Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with restaurant

Best Italian South Shore of Boston?

eggman — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 19:57:45 -0800

What's th best Italian restaurant on the South Shore of Boston? Bonus points for proximity to Quincy . . .

Restaurant suggestions in Vancouver

csjc — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 01:40:04 -0800

I'm turning 16 this weekend, and decided to get together with some friends for dinner. Problem is, I have no idea where to go. Suggest a Vancouver restaurant for five 16-18 year olds on a Sunday night? A few requirements:

-The absolute max. budget is $30 per person, preferably lower
-Some choice for vegetarians
-Preferably in either kits or downtown (gastown, maybe?)
-Cuisine/atmosphere usually described as American/Lounge would work best, I think. If you have any other suggestions, though, shoot!

I hope that there's at least somewhere out there which matches my specifications!

New Year's celebrations in McDonalds?

aqsakal — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:54:37 -0800

Where will we be able to eat dinner in Vienna on 31 December without pre-booking? Mrs aqsakal and I are going to Vienna over the New Year break, courtesy of our fabulous son who bought us two tickets to the fabulous concert at the Opera. But it has just occurred to us that we shall arrive late on 30 December, and have no idea where we will find a seat at a restaurant the following evening.

Where we live (in Rome) it would be totally crazy to expect to be able to find a table for two on 31 December evening without having booked at least a week in advance. Will it be the same in Vienna? Or are we worrying over nothing? Are we doomed to celebrating with a Big Mac and double fries, and our own champagne smuggled in in a brown paper bag kept under the table? Does any kind Austria-based MeFite have any advice?

How do I learn a LOT about beer in a short amount of time?

macrowave — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:56:10 -0800

I need links to interesting websites and enjoyable books about the history of and current practices of beer making and beer tasting. I start a new bartending job soon, and I may have scored it by pretending to know more than I really do about brew. I currently work at a bar, and have had extensive service industry experience, but the new job involves a super extensive list of bottles from around the world and a changing lineup of relatively unusual drafts. We've been warned that brewers and booze snobs will be among our regulars and that we all need to brush up on our factoids if we're going to really pull through as staff members. I'm in Chicago, so if you are too, think HopLeaf restaurant (it's not there, but I'd rather not give away my identity/location cuz I don't wanna be haggled!).

I'm hoping to start with fun to read literature. Something along the lines of "Salt-A World History" but about beer. I know that there are tons of guides out there, and that this question is highly google-able, but I'm hoping for suggestions that you have personally read, enjoyed, and been enlightened by. I know too that they key is TASTING all of these beers, but I need to know more about what I'm tasting and how to describe it. I need to be a beer nerd starting tomorrow! And yes, I already love and enjoy beer, that's not a problem. I'm just a bit of a n00b when it comes to critical analysis and meaningful beer-related chitchat. Help!

Where to host a party in Milwaukee?

InvestorMD — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 11:33:42 -0800

Milwaukee Filter: Where is a good place to host a get together for around 20 people with food for an average of 10-15 bucks per person? We've hosted our annual get-together at a Mexican restaurants and Olive garden's but are looking for something new. We prefer locations that are friendly to having the bill split up multiple different ways since handling a bill for 20 people is exhausting when there are mixtures of cash & credit. In addition, some people will add various mixed drinks and wines which makes splitting the bill evenly not fair.

We tried having a get together at Melting Pot but the price scared some people away, while some loved the new idea of fondue.

Atmosphere is important too. A loud bar where nobody can really talk to each other is not what we are looking for. Neither is a nice quiet restaurant since we all see each other once per year making us not the silent eaters.

These can extend to the suburbs too. Thanks!

Help me plan a BBQ road trip

soonertbone — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:25:56 -0800

A friend of mine are planning a "BBQ Road Trip." Hitting up five or six major cities in the South, with the aim of getting a representative taste of the various styles of American BBQ. What cities would you include on this list, and what restaurant in each city would you choose to go to? Our idea for an itinerary, so far, is this:
--leave NYC
--St. Louis
--Kansas City
--Memphis
--Atlanta
--Somewhere in North Carolina
--Back to NYC

Again, what we're looking for is a representative sampling of American BBQ. I don't think we'll have time to make it down to Texas, but I'm interested in hearing if there are other cities that might be better, along the general route I've outlined above.

Once you've identified a city that should be included, what's your favorite restaurant in the city?

Upscale eats in Seoul?

GilloD — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:57:54 -0800

A nice place to eat in Seoul? Maybe between $100-200 for 2 people? I'm looking for a nice place to take my wife in Seoul. So far, our adventures outside of the world of Samgyupsal, Gimbap joints and mystery soups have been underwhelming. Cuisine doesn't matter.

Both Le Saint Ex and Mignon Terrace in Itaewon were underwhelming, especially at the price they commanded. Looking for someplace kind of quiet, upscale and nice.

Suggestions? I'm lost. We're good at holes-in-the-wall and we ate well when we lived in New York, but when it comes to something more than street food in Seoul, I'm lost.

What kinds of beer should by brother serve at his restaurant?

kirkaracha — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:10:06 -0800

What kinds of beer should by brother serve at his restaurant? My brother's working on a business plan for a tavern-style restaurant specializing in roasted meats, and is looking for suggestions on types of beer to serve and specific recommendations. I thought a good light beer, a lager or pilsner, and one or two good IPAs. What do you think? Ideally the beers would come from a good American microbrewery that's distributed on the East Coast, but this isn't an absolute requirement.

Southern California Rehearsal Dinner Recommendations

theexpgen — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 06:23:05 -0800

Help me find a great Long Beach or North Orange County restaurant for my rehearsal dinner. The dinner is on the 7th of January, a Thursday, and somewhere between 20 and 30 people will be attending. I of course want the food to be good, but really, I care more about the overall experience. The place doesn't need to be fancy, but it can't be too casual. Bonus points for fancy Mexican food or seafood, a spot on the water or a private/semi-private room. Long Beach, CA is the preferred location but Northern Orange County or Southern LA could work as well. Thanks in advance.

Philadelphia restaurant with ambiance?

millipede — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:24:55 -0800

Please recommend me a an excellent restaurant in Philadelphia. It is my sir's birthday. I would like to take him out to dinner. I want something with a romantic and lovely ambiance. I know Philly is all about BYOB, but I'd prefer to not BMOB if possible (unless the restaurant is otherwise so amazing that I must overlook this). Exact cuisine is not as important, as we like all food, but Italian or French would probably be best. I just want a place that has truly excellent food and the aforementioned ambiance. Dark, cozy, smallish, but not too loud.

We live in West Philly and love to take transit. We do not, however, drive, so please don't recommend anything out in the suburbs. Anything accessible by trolley, Market-Frankford El, the Broad Street line, or bus is great. I'd prefer to pay by credit card, but cash-only is not a dealbreaker.

Santa Barbara for Thanksgiving

silsurf — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:59:27 -0800

Santa Barbara Thanksgiving Dinner Location My wife and I are going to be in Santa Barbara, CA for Wednesday and Thursday the 25th and 26th.

We are eating at the Hungry Cat on Wednesday night, but so far cannot find a restaurant that is even open for Thursday. Perhaps it will be a quiet night at the hotel, but if there are any suggestions out there, we would love to hear them.

Thanks.

Henry

Hotel and food recommendations for a solo traveller to NYC

une_heure_pleine — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:52:42 -0800

Visiting New York for the first time (from Australia) in a couple of weeks. Will be travelling solo, and am looking for hotel and food recommendations. (I did search, but the answers are a few years old now, or aimed at different budgets)

I'm perfectly happy with my own company most of the time, especially during the day. Even so, I'd like to meet a few people to go for a drink or dinner some nights, as I'll be there for two weeks. In the past when I've travelled solo, I've stayed in dorms. I'm a bit older now (late 20s) and have less tolerance for all-night boozing and general grottiness.

So, any suggestions for either a hostel with private rooms that's friendly but not party-central, or a budget hotel with a sociable common area where I might meet people? Budget is ideally no more than $80 per night but could stretch for the right place. Private bathroom is nice but not necessary.

Alternately, suggestions for other places to go/things to do where I might meet some people to hang out with for a night?

Also, I'm interested in checking out a couple of the better restaurants in town. I'm expecting to have to do this alone unless I randomly meet another foodie. Any ideas for restaurants in $30-for-a-main-course bracket where I'll be treated like a human being despite being there alone? My preference is for high quality, innovative food, rather than just wherever is hot right now.

Where to go for a fancypants Montreal dinner on short notice?

alleycat01 — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:47:35 -0800

Where to go for a fancypants Montreal dinner on short notice? Details inside... Hi Montreal MiFites! On short notice, my boyfriend and I are taking a long weekend trip to Montreal (the weekend after this one). Boyfriend wants to do a nice dress-up dinner one night, and neither of us has been to Montreal before, so I'd love your suggestions on where we should go. The main criteria are:

- He'll be wearing a suit and I'll be in a dress, so somewhere where we won't look stupid or out-of-place in our fancypants duds
- Preferably not insanely expensive. We'll probably do a shared appetizer, bottle of wine (... we tend to pick from on the lower end of the cost scale on these), and 2 entrees, MAYBE a shared dessert but only if dinner portions are small and we're still hungry. With tax & tip, it'd be great if this would cost around or under $150. (What is tax there, anyway?)
- Sadly we're not bilingual, so somewhere where the waiters are ... and, uh, bonus if we can read the menus
- We can still get a reservation (or don't need one) for a Friday or Saturday night
- Preferably French-influenced food, or at least something that's not a total import to Canada (no Chinese restaurants, etc).
- Totally open to BYOs as well, if you think that might be a good bet.

I keep reading about the apparent amazingness that is Au Pied du Couchon and I'd LOVE to try it, but it seems like a non-dressy place. We're usually pretty casual dressers/eaters, but since Boyfriend suggested it this time around I'd like to honor that thought. (Or do you think I'm wrong and PDC would work?) We'll be staying in the downtown area, but we do have a car & can drive if needed.

Is this doable, Montre-fites? What are your suggestions? Other thoughts on things we MUST do that weekend are also welcome, though I know there are tons of other threads on this subejct. Our current plans are just to relax in cafes, hang out, and eat poutine. Thanks, all!

Yelp a Paris?

kenzi23 — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 18:48:48 -0800

Is there a Yelp-type site for restaurants in Paris (or Europe, as a whole)? Ideally I'd like a restaurant guide for Paris that is based on user reviews, is easy to search and bookmark like Yelp to make my meals in Paris a breeze. I'll even take a blog or a list if that's all I can get. Any suggestions are welcome.

Old Port for the Family

revan — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:00:45 -0800

Visiting Old Port section of Portland, ME and looking for a nice restaurant for a family with kids aged 10 & 12. Would like something nicer than a chain with burgers (though it's great if they are on the menu) and pizza, but not as high end Caiola's (pate and goat cheese won't go over well with the kids). We are hoping for a nice sit down, local beer and ambiance would be great. We are staying at the Portland Regency Hotel and would prefer something within walking distance. Oh we are definitely going to Bintliff's for breakfast on Sunday.

Help The Empress Splurge!

EmpressCallipygos — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 05:48:45 -0800

NYC Filter: I'm getting a financial windfall in a couple weeks, and have decided to treat myself: salon, massage, and then taking myself out somewhere. but...I've been broke so long I don't know where to go. Help? I know where to take care of the salon and the massage, but the "going out somewhere" stumps me a bit. Ideally, the place I'm looking for is:

* Upscale without being "velvet rope" -- classy instead of exclusive
* Lively, but not loud -- I want to be able to hear myself think
* Not outrageously priced (I don't mean inexpensive, more like, I want to be able to say that the amount of money I spend was absolutely "worth it")
* Possibly a place where I could get a delightful gentleman approaching me for a chat, but a place that's so awesome in its own right that I won't care if it doesn't happen
* If it's got a fabulous view, perfect.
* Doesn't have to be a restaurant. In fact, just getting a drink would be great.

I just plan on looking and feeling fabulous and living in the high life for a night, and I'm looking for the right setting.

Thanks!

What is this buffalo burger joint?

The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:55:14 -0800

I'm trying to figure out the name of a restaurant (burger joint) that is probably within 100 miles of some edge of Yellowstone National Park. What I remember: it served buffalo burgers, and had an alliterative name with a woman's name and some sort of negative adjective. That adjective may have been "horrible," i'm more certain that it started with the letter "h." I seem to remember some piece of lore about the owner or maybe the owner's son being a chainsmoker. Google fails me. Help!

I'm way too sleep derived to think of a clever headline.

porpoise — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:19:55 -0800

Restaurantfilter: Downtown Chicago, dinner recommendations for a couple of grad students with a foodie bent in town for a conference. I've checked out these two previous threads on downtown Chicago restaurant recommendations.

We're in downtown proper and staying at the Sofitel at Wabash & Chestnut and the Wyndham at St. Claire & Erie. Looking for 'interesting' restaurants within a 20 minute walk tonight. Are there any places that are distinctly "Chicago-ian"/local or ignored by tourists/tourism-board?

Grad students, but willing to pony up (to maybe $60 or 70, maybe a bit more, but something around $30 per person sans drinks is more reasonable). We love food, doesn't matter what kind preferring 'good' over 'lots.'

Please help me avoid big slabs of meat and iceberg lettuce.

jeffamaphone — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:49:13 -0800

What is the best place fora foodie to eat in STL? I grew up in STL. Haven't lived there for close to 10 years, but I'm going back soon for a family event. In the time I've been gone, I have to believe that some wonderful, modern restaurants have opened. I would like to eat at one.

Some guidelines:
* I am looking for new, creative, modern, etc.
* Local/fresh/organic and vegetarian options a huge bonus. I pray to the alter of Micheal Pollan and Alice Waters. I'm a card-carrying member of Slow Food.
* No regional cuisine, unless it's really new. This means no BBQ and no thin-crust pizza joints.
* No Italian. I've been everywhere on the hill. I've been to Tony's. I've been to Cafe Napoli.
* Good locations are anywhere along the central corridor: Washington, the Hill, UCity Loop, CWE, Clayton, etc. West county and Bridgeton is acceptable, since I'll be there too.
* Bad locations: Fenton, Ellisville, Wentzville, North Florrisent, Alton, etc.
* Please don't mention Ted Drewes.

E.g. something like Nopa.

Thanks!

Are short culinary schools worth it?

Netzapper — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 03:03:11 -0800

Is a short-course culinary school worth it? Does it offer any cred toward haute cuisine sous-chef and chef positions, or is it for suckers who'll work at Applebees forever? In my eternal optimism that I can find something more satisfying and stable than software development, it's dawned on me that I love cooking and would probably love to cook in a restaurant. I intend to find a no-experience-necessary kitchen job (prep cook, line cook, etc.) in the near future to see if I can stand the environment, but I'm thinking longer term for the moment.

Is there value in attending one of the several 6- to 18-month culinary schools I've found? As an example, the JNA Institute of Culinary Arts in Philly.

When I see a sous-chef job that says "culinary school background preferred", would that sort of a course qualify? Or are they specifically looking for somebody who's done a complete associate's or BFA degree in the culinary arts?

Putting aside the industry view on such programs, are they likely to teach me the numerous skills I'd need to attempt a career in chefery?

Sunday lunch/brunch in Van Nuys?

infinitywaltz — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 19:54:41 -0800

What are your restaurant recommendations for Sunday lunch in Van Nuys or surrounding areas? We've got a friend visiting from out of town, but they're staying in Van Nuys. We're going out to lunch on Sunday, but being from Orange County, we're not all that familiar with the Van Nuys restaurant scene. Since we'll already be spending quite a bit of time on the freeway to get there, we probably won't want to drive too far outside of Van Nuys to eat. Anyone got any secret favorite restaurants? There's a pub, the Robin Hood, in Sherman Oaks that sounds promising, as well as a place called 94th Aero Squadron that serves a Sunday brunch, but I've never been to either one and I trust the hive mind more than Yelp reviewers, so I figured I'd ask.

Stain over varnish?

hulahulagirl — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 20:59:12 -0800

How can I easily darken already varnished wood? My family is taking over an existing restaurant and re-opening it as a different restaurant. We have a limited budget for up-front renovations and the restaurant has wood paneling on the inside. Not the cheesy kind, but real wood boards laid on the diagonal on the wall (tongue and groove, pine maybe).

We can only close the restaurant for 3 days to complete renovations, so tearing the paneling completely off is not an option since we have other projects to tackle during the 3 days.

I want to darken the wood, but as it's tongue and groove, it would take too much time to sand in the grooves to remove the varnish that is already on it. I want to check into options for darkening the color, but I don't know what products and/or methods would work the best.

(In the long run, putting up new walls would/will be ideal, but at this point, early on, we don't have the time or money.)

Waitress lost my phone...now what?

shopefowler — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 23:19:11 -0800

Left my phone at the restaurant/bar after dinner, went back and was told they had it but the waitress had misplaced it. Is there anything I can do? [sob story] I wouldn't be so upset except that I upgraded my phone last week, (iPhone 3Gs) and it didn't work out of the box. They made me make an appointment at the Apple store (3 days later), where they discovered my phone was defective and replaced it with a new one. While I was there getting my phone replaced, my wallet was stolen out of my purse. [/sob story]

One week later...I'm at dinner tonight and I paid the check and left my phone on the table. When I returned for it about 15 minutes later, the person behind the bar said Yes! The phone that was just turned in! And proceeded to leave me waiting. Then the manager came over, apologized profusely and explained that the waitress had my phone but had laid it down somewhere and now they can't find it.

I left them a number to call when they find it, but what else can I do? Other than very politely asking that they "fix it" (i.e., pay for it) do I have any recourse if it doesn't turn up?

Judgemental kids in restaurant; Confront?

Jbgohlke — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 13:49:51 -0800

How to deal with a rude table next to you at a restaurant? I was at a hookah bar/Mediterranean food restaurant with some friends. When we get seated I instantly start hearing commentary and criticism about what we are currently doing coming from the table to my right.

This trash talking was off and on, but mostly escalated into "...they must be bipolar...", thinly-veiled laughing at a trip on the stairs, and overall trash talking. They must have thought they were in a little bubble of their own or just being outright rude. What's amazing is the fact that more than half of their conversations were criticizing me or my friends usually followed by how great they were. I already have self esteem issues/social anxiety and don't need this garbage.

Also, I know I'm prone to making connections where there are none. The way I was seated made it easy to hear and clearly coincided with, for example, smoking the correct way (which was obviously new to these idiots) or shaking a bit from the cold (we were outside). Perfectly human actions were being twisted into near insults! Do people really just sit around and talk trash like this about others? Incredible.

How could I gracefully handle judgmental as*holes like this? My first instinct was to go up to their table and call them out, but I decided against causing a scene (and regret it, actually).

Where to take a vegan friend without "punishing" the carnivores in the party

dorgla — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:17:51 -0800

Where in Seattle has good vegan lunch options? Don't want a strictly vegan venue, as the rest of us are omnivores, and we'd like to wash our lunch down with beer, if possible.