rednikki's Profile
Distilled vinegar in olive salad?
Thanks! That helps a ton. If it says "Vinegar" it's usually distilled.
Distilled vinegar in olive salad?
This is an obscure question, but I have faith that the Hounds here will have the answer!
Short version: does the olive salad at Central Grocery, Maspero's or Napoleon House have distilled vinegar in it?
Longer version: I'll be going to New Orleans and am dying to have a vegetarian muffuletta, as hotly debated here:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/751735
However - and here's where it gets obscure - I am catastrophically allergic to distilled vinegar. Every single other vinegar - red wine, balsamic, rice, whatever - is fine. It's just distilled vinegar that's a problem. Hence my question.
-----
Napoleon House Bar & Cafe
500 Chartres St, New Orleans, LA 70130
Maspero's
601 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70130
Is it OK to shell Favas 24 hours ahead?
Have Favas. Love Favas. Would like to have them tomorrow night. Due to scheduling I can shell them tonight and eat them tomorrow, or not have them for DAYS. DAYS, I tell you.
So: if I shell them a day ahead, will they still be awesome or will I have ruined them?
Canned goods safety question!
We opened a (storebought) can of tomatoes to discover it was half-full. It smells fine, but is it still safe to eat?
Stokes in Monterey
The restaurant will be called Restaurant 1833. It's run by Coastal Luxury Management, who run the Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival and who just opened the Cannery Row Brewing Company.
More info here: http://www.montereyherald.com/restaurants/ci_14645795
To quote: Don't assume a high-end dining experience. Bernahl envisions martinis at a vintage bar with an "old apothecary shop vibe," small bites in the lounge, an outdoor patio in front surrounded by an ivy-covered wall, and "great, affordable food in a cool, hip setting."
Monterey for pre-concert dinner
They haven't done dinner for a while (at least a year - I did a special beer dinner there as part of Beer Week over a year ago, but that was the only time they'd served dinner in a while). Great for breakfast and lunch, though.
Visiting Monterey Peninsula soon and need a hard to find combination
I'll third this. I'm a vegetarian and my partner is very much not, and we've always had great meals together at Passionfish. (I hate portobello mushrooms too!) If she's OK with a good pasta meal, there is also The Fishwife.
Dinner in Paso Robles
I've eaten there once for dinner and LOVED it. (Usually I go there for lunch and hit Artisan at dinner.)
1st Time in Paso Robles
I'm seconding Thomas Hill Organics. It's my must-stop whenever I go to Paso.
Artisan is also good, but pricier and the food's a little richer. If we're staying for two meals, that is our OTHER must-stop.
Dining in Carmel with our Dog
Sorry for taking so long to respond!
We have a gigantic list of all the dog-friendly places in Monterey County here:
http://www.seemonterey.com/pet-friendly-monterey-county
Some good dog-friendly Carmel restaurants with patios that aren't on your list:
Anton and Michel (warning: no heat lamps)
Bistro Beaujolais at the Carmel Plaza (their outdoor dining is right in the middle of Carmel Plaza and great for people-watching)
Il Fornaio
I hope this helps!
Help Out! Looking for the best pizza in Monterey.
I am a huge fan of Pizza My Heart. They are a Central Coast chain, but they're a tasty, tasty chain. Slices the size of your head.
The two locally famous ones that I have never tried are Paradiso on Cannery Row and Allegro Gourmet Pizzeria in the Barnyard in Carmel.
-----
Pizza My Heart
660 Del Monte Ctr, Monterey, CA 93940
Milwaukee: fine dining, beer, cheese?
Thanks, Mike, that helps a lot!
I was hoping that there was a high-end Indian or Mediterranean restaurant in Milwaukee, and that I just wasn't looking hard enough, but it doesn't seem like that's the case. I know she'd really prefer Indian or Mediterranean, so I think I'll have to accept that I'll have to notch down my ambiance expectations (which she really won't care much about anyway) so she can get her wish.
Milwaukee: fine dining, beer, cheese?
Nsxtasy, I'm not just thinking of myself. My guest had never even tried Chinese, Mexican or Indian food until two years ago, when I forced it on her :-) She grew up in an area where pizza was considered ethnic food. I have seen her really expand her comfort zone over the past two years, but I am concerned that someplace with pickled hedgehogs on the menu would frankly freak her the heck out.
I've been really digging, and I thought I was just not looking hard enough, but - there's really no such thing as high-end Indian, Greek or Mediterranean in Milwaukee, is there?
Milwaukee: fine dining, beer, cheese?
Thanks for the recommendations, Mike! I don't think we can get Lakefront Brewery beers here, so I'll give them and Furthermore a shot. And I'm pretty close to the Milwaukee Public Market, and goat cheese is my fave, so I'll try it out!
Milwaukee: fine dining, beer, cheese?
Thanks for the sample menu, Mike! You're right, I think that might be a little too adventuresome for my friend (elk! pheasant! pickled hedgehogs! beef cheeks!). They also don't have a vegetarian entree on the list, which makes me wary. (I've been to one too many restaurants who, when I ask for something vegetarian, say "We have *tons* of seafood!")
Nsxtasy, from the sample menu, all of their entrees seem very driven by the slab of meat or fish at the center. If I just had to ask them to tweak something around food allergies, that would be one thing, but asking them to create something whole-cloth that is not centered around meat/fish seems like it's very far outside of what they do.
If I ever stop being a vegetarian, I'll keep this place in mind!
Milwaukee: fine dining, beer, cheese?
I am coming out to Milwaukee the weekend of the 9th for a close friend's graduation. I've never been there before, and she's going to a college in a suburb and hasn't really ventured into Milwaukee much. I'm staying near the Midwest Airlines Center, for reference.
FINE DINING:
I want to take her out to a really great place for dinner on Saturday night. She's said she'd like Indian, Greek or Mediterranean but NOT Italian. I would like to take her to someplace that is pretty swanky or at least has fantastic ambiance. I won't say money is NO object (no diamond-encrusted ice cream sundaes wanted), but she's worked really hard and deserves a very special experience.
The added monkey-wrenches in this scenario are that I'm a vegetarian who's allergic to soy (i.e. tofu and edamame), and while her palate has gotten much more adventurous over the past four years I think she'd find someplace like Roots daunting.
Fuzion Cafe and Lounge keeps coming across my radar for a variety of reasons, but I've only seen one review and am not sure if this would fit the bill. I looked at Hinterlands, but their one vegetarian item didn't send me.
BEER:
My other half is a big beer fan, and I'd like to bring back for him some good Milwaukee-brewed beer that we can't get in California. Milwaukee Ale House gets raves - do they do six packs to take home, is it all growlers and kegs, or is it bar-only? Is there something else I should pick up?
CHEESE:
I hear y'all in Wisconsin make a little cheese. Where would one go in Milwaukee to pick up organic small-production cheeses, and is there anything in particular you'd recommend?
Thanks very much for your help!
Thomas Hill Organics Restaurant ?
I had grilled cheese and tomato soup. They normally serve a salad with the sandwich, but subbed in a full-size bowl of the tomato soup they were serving that day at my request. The bread was from a bakery that's around the corner (I don't remember the name right now, but it's about three doors down from Artisan), the cheese was something gooey and tasty that I'd never heard of, and the tomato soup was obviously made from actual tomatoes - very fresh tasting.
My other half had what I think was listed as beef goulash but was more of a beef stew. Again, the ingredients were very clearly fresh from what he said.
We also got an olive plate as an appetizer that had olives that were GIGANTIC. Seriously. Like, the size of a smallish plum tomato. We had to eat them as if we were eating a small nectarine, because you couldn't easily pop it in your mouth and take off the meat. Seriously tasty, though!
He got beer and I got wine. We asked the waitress what to pair with our meals. She looked at us like a deer in headlights, and not-so-subtly went to the manager for advice. The manager has good taste, though, so it was not a problem.
Thomas Hill Organics Restaurant ?
We ate there on a Saturday about three weeks ago and it was outstanding! It has catapulted to the top of our list in the area (sorry, Artisan). The food is tasty, organic, and - most importantly - reasonably priced. I'm a vegetarian with a bunch of food allergies and they took care of me without batting an eye - and my meat-eating other half was well-satisfied, too! They were having some technical problems in the kitchen, which made things a little slow-paced when we went, but we were looking for slow.
Warning: the portions are BIG. Bring your appetite!
Your Favorite Inexpensive Restaurants in Monterey County, Please.
Gotta second the Breakfast Club in Seaside. Their pancakes and waffles are not too sweet; they're just perfect. Incredibly tasty biscuits, and yummy potatoes. The thing that would make it perfect would be if they had real maple syrup (even if you had to pay extra for it). I bring my own. :-)
-----
Breakfast Club
1130 Fremont Blvd Ste 201, Seaside, CA 93955
Paso Robles: Is Silver Stone Winery closed?
I heard a rumor that the folks at Vinoteca on 12th St. might have some inside info. Unfortunately, we won't be coming through there for another 2-3 weeks. Let us know if you hear anything!
Paso Robles: Is Silver Stone Winery closed?
Ha, no. We'll just be sad if they're gone, is all!
Paso Robles: Is Silver Stone Winery closed?
I'd heard rumors in December that Silver Stone Winery in Paso Robles was closing their tasting room - or possibly closing altogether. I looked for them today online, and their website is gone! Anyone know whether the tasting room is still there? (I'm a wine club member, and was really looking forward to my next pickup this month, but now I have no way to reach them!)
Paso Robles Wineries to avoid
Is Silver Stone still open? I remember in December there was some question as to whether the tasting room was going to stay in the same spot, move, or just shut down altogether. (They are, hands down, my favorite Paso wine! We bought their very last case of the '04 Zin.)
Where to have a nice lunch in Salinas?
It's not Mexican, but I've always had stellar meals at Monterey Coast Brewing Company. Their grilled artichokes are literally the best I've ever eaten, their pizzas are fabulous, and their short ribs confirmed my other half would never be a vegetarian. I've never eaten anything here that wasn't great. The beer's good, too!
-----
Monterey Coast Brewing
165 Main St, Salinas, CA 93901
Restaurant suggestion for anniversary dinner in Carmel, CA
Casanova is said by many to be the most romantic restaurant in Carmel. Fantastic wine list (wins awards every year from Wine Spectator), great food. It's a country-Italian vibe.
-----
Casanova Restaurant
5th Ave, Carmel-By-the-Sea, CA 93923
Monterey Bay Eats...HELP! [moved from SF Bay board]
Darn it, can't edit to put in places. Here I go...
Unfortunately, it doesn't like Casanova because nothing in Carmel-by-the Sea has street addresses. It's on Fifth near Mission.
-----
Sweet Elena's Bakery & Cafe
465 Olympia Ave, Seaside, CA 93955
Pizza My Heart
660 Del Monte Ctr, Monterey, CA 93940
Ol' Factory Cafe
1725 Contra, Costa Sand City, CA
Monterey Bay Eats...HELP! [moved from SF Bay board]
If you're looking for some pizza that will knock your socks off, try Pizza My Heart at the Del Monte Center.
http://www.pizzamyheart.com/pages/locations.html
Yes, it's a Central Coast chain. But it's the best pizza I've had on the West Coast, hands down. And did I mention cheap? It's about 2 miles from the Aquarium - you can go by car, or take the bus.
Also, the Del Monte Center is having its "Musical Marketplace" this Saturday 1-3pm. $10 gets you food from 5 restaurants (including Pizza My Heart), plus wine, and a concert. And your money goes to charity! We went last weekend; it's a great value.
http://www.delmontecenter.com/
Also also, the West End neighborhood of Sand City is having its annual party on Saturday. Live music, street performers, plus food from local vendors - and about 3 miles from the aquarium.
http://www.montereyinfo.org/west%20end%20celebration
The Ol' Factory Cafe has a great beer selection, great burgers, great onion rings and is reputed to have a very tasty breakfast (they get their coffee from Intelligentsia - but I haven't managed to get there early enough for breakfast yet), and Sweet Elena's, I'm told, has great pastries.
We went to Casanova in Carmel-by-the-Sea a couple of weeks ago, and if you have the budget for it and are not a vegetarian, it's spectacular.
Hope this helps!
I can't cook crispy bacon
The answers in this were great! I just wanted to let people know that I linked to this discussion from here: http://www.mahalo.com/How_to_make_perfect_bacon . Thanks for the advice!
