MMerrill

I'm planning to try Circle Bistro.

Good to know - but this is not a matinee we're going to!

We tried Jackie's for dinner on the spur of the moment Sunday night. We called in and requested 7pm and were asked to come at 6:30. Place was pretty full when we arrived and continued to be so all evening. I love the space. The service was efficient and friendly and the food had ups and downs. We started with the (aforementioned) calamari, shrimp and scallop appetizer which was delicious. My husband had the steak and frites. Frites were great but the steak tasted a bit odd. I had rockfish in a salt crust, which seemed maybe over-cooked or old, not bad but not inspired. It was served with small potato balls, sauted in olive oil and garlicky good, but the plate was all one color and needed more zip. We still enjoyed our meal and will definitely return. And, I would like to laud them for offering several decent wines for under $20! Way to go Jackie's!!!

Has anyone eaten here recently? We're looking for someplace to eat a light dinner pre-Kennedy Center performance and this might be the current best bet.

Had a lovely, balmy 4 days in Key West, including an incredible Christmas parade right down Duval Street on Saturday night! Food had its ups and downs. First lunch was at Caroline's on Duval for fried grouper sandwiches - very good. Dinner that night at Turtle Kraals where the casual waterfront atmosphere is nice but food was disappointing. A calamari appetizer fried with a strange cornmeal batter just didn't work. Smoked fish dip was pretty good. Oysters baked with spinach and cheese were totally overwhelmed by their filling and a broiled seafood platter seemed mostly dry and tired. Breakfast at Blue Heaven next morning was excellent, starting with a serious Bloody Mary. We tried everything from pancakes, eggs, hash, fried potatoes, fruit plate and fresh lemon poppy bread and liked everything. Plus delicious Baby's coffee. That day we took a couple Cuban sandwiches from 5 Brother's Grocery to the beach which were good but not extraordinary. After the parade on Saturday night we got a seat at the bar at Nine One Five on Duval and tried several tapas and wine by the glass. Everything we had was delicious, particularly a special of minced stone crab with granny smith apple covered with a dome of sushi grade raw tuna - fabulous! Locals there recommended trying Michael's, Cafe Sole, and Pisces. Sunday we had another excellent breakfast, at Pepe's Cafe & Steakhouse on Caroline and lunch at the snackbar at Bahia Honda State Park (good hot dog with sauerkraut). For dinner we went to Michael's Restaurant on Margaret Street and loved it. We sat in the garden which is very pleasant and enjoyed a very good dinner - a fabulous veal chop, top-quality steak, and hog fish stuffed with crab - and one chocolate volcano for dessert. Entrees here were in the $20 + range and wines start in the mid $20's and go way up. The bartender/sommelier and another patron there spoke highly of Opera and Alice's. Alice has left La Te Da and now has her own restaurant across the street on Duval. We intended to go there for our last dinner but our stomachs and stamina let us down and we ended up wandering back to the waterfront and eating more simply on the deck at Alonzo's. They're owned by the group that also owns Turtle Kraals and Half Shell Raw Bar, but we liked their food better. They have the same calamari in cornmeal batter (which we knew to avoid). Instead we started with okay conch fritters and went on to fried shrimp and broiled mahi-mahi which were quite good. Also had a very good mojito - which most places did not have - no mint! So, there are dining opportunities that might exceed your expectations, as they did ours - and those that don't quite make it. Thanks again to all for the helpful suggestions! Molly

Again, everybody, thanks for all the suggestions. I'm getting good ideas - and also getting hungry. We leave next Friday and have 4 nights there. Will report on what we do that's fun, and what we eat that's good. Molly

We spent one night there last November and while the setting is isolated and lovely we were very disappointed in the food. Not bad, just nothing to go out of your way for. It was recommended in Gambero Rosso 2003, but not in 2004 (we discovered too late).

We loved Les Trois Salons in Uzes, just west of Avignon. See post under same heading on next page. (I don't know how to link to it.)

Owen, thank you for lots of helpful info! I'm interested in funky places in the lower Keys too.

Any opinions out there about eating in Key West? We'll be there for a while in early December. I couldn't find any earlier discussions.

Miguel, again thank you for your wonderful restaurant suggestions. We love the challenge of trying to find your little-known out-of-the-way secret places! If and when we find them, we're rewarded with a special meal. What could be better? We did get to Galito for lunch on the second try and were glad we made the effort to go back. We had the daily specials for our main course - ensopada de borrego - lamb soup, in a clear broth, with chunks of lamb, bread and cilantro. Very tasty. I had tiny grilled lamb chops, accompanied by rice with parsley. Our starters had us a bit puzzled until I read your last post. One was a plate of what must have been "farinheira," little puffs of what seemed like sausage-flavored bread that are hard to stop eating. We also had fava beans with slices of a tasty dark sausage, and a salad of what we thought was shreds of turkey with onion and cilantro that turned out to be rabbit. All were unique and delicious. Instead of a sweet for dessert, we asked for cheese and were served a piece of serpa cheese accompanied by a slab of a sweet fruit paste. This was a wonderful combination of tastes and when I asked our server (Henrique?) what it was, he responded "You can't buy it; my mother makes it!" This is a lovely little restaurant and we will certainly return on our next visit to Lisbon. For our final lunch, we decided to try the Mandarim in the casino in Estoril - for a complete change of pace. The setting is elegant, the service wonderful and the Chinese food very good. There were several groups of Chinese women feasting on dim sum so we followed their lead and our favorite dish was of dumplings stuffed with sweet, fresh shrimp - the best version of this I've ever had. So now we're home again and facing the bleak prospect of paying for our sins - no more eating! Oh well, that's the price you pay.

What we love about travelling in Italy is finding genuine, non-pretentious food at reasonable prices. And we always do, which is amazing and the main reason we keep coming back for more. To do this, we usually follow Gambero Rosso's recommendations for their "red" restaurants - whether ristoranti or trattorie. These places tend to feature local, seasonal food, but often prepared with a creative touch. We even stray into the "2 fork" category and have had exceptional meals (more in the ristoranti category) but sometimes get food that's trying too hard to be different. I guess I'm more of a conservative eater - and prefer cooked shrimp to raw, for instance. Maybe the distinction should be between modern and traditional cooking? Give me traditional, but with that creative twist!

Long weekend of seafood. We started Friday at Joao Padeiro in Guincho and were seated by the window just over the in-rushing surf. There couldn't be a more spectacular setting. We ordered the sole, which is truly perfect as advertised. Our waiter was skillful and charming - he filleted my sole with panache, and let my husband do his own without being affronted. We will certainly return on our next trip. We had planned a weekend outing to Vila Nova de Milfontes, so it made sense to stop in Setubal and seek out O Batareo (tel:265 234548) for lunch on Saturday. And there we found it just at the end of a strip of restaurants near the ferry. The owner (son?) was working at the grill on the front porch and we watched as he roasted whole scallops in their shells sizzling in their juices over the hot fire. That was a treat we had to try. Never have I had scallops so fresh and perfectly prepared. Besides that we indulged ourselves with tiny clams cooked in olive oil with garlic and cilantro (we had to fight our 2 little granddaughters off to get any!), and 3 differnt grilled fish - dourada, cherne, and sole. All were impeccably fresh and cooked perfectly. Returning to Lisbon on Sunday we stopped near Porto Covo at Restaurant A Ilha(tel:269 905113), on a promontory overlooking the beach and a rugged little island. Once again fresh fish was the feature, so we had grilled wild dourada and shared a spectacular cataplana of tamborill with clams and shrimp that was one of the best versions we've ever had. Wow! Back in Lisbon we stopped in at O Galito at lunch time yesterday but found it full, so properly armed with reservations, we'll try again today.

Reporting in from Lisbon - Hmmm, is this "vast quanities of dark chocolate" something we should know about? We've had two great lunches to date. Our first was at Solar dos Nunes, a favorite and delightful neighborhood place. For starters there were wonderful little shrimp and cod cakes, fantastic roasted pepper strips, olives of course and an amazing little gooey round cheese. And excellent bread too. We sent away the plates of salami and ham which was difficult because we know how good they are. One can only eat so much after all. I followed with the daily special of grilled scabbard fish while the others shared fish soup - both fresh and delicious! The house red wine from Alentejo is quite nice. Yesterday we hit O Painel de Alcantara that has roast kid at lunch on Thursdays. Four of us shared three portions and couldn't begin to finish everything. The kid is falling-off-the-bone wonderful and the accompanying side dishes, especially the roasted potatoes, incredible. We shared two dishes of leite creme (sort of creme brulee ?), and then were served a special treat in honor of San Martino's day - boiled chestnuts and a pitcher of new wine. I wouldn't seek out the new wine again, but it was fun to take part in the celebration. We're heading out to Guincho today for seafood, and will try to find the secret fish restaurant in Setubal tomorrow!

We had a lovely dinner at Osteria dell'Arnacio in Grottammare. Really wanted to go to Oasi degli Angeli in Cupra Marittima, but they were closed when we were in the area. They produce some incredible wines, and the food is supposed to be good too. Go and see the lovely church of S. Maria della Rocca in Offida.

Docsconz, just think how the rest of us felt when you were off on your culinary expedition to Spain and Portugal in October!

Wow! You have outdone yourself (is that possible?), Miguel. Thanks. We are fired up and ready for a week of exploring and eating. Lucky we do a ton of walking - can't wait. Anything we can bring you from the US? We always pack up a box of things (my daughter orders lots of books), but food items tend to predominate. Like maple syrup and standing rib roasts. I'm serious. All the best, Molly

We're travelling to Lisbon next week and I'm wondering if there's something new or special in the food world there not to miss. We usually choose a lunch destination daily - and in the past have tried many of Miguel's wonderful suggestions, but not all yet. Any up-dates?

Re: Corrado Constanza - Have you seen the entry about the man and the shop in Fred Plotkin's Italy for the Gourmet Traveler ? It's a wonderful writeup that made Noto a must-visit on our first trip to Sicily 8 yrs ago. Recently I'm sure I read somewhere that Mr. Costanzo died in the past year. Hope I'm not spreading false rumors!

We've just returned from a trip to France and Italy and during our brief stay in Paris we had a fantastic lunch at L'Abadache, on John Talbott's recommendation. The restaurant is small and friendly. We opted for the 18 Euro lunch menu in which you are given 2 or 3 choices in each of 3 courses. We all started with a delicious cream of Jerusalem artichoke soup garnished with cilantro. My second was a crispy filet of rascasse on a bed of small beans and tomatoes with a sauce flavored with coconut milk and cilantro. My companions had the cote de porc with a crispy potato galette and brown sauce. For dessert I had warm fresh figs simmered in red wine with a scoop of lavender ice cream. My husband had vanilla ice cream with warm chocolate sauce, and something else chocolate. We had the carafe wines which were 8 Euros and quite nice. This delightful meal was 70 Euros for three of us! We had a nice chat with the chef and his wife. They were curious about what brought us there, and remembered John Talbott's visit. It's a wonderful restaurant. Everyone should go!

We have just returned from France and our dinner at Les Trois Salons was a highlight of the trip. Unfortunately we were not in Uzes on Saturday to enjoy the market. At dinner, Les Trois Salons offers a 39 Euro set menu with no choices. The following is my recollection of the food - might have missed an engredient here or there. We started with a first course of 3 seared scallops on a bed of tiny bits of cauliflower, pomegranate seeds, parsley and browned butter. This was followed by a "cake" of risotto cooked with butternut squash and parmesan, topped with thin slices of roasted squash, roasted chestnuts and tarragon. The main course was a small filet of veal, braised with endive & dill, with a sauce of veal stock and a strip of almond paste. Next came a shallow bowl with aligot cheese melted into a smooth liquid mixed with some potato puree and topped with bits of sauteed shallot and watercress. The dessert was a trio of delicious sweets - slices of banana roasted in a caramel/coffee syrup, an egg shell filled with chocolate flan topped with a bit of cream and sitting on a bed of crushed, sugared walnuts, and a small glass of melted apple sorbet with a crispy sweet wafer. Everything we ate was delicious and inventive without being outlandish at all. The service was professional and friendly. The wine list includes several wines in the 20 Euro range and goes up from there. They have a lunch menu for less; I think maybe 17 Euro, but could be wrong on that. If you're in the area, I highly recommend a meal here!

Ha! You know on an earlier trip we wanted to try one of those. He hadn't given us the exact name or the address or telephone # of course, but with the help of my Portuguese son-in-law and a lot of snooping we ferretted the place out and had a lovely meal. Of course I wouldn't consider publishing the pertinent info! Please let me add, that I love Miguel's posts. He's outrageously entertaining and helpful and full of great and opinionated recommendations.

Thanks for the great review and wonderful photos - wow! We'll be in Lisbon in a month and will add Ramiro to our restaurant list.

Again, many thanks! I think we have plenty of options to choose from - which will be fun.

Thanks - sounds good. Don't know exactly where yet. Was told we could use Metro Abesses, Pigalle or Anvers. And thanks for your suggestions.