The Restaurant Review Thread

[voluptuary_manque]

Since eating is as much a pleasure of the flesh as sex, I thought it appropriate to occasionally publish some thoughts on the dining possibilities in the SoCal area. This will generally ignore the over-rated and over-priced places up near downtown LA and Westwood and instead concentrate on those eateries within a reasonable commute from me, down here on the borderlands. Hopefully, some of the rest of you out farther north and east will eventually find yourselves on the Left Coast for a visit and will also be able to make use of this info.

Down in the Gay/Lesbian neighborhood of Long Beach is a rather new little bistro that opened in February. Hot Mama's masseuse is also the managing editor of Long Beach magazine and gave her a copy of the latest edition. In the mag was a review of Pate Fraisches that looked so appealing we had to toodle on over for a try. Hot damn! The place is tiny, I doubt that it seats more than 30. The menu lists less than a dozen entree's and a few soups and salads. Even the wine list is restricted but the quality thereupon is first rate.

Pate Fraishes specializes in pasta from the south of France so instead of red tomato sauces or butter sauces a la' the Italian North, you pasta comes covered in cream. Oh dear Lord! Sunday night I started with a cold artichoke with homemade aioli. This was followed by a papardelle with duck breast and Portabello mushrooms in cream sauce. The pasta was rather original, being made from chestnut flour instead of wheat and the whole effect was magnificant. It was a "my mouth thought it had died and gone to Heaven" meal washed down by a McMurry Pinot Noir and finished off but a small but perfect chocolate mousse. Wow!

Was it worth driving out all the way from Illinois for? Probably not. But if you find yourself in SoCal . . .

 

[ABSTRUSE]

I love those big silver diners with big haired waitresses that call you Hon and serve good food and coffee.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

I love those big silver diners with big haired waitresses that call you Hon and serve good food and coffee.

Got a couple of those in the neighborhood, even not including the ubiquitous Ruby's. I'll have to give one or two of them a check. Nobody does scrambled eggs like either a military mess hall or a diner. Man!

 

[JagFarlane]

Seafood in Virginia Beach

Hope ya don't mind me adding to the thread...

There is a seafood restaurant in Virginia Beach that goes by the name Mahi-Mah's. I've been there several times in the past, and lets say the food has been good enough that I've taken both my parents there. The restaurant itself is within the Ramada Hotel on Atlantic Avenue and has a view of the beach and oceanfront. The atmosphere ranges from casual to buisness casual depending upon the time of day. However, I recommend either making reservations in advance or being prepared to wait [Ive seen wait times up to 1.5hrs during the spring], or, if you prefer, they have take out.
The seafood is varied from the usual staples of salmon, swordfish, and turf...to fresh catch [I've seen Virginia Rockfish, flounder, mahi-mahi, and grouper to name a couple]..to the local favorite, fresh Chesapeake Bay blue claw crab recipes. The prices are a touch high [about $20-35 for the average entree], but well worth it. Even my father, the ex sous chef, enjoyed the food there.
It should also be noted they have a sushi bar, of which the fish is well cut, of a varied amount, and has all the seemings of a good sushi bar.
And the final treat? The wine list boasts as being one of the largest, and most varied here in Virginia. The restaurant prides itself on the wine list and thier selection so much, that on Wednesdays they offer glasses of wine sold at cost to assist thier customers in learning to pair meals. The wine list is varied, with bottles as low as mid-20's to well....lets just say its more than I'd want to pay for a meal .
In the end, its a sound restaurant...well worth the money that they charge [I average about $100-125 a visit for two when I go] for the atmosphere and for the food served.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Isn't it wonderful? Great food all over the country.

 

[SeaCat]

Ahhhhh, where shall I start? There are so many places I know here in southern Florida and in Mass. that are incredible

The one thing I can't find in Florida is a good Turkish Restaraunt. Oh how I miss Doen's.

Cat

 

[kimbalee]

Hope ya don't mind me adding to the thread...

There is a seafood restaurant in Virginia Beach that goes by the name Mahi-Mah's. I've been there several times in the past, and lets say the food has been good enough that I've taken both my parents there. The restaurant itself is within the Ramada Hotel on Atlantic Avenue and has a view of the beach and oceanfront. The atmosphere ranges from casual to buisness casual depending upon the time of day. However, I recommend either making reservations in advance or being prepared to wait [Ive seen wait times up to 1.5hrs during the spring], or, if you prefer, they have take out.
The seafood is varied from the usual staples of salmon, swordfish, and turf...to fresh catch [I've seen Virginia Rockfish, flounder, mahi-mahi, and grouper to name a couple]..to the local favorite, fresh Chesapeake Bay blue claw crab recipes. The prices are a touch high [about $20-35 for the average entree], but well worth it. Even my father, the ex sous chef, enjoyed the food there.
It should also be noted they have a sushi bar, of which the fish is well cut, of a varied amount, and has all the seemings of a good sushi bar.
And the final treat? The wine list boasts as being one of the largest, and most varied here in Virginia. The restaurant prides itself on the wine list and thier selection so much, that on Wednesdays they offer glasses of wine sold at cost to assist thier customers in learning to pair meals. The wine list is varied, with bottles as low as mid-20's to well....lets just say its more than I'd want to pay for a meal .
In the end, its a sound restaurant...well worth the money that they charge [I average about $100-125 a visit for two when I go] for the atmosphere and for the food served.

Hubby & I vacationed there a couple of times... went to a place called Coyote Cafe & Cantina... (Laskin Road... not too far off the beach) Hubby laughed his ass off when the young girl server said their specialy was a fish taco.

 

[impressive]

I love those big silver diners with big haired waitresses that call you Hon and serve good food and coffee.

In Dayton, Ohio there's a place called The Diner on St. Clair. Neon and Air Stream silver. Chrome stools. Black & white linoleum tile floors. And the best bacon cheese fries EVAH!

 

[neonlyte]

I just visited my local 'Tasca' - an workers restaurant serving traditional wholesome food. I go there when I can't be bothered to cook and need filling.

Lunch today was 'Feijoada' a kind of bean stew with tripe, sausage and fatty pork cuts - I passed and chose 'Carne Mista' - mixed grilled meats. Todays mix was various cuts of pork Pork steak, pork rib, pork belly and pork sausage - I think 'mixed' gets lost in translation.

The food is good, but very simple - you don't go there if you are vegetarian. I really go there for the company. The restaurant is run by a gypsy family who've decided settlement is better than moving on. The family, wife cooks, second husband serves, together with his brother and son of second husband (slightly dim witted) and the gorgeous daughter of the wife by the first husband (she somehow looks older than 2nd son - but let's not dwell on inconsistencies )

Today's dinners consisted of workers from the local factory, bank managers (mine among others), management staff, and the obligatory builders in paint strew overalls. There are five televisions divided between two rooms with the kitchen separating the rooms. I ate in the 'posh room' at the back which contained the only TV with sound - broadcasting the Portuguese equivalent of Oprah complete with grown man crying.

My adjacent dinners were the painters, a cleaner who spent her entire lunch on her mobile phone, and a macho male, nut brown, gold draped - two phones. His first action on sitting down was to silence his 'work phone' and open his personal phone (sleeker, newer and slim enough to be concealed). He spent his lunch eating his Feijoada, without ever looking at it, his eyes switched continually between the crying man on the TV and his personal mobile.

I was served by the daughter, who seemed to be in some kind of argument with 2nd husbands son - mother clearly had her priorities right and 2nd son got an earful all lunchtime... much to the amusement of the painters, who were only there to flirt with the daughter.

Lunch cost seven euros (5$) for olives, bread, sardine pate, meal, 1/2 litre of good red, and coffee.

 

[NoJo]

I just visited my local 'Tasca' - an workers restaurant serving traditional wholesome food. I go there when I can't be bothered to cook and need filling.

Lunch today was 'Feijoada' a kind of bean stew with tripe, sausage and fatty pork cuts - I passed and chose 'Carne Mista' - mixed grilled meats. Todays mix was various cuts of pork Pork steak, pork rib, pork belly and pork sausage - I think 'mixed' gets lost in translation.

The food is good, but very simple - you don't go there if you are vegetarian. I really go there for the company. The restaurant is run by a gypsy family who've decided settlement is better than moving on. The family, wife cooks, second husband serves, together with his brother and son of second husband (slightly dim witted) and the gorgeous daughter of the wife by the first husband (she somehow looks older than 2nd son - but let's not dwell on inconsistencies )

Today's dinners consisted of workers from the local factory, bank managers (mine among others), management staff, and the obligatory builders in paint strew overalls. There are five televisions divided between two rooms with the kitchen separating the rooms. I ate in the 'posh room' at the back which contained the only TV with sound - broadcasting the Portuguese equivalent of Oprah complete with grown man crying.

My adjacent dinners were the painters, a cleaner who spent her entire lunch on her mobile phone, and a macho male, nut brown, gold draped - two phones. His first action on sitting down was to silence his 'work phone' and open his personal phone (sleeker, newer and slim enough to be concealed). He spent his lunch eating his Feijoada, without ever looking at it, his eyes switched continually between the crying man on the TV and his personal mobile.

I was served by the daughter, who seemed to be in some kind of argument with 2nd husbands son - mother clearly had her priorities right and 2nd son got an earful all lunchtime... much to the amusement of the painters, who were only there to flirt with the daughter.

Lunch cost seven euros (5$) for olives, bread, sardine pate, meal, 1/2 litre of good red, and coffee.

Yum...

 

[lesbiaphrodite]

Galatoire's...Bourbon St.....New Orleans, LA

A timeless and classic New Orleans restaurant with rich southern tradition steeped in every glass of wine, each glass of iced tea. Charmingly genteel waitstaff with ready smiles and discreet manners. The best seafood entrees bar-none. A place to go and finger giant prawns buttered and fried to perfection served on a perfect, clean white plate with perfect, clean white tablecloths. A place to sit for hours and eat and drink and stare into the eyes of another woman.