My two cents on food
jtkoo
As a fat foodie, I oughta know.
24 Oct 2006
based on 24 votes
Quick recap of my opinions on my dining experiences around the country.
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Explore locations featured in this Traveler List:
New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, Yountville, Las Vegas, Brooklyn, Washington DC, Orlando, Salt Lake City, Dallas, Beverly Hills, Miami Beach, Philadelphia, Napa, Berkeley, Tampa, Coronado, Baltimore, Greenwich, Arlington, Sacramento, Fort Worth, Grapevine, Atlanta, Southlake, Newington, Princeton, Weston, Houston, Stamford, Los Angeles, Albion, Mendocino, Boston, Celebration, Orem, Ellicott City, New Haven, Kissimmee, Austin
- Category: Roadtrip
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Traveler type: Culture
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Appeals to: Business travellers , Couples/romantics, Honeymooners, Singles, Tourists
- Seasons:
- Tags: Restaurants, Hotels, New York City, San Francisco, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Philadelphia
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| Five Stars. Most memorable meal of my life. Partook of 17 course custom tasting menu on our honeymoon. Standouts include "Toad in a hole" with brioche, quail egg, and lots of freshly shaved white truffles, and famous "Oysters and Pearls". Truffles were brought out in a special "lockbox"...the aroma when they opened it Very friendly, attentive service. We even got a tour of the kitchen. I guess that's what a $1200 meal for two (without wine) will buy you. |
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2. Campton Place Restaurant
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| Four stars. Got engaged there...had a very special evening with individualized tasting menus for each of us. Got a lot of help from the maitre d'. Chef Daniel Humm was still there at the time (he has moved on to NYC). Excellent food, with plenty of trendy foams, and impeccable service. |
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| Four stars. Elegant, but rather formal and stiff. Efficient, attentive service without being particularly friendly. Terrifiic, expensive food but it seems so...anal. |
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| Four stars. Has three Michelin stars. Very good, but I'd have to say I enjoyed Per Se (Thomas Keller's Manhattan outpost) more. Perhaps this is because we had a special 17 course "VIP" tasting menu at Per Se (completely different courses for my wife and I) on our honeymoon, and "only" had the regular 9 course menu at FL. But all the courses came out lukewarm, and there was no "wow". Still, quite a good experience albeit expensive. |
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| Four stars. Chef Hubert Keller serves terrific, inventive food under a romantic "canopy" in the main dining room. Attentive service. |
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| Four stars. Wonderful food. An ingredient is highlighted and served in special plates in three ways...each as a hot and a cold preparation. Mmmm. Good service too. Unfortunately, the setting in the old bar in the lobby of the St. Francis Hotel is far from intimate, and makes conversation impossible due to all the echoes. |
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7. L'Atelier Joel Robuchon
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| Four stars. This is the more "casual" of Joel Robuchon's outposts at the MGM in Las Vegas. Even though you sit at a counter, don't expect discount prices though. The food is, on the whole, fantastic (with the richest "mashed potatoes" you will ever taste, a signature dish). We did have a rather unpleasant start to our meal, however. Our amuse bouche included a cumin foam that smelled like "B.O."...no joke. |
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| Four stars. Very good, elegant food in stylish setting. Always friendly service and surprisingly generous portions with reasonable prices (for a high-end restaurant...about $79 for five courses). One of my favorite places anywhere. |
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9. Peter Luger Steak House
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| Four stars. Wow...best slab of beef anywhere. Only porterhouses on the menu. Old rude waiters, but that is part of charm. No credit cards accepted...cash only. Quite expensive ($64 for steak for two). |
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Four stars. Exceptional food in an extraordinary posh setting in the Wynn
Hotel. They even have a little chair for your purse. Very expensive. |
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| Located in the Mandarin Oriental hotel, this is our new favorite restaurant in D.C. Attentive, friendly service and fantastic food. Chef Eric Ziebold was voted in Food & Wine magazine as one of ‘America’s Best New Chef’s’ and is a protege of Thomas Keller. We got the banquette closest to the kitchen and it was amazing how calm everything was (compared to the chaos you see on TV). Much better than Citronelle. |
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| Four stars. Terrific food but somewhat stuffy service. Probably best "seafood" restaurant I have ever been to. |
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| Four stars. Very good food, but in a stifling atmosphere. The staff is forced to wear stuffy "Victorian" period dress and the whole experience feels "Disneyfied" (the restaurant is at the Grand Floridian Resort). Nevertheless, no complaints about the food. The foie gras ($15 premium) was excellent. Could not afford the premiums for the Australian "Kobe" ($30) or the Japanese Wagyu ($80) entrees (after $115 for the fixe prix 6 course meal, without booze). Definitely order the coffee after dinner...it is brewed on the table with some contraption I have never seen! |
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| Four stars. One of the better steaks I have had anywhere, and the best truffled mac and cheese I have ever had. Efficient service. Part of a nationwide chain, but still high quality. |
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15. Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar
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| Four stars. Surprising...had never heard of Flemings before. Actually a national chain. Despite wet aging, my bone-in strip was one of the more flavorful and tender steaks I have had. Delicious sides. Atmosphere is standard steakhouse...dim, very corporate. Surprisingly friendly service. We enjoyed ourselves very much. |
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16. Garden Court Restaurant
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| Four stars. Great Sunday Jazz/Champagne brunch. $55 all you can eat but price includes fresh oysters at raw bar, giant shrimp cocktail, roast beef, sushi, dim sum, etc. Stunning setting (where Michael Douglas crashed through the ceiling in The Game) with great jazz. Best brunch anywhere. |
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| Three Stars. Best meal I have had in Dallas. Very eclectic taste combinations.They work for the most part. Friendly and knowledgable sommelier Rudy, formerly of Per Se. |
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18. Sidewalk Cafe in Paris
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| Three stars. Decent bistro fare, friendly service. Great location to eat on sidewalk. It is right across the street from Bellagio's fountains...best seat to catch the show. |
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| Three stars. Very good food in elegant Federal townhouse in Georgetown. Excellent service, somewhat stuffy. Curiously, crab cakes were very similar to those served at The Tombs, a sports bar and grill downstairs...probably same management. |
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| Three stars. Had the seasonal white truffle tasting menu. Good, but not extraordinary (except for the price). Rather informal considering what I was paying...I guess that's California. |
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| Three stars. Had tasting menu when Chef Ron Siegel (known for defeating iron Chef French Hiroyuki Sakai) was still there. Food was kind of bland, crying out for seasoning. Service was rather good, and held table even when I was running late. Setting was rather sterile, as everything was "hospital white". |
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| Three stars. Good Cantonese food in Chinatown. Fancy setting...appeals to tourists. Caution, if you don't speak Chinese, you may be seated in the basement next to the broom closet. |
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23. Fifth Floor Restaurant
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| Three stars. Inconsistent. Dined there when Chef Laurent Gras was there...first time was amazing...second time - not so much. Very trendy setting with lots of reds, blacks, zebra prints, etc. |
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| Three stars. Wonderfully fresh stone crab claws with tasty signature mustard/mayo sauce. Touristy so make sure to make like an AARP member and dine early or else prepare to battle the crowds. |
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| Three stars. Typical steak house. Good quality beef...expensive. |
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| Three stars. Pleasant food in trendy surroundings. The tiered seafood presentation is not a good idea since everything gets cold before you can eat it. |
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| Three stars. Upscale dim sum. Quite good...also gets quite crowded. |
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| Three stars. Good casual bistro food. Nice atmosphere. |
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| Three stars. Good food, surprisingly friendly service. However, no "revelations" here. Veal cheek ravioli were quite tasty. Foie gras unimpressive. Large portions. |
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| Three stars. Decent food and service but the real attraction is the Bay...the resurant is literally right on the water. |
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31. Emeril's Restaurant Orlando
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| Three stars. Nothing special here. Tasty and large portions. Tourist friendly. However, not very sophisticated...not much to write home about. |
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| Three stars. OK, so it is a tourist trap on Pier 41. But the roasted garlic crab is so addictive. |
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| Three stars. Decent steak...nothing special. They do have a special desert room though. |
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| Three stars. Signature restaurant at the Hotel Del Coronado. Gorgeous setting, right on the ocean. Good food, but tend towards the expensive. Also ate at Sheerwater, the more casual restaurant at the hotel. It is right next to 1500 Ocean and served similar food (some items were identical), but much cheaper! |
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| Three stars. Good food in a period rowhouse. Each room decorated differently...very romantic. |
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36. Restaurant Jean-Louis
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| Three stars. Very good French in small, intimate setting. Quite expensive though. |
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37. Charleston Restaurant
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| Three stars. Inventive "coastal" cuisine in elegant setting. Service was kind of snooty. |
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38. Lawry's the Prime Rib
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| Three stars. Good chain restaurant. Very busy location with harried service. But elegant serving cart for the prime rib, and delicious Yorkshire pudding. |
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| Three stars. Loved it. 50's style diner. Wasn't able to make it to the original in Napa but this one at the Ferry Bld is quite nice. Great burgers and shakes...loved the Ahi tuna burger with wasabi mayo. |
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| Three stars. Fantastic vibe. Great tapas in a lively setting. Try the Gambas al ajillo...a very common dish but rarely done well. It is very good here. |
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41. Bouchon at the Venetian
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| Three stars. Thomas Keller can do no wrong. Felt like we were transported to a little Paris bistro. Good, basic food with friendly, attentive service. |
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42. Piranha: Killer Sushi
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| Three stars. Went to new location in downtown Fort Worth. Very nice setting. Trendy decor with attentive servers. Good fresh seafood, at surprisingly low (relative) prices. Probably best sushi we have had in DFW. |
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| Three stars. Good, consistent national chain. I've never had a bad meal at a Mortons. Wonderful steaks, decent sides. Usually pretty good service. |
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| Three stars. Very nice steakhouse chain. Plush setting, with great, unhurried service. Very good food. Unfortunately, very expensive...would be best to eat here on an expense account. |
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| Three stars. Country French fare. Food was okay, but price was definitely right. Setting reminds one of small country inn. Emphasis is on small. |
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| Three stars. Very good churrascaria. For the most part, the meats were prepared well. Good but not exceptional choices at salad bar. |
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| Three stars. Elegant setting for beautiful people. Pretty good steaks. Unfortunately, too dimly lit...can't see the food much less your dinner companions. |
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| Three stars. Very nice, upscale churrascaria. Absolutely huge "salad" bar. You should fast for a few days before coming. |
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| Three stars. Very nice setting, friendly attentive service. Steaks were well aged, flavorful, and tender. |
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| Three stars. Very nice, elegant Italian restuarant. Biba herself, who has been battling cancer, visits throughout the dining room. Food delicious. |
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| Three stars. Very elegant dining room. Located in Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Helpful, unobtrusive service. Good food. Very expensive. |
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| Three stars. Very hip spot on the Embarcadero. Beautiful people to see and be seen. Very popular happy hour spot for young professionals. Food is surprisingly good considering it is a chain and bar. Reasonable prices. |
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| Three stars. My favorite seafood place in SF. It is a DIVE. Inside is a single counter with twelve (I think) permanent barstools. There is always a line out the door around the block. But it has terrifically fresh seafood (they are a supplier for many restaurants) at very good prices and friendly, "salty" help behind the counter. |
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54. Charley's Steak House
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| Three stars. Very nice food, typical steakhouse fare, in a touristy restaurant. The "supersized" New York strip is not to be missed. |
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| Three stars. Nice little bistro. Very casual, friendly. Great steak frites. |
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56. Mana Japanese Restaurant
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| Three stars. Small, unassuming neighborhood restaurant. But I love this place. It is friendly and they serve impeccably fresh sushi. I love the imaginative rolls and sauces (OK, it is not authentic) and the price is definitely right. |
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57. Ruth's Chris Steak House
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| Three stars. Typical steakhouse. Nothing extraordinary. In general, I have liked Mortons better. |
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58. Blade's Prime Chophouse
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| Three stars. This had been my favorite steakhouse in DFW until its untimely passing. Good food but very good prices. In comparison to Del Frisco's down the road, the steaks were just as good while the seafood bisque was fantastic (a large bowlful of rich stock loaded with tender seafood) and less costly. Nice elegant atmosphere (I especially like the Library dining room) and friendly service. They will be missed. |
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| Two stars. Nothing special about this place. Relatively fresh but very expensive seafood. Seafood salad nothing to write home about. Distracted service. |
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60. Michel Richard Citronelle
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| Two stars. Average food for a high-end restaurant. Nothing particularly memorable except for snooty service. |
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| Two stars. Crowded, indifferent service. Couldn't recognize cut of steak. Still quite expensive. |
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62. Gene & Georgetti's Restaurant
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| Two stars. Crowded. See Chicago Chop House. Average food. |
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| Two stars. Hubert Keller's attempt at gourmet informal food in Vegas. Kobe beef burger with black truffle perigord sauce and foie gras did not taste unified but rather tasted like a burger with mushroom sauce covered by a small piece of foie gras. Place looks like a bar and grill...at least it has friendly service. |
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| Two stars. Fresh seafood, but not particularly inventive. Expensive. Very unique setting...make you feel as if you are in an underwater cave. |
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| Two stars. Famous for dim sum...caters to upscale tourists. Always crowded, food has progressively gotten worse with each return visit. Found hair in dumpling once. |
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| Two stars. Uggh, so overrated. It is more of a place to see and be seen than to eat. New location on Embarcadero is very trendy. Too bad you can find better food at Panda Express. |
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67. The Alchemist & Barrister Restaurant
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| Two stars. Quaint food in colonial townhouse. Mediocre food and service. |
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68. Susanna Foo Chinese Cuisine
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| Two stars. Overrated. Nothing special to remember. Expensive. |
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| Two stars. Average food, but fantastic setting. Overlooks a little creek with a water wheel. Especially cozy on a cold winter night. |
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| Two stars. Trendy setting...good but not exceptional food. Open kitchen in center of dining room makes for a good show. |
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| Two stars. Average food in a bustling, busy dining hotspot. Has pictures of lots of celebrities that have dined here. |
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| Two stars. Decent food...better setting. Good for late-night dining in a fashionable neighborhood. Nice atmosphere. |
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| Two stars. Decent food with fresh seafood but nothing memorable. Friendly service. |
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| Two stars. For the beautiful people. Impeccably fresh seafood, but incredibly expensive and very arrogant servers. |
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| Two stars. Trendy spot in a beautiful setting with lots of desert choices. However, each one of them will put you into a diabetic coma. We have never had good service at a single one of their locations. |
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76. Lonesome Dove Western Bistro
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| Two stars. Chef Tim Love and his "cowboy fare". Uggh...I guess it just means salty. Mediocre food and service. Above average price. |
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| Two stars. Ostensibly a tapas place in a trendy renovated industrial space. High energy, felt like we were in NYC. Food passable, service OK. |
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| Two stars. Tiny, cramped place listed in some national Top 50 restaurant surveys. Overrated. Food is OK, but no revelations here. Surprisingly snooty for such a small place in such a lousy location...we had to park next door in an abandoned old gas station. With only a handful of tables, we felt ignored when the chef came out to greet the others. Not worth the special trip. |
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79. Texas DE Brazil Restaurant
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| Two stars. Somewhat disappointing. Nice setting but can't compare to Fogo. Smaller salad bar, and meats tended to be overdone. |
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80. Mikuni Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar
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| Two stars. Trendy spot. Decent sushi but overpriced. Have had better at Mana in Sacramento. |
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| Two stars. Very crowded, very touristy. There always seems to be a long wait. Located at Fisherman's Wharf. Does have very tasty Cioppino, a San Francisco fisherman's stew. |
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| Two stars. Forgettable food down at Fisherman's Wharf. DO NOT splurge when offered special of Abalone...definitely not worth $80 a serving. |
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| Two stars. Very toursity, crowded. Located in Sir Francis Drake Hotel. Food OK but nothing special. But you'll be so hungry after waiting so long for your table that you won't care. |
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| Two stars. Good but not great Dim Sum in Richmond District. I've had better, I've had worse. |
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85. Del Frisco's Double Eagle
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| Two stars. Decent setting, but nothing special. Par for the course. Nice steaks. Do not get the $8 seafood bisque (a teacup half full with maybe 1 shrimp). For the money, there is definitely better in DFW. Stuffy, dismissive service. In Fort Worth, no less. You've got to be kidding. |
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| Two stars. Disappointing food. Having now tried the Big Three (Chefs Dean Fearing, Tim Love, and Stephan Pyles), I am not impressed with nuevo southwest cuisine. As with many other forms of fusion cuisine, the flavors do not seem to mesh well together. The setting however is very nice in the Arts district. The dining is very urban, chic, and sleek, and the service was OK. |
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87. Fort Worth's Chop House
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| Two stars. Somewhat cramped downtown steakhouse...not as elegant as typical steakhouse decor. Food not bad...not memorable. |
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88. Green Room, The
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| Two stars. I think it may be closed now. Was in Deep Ellum, a trendy, slightly dangerous part of town. Food was OK (I think they aspire to higher things but just don't have the skills yet). For instance, the risotto was underdone (the rice kernels were not al dente but rather actually still crunchy). Basic stuff. BUT, they were dirt cheap. |
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89. Albion River Inn Restaurant
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| Two stars. Really nothing special (other than the spectacular ocean view), but may be about as good as you can get on the Northern coast. The cassoulet (the house specialty) is especially to be avoided. It is tasteless, and dry. The duck is overdone and stringy and the beans make it impossibly heavy to eat. |
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90. MacCallum House Restaurant
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| Two stars. Again, nothing special. Seafood was overdone. Very friendly service though. Beautiful view of the ocean though. |
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91. McCormick & Schmick's
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| Two stars. Upscale chain resturant. Has nice view since it is right on the harbor. Food unmemorable. |
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| Two stars. Definitely don't know what the fuss is about. The chowder is especially forgettable. It is thich on texture but thin on flavor. Campbell's Chunky is better. |
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| Two stars. Spanish/Cuban cuisine. Decent food but pretty expensive, and spotty service. |
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| Two stars. An old insitution in downtown Baltimore. Pricey Spanish far. The gambas al ajillo used to be special. but are no longer worthwhile. Feels tired and long in the tooth. |
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95. Truluck's Steak & Stone Crab - McKinney Avenue
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| Two stars. Actually went to the new location in Southlake. The atmosphere is fantastic, sophisticated, and modern. The service was also very friendly and attentive. Alas, if only the food were better. Very expensive. Stay away from Crab & Artichoke soup...tastes like canned Philadelphia Pepper Pot Soup. |
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96. Mansion on Turtle Creek, The
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| One star. Extraordinarily overrated, wildly expensive. Lousy food from Chef Dean Fearing, indifferent service. Just recently changed chefs...Fearing is going to ruin the food at the new Ritz Carlton which is currently being built. |
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| One star. I guess this is what passes for haute cuisine in Utah. They better keep trying. Tastes like they use sauces out of cans and frozen crabcakes. Service was very friendly though. |
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98. Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse
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| One star. Has reputation as Dallas' best BBQ but we were not impressed. Brisket was dry, ribs tasted reheated. Sides tasted like they were straight out of a can. Mediocre. |
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| One star. Below average food but especially bad service and exceptionally rude maitre d'. Forced us to wait outside on a wet cold night in the middle of winter for a taxi after we dropped $1200 for our party on dinner. |
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| One star. Bills itself as country French, but is really low end continental. They push seafood platter appetizer, but same as TGIF fried sampler. Mediocre steak. Very expensive. |
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| One star. Very touristy spot seen in so many movies with autographed cartoons on the walls. Food seems to be an afterthought. |
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102. Hog Island Oyster Company
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| One star. Located in Ferry Building. Mediocre seafood. Considering they have their own oyster hatchery, they should have better oysters on the halfshell but they were samll and anorexic. Quite expensive for what you get. Nice view of the water though. |
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| One star. Typical NYC spot. Very trendy, very expensive. Food rather mediocre and scarce. The place is better used for drinks and to people watch. |
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| One star. So overrated. Maybe I'm just not into deli food, but it seems ridiculous to pay $25 for a pound of sliced deli meat piled onto a plain dry piece of bread and a kosher dill. Nice atmosphere (you can feel the energy of NYC) but not my bag. |
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105. Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana
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| One star. Don't know what the fuss is about. Same pizza I've had anywhere else. OK but not great. Certainly not worth the wait. |
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| One star. Had lunch there..we were only table. There were seven servers standing around yet it took quite an effort to get any bread or water! My pasta with mushroom sauce could have come from the lunchroom at elementary school. No thanks. |
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107. Wolfgang Puck Express Downtown Disney
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| One star. Tourist trap...no surprise. However, food was worse than when I ate there three years ago. Signature smoked salmon pizza was overwhelmed with stringy smoked salmon. My own version at home was much better! Service was indifferent. |
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| Zero stars. Oh my, where to start. Food so bad it borders on inedible. Has prime vistas overlooking LakeTravis, but Formica tables and laminated menus. Just say no. Servers wore baseball caps and T-shirts. Is it just a fry shack? Then why are menu items up to $20? |
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Compliment jtkoo
