lizreedy's Profile
Trip Report
$160 food, $120 alcohol, $90 non, mostly fruit/botanical concoctions. You have to get the whole menu.
Trip Report
I'll make a good faith effort... We each had a pasta. I had ravioli of braised pork with a sauce of duck livers. The sauce tasted and looked like someone had pureed a liverwurst, added a little water, and poured it over the ravioli. And it was cold. And really gray.
My sister had pork agnolotti with squash. The pasta was served on a bed of pureed squash, which had a very odd chalky taste. Again, cold.
We shared a mixed grill. Sweetbreads (which were good), a large prawn, chicken, steak, and buffalo sausage. The prawn tasted WAY off. The chicken tasted like chicken. The steak was okay, though by no means spectacular. The sausage tasted like what I imagine canned dog food tasting like.
I am trying to be specific, since you asked. Seriously, the whole meal was so bad it was surreal. I do have a pretty good idea of what good food tastes like, and this wasn't it. It was about on a par with the airline food you get at the front of the plane.
And no, I have no antagonistic feelings toward either B or B-- I sincerely wish the meal had been good!
Trip Report
E by Jose Andres-- A lot of fun! It was just my sister and me, as the party of six that would have filled out the meal cancelled. I was pretty psyched about this and loved having a 6:2 ratio of staff to diners:) I'm sure you've already read about the food enough to know the general concept. It's a cool room, everything's perfectly but lightheartedly presented... the food itself is heavy on the foam, dry ice, spherification, etc. A lot of it's done right there, so you can watch very closely. I particularly liked his take on chickpea strew and a fantastic dish of turbot and bone marrow. Really neat drink pairings, too, alcoholic or non. If it's in your price range, it's a great experience. I didn't get to experience the whole "conviviality" aspect, but that didn't bother me.
Charlie Palmer Steak-- I went twice. Loved it. Beautiful room, fantastic service, great value if you order the cut of the week. Top notch all the way around. Fantastic wagyu tartare.
Carnevino-- the best thing I can say about it is that it's open a little later than other places-- which is why I went in the first place. I wish I hadn't! It was just gross. I can't believe I'd say something like that about a place with input from Batali and Bastianich, but I can't think of anything good to say about the food. That was a lot of money to spend for food that was literally not good enough to finish-- I would have done better at a buffet or with the $14.95 prime rib at the hotel!
L'Atelier vs E by Jose Andres
Ate at e. Really fun, really tasty. It's in Jaleo. I'll get to my trip report later tonight.
Tell me where to eat near MGM!
I was just there last week and ate twice at Charlie Palmer steak at the Four Seasons, which is a little to the south of MGM. I was very favorably impressed. The cut of the week is a fantastic value. Service is awesome. My sister and I had an app each, plus the cut of the week which has a salad, rib eye, and creme brulee with "bottomless pours" of really top notch wines, and came out right at your price point, tip included. If you're steak people at all, it's a great choice.
L'Atelier vs E by Jose Andres
I'll probably only go for one fancy meal during my upcoming visit-- which is a better choice? Thanks!
high speed train from rome to naples.
Cantina di Triunfa is amazing but you absoutely need to reserve.
Riviera Di Chiaia, 64
80122 Napoli (NA), Italy
+39 081 668101
Torino
Turin really IS a great food city. Try Ristorante Mina. It's old school and awesome. C'era una volta is good too.
Genoa is my favorite city... no one ever goes there and I don'e get why!
ALBA-eating and food shopping in and around the city
I had a fabulous meal at VinCafe in Alba a few years ago. In Turin I really like Mina-- old school but really good.
Roman/Lazian (don't know what one calls food from Lazio) in Rome
I'm leaving in four days and don't have as much time to comb the many posts on Rome as I would like...I am interested in old-school Lazio/Roman chow. Offal, artichokes, etc. I've got Fred Plotkin at my side but would love to hear from anyone else who has recent experience. Thanks!
leaving in 2 weeks. Husband thinks i have travel o.c.d... have made a list a mile long and would love any feedback, good or bad on my "rough list" and any obvious wonderful spots I am missing for Venice, Rome, Tuscany and Florence. THANK YOU!
Sostanza is aweome. I also love 4 Lioni in Florence.
The Best Local .... in Amsterdam
Go to central station and get on a train to Paris, or at least Antwerp.
Seriously, the organic farmer's market in Noordmarkt Sat. mornings is OK, for the rest you are SOL.
Florence - Please Help with Lunch and Dinner
I second Quatro Leoni. If I only had time for one meal I would eat there. (Or maybe have a steak at Sostanza.)
solo female in Barcelona 6 days in Feb
How about the counter type places in the Market, like Pinoxto? (sp?) That seems ideal for a solo taveller.
Risotto alla Milanese & Ossobuco in Milan?
It so happens I had dinner at Trattoria Milanese on Monday night. It also so happens I had Osso Bucco and Risotto Milanese. It was very very good, the risotto in particular. It was also kind of expensive. The whole thing was a mildly weird experience, actually-- it was hands down the FASTEST dinner I have ever had in Italy. I actually felt rushed, which has NEVER happened to me in all of Italy... but the food was good, and the waiter took care of my baby while I ate it :). For what it's worth, all in all I would not go back unless someone else was buying.
I will take a second to plug my two favorite places in Milan: Ristorante Da Ilia and Salernitano. Salernitano is Campanian, with a weirdly huge menu, but it is a really fabulous place. They prepare some Milanese specialties with true flair. I ate lunch there on Tuesday and was just floored. I had a plate of fish antipasti and some fabulous papardelle with hare. Hubby had black pasta with lobster and the fish of the day (branzino?) My son had a pizza (they have great pizza.) We had a liter of wine, two extra glasses of prosecco, three desserts, a couple of Fantas for my son, two coffes, and two cordials, all for under 100. When we go to Milan we stay in a hotel that's close to this place for easy access-- seriously, go! http://www.milanomia.com/VIA/VITRUVIO/SALERNITANO/SALERNITANO.htm
alba in the non-truffle season?
I'm going to be in the area in a month or so, but alas, the season for the white truffle has passed... has anyone ever been there outside of the season? Is the food worth a visit without the truffles? Do they utilize black truffles in the winter at all? I saw lots of black truffles when I was there last November, though they weren't featured much on menus. Any help would be appreciated-- Liz
Welcome to Torino
I hightly recommend Ristorante Da Mina. Also, the Hotel Urbani is a great value.
Maison de la Truffe, Paris?
Has anyone ever had the truffle degustacion here? What did you think?
HELP-- Brussels tomorrow
I am going to Brussels tomorrow. I have reviewed the posts here but have come up with few specific picks... anyone have any ideas? I am interested in NON-flemish food. (I live in Amsterdam and find the food here to be awful.) I want French. Please help me.
Italy with infant...
ALL of Italy is friendly to and welcoming of infants-- just be prepared for your daughter to get kissed a lot. I think particularly tasty and good with kids are:
Bologna-- Montegrappa da Nello (http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/europe/italy/bologna/restaurant-detail.html?vid=1154654635522)
(they have highchairs if you want one, or it's fine to let her sit in a stroller if you tell them ahead of time-- they'll put you at a table with room for it)
Milan-- Ristorante Da Ilia (www.ristorante-ilia.it/)-- I am recommending it as much for the food as for the child-friendly atmosphere, but it IS very child friendly. The Milanesa is to die for. Like I might actually die to eat it, right now.
Florence is full of places that welcome children. I just went with my 3 year-old in November, and before when he was 8 months old... let me see... Trattoria Quattro Leoni (http://www.4leoni.com/) was great with him at both ages and is in my opinion one of the best trattorie in Florence. But there is so much about Florence on this board-- I would say you can take a baby anywhere except the SUPER high-end places like Enoteca Pinchiorri. Have fun.
Bistecca alla Fiorentina
There are tons of great places for fiorentine in Florence, but off the top of my head I'd say you can't go wrong at Sostanza.
Do You Have Anything Shipped Regularly To You From Abroad?
I live in Amsterdam and my mom sends me starbucks.
Good Tasting "Lite" Foods
It's not really a lite food, but Natural Ovens bread products (available in the midwest) are really lo-cal and taste great.
Traditional Paris bistro where I might not have the only kid in the room
We are going to Paris this weekend. We will have our 3 year-old with us, and most of our previous experience is pre-kid. We are interested in bistro food-- traditional is fine as long as it's good. We really enjoyed Le Regalade a few years ago, but the consensus seems to be that it's gone downhill. We also liked Taillevent and Au Tro Gascon, but I don't see taking a child there. Also, our budget has narrowed... any recommendations?
