house, in the marina as you get off the causeway coming on to Clearwater Beach. Very fresh fish(Tacos, grouper sandwich, etc), twelve draft craft beers, papered with dollar bills. Has attitude, small, and NO fryolator!
The Twisted Cork Grille. South central St Petersburg. Thursday night feature is a three course dinner with(fairly small) wine servings to match for $25.oo. It was excellent. A 1 oz larger pour would make this an easy repeat.

The miss: Backwaters Restaurant, Clearwater Beach. Frozen oysters, overcooked fish, small pours on expensive drinks. Place was full, so I guess they won't fix anything anytime soon.

Thanks. I knew it was near a cathedral. Has a wine keg in the wall by the fireplace, so the claret is warm and frothy. That's in the top floor dining room.

Siena, E. Greenwich, CC.

Is the "Haunch of Venison" in Winchester?

☞ ** Antonio’s $$, 7 days. http://antoniotrattoria.com/
is an old-time fixture. 1710 Cranston St
Cranston, RI 02920
(401) 943-1932
Second-best Italian we have had in Rhode Island.

We have been to Reali's twice in two years, using Restaurant.com. Last time(July): not so good. Gristly veal, unevenly cooked. No wine list; just selling individual bottles off a shelf. Someone's getting tired, methinks.

The bread at Natalie's is indeed terrific. Cheese is sharp. Meats are skimpy, veggies are nothing special. A "B", saved by the bread.

Deviled eggs with a dab of caviar(the cheap stuff) added at your destination. Use a 1/4 tsp spoon, press in. Champagne(Roederer Estate: $20.oo/bottle).

The list is growing, folks. Thanks! Anything outside of Providence? South county? Cranston? Newport?

Looking for Italian-style: good meats, crunchy bread, dressing. Not a lot of salad. Variations are good.

Our current favorites in Stuart are:
1. Pietro's, on Hutchinson Island, river view;
2. Casa Bella, just south of Roosevelt Bridge, north-central Stuart;
3. Sailor's Return, same area, marina view.
All three are mildly pricey.

Our current favorites are:
1. Pietro's, on Hutchinson Island, river view;
2. Casa Bella, just south of Roosevelt Bridge, north-central Stuart;
3. Sailor's Return, same area, marina view.
All three are mildly pricey.

We are coming from Ottawa, heading east to Magog. Would like to be clear of the bridge that takes us east, out of Montreal onto the C-10 route.
- the Champlain bridge?

Where is Ho-Ma? Not familiar with the area. We want to get past the notorious traffic snarls, get east over the bridge, out of the worst traffic, then do lunch. Is Ho-Ma an abbreviation or a name?

We're looking to get past Montreal, out of the downtown traffic, then enjoy a casual lunch. Ideas?

Hi:
We're travelling east, from Sudbury to Ottawa. What's a good lunch stop enroute? Thanks!

We're travelling from Ottawa to Magog. What's a good lunch spot after we get past the Champlain bridge?

Thanks, everyone. What's good in Toms River?

Hi: Need quick on/off lunch, between Edison and Toms River. Have been to Harold's. Thanks!

We had dinner last night at the new Jamestown Tavern, located at the PAC. Drinks were good value. Appetizers were terrific. Portuguese Cod main was very good. Fish & chips were okay, not as good as they used to be. Batter was very heavy. All in all, worth a repeat.

Trip Report – Two weeks

We are just back, so some hot thoughts:

Thanks to all, especially the Regulars, who put up with so much repetition. I lurked here for about a year, sifting information.

Renting an apartment and dining in was great. We were close to the Buci Marché area.

Restaurants, mostly for lunches:

La Palette Café: “C” for food; good ambiance

Le Bar Marché: “C-“ for food.

Café D’Orsay: Opulent, pricey, “B” for food.

A no-name café across from statue of St Michael by St Michel metro. Almost inedible. “F”.

Brasserie Vaudeville. “B”. Smoked fish assortment was delicate, fresh, delicious.

Food Court at the Louvre. “D”.

Bistro de la Muette. Very convenient for Marmotten museum, Marine museum, etc. Our favorite meal. Grilled veal medallions were super. Lunch special for 42€ includes aperitif, ½ bottle wine, entrée, plat, dessert, coffee. How civilized. Had oysters, New York strip, apple pastry. “A” for quality, value. Classy setting. Our best find.

Hostellerie de l'Oie qui Fume. Picked at random in 5th arr. , using Greek Taverna rule: drive into village. Pick taverna with most people. It’s always the best. This was good value, served outside regular lunch hours. Grilled Lamb was delightful.

Le Reminet for lunch. VERY good value. 14 Euros for 3 courses. Sardine(pâté)tart, planked whitefish in cream sauce, cheese or chocolate drizzled cake. “B”.

Brasserie Balzar. Good atmosphere. Roast lamb excellent. “B-” for food.

Machon d’Henri, near St Sulpice. 7 hour lamb. “C”.

Taverne Karlsbourg. Had Flammenkuche And Tartelle. “C”. Convenient to Delihene’s(sp) kitchen supplies store. Very high end!

Last lunch @ Fish La Boissonaire.(a pun). Great lunch. Salmon, skirt steak with cubes of sautéed mashed potatoes, balsamic reduction. good wine, deadly chocolate. “B”.

Three dinners:

• Auberge des Pyrenees Cevennes: “B”, Basque Omelet was special

• Petit Marguery. Very good. Pigeon with lump foie gras and apples en croute. Grand Marnier soufflé. “B”.

• Auberge Bressane. Wife had quenelles. I had escargots. Delicious. We split a Demi of Puligney Montrachet, then a bottle of St Joseph with our steaks. Sauces for steaks were excellent. Souffle Grand Marnier for dessert, the better of two. “B+”.

Overall: good ingredients, professional service, NO surliness noted at any time. Sauces make the difference. Eating out early(12:30 for lunch, 7:30 for dinner) tends to get you more attention from the kitchen, if less “buzz” out front.

When does he retire? We're going in March, 2012, btw.