Restaurants

There’s no rhyme or reason to my eating preferences. I enjoyed my kangaroo in Australia, and I didn’t think emu or ostrich was that bad. I’m curious about snake, although I get bored with chicken very easily. I crave peanuts but rarely eat peanut butter.

And don’t expect me to order a salad.

(Trust me, my own mother gave up trying to figure this out when I was five.)

If I’m in a restaurant where the salad bar is included, I’ll obediently trot over there and fill my plate with cottage cheese and pudding. (Potato salads and cold pasta dishes also make my ‘yuck’ list.) If I’m in a strange mood, I’ll pick through the lettuce bowl looking for the centermost portion of the iceberg lettuce — the paler the lettuce, the less danger of tasting something green — and drown it in ranch dressing, covered with shredded cheese, scrambled eggs, diced tomatoes in season and heavy on the sesame seeds. I then proceed to daintily eat the toppings off the lettuce while I wait for the real meal to arrive.

So imagine my husband’s surprise when I suggested we go over to Ruby Tuesday because I was craving their salad bar.

Several people in my circle swore it was the best in the business, so when I met friends there for a meal over the holidays, I wandered over to be sociable and went through my usual routine. I can report the cottage cheese is … well, cottage cheese. I don’t even remember the pudding. But the guacamole ranch topping I threw on top of my ingredients at the last second is to die for.

I truly didn’t see it coming: ranch dressing is smooth, avocados are bland, but together they have a punch that makes scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese and tomatoes taste exciting. I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that it complements all of the 65 ingredients featured on Ruby Tuesday’s spread. Heck, it’s so good, I continued eating even when I got to the lettuce layer. I wound up only nibbling at my lunch and instead went back to the salad bar to fill up my stomach.

About the only person who isn’t surprised by my new passion is my mother.

Ruby Tuesday

7940 U.S. 31 South

Indianapolis, IN 46227

(317) 885-5801

Photographer credits: booleansplit, evixir

Mamma Mia is the hit movie and Broadway musical staring Oscar winner Meryl Streep, and set in the islands of Greece. Jennifer Aniston is the actress with the famous hair and currently staring in Friends reruns. Today this Greek American actress and an exotic movie location took on a whole new meaning.

Why you ask? Because this afternoon I ate at Kokkari Estiatorio, a Greek restaurant in downtown San Francisco – near Embarcadero Center. And the quality of food we had for lunch, really could have been “Food of the Gods”, as the restaurant claims – it was that amazing.

Kokkari’s menu, showcases seafood and game. They have a fireplace that roasts meat on a spit while you dine. I’m not sure about the tables past the bar, but near the front where we sat, the fireplace smells made my stomach growl louder.

The furnishings of the restaurant were on par with the neighborhood stately antique shops nearby. The beautiful wood, the pottery and overall feel of the rooms were incredible warm and inviting. Jackson Square across the street adds a nice touch of green through the windows as well.

Our lunch included four dishes from their appetizer menu then we shared the daily Taverna Special  – which was Souvlaki Hirino, translating into a savory roast pork sandwich, I could have stopped with the appetizers. The tastes from every dish were varied but combined themselves into a filling & flavorful meal.

We had the Zucchini Cakes – with cucumber & mint yogurt dressing, not greasy at all and the dressing was very light tasting. Brussels Sprouts – wood oven-roasted with bacon & lemon, were to-die-for. I fought my husband over the burnt pieces of lemon on the plate.

Roasted Beets – wood oven roasted with sweet dill & skordalia (garlic & potato sauce), this cold dish was tasty and the garlic was not too heavy. Grilled Octopus – with lemon, oregano & olive oil, were fabulous! Chunks of fresh octopus with the zest of lemon and olive oil went so well with the other dishes. We had a great mix of hot and cold plates.

They have a sister restaurant in Palo Alto, south of the city. I’m definitely going back and might even try the other location. This place was tough to get into even for lunch. They had 200 reservations for a Tuesday so call ahead.  All I say is OPA!!

200 Jackson Street (at Front)
San Francisco, CA 94111

Tel: 415.981.0983

Lunch: Weekdays Only 11:30 am to 2:30 pm
Dinner: Monday – Thursday 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm
Friday 5:30 pm to 11:00 pm
Saturday 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm
Sunday – Closed

Let’s talk for a minute about one of the best French restaurants in the country. New York City’s Le Bernardin is exquisite, formal, and very high-end. Unless you’ve been to The French Laundry out in Napa Valley, Le Bernardin also will likely be the best French seafood meal you’ll have outside of France. This is one of the rare 3 Michelin star restaurants in the United States. More than just great lunch or dinner in an elegant, fancy setting, a meal here is a memorable event.

There’s a very different feel to this high-end French restaurant than the French Laundry, of course; French country (more relaxed) is the California model, where as Le Berardin is pure old-style New York class. You’ll see jeans and shirts at even the fanciest, most high-end restaurants in California; this corresponds with the casual culture. Find an equivalent restaurant in New York City, however, and the diners there will be dressed much more formally. A night out at one of the best French restaurants in the city is an occasion in and of itself, and New Yorkers (and tourists) like to step up for the event. Case in point: Le Bernardin has an actual dress code – with several spare sports coats for guests who forgot to wear theirs.

Le Bernardin specializes in seafood, though of course the menu isn’t limited to that. The decor is elegant yet warm, with some light wood paneling – not so much as to make the room feel woodsy – and the service is perfectly crisp and professional. If the waitstaff ever slip up, I’ve yet to see it. Some complain that the entrees here are on the small side, but this is no noisy steakhouse, this is Le Berdardin; every crumb is well thought-out by the chef. The food presentation is almost as important as its taste.

People rave about the chef’s tasting menu. I’ve never had it, so can’t speak for it personally. However, the grilled, salted Bacalao is succulent and amazing, and the Surf and Turf (with Kobe beef) is so delicious it makes the standard fried-fish-and steak at other restaurants seem like another dish entirely. There are a few non-seafood items on the menu, but the Le Bernardin is really renown for its seafood. Try the escolar – that’s a Pacific fish sometimes called white tuna, apparently, and absolutely transcendent. It’s common to see diners at Le Bernardin become completely focused on their meals, to the point of distraction – the seafood is just that good.

The desserts at Le Bernardin are as exquisitely presented as are the main courses, (they are similarly not hugely proportioned). I recommend the fig dessert as something different and special. It is prepared with creamy, sweetened goat cheese and a red wine caramel; it is a new combination of flavors (yes, that’s bacon ice cream on your plate, but it works, believe me). For the more standard desert, try the ice cream or sorbet, all made that day.

One last item of interest: The chef, Eric Ripert, has gone on record to say that he won’t “serve Chilean sea bass, grouper, shark, swordfish or wild bluefin tuna…to help speed the recovery of these endangered species.” I think this is terrific. A chef that truly cares about the quality of his product also cares about its source, and keeping it healthy.

Le Bernardin
155 W. 51st St.
New York, NY
(212) 554-1100

 

I’m so excited.

We celebrated a friend’s birthday over the weekend at Steak n Ale … excuse me, I mean Polo Club Steakhouse. It’s easy to see why I would confuse the two: same location, same furniture, same layout, same menu and same staff. When the national chain closed the doors on this 35-year favorite last summer thanks to its bankruptcy, Indianapolis southsiders were dismayed, to say the least.  

Some stranger just shut down our memories of Prom nights, wedding receptions, Thanksgiving meals, business victories and those “just because I need a good steak” moments.

One patron, apparently, was honked enough to do something about it. He secured the general manager’s commitment, bought the business and reopened under the new name a mere 8 days before Christmas. I’m sure it was a fantastic gift to the nearly 40 former employees who had a job again. 

Frankly, I was so delighted to be back, I nearly hugged the hostess. 

Mike, our birthday “boy,” got his Kensington, a.k.a prime rib and lobster tail. His wife had her filet mignon again, and I was grinning ear-to-ear when I said, “I’ll take the herb-roasted prime rib, rare, please.” My husband, just as confident, asked for his favorite peppercorn steak.

And that was when our luck ran out. That one didn’t make the transition, which was side-splittingly funny if you know my husband’s history of asking for things that aren’t on restaurant menus all over town. And once you get our crowd in a mood to laugh, it goes downhill quickly. The teens salted my husband’s water while we were loading our plates at the famous salad bar, and Mike couldn’t resist using the lobster shell as a puppet to torment his tender-hearted daughter on the other side of the table.

Don’t worry — we weren’t the uncouth country cousins out of place among civilized society. Polo Club Steakhouse, like its predecessor, is what the business world labels dress casual. Sure, they’re about good food and special occasions, so they supply the trappings. But these are, after all, our neighbors, who don’t have a stuffy bone in their bodies and also appreciate the sound of laughter among good friends out for an evening.

Polo Club Steakhouse

4302 S. East Street

Indianapolis, In 46227

(317) 780-1711

Photographer credits: Larry&flo,  Chiacomo,

New York City – that city of dreamers, of high aspirations, of soaring successes and tragic failures – well, it’s the most visited city in the United States for obvious reasons. Many of us trace our family immigration to NYC, and today it remains a polyglot of cultures. Little wonder, then, that New York City has the highest concentration of the best restaurants in the country. After all, us tourists gotta eat, right?

When I lived in NYC, I honestly didn’t think much about these top-rated restaurants. They were there, yeah, but if my family took a vote, they’d want to go to the corner diner where the waitresses knew my kids (this meant extra french fries; I pretended not to notice). Now that I live on the other side of the country, a visit to New York City practically necessitates dinners out at at least a couple of my favorite high-end joints – it helps that my NYC-based family usually picks up the tab! Here, then, are my picks for the best fancy restaurants in New York City.

Best Upscale Restaurants in NYC:

French - Le Bernardin, Per Se, Bouley, Daniel, Cafe Boulud

Italian - Babbo, Felidia Ristorante, Osteria del Circo, Gusto Ristorante e Bar Americano, Esca

Steakhouse - Porter House New York, Wolfgang’s Steakhouse, Dylan Prime, Peter Luger Steak House, Old Homestead

American - Gramercy Tavern, 21 Club, Blue Water Grill, One if by Land, Two if by Sea, Virgil’s Real Barbecue, Craft

Indian - Dawat, Sapphire Indian Cuisine, Tamarind, Tabla

Japanese - En Japanese Brasserie, Hamachi, Nippon, Sugiyama, Nobu, Masa

This list of the best high-end restaurants in New York City is, of course, subject to change. Let us hear about your favorite places to eat in NYC, and I’ll do my best to try them out next time I visit Manhattan.

In San Francisco we are fortunate to have many fine dining choices that include spectacular views of the bay and our landmark bridges. Last month I gave a  suggestion for ocean and park view dining near the end of the Golden Gate Park.

Recently I returned to the Cliff House for a mini-celebration lunch and to take part in Dine About Town. Though the weather was very stormy, we had a wonderful window seat at Sutro’s, the upscale restaurant in the lower portion of the Cliff House. Sutro’s is a restaurant run by Chefs George Morrone, Brian O’Connor and their team.

If you are lucky enough to go out to the occasional business lunch or dinner, you will certainly recognize the name of Chef Morrone, due to his earlier fame at Aqua, a wonderful restaurant in the Financial District.

Chef Morrone created his signature Ahi Tuna Tartare at Aqua – and lucky for me – he serves this appetizer at Sutro’s.  It was as spicy and delicious as I remember! He uses pine nuts, asian pears, habanero infused sesame oil, mint and a quail egg with the Ahi. Fabulous.

The Cliff House has a few dining options within its historic walls and Sutro’s is definitely one of the nicest for a special occasion. They have the amazing team in the kitchen, attentive wait staff, a killer view and lots of parking out front. Those are perfect ingredients for a wonderful lunch and that is what we had.

Unfortunately I discovered belatedly that Sutro’s does not participate in Dine About Town on Fridays and Saturdays. We did not get to try their special menu but we still had a great meal, including one of the most mouth watering steak frites.

The truffled fries, the red wine onion compote along with the bordelaise sent my husband over the moon and back. I had a wonderful fresh and locally caught rock cod fish that was served with cucumber & fennel salad.

We watched while others ate the other highly recommend seared day boat scallops – I would definitely get those next time.

This special occasion restaurant is a wonderful choice for first time visitors to San Francisco. The Cliff House and its history is pure San Francisco and not to missed. If you are early for your reservations, take time to enjoy the stunning views of both the brave surfers and walk down the stairs to the Camera Obscura below.

After all of the tasty food and dessert, if you need a little help with your digestion, the green (and newly restored) trails close by are a great way to see the old Sutro Baths footprint and the more unusual views of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Sutro’s
1090 Point Lobos,
San Francisco, CA 94121
415-386-3330

Lunch weekdays from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm
Dinner weekdays from 5:00 pm to 9:30 pm
Saturday & Sunday 11:30 am to 9:30 pm

I’ve got pasta on the mind. Fresh chewy yummy pasta! I want to sit in a tiny warm cafe and be served a hot plate of rich, calorie-laden, oh-so-good pasta. Other than Bacco (a great restaurant in Noe Valley) I have yet to find another great Italian restaurant in San Francisco. However, I have a hunch- a strong hunch- that I may have found it in Da Flora. Now, I just need to have dinner there!

Several weeks ago, I found myself in SF’s touristy neighborhood of North Beach. Land of Tourists and Italian Food. I have been warned to never “stumble” into a restaurant in this area. There exists the potential for a profound dining mistake. So, I called a friend who strongly recommended a small restaurant called Da Flora.

My dining partner and I walked many blocks over (we had already found a parking spot and were NOT about to lose it and re-park) and found this charming little restaurant on the corner of Filbert and Columbus . I walked in to see about the wait. Unfortunately the small intimacy that I so appreciated as I walked in, was also the reason that there would be no tables available for several hours! I glared jealously at the warm self-satisfied patrons that were already dining and made a mental note to return…with a reservation!

The restaurant, as I’ve said, has a cozy, intimate and warm atmosphere. There were small round black and white tiles on the floor and red plush curtains that hung from the floor to ceiling windows. Delicate antique crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. The restaurant was shaped like a circle or octagon and the ceiling was tremendously high. The kitchen was somewhat visible from the small linen-clad tables dotted around the room.

It felt like the kind of place where the owner greeted you warmly at the door, took your coat and then went back to the kitchen to prepare your meal. If the food is as good as it looked then the dishes are authentic and wonderful. Reading their menu online, I can’t wait to try their fresh sweet potato gnocchi with sage and smoked bacon and sherry cream sauce as well as the roasted asparagus with lemon aioli, toasted bread crumbs and champagne vinagrette.

So, hopefully you will soon read an account on this blog of my experience with the best Italian food in San Francisco…at Da Flora restaurant.

Have you ever been? What is your favorite Italian restaurant?

Da Flora Restaurant
http://www.daflorasf.com
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 6-9:30
701 Columbus, San Francisco

Photo credits to Orsorama and Zaldoe

Over the past few decades, Indianapolis has attracted a slew of authentic Mexican restaurants — to the tune of 13 of them in a five-mile radius of my house, which makes them more plentiful than McDonald’s and Burger King combined. I’ll bet you know exactly what I’m talking about: a small, strip mall location and combinations you order by the number, with numero uno always a beef taco, two enchiladas and your choice of rice or beans. No substitutions, please.

My husband swears he can taste a difference in these dishes. I apparently have a more blue-collar tongue, because I don’t give a rip which one we dine at tonight. That’s not to say I can’t tell them apart, however. Here’s my handy-dandy chart to guide you through the maze:

El Rodeo #14

Ahh, I dubbed this the cultural Mecca. You might guess that’s because the plastic covers stapled to the underneath of the table are a dizzying display of yellow, red and green dancing cartoon tequila bottles, cerveza and salsa figures. You’d be wrong. It’s because management here invites a local artist to peddle cartoon portraits to patrons on specific nights. So should you feel the meal isn’t flying out of the kitchen fast enough, you can amuse yourself by sitting for a drawing from the woman who uses the world’s fastest portrait technique. Heaven knows, we’re always so dressed up for these dinners, and salsa splashes with few flecks of queso for emphasis always improves a piece of art.

My husband’s assessment: Most likely to over fry the chips.

1265 North Madison Ave.

Greenwood, IN 46142

(317) 888-5620

El Rodeo #21

This location has the largest dining space of the authentics, and the only one with an entire wall made of windows. As a result, it’s open and bright — which is no doubt why the designers haven’t gone overboard tacking sombreros to the walls. It’s a very tasteful pink surrounding, with the exception of one blue wall where I assume they ran out of paint. I call this location the groupie place, because you can get a table for 12 in the middle of the room without sitting in another party’s booth. It also helps that they don’t play loud accordion music in your ears.

My husband’s take: The sauces on the food add to the flavor rather than try to hide something.

3113 West Smith Valley Road

Greenwood, IN 46143

(317) 883-0379

Mi Pueblo

Our usual el stop-o when we drop off business for my transcriptionist in Franklin. Frankly, it’s a color overdose. I never dreamed of mixing lime green, grass green, orange, hot pink, lemon and cobalt blue walls in one two-room space, and I’m not a gal who has any truck with neutrals in the first place. And wait until you see the tables: carved watermelons and pineapples (sporting the right, bright hues of course) trapped under glass, all mixed with sea foam plastic booth seats. On the other hand, you don’t care that your burrito, beans and rice lack color. It’s rather refreshing to have a place to rest your eyes.

My husband’s conclusion: These folks know how to spice up the menu. He’d eat here every night if he could. If I ever go blind, I’ll let him.

1904 S U.S. Highway 31

Franklin, IN 46131

(317) 346-4144

Mexico City Grill

At last, I found a place where the food has made a bigger impression than the spackled walls that look like someone was icing a wedding cake and fake flowers in the windows. MCG, as I’ve dubbed, strays from the script just a little to bring you Larry’s Dip appetizer — a bowl of refried beans, ground beef, pico de gallo and white cheese dip. No one knows who Larry is or why he thought up this hardy meal, but you can phone my order in on the way because you’ll never talk me out of ordering it.

My husband’s take: Leave the menu so I can stand it up on the table and not watch her eat what resembles pureed dog food.

8028 S. Emerson Ave.

Indianapolis, IN 46237

(317) 884-4901

Photographer’s credits: Julie Sturgeon, sweetdarlingsunshine

Whenever I am craving a really good quality sausage, like the kind I had in Germany at many a beer hall – Rosamunde Sausage Grill is the place I always head to.

It feels as if you’ve been transported across the Atlantic, when you grab your sausage order and take it next door to Toronado – a bar where you’ll find an extensive selection of German and Belgium beers and ales on tap.

The location of Rosamunde Sausage Grill is in the Lower Haight area of San Francisco, which for someone new to the area is known as a bit of a rough neighborhood, though mostly only at night.

However the sausages more than make up for any reservations you may have of going, when I suggest you put your wallet in your front pocket before heading over. Just like traveling in Europe, be friendly but prudent.

Rosamunde Sausage Grill has a loyal and steady stream of customers, therefore expect a ten minute wait for your order whatever time of day you go.

They offer a huge variety of sausages on a fresh substantial bun – for about $5.00 – here is a small sample of what you can expect:

• Wild Boar apple and spice

• Chicken smoked with cherries

• Duck with figs

• Smoked Lamb sundried tomato and potato

• Italian spicy pork

• Hungarian smoked pork

• Andouille cajun smoked spicy pork

• Vegan organic spicy sausage

For all of the rough and tumble neighborhood, the sausages they offer are delicious and with the perfect selection of condiments – Sauerkraut, Grilled Onions, Peppers or Spicy Beef Chili – your taste buds will be in heaven.

They are open everyday and don’t forget that you have the option of taking your food “for next door.” And “next door” is the Toronado, a very cool bar that serves a huge selection of cold beers, which go very nicely with sausages.

Rosamunde Sausage Grill is located very near to good public transportation so don’t worry about the street parking.

545 Haight St
(between Fillmore St & Steiner St)
San Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 437-6851

Hours: Mon-Sun. 11:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

There are three BOA Steakhouses; one in Las Vegas, one in West Hollywood, and the third in Santa Monica. This last BOA has, beyond a doubt, the most fun and lovely setting of the collection. It is kitty-corner on Santa Monica Blvd and Ocean Avenue – the last street in Santa Monica before you’re in the ocean.  Outdoor dining here provides some great sunsets and people-watching. It’s one of my two favorite steakhouses in Santa Monica – the other, Houston’s, being just a few minutes’ walk away.

BOA is a wonderful steakhouse restaurant, due in no small part to the perfect setting mentioned above. Any tourist wanting a fun yet classy dining experience in Santa Monica will be happy here – the Santa Monica beach is iconic to Southern California, the cute young people roller-blading by or carrying on loud cell phone conversations are amusing, and the outdoor dining helps add to a quintessential Los Angeles vacation.

For an appetizer, I recommend trying the goat cheese baklava. The black truffles and pistachios create an interesting combination of textures, and the cheve is creamy and fresh. Of course, this IS a steakhouse, with the seafood appetizers you’d expect: Try the oysters on the half shell if you want to go the normal steakhouse dinner route.

Main course specialties include a great porterhouse, and a succulent filet mignon. Someone in my dining party ordered the Japanese wagyu – this is commonly known as kobe beef – and said that while it was good, it wasn’t the best kobe he’d had. We ordered sides of fries and macaroni and cheese for the table (as befits a steakhouse dinner), and they were fine accompaniments. Really, though, the fun at BOA is, as with many top-notch steakhouses, the combination of steak choices and rubs and sauces. Of these, I can’t recommend highly enough the foie gras butter; it helped raise my petite filet mignon to an amazing, absolutely superior level. The creamy horseradish and the bearnaise are also standouts.

Chances are, you’ll be too full to really enjoy a heavy dessert after dinner at BOA. But cotton candy is served…one little bite, that can’t hurt, right? Fine dining, people watching, and enjoying the sun set over the Pacific is a great way to spend an evening in Santa Monica.

BOA Steakhouse
101 Santa Monica Blvd
Santa Monica, CA
(310) 899-0066