kosher Thanksgiving??

My evil food hating family is conspiring to eat nothing on Thanksgiving but VEGAN kosher food. Rather than sob my eyes out I'm coming to you, Chowhounders. Do you know any restaurant in Manhattan that is a) serving Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving, b) kosher, and c) actually tasty? Thanks in advance.

alimentation in Manhattan

best pho in sf?

MW, you're always so helpful! That SF Chronicle story was helpful, too. I'll definitely try out PPQ, as I'm in the Richmond more often than the Tenderloin.

alimentation in San Francisco Bay Area

Tonkatsu Pork Cutlets Anywhere?

Try Kitchen Kura on Irving between 16th and 17th (south side of the street). I ate tonkatsu there just last night. The fried tofu is also delicious there.

alimentation in San Francisco Bay Area

best pho in sf?

I looking for super authentic, delicious pho in San Francisco proper. The kind with rare steak slices that cook in the broth and is served with sprouts and greens that you throw in to taste. Any suggestions?

alimentation in San Francisco Bay Area

Ann Arbor -- best dishes at the best restaurants

So we only got a chance to go to Zingerman's RH and Eve, but I thought I'd write a little report on both since I got so much helpful advice here.

At the Roadhouse we shared a basket of maize and blue hush puppies, which were the perfect texture (crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside) and were served with two delicious sauces--a hot sauce with a surprisingly "complex" flavor and some kind of garlic mayo. I got a bottle of an imperial oatmeal stout, which was very good and very alcoholic. For our entrees I got the pimento burger with fries, since I had heard how good the burgers are at the Roadhouse. It was HUGE and cooked exactly as I asked, tender and juicy. The pimento cheese was delicious and I noticed that even the tomato slice was ripe and juicy. Overrall this was a fantastic burger, as expected. Some people complain about the prices but when I consider that this was $12.50, about the same price as some of their sandwiches across town in the deli, it felt entirely reasonable to me. I wasn't terribly impressed by the twice-cooked fries, but that's my only complaint about this otherwise fantastic meal. My companion got the grilled sea scallops special, which came with spinach and garlic mashed potatoes. Everything on her plate was delectable as well. Although there were only four scallops on the plate (we were joking about how massive my plate was compared to hers), each was seared just right, that perfect scallop texture inside. Total for the two entrees, two drinks (she got a glass of wine), a cup of coffee, and an appetizer, with tip and tax, was about $60. A bit steep for lunch, but we had a lot of grub to take home with us. Service was fine but somewhat indifferent. The decor was nice and rustic, as you might guess from the "Roadhouse" name, although it jarred somewhat with the prices.

We received just "OK" service at Eve, but the room was quite romantic with exposed brick and pipes set off by cool light bulbs. As a starter we had the mussels in a creamy curry. Usually I'm not too enthusiastic about shellfish, but I liked these a lot. The sauce they were bathed in was aromatic and had a delicate flavor. I was glad they gave us some chunks of bread to mop it up after we had finished the mussels. Unfortunately my girlfriend, who was in the mood for scallops again, failed to notice how similar the description of her entree's sauce was to the mussels' sauce. Her dish, torn pasta with scallops and prawns, though good, tasted very similar to the starter. We wish the waitress had noticed this overlap and forewarned us but perhaps that's too much to ask. Also, though the scallops were very good, she actually slightly preferred the scallops at the Roadhouse. Additionally, the chardonnay that she recommended with her dish did not taste like a $13 glass of wine. It was somewhat bland. On the whole, I got a much better deal: a wonderful glass of cabernet sauvignon that interacted nicely with the beef tenderloin with stilton. The tenderloin was just that--incredibly soft and supple and flavorful. Everything on the plate, from the asparagus to the sweet potato gratin to the dried apricots and figs (it seems like they had been cooked in some of the beef's gravy) was divine. We also shared a triple chocolate pot de creme which was heavenly, even though, again, chocolate isn't normally my favorite thing. Overall I was very pleased, but my girlfriend was slightly less impressed. It's also worth noting that Eve was quite expensive. Two glasses of wine, two entrees, one appetizer, one dessert was about $130. My point of reference is Chez Panisse in Berkeley. It was more expensive across the board than the cafe upstairs, but overall not quite as good, although the "room" was a lot fancier. Still, if you haven't had the tenderloin at Eve, and you live near AA, then "run, don't walk" as they say.

alimentation in General Midwest Archive

Palo Alto and nearby

Yeah, I've actually been to the Counter several times. I like their burgers a lot but the service has been absolutely horrible on more than one occasion. Once I ordered a burger, they brought me something other than what I ordered, I clarified, they brought me a second burger, and even that one was wrong. Everybody at my table was done by the time I got the right burger...

alimentation in San Francisco Bay Area

Palo Alto and nearby

You're making my mouth water! I'll have to try La Strada and report back. Iberia looks promising, too (love tapas).

Thanks for the tips.

alimentation in San Francisco Bay Area

Palo Alto and nearby

I know there are old posts on this topic, but I couldn't find any that were very recent or helpful.

My mom and dad live in Palo Alto and I visit them pretty often. The problem is, they like good chow when they're led to it, but they don't seek it out themselves so they often end up settling on yucky places like Zao and even (gasp!) Bucca di Beppo. We went to Evvia once for a special occasion. I thought it was good but wasn't overwhelmingly impressed. Also Evvia isn't necessarily the best place for them because they don't eat lamb ("that's a baby!" my mom would say).

So I'm looking for recommendations at any price level for chow within a 15 minute drive of Stanford's campus. Sushi places need not apply (they aren't very adventurous).

Thanks!

alimentation in San Francisco Bay Area

Belgian-style pommes frites?

Thanks for the warnings. I think I'll try Gregoire first. Anybody know what's good there other than the frites?

alimentation in San Francisco Bay Area

Ann Arbor -- best dishes at the best restaurants

I've heard mixed things about the Earle, but will have to try it for myself. What is panzanella?

alimentation in General Midwest Archive

where to find great pommes frites?

Despite the name, I found Frjtz to be very disappointing. I've travelled in Belgium a good amount, and these can't compare to the crunchy deliciousness of authentic frites from the streets of Brussels.

alimentation in San Francisco Bay Area

Belgian-style pommes frites?

Hey SF chowhounds! I've been to Brussels and eaten the most incredible pommes frites you can imagine from little stands on the street. Maybe you've shared my experience of fry heaven. I'm not quite clear on what makes Belgian-style frites unique... I think they may double-fry them, i.e. fry them once, cool them for a little while, then fry them again. Plus the sauces are amazing. Maybe it has something to do with the oil they use, or the potatos?

In any case, I'm looking for a restaurant in SF that can simulate authentic Belgian-style pommes frites. I tried a place in Hayes Valley that specializes in so-called frites, called Frjtz, but was very disappointed.

Any ideas? I'd prefer not having to spend an arm and a leg, but I've got a craving so give me what you've got!

alimentation in San Francisco Bay Area