gmi3804

Ron, where is this located? And is Lincolnwood Produce the place on Lincoln Ave. across the street from L. Woods? I'm always looking for great markets on the North Shore and think that Carrot Top is a bit overpriced. Thanks!

What happened? La Toque sounds amazing. Can you give more details about your meal there? Thanks!

We really enjoyed Joe's, but had a waiter who had a really bad attitude (we didn't order bottled water) which changed after we ordered a $150 bottle of wine. He suddenly warmed up, but the mood had already been spoiled. Another wonderful place is JiRaffe, in Santa Monica. Pleasant staff, exceptional menu.

Thanks for all the recommendations! I only have time for six meals! What's the difference between Bistro Jeanty and Pere Jeanty? Is one more casual than the other? And do I want to "waste" a meal at a French Bistro? We have so many good French Bistros in Chicago, I like to try more locally-flavored places when I travel (i.e., good California cuisine. What passes for fresh produce in Chicago is pretty sad sometimes). Ditto for Italian. But then again I may be missing out on some of the best examples of these respective types. Decisions, decisions!

All for dinner?

I have three nights and three afternoons. Which restaurants are the best? I'm already on a waitlist for French Laundry, though I've been there before. How's Terra?

Looks like I'm adding another out of the Heartland suggestion for pizza, but YOU keep bringing things up! Easily one of the best pizzas in my life was a Sicilian rectangular slice from L & B Spumoni Gardens in Brooklyn. A friend who grew up in Brooklyn took me here. Unbelievable how good the rectangles were. Had one, then two, then three. I only stopped at three because I did not want to make a pig out of myself. Pillowy light with a delicious light crisp crust, just the right amount of toppings. ohhh! L & B Spumoni Gardens 2725 86th St., Brooklyn, NY 11223 Restaurant - 718.449.6921 Pizzeria - 718.449.1230/718.372.8400 http://www.spumonigardens.com/ I'm wondering how pizza from a place called Spumoni Gardens can't be good!

I was in the midst of planning a trip to Napa, but after reading this thread I'm contemplating giving Sonoma a try! Which are the nicest properties to stay at? I love ultra-luxe, classy places. Hotel Healdsburg looks interesting; anyone been here? Any other recommendations? Thanks!

I believe that changing dish elements on the fly, when the quality of the ingredients listed on the menu do not correspond to the chef’s standards, is common. Moreover, I’d warry to visit a restaurant that is willing to sacrifice the quality of the product only to adhere to the menu or due to a restaurant’s inability to change the printed version of the menu on time. I would probably be displeased that the service staff wasn’t aware of the replacement, but I would not consider the replacement itself or the lack of its description on the menu to be a mistake, nor would the service staff’s unawareness dramatically affect my enjoyment if the dish otherwise fulfills my expectations. In the end, the question always lies in whether you were satisfied, and whether the replacement was well balanced and played along with all the elements on the plate. If the dish succeeds after the alteration, extra points go to the chef for creativity, in my book. We've no problem with the substituting of ingredients on the fly, and love trying new things. But if the menu says one thing and we receive something substantially different, there's a problem. The waiter should have informed us. He obviously didn't know about the change (we had to bring it to his attention, and he had to check with the kitchen after opining that there was rhubarb on that dish); moreover, the kitchen didn't seem interested enough to inform him (and, by extension, us). And if a complex rhubarb sauce is substituted by halved red grapes, however fresh they are, we're going to feel slighted and underappreciated. Because in this case, it is all about me (or any diner), the paying customer.

This is a variation on the dish we ordered, except ours came with halved red grapes and little else. The waiter told us the rhubarb was "in the sauce" and offered to bring us some extra rhubarb "on the side." When we told him there was no rhubarb in the dish, he disappeared to the kitchen, then came back to tell us we were right, that the ingredients did not meet the chef's "quality standards" and a substitution was made. Well, it was nice of them to tell us after we brought it to their attention. The man at the table next to us had the same dish and didn't notice the mistake; I suppose it was assumed we wouldn't either.

How often do you think would one need to go to FL or Per Se to be considered a regular? How do they distinguish the regulars when they call in to make a reservation? I'm a "regular" at TRU here in Chicago. They know me by name when I call. But then again, the same person always answers the phone. We had dinner there this past Saturday, and our server told us that the staff was alerted to the fact that we were going to be in during that evening's pre-service staff meeting. It took us about three visits to get recognized. Since, we've hosted several dinner parties there, and even had Rick Tramonto and Gale Gand to our house to do a dinner for ten, having won their services in a Celebrity Chef auction for the benefit of Chicago's Green City Markets. We are not bigwigs in the "industry;" we're simply two people who love great food and wine and dining experiences, from fast food to foie gras.

Robyn, if that were true, The Greenbrier would do something about all that kelly green and cotton candy pink!

I'm in Chicago and am tired about hearing about how great Charlie Trotter's is. I think there are much better choices for upscale dining (TRU, Ambria, Les Nomades, Trio, etc.). I, too, have gotten that bow-to-our-greatness feeling from the staff and from Mr. Trotter himself. I don't like that there are no substitutions for menu items that one doesn't care for; that's OK when I've liked everything on that night's menu, but not OK when Charlie's in the mood to serve lamb's tongue or sea barnacles.

Another great pizza at Marisa's last night! (Thin crust sausage, again.) This time, I printed out ronnie_suburban's review from the beginning of this thread to show to Mike (and his wife Marcy, whom we met last night). They'd seen my original post on the Best Pizza thread, but didn't realize there is now a special thread devoted just to Marisa's!

I'm wondering if this is going to be one of those restaurants which saves its prime time reservations for VIPs, regardless of whether someone calls right when the phone lines open for any given day.

I'm assuming those whose reservations were cancelled due to the fire, no?

I got the sense from the article that Wolfgang is trying to be diplomatic but Peter is telling it like (he thinks) it is. Did something happen to Wolfgang to make him want to go up against his former employer? Or is this just good old-fashioned entrepreneurialship?

Are there many vegan options here? I have a vegan friend and it's hell to find a place that will please both of us. This one sounds very promising!

Is The Biltmore Room an appropriate gathering place for a late, post-theatre supper for a group of 8-10? What's the noise level like? What kind of tables do they have (i.e., large rounds, corner booths, etc.)? Thanks!

I saw a segment on the Food Network the other night on the cakes featured in the book The Whimsical Bakehouse. They looked fantastic. They come from Ardsley, NY's Riviera Bakehouse. I'm going to be visiting NYC next weekend and celebrating a friend's birthday; are there any places in the City where I can get a similar type cake?

My Aunt and Uncle went over the weekend and raved. Unfortunately, they didn't provide many details except that, "you didn't realize it was vegetarian." Sorry I can't elaborate more...

Great report, Ronnie! And here's a tip for heating up leftover pizza: do it in a hot pan on your stovetop. This crisps the crust and heats the toppings at the same time. It's kind of like having a mini pizza stone without having to wait for the oven to heat. Buon Apetito!

Sixty days out is what they said to me. That's what it was before the closing. I've got some time to plan for a Thanksgiving Week reservation! Thanks, rich.

Congratulations on the Three-star Review in this morning's Chicago Tribune! I'm intrigued.

When things return to normal, will they be taking reservations 30 days out, or 60?