La Folie (San Francisco) - Brilliant in every way: the best French place in SF and one of my very favourite restaurants in the world. Even the fact that I was recovering from being ill didn't stop me from enjoying this place, especially a stunning dessert of apple bread pudding.
Le Charm (San Francisco) - Spiffy French place near the Moscone, where the large number of items on the menu but not in the kitchen on the night I visited only gave the place a bit more Gallic-shrug charm. Good bistro good, lovely waiting staff, so-so wine list, cracking value. Recommended.
A16 (San Francisco) - Good food, characterless decor, too much noise and bake-on-tan clientele. I'd heard lots of good things about A16 but it didn't hit the mark for me. Two courses out of four were very good - the special Pizza which we shared as an appetizer in particular. The other two were below par though, meaning that overall the food was merely good. I've had nicer at places with much less pretension and notably lower prices. Still, I'd consider giving it another try.
Luna Park (San Francisco) - Grungy place full of people who were clearly 'making a night of it.' Good value on the regular menu, brilliant value for the blue plate specials. Terrific bar, cute waitresses, speedy service, keen pricing and most of all - very more-ish food, with several flashes of wit. Meatloaf to die for.
Cafe Claude (San Francisco) - Does just what you want a bistro to do: serves good food and well chosen drinks in a no-fuss, low key environment. A good place to unwind and fill up on French faves.
Rumjungle (Las Vegas) - Big place with impressive bar. Food is tasty & flame pit deals are good value. Not fine dining, but fun dining for sure.
Lawry's (Las Vegas) - Slow to the point of complaint - took 20mins to seat us and another hour until we started to eat. Crowded, noisy, ugly place and, unforgivably, boring food. Much better choices to be had in Vegas.
B&B Ristorante (Las Vegas) - Possibly the best Italian food I've ever had. Great menu. Lamb tongue and lamb brain 'postage stamps' both a revelation. Grilled octopus excellent. Beef cheek ravioli and lamb chops terrific too. Extensive wine list with wide range of prices and tastes. Terrific service, esp from sommelier. I loved B&B.
Capital Grill (Las Vegas) - We ate in a private room. Service was talky, but sharp. Seafood appetizers and steaks amazing. Sides less so. Wine list good but expensive. A good place for a special occasion.
Postrio (Las Vegas) - Used to be lovely but a recent redesign and reduction to just a cafe menu has ruined this place. Avoid if you're basing your attendance on reviews of when it used to be good.
David Burke (Las Vegas) - I don't know where to start on this stunning Vegas find, located near the Blue Man Theatre in the Venetian. We ate there twice in a week, so excited were we by the food and the fun ambiance. Water pours from the ceiling (intentionally!) and humpty-dumpty features at key points in the dining room. Salt blocks are piled high near the open kitchen. Even prettier than the decor is the food. Angry lobster is served on a cushion of spikes - no wonder it's angry, but it tastes sublime. Chicken is served with tiny, perfectly cooked quail eggs. Grilled octopus is nearly as good as at Batali's B&B and red snapper delivers nuances of taste that make you long for the recipe. So good it's worth going to Vegas for this place alone.
Le Charm (San Francisco) - Spiffy French place near the Moscone, where the large number of items on the menu but not in the kitchen on the night I visited only gave the place a bit more Gallic-shrug charm. Good bistro good, lovely waiting staff, so-so wine list, cracking value. Recommended.
A16 (San Francisco) - Good food, characterless decor, too much noise and bake-on-tan clientele. I'd heard lots of good things about A16 but it didn't hit the mark for me. Two courses out of four were very good - the special Pizza which we shared as an appetizer in particular. The other two were below par though, meaning that overall the food was merely good. I've had nicer at places with much less pretension and notably lower prices. Still, I'd consider giving it another try.
Luna Park (San Francisco) - Grungy place full of people who were clearly 'making a night of it.' Good value on the regular menu, brilliant value for the blue plate specials. Terrific bar, cute waitresses, speedy service, keen pricing and most of all - very more-ish food, with several flashes of wit. Meatloaf to die for.
Cafe Claude (San Francisco) - Does just what you want a bistro to do: serves good food and well chosen drinks in a no-fuss, low key environment. A good place to unwind and fill up on French faves.
Rumjungle (Las Vegas) - Big place with impressive bar. Food is tasty & flame pit deals are good value. Not fine dining, but fun dining for sure.
Lawry's (Las Vegas) - Slow to the point of complaint - took 20mins to seat us and another hour until we started to eat. Crowded, noisy, ugly place and, unforgivably, boring food. Much better choices to be had in Vegas.
B&B Ristorante (Las Vegas) - Possibly the best Italian food I've ever had. Great menu. Lamb tongue and lamb brain 'postage stamps' both a revelation. Grilled octopus excellent. Beef cheek ravioli and lamb chops terrific too. Extensive wine list with wide range of prices and tastes. Terrific service, esp from sommelier. I loved B&B.
Capital Grill (Las Vegas) - We ate in a private room. Service was talky, but sharp. Seafood appetizers and steaks amazing. Sides less so. Wine list good but expensive. A good place for a special occasion.
Postrio (Las Vegas) - Used to be lovely but a recent redesign and reduction to just a cafe menu has ruined this place. Avoid if you're basing your attendance on reviews of when it used to be good.
David Burke (Las Vegas) - I don't know where to start on this stunning Vegas find, located near the Blue Man Theatre in the Venetian. We ate there twice in a week, so excited were we by the food and the fun ambiance. Water pours from the ceiling (intentionally!) and humpty-dumpty features at key points in the dining room. Salt blocks are piled high near the open kitchen. Even prettier than the decor is the food. Angry lobster is served on a cushion of spikes - no wonder it's angry, but it tastes sublime. Chicken is served with tiny, perfectly cooked quail eggs. Grilled octopus is nearly as good as at Batali's B&B and red snapper delivers nuances of taste that make you long for the recipe. So good it's worth going to Vegas for this place alone.
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