Vinotas

This is my first trip to Chicago and I'll be there for a few days in River North and will be alone for most of the time, so I was wondering where to eat a good, not crazy expensive meal. I am not looking for Michelins, I prefer the little hidden gems that every city has. I already know about Hot Doug's and the Wiener Circle. Anything else I should know about? Also, any good dive/blues bars within stumbling distance? Thanks in advance, Cheers!

I actually did visit Ciudad Comtal for lunch and it was quite nice.

I would disagree about the Coops, I find they usually (not always, of course) serve basic, uninteresting plonk. Now, mind you, I am a wine geek and in the business, so I might be slightly biased. But what Judy says about driving to Chateauneuf is correct: I was there a few days ago and can confirm you can just pop into many domaines to do a tasting. For starters, there's Pierre Usseglio, Bosquet des Papes, Vieux Donjon, Vieille Julienne (not in CdP but close by), Font de Michelle (also nearby), all of which require no appointments (though it never hurts to call to ensure they're open). All of these make interesting wines, usually in a nice range of price points. And the town of Chateauneuf, while small, is easily walkable. Cheers!

Where will you be? The Languedoc is a HUGE area, so you might want to be more specific. From your question, however, it sounds like you'll be in Montpellier, or at least based there. In the city, there is the Jardin des Sens (never been myself), l'Atypique (very good, TINY bistrot in the Old Town, I wrote a blog posting about my experiences there: http://vinotas.blogspot.com/search?q=l%27Atypique), Le Petit Jardin (nice atmosphere and garden out back). I've never been but I've heard good things about Le Mimosa in St Guiraud, about 45 minutes away by car. Also, L'Auberge des Cedres in Pic St Loup is excellent but expensive. Another good place is in Magalas, O Bontemps (also blogged about it, here: http://vinotas.blogspot.com/2007/09/two-gr...languedoc.html). On the Etang de Thau there are many small fishing villages with some pretty good, fresh seafood too. I am there right now (outside Meze) and had dinner (fresh sea snails, raw mussels, grilled cuttlefish) last night at a lovely place with one of my local winemakers (Felines Jourdan), Les Jardins de la Mer, in Bouzigues. Hope this helps, Cheers!

Thanks everyone! I actually ended up at Tapac 24, standing at the wall, since I was alone and there were no places available. The food was excellent, but all I could eat was 3 plates and then I was full. I am back there next week for 4 days, so I might try your suggestions if I have the time.

Are you guys around next week? I'll be on Carrer Valencia in a rented apt (I posted above about good stalls at Boqueria then saw this thread), so I'd love to swing by. I get in on Sunday night, FYI.

Ooooh, I LOVE mushrooms!!!! I will read your report, thanks!

I am renting an apartment in Barcelona next week so figured I'd pick your collective brains for the best stalls to visit in the market. Also, any other markets I should visit would be welcome information. I should add that I am on Carrer Valencia, near the Urgell Metro stop. Not sure what neighborhood that is. Cheers!

I am in Barcelona tonight and am wondering if anyone has any recommendations for someplace I can eat alone. I prefer a tapas joint, not a Michelin or big name, and certainly no tourists. Any advice appreciated! Muchos gracias!

Etats-Unis, Cafe D'Alsace too. I do bet that Heidelberg will be super quiet, however.

I will be travelling in Spain in mid-/late-May and will have to hit both Pamplona and then Barcelona. Anyone have any recommendations for good, not too expensive places to eat/drink in those areas and cities? I will also be wandering in the countryside as well. Any recommendations appreciated! Gracias!

I love Banh Mi but my favorite place, A Chau, closed recently, so the New York Times article was quite timely. So a buddy and I went to Sau Voi Corp. the other day for lunch, ordering a Banh Mi Dac Biet (#1) and a Banh Mi Nem Nuong (#4). The bread was the Italian roll variety, not a real French baguette. The meat was a bit gelatineous and sometimes fatty with a slightly greasy mouthfeel, and the vegetables were not the fresh, crunchy ones we'd gotten used to at A Chau. They were slightly soft and wet, and there was a very American-tasting mayonnaise that tended to overwhelm the milder flavors. Overall, we were disappointed. I think we got really spoiled by A Chau. So the search continues for a good banh mi... As for Pho, a few weeks ago a bunch of us jumped into the car and headed out into the deep bowels of Brooklyn. We went to revisit a place we'd gone to a year before which had fantastic pho at ridiculous prices, Phó Tây Hô. My report from last year is here: http://vinotas.blogspot.com/2008/02/here-be-dragons.html Happily, the food's still good and still as cheap, a definite treasure that should not be overlooked. And for the record, their Banh Mi was good, not great (bread was wonderful, meat a bit thin). Cheers!

Wow, what a weak season. TC= Tepid Chef this year. And what a waste of two culinary capitals, NYC and NO. As many above have said, Hosea seemed to be the default winner. While I'm sure his food is good, maybe even very good, it certainly didn't seem to live up to the standards we've come to expect from TC. Here's hoping next season is better.

Whew, I just spent the past few nights catching up on 5 weeks of Top Chef! So I'll just give some generalities: -Super Bowl episode SUCKED. That was just a boring and useless ep. -Le Bernardin was an inspired episode. That was just brilliant and a real challenge worthy of both the chefs and the viewers. -Last Meal was also awesome, I wish the rest of the season had been half as good as these last two shows. I thought it was a brilliant idea, and seeing all those masters of the culinary world at the same table was pretty cool. And honestly it's always a cool thing when Jacques Pepin's around, he's a class act. -Carla is a real dark horse and she seems to really be in "The Zone" with a Zen-like attitude. I started the season not really caring for her and her hijinks, but she's earned my respect in the kitchen (I could do with less sending out the love with the plates, though; just get the food right). -Fabio is funny as ever and when he keeps it simple he gets it right. -Stefan is in a great position, somehow his salmon was overlooked and this competition, frankly, is his to lose. It was pretty apparent the judges were looking at the chefs' performance since the beginning at this point or he, not Leah, would have gone home. -Hosea's the weakest of the bunch, and his constant jabs at Stefan during the interviews will get him in trouble. He's running off his mouth without the skills to back it up, frankly. -While it did seem like Leah had a target on her back, she also deserved it for her overall performance, and she was always making excuses, which is something I can't stand. Anyway, it looks like TC is back on track, New Orleans should be interesting. Cheers!

Do you mean Hallandale Beach? ← Nope, Highland Beach, just north of Boca. Anyone try Smitty's Meats in Fort Lauderdale for steak? I can only find Choice beef around here and would kill for a dry-aged prime sirloin.

As someone stuck in Highland Beach due to a family issue, this thread is proving invaluable. Thanks!

You know, I would have argued that this season wasn't that bad until this episode. Between the product placements and the mediocre chefs and the English guy who seemed to have a list of comments prepared beforehand, I got mighty tired mighty fast. That said, Toby had some very good off-the-cuff observations once they were seated at Judges' Table. Still, this season is turning out to be the weakest both in terms of competitors and most annoying in terms of product placement. I know someone has to pay for the show, but come on!

The doll heads were simply bizarre. This wasn't my favorite episode, though it did have its moments. ← Yeah, the dolls freaked me out. I used to go to Mexico City on business and we never had that much fun, and I'm a pretty adventurous person. This episode sort of made me want to go back and see it as a food tourist. I would really love to go out into the countryside, as I was never a fan of the City. So I'd say this was a good, not great, episode.

This is great! THanks so much for the link and the recommendations, I'll be sure to visit a few while I'm there. It is interesting how there doesn't seem to be such a great selection of sushi in Paris. I know I can get fresh fish there, so it would seem natural that the possibility for good sushi exists. Perhaps the demand does not? And I agree, Sushi Yasuda in NYC is heavenly (I live in NYC). Cheers!

I will be in Paris for a month, staying in the 9th near Place Clichy and Place Blanche. As much as I love small bistrots and brasseries, I do love good sushi. So is there any good, not-too-expensive sushi to be found in Paris? (preferrably near or in the 9th, of course) Cheers and merci!

LOL! Very true. Still, those hours are fine with me (my business starts late and goes on until very late sometimes) as I'm a night owl. I can understand the frustrations, however, for those of you who get out later from work. You can always call at 3:30 and make an RSVP for a table.

We had a 7pm table RSVP, but I showed up early, around 6:20pm, with a friend to sit at the bar as she'd never been. They made us wait about 4-5 minutes. The bar was already packed but the tables were empty when we arrived. I find that either going at 6-6:30pm or after 3am are the best times, otherwise you need to wait and it can get a bit crowded in there.

A few friends and I hit PDT last night and had another lovely time. I chatted with Jim, one of the bartenders, while sitting at the bar, and he opted to make me a few drinks that aren't on the menu yet. One had mezcal, lemon juice and I think absinthe, and he's thinking of naming it the Mexican Mule. The other one had absinthe, Frenet, and a few other bitters and was just fantastic. He's going to call it the Occidental. My friend had the Green Deacon which was good but I really loved the Occidental. I liked it so much I reordered it, and when my friends arrived for their table they took one sip and ordered a round of them. Another great night at PDT! Cheers!

On my last trip to Paris I saw a small coffee shop with what looked like fresh beans on Rue Saint-Lazare, a few doors down from the Centre Commerciale du Passage du Havre, near Gare St Lazare. Anyone know it? I'll be in the 9th between Places Clichy and Blanche for a few weeks in winter and this seems to be the closest place. Any advice appreciated. Cheers!

I have to agree, I've been going 1-2 times per year for a while now and each time it's been fantastic. They are also easy-going concerning BYO, which is nice and can be a fun experiment. I also think the price point is extremely friendly when compared to some of the other BBQ places in the city. I heard they might have to move a few blocks due to Columbia's planned expansion, is this true?