ludja

I can't argue with any of the choices listed above but I'm going to take you down in price considerably. Two SF places owned by the same guy, Chow and Park Chow, have excellent seasonal produce. The thing I like esp is that they offer salads in 3 sizes so you can easily have a shared app (like grilled Monterey squid), a small arugula and white shrimp salad, maybe a good steak w/ garlic mashed and asparagus (12.95 -- yeah baby!) and a piece of chocolate cream pie all for, like, $25. Wines are reasonable, too. Have fun! ← Good recs; tasty and good value. I also had a very good pie at Park Chow--it was a double crusted banana caramel pie...

Ryoko (a few blocks west of Union Square) might be worth checking out. It's reasonably priced and is a standing favorite for a good friend of mine who has eaten lots of good sushi and lived in Japan for 4 years. I can't claim to be a sushi afficionado, but I've enjoyed several good meals there. It compares favorably with many sushi places I've been to in SF although I haven't been to the highest end places. The restaurant has a neighborhood feel; comfortable and nice but not upscale. My friend knows the owners/chefs quite well and will usually put himself in their hands to a large extent re: picking out what is freshest that day.

It sounds like you already have a pretty good overview and lots of experience out in the area! But if you ever want some additional input/comments be sure to ask. (I only added that I was a "local" to mean that I have lots of opportunities to go up there and tend to side with visiting Sonoma for many of the same reasons you mentioned.) That being said, after tilting towards Sonoma for almost 10 years, the last few years I have been going to Napa more and more to learn about their wines--it is easier to be able to go off-season and during the week.

Pssst, hey Moron! Yes, you. NICOISE OLIVES. ← No self-flaming allowed...

If you go on a summer weekend, the winetasting rooms will definately be less crowded in Sonoma than in Napa--that could be a benefit with a small child.

You should get some nice relief in SF this time of year--but just to warn you that it will often be in the 90's in Sonoma/Napa in the summer. Bring some extra water and cool drinks along for the day trip to winecountry...

As a local, I've spent a lot more time in Sonoma and do agree with many of JohnL's sentiments. *But*--if you only have one day (Friday) and will be eating at Bouchon that evening it might be easier to stay in Napa and spend less time driving. It depends on your stamina and how early of a start you get... Napa is certainly worth seeing in it's own right. Grgich Hills is on the main strip of Napa, but Chateau Montelena is at the end of (small) but pretty drive a little north of Calistoga. If you drive up and down the valley, make sure that in one of the directions you drive on the Silverado Trail (a north-south road on the eastern side of the valley); it is more scenic that the Hwy 29. In my experience, it's not that winetasting rooms are not kid-friendly per say. One just has to carefully watch out to protect displays or other breakable merchandise from 2 year old inquiring minds and stumbling feet, but there really isn't that much of interest to a kid there. I guess 2 1/2 is young enough that that would be the case in most places except maybe a zoo or something! It would probably work out fine if the kid was well-rested beforehand and if one visited no more than 2-3 wineries. I love all the stuff that JohnL describes in coastal Sonoma or up near Russian river, but another nice Sonoma option is to visit wineries that are near the town of Sonoma (and there are lots of nice ones nearby). Most easterners I know are charmed by the beautiful old western town square surrounded with buildings from the late 1800's, including the northernmost Mission church. There are also many nice places to eat, (maybe an ice cream for the child!). From here, it would a closer drive to get to Bouchon for dinner the same evening. You can't really go wrong with either decision and hopefully you'll have a chance to come back again and explore a little more.

I stayed at the Sheraton which is directly connected to the airport terminals and it was great in terms of convenience. I stayed there 1-2 nights bracketing both ends of a week long conference in the Hague--it was super convenient to take trains from right in the airport to The Hague or to Amsterdam. As soon as you pick up your luggage you can go out to a central area still inside the airport--escalators going down lead to the trains and escalators going up connect right to the Sheraton. One fun thing to eat in the airport are the fries and dipping sauces from one of the local frites chains, although for any meals I just took the half hour train ride into Amsterdam. There is also a well stocked supermarket/convenience store that has plenty of snacks if you need something to tide you over in the hotel. So far, this has been the greatest airport I have ever encounterd in terms of transportation connectivity and convenience. They even have free carts everywhere to lug your bags around! (Not common in the US but more so in Europe, I think).

I really like the recipe on the back of the Nestle chocolate chip package as well--crunchy with a little softness in the middle. I always add walnuts or pecans. The Heath Bar chip variation sounds like a good one.

Bravo rjwong and chezcherie! This will surely put a smile on his face.

nutella made with *peanut oil* (the peanut taste come thru to strongly for me and ruins it; I love any chocolate/hazelnut combo and also European nutella) strawberries dipped in chocolate (just don't think it's a good combo) rice krispie treats maple-flavored sausage (ok, hopefully this isn't something *everyone* else loves)

Recent egullet posts regarding dining up and downstairs in the Chez Panisse Cafe here. Best *deals" are Monday dinners downstairs or lunch in the Cafe upstairs. In any case, it's easy to look at their website online. The menus for the cafe and restaurant are posted and while they change each week they will give you an idea re: the prices and offerings. click The experiences are different (between the cafe and the downstairs restaurant) but they've always both been great for me.

There are a few different outlets of Bay Bread Boulangerie around the city. I've only been to the Pine St store off of Fillmore which is a beautiful little shop. Great bread and French pastries, including macarons. I've also had a some nice savory tarts from there. The place in SF with the largest selection of Acme Bread is their own outlet store located in The Ferry Building. All their breads are great, but pick up a walnut wheat loaf if you want a bread for cheese, or breakfast or lunch...

The maccheroni alla chitarra looks absolutely wonderful, and I like the idea of the salami appetizer. *Somehow* I just started looking at your thread yesterday; it's really great. I'm sorry I missed a few of the regions in real time but will be reading along from now on. You're almost at the halfway point!

Thanks for sharing this pure eating experience with us; great pix!

Thanks for posting on your trip Babyluck. Your report is off to a wonderful start with great photos. And, I wouldn't at all mind being in a position to start feeling, "not speck again"--although it would take quite a long time... My grandparents live a little over the border in southeastern Austria so speck is something I grew up with and really love.

A little OT, but I like the new avatar touaregsand-- and Behemoth--well, yours has always been one of my favorites...

My thoughts exactly. The Splenda version tastes too sweet to me. I like the regular Diet Coke (+/- Lime); and no Diet Pepsi!

Bucatini al'Amatriciana A summery pasta dish with sauteed bacon, onions, garlic and zucchini; finish off with a little cream. Fresh, chopped tomatoes (add in while the pasta melds with the sauce) would add a whole other dimension to the dish. I cook the bacon such that it stays a little chewy for this dish. Crumbled bacon on top of stuffed eggs (for your picnic?) One of my favorite appetizers is from Judy Rodgers in her "Zuni Cafe Cookbook": Warm gougere puffs filled with pickled onions, cooked bacon and fresh arugula--i.e. "rocket' for you British types...

An idea I got out of a thai cookbook once was to serve them in a chilled custard sauce. In addition, you can poach a sweetened meringue (similar to that made in an "oeufs a la neige") and float that on top. Serving them this way preserves their luscious texture.

I have a good friend who is spending a week in Oxford for an academic conference in early July. Last time he was there (2 years) ago he had a hit or miss experience in finding decent food... So, I thought I would bump up this thread and see if anyone had any suggestions... Indian, Pub food, nicer dining suggestions are all welcomed, as are favorite pubs for tipping back a pint. Thanks in advance!

Has anyone been here? I've never been there but wonder if it is worth checking out sometime for the pastries or cakes. I gather it's an institution of sorts but not sure if that is based more nostalgia. Hungarian Pastry Shop -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1030 Amsterdam Ave Manhattan Phone: 212-866-4230 Hours: Mon-Sat 8am - 11:30pm Sun 8:30am - 10:30pm "Located near Columbia University, the Hungarian Pastry Shop is a comfortable place to enjoy some unique desserts. You'll find Rigo Janci (a chocolate mousse Hungarian-style), Dobos Torte (a multi-layered yellow cake and chocolate buttercream torte on layer of caramel), sacher torte, linzer torte, and a traditional Black Forest cake, among the offerings. Don't forget to try the coffee. "

Yes, I did, which was why I posted. ← I figured you did, but didn't know why it wouldn't work. Prasantrin came up with the solution as I use AOL but didn't realize that this gave me access. I haven't tried this; it just struck me with this thread going on. Blje Cheese Potato Chips INGREDIENTS 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 medium onion, finely chopped 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cups milk 1/2 pound blue cheese such as Maytag Blue, crumbled (2 cups) Kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper One 6-ounce bag thick-cut potato chips Cook onions in butter over medium heat until softened, ~ 5-7 min. Stir in flour and cook for an additional min. Then whisk in milk and cook until it thickens a bit over the course of 5 min. Take off heat and stir in blue cheese; add salt and pepper. Layer half of chips in bowl. Drizzle with sauce. Add rest of chips on top and drizzle again. Serve immediately.

FYI: Food & Wine requires you to subscribe to the magazine before giving you online access to its recipes. Maybe you could share this directly with us? ← Did you try the link? (I just checked it again and it seems to work). I don't subscribe to the mag; I believe that they have each months recipes up on the web with free access for one month...

I was browsing F&W online and came across this recipe. (commercial chips drizzled with a blue cheese 'sauce')