mzscahlett's Profile
New Orleans restaurant for group of 10 during Jazz Fest!
Completely agree w/ nomadchowwoman on Herbsaint. If you can budget it, you won't be sorry. Another late night option that is a big crowd kinda place might be Pascal's Manale. It's family style and not terribly fancy, but their BBQ shrimp is authentic and local and loads of fun for a big party to dine on. Enjoy!
Best food in New Orleans??
I recently went to Restaurant August and I have to say it exceeded expectations. From the bacon-infused bourbon to the last bite of my deconstructed hummingbird cake. All was delish. Commander's is one of my alll time faves as well. At the other end of the spectrum, far more 'traditional' but the food is outstanding. Every year I return I find a new and wonderful place to eat. From the top (Stella!) to the bar food at Napoleon House, to the late night beignets at Cafe Du Monde that so wonderfully absorb all I've had to drink, New Orleans is a place of dining treasures like none other. Brigtsen's, Cochon and its lunch counter "sister" Butcher, Feelings Cafe D'Aunoy, Lilette and Bayona, all have something unique and delightful to offer. Next time Herbsaint, Patois and perhaps another trip to K-Pauls (yes, pricy, and yes, established, but I had the BEST blackened drum...) And Stanley's Breaux Bridge Eggs Benedict are not to be missed, slightly pricy or not ;) I dreamed of having them once again for over a year and my memories didn't live up to the flavors in the reality. And of course, there are always more.
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Napoleon House Bar & Cafe
500 Chartres St, New Orleans, LA 70130
Restaurant August
301 Tchoupitoulas Street, New Orleans, LA 70130
Cochon
930 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, LA 70130
Bayona
430 Dauphine St, New Orleans, LA 70112
Brigtsen's Restaurant
723 Dante St, New Orleans, LA 70118
Herbsaint
701 Saint Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130
Lilette
3637 Magazine St., New Orleans, LA 70115
Ottavio in Walnut Creek: "Oakland-Worthy"
Gotta say whatever the preference, the fact that we can even have this conversation about minutia in restaurant perfection without crossing "that" bridge is glorious indeed. How lucky we are becoming to have great dining come to us.
Ottavio in Walnut Creek: "Oakland-Worthy"
I'd do Bellanico over Pizzaiolo or Dopo. Pizzaiolo & Dopo have sinfully delicious pizza, but neither has really got anything like the breadth of menu at Bellanico. Their goat cheese cheesecake is out of this world, and their saltimbocca is the best I've had anywhere.
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Pizzaiolo
5008 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94609
Dopo
4293 Piedmont Ave, Oakland, CA 94611
Bellanico
4238 Park Blvd, Oakland, CA 94602
DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT MEANS...
High praise from a local. I am madly, ridiculously, passionately in love with New Orleans. Plan to relocate there as soon as I can. In the meantime, annual springtime visits will have to suffice.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT MEANS...
I will return. I promise. Probably in April for Quarter Fest. If I have to come back sooner to clean sludge, then that's what I'll do. If it helps, I haven't talked to anyone who doesn't feel LA has gotten the worst end of the deal ever. First Katrina and now this. New Orleans is my favorite city in the world, and nothing can keep me away!
Iris and MiLa
Fair enough. I haven't been to the others you're looking at MiLa or Iris (yet), so can't comment. Am eating my way through the city one trip at a time.
Girls Weekend in NOLA with a handful of Newbies
If you've got the budget Stella! is walkable and the best upscale meal in town right now. Chef is creative, and really into new cuisine techniques. Seared foie gras and Duck Five Ways blew my mind.
Essential New Orleans Food for a 3-Day Scouting Trip
Here are pics of Duck Five Ways and Citrus Salad with frozen orange shooter
Essential New Orleans Food for a 3-Day Scouting Trip
Right now Restaurant Stella! is a do not miss. If you really want to blow your mind, that is. I'd also do Brigtsen's which is a bit of a hidden gem preferred by many locals, and if you like Foie Gras, you have to go to Restaurant Cuvee. Those are my favorites anyway. Pics of Duck Five Ways and Citrus Salad below (Stella!)
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Cuvee Restaurant
322 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70130
Brigtsen's Restaurant
723 Dante St, New Orleans, LA 70118
Girls Weekend in NOLA with a handful of Newbies
I didn't manage Jacques Imo's this last trip, but every reliable source says it's a definite yes. I have been to Cochon and it's a great place for a large party, the servers are fun and helpful and best of all, they serve a great spiced moonshine there, "Catdaddy" which ya'll would probably really enjoy. The atmosphere isn't stuffy and the food is unusual (rabbit, duck and of course Pork, pork, pork). It's also a place that takes reservations, which for a big party like yours might be a plus.
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Cochon
930 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, LA 70130
DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT MEANS...
to miss New Orleans?
I’ve only just returned and my heart is already aching for the smell of the breeze coming off the muggy waterfront. I hear the echo of a steam whistle shrieking forth over the Mississippi from the NATCHEZ Riverboat as it pulls away from the dock. The sound pierces the thick afternoon air and I am awake, and far away from the city that has a stranglehold on my heart.
The smiles of the people of New Orleans are welcoming and cordial – in spite of all she has endured, this city, like the South, is kind to travelers. Her manners and pleasantries comfort and sustain even the weariest among us. The streets of the Quarter are often alive with music, as talented performers line up every block or so to serenade those who stroll along Royal, or Decatur, of a warm sunny afternoon. Art hangs in abundance from the wrought iron fences that surround Jackson Square. Colored canvases and scuplture are everywhere. The smell of food is carried along on the heavy liquid air as it mingles with the scent of Beignets, Jambalaya, Muffalettas, Oysters, Gumbo, Red Beans and Rice and (one of my favorites), Barbequed Shrimp. The food is everywhere, oh man, the food.
We’ve been lucky in our dining choices while visiting the Crescent City, taking recommendations from fellow travelers and locals alike. On our most recent trip, we began our adventures at Coop's on Decatur, having our traditional late night Fried Chicken and Jambalaya after debarking our plane. Coops is a New Orleans tradition and if you can get the self-titled "Snarky Bartenders" to wait on you the food is delicious.
Commander’s Palace was our next stop for lunch the following morning. By way of background, Commander’s is an historic New Orleans tradition of a restaurant, sitting smack in the heart of the Garden District, only a short two-block walk from a convenient stop on the St. Charles Streetcar line. (If you are visiting the city, you must ride the streetcar system, it is beautiful.) The restaurant itself is a lovely old teal and white building, a welcoming apparition that might have been taken straight from a Tennessee Williams play set in the Old South. Its decor is strongly reminiscent of the 1940s, with it’s rambling structure, wrought iron chairs and interior dining patio rimmed in sparkling white lights. After lunch we usually stroll through the old cemetery next door, another fascinating example of the city’s endless history. Inside, the food is delicious, an inventive combination of old traditions and new techniques. The kitchen (which one must walk through to get to the back outdoor patio) has trained the likes of Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Legasse. The lunch meal is appealing, but the Bread Pudding Souffle served here may be among the ten best dishes in the city. Fluffy, aromatic and light as air, it is set on the table, broken open and filled while you watch, with a bourbony cream sauce that is poured into its center by the white gloved hands of one of the solicitous and perfectly attentive wait staff. This dish is as good as Bread Pudding can get.
Another of our meals was spent at Tujague’s where we tasted the barbeque shrimp, as part of their table d'hote (another way to say prix fixe) menu. The night we were there it began with Shrimp Remoulade, then a delicious shrimp gumbo, followed by the House Specialty, a Beef Brisket with Creole Sauce. There were four entrees, I had the Barbequed Shrimp, which had a tangy worchestershire flavor, which I ordered at the recommendation of a bus driver we’d met on our first trip to the city. He recommended both this dish and the BBQ Shrimp at Deanie’s Seafood, which we had on exiting New Orleans three years ago. I think I prefer the buttery spice of Deanie’s, without the worchestershire, but both are good. Really a matter of preference, as the seafood is fresh, moist and abundant. We ended this meal with another version of bread pudding which we dined on all over the city. It was a pudding-like texture but firm, yet easily sliced with only a fork, also smothered in whisky sauce. Very sweet. Good stuff.
While we were in the storied "Crescent City", we also sampled some of the finest upscale dining that is to be had in all of New Orleans. Among the best of these is Stella! located along Chartres just before Ursulines, just inside the driveway to the Provincial Hotel. We happened to stay at the Provincial on our last visit to NOLA. We found the hotel was haunted, but had no idea we were staying at a hotel that had as its onsite dining a restaurant of this calibre. We thought it was just the hotel café. Silly us. When we returned, we learned of Stella! from a waiter here in Oakland (Pican) who had previously worked there. He said he felt that Stella! was now the best eats in the city. While the term “best” is thrown about loosely these days, Scott Boswell, the chef and owner of Stella, was just nominated for a James Beard award (best chef in the South). While he did not win, the meal we had there definitely convinced us that Stella! was indeed, a "contender." We shared Duck Five Ways, and this mouth-watering Lobster dish. We both had a palate cleanser of an amazing citrus salad with a tiny shot glass of nitro frozen orange. Wow. I can’t begin to pick a favorite dish there, but the texture and flavor of the Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras with Petite Apple Walnut Spring Roll, Caramelized Banana, Toasted Brioche and Huckleberry Purée was out of this frigging world. Really, it was like good sex.
Another stop on our tour was the Bon Ton Café which is on Magazine Street. Like Tujague’s and Commander's, Bon Ton is old New Orlean’s, it’s interior lined with red-checkered tables, it’s bar serving up Sazerac’s to order. We went to the Bon Ton in search of their famous Crab Meat au Gratin. Featured on the Food Channel’s “The Best Thing I Ever Ate - Cheesey Goodness” it was billed as the perfect amalgam of crab meat and cheese. I found the dish to be even better than described by it’s proponent on the show. Creamy and hot, the cheese browned and golden, bubbling atop luscious thick chunks of Louisiana blue crab – every bite was perfection. So this place, definitely worth another visit!
Then there is Restaurant Cuvee. A jewel among Magazine Street’s many restaurants (seriously, it’s like a strip of great eats outside the Quarter just past Canal), Cuvee was the first upscale modern cuisine we tried when visiting last year. It had been recommended by a waiter who’d served us at Cut in Los Angeles, where he’d moved after being displaced by Katrina. He’d worked at Cuvee before being forced out of NOLA. It is difficult to decide which dish we liked best at Cuvee, but the foie there rivals Stella! without question. Rich, well prepared and imaginative, the foie creme brulee is among the dishes I dream about from year to year between visits to Nawlins.
We ended our visit by breakfasting at Stanley on our way out of town. Stanley is Stella!'s little brother and a perfect place at which to say farewell to the Crescent City. The Eggs Benedict with a twist I had there was mouth-watering good, yolks nice and runny, ham seared just right and all of it layered over these amazing croissant type pillars of puff pastry. Oh my!
There is no perfect place to eat in NOLA. It is a food experience to be enjoyed as long as one is there to enjoy it, but there are certainly limitless good possibilities. AMONG THE BEST PLACES TO EAT IN NEW ORLEANS ARE:
Arnaud’s Jazz - fine local historical
813 Bienville Street
New Orleans, LA 70112-3191
(504) 523-0611
http://www.arnauds.com/
Bon Ton Cafe - fine local
401 Magazine Street
New Orleans, LA 70130-2426
(504) 524-3386
http://www.thebontoncafe.com/
Brigtsen’s Restaurant - upscale
723 Dante Street
New Orleans, LA 70118-1013
(504) 861-7610
http://www.brigtsens.com/
Café Du Monde - local historical (LONG LONG LINES IN DAYTIME. Best enjoyed in the eves.)
1039 Decatur Street
New Orleans, LA 70116-3309
(504) 587-0835
http://www.cafedumonde.com/
Cochon Restaurant - upscale
930 Tchoupitoulas Street
New Orleans, LA
(504) 588-2123
http://www.cochonrestaurant.com/
Commander’s Palace Restaurant - fine local historical
1403 Washington Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70130-5798
(504) 899-8221
http://www.commanderspalace.com/
Coop’s - casual local
1109 Decatur Street
New Orleans, LA 70116
http://www.coopsplace.net/
Restaurant Cuvee - upscale
322 Magazine Street
New Orleans, LA 70130-2425
(504) 587-9001
http://www.restaurantcuvee.com/
Deanie’s Seafood - casual local
841 Iberville Street
New Orleans, LA 70112-3131
(504) 581-1316
http://www.deanies.com/
Napoleon House Bar & Cafe - currently serving the "best muffalata in town"
500 Chartres Street
New Orleans, LA 70130-2110
(504) 524-9752
http://www.napoleonhouse.com/
Stanley- casual upscale breakfast
Jackson Square
547 St Ann St
New Orleans, LA 70116
(504)587-0093
http://www.stanleyrestaurant.com/
Stella!- upscale
1032 Chartres Street
New Orleans, LA 70116-3202
(504) 587-0091
http://www.restaurantstella.com/
Tujague's - fine local historical
823 Decatur Street
New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 525-8676
http://www.tujaguesrestaurant.com/
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Napoleon House Bar & Cafe
500 Chartres St, New Orleans, LA 70130
Cochon
930 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, LA 70130
Emeril's Restaurant
800 Tchoupitoulas, New Orleans, LA 70130
Cuvee Restaurant
322 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70130
Brigtsen's Restaurant
723 Dante St, New Orleans, LA 70118
Bon Ton Cafe
401 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130
Tujague's
823 Decatur Street, New Orleans, LA 70116
Deanie's Restaurant
1016 Annunciation St, New Orleans, LA 70130
Muffaletta's
69305 Highway 21, Covington, LA 70433
Iris and MiLa
Have you tried Stella! on Chartres near Ursulines? Chef Boswell is a recent Beard Nominee and the restaurant may be the best meal in the Quarter. I've got photos up at my blog, but we had foie gras there that was out of this world. Also a salad of orange shooters and citrus, duck five ways... it was a meal I'll remember for ages.
Dinner in San Jose by Taylor Street Bridge
Anyone local or knowledgeable want to recommend a mid-range (not super lengthy multi-course) restaurant in this part of San Jose for a Friday night dinner before Cirque?
Our guests have vetoed Indian, Thai and most other definitive ethnic cuisines. So we're left with Italian or American or Nouvelle-ish. Would prefer a full bar.
/thanks!
searching for ceviche in San Francisco
I ended up in this little gem in the West Portal district of San Francisco through the suggestion of a friend. Thus, while it's a find I cannot take credit for, it's one I really enjoyed. We arrived hungry, and a few minutes early for our 6:30 reservations. The place was pretty full. There were only two tables, one right in the doorway, and a nice big six top in the back with comfy banquette seating. Fortunately, they were kind enough to allow us the slightly bigger table away from the door, which after my near refrigeration at Sala Thai, I was prepared to argue for, but thankfully there was no need. Victorious in my non-battle, seated and with a menu, I began my meal with a glass of wine. The BH and our companion shared a pitcher of sangria.
Our companion was interested in sharing a platter of ceviche. They have quite a few selections at Fresca, maybe eight or more different ceviches, all prepared on the spot. Though they have sampler plates of up to five of theirofferings, we decided three was sufficient to try on this occasion. Their Trio of Ceviche - which resulted in a platter containing three different ceviches with a nice offering of sides. The first we tried was the Ceviche 5 Elementos; the Ceviche Mixto, and finally we had a Salmon Ceviche. I was impressed. Ceviche is often too fishy or too chewy for me. I've had ceviche that was only edible, some that is good, a few that were actually great. This was delicious. The sides were yams and (I believe) some lovely pickled mushrooms. The blending of the savory salmon with the yam meat was stunning. It was a perfect study in contrasts. My mouth rang with the gentle savory meat of the fish, the citrus of the ceviche pickling sauce and the soft sweet cream of the yam. The fish was tart, well-seasoned and extremely moist. An absolute hit.
The next appetizer we tried was a dish called Camarones Chícama, or coconut-crusted jumbo tiger prawns. They sat atop a black bean salad, with what they described as a lucuma-orange glaze. No idea what lucama is, but these shrimp were cooked beautifully, and the crunchy-coconut sweet outer shell soaked up the glaze, the meat inside was moist and laced with a hint of the seasonings it had absorbed from its marinade. Combined with the beans and corn salad beneath, and the tang of the dressing... another impressive offering. At this point, I'm thinking this place was on a roll.
The last of the appetizers we sampled were called Tequeños, which though dubbed a fried wonton filled with shrimp and crab cream cheese, was more of an eggroll filled with plain soft cream cheese. The promised flavors of crab and shrimp did not properly materialize, bur rather were a tiny presence, sadly overwhelmed by the cheese. The crust of the wonton was slightly greasy and was too heavy for the filling. It might have worked if there was some texture from the crab and shrimp, to cut a bit of that cream chees, but the only thing I tasted was a mouthful of cream cheese. The dipping sauce, (an lovely light aji amarillo aioli) added some tang, but not enough. I found this dish not well thought out, and not as flavorful as I’d have liked. At least the side salad that came with it had an lovely chunky tomato salsa in a perfectly seasoned vinaigrette that was quite good.
The BH ordered a Chupe, which is a creamy seafood chowder. The menu listed its ingredients (other than the seafoods) as andean corn, potatoes, rice, green peas, aji panca, poached egg. When it arrived the poached egg sat on top ominously (the BH is not normally a fan, though I am) but to my amazement he gave it a try and he loved it. The soup was full of various fresh fish, mussels, shrimp, everything from the ocean but the kitchen sink.
I ordered a variation on the seafood stew, I think it was called Picante de Mariscos. Mine also had a creamy base and much of the same seafood, but it was much spicier. This dish was the sort of thing I dream about at night. I've often written how much I love heat in my food and this was hot. Really spicy, but not so much so that it made the dish difficult to eat, or wiped out the other flavors. It was spice perfection. Every bite was creamy, with the flavors dancing on the palate until the heat made it's appearance, like the finishing kick at the end of a jig. There was just a tiny bit of sweetness blended into the broth at the base, but the dish was mostly a savory one. Though it was slightly reminiscent of a curried coconut broth, it was not exactly a curry, nor was it coconut flavored. It was unique and absolutely delicious. All the seafood was remarkably moist and tender as butter. Not a bit overcooked or tough. I have never had calamari that tender. Never.
We left happy and satiated. I loved my stew so much, that, even though I was stuffed, I just kept eating until there was a sad, empty bowl before me. You know that feeling you get when something you really loved eating was completely gone? Sadness. But a good kind.
They've got several locations, and it woudl seem from these old board posts that the food is consistent at all of them. The online menu is pretty much the same. However, if you've been to one of the others, let me know what you thought.
I have pics posted at my blogsite if you're interested.
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Fresca Restaurant
24 West Portal Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94127
Put the Love in the coconut~
So you can eat the young ones? I will def give that a try next time we are in. I love the sticky rice with mango too, so maybe I'll make a sweet meal of it!
Put the Love in the coconut~
It is served in the shell. I did not ask if they would crack it, but I think I read somewhere that the flesh isn't as good when the coconut is that young. I could be wrong. I'll ask when I'm there next and let you know!
Sidebar in Oakland
Another day finds me on yet another search for food adventure. Always on the hunt for new Oakland eateries (particularly those near my office that offer lunch) I found today's target, Sidebar.
Sidebar is a relatively new Gastropub currently occupying the site that formerly housed Trio Bistro and Grill, on Grand Avenue, right between Coach Sushi and Zza's Pizzeria. More interesting to me on this venturing out, was the history of the site. Before it was Trio, it was an amazing French Bistro called La Brasserie. Both restaurants had essentially the same ownership. I never went to Trio, but I spent a lot of time at La Brasserie. Roger Martin was a delightful and handsome Frenchman who hosted the guests. In the years I frequented his establishment, I grew exceedingly fond of him. His wife, Kim, was the chef, and always in the kitchen. She was however, perhaps one of the best chefs I had ever come across. This was 1978, a time when more restaurants had fry cooks than chefs, never mind female chefs, and Kim could easily hold her own against many chefs of today. She was just that good. I can still taste the perfection her Coquilles St. Jaques. I have yet to taste its equal. So hats off to the Martin family. Wherever you are, know you made an lasting and wonderful impression on those of us who appreciate the ritual fo dining.
This is what is on my mind when we arrive at Sidebar. The amazing food-karma history of the place smacks me in the face when we enter. It is of course, different now. Nice different, with a large open almost circular bar filling the center of the space. Modern different, with hipster decorations and a youngish vibe. But nothing off-putting. This is what happens when you live in one place for a long time. Things change. It's the way. But I'm here and I'm hungry. So I shake off the Ghosts of Restaurants Past, sit down at a table an give the menu my undivided attention.
First up, the drinks menu. They have a nice cocktail menu, most offerings varieties of standards from different decades around the country, recipes from different bartenders. This menu has a lovely little twist: they have a "Classicist" version of each drink, with what one might call the more 'expected' ingredients, and a "Locavore" version, which is a spin on those ingredients that is all found locally or made in-house. I ordered the Clover Club which came in two 'flavors' as well. I requested the Locovore version, intrigued by the idea of House-made Grenadine. Next time I'll try the raspberry syrup. [Classicist: Gin, raspberry syrup, lemon juice, and egg white. Old Waldorf Bar Days, Albert Stevens Crockett (1931); Locavore: No. 209 Gin, House-made Grenadine, Meyer lemon juice, and egg white.] I loved the presentation. The drink was fluffy, light, and gently sweet, (a bit like a traditional Ramos Fizz), but with a strong kick of gin to keep it from being overly saccharine. It was splendid. My Better Half had a Castle Harbor Special, he had the Locovore version as well, which was billed as Charbay Rum, Small Hands Pineapple Gum, and House-made Grenadine, and lime juice. [Classicist: White Rum, lime juice, pineapple juice, and grenadine. The Gentlemen's Companion, Charles H. Baker (1946)]
At Sidebar, the bread served is Acme. They offer those big sourdough twists, that can be taken apart into separate mini-rolls. This is my favorite sourdough --- I first had them at Luka's Taproom. The crust is crunchy perfection without being dry, with that soft aerated center that can be peeled away to reveal even more crust. Gotta say we could have used a bread plate though, but we were given nothing but the bare tables. Not a critical flaw, just odd and a bit messy.
I think we all ordered the Potato Leek Soup it was cold out, and we were chilled to the bone. It was served piping hot, a velvety cream of potato that tasted like French Onion Soup. It's consistency was good, it had body and a hint of texture, but remained creamy and satisfying. The flavor was excellent, an oniony blend of caramelized leek and potato.
I shared two dishes with our Partner in Food Crimes. We had the Jambalaya a blend of Andouille sausage, shrimp, mussels, clams & basmati rice. Being a fan of true New Orleans food, particularly authentic Jambalaya, I was at the same time apprehensive and excited to try what might be a find. Real Jambalaya closer to home! When it arrived it was in no way a letdown. A spicy, seafood-laden dish, perfectly seasoned, rice awash in a flavorful sauce.
PFC and I also shared the Roast Pork Sandwich, which was described as seasoned and sliced pork with gruyere and ham. It came with a side of jicama slaw, a well-pickled vinegary affair that when layered onto the sandwich with the jalapeno relish, made it all somewhat similar to a Banh Mi. The soft warm bread over the tender pork meat, , the salty ham blanketed in a thin layer of cheese. The final perfect touch the sweet, hot kiss of the jalapeno relish.
The Better Half enjoyed his Monte Cristo Sandwich, a lovely concoction of Niman Ranch applewood smoked ham, smoked turkey, and gruyere which was essentially a "just like mom used to make" grilled cheese, but with a flair all their own. It had a nice little seasonal compote on the side and he seemed to love it.
Since we were so pleased with the food at this point, we opted to order a dessert. There were several choices that appealed, but I was drawn to the Cornmeal Pound Cake. I won, and noone was sorry I did. The cake was absolutely stellar. Now, I must preface this with my love of sweet corn. I love cornbread. I love sweet white summer corn. Really really love it. So, that said, this dish was amazing. It had the texture of a medium rough cornbread, moist and dense like a pound cake on the inside and a touch crunchy on the outer, all imbued with the taste of butter. Really an inspired take on an old standard. Add mascarpone whipped cream and voila!
We will most definitely return, and soon. If you find yourself in the neighborhood, you should check it out, and as always Bon appetit!
(510) 452-9500
http://www.sidebar-oakland.com/
Dining time: easily back in an hour
Table size: adequate, maybe just a tad small
Noise level: was okay for us, but with all that wood and windows, it might possibly be too loud for some
Cost: Moderate
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Sidebar
542 Grand Ave, Oakland, CA
Anniversary Dinner please help narrow them down!
You may wish to try Jardiniere. If what she's seeking is 'fancy ambience' it really fits the bill. I'm not sure you could stll get a reservation for V-day itself, but if, as you say, your anniversary is close, you could see if you can get one of the upper floor tables with a view of the gorgeous bar.
I personaly also love the food there, but for romance, the setting is really first rate.
Champa Garden favorites?
My post about this restaurant was deleted because I put a link to my blog. So I've copied the pertinent portion here. Sorry there are no pics. The restaurant shouldn't suffer for an overeager moderator who's feeling particularly protective of Chow today. BTW, ate there today and it was AMAY zing, of course. Cutting and pasting here is really really difficult today, so I'm having trouble snipping as well. Thus the link ---anyway,
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The next gem on my list is an inexpensive and well-hidden little Laotian Restaurant (officially it calls itself a mix of Laotian, Thai and Vietnamese) tucked into the middle of nowhere off Park Boulevard in Oakland. It's name is Champa Garden. Ok, there, I said it. Out Loud. Now try and find it! It's harder than finding the entrance to Shangri-La!
However, if you are successful in your quest, and you actually find and enter the tiny, unnassuming one story structure on the corner of 8th and E. 21st, I will tell you what to order. If you know what to order in advance, one can have the meal of a lifetime here for relatively little money. We brought along our partner in food crimes, a young associate who has excellent taste in food, and loves spice (his companionship opens up a world of possibilities for me, since BH does not do the 'spicy' at all), so we were able to order a lot of items on the menu. From here on, he shall be known as PFC.
Start with the Rice Ball Salad (pictured above) which is described on the menu as crispy fried rice, preserved pork and lime juice. It has to have something else in it, like chopped up wonderful, or a dash of fantastic. This stuff is memorable. It is this indescribably combination of cruncy goodness that is intended to be spread onto a lettuce leaf and (with the addition of a bit of mint) rolled into a cigar-like concoction and chowed down on. I like to crumble a dried red pepper over it and wrap up the hot, spicy bits with the rest. Warning: Don't try this at home! Seriously, if you like crumbled red peppers, I suggest you wash your hands immediately after crumbling them and don't say, rub your eyes. Not good.
Rice Ball Salad is so yummy it has to be bad for you. Perhaps the fried rice part was what tipped me off. If I die early from eating this stuff, it will have been a life well worth living. My two accomplices and I were all so desperate for a taste of rice ball salad, that we ordered the trio of appetizers because it contained an extra serving.
This trio of appetizers/"sampler" (contains Lao Sausages, Fried Spring Rolls and Nam Khao, or rice ball salad). I tried the Spring Rolls first. I found them flavorful, but a little greasy. Just okay. They were a bit better when dipped in the sauce that was served with them, which was really good. A well balanced version of the tangy, peanut-ty sauces typical of cuisine from this part of Asia. This appetizer sampler also contained a sampling of one of the pork sausage that Champa Garden is well-known for. We had not tried it before. For me sausage is really hit and miss, but I liked these. They did not overwhelm me, but the meat was a good consistency and the spices chosen to flavor the filler were solidly balanced. Nothing was fighting with anything else. I'd give them 3 tastebuds out of 5.
We moved on from the apps (stuffed from over-eating the rice ball salad) to a course of soup. Today's choice was the Tom Yum (I think). Word of warning. Ordering soup here is for some reason quite tricky. Previously we had ordered several of the choices on their soup menu, without ever actually getting the right soup. At first we just thought we might have ordered wrong, but it soon became clear that we were just getting something else entirely. For this reason, and the fact that we weren't overly fond of the soups we had sampled here, we stopped ordering soup. The last time we were in, we ordered the tom yum in the hopes that we might finally get it. We emphasized the pronunciation and repeated the order and surprise! We got a tom yum! This is a Thai hot and sour soup. It is far milder and not at all viscous like the more familiar sweet and sour soup one might find on a traditional Cantonese menu. I believe the hot is black pepper and the sour is a broth of stock and vinegar. The Thai use raw mushrooms in their soup and allow them to cook in the hot broth. The result is a slightly crunchy mushroom that is hot on the outside and sometimes still cool on the inside. I wonder if this practice came about because someone realized the soup was too hot so they cooled it with "ice" mushroom caps. However it came about, I am a fan. Soups are not their strong suit here, but this is a good one. I am not fond of the other soups on the menu. At all. So no soup --- or this soup --- is my advice.
Lastly, we needed something to wash down our sticky rice. We chose a standby: the Pineapple Shrimp Clay Pot. It is a sweet, red curry dish that is chock full of pineapple, shrimp and flavored with coconut milk. The sauce is a thick wonderful consistency, almost a gravy, that goes really well over sticky rice.
We also ordered a new dish to try. Champa Garden had a fried catfish special on the menu the very first time there that I loved. (My BH thought it too hot to try and our associate didn't like it much at all. But I loved it.) So in the hopes that this dish was finally on the menu, I ordered the Pad Ped Pla Dook (I know, right?), which is apparently Laotian or Thai for "hunks of fried catfish in some yummy peppery goo" -- the menu says it is "catfish battered and fried in Thai basil curry sauce." I love nothing better than a Thai basil curry sauce done correctly. This sauce was pretty good, although not exactly as I remembered. It had the classic combination of basil and sweet curry that they do so well, as well as a coconut base very similar to the pineapple chicken. Might be a little too similar, not sure. It was hotter, with a fairly peppery (black, not red) after-heat to it. I liked it but I can't say I loved it so much I would have to try it again. Catfish gets soggy fast, so it doesn't really keep as a leftover and it's a lot to eat with the other dishes.
We have not tried any of their desserts. Perhaps some day I will do an entire column of desserts missed at various restaurants. But not today.
So, like I said. Try and find it. If you do, you'll not be sorry. And you have to order the rice ball salad.
Champa Garden
Laotian, Thai and Vietnamese Cuisine
2102 8th Avenue (east 21st Street)
Oakland, CA 94606
510.238.8819
http://www.champagarden.com/
Price: Inexpensive
Dining Time: without travel (not near anything) easily done in an hour.
Table Size: Cramped - adequate (each table has a very large condiment tray, that uses up almost half the dining space)
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Champa Garden
2102 8th Ave, Oakland, CA 94606
Put the Love in the coconut~
I decided to post this because Sala Thai (it is two words on their menus) wasn't listed on Chow, but I see it is listed as one word, which I'm fairly sure is wrong, so folks may not find it. But anyway...
Terrific restaurant. I went there for lunch the other day, and again for takeout two days later. Among my favorites were the fresh coconut juice, the red chicken curry and the sweet sticky rice with mango.
If you're interested you can read the full review of this delightful little family restaurant (with loads of great pics) on my blog, which can be found at
http://eastbayfoodscene.blogspot.com/2010/01/sala-thai-put-love-in-coconut.html
Enjoy !
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Salathai Restaurant
39170 State St, Fremont, CA 94538
New York State of Mind - (mid December 2009, visit to NYC)
So funny! I think my husband would have fainted. As it was, he was violently ill on the train from Venice, and most of our visit in Firenze I dined alone at little street cafes and shopped. Poor dear. I don't remember a lot of specifics about Cibreo, except the nice lady who came and told us of all the very strange traditional peasant foods they served there and the shades of gray on my husband's face upon listening. We did recover though, and thoroughly enjoyed our meal. I think I had sweetbreads (which seemed tame at the time) and he ate a roast chicken. Don't remember the head on his though! Isn't food an adventure?
Our favorite place in Florence was probably the one recommended by a good friend. The name escapes me, but I'll ask her and post later. I love the chicken head pic. I'm second generation Genovese, so anything Italian reminds me of the homeland.
New York State of Mind - (mid December 2009, visit to NYC)
I must confess. We did eat at Ellen's Stardust Diner, but ONLY because one of my daughtger's friends who moved to NYC with her (both are singers) was working there that night. Food was really "chainy" & cold, so left it out of review.
New York State of Mind - (mid December 2009, visit to NYC)
Recently I spent a week in New York City. We dined at some pretty fantastic spots, both high end and low, all were a delight. If you're planning a trip, I thought perhaps you could benefit from our experiences.
First up, the diner next to the hotel. Tired, still-packed and fresh off the plane, we were hungry and on California time. The Viand Cafe, which was the diner on the corner next door to our hotel (the Beacon at 75th & Broadway). Hot ravioli, chicken soup, home made cake. Simple food, decent wine. Cheap for NYC. Nothing special, but good hearty food that kept us from going to bed hungry.
Next day we were off to dinner with friends. They'd made reservations for us at a lovely spot,
Gramercy Tavern. I didn't write anything down during the meal, since I was on vacation, and our hosts had generously purchased a great bottle of wine, which I consumed a good deal of, so the memory here is sketchy. But I can certainly say that the entire tasting menu was oustanding. I found the ambience and the food here pretty much absolute perfection. The look of the restaurant itself is high-end rustic, white tablecloths, wood beams, I think there's a big fireplace and a large old-fashioned sort of bar. To me it felt a bit like Cibreo, in Florence, with much more traditional food offerings. All in all, a big hit with us both.
We were in town visiting our daughter, so we allowed her to select some of the places we visited. She took us to a little place called Vynl, a lovely little gimmick of a place that is all about music. Forty-five discs are everywhere on the walls, the menus are album covers, and the bathrooms are kitchy. They are each themed for a particular icon (Elvis, Cher, Dolly) and play the music of that icon when you enter. Cute. But this place isn't just about the cute, it's got great drinks, and good food. We had appetizers there, like nachos and fries, and something a bit less pedantic that I can't remember the name of, and washed it all down with some great refreshing Island-style cocktails. I would definitely say this is a fun place to hang out (we were in the Chelsea location, I think) and visit with friends to soak up local color.
At one point in our visit, it was mid-day and we were running down the coldest street (yeah I know, who's idea was it to visit New York in December again?) in the world to check out our theater for a show the next night, and when our faces began to chip off, and my nose bounced off the sidewalk, I suggested we duck into this nice restaurant for a bite. When we hit the doorway, we realized we'd just walked into Sardi's. I'd thought of going to the Russian Tea Room for a bit of "history" on this trip, and immediately decided Sardi's would fit that bill perfectly. We went in, and were surprised at how quiet it was over lunch. Food was really very good, much better than we expected. But the atmosphere was priceless. Guys at the next table were actually talking about some show they wanted to produce about the murder of Brian Jones and how it destroyed the Rolling Stones. A musical called "Wild Horses." The "money guy" says, no no no. "I think we need to do a musical about Sadam Hussein. He's the most hated man in the world. It'll be a big hit" - so yeah, free show with this meal. But as for the food, though not the best I've had, it was well prepared and tasty. If you want to visit an icon, this might just be the place.
We spent a day shopping in Soho, and ate a late lunch at Bar 89 (pictured). We ate gallettes, which are a flatbread affair and were delicious. The drinks were the best I had anywhere in the City for the entire stay, and that is saying a lot. My favorite was the Velvet Mojito. I don't like mojitos generally, but this was a creature of a whole 'nuther breed. Lots o' liquor (it was a vacation after all) and the mint took a back seat to the fruit juices in the thing. This place is also very trendy, particularly in that the doors in the co-ed bathrooms upstairs are translucent. Just a big room of see through stalls. When one enters and closes the door, they slowly become opaque and a lighted "Occupied" sign illuminates the top of the door. We saw many a customer freak out before trying to use them. Cute, but a litle disturbing all at the same time. I highly recommend Bar 89 for a bit of real Soho flavor. As you can see, the ceiling is absolutely gorgeous.
Lastly, we dined at Joel Robuchon's L'Atelier in the Four Seasons. I waited until very late to make reservations, and had originally planned to do Le Bernardin, but had to "settle" for L'Atelier because they had no availability. Poor me. We took our daughter, who we were in NYC to visit, and she's not a practiced foodie, so it was a big occasion for her. She was a little intimidated by the menu at first, and not sure what to order. We walked her through it and she had an amazing time. It was a real highlight to see the look on her face when she tasted her first bite of the white truffle spaghetti. She also ordered the quail, and was brave enough to try many of the more edgy dishes that her father and I had ordered.
Every place was different, but in the Big Apple, adventure is key. We managed one or two other stops, but these were the highlights. It's a place with a great deal to offer, but any one of these places would be a delightful stop on anyone's itinerary.
Eating "On the Waterfront"
I recently dined again at Miss Pearl's Jam House on the shore of the Estuary in Oakland's Jack London Square. Full review with pictures is at the below url.
http://eastbayfoodscene.blogspot.com/2010/01/miss-pearls-jam-house-pusser-up-and.html
Abbreviated take here:
We began our meal with cocktails, and I have to say, the mixed drinks at Pearl's are awesome. They are freshly blended by a skilled mixologist and it shows. My husband and I are both fond of one called the Pusser’s Painkiller. It's a creamy combination of citrus and coconut --- tangy and refreshing at once. The coconut gives it an eggnog-like quality, and the tang comes from a bit of fresh citrus. It's a creamy sip of heaven with a kick. Another of the house specials is the Hemingway Daquiri, which is a more robust, MAN drink, cut with just a dash of lime. One can imagine Papa H consuming such a drink while smoking a cigar on a veranda of a summer afternoon. Since Papa H himself was not there, our Partner in Food Crimes enjoyed one on this occasion.
Our cocktails were rapidly followed by bowls of steaming hot soup. Our Partner in Food Crimes has a thing about the temperature of soup. It has to be hot, not merely warm, and certainly not tepid. While I'm not as soup-temp-obsessed as my mate, I do prefer my soup hot when it's cold outside. I think it's a childhood sense memory. Hot soup = comfort. Or perhaps it is as simple as soups warms me up. Either way, the soup was a lovely Cream of Garlic and Potato Soup, that had been blended or riced really well into a smooth concoction of potato-ey goodness with a lovely topping of deep fried leeks that lent a terrific crunch to the spoon, for a great contrast in textures. The soup itself had a good deal of flavor, and was well seasoned. Its "backbone" was the potato, but there was a noticeable kick of pepper mixed in with garlic and onion to balance it out. We all enjoyed every last drop. Kudos to the Chef.
We also had Sweet Potato Fries with our cocktails. Sweet Potato Fries are becoming more common these days, but I really like the way they do them here. They are slender and crispy, well cooked and seasoned, served with sides of spicy chipotle aioli and bbq catsup.
For our main our PFC and I ordered the Grilled Jerk-Marinated Chicken Breast. We both really seek heat, and whenever a place lands that delectable combination of "sweet heat," we are going to come away very happy campers. The chicken in this case was spiced to perfection with a crunchy golden brown skin wrapping the still moist but not undercooked meat of the chicken breast. The starch was a lovely mixture of rice and tiny, delicate beans that finished off the plate quite nicely. When a nice sauce is to be consumed, nothing carries it to the palate better than a bed of well prepared rice. The flavor is absorbed and seemingly multiplied by the rice as it makes its way to the mouth. Good times. We both loved the heat in the habanero reduction, and thought it mingled perfeclty with the slightly sweet jerk.
The BH ordered the Bahamian Burger. It's a nice juicy ground beef patty on a soft, sweet Challah Bun. The condiments are traditional with a twist, grilled onions and Island-spiced Catsup. The burger itself was large, and the BH said it was cooked perfectly to order, which in this case was ‘medium rare.’ He loved it.
We declined the offer of dessert, although tempting. Some days one has to leave something undone. All the more reason to go back.
Miss Pearl's is a nice place for a tasty meal with a good view. The cuisine is not necessarily 'inspiring' but it is solidly prepared and the cocktails are stellar. check it out, and Bon Appetit!
Miss Pearl's Jam House
1 Broadway
Oakland, CA 94111
(510) 444-7171
http://www.misspearlsjamhouse.com/
Table size: Adequate
Noise Level: Excellent, sound is well-muted.
Cost: moderately expensive
Dining time: we are able to be in and out in under an hour if need be
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Miss Pearl's Jam House
10 Washington St, Oakland, CA
Looking for South Bay upscale-ish options
What a great idea. I only noticed the feature last night while trying to add a note. I'll defnitely keep that in mind! Thanks! Happy eating!
Looking for South Bay upscale-ish options
Just ate at both the Basin and Plumed Horse within three weeks of each other (concert & birthday) and was extremely pleased with both. Service was friendly at Basin, food was delicious, experience a delight. Found Plumed Horse to be a dream visit. Best fried abalone I have ever had and the foie gras with ravioli also a memorable dish. My daughter is allergic to fish which killed the tasting menu, so we ordered our own and they even subbed in a filet for her when she wanted the 2-person rib eye. Longer review of both recent meals under each restaurant. cheers.
Fino in Georgetown a find!
My husband and I kicked off our DC trip with a night at Citronelle, and it didn't disappoint. We had lunched at the Palm that afternoon, so crammed all our eating into our first day as the balance of the trip was filled with family and other obligations.
However, on our last day there, we were starving and I was dying for a good linguine con vongole which I found at "Fino" a tiny Italian eatery on M in Georgetown, somewhere around 31st or so. We each had their minestrone, which was fresh and delicious, and my husband ordered Fettucini Alfredo with a smoked salmon. The price was more than reasonable and the food was really good. I was raised by two Italian grandparents and usually cannot tolerate minestrone, as it never competes with my grandfather's recipe from the foothills of Genoa. This was superb simple fare that really ended the trip on a high note.
So if anyone's looking for a relaxing meal at a casual delight, try Fino on M in Georgetown.
