lizard

Wineries: Matanzas Creek is gorgeous, and they have an expansive lavendar farm on-site, as well. Say "hi" to the llamas while you're there. We like to stop in at Landmark Winery and play some Bocce for free in their courtyard. Ledson is a bit over-the-top with the castle and the picnic grounds, but is fun for first-timers. Food: The town of Glen Ellen has great dining adventures, as does the town square in Sonoma. The place everyone talks about lately is El Dorado Kitchen, but it's received mixed reviews. The Girl & the Fig is not to be missed. We also love Cafe La Haye. (edited to add links)

They will not reopen as a full-service restaurant, but will reopen as a lounge with limited food. This is per the restaurant staff.

Wow, good thing I clicked through - I was going to suggest the Hubert catalog, but there they were in your link. In a pinch, I have been able to find them at more upscale stationery stores, the ones that carry place cards and such. There are any number of "place card holders" that would fit the bill. Try a google search under that, and you're sure to find some nice ones online. Places like Crate & Barrel and Pottery Barn carry some cute decorative ones from time to time. They're probably not NSF certified, but they look great... Edited to add: One Google search yielded these ideas: Wedding place card holder ideas

BEARD PAPA IS HERE - FREE Samples today The grand opening isn't until tomorrow, but the store is giving away free vanilla puffs this afternoon! See my photo essay below: Store Entrance on Yerba Buena Lane (that's Mission in the background) Like walking into Oz... Fresh Puffs Filling them to order Half-eaten (forgot to take a pic before I chowed down) Prices

Gotham Tavern & Family Supper Are Closed! - Portland Say it isn't so! Straight from The Oregonian

Great stuff, Doc! I'm curious about your wine pairings - when we were there, they flat -out (and quite rudely) refused to offer us pairings. Did you concoct your own tasting from their limited glass sections, or did you order full bottles? I await the next 14 or so courses...

Uchi. Hands down. Don't let the idea of Texas sushi fool you. This place is amazing. Tyson Cole is one of F&W magazine's "Best New Chefs" and he clearly earned that honor.

I have to say that this is one of the best lunch spots in SF. What the photos don't show you is the panoramic view of the Bay Bridge, Treasure Island and East Bay. The Albondigas soup is incredibly delicious, and makes a great meal on its own. My advice is to skip dessert and get a fresh mini-galette from Frog Hollow Farm next door, or a beautiful cupcake from Miette. If you're anywhere near town, this is definitely worth the trip!

This just in from Peter Elliott of Bloomberg: "Opinion: Masaharu Morimoto may be spread too thin 'Iron Chef' Masaharu Morimoto's new Morimoto in Manhattan puts on an excellent show, but the dishes lack the personal touch of Morimoto, who is stretched between cooking, running the restaurant and greeting celebrity patrons." http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=1...id=asiiQm939odg

You are so right! I remember one of the commentators trying to wrap his tongue around an exotic Eurpoean-style noodle "dumpling" being prepared by a challenger who was trained in Italy: "sore wa 'Ra-Vee-Ooohhh-leee' desu" - hilarous! The other three repeated it, and nodded in grave agreement that it was a very original preparation. I believe it was Battle Scampi. The female commentators were also much more entertaining in their original high-pitched giggly delivery.

Are you on the Eastside? If not (or even so), you might want to try elemental@gasworks. http://www.elementalatgasworks.com/ Given your schedule, you could probably make it in at the beginning of the service so you could actually get a seat. It's definitely on the cutting edge pf the NW dining scene, and impossible to get into after 6pm. Lark is another I would recommend. They also don't take reservations, so getting there early is a must. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/food/162233_rest27.html The benefit of these early meals, of course, it that you have the rest of your date night free. On the Eastside, there's Mixtura, serving elegant Andean cuisine in Kirkland. They have terrific small plates for flexible dining options. http://www.mixtura.biz/

Definitiely Marinus at Bernardus Lodge! It's a bit further out in the valley, but arguably one of the best restaurants in California, not just the Monterey/Carmel area. http://www.bernardus.com/live-the-dream/culinary-marinus.php

I walked by the space this morning, and the poster says "Coming Soon: Beard Papa's Sweets Cafe." I have only seen the walkup locations, and am unfamiliar with the "Sweets Cafe" concept. Does anyone have any experience with the cafe before? Do they serve a wider selection, Lunch, etc? The opening appears to be a long ways off. I peeked in and it was bare studs, no electricity, fixtures or anything. I say they're lucky if they open in time for the summer tourist season.

Well, I guess that's one way to get on their mailing list. (you want BBQ sauce with those?)

My pleasure! By the way, Chicago Tourism tried to launch an effort called "Winter Delights" in 2004 and 2005 that failed miserably. One of the reasons why is because it lasted for 2 months! By the end, even some of the restaurant employees forgot they were participating. Edited to add: tetsujustin was right - Pellegrino is indeed planning their own events to "backfill" cities that don't have established restaurant weeks (and some that do). Look for "Dine Out Chicago" in August - $20 Lunches, $35 Dinners and a "free" (included) bottle of Pellegrino or Panna. http://www.usadineout.com/

Sorry this is late, but Twin Cities Originals are having their restaurant week right now! Twin Cities Original Restaurant Week You can check in with local "Originals" chapters to get the word on their plans, or to find contact info to submit your encouragement: National Dine Originals Page The latest on many Restaurant Weeks can also be found here: National Restaurant Week Roundup These things are difficult to organize, and the tougest part is coming up with a consistent offer to which ALL participating restaurants can adhere. Because of the logistical challenges of rounding up restaurants, generating publicity, ensuring compliance, and dealing with the inevitable diner feedback, not many agencies want to take this on. The most successful Restaurant Weeks have been run by Tourism Bureaus who manage to garner huge sponsorships (Visa, Amex, etc.) to pay for the overhead involved. It's less likely that heartland cities have these resources at their disposal. You can see a blow-by-blow account of a fledgling restaurant week (sponsored by Vancouver Tourisn amd Visa) in the Vancouver forum here: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...68 and here: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...86 And the post-mortem here: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...92 That being said, restaurant associations or groups like the Dine Originals can launch some pretty compelling, if not smaller-scale events. I'd encourage you to contact them.

My favorites... A16 Emmy's Quince Michael Mina Tu Lan These are unranked, because they are all over the map WRT price and ambience. BTW, I have been to The French Laundry, and while it's up there, I have to say from a sheer enjoyment perspective (including food, service, value, comfort), it doesn't crack my top 5.

FYI, Many restaurants of this caliber can print a menu for you without prices --they do this often for special celebrations and events. Since they don't print the sheets until the day of service, you may still have time to do this. Just give them a call and ask. You can discreetly slip them your credit card at the beginning of service when you check in, as they will still need an imprint from your card, even if you give them your number ahead of time. Have a great time, and take some great pictures for us!

This just in from CHOW mag- Looks like they're taking a "break" from the print medium. I do hope it's not a "break" like the kind that restaurants go on just before going out of business...

One of the things that should be pointed out is that Starr does hire good talent, and with the resources generated by his specialty drinks alone, he can allow some very great chefs go on to even greater things. It's no fluke that last year's James Beard Rising Star winner worked at Striped Bass. The best chefs in the country as well as the world would kill for a setup like the one these guys get. I highly doubt that Chodorow puts such a premium on talent or product quality at his "Asia de China Grills". While maybe not the raison d'etre of these establishments, it's a pretty nice benefit, and one that should be weighed carefully.

Funny you should ask, Llewelyn's was replaced by 19 kitchen & bar. We went there a few years back, and it was very nice, but a little "old-school." 19 is definitely more chic & current.

Unfortunately, Sol Y Lago is on the North Shore. DH and I had a memorable Wild Game meal at 19 Kitchen~Bar at the top of Harvey's. Say what you will about casino dining, it was a terrific place - head & shoulders above anything at Caesar's. Excellent service, food & wine quality. Ask for a lakeview table, and you won't be disappointed. 19 Kitchen ~Bar website

I think that might be what I meant by "zeitgeist". ← Sorry. I imagined a "zeitgeist" would be formed out of many opinions permeating the culture, or a series of fantastic reviews from reliable sources--not the product of a single salesperson's pitch. Guess we have a different interpretation.

Either that, or just a savvy wine distributor with a great pitch...

Axis in Belltown closed its doors on 12/17. One of the last great dot-com restaurant-lounges. Woodfire grill, signature cosmos, "see-and-be-seen" atmosphere - looks like the '00's are on their way out.