zeffer81

Was there Saturday night for a bachelorette party. Food and service were great, sangria was fantastic

After a little research, we strolled over to SPQR, which was a pleasant walk from our Union Square(ish) hotel on Saturday night. I had been so busy researching Napa Valley restaurants that I had almost forgotten about SF. We were looking for a place nearby with solid food that we had a chance of actually getting into! Lucky for us, SPQR doesn't take reservations. We were told there would be an approx. 30 minute wait so we went up to the bar and split a 1/2 carafe of Sauv Blanc after a taste and a nice conversation with the bartender. I don't remember what kind it was--we were on wine overload by then. After sitting at the bar for 5-10 minutes, the hostess came up and asked if we would like to sit at the chef's counter. Are you kidding me? We were more than happy to do so and it was great fun. We started with the 3 antipasti: -Fresh ricotta, marinated summer squash, toasted pinenuts and crostini -Beef tongue with horseradish crema -Cauliflower with garlic, parsley, capers and lemon The ricotta, as said above, was fresh, smooth and tangy. The summer squash brought a nice savory touch to the dish, especially when my palate was prepared for a sweeter taste (a la goat cheese with honey.) I have only been eating meat for a year so I wasn't ready to commit to the beef tongue, so the only review I have is "it tastes like I expected beef tongue to taste." Take that as you will. The fried cauliflower was phenomenal. I loved the initial crunch that made way for the soft, lemony inside. While I do see how they could be described as oversalted, they were like french fries to me--I could have eaten them all night long. We each finished with a bowl of pasta. He got the fettucine with clams and I had the spaghetti aglio e olio. The portions were the perfect size to leave us satisfied without being overstuffed, although there was a bit of a heavy hand with the red pepper flakes. Overall, I loved the atmosphere and thought the food and concept (small plates focus) was unique for an Italian restaurant. We live in South Philly, an overwhelmingly Italian neighborhood and hadn't envisioned coming all the way to California for Italian food, but SPQR hugely surpassed our expectationss!

Not so much a restaurant or even pizzeria, but there is a great dairy a few miles off of the Wilkes-Barre exit on the turnpike just minutes from Penn State Wilkes-Barre. Hillside Dairy has the best ice cream I have ever had. You can also buy milk, butter (and cheese, I think) from the cows grazing just across the street. There is a small supply of frozen meats and eggs as well. We always stop there on the way to our mountain house.

You should call the restaurant and ask. Some chefs prefer not to share, but others are more than happy to do so!

I was there last week for Center City Sips. They have discounted pork belly buns and shrimp ceviche along with wines, beers and cocktails. Here's the catch--they only do Sips downstairs. When we got there at 5:30, the downstairs was packed and we had to sit at the bar ordering full-priced drinks until there was room downstairs. While it was definitely a mob scene, our waiter was nice, albeit a bit frazzled. We tried the pork belly buns and the ceviche. Ironically, I don't really eat pork or shrimp (was raised kosher, not practicing now.) I tried some of each and the seasoning on the pork belly was really, really good. Pork still doesn't do it for me, but judging by other reports it was a hit. The ceviche seemed to be more of a gazpacho with halved shrimp. It was decent but nothing to write home about. The best deal in town are the drinks, once you get downstairs for the Sips. The food is good but pieces are bite-sized, so I'm sure the savings all that monumental.

Am I dating myself by saying I didn't even know what this was?

JeanneCake hit the nail on the head. Our bill would have been around $200. We split $240 and then added another $50 to that. Thanks for your responses. My Dad and I disagreed on this one. He thought we should go back to the restaurant ans ask for part of the added tip back. I feel we should chalk it up as a loss. As some of you mentioned, it was our mistake and the restaurant/server did nothing wrong. Holly and FoodTutor--if we hadn't had such a nice experience, I would probably pursue it with the restaurant. Coincidentally, I was looking at the menu to clarify some of the things we ordered so I could write up my experience on the PA board, Holly. At this point I am willing to just hope I'll get a little bit of karma sometime down the road! Just Jim--I suggested the same thing to my Dad!

Without going into too much detail and thus revealing my thoughts on the matter, I would love to hear your thoughts on my experience at dinner on Friday night. We took my mother to a relatively new BYOB that was just awarded a glowing review by the local critic. Food was delicious, service was attentive without being over the top (isn't a white tablecloth kinda place)--and the server was quite a character. All in all, we really enjoyed the entire experience. My father and I split the bill. Because he had the actual bill, I did not look at our actual receipt, just my credit card receipt. OK, fine, it may have been the prosecco and wine we had during dinner, but who's counting...I tipped 20% or so and left. I went home to record our meal and pulled up the dinner menu online which read "mandatory gratuity of 20% for parties of 6 or more." Turns out we tipped 20% on top of the added gratuity. The server did not pick up our billfold until after we left. What would you do?

Just got back from a lovely dinner with my family. Quick recap (after many glasses of wine.) After we ordered, they delivered bread with some sort of tahini dip which was good, but nothing out of this world. Started with the dip trio: skordalia (very garlicky and tasty); lentil with a hint of anchovy (not an anchovy fan, couldn't see past that) and baba ganoush (very tasty but almost unnaturally creamy compared to other baba ganoush that I have tasted.) Our server brought this appetizer out first explaining that the pita is best right off of the grill, and he wasn't kidding. The other appetizers were warm lamb salad with preserved lemon, roasted shrimp on cous cous?, avgolemono, which was the soup special, grilled octopus and, at the server's suggestion, bireki, which consisted of phyllo dough stuffed with feta, honey and thyme. I don't eat lamb or shrimp, but both were reported to be quite tasty, especially the warm lamb salad. The octopus was fair, but not as flavorful as I would have hoped or expected. The soup came in a large bowl and was flavorful and entirely traditional. The bureki was probably the highlight of the appetizers, especially the side of roasted beets that accompanied the dish. For entree we had rabbit stew (Mom and fiance,) goat stew (Dad,) grilled lamb loin (bro,) pasta (sis,) and grilled whole dorado (me!) I only tried the pasta and dorado, but Mom and fiance reported that the rabbit was good, not great. Dad polished off his stew, but he'll eat anything, so he's not a good judge. Overall, both of them were tasty but a bit on the spicy side--or so I heard. My brother absolutely loved his lamb and "I don't even like lamb," he reported. My dorado was nicely charred on the outside and perfectly cooked on the inside. The waiter fileted it tableside, pulling open the aforementioned grape leave to expose a noseful of steaming thyme. I'll agree with LaBan that there were a few errant bones, but the fish was otherwise prepared perfectly. My sister's macaroni or "makronia" came with tomato, peas, yogurt and cheese. It was a thick, hand rolled (I'm guessing) generous serving of pasta with a spicy, tomato-based sauce. The sister and I shared our two dishes, and the fish and pasta went together nicely, with the subtle flavors of the fish balancing out the tangy pasta flavors. We finished with dessert and coffee. The table got a combination of thick, syrupy Greek coffee and "regular" coffee which came in a french press, which is always a nice tough. The desserts were outstanding. We got the trio of house made ice cream, which changes nightly but we were lucky enough to get mint, clove and cinnamon. I am not an ice cream eater, but each flavor was better than the previous one. I was most impressed with the mint ice cream, which was the most obviously fresh and flavorful, although all of them were amazing. We also had the chocolate mousse, which was a bittersweet chocolate topped with a lavender ice cream, which provided a great balance to one another. My sister got the almond and date tart. I didn't love it, but it's a matter of taste--she adored it. Overall, the service was kind and effusive. Our server, along with the entire staff, was beyond friendly and went above and beyond to accommodate our needs. There is just something about that place that makes you smile and want to join in the fun! Everyone there, from the hostess to the servers to the chef seem like they're having a great time doing what they do--and that means a lot.

Could someone post the contents of the email as it doesn't seem to be on the website? Thanks.

I have no clue how large their delivery area is, but I've recently discovered the glories of Taqueria Los Jalapenos. Their food is fresh, hot and ridiculously FAST, not to mention reasonably priced. vWhen I ordered on Monday, the food was at my door in 20 minutes! I've gotten the ground beef burrito both times (strange for someone who doesn't eat ground beef but it was SO GOOD) but the fiance has tried some of the myriad combo platters and gave two thumbs up! Check them out at www.threejalapenos.com Extra points for an adorable website name!

Nothing to add, but I think this is a great post. Keep 'em coming! Thanks, Katie. Hopefully I'll be able to add my 2 cents this weekend.

My mom and I were just talking about this so I'm going to shout her out in this one. My mom's chicken soup isn't as good as my grandmom's chicken soup. Back story: the soup is basically canned chicken broth with shredded carrots--that's it. My brother and I LOVED this soup growing up and no one has ever been able to replicate it. Sadly, my grandmother is no longer with us and we will never again have our "carrot soup." Hmmm...what are my confessions??? My macaroni and cheese isn't as good as LOTS of places, regardless of the amount (and variety) of cheese I use. My mashed potatoes are never as good as the restaurant variety, with the exception of New Year's Eve when I added an ungodly amount of butter. Shh, don't give away my secret!

Moosewood Low-Fat Otherwise, I've noticed that most of the cookbooks that focus on fruits/vegetables and seasonal cooking are naturally perfect cookbooks for dieters.

My mom bought a duck from Giunta's to cook on New Year's Eve. She made up from stock in advance and then braised it in its own stock and some wine. I didn't eat it, but reports are it was DE-licious.

Thanks for the info, Bob. I sent this right over to my Dad. I know he'll love it! Zoe

Chicken noodle soup Minestrone What else is light and healthy? I'm on the wedding diet! Off topic--Nakji, I love your soup bowl. Is it Gordon Ramsay for Royal Doulton, by chance?

Yes, I read about this! When will us non-HBO subscribers have the opportunity to check this out?

-Finally join a CSA -Eat at Vetri -Try making homemade dog treats again -Bring lunch more, buy lunch less -Become a regular somewhere besides my local coffee shop. Perhaps Izumi? -Try geoduck clams -Host monthly Sunday Suppers for family and friends With the exception of bringing lunch, all of these will be somewhat difficult as I'm saving for a wedding.

I just had some really plump and juicy ones at Sole Food as part of their shellfish appetizer. Go figure.

Just got back from Izumi. A little worn out from wine and sake but quick report includes fresh fish, reasonable prices and attentive service (he said thank you when he poured us water--there was nothing to thank us for!) They have a few sushi and sashimi platter options. We opted for the $25 sushi/sashimi mix which included (approximately) four types of sushi, four types of sashimi and an added bonus of spicy tuna maki. We then moved onto their o-toro which was, well, o-toro. You can't really go wrong with toro and we were given an extra slice by the chef because was happy we had ordered it (if we understood the waiter correctly, we were the first people who had ordered it all night...or we were the first people to sit at the bar all night--one of the two granted us access to a third slice of toro on the house!) Toro is toro and it lived up to its name by promptly melting in our mouths. We closed the meal with two maki rolls--shrimp tempura and the paradiso roll (all I remember is that it included lobster tempura.) The latter was fine, although not nearly as amazing as I anticipated. The former, however, found the perfect balance between the warm crunch of the tempura and the sharp, vingary bite of the rice. Simple yet DELICIOUS! We would definitely go back for either a full meal or just a few maki rolls with a bottle of wine to share. There were a few non-sushi dishes on the menu, but not many. Off the top of my head I remember miso soup, shitake(?) consomme, your proverbial chicken teriyaki, seared scallop with a strange combo--I know it included buffalo mozz and I think cashews? There were some other non-sushi items, but this is the place to go if you want fish.

I was just there last week. The food was unique and quite good with a heavy focus on seasonal produce.

I know I'm late to the party but...it's definitely not too much food. We actually ordered something off of the menu in addition and still left full but not stuffed. Looking forward to your report!

If you're looking for really amazing pasta, Le Virtu and Osteria are high on the list. However, because they're truly Italian (i.e. not Italian American) places, the pasta portions are small--I suppose you could ask for an entree sized portion. If you want typical red gravy (sauce) Italian, I second the recs for Marra's and Villa di Roma. Good luck!

Gourmet or Bon Appetit had a great looking recipe for grilled stuffed tomatoes. It involved bread crumbs and blue cheese and looked realllly freakin' good. I'd look for it now if I wasn't running off to class. On another note, I'm awfully jealous of your abundance. I'm growing grape tomatoes and someone keeps stealing the ripe ones before I can get to them. I'm seriously considered putting a sign next to them that directs them to the nearest Acme or Farmer's Market. Grrr...