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snekse

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Posts posted by snekse

  1. Ditto, congrats! Looking forward to making our first visit in August. Do you think ChefGEB would resurrect dishes of days past for someone who never got a chance to hit Avenues? Anyone know what days he's usually in the kitchen?

  2. Wow...that's interesting.  Were you given a reason when you brought it to their attention?  Perhaps they ran out? (just guessing)

    We were not given a reason, but as I mentioned *way* back up thread, I think our server was new to waiting tables or something because our service was lacking in a lot of ways, though it didn't really take away from our enjoyment of the meal.

    The grass is always greener and all that.

    Now I'm jealous that I've never had that uni/coconut milk/crab gratin, snekse!  :raz:

    Don't get me wrong - our meal was great without it - I just wish I would have been able to try it. That said, I'm not sure which dish I would have replaced in it's spot, so it's probably just as well. So I look forward to seeing new pics from Manresa with twisted emotions :unsure:

  3. I realise I was incredibly lucky, but it is worth saying that it's not impossible to get a reservation.  Good luck if you're trying, and less than 2 months to wait for me...

    Just out of curiosity, what day of the week is your reservation for? I've found it's far easier to get a reservation for mid-week then it is for the coveted Fri/Sat spots.

  4. As far as "must-visit" vendors, a lot depends on if you are buying or just looking. Either way, Rancho Gordo is a must visit. First of all, Steve is a treasure and a lot of fun to visit with. Secondly, his beans are awesome both in variety and quality. If you are hesitant to buy them and carry them, he will ship for a very reasonable fee. That is what we did. Most of the other vendors, especially the fresh produce sellers,  are somewhat impractical to travel with. If you like preserves, Frog Hollow and June Taylor are excellent. There are plenty of good cheeses and yogurts. Taste!

    The crowds are smaller on Tuesdays, but so are the shopping options. If you can, I suggest going both days, especially as you will be arriving late on Saturday.

    If it is a sunny day, you must eat al fresco. There are a number of good options. My favorite is to get a dozen or so freshly shucked oysters from Hog Island. If the weatehr is not co-operative, there are plenty of good indoor options. I still like Hog Island oysters at the restaurant inside the market.

    I guess I should have clarified, just a little bit. Looking to buy :-) We will be staying with family, so we can shop like locals. Looking for stuff to eat while were there and we'll have access to a kitchen. Not really looking to ship or bring anything back to Omaha with us. I think we're going to save our oyster binge for Swan Depot, so any other suggestions?

  5. I'll be returning to SF in mid-April and wanted to get some advice on hitting the Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market for the very first time. I'll be arriving at SFO around 11:30 AM on a Sat and leaving around 6 AM the next Sat. So here are my questions:

    1) Who are the "Must Visit" vendors?

    2) Are there a lot of differences in the vendors that attend on Sat vs. Tues? If so, are any of them major "must visit" vendors?

    3) How much smaller are the crowds on Tuesdays?

    4) Best lunch options?

    Thanks!

  6. "Our top story tonight - a large group of shutterbugs has convened outside the fabled Charlie Trotter's restaurant. No news yet on the reason for such a large gathering at this location. Our reporters were sent to investigate, but disappeared inside the building some time ago." :wink:

  7. IMO service is it's weakest point in an otherwise excellent restaurant. Fix this and the third star should come strolling by very shortly...
    SG, Just curious what sorts of service issues you've noticed over the course of your visits. Could you elaborate a bit? While the service does lack stiff formality, I personally find this quite refreshing.
    I'm with SG. Great food, but the service I had was very unpolished. I don't need stiff service, in fact I prefer a more relaxed service, but I would like my wait staff to know what they're serving us.

    To be completely fair, I've only been once (Jan 2006) and I got the impression that our server was new not only to Manresa, but to fine dining as well.

    Beside the lack of knowledge, some additional examples that I would think would prevent a 3rd star would include 1.) having water poured over the table in a manner that allowed condensation from the pitcher to drip onto the food plate 2.) waiting far to long for our coffee and after dinner drinks. By the time they came, we were just plain ready to leave, so they all were barely touched.

    We still really enjoyed our meal and the unpolished service really didn't detract from it in any major way. Just agreeing with the point that for Manresa, "service is it's weakest point", which could be argued is actually a good thing :smile:

    Manresa Photo Set

  8. Some interesting information for some of you out there who enjoy their house wine, Modicum.

    While you may still find it difficult, if not impossible, to get a reservation at The French Laundry, you can now at least drink their wine in the comfort of your own home. Though only available in very limited quantities, they have decided to start offering Modicum, along with a new Bordeaux blend, for off-site sales. Pair this wine with some French Laundry recipes and you have the next best thing to actually getting a reservation.

    Order Modicum from The French Laundry

  9. I will be in Omaha for the ICES convention and am looking for restaurant suggestions near the convention center and the Hilton.

    What kind of places are you looking for? Liberty Tavern is in the Hilton and is a pretty good restaurant.

    Assuming you want to stay downtown, M's Pub is a great spot for just chilling and eating some great food, especially the Thai Lavash. Upstream Brewing Company has some really good beer and also happens to serve pretty good food. And Ted & Wally's is an Omaha institution for ice cream.

    To help you decide, here are some lists that might be of use.

    Restaurants in Downtown Omaha

    Omaha Restaurants: Menus and Websites

  10. Just curious if anyone has experience with getting a reservation for only 2 people at TFL. From what I've read this seems almost impossible. I read somewhere that there is typically only 1 table open that seats two during the lunch service, but nothing regarding the 5:30 or 9:30 service.
    I have, but that was through Opentable.com and it was almost 4 years ago.
  11. Sadly, my iPod was defective, so I didn't really get the full effect of "Sound of the Sea".  To me, something subtler would be more effective.  Directional speakers, with a very quiet ambient soundtrack timed to each table's courses?

    This was the same thing that popped into my mind when I read this. Similar to what Alinea had planned to do. Were those ear buds? Do they change that pads after each diner? I don't want someone else's ear wax in my ears. That's unappetizing.
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