Beachfan

Yes, we've been to Sona thanks. My wife found them equally exciting. I found Melisse a hair more exciting, but we're going back to SONA on Saturday. My last visit to Sona on a Saturday and service was absolutely perfect. We both agree that we felt better after Sona - they get you to that great place with 1/4 the oil/butter/cream.

Melisse is the restaurant of Josiah Citrin. I recently had my second fabulous meal there. Although it has a reputation for spotty service, it was very good both times I was there. Perhaps when the restaurant is full, it suffers. Of particular importance to me, there is a vegetarian preprinted pre fixe meal on the menu. My wife has grown tired of chefs to full of ego to cater to her because she's different. We began with goat cheese and tomato tarts as amuses. Very nice, the only demerit was the tart shell was slightly heavy. More amuses; lobster salad and cucumber foam soup. Perfect summer amuses, well executed, especially the soup. My wife chose the Celebration of Tomatoes menu, which started off with a Mandarin Tomato Soup (with bruniose of summer squash and tomato sorbet). This was a truly monumental dish. Good beyond reality is how my wife described it. It was for me as well. It is a definitive dish for tomato soup in our foodlore. My nephew had Wild Mushroom Soup (potato and porcini hash, black truffle mousse) that was very, very toothsome. My appetizer was seared Hudson Valley fois gras (black mission figs, red onion marmelade, banyuls reduction). A really excellent rendition. Compares favorably to the last time, when it was paired with cherries. My wifes first entree was Chanterelle Mushroom Risotto (heirloom tomatoes, green zebra tomato coulis, Ligurian EVOO). Excellent. I was hoping to get a second mouthfull, but my wife barely begrudged me this taste. I had Alaskan King Crab (charentais melon, savory, aged sherry and honey emulsion). A stunning presentation, with the melon wrapping the crab like a particulary jewel-like sushi roll. Great flavor combination. My nephew had slow roasted wild striped bass (lemon grass-ginger crust, eggplant, soy vermout emulsion). He loved it; it's noteworthy that he ate the eggplant which he always rejects on principle. For Entrees, my wife had a Summer Vegetable "Fricassee" (roasted tomato compote, basil sause, creamy Anson Mills polenta). The polenta was creamy in a different, unique way that really grew on me. (I didn't get to taste the Fricassee, rare for my light eating wife to not share). I had Maine Lobster "thermidor", (cooked in court boullion, glazed with lobster-mustard sabyon). The second time I've had lobster there, excellent both times. I haven't had thermidor before so I can't compare it to others but it was truly superb. My nephew had Roasted Veal Loin and Braised Veal Spare Rib (fricassee of market vegetables, Anson Mills polenta fries, rosemary oil). It got very high marks (although it should be noted, this was the first time my nephew has had "fine dining" - it was part of his graduation gift). Then came the cheese. This time was a big improvement over last, but this is still a weak part of the menu. Through more careful choosing via inspection, I got cheeses that were appropriately aged. However, they have perail and brin d'amour, great cheeses, at an unacceptable level of underripeness. A runny brie and excellent explorateur, along with a french goat that I forget were well aged; the pecorino was disappointing. Deserts were a delicious warm flourless chocolate almond cake (almond praline ice cream, milk chocolate sauce) and white peach with sabyon tart and ice cream. The chocolate was the more satisfying of the two (but the peach was nice). Wine was from my cellar - 1997 Kistler Vineyard Kistler Pinot Noir; too much wood for my current palate. Corkage is $30/bottle (two bottle limit, which could get waved for special events). The sommelliar also made some wine by the glass available, that really rounded out the wine. A 1989 Vouvray "Moelleux" by Domaine Pichot (for the fois gras) was very nice, a pleasant Gruner Veltiner, and one that I really, really enjoyed, a Bordeaux Blanc by Domaine de Chevalier, 1996. I'll be back!!!

Osteria dal Forno on Columbus Ave. in SF. No reservations, usually a line so go early or late. I thought it's been mentioned in other threads but couldn't find it.

Still a go? I'm still game!

I love the Soave La Rocca. I first had it in Venice at Osteria del Fiore. As soon as I got back to the US, I bought a case. Looks like I should do it again.

It's too bad this is one of the least vegetarian friendly restaurants in the Bay Area. I wound up cancelling my reservation when I found out there were only 3 things they would serve my wife Salad Potoatoes Onions and Peppers (i.e., piperade without the ham)

Why, do you have to be Chinese to know anything about it?

Wine Cask is my favorite up there. If you go wine tasting up in Santa Ynez (an hour north of Santa Barbara), Brothers restaurant is absolutely fabulous.

Actually a Sunday is better for me too. Assuming they have vegetarian dumplings too, we're in for August 3.

For a truly LA experience, I second Mixmaster B's suggestons of Chinois, Sona, and Sushi Nozowa. If you really love Nobu, you can try Matsuhisa (La Cienaga in Beverly Hills), which is the original Nobu, and where you are far more likely to actually find Nobu. I like it much better than the Nobus.

Small clarification: the link brings to the most popular list, not the food rating list.

I guess if McDonald's counts, then so does Ghiradelli. Joseph Schmidt chocolates, the first US chocolate to be of international quality.

Yes, Jean-Marie Josselin is the owner of both, the one on Kauai is his original place. He had a third branch of the restaurant in Honolulu, but it closed recently. I believe he also has a restaurant of a different name in Las Vegas. He was on extended absence recently while opening up one in La Jolla. The best purchase of food for me is Kauii Sugarloaf Pineapples (zero acid, amazing, often best at Bannana Joe's in Kiluhea or at one of the farmers markets), lychee, papaya (ditto), and the seared cajun ahi sashimi at the Hanalei Dolphin fish market. Quality you'd have to pay a fortune for in the mainland.

Worked for a company with similar policies once upon a time. The loophole was that you didn't need receipts for meals under $15. Travelled to San Francisco with my assistant once, years ago, and between us we dropped about $600 at Flore de Li. We lived on crumbs (and a case of wine) for the rest of the week, then spent two days at a whiteboard with a calculator trying to squeeze the bill into our two expense reports. A three dollar receipt book can make all the difference (your ethics may vary). Whats the difference between this and if you only spent $25 on the dinner but submitted the extra receipts anyway? I once had a $35 cap for dinner. I just submitted 50 cents on the dollar.

While I love some of the suggestions, it seemed like the BC store didn't have all that much. It did have Vieux Telegraph, but my experience with that is it get's closed awfully quick, the 98 was disappointing until just last month . The 2000 would be great for the cellar. The wine that jumps out at me on the list are Guigal 99 Cote Rotie Ampuis; everyone says that's the bomb. And the critic I like in the Rhone set's the 2000 Clos de Papes CdP in a class above the others on the site.. Both are in the upper class of these great vintages. Of course, they aren't ready, but it looks like you'll have to choose great wines that aren't ready, or fruity wines that are delicious (but not at the level of your 98 Beaucastel). You can't go wrong with 2000 Les Cailloux or Vieux Donjon CdPs either. For a white; I think you can do well with the St. Cosme 2000 Condrieu. I think Condrieu is a great food wine (the 99 Chapoutier may be past it's prime, Condriue fades quickly). I'm a big fan of Beaurenard, especially their Cuvee Boisrenard (top end CdP) and Rasteau (top notch CdR). There were two prices shown for the 2000 Beaurenard CdP leading me to wonder whether one of them wasn't the Boisrenard. I haven't tried my 2000 red CdP yet, but I have tried the Beaurenard Boisrenard White, and it was superb. The 2000 Beaurenard Rasteau would be my backup for those extra few bottles (you need some "drinkers" too). Beaume de Venise is a classic accompaniement to fois gras. The Jaboulet should be very nice. The only wine with some age that I noticed is the Mont-Redon 1995 CdP. Anyone have this before?

I'd be interested in your opinion of 2001 in the Northern Rhone. It would be great if you would mention the whites separately (especially Condrieu).

I enjoy fruit forward wines, I don't mind ripeness if the wine isn't flabby, but I dislike oak. Any recommendations?

Don't expect much on Kauii. On the east or north side of the island, the best is Pacific Cafe. Sometimes it's very good, but more often just good since Chef Josselin spends so little time there.

I think the problem (in terms of public perception) is that many places are discounting wine heavily, and you might see that wine for $24 or $25 at some of them. So what is less than double full retail is more than double retail in practice.

Chehalem is my fave.

I sympathize with the burp issue. When I tried it my first time, i liked it for the 5 minutes I ate it, and hated, hated, it for the 2 hours of repeats.

I enjoyed Emeril's in Orlando (twice) had lunch at Tcoup Tchoup and thought it was a dud. Very pretty room though.

Did you or any of your fellow Oaklanders (or SFranciscans) go to Napa Valley for dinner (without spending the daytime up there?). I think that's the test. People in LA will go anywhere in LA to go to dinner. To have a county that's not contiguous with either Oakland or SF as part of the SF area is stretching it. Spoken by someone who lived 18 years in Queens county, 15 years in Marin County and 5 years in Ventura County.

If your only talking 4 bottles, then it really doesn't matter because your bringing home memories that happen to be wine. So I might stick with the Vernay and Delas suggestions. A nice relatively new wine store in Paris is called Lavinia (near the place de l'Opera). Very large, lots to look at. Look at the trophy wines in their special room a lot of fun (but those wines are overpriced). Buy some of the Rhone wines there (which includes Condrieu), the Chateaunuef du Papes were competively priced if you like those (I love them). If "a deal" is important to you, bring some (one) wine store catalogues with you. The Wine Club, or the Wine Exchange (or K&L) are all very competitively priced stores. Remember, the French prices will have the tax built in. In the US, you need to pay tax (in-state), shipping, or both (shipped in state). Then you can compare prices. PS if you live in NY or some other state that doesn't allow shipping from other states, the Wine Club prices are probably about 10% to 15% cheaper than you can get.

I enjoyed the wines while I was there and splurged on a couple to bring back.