CompuDude's Profile
Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Seville recommendations please (researched)!!
I do NOT love mushrooms, so yes, I'm glad I got the version I did! It was truly sensational, I must say. I'm still thinking about the taste, a day later, wondering how soon I can justify going back!
Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Seville recommendations please (researched)!!
I'm in Barcelona right now, staring out my hotel window onto La Rambla, and can definitely confirm that El Quim in the Boquería is not to be missed. In particular, one of the house specialties, at just under €20, is fried eggs with grilled onions and a balsamic reduction topped with seared fois gras, and a pinch of sea salt, was one of the most delicious things ivenever had the pleasure of devouring.
In Paris Apr. 21-26, need foodie options near the 8th?
Just wanted to check back in and say THANK YOU SO MUCH for the Neva recommendation. It was the only place on the big list of Chowhound recommendations that we were able to score a reservation, and wow was it amazing! I hope our next trip to Paris we can hit it again, along with some other CH faves.
We started with the fois gras and shrimp ravioli... The shrimp ravioli was excellent and the fois gras was massive in quantity and delicious, although cold and not seared (which is more what I am used to). I had the Argentinian beef steak which was melt-in-your mouth tender, even if it was undercooked by my standards (sue me, I prefer my meat medium well and French chefs tend to ignore that order). Fortunately, I can tolerate a wide range, and still appreciated the meal. My wife, ever more brave than I, tried the sweet breads on the enthusiastic recommendation of the waiter, and absolutely loved them. I tried a couple bites, and have to say it was quite good, although the thought of what it was still gave me pause. I wish we knew whether they're always that good or if it was just part of a spectacular presentation by a skilled chef. We washed everything down with a lovely bottle of Pinot noir and walked out for €126, including tip... A darned good price for all we had, IMO! We'll definitely be returning to Neva the next time we make it to Paris, and recommending it highly to friends and relatives headed that way.
We did end up staying at the Westin in the 1st Arr., so most of my research on places to eat ended up useless for us, between a radically different location, inclement weather (low 40's and raining, mixed with both of us being very sick with chest colds, really knocked some fun time out of our trip), conflicting plans with others, etc. Hopefully our next trip will work out better, and be better planned.
In Paris Apr. 21-26, need foodie options near the 8th?
As it happens, we were able to change our hotel after all,we are now staying at the Westin in the 1st. Arr. I shall post another thread!
In Paris Apr. 21-26, need foodie options near the 8th?
Good tip. We shall try, despite my personal prejudice against buses.
In Paris Apr. 21-26, need foodie options near the 8th?
Still more excellent information. Thank you SOOO much!
Some last-minute wrangling MAY end up allowing a change of hotels to a Westin (I think?) in the 1st. If that happens, I'll post back, else I think I'm going to try to get a res at Neva.
We're big fans of molecular gastronomie, it's a shame my wallet can't support my habit as well as I'd like. ;-)
In Paris Apr. 21-26, need foodie options near the 8th?
Wow, Neva sounds fantastic. I hope I can score a reservation! Thanks!
In Paris Apr. 21-26, need foodie options near the 8th?
I wish I could edit my thread title, but I guess the hotel is in the 17th, although right near the boundary with the 8th, for anyone else responding. Thanks for the catch, Parnassien!
In Paris Apr. 21-26, need foodie options near the 8th?
Ooh, also great tips! I'll definitely be bringing my iPad, and now you've just given me a reason to carry it around with me. LOL Is it possible to use US-based AT&T data service over there, somehow, or can everything be done offline (and using wifi at the hotel and random hotspots)? Heading over to look at Ratp now...
In Paris Apr. 21-26, need foodie options near the 8th?
Wow, you're totally right about being in the 17th... although it's right along the border of the 8th, according to the neighborhood maps I'm seeing, nowhere near the outside edge of the 17th. I could swear I saw a zip ending in 008 somewhere, but clearly I was looking at the wrong thing at the time, because the zip is 75017. Juggling too many browser tabs!
I lived in Manhattan for several years and the fast walking stuck, so walking shouldn't be an issue... fortunately. A friend of my wife's told her we shouldn't worry about distances too much, since, like NYC, nearly every part of the city is a 15 minute Metro ride away... is that true? Because I was considering trying out Septime but were worried about the distance.
Big fan of lamb and fois gras. Not so much for fish (although I love shrimp and lobster), Sébillon sounds great, I'll look into that. And thank you so much for the detailed information, this should help tremendously! We'll definitely have to check out the Caius pair, since it's so good and so close. :)
I wish we were staying somewhere in the 5-6-7th, but we didn't have a lot of choice in the matter, and it's hard to argue with "free hotel".
In Paris Apr. 21-26, need foodie options near the 8th?
Hi, Hounds!
My wife and I are headed to Paris so soon it's scary. I've waded through a ton of posts, but it's really tough to figure out all the options, geography, etc.
I'm sure we'll figure out some options on our own, but I'd love it if some of those in the know could point us towards some good choices that are "ChowHound Approved" and within our budget (and hopefully within easy walking distance or easy Metro hops from our hotel). I'm just not familiar enough with the city, and how difficult or easy it is to get around, to judge anything that's not easy walking distance.
We're staying near the Arc de Triomphe in the 8th, but also near the 17th and 16th, since they all come together right at the Arc. (Le Méridien Etoile hotel, 81 Boulevard Gouvion Saint-Cyr) Again, not sure how easy it is to get around... the 7th isn't far at all from the 8th, but the river is in the way... is that not even a consideration at all, or it crossing a big PITA?
We're primarily looking for modestly-priced (but still excellent!) locations, to the extent possible, although we'll be able to splurge up to 50-80 euros (each) for the 25th, a birthday dinner.
I'm sure we're looking for the same thing thousands of others are, nice places with fabulous food and impossibly cheap prices, that aren't touristy and yet cater to those with extremely limited college French (from well over a decade ago, at that)... hey, dream the impossible dream, right? ;-) Still, I'd be super grateful for assistance here, since this is confusing the heck out of me.
Help me, ChowHound, you're my only hope!
desserts---what is your favorite dessert around los angeles?!
Sadly the restaurant is no more, but I still want to post this in hopes that the chefs who made it end up bringing it to the menu elsewhere!
Minibar on Cahuenga used to have the most amazing Chocolate Soup with Marshmellows that was indescribably good.
High end lunch in Pasadena?
Outstanding, perfect! I'll pass this on. Thanks so much... I know a small handful of dinner places in Pasadena, but I don't really live near there so finding good lunch spots has been frustrating.
Edit: They chose Parkway Grill, thanks, all!
High end lunch in Pasadena?
Looks like a good option to me! I've forwarded the link to the boss, so we'll see what he says. Looks similar to Arroyo (same owners, too), so that might be a good option, as long as he deems it impressive enough.
Any other suggestions?
High end lunch in Pasadena?
Boss wants to take clients to a really nice lunch in Pasadena (central location to all).
He asked for places like JJ's, Arroyo (steak is ideal) or Bistro 45, but apparently none of these places is open for lunch.
Are there any good, similarly high-end options in Pasadena that are actually open for lunch? We're down to the wire... lunch is supposed to be tomorrow!
Best Breakfast Burritos
Not LA, but it warrants a post for the true aficionado.
If you're ever driving down towards San Diego from LA, try to plan your trip so you can swing by Pipes Cafe in Cardiff.
121 Liverpool Dr., Cardiff By Sea, CA 92007
The breakfast burritos are truly the best I have ever had the pleasure of eating. They make me want to make up excuses to drive to San Diego.
http://www.pipescafe.com/
(Hey, look at that, there's one in San Clemente as well! Never been to that one, though... it's closer to LA, which is nice)
My god, I need to have one!
Firm Xmas Lunch, 20 ppl, Sherman Oaks to Woodland Hills?
'Tis the season again. Boss definitely wants alternatives to Bistro Gardens this time. Ca Del Sole is out, unfortunately... boss liked the food but thought it was tacky inside.
Any new suggestions?
Need great Sunday brunch place between Studio City and Woodland Hills
How about the new Encino John O'Groats location? Great breakfast, the one on Pico has been an institution for decades.
http://www.ogroatsrestaurant.com/
John O'Groats: 16120 Ventura Blvd, Encino, CA 91436
Firm Xmas Lunch, 20 ppl, Sherman Oaks to Woodland Hills?
Mistral looks great... I actually sent myself info earlier today, to remind myself to take the wife there sometime. My impression, however, from the limited info available about it (they have no web site?) is that it's too small and may actually be too expensive for this lunch. I do look forward to trying it, though.
Lots of Steakhouse options around here (Woodland Hills). I don't think that's what they want.
Keep the suggestions coming, though, there will be other lunches! Always best to go to the yummy ones on someone else's dime!
Firm Xmas Lunch, 20 ppl, Sherman Oaks to Woodland Hills?
Piacere is not what it used to be, IMO. We've had many firm lunches there in the past, though. The boss wants something different, I suspect.
Ruth Chris would be a good choice (and they're right across the street), but they don't do lunch. Bummer.
They want to keep to the East as much as possible, as a couple of important clients are joining us, coming from Diamond Bar, so Brandywine isn't an option. I haven't been there yet, myself, but it's definitely on my list of places to try!
The boss likes the look of Ca' Del Sol. We've made tentative reservations for the group, but he wants to try it out first sometime during the next few days, to be sure. Hopefully that works. I'm curious about Il Tiramisu as an alternate, but I haven't eaten there so can't be certain of the appropriateness, unlike Ca' Del Sole. If neither of those work out, I think they want to punt and just default back to Bistro Gardens.
Firm Xmas Lunch, 20 ppl, Sherman Oaks to Woodland Hills?
Ha! One step ahead of you. Already sent upstairs for consideration... I'm waiting to hear if the extra distance is ok. (We're in Woodland Hills, Sherman Oaks was the outside range, but it'd certainly be my first choice.) Good thought! I love that place.
Valley Brunch Help Please
I realize brunch was some time ago, but have you tried breakfast at Hugo's in Sherman Oaks? Very tasty. I'm also fond of brunch at Mo's Restaurant in Toluca Lake on occasion.
Firm Xmas Lunch, 20 ppl, Sherman Oaks to Woodland Hills?
I've been tasked with finding a place for our firm's Christmas lunch this year, because the boss is tired of our traditional digs: Bistro Gardens.
Is there anything else somewhat similar to that (in terms of cost and level of elegance), somewhere between Sherman Oaks and Woodland Hills, for a firm lunch next week? They lean towards Italian or French (or American, of course), rather than Asian. I tried for MAx Restaurant, but it was shot down as "too Asian, not Christmassy enough".
Thoughts?
Dessert only in the SFV/SGV
How about Market City Cafe in Burbank? Not mind blowing or anything, but it's a nice little place you can sit down and eat.
Fab's in Van Nuys -- Finally Open!
You're kidding... I thought they had closed!
Good to know they're back open, and it was just a remodel job. (badly needed) I was sad to see them gone... they're not amazing, but have been a nice consistent family Italian meal for a long long time in my life!
Best Indian in Studio City?
Great India Cafe. The Saag Paneer and Lamb Boti Masala are both incredible. Add a mango lassi and I'm in heaven...
On Ventura, West of Laurel. Note, the service isn't great, I usually get delivery from here.
Sushi in Sherman Oaks/Studio City "Chili Powder"
Two best sushi places in the valley, IMHO, are Iroha, right in your neck of the woods (just W of Coldwater and Ventura), and Brothers in Woodland Hills (just W of DeSoto and Ventura).
It's all about the fish...
Best Indian restaurants in Sherman Oaks area?
Great India Cafe in Studio City is great. Ventura just west of Laurel Cyn. Try the Lamb Boti Masala and the Saag Paneer, and don't forget the mango lassi. Yum!
