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subliminalkid

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Everything posted by subliminalkid

  1. I had a lovely meal at Abac a little over a year ago, and spent less than 100 Euros. While I enjoyed Abac, Cinc Sentits, and Gaig, the meals I had were more about the ingredients than surprising/unusual technique; it depends on what the original poster meant by "innovative Spanish cuisine". I've certainly had more surprises (mostly of the pleasant variety!) at Hisop, Espai Sucre, and (yes) C24. (Nothing wrong with ingredient-oriented cooking of course; after all I live in San Francisco and do most of my eating here.) Bill
  2. Just got back from a short London visit, which included a few meals at Arbutus. I actually don't mind the room, though it's usually been relatively quiet when I've gone. (My first meal there was during the 2006 World Cup Final, and I had a 10:45 pm dinner after a Proms concert.) Among other dishes, I had a lovely saddle of rabbit (lunch), the pig's head terrine (a bit different from what I remember from 2006; did they change the recipe?), an incredible lamb's breast (just the right crunch on the outside, fall-apart tender on the inside) with sweetbreads, Welsh lamb tripe (had reservations about the tripe-y smell, but was scrumptious once I dug in), and the tasty treacle tart with just the right sour edge to it. Bill
  3. I agree with the recommendations for La Trappe and City Beer. Toronado's selection of Belgian beers has been very uneven lately, and their prices have also climbed. I've tried to go to Monk's Kettle several times, but it's always packed. The menu and beer list look ok, but not that impressive and a bit pricey. If you'll spend time in the east bay as well, the Trappist in downtown Oakland is an excellent bar for (obviously) Belgians: http://www.thetrappist.com/ Also in Oakland, Luka's has good food and a decent beer selection, with quite a few Belgians: http://www.lukasoakland.com/ Both are easily accessible by public transit (BART). Bill
  4. I've eaten at Rose Pistola once, years ago, and don't find it very memorable. I ate at Incanto and Perbacco more recently, and highly recommend both. I remember lovely sweetbreads, succulent headcheese, and a perfect tagliatelle with lamb sugo at Incanto, and some wonderful salumi, braised beef, and rabbit at Perbacco. Bill
  5. I ate at Abac and Cinc Sentits last month, and I agree regarding them not being very Adria-like. (I thought Cinc Sentits used to be a little more so though.) Of the other Barcelona restaurants I've eaten at, for a more "modern" experience, maybe Espai Sucre or Comerc 24? Bill
  6. I had dinner at Cinc Sentits late July, with the smaller of the two tasting menus. While I enjoyed my meal (the 30-hour veal cheeks in particular were perfect), I thought my meal was a bit more ingredient-driven than I expected. I checked my notes from dinner there 2 years ago, and my first meal did seem more technically "flashy", with more unusual flavor and texture combinations. I'm fine with ingredient-driven meals of course (after all I live in San Francisco!) But I was hoping for more surprises when I travel. Also ate at Abac for the first time on this trip; again it was excellent (that roast suckling pig, whew), but less "surprising" than I expected. (On previous trips, I've eaten at Comerc 24 and Espai Sucre, among others.) Bill
  7. Hmm, what do they mean by "rabble" here? Is Ribouldingue mobbed now? Bill, who had an awesome meal there in June on John's recommendation
  8. I happened to be in Paris for work early June; thanks for recommending Ribouldingue. A fellow offal-enthusiast and I as usual went straight for the most interesting-sounding items on the menu. We had the cow udders, probably my favorite dish of the meal. They were thinly sliced (but not "paper-thin" as I recall), had the consistency of firm tofu but lightly browned on the outside, with a slight dairy-ish aftertaste which was very pleasant. The lamb's brains were simply perfect. Our third appetizer was the pig snouts, which looked pretty comical sitting in a salad. They were cut simply with the shapes preserved, firm with a slight crunch, not that interesting. Our plats were the beef cheeks braised in red wine, again nothing surprising but perfectly done. The carpaccio tiede de tete de veau was also surprisingly inoffensive (haha), sliced paper-thin, pleasant but not amazing. Can't remember our desserts, but they were good. And if you're concerned about eating heavy offal in the hot weather, Ribouldingue is air-conditioned. Also had dinner at Le Chateaubriand; it's such a different restaurant from Ribouldingue, I can't really compare the two. Loved my meal though; first an amuse of very fragrant miso with tiny mushrooms, then a refreshing and tasty ceviche appetizer with lychee sorbet, chopped nuts, flowers, and tiny cubes of a tart gelee. Then 3(!) amuses, a white creamy soup with sliced olives, a spoon containing a dollop of unctuous fatty tuna with sprouts, and a third that I don't remember so well. Main course was a beautiful (and delicious) lightly cooked pink piece of tuna, sliced to resemble a wedge of fruit pie, with asparagus, a saffron (?) foam, and paper thin slices of Jamon Iberico. This was a hard act to follow; I thought the dessert of rose ice cream with sour milk "soup" was rather pale afterwards. Short notes on other meals: thought C'Amelot was nice but not outstanding despite the NY Times review. Astier didn't live up to my memories of earlier meals over the years, but the legendary cheese plate is still spectacular. Not being a regular Paris visitor (sigh), I was still expecting the little old ladies and the large selection of fruit tarts at Au Trou Normand; the new version is less quaint (!) but serves reasonable versions of the classics (excellent veal brains in croustade with beans and lemon, decent duck confit). Couldn't get a table at Chez Michel, but had a good pig's head and feet pate at Chez Casimir instead. And the divine gazpacho and luscious cepes and foie gras presse at Le Comptoir will make anyone forget what a horrifically hot and dusty summer day it was... Bill
  9. I was at Arbutus the night of the World Cup Final. Not surprisingly, there was only one other diner (though a couple arrived later). I was surprised to read all the complaints about the room and lighting; I didn't mind it. I hadn't read the egullet reviews before my visit; had the braised pig's head and loved it. Also enjoyed the thinly sliced lamb breast. I thought the service was lowkey and friendly. Would have gone back if I had an extra night or two in London. Bill
  10. I thought it was rather odd that mcattaneo23 asked the same question twice within a relatively short time; I was wondering what he was trying to get at. "Will this chef be enough to pull the restaurant out of its hole??" doesn't really sound very encouraging to prospective customers, does it? mcattaneo23, if you have personal experiences with Chef Morales, I'd love to hear about them, since I've really enjoyed my meals at Winterland. By the way, for people with limited budgets, one can order any item from the regular menu to eat at the bar; good way to sample an appetizer or dessert without coughing up for the full meal. If I haven't talked about it enough already, I can easily eat the carmelized brioche French toast several nights a week... Bill
  11. Ahem, if you're so concerned about it (again), why don't you have dinner there and tell us what you think? I've eaten at Winterland again since my earlier response. My friends and I were pretty pleased with our meal, "gimmicks" and all, though I thought my first meal was more memorable. It was a reasonable crowd for a weekend, not "consistently empty" at all. By the way, I've read Michael Bauer's original review, and thought it was totally out of character. I've discussed that review with friends, who all agree that the food sounded interesting despite Bauer's over-the-top comments. Bill
  12. I had a very nice dinner a few nights ago at Battambang (Cambodian food): http://www.themenupage.com/battambang.html Definitely within walking distance. Some of the Chinese dessert shops in Oakland Chinatown (real close by) carry the locally produced Marco Polo gelatos. Marco Polo specializes in intense Asian fruit flavors, such as durian (!), red bean and lychee. Definitely worth checking out. Bill
  13. I second the recommendation for Kate's in the Lower Haight. Good corned beef hash, hush puppies in sweet butter, fresh fruit, very savory greens. (Yes, I've been a regular for many years.) I can't be bothered to slot my favorites into the different categories, but here are some other suggestions. Chloe's at 1399 Church at 25th (yuppie breakfast? heck, it's Noe Valley). Smooth scrambled eggs, nice fluffy pancakes, good sausage, some of my favorite French toast in town, fresh fruit. The line is impossible on weekends and holidays; I'd stick to weekdays. The Metro at Divisadero at Page, strictly weekend breakfast/brunch. Good Hollandaise sauce, very nice French toast, Dauphin potatoes. Home at Market and Church (upscale diner/yuppie brunch, see what a hard time I'm having with the categories...) Good quiche, excellent brisket hash with eggs. Buzz 9 on 8th near Howard. Haven't been in ages, but back when I was a regular, they had excellent Hollandaise sauce. Bill
  14. Cortez (recommended elsewhere in this thread) at 550 Geary has excellent crab cakes. Very fluffy and flavorful. Just off Union Square, a longish but doable walk from Moscone. There's actually a Thai place on Folsom near 3rd that I've heard nice things about, but haven't been to in years. One of my favorite Thai places is the Thai House Express at 901 Larkin (at Geary), a bit further from where you are. It's the closest in SF to the rustic Thai food I had in Bangkok at neighborhood joints, a bit different from the typical Thai restaurant fare in the US. Bill
  15. Moscone Center is not my favorite area to find a meal... I've eaten at Yank Sing somewhat regularly over the past 10 years. The quality of the food has gone down, and the prices have gone way up. I hardly go there anymore. For the South of Market area, I suggest the SF Museum of Modern Art cafe. It's a bit expensive, but pretty good casual Californian food with fresh ingredients. Lunch only, I think. Also close by is Mehfil, one of the better Indian restaurants in SF, at Folsom near 2nd. My favorite Chinatown/Financial District lunch spot is the R & G Lounge at 631 Kearny. Good noodles and other basic Cantonese lunch fare, comparable to Hong Kong standards. There's also Great Eastern, 649 Jackson, an excellent Hong Kong-style seafood place that has a variety of fresh fish in tanks, shrimp, crab, and maybe even abalone. Bill
  16. Heh... it's not uncommon in southeast Asia where I grew up. Marco Polo makes a creamy, flavorful version. The lychee will make a good pallet cleanser afterwards. A few other items I thought of later: vegetarian abalone at R&G Lounge (http://www.rnglounge.com/) a signature dish of one of my favorite Cantonese restaurants in SF scallops (3 seasonal preparations) at Michael Mina's (http://michaelmina.net/michaelmina/) crab cakes at Cortez (already recommended earlier in this thread) Bill
  17. I should add that none of the French bistro suggestions (Le Charm, Zazie's etc) is going to be a surprising experience for a New Yorker who's eaten great meals all over. I'll take a slightly different approach and mention a few interesting dishes worth checking out. First a couple dessert items (not exactly Espai Sucre, but interesting enough): souffles at Campton Place in Union Square highly rated executive chef Daniel Humm has left, but pastry chef Garrett Melkonian is sticking around, according to the waiter when I had lunch there last week. Melkonian works with some unusual flavor combinations; see for example http://tinyurl.com/agvec carmelized brioche French toast at Winterland (http://www.winterlandrestaurant.com/) I've been defending Winterland in a recent thread; Vernon Morales is trying to do some interesting things there. A recent review: http://www.arthurhungry.com/archives/2005/12/winterland.html Then a couple Pakistani dishes at lowkey neighborhood places: tandoori fish at Kabana (1106 University Ave, Berkeley) nihari (tender beef stew heavy on ginger and cloves) at Pakwan (16th Street at Guerrero, SF) Finally, if you care for ice cream in March (should be warm enough in SF!), Marco Polo gelato: http://tinyurl.com/9swc2 . I recommend the red bean, lychee, and for the brave, durian. Bill
  18. While I did enjoy my meals at Zazie and my one meal at Chapeau! (haven't been to Clementine), for a neighborhood French bistro, I much prefer Le Charm (5th Street at Folsom). I don't think I've had a bad meal there. Good duck confit, wild boar shoulder confit, and a floating island as good as Moissonierre in Paris. Bill
  19. I'm sorry to hear about the management problems at Winterland. I was there for dinner with a friend in early November, and we both really enjoyed our food. There were some clever and surprising dishes, and most items we ordered were at least well-executed. I didn't take notes, but remember an excellent braised rabbit with various chestnut-based accompaniments. The carmelized brioche French toast is simply luscious. Here's another recent review: http://www.arthurhungry.com/archives/2005/12/winterland.html Hmm, I better plan a return visit in case they do close soon... Bill
  20. Just got back from Hong Kong (I'm there about once a year), and thought I'd comment on Cafe Amigo, mentioned earlier. I had lunch there with my parents last week. Hadn't eaten there for years, before I started paying too much attention to food, so I was curious what I would think of it after Astier, Moissonierre, Comme chez soi, etc. We all had the cream of watercress soup. Rather unremarkable, and bland; it perked up quite a bit after a few shakes of salt and pepper. My oxtail braised in red wine was tender and flavorful. The Grand Marnier souffle was nice but again not outstanding. I tasted my parents' "coconut pudding" with fruit, which was mainly flavored gelatin with chopped fruit, again very ordinary. Other than the excellent oxtail, most of our meal was unremarkable and quite overpriced. The service was good, if a bit old-fashioned and stodgy. (That's not a criticism; that's the kind of service people go to Amigo for!) We also had dinner a few days ago at Rive Droite Rive Gauche, on Wyndam Street around Lan Kwai Fong: http://www.rivedroite-rivegauche.hk/ This is more what one expects from the other modern/hip establishments in the neighborhood. To my surprise, there was an amuse of a fresh sardine over potato, which was a tad too salty. I had the rabbit saddle in mustard sauce, which was nicely done, pretty moist and flavorful. The standout was the pear gratin with almond and Grand Marnier, very smooth and fragrant. Prices were on the high side, but not unreasonable. Bill
  21. Spanish Table in Berkeley carries salt cod. Check out: http://www.spanishtable.com/ It's a great place for Spanish food-related items in general. Bill
  22. I was at Cinc Sentits twice in early September. While the owners were certainly friendly, the service was for the most part not that different from my experience in similar restaurants in Barcelona (I also ate at Hisop, Gaig, and Espai Sucre). My waiter was Spanish and spoke limited English; in fact, he had to run back to the kitchen several times in the middle of describing a dish, to check on the translation. My favorite meal was at Espai Sucre; I had the 5-course all-dessert tasting, which had a very nice variety of flavors and textures. There were wonderful items at the other meals as well, though my heavy all-offal selection at Gaig for lunch on a hot day was probably not optimal... On a more traditional note, I also had very nice meals at Cafe de l'Academia and Agut d'Avignon. Bill, jonesing to return already
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