rshorens

The UK is no better, and probably worse, than France as far as exchange rates. My family's week vacation in London over Thanksgiving cost more than twice what it cost 3 years ago. A modest hotel for 2 cost $170, and an economy dinner cost $25 per person. I can't even afford a US vacation this summer. I hope the dollar improves by spring, 2005-my Italian is getting very rusty! Roz

Dear Jeffrey, Thanks for your comments. I live in Santa Cruz, about 90 minutes south of San Francisco, so Santa Monica is a bit far to go for a "date". But I wonder if the problem isn't just lack of demand. I'm going to try to talk to local produce managers at some of the natural foods stores here to see if there might be a way for them to order dates fresh when they are in season. Start a date revolution! Happy 2004! Best regards, Roz

oops-cut myself off there.... for $5.99 a glass, I bought some of the red wine, white wine, and port glasses. They look very nice for everyday use.

I have been reading about all these wonderful wine glasses, and even got to hold some of the Riedel Sommelier glasses while browsing in Fortnum and Mason, which are too precious for someone like me, who breaks a lot of glasses. So when I saw that Trader Joe's now carries Riedel "Degustazione" line(488 series)(a machine made, lead free Tyrolean crystal)

Despite living in California for the past 31 years, I never knew how deprived I was until I read your article in Vogue on the delights of eating fresh dates. Miraculously, while on a Thanksgiving week trip to the UK last month, I discovered fresh dates from Israel at a fruit stall in the Covered Market in Oxford, of all places. They were wonderful, but I couldn't bring them home with me. Why is it so hard to find fresh dates here? Thanks! Roz

I am also a Farallon fan/addict. We just had lunch there yesterday- parsnip soup, fresh Maine scallops, Hawaiian ono, pumpkin creme broulee with the most delicious cookies I have eaten in a long time, plus the best bread and butter. I would have loved to try the Gruner Veltliners, but they weren't available by the glass. I have had the Muller-Thurgau, which is a delightful white wine, and only $24 a bottle. Farallon never fails to delight, even if one is only having one or 2 courses. Although expensive, it's well worth the money.

I have a Showtime Rotisserie and a gas-grill rotisserie. Would cooking the goose in either of these be advisable, or should I stick to an electric oven? I like the way chickens come out in the rotisserie, but I would worry about the extra fat for a goose. Thanks Roz

I enjoy late harvest white reisling by Navarro Vineyard in Mendocino County; also Vin de Glaciere by Bonny Doon Vineyard in Santa Cruz(this resembles an ice wine because it's made by freezing grapes;it is very good and a lot less expensive than a true ice wine like Inniskillin(spelling??)from Canada)) and Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc by David Coffaro Winery in Dry Creek Valley near Healdsburg. Chateau d'Yquem always makes me smile, remembering the one time II bought a bottle for my 15th wedding aniversary in 1983- I paid about $12(which was a lot for me then) in a wine warehouse in San Francisco, made a special meal at home for my husband, opened the bottle- and was shocked to find out it was sweet! All I knew was that it was a famous French wine and was expecting something like chardonnay! It was wasted on us then, wish I had the bottle now! Roz

Thanks for supplying the link, Tana! I have to learn how to do that.

The New York Times had a review today by Brian Miller about Baraka, Chez Papa, Chez Spencer, Tallula, and The Last Supper Club as restaurants in San Francisco featuring small plates(sorry I'm not high tech enough to supply a link). I value the opinions of e.gulleteers who have eaten in any of these restaurants recently. How would you rate them in terms of quality of food, value for the price, and overall experience? Thanks! Roz

Do you plan on passing through Healdsburg/Santa Rosa on Highway 101? I live in Santa Cruz, but the Russian River/Dry Creek/Alexander Valley areas near Healdsburg are my favorite getaway for wine-tasting and eating. Much less touristy than Napa. Some recommended wineries, both for wine and scenery, include: Pezzi King, Trentadue, Gary Farrell, Ridge, Rocchioli, deLormier, Hartford Family Wines and Bella. There are several fine restaurants, but I like Charcuterie for excellent country French food at reasonable price. Haydon Street Inn is a lovely Bed and Breakfast. Have a great trip! Roz

Once I drove from Tuscany to the French Riviera just because I was desperate for good bread. I had the notion that the horrible Italian bread was due to lack of salt, because of a salt tax during the Middle Ages. In any event, after a few days in the Luberon, I drove back to Italy for the gelato. So it all evens out!

If I may add my own inquiry, I am seeking a restaurant near, or not far by car from, the Sacramento Convention Center that will accommodate a group of 30-40 people in March. We would like excellent food and atmosphere and are willing to pay a reasonable price for it. Would any of the above recommendations be appropriate? If not, any other suggestions? Thanks! Roz

Continued from previous post: We enjoyed the excellent sea bass, skate, Dover sole, and crab bisque at J. Sheekey but had a problem with the service- they made a mistake on one of our orders so that our food was so delayed that we had to eat in 5 minutes and dash off to the ballet. I reported on lunch at Patterson's under the Patterson's thread. Cafe Espana was good and convenient for pre-theater- quick service, reasonable prices, tasty and generous portions of Spanish omelette, calamari, grilled prawns, flan. We had tapas only; their nightly specials ( lamb or grilled salmon with vegetables and poytatoes) looked terrific at only L5.95. I regret that we didn't have enough time to try more of the top gourmet egullet suggestions- save the list for the next trip. Thanks again for all the tips! Happy holidays. Roz

Just a follow-up note on returning from London trip. Our vote for best value pre-theater dinner was Incognico(French) on Shaftesbury Avenue; the decor, atmosphere, and service were wonderful. For starters, tomato soup or fresh asparagus risotto; 3 of us had braised rabbit with polenta and cep, and either lemon ice cream or apricot cake. They were very accomodating for one of my daughters, who is very diet conscious, preparing a special starter(fresh tomatoes provencal) and main(a huge plate of fresh sauteed vegetables and potato gratin) at no extra charge. The quality and presentation of all the food were exceptional, and the cost was only L12.50 per person. We enjoyed the old-time atmosphere and fresh fish (oysters, sea bass, skate) at Sweetings on Queen Victoria Street in the City. More to follow

We had lunch at Patterson's on Nov. 21. The atmosphere and decor were lovely. Having just flown in from San Francisco, we ate lightly. I had monkfish tail with red cabbage and scallop veloute and my husband had filet mignon with leaf spinach and ceps, capped with a nice sized piece of foie gras, all of which were delicious. We had a glass of Hugues de Beauvignac Sauvignon Blanc(Cotes de Thau, 2003). The amuse was veloute of butternut squash. We enjoyed the La Fromagerie cheese plate- our servor was very patient, cutting(at my request)small pieces of every cheese. Service was excellent. Prices for lunch now are: starters, L5, Mains L10, and desserts L4. Overall a very pleasant lunch. Roz

I just returned from London yesterday and did go to Borough Market near Southwark Cathedral 2 times. Things I liked included: Venison Burgers at the stall from Devon Cheeses from the Comte in Jura(big wheels of cheese-they sell only one type) Mexican hot chocolate(from the chili folks) Italian cheeses from the fellow from Lago Maggiore(only sells Italian cheese) Hot hard cider from the man with the funny hat Buckwheat crepes from the crepe people(gluten free for those of you who have a wheat allergy) the wine shop had some very tasty,reasonaly priced French wines- would have bought some had I been able to schlepp them back to California Most of all- it was a fun place to wander around

So, with this information in mind, what would be an appropriate strategy for the scallop lover? Ask to speak to the chef about the history of the scallop supplier before ordering the scallops? Ask if the chef has tasted the cooked scallops recently? Call in advance and ask these questions, explaining the problem? Eat scallops attached to the shells only in dockside restaurants in Maine where one can see the boats come in?Go back to the last restaurant where I had sweet-tasting scallops(Eagle Pub in London)? Thanks for the interesting information! Best regards, Roz

I had lunch today at a good local restaurant specializing in seafood and had fresh "Nova Scotia sea scallops". They were large scallops, cooked appropriately(not overdone) and were tender but had a terrible bitter taste. I had a similar experience in a different restaurant last year, and am now afraid to order scallops in a restaurant in California. I recall very sweet tasting scallops at a gastropub in London a few years ago,so I wonder if anyone can explain what's going on with the scallops? I love them and don't want to be disappointed again.Thanks for your ideas. Roz

I don't know about hot, but the staff at Balthazar was definitely very warm and kind to my family last April. We had been shopping and looking for an early dinner before heading off to the theater; it had been snowing, a wet spring snow, and we were cold and drenched. We walked in and asked for a table; they were not open for dinner for awhile and we couldn't wait until they opened. Nevertheless, as we were turning, disappointed, to leave, the young man at the front suggested we buy some food at the takeout room next door, and eat it at one of the tables in the bar. We bought delicious hot soup, salad, and a sandwich, as well as some drinks, and had a satisfying light meal.We were very grateful that the staff invited us to eat there, as it didn't occur to us to do this with takeout food. We will be very happy to return for a real dinner next time we visit NYC. Roz

I looked at the amazon site for these glasses- is it for a total of 3 glasses? There are so many Riedel glasses at varying prices in their inventory. Is the Sommelier type different, and how so? Roz

My daughter's a Yale student, so I've had a chance to sample the food on numerous trips in the past few years. In addition to all the postings above, my latest discovery is Ibiza, which I described in a post several days ago under "restaurants in Westport, CT"(the reason why it's there is because Ibiza is the sister restaurant to Meigas in Norwalk, which was discussed under the Westport thread). Any way- the food at Ibiza is exquisite; the restaurant was written up in a recent Wine Spectator(June 30, 2003)article and chef Luis Bollo was named Chef of the Year in November issue of Esquire. I ate there for lunch, and the value for the magnificent food was excellent. not to be missed. Roz

Is the L35 menu for lunch or dinner? It sounds wonderful. Might try it later in November.

Thanks for your tips! With respect to the comment about lack of availability of good turkeys in general in the UK, I wonder, does turkey have a bad reputation in the UK? Is it a political thing, or lack of good organic producers? In northern California we have several excellent brands(such as Diestel)-maybe they should cross the pond and set up an outpost in the UK? Or is it an acquired taste? Best regards, Roz

2 years ago, my family and I spent 5 days in London around Thanksgiving. We had tea at Brown's Hotel, which we enjoyed. We're going back to London this year, but my daughter would really prefer a more traditional Thanksgiving meal. I suspect several hotel restaurants may serve American-style turkey dinners, but i am leery of trying to reproduce this In London. Has anyone had any experience with turkey in English restaurants? Any ideas for a special holiday meal? Thanks! Roz