Roc is very good mostly because you get to not drive to SGV. The wait sucks, it is very uncomfortable, the tables are piled on top of each other, and it is more expensive than the equivalent places in SGV. That said, the ingredients are higher quality and they use more organic product. (And less salt and no MSG which IMHO to me makes them better with more flavor subtlety, not bland!) But from what I have seen of authentic Asian food fans on these boards, this kind of thing often does not play into decision making. My answer is no, if SGV is more convenient then don't bother.

Jimenez farms at the sunday mar vista and plenty of other farmer's markets

Thanks but I have never found Valentino to be as good as Capo.

too far, we want to stay local. But noted for our next trip to wine country, thanks

Looking for a top-tier restaurant, but thanks. And we will hire a driver :)

Thanks, but with all due respect, *yawn*. I did their tasting menu about 2 years ago, was surprisingly disappointed in the food and annoyed at how they rushed us.

I know the Capo people well and this is definitely an option per my original post, but we go there a lot and I wanted to maybe do something different. Thanks

For high quality locally available 3 green teas you mentioned, Mitsuwa in Gardena has a perimeter store in the market that is has large variety, very high end

Funny, the last time I was at Matsuhisa was for our 10 year anniversary. We did the full omakase in the main room. I think 10years ago it came to $600. I have a little card with our picture and something chocolate. While we had a great evening, I was not overly impressed with the sushi/sashimi. I didn't mind that a lot of it was modern, but at the time any way I had experienced better at other places. My overall impression was that the place was too trendy and that it lacked substance. That said, we never did the private room. I heard it costs the same as Urasawa but it not as good. Is that fair?

Some other friends suggested Melisse Carte Blanche as well. That does seem to fit my request. I will look into it, thanks

Lots of good ideas, thanks! Thought about and nixed the private chef in hotel or similar idea because it would be impossible for them to execute the kind of food we like at the quality we want if they do not have the right staff and equipment. (Although the Montage/Scarpetta idea does sound very nice) Urawawa is of course good eating and we love Sushi/Kaiseki, but that restaurant is not romantic/intimate enough for us. Everyone in Urasawa gets pretty much the same dinner - not "special" just for 2. Asking N-Naka or Capo to basically kick it up a few notches is definitely a consideration, and since we know them that is probably the "safest" route. I am also exploring to see if anyone knows of any ofher "chef's kitchen" or "restaurant within a restaurant" kind of semi-secret experiences. I have had one too many sub-par experiences at Providence to keep them in the running.

We are big foodies and wine aficionados and have been to pretty much every top restaurant in LA and have experienced many a tasting menu here and worldwide. For our 20th, we want to do something very special. We don't just want to pick a fancy restaurant, the experience must be unique in some way. A special chef's tasting menu in the restaurant's kitchen that is not typically offered to the public would be one way to go, but I am open to any/all other suggestions. Not worried about cost, but we are also not going to do something unnecessarily extravagant like getting a pound of beluga or whatnot. The right thing should be the penultimate foodie/wine experience in an exciting and ideally romantic setting. Something well beyond the tasting menu at providence or Saam. If you guys can't help me we are just going to do French Laundry or Joel Rubuchon, but that seems so cliche, and we really want to stay in Los Angeles. We will consider any kind of food, but our favorite restaurants in LA right now are N-Naka and Capo. Love Seafood, Japanese, and Mediterranean. Our favorite restaurants of all time are Alinea in Chicago and Paul Bocuse in Lyon. Big fans of Quince and Coi in SF as well. Ideas?

I am also going mid-may. Yes, the website did change. I can tell you it USED to say you had to make reservations EXACTLY (to the minute) 90 days before. Which frustrated me as I did not try to do this until 60 days before, which was too late. I am trying other methods of getting in but as of now I do not have much hope. I did get into to tickets so I am happy for that

me too. I recently tried for mid-may. I am on a waiting list. Same with Tickets in BCN. Sigh. I thought 90 days out was sufficient.

I have spent hours searching these boards and other places in hopes of finding an excellent foodie experience in Bilbao on a Monday night. Everything is closed! I will be arriving in Bilbao late Sunday from the states, and only staying two nights. On Tuesday, we will do the Guggenheim and head to Extebarri and San Sebastian. On Sunday, we will do Tapas/Pinxtos. But is there anything special we can do on Monday - lunch or dinner? We will do whatever tapas is still open for the other meal. Any budget, fancy or tapas, modern or traditional, no restrictions. We prefer something with a focus on seafood but what is most important is that is truly good. Help?

Based on the comments re PDFs and Docs, it sounds like there is no support for importing a recipe as any kind of image; the text must be cut and pasted, correct? A shame. I have hundreds of recipes in hard copy and have been looking for a tool that would let me scan them into pdfs with keywords so they are easily organized and searchable. Anybody?

thanks!

Oh - sal's brother's place - good idea! ty

If you have a frank discussion with them and convince them you know your stuff you can get a fantastic, authentic omakase with many exotic and unusual fish options. Let them go nuts on a sashimi platter and it sometimes comes presented on an ice platter. This place is a secret gem that manages to look like a standard izakaya that appeals to families early in the evening and the loyola college drinking parties at night...and also true sushi aficionados who know how to order. Note to do it right is not cheap - it can easily run $100-$150 per person, but it is worth it.

We want to enjoy a NJ-themed dinner before the Springsteen concert. Anyone know of a good restaurant with a NJ expat chef? Or maybe an authentic NJ style southern Italian restaurant? I guess there is Matteos, but *yawn*. No to Dinah's. No subshops, we want a real restaurant - fine dining. Ideas? Location needs to be on the West Side or not that far from the sports arena.

I lived in the area in the late 80's and agree completely with your recollection. The pizza steak was ok to order but the mushrooms caused glares. My friends refused to ever order for me. Peppers on the steak? no way.

Arthur, the photo on the home page was for marketing. The peppers are very pretty. But if you look close, the provolone cheese is not even properly melted on the bread (although provolone is perfectly acceptable) and the onions are not well-distributed. If you click on the page "how to order like a local" http://www.patskingofsteaks.com/order... no will note there is no mention of peppers or mushrooms nor do you see them pictured. When I used to go there I had to whisper that I wanted mushrooms; locals in line scoff when you order mushrooms or peppers.

Blasphemy!! LOL. You can have a hot cherry pepper on the side, but no peppers on the sandwich. If you are a purist, that is. I actually like what they call Pizza Steaks, which means that add some tomato sauce. Shhhhhhh

Jase, you lost me at "Peppers." ;)

I have just been to the one in Long Beach. I haven't been there in about a year, but in the few times I went it was consistent. Again, not great - but acceptable.

Lived in Philly for decades making many a trip to South Philly. I still go back when I can. Except for this one hole-in-the-wall in Medford NJ, I found Geno's to be the best. (Sad the owner died.) Whiz is gross. Most locals (and everyone I hung out with all got Provolone. Whiz is for tourists & kids. And I got mushrooms. So with that context, I haven't found any place in LA better than Philly's Best. It is a chain, there are a few.. There used to be a better place in Pasadena but it closed about 5 years ago. That is not to say PB is that great, it is not. But it is the best I found. And it is WAYYYYYY better than that awful SPE truck that I went to great lengths to hunt down...and even gave them a second chance. Lacks depth of flavor. And they do not assemble it well - the cheese needs to be melted on to the bread using meat grease. Then the meat, then the onions even distributed over all. As other posters mentioned, the steak and onions need to be cooked in the rendered fat of the steaks that came before it. They probably clean the grill way too well and lose the flavors. http://www.eatphillysbest.com/locations/

I realize this post is 2 years old but if this is still an issue you want to try things that stimulate the salivary glands, namely acid (lemon/citrus juice, acidic white whine) or something with a lot of umami (soy sauce, asian mushroom flavors, even msg)

Vu. Gayot just named it one of top 10 molecular gastronomy restaurants in the country. Plus, it is right on Mother's beach, amazing view thus the name.

It is a different chef and a completely different menu. Think of it like a restaurant within a restaurant. I have been to Crustacean and also did not care for it.

A little while back Gayot came out with a list called the "Top 10 Molecular Gastronomy Restaurants." This immediately caught my attention. Alinea in Chicago was the impetus for me to create this blog. I adore the creativity, science, and ingenuity that goes into using molecular gastronomy techniques to produce dishes that amaze you visually, texturally, and of course with flavor. As I scanned the list, I saw all the classics. I eyed the cities in hope of seeing something new, something that would not be too far for travel. And then I see "Orange County." For a second, I thought it was a reference to Florida. But no, it was Orange County California. At a place called AnQi, from the same An family who created Crustacean in Beverly Hills, home of the best garlic noodles in LA.

I tried to research it, but found little information. If there are blogs out there with pictures, please email me as I could not find any. In contacting the restaurant, I learned why. The molecular gastronomy experience is not something one can get by just coming into the restaurant and ordering it. They handle the dinner as a private party. It is presented in a private room with dedicated staff. I had to set it up weeks in advance and sign a contract. It requires a minimum of eight people, and runs $160 pp (+tax and tip) for 16 courses.

The young chef is Ryan Carson. He is completely self-taught and quite talented. What he presented that night was brilliant. The flavors, textures, temperatures, colors were extraordinarily well-thought out and well-balanced. Every dish was remarkable.

The only other experience in LA that even comes close to this style of dining is, of course, Bazaar. But while I have been to Bazaar 4 times and have always enjoyed it, it is just not on the same level as what they are doing at AnQi. Certainly from a high-tech standpoint Bazaar is impressive. I love the foie gras lollypops, the air-filled philly cheesteak, and their famous liquid olive. But it all feels somehow gimmicky. It is a place you take people so you can say "Isn't this cool?" AnQi is certainly cool. But it is also something else; it is delicious.

Molecular Tasting Menu - Pix are available on my blog, link at bottom

Champagne & Caviar
nicolas fueillete gelee, american sturgeon caviar
A great way to start the night.

Re-Constructed Beet
sweet & sour salt
Think potato sticks but beet. But more intense beet-ness then the veggie chips you might be picturing.

Kumomoto Oyster
yuzu lemonade air, jalapeno-white soy mignonette, pop rocks
Probably the course of the night. The pop rocks and oyster mouth sensation was so memorable. It was as if the poprocks actually made the oyster more oyster-ry.

Hiramassa Crudo
sweet & sour tangerine sheet, beet sorbet, avocado silk
The white stuff was like bacon dippin dots - liquid nitrogen treatment. Another great study in using not just flavor and texture but also temperature in creating a unique mouth feel and taste.

Ahi Tuna Nicoise
kalamata „olives‟, 64*C quail eggs, butter lettuce granita
That is a duckfat fried potato on top. This dish, like the others, is complex, but complex like a mature Bordeaux or Burgundy. Come to think of it, that 86 Volnay paired quite well with this.

Kurabota Pork Belly
kimchee consommé, freeze dried banana, peanut butter powder
No, not sweet. The banana and peanut butter embraced the pork in almost a Caribbean style, and the kimchee had just enough heat and acid to cut the fattiness.

“Looks Like Tartare”
compressed watermelon, mango egg, dehydrated caper
Wicked cool presentation. Vanilla syrup accented the flavors. Anise was in the "egg." The saltiness and crunch of the caper was a perfect foil to the dish.

Foie Gras Torchon
cherry-yuzu gel, bacon dust, iced celery, 'instant' ginger-pineapple brioche
Another great study of texture; silky foie gras with snow-like smoky bacon dust with the "instant" brioche flakes that were kind of reminiscent of panko meets sponge cake. Yes, he reused the bacon. But I really liked it so I am not complaining.

Jidori Chicken Confit
himalayan black truffle, butternut squash, chanterelles, hazelnut brittle
This is the kind of dish that would do well on Iron Chef - very seasonal, local ingredients combined in an extraordinary style

Misoyaki Black Cod
garden vegetables a la greque‟, suspended foie gras miso broth
While I appreciated all the elements of this dish, this one was my least favorite of the night. It was too close in flavor to the typical cod in miso I have had at various Izakayas.

Pineapple Sorbet
coconut-lime emulsion
You put your lime in your coconut This was not typical sorbet. The mouth feel was closer to hand-whipped cream. Fluffy and creamy but yet still "dense" with flavor more like a gelato.

Filet Mignon
burnt carrot, shitake mushroom demi-glaze, wasabi tater tots
Amazing caramelization on the carrot. The fillet was sous vide. And MUCH better than all of Michael Voltaggio's sous vide meats I have had at the Langham, Sashi, and Breadbar.

wasabi tater tots (served with Fillet, above)
Everybody loves tater tots.

Heirloom Melon Gazpacho
compressed heirloom melons, orange soup, yuzu salted mango sherbert
The compression added a certain dimension to the melon that intensified the flavors. Like what you might get with compressed homemade tofu. Yes, he reused watermelon. But it was a completely different presentation so again, I forgive the repetition.

Elderflower Parfait
tangerine tapioca pearls, rose meringue, jasmine sorbet, thyme fluid gel
Fun and whimsical. Like being inside a children's book.

De-Constructed Carrot Cake
saffron crème anglaise, carrot jellies, cream cheese ice cream
Every molecular chef I have encountered seems to loves dessert best because with all the sugars, fruit enzymes, etc. the opportunities for scientific creativity appear to be boundless. This dish certainly exemplifies that. Ryan did not actually make this dish or the next, he had a special pastry chef make them. I will add his name to this post once I get it.

Chocolate Twist
hazelnut praline, star anise-orange emulsion, popcorn ice cream
This is the only dish that I can say reminded me of something I had at Alinea. I was happy to experience it again.

In closing, to be able to have this kind of foodie experience in Los Angeles was mind-blowing. I strongly recommend you get a group together and try it, as who knows how long it will last.

http://www.anqibistro.com/
South Coast Plaza
Bloomingdales
3333 Bristol
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 557-5679

For pix, please visit my blog: http://foodandwineblog.thefoodietrave...

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AnQi
3333 Bristol St, Costa Mesa, CA 92626