I love NYC, and always head to this great Italian I found on Upper East Side. It's called Baraonda and is on 2nd Avenue and the corner of 75th. The best night to go is on a Sunday by midnight when everyone is dancing on the tables or even on the bar! The food is delicious and great value. Book ahead.
For drinks: Little Branch in the Village – much like visiting a speakeasy with classic and innovative cocktails in a strangely enticing basement space.
For dinner: You can’t go wrong with 11 Madison. It’s a wonderful, adult place to eat which exemplifies a certain sort of American and New York high cuisine. It’s an utter pleasure.
Little Branch: on the corner of St. Luke’s and 7th Avenue in the Village.
11 Madison: www.elevenmadisonpark.com/
I love NYC, and always head to this great Italian I found on Upper East Side called Baraonda. The best night to go is on a Sunday by midnight when everyone is dancing on the tables or even on the bar! The food is delicious and great value. Book ahead.
2nd Avenue and the corner of 75th
I had an unplanned stopover in Butte and stumbled (literally) across this place in the Downtown area of the city. The Margueritas were excellent. It is a fusion of Mexican/ American food and although not cheap it is like a breath of fresh air in a state where moose and elk burgers are pretty standard.
Atmosphere is lively and the owner - Fred - omnipresent. Creative and inspired eaterie.
205 S Arizona St
Butte, MT 59701
Fax: 406-723-4440
My lunch at this Michelin two-star restaurant was the highlight of my trip to Denmark. It wasn't cheap, but it was worth every DK: brilliant, delicious food, impeccable service, cozy atmosphere.
Full meal description, with photos, at www.travelmusings.net
Unsicht-Bar is Berlin's completely dark restaurant. Diners order from a cryptic menu, and then are escorted into a pitch-black dining room (the servers are sight-impaired). I had a blast.
www.unsicht-bar.com/unsicht-bar-berlin-v2/en/html/home_1_idea.html
www.travelmusings.net
The most delicious bouillabaisse is served in this smart and charming restaurant overlooking a quaint harbour in the Vallon des Auffes. Take the Rue de Vallon west to the coast to enjoy. Finish with a stroll along the seaside looking out to the Chateau d'If.
www.chez-fonfon.com/
140, Vallon des Auffes - 13007 MARSEILLE
Tél. 04 91 52 14 38 - Fax 04 91 52 14 16
We had great pizzas at this busy restaurant which clearly is popular with local people including families with kids. Well worth a short Metro ride to Roma station.
Travessa Henrique Cardoso 19b - off from Avenida da Roma.
Cafe Sereno is a small family owned business on Albany road that does great food, is fully licenced and has a fabulous beer garden. It’s open all day until 10pm and is ideal for a quick snack, coffee, pint or a romantic evening meal. It’s also available for bookings. They always have special offers and meal deals available which makes it very reasonably priced. Child friendly.
68 Albany road,
Roath,
Cardiff
CF24 3RS
For general information on restaurants, events, bars, shows see:
- Chicago Magazine (a mostly medium-to-upscale monthly)
- Chicago Reader (a free edgier Friday weekly)
- Metromix
- Chowhound’s Chicago Board (individual reviews and comments, but generally on target)
- WTTW Public TV’s Check Please (see restaurant list)
You can eat well and with a lot of ethnic variety in Chicago. There are too many good restaurants of all kinds and nationalities to name here. If it were up to me, I’d buy a copy of Chicago Magazine, check out Chowhound (which, by the way covers other areas in the US) and check out WTTW’s Check Please site if I was interested in eating well and interestingly (and I am).
www.chicagomag.com
www.chicagoreader.com
www.chicago.metromix.com
chowhound.chow.com/boards/7
www.wttw.com/main.taf?p=1,5
University of Chicago: Situated around the Hyde Park area, this is a beautifully constructed university by industrialist John D. Rockerfeller
Capital Grille and Chicago Chop House really have to be experienced! Try the dry aged beef...
Our friends and family have just enjoyed a weekend of autumn sunshine in this wonderful part of Italy. Halloween was spent dressing up and joining the locals at a disco in the medieval town of Sarnano, Saturday was spent blowing away the cobwebs by hiking along old mule tracks within the awesome Sibillini National Park and on Sunday we all went for lunch at the rifugio or mountain refuge at Monte Amandola.
This is one of a chain of places to eat and stay at high altitude within the park. The food was delicious and included strozzaprete pasta (literally translated as priest strangler pasta) with a truffle and sausage sauce, meats and home made deserts, coffee and wines and all for €13 a head.
Finisterra offers great delights at small prices in the warm and informal atmosphere of the classic Argentinean resto-bar.
5190 Honduras (corner of Uriarte)
Palermo Soho - Buenos Aires
www.finisterra-bar.com
Google map: tinyurl.com/mb8e4s
Just finished having a magic week in Kenmare. Found this stunning holiday house through Kenmarerentals.com. We were far enough out of town to have the feeling of uninterrupted privacy in what is a very beautiful part of Ireland - wild deer coming up to the back garden one of the many highlights of the stay. But we were close enough to be back in town in a matter of minutes. Spent many good evenings in the owner's pub O'Donnabhain's where the food and atmosphere was wonderful. A very cosy place with great character and hospitality. Would highly recommend both as places to stay and visit if heading to Kenmare.
Order the Swedish pancakes with lingonberries (anytime) or one of the Swedish specialties. Delicious!
909 W. Belmont
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 348-2378
www.annsather.com/
Jimmy Watson's is named after an icon of the Australian wine industry and is a wine bar, bistro and restaurant. Located in the Lygon St food and dining area of the inner city suburb of Carlton, it has been a meeting place for Melburnians to chat, imbibe and graze for more than 75 years (it was opened in the 1930s by Jimmy Watson himself).
As it's also located close to Melbourne University, countless generations of students have met there over the years to discuss politics and economics. Run today by Watson's grandsons, the original aura and atmosphere of Watson's has been retained.
It must also be said, that in addition to this eating place, Jimmy Watson is remembered by the memorial trophy under his name offered each year at the Royal Melbourne Wine show.
Watsons is a Melbourne institution.
333 Lygon St
Carlton 3053 VIC
Phone: (03) 9347 3985
www.yourrestaurants.com.au/guide/jimmy_watsons/
Google map: tinyurl.com/o59mqp
The Peppermill is possibly the best-value eaterie in Vegas. I've been using it for twelve years and it never disappoints! It isn't haute cuisine but then where in the USA is? It has good food, quick service and pleasant waiting staff. Oh, and reasonable prices - what more do you need?
North on The Strip almost opposite Circus Circus.
When visiting Las Vegas, most people worry about how to get there, where to stay and where to eat. Vegas has an abundance of hotels and restaurants, but eating out can be pricey. The place to eat in Vegas, and get a lot for your buck, is a buffet. The food is good and very reasonable. Almost every hotel and casino has a buffet and most meals are priced under $20 for all-you-can-eat.
I was amazed to find this relic of the old South Africa not only still standing but serving exactly the same banana malts (with fresh fruit) and hamburgers as in 1949, when I lived here as a kid with my American family.
Louis Botha Avenue, Highlands North
This is a Mexican themed bar and restaurant in the heart of Borovets. The food is great and quite reasonably priced, but the main reason to visit is the atmosphere. The live band, who are known as Sound Forge, are superb. They cover old rock (think Hendrix, Led Zep, Black Sabbath) as well as some more up to date stuff like Oasis and Green Day. The bar staff are also fantastic - the last time I went I ended up behind the bar learning to mix cocktails. Any trip to Borovets must include a drink (or several) here.
Halfway up the hill between the gondola and the Rila square