Carlsbad

We really enjoyed Tre Galline several years ago. We had a reservation for 8:30 pm, but when we arrived, the door was locked and the place seemed empty. We rang the bell, and they let us in. The place was full by 9:00 pm. The tasting menu was excellent and the wine list was very interesting.

I third or fourth The Top of the Mark and the Carnelian Room for a view cocktail. There is a nice ground level view out the front windows of the Buena Vista, and if you want a semi-dive bar with a good view of the Bay Bridge, try Sinbad's- next to the Ferry Building. I also think Tadich is a good idea, and it is great to ride the cable car from The Top of the Mark down to Tadich. I would also add Jeanty at Jack's for a possible Old San Francisco dinner spot. The food is definitely French bistro now, but the building is still pure San Francisco.

I'm not sure that was the best example.

I would suggest you buy the Time Out publication, Paris Eating & Drinking, which has a "Budget" Section with quite a few French food entries below 15E, as well as a good section on "International" places that includes others in that price range. The reviews are fairly detailed, so you would have an idea of what you are in for as far as food and atmosphere. Some of the entries sound like what you are looking for.

The post about Michel Richard on Robertson brought back fond memories of my time living in LA. His pastries were far beyond the others available when he opened, and I would guess they still are pretty good. I need to go by there next time I'm in town.

The people at Villa Steno are first rate, and will guide you in the right directions on everything. The breakfast is very good, and the view is even better, and not just the water. If you watch the village from up there, it's fascinating.

We stayed 4 nights in Monterosso a few years ago. We had an enormous and excellent pasta with seafood at Belevedere, although one fish main wasn't good at all. We asked the very friendly owner at our hotel (Villa Steno- recommended highly for simple, comfortable A/C rooms in an extraordinary setting- prices have climbed significantly though) where he would recommend, and he suggested Miki. We liked it so much, we returned. The front room is mostly tourists, but you'll see a lot of locals going to the back room and terrace. The waiters in the front speak English well and will make you feel at home. I would order the pasta/pesto and a whole fish as you like it.

I think you have a great plan. Please try Le Pamphlet, which isn't too far from your apartment, and let us know what you thought about it.

I don't know about the sticker, but I thought L' Âne Rouge was very good.

We lunched at La Tour d'Argent not that long ago, and enjoyed it for the history, perfect view, and even for the famous duck. M. Terrail, dapper as ever, came by and treated us as old friends. We took the tour of the cellar, which was impressive, especially when the guide showed us where they had walled it off during the war so the nazis couldn't find the best wine. He survived the loss of the third star, but the loss of the second was just too much.

"Courses" can be a relative thing these days.

I would go to Fleur de Lys if you want a very formal atmosphere, and La Folie is you want a little more casual one. Both are excellent choices IMHO.

I would second L'Univers, and add another reasonably priced one-star on the old port, L' Âne Rouge.

I, for one, really missed the digest this week.

The Hemingway Bar is extremely smoky on the nights they promote cigar smoking, which I avoid. Otherwise, I haven't noticed it being particularly smoky. It wasn't that long ago that it seemed impossible that a ban on smoking in public places would work in California, but it has.

Musso & Frank has a menu out of the dark ages, and red booths that look, well old like the rest of the place. It's one of the real old Hollywood places. They make a good martini and the place has atmosphere. It's not what I would call a happening place, however, and I probably shouldn't have suggested it. I do second the idea of lunch in Little Saigon out of John Wayne.

Olimendi's in Capistrano Beach is a classic. It's across the road from the beach. Don't worry about all those Nixon photos on the walls, it's fairly authentic. There is one in Laguna Beach, also, but it doesn't have the same feel.

I have to agree. I am an (old) American who lived with smoke in restaurants and bars for most of my life, and now I have seen what no smoke can mean. I can enjoy my cocktail(s) and my dinner without some inconsiderate person blowing their smoke my way. When I go home, I don't have to take a shower to get rid of the smoke smell. If you think about it, isn't it a little weird that people suck tocacco smoke into their lungs all day and then blow it where other people have to breathe it? The real question should be: where did the idea that people can create smoke in public places that everyone else has to breathe come from? Fighting pollution from cars and factories seems universal, but tobacco smoke in a closed environment is accepted? I live in Southern California, where the restaurants really aren't that good. When people in Paris, where the restaurants really are that good, have a choice, I'm sure they will change things. Especially if they listen to people who work in a smoke-filled environment everyday. Those who miss that great smell of smoke can breath into a special mask. Okay, I'm off my soap box. Sorry.....

We had a great, informal lunch at Le Bistro Latin.

l'Univers de Christian Plumail.

What about a real Martini at Musso & Frank?

Taillevent has an excellent seven-course 140E degustation menu (up from 130E last summer) which is taken from the a la carte offerings. They also have a great selection of wines in the 50E to 80E range, especially those from the south, which go well with the Solivérès style of cooking. Four of us had dinner there last July and the total was 1036E, but it included a 195E bottle of a '69 Vin Jaune. It also included two bottles of white wine (a Cassis and a Bandol, both of which were very good) and a bottle of on old vine Roussillon '99. It also included two coups of Dom Perignon and two other aperitifs, which totaled 94E of that price. So if you leave out the Vin Jeune and the aperitifs, the bill would have been about 750E for four, with three bottles of wine, Badoit and coffees. Even the a la carte prices are suprisingly reasonable, and it is fairly easy to do three courses from it for about 140E. They also have some excellent wines by the glass at very reasonable prices. It is also quite easy to run the tab up as much as you want. The Saveurs et Decouvertes menu is now 190E for 7 courses, for instance, although when we were there, the dishes on the less expensive menu were more attractive to me. Of course, if you stray too deeply into the wine list, all bets are off. Given the level of cooking, ambiance and service, I think the place is a bargain.

I go to Yuet Lee every few years for lunch. I have always found the food to be very good- especially the seafood. When I have been there, there were few non-Asians. The downside to the place is that the service can be indifferent to surly, and you almost have to wear sunglasses to fight the glare of bright lights shining off the formica tables and whatever color of green it is painted. If you study the menu outside a little and are prepared to order right away, I think the service is more friendly. I remember several great clam dishes.

Thanks for the review. I love this place. At dinner, it is packed and there can be minor service lapses, but the food is really good and usually very interesting, and the price is always right.

Vesuvio, City Lights and Cafe Trieste. What a great flash-back. Thanks.