syrah girl

We will be in Portland later this month and we are considering Andina for dinner. Any recent experiences here and what is good to order? We were thinking about another meal at Lucier but would like to try somewhere we have not yet been. 23 Hoyt is another one we're considering. Thanks!

We had a fantastic experience at Lucier last month. We loved everything about the place from the moment we pulled up! The inside is gorgeous, the food amazing and the service never missed a beat. We are trying to decide if we should go back here again or try somewhere else when we're back in Portland next week. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen in St. Helena would be a very good choice for lunch!

Definitely REDD and Ad Hoc in Yountville! If you can make it up to Healdsburg, Cyrus is probably the best in the area right now other than the French Laundry. Have fun!

Just a short awhile, a couple of months, I was so glad it finally worked into our schedule to dine here. Sammy's for lunch and Lucier for dinner, what a treat!

Where did you end up? We enjoyed a fantastic dining experience at Lucier in Portland last night. Lunch at New Sammy's Cowboy Bistro in Talent was pretty great, also!

The Farmhouse Inn in Forestville is very good. If you get over to Healdsburg, Cyrus is amazing, we have enjoyed two fantastic meals there.

I have stayed at the BW Stevenson Manor in Calistoga and it was nice, there is also a Comfort Suites North there. The El Bonita is in a great location in St. Helena, try to get over to Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen for a meal, very good food in a casual, friendly setting. Have fun!

We enjoyed the Dahlia Lounge while in Seattle, it is a Tom Douglas venue (Etta's.) We also loved the Flying Fish in Belltown and Salty's on Alki Beach for the Coconut Prawns and gorgeous views of Seattle from the outdoor patio area there.

We enjoyed a very nice time over on the CA coast this past Fri. and Sat. in the Carmel/Monterey area. Our first stop was the Giant Artichoke in Castroville, CA for some Fried Artichokes which are heaven on earth! We always get several to take to the kids back home when we visit this area. For our first lunch we chose Grasing's in downtown Carmel, this was our first visit to Grasing's, a true "gem" in the Carmel area. The dining room is very nicely appointed with white linen tablecloths and elegant table settings, fresh yellow Tiger Lilies appoint the tables here. I chose a glass of a local Chardonnay which was wonderful, very buttery and creamy. We shared the Butter Lettuces salad which was very good and my entree was the appetizer portion of the Crab Cakes which were served with a good Aioli dipping sauce and a small cucumber salad in the middle of the plate, our service was very attentive and this was a great experience and a nice way to start our adventure on the CA coast. After walking around town and exploring the beach and Tor House in Carmel, we headed over to the Carmel Highland's area to the Tickle Pink Inn where we were spending the night for my birthday. They have an excellent wine and cheese reception here in their oceanview Terrace Lounge, then it was off to the Pacific's Edge at the HIghland's Inn next door for dinner. We were seated at a very pretty table with amazing views of the ocean, we have dined here several times before. The menus have changed a bit and they no longer offer the 3,4, 5 Course dinners. We split the Brussell Sprout Salad which was really good and I had the small portion of the Lobster with Risotto which was excellent. We passed on wine, for dessert they brought out a candle with the dessert which was wonderful, I chose the Raspberry Torte and my husband had the chocolate peanut butter dessert. Our service was perfect at the Pacific's Edge and we were able to catch the sunset from our table which was fabulous. This is a very nice dining venue in the area, after dinner we relaxed in the Lounge at the Highland's where there were very talented musicians playing the piano and bongo drums. Then it was off to our Inn to soak in the terraced Hot Tub there. The next morning after a very good breakfast at the TPI we headed over to Monterey to meet a few of the kids for lunch before kayaking in Monterey Bay. We chose Schooner's Bistro which was very good with pretty views of the ocean. The fish and chips were good, as always and service was attentive, Monterey is very busy this time of year on Sat. with weddings and proms. After kayaking the entire afternoon which was great fun, we headed over to the Sardine Factory on Cannery Row for dinner. We were seated in the Conservatory Room which is gorgeus with glass walls, domed ceilings and lots of greenery. I started with the Abalone Bisque and the Sand Dabs with Sauteed Spinach and Risotto was my entree. This room was full with prom couples and large groups but still a very pleasant experience here. For dessert we shared the Cheesecake which was creamy and rich. The Sardine Factory is a very nice place to celebrate a special occasion, we have also dined in the Captain's Room for an anniversary dinner which is a bit more formal. It was a very nice 2 days eating our way around the coast and such a beautiful time of year to be in this area.

Thanks so much for taking the time to write such a detailed report, great read!

When we were in San Diego for our anniversary, we stayed at the Hotel Del Coronado, we enjoyed the Sheerwater there for lunch and breakfast, the views are gorgeous from the outdoor area there and it is right on the ocean. The more forml venue is called 1500 Ocean and was very good. Also in Coronado, if you like Mexican food, Miguel's Cocina is excellent, love their Warm Churros and Mexican Creme Brulee here. It is located in the heart of the courtyard at the El Cordova Hotel, across from the Hotel Del. In La Jolla, George's California Modern is very good, the Crab Catcher also some great clam chowder with pretty views from their outdoor area there.

We were just in Disneyland for our 26th wedding anniversary and had a wonderful time, Blue Bayou in the park is nice for a meal. I would recommend a meal at Napa Rose at the Grand Californian, excellent food and service, we dined here after our day in the park before heading over to Laguna Beach for 3 nights. There is also a great place in New Orleans Square called the New Orleans Cafe where had lunch, very yummy Monte Cristo sandwiches. Love the Mint Juleps here, also!

Sounds like a wonderful time, thanks for the report!

My favorite restaurant in Visalia is the Vintage Press, it is a fine dining venue with excellent food in a very nice ambiance. There is also a Fugazzi's Bistro there, we loved the Spinach Salad with Prawns and the Spinach Fettucini with Blackened Chicken here, they also have a nice variety of wraps, sandwiches, salads, etc. In downtown Visalia there is a little cafe there that we enjoy called Cafe 234. Of course there are the usual chains, Red Robin, Marie Callendar's, etc.

We had a fantastic lunch at the King Estate Winery this past Sat. This was our second time here for lunch, the food is fantastic, we had a glass of their Signature Chardonnay and the Vin Glace dessert wine. We shared the Spinach Salad with Poached Egg and Fingerling Potates, the Crab Cakes, the kids had a Pulled Pork Sandwich, hubby had the hamburger, we shared a Trio of Chocolate Mousse for dessert. Great place, perfect service and lovely ambiance, we dined by the glowing fire, it was perfect before heading over to our beach cottage in Seaside.

Higgins, Heathman, Ten 01 are all good option, also in the Pearl we have enjoyed great meals at Park Kitchen and Olea. Silk is great in the Pearl for Viatnamese food. Fenouil is also a favorite in the Pearl District.

We were in the wine country this past weekend, if you like to wine taste, don't miss Artesa in Napa, good wine here and the views are gorgeous from the tasting room, lots of fountains and art work here, a great place to linger! We have enjoyed meals at REDD, Ad HOc and Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen in Napa Valley, if you want an amazing dinner, go to Cyrus, we have dined here twice now, our meal this past Sat. night was outstanding, I'll try to post more details later in the week.

Are you referring to the Nehalem River Inn? If so, I agree it's a great place to dine on the Oregon Coast. Thanks for the info on Le Pigeon, we were considering this place for a dinner in Portland in a couple of weeks, we may skip it now and just go right over to the coast for some great meals! Too bad you didn't find anything you liked in Cannon Beach, we have several places that we enjoy there: Gower St. Bistro, Bistro, Wayfarer, Newman's @ 988 and the amazing Stephanie Inn which is producing some of the best food on the coast right now.

Miguel's Cocina in Coronado has great Mexican food in a festive ambiance, we dined on their outside patio area which was nice. They really great Mexican Creme Brulee served with Warm Churros here which was a special treat.

Be sure to dine at the restaurant, it's fantastic!

Carlyle is a nice suggestion, we enjoyed the food here when they used to be open for lunch. Bluehour also has great food in a nice ambiance, love the Gnocchi with Black Truffles here. We visited the Portland City Grill for lunch with my son, his girlfriend and our daughter this past summer, loved the views, buzzy ambiance and food, the Dragon Roll sushi was pretty good here!

We enjoyed a very nice lunch at REDD last March, beautiful dining room and outdoor area with fantastic food and service. We also lunched at Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen in St. Helena which was wonderful!

We have had very good meals at Boulevard and Farallon. We also enjoyed a very nice, elegant lunch at the Ritz Carlton out on their back patio area. They offeed a 3 course lunch for around $25/pp which was very good and the Ritz is a beautiful hotel in San Francisco.

It had been awhile since we had dined at Erna's, my husband took a cooking class there last Spring and we decided it was time to return again. Our seating was from 5-8 and 7 courses were offered for the night. They were as follows: Amuse Bouche Smoked Oyster Profiteroles with Marinated Caviar and Saffron "Tartar Sauce" Swiss Chard and Serrano Ham Wrapped Monkfish Fillet with Braised Octopus, Soba Noodles and Prosciutto-Olive Oil Emulsion Inspiration of Cauliflower-Clam Chowder with Ipswich Clams and Littlenecks, Crispy Shallots and Caulifower-Lemon Coulis Roasted Capon Cassoulet with Braised Leeks and Housemade Sausage and Petite Gnocchi International Symphony of Ravioli from Europe, Mediterranean, Far East Salsify threaded Angus Beef Tenderloin over Carrot Braised and Dusted Short Rib, Rosemary Lentils with Sweet Carrot Juice, Rosemary-Beef Jus Elderberry-Black Forest "Minute" Gateau and Timeless Mimosa Panna Cotta Each course was perfectly paced, the dining room was gorgeous, we were seated at a table by the glowing fire. It was the perfect way to spend New Year's Eve, this is an amazing 5 star dining venue in Oakhurst, CA, tucked away in the foothills. They also have the Chateau du Sureau here for those wanting to spend the night, the room comes with a full, gourmet breakfast in the morning.