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Restaurant Recommendations

post #1 of 1259
11/15/04 at 4:54pm
Thread Starter 
I'm going to edit this post and post some restaurant reviews/recommendations for various cities soon.
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post #2 of 1259
11/15/04 at 5:22pm
Thread Starter 
Antonellos: Santa Ana, CA Atmosphere was quite nice, although not really Old World, as the ceilings were far too high and it was quite spacious. There were quite a few celebrities there, i saw Arthur Moreno there (owner of the Anaheim Angels) and several others, good crowd for a Monday night. Wine list seemed to be spectacular. I went with a nice ZD wines Cab, they had everything from that to a $7500 bottle of Lafitte. Appetizers were quite nice, sauteed sea scallops over basil and tomatoes, and they gave us some nice foccasia with balsamic vinegar/olive oil. I had a dover sole with basil, tomatoes, and olive oil, and my gf had a linguini with seafood (scallops, fish, shrimp, etc) Both were spectacular, the sole was flaky and soft, and melted in your mouth. The linguini was made on site, and had great texture, and the sauces were amazing. Dessert was equally good, I had a cannoli with pistacios and my gf had a banana mocha tart. Both were luscious. Finished it off with some blue label and cappucino. Bill came to about $140 or so, very reasonable considering the quality of the food, and the service was first rate. Our total time there was only about 90 minutes, their food came out very quickly (but not overly fast) but the staff was attentive and nice, would highly recommend to anyone living in Orange County or visiting Southern California.
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post #3 of 1259
11/15/04 at 5:57pm
London: European: 1.Ritz - a classic, always outstanding 2.Pearl - what food, shame its in bloody Holborn 3.Petrus - Sometimes dissapointing, but sometimes the best place ever 4.Locanda Locatelli - Londons only proper Italian cusine 5.Gordon Ramsey at Claridges - Well we have to go for the ciche, but it is pretty good 6.Noble Rot - The days of elegance, shame about the amost dead croud 7.Sketch - Atmosphere, what atmosphere, even if the food is sub-contracted, its still by Paris's no.1 Oriental: 1.Sumosan 2.Hakkasan 3.Taman Gang 4.Nobu 5.Roka 6.Zuma
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post #4 of 1259
11/19/04 at 6:30pm
Quote:
London: European: 1.Ritz - a classic, always outstanding 2.Pearl - what food, shame its in bloody Holborn 3.Petrus - Sometimes dissapointing, but sometimes the best place ever 4.Locanda Locatelli - Londons only proper Italian cusine 5.Gordon Ramsey at Claridges - Well we have to go for the ciche, but it is pretty good 6.Noble Rot - The days of elegance, shame about the amost dead croud 7.Sketch - Atmosphere, what atmosphere, even if the food is sub-contracted, its still by Paris's no.1 Oriental: 1.Sumosan 2.Hakkasan 3.Taman Gang 4.Nobu 5.Roka 6.Zuma
In London you forgot OXO. Paris: Definitely La Tour D'argent Jules Verne atop the Eiffel Les Ambassadeurs at the Hotel de Crillon 3 of my favorites in Europe
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post #5 of 1259
11/19/04 at 7:04pm
Chris, You live well..
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post #6 of 1259
11/19/04 at 7:20pm
The exact word, LIVE.
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post #7 of 1259
11/21/04 at 12:12pm
A few places I have eaten at: London Simpson's in the Strand - famous for its roast beef, carved at the table. The Knight's Bar upstairs has probably the best martinis in London. The main dining-room is the Grand Divan, for which reservations are necessary, and where the dress code is jacket and tie. It is possible to dine more informally in the upper dining-room. Excellent old-fashioned English food. Savoy Hotel - rather disappointing the last few times I've been. The American Bar, supposedly famous for its cocktails, was too busy and the service was poor. The fod is ok but not outstanding. Claridges - my favourite. The impecunious avoid the Ramsey restaurant, and eat well in the Reading Room for £30. Excellent food, impeccable service and splendid art deco surroundings. Afternoon tea here also excellent. Smart dress required. The Ritz - afternoon tea is an institution, but unfortunately also a tourist attraction. Jacket and tie required, but it seems that some people think that a baseball cap is also acceptable. Naval and Military Club - splendid setting and quite the best beef anywhere - it all comes from one farm in Scotland, is hung for 3 weeks and they don't have a freezer. Private members' club but you may know someone.... Belgo Centraal - frenetic Belgian restaurant in Covent Garden, completely informal. Great menu, over 100 different beers and cheap too. Ideal when you can't get a table elsewhere. Harrod's Oyster Bar - oysters with champagne, or with Guinness. Excellent. New World - Huge Chinese restaurant in Soho's Chinatown. Good food, but renowned for the rudeness of the waiters.
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post #8 of 1259
11/21/04 at 3:11pm
Quote:
A few places I have eaten at: London Simpson's in the Strand - famous for its roast beef, carved at the table.  The Knight's Bar upstairs has probably the best martinis in London.  The main dining-room is the Grand Divan, for which reservations are necessary, and where the dress code is jacket and tie.  It is possible to dine more informally in the upper dining-room.  Excellent old-fashioned English food. Savoy Hotel - rather disappointing the last few times I've been.  The American Bar, supposedly famous for its cocktails, was too busy and the service was poor.  The fod is ok but not outstanding. Claridges - my favourite.  The impecunious avoid the Ramsey restaurant, and eat well in the Reading Room for £30.  Excellent food, impeccable service and splendid art deco surroundings.   Afternoon tea here also excellent.  Smart dress required. The Ritz - afternoon tea is an institution, but unfortunately also a tourist attraction.  Jacket and tie required, but it seems that some people think that a baseball cap is also acceptable. Naval and Military Club - splendid setting and quite the best beef anywhere - it all comes from one farm in Scotland, is hung for 3 weeks and they don't have a freezer.  Private members' club but you may know someone.... Belgo Centraal - frenetic Belgian restaurant in Covent Garden, completely informal.  Great menu, over 100 different beers and cheap too.  Ideal when you can't get a table elsewhere. Harrod's Oyster Bar - oysters with champagne, or with Guinness.  Excellent. New World - Huge Chinese restaurant in Soho's Chinatown.  Good food, but renowned for the rudeness of the waiters.
Savoy grill used to be outstanding, but not its pretty bad. Harrods Oyster bar is definatly good for a quick lunch. Instead of New World, try (I think its called) Loo Kee Fook, opposite New World on Gerrard Street, it is a lot better.
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post #9 of 1259
11/21/04 at 3:17pm
Quote:
I'm going to edit this post and post some restaurant reviews/recommendations for various cities soon.
Great idea drizz, if you wanted to collect all the restaurant recs into one thread that would be very valuable and I would pin it (HOF) into this category. Let me know if you're willing, unless that's out of the scope of what you were meaning to do. Anyone else is of course welcome to write or paste in his own recommendations into the thread.
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post #10 of 1259
11/21/04 at 3:41pm
There are lots of places that I've been that I thoroughly enjoy.  However, there are some places that one just must go to at some point, and among my favorites are: Cafe Milano (Georgetown, DC) -- When I'm in and out of DC, I make it a priority to dine here.  The food is amazing, but more important is the atmosphere and service.  I've never been disappointed, and it is absolutely the place to see and be seen.  Forget all those overpriced steakhouses near the Hill, Cafe Milano brings in the real heavyweights.  I've seen everyone from movie stars to the vice president dine here, and it is truly excellent. The menu is extremely diverse.  I believe GQ ranked its owner as one of the top 5 most powerful un-elected people in DC. The Forge (Miami Beach, FL) -- This place was in decline for many years, but it has recently been making a comeback and is just an excellent restaurant all around.  For wine lovers, the menu is really second-to-none and the sommelier is very helpful.  If I recall, Wednesday nights are when Miami's finest turn out in droves, but really there isn't a bad time to go.  It is a dramatic setting, so it's probably better to go there for a date than it is to go there to discuss a deal. Will try to think of some of my favorites in other cities, but I'd have to say that, having been to each of the above at least 15 or 20 times each, they're my favorite.
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post #11 of 1259
11/21/04 at 4:03pm
Thread Starter 
j, I'm willing to compile them in this thread, I will be posting many more reviews soon, once I get back into town.
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post #12 of 1259
11/21/04 at 4:08pm
Excellent, thanks. I'm sure everyone would appreciate an organized list of reviews, sorted by city or country. I will pin the thread.
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post #13 of 1259
11/21/04 at 8:40pm
Boulder: The Flagstaff House. Great service, excellent food, and beautiful views and ambience. If you like chocolate, be sure to get the molten chocolate cake.
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post #14 of 1259
11/21/04 at 9:54pm
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If you like chocolate, be sure to get the molten chocolate cake.
You know, restaurant reviewers like to blast molten chocolate cakes as being cliche and overdone, but they're still wonderful when they're made right... ... like they do at Laurier Cafe in Houston. The food is mostly Tex-ified French bistro cooking, and it is excellent. The deserts are pretty good, too.
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post #15 of 1259
11/21/04 at 10:35pm
Baltimore: The Oregon Grille It's out in the county, to the north, but it is excellent.
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