bhoward

Pamplemousse Grill in Del Mar is generally excellent.

Hold on just a minute pardner! That song was written by the next Governor of Texas--Kinky Friedman.

Any idea where and when Brigtsen's is going to open in Shreveport?

A question we see on this board often, worded in different ways, is "Is Geronimo worth the price?" And I have a very definite reply--"It depends." If you just cannot enjoy a fabulous appetizer of fois gras served with a marvelous port reduction sauce because the portion is tiny and the price is $24 then it isn't worth it. Moreover, if you are one who feels robbed by the price tag of $48 for a perfectly prepared "Maverick Ranch" filet mignon over country ham and reggiano butter gratin with baked provolone potato cake then you should steer clear. You, fine diner, may be the type for whom no level of service (and let there be no doubt--the service at Geronimo is without peer in SF) and no quality of stemware or china or ingredients makes the excellent elk tenderloin worth $30 or the small pours of wine worth their cost. I am not in your camp, however. I only travel to SF once or twice a year and would never consider NOT eating at Geronimo. Go. Go gladly. But know that the prices are higher than anything in the city and the overall experience is tops, too. If nothing else, stop by the bar and have a glass of wine before coffee with the best dessert in Santa Fe--the banana cream pie with french meringue and caramelized bananas served with an orange or other fruit coulis and toasted pine nuts. Which brings us to one of those places I had not been to in several months--The Compound. There is a theory I heard in SF that Kiffin's Beard award of Best Chef Southwest has taken his cooking to new heights. I don't have an explanation but I do know that the food there is better than it has ever been. For the first time in years Geronimo does have a real rival and it is the Compound. The restaurant is architecturally stunning, of course, and has been since the place opened. Now the food matches the ambiance. The consensus was that the best bite we tasted on the trip was the appetizer of pan seared diver scallops with apple smoked bacon, english peas and fava beans. Unbelievable! The sweetbreads and fois gras was as wonderful as ever and, for those keeping score at home, was $8 less than the fois gras at Geronimo for the same size portion. The "classic" dishes (as described on the menu) are, indeed, classic--the buttermilk roast chicken with fois gras pan gravy and creamed spinach is to die for and the "Harris Ranch" natural beef tenderloin with fois gras hollandaise is every bit its equal. The service is excellent although not quite up to Geronimo heights. The wine list is very good for Santa Fe and, also, priced "reasonably" for the city, a place with generally outrageous wine prices. I recommend The Compound without hesitation. Make a reservation for the patio which is perfect on a summer evening. Two quick lunch suggestions--the Shed for anything with red chile (I am by no means an expert on red or green chile, but the red at the Shed is very flavorful if not quite as hot as I would like) and the Bumblebee for wonderful fresh grilled mahi mahi fish tacos. The salsa bar at the fast food Bumblebee is alone worth the trip. And the tap beer is cold. Also, the prices at both places will help minimize the American Express headache caused by Geronimo the night before. We had not been to 315 is a couple of years but a pang for frites done right made a trip necessary. When we arrived the patio was full and we decided to wait in the bar the short time it took for a table to clear. 315 has probably the most diverse and well priced wine list in SF so it is worth a visit for that reason alone. When seated on the comfortable patio we were told that they had already run out of mussels but that was okay because I wanted to try the squash blossom beignets with goat cheese fondue. This is a special that I think appears quite often. If it is on the menu when you go do not pass it up. We also tried an excellent special of roast chicken served with (but without explanation) a potato galette instead of the advertised mashed potatoes. Very good dish as was the special of tenderloin and sweetbreads which the waiter talked me into (no regrets) over the lamb shank. I know from past visits that the pate is fine and the french onion soup is as well. We ended the meal with a good creme brulee--two thumbs up. Our other dinner was at a place that has very seldom been mentioned on this board--Aqua Santa. The chef once plied his trade at the very fine Escalera in SF. The menu is small, the place is small and informal and every single bite we had was very, very good. We fought over flash fried oysters breaded in breadcrumbs, cooked just so, and served with lemon aioli and organic greens. Another starter was a pizzetta with taleggio cheese, tomato sauce and white truffle oil. Entrees were whole roasted quail with baby wild greens and caper salsa and ragu of chicken served with brown butter noodles. The waiters are friendly and knowledgable about the menu and the wine list. As you may imagine, we had plenty of food left over to take home for breakfast the next morning. Which leads to breakfast.... We had one breakfast at the venerable Pasqual's which has been discussed here and elsewhere enough. Go realizing it is a little over priced but that is the cost one pays for setting up shop in the high rent district a stone's throw from the Plaza. Further away but absolutely worth the drive is Harry's Roadhouse. I had a special of soft poached eggs in a tomato/fennel broth and served over a grilled polenta cake. We also tried another special--a coconut/macadamia nut waffle served with pure maple syrup (the syrup was $1 extra). This was by far the best breakfast of the trip, including the reasonably priced and expertly done eggs benedict at Sol restaurant on Canyon road. Stop by Sol for an inexpensive and perfectly decent breakfast or lunch while looking at art on Canyon Road. Well, there you have it. We are home and trying to get over the shock of so much great food in such a short period of time. I encourage you to give Aqua Santa a try--the prices are very reasonable and it certainly deserves more chatter than it is getting on the foodie websites. Also, by the time you read this Senor Lucky's at the Palace will have opened (by the Geronimo folks, or parts of that team anyway) and we will be expecting reports. Let's hope someone has the good sense to keep the killer roasted tomato soup, late of the Palace, on the SL's menu. I also heard a rumor from a very reliable source that the liquor laws in New Mexico have changed or are about to change to allow corkage and, almost as important, to allow patrons to take unfinished bottles of wine with them from the restaurant. Can anyone confirm or deny?

To get back to the original post, are we perhaps confusing "fine" dining with "formal" dining? Justice Potter Stewart of the U.S. Supreme Court once, when deciding a pornography case, stated that he "knew it when he saw it." I think I know formal dining and I think I know fine dining. Sometimes a restaurant is both but sometimes not. I could probably take several paragraphs and explain what I mean but instead I will just give a few examples of what I mean, using restaurants in Dallas as examples. French Room--Formal and fine dining, no doubt. Aurora--Definitely fine dining but not quite so formal. Lola--FINE dining (in my opinion the best in Dallas) but not formal really. Some patrons do wear ties but most do not. Still, the stemware is excellent and the service matches the quality of the food. York St.--Fine dining but definitely not formal. Many wear shorts or other casual clothes and are not out of place. The food makes it fine dining, however. Green Room--No one would use the word "formal" when discussing this place and some may argue that it is SO informal that it isn't fine dining. I would disagree but get the point; the noise, the art, the neighborhood are not what one thinks of when one thinks of "fine" dining. Still, given the wine list and the level of service (by no means on a par with the places mentioned above) and, mostly, the food, the place could definitely be called a place of "fine dining." Some cities (Austin?) have great fine dining (Driskell, Vespaio, Jeffrey's) but no formal dining to my knowledge. Some neighborhoods (see, e.g., York St and Green Room) just do not seem fit for formal dining. I believe, however, that any place can spawn fine dining--Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Union Square Cafe in or near the Village in NYC, Blackbird and Avec in Chicago, etc. Sometimes I like to wear black tie and go to a place like the French Room. Most of the time, however, I prefer a spot like Lola where I can wear a tux (and I have done so) and not feel out of place or wear jeans (I have done that, too) and feel just as welcome. The food and the wine and the service are what matters most to me and, I assume, to others who frequent this board.

Let's be very clear--a salad bar is not fine dining.

Enigma and Star Canyon, mentioned above, are both long gone. Lola has the best food in town IMO and is very reasonable given the quality. The wine list is also excellent.

Star Canyon has been closed for months. Without a doubt go to Lola, either the Tasting Room or the "regular" side of the restaurant. Both are wonderful.

So, it sounds like some have been there. The menu is described as "more ambitious" and the new guests seem pleased. Can someone describe the new menu and comment on why new guests seem satisfied? Thanks.

Anyone have a report on the Palace since the Geronimo team took over management? Thanks.

I will be in downtown Baltimore a couple of nights next week and need recommendtions on the best restaurants there. Price and type of cuisine not a factor. Thanks!!

I just returned from a small place here in Tyler where they hae excellent barbacoa, served in a corn tortilla with, of course, onion and cilantro. What makes the version of this BBQ dish so good and what do you like served with it? Any favorite spots in Texas for barbacoa?

I am wondering your opinion on this cheese. Also, when is it generally available in the USA? Thanks.

I also raised an eyebrow about the vanilla comment. (Admin: post edited to eliminate excessively long quote)

Looking for suggestions re: Playa Del Carmen. All suggestions welcome, especially recommendations for fine dining. Thanks.

The Stallion. How many poor dorm residents ate the $1.00 chicken fried steak there on Sunday evening when the mess hall was closed? I would hate to count. Let's not forget Armadillo World Headquarters which, besides hosting some of the greatest music ever, served a pretty damn fine plate of bean and cheese nachos!

I am unbelievably surprised that no one mentioned Lola in this thread. It is, in my opinion, now far and away the best restaurant in Dallas. There are really two restaurants there--the regular restaurant and the Tasting Room. The only restaurant in Texas that comes close is Le Reve in San Antonio. By the way, I second the Vespaio suggestion for Austin diners.

I don't think a Raw Deal exists now but I could be wrong. You may or may not recall that the original Raw Deal had a sign over the entrance that read "Leave Your G#* Damn Guitar in the Car!" The original later moved over to 6th street near where Sweetish Hill is now but wasn't, in my opinion, nearly as good. As for long gone Austin spots, don't forget Virginia's which had what may have been the greatest chicken fried steak in the history of the world. She was big on signage, too. Remember the signs stating that you could smoke anywhere and if you didn't like smoke you should leave?

I am headed to Galveston late this week and need recommendations. Fine dining advice needed for at least one meal but, of course, any cuisine and price range welcome. Thanks in advance!

Sorry for the long delay. Four of us did dine at Restaurant Nicholas on Jan. 15th and had the Mid Winter Tasting Menu. We tried everything offered and there wasn't a bad dish in the bunch. The food and wine and service were all A+. I will not give a detailed review as a recent one has been posted on this board. I cannot recommend this restaurant enough to anyone who is going to be in the area. By the way, we ate at Gramercy Tavern in the City the next night and, while certainly different from Nicholas, it was no more enjoyable. Thanks to everyone for the tip! Oh well, just one short comment: the three dining with me were not big cheese eaters until we were served the cheese course at Restaurant Nicholas. Fabulous!

I am totally convinced! My party will be there Jan. 15th at 7:00 and I am looking forward to it after reading all the recent posts in this thread and others. Thanks everyone for your help.

I need to take someone to the best fine dining establishment in or near Red Bank. Any help you can give is greatly appreciated!

There is an article in the July 24, 2002 New York Times concerning four central Texas BBQ spots. I am sure that all from the area have eaten at each of these many times. Enjoy.

I don't think the Mansion is nearly as good as it was several years ago. Also, it is far and away the most expensive restaurant in Dallas. For one excellent meal in Dallas I believe Abacus is the place. The food there is better than the Mansion and the prices are slightly lower. By the way, one of my all time greatest dining experiences was at the Inn at Little Washington as well.