The Blissful Glutton

Canton House has several sanitation issues and their renovation has not done much for the place. I found worms in my dish last time I was there. They even charged me for it. I wont be going back. HKH is really not very good at all either. Their selection is mediocre and I've had two friends walk away with food poisoning. Royal China and Happy Valley are really the only good options. Many people like China Delight but I've found their dishes to be flavorless and left to sit too long. Happy Valley is my top Atlanta pick for now. It comes closest to the food I got used to while living in San Francisco.

Well, technically a very late-night /early morning meal. I made a delicious sandwich with toasted thick slices of sourdough, sautéed baby bellas, sliced cherry tomatoes, arugula, thick-cut bacon and a runny, fried egg on top. Sorry...no picture to post.

I tried Happy Valley about 5 years ago and it was just awful. I swore I would never go back. However, I guess I just ate my words. We decided to go the other day because we are constantly searching for variety in our dim-sum routine. I am so glad we did. There were only two us so we didn't get to try as much as I would have liked. But, everything was great. All of our items were steaming hot and fresh. They had an amazing array of dim-sum items on the carts and also brought around many dishes (clams, veggies, noodles, etc.) on trays. I think that they hired one of the chefs from the Oriental Pearl. We ordered the Salt and Pepper squid, sticky rice in lotus leaf, siu mai, shark fin dumplings, Cantonese noodles, and chicken feet. All of the items were delicious. The squid was tender and crispy. I couldn't stop eating the fried jalapenos that came with the dish. The chicken feet were very meaty and the sauce was good. The noodles (I have a weakness for these) were not too oily and perfectly seasoned. The desserts looked especially good but we were too full to continue. The service was exceptional and we found ourselves bombarded with numerous servers who were all very gracious and fluent in English (something you don't always find at some dim-sum places). The owner was wonderful and anxious to tell us how she got into the business. We asked if she ever had curry squid on the menu and she said she'd be adding it soon and took our number to call us when it would be back on the menu. You can't ask for better service than that! I will definitely be returning soon and suggest you pay a visit as well.

The Oak Tree restaurant is great. It is on the sixth floor of 900 North Michigan shopping complex. Get a corner table and the view is great...straight down Michigan Avenue. The food is delicious and the service is professional. Check it out. Here is a blurg from citysearch about their food selection: "Breakfast fare leans toward fancy plates like egg-white scrambles, cranberry-pecan hot cakes, and omelettes with cilantro, tomatoes and hot peppers. Try the Baltic Eggs Benedict, poached eggs with smoked salmon on an English muffin with hollandaise sauce and black caviar garnish--chic, and delicious, too. For lunch, go for a half-pound burger or meatball sandwich, or stay light and opt for one of a couple dozen salad choices."

Prime 112 has some seriously good steakhouse fare. It is kind of a scene but the food is worth it.The truffled creamed corn is amazing. Il Molino from New York is opening an outpost...it may be open by now but you'd have to call.

I am making lemongrass beef with herbed noodle salad....I just need to know how long to cook them. Asian home-cooking always screws me up...

How do I cook them?

I lived in SF for 5 years before moving back to the East coast. So many great places to go. Mifune is def. a must for good soba in Japantown and there is this little sushi place that only seats around 20 folks. Hama or something. Can't remember. Wonderfully fresh sashimi. Are you new to SF in general? If so, I could provide you with many ideas. I was a chef there so I was pretty tuned in. Happy eating.

Well, I feel I should add my 2 cents to this discussion since I am a former chef and someone of Mexican descent. There are not many authentic places here. Most have been Americanized (e.g. Nuevo Laredo) or are just dumbed-down versions (e.g. Sala) of what true Mexican food is about. It depends on what you want to eat. El Pastor for Al Pastor. Las Tortas Locas for tortas. Silvia's (yes, they are still open) for when I want to feel like my aunties are cooking for me. I have not found a decent place for carnitas. Nobody takes the time to do them right. They make them in crockpots. No golden woks to be found anywhere. And, we are lacking as far as haute cusine goes. I am awaiting the arrival of Rosa Mexicano but fear it will close within a year just like Oh Maria did. Well, I guess I will just keep my fingers crossed.

For those coming to Asheville to visit the Biltmore Estate you should check out Corner Kitchen on Boston Way in Biltmore Village. I've had great meals there for Brunch, Lunch and Dinner, but Brunch is my favorite. They have a great hash. I've never had a very long wait, but we do try to get there before the after church crowd. ← I was really impressed with La Caterina Trattoria on my last visit to asheville...they make all their own pasta, bread, cheese, smoked meats, etc. worth a visit.

Early Girl is great for breakfast...it is what they are known for.