tnilsson's Profile
sacramento - kids
It really depends on the ages of the kids and how well-behaved they are. Unless they are babes-in-arms, most California kids seem to like sushi and dim sum as they can pick and choose from a lot of small plates. Tapas places are also good. As are places with noodles or Mexican food. You really have a lot of places to choose from in Sac.
The key is to avoid places that have a long wait for a table, that take more than an hour or so to eat in, and romantic places where kids might upset the other guests. Kids are generally fine as long as they don't have to wait too long for anything.
Please help with small 50th anniversary dinner!
I personally would like 1500 or any number of other restaurants in the area. But I can't say that 1500 seems very French.
Does anyone know anything about Chez Loma? It has been recommended to me and it is on Coronado. While it looks a bit homey for my taste, and I have heard that it may be a bit tired, the reviews on Yelp are almost uniformly good and it does seem to have the most classically French menu of any nearby place. Hopefully some Chowhounds have been there as you never know about Yelp reviews . . .
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Chez Loma
1132 Loma Ave, Coronado, CA 92118
Please help with small 50th anniversary dinner!
Thanks for all the recommendations. I'll check them out!
Please help with small 50th anniversary dinner!
We are celebrating my parents' 50th anniversary in San Diego in December. We'll be staying on Coronado. They've asked me to find them a special restaurant for their actual anniversary dinner (there will only be 6 of us). They've specifically asked for someplace French and specifically said they don't want Italian. California-cuisine would probably be okay too.
They have traveled and eaten out a lot and I think they'd prefer a restaurant that has perfect food and service over one that is trendy with unique food. If it was Los Angeles, I'd suggest Spago Beverly Hills or The Water Grill, but I don't know what to suggest in San Diego.
I've looked through the boards and checked out Blanca, but its menu looks more trendy than what I think they want. The same with Kitchen 1540. George's California Modern seems like an option. As does Rancho Valencia.
Does anyone have any thoughts that might help me? I think they'd be fine going anywhere in the general San Diego area as long as the food is worth the trip.
Thanks for any help!
White Russian variations, please
I would highly recommend that you replace the Kahlua with Illy Coffee Liquor. It actually tastes like real coffee. Hard to find, but very worth it.
Best Italian (money no object) in L.A. area for a VERY picky eater
I don't see how you can top Valentino, but Vincenti can be very good (I have also had less than stellar meals there though). For old school Italian, I generally prefer Dan Tana's in West Hollywood. Amazing marinara, interesting atmosphere, and good food in general.
WeHo spot for 8, mid-range?
I really like Gardens of Taxco for an unusual dinner. No menus and a set price for everything. I think they have tables for 8.
What goes w/mango nectar?
Tequila also works very well with mango (I'd use a silver tequila). I'd also add a squeeze of fresh lime juice (or orange juice), either will balance the syrupy sweetness of the nectar.
Recommendations for San Simeon area in 2009?
We visited the area some years ago and went to the Hearst Castle's evening tour (which was magical: hired actors lounge around in evening wear as guests would have done when visiting). But we found that all the area restaurants close VERY early (before 9). Not that we found anything that was worth staying up for . . . .
California Roadtrip Restaurants
I'd hearily second the recommendations for Passionfish in Pacific Grove and for Nepenthe (very good, if simple, food and great views. Not like any diner I have ever been in.). It may be out of your way, but I'd also recommend Teske's Germania in San Jose (very authentic German), and the Water Grill in downtown Los Angeles (the best fish restaurant I have ever been to). El Agave is also worth a visit in Old Town San Diego. Santa Barbara has an interesting Danish restaurant on the main street that I forget the name of and several other worthwhile places to eat. Brentwood (LA) has a very nice dim sum place on Wilshire called VIP seafood (easy to get to from Hwy 1). Gardens of Taxco in West Hollywood is a novel experience (no menus; they tell you the menu orally and you order your main course and all else is pre-set). Have a great trip.
Fort Bragg & Mendocino in July
I go to Fort Bragg fairly often and would suggest the following:
Egg Heads for breakfast. Very good but very small place so get their early.
North Coast Brewing Company for the cask-conditioned Red Seal ale. Their other beers are also good, but that beer is amazing (much like English real beers) and not to be missed. They mainly serve pub food which, while good, is not what memorable. They do have good burgers and fresh oysters (try them with a porter--a match made in Scottish or Irish heaven). They are sometimes closed when I would expect them to be open so check their hours of operation. And be prepared for a decent wait in the bar if you arrive right at dinner time.
Mendo Bistro. Inventive meals using local ingredients.
Colleen's Creamery. Very good ice-cream (including mushroom which is very good) and a great brownie sundae made with home-made brownies.
The berry sundae on the Skunk Train.
Carine's in Noyo Harbor has not changed in 40 years and is a good place to get a burger, fish and chips, clam chowder, etc. They only take cash and check though.
The Wharf is one of the better places to get fish in the area.
Husband's boss coming for dinner. HELP!
What a jerk! What kind of an answer is "you know"?
I'd second the roast chicken suggestion. It can't be seen as "weird" and is easy. Something like Zuni Cafe's roast chicken with bread salad. Perhaps some sliced tomatoes on the side. And I'd end with something simple like orange slices in rosemary-honey syrup (which may be another Zuni recipe and is really simple and nice). I'd add a nice dry rose wine and perhaps some simple cookie or biscotti to go with the dessert and there you have it.
Lasagna and multiple courses just sound too heavy and involved to me, even if they are made ahead.
pork spareribs help?
My wife came across Quincy Jones' Thiller Ribs recipe (via Oprah) and I have to admit that they are very, very good ribs. Among the best I have had. While the original recipe does not call for bbq sauce, I think they benefit from adding some sauce at the table (the acidity cuts the somewhat fatty taste of pork ribs and by adding it at the table, it does not burn). You can find his recipe here:
http://www.oprah.com/recipe/omagazine/recipes/food_20020916_ribs
6 lunches and 7 dinners SD
I highly recommend El Agave in the Old Town area. It is unlike any other Mexican restaurant in the states (very upscale menu). There are a lot of fun (lower-scale) restaurants in Old Town such as Old Town Cantina (great carnitas). And there is a fun Brazilian steakhouse near the Gaslamp area but I can't recall the name. It used to be the only one in town and is right by Horton Plaza. Prado is also good and has a great location in the park.
santa cruz
I used to live in the area and still visit often. And I second the recommendation of The Crow's Nest. It has a great location by the yacht harbor, great views, and very good fish (and the best salad bar in the area). I also like Aldos, but it is more laid-back and does not have as good a view. El Palomar is also good (their corn tortillas are amazingly light, like flour tortillas anywhere else). And if you want a great muffin for breakfast while you are there, check out Rebecca's Mightly Muffins (if it is still there; I have not checked in a while). I used to get muffins and coffees to go and take them to the beach for an unbeatable breakfast (well, you could also add champagne)!
I bought a durian!
I purchased some durian when in China last year. Given all the stories I had heard, I had to try it. But everyone I was with nicknamed it "ass-fruit" because it smelled like an open trench latrine. I can't say they were wrong. It was probably the worst smelling and worst tasting food I have ever eaten. If I were to be polite, I'd say it tasted of onions and garlic gone bad. But the fruit does not deserve politeness! I don't understand how people can actually like them (and this comes from me, someone who actually likes the fermented fish you get in northern Sweden which scares off most people)!
Paella Help
You could do without, but I have had far better results with some cheap paella pan than I have had with a regular frying pan. The problem is mainly that the pan has to be big enough to hold all the ingredients, liquid, etc. without spilling over. And heat transfer is important as if you have too much, you will burn the rice (since you don't stir it after the initial mix in), too little and it won't cook right. You would just have to be more careful if you use some other pan. I found a really good paella pan for $15 or something. I can't recall where. It is basically a steel pan with indentations in the bottom and two red rubber covered handles on the sides. Don't spend a fortune on some ritzy paella pan.
Paella Help
I have never made seafood paella. I came across a recipe for paella Valencia from a Spanish restaurant some years ago that is very good but they insist that at least that version never has seafood. I have no idea if that is correct, but I have never altered the recipe.
From what I can recall off the top of my head, you brown the meats (chicken and sausage) with a generous portion of salt, add chicken stock, saffron, one large grated tomato, and a sprig of fresh rosemary, and then pour in rice in an x across the paella pan, then stir the rice into the liquid, adding vegetables. Then you let it sit and do not stir it again until it is done (about 1/2 an hour if I recall correctly), adding more liquid as needed. You want the rice to cook through, but you also want to develop a crusty, browned bottom (but without burning the rice). It's not the receipe I use, but the LA Times went into some detail about paella here: http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-paella27jun27,1,1639673.story?coll=la-headlines-food&ctrack=1&cset=true
Since lobster tails are big, I have no idea how you'd add them to the recipe and get them to cook right. You might do better adding shrimp along with the vegetables. A paella pan is imperative, in my opinion, as I have tried other pans and they do not work as well.
Oh, and serve quartered lemons for guests to add to the paella at the table. It really adds something grand, even to pealla without seafood. And some people serve paella with a garlic mayonaise at table.
Best Ice Cream in los angeles????
Hands down: Al Gelato in Beverly Hills. They also have great Italian pastries. All gelato and pastries are made on site and they sell pints as well. And they top their gelato with the best whipped cream in California. I think they are a sister gelato shop to at least one in Italy and one in Chicago.
Driving I-5 South to LA all the way through CA with 3 kids! Help!
I don't know what exists North of Sacramento, but our kids have loved stopping at Harris Ranch along I-5 (about half way between Sacramento and LA). They have a nice cafe with decent food, a good kids' menu, crayons and such, and a lot of areas for the kids to run around in with numerous fountains, a gift shop with fresh baked cookies, kid sized facilities in nice big and clean bathrooms, etc. It is the best place we have found to stop.
We have not had equal luck with Anderson's. The wait was unusually long (even when virtually empty) and the kids did not like it.
If you want someplace in Sacramento, the K Street mall just off I-5 has a Johnny Rocket's hamburger shop at the end of the mall closest to the freeway, convenient parking in the adjacent hotel complex, and it is a place our kids love. It is a 1940s soda fountain chain, but it is really a good one with great shakes, malts, jukeboxes the kids can put money into, etc.
Coffee brewing epiphany.
I almost bought one of those Bodum vacuum coffee makers when my coffee maker broke. But I read that they are infamous for breaking, so I bought another coffee maker from Bed Bath & Beyond as well, which works fine but is not as good as the coffee machines they use at Peets. I have recently read rave reviews of the Aeropress Espresso Maker (which also makes coffee). I am definitely going to check that out in the near future.
How do i edit
Well, that response does not provide much help. How do you edit within the first 2 hours of posting? There seems to be no edit button. And this is a serious issue. I wish you could add an edit option as it would cut down on multiple posts if you can just add to your first post as needed. Most other forums have this option.
Open House Sat. Before New Years
A tray of mac & cheese is usually popular. So is a bagels and lox buffet, a selection of open faced Danish sandwiches, a more american sandwich buffett, a pot luck, tortilla chips and guacamole, pre-made tamales, a dessert buffet, meatballs (which can be made ahead), tea sandwiches, a hot or cold punch (such as glogg), etc. Do as much ahead (or buy as much pre-made) as possible if you know the twins will distract you or leave you with too little energy for more.
Side Dish for Quiche?
A simple green salad with a dijon vinagrette always seems best to me. Or sliced tomatoes with some nice salt, capers, dressing, etc. A baguette can also be nice, but may be a bit redundant with the crust of the quiche.
Good Eats Near Grant Park?
No one helped me out with my query, but if anyone else looks at this thread, I can say that I had a wonderful meal at the Park Grill right in Millennium Park (great pork sandwich and fries with local beers on tap but a lot of other dishes that looked good too, pastas, desserts, etc.), great sushi at the nearby Fairmont hotel (they apparently fly their fish in from Japan), and a very good dinner (again at the Fairmont) with local fish and, surprisingly, local wine.
The Macy's a couple of blocks from the park (on the corner of State and Randolph) has a Frontera cafe that supposedly serves many of the same Mexican dishes you pay much more for at Frontera Grill. But the cafe is not open on Sundays and closes very early on Saturdays, so plan any visit carefully. I did not get to try it as I arrived 5 minutes after they closed and the fact that I had just flown in from California, and it was my one chance to try their food, did not sway them to even allow me to order any take-out that they might have ready made (such as a tamale). So very poor customer service but supposedly very good food.
There was also a neat chocolate shop about 2-3 blocks North of the park (on the West side of Michigan) that has interesting hot cocoa (the chile version was waaay too spicy for me even though I love Mexican food and salsa; all I could taste was chile) but they also have other cocoas, cakes, candy, etc. Worth a visit and very popular when I was there.
The one thing I could not find anywhere was a hot dog! Even a bad one!
There is also a good 1/2 price theater ticket place on Randolph between the park and Macy's that is worth a visit.
Going to Copenhagen, any suggestions?
Check out some guide-books for places to get smorrebrod (the open-faced sandwiches). They are amazing (I recall the norm is to order one fish, one cheese, and one meat sandwich and to wash them down with a beer) and something you won't find in any other country.
Also, the hot dog vendors serve a unique snack (little thin hot dogs and a slice of rye bread) that is unique to Denmark. And the pastry shops are very good.
There is (or was) also a restaurant lighted only with about 1,000 candles that sounded cool, but I did not make it there last time I was there. I recall it being in an old cave or monestary in Copenhagen.
Make sure you check out Tivoli and, if not too much of a prude, the Erotic history museum which was, surprisingly, very tasteful and interesting and covered erotic art, literature, etc. from the greeks to the present day.
Good Eats Near Grant Park?
I have a scheduled business trip to Chicago and am arriving a couple days early to see the city. Are there any good places near Grant Park or the hotels near Tribune Tower to get a hot dog or other Chicago specialities? I'll be there alone until my meetings start, so simple places are fine (I don't need recommendations to any high-end restaurants for couples or groups).
Thanks!
Napa Help!
Here's a report on what we did: we made 11 a.m. reservations for the wine cave tour at Del Dotto. It was $40 per person, but I have to say it was the best wine tour I have ever been on. They did a very good job explaining wine (and barrel) making and I think we tasted at least 11 wines during the tour, including a port. All reds. While they are not cheap, between $38 and $85 a bottle, they had some really impressive wines and we ended up buying quite a few. They do a very impressive job of marketing you in a very subtle manner. While the tour was advertised as taking 1.5 hours, I think ours was 2.5 hours long.
After the tour, we took a picnic lunch to a nature preserve in the area. While we'd planned on visiting two other wineries after lunch (Milat and one other whose name I forget, perhaps Sullivan), we ended up having had so much wine that morning, and with lunch, that we skipped further tastings and just wandered Dean & Delucca and downtown St. Helena and then headed back home.
It was a good day, and the weather was perfect. I'd definitely recommend the Del Dotto cave tour if you are planning to make any tour a part of your day.
Napa Help!
Thanks for the tips! I will check them out before we go and plan our trip in advance. The picnic idea is an interesting one if the weather holds. It would give us more time to taste wines if we don't spend 2 hours in a nice restaurant for lunch. I may just take them to Oakville Grocery to get picnic supplies.
I have made tour reservations at Del Dotto Vineyards, which I stumbled across. It seems to have an interesting tour (and wines) that differ from most other wineries. If anyone has been there, let me know what you thought. I think that is the only tour I plan to take them on. I agree that one tour is enough . . .
Napa Help!
I have Spanish relatives visiting in a couple of weeks who want to spend a Wednesday in Napa. They know a lot about wine but I have not spent enough time in Napa recently to know the best places to take them for wine-tasting and for a reasonably-priced California-style lunch. I am considering stops at Sterling and Mondavi but have no real firm ideas. I ran a search on the board but did not see anything on point. Does anyone have any wine-tasting or lunch stops to suggest?
