rjwong

Have you ever tried Mo's in Huntington Beach? I've never eaten there, but I've ate at their original location in San Luis Obispo. Really good BBQ!!

Don't feel too bad. I've only eaten at forty out of the ninety-nine. That's why the guy won a Pulitzer. ← Jonathan Gold is the only food critic who has ever won a Pulitzer Prize, and he lives in New York ... Los Angeles!!!

tetsujustin, thanks for the recommendations! And just to let you know, if I'm going to open my pocketbook to Wynn, the least Wynn can do is open up their pocketbook to me, right?? I'm certain the high-end restaurants will be great. It's the "second-tier" places I'm concern about. Will there be a huge drop in quality if I go to one of their "casual" restaurants?

Ah Leung, Doh jeh, doh jeh! Shieh shieh! Thank You! If you happen to be in the neighborhood, please drop by for some tea.

Bryan, un momento, por favor!! Lotus of Siam is less than one mile east from the Sahara Hotel on Sahara Blvd., between the Strip (Las Vegas Blvd.) and Maryland Parkway, at the intersection of Sahara Blvd. (south side) and Commercial Center Drive. You can walk less than a mile from the Sahara Hotel to Lotus of Siam. Mind you, there are buses and a monorail that can drop you off at the Sahara Hotel. What a visual! Bryan, walking across the Sahara, in the heat of summer, for some Thai food. Lotus of Siam website 953 E. Sahara Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89104 (3/4 East of Sahara Hotel) Tel. (702) 735-3033

bump ... I decided to give this thread a little bump since its initial beginnings. I'll be staying at the Wynn Resort this Aug. (4th-7th). The room rates were a real bargain, so I took the offer. Yes, I know it's during the heat of summer. Mind you, once I get there, I'm staying put and not going out of the Wynn Resort. Well, that's the intended plan ... For my three dinners, I'm going to Alex, Wing Lei and probably either Bartolotta or Boulud. As for brunches/lunches, I was thinking of the Buffet, Tableau, the Country Club, and Red 8. Overall, how do the Wynn restaurants compare with, say, the Bellagio restaurants? I understand that we all have our individual favorites. Mind you, I'm asking in terms of overall variety and quality of the restaurants as a group. I hope I'm making sense. Thanks in advance!

I got to see a sneak preview of Ratatouille on a Sat. night June 16th. I really loved it!! It has a little bit of everything: food, restaurants, cheese, weird cooks (is that redundant?), woman chef, "going corporate," food critics, health inspectors, romance, and plenty of rats. As the credits were rolling along ever so quickly, I at least saw the names of Thomas Keller and Guy Savoy on there, as well as the restaurant Taillevant(?). Can someone check-out if there are any other names listed in the credits?

Okay, Jason, just rub it in. Stonehill Tavern, twice in two weeks? It would be like me doing the same thing over at Providence ... What would you recommend for a first-timer? The tasting menu? Or go a la carte with some of my favorite ingredients, like scallops, halibut, etc ...?

Bryan, First, have a wonderful twenty-first birthday!! Just keep things safe, legal and in Las Vegas. I say go all out at Guy Savoy and have someone else pick up the tab over at L'Atelier. With L'Atelier, the focus is definitely on the food. With Guy Savoy, you get an overall dining experience. Make your reservations now, Bryan. It's possible that these restaurants may be closed during August. You know how the French can be about their vacations in August ... hemingway, welcome to eGullet Las Vegas, mon!!

I finally remembered answering a similiar question, Swicks, re: finding restaurants that are open for Sat. lunch. There's not much, but here it goes. Kendall's Brasserie I already mentioned. Empress Pavilion in Chinatown. My usual dim sum place to take friends and guests to. Traditional dim sum experience with ladies pushing the food carts and a huge dining room that can seat several hundred people. Pacific Dining Car on Sixth St., across the street from Good Samaritan Hospital. Old-fashion steakhouse since 1921. Open 24/7. Beautiful decor. They even serve afternoon tea. That's it, unless you want Sat. dinner. Enjoy!!

Yes, it's part of the Patina Group, Joachim Splichal et al. It's not bad, nothing cutting-edge. It is conveniently close, on the corner of the Music Center. Swicks, I thought the performance may be on a weekend. There's places over in Chinatown, mainly dim sum on a Sat. morning. Let me check on your Sat. options. NB Here's a link to Downtown LA dining.

Yes, Water Grill is still good. Admittedly, Cimarusti still knows how to cook fish. Questions: Is lunch on a weekday or on a weekend? Is an early dinner an option? Is your mother a foodie? What does she like to eat? Please let us know. BTW Happy Birthday to your mother, Swicks!! She must have gone through much, ehh??

I suppose David Burke Las Vegas should be open at the Venetian. I can check for you when I get there in August. I probably won't be eating there anytime soon. I still need to eat at Delmonico's as part of my on-going steak "research." And then there's Mario Batali's B&B Ristorante and Enoteca San Marco.

I'll be staying at the Wynn in early Aug. Yes, in the heat of summer. Mind you, I'll just try out all the restaurants and if you wish, I can eat at Boulud for you ... On my short list at the Wynn: Alex, Bartolotta, Wing Lei, Boulud, the Buffet, Red 8 ... I'm a little hesitant about Wing Lei. I looked at the menus of both Wing Lei and Red 8. The dishes at Red 8 look more Cantonese to me, which I'm quite familiar with. Is Wing Lei at a totally different level?

Foodie-Girl, I'm so glad you went all out. Guy Savoy is one of the best dining experiences I have ever had. Question: Franck Savoy, would you consider him one of the best maitre d'/host you have ever encountered at a restaurant? I'm imagining him as a maitre d' from yesteryear, from a previous age ... What do you think? Diann, if you eat LUNCH at Lotus of Siam and order from the regular menu and NOT from the lunch buffet, you will have room for one more dinner. I can't speak about Wing Lei since I haven't eaten there yet. If you really want to splurge, go for Guy Savoy.

Redd Cyrus And here's the link to My California Culinary Pilgrimage, if you're interested ...

I went on my California culinary pilgrimage recently (end of April), and ate at Cyrus and Redd. I posted my report (with photos) on that thread. No French Laundry? If you feel like shopping, you can drive up to St. Helena and buy a few things over at Dean and Deluca. Have a "Happy Birthday" vacation, Foodie-Girl!

I second Lotus of Siam. Mind you, order from the menu. Do NOT get the lunch buffet. Speaking of buffets, the Bellagio buffet is pretty good with a huge variety of items. Also at the Bellagio is Sensi with an open glass-encased kitchen in the middle. If you want something to-go, JP Patisserie have savory crepes along with their world-class pastries. One savory crepe, and pastry and a drink will cost you under $20. At Paris Las Vegas, the Eiffel Tower Restaurant has really good food and if you get there before noon, you can see the Fountains of Bellagio from one of the window tables. Check out my post in the "French Restaurants in Las Vegas" thread. If you want to think "outside the Strip," Memphis Championship Barbecue is really great. The closest one is about southeast from the airport on Warm Springs Rd., west of Eastern. And way out in Henderson is Settebello, pizzeria napoletana, located on 1776 Horizon Ridge Parkway, west of Valle Verde Dr. And in the same plaza across the parking lot is a wonderful cheese and wine place called Valley Cheese and Wine. Of course, there's In-N-Out Burgers on 2900 W. Sahara Ave. , west of the 15 Freeway.

Again, thanks for all the suggestions! I'll pretty much stay around downtown Denver. If it works out, I"ll try to go to Fruition, either by cab or by public transit (#12 stops within two blocks from the restaurant). Restaurant Kevin Taylor, Palace Arms, Rioja are on the short list now. The gourmet food store in downtown looks like a good option for lunch. If I'm adventurous, I might try the Denver Diner on Colfax, near the Convention Center. I'm leaving next Sat. Of course, I'll have a full report when I get back.

Thanks for the recs, RLM! I'll be staying at the Grand Hyatt on Welton, near the 16th St. Mall and the Convention Center. Is Frasca worth the drive, if I can find someone? Same with Fruition? Someone else recommended these: Kevin Taylor, Rioja, Palace Arms I want to stay with local restaurants, no chains, no corporate, thank you. Any local places for breakfast and lunch? Delis? Any good food stores that are "only in Denver"?

Yes. If your husband needs an "expense account"-type restaurant (aka $$$$), there are plenty of restaurants along La Cienega Blvd. and Beverly Blvd. ("old" Restaurant Row and "new" Restaurant Row, respectively). The two streets intersect each other. The southwest corner is the Beverly Center. Thai Town is located on Hollywood Blvd, east of the Hollywood area, between Western and Normandie. Many Thai places to choose from, and they're open until two in the morning, maybe longer on weekends. As for burgers, try the original Tommy's Burgers on Beverly and Rampart, near downtown LA. Ditto on Pink's Hot Dogs on the northwest corner of Melrose and La Brea. Carousel, a Persian/Armenian restaurant, is pretty good. Located on the south side of Hollywood Blvd., just west of Normandie, in a mini plaza with limited parking. This is the original location with another one in Glendale. Koreatown is south of Thai Town. The boundaries include: Western on the west; Melrose on the north; Vermont on the east; and Olympic on the south. Korean BBQ, tofu houses, etc. Some are open during the night. Mind you, on Olympic Blvd., east of Western is a Oaxacan restaurant called Guelaguetza. Four different kinds of mole (MOH leh), and if you're adventurous, crickets (or grasshoppers). Atlacatl is a Salvadorean restaurant with pupusas, yucca, among other things. Located on the north side of Beverly Blvd., two blocks west of Vermont, where there's a Metro Red Line station. I hope this helps, and we want a full report.

Final thoughts on my culinary pilgrimage I enjoyed my California culinary pilgrimage very much. It took a lot of work, cramming as much as I did in a short amount of time. I think my body has recovered from my trip by now. Mind you, I haven’t received my next credit card statement yet ... And now, to answer a few questions and to make a few last comments ... Comparing the three Northern Californian restaurants on my pilgrimage: Manresa on Fri. night, French Laundry on Sat. night, and Cyrus on Sun. night, I would say the French Laundry may be the best meal and dining experience I have ever had. TFL ranks right up there with Guy Savoy and Robuchon at the Mansion, based on my first-hand dining experiences. While Yountville is quite an affluent town, it is a town, not Las Vegas. The cost averaged out to be around $335 per person, including tax, gratuity and the supplement for the Wagyu course. Otherwise, the price would be about $285. Manresa was $220 per person, Cyrus, a little over $200. The service at French Laundry was quite professional, unassuming, subtle. I appreciated the server explaining the restaurant’s approach to wine selection and non-wine pairings. The Oysters & Pearls, Beets & Leeks and the Wagyu Beef course were my highlights. My dinner at Manresa was wonderful and my dinner companions were great! My dining experience didn’t feel like it took six hours. It does take some time to serve six amuse bouches, eleven courses, and four desserts, along with a couple of intermissions. One course didn’t work well: the caviar consomme. Mind you, other courses worked quite well, particularly the abalone and the vegetable courses. Apparently, Passard has an influence on Kinch. The service felt relaxed, similiar to TFL. Let it be known that the meal was off-the-menu. Carrie made the reservations and knows a few people at Manresa. Thank you, Carrie, for a wonderful time and a wonderful meal! To answer the question about Cyrus: “Does Cyrus deserve a two-star Michelin rating?” My immediate answer was: “Not yet.” Then I started recalling my dining experience at Cyrus in my mind. That place was slammed at 9 p.m. on a Sunday night in that small town of Healdsburg! In contrast to Manresa and French Laundry, the atmosphere was more celebratory and vibrant. The service was professional as well, and perhaps a bit solicitous. When the caviar and champagne cart was quickly introduced, it caused me to pause. Mind you, the host softened the “hard sell” by mentioning the option of proceeding right to the dinner menu. The tasting menu included three to four meat courses. Is that Chef Keane’s strength and/or the customers’ preferences? The rice cream sandwich dessert was a nice concept with a beautiful presentation, but the flavors didn’t work for me. The migardises made up for that. The foie gras with the duck canneloni was really decadent, just like the French Laundry’s Beets & Leeks (aka lobster poached in sweet butter). I went back to my friend and changed my answer to yes. He wouldn’t let me. “You have to go with your gut feeling.” Well, it depends which Michelin system is being employed: the Americanized version (“Yes”) or the original French/European version (“Not yet”). Cyrus is doing great things. Mind you, I get the feeling that they’re trying too hard to impress everyone and Cyrus doesn’t have to. I’m partial to the type of service displayed over at French Laundry and Manresa. Don’t misunderstand! The service at Cyrus was very professional in a more celebratory vein, different from the other two. I was simply amazed that a great restaurant was very busy on a Sunday night in such a small town. I hope that answers the question regarding TFL, Manresa and Cyrus. One last thought: Shrimp and grits. After talking about French Laundry, Manresa, Cyrus, and Chez Panisse, the one refrain of this pilgrimage is that dish from the General’s Daughter Restaurant in Sonoma. Chef Preston, it’s all your fault! I now have this hankerin’ for shrimp and grits that I can’t get rid of! I’ll just have to drive back up to Sonoma and order some more. Thus endeth my pilgrimage, for now ...

I'll be going to Denver on a business trip in a couple of weeks and I want to check out the culinary scene in downtown Denver, where I'll be staying. It will be my first time in the mile-high city. I won't have a car or I might have consider Frasca in Boulder. Anyone interested? Besides the high-end places, are there any good breakfast places, diners, ... I should visit? I suppose there's a good steakhouse downtown, ehh?? Thanks in advance!

Maker Nights 2 at Cube And Friday night was a dinner at Cube with four food producers to benefit Slow Foods in Schools. The food producers included: Armandino Batali, Salumi Artisan Cured Meats Jeremy & Jessica Little, Sweet Grass Dairy Mandy Pedrozo, Pedrozo Dairy Alex Weiser, Weiser Family Farms Before each course, a plate of cheese was served in its original state so as to compare and contrast it with the cooked course. Pedrozo Dairy Northern Gold & Weiser Family Frams Heirloom Carrot Soup with Chive Oil & Cube Artisan Garlic Flatbread Braised Fennel, Radicchio & Endive Ravioli with Mascarpone, served with Salumi Guanciale, Brown Butter, Sage & Red Cow Parmesan Braised Liberty Duck Leg with Plum & Eric Ross Zin Syrah Port, served with Sweet Grass Dairy Lumiere & Champagne Risotto We were encouraged to bring a bottle or two of wine that would go with our meal. My friend did the choosing. Trio of Desserts: Mini Weiser Family Farms Heirloom Carrot Cake; Butterscotch Pots de Creme; Dark Chocolate & Almond Tart Fun was had by all. I got to meet and talk with Armandino Batali. He is such a wonderful man. And this culinary pilgrimage has now endeth. Mind you, I’ll be back with some final thoughts. I’m still digesting all those meals. SiseFromm had to ask the tough question about comparing TFL and Cyrus. Let’s not stop there. I hope to provide some meaningful words about TFL, Cyrus and Manresa. When I got back from Northern California, someone in the biz asked me this question point-blank: “Does Cyrus deserve a two-star Michelin rating?” Stay tuned ...

The pilgrimage continueth I had three culinary events down in Southern California on Monday night, Tuesday night and Friday night. Are you ready to eat some more? After my dinner at Cyrus, I got back to my B&B at 2:30 in the morning. I wanted to leave at 8:00 a.m. It didn’t happen. I left Yountville at about 11:00 a.m. to head back to Los Angeles that Monday night for a benefit dinner called “5x5 Chefs Collaborative.” I drove a different route to avoid going through the Bay Area, namely Interstate 5. I stopped in Stockton for lunch at GK Mongolian BBQ, recommended to me by a fellow eGer. Eventually, I arrived back in Los Angeles at 9 p.m. My reservation for dinner was 9 p.m. I called Providence Restaurant, and fortunately, the restaurant accommodated me and I managed to arrive before 10 p.m. This 5x5 Chefs Collaborative was formed so that the five chefs from Providence, Ortolan, Water Grill, Mélisse, and Valentino can enjoy one another’s culinary comraderie, as well as to help benefit Cure Autism Now. Once a month, a dinner is hosted at each of the five restaurants represented. The first occurred at Providence. amuse bouche shima aji: heart of palm, dungeness crab, paige mandarin, pickled merliton, and kefir lime David Lefevre, Water Grill fava bean velouté: razor clams, morel mushrooms, ris de veau Josiah Citrin, Mélisse english pea “cannelloni”: green asparagus, oscietra caviar Christophe Émé, Ortolan ricotta semolina gnocchi: taaleggio, spring vegetables, bottarga, and “primo” Italian olive oil Angelo Auriana, Valentino The gnocchi tasted so light. I enjoyed that course. wild striped bass: kumquats, fennel, baby turnips, black olives, saffron Michael Cimarusti, Providence The bass was moist, tender, juicy, and “cooked to perfection.” Chef Cimarusti knows how to cook a fish. yougurt mousse: with candied cucumber, melon sorbet, lime, and mint Adrian Vasquez, Providence les mignardises The 5x5 went pretty well. Getting different chefs together was a great idea. And I’m planning on attending the other four dinners. Grand opening Tuesday night was dinner at a brand new restaurant on its opening night. My report with photos on the Foundry on Melrose can be found here.