1st time visitor -- near downtown or convention center

Thanks for asking me to clarify. I'll likely be staying at the Ritz-Carlton, but will be working near the convention center near the seaport.

Thanks again!

JJ. in Greater Boston Area

1st time visitor -- near downtown or convention center

I will be making a first time visit to Boston, and staying near downtown and/or the convention center. I will not have a car. I am looking for the best local food Boston has to offer, that are can't miss places for a first time visit. I'm not looking for fine dining -- just the best in those areas for chowder, seafood, and other local favorites (old school, holes in the wall are fine, if not prefered).

Thanks for your thoughts, Boston!

JJ. in Greater Boston Area

Lake Buena Vista local dining

Thanks.

JJ. in Florida

Lake Buena Vista local dining

I will be traveling to Disneyworld in a couple weeks with two young kids, and staying in Lake Buena Vista. Looking for good restaurants outside Disneyworld, including but not limited to any good local pizza/italian joints (delivery would be a plus -- we will have a kitchen), or even a good local place to fuel up with coffee in the morning before heading to Disney

We will have a car, but at the end of the day I expect we won't want to drive more than 10 minutes or so.

Thanks for any suggestions.

p.s. any great suggestions for eating at the Disney parks are welcomed (looking for decent value and a place our kids will like -- other than the character meals).

JJ. in Florida

Client dinner not far from Loop

Looking for a good place to dine with a client Thursday night, preferably not too far from Union Station. Proposed Grocery Bistro, but I think that might be too "foodie" for them. Looking for something with a simpler menu, not too expensive, but in the moderate price range (Grocery Bistro had the benefit of being BYOB). Marche is an option, but I am looking for something newer that I haven't tried yet.

Thanks for any suggeestions.

JJ. in Chicago Area

Lunch near Webster and Clyborn?

Webster Place isn't too far from Bucktown, where you may have some more interesting options (e.g., Britsol, Hot Chocolate, etc., etc.).

JJ. in Chicago Area

South Beach with kids; then Williams Island

I will be in the South Beach area over x-mas week, and am looking for restaurant recommendations. Nothing specific, just really good food -- can be a dive, or a nicer place, although I will be travelling with a well-behaved 4 and 6 year old. Any standard places that might be recommended for visitors.

Also, if you have recs. for anything near Williams Island., where we will also be staying, I would appreciate it. Last time took a drive to Le Tub, which we loved; but that's the extent of my knowledge.

Thanks for any suggestions.

JJ. in Miami - Ft. Lauderdale

Dressler with kids?

Can I take two well-behaved kids (4 and 6 yrs. old) to Dressler? I am visiting Brooklyn and would like to take our kids (and more importantly my wife and I) to a nice dining establishment at least one night.

And if you have taken kids there, would the restaurant be accomodating in modifying anything on the menu for them?

Thanks for any thoughts, or any comparable recommendations you might have.

JJ. in Outer Boroughs

Mexican Coke

There are plenty of Mexican grocery stores in Wicker Park/Bucktown that carry Mexican coke (assume you mean in the bottle), including Danny's on Western, and number of stores on Ashland. Most sell individual bottles, but I have seen it sold in larger quantities. If you live in that area, it might be more convenient than N. Riverside.

JJ. in Chicago Area

Chinatown on Dec. 24/25

Duly noted, and thanks for the warning. Do you think x-mas eve might be the time to go, or maybe go for dim sum around 10 a.m. x-mas day?

I am guessing it will be crowded whenever we go, and we will be sure to go any general shopping or walking around in that area on a different day altogether.

JJ. in Manhattan

Anything new in DUMBO?

We will be staying at a relative's place in DUMBO x-mas week. It has been over two years since we've been there last. Has anything new opened in the past couple years that is worth checking out? Can be high-end, low-end, or even a grocery store -- just don't want to miss any new additions that might be worth checking out.

Thanks.

JJ. in Outer Boroughs

Chinatown on Dec. 24/25

I understand your point about no atmosphere. I would make the same comment about Chicago's Chinatown that we frequently visit. But at least some of the dumpier places there have good old school Chinatown feel, if that makes any sense.

Anyway, yes, it sounds like one of the biggest issues may be finding a place that takes reservations or will not be too packed (as my kids can't wait in line for that long).

JJ. in Manhattan

Chinatown on Dec. 24/25

I am traveling with my wife and two young kids to NY for the holidays. We would like to dine in Chinatown on Christmas Eve or maybe dim sum on Christmas day.

Any suggestions? We are looking for both good food and good atmosphere -- doesn't matter whether it's a higher end place or a dump, as long as its good (I am assuming most places will be open over the holiday). My kids are happy with fried rice, so I'm not too worried about what they wil eat.

Thanks.

JJ. in Manhattan

Thanksgiving Dinner -- something different

For our last family holiday dinner, we served a large brisket from Smoque, which was a huge success. This Thanksgiving, we are looking for a repeat performance. Any thoughts on where we could pick up a great pre-cooked Turkey (or related food items) for Thanksgiving. We're not looking for just a plain old Turkey, but something a little more unique. Even a good fried Turkey, or maybe a good Turducken would fit the bill.

Any thoughts are appreciated.

Thanks.

JJ. in Chicago Area

Banana Cream Pie?

Try Sweet Mandy B's on Webster and Racine, one of the best bakeries around. Gibson's Steakhouse, a Chicago institution, has a huge banana cream pie on their menu -- I don't know whether they sell whole pies to go, but your might call and find out. I believe Joe's Stone Crab & Steakhouse has a banana cream pie too -- I have carried out one of their peanut butter cream pies before, and it was great.

JJ. in Chicago Area

Blue Line Spots

Easy answer in my humble opinion: Get off at the Damen/Milwaukee stop, which is the heart of Wicker Park/Bucktown. There is lots of action at this six-corner intersection, and lieterally any direction you walk in will lead to many great options, some of which have already been mentioned (e.g., Spring, Mado). I would suggest walking three blocks north on Damen and go to Bluebird (owned and frequented by locals), which is a "gastro-pub" serving great food along with great wine and beer.

JJ. in Chicago Area

Arun's busy?

I will be celebrating a special occassion at Arun's in a couple weeks. I was surprised (actually, not really), how easy it was to get a reservation. Can I expect the restaurant to be busy these days, especially on a weekend night?

I would hate to be alone with my dining companions for a special occassion dinner -- not because I don't like them, but because for an occassion like this we would like a bit of energy in the room, which you often don't get in a half-empty restaurant.

Any recent experience?

Thanks.

JJ. in Chicago Area

Dining before taking Independence Pass to Aspen

Thanks all for the info. More than I expected!

JJ. in Mountain States

Dining before taking Independence Pass to Aspen

I will be driving to Aspen from DIA via Independece Pass. Would like to stop for food somewhere between (but not in) Denver and getting on Independence Pass (I am assuming there are no restaurants on the mountain!).

Any suggestions? I found a lead on Tennessee Pass Cafe in Leadville, but other thoughts are welcome. No particular requirements, other than good food; local preferred.

Thanks.

JJ. in Mountain States

Arun's

I am looking to take three family members here to celebrate a special occassion and had a few questions I am hoping the board can help with:

1. I understand the food menu itself is under $100. Is there more than one menu available (even if it just differs by number of courses)?

2. If I do not want to pop for wine pairings, which look to be more than the food menu, is it possible to order a bottle or two of wine for the table?

3. Finally, one of the diners is allergic to shrimp and lobster (not me, thankfully!). I assume they can accomodate this diner;s allergies, but has anyone had a similar experience.

I know the reviews of Arun's have been somewhat mixed in recent years, but everyone has really wanted to try it for a long time, so we will likely give it a shot.

Thanks.

JJ. in Chicago Area

Kids Restaurant Week

As many on this board may know, it is kids restaurant week (http://kidsrestaurantweek.com). We went to several restaurants last year, and thought this was great. But this year, the restaurants seem more limited, and the prices for adults have skyrocketed from $20.08 (in 2008) to $29 per adult.

The 50 percent increase in price hardly seems justified by the economy, the restaurants participating, or the few menus I have seen.

Anyone hit any of the restaurants this past weekend and have any opinions or recommendations? I'd like to give a restaurant or two a shot (it's still a good deal for kids), but haven't seen anything that's really jumped out at me.

Thanks.

JJ. in Chicago Area

Need new family tradition restaurant

Thanks all for the suggestions so far. Funny, you are hitting the nail on the head in terms of what I was looking for! However, Club Lucky is all too familiar to us, and I love La Scarola as well, but it is sometimes a little difficult with little ones.

And, Sabatinos has coincidently been next on my list to try!

JJ. in Chicago Area

Fun With Private Business Dining Room

Opera. Same owners as Gioco, and similar location. Opera serves "high end" Chinese food (e.g., beef and broccoli is a NY strip and broccoli). They have a nice private room there, although if I recall correctly, it may be a bit small if your numbers are closer to 24.

JJ. in Chicago Area

Need new family tradition restaurant

Growing up I used to regularly have family dinners at old school places like the Como Inn, Hickory Pit, Myron & Phil's and Tufano's. Sadly, the first two are gone. I am looking to find some new places like this where I can establish a similar tradition with my young kids -- new to me that is, but a place that has been or will be around for a while. Something that has an old school vibe; a place that fifteen years from now, my kids will have fond memories of regularly eating there.

We live in Wicker Park, so places in that neighborhood would be convenient (although I would like to think I have that area well-covered), but are not limited geographically, or by type of cuisine. The only real criteria, in addition to the above, would be that I can take pretty well-behaved 4 and 6 year olds there.

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

JJ. in Chicago Area

In search of tasty, inexpensive pancakes

You certainly seem to have the pulse of the Pancake market!

JJ. in Chicago Area

In search of tasty, inexpensive pancakes

Try Hollywood Grill on Ashland and North Avenue -- open 24 hours I believe. Not sure what their prices are, but my guess is they beat the Pancake House on Bellevue (given its location in the Gold Coast, they need to keep their prices higher).

JJ. in Chicago Area

What bars do people go to while they're waiting to get into the Violet Hour?

A five-minute cab ride or 12-minute walk away is The Map Room (on Armitage, one block west of Damen). They have one of the best beer selections in the city, and it is billed as a "travellers' tavern" (whatever that means).

A shorter walk away (about seven minutes) is Club Lucky on Wabansia, an old school-style italian joint. The bar there might be a good place to wait, and they serve a good martini.

Closest option may be the Tavern on the northwest corner of North and Damen (never been in there, but it looks clean and my guess is they have a good beer selection) -- my guess is it's the antithesis of Violet Hour though.

The Milwaukee/Damen/North intersection is pretty busy, and there are plenty of other bars/restaurants within walking distance where you could hop in and grab a drink.

Hope that helps.

JJ. in Chicago Area

Dining near Westin Philadelphia

I will be staying at the Westin Philadelphia for one night, and dining alone. I would appreciate any recommendations near the hotel for a single diner. I am not looking for fine dining, but it can be a nice restaurant or a dive. I would just like to get the best meal I can, and prefer something local -- even a good philly cheese steak place will suffice.

Thanks for any thoughts.

JJ. in Pennsylvania

Star fruit in Bucktown?

Where can I find star fruit in the Bucktown area? A friend brought some over recently and my kids have taken a great liking to it, therefore making this something I need to take advantage of.

I suspect some Argyle Street groceries carry it, but I would prefer a local spot if there is one.

Thanks.

JJ. in Chicago Area