mazman

Been to Tintol once, agree the food is terrific and the Portugese wine selections are great. Think there are a few dishes that are "Portugese" in provenance, specifically the Pork Loin and Clams which is based on a traditional dish from the Alentejo region I think. Tintol's version is not a bit different than the one's I have had in Lisbon but absolutely yummy, as were most of the dishes. Strangely, the only dish we didn't like were the Papas Bravas, which seemed not at all like the ones I have had at other Spanish Tapas places. Overall, better (and cheaper) than Casa Mono, a slight notch below Tia Pol and Jaleo in DC

Thanks those are helpful, good to know some options in St. Paul. What do folks think about 20.21 or 112 eatery, I hear good things about both.

Heading to MN/SP for three days next week. Staying in St. Paul on the water but open to going elsewhere. We have no long lunches but looking for 3 great places for dinner (two with company, one the last night on my own at the bar). Any suggestions appreciated.

This was an interesting post veal cheeks thanks...I have never been to Devi and only to Tabla once which was unmemorable, but maybe not for the food, 5 years ago is a long time. I wonder if folks have been to Vij's in Vancouver and can compare with Devi and/or Tabla. Vij's was the most amazing Indian food I ever had--the Prawns in Mango Curry one of the best dishes I have ever had anywhere, anytime. Vij's is causal and hip, even more so than Tabla but the food struck me as quite serious in an off hand way, kind of like Lassi is but even more so. I am curious if anyone has been to Vij's and can offer a point of comparison.

Jaz, I have two friends who would like to join my wife and I making 4. Work for you? Mazman

Great, we will be in town that week and have been meaning to get to your place. Count me and my wife in...looking forward to meeting some of the CA egulleteets! Mazman

I remember one more...Moroccan restaurant Chameau used to be in Silver Lake now on Robertson...also a great wine store on Glendale called Silver Lake Wines...one of the most interesting selections I have seen and do regular tastings with an interesting crowd

Neal. Not from LA but go occassionally for work. In terms of South American/Peruvian, Marios in Highland Park (off Melrose) is amazing, the best Ceviche my wife (she's Peruvian) and I have had in the US and an Amazing and authentic Lomo Saltado. Really, run there and go early...it gets crowded. Otherwise not a resident so my recs are not based on a lot of experience, we both liked Blairs alot also and think Luques on Melrose is consistently great. If I think of others I will write again, hope all goes well in your search.

Of all the suggestions, I agree Landmarc is the best, the wine prices will keep you under 100 if you order carfefully. Casa Mono is impossible to do at this price for two, but Tia Pol isdoable and better food IMO.

My friend and fellow egulleteer Sara and I went last night and sat at the bar for dinner. This is one of the best restaurants in NY to eat at the bar, lots or room and most people are there to eat or waiting for a table to eat. We split the following dishes off the fall menu. Amuse: parsnip soup grilled quail, farro, tomato preserves, poached quail egg stuffed cabbage, broth, veal and sweetbread dumplings kobe beef with broccoli rabe and cippolini onions or something like that Side of gnocchi. Dessert: olive oil cake, burnt sugar ice cream, roasted figs goat milk panna cotta with huckleberries All the dishes were good to excellent, but if I had to recommend one I'd say to run fast to get the Kobe beef. This was amazing, we got it off the tasting menu and split a big portion. Beatiful intense beef flavor with a perfect subtle char and perfect complementary sides. Was $45.00 but plenty of food for two with the other dishes. If you get the Kobe I recommend the wine we had, a Qunto Do Vallado from Douro, went perfectly with it, did very well with all the other food and at $47.00 is one of the cheaper reds available. Overall a great experience, the bartender (I forgot her name) was nice, and extremely professional. I have now been 4 times and each meal was better than the last. If I had one complaint is with the markup on the wines, there was one wine I know that was well more than double retail. The list is great, just wish it were cheaper. Curious where people rank Hearth in terms of restaurants doing serious food downtown? I would place it above both the Tasting Room and 71 Clinton now based on recent meals at all 3. What do others think?

Some friends and I are coming to Austin and San Antonio for 3 days and looking for top places to eat in the two cities. We want great food in a reasonably casual setting, with a good wine list also. Two of the night we are in town are su and mo. Any suggestions welcome.

I want to organize a dinner at Corduroy in early november, we plan on bringing wine and would love to do some sort of tasting menu. Anyone know who the best person to contact it? Is there a egulletteer out there from the restaurant?? Mazman

agree he was right about both Falai and Petrosino, both very different but excellent and reasonable Italian, among the best in the city IMO. Had a fish special at Falai a few weeks back (alas, I cannot remember much about it or the name of the fish) that was about as perfectly cooked piece of fish as I have ever had. In general, Bruni seems to have good instincts on the LES, is this his populist streak or is Frank just a hipster at heart...?

Has anyone been recently and had the "summer menu" any suggestions for food, or interesting wine options for what is on the menu?

Have a few trips coming up to sacramento, looking for excellent food (SF/Berkeley/Oakland quality), and places I can easily go to the bar and eat as a solo. Open to all food types and price ranges. Walking distance from downtown is a plus as well. Mazman

Order the steak sandwich...and at least the food is better than at Saint Ex...

We're thinking of heading to Butterfield 9 next week. Any one been recently that can report back?

Only thing I would add is try to get to Nectar for dinner, amazing food and atmosphere, also Cashions and Corduroy and El Chalan are among the best I have been to.

Okay with the tenor of the thread and Sietsema's review it might be time to go back and check out again and report back...

Wish I could remeber where I heard about it...serves Italian/Mediterranean. Onty info i could fnd was a Zagat review. "24" not bad for what that is worth...

A group of us are heading to Aleo next week, remember hearing good things about it but cannot remember where. What do folks think? Recommended dishes? Wine list? Any help appreciated. Thanks Mazman

Steve, thanks for replying and pushing the conversation forward. A few details: live in DC most of the time, NY rest of the time and eat out a lot in these and other cities. Fair to say that I have been to most of the "middle-to high end" places in the area--alas no Citronelle or Maestro--but many of the group that are a notch below in price point and ambitions. In that group among my faves include Cashion's, Jaleo, Grapeseed, El Chalan and probably others. Slightly higher end places I love include Nectar and Obelisk (when its on). Overall, I am generally disappointed in the DC dining scene, especially at the middle-tier, compared to NY, SF and even smaller cities like Portland, OR. But I agree with the geenal assessment of a "second-tier food town on an upward arc." Now to the particulars: my expectation from a new place is that I want to go back, right now Komi fails this test. Yes its new, and yes I can forgive service lapses and others for this, but I'd still hesitate in going back on my own dime anytime in the near future. True, small sample size, but dining out is not research, the bar to get me back in is, and should be I think, high. Perhaps my expectations for neighborhood restaurants is skewed by other places I live and travel to, but there is nothing wrong with setting high standards--DC needs more diners (like the folks posting on e-gullet) willing to set and enforce these. The more postings that rave, or at least cheer, the doings at Komi, the more likely I'll go back...

Agreed on most of this report, the chicken I had was tough, somewhat bland with an overly sweet sauce on the side. Only one visit, and it is early, but if this is worth getting excited about then out standards in DC are abysmally low. Oh, the wine, Spanish, Grenache blend (w/ syrah, carinange and others) pretty unexciting and at $28, seemed a tad overpriced. Mazman

Think everyone has it right...Ceiba is new shows some promise but nothing a wow yet. Went there last week, we had one of the ceviches, and chille relleno and the Rib-eye steak(sorry no more details, didn't write them down). The ceviche was OK --though my girlfriend (she's Peruvian) likes it a lot which may mean more. Nothing special about the Relleno, the steak was tasty with a good chimichurri sauce and big enough to split. Cheesecake for dessert was excellent though not as good as the (free) caramel popcorn which was fabulous and addictive (we fought over the leftover kernels on the way home). Only had wine by the glass, a decent Priorat that needed some time to open up--but ohboy those redwine glasses...disastrous...please someone nicely tell the folks at Ceiba to get some serious glasses. All in all, I'd go back, though might not but for the popcorn...

Does anyone know the days the Laboratorio is open in October and November.