Madrid - great food without romance ?

Hey

Thanks both for these posts - Maceiras looks exactly like the kind of place we are after.

A friend of mine has suggested a night out in the Malasana or Chueca barrio.

Any top places for food & beers up there ?

Thanks again

willowan in Spain/Portugal

Madrid - great food without romance ?

Dear all

Off to Madrid at the end of the month , but with a friend as opposed to other half, hence no need for romance - just great food !

Am open to any cuisine suggestions, though price bracket more towards moderate than high end. Prefer a locals vibe rather than touristy though lamentably I speak little Spanish so nowhere unfriendly or intimidating, please !

No particular cuisine preferences but tending toward the more authentic Spanish or other European than any asian/fusion stuff unless it is outstanding.

We are staying at
Calle de San Sebastián, 2
28012 Madrid,

which I think is pretty central so places near there would be cool. We do have four nights though so if somewhere is a 'must eat' would be happy to commute.

Also wonder if there is anywhere which is the equivalent of La Paradeta in Barcelona ? - great value no frills seafood that you choose what you want and how you want it cooking in almost a market kind of setting ( poor description but if you have been hopefully you will know what I mean - if you haven't been you should go ! )

If there is no similar nirvana in Barcelona, where to go for great squid or decent seafood ?

Finally any decent bars with live music suitable for two blokes in early 40's i.e not full of students - indie through bluegrass a preference !

Thanks in advance

willowan in Spain/Portugal

Any ideas for Liverpool?

Blimey, some controversial stuff here, though at least the consensus is that Panoramic is for posers not foodies.

Ditto San Carlo for me - all orange nation and pretension in my book - bizarrely the best Italian food I have had in a while was at Il Forno which is a bit of a soulless place, room wise, but food was solid and puddings very good if done by the in house pastry chef.

Please dont go to Ziba - it started off mediocre and has gone alarmingly downhill from there.

Delifonseca - agree its great - Dockside is not more formal room wise but the food seems a bit fancier - I much prefer the Stanley Street branch - it is a cosier environment ( if booking ask for a booth ) and they have the mutton curry on more often than at dockside.

Of the formal gaffs 60 Hope still gets my vote as its in a lovely building and the room is nice, if noisy. Much prefer it to the Carriage works which is 'suits' heaven, only slightly less orange than San Carlo.

I also like Etsu, an unpretentious Japanese place which is great value at lunch.

willowan in U.K./Ireland

Cafe de Pearl - Bubble tea on Bold Street, Liverpool

Evening all

Just wondered if anyone has eaten ( or drunk ) at this place as I am going for a Bubble tea with friends this weekend, and wondered if the food ( or indeed the tea ! ) was any good ?

Thanks for any help or insight you can give.

willowan in U.K./Ireland

5 nights with coeliac dad - help !

Thanks for taking the time to post a snitty reply. If you had read my post carefully you would have seen that all of the questions ( even those which mention hotels or touristy areas ) are about food, or the likely attitude of those serving or preparing the food. Last time I was in New York people did still eat in hotels and touristy areas. Perhaps that has changed.

Thanks for the gluten tip, though. Most informative.

willowan in Manhattan

5 nights with coeliac dad - help !

Hey , thanks for your help. Sorry to be dim but any other recommended Danny Meyer places I might try ?

Any thoughts on Gramercy as big night out venue ?

Thanks again

willowan in Manhattan

5 nights with coeliac dad - help !

Hey all

Am travelling to New York (from UK) with my parents for 5 nights in early December as a gift for my mum's 65th birthday. I have been to your fair city many times but neither of them has ever been.

A complication is that my dad has coeliac disease which means that he needs a gluten/wheat free diet.

I am sure that there are tons of places in Manhattan which can accommodate his diet but I would massively appreciate your expert local guidance on the following ( have numbered them for ease of reply ! )

1. Hotels - likely to stay Midtown and was thinking somewhere fairly safe
like the new(ish ) Intercontinental or the ( recently refurbed ? ) Omni in that area. Parents would probably prefer to breakfast in the hotel so wonder
a. Any idea if these places would cater well for my dad ?
b. Any other recs for better hotels or hotels that would be more bespoke ( or indeed friendly and attentive ) in terms of his diet ?
c. Any great midtwon breakfast places that will cater for him if I can get them to venture out for a 'proper' New York breakfast ?

2.Lunch - am I right in assuming that most delis will have gluten free bagels or bread available ?
If not - are there any generally safe options or chains we can look out for ?

3.Touristy places - apologies for this question ( very non Chowhoundish, I know ) but I am obviously going to be taking them to Empire State, Rockefeller, the Met, Bloomingdales, Central Park, possible MOMA etc- any recs in these tourist zones would be very welcome ?

4.Dinner places - what I would love is either places that serve a combo of GF and none GF foods, or GF or vegan places that are so good that my mum will love them anyway. My mum and dad are not adventurous eaters - they will like classic bistro fayre, Italian, maybe Spanish - not really Asian food at all. They both love fish, if that helps any !

They have never been to the US before so anything quintessentially America or New York they will also love. Price range from great bargains to ,say $50 - 60 a head excluding drinks and tip... apart from ......

5.Also, as it is for my mum's 65th is there one place we should not miss whether in terms of view, service, chow or whatever. For example - I have skirted around going to Gramercy Tavern a few times but never been. How would they be on the GF front ? Is it showy or ostentatious service - that would make them feel uncomfortable.

Happy to spend more on a great night if it is good value for money - and if my parents will feekl it was good value and not just super clever or intricate or whatever - they will just think that is pretentious crap.

6.Burgers - sounds daft but I would love to be able to take them to a great burger place despite dad's wheat free needs. Any chance ? Have recently been to 5 napkin and Rare but do not recall any GF options (though to be fair I wasn't looking!).

7.I assume that Shake Shack is a 'no' ?

8.I saw on one post that Blue Smoke has GF options but also have read thatis has gone 'off' somewhat - I went 5 years ago and thought it was okaaay but not great.

9.Finally - drinks !

Are there any great New York Bars for cider ? I usually go for unswanky places ( Jimmy's Corner, Pony Bar for example) but am not sure these would be great choices with my mum and dad in tow. Any ideas ?

What is the Campbell Apartment in Grand Central like ?

Hope you can help with all or any of these questions. Happy to clarify anything that is too vague !

Thanks in advance for your help.

-----
Gramercy Tavern
42 E 20th St, New York, NY 10003

Blue Smoke
116 East 27th Street, New York, NY 10016

Campbell Apartment
89 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017

Jimmy's Corner
140 W 44th St, New York, NY 10036

Pony Bar
637 10th Ave, New York, NY 10036

willowan in Manhattan

Amsterdam - micro brews and burgers ?

Hey all

Am in Amsterdam for a long weekend . - Thr to Sunday - in a couple of weeks time.

We are staying centre of town and I wondered where the best bars are for good microbrews and great food, possibly for lunchtime but especially for dinner /late night eats.

Also , if they happen to be on a great street or in a great are for some bar hopping afterwards, all the better ( though we are in our late 30's/early 40's so nowhere which is going to be full of 18 year olds freaking out after too much weed, please )

Favourite beers tend ( for me personally , though there are six of us in the group ) to be wheat/weiss beers or dark/dunkel styles, though not with crazy alcohol content. Food wise, as we are a diverse group probably something bistroish would be good.

Also does anywhere do great burgers and beer, in the city ?

Thanks for any help you can give !

willowan in Europe

Four ways in four days ?

Hey all

Just a quick report to say thanks for all the advice.

Of the places named above we ended up in Regina Pizza ( great pizza and we got a seat at the bar, which was perfect ! ), had breakfast at the Clover Truck ( sandwiches were better than the popovers, we thought) Audubon Circle _ solid but not quite so great second time as when I went a few years ago, I thought. Menu didnt seem quite so inspiring and execution of what we ordered seemed a little bit hit & miss. Maybe just an off night ?
Near Fenway the worst experience we had by far was at La Verdad. We were simply ignored at the bar and a group of young girls who had just walked in ( after we had waited ten minutes, sitting at the bar, and it was quiet too ) were served ahead of us. We walked out. Quite simply rude staff.

By far my favourite new place on the trip was Tasty Burger. Great atmosphere, great old school burgers and great beers. Perfect after our visit to the new wing of the MFA which was equally stunning. Given that we had just finished seeing the Sox swept by the A's that afternoon the fact that I was smiling from ear to ear after my visit to MFA and then Tasty burger says it all.

Thanks again

-----
Regina Pizza
44 Station Landing, Medford, MA 02155

La Verdad
1 Lansdowne St, Boston, MA 02215

Tasty Burger
1301 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02116

Audubon Circle Restaurant Bar
838 Beacon Street, Boston, MA

willowan in Greater Boston Area

Urgent - best place to catch Bruins SC game 1 - with great chow of course !

Thanks for the quick reply.

On the Cambridge front it depends what you mean by 'serious beer geek'. I am early 40's so if that totally rules me out of any places on the 'he looks like he is here to collect one of his kids' basis then please let me know !

I am definitely into trying different beers, ideally locally brewed but like to think I don't quite fit the UK stereotype of a real ale geek ( beard, Arran sweater and pipe smoker ). I do like folk music though so perhaps I am closer than I care to admit....

If you have an alternative Cambridge route for me which is walkable from the tube/train from downtown that would be fantastic. If any of the places does particularly good wheat beers, and/or particularly good food so much the better !.

While l we are at it, am staying at the Ames downtown - fly in tomorrow - where is good for a decent beer after ( no doubt ) standing in line at Regina pizza ?

Thanks for any further help you can give

willowan in Greater Boston Area

Urgent - best place to catch Bruins SC game 1 - with great chow of course !

Morning everyone !

I fly into town from the UK tomorrow , hence the urgency

You will see from my previous posts that I am going to see the Sox Wed. afternoon , but now feel I must also catch the Bruins game 1 on TV so as to have a complete Boston sporting day as my last day in town.

This does not, of course , mean that I am prepared to forego great Chow ! So, where should I head to catch the game ?

Previous idea was to see Sox, then head to MFA and then , crazy as it seems, head back downtwon to our hotel and hop over to Cambridge for a few beers in Craigie, Miracle of Science, Cambridge Brewing, Lord Hobo, Plough & Stars, People's republik, Cantab lounge perhaps grabbing a good/great burger in one of these places.

Is this still a plan or should we abandon it and either stay near MFA or Fenway for beers and Chow, head back downtown and do similar, or something else ?

I wondered perhaps if booking Eastern Standard would give us both a good end to our stay ( have never been ) and also allow us to stay near Fenway MFA and see the Bruins agme ?

So looking for that perfect combo of chow, beers and the Bruins game and need your recs urgently. Hope you can help !

-----
Eastern Standard
528 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215

Plough & Stars
912 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139

Lord Hobo
92 Hampshire St, Cambridge, MA 02141

willowan in Greater Boston Area

5 napkin & beer crawl combo ?

Hey, thanks for replying !

What is it you don't like about St Andrews and Gingerman , and is Stout run of the mill beer wise, ambience wise, or both ?

Going to Jimmy's as have been before and my companion hasn't and likes boxing !

Any particular best brews at Pony ?

Down by Jimmy's 43 I also have

-Lorely,
- DBA,
- Burp Castle
- Spitzers castle

on my provisional list

Any thoughts ? Any others nearby ?

Thanks again !

-----
Burp Castle
41 E 7th St, New York, NY 10003

willowan in Manhattan

5 napkin & beer crawl combo ?

Hello ?

Come on New York hounds - you are replying to my breakfast questions, why not my beer question ?!

After all, which is more important ............?

willowan in Manhattan

Breakfast , brunch & picnic lunch ? - Murray Hill recs please !

Hey all

Staying Murray Hill ( Shelburne Hotel on Lexington ) for four nights ( Thr - Mon ).

Have identified

-Penelope cafe ( ? ridiculous queues ? but would it be less so on , say, a Friday or Monday ? )
- Scotty's diner

as potential breakfast spots within easy walking distance of hotel

So

- Are these both good options ?

- If so, what in your opinion is best to eat in each ?

Plus this leaves two other breakfasts to find - where else in the vicinity should we not miss ?

Would be particularly interested in any places which have a totally different 'feel', or indeed food, to those listed above.

Oh and where nearby can we pick up reasonably priced food for a picnic ? - especially fresh fruit , cold meats, cheese and bread. Any good supermarkets or deli's in the vicinty of our hotel ?

Thanks in advance for your wisdom and guidance !

willowan in Manhattan

5 napkin & beer crawl combo ?

Hey all

In town next week and headed to 5 Napkin burger, though staying in Murray Hill area ( Shelburne hotel on Lexington )

Have looked at posts here to try to sort out a decent bar crawl/loop for pre and post 5 napkin, and come up with the following

1. Jimmy's Corner Bar
2. St Andrews ( google maps say this is 140W 46th st but seen other refs to Times Sq ? )
3. 5 Napkin burger
4.Rudy's ( ? not sure about this )
5. Pony Bar
6. Stout
7. Rattle N Hum
8. Gingerman

So, what have I missed, or which of these should I miss out on ?
Are any of these places stand outs ? Or do any stand out as over priced ?

If its relevant we are two English blokes in our early 40's, so if any of these places are embarrassingly young crowds, or just embarrassing crowds, please let us know.

Also. any good places to get decent well priced wheat beers and great food ?

Thanks for any advice you can give.

-----
Jimmy's Corner
140 W 44th St, New York, NY 10036

willowan in Manhattan

Boston to NYC - where must I stop ? ! (Moved from Greater Boston Area)

well, would you believe it ? Avis wont allow us to drop the car at New Haven - say they are fully booked - so it looks like I might miss out on my pizza.

So, where should we hit for pizza in NYC ? - thin base, proper wood fire oven only please margherita has to be up to standard as it is the true test of pizza quality IMO - tomato mozzarella and fresh basil only !

Unless somewhere has a clam pie to rival Pepe's, of course !

Staying in Murray Hill ( the Shelburne ) if that helps.

Thanks

willowan in Southern New England

Four ways in four days ?

This will sound like a dim question from a Brit, but what is a popover - and is there a particular type ( or flavour ? ! ) I need to be ordering ?

willowan in Greater Boston Area

Four ways in four days ?

Thanks all for such early help. Is the Craigie burger really a 'do not miss ' ? Looked on their website earlier and couldnt see it mentioned. I assume we will need reservations , even to sit in the bar ?

willowan in Greater Boston Area

Four ways in four days ?

Hello all

Visting from the UK and staying Sunday 29 May to 2 June. We are staying at the Ames Hotel and I think I have itinerary more or less planned, with specific chow questions , as follows

Terms of reference first - I have visited Boston several times before ( Sox fan ) looking for bargains up to medium priced ( entrees for evening below $25 ), love quirky places, arty or architecturally interesting places/ places with a great view , great burgers , fresh ans simple seafood, 'gastropubs' authentic not touristy chow.... In terms of bars we like microbrews, local brews, good food sat at the bar, live music , not feeling 'too old' if you are 40....

So, the itinerary and numbered questions in case you just want to answer one or two...

1.Sunday night - North End ( as near hotel and jetlag factor ) - Regina Pizza ? Daily Catch ( for squid ? ) - if not either of these or we will not get in , where else ? Is DC only good for squid ( mixed reviews here re the pasta dishes and friend not massive seafood fan) ? If so, where else will I get great squid and he get something else ?

2. Side questions - is soft shelled crab in season and if so, where to go ? Are there any places ( like La Pereda in Barcelona if you have been ) where you choose your fish and how you want it cooked and they then oblige - ie basic, cheap and wonderfully fresh seafood )

3And where do we go for a late and lively beer afterwards , if we conquer he jetlag ?

4. Monday -Harbor islands - no chow ideas here - all ideas welcome - or somewhere to pick up picnic stuff near hotel ?

5.Also breakfasts - not included in hotel rate - Woodwards in hotel meant to be good but I assume pricey ? - worth it on one day ?( my birthday does fall during our stay ! ) and if so what do we order?

In terms of other nearby breakfasts any take out or sit in recs ? Probably sandwiches or omelette but cake/pastries too places too please !

6.Monday night / Tuesday night - Sox games - looking at posts here am thinking Eastern Standard, Audubon Circle or La Verdad ? Good choices ? Need reservations ? Best pre or post game ? I am assuming Jerry Remy's will be poor but will have to pop in for a drink ?

7.Tuesday day - ICA - see that new place Temazcal Tequila Cantina gets good write ups here - good for lunch or better at night ? Anywhere else near ICA ? Or walk back around the harbour and go for lunch at Regina Pizza ?

8.Wednesday brunch - thinking of stroll along Newbury en route to 1pm game - where best for a midweek brunch en route ? Pancakes a strong favourite here !

9.Wednesday post game - thinking of going straight from game to MFA - not sure on where to go in this vicnity ? Or head over to Cambridge instead and go to Craigie's for the burger ? If so, where for microbrews or local brews afterwards ?

10. What obvious place have I missed that I must go to , and should change my itinerary to fit in ? I'm thinking like Gus' Pretzels in St Louis or ( more locally for you guys ) Just Barbs in Stockton Springs - places I would never have gone to but for Chowhound...

Hope specific questions helped, thanks in advance for any help you can give !

-----
Eastern Standard
528 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215

Regina Pizza
44 Station Landing, Medford, MA 02155

Daily Catch
323 Hanover St, Boston, MA 02113

La Verdad
1 Lansdowne St, Boston, MA 02215

Audubon Circle Restaurant Bar
838 Beacon Street, Boston, MA

Temazcal
250 Northern Ave, Boston, MA 02210

willowan in Greater Boston Area

Boston to NYC - where must I stop ? ! (Moved from Greater Boston Area)

Hey Garris

That sounds like a great plan - the only problem is that we are doing the whole trip in a single day with no stopover now, on 2 June. As the Pawsox do not have a day game that day is this itinerary do able in a single day ?

Assuming so, would the pawtucket diner and Pepe's be the two top places ?

Also, how long does it take by commuter rail from New Haven into NYC and any idea how much it will cost. Any link you can send me for this ?

Thanks in advance for any further help you can give.

willowan in Southern New England

Boston to NYC - where must I stop ? ! (Moved from Greater Boston Area)

hey all

Since I am travelling from the UK, what is the Merrit - does it have a road number etc and will it take me into Manhattan on the Murray Hill side ?

And assuming I want to take in the New Haven pizza ( probably, on balance of the posts Pepes ) and grab some chow near the coast, what, IS that elusive best route ?

While replying, what are your favourite places to eat in New York ( slightly off topic I know, but it would just be fun to know ! ), and how about some friendly bars - particularly in the Murray Hill area

Thanks again

willowan in Southern New England

A couple of great new places in Liverpool

Hey Theresa

Thanks for teh update - gave up on Ital CF last year some time - may be time to try it again !

have you been to Little Pizza Kitchen in Waterloo - not eaten in ( bit ramshackle in a charming way and was lashing down when meant to go last week from me so have only ordered take out ). Well worth a try if you are a pizza fan - proper thin bases and good toppings !

You been anywhere else of note lately ?

Anyone else ?

willowan in U.K./Ireland

Boston to NYC - where must I stop ? ! (Moved from Greater Boston Area)

hey, thanks for this. As I am travelling 2 June, I assume I will be okay ?

and what is the singing bridge ?!

willowan in Southern New England

Boston to NYC - where must I stop ? ! (Moved from Greater Boston Area)

Bob - what counts as expensive in your book ? - that pizza sounds good !

Also re Pepes may posters have said get there early - what time counts as early - I Like pizza - but not for breakfast !

willowan in Southern New England

Boston to NYC - where must I stop ? ! (Moved from Greater Boston Area)

Hey Karl

Plan was hire car purely for one day and for this purpose only - drop it off as soon as we hit NYC. Would you still opt for the train and miss out on all those pizzas ?!

willowan in Southern New England

Boston to NYC - where must I stop ? ! (Moved from Greater Boston Area)

Hey all

Its the OP here - glad I have started off a decent thread !

Just some clarification...

1. I will be making the journey south - from Boston to New York , probably in one day - 2 June this year. Need to drop off car by 10pm.
2. I am male not female ;-)
3. Hire care cost is $137 versus $198 for the train
4. Car pros are that we can leave our luggage ( for a ten day trip ) in it rather than getting off the train - cons - driving into Manhattan a bit daunting ( though we are staying in Murray Hill so not too bad, by the looks of it.)

My thinking was that we would do the coastal route, pop into Pawtucket to see the stadium etc ( as I am a big baseball fan ) and grab some good chow along the way! I have been north from Boston previously and love Portland, but this is a definite en route trip,and I just wondered whether it was worth the extra stress of driving to see some scenery and grab some chow. Opinions seem to be mixed. would the fact that it is the week after Memorial day mean it is awful, traffic ( and pizza queues ! ) wise ?

Also, many of you are saying that it would be better to just head into NYC - the problem with that is that even with this site the choice is so bewildering that I can never see the wood for the trees - any tips on how to cut through it all and pick out great places in either Boston or NYC ? For example , was in NYC in September and found 5Napkins burger place in midtown/hells kitchen. Loved it, but how do you find other places in a city/cities so vast and full of choice ?

Thanks for any further help you can give.......

willowan in Southern New England

Incoming ! - Boston to NYC - 'must stops' required !

Hey all

Am likely to be travelling between Boston and NYC - possibly by road, most likely Amtrak in early June and wonder whether there are any great Chow places I must stop over , even if only for one night.

I am relaxed about cuisine and price but there must be compelling reasons to stop or my travelling companion will insist we fly between the two !

Ideally the stop over town should also have places of interest or stunning scenery too, since we are travelling from the UK. Max journey time between the two cities is two days.

All thoughts welcome, thanks in advance.

willowan in New York State (exc. New York City)

Boston to NYC - where must I stop ? ! (Moved from Greater Boston Area)

Hey all

Am likely to be travelling between Boston and NYC - possibly by road, most likely Amtrak in early June and wonder whether there are any great Chow places I must stop over , even if only for one night.

I am relaxed about cuisine and price but there must be compelling reasons to stop or my travelling companion will insist we fly between the two !

Ideally the stop over town should also have places of interest or stunning scenery too, since we are travelling from the UK. Max journey time between the two cities is two days.

All thoughts welcome, thanks in advance.

willowan in Southern New England

Boston to New York - 'must stops' en route ?

Hey all

Am likely to be travelling between Boston and NYC - possibly by road, most likely Amtrak in early June and wonder whether there are any great Chow places I must stop over , even if only for one night.

I am relaxed about cuisine and price but there must be compelling reasons to stop or my travelling companion will insist we fly between the two !

Ideally the stop over town should also have places of interest or stunning scenery too, since we are travelling from the UK. Max journey time between the two cities is two days.

All thoughts welcome, thanks in advance.

willowan in Southern New England