3 Days in New York: What is uniquely New York that are must Try's ?

The budget is inclusive of tax and tip. I may have a drink if something catches my eye but my guy is not a drinker. Although the budget is not fixed per meal. I would rather spend a bit more one meal that is worth the money and than the next meal have a whole in the wall to compensate financially. Thanks!

issey in Manhattan

How to make Reservations at eithe Les Papilles and le chateaubriand

Ah ha, I guess with the English translation of their website the email address got cut off. So, my email got bounced back to me. Thanks for sending me the correct email for Les Papilles.

So, it is best to call Le Chateaubriand, L'Ami Jean and Guy Savoy to make reservations since they both have not responded to any of my emails?

issey in France

How to make Reservations at eithe Les Papilles and le chateaubriand

Please advise! I've been trying to email Guy Savoy, Le Chateaubriand and Chez l'Ami Jean to not avail!! Is there a Open Table site? Do I have to just call directly? I hesitate to call since I don't speak any French and don't wan't to come off as a Rude American.

Thank you you for any advice!

issey in France

3 Days in New York: What is uniquely New York that are must Try's ?

Thanks Kathryn!!!

I just made last minute changes to my flight to stop for a few days in in New York so unfortunately, I will not be able to book at those establishments that require more than an 2 week advance reservation. You hit it on the nail about focusing on mostly non-french and bit more economical places. Although I tend enjoy the more modern approach to food such as José Andrés it is more important to us to try food we cannot get in Los Angeles or go to chefs that are not available on the west coast. I'd like to keep the lunches to under $20-$35 and the dinners to under $30-$40 per person...I know I know not much you can do with such a low budget. But we will be spending a mini fortune in France. I did find a thread that had some great suggestions for pre-fix lunch menus.

I'm contemplating David Chang's Momofuko just because he is strictly east coat. But I do wonder how much different his dishes are than of those here in Cali.

Additionally, we we hoping to find some great happy hour eats at some higher end establishments so that we could try some the cuisine without breaking the piggy bank. I found another thread asking for the same question but unfortunately there was only 1 response

What! Brunch is served everyday here! Love it. Ok, any gastropubs, unique whole in the walls and street vendors!

Again my appreciation for your detailed response!

issey in Manhattan

Suggestions for the Latin Quarter

Any suggestions or advice for any must try restaurants in the Latin quarter. We already have Les Papilles on the list and would like to explore someplace with great hot (grilled foie gras). Any restaurants to have great modern french food for a great deal?

Thank you!

issey in France

3 Days in New York: What is uniquely New York that are must Try's ?

I will be arriving in New York on a Tuesday and leaving on a Thursday evening. I would greatly appreciate any advice on restaurants, happy hours, and food that is uniquely New York. I will stopping by New York on my return from France and couldn't resist staying few days but since this is a last minute change in plans I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed.

I really would like to try cuisine that are uniquely New York. I'd like to experience Restaurants and Chefs that are only in New York or the East Coast that I can't get back home in Los Angeles (or Very Close by Las Vegas). I will be around Manhattan and Soho but I'm willing travel to my food :)

Coming From Los Angeles, I already get to experience great Asian and Mexican food so those cuisines will not be on the top of my lists.

I'm will to go from a wonderful hole in the wall to fine dining but what to have what is the best or unique to New York.

Thanks for any advice!

issey in Manhattan

Now that Del Posto's is $39 for lunch...

Wow, I would love to hear more about these types of deals. Any more suggestions??

issey in Manhattan

Any Such Thing as a Happy Hour Menu in Paris??

Thanks Oakglen! So nice to have this information. I would appreciate any suggestions that you may have for District one. I am so overwhelmed with the research any suggestions on restaurants for lunch and dinner will be welcomed. We want to save by going to the more expensive place for lunch and going to the more moderately priced locations during diner. Thanks!

issey in France

Any Such Thing as a Happy Hour Menu in Paris??

Thanks Oakglen for the lead. I tried finding Le Rubis website without success. Would you know how to preview their lunch menu

issey in France

Any Such Thing as a Happy Hour Menu in Paris??

Thanks for the suggestion.

issey in France

Any Such Thing as a Happy Hour Menu in Paris??

I found a few places that have happy hour drinks but no luck in finding a menu. Thanks for the input!

issey in France

Any Such Thing as a Happy Hour Menu in Paris??

I wondered if any great restaurants have a happy hour menu for both drinks and food? Often we are planning late dinners and as a way of try more I wondered if they are Chow recommended locations with Happy hour drink and food menus so we can have a snack and sample more foods before late dinners. We will staying in the 1st arrondissement.

Thank you in advance for any suggestions!

issey in France

Suggestions for the 1st arrondissement Restaurant suggestions

Maceo looks great. Thank you for the recommendation. I'd love advise for 'Jock'...

issey in France

Suggestions for the 1st arrondissement Restaurant suggestions

Thank You Parigi!

issey in France

Suggestions for the 1st arrondissement Restaurant suggestions

Greetings!

This will be my first time in Paris and I've been combing through previous threads trying to avoid to squeeze in as much as possible. Honestly, the research has been overwhelming and I feel as if I will be missing many wonderful tastes. I will be renting a flat in the 1st arrondissement so I would love some recommendations on:

1. great grocery stores
2. boulangerie
3. pâtisseries
4. Locations to buy foie gras
5. locations for the best lunches
6. Places for the best dinners
7. Best wine bars
8. Best dinner location for under 50 E
9. Best lunch for under 30 E

of course we would appreciate any suggestions for all districts. Thank you so much for your help!

issey in France

Scored reservations for LudoBites 8.0

Please let us know the juicy details :)

issey in Los Angeles Area

Please Advise on Dinner and Dancing/Night life

Great idea but we recently went. Thanks for the suggestion!

issey in Los Angeles Area

Please Advise on Dinner and Dancing/Night life

Thanks Servong! But we are looking to going on a Friday or Saturday night. You suggestion is appreciated.

issey in Los Angeles Area

Please Advise on Dinner and Dancing/Night life

Oh we are planning on either a Friday night or Saturday night event. Most of us are in a mid-thirties and early thirties so we'd appreciate a bit more mature crowd :)

issey in Los Angeles Area

Please Advise on Dinner and Dancing/Night life

Thanks for the suggestion. Have you been to the bar? If you have what age group is it? Does it have dancing? Has anyone tried the food here?

issey in Los Angeles Area

Haven't seen too much written on Roy Choi's new restaurant, Sunny Spot yet. A quick reflection...

Underwhelmed would be the key word I would use to describe my experience at Sunny Spot. The the place had a good vibe. Although we sat in the reservation room the patio area looked great during warmer weather. The hostess and waitress were gracious and welcoming. Although the bus boys kept trying to collect our dishes before we were finished. We had to tell them over 3 times that we were finished w/a dish they were trying to take away!

The waitress explained that the dishes were served family style which implied to us that the dishes were larger and would be shared among the group. I think it would have been better to call the dishes tapas sized dishes.

We ordered:

YUCCA FRIES with banana Thai basil ketchup 4: I couldn't taste the banana but the basil was a nice touch. We were literally served about 8-10 individual fries.
MUH-F*K*N MOFONGO overripe plantains, bacon, garlic and black pepper 6 Very interesting and by far the most unique of all the dishes.
BLACK VELVET SOUP black beans, coconut milk and ginger oil 5. Nothing too outstanding.
*DIABLO PRAWNS with rum glaze, garlic butter and herbs 13
*BROWN SUGAR SCOTCH BONNET SHORT RIBS, grilled LA-county style 17.. By far the most disappointing. A very poor version of Korean BBQ. The ribs were small, chewy and luke warm.
Someone in a party tried the TWO FISTED BURGER with tomato ginger jam, arugula
cheddar and herb mayo 10. She requested no mayo but got it anyways. She said the burger was good. Many other reviews also stated the burger was good but I doubt this is the type of place you'd come for just a 'good' burger right?

Sounds like a lot of food that we ordered for 3 people right? We left still hungry! (except for the girl who ordered the burger)

issey in Los Angeles Area

Please Advise on Dinner and Dancing/Night life

We are celebrating a birthday with a group a woman and looking to find a place w/great food and Dancing. In an ideal world dancing would be on site without having to travel to a 2nd destination. If dancing was not an option than a 2nd option would be a location that had a destination bar/lounge area in the restaurant.

We have reservations at Fig & Olive. We reserved at table in the dining area and than reserved a table for later in the bar area for drinks and desert. I've had the food and it's great and the bar/lounge area is packed on a weekend. The only issue is it is a bit on the pricey side. The last time we were there for the dine LA lunch and we spent over $150 with the additional orders for 2 people. We did not even have any drinks so I would imagine with significant drinking may cost about $150 per person for diner.

So, if you have suggestions were we can keep it at under $70- $80 a head that would be great! We are open to locations but prefer the Downtown, Beverly Hills, West Los Angeles, Culver City, Century City areas. Pasadena area would be great also but I haven't been too impressed with the food I've had in that area.

Thanks sooo much for any advice or suggestions that can be provided.

issey in Los Angeles Area

Dine LA Jan/Feb 2012 Reviews

Went to Fig & Olive and was very pleasantly surprised. The wait staff was friendly and smiled. I had heard the people at the front desk were rude but we did not have any difficulties. Yet, again it might be that we went for lunch instead of dinner. I've heard the bar area is packed on a Friday and Saturday night so maybe the front desk service declines as the volume of guest increase.

We started with ther BEEF CARPACCIO:Filet mignon, 18 year old balsamic vinegar, baby arugula, tomato, parmesan & SEA SCALLOPS & TRUFFLE ARTICHOKE TAPENADE (add $5). The Carpaccio was perfect and recommended by the people at the next table. The scallops and a perfect crust of brown while being tenders and sweet inside. We also ordered the salmon ceviche which is just ok. The salmon was a bit too over cooked. It was good but not great and I wouldn't order it again. In addition we ordered the bread basket for an additional $9. It came with various jams such as fig, marmalade, mustard, and berry.
We also requested the rosemary bread..yum with 3 various scented olive oils. The most distinctive of the 3 was the oil with an apple essence.

For the second course we had TRIO DE LA MER BOUILLABAISSE Grilled scallop, lemon sole, striped bass, côte d’ azur fish soup, shaved fennel saffron garlic aioli and olive oil cracker - Saffron infused Olive Oil. Very good once deconstructed. It would have been a nice touch if the waiter came over to explain each dish but alas we figured it out. The safron aioli came on the side and was supposed to be drizzled into the bouillabaisse.

ROSEMARY LAMB CHOPS (add $7)
Grilled lamb chops smoked a la minute with a bouquet of Herbs de Provence goat cheese & chive gnocchi, roasted honey eggplant - Rosemary Garlic Olive Oil were cooked well and well seasoned. The only compliant is that the dish was a bit larger in portion. Three tiny lamb chops given but was not quite filling enough.

For the 3rd course we had both DESSERT “CROSTINI” Amarena Cherry, Mascarpone, Pistachio
on Shortbread with Micro-Basil CHOCOLATE POT DE CRÈME Crunchy Praline Financiers & Vanilla Cream. I didn't find the Pot de creme too interesting but the was unique. I'm not sure if I would return for just the 3rd course.

BTW: Fogo De Chao is no longer including desert with Dine LA. The quality of cuts seemed to have declined just a tad bit. It also could be that they were so mobbed that the meat carvers were a bit messy with slicing of the meat. So a normally thinly sliced piece of meat was more thickly cut rendering it bit more on the tough side.

issey in Los Angeles Area

Golds 99 essential restaurants 2011 up

Biggest Oversight goes to....urasawa

Least deserving......border's grill

issey in Los Angeles Area

Best Saturday Brunch or Lunch Recommendations???

Please advise on the best place for either lunch or brunch on a Saturday. We are coming from Los Angeles so we'd like to go to a place that is not available in LA. So the takes out Spago's and Bouchon and the such. Is the Mesa Grill any good?

Thanks for your help and recommendations!

-----
Bouchon
3355 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109

Mesa Grill
3570 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109

issey in Las Vegas

Mr. Pollo???

Thanks for the replies. I'll make the time to go!

issey in Los Angeles Area

Mr. Pollo???

I've been trying to find a Peruvian restaurant in the San Gabriel Valley so I wouldn't have to drive the west side for Peruvian food. Recently I heard about about a place call Mr. Pollo in West Covina. Has anyone tried it? If so I'd really appreciate an review or if it's worth trying out.

Thanks!

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Mr. Pollo
12563 Harbor Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92840

issey in Los Angeles Area

Dinela extended??

Has anyone been to La Cachette Bistro during DineLa??? If so how is it compared to the regular menu and is it a good deal?

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La Cachette Bistro
1733 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90401

issey in Los Angeles Area

Los Angeles Magazine Food Event

Thanks! According to Lamag....." the promo code is only for our event sponsors this year." Has anyone been to the event? I'd appreciate any feedback.

issey in Los Angeles Area