Just for fun: Where did you eat?

[melkor]

Gary Danko

Limon

Shalimar

[jschyun]

There is a dim sum place on Colima and Rowland called HK Palace that is pretty good.

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thanks, tissue. I haven't been there yet and I did hear it was pretty good, esp the seafood.

Last three lately for me has been:

Shibucho, Costa Mesa: one of my favorite sushi spots in OC, except maybe for wasabe. I ate until he was out of things to give me and it cost about $60 including tip. Not bad. The owner used to be in the Mitsuwa plaza in L.A. but for some mysterious reason opted to open shop in Costa Mesa of all places, I think about 2 yrs ago. Mostly Japanese clientele, but some Caucasians/Koreans/Chinese.

Roma D'Italia, Tustin: an older, red-checkered tablecloth Ital-American joint that's been around for ages. Got the gnocchi catarzano (catanzaro?) at around $11 and it was good. I like the sauce, sort of a creamy tomato sauce.

Ango Tei: I really like this neighborhood joint, though others would argue that it's not as good as say Shibucho or whatever. I try to order the specials and have gotten some good meals. Plus Mitsuwa is right next door as well as that corokke place which I've been meaning to try.

[Squeat Mungry]

Niji's Japanese Grille - Meh. Disappointing Japanese in the Crocker Galleria. My software engineering team just "spun ourselves off" from our former parent company and moved into our own offices about a block from Crocker Galleria downtown. Since I was in the mood for teriyaki for lunch today, I thought I would give this place a try. I won't be in a hurry to go back. I ordered beef teriyaki and horenso goma ae. The teriyaki sauce was okay, but a bit too sweet for my tastes. They claim the beef is "ribeye", but whatever the cut, this was inferior meat. Much of it contained too much gristle to eat. The horenso wasn't stacked into those cute little packages, and there wasn't enough goma ae! Well, now I know. The "e" in "Grille" should have tipped me off. Definitely not worth spending 11 dollars for a workday lunch!

Gambino's New York Subs - This is a new deli/sub joint in Embarcadero 1. I'm very impressed with them. Cold and hot east-coast style subs. They'll dress your sandwich either "east coast style" with oil, vinegar and herbs, or "west coast style" with mustard, mayo, pickles. I've been there about a dozen times now and every sandwich I've gotten has been really good. The bread is excellent. Now, if you're from New York or Philly, no, it's not going to match your favorite sub shop back east, but it's the best approximation I've ever had on the west coast. One of my favorites is their "Ultimate Cheeseburger". It's not a cheeseburger and it's kind of hard to describe. As their menu says, "trust us!" Prices are right, too.

Original Joe's - God I love Original Joe's! It's been there on Taylor Street in the Tenderloin for 60-some years and so have its bow-tied waiters. Their excellent steaks are butchered and aged in-house. If you're solo, sit at the counter and watch them prepare your meal while you have a classic martini or scotch on the rocks. (This is where I go when I want to feel like I'm in a Raymond Chandler novel.) Or take a date and slip into one of the red naugahyde booths. Read a great article from the Chronicle about Joe's here. Did I mention I love Joe's?

Cheers,

Squeat

Edited November 3, 2004 by Squeat Mungry (log)

[FoodZealot]

All in LA

Cafe Lulu - brunch/lunch on Beverly

Madame Matisse - tiny cafe in Silverlake

Soot Bull Jeep - Korean BBQ over charcoal

[jschyun]

China Garden yet again. still good, but now I want to check this place out for dinner. Never had a really good dinner on other occasions, but some Chowhound folks had good lobster dinner recently.

Cream Pan: Secret Japanese bakery in Tustin. v good. love the egg custard pudding (flan) $2 and best in county that I've had

Finbar's Italian restaurant: had the pizza for the first time, not v good. stick with pasta or gnocchi next time.

[LA_food]

All in the South Bay

XO Bistro (Manhattan Beach) - Calfusion, great appetizer menu & best wine by the glass selection I've ever seen. My new favortite

Buona Vita Hermosa Beach) - great spaghetti & meatballs! lobster ravioli is usually good (sometimes too salty), tho i dont get it any more since i found out when they get their ravioli

Coyote Cantina (Redondo Beach) - changed the meaning of tequila for me, some is better than cognac. food is always good, salsa is great!

[MaxH]

Since you asked. (This is brutally honest.)

In the Bay Area. Going backwards in time:

A local (independent) coffee house, lunch.

Manresa in Los Gatos, dinner.

French Laundry in Yountville, dinner.

[tanabutler]

Since you asked.  (This is brutally honest.)

In the Bay Area.  Going backwards in time:

A local (independent) coffee house, lunch.

Manresa in Los Gatos, dinner.

French Laundry in Yountville, dinner.

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Can you still taste the stuff when you time-travel, Max?

[MaxH]

Can you still taste the stuff when you time-travel, Max?

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The rear-view mirror of palate memory. -- M

[jschyun]

Wow Muffin210, your thread seems to be very popular. Just spied similar ones in the UK and Vancouver forums/B.C.. Coolness.

--UK not london, and added b.c.

Edited December 22, 2004 by jschyun (log)

[FoodZealot]

Okay, this isn't strictly the last three, but ...

Urasawa, LA

Manresa, Los Gatos

Fiesta Tepa-Sahuayo, Watsonville

[marlena spieler]

Original Joe's - God I love Original Joe's! It's been there on Taylor Street in the Tenderloin for 60-some years and so have its bow-tied waiters. Their excellent steaks are butchered and aged in-house. If you're solo, sit at the counter and watch them prepare your meal while you have a classic martini or scotch on the rocks. (This is where I go when I want to feel like I'm in a Raymond Chandler novel.) Or take a date and slip into one of the red naugahyde booths. Read a great article from the Chronicle about Joe's here. Did I mention I love Joe's?

Cheers,

Squeat

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[tanabutler]

Okay, this isn't strictly the last three, but ...

Urasawa, LA

Manresa, Los Gatos

Fiesta Tepa-Sahuayo, Watsonville

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Almost matches mine exactly.

A-16 (San Francisco)

Fiesta Tepa-Sahuayo (Watsonville)

Manresa

I don't count the café at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, where Suzi Edwards (aka Tarka) and I ate on Monday.

A-16 was a disappointment, but I will give it another chance.

[jschyun]

My last three:

Oyaji, SF: Izakaya place on I think 32nd and Clement. I liked the yakitori, the steamed clams, $4 ankimo appetizer grilled beef was okay too. They have sushi too, but I mostly had the cooked dishes. Chef is very cool; he got along very well with my friend. This was my first time and I'll go again.

Shibucho, OC: sushi joint that has been discussed to death.

Lee's Sandwiches: hey, where else do I go for banh mi at 7:30am?

[Lone Star]

Houston:

Niko Nikkos - greek salad, lemon-chicken soup/ Avgolemono (have to have it at least once a week!)

11th St. Cafe - salad, meatloaf, peas, scalloped potatoes

11th St. Cafe - cup of corn chowder & grilled turkey and swiss

[LarsTheo]

Last one: French Market Café (Venice), down the street from my house, for brunch

before that: Wharo Korean Barbeque, which was for my birthday

before that: New Concept Restaurant in Monterey Park, which was two weeks ago by now. I cook a lot more than I eat out, but I like to go to restaurants for ideas of things to make.

I'll be in Mexico City tomorrow, and I'll be eating out a lot more there.

Edited March 4, 2005 by LarsTheo (log)

[Catherine Nash]

Do you guys eat at nothing but fine restaurants? We're on a budget, so I've been cooking a lot but:

1) Tsar Nicoulai Caviar at the Ferry Building for a gorgeous and scrumptious brunch

2) Joy Luck - cheap Oakland Chinatown dinner

3) Golden Flower - pho for lunch. Does lunch count?

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I'm with you! Last 3 for me, also in SF:

Chez Nous (lunch)

C&L Steak

A16

All are all-time faves of mine.

[Muffin210]

My last three restaurant meals:

Sushi Sei, in Hermosa Beach (for Friday night happy hour)

Table 8, in LA (my current FAVORITE restaurant...I still can't believe Govind Armstong lost on Iron Chef America! )

Cinch, in Santa Monica

Speaking of restaurants, I'm not sure about this new eGullet policy stuff, but it seems to me that it's about time to start planning another "Carl Chu Chinese Restaurant Book" run...anyone figured out how to start an acceptable thread?

[tanabutler]

I'm with you! Last 3 for me, also in SF:

Chez Nous (lunch)

C&L Steak

A16

All are all-time faves of mine.

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I didn't want to be disappointed in our meal at A16. We went there as the last hurrah of Suzi's visit to California (which included not one but TWO meals at Manresa, neither of which I could attend). I took her back to San Francisco on Tuesday night, and we intended to eat at RNM, but chef Justine Miner wasn't there that night. Squeat Mungry had the idea to go to A16, since Quince was out—and I leaped at the chance. Both Divina Cucina and Ore (eG'ers with an Italian food expertise I admire) recommended it, so I figured it would be great.

I am slightly obsessed—hardly worth mentioning, really—with Italian food, to the point where Ore has promised me 14 chef's tastings for all the help I've given him setting up his blog about his stage in Italy (potentialgold.typepad.com). That kid has just GOT to set up shop in San Francisco, and not in Los Angeles!

As I said, it was a disappointment. Maybe the chef wasn't in the kitchen that night. The best of the plates was the fresh burrata. We also ordered housemade sausages with sautéed greens, and a funghi pizza (because Squeat's such a fun-guy). The sausages were pronounced "too fatty" by both Suzi and Squeat, and the pizza had burnt spots on the bottom, as well as being quite greasy. Tasty—but still, greasy and burned on the bottom.

The best part of the meal was the wine the sommelier, Andrew, recommended: a D-Cubed zinfandel that we all three really liked. Prosecco, at $9 a glass, was a stingy pour, in my opinion.

Anyway, I will give it a second chance because I really WANT to like it.

Catherine, what do you recommend at A16?

Also, I realize I have to revise my list. Remove Manresa and add in Le Petit Robert (Polk & Green in SF), where I had lunch on Wednesday. I had the cream of mushroom soup and a roasted beet salad with mâche, blood oranges, pistachios, and a wonderful vinaigrette. I'll be taking Suzi there on her return to California, because I think she'd love it as much as I do. I wish we'd gone there on Tuesday: it's so much less of a noisy scene than is at A16. (But armed with new recommendations, I shall return!)

[Catherine Nash]