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Having arrived in Philadelphia late Friday afternoon, after showering and resting a bit we decided we would like a late dinner. We wandered into La Fontana Dell Citta because it look inviting....
Having arrived in Philadelphia late Friday afternoon, after showering and resting a bit we decided we would like a late dinner. We wandered into La Fontana Dell Citta because it look inviting. Neither Karen nor I had ever heard of the place.
In brief, we were pleasantly surprised with the atmosphere, the food and the service. We ordered two specials, a seafood gnocchi and a grilled veal chop with an excellent wine sauce. We shared the two dishes and had the gnocchi served first and the then the veal. Both dishes were superb.
The atmosphere is that of small Italian café. The service was great but not fussy. As a matter of fact, we soon felt like we were in the home of good friends.
This is a bring-your-own-bottle establishment. However, being from out of town and dining at a late hour, the manager/owner said not to worry, he would "watch our glasses". With that he served us a bottom glass of complimentary wine.
Our total bill was under $60.
In summary, this is exactly the kind of surprise I enjoy when visiting a city where I am not familiar with all the restaurants. If you want good Italian fare at a reasonable price, you might consider La Fontana. If you enjoy warm friendly service in an almost homelike atmosphere, you definitely should try La Fontana.
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I have eaten at the Palomino several times and have never been disappointed. For anyone staying at the Sheraton, it is located directly across the street.
While the dishes may not be as...
I have eaten at the Palomino several times and have never been disappointed. For anyone staying at the Sheraton, it is located directly across the street.
While the dishes may not be as innovative as some other (e.g. Tom Douglas' Dahlia Lounge, Etta's, Palace, Lola or the Herb Farm), the offerings are varied and the preparations very good. On the most recent occasion, I had braised veal shanks. The dish was deliciously prepared with a rich caramelized sauce. Each of the other five people had different dishes. All were pleased. Service personnel were attentive and the service good. Prices are moderate. The wine list is reasonable with a wide ranging selection and prices. The atmosphere was reasonably subdued. It would be a reasonable place for a business dinner and not a bad place for an after wedding dinner (which is what we had Saturday night).
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This is one of the best value Korean eateries I have found outside of Seoul and Pusan. They have an expansive menu covering most of the usual Korean dishes. However, they also have dishes not easily...
This is one of the best value Korean eateries I have found outside of Seoul and Pusan. They have an expansive menu covering most of the usual Korean dishes. However, they also have dishes not easily found (eg. U Jok Tang, Do Ga Ni Tang, Dogani Sara, Agu Jhim). So while you can adventure, you also can't go wrong with the Gobdol Bibimbab and Pajun. It seems that the food really goes nicely with a couple of OBs (Korean beer).
While there is considerable seating, the place can get very crowded and a table may be hard to come by. However, I have never had to wait more than a few minutes. You will find it very popular with local Koreans.
This is a 24 hour restaurant. There is a club either below the restaurant of the business next door. Late night bass thumping with kimchi can be either interesting or annoying, depending on one's mood.
In general, this is one of my highly recommended value restaurants in the United States.
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Bellagio
Category:
Hyperbaric Services
3600 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, Nevada 89101
(702) 693-7111
The Bellagio has several penthouses. I have stayed on the fountain side and on the other side. If you are there for a romantic stay, the fountain side is definitely a step in the right direction. Of...
The Bellagio has several penthouses. I have stayed on the fountain side and on the other side. If you are there for a romantic stay, the fountain side is definitely a step in the right direction. Of course, the non-fountain views are breathtaking. So unless your love is beyond resuscitation, either will probably do nicely.
Check in has been a breeze. There is a private check in area that expedites things a great deal. One one occasion I had to wait a bit. I was offered food and drink to help pass the time (about 15 minutes).
The suites are massive with a full dining area, kitchenette, living area, separate bedroom and two full baths. One has a massive walk in shower and the other a beautifully large whirlpool tub. The accommodations in this bath put many salons to shame.
Service at the Bellagio has always been perfect. I called down to see if they had a bit of fresh ginger for tea to settle an upset stomach. Within minutes they had fetched some from the kitchen and had it in the suite with hot water for tea. A business acquaintance wanted a soda that was not in the suite. I called down and within five minutes it was delivered.
I suppose the way that I would summarize the experience at the Bellagio is "one with class". Not inexpensive, but definitely memorable.
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When I lived in Seattle I banked up the street at Washington Mutual's corporate headquarters. SInce moving to Florida I have used several WAMU branches in Melbourne and Orlando. The branch at Post...
When I lived in Seattle I banked up the street at Washington Mutual's corporate headquarters. SInce moving to Florida I have used several WAMU branches in Melbourne and Orlando. The branch at Post Commons in Melbourne is the one I prefer. There are three reasons: (1) convenience; there is usually not a long wait; (2) friendliness and helpfulness of staff; Janet, Phillip and Michelle are particularly helpful and nice, and; (3) service; they have been able to provide almost every service that Karen and I have asked for. On occasion they have come back with even better deals than we asked for.
It has gotten to the point that Karen and I know the staff and they know us. Banking is very personal at this branch. I like that.
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I had an external hard drive to simply stop functioning. I dropped it off at BCTS http://www.brevardcomputer.com/ and asked if they might be able to at least salvage the data. I was told: (1) yes;...
I had an external hard drive to simply stop functioning. I dropped it off at BCTS http://www.brevardcomputer.com/ and asked if they might be able to at least salvage the data. I was told: (1) yes; (2) the cost would be $99.00; (3) they might or might not be able to get the drive to work again, an; (4) it might be the next working day before they had it ready for me since it was within an hour of closing.
I was skeptical...very skeptical.
At 10:00 a.m. on Monday (the next working day) they called and said that one of three CDs of data was ready and the others were still copying. The drive was usable and the cost was $99.00. I could pick up my data and drive when I wished.
Too often we really do not believe that business people will actually do what they say. These guys did exactly what they said they would do. While that should be expected, there are times that such behavior also deserves recognition and comment. I feel that this is one of those times.
Obviously, I am very high on these guys. I have an old dead laptop I think I will drop by to see if they can bring to life. My expectations will be a great deal higher than on my previous encounter.... and that is to BCTS's credit.
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I stopped by Vital TeaLeaf http://www.vitaltleaf.com/ a few weeks ago while in San Francisco. I probably wouldn't have noticed except a beautiful woman played equally beautiful traditional Chinese...
I stopped by Vital TeaLeaf http://www.vitaltleaf.com/ a few weeks ago while in San Francisco. I probably wouldn't have noticed except a beautiful woman played equally beautiful traditional Chinese music in the open front of the store.
I was warmly invited to sit at the bar and immediately was asked if I would like to try the Blue, green tea they were serving. It had a wonderfully mild-sweet aftertaste. After that it was Lichee black, oolong, Bamboo green, Green Needle white....and on and on it went.
I bought a couple of teas then went back to the hotel to get Karen. We went back, sampled more and came home with several really unique teas.
While the place can get very busy, there is not a sense of confusion or rush. Somehow the atmosphere an pace does not seem hectic.
In brief, if you are into tea, you might want to check this place out. It is not your typical tea spot.
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(Torrefazione is not longer at the location cited in this review)
When I had offices in Seattle (I now live in Florida) they were on the same block as Torrefazione. On a nice sunny day it was a...
(Torrefazione is not longer at the location cited in this review)
When I had offices in Seattle (I now live in Florida) they were on the same block as Torrefazione. On a nice sunny day it was a pleasure to sit outside on Occidental Mall and have an espresso. Inside is typically a bit quieter than some of the other coffee houses. They offer eight different coffee blends of varying richness. The key to telling how light or dark the roast will be is that each blend is named for an Italian city. Lighter roasts are associate with the North and darker roasts with the South. Thus, Milano is a light roast, Perugia (Umbria) and Napoli a dark roast. The different blends have different flavor characteristics. Some are delicate and other more robust in-you-face.
Their coffee can be ordered on line at www.cooking.com. I occasionally see it in hotel rooms where I have stayed. Food stores in Washington, Arizona, California and Oregon carry Torrefazione. They include:
ARIZONA
Basha's
Frys
CALIFORNIA
Andronico's (NorCal)
Bristol Farms
Lunardi's (NorCal)
Ralph's
OREGON
Albertsons
Fred Meyer
Haggen/Top Food
QFC
Roths
Safeway
Thriftway
Zupans
WASHINGTON
Albertsons
Fred Meyer
Haggen/Top Food
Larry's
QFC
Safeway
Thriftway
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I stayed at the Menger Hotel this weekend for the first time.
ABOUT THE PLACE: Constructed in 1859, the hotel is across the street from the Alamo.Such diverse personalities as Theodore...
I stayed at the Menger Hotel this weekend for the first time.
ABOUT THE PLACE: Constructed in 1859, the hotel is across the street from the Alamo.Such diverse personalities as Theodore Roosevelt, Sidney Lanier, Babe Ruth, Mae West, Robert E. Lee, and Ulysses S. Grant stayed at the Menger.
While it has the feel of a boutique hotel, there are actually 316 rooms. The lobby is elegantly furnished with many antiques. The many historical artifacts give the place a somewhat "museum" feel.
The Menger Bar was built in 1887 and is a replica of House of Lords Pub in London. The architect, who was sent to England to examine the pub, installed a paneled ceiling of cherry wood, booths and beveled mirrors from France, and decorated glass cabinets. It was in this bar that Teddy Roosevelt recruited many of his Rough Riders, volunteers for the American volunteer Cavalry in the Spanish-American war.
ABOUT THE STAY: Check-in was efficient. My room was rather small but adequately clean and adequately equipped with a desk and Ethernet connection. Unfortunately the Ethernet connection did not work but I was able to repair the problem (lack of power to the router) before the engineer arrived. Even though the room overlooked a street, it was not noisy at night. Checkout was as easy as check-in. Staff were polite and helpful.
OVERALL: An interesting alternative to typical business hotels. I would stay there again.
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While the salad-vegi-fruit bar is impressive, it is the meat that appears to be the reason that most people go to Tacano's. The reasons seem simply; there is a huge variety, a lot of it and it is...
While the salad-vegi-fruit bar is impressive, it is the meat that appears to be the reason that most people go to Tacano's. The reasons seem simply; there is a huge variety, a lot of it and it is tasty. Others have commented on the way it is served....and served...and served, so I will not repeat. My youngest son is a big strapping young man and even he can get his fill at Tucano's. I don't visit Provo/Orem very much any more, but unless it has changed recently, Tucano's is the place to go in this area for meat.
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