Swicks

Some quick recs in the area..... Zipangu - Japaneese/sushi Habana Cafe-Cuban, cool atmosphere Memphis-hipster atmosphere, good southern food, good bar. Mitae Ramen-Hole in the wall, great ramen Scott's Seafood-Great steak/seafood near the theatre Tummy stuffer-good sandwiches Wahoo's-great fresh mexican, a socal classic TK Burger-delicious burger shack I'll think of some more....enjoy!

Did anyone else think Padma was very drunk at the beginning of the judging?

Many people have offered up good opinions and I agree with a lot of them so I'll try not to repeat too much. That show was a joke, it confirmed really what I think all of us feared but didn't really want to admit and that is that this is a reality tv show that is about the drama first and foremost and the food is a distant second. I mean Marcel v Illan grudge match finale?? Please. The fact that Sam is not in there is ridiculous. Pathetic.

I would think if it could work in Chicago, it could definately work in vegas of all places.

Nice work getting this thread going again russell! I'd like to offer some thoughts as well.... I can and will always vouch for Flemings, I have been to the locations all throughout OC and San Diego and they always perform well, I have never had a mediocre experience there. I too was very underwhelmed by Mastros (OC), especially for the price. Though Drinkwater's in Scottsdale (same owners) was very good. Morton's in downtown San Diego was the best one when compared to a few other locations. I have been to two different outposts of LG's Steakhouse (San Diego and Palm Springs) and both were ok and very underwhelming given all the good things I had heard about them. Sam and Harry's, the venerable chain from Washington DC, has just opened a location here in Newport Beach in the newly renovated Marriott hotel, I have not been but heard some good things, I would imagine it is on par with its competitors. A friend of mine swears by Pacific Dining Car, he agrees that it is the best steakhouse in LA.

Very well said...

My two cents.... I am a little surprised by the outrage over this episode. I think Cliff took a joke to far and acted like a bully and it was uncomfortable to watch but it didn't something that could be considered a crime as some have suggested. I don't think Cliff was being malicious and seemed to genuinely regret taking it that far. I also think Marcel milked it for all it was worth, which, to me, was almost as bad. In front of the judges he could have said something like, "I understand it was a joke, no harm done, lets move on and focus on the food" but for me he was working the sympathy angle pretty hard. They can justify it all they want but could the judges really justify sending cliff home? I mean its easy for them to say that after they send him home for other reasons but overall i think his performance has been much better than Marcel's or perhaps even Elia. I think the producers had some incentive to keep Marcel around because he causes conflict and controversy so to that end it makes sense to keep him. I absolutely agree that at this point after the competition it is pretty childish the Sam and Ilan are bad mouthing Marcel, I think at a certain point you just have to let it go. Does this mean that Marcel won and they are bitter? I sure as hell hope not but it would explain their bitterness. I will be surprised if Marcel wins, very surprised, I would think if he does Sam must blow it big time. After seeing the brief previews I really hope the final challenge for the final two is not something like cooking a huge "luau party" dinner for a bunch of tourists, I just don't think that is a good test. I hope it is similar to the final challenge from last year, in which the chefs are tested to cook at their highest level for a smaller group of people.

I would again like to thank all of you for your gracious contributions. This is a great start and as I square away my schedule further in the coming weeks I am sure I can come up with some more specific questions. Mayur, thanks for the kind offer, much appreciated, I may take you up on the offer! -Scott

I love Town Hall and Salthouse (same owners). Really delicious upscale Amercian, two great spots, lively and happening. I would suspect you need reservations. i believe their website is www.townhallsf.com

This is all a great start, thank you so much all. I expect Saturday, in particular being that it is St. Patty's day, will definately be a crapshoot, especially after what will most likely be a multiple pint of Guiness day. A few more details....I will most likely have thursday night and all day friday and friday night to myself so these are the times I am focusing on getting some special dining experiences in as well as check out some sights as I won't be subject to a larger group of people. I'd love to get to Momofuku as I am hearing so much good stuff about it.

Thank you both for the info, I wasn't trying to "get away" with anything just wondering since i didn't know. This is what I expected.

Thanks for getting this kicked off guys. Our group will probably be 10 or so and this dinner will most likely be on either saturday night or sunday night. I guess I should mention that this doesn't have to be a full sit down dinner, perhaps somewhere more casual and fun with drinks and appetizers or sometime along the lines of tapas.

What is the attire for lunch at JG? Slacks required? Can you get away with a nice pair of jeans provided the rest of the outfit is smart?

Hello all, Believe it or not, though I have traveled all over the world, Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, for some reason I had yet to make it to New York City, well no longer as I am now finally making a long overdue trip over the St. Patrick's Day holiday in mid-march! I cannot begin to describe my excitement. I am sure most despise these types of threads due to their frequency and generality but i have prepped by reading through a lot of the existing threads so I more have some specific questions, rather than the typical "Where should I eat?" or "where is the best slice?" For most of the time I will be with a group of friends of whom dining is not paramount and some of which who already live in NYC so I doubt I will have much control as to dining destinations. I will have some time on my own of which i intend to make the most of so my questions will mostly relate to that. Overall I am not really sure where we will be staying location wise so at this point I am not super concerend. I am aware that this is a substantially large area. I suppose age is relevant as well, we are all in our late 20's and enjoy cocktailing but aren't looking for the younger scene or the super duper club scene replete with B&T'ers. So let's have at it... Cocktails/Drinking....I would love another few recommendations of places, perhaps similar to Pegu and Death & Co? Or just fun, different places? Don't need anything too trendy or tough to get into, just fun and hip. A few pub recommendations for pints on St. patricks day? One high-end lunch? JG? Gordon Ramsay? Some others? Some relaxed lunch places, spotted pig? Some recs for dinner for a larger group, easy to get into, fun but not touristy? (was that general enough for you?) Will include non NYC people plus residents. Outside of the standard NYC tourist destinations, some cool things not to miss? I am aware of the daunting nature of this post and i hope I provided enough info for some wisdom from everyone. Everyone seems to have so much knowledge and I'd love it if you all would share some of it with me. I really appreciate any info, thanks so much! -SW

Who doesn't love free meals?

Bob, Thanks again, you are a wealth of info. -S

I would see the two threads about these restaurants there are some opinions about them, in particular the Guy Savoy thread, member rjwong has eaten at both recently and post some great thoughts on the guy savoy thread.

Bob, thanks so much for the great info. Can you give me a little bit of info as far as the differences in the construction of the knives, as in carbon v stainless, etc. how does that affect the knife and its usage? Is it mostly about durability and how often you would have to sharpen it?

Great ep as always, I can't contain my excitement for the new season. I will also wholeheartedly agree with Tony in that there are few finer things in life than a well pulled pint of Guiness, particulary when said pint is consumed in Ireland in a smokey pub with the company of some good craic (conversation/fun times).

Thank you all for the incredible amount of worthwhile information. I do concur that this is a highly personal choice much like shoes as one person mentioned so I definately will be making some trips to some stores to test some things out. I was mainly looking for some overall recs, look for this, stay away from that, etc. All the info has been tremendously helpful. This knife will be for all around use in my home kitchen and my budget will likely be around $100+ or so. Prob no more than $150 if possible. Id like as low maintenance as possible, bearing in mind it will need occasional professional sharpening. Thanks again all.

EMP and PS back to back?!?!? Wow, Merry Christmas indeed.

Hey all, I currently have an ok set of knives that get the job done for the most part but I am thinking about investing in one high quality knife as well. Any reccommendations? My thinking is probably around an 8 or 10 inch chefs knife? I have been recommended Shun but was looking for some opinions Thanks!

thanks mangosteen! wkl, Ridge is a big favorite of mine, particularly the geyserville and lytton springs blends, so I am sure that will be a stop for us.

Thanks so much Syrah Girl. Being a "syrah girl" What is your favorite vinter for Syrah in that area?

Hey all, I will be heading up to the Sonoma Area with my family for a few days after Christmas and wanted some sage advice from all of you here. Looking for some vinter recs in the area. We will probably be in the Healdsburg area predominantly and most likely staying in Santa Rosa. We are red wine people mostly, my parents are predominately Pinot and I am big on Pinot as well but I also enjoy Zins and really any interesting reds. Some interesting whites would be enjoyable as well. We will probably be hitting some of the major ones such as J and Gary Farrell (two my parents love) and would love to hit some smaller, less touristy special vinters as well that offer some new and different tastes. We are all educated on wine but by no means pros. Thanks and Happy Holidays!