Carlsbad
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Posts posted by Carlsbad
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Chef Zadi, I thought your "rambling" was very nice. I wish your mother good health and I hope that you see her again soon. I will be spending the day preparing for our long-awaited two weeks in Paris. We arrive on the 19th, too late for the holiday, but we will celebrate nonetheless.
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I go to a two-day seminar every year at the Disneyland Hotel. Catal has always been very good, both the outside Uva Bar and the inside more formal restaurant, but it was taken over by private parties the last two years we were there. Last year, we tried to get into Napa Rose, and they were full. We were able to make a nice dinner out of some very good appetizers in the bar, where no reservations are needed. They also had live music. We had been to Brennan's Jazz Kitchen 3 or 4 years, and thought it was so bad we vowed not to return. This year, we decided to give another try, and I thought it was even worse than before.
The Vineyard was run by the Robert Mondavi folks when it opened, and we had a really good and very interesting meal there about 3 or 4 years ago. However, I think Mondavi pulled out after a short time, and we haven't been back.
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cmben, your recommendations sound terrific. Thanks.
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You might want to reconsider the number of days in the wine country and add some days in San Francisco. The more I travel, the better SF looks. There are a lot of fine restaurants there, with amazing meals and good wine, for a lot less money. Spending days on the phone for the privilege of spending $300 a person for a meal isn't my idea of a vacation. Just a thought.
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This post made me realize I can't remember ever having corn in France. I get the sweetest corn here, picked the day we eat it. It doesn't even need butter or salt, but sometimes we cut it off the cob and add a little cream, and it is equally as good and a little more elegant. It's interesting that the French don't eat it.
spelling edited.
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Joe's website seems to be in miniature on browsers other than Internet Explorer. Or is it just my computer? Looks great though.
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Downtown Disney's Catal and the Uva Bar outside it are the best I've found for lunch.
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Thanks to all for some great ideas. Please post more if there are others.
Some fruit from my Moroccan grocer (best fruit in Paris),* * *
And take it all to the parc de Sceaux.
Can you tell us where the Moroccan grocer and the parc Sceaux are located? Thanks.
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I'd be interested in opinions on the best places are for a picnic in Paris. Also, what would you eat, and where would you shop?
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Has anyone tried the Robuchon table restaurant. Is the food basically the same?
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I thoroughly enjoyed your reports. Thank you for taking the (very considerable) time to present them so well.
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Does anyone know anything about Arômes et Cépages? They appear to specialize in wines other than Burgundy and Bordeaux.
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The trolley is an excellent choice if you want to get away from Mission Valley. I'm told that there is a foot bridge from the Town and Country over the river and right into the Fashion Valley trolley stop area. You can take the trolley to Old Town, Little Italy, or downtown, and as noted above, you can get off at 5th and C and walk south on Fifth, or change lines and get off across from the San Diego Convention Center, near the new ball park, and walk up Fifth, depending on where you are going.
Little Italy is pretty little, but it's pleasant and there are several Italian restaurants that serve decent Italian food. There is also Indigo Grill, which serves a sort of native Pacific coast cuisine. The various restaurants in Little Italy and downtown are described in signonsandiego.com and The San Diego Reader.
In the downtown/Gaslamp area, you might take a look at Cafe Cerise, Athens Market, Sevilla, La Gran Tapa, and Rama, all of which would be comfortably in your price range.
In the area to the east of the Gaslamp, San Diego has its own East Village area. There are several places there you might find interesting. Cafe Chloe is getting some very good reviews you'll find if you google it. Jsix is also getting good reviews. If you are into jazz, I highly recommend Dizzy's. They only serve light snacks and non-alcoholic drinks, but it's a good music scene.
If you can hitch a ride or take a cab (only about 2-3 miles up the 163 to University exit) to Hillcrest, there are several others detailed in the above websites. Among those, I would also highly recommend the above-mentioned Region, which has a slow food, Chez Panisse feel to it.
If you can hitch a ride to the Convoy area, which is San Diego's Chinatown, Koreatown, and Little Saigon all rolled into one, I would whole-heartedly concur with Emerald and Jasmine for good, quite authentic Hong Kong/Cantonese cuisine. I would also recommend Phoung Trang for authentic Vietnamese food. They have pho, and some Chinese dishes, but I would skip them in favor of the other Vietnamese dishes. There are also several Korean barbecue places along Convoy. Keep in mind though that the businesses are spread out and you need a car to navigate.
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Tirgoddess, I totally agree with your opinion of the design of the Mina restaurant. I was horrified by the photos when it opened and complained on here. Somehow, I don't think they are going to listen to either of us.
Robyn, I swore I wouldn't do this again, but I'm going to once again recommend Acquerello. We have celebrated several anniversaries there, and it remains IMHO the best, and only upscale, Italian restaurant in the City. The setting is quiet and romantic, the food is outstanding, the Italian wine list is unsurpassed, and the service is as good as it gets. I am a long-time admirer of La Folie, however. Maybe you can fit both in. So many good choices and so little time.
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The Uva Bar outside Catal in Downtown Disney serves very good, casual food, and would be a good choice. Avoid the Jazz Kitchen at all cost.
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I would take the I-5 from San Diego to LA and switch to the 101. The 101 is a freeway that travels close to the coast after Ventura and then cuts inland farther north. There is a lot more to see, I don't think cutting over from the I-5 at Santa Maria is going to save much time, and the drive up to where you cut over is really boring. Get a good road map and you will see several places where you can cut over from the 101 to Highway 1 and then come back. Remember Highway 1 is going to be much slower. Don't try to go through LA at rush hour, unless you want to go very slowly. Depending on when you leave and whether you are taking one or two nights going to SF, you should figure out where you want to stay on the way up and have reservations in advance this time of year. Either leave SD very early or wait so you hit LA after the (long) rush hour(s).
In San Diego, are you staying at the Mariott Courtyard in Old Town or the one they call Central on Spectrum Center Blvd.? (The latter is very near my current favorite taco shop- Harvest Taco Shop at the back of the little strip mall on the northwest corner of Clairemont Mesa Blvd. and Ruffin Road. Try it for a pretty authentic and cheap lunch.) You would also be close to Convoy, and its many Asian restaurants, which are the best in the area. Try Jasmine or Emerald for very good and fairly authentic Chinese food. It sounds like I'm a broken record, but the rooftop Ocean Terrace Bistro of George's at the Cove in La Jolla is a great place for lunch on a nice day or an early dinner on a warm night, and the food is very good and not expensive. The main dining room there is one of the best places in the area. It's also in a nice area to spend the day walking down by the water and/or shopping.
In SF, the Kimpton group has some good hotels. We also enjoyed staying at the Orchard Hotel. http://www.theorchardhotel.com/ Do some serious looking for a hotel bargain on various websites. There are a lot of them if you google. There are usually deals somewhere. I would get rid of the car as soon as you get to SF if possible. The parking is going to cost a lot, and you really don't need it. Take parking into consideration in choosing a hotel there if you have to keep the car. There are so many good places in San Francisco to eat, it's a hard choice. There are many good recommendations on egullet. My idea of romantic is Acquerello, and the food and service are wonderful. The Italian wines are exceptional and Giancarlo will make you feel special, especially if you tell him it's you honeymoon when you call to reserve. http://acquerello.com/
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Congrats and best wishes. We did basically this same trip on our honeymoon 30 summers ago and have done it 5 or 6 times since. We stayed in Pismo Beach and Carmel on the way up on the orginal trip, but we have changed the stops about every time.
Highway 1 for much of the trip in the south is a main drag through town after town, and isn't practical or desirable for your kind of trip. If you are stopping only one night between San Diego and San Francisco, you need to take I-5 up from San Diego, and depending on when you are travelling, get through LA as fast as you can, ending up on the 101 heading out of LA county. There are nice places to make one stop anywhere beginning in Santa Barbara up to Carmel/Monterey, depending on how early you leave and how long you want to drive. You might consider two stops on the way up if you want to see more alond the way. Highway 1 gets interesting north of Santa Maria, but it is a slow road for the most part, so you need to plan your route well.
If you let me know where you are staying in San Diego and a little more about what you are looking for, I'll recommend some restaurants down here.
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Why is it that pasta in Italy is so much better than anywhere else?
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I agree with ingridsf. The burgers are the best fast food burgers, but they usually don't cook the fries enough- they are limp and kinda soggy. I usually get two burgers with grilled onions. I used to get animal style, but I think the pickles overwhelm the whole experience.
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Last time I was there, people were dining in the small outside tables, which do have a view of the tower above buildings on the street. Even if you don't get the view while dining, you can enjoy it as you come and go, and the food is very good.
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While it doesn't have the brewpub atmosphere of Pizza Port, Knockout Pizza in Carlsbad has great pizza at cheap prices. If you can't get a table, get the lunch special of 2 pieces of whatever kind of pizza you want with soda for $5 and take it down by the beach. http://entertainment.signonsandiego.com/profile/250738
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I haven't been in about about 6 or 7 months, but I seriously doubt anything has changed since it hadn't changed over the many years I've been going there. As I usually tell anyone I recommend it to, some people just don't get what the place is about, but chances are if they don't get the upstairs, they won't really get the downstairs either. Since edm is a chef, interested in "casual and affordable restaurants that feature the very best produce available, prepared simply," it seems to me that he/she will get it. Obviously, some people on the threads you cite didn't get it. Following the one thread though, this person did: http://forums.craigslist.org/?act=Q&ID=28205508 I've always found the service first rate both up and down, but then I don't raise a stink over no bread plates or their adding the service on, as it clearly says they will do at the bottom of the menu. It's also hard for me to believe that the bread would be hard as a rock, although maybe they expected fluffy white bread instead of artisan whole grain.
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I have to disagree. I have never had less than a great experience at Chez Panisse Cafe, and I actually prefer it to downstairs because it's less expensive and has flexibility in how much and what you can order. (The cheese is always great, by the way.) It's also easier to reserve and open for lunch, which means you don't have to worry about making the last BART train back from Berkeley at night.
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Most days this time of year, the sun comes out for at least part of the day and the sun is out all day sometimes. The highs are about 75 and the lows are about 60. Chances are you might see a little mist in the morning, but no real rain or heavy fog.
Since you'll be in the Torrey Pines area during the day, Del Mar is close, and in addition to the places mentioned on the beach, there is a great view and good food at Il Fornaio and Pacifica Del Mar in the Del Mar Plaza. http://www.delmarplaza.com/ There's also an outside wine bar and Epazote. Unfortunately, the fair starts today and will be running the entire time you are here, which means the traffic will be worse than usual.
To get to Chino's, take Via de la Valle east off the I-5 and go about 3 or 4 miles. After you pass the golf course, look for a field with a small sign the says "vegetable stand" and turn right on the road just past that field.
Arles
in France: Dining
Posted
He had a delightful dinner last summer at La Gueule du Loup, 39 rue des Arènes, a short distance from the Place du Forum. The set menu was about 25€ as I recall. The upstairs dining room is intimate, but comfortable, and the food was excellent.
The Hotel Nord-Pinus on the Place du Forum is a great little hotel, and hopefully by now, they have their restaurant open again. When we stayed there last summer, the chef had quit suddenly, and they were looking to replace him. By the way, driving in the old center of Arles is not recommended for the faint of heart.