WHS
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The Eastern And Oriental Express
WHS replied to a topic in Elsewhere in Asia/Pacific: Cooking & Baking
How strictly was the jacket-at-dinner dress code enforced? What was the crowd like? How much time did they give you in Penang? -
In Portsmouth: the Black Trumpet http://www.blacktrumpetbistro.com/ and the Dunaway http://www.dunawayrestaurant.com/ for contemporary American. Just across the bridge in Kittery ME, Anneke Jans http://www.annekejans.net/ is getting good press. And there's always Warren's http://www.lobsterhouse.com/ if you want a lobstah and endless salad bar
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We ate at Mirazur last week and the food was extraordinary. Loved the setting, especially as the sun set behind the mountain and the lights of Menton started twinkling.
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Any specific feedback on these two? We have dinner reservations mid June. BTW, for American monolinguists nervous about making phone reservations, the man answering the phone at Mirazur speaks impeccable English and is extremely charming.
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No 9 Park gets raves, as does Clio for top dollar spots. Many posts about both. If you're going to Hugo's, Clio might be too much of a muchness...
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Simon Pearce is the best restaurant in Hanover--one problem: it's in Quechee Vermont. Worth the drive.
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Dinner at 9 during the week is pushing the envelope. The sidewalks tend to roll up pretty early, especially in the winter.
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I wasn't impressed with CSB. The room feels dowdy and the lighting casts a wan pallor over everyone. The cult of the chef is over the top--the breathless mentions of Tony Maws by our waitress got cloying. The execution of the food did not live up the quality (as described in excruciating detail) of the ingredients. The hand-picked purple asparagus tasted like, well, asparagus. The artisanal rib-eye was a good hunk of beef prepared as requested, nothing more. Prices were breath-taking for the level of presentation.
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Welcome to eGullet. Our local farmer's market is staying open this winter but it's pretty slim pickings. Lots of root vegetables and not much green. If you live in southern Maine, you may be close to Portland, and when we visited at Thanksgiving, I thought I saw a big, new Whole Foods Market close to downtown. They should have a good selection of vegetables. Beware, it's not affectionately referred to as "Whole Paycheck" for nothing.
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When we checked in, our room had no heat (in a separate cottage). It took from 3pm to 6pm before the manager made the executive decision to move us to another room with fewer amenities. I asked to speak to the owner, who spent the entire time avoiding us. When I finally cornered him, he was sullen and arrogant, made no apology, and by way of explanation, told us the heat had been fixed. Rather than cause a scene (we were with another couple), we moved back to the orginal room. This was at 10 pm. The owner spent the entire weekend complaining about how he would have rather been in Vegas (!), how he was planning to turn the equestrian center into a paintball maze to piss off the neighbors, and stomping around slamming doors. To his credit, he is an accomplished chef, and turned out a delicious dinner the first night (of course, one of the salads came out 10 minutes after the others). This inn bills itself as a full service resort, but in reality it is run by an immature dilettante and his unprofessional, adolescent staff. The poop stains in the spa toilet were never cleaned, bath amenities were comprised of dollar store shampoo and prison-sized soap, and the sauna floor was gritty. There was a mouse nest in one of the bureau drawers. I think you get the idea.
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Pearl is excellent, but was not open NYE. Instead, we had a very nice dinner at Acqua Bistro. Two of us had the grilled venison chop, which was toothsome. The other two had the bouillabaise, which was a little too "nouvelle"--i.e. kind of a deconstructed version with skimpy broth and odd seasoning. The hit was a molten chipotle chocolate cake for dessert. FYI, we stayed at the Grand View Inn in Jaffrey--a beautiful setting but with a very hostile, arrogant innkeeper--avoid this place.
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Have not eaten at I@JC, though reports are good. Acqua Bistro is open NYE.
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FYI, Acqua Bistro is closed New Years Day--try the Inn at Jaffrey Center http://www.theinnatjaffreycenter.com/
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Acqua Bistro in Depot Square downtown does a great brunch. Get a table overlooking the river. The crab cakes benedict are tasty. You may want to check to see if they will be open.
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Duck Fat is a local legend. Operated by the Hugo's crowd. ← Thanks Johnny!
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Our first visit to Portland got pushed back from Labor Day to Thanksgiving weekend, and Weather.com calls for freezing rain, low temps, blah blah. Food is the answer! We've made the obligatory reservation at Fore Street for Saturday night, and have a table at 555 on Friday night. Are there any great not-to-be-missed lunch places? We've got a B&B package at the Portland Regency so we'll be having breakfast there. Thanks--
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How expensive is it to hire a cook? When we lived in Bangkok in the 60's and 70's it was the only way to navigate the intricacies of the Thai market. Bugs everywhere: woke up one morning to find an entire wall covered with a migrating colony of ants; when the flying termites swarmed, you could be guaranteed a few in your bah mee nahm. The finest restaurants served water buffalo; they marinated it and called it Kobe beef.
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One of my favorite food destinations in Cambridge is the Japanese mall in the basement of the Porter Exchange building at Porter Square. There are little stalls with communal tables specializing in udon, ramen, sushi; a Japanese grocery store and a bakery that sells Japanese specialty breads. Try the tempura udon at the stall at the end of the hall.
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The food at Peddler's Daughter is OK, no more, and seems a little pricey for Irish pub food. Also, there's no real separation between the bar and the dining areas so the whole place reeks of cigarettes. I find this ironic because smoking is now banned in pubs in Ireland. Asian markets: there's Merlion on Amherst St near Building 19, and another just off Main St across the street from Peddler's Daughter.
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The Amherst Farmers Market, which was held on the Common all summer, continues through the winter indoors at Salzburg Square. The market features vegetables, eggs, dairy, meat, fish, artisan breads, NH wine, flowers, conifers, soaps and other New Hampshire made products. Hours in November will be Thursday 11-7, Friday and Saturday 11-4 and all week Thanksgiving week. Salzburg Square is located on Rte 101, near Horace Greeley Road, just past Black Forest Bakery if you're heading east.
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OK--so what are you going to do with the pig tails?
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If you're with 3 hungry college students, how about PF Changs China Bistro? Upscale, trendy, and lots of food. Lively atmosphere. I think the charms of No 9 Park or Radius would be lost on them.
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The fresh mozarella is very good too.
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We've rented a place in Apricale for a couple of weeks next June, the thought of which should help get us through our New England winter. What are your recommendations between say, Nice and San Remo?
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There is something repellent about a chef/restaurant that has outlets in Paris, New York, south of France and LAS VEGAS??? l'Atelier de quoi?