Jer's Profile
Decent-sized Farmers Market in SD?
Agree that we are lacking in farmer's markets in north county. But we make up for it with easy access to Chino Family Farms in Rancho Santa Fe. We've lived near some of the great FMs around the country and I'm convinced the bounty found at Chino is the most consistent high quality.
Good, Inexpensive Eats In Dublin/Pleasanton?
Matsu Sushi in Dublin (near the big movie theater complex off Hopyard) is suprisingly good. I'm a sushi-snob and actually think this place has great fresh fish and fun rolls. Its not fancy and its relatively inexpensive. Its where we always go before heading to a movie.
Dim sum in B.A. (or good chinese in general)?
There is a Chinatown (and a decent Chinese population) in Buenos Aires, but its small relative to most other big cities. It's located in Barrancas de Belgrano at Arribenos and Juramento. You won't find a dim sum place but there are some chinese restaurants as well as markets around that intersection. Saturdays are the best day to go to get a good feel for the place as many of the Chinese families are their shopping for the week's food. Don't know of any Chinese restaurants outside of this area. In Palermo you will find Japanese, Vietnamese, and Thai.
Buenos Aires for Vegetarians??
The pasta and salads in BA are wonderful so you won't have any trouble eating vegetarian. Some wonderful places to try in Palermo that will have good vegetrian options that we frequent every time we go down there include:
Morelias in Palermo Hollywood (2005 Humbolt) is a wonderful pizza place (Argentines love pizza and do it very well). They make an amazing parilla pizza that is very thin and cooked on the grill. They have many with veg only toppings. Very cool space often crowded with locals.
Sarkis (1101 Thames) is a middle eastern restaurant that is very popular with the locals in Palermo and has many vegetarian options.
La Paila on corner of Costa Rica and Malabia does wonderful northern argentine stews, some of which you can order just with corn and vegetables.
In case you didn't know yet, you can get much better value at lunch time (vs dinner) if you order the plato principal which typically includes an appetizer, entree and dessert for a very good price. Many restaurants in Palermo will have one of the lunch options be a spinach or cheese ravioli. Have a great time!
HELP! Where to eat in Punta del Este, Uruguay?
Not sure if this is too late. If it is, apologies.
Our favorites are:
Best medialunas are at Medialunas Calentitas in La Barra
A memorable meal can be had in Jose Ignacio at the red and green restaurant just to the right of the lighthouse. Its not very PC name is Los Negros. Not cheap but wonderful setting and really good.
Best panqueque de dulce de leche is at the Lapataia factory just before Punta (near the point where the whales hang out). These crepes are amazing.
Cafe Flo in La Barra not too far from La Posada del Congrejo is great in the afternoon for a snack.
Best Dim Sum in Hong Kong
Thank you for the suggestions! We leave tomorrow and I'm looking forward to trying Victoria Harbour and Shanghai Kitchen.
five nights in paris with my thirteen year old daughter
Angelina is a great idea for a 13 year old ... and the Lauderee on Rue Royal near Place Madeleine for macaroons and tea.
Best markets for when we cook.
I just returned from a two week trip and did alot of home cooking with wonderful results. The outdoor markets are filled with wonderful winter treasures and truffle season has just begun.
As ChefJune mentioned, Mouffetard is wonderful and given your location is probably the closest of the outdoor markets. If you want to venture out for outdoor markets, there is also Rue Cler in the 7th, Rue Montorgeuil (at rue Rambuteau) in the 1st, Place d’Aligre in the 12th, and Rue Levis in the 17th all of which I found to be just wonderful.
Also worth a visit given your location is Le Gran Epicurie next to Le Bon Marche in the 5th or 6th (metro: Babylone) which is a huge indoor artisinal food hall. Poilane at 8 Cherchi-Midi is near you and wonderful for baked breads. There are a number of Lenotres spread out through town which is great for picking something up on a night when you and your daughter are not in the mood to cook. Have fun!
Best Dim Sum in Hong Kong
Does anyone know of a place in HK that does great soup dumplings like what they serve at Joe's Shanghai in NYC?
5 days alone in Paris - walks / neighborhood recs?
I second the earlier recommendation for L'Ami Jean. Extremeley inventive and delicious but casual enough to dine alone at lunch time. I've been twice in the last week. Its basque-french. When alone in Paris I love popping into creperies for a quick bite in between long walks. Poillane has amazing bread and bags of butter cookies. L'As du Falafel is unlike any falafel you have tried at home.
La Crepe Dentelle, 10 Rue Leopold Bellan, 2nd
La Sarrasin et le Foment Creperie, 84 Rue St. Louis, 4th
L'Ami Jean, 27 Rue Malar, 7th
L'As du Falafel, 34 Rue de Rossiers, 4th
Poillane Bakery, 8 Cherchi-Midi, 6th
If you like to cook don't miss the wonderful chef's warehouse near Les Halles ... Dehillerin, 18 Rue de Coquillere, in the 1st. It is walking distance from La Crepe Dentelle.
And while near St. Germain visit Le Gran Epicurie which puts Whole Foods to shame - its next door to Le Bon Marche on Rue de Sevres.
No Fresh Cream in Paris?
I bought creme fraiche at a specialty cheese and dairy shop in the 8th just a few days ago (I just asked for creme fraiche). It was in a big bowl (homemade and very fresh) next to the fresh chantilly cream and the fresh butter. Since it was so fresh the consistency was thinner compared to what we find in the US (I'm assuming since it sits in the container longer in our markets it firms up). The flavor was delicious. Same slightly sour bite we're used to but lighter and more smooth. If you need the thicker consistency for what you are cooking I might let it sit in a sieve or coffee filter for a few hours over a plate in the fridge to thicken it up.
Nicaragua Recommendations
Hello. We are headed to Nicaragua after the holidays (Managua, Granada, Ometepe, and San Juan del Sur). It is our first trip there. Any recommendations on food places not to miss? Thanks!
Great New Find In Paris---5th Arr. (Long)
Had dinner there last night and was sadly very disappointed (I wonder if a different chef was working tonight since its Sunday?) We really wanted to like it, but our amuse bouche was dry and found the foie grois fine but not superb (and thought the bread they served it with was too thick and bready). The shrimp needed an extra dose of salt as the dish had very little flavor. The duck was fine but curry was much too strong for this dish. Not sure what happened but we really didn't have a great meal (and had such high expectations based on other posts). Maybe just a rough night for some reason. Service was pleasant though and the restaurant is both charming and elegant.
Bariloche Argentina Restaurants/Buenos Aires Restaurant Recommendation
I second Bar Uriarte. Great at lunch time as they do a nice menu del dia. Dominga is good, but warning that if you go to Dominga or any sushi place, pretty much the only really world-class fish you will find in an Argentine sushi place is salmon. Now, its very good salmon, but only the salmon is worth writing home about (from a nigiri stand point).
PV and Sayulita recs?
Puerto Vallarta
Marisma's Fish Tacos is quite memorable. They have a stand near the tunnel in Old Town near Basilio Badillo and Carranza. With your daughter you can go to their restuarant in Marina Vallarta (to the left when you enter) which is very civilized and extremely good.
Also in Old Town, both Fajitas Republic and Cafe de la Olla deliver consistently good food.
Trio near the Mallecon is wonderful but pricey.
Every night there is a wonderful old man that makes churros just outside the church on Aguacate. We dream about those churros as well as Marisma's fish tacos and they are both our first stop whenenver we return to PV.
Sayulita
Margaritas does good classic beach-town food and the restuarant next to it (the one that also rents boards) does a great coconut shrimp and coconut mahi-mahi.
There is a little restaurant at the Villa Amor hotel that is hit or miss, but the location is nice and quiter than dining in town.
If you're willing to spend the money, we've had a number of memorable meals at the Four Seasons in Punta Mita (their outdoor restaurant is more casual and just as good).
Have fun!
Bariloche Argentina Restaurants/Buenos Aires Restaurant Recommendation
For a large group with teenagers, I would recommend the following. Have a wonderful time!
La Paila (traditional northern Argentine stews)
Costa Rica 4848
Morelia (wonderful pizza grilled parilla style)
Humboldt 2005
Sarkis (middle eastern served family style)
Thames 1101
Cluny (classic BA, but I think best for lunch with a family)
El Salvador 4618
De La Terraza (classic meats and pastas)
Gurruchaga between Costa Rice and Nicaragua
And I second La Cabrera, its great.
Other fun food experiences with a big family.
Persico in Las Canitas for ice cream
Lucio on Scalabrini Ortiz near Charcas for medialunas
Nucha on Parana at Plaza Vicente Lopez for an afternoon snack
