Friday, July 13, 2012

Paris, France

Best restaurants:
- Aiyala (Really yummy Thai food. The dumplings were awesome.)
- Le Balancoire (Fun and low-key French restaurant. Excellent service. Amazing drinks.)
- Chez Grenouille (More traditional French food. Amazing meat. Great service.)
- Le Cafe Qui Parle (Excellent brunch - no bacon though...)

Best tour:
- Blue Bike Tours

Honorable Mention:
- Cooking class with "A World in a Pan"

Friday, May 18, 2012

Update 2012 - New York City (with a toddler)


NYC with a toddler: 
  • Best kid friendly hotel: Affinia Gardens on the Upper East Side (get the huge rooms with a kitchen and a patio - excellent for kids)
  • Best babysitter service: Babysitter's Guild
  • Best kid friendly car service: Legends Limousine (car seat for $8 - reasonable fare rate)
  • Best playground: Heckscher in Central Park
  • Best meal: Gramercy Tavern (incredible meat and superb service)
  • Best cheap eat: Shu Jiao Fu Zhous (yummy and cheap dumplings - no line, stroller friendly)


Other places tried: China Fun, Pinche Taqueria, Schnitzel & Things, Ritz Diner, Pizza Park, La Cremeria




Saturday, May 12, 2012

Savannah, Georgia

We went on the First Squares Good Tour (www.savannahtasteexperience.com).

The guide was awesome but we wished there had been one more stop with some savory food. Other than that it was excellent. My favorite was Mabel Francis Potter's Cupcake Emporium. Excellent taste, no frills.

Other stops: Bernie's Oyster House, Boar's Head Grill, Savannah Bee Company, The Salt Table and Molly MacPhersons's Pub.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Update 2012 - Restaurants - Oslo, Norway

Great (but expensive):
- Restaurant Oscarsgate (best food and service in town? loved that we got 15 courses, but too many desserts (I know...))

Good (and not so expensive):
- Beach Club (love their burgers, the the service can be somewhat lacking)
- Olivia, Tjuvholmen (yummy pizzas, and nice place to have a beer after work)
- Habibi (still awesome meze and prompt service)
- Villa Paradiso (still my favorite Italian pizza (in Oslo ;))

Good but not great:
- Hanami (pushy service, a tad expensive but good food - especially the blackened cod)
- Baltazar (excellent wine menu, food above average but maybe not worth the price)
- Escalon (ok tapas, but not as good as some other tapas places)
- Onda Sea (fantastic view out on the pier, good food but nothing extraordinary, at least not when taking into consideration the price)

Want to try:
Maaemo

Monday, December 12, 2011

Update December 2011 - South Carolina

The Sage Room for excellent food and service. Eat at the chef's table and try their snow pea martini.

Pour Richard's was excellent, again. I love their appetizer flatbreads.

Vineyard 55 was good. I love the atmosphere, but the food is not great. Try it in combination with the Thursday farmer's market.

Mellow Mushroom, Choo Choo BBQ Express, the Sea Shack, Wild Wing Cafe and Fiesta Fresh always deliver. Good food and great value.



Update 2011 - Provence, France

Best restaurants:

La Villa - L'Isle Sur la Sourge
Le Forge - Antibes
La Mere Germaine - Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Places visited:
Antibes, Monaco, L'Isle Sur la Sourge, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Lourmarin

Tuscany, Italy

Best wine:
Boscarelli regular 2007

Best restaurant:
Il goccio - Lucignano

Places visited:
Sassetta, Castagneto, Suvereto, Montalcino (Brunello), Montepulciano (Vino Nobile), Siena, Pisa, Lucignano, Volterra, San Vinzenso