Carlsbad
-
Posts
668 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Store
Help Articles
Posts posted by Carlsbad
-
-
In June, 2002, my wife and I took the train from Amsterdam to Paris to Milano to Lake Como to the Cinque Terre to Torino to Paris to Amesterdam. We had one large suitcase and one small suitcase, along with a carry-on bag. We put them in the overhead racks on each leg, other than the night trains to and from Paris, where we had a compartment. The large suitcase was a pain to lift onto the overhead rack, but it worked fine.
-
You might try the Encounter Restaurant in the theme building in the middle of the airport. I haven't been there in probably 15 years, but the food actually used to be decent. The view is nice. Three hours probably isn't enough to leave the airport. I don't think they let you store luggage in lockers anymore.
-
Thanks menton1. We will have a car, and will be there on Friday, so we may check out the market. We were thinking about taking the train over into Italy someplace one day, perhaps for lunch. The market could be part of a sightseeing swing by car instead.
-
I moved to the area 20+ years ago. The food scene was pretty dismal then. I remember when the local paper asked food people for recommendations for various kinds of food, and for Italian, several said "a plane ticket to San Francisco." It's gotten a lot better, but it's still not San Francisco.
For moderately priced lunches near your hotels, I would recommend:
Athen's Market, 109 W F St., good Greek food, friendly atmosphere, nice surroundings.
Royal Thai, 467 Fifth Ave., Nice people, Thai food at good prices.
Panda Inn, Top of Horton Plaza, right near the Westin, pretty good Chinese food.
Sammy's Woodfired Pizza, 770 Fourth Avenue, adjacent to Horton Plaza. This is thin-crusted, California pizza with things on it you'll probably never see on a pizza in Philly. Good salads, too. Hey, you are in California, give it a try.
Karl Strauss Brewery, 1157 Columbia Street, has great beer and decent food.
I'm probably not the guy to recommend happy hour places, since my idea of a good happy hour is a quiet place with good drinks and a pianist playing Cole Porter. (The Westgate Hotel Bar is THE place if you are looking for this.) I do also like Lou and Mickey's (suggested previously) though. It was previously called the Royale Brasserie, but our downtown wasn't ready for a big French brasserie, so the same owners reopened it as Lou and Mickey's. The inside is the same, including a great zinc bar they brought all the way from Paris. Lively bar scene, although stick to the happy hour specials or you can run up a tab. They have good oysters and other cold seafood. No Cole Porter, but often they have live music. Fifth Avenue has many happy hour choices within walking distance of the hotels.
Taka is the only place I can think of for sushi downtown. I can't think of anyplace for fish tacos downtown. There must be a Rubio's somewhere near, but I'm not a big Rubio's fan. The only wine bar I can think of is WineSellar & Brasserie, and it's way too far from downtown.
Your post says you will be here for a week. If you are free during any day for an extended period of time, I would say my my number one spot for lunch would be the rooftop of George's at the Cove in La Jolla. It's a very long cab ride. You might be better off renting a car. The rooftop is open air, and I think it embodies Southern California at its best on a nice day. Bring your shades. The food, which includes some very good (somewhat inauthentic) fish tacos; sandwiches like ahi, burgers, portabello mushroom; salads; fish soup, and some more substantial dishes, is moderately priced and very, very good for lunch or early dinner. The view down to La Jolla Cove is awesome. If you have the whole day, you could have lunch there, do some shopping, check out the aquarium at Scripps, and then have dinner at the aforementioned Marine Room, which is truly first-class. The chef has a way with seafood. You should have to get there before dark for the view of the beach though. If you get a car, you could start early and check out the Cabrillo National Monument on Point Loma for a little history of California and a great view back to the city.
The Gaslamp has a lot of dinner choices. The Prado is unique and a short cab ride from downtown. I'm dying to try Candela's. If you are jazz fans, you might check out Dizzy's on 7th. It's a jazz club without alcohol, which is to say it's all about the music. There is a cover of $5-$10 and they have snacks and non-alcoholic drinks.
Have a nice trip.
-
I had a very mediocre meal at L'Affriole about 5 years ago, and the service was less than welcoming. It could have been an off-night, but I would pass.
-
Cosi (54 rue de Seine- 6th) is a good place for sandwiches. The roasted tomatoes are terrific.
-
Menton1, thanks for the recommendations in Villefranche. Yes, it will be something of a whirlwind. We will be there four nights, so we'll definitely try one or both. We are staying at the Welcome. Do you know anything about La Mere Germaine? What is your recommendation for the best Bouillabaisse in the area? Thanks.
-
I just discovered eGullet, and this is my first post. We will be staying in Paris (5 nights), Le Baux, Arles, Aix, and Villefranche sur Mer in late June. My wife and I have been to France several times over the past 15 years, but it will be the first time for a friend traveling with us. We will be staying in the 7th in Paris.
On past trips to Paris, we have especially enjoyed Philippe Detourbe, La Regalade, Au Bon Accueil, Eric Frechon's old restaurant, and Le Violon d’Ingres. On our last trip we also liked Tire-Bouchon.
In Paris, of the places I've been, I am considering Bon Accueil, Violon, and Bofinger. Our friend wants to have lunch at Tour d'Argent, and we will probably have something light that evening, perhaps at a wine bar. Of the places I haven't been, Au C'Amelot, Cafe Constant, L'Os a Moelle, Epi Dupin, Avant Gout, Chez Michel, Benoit, Allard, Aux Lyonnaise, Chardenoux, Chez Georges, Fontaine de Mars, and Sousceyrac have caught my eye. The wine Bars we are considering include Fish, Cafe de la Passage, and Sancerre. I was very excited about going to L'Astrance, but frankly the problems with getting and keeping reservations I have read about on here have discouraged me.
I also have nights open in Arles, Aix, and in and around Villefranche. I would appreciate any comments or recommendations. Thank you.
Dinner in Santa Barbara County
in California: Dining
Posted
We had dinner at the Wine Cask for my son's graduation from UCSB. It was terrific. The room is very pleasant, with an historic feel. The food was excellent and the wine list was very large and had many local wines. It was expensive, but well worth it for a special occassion. I;ve never been to Brothers.
We used to go up to Santa Barbara quite a bit and went to several other good restaurants. One of our favorites is the Palace Grill. It has very good New Orleans cooking and a very lively atmosphere. The Oysters Rockerfeller are divine. They feature two kinds of martinis, the spicy Cajun and the "Dean Martini", which is a very good, standard gin martini. They put them in pint and quart jars (don't worry, most of it is ice), and bring you a chilled glass and a strainer to pour it. If you like beef, the blackened filet, with a side of the Cajun hollandaise with artichoke hearts is the thing to order. I've ordered that exact meal- the Dean Martini, the oysters and the filet, the last 3 times I've been there. It's just off State Street, which is a very nice main drag, full of good restaurants, shops, and night spots. The Borders Bookstore in an old bank building is fun for books and music.