Portals and KM

Omaha, Nebraska Restaurants: A Local’s Favorites

It has been a while since I did a post on restaurants. Here is a list of where to eat in Omaha Nebraska from Steve Carter by way of Stan Garfield. It looks like my kind of places. I have only been to Omaha once to do some work for a client on their call centers. I will have to figure how to get back there.

Farmhouse Café - A great breakfast with cinnamon rolls the size of small children. Excellent omelets. It is located at 3461 S. 84th St. (402) 393-0640

Bohemian Café - A place for a hearty meal, lunch or dinner. Dumplings, kraut, goulash, great rye bread. “Serving mouth watering authentic European dishes since 1924, the Bohemian Café is a cornerstone in the South Omaha community.” 1406 13th St, (402) 393-0640

Howards Charro Café - Excellent enchiladas and tamales. My Travel Guide said, “Located near a number of Omaha attractions, including Henry Doorly Zoo and Rosenblatt Stadium, this restaurant offers authentic Mexican food at affordable prices (entrees range from $7-$9). With an atmosphere both casual and festively ethnic, this restaurant promises to be an excellent choice for a variety of dining occasions. Homemade taco shells and tortilla chips turn the everyday a la carte into a specialty item. On Friday and Saturday, guests enjoy the live music of Howard's own mariachi band.” It is located at 4443 13th St. South Omaha (402) 731-3776

Joe Tess “began as a neighborhood tavern in the 1930s. The main attraction became the Famous Fish Sandwich itself. Cut carp portions were fried in a skillet, placed in a cookie jar and sold for 15 cents. Ever since, the humble carp has been the driving force behind Joe Tess Place.” 5424 S. 24th St. (402) 733-4658

Where to Eat in Ocean City and Biloxi, Mississippi

Here is a continuation of my restaurant picks series. Julia Welch, the daughter of a friend, Nat, is doing a year with AmeriCorps and she’s posted in Mississippi just across the bay from Biloxi working on building houses for people displaced by Katrina. I have seen this spot in person shortly before Katrina and then saw the destruction from the hurricane many times on TV. She is writing a blog, Love is an Active Verb, about her experiences with Americorps. In Julia’s post on March 28, and i thought hello new shoes, bye bye them blues .. paolo nutini, she discusses three great sounding places to eat in Ocean City and Biloxi, MS. Here they are.

Chef Scott's Sushi Restaurant in Ocean City. The fish should be fresh. It is located at 711 Washington Ave, Ocean Springs, (228) 872-3544

Le Bakery and Café in Biloxi- “its cheap cheap cheap, but SO good... Vietnamese and yummy. I had this amazing coconut curry chicken sandwich and mango bubble tea.” Gourmet magazine has even commented on it, noting that the “Vietnamese-run bakery and sandwich shop, (was) the de facto commissary of the relief effort. “ It is located at 280 Oak St, Biloxi (228) 436-0850

The Shed ... “it is quite honestly the best Barbeque restaurant I have every eaten at.” The Shed describes itself as a BBQ and blues joint. There is a nice photo gallery on the web site where you can submit your own photos from the place. There are pictures of a number of the blues guys and a lot of happy people. It is located at 7501 HWY 57 Ocean Springs, MS 39565. Restaurant: 228-875-9590

Here are some pre-Katrina pictures of the area taken in the Spring of 2005.

Update on Restaurants in Jackson Wyoming- January 08

This is fourth posting on places to eat in Jackson Wyoming. See Updated Index to Cities and Towns with Restaurant Picks, for a listing of the other three. This time I found three new ones worth mentioning.

Chef’s Table – This is primarily a take out place with a few stools but they have wonderful soups, fresh breads, salads, and prepared foods. It is the place to have a quick lunch in Jackson without compromising quality. It is found at 945 W Broadway, Jackson, WY (307) 732-2433

Blu Kitchen – is so new that their web site does not work yet and there are no published reviews. It offers small plates, many are updated take son sushi and sashimi but there is also cerviche, as well as cooked local game dishes. It was wonderful. We had vegetable tempura, assorted sashimi, softshell crab, salad or sreaded zucchini and a nice oil and brown rice sushi roll, and a large chocolate chip cookie made in a small iron skillet. 155 N Glenwood, Jackson, WY (307) 734-1633

Planet Palate serves healthy, organic, and electic breakfasts. The first day we had corn griddle cakes (see below) and then I had a more traditional eggs, potatoes, and bacon the next day (on the right). At night they serve health food Indian. It is also recently opened and is so new there web site is not up yet. Here is a review, Crumbs in my 'Stache: A new taste of the East, in the local paper that talks about how they transform from a bakery to an Indian Restaurant at night. At night it is new age organic Indian, a different genre but excellent. I had banana dumplings in a spicy tomato sauce with brown rice. The naan was made with non-gluten rice flour and the samosas were lighter than those in traditional Indian restaurants but all very good. It is located at 145 N. Glenwood (next to Blu-Kitcehn) (307) 734-0882.

Tapas Restaurants in Boston and New York: Locals’ Favorites

Here is a supplement to my post yesterday on the tapas course I took at the Culinary Institute of America. If I sparked your appetite for tapas here is where to go in Boston and New York. I have been to all the Boston spots. I got the New York selections form Will Price, one of my classmates at the CIA tapas class.

Boston

Toro is a new Spanish tapas place started by the chef/owner at Cleo. It has received good reviews for the food but less so for the setting that is a bit crowded and dark, although we sat by the front window so it was not an issue. They have great pan con tomato which is always a test. It is located at 1704 Washington St (Cross Street: Massachusetts Avenue) Boston, MA 02118 (617) 536-4300

Dali is a Spanish restaurant with great tapas and complete meals. They have new tapas every week along with their regular. There is a long tapas bar and full seating in severlal small rooms. The site started as a drug store and then was The Pleasant Stock restaurant for years. Across the street is the Wine Cask, one of the best wine and cheese stores in the area. In the early 70s I had friends who worked there who had great parties upstairs after the place closed for the night. It is on the Cambridge border at 415 Washington St Somerville, MA 02143-4346 Phone: (617) 661-3254

Tapeo is owned by the Dali people. It is a good place to have tapas if you are in Boston. It received the 2007 CitySearch award for 'Best Group Dining.' 266 Newbury Street,
Boston, MA 02116

617-267-4799

Solea Restaurant & Tapas Bar
is also owned by the Dali group. I have been there and it is the best place I have eaten on Moody Street, a good destination when you go to the nearby Embassy Theater. 388 Moody Street,
Waltham, MA 02453
(781) 894-1805

New York - Manhattan

Casa Mono is Mario Batali’s “Spanish taverna with a New York sensibility.” The New York Magazine review says, “At Casa Mono and Bar Jamón, the latest Mario Batali–Joseph Bastianich creations, the plates may be pequeño, but the flavors are decidedly grande.” Fried calamari, $12; patatas bravas, $8; fried duck egg, $13; sliced skirt steak, $15. We made the first two at the CIA. It is located at 52 Irving Place between 17th and 18th Sts. Phone: 212-253-2773

Tia Pol – authentic, teaches courses “Tapas from the richly varied regional cuisines of Spain from Galicia to Andalucía, the Basque Country to Cataluña. An all-Spanish wine list as diverse as Spain's viticultural heritage.” It is located at 205 Tenth Avenue between 22nd and 23rd. 212-675-8805.

El Quinto Pino – New York Magazine calls it a “Tía Pol spinoff spurns the clichés of the tapas bar, but embraces its spirit.” Here is more – “El Quinto Pino honors Spanish tradition by offering some foods, like olives and anchovies, virtually untouched. But elsewhere, Raij and her chef de cuisine, Amorette Casaus, personalize the fare with unexpected flourishes. Five tender shrimp float in a pungent garlic sauce that’s infiltrated with ginger. The meaty bite in a chickpea-and-spinach stew comes from pimentón. And instead of gazpacho, Raij offers its so-called cousin, salmorejo, a creamy tomato emulsion with bits of hard-boiled egg and chorizo.” 401 W 24th St. New York, NY, 10079 - 212-206-6900

Xunta – Will said it is authentic, feels like you are in Madrid. New York Magazine writes, “A cozy East Village tapas bar with an authentic Spanish feel to its food, decoration, and dawdling service… Somewhat rough around the edges, Xunta is the perfect place to get a taste of Spain. 174 1st Ave, New York, NY, 10009 (212) 614-0620

Some Quebec Restaurants October 2007

I have been to Quebec many times so it was nice that business brought me there again. I discovered a new place that is worth returning and took in some favorites.

Mistral Gagnant is a Provencal restaurant located in the best shopping street in town with galleries, antique stores, and a several cooking supply places. Mistral Gagnant was recommended by a shop. It exceeded exceptions. I had what was described a beef stew with carrots, and potatoes. The plate had some nice beef with a rich http://www.saint-amour.com/ mushroom sauce, a terrine of carrots and turnips, zucchini strips with garlic, and scalloped potatoes. Each component was wonderful. It is located at 160, rue Saint-Paul, (418) 692-4260.

Saint-Amour – This is well-established upscale French restaurant, best in the Upper Old City, has won several awards. We had a nice dinner, artfully presented with multiple dimensional presentations. It is located at 48, rue Sainte-Ursule, Vieux-Québec, (Québec) Tel. 418-694-0667

L’ Echaude served us lunch on our first day. It is my favorite traditional bistro in the city. I have had many great dinners there but this was my first lunch. Just as good. The steak frites were wonderful. It is located around the corner from the Hotel Dominion on 73 Sault-au-Matelot (418) 692-1299.

Halles Petit-Cartier is a small food and shopping mall on avenue Cartier. There is a bakery, cheese market, and pastry store and much more. We stop there on our way out of town on every visit and load up for things to bring back and some more to eat on the way. It also provided a dinner on this trip. It is located at 1191 av. Cartier, 418/688-1635

Update on Boston and Cambridge Restaurants – August 07

It has been a while since I updated my local picks. The Improper Bostonian recently came out with theirs for 2007 so I will note where we agree. I will only include places where I have eaten with one exception that is noted. Before I start, here some of my past descriptions of the area’s restaurants: Boston Massachusetts Restaurants: A Local’s Favorites for 2007 and Cambridge, Massachusetts Restaurants: A Local’s Favorites.

New to this blog (many of these are not new to me but they are bakeries and shops that I did not cover before):

Toro – this was their best tapas choice – you sit in an open front and have traditional and creative tapas. I went when they first opened and look forward to a return. 1704 Washington Street, Boston, 617-536-4300

Flour – their best bakery for sticky buns – my wife often gets stuff for her staff meetings and brings home extras for which I am grateful. 1595 Washington Street, Boston 617-267-4300.

Iggy’s – their best bakery for bread – I have been a fan for years, starting when I lived near their place in Marblehead. Now you can get their bread in many groceries in Boston and Cambridge. They also have a place in Harvard Square near where I take art classes so I am constantly smelling their stuff and getting their coffee at breaks from painting. 10 Fawcett St. Cambridge, 617-491-7600

Finale – their best desert place – This is the place to get birthday cakes and deserts. 1 Columbus Ave. Boston 617-423-3184 – I go to the one in the Holyoke Center in Cambridge.

Henrietta’s Table – their best local ingredients and organic place – I often meet here for business lunches as I used to live around the corner. It is well done comfort food. The breakfasts are especially good if you want a big morning out. Charles Hotel Cambridge 617-661-5005

Pigalle – this was their best pre-theater choice - I was there for a friend’s 50th birthday party recently so it was a selected menu but the food and environment were great. I had the duck, a dish I rarely miss and this did not disappoint. 75 Charles St. Boston 617-423-4944

The Wine and Cheese Cask – their best wine and cheese shop - This place opened in the 70s and I knew some people who worked there then. They lived in an apartment over the place. After my apartment burned down I moved in for a few weeks. Almost every night the staff brought wine and cheese from the place and partied much of the night. It was fun but exhausting and I moved out after a few weeks when I got a new place. A few years ago I was back and talked with one of the staff about my experience. He said the tradition continues. He held out for year but had to leave to recover. What I like about the place is their advice. You name your price range and region or type of wine and they give you some good selections that they have usually tried or heard about first hand. They also publish an informative weekly newsletter. 407 Washington St. Somerville 617-623-8656

A few of the their places I have written about before include Dali, Oleana, Olive’s, Clio, Bristol Lounge, and Mistral

Places they missed (see other 2007 post for more details))

Zygomates – excellent traditional French bistro food with good live jazz. Ask to be in the room with music.

Davios – this high end Italian restaurant is the place for special occasions as they make you feel special. The antipasto is wonderful and the food is worth the prices. There is an excellent wine list with good advice from the wine steward.

Places already on my list to try:

Bob the Chef - their best comfort food - I have been wanting for some time to go this southern food place for their fried chicken and jazz. It also has many dishes form my hometown – New Orleans. 604 Columbus Ave. Boston 617-536-6204

Favorite Vietnam Restaurants in Oklahoma City

This time I am taking exception and not providing places from a friend but from the New York Times. I could not resist this article since I spent much of my childhood visiting nearby Norman, Oklahoma where many relatives lived. We would often go up the ”City.” I first did my highway driving on this road. In those days (late 50s early 60s) I never heard of a Vietnamese restaurant. The place was more known for the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum (1700 NE 63rd Street, 405-478-2250). The favorite fare was steaks and BBQ. I was even there when the whole state was dry. Restaurant would serve “set-ups” and the bootlegger would supply the alcohol.

Now I see this article, Good Morning, Vietnam ... er, Oklahoma from the NYT frugal traveler. The writer lived in Ho Chi Minh City, the former Saigon, in 1996 and 1997 so he has direct experience here. According to the article, Oklahoma’s capital has newly received a significant Vietnamese population — around 20,000. Hewre are his picks.

Pho Hoa (901 NW 23rd Street, 405-521-8087)- “The first bite was heaven, as if my taste buds had been in suspended animation all these weeks. The noodles were thin but firm, the broth redolent of star anise, topped with thin slices of rare flank steak and well-cooked brisket. I garnished it with bean sprouts, basil and ngo gai, a long, lemony leaf known as sawtooth or culantro, then squeezed in some lime juice and mixed it all together.”

Banh Mi Ba Le (2426 North Classen Boulevard, 405-524-2660), It is “famous as much for its outsize sign as for its warm mini-baguettes stuffed with roast pork, pâté, cha lua (a Vietnamese mortadella), lightly pickled daikon and carrot, cilantro and green chilies. I love them — especially when they cost $1.85.”

Banh Cuon Tay Ho (Little Saigon Shopping Center, 2524 North Military Avenue, 405-528-7700) “The signature dish, banh cuon, is a kind of northern Vietnamese ravioli — warm, thick, soft rice noodles filled with ground pork and mushrooms, and topped with bean sprouts, sliced cucumbers, cha lua and shredded mint. Here it was served with a fried cake of sweet potato and shrimp that was simultaneously salty and sweet, crunchy and creamy. In fact, I think the whole plate contained every known texture and flavor — and for a mere $6.”

Golden Phoenix (2728 North Classen Boulevard, 405-524-3988),
It serves, among other thigns, “a standard southern Vietnamese dinner — the kind of meal I ate every day a decade ago. First, a deep-fried soft-shell crab that dribbled its bubbling green juices into my rice bowl with every bite. Then water spinach stir-fried with garlic, fresh from the wok, the tubular stems crunchy, the leafy bits lush and juicy. A clay pot showed up full of caramelized braised fish, and finally goi ngo sen, a salad of cucumber and young lotus shoots threaded through with rau ram, a diamond-shaped leaf that tastes like cilantro but is spicier and soapier.”

Let me know if tried any of these and what your favorite steak and BBQ places are in Oklahoma City.

Updated Index to Cities and Towns with Restaurant Picks

I have now provided restaurant picks by friends for an increasing number of cities and towns. I also do a few myself. This blog post serves as an index to them with links for easy access. I will continue to update this index as I add more places.

Why do I write about restaurant picks by friends when Zagat and other places have plenty of reviews for most cities? My reviews are by people I know and trust their tastes. I do not know the people in Zagat’s or Gourmet. etc. and I do not always agree with them even though I do use them as useful input. You just have to decide how much you trust me versus the “official” guides. I certainly do not pretend to be an expert but I also am not connected with any places or have an agenda except to give my opinion and those of people I trust. I just know what I like and the list is part of my personal knowledge management system. I often consult it myself went going on a holiday or business trip. I hope it helps you, also. Here is a post that explains it in more detail, Restaurant Reviews – Why I Blog Them. In this post I also show how I both agree and disagree with another ’official” reviewer, Gourmet Magazine.

Here are the places:
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Belmont and Somerville, MA lunches
Boston, MA - city limits
Boston, MA - surroundings
Boston and New York - Where to get good coffee
Boston Chinatown
Boston Late Night
Boston Massachusetts Restaurants: A Local’s Favorites for 2007
Boston Area Restaurants 2007: Part Two Surrounding Area
Carolina BBQ
Cambridge, MA (1)
Cambridge, MA (2) update
Detroit
Detroit Restaurants: Part Two: Heavy Eating
Hanover, NH
Iowa City
Jackson, Wyoming
Jackson. Wyoming Update (2/06)
Jackson, Wyoming Cowboy Dance Bars
Jackson Update 5/07
Los Angeles
Los Angeles Fast Food
Maggie Valley, NC
New York – Midtown and Village
New York - Upper West Side
New York – ICoppi & Savoy
New York – Spotted Pig & Magnolia Bakery
New Orleans – my picks
New Orleans – Harmony St. Charles
New Orleans Update 5/05
New Orleans 11/05 update
New Orleans Update 4/06
New Orleans 2007 Update on Restaurants
New South Cusine
Northern Michigan
Oklahoma Barbecue
Onset, MA – An Occasional Visitor’s Favorites
Philly Cheese Steak
Pioneer Valley (Amherst) MA Area
Pioneer Valley (Amherst) MA Area Brew Pubs
San Francisco – unlimited budget
San Francisco - ethnic
San Francisco –good value
San Francisco - Cafe Kati
San Francisco Italian
San Francisco - 11/06 Update'
Update on the San Francisco Restaurants – 5/07
Update on the San Francisco Bay Area (and Wine Country) Restaurants – 5/07
Santa Fe
Santa Fe Update
Seattle
Seattle (healthy)
Somerville, MA - Cafe Belo
St. Louis
Tuckee, Nevada
Upper Cape Cod Massachusetts
Vermont Country Inns
Victor, Idaho
Washington, DC
Western Michigan
Williamsburg (Brooklyn) New York
Williamburg Update 4/06

Canada
Quebec (1)
Quebec (2)
Quebec Country Inns – Eastern Townships
Toronto
Toronto Update (3/06)
Vancouver

Europe & Asia
Barnes, UK
Bombay (Mumbai), India
Geneva, Switzerland
Istanbul, Turkey
Lucca, Italy
Lugano, Italy
Paris (1)
Paris (2) – Frenchguys.com
Meals in Paris September 2006
Eating in Honfleur, Normandy Coast
Rome
Sardinia & one from Rome
Sardinian Beach Bars
Singapore
Zurich, Switzerland

Update on Amherst MA Restaurants: Tabella

Here is a great place to eat in Amherst. Tabella, Spanish restaurant, has recently opened at 28 Amity Street, Amherst, MA (413) 253-0220. My friend Don Lesser did a review of Tabella that you can find on his blog. He wrote, “Among the dishes that my friends and I have enjoyed are an orange curry crusted cod sprinkled with pistachios ($13) and pan-seared calamari with roasted red peppers, olives and shiitake mushrooms ($9). My friend Betsy tells me she’s never had a bad fish dish at Tabella. The meat is pretty good as well — offerings like organic leg of lamb with a mint pesto creme fraiche ($19.50), a curry, grape and pistachio-spiked organic free-range chicken salad ($11) and grilled venison with an Earl Grey smoked pepper sauce ($15).” Then there is the “Moroccan chickpea fries ($7.50) arrive stacked like Lincoln Logs in a pool of chili aioli. The outer crunch quickly melts away into a cumin-spiked creaminess that is surprising if you were thinking french fries.” It sounds worth going to many times.

Chowhound agreed with Don about Tabella and said “Standouts were the free range chicken wings served with a creamy lemongrass dipping sauce (the wings were SO much larger and juicier than their non-organically raised counterparts), seared duck with fig and port sauce, balsamic braised brussels sprouts with chestnuts, and a curried cod dish served with kale.” All sound good to me.

Jackson Wyoming Restaurants May 2007 Update

I recently returned to Jackson Wyoming to visit my daughter who works for Alpinist Magazine. We ried some new places and I think the food has improved. The three dinner spots were better than any of the Jackson places experienced on the last trip.

Dinner:

Old Yellowstone Garage - OYG is an Italian place specializing in Genovese and Piemontese food that is excellent for any town. I would rate it a close second to Trio but would also be very happy to return many times. I had fresh marinated calamari. We also had a brown butter sage gnocchi. Their antipasti looked very tempting. OYG is likely the place that collects the most awards in town. It is located at 175 Center Street – 307-734-6161

Trio was the best of the bunch, even though the others were quite good. It has “American bistro” food in a nice décor. I had crab and shrimp bisque followed by Idaho trout nicely done with blackened corn. Like the OYG, it has wood oven pizza. It is located at 45 S. Glenwood 307-734-8038.

Rendezvous Bistro provides comfort bistro food. I had a nice duck confit with bacon and onion spaetzle. They also allowed a substitute for the other side so I could get the chipolte corn. My daughter always gets the venison. It is on the west side next to Albertson’s on Broadway – 307-739-1100.

Lunch:

The Granary – is supposed to have the best bison burgers in Jackson and a hill top view of the Teton range. We had lunch and the burgers were huge and good, more flavorful than most beef burgers. The view is also the best for a place to eat so it is a good place to start when you first arrive.. It is located in the Spring Creek Resort on top on the East Gros Ventre Butte – 307-733-8833

Dornan’s is located right outside the park so it is a favorite of climbers on the way back from the Tetons. It is only place before town. My daughter, who is a climber, often does this. This time we were coming back from a canoe trip. I was just expecting a good view but we had great pizza on the roof looking back at the Teton range. 307-733-2415

For breakfast we went back to the Bunnery (800-349-0492 – 130 N. Cache) and Shades (307-733-2015 – 75 S. King Street). They were just as good as before and highly recommended. Both have excellent egg dishes. The Bunnery also has excellent bakery for take out.

Update on the San Francisco Bay Area (and Wine Country) Restaurants – 5/07

This is a continuation of yesterday's posts on San Francisco. My daughter picked Chez Panisse in Berkley to celebrate her acceptance to grad school, even though she is actually going to Stanford, not Berkley. Future visits will have to cover Palo Alto. Chez Panisse recently made the list of the San Pelligrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants at number 40. I have not been to the top 39 but this is a great place but I have been to Chez Panisse before. Alice Waters, the founder, also got the life time achievement award. It did not disappoint this time. We had a wonderful fresh zuccini salad with mint.

We also did some other field trips to Tiburon and the Healdsburg in the wine country.

Guaymas Restaurant, a waterfront Mexican place in Tiburon with a view over to the San Francisco skyline and Angel Island. Wonderful cerviche. t is located at 5 Main Street, Tiburon, 415-435-6300.

Cyrus is an upscale place in Healdsburg. The food has received rave reviews as much more affordable version of the French Laundry but it is still quite pricy. To their credit we did find the food very innovative and high end. I especially like the crab ravioli. Often when you get ravioli with crab, lobster, or some other subtle filling you cannot taste the filing. They got around this by placing a generous amount of crab and other stuff on a wide ribbon of pasta so you could make your own proportion of filing to pasta. Each dish was high quality. The duck was as good as any I have had.

The only down side to Cyrus was our head waiter who was very snobby. Once it became clear we were not ordering the most expensive options (even still it was the most expensive place we visited) he lost interest in us. I felt like I was being served by a salesman, not someone who was interested in my enjoyment of the meal. Then we got to listen to the exact same sales pitch (complete with the same intonation) five more times to nearby tables. The other service people were fine. I did not let his actions spoil the dinner and he may be the only bad one. The food is good. It is located at 29 North Street, Healdsburg, CA.

Dry Creek Kitchen is run by Charlie Palmer, who started with the Aureole in NYC and now has places in several cities. The wait staff was very helpful and friendly. They allowed for some substitutes. I had the best hanger steak there that I have very eaten. It was marinated and very rich. There is a fine all Sonoma County wine list. Dry Creek Kitchen is located at 317 Healdsburg Ave. 707-431-0330.

Update on the San Francisco Restaurants – 5/07

We recently went to San Francisco to visit my daughter. It was an occasion to try a number of places to eat. I recommend all of those below and would return to any of them. Although we will likely continue to try new places on future visits, as she will now be there for at least five more years. I will start with my daughter’s neighborhood, the Cole Valley, above Golden Gate Park.

Zazie is a French bistro with and fine garden for eating in the back. It is a repeat from my last visit in October. As City search says, “Breezy Cole Valley bistro serves French-Cal cuisine to deal-seeking locals… A quaint Parisian vibe prevails--from street-side tables flanking the entrance to a mint-and-white tiled floor inside and framed French posters lining the dining room's brick wall. Beyond a semi-exposed kitchen awaits a two-tiered patio surrounded by flowers and foliage.” I agree. It is located at 941 Cole Street 415-564-5332.

Boulange de Cole Valley is one of the better bakeries I have visited. We have some good ones in Boston but I have to admit that this is better. It has become a regular breakfast stop when in the area. This time we bought an art work hanging there. The owner is from Maine and his family has run a bakery in the Portland area for several generations. It is located at 1000 Cole St (Cross Street: Parnassus Avenue) San Francisco, (415) 242- 2442

Reverie was a new find for breakfast with excellent frittas (with potatoes and bacon) and brioche. There is a garden in the back with flowers and a waterfall. It is located at 848 Cole Street 415-665-5020.

Firefly is a fine neighborhood place in the Noe Valley, only a little ways over from the Cole Valley. It has regional food nicely done with a friendly staff. A number of comfort food items are on the menu like excellent fried chicken and biscuits (we tried it). There is a no sign outside, just a large metal fire fly. Located at 4288 24th Street 415-821-7652

Greens is one of the original gourmet vegetarian restaurants. I have had their first cookbook for some time and they now have several. Fresh local produce is the starting point. Even non-vegetarians like myself will like it. My first visit to the actual place did not disappoint. It is on the waterfront at Building A, Fort Mason Center Restaurant: 415-771-6222 Greens to Go: 415-771-6330

Tomorrow I will cover our meals outside the city.

Boston Area Restaurants 2007: Part Two Surrounding Area

Here are my updated suggestions for the Boston area, outside the city limits. This list has more on the less expensive side that the Boston list. It also consolidates stuff I have posted on incrementally. I guess this these places are cheaper because I go them more often. It does not include Cambridge as I covered it separately.

Blue Ribbon Barbecue (Arlington) It is rated as the top place for ribs in the Boston area. You can buy the tender, slow-cooked, pit-smoked meats (which include pulled pork, burnt ends, beef brisket, pulled chicken, and hot sausage) three ways: sandwich, platter, and "bulk." Blue Ribbon is located at 908 Massachusetts Ave. 781 648 7427. There is also a branch at 1375 Washington St, West Newton, 617 332 2583.

Warren Tavern (Charlestown) - burger and beer in historic setting. George Washington ate here and Paul Revere considered it a favorite. Perhaps some Ives ancestors also stopped in. Their site tells us that, “The Warren Tavern was probably the first building erected in Charlestown after the British razed the town during the Battle of Bunker Hill on 1775. It was founded by Captain Eliphelet Newell in 1780. Newell had been believed to have been a participant at the famous Boston Tea Party.” It is known more for the setting than the food but it provides good bar food. The Warren Tavern is located at 2 Pleasant St, Charlestown, 617-241-8142.

Neighborhood Restaurant and Bakery (Somerville) for breakfast. It is Portugese and amazing. A Boston Phoenix review raves about their experience and writes, “A plate of buttery eggs, spiced hashed browns, and mildly biting linguiça ($6.99) was perfectly simple and simply perfect.” It is located at 25 Bow Street, in Somerville, is open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. (617) 628-2151.

Blue Ginger – This is a great place for Asian food in the Western suburbs. It is located in Wellesley and has received great reviews. Zagat’s says, “Rising above the fusion fray, chef-owner Ming Tsai sets the standard for East-meets-West cuisine with a transcendent menu that more than lives up to the buzz.” I have been there once and see why. The chef-owner has two cook books, “Blue Ginger” and “Simply Ming: East Techniques for East-Meet-West Meals.” It is located at 583 Washington Street, Wellesley, 781-283-5790.

Woodman’s – This is where the fried clam was invented. It still serves the best fried clams and onion rings I have tasted. Over 85 years ago, Lawrence "Chubby" Woodman invented the fried clam and the place has been providing them ever since. It is located at Route 133, Main St. Essex, MA on the North Shore of Boston (978) 768-6057 (800) 649-1773 and the clams come from the same town.

Vicki Lee’s – Belmont - Paul Tamburello of PT at Large recommended this great café and bakery in Bemont in the Cushng Square area where I lived in the late 70s. There is an espresso bar and old-fashioned soda fountain. The retail area offers hard-to-find ingredients and. They also do catering as well as tasting and cooking classes. The Vicki Lee’s web site has great pictures that you can enlarge. Vicki Lee’s is located at 105 Trapelo Rd, Belmont, (617) 489-5007. Another friend just went there on my recommendation and really liked it. Here is a great and more comprehensive write up that Paul recently did, Vicki Lee’s Café, Superb food on a small scale.

Kebob Factory – Somerville – I walk past this place a lot and have admired their $8 lunch buffet. Recently, I had lunch with a colleague there and it exceeded expectations. It is located at 414 Washington Street, Somerville, MA 02143
(617) 354-4996.

The Wine & Cheese Cask - Somerville - has been around for some time. I briefly lived above it in the early 70s. with some friends who worked there. They would party after work with stuff they brought up from the place. Apparently that tradition continues. It has a great selection of wines and smart people to help you figure stuff out. They also have excellent cheeses and meats such as serrano ham. Owing to the presence of the Spanish restaurant, Dali, across the street they have extensive Spanish wine, cheese and meats. Dali’s is only open at night. I covered it in a previous post and I highly recommend it for tapas. The Wine & Cheese Cask is located at 407 Washington St. Somerville, 617-623-8656

My barber told me about this great Brazilian place nearby him in Somerville, Cafe Belo. It is self-serve with a wonderful buffet. They also offer Brazilian BBQ. As their site says, “Brazilians were the first to raise cattle in South America, imported from Cape Verde to São Paulo in the 1530s. Churrasco (pronounced shoo-RAS-koo) or Brazilian barbecue was the traditional staple food of the gaúchos or cowboys of Southern Brazil for centuries before it spread to Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo….many places are called churrascaria de rodízio because waiters move from table to table bringing different types of meats on skewers from which they slice portions onto your plate…The meats used most often are Brazilian sausages, different cuts of beef, pork tenderloin and chicken…White meats are marinated overnight in a mixture of garlic, salt and lime juice. The red meats are seasoned with sea salt only.” This place doesn’t have swords but the staff is very friendly.

Boston Massachusetts Restaurants: A Local’s Favorites for 2007

I have spent most of the past 40 years in the Boston area, except for brief stays in New York, Toronto, and London. I now live in Cambridge, (see Cambridge, MA Restaurants for my suggestions there). There are many more places in Boston and it is time I update my picks. It has been almost two and half years since I first posted on Boston. Here are a few of the ones that I like. With the exception of Artu, Toro, and Rabia, these are more for a big night out than everyday dining so I do not get to them as often as I might like. Please provide your suggestions to add to this list.

Part One, today, includes places in Boston proper that I have been to in the last few years and Part Two, out next weekend, covers the greater Boston area, except for Cambridge.

Davios describes itself as a Northern Italian steakhouse. It is much more and has a wonderful wine list. Antipesto includes: La Quercia Americano Proscuitto, Caramelized Pear, Sardinian Goat Cheese, Pan Seared Jonah Crab Cake, Caramelized Fennel, Watercress Olive Salad, Aioli, and Philly Cheese Steak Spring Rolls™, Spicy Homemade Ketchup. Now I have had Sardinian goat cheese in Sardinia and Philly Cheese steak in Philly but I sure their variations will take them to a new level. Here are a few of favorites Fettuccini, Roasted Butternut Squash, Brown Butter, Sage, Caramelized Apple; Sautéed Calamari, Anchovy, Shallots, Garlic, Lemon, Hot Pepper, White Wine, Cream; and Roasted Haddock, Smoked Tomato Leek Broth, Toasted Fregola, Littlenecks. So more than steaks, it is located at 75 Arlington St. , Boston MA, 02116 Tel: (617) 357-4810.

Hamersleys' Bistro - another great place for a big night out. We went there recently for my wife’s birthday. Their site (which has good pictures and recipes) writes, “We see Hamersley's as an elegant Boston translation of the homey, family-run country bistros of France. You'll see how the beautiful architecture of the restaurant reflects the meeting of France and New England, with the rough wooden ceiling beams salvaged from a Connecticut barn in harmony with French tapestry florals. The open kitchen- one of Boston's first- creates a lively, fun touch, and gives Gordon Hamersley a chance to show us all how much he just plain loves to cook.” There are often notable Boston celebs dining with you. It is located at 553 Tremont Street Boston, on the corner of Tremont and Clarendon and next door to the Boston Center for the Arts. 617-423-2700

Zygomates is a French bistro that provides great live jazz to go with their excellent food. Be sure to sit on the music side. We went there recently and were glad we did. We heard Marianne Solivan, a wonderful jazz vocalist with her band. The menu is classic French bistro and both the duck and the duck confit are excellent, as are the pommes frites. It is located at 129 South Street Boston MA 617.542.5108.

Clio is another French influenced restaurant run by chef Kenneth Oringer. It has some of the best visuals I have seen on a restaurant web site, real food porn. There are pictures of almost every dish. Some that strike me are Louisiana crayfish bisque with morels and chervil flowers and sauted frogs legs with wild herbs, marcona almonds, and crispy potatoes. I am sure they are nothing like the stuff that my relatives made as I grew up in New Orleans but still good. They have good looking duck also and I am sure that you do not have to pick out the bird shot as we did as kids. It is located at 370 Commonwealth Ave. Boston. 617-536-7200.

Toro is a new Spanish tapas place started by the chef/owner at Cleo. It has received good reviews for the food but less so for the setting which is a bit crowded and dark, although we sat by the front window so it was not an issue. They have great pan con tomato which is always a test. It is located at 1704 Washington St (Cross Street: Massachusetts Avenue) Boston, MA 02118 (617) 536-4300

Rabia (North End Italian) -- City Search says, “One of the North End's hidden gems delivers scrumptious Italian fare in a charming setting… While the kitchen prepares all the expected favorites with great aplomb, it stands out for its inventive preparations of fresh fish.” It is located at 73 Salem St, in Boston’s North End. (617) 227-6637

Mamma Mia has long been my favorite Italian place in the North End. There is grilled calamari with fennel and herbs and then good adaptations of Italian themed fish and meat such as Pan-seared tenderloin of pork with sweet Gorgonzola Dolce and wood-grilled heirloom vegetables and Homemade spinach spaghettini tossed with fresh Maine shrimp, smoked bacon and sweet local corn, It is located in an old brick building at 3 North Square near Paul Revere’s house. 617- 523-0077

Artu is one of my North End favorites for lunch. City Search agrees and writes "One of the North End's top spots for an affordable, well-prepared meal resides just off of busy Hanover Street...Artu's location--along a narrow side street in the heart of the North End--belies its big-time flavors. The kitchen's smoky grill churs out delicious roasted vegetables that make up a fine antipasto place and terrific meat (try the rotisserie chicken). Also available are excellent pastas and, at lunch, delectable panini sandwiches." I have had the porchetta twice. It is an intense garlic marinated eggplant and roast pork panini. They make the contents themselves. I like to eat the filling first and then have pieces of the bread which have absorbed the flavors of the filling second. The bread becomes like stuffing. Artu is located at 6 Prince St, Boston, MA 02113 Phone: (617) 742-4336.

Lala Rokh is a Persian restaurant that is a great introduction to this flavorful food. The owners, Azita-Bina Seibel and Babak Bina, write on their site, “we use ingredients, staples of our parent's from native Azerbaijan in northwest Iran, to recreate the home style Persian cuisine we grew up with.” Here is a link to the legend around the title. Persian cuisine focused on smells as much as tastes. For example, Mirza Ghasemi, is an appetizer from the Caspian Sea region with a smoky blend of roasted eggplant, garlic, tomato, and saffron. Morgh Pollo is Saffron seared chicken in a light tomato broth and Basmati rice perfumed with cumin, cinnamon, and rose petals topped with barberries. It is located at 97 Mt. Vernon St. on Beacon Hill, Boston, 617-720-5511.

Updated Index to Cities and Towns with Restaurant Picks

I have now provided restaurant picks by friends for an increasing number of cities and towns. I also do a few myself. This blog post serves as an index to them with links for easy access. I will continue to update this index as I add more places.

Why do I write about restaurant picks by friends when Zagat and other places have plenty of reviews for most cities? My reviews are by people I know and trust their tastes. I do not know the people in Zagat’s or Gourmet. etc. and I do not always agree with them even though I do use them as useful input. You just have to decide how much you trust me versus the “official” guides. I certainly do not pretend to be an expert but I also am not connected with any places or have an agenda except to give my opinion and those of people I trust. I just know what I like and the list is part of my personal knowledge management system. I often consult it myself went going on a holiday or business trip. I hope it helps you, also. Here is a post that explains it in more detail, Restaurant Reviews – Why I Blog Them. In this post I also show how I both agree and disagree with another ’official” reviewer, Gourmet Magazine.

Here are the places:
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Belmont and Somerville, MA lunches
Boston, MA - city limits
Boston, MA - surroundings
Boston and New York - Where to get good coffee
Boston Chinatown
Boston Late Night
Carolina BBQ
Cambridge, MA (1)
Cambridge, MA (2) update
Detroit
Detroit Restaurants: Part Two: Heavy Eating
Hanover, NH
Iowa City
Jackson, Wyoming
Jackson. Wyoming Update (2/06)
Jackson, Wyoming Cowboy Dance Bars
Los Angeles
Los Angeles Fast Food
Maggie Valley, NC
New York – Midtown and Village
New York - Upper West Side
New York – ICoppi & Savoy
New York – Spotted Pig & Magnolia Bakery
New Orleans – my picks
New Orleans – Harmony St. Charles
New Orleans Update 5/05
New Orleans 11/05 update
New Orleans Update 4/06
New South Cusine
Northern Michigan
Oklahoma Barbecue
Onset, MA – An Occasional Visitor’s Favorites
Philly Cheese Steak
Pioneer Valley (Amherst) MA Area
Pioneer Valley (Amherst) MA Area Brew Pubs
San Francisco – unlimited budget
San Francisco - ethnic
San Francisco –good value
San Francisco - Cafe Kati
San Francisco Italian
San Francisco - 11/06 Update
Santa Fe
Santa Fe Update
Seattle
Seattle (healthy)
Somerville, MA - Cafe Belo
St. Louis
Tuckee, Nevada
Upper Cape Cod Massachusetts
Vermont Country Inns
Victor, Idaho
Washington, DC
Western Michigan
Williamsburg (Brooklyn) New York
Williamburg Update 4/06

Canada
Quebec (1)
Quebec (2)
Quebec Country Inns – Eastern Townships
Toronto
Toronto Update (3/06)
Vancouver

Europe & Asia
Barnes, UK
Bombay (Mumbai), India
Geneva, Switzerland
Istanbul, Turkey
Lucca, Italy
Lugano, Italy
Paris (1)
Paris (2) – Frenchguys.com
Meals in Paris September 2006
Eating in Honfleur, Normandy Coast
Rome
Sardinia & one from Rome
Sardinian Beach Bars
Singapore
Zurich, Switzerland

San Francisco Restaurants - A November 06 Update

I was recently back in San Francisco to visit my daughter who recently moved down from Seattle and now works for Sierra Magazine. She lives in the Cole Valley just up from the Haight where I spent some time in 1967 during its good times. My daughter introduced me to three great places, two for dinner and one for breakfast and the sandwiches we took on a hike to Point Reyes. The sandwiches were so good I went there before my return flight to get food for the trip home. Here they are.

Zazie is a a great vaue for money place. As City search says, “Breezy Cole Valley bistro serves French-Cal cuisine to deal-seeking locals… A quaint Parisian vibe prevails--from street-side tables flanking the entrance to a mint-and-white tiled floor inside and framed French posters lining the dining room's brick wall. Beyond a semi-exposed kitchen awaits a two-tiered patio surrounded by flowers and foliage.” I agree. I had a great duck dish. We shared a polenta with mushrooms and blue cheese as a starter. I would go back any time It is located at 41 Cole St (Cross Street: Carl Street) San Francisco (415) 564-5332

Quince was the birthday celebration place. It is very high end and a bit pricy but well worth it. We had one of the better pastas I have tasted, rivaling some in Italy. It was a butternut squash ravioli that was so light it seemed to float on the plate. I went for duck again as the main course and they were able to do it rare. We stared with a yellow chanterelle mushroom and onion tart. Go there for a celebration. 1701 Octavia at Bush (415 775 - 8500

Boulange de Cole Valley is one of the better bakeries I have visited. We have some good ones in Boston but I have to admit that this is better. Great hot and cold breakfast items and sandwiches. I had a potato and pancetta tart and pecan sticky bun the first day and a quince and almond croissant. My daughter had a mustard chicken tart both days. City Seacrh seems to agree with us, "The breads and pastries at Boulange de Cole Valley can be even better than those in France. The cannelés de bordeaux (small cakes baked in wax-lined molds) are not to be missed; neither are the macaroons, available in a variety of flavors and packages. Along with perfect pains au chocolat and baguettes, the low-key hangout serves simple meals. Tartines (open-faced sandwiches) range from the traditional charcuterie with cured meat and pickles, to the innovative jardin with eggplant, tomato and béchamel sauce. Even the croque monsieur is the real deal--its layers of cheese, ham and béchamel broiled to perfection." It is located at 1000 Cole St (Cross Street: Parnassus Avenue) San Francisco, (415) 242- 2442

Great San Francisco Italian Restaurants: A Local’s Favorites

Camille Venezia is the Director of Workforce Research, Global Business Division, Knoll, Inc. She presented at the Dallas .. Her husband Angelo is Italian and runs two seasonal businesses in Zihuatanejo, Mexico from November to April. One is an Italian Deli/tratoria called Piazza d' Angelo. He does all the food preparation. The other is a scooter, kayak, bicycle, beach moto rental business. They lived in San Francisco for years and Angelo provides his favorite Italian places to eat there. They are listed below.

Florio - Fillmore Street (Pacific Heights) Open table writes, “Florio offers a variety of bistro and trattoria classics, a "greatest hits" of rustic cafe food- from steak & fries and pan-roasted all-natural chicken to roasted suckling pig and Tuscan-style seafood stew. Simple dishes such as slow roasted halibut and house made bolognese round out the comforting menu. Florio even makes its own gelato and sorbetto en casa!” It is located at 1915 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, (415) 775-4300

Ideale - Grant Street (North Beach), City Search says, “Maurizio the Roman chef's dishes reflect the way Italians really eat. An appetizer of zucchini with truffle oil and Parmesan cheese is so delicious it's difficult to share, as are the scrumptious, smoky bundles of grilled calamari with arugula. Pastas are homemade and merit return visits, including some toothy orecchiette with pecorino and rapini,” It is located at 1315 Grant Ave (Cross Street: Vallejo Street),

Ristorante Pazzia - 3rd St (near Moscone Center) City Search says, “The dining room also offers full views of the open kitchen. Starters include thin, light, tastefully dressed pizzas, salads and Italian bread. Entrees range from roasted rabbit in a rosemary, black olive and red wine sauce to lighter alternatives like the nightly fish dishes, fresh focaccia sandwiches or authentic special pastas.” It is located at 337 3rd St (Cross Street: Folsom Street), San Francisco, (415) 512-1693

Cafe Tiramisu - Belden Place (a charming alley in the Financial District). The Belden place site says, “If you want to experience a taste of Europe in downtown San Francisco, head for Café Tiramisu, a Northern Italian specialty restaurant located on Belden Place, between Bush and Pine Street. This little gem sports Fresco murals of Pompeii on its walls and outdoor café seating that offers some of the best people watching in the city.” It is located at 28 Belden Place, San Francisco, 415-421-7044

My daughter Sarah recently moved there and we will be soon be going to Quince, an Italian in Pacific Heights that sounds good. I will report on the experience. It is located at 1701 Octavia St (Cross Street: Bush Street) San Francisco, 415-775-8500. City Search says, “Chef Michael Tusk's seasonal fare fuses traditional Italian dishes with impeccable French technique. The winter menu flaunts several culinary showpieces, such as nettle sformato, a moist soufflé-like dish blanketed in béchamel-like fonduta.”

Istanbul Restaurants – A Local’s Favorites

As I wrote yesterday, Cenk Sonmezsoy writes Café Fernando, a food blog about Istanbul. Listed below are this five favorite places to eat in Istanbul. I visited the city in 1966 and 1972 and had a great time. The people were very friendly, the architecture interesting, and food was wonderful.. Here are Cenk’s picks with descriptions in his words:

Beyti: I think it is the best restaurant in İstanbul that serves authentic Turkish food. I did a piece on this restaurant. You can find it at this post, Durusu & Beyti (There are wonderful pictures) Address: Orman Caddesi 8, Florya, Istanbul, Phone: 212/663-2992

Çiya: I am 30 years old and I discovered this restaurant only 5 years ago. It is kind of like a hidden place in the Anatolian side of İstanbul but very popular among foodies. There are two Çiya restaurants on the same street. One of them is only serving kebab. The other one (which is my favorite) serves food from the Southwestern part of Turkey. Mainly vegetarian dishes. Very unusual combinations like meatball stew with sour cherry, a soup with a yoghurt base with chick peas in it. I took a vegetarian friend there once and she still can't stop talking about the place. Here is another English review of Ciya and its chef.

İskele Restaurant. This is the best fish restaurant by the Bosphorus. Everything is always fresh and the view is spectacular. Sorry no links to this restaurant. It is located at Yahya Kemal Caddesi 1, Rumeli Hisari, Istanbul (Phone : +90-212-263 29 97)

Another favorite is located inside the Grand Bazaar called Havuzlu. I posted about it in post on the Grand Bazaar – “where there are 4000 shops with most of them ranging between 2-3 sq. meters and crammed with people inside, pushing and poking while shopping like crazy.”

Most Turkish people may disagree with me but I have to name my fifth choice a small mantı restaurant called Aşkana Mantı (mantı is very close to ravioli - basically minced meat stuffed in small pieces of dough pockets, boiled in salty water and then served with diluted yoghurt with garlic and melted butter with pepper flakes.). The restaurant has a long history, very small shop that doesn't even accept credit cards. The menu consists of mantı, çiğ börek (type of phyllo dough with minced meat), garden salad and schnitzel. It is located at Metehan Sokak 1. - Tel: 0 212 268 74 42

Café Belo – Great Brazilian Food in Boston

I went to get my haircut in East Somerville and the barber told me about this great Brazilian place nearby, Cafe Belo. It is self-serve with a wonderful buffet. They also offer Brazilian BBQ. As their site says, “Brazilians were the first to raise cattle in South America, imported from Cape Verde to São Paulo in the 1530s. Churrasco (pronounced shoo-RAS-koo) or Brazilian barbecue was the traditional staple food of the gaúchos or cowboys of Southern Brazil for centuries before it spread to Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo….many places are called churrascaria de rodízio because waiters move from table to table bringing different types of meats on skewers from which they slice portions onto your plate…The meats used most often are Brazilian sausages, different cuts of beef, pork tenderloin and chicken…White meats are marinated overnight in a mixture of garlic, salt and lime juice. The red meats are seasoned with sea salt only.” This place doesn’t have swords but the staff is very friendly.

It was great and very inexpensive. You pay by the weight. There are locations all around the Boston area that you can fin don their site. The site has recipes also. The Somerville place is located at 120 Washington Street 617-623-3696. I will now time my haircuts for lunch.

Eating in Honfleur, Normandy Coast

Honfleur was once an important seaport guarding the entrance to the Seine. It is a now a fishing village and vacation place with a nice old harbor full of sailing boats. Our hotel gave us a list of places to eat. We had time to do some comparative menu shopping and were pleased with the two choices we made. The first has a great location beside the old harbor with good food. The second is in town on street with many old buildings in the half timber Norman style. It has the best food.

L’Ascot is right on the harbor edge, along with many others. After going around the harbor this seemed to have the best menu. We had mussels in a cream sauce, skate wing ina brown butter sauce, and chicken in a port wine/shallot/mushroom sauce that was so good I tried to replicate when we got home. Meanwhile, the sun set over the harbor and the moon rose. It is located at 76 Quai Sainte Catherine, Honfleur, 02-31-89-15-31.

Le Beard attempts to rise above the bistro food served in most places we encountered and largely succeeds. It is certainly value for money with more complex cooking than the other places we went, even in Paris, at very reasonable prices. They provided multiple tastes on each plate. We started with a fish soup with crème and some excellent duck foie gras pate. Then, we had a beef in red wine sauce encased in a pastry shell. It is located at 7 Rue du Poits, Honfleur, 02-31-99-53-48.

Meals in Paris September 2006

After spending a week in Paris and trying out a number of places suggested by guidebooks and by friends, we concluded the friends picks won out. Here is what we did. There will be more on Normandy tomorrow. The first three came from a friend and I have listed them before but now have tried each myself. The next one came form a guidebook and the last was just found.

L’ Epi Dupin 11 Rue Dupin 6th Ardst. – tel. 01 42 22 64 56 – It is a new French style. As the Economist guide says, “With its charming interior (note the Provençal-style stone walls and ceiling beams), inventive, affordable and oft-changing menu—this tiny restaurant…is deservedly a local favourite.” It provided the best single dish of the trip, a very tender duck breast with mushrooms and small potatoes in a creamy sauce.

La Bastide Odeon 7 Rue Corneille 6 th Ardst. – tel. 01 43 26 03 65 – It does French Mediterranean cooking and provided a change of pace for our last meal. We had an eggplant starter, followed by a wonderful roasted farm chicken in a light brown sauce. Desert was a chocolate cake with hot chocolate sauce trapped inside.

Boeuf Sur Le Toit 34 Rue du Colisee 8th Ardst. – tel. 01 43 59 83 80 – It is Brassiere style and the art deco setting provided a great context for our party of ten. It provided the best environment of all the places were tried and the food was decent.

Vieux Bistrot, 4th Ardst is listed in the Time Out Guide to Paris. I used Time Out a lot when I lived in London and they provide objective reviews. The guide said it was traditional bistro food done well and not to be discouraged by the tourist location next to the Notre Dame. I would agree on all counts but the prices were considerably higher than other places we tried. I had frogs legs and then duck with a green peppercorn sauce. I guess a few others read the guide as mostly Americans and Germans filled the place, unlike the other places we ate.

Pre Aux Clercs, Rue Jacob, 6th Ardst, was near our hotel. We found it for lunch when we were getting over our overnight flight and hungry. It gave us comfort food when we needed, a fine beef roasted in red wine sauce, a duck confit with fries.

Onset, MA – An Occasional Visitor’s Favorites

As I wrote last weekend, a few weeks ago we went to the 14th annual Onset Bay Blues Festival in one of our favorite towns, Onset, MA. It is located on the water near Cape Cod without having to go over the traffic filled bridges. At the same time it is much less crowded than most cape towns. We always stay at the Point Independence Inn located a beach point with water views on three sides. Every room has a expansive water views and the hosts are great.

In town, there is a great blues bar, the Onset Bay Blues Café that I have now been to several times. After a few visits, here is the story on where to eat. This is not a place for gourmet but just some good New England seacoast cooking. Those that try to rise above this are not successful so far from our experience so stick with the basics or have a picnic on the beach

Marc Anthony’s Pizza actually has a wide ranging menu and the best fried clams in town. It gets great reviews on Food Pundit. We had the clams and onions rings and they were as good as anyone’s but Woodman’s in Essex and Woodman’s invented the fired clam. This is the place to eat in Onset. The town listing says, “Every dish prepared by Marc Anthony's is completely home made and carefully cooked the slow old fashioned way. All orders are delivered hot to your office, home or function, ready to serve your guests.” They provide take out and delivery as you can see. It is located at 190 Onset Ave. 508-295-5956.

Pier View Restaurant offers breakfast only. We had a wonderful full breakfast there on a rainy October day last year. It is located at 201 Onset Ave, across form Marc Anthony’s 1-508-295-5968

Onset Bay Blues Café is known more for its music than its food but if you want to get a table early, the food is fine. The menu consists of “Kansas City BBQ. & Pub Fare.” have an Onset Bay Blues Café blog with one post. It is located at 2 West Central Avenue, Onset, Ma 02558, 508-291-2471

If you want a really great breakfast drive over to Adamsville, Rhode Island - about an hour away and go to the Barn. They had about seven variations on Eggs Benedict including one with lobster. I took the version with crab cakes. I now what to go back and try the others. It is located at 15 Main St, Adamsville, RI 02801 (401) 635-2985

Paris 2006 – A few Good Places

I am actually in Paris as you read this. I got some new restaurant suggestions from a rusted source. I first wrote about good place here in 2004, Paris Restaurants: A Local’s Favorite and then later the same year, When you go to Paris... from Frenchguys.com, Here are the new ones in the words of my source.

L’impasse
Located on Impasse Guermenee near the Bastille in the 4th arrondisement, this little restaurant is a family run, traditional French restaurant that is only moderately expensive. It is a short walk off Rue St. Antoine near the Bastille. It is around the corner from the Place des Voges, a wonderful stroll. 4, Impasse Guéménée, For reservations, call 01 42 72 08 45.:

Le Grizzli
This restaurant is more of a bistro near the Chatelet/Le Halle area. It is great for watching all the people who hang out in this area day and night. Located on 7, Rue St. Martin in the 4th arrondisement, call for reservations at: 0148 87 77 56.

Leon de Bruxelles
This is a chain restaurant that looks like an Olive Garden. It serves some of the best beer in Paris and features mussels served more ways than ever thought possible. It is cheap and is all you can eat. Yum! There is one branch on Rue Rambeteau near Le Halles and another at San Germain des Press near the Odeon.

Bombay (Mumbai) Restaurants; A Local’s Favorites

I asked my friend, Gautam Ghosh, about great places to eat in Bombay (Mumbai) where he lives. Gautam directed me to the blog of a friend of his, Karishma. He described her as a person who loves to eat and drink and is currently in Bombay (Mumbai). He said she can blog most passionately about food. I went and found Restaurants & Pubs. The tag line said, as Gautum told me, “I love to eat & drink. A Gastronome, a Food Critic, a Picky Eater, a Foodie... call me what you may. This is a place, for me to review places I have eaten and drunk at.”

The blog has a number of informative posts on places to eat in Bombay. I would check it out if you are going or if you live there now. The reviews follow a standard and useful format with all the contact information of the place. In the past I have always provided a list but Karishma’s blog will give you a dynamic look into the Bombay food scene.

Western Michigan Restaurants: A Local’s Favorites

Yesterday, Stan Garfield supplied this picks for northern Michigan. Today we will cover his picks for western Michigan. I have not been there so this is useful for me. Here are his picks by city.

Fennville (near Saugatuck) - Crane's Pie Pantry (and apple orchard - for dessert), Their site says, “The Pie Pantry is located in the back of a barn on Crane's working fruit farm. It seats about 80 people and its décor is of museum quality with antiques and memorabilia in every nook and cranny. “ You can also order the pies online. It is located at 6054 124th Ave. Fennville, 561-2297

Fennville - Su Casa (Mexican - in the back of a Mexican grocery store). It is located at 306 W Main St. (269) 561 - 5493

Grand Haven - Kirby Grill There site says, it is “Polenta Crusted Walleye, Greek Fisherman's Stew and their 14 oz. Ribeye Steak… the deck is a favorite place to kick back and watch boats, cars, and people go by while listening to guitar or steel drums.” It is located at 2 Washington Ave. Grand Haven, (616) 846-329

Grand Rapids - Rose's (on Reeds Lake) Their site says, “Overlooking Reeds Lake, Rose's has been a popular dining spot since 1993 in one of the most stunning natural settings in West Michigan. It is a historical landmark near Gaslight Village with a rich history dating back to 1901. Originally a bathing beach for tourists vacationing in Grand Rapids, then a local popcorn shop, Rose's is now one of Grand Rapid's favorite restaurants.” It is located at 550 Lakeside Drive Southeast, Grand Rapids 616-458-1122

Grand Rapids - Vitale' Pizza of Ada is actually in Ada, a suburb of Grand Rapids. I went there recently on a family visit to the area. It is much more than pizza. I had some great fried calamari with wonderful homemade marianna sauce that tasted very fresh. Their site says that all dishes are prepared from sractch and it tasted that way. It is located at 400 Ada Dr. SE, Ada, MI 49301, Restaurant: 616.676.5401, Takeout: 616.676.5400

Holland – Alpenrose is “ not just a restaurant. It's an idea: to bring an authentic taste of the Alps to downtown Holland.” You can take a video tour on their site. It is located at the corner of 8th Street and Central Avenue in Downtown Holland_Phone: 616.393.2111

Kalamazoo - Crow's Nest (breakfast), The reviewer for The Kalamazoo Gazette wrote, “Count The Crow's Nest among those restaurants that get it right. Creative meals. Fresh, natural ingredients. Low prices. After all that, at a recent dinner there I just about fell in love with the cook.” So perhaps he is biased. It is located at 816 S Westnedge Ave, Kalamazoo, 269 978 0490

Kalamazoo - Old Peninsula (pub) The Google reviewers liked it. It is located at 200 E Michigan Ave. Kalamazoo (269) 343-2739 (269) 343-5784

Macatawa (near Holland) - Piper Restaurant (on Lake Macatawa) It is located at 2225 South Shore Drive Macatawa ( 616 ) 335 - 5866

Saugatuck - Marro's (Italian), The yahoo reviewers thought it was great. It is located at 147 Water Street, Saugatuck 616-857-4248

Saugatuck - Restaurant Toulouse (fancy) Michigan,org says that is a “Charming country French style restaurant. Offers traditional provincial French cuisine as well as American and continental specialties.” It is located at 248 Culver Street, Saugatuck (269)857-1561

Spring Lake (near Grand Haven) - Arboreal Inn The chamber of commerce says that it is a “An excellent restaurant in a cozy, romantic Cape Cod setting featuring over 150 varies of wine.” It is located at 8191 174th Ave. Spring Lake (616) 842-3800

Union Pier - Timothy's Restaurant at Gordon Beach Inn, Tim received his degree in culinary arts in 1985 from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. His philosophy ““on food and business is simple and straightforward. Always use the finest and freshest ingredients possible, nothing less. Create flavors that contrast but, at the same time, compliment each other…” It is located at 16220 Lake Shore Road, Union Pier, (269) 469-0900

Union Pier - Miller's Country House Travel and Leisure writes, “Charbroiled favorites (such as New Zealand rack of lamb), a casual-chic setting, and the crispest service in the area make this a long-standing favorite.” It is located at 16409 Red Arrow Hwy. Union Pier; 616/469-5950

Northern Michigan Restaurants: A Local’s Favorites

Stan Garfield recently supplied the picks for Detroit Restaurants: A Local’s Favorite and then he expanded to cover Ann Arbor. Now he takes on the rest of the state. Today it will be northern Michigan and tomorrow we will cover western Michigan. Here are his picks by city. I have been to Traverse City and it is a very beautiful summer resort area. I still have some Petoskey stones from the trip. The Sleeping Bear dunes near Glen Arbor are wonderful. Visiting all these sites makes me want to go back.

Burdickville - Funistrada (Italian) has a great web site with an inviting photo gallery. Trattoria Funistrada was started in 2000 by Tom and Holly Reay. Tom was a former bartender at Art's Bar in Glen Arbor for 10 years (see below). It won the "Best New Restaurant in the North" award in July 2001 by Traverse Magazine. It is located at 4566 MacFarlane, Burdickville, MI 231-334-3900

Burdickville - La Becasse (French) The northen Michigan guide says it is “A delightful, cozy little inn located on Glen Lake in Leelanau County. It would be right at home in the French countryside and so would the fine French-accented cuisine. The menu changes weekly and is a superb blend of local delicacies and gourmet French cooking.” It is located at Corner of CR-616 and CR-675 Burdickville (231-334-3944)

Charlevoix - Grey Gables Inn, This 1875 Victorian, once part of the renowned Belvedere Club, was established as a restaurant in 1936. Darren & Kelly Romano, are Culinary Institute of America (CIA) graduates. It is located at 308 Belvedere Ave. 231-547-9261

Charlevoix - Terry's Place – another CIA grad offers many fresh fish dishes. It is located at 101 Antrim Street • Charlevoix, MI 49720 • 231-547-2799

Cross Village - Legs Inn (Polish) is an impressive stone covered building. Cross Village, once a thriving fishing and lumber town, is located on the northwestern tip of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Their sites syas, that “One man, Stanley Smolak, created the fantasy-like atmosphere of Legs Inn…. In the late 1920's, Stanley Smolak began building this extraordinary complex.” Go to the site to see it and read more. It is located at 6425 Lake Shore Drive 231 526-2281

Ellsworth - Tapawingo (fancy), Gourmet Magazine said that “cooking spoke eloquently for itself in course after course.” It is located at 9502 Lake Street, Ellsworth, (231) 588.7971

Ellsworth - Rowe Inn Their sites says that “Our signature dishes include white chocolate brownies, rack of lamb and morels stuffed with pecans. “ It is located at 6303 East Jordan Road, Ellsworth (231) 588-7351 • 1-866-432-5873

Glen Arbor - Barb's Country Oven (bakery – for cinnamon rolls and pecan rolls), It is located at 5921 Lake St Glen Arbor,, 231-334-3686

Glen Arbor - Art's Tavern – Their site says that “Art’s Tavern has been located at the corner of Lake Street and M22 is some form or another since before prohibition… Art’s is open seven days a week, 360 days a year, serving up good times and great food. Art’s proudly remains a “quaint piece of schlock” in an increasingly generic world!!” It is located at 6487 Western Ave Glen Arbor (231-334-3754)

Harbor Springs - New York Restaurant, established in 1904, offers “The New York Restaurant in downtown Harbor Springs offers eclectic cuisine in a comfortable setting, overlooking Little Traverse Bay's waterfront.” And the got a Wine Spectator award of excellence. It is located on Bay and State Streets in beautiful downtown Harbor Springs. 231 – 526-1904

Harbor Springs - Lorenzo's (Italian) Northern Express writes, “Lorenzo’s Casual Fine Italian Dining is truly a destination both for its casual yet sophisticated setting and for fabulous food that’s lovingly prepared and exquisitely presented. “We have an upscale look – our food is presented in such a way,” said executive chef Tom Holt. “But we want to be known as casual fine dining. We want people to know they can come dressed as they are.” .” It is located at 7075 South Lakeshore Drive Harbor Springs, : 231-526-1000

Leland - The Cove (for fish chowder), Their site says that it is “casual home of fine cuisine, spectacular sunsets and Leland's only harborside dining..”It is located at 111 River Street_Leland, (231) 256-9834

Leland - The Bluebird (for whitefish) “For over 70 years, the Bluebird has been the gathering place in Leland… Long known for the finest whitefish and perch in Northern Michigan” 101 River Street Leland, 231.256.9081

Petoskey - Jesperson's (for pie) Epicurious writes, “Bill Frazier of Jesperson's sells his famous cherry pies, made by hand from a recipe passed down through five generations .” 312 Howard St. Petoskey 231-347-3601

Traverse City - Omelette Shoppe (breakfast), was voted best breakfast 17 years in a row by readers of Traverse Magazine. 1209 E. Front Street Traverse City, MI 49684. Phone: (231)946-0590.

Traverse City - Taqueria Margarita (Mexican) caters to Mexican migrant workers and its TV spots are in Spanish, and so is the voice on the PA in the restaurant, The food is great according to Traverse City Record-Eagle.and the menu has English subtitles. It is located at 1315 W South Airport Rd, Traverse City, (231) 935-3712

Late Night in Boston Chinatown

The Boston Globe had an article recently that interested me, Chinatown's late-night feasts fading away by Jenn Abelson. Chinatown used to be the best place to go for dinner at 4 AM. I can remember doing after a few parties long ago. Now Jenn wrote that the places with late closing are diminishing as they are getting fewer customer sin the late hours. . They did list the ones that still stay open until the 4 AM closing time tat their licenses allow. Here they are, at least for now. They need customers to keep coming to maintain these hours.

Apollo - 84 Harrison Ave. Boston, (617) 423-3888 – near Kneeland Street

Korea House - 3 Beach St, Boston 617-338-8585

Moon Villa - 19 Edinboro St., Boston, 617-423-2061

New Golden Gate – 66 Beach Street, Bostn 617-338-7721

Ocean Wealth - 8 Tyler St., Boston 617 423 1338

Ann Arbor, Michigan Restaurants: A Local’s Favorites

Stan Garfield recently supplied the picks for Detroit Restaurants: A Local’s Favorite. Now he expands to cover Ann Arbor, the home of the University of Michigan. Ilived here the summer of 1953 but do not remmebr much so I appreciated Stan’s advice on where to eat. Here they are by categories.

Fancy - The Earle - Located in the heart of downtown Ann Arbor, The Earle serves award winning French and Italian country cuisine. The Earle opened its doors on December 13, 1977 as a Jazz Club and in 1979 transformed to its current status. It is located at 121 West Washington
Ann Arbor (734) 994-0211

Italian – Gratzi offers Northern Itlalian food in an elaborate scene at 326 S. Main Street Ann Arbor 734-663-6387

Mexican - Prickly Pear Southwest Café was loved by the Yahoo reviewers. It is located at 328 South Main Street, Ann Arbor 734-930-0047

Dessert (and Polish) – Amadeus – Arborfood writes “this restaurant, so full of old-world charm and quiet intimacy, would make a perfect place for a first date. A combination Viennese patisserie and Polish restaurant, Amadeus feels like a cozy, cluttered parlor.” It is located at 122 E. Washington Street Ann Arbor, (734) 665-8767

Latin American - Sabor Latino DineSite.com writes, “Best known for it's anthentic family recipes, this restaurant dishes up authentic Mexican and Latin American.” It is located at 211 N. Main (734) 214–7775

Deli - Zingerman's is Ann Arbor's most famous restaurant, and rightly so. They make large over-the-top deli sandwiches from fresh top-quality ingredients. (according to the Kitchen Chick). Iti slocated at 422 Detroit St. Ann Arbor, 734-663-3354

Pizza - Cottage Inn There are several locations including: 2301 West Stadium Boulevard, 546 Packard Street (734) 769-5555, 1141 Broadway Street 734-995-9101

Pub - Red Hawk Bar & Grill The Beer Advocate writes, “Red Hawk is a great idea and fills a nice niche in Ann Arbor's array of bars and restaurants - great pub feel and drink selection but its actually a restaurant, and friendly to all types of people.” It is located at 316 South State Street, 734-994-4004

Diner - Fleetwood Diner – Arborfood restaurants site says that, “Opened in 1946 as the Dagwood and rechristened the Fleetwood in 1971, the little downtown diner has been the hang of prophets and bums, beatniks and hippies, and a host of Ann Arbor characters.” They serve hippie hash which orginated when “Short-order cooks originally used grated potatoes to clean the gunk off a caked griddle; doubtless some curious cook sampled the mass of accumulated flavors and found them irresistible..” The site concludes, “The Fleetwood Diner still plays host to Ann Arbor's colorful characters, now mostly chain-smoking kids with psychedelic hair and bodily perforations.” It is located at 300 South Ashley (734) 995-5502

Hamburger – Blimpy Burger is Ann Arbor’s oldest burger stand—established 1953. Create your own; over a million possible combinations. It is located at 51 S. Division (at Packard) (734) 663-4590

Hot Dog - Le Dog – In addition to hot dogs there is revolving menu of eighty-four soups, all the owner’s creations. There are two locations.: 306 South Main 734 327 0091 410 East Liberty 734 665 2114

Ice Cream - Stucchi's is a “posh ice cream parlor lures in customers with the promise of "smushins" and inventive flavors.” It is located at 302 S State St (734) 662-1700

Detroit Restaurants: A Local’s Favorites – Part Two: Heavy Eating

A few weeks ago Stan Garfield gave me a list of his favorite places to eat in the Detriot area. Steve Carter, a friend of Stan’s passed on a new list. He said the key tp these places is more ambiance then quality of food:. Miller’s Bar was the only duplicate from Stan’s list. They are not dress up places. If you want to dress up, he siad to go to Giovanni’s in at 330 S. Oakwood In Detroit. Here are the rest.

Speedboat Bar – Wyandotte – serves swine burgers, “award winning” chili, and other bar food and claims to be the best place to eat in Wyandotte. It is located at 749 Biddle St, Wyandotte, MI (734) 282-5750

Red Coat Tavern – Birmingham. The Metro Times says, that is “where the upscale chefs of Royal Oak and Birmingham go after work to get a burger and select from a long list of beers.” The food gets better the later it is. The Red Coat is located at 31542 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak, MI 248-549-0300

Gest Omelets – Redford – noted for eggs and good service. It is located at 25906 Plymouth Rd, Redford, MI (313) 937-3540

Green Lantern - Madison Heights offers traditonal pizza at good prices in a kid firendly bar. It is located at 28960 John R Rd, Madison Heights, (248) 541-5439

Nemo's – Detroit is a favorite bar for Tigers and Red Wings fans. City Searc adds, “Framed sports sections and newspapers adorn the walls, as do autographs of local sports greats. A tin ceiling and wood bar make for a sentimental feel.” It is located at 1384 Michigan Ave, Detroit, (313) 965-3180

Steve's Deli - Bloomfield Hills Steve himself invites you to “stop in for a taste of our homemade chicken soup or take some home with you. On the weekends you can sample Dorothy's homemade turkey chili or stop in during any other day of the week for some of our delicious baked short ribs.” It is located at 6646 Telegraph (at Maple Rd. in Bloomfield Plaza)
Bloomfield Hills, 248-932-0800.

Traffic Jam & Snug – Started in 1965 in mid-town Detroit,, they have their owb bakery, diary, and brewery. What more could you ask for. Cheese and beer take turns using the brewing equipment. It is located at 511 W Canfield St
Detroit, (313) 831-9470

Joseph's Coney Island – Northville – serves the best Coney dogs in town. It is located at 113 W Main Street, Northville, 248.380.6111

Polish Yacht Club in the Ivanhoe Cafe – Detroit. Their site says that The Ivanhoe Cafe was founded in 1909 by Stanislaus Grendzinski who had eight children, one who was named Agnes… The Polish Yacht Club, which is part of the Ivanhoe's heritage, was founded in 1961. .. was formed to provide some of the "regulars" with a reason to attend monthly meetings at the bar. You don't need a boat to be a member, though. At one time during its existence members once asked the Detroit City Council to dig a canal from the Detroit River to the Ivanhoe so they could have dockage space near the bar. " You can become a virtual member. It is located at 5249 Jos Campau (corner of Frederick) Detroit, 313.925.5335

Fleetwood Diner - Ann Arbor – Arborfood restaurants site says that, “Opened in 1946 as the Dagwood and rechristened the Fleetwood in 1971, the little downtown diner has been the hang of prophets and bums, beatniks and hippies, and a host of Ann Arbor characters.” They serve hippie hash which orginated when “Short-order cooks originally used grated potatoes to clean the gunk off a caked griddle; doubtless some curious cook sampled the mass of accumulated flavors and found them irresistible..” The site concludes, “The Fleetwood Diner still plays host to Ann Arbor's colorful characters, now mostly chain-smoking kids with psychedelic hair and bodily perforations.” It is located at 300 South Ashley (734) 995-5502

Good Lunches in Belmont and Somerville, Massachusetts

Belmont and Somerville reside on either side of Cambridge. Somerville is clsoer to Boston and more urban. I have beben meeting people for lunch and here are some recommendations.

Vicki Lee’s – Belmont - Paul Tamburello of PT at Large recommended this great café and bakery in Bemont in the Cushng Square area where I lived in the late 70s. There is an espresso bar and old-fashioned soda fountain. The retail area offers hard-to-find ingredients and. They also do catering as well as tasting and cooking classes. The Vicki Lee’s web site has great pictures that you can enlarge. Vicki Lee’s is located at 105 Trapelo Rd, Belmont, (617) 489-5007. Another friend just went there on my recommendation and really liked it. Here is a great and more comprehensive write up that Paul recently did, Vicki Lee’s Café, Superb food on a small scale.

Kebob Factory – Somerville – I walk past this place a lot and have admired their $8 lunch buffet. Recently, I had lunch with a colleague there and it exceeded expectations. It is located at 414 Washington Street, Somerville, MA 02143
(617) 354-4996. Their location at the intersecton of Washington and Beacon Street also offers two great choices for take out, The Wine Cask and Toscanni’s.

The Wine & Cheese Cask - Somerville - has been around for some time. I briefy lived above it in the early 70s. with some friends who worked there. They would party after work with stuff they brough up from the place. Apparenetly that traditon continues. It has a great selection of wines and smart people to help you figure stuff out. They also have excellent cheeses and meats such as serrano ham. Owing to the presence of the Spanish restaurant, Dali, across the street they have exentive Spanish winie, cheese and meats. Dali’s is only open at night. I covered it in a previous post and I highly recommend it for tapas. The Wine & Cheese Cask is located at 407 Washington St. Somerville, 617-623-8656

Toscanni’s Bakery & Ice Cream - Somerville - has some of the best crossiants I have had. They are different form the tradtional French ones as they are thicker and more yeasty. They is also other baked goods, both sweet and savory for breakfast of lunch. The scones aregreat and a meal in themselves. You can eat there or take out and they have coffee. Their ice cream is also very rich and good. It is located at 406 Washington St Somerville, 617-666-2770.

There are many other places in Somerville in Davis Square and Union Square but this is enough for now.

St. Louis Restaurants: A Local’s Favorites

Last weekend, Stan Garfield, Worldwide Consulting & Integration Knowledge Management Leader, Hewlett-Packard, provided an extensive coverage of the Detroit area. This weekend he takes on St, Louis where he grew up. Looking at his list I can see that this was a great place to grow up. Stan says that St. Louis is very strong in Italian restaurants. Its Italian neighborhood is known as the Hill, where Yogi Berra and Joe Garagiola grew up. Here is Stan’s best of St. Louis:

Fancy: Tony's (St. Louis downtown) Tony's is the only restaurant ever to receive the AAA five-diamond award in Missouri. There are only 34 restaurants in North America to receive this recognition. It is upscale Italian and other good stuff. The pictures on their site are quite inviting. Tony’s is located at 410 Market Street St. Louis 314-231-7007.

Fancy Italian: Dominic's (on the Hill) It started in 1971. The menu includes a large selection of upscale Italian dishes such as Scalloppine Alla Crema Wild Mushrooms, Piccata Al Limone, Osso Buco with Risotto, Saltinbocca Alla Romana, T-Bone Chop with Truffles Sauce and that is only a few of the veal dishes. It is located at 5101 Wilson Avenue
St. Louis, Phone: ( 314) 771-1632 and also in Clayton at 200 South Brentwood Blvd.
Clayton, Phone: (314) 863-4567

Informal Italian: Cunetto's House of Pasta (on the Hill) It was started in 1972 when the Cunetto brothers gave up their drug store and wanted to stay in the community. Their site, says, “Using tested family recipes, they developed a menu of not only pasta, but seafood, chicken, beef and veal!”
It is located at 5452 Magnolia St. Louis, MO 63139 (314) 781-1135

Pizza: Lou Boccardi's Restaurant (on the Hill) The restaurant has been family-owned and operated since it opened in 1972. It is located at 5424 Magnolia Ave. St. Louis, MO 314-647-1151

Sandwiches: Amighetti's Cafe and Bakery (on the Hill) . Their site says that there special is often called the best sandwich in St. Louis. It was first made by in 1921 by Louis Amighetti. The original location is at 5141 Wilson Ave St Louis, MO 63110 314-776-2855. There are other locations on their site.

Hamburger bar: O'Connell's Pub (near the Hill) First opened in 1962, O’ Connell’s has been serving the same popular menu for over thirty years. Their 9oz charbroiled Hamburgers have won first place many times in the Riverfront Times restaurant poll. It is located at 4652 Shaw Avenue
 at the intersection of Shaw and Kings Highway 1/2 block south of Interstate 44m Pub Phone (314-773-6600)

Chili: OT Hodge Chili Parlor (chain) Roadfood.com says that this three-store chain of chili parlors that dates back to 1904, “O.T. Hodge is heaven for lovers of diner culture. The restaurants are not diners in the beautiful chrome-streamliner sense of the word, but they are diners through-and-through in spirit. Our favorite one, on South Jefferson, features the proprietor’s homemade Rice Krispies squares, a staff of pugnacious waitresses who are masters of cross-counter repartee, and a hash-house menu with several dozen ways to serve chili.” One of the locations is 1622 S. Jellerson, St. Louis, 314-772-1215

Root beer stand: Carl's Drive In (Brentwood) The St. Louis City Guide says, The fare at this authentic, '50s-era diner is mostly hamburgers, hot dogs and sandwiches, with all of your greasy favorites on the side: fries, cheese fries or onion ring.” Carl’s is located at 9033 Manchester Road, Brentwood, MO 63144

Barbecue: Super Smokers BBQ (Eureka) BBQ is very serious in St. Louis. Their online menu looks like the first place I would try on the list. It is located at 601 Stickell Drive (1-44 and Hwy 109 (636) 938-9742

Café: Café Balaban (St. Louis Central West End) It also opened in 1972, apparently a good time to be eating in St. Louis. They have live music. And the menu looks eclectic but very good. It is located at 405 Euclid St. St. Louis (314) 361-8085.

Frozen custard: Ted Drewes (St. Louis) Ted openned his first St. Louis store near the Natural Bridge and the South Grand store in 1931. In 1941 the family opened a second south side stand which is the current Chippewa location, old route 66. You can now buy their stuff online. There are several locations on their site. The Chippewa store is located at 6726 Chippewa St. Louis, 314-481-2124 to order on the phone.


Old-style ice cream parlor: Crown Candy Kitchen. City Seacrh gives it top ratings and says, “Crown Candy's malts in question are the best in town; try the popular chocolate-banana or butterscotch. The hot fudge sundae is so gooey that it carries a tongue-in-cheek warning for denture wearers. Try a phosphate or any of the special ice cream confections on the menu; you can't go wrong. It is located at 1401 Saint Louis Ave, St Louis, (314) 621-9650

Detroit Restaurants: A Local’s Favorites

Stan Garfield is the Worldwide Consulting & Integration Knowledge Management Leader, Hewlett-Packard. He also writes an excellent knowledge management blog. Stan lives in the Detroit area and knows its eating places quite well. I spent much time working in Detroit in the 1980s but I found out from Stan that many of the places I liked then are gone now so I greatly appreciate getting this update.

Stan provides this list of Detroit's best restaurants today. Stan said that Detroit's best are ethnic or blue collar places. He added that Coney Island is a ubiquitous category of restaurant run by Greeks that serves coneys (hot dogs topped with chili, onions, and mustard), breakfast all day, standard short order food, and some Greek specialties. In the Detriot area there are concentrations of Arabic (Dearborn), Mexican (Southwest Detroit), Polish (Hamtramck), and many other nationalities. Here is Stan’s best of Detroit

Fancy: Tribute (Farmington Hills) openned in 1995 and has received praise form accolades from Gourmet Magazine, The New York Times, and The Wine Spectator. The meuns samples and pictures llok great. It is located at 31425 West Twelve Mile Road Farmington Hills, (248) 848-9393


Mexican: Taqueria Mi Pueblo (Detroit Mexican Town) Southwest Detroit has a growing Latino population that supports many taquerias along and around Vernor, Michigan and Livernois streets. 7278 Dix Rd, Detroit, MI 48209, Phone: (313) 841-3315

Greek: Pegasus Taverna (Detroit Greek Town) Greektown is an eight-square-block dining and entertainment area reachable from anywhere downtown via the People Mover. Pegasus Taverna was voted Michigan;s best Greek restaurant by the Detroit News. It is located at 558 Monroe. (313-964-6800) 


Indian: Passage to India (Berkley) City Seacrh says. “the menu features extensive lamb, chicken and seafood offerings, including Tandoori items (grilled in a clay oven over charcoal.) Also, choose from vegetarian items, rice specialties and homemade breads. For starters, go for the mixed appetizer, to sample samosa, onion pakura, egg plant and papadam. It is located at 3354 12 Mile Rd Berkley, MI (248) 541-2119

Middle Eastern: La Shish is a chain that was voted best Middle Eastern Restaurant in Detroit by Hour Magazine. There are many locations on their site includuing La Shish in Auburn Hills 2065 N. Squirrel Road, Auburn Hills, 248-364-2000 (where the Pistons play)

Polish: Polish Village Café (Hamtramck) It was voted Michigan;s best Polish restaurant by the Detroit News. City Search says, “PVC serves up the city's best Old-World cuisine--think juicy kielbasa, crisp potato pancakes and moist pierogi .” It is located at 2990 Yemans St., Hamtramck (313) 874-5726

Soul Food: Steve's Soul Food (Detroit) The Detriot Super pages says it “this may be the city's best restaurant at classic southern soul food: sweet potato pie, collard greens, grits and gravy, and all kinds of other sides that only serve to further glorify the main event — roasted or barbecued chicken or beef.” It is located at 8447 Grand River Ave. Detroit 313-894-3467

Barbecue: Slow's (Detroit Cork Town) They have a nice web site and menu includes smoked fish and gumbo so it must be good. Slow’s is loacted at 2138 Michigan Avenue Detroit, 3 1 3 - 9 6 2 - 9 8 2 8 

Pizza: Buddy's (chain) The Metro Times has agreed with Stan since 1985 on this pizza chain. There are many locations that you can find at the Metro Times listing.

Coney Island: Lafayette Coney Island (Detroit downtown) This white-tiled hot dog and chili emporium is open all night and apparently gets a big late night crowd. It is located at 118 W. Lafayette, Detroit, (313) 964-8198

Hamburger bar: Miller's Bar (Dearborn) their web stes says this is “where lesser burgers come to worhsip.” The photo spread on their site is classic. It is located at 23700 Michigan Ave Dearborn MI 48124 (313) 565-2577

Root beer stand: Brown's Root Beer (South Lyon) Cez Moz says. “Browns offers a nice 50's type diner atmosphere, and affordable prices.” It is located at 399 S Lafayette St -South Lyon, MI 48178-1407 (248) 437.6376

Getting Good Coffee in Boston and New York

I rarely write about places that I simply get from a newspaper or magazine article. But the Boston Glove had an excellent article, A shot at perfection, on how to brew good espresso and where to find it. Apparently there is quite an art to this. The article outlines enough steps to convince you that it is a real art but not enough to allow you to do this yourself. I guess they want to preserve the mystery. However they did provide a list of where you can find good espresso in New York and Boston which I wanted to save and share. I have been to two of the Boston area places, 1369 Coffee House and Caffe Graffiti and agree with the Globe on them. I also often go to Peet’s, Café Paradisio, and Café Pompalona in Harvard Square. I also recently went to the Roebling Tea Room in Brooklyn which I would add to the list, especially if you want good bakery stuff to go with the coffee.

Here is the list from the Globe:

Greater Boston

Simon's Coffee Shop- 1736 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 617-497-7766.

Diesel Café - 257 Elm St., Somerville, 617-629-8717

1369 Coffee House - 1369 Cambridge St., Cambridge, 617-576-1369; 757 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 617-576-4600;

Caffe Graffiti - 307 Hanover St., North End, 617-367-3016

New York

Ninth Street Espresso - 700 East 9th St., Greenwich Village, 212-358-9225

Joe the Art of Coffee - 9 East 13th St., Greenwich Village, 212-924-7400; 141 Waverly Place, 212-924-6750;

Gimme! Coffee - 495 Lorimer St., Brooklyn, 718-388-7771

Café Grumpy - 193 Meserole Ave., Brooklyn, 718-349-7623

Ten Things to Do in Vancouver and Five Places to Eat

The Sun Belt conference on social networking will take place in Vancouver April 24 -30. This is the official conference of the International Network for Social Network Analysis (INSNA). As service to attendees, they posted an article form the Seattle Times on Ten Things to Do in Vancouver. It seems good and there are a lot of links connected wi the stuff they mention. Also check out Vancouver Restaurants; A Local’s Picks by Barb Wong and Roland Tanglao of the blog, Van Eats, for five good places to eat.

Update on Williamsburg, (Brooklyn, NY) Restaurants – A Local’s Picks

I wrote in February about Williamsburg, fast becoming a habitat of choice for many New Yorkers who want to live in a trendy place and cannot afford Manhattan. Recently, I had a chance to visit my friend there and here is an update. First, while it may be cheaper than Manhattan, it is not cheap. To no surprise, rents have gone way up in the last few years as it has gotten discovered and many trendy stores, cafes, boutiques have moved it. As a "desirable place" to live rents are even higher than some other places near by, such as Brooklyn Heights, with better housing. Walking in the Bedford Avenue area you can see the colonization at work with many older shops still next to the new galleries and cafes. Most of the older places (like two Polish bakeries) are not open on Sunday (when we went) so I do not know if they still operate during the week. There are a lot of nouveau furniture stores that sell for moderate to high prices, the stuff my parents got rid of in the 50s. If you only keep it long enough I guess. There is an artists' flea market with an inviting selection of used books. I almost got a few. I liked the tee shirt that said, "only pussies live in LA."

The food is good. Here are two places to add to the earlier list. I was also advised to take the The Lodge off the list as it has gone down hill, at least for the moment. We will be back so stay tuned for more.

Roebling Tea Room. We ate a fine brunch here. It reminded me of several places in LA, especially the Doughboy Bakery, and is located in a converted industrial site. They have many kinds of tea, drinks, a daily frittata ( I had the parmesan, tomato, and spinach), a nice egg & gruyere on a roll (I had a bite), and baked French Toast (I had a bite also). The baked goods looked good enough to take home so we did. It is located at 143 Roebling St, Brooklyn, NY 11211 (718) 963-0760. The entrance on Metropolitan, between Roebling Street and Havemeyer Street.

La Bonita is a great “modern” Mexican place that I was told to add to the list by my friend. New York magazine writes, that the owner who is preservationist, has kept “the former Latino lunch counter's sign trumpeting comidas criollas, the row of stools opposite the open kitchen, and a few nods to the old menu, like plantains and rotisserie chicken. But cheese-dusted corn on the cob, fish tacos, and chiles rellenos, not to mention soft light flickering off multicolored tiles, set an entirely different tone.” The old place sounds good but so this update. It is located at 338 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211 between S. 3rd and S. 2nd Sts. 718-384-9500

Pioneer Valley (Amherst) MA Area Brew Pubs: A Local’s Favorites

My friend Don Lesser lives in Amherst, MA and writes on food and other topics on occasion for the local paper. Recently I got Don to name his favorite places to eat in the area which I covered last weekend. Today, he adds his favorite brew pubs. As I said, Don is an excellent cook and food critic so I am confident on these selections. They are listed in order of preference.

People’s Pint in Greenfield, MA offers good food and the best beer. They also have excellent ginger beer. It has an open mike Jazz Jam on the second Monday of each month and music on other nights, as well. It is located at 24 Federal St. Greenfield, Massachusetts, 01301 (413) 773-0333

The Northampton Brewery has decent food and excellent beer. It claims to be the oldest operating brewpub in the northeast. It is located at 11 Brewster Court Northampton MA 01060 (413) 584-9903

The Amherst Brewery offers a reasonable alternative to the top two. They also have live music. It is located at 24-36 No. Pleasant Street. Amherst, MA 01002 413-253-4400

There are also some regular small breweries in the area with great beer. The Paper City Brewery in Holyoke has tours and sometimes has tasting sessions. Two good selections are Holyoke Dam Ale and Winter Place Wee Heavy (Scotch style ale). It is located at 108 Cabot Street, Holyoke (413) 535-1588.

The Berkshire Brewery in South Deerfield has great traditional ale – the Steel Rail Pale Ale. It is located at 12 Rail Road Street South Deerfield, Ma 01373-0096 (413) 665-6600.

Toronto Restaurants: A Local’s Favorites

I recently visited my friend Cindy Gordon who runs Helix Commerce International in Toronto. It specializes in knowledge management and collaboration commerce services. Cindy is a long time resident and she gave me her favorites places to eat there. They variety of places is a good sampling of the diversity of Toronto places. I lived there in the early 19070s and remember it is a great place for many ethic restaurants.

Su Sur is an Asian/Fusion place in the King West Village area of downtown Toronto. It looks quite upscale and the chef, Su Sur Lee, has a new cook book out that you can see on their site. The site indicates that a UK restaurant magazine rated it as one of the top 50 places in the world. They have a 14 course tasting menu that diminishes in size as you go along. It is located at 601 King Street (416) 603-2205.

Joso’s is a Mediterranean seafood place in a converted old house, located on the Northern edge of Yorkville. In the summer you can sit outside which is really the only way to eat Mediterranean seafood. It is located at 202 Davenport Road, (416) 925-1903

Jump offers good food and good people watching. Frommer’s says that “Jump is, appropriately enough, always hopping. A sprawling space in Commerce Court, it can be tricky to find. Just follow the buzz -- as the decibel level rises (above romantic, but not uncomfortable), you'll know you're on the right track. Power brokers drop by for lunch or after-work drinks. The dinner scene is a mix of celebratory couples and suits in deal-making mode.” They also the food is really good. On the other hand their web site is too cute and flashy so it is hard to get information from it. We will excuse this since the food is great. It is located at 1 Wellington St. W near the King Street subway stop. 416/363-3400

Millie’s Bistro & Gourmet Market is rated by Frommer’s as best for kids with sdunny rooms and a special kids menu. It is located at 1980 Avenue Road, (416) 481-1247.

Nami is a Japanese seafood restaurant in the St. Lawrence market which is a good place to go. The New York Times quotes Foder’s, “You're likely to see a chef toss all manner of edibles on the grill: soft-shell crab, skewers of scallops and shrimp, and asparagus, which is raised to its highest potential when prepared this way.” So bring an apron. It is located at 55 Adelaide St. E. (416) 362-7373

Canoe is a long time favorite of the best places to eat in Toronto lists such as Gourmet’s. It describes the décor as elegantly minimalist with clever references to our national heritage. I could not think of a better set up for something funny to write in response but I will leave that to your imagination. It is located in the 54th Floor, Toronto Dominion Bank Tower 66 Wellington Street West 416-364-0054

Pioneer Valley (Amherst) MA Area Restaurants: A Local’s Favorites

My friend Don Lesser lives in Amherst, MA and writes on food and other topics on occasion for the local paper. I have linked to a few of his writings before such as In Search of Fresh Pasta, Laissez les Bon Temps Roulez, and Portuguese Cape Cod Cooking with Fado. I was out there recently and got Don to name his favorite places to eat in the area. Don is an excellent cook and food critic so I am confident on these selections

Chez Albert is a French Bistro in Amherst, MA. Amherst downtown calls, it, “a piece of Paris in the heart of Amherst - seasonal French country cooking tapping locally farmed ingredients, cocktails and artisan wines.” It is located on 27 S Pleasant St, (413) 253-3811

Pintu is the best Indian restaurant in the area. It is located in Springfield, MA and the food pundit reviewers like it. They also supposed to have a very talented belly dancer. 217 Elms St. West Springfield, MA (413) 788-4929

The Great Wall in Florence, MA (outside Northampton) is the best Chinese place. It provides gourmet Chinese, not the standard fare. There is dim sum on the weekends. It is located at 176 Pine Street, Florence, MA, 01062 (413) 582-0399

Frigo’s is an Italian deli in Springfield that has counter service for lunch. It is located at 90 William St, Springfield, MA 01105 (413) 732-5428

The Blue Heron is located in the old town hall in Sunderland, MA. It offers modern American food in what used to be the auditorium with a stage at one end. 112 North Main Street, Sunderland, MA 01375 (413) 665-2102

I will add that the Iron Horse in Northampton, MA has great brunches on the weekends and it is one of the better music venues in the area. It is located at 20 Center Street, Northampton, (413) 584-0610.

If you drive a little north to Brattleboro, Vermont try T. J. Buckley’s located in an old diner. It provides wonderful upscale food. Frommers’ says that it is “Brattleboro's best restaurant, and one of the better choices in all of Vermont.” It only seats around 20. Buckley’s is located at 132 Elliot Street, Brattleboro, VT 05301 802-257-4922

Los Angeles Fast Food: A Local’s Favorites

Only in LA might you write about fast food in a positive way. But here you need a car to get anywhere and fast food does not mean the same boring, heavy weight stuff you find elsewhere. There are a number of local chains that offer fresh food, just served quickly. Here are the favorites offered by my friend in the movies who provided last weekend's restaurant picks. He has eaten many weekday lunches at each of these.

In-N-Out Burger has the best burgers in LA at a very small price. The burgers are cooked to order in mustard. They even have a fan web site that provides secret ways to order thing snot on the menu. There are many locations and you can find them at the In-N-Out Burger site. You can even buy merchandise at the In-N-Out Burger online store

FatBurger is another cooked to order place with high quality offerings. Their site claims it is “what the big chains would serve if their taste levels matched their advertising budgets. Found in 1952, there are many including a very small one at 12005 Wilshire Blvd, (310) 268-1112.

Astro Burger is not really a chain, they are only two, but it is also excellent. City Search points out that “A vegetarian's fast-food haven, the menu offers an incredible array of meatless meals, from mock chicken-and-beef fajitas to saucy faux-riblets. And meat eaters can dress up their patties any way imaginable, from bacon- and cheese-smothered to Hawaiian-style, with mounds of grilled onions, pineapple and teriyaki.” One is at 5601 Melrose Ave (323) 469-1924

Rubio’s provides healthy Mexican. Yes, this is not an oxymoron. Their fish options are really good and everything is very fresh. It is actually all over the southwest and you can find locations at the Rubio’s web site. Ralph Rubio claims to have sold more than 50 million fish tacos since he opened the first stand in 1984. .

Baja Fresh offers more traditional Mexican with huge portions, so don’t go there on a diet. There is one at 7917 West Sunset Boulevard but no apparent web site.

Los Angeles Restaurants: A Local’s Favorites

I recently went to Los Angeles to visit a friend who works for one of the movie studios. He knows food quite well and we ate at some great places. Here are the highlights. They are mostly located in Hollywood and are not too pricey for the area. First, I will cover the ones we actually visited. I will start with two breakfast places, then a lunch one, and finally two Italian dinner choices. Then I will add a highly recommended French place that we could not fit in this time. Next weekend, I will cover local fast food chains. None of the places below seem to believe in web sites or blogs or at least they do not know how to get up in Google so I had to link to review sites. Hopefully, this is because they focus on their food.

Doughboy Bakery offers a great breakfast and lunch is good also. We had the former and I had a version of scrapple with grits and shredded pork that came with eggs scrambled with potatoes and onions. It is located at 8136 W Third St. (323) 651-4202

Quality Food and Beverage also provides a great breakfast and, like many places, you can sit outside. Here I had a wonderful version of Eggs Benedict which used crab cakes instead of English muffins and Canadian bacon. It is located at 8030 W. Third. Street (213)-658-5959.

The Loteria Grill is an excellent Mexican place located in the Farmer’s Market at 3rd and Fairfax. I had Mole Tamale, a roasted pork taco, and zucchini and roasted corn taco. I also shared some cactus salad taco. It was all very fresh and very good as was the guacamole and chips. It is located at the Farmers Market, Stall 322 6333 West 3rd St. West Hollywood. (323) 930-2211.

Angelino’s offers Italian comfort food at reasonable prices. You can sit outside and they had the heaters going when we did this. I had a very nice seafood pasta, sort of a scampi with assorted shellfish and we shared a very garlicy bruschetta. It is located at 8735 West 3rd Street, 310 246 1177.

Girasole provides upscale Italian at mid-market prices so there is value for money here. One Hollywood producer of Italian ancestry calls it the best place to get Italian food in LA. I can see why. I had one of the best carbonaras I have very had. It was both light and flavorful. Sometimes carbonara can gets pasty and this was the opposite without compromising the richness. It is located in Hancock Village at 225 ½ Larchmont Blvd. on the main shopping street of the area. (323) 464-6978.

Here is a French place that we did not try but is highly recommended.

Café des Artes is “a timeless hotspot that manages French cuisine and LA attitude” according to the AOL City Guide. It is located at 1534 N McCadden Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90028 (323)-469-7300

Cowboy Dance Bars in Jackson, Wyoming

While visiting my daughter recently in Jackson, Wyoming, (see yesterday’s post on restaurants) my friend and I went dancing one night at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. I am normally more of a 60s R&B and rock dancer but this was fun so I wanted to write about it. The second one was not visited but is the other major source of live music in Jackson. Perhaps next time. They both serve food.

The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar is an over the top venue with saddles for bar stools and large stuffed animals in glass cages, probably not your typical Wyoming bar, but fun away. We heard Rick Justice play country and western with a strong drummer who gave a good dance beat. You could tell there were a number of regulars who danced the cowboy stuff quite well. This is not my strong suit but there were some R&B numbers thrown in, including a Wilson Pickett tribute. The building was created in 1890s when Jackson was first settled and became known as the Cowboy Bar in 1937. It is located at 25 N. Cache St. (307) 733-2207.

The Silver Dollar Bar in the Wort Hotel, and it is known for its 2,032 inlaid silver dollars. Derek and the Dynamos were playing while we were there. The hotel opened in 1941 and the Silver Dollar Bar was added in 1950. It is located at the corner of Glenwood and Broadway (307) 732-3939.

Update on Jackson, Wyoming Restaurants

I recently went back to Jackson Wyoming to visit my oldest daughter who works for Alpinist Magazine. We tried some new places to eat and went back to the wonderful Lucatelli Café in Victor Idaho, about twenty miles away over a mountain pass. I will always want to go back here on every visit. Here is a more detailed description of our first visit last May, Our Big Lunch at the Lucatelli Café in Victor Idaho (6 Main Street, (208) 787-3463. The current menu has such items as seared duck with pancetta fig sauce elk tenderloin with mushroom Bourbon sauce, and creamy gorgonzola rigatoni with shrimp. We also went back to Shades (great setting and wonderful egg dishes - 75 S. King Street (307) 733-2015) and the Bunnery (great bakery and creative egg dished) for breakfast.

Here are the new selections. There are others covered in an earlier post, Jackson Wyoming Restaurants: A Local’s Favorites. We went to the first two. My daughter has been to the next two and the last got rave reviews by many people.

Stone Table is a new place which specializes in Spanish and Latin American tapas. This place tied the Lucatelli Café for our best meal on the trip. We shared eight tapas including cerviche, Peruvian chicken, chicken with mushrooms and almond sauce, sesame crusted tuna, gambas al Ajillo, tortilla Espanola, churrasco con Chimichurri, and a tenderloin with red potatoes sauted with onion. Everyone was excellent, as were the Argentine wines. It is located at 850 West Broadway in the Grand Teton Plaza (307) 732 – 0500.

The Blue Lion is located in a great setting, a re-done older house painted in warm colors. We had a pleasant meal there. They have a number of elk dishes. The lamb is supposed to be good but we had two versions of the elk, one with green peppercorn sauce and one with Diane sauce. It is located two blocks off the town square at 160 N. Millward St. 307-733-3912

Old Yellowstone Garage is an Italian place that my daughter really likes. It provides Genovese & Piedmont dishes. Sunday is all you can eat pizza buffet night. The Old Yellowstone Garage is located at 175 Center Street (307)-734-6161.

Rendezvous Bistro describes itself as providing American fare but there are many classic French items on the menu including frogs legs Provencale, escargot, saucisson, steak frites, beef Bourgigon, cassoulet, coq au vin, and duck confit. There are stuff from other countries also, including a few Italian dishes. It is located at 380 South Broadway (307) 739-1100.

Snake River Grill is pricey but it also seems to offer value for money. There are many high priced, low value places in Jackson but this appears to be a good one. I liked the option of branding iron of sweet onion rings with two dipping sauces or potato pancake with Stonington Maine smoked salmon, sour cream & shallots for starters. There are some good game and fish stuff for main courses such as Buffalo short ribs in red wine with horseradish potatoes or sides like Parmesan-truffled shoe string potatoes or creamed spinach with chanterelles & Gruyere cheese. If the execution is as good as these choices sound the place should be excellent. We might try it next time. It is located on the Jackson Town Square. (307)-733-0557.

There is a Jackson Hole Blog that provides daily reporting on conditions, events, and happenings in Jackson. It is sponsored by Jackson Hole central Reservations. The Planet Jackson events site and newspaper also has a Planet Jackson blog.

Williamsburg, (Brooklyn, NY) Restaurants – A Local’s Picks

Williamsburg is becoming a habitat of choice for many New Yorkers who want to live in a trendy place and cannot afford all the Sohos. Tribecas, etc. in Manhattan. It is an area in transition. The epicenter of trendiness seems to be the Bedford subway stop. I have a friend who is a singer with band who lives in the area and works a day job in Soho. She provided the following suggestions. The comments are in her words. I just added the logistics and links, In a few cases I added some more after the logistics.

The Lodge is my new favorite. Off the beaten Bedford path. Very cool menu with equally "cool" patrons. My friend ordered the stuffed pork chop and I ordered an amazing fish stew, both were excellent. Looks like a hip and beautiful ski lodge with everything from floor to ceiling in a dark wood. White lighting fixtures in the shape of antlers complete the setting. Great ambiance, very attentive and friendly service. Entrees are about $20-30. It is located at 318 Grand St (Williamsburg/Greenpoint) at Havemeyer St. (718)-486-9400 – the menu looks like nuevo comfort food and very good (this is a complement).

S.E.A. - Amazing Thai food. Every dish on the menu is delicious and very reasonably priced. I've taken many visitors there, and they've invariably exclaimed "this is the best ___ I've ever had!" or simply "this is the best thing I've ever had." All have asked to go back. I heard about it when a friend told me five of his friends went there, ordered appetizers, entrees, and drinks, and their bill came out to only $80! It's a large restaurant and there is a pool in the center with waterlillies and a Buddhist statue, the visual ambiance usually strikes people and then the food completes the knock-out. The music is often electronic and can at times be loud. It's not always the best place to go to talk because it can be hard to hear the person sitting across from you. They do not take reservations for parties of fewer than six, so beware of going after 8:30 on a Friday or Saturday night. Word of the place has reached everyone in Manhattan and the boroughs, so what used to be a cute local hipster restaurant is now often a packed NY bar scene. Entrees are about $7-9. It is located at 114 N. 6th St. Williamsburg/Greenpoint (718)-384-8850. – the web site invites you to “come and flirt.” But this was promoting their Valentine’s Day menu.

Moto - Everything is cool about this place. It sits under the JMZ subway line, in a flatiron/triangle shaped building, the entrance is a large heavy wooden door at the most narrow part. Dimly lit and often playing old jazz, or showcasing a local jazz band, you feel like you are in the movie Triplets of Bellville. The menu is cute, only offering a few items, mostly creative paninis, some soups, and specials. No liquor, only beer and wine. It's the perfect place for "coming in from the cold," warm and cinematically toasty very much still a local hangout as it's pretty small and on the "wrong side of the tracks," and it's perfect that way. Entrees are about $7-13 – 394 Broadway, Brooklyn. (718) 599-6895. City Search said – “The inexpensive paninis, made with crusty bread and fine Italian fixings such as sopressata and portobello mushrooms, are worth the trek, and the grilled doughnuts, sweet, warm and indulgent, put Krispy Kreme to shame.”

DuMont - Nice setting, also wood and candles. Has the feeling of being a restaurant in Brooklyn for a long time (it hasn't) Away from Bedford, at the burgeoning Lorimer stop. Very good burgers. Great date spot. Entrees are about $13-25. It is located at 432 Union Ave. Williamsburg/Greenpoint (718)-486-7717 New York Magazine recommends the Skate with roasted tomato, $16; DuMont burger, $11.50

Yola's - Inexpensive and high quality Mexican food. Their chicken fajita's are the best. Feels fresh and tastes delicious. The place has three tables and hasnothing to offer in terms of ambiance unless you would like to catch up on your tele-novellas, but you can order take-out or delivery. Very friendly and fast service. It is located at 524 Metropolitan Avenue (718) 486-0757 - Lorimer Stop on L train

I found these web sites not through Google as that proved too hard given the common names but through the New York Magazine site, Brooklyn City Search, or the Free Williamsburg restaurant guide.

More Santa Fe Restaurants – A Local’s Favorite

I recently received an endorsement and some more favorites to my post on Santa Fe Restaurants: A Frequent Visitor’s Picks that I wanted to raise to post status with links and logistics. Thanks to Marc Orchant for providing this. Marc is a New Mexico resident, and writer of many blogs, including, The Office Weblog as part of the Weblog, Inc. network. He is currently the Storyteller at VanDyke Software. This role includes directing the firm’s marketing communications and public relations through its web site, discussion forums, and other channels. Marc’s blogging experiences are also a case in our book, Business Blogs: A Practical Guide.

In addition to approving the prior selections, Marc provided the following additions with his comments in parentheses.

El Farol (excellent tapas, sangria, and music). The site looks great. It says that El Farol “combines classic tastes of Spain, Santa Fe and Mexico with a unique blend of art, dance, flavor and aroma.” This includes flamenco dinner shows. They even have Chicago blues on occasion. It is located at 808 Canyon Road Santa Fe, (505)983-9912

315 Bistro (French/nouveau with a great wine list, wonderful prix fixe dinners and attentive, personal service). Here is the Gourment Magazine review. It is located at 315 Old Santa Fe Trail. 505.986.9190

The Cowgirl Hall of Fame (great bar-b-q and burgers and lots of colorful characters). There is frequently live music. I liked the Cabeza de Ajo starter for $5.25 a head of roasted garlic, planted in the middle of a plate of melted jack cheese with tomatillo salsa and toasted baguette. It is located at 319 S. Guadalupe St., Santa Fe (505)982-2565

Index to Cities and Towns with Restaurant Picks

I have now provided restaurant picks by friends for an increasing number of cities and towns. This blog post serves as an index to them with links for easy access. I will continue to update this index as I add more places.

Why do I wro\ite about restaurant picks by friends when Zagat and other places have plenty of reviews for most cities? My reviews are by people I know and trust their tastes. I do not know the people in Zagat’s. I get both personalization and authentication. You just have to decide how much you trust me versus the “official” guides. Google seems to like me more than some of them but then what do they know. I certainly do not pretend to be an expert. I just know what I like and the list is paart of my personal knowledge management system. I hope it helps you, also. Here is a post that explains it in more detail, Restaurant Reviews – Why I Blog Them. In this post I also show how I both agree and disagree with another ’official” reviewer, Gourmet Magazine.

Here are the places:
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Belmont and Somerville, MA lunches
Boston, MA - city limits
Boston, MA - surroundings
Boston and New York - Where to get good coffee
Boston Chinatown
Carolina BBQ
Cambridge, MA (1)
Cambridge, MA (2) update
Detroit
Detroit Restaurants: Part Two: Heavy Eating
Hanover, NH
Iowa City
Jackson, Wyoming
Jackson. Wyoming Update (2/06)
Jackson, Wyoming Cowboy Dance Bars
Los Angeles
Los Angeles Fast Food
Maggie Valley, NC
New York – Midtown and Village
New York - Upper West Side
New York – ICoppi & Savoy
New York – Spotted Pig & Magnolia Bakery
New Orleans – my picks
New Orleans – Harmony St. Charles
New Orleans Update 5/05
New Orleans 11/05 update
New Orleans Update 4/06
New South Cusine
Northern Michigan
Oklahoma Barbecue
Onset, MA – An Occasional Visitor’s Favorites
Philly Cheese Steak
Pioneer Valley (Amherst) MA Area
Pioneer Valley (Amherst) MA Area Brew Pubs
San Francisco – unlimited budget
San Francisco - ethnic
San Francisco –good value
San Francisco - Cafe Kati
Santa Fe
Santa Fe Update
Seattle
Seattle (healthy)
St. Louis
Tuckee, Nevada
Upper Cape Cod Massachusetts
Vermont Country Inns
Victor, Idaho
Washington, DC
Western Michigan
Williamsburg (Brooklyn) New York
Williamburg Update 4/06

Canada
Quebec (1)
Quebec (2)
Quebec Country Inns – Eastern Townships
Toronto
Toronto Update (3/06)
Vancouver

Europe & Asia
Barnes, UK
Geneva, Switzerland
Lucca, Italy
Lugano, Italy
Paris (1)
Paris (2) – Frenchguys.com
Meals in Paris September 2006
Eating in Honfleur, Normandy Coast
Rome
Sardinia & one from Rome
Sardinian Beach Bars
Singapore
Zurich, Switzerland

Santa Fe Restaurants: A Frequent Visitor’s Picks

Here are interesting sounding restaurant picks from John Maloney. John has provided food reviews and picks in the past, most note worthy is his three part series on San Francisco restaurants, his home town. Between meals John runs KM Cluster and Colabria, among other things. I have enjoyed a number of meals with John and certainly trust his judgment on food. I went to Santa Fe a number of years ago and enjoyed the opera, mountain climbing, and some good food. This was before my blog so I did not write anything down. I appreciate this guide for when I go back. Let me know of any additions. These review are in John’s words. I simply added the links and contact information.

Tomasita's -- Located in an older building near the historic train station, this chile temple is the most appropriate venue to start a gastronomic tour of Santa Fe. The menu is extensive, and the daily specials are particularly good. You will be stopping in their seductive bar for a margarita, since they don't take reservations, and there is always a line. A gregarious bar pal we met ordered verbatim a "Wednesday Christmas." Wednesday is simmered pork and a day's special, available, well, every day of the week. "Christmas" is the Santa Fe local codeword for dishes smothered in red and green chile. This place alone is worth a trip to the New Mexican high desert. It is located on 500 S Guadalupe St., (505) 983-5721.

Cafe Pasqual's -- This legendary cafe, located just off The Plaza, is the most popular place for locals in Santa Fe. A perennial winner of the prestigious James Beard Award, Pasqual's is Santa Fe's treatment of a relaxed, friendly cafe serving the best, 100% local, 100% organic fare in New Mexico and probably the USA. Don't event think of a reservation and be prepared to wait on the sidewalk for 45 minutes or more. It is absolutely worth it for the best breakfasts, lunch and dinner available. The menu is mostly traditional, but brought to extraordinary heights by the organics, culinary craftsmanship and original touches on the classics. It is guaranteed, if God had a restaurant here on earth, it would probably be Cafe Pasqual's. It is located at 121 Don Gaspar, (505) 983-9340 or 1-800-722-7672

Maria's -- Located on the outskirts, surrounded by new banks, strip developments and wide suburban-style avenues, Maria's is an adobe refuge that has stood the test of time. Effusive local proclaim Maria's has the only worthwhile margarita in town or state. In fact, the margarita menu is four, duplexed, fine-print pages, elaborating at least sixty variations, from five bucks to over seventy five bucks each. They are never blended. Freshly squeeze lime juice only, of course. To demonstrate your margarita chops, order one with anejo (aged) tequila only. Cointreau or Grand Marnier only please, never triple sec. Note that Santa Fe is at 7000'. One margi' feels like two, and two feels like four, and so forth. Have fun, but be careful! Maria's also features a crackling kiva in reception. There is a cherubic, brightly-clad Latina in a spotless glass enclosure hand-crafting the best, freshest tortillas you ever tasted. The sublime specialty is chile rellenos. Order the staggering appetizer plate to navigate to your main course. The rustic flan is the best in Santa Fe. It is located at 555 West Cordova Road 505/983-7929

The Shed -- This charming place is the last outpost of good eating on Santa Fe's famed Plaza. It is a 16th-century building (yes, sixteenth century) with all types of small rooms, cut throughs, low ceilings and terra-cotta floors. The cuisine is solid and inexpensive. There is a spacious, popular bar. A tiny, sunken kiva gets a lot of attention in winter. The kitchen produces all the standards, such as enchiladas, stewed pork, and posole. What is positively off-the-chart and earns The Shed the James Beard recognition year over year is locally grown red-chile sauce. Wow. Because it is inexpensive and fun, the shed is popular with young people, students and artists. It is located at 113 1/2 E Palace Ave. (505) 982-9030 (505) 982-0902

The Pink Adobe -- At the end of the Santa Fe Trail, lies the legendary Pink Adobe. Long the favorite of movie stars, writers, bohemians and Santa Fe society, the Pink has not lost one whiff of authenticity. Sure, they've expanded to a cafe and sell t-shirts, but genuine, earthy quality of the setting, people and cuisine seem just to get better over the years. The Pink Adobe is really two buildings, face to face. One is the famous/infamous Dragon Bar, the other, the restaurant. What sets the Pink Adobe apart is the fusion of high New Mexican cuisine paired with authentic down-home New Orleans cooking. Normally, this type blasphemous culinary 'con'-fusion should be avoid, but this place makes it transcendental. After all, it takes New Orleans to put the pink in adobe. The specials, such as red-chile barbeque ribs with green chile corn bread are tops. Easily the best apple pie in North America. (Sorry, it is utterly indescribable. Just order it, you will agree.). It is located at 406 Old Santa Fe Trail (505) 983-7712

Note: These establishments are institutions, having remained consistently good for decades. They deserve the requisite attention and respect. The balance of dining in Santa Fe can be touristy, flat and disappointing. Beware.

Finally, for the tuxedoed set and those about to go down on bended knee, The Compound on Canyon Drive is the place, It is excellent. For stylish hipsters and art dealers, go to Geronimo's, also on Canyon. Both are expensive, but worth it for high desert elegance. Also, state law prohibits corkage, off-sale liquor and carry-out of unfinished wine. New Mexico has a severe drunk driving problem and enforcement/penalties to match. Fuego, in our hotel, had a prix fixe menu for $175.00 (sic), sans wine, coffee, tip. Yes, Virginia, there is a thriving market in Santa Fe for this sort of excess, but considering, you're wise save that kinda dinning money for New York, Paris or your congressional representative.

Celebrating the New Year in Quebec City Restaurants

This year I had the fortune to celebrate the last three days of 2005 in one of my favorite places, Quebec City. I was surprised to find that my hotel of choice, The Hotel Dominion 1912 was recently rated the number one hotel in Canada by Traveler Magazine. It is a great hotel but they usually reserve such designations for much more expensive places. This place is value for money but now it has been discovered. This place is located in the lower city at 126 rue St-Pierre (418-692-2224), near the waterfront and St. Jean Street with its many galleries and a few bistros. The hotel was built as a warehouse in 1912 and converted in the last twenty years. The rooms have high ceilings and great views if you get above the fifth floor. I only hope they do not raise their prices. It is bad enough to have the stronger Canadian dollar. What used to be a 40% discount because of the currency exchange rates is now only 10%.

I do not normally write down all the dishes on a trip but these were worth the effort to remember them.

Café Du Monde was the choice for lunch the first day. It recently moved to be on the water front in a ferry terminal. Classic Paris bistro food is served with a good view of the ice flows in the St. Lawrence. Two onion soups and a shared puff pastry with escargots in a garlic cream sauce went well with a Kronenboug on the cold day. It is located at 84 Dalhousie, Vieux-Port (418) 692-4455.

L’ Echaude served us dinner the first night. It is my Quebec favorite for bistro food. Others agree. The place was full and people were being turned away but we had booked two weeks in advance. We started with a Jerusalem artichoke cream soup with truffle emulsion. Then, we had Angus tenderloin with a shallot red wine reduction and, the best part, a nice piece of bone marrow. It is hard to find this is the US. We also had a roast duck with plenty of skin and a nice sauce. With it were some of the best potatoes I have eaten anywhere. They were cubed and sauted in the duck pan juices with some pancetta and a few winter vegetables, also cubed. A rich chocolate pie was shared at the end. It is located around the corner from the Hotel Dominion on 73 Sault-au-Matelot (418) 692-1299.

The hotel serves an excellent cold breakfast with four different types of croissant. cheese, rabbit terrine, fresh squeezed orange and grapefruit juice and other good stuff. You can have it in the lobby in front of their very large fire place. They also provide trays in your front to bring it back.

Lunch the next day was on the main shopping street in the old town at the Pub Saint-Alexandre as they had onion soup and it was cold again. We shared a classic grilled ham and gruyere on bagette and, of course, pommes frites. They also had some of the Quebec Unibroue beers brewed in the Belgium tradition. I had a Don De Dieu which is hard to find in Cambridge. You can usually only get their Fin de Monde here. I later took back several different types of the Unibroue beer including Trois Pistoles and Don De Dieu. We noticed that they had blues that night so we came back. It is located at 1087 rue St-Jean (418) 694-0015.

Dinner was at L’ Ardoise near our hotel on 71 St. Jean Street (418) 694-0213. It served acceptable bistro food which was fine as we just wanted something simple before the blues. We had a duck confit with Grand Marnier sauce and pommes frites. In addition there was a nice pork tenderloin in a maple and walnut sauce, very Canadian.

Going back to the Pub Saint-Alexandre for blues turned out to be a good idea. We heard the Riverside Blues Group who talked in French and sang in English with a French & American accent, which seems a common practice. So we got many covers such as B. B. King’s “le trill es gone,” some Clapton, Muddy Waters, and the singer got her mojo working with a French accent. The female lead got most excited when she did CCR (Credence Clearwater Revival) and she did five of them during the three sets we stayed for. She had amazing bug eyes which got bigger on the high notes. The second set was the liveliest with dancing on the bar by some of the audience. They keep going until 1, a good warm up for New Year’s Eve. The pub also had the dark Leffe beer from Belgium on tap and a lot of other great beers from Europe and Quebec.

Walking around earlier we also found that there is blues at Le Pape Georges in the lower town (418) 692-1320 but opted for the Pub Saint Alexandre.

Aviatic Club hosted a New Year’s Eve party with champagne and appetizers, an excellent six course meal (see below) with a different wine with three of the courses, and champagne at midnight. All the wine was included and they followed the bottomless cup policy that is usually reserved for coffee. I was amazed that they would continuously offer to top off your glass with any of the courses. The price was at least half of what a Boston club would charge for all this. A live rock band fronted the active dance floor. The band, aka the Electrik Fab Four Band, counted down midnight James Brown’s “Sex Machine.” The lead singer opted for a toned down Clock Work Orange Look with black shirt and wide red tie. The club is located in the train station (418) 522-3555. It appeared we were the only out-of-towners and we were grateful for the hotel to tell us where the mid-aged Quebecers go on New Year’s Eve to party.

The first course involved salmon in several ways, including smoked and sashimi with a dark sesame sauce with a Tokay Pinot Gris. Next, was a first for me, kangaroo tenderloin mushrooms and a lot of other stuff and a nice old vine Zinfandel. After a citronelle with champagne, we had duck foie gras and blue fin tuna on opposite sides of the plate with some nice potatoes in sauce between. This came with a pinot noir. A Quebec cheese course followed and then a large assortment of deserts.

Before we left town the next day, we stopped at a market for bread, crossiants, cheese, pate, Bayonne ham, and other goodies to bring back along with the Uniboure beer. During the seven hour drive through Maine we feasted on some of this stuff.

Here is more on Quebec restaurants.

Two Excellent New York Restaurants: I Coppi and Savoy

Last weekend I took the $25 Jet Blue special from Boston to New York with a friend. Highlights included a trip to the Met for art (Van Gogh’s Drawings) and the Met for opera (Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro). The Van Gogh exhibit deserves a separate post for tomorrow. While there we also went to an excellent place for dinner in the East Village, I Coppi, and for lunch in Soho, The Savoy.

I Coppi is a mid-priced Italian with a wonderful strong wine list with excellent super Tuscans. We had a 1996 Ornellaia that was very dark, spicy, and intense while being very smooth at the same time. There is a garden in the back with heat lamps that allow for outdoor dining in early mid-November and we were lucky to get seats there. For starters we had the mussels and clams in garlic and white wine broth over grilled Tuscan bread, a nice variation over traditional steam mussels. A wonderful chestnut and butternut squash filled ravioli in a sage butter sauce followed. The sauce made for good dipping with the Tuscan bread provided up front. The shared entrée was a rare butter-flied beef tenderloin with rosemary and roasted potatoes and chard on the side. The owner served this course. There was only room for coffee to fuel a walk through the East Village. I Coppi is located at 432 E. 9th St. (East Village) between First Ave. and Ave. A (212)-254-2263.

Savoy offers a nice lunch in Soho where we met a friend. She works in the area and had been given this pick form her colleagues. There were fireplaces on both floors. It was tough to make choices but I had the garlic roasted leg of lamb sandwich with arugula and my friend had the duck confit with braised pears. Both were perfectly done and there was plenty of meat in the sandwich which has a carrot and pistachio salad on the side. They celebrated their 15th anniversary in October. On December 2, a curator from the American Museum of Natural History will lead a dinner based on Darwin’s cooking at the Galapogos. The Savoy is located at 70 Prince Street, NYC 10012. (212) 219-8570.

While we were in NYC, we also saw The Marriage of Figaro at the Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center. It is the middle of a three part series of plays on Figaro of Sevilla that Mozart converted to opera. This was a great production that fully conveyed the comic aspects of the work. The scenery was striking, with its use of soft browns and greys. There were large windows typical of European places with effective back lighting casting shadows across the stage outlining the many small pane windows. Pre-opera dinner came in the form of take out from Dean and DeLucca’s large Soho store at Prince and Broadway. We took a long time making our selections as I like to just walk around the store as if it is a gallery.

Michelin Stars Shine on New York Restaurants

The New York Times reported in Is New York Worth a Trip? Oui, that Michelin has released star rating for New York restaurants. Four places received the three star raking - Alain Ducasse at the Essex House, Jean Georges, Le Bernardin and Per Se. It is interesting that the links in the New York Times article do not link to the restaurants site but the NYT reviews, not wanting you to leave them. I, however, provide real links, so please go away and come back soon. I am sure these three stars are all beyond my budget.

They did list a place for one star that I went to for brunch last spring, The Spotted Pig, and wrote on in Sunday in New York. Too bad Michelin, I saw them first. I had an excellent Frittata with Sweet Potato & Roasted Garlic and Prosciutto on the side. The Spotted Pig is located at 314 W. 11th Street @ Greenwich Street (2120 - 620-0393).

Upper Cape Cod Restaurants: A Frequent Visitor’s Picks

As everyone knows, there are two Cape Cods. The Upper Cape goes from Provincetown to Orleans and the Lower Cape from Chatham to Falmouth and Sandwich. I am an Upper Cape person, as is my friend Don Lesser of Pioneer Training. He has been going to Truro for summer vacation in August for years and knows the places to eat quite well. Don writes food articles for the Amherst paper and we should all trust his judgment. I have blogged on his writing before with Laissez les Bon Temps Roulez and In Search of Fresh Pasta among others. Here are his picks for lunch with one dinner place thrown in. His comments are included with a few other things I picked up on some of the web sites.

The Lobster Pot, despite looking like some god-awful tourist trap, has really good and interesting food. It is located on 321 Commercial Street, Provincetown, (508) 487-0842

Front Street is a good restaurant but pricier and more suited for dinner with many Italian based dishes. Their web site says it has received the Wine Spectator, Award of Excellence 1992 to present and also obtained the Boston Magazine Readers Poll Award, "Best Cape and Island Restaurant" It is located at 230 Commercial St. Provincetown (508) 487-9715

Clem and Ursie’s, on 85 Shankpainter Road, Provincetown (the third P’town exit on 6, across from the Grand Union supermarket) is like a clam shack on steroids. Good food, some interesting variations. They would be good for lunch since their ordering and fulfillment system tends to break down during heavy dinner rushes. (508)~487~2333

Moby Dicks is another super clam place (too big to be a shack). It is in Wellfleet and has really good quality seafood, some interesting additions to the standard fare. It is impossible to get into during normal dinner hours in the summer. Don usually tries eating lunch there at 3 in the summer. (508) 349-9795

P.J.s is another clam place in Wellfleet. (Both Moby’s and P.J.s are on 6.) It has gotten a bit pricy in the last few years, but is reliable and good. (508) 349-2126

Buca’s Tuscan Roadhouse in Harwich is a great upscale dinner recommendation, departing from the down market lunch places. It is northern Italian, has a wine list written up in the Wine Spectator, and is Don’s favorite restaurant on the Cape. It is located at 4 Depot Road, Harwich Massachusetts, 02645 (508) 432-6900

Here is a link to a post that Don did on Cape Cod Cookery.