ulterior epicure
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Posts posted by ulterior epicure
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[Edit: Scratch that, those were green almonds, sorry.]
D'oh!
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Wow, I'm shocked! Great to know in the future though! Thanks Aaron!
Thank goodness for friends in California. A friend is sending me some of her windfall of green walnuts overnight; she threw in a rack of lamb for the heck of it!
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Anybody got dirt on where I can get some green walnuts? I'm itching to make some nocino.
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How's The Compound?
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Tragically, Rancho de Chimayo had a fire last year and has yet to reopen. It was a beautiful drive from SF to a beautiful hacienda property with really good food and better cocktails. Their Chimayo cocktail with house grown apple cider and tequila is one of my all time favorites and the local Chimayo red chile used in their food is great. This place truly excelled in its setting and environment. The food was simple and traditional. Honestly some of it was fairly pedestrian, but their traditional New Mexico dishes were great. It looks like they plan to reopen in August.
As for the Pink Adobe and its Dragonfly bar, it is good food. Really good food by most standards, but SF has a lot of good places to eat. It is an old Santa Fe institution and would not be a mistake for a casual lunch. For dinner, there are other places that are a must ahead of the Pink Adobe.
UE -- when are you going to Santa Fe? I might have some further suggestions if I know when you are going to be there.
I think right now, I'm pretty set on having lunch at The Shed and Cafe Pasqual's. But I need one more lunch. I'm debating between The Cantina at Coyote Cafe or perhaps lunch in Taos at The Apple Tree.
Dinners at Geronimo and another. And then an early dinner before the opera.
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What ever happened to Mark Miller?
Also, my colleague recommended Rancdo de Chimayo, which seems closed at present.
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Geronimos is still good but since DiStefano left for Coyote it has gone down a bit. I believe the chef from The Ore House is now the chef there. I had a great meal there a couple of months ago and I still think it was the best in SF.
Coyote Cafe is back and getting better. It has a slight Asian slant to the dishes but I think DiStefano will find his way. He did leave a couple of Mark Miller's classic on the menu which were fantastic.
Cafe Pasquals is great for breakfast or lunch. I would choose breakfast.
Another great place for drinks on outside patio is Inn on the Anaszi which also is great for breakfast. Last time we ate there for Dinner is was a bit boring.
La Casa Sena is also great for dinner as well as the Santa Cafe which have lovely outside garden seating
Dont miss the Shed or Marias for lunch, if you have the chance.
Two other recommendations came to me today from a colleague who visits Santa Fe a lot.
He agreed that Cafe Pasqual's is better for lunch/breakfast.
He said the Geronimo was nice.
He highly recommended The Apple Tree in Taos.
The Pink Adobe was also cited as a very good restaurant.
I had not heard of the latter two. I thought I'd vet it with some folks here whose dining acumen might be sharper than my acquaintance's.
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Yeah, so what about them cheese plates??
I'm curious: did DB Brasserie ever fill up in the dining room? Or, were they just playing hard to seat?
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Alright, this thread hasn't moved in a couple of months. I'm giving it a bump since it looks likely that I'll be headed out there soon. Three, possibly four, nights. Where should I spend them?
I'm thinking Alex and The Mansion are at the top of my list.
If Alex is open, definitely try it (it's my favorite restauarant in LV). I wasn't particularly thrilled with The Mansion. I dined there the night after Alex, and it couldn't hold a candle to Alex. I did love Le Cirque at the Bellagio (even though I'm not a big fan of the NYC version of Le Cirque).
What was deficient about The Mansion?
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Oh good. Finally. I've been waiting for your reportage to commence.
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Since before they built the Luxor? Wow. You haven't been in some time.
A LOT has changed since then. Heck, my first trip there was after Luxor had opened. And a lot changed since that trip. At the time, Bellagio had not opened. When Steve Wynn opened that place, that's when things really started to change.
Right. I was a wee high schooler then.
I've been sitting on the benches watching it all go up, up, and up since. I look forward to getting reacquainted with Las Vegas, though I'm sure I would not recognize it today.
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Though you are right. I wouldn't return to Bouchon Las Vegas if I had been to the one in Napa a few times. I've already dined at Bouchon in Las Vegas for lunch once and dinner once. And breakfast many times. I only return for breakfast now. But I wonder about a place like L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon. There is one in Vegas, one in NYC. Is the NYC more "authentic"? I believe it opened after the Las Vegas location opened. How easy is it to get a seat there? I know in Las Vegas, it's not hard at all. I've dined there twice. Once a large group booked well in advance, the other time a small party booked just 3 or so days in advance (for a Saturday night). Could I have done that in NYC?
Which is why I have no desire to visit places like Bouchon, l'AdJR, and other "outposts" in Las Vegas.
All that said, for people are food people and like the overall "action" of Las Vegas, it's a great destination for regular visits.The last time I was in Las Vegas, they were still building the Luxor.
You can certainly eat very well without a whole lot of fuss.This, I like.
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SF is tiny. If your hotel is in town, you can walk to Geronimo's. I have lived here before, and just moved back for six months. I thought that this time around I would write reviews for EG. But I can't eat chili in any form without getting really sick. So I simply can't give these places their due. I can give some info though. Tonight we ate at the Shed. Very popular with tourists - we walked in when they opened at 5:30, but any later and you will need a reservation. People were lined up outside when we left at 6:30. My husband liked his red and green sauced enchiladas, but he says that they weren't as good as at Maria's, which is where we frequently go to drink tequilla before grocery shopping at the nearby Whole Foods. Nobody beats Maria's for tequilla. OMG. What was better at the Shed was my fancy little salad, and both of our (non-New-Mexican) soups. My cold raspberry soup was delicious, as was his mushroom soup. At Maria's these types of sides don't exist. The side salad at Maria's is iceberg with some rock-like croutons and a couple of slices of cucumber. So basically, the Shed is more upscale and varied than La Choza and Maria's, but if you are looking for the best or most authentic New Mexican dishes the Shed may not be your first choice. I wish I could be of more help on the chili dishes, but alas. I also agree on No to Pasqual's for dinner - the food is just not prepared well. The Coyote Cafe wasn't anything special last time we went. People say to eat in their rooftop cantina instead. Haven't done that. I am a HUGE fan of La Boca and Trattoria Nostrani. Those are my favorite places in town. Geronimo's is very good too but we are just too lazy to get a bit dressed up to go there. A lot of people like El Farol on Canyon Road. They have music and an active bar scene. The only time we went there was to eat. Our tapas were obviously left-overs from lunch; they were stiff and gummy. Never went back. We had dinner at the Georgia O'Keefe Museum cafe last week, and it was super. Will definitely go back. Good food and wine, and lots of options for my poor old stomach. Hope this helps.
nibor: Yes, it helps a great deal. Thank you.
So, I gather that Trattoria Nostrani is not formal dress?
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Alright, I just mapped out most of these restaurants on Google Maps and - my gosh - Santa Fe ain't that big, is it? It looks like I can walk to almost every restaurant from my hotel! The only outliers seem to be La Choza and Geronimo.
On the list so far:
Cafe Pasqual's (for brunch)
Geronimo (dinner)
La Choza (lunch)
Trattoria Nostrani
The Shed
Coyote Cafe
La Boca
I assume that doing both La Choza and The Shed would be redundant?
Any others? Maria's sounds like it's more for the alcohol than the food.
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Also, I'm considering on spending part of the day at the O'Keefe house. Is the cafe there any good for lunch?
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For what its worth - with all of the countless New Mexican meals I've had in my life, I had the best ever recently...in Phoenix. The owner of Los Dos Molinos moved from somewhere around Glenwood/Reserve into Springerville and then later Phoenix. It is the freshest, purest New Mexican food I've ever had bar none.
Thanks, I'll keep that in mind when I go to Phoenix. Sadly, it won't help for this trip.
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Any traditional New Mexico place worth its salt will give you a choice of red, green, or Christmas (1/2 red and 1/2 green). The Shed actually has several dishes that are red only (i.e. their enchiladas). I actually also think the Shed's green is just ok, but their red is great. I have not been, but many people recommend La Choza a sister of the Shed, for NM food. It is on my list the next time I am in town.
I prefer La Choza over most places in town for New Mexican food.
The margaritas are good and I like both their green and red chile.
I think cafe pasquals is a good choice for breakfast/brunch... but that it's overpriced and overrated for dinner.
Their chorizo burrito is probably my favourite breakfast burrito in town.
Besides the price, hat's the difference between the food at La Choza and the food at The Shed?
Okay, so Cafe Pasqual's was a candidate for brunch. I gather that it's not a broken idea.
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"Go to Japan" didn't I first exclaim that to you or in this thread a while back?
Yes, yes you did, Raji. Not that I didn't believe you, but I just wanted to experience masa. I'm glad I went. But I'll be happier going to Japan next time.
I do think the service charge thing is disingenuous, especially since you are sitting at the bar and are engaging the chef directly. Japanese restaurants build such charges and a potential tip into all their prices. This results in a bit higher pricing but none of the awkwardness. The only place that might employ a service charge like that means your servers are arriving in panties, or something like that, as was popular in the booming 80s and early 90s in Japan. Even then tho, it's rare; again, it's usually built into the price of your drink or food or some seat charge.Yeah, our servers were definitely *fullyclothedthankgoodness.*
Yes, and that no-holds bar authenticity is what I value the most in a cultural eating experience. You definitely don't get it at masa or Yasuda. Cultural approximations, cultural approximations.Some of the most profitable (and priciest) of NY's Japanese restaurants sell a semi-authentic Japanese experience with business practices of NY, effectively preying on Westerner's who don't want to protest the mystique of Japanese culture... Masa is a good example, so is Yasuda (!!) to a certain extent. -
First, bobag87, thanks for that great summary of your meal at Trattoria Nostrani.
Second, to all who are on this thread and care to respond, bobag87 made me realize that I've been neglecting a big must in Santa Fe: the green vs. red chile experience. Where can I get a good version of each? Preferably, if I can taste both at the same meal (i.e. a restaurant that offers both), that would be ideal.
Any traditional New Mexico place worth its salt will give you a choice of red, green, or Christmas (1/2 red and 1/2 green). The Shed actually has several dishes that are red only (i.e. their enchiladas). I actually also think the Shed's green is just ok, but their red is great. I have not been, but many people recommend La Choza a sister of the Shed, for NM food. It is on my list the next time I am in town.
Thanks bobag87. It looks like it's our own little party on this thread.
Have you heard of Mucho Gusto in the Paseo de Paralto shopping strip? A friend highly recommends it.
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First, bobag87, thanks for that great summary of your meal at Trattoria Nostrani.
Second, to all who are on this thread and care to respond, bobag87 made me realize that I've been neglecting a big must in Santa Fe: the green vs. red chile experience. Where can I get a good version of each? Preferably, if I can taste both at the same meal (i.e. a restaurant that offers both), that would be ideal.
Also, it seems fairly obvious that no one really has much enthusiasm for any of the Santa Fe "biggies," that is Cafe Coyote and Cafe Pasquale's. Should I just axe them from my itinerary?
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First, bobag87, thanks for that great summary of your meal at Trattoria Nostrani.
Second, to all who are on this thread and care to respond, bobag87 made me realize that I've been neglecting a big must in Santa Fe: the green vs. red chile experience. Where can I get a good version of each? Preferably, if I can taste both at the same meal (i.e. a restaurant that offers both), that would be ideal.
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I have always liked both La Folie and Fleur De Lys, but I'm 60+. I'm not sure I would have liked them as much when I was young and lived in San Francisco. Fleur De Lys is a romantic restaurant with very good, interesting food and a decent, but over-priced wine list, and there won't be many people under 50 there. La Folie is fun and has very good, traditional French food, but it is not very romantic or inventive. I wouldn't recommend either one to my kids. (BTW. my 26 year old and his GF loved Acquerello when they went there.) I think Gary Danko is a much better upscale choice than La Folie and Fleur De Lys for people under 40.
I think San Francisco excels in moderately priced restaurants, so I would have one big night out and focus on the moderate places the rest of the trip.
Being around half your age, I find this way of thinking about restaurants interesting. I guess, when it comes to cuisine and restaurants, I'm not ageist. I may notice that the average age in the dining room might be higher, or not. Food, however, is where my main focus is. I have been to neither La Folie nor Fleur de Lys, but I know what they are like in comparison to Danko. Classical preparations and presentations don't bother me in the least. In fact, if they're done well, they're sure to please and, quite possibly, impress me. More modern food, however, though it may be prepared and presented well, may not not - and often do not.
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... However, Daniel Patterson has been quoted as saying that carrots are the new caviar.
If, by that statement, Patterson means what I think he means, then that makes no sense to me whatsoever.
@ sadistick: Take my opinion of coi with a grain of salt. Few things thrill me. Some of the restaurants that thrill me the most don't go over so well with others. And restaurants that often thrill others, don't really move me (alinea, wd~50, TFL, and per se, just to name a few). I'm a strange bird.
If you haven't already, can you give us a better sense of what kinds of restaurants/cuisines you like might help us give you better direction. I understand that there are too many choices when it comes to the Bay Area dining. But at some point, there is such a thing as paralysis of analysis and you have just got to make the best decision that you can.
If it makes you feel any better, I have come to a point in my "dining career" (how cheesy is that?) to accept the fact that there will be disappointments - often, very expensive ones. But I've learned take something important away from each one. No night out is a night wasted, no matter how bad the meal. I'm a true believer that there is something to be learned from even the most vexing plate of food.
Does this mean I get to be called an optimist?
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The entire summary of my meal at masa in May can be found at the ulterior epicure.
Of masa, the once-most expensive restaurant in the U.S., the few I know who have eaten there have said: save your money and go to Japan instead.Having (finally) eaten at masa, I can’t say I would disagree with that advice.
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Why anyone would want to sit at a table instead of at the bar in this particular restaurant, I know not. Notwithstanding my strong preference for sitting at the “sushi bar,” the dimly lit dining room here, set off to one side, seemed like an afterthought next to the brightly lit expanse of the bar. Yet, during the length of my meal, the bar was four seats shy of capacity whilst the dining room was, at one point, full.*
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Whilst many diners are stiffened by masa, my compatriots and I were out for a relaxing adventure, and we took full advantage of the bar for such an occasion.
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There’s very little ceremony to this omakase. It starts shortly after the sushi chef notes any dietary restrictions. (Despite having requested to be seated at Chef Takayama’s station, we were seated with one of the other sushi chefs. He has been with masa since it opened in 2005.)
Hot towels were presented. Drink orders were taken (Mr. RBI and Smiley let me have a run at the sake menu and I selected Dewazakura “Izumi Judan” (Ginjo) ($33), which was aptly described on the menu as “Dry and clear with a hint of juniper.”). The sake was divided among the three of us (the carafe poured enough for each of us to have a healthy cup and a half each). And the first course arrived.
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Is masa traditional? Not entirely. But this doesn’t bother me nearly as much as the fact that it palpably plays to (and preys upon) the Western ego. It’s not as gimmicky and slicked up as some nouveau fusion sushi places are (Jewel Bako comes to mind). While foie gras did not manage to work its way into our meal (there is a famous “foie gras shabu-shabu” dish offered), truffles did. For those who want it, you can have it in modest portions at extraordinary prices.
On the subject of price (perhaps the first thing people mention – as did I – about the restaurant): masa recently dropped the price of their omakase from $450 to $400 per person. This does not include tax. It does not include gratuity. And, it does not include a mandatory 20% “Service Charge,” which, as the restaurant’s receipt states:
“… is not a gratuity, and is not distributed to the staff but is used to cover operating and administrative expenses.”
While it is true that I would have probably left the equivalent amount in “tip,” and even though I was aware of the practice before I ate at the restaurant, I felt ambushed.
When making the reservation, no such “Service Charge” was mentioned (or, at least not presented as a non-gratuitous charge). And, there was no mention, reminder, or explanation of the service charge during the confirmation call two days before our dinner.
Some treat the “Service Charge” as a tip and leave no additional “gratuity.” Some, like the gentleman seated next to me, add (in a purposefully audible note to the server) hundreds of dollars more. He and his date got an extra round of desserts (green tea ice cream for him and something I couldn’t quite make out from our vantage for her).
Feeling obligated to tip on top of a “Service Charge” after laying down $500 left an awkward taste in my mouth. With a 20% tip on top of the 20% “Service Charge,” nearly half of the total outlay pays for service that’s barely audible or present, the staff salaries, a flowering dogwood, lights, and a tony rent check to the lucky folks who own the Time Warner Center.
Is masa worth it? I suppose on an ounce-for-ounce level, yes. Top cuts of fresh fish are flown in daily from around the globe. The level of thought and execution is solid and unwavering. The real estate is generous: both elbows are allowed a wide berth. It’s intimate: you and two or three others at the most have the exclusive attention of one chef for about three hours. And the care and quality of the fish really cannot be doubted.
Is it a culinary experience and destination to be cooed over? Many, including the triple-continentals sitting next to me (he an Aussie and she a Norwegian, both living in Thailand) clearly think so.
I’m not prone to cooing.
For me, it was a worthy experience that I need not repeat any time soon. If I were Daddy Warbucks with a hill of cash to blow, I could justify dropping into masa a couple of times a year. Otherwise, I’ll leave this one to the expense account-carrying egos that need a nice massage. I’ll head to Japan instead.
One more shameless check off the list.
Masa and Bar Masa
in New York: Dining
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Nope, the price of the meal has been lowered, most recently from $450, to $400. I'm not sure the baseline price was ever at $500, though the hostess seemed to be under that impression.