jmk38's Profile
Pittsburgh - Wild Rosemary in the South Hills
I grew up in Pgh but have not lived there in years; however, I get out there to visit relatives a couple of times a year and try to keep up with the dining scene there. I had heard about Wild Rosemary, a small BYOB in Upper St. Clair/Scott Twp but had never been - finally got there this trip and can't wait to return. It is very small and charming with a menu that changes roughly every 2 weeks. Our party of 4 ordered a variety of things and all were delicious and beautifully presented - we had the scallops, the duck, the Kobe flank steak, the beet salad, soup and two desserts: coconut cheesecake (doesn't sound like it will work, but it does) and a mostly chocolate creation with an unusual name. Coffee was served in a French press. Can't wait to return - book ahead, as this place is popular, deservedly so.
Regent Square Theatre - Good, Casual Dinner Close by?
We will be going to the Regent Square Theatre later this week for a movie. Any suggestions for where we might have a good, casual dinner in reasonably close proximity to the theatre?
thanks
Il Pittore - Great Food, but Gouging Wine List
It has been a week and I did not take notes, but I'll do my best to remember what our group had.
For starters, we had the octopus, gnocchi, special salad that night and can't remember the 4th; for mains we had papardelle w/wild boar ragu, sea bass, ribeye and another fish (but not the branzino). We had several sorbets for dessert, espresso & capuccino
Il Pittore - Great Food, but Gouging Wine List
Four of us dined at Il Pittore the other evening. Each of us ordered a different starter and a different
main, so had the chance to sample a wide range of the restaurant's offerings. All of the food was excellent - interesting dishes, carefully prepared and creatively presented. The down side of the
evening - and I think it is a big negative - is the wine list. The markup is ridiculous - fairly ordinary
wines for $47-49/bottle, well over $100 for anything interesting or special. Very ordinary glass of
white: $12 (may explain why the bar was so empty). Mr. Starr, is this really necessary??
Reed Restaurant, rue Amelie, 7th
I would call the menu updated classics - the menu itself changes daily and everything, including desserts, are made in-house. I tried to find our receipt and could not locate it, but it was the least expensive of our 4 dinners in Paris and the best overall value. My recollection is that the bill for 2 for dinner, including wine, was approx 100 Euro.
Reed Restaurant, rue Amelie, 7th
We tried Reed when we were in Paris 2 weeks ago and loved it - charming, small, attractive, good food and gracious chef/owner. I recommend it.
Paris 4 Nights: Chez L'Ami Jean, Reed, Violons D'Ingres and Josephine (Chez Dumonet)
I should mention we had lunch at Rotunde de Muette after a visit to Musee Marmottan. The food itself was nothing to write home about, but great service combined with the opportunity to watch all of the well-to-do Parisians enjoy a leisurely lunch on a cold but sunny Saturday made the stop worthwhile.
Paris 4 Nights: Chez L'Ami Jean, Reed, Violons D'Ingres and Josephine (Chez Dumonet)
I think it is worth the trip - and pretty easily accessible from most Paris neighborhoods. It is on a quiet street in an old building that formerly housed Communist Party local headquarters.
Paris 4 Nights: Chez L'Ami Jean, Reed, Violons D'Ingres and Josephine (Chez Dumonet)
We returned yesterday from a long weekend in Paris. Our restaurant selections for dinner for each of the 4 nights were carefully made, after a lot of research and much help from fellow Chowhounds.
We had 4 terrific dinners and would return to each of these places again - and as soon as possible.
Brief summaries:
(1) Chez L'Ami Jean - This is the only one where we had dined before, so we knew what to expect
in terms of menu, cramped quarters, somewhat frenetic atmosphere - and all of that was fine with us.
We deliberately picked this place for our first night in Paris, feeling the energy and liveliness (not to
mention Jego's clapping and occasional yelling at his servers!) would help us to get past our jet lag - it did. We chose the 5-course tasting menu and were delighted with the menu, the quality of the food, the pace at which the courses were served and everything. The menu was Watercress soup with mushrooms and bacon; quail with mushroom risotto; sea bass; pork cheeks. For dessert, we
each were given two small desserts ( a mont blanc and a pineapple concoction - not sure what), as well as a pot of the delicious rice pudding. Over the course of the 2 and 1/2 hour dinner, we enjoyed two wines from the southwest: a bottle of cahors and a half bottle of irouleguy. We walked (waddled) out of there very satisfied with the food, the service, the wine and the experience.
(2) Reed - Reed is a delightful small bistro in the 7th, open only since last May. In contrast to
the loudness and frenzy of Chez L'Ami Jean, Reed is a restaurant where people can dine over
a very lovely meal and have good conversation with one another, with other patrons and with the
chef-owner. Our starters consisted of foie gras with grapes and balsamic and a terrine of
foie gras and pheasant - both delicious. For mains, I chose the blanquette de veau and my husband had a risotto with artichoke hearts, Parma ham and pesto. Over dinner, we shared a 2009 Bordeau
(very good) and concluded our meal with coffee and dessert (lemon cheesecake and a chocolate mousse cake). In addition to the good food and wine, we really liked the setting: open kitchen, taupe walls with high ceilings, deep red banquettes, some framed black and white WWII era photographs the owner found in the basement during renovations. Our evening here was delightful in all respects and we would not hesitate to return. (Reed, 11, bis rue Amelie, 01-45-55-88-40;
catherine.reed@wanadoo.fr).
(3) Violons D'Ingres - Christian Constant's lovely restaurant on rue St. Dominique is well known to
Chowhounders - and it is open on Sundays, a real bonus. We had a late dinner here after the
opera and had a very enjoyable meal and very pleasant, attentive but not intrusive service. After
glasses of champagne, we started with a watercress soup with oysters and a millefeuille of calf tongue and foie gras. Both were great, but the "millefeuille" was outstanding. Our mains were
scallops with squid ink risotto and roasted pigeon (from the farm rather than the Paris streets, I was
assured) with green Puy lentils - both delicious. We shared a Haut-Medoc with dinner and finished our meal with coffees and a shared tarte tatin.
(4) Josephine (Chez Dumonet) - I had been wanting to dine here for at least 5 years and it did not
disappoint - truly a classic. I am so very glad I had been warned by posters on this board that
portions were gargantuan. Even so warned and having exercised some restraint in ordering, we
were not able to finish all of our food and had no room for cheese or dessert. When we were seated, we each were presented with a glass of a dry white Rhone (their house white?) and an
amuse bouche of I'm not sure - roasted red pepper bisque?? For starters, my husband had the herring with onions and potatoes and I had a "half" portion of terrine of foie gras. (I say "half" because the menu called it a half portion; in any other restaurant, it would be a full portion.) For
mains, we had the roasted veal with pommes puree and a half order of the boeuf bourgignon, while
sharing a 2007 bordeau. We had to cancel the cheese plate we had ordered and finished the evening with coffees. We liked everything about this restaurant - very good food, nicely presented;
steady, relaxed pace to the meal; the classic decor (with a few sailing posters thrown in). We had a reservation for the 9:30 seating and that is what we would/will do next time: very relaxed, no concern with being hurried along to make room for the 2nd seating.
Thank you fellow Chowhounders for all of your help in planning the meals for our trip - a real success!
3 nights and four days in Paris in March: Overwhelmed where to make reservations........HELP
Do you know whether you may order a la carte at Papilles at lunchtime?
Allard - Let the Debate Begin!
I was hoping the restaurant had improved since our last visit 3 years ago - wishful thinking, huh?
Allard - Let the Debate Begin!
My husband and I always have had one dinner per Paris trip at Allard; admittedly, the last two times
were a disappointment - the food was not that great and it seemed to be in decline. So, it is not on the list for our upcoming trip; however, we are having pangs of nostalgia and want to make sure
our assessment is accurate and up-to-date. Comments? Opinions? thanks
3 nights and four days in Paris in March: Overwhelmed where to make reservations........HELP
I think Chez L'Ami Jean should be on your list - would be a fun Sat. night dinner.
Lincoln NE - Need dining recommendations
How about any good place at or near Sheldon Museum at UNL, UNL generally or
the Ross Theatre?
Lincoln NE - Need dining recommendations
Great - and thanks for the warning about Vincenzo's
Lincoln NE - Need dining recommendations
These look great - how about a place for a very nice dinner out? Also, any decent non-chain
Italian restaurants in Lincoln? thanks
Lincoln NE - Need dining recommendations
I will be in Lincoln, NE for a long weekend and need dining recommendations. I will have a car,
so location in town is not an issue. I would appreciate recommendations for breakfast places, casual lunch, nicer lunch and a couple of dinner places. No chain restaurants and no Japanese/sushi.
Thank you in advance.
Paris Wine Bars & Wine Shops - WSJ Article
The Feb. 21st edition of Wall Street Journal ("Off Duty" section) has a nice article on Paris wine bars and wine shops.
Paris Wine Bars
In our various trips to Paris over the years we never have made it to a Paris wine bar. Which ones would you recommend for an upcoming weekend visit? We will be staying in the 7e arr.
thank you.
L'Ardoise for Sunday dinner?
I don't see any really recent posts about this restaurant. I am wondering if it would be good for
a Sunday post-opera dinner (opera is at Palais Garnier). Thank you.
Paris with a Broken Leg! Will these restaurants accommodate?
Would L'Ardoise be a good substitution for Cafe des Musee or Dome du Marais for Sunday evening post-opera dinner (at Palais Garnier)? I am thinking about proximity/my leg, etc
Paris with a Broken Leg! Will these restaurants accommodate?
Thank you - that is reassuring.
50th in Paris
Would the one in the Bois de Boulogne be a good spot for lunch in connection with a visit to Musee Marmottan?
Paris with a Broken Leg! Will these restaurants accommodate?
We are leaving for Paris in a couple of weeks. I recently broke my kneecap (ouch!). I am on cructches and in a full leg brace, though expect to lose the crutches well before the trip. It occurred to me that some of the restaurants on our list may not be able to/may not want to accommodate
my need for a bit of extra space (my leg needs to be fully extended at all times). Here is where we
are planning to dine - would appreciate your thoughts/suggestions:
Chez L'Ami Jean
Aux Fins Gourmet
Dome du Marais or Cafe des Musees
Josephine Chez Dumonet
Thank you!
