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As the winter sets in and we all long for those beautiful afternoons on the deck overlooking Lake Minnetonka we have a ways to go before Spring steps in. But, that shouldn't stop us from going to...
As the winter sets in and we all long for those beautiful afternoons on the deck overlooking Lake Minnetonka we have a ways to go before Spring steps in. But, that shouldn't stop us from going to The St. Albans Boathouse. Still one of the best dining spots on Lake Minnetonka, The Boathouse takes the chill out of the winter with its huge fireplace that is constantly blazing in the Great Room. And, at The Boathouse, not only is the room great, but the food is equally great. whether choosing one of the wonderful pasta dishes or dining on the Walleye, The Boathouse is the perfect place to enjoy a blazinf fire, a great meal and the memories of a wonderful summer.
They also offer a full bar and a very affordable wine list.
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Driving through the Sonoma County countryside you long for a meal of distinguished tastes and flavors in an atmosphere that is a bit romantic and fun. Enough of the Black Bear Diners and the...
Driving through the Sonoma County countryside you long for a meal of distinguished tastes and flavors in an atmosphere that is a bit romantic and fun. Enough of the Black Bear Diners and the roadside luncheonettes that dot the road as you pass through Santa Rosa. A Mecca for the chains, along the highway, it is time to exit onto Rte 116.
Head West. Follow the road through Sebastapol as though you were headed for Bodega Bay. But, there is no need to travel that far. A few miles up the road, a sign will point to Graton. You will feel as though you are in the middle of no where, but suddenly, a small intersection becomes cluttered with parked cars and without any sense of conformity, as would be appropriate in this Bohemianville, park the auto and run to The Underwood Bar and Bistro.
Upon entering, forget the dining room banquettes. Although most inviting with their warm tones of deep red accented by the mahogany and brass of the stylized bistro, the bar is the place to be. Sit on the hook so you have a clear view of the room and your neighbors, The diversified crowd of liberal lovers and foods connoisseurs who not only no their herbs, but their wines, is a significant part of the evening..., or afternoon.
Once the bat tender notices your arrival, he immediately convivially invites you onto the stage and begins to bring you into his act. Soon, you will be chatting with neighbor as though you had been there before carrying on conversations about the food, the weather and the war.
Not a place for the faint of heart, the Underwood is a food lovers paradise that caters to the locals, but makes visitors feel like they belong.
Although a bit transcontinental for the Sonoma Countryside, the Underwood serves some of the most respected food in Northern California.
And, the atmosphere cannot be duplicated.
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A quiet patio, the trickle of fountain in the background, a sunny spring day and a wonderful Duck Confit Hash is the perfect way to spend a Sunday morning in Sonoma.
The Girl and the Fig is one...
A quiet patio, the trickle of fountain in the background, a sunny spring day and a wonderful Duck Confit Hash is the perfect way to spend a Sunday morning in Sonoma.
The Girl and the Fig is one of the most popular Sonoma Valley restaurants. Located in the center of town, on the square, the eatery pleases every palate as the diversified menu offers flavors that mingle with the freshest herbs and ingredients available. Although Sunday Brunch is popular, the dinner menu at The Fig is also a must for diners of distinguished tastes. Whether you're in the mood for a full course meal, a burger, or just a cheese sandwich at the inviting bar, the restaurant is one of the best in the county for both food and ambiance.
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Don and Kathy Burks, the force behind the scenes at Randy's Steakhouse know how to have a party. Randy's is without doubt one of the best steak houses in Texas. And that is not a small fete...
Don and Kathy Burks, the force behind the scenes at Randy's Steakhouse know how to have a party. Randy's is without doubt one of the best steak houses in Texas. And that is not a small fete considering the size of the state and the amount of people in the steak business.
But Randy's is a special place. Housed in a historic building in the center of downtown Frisco, the boom-town of suburban Dallas, Randy's caters to couples, businessmen and visitors from across the country. The steaks are as tender as you'll find anywhere and the wine list is one of the best in the metropolitan Dallas area.
Don Burks takes his wine seriously and his cellar, which is a real cellar, kept under lock and key, is impressive. It is Wine Spectator stuff.
But, if wine isn't what makes you happy, Randy's has a full bar with great entertainment on weekends. The menu is reasonably priced and the atmopsphere is comfortably elegant, but not stuffy.
And, don't think they forgot to take down the Christmas tree, they keep it up all year and decorate it according to the seasons.
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Sociale
Category:
Restaurants
3665 Sacramento
San Francisco, California 94101
(415) /92-13200
It was a slightly chilly winter evening. The woman I was meeting had a lust for Italian food and the atmosphere of Sociale seemed perfect. We met at the corner of Sacramento and Arguello and...
It was a slightly chilly winter evening. The woman I was meeting had a lust for Italian food and the atmosphere of Sociale seemed perfect. We met at the corner of Sacramento and Arguello and hurriedly walked towards the restaurant. She had never been there before, so when I quickly whisked her into the alley like walk way to the covered, heater laden Piazza that served as the outside dining area in front of the restaurant I could see the look in her eye fill with excitement. It isn't often that a dining interlude is filled with such intrigue.
But, Sociale offers that ambiance before you enter the somewhat modernized dining room. Although expecting to find hidden, rustic, old world Italian cafe, your eyes are graced with a bit of playful, elegant, Pacific Heights neighborhood chic.
We asked for a table in the corner and were accommodated without any hesitation. I had longed for this night for sometime. I dreamt of it, often, before I went to sleep.
The thought of the deep fried olives, the same dish that I tasted here three years earlier, and had made my standard appetizer before diner, were as crisp on the outside and as succulent on the inside as I had remembered. They haunt me on occasion as I sleep.
But nothing compares to the Chicken cooked by brick. It is one of the best I have had in The City. Sociale also has a very interesting wine list and the desserts are spectacular.
It is the perfect evening to bring a woman for dinner. Especially, your wife.
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The bar at the Swiss Hotel is A BAR LOVER'S BAR. If the Mahogany and Oak walls that resemble a Hemmingway Haunt from another century could talk, I am sure they would spew stories of the days when...
The bar at the Swiss Hotel is A BAR LOVER'S BAR. If the Mahogany and Oak walls that resemble a Hemmingway Haunt from another century could talk, I am sure they would spew stories of the days when the Sabastianis and the Gallos and the Mondavis would sit at the rail and talk about the harvest and the weather and the way the season went. And, that still takes place today.
Thge Swiss Hotel is the local's watering hole and dining room and although the bar fills up with visitors craning their necks to spot a star, the local still come out nightly to talk about the day they spent in the vineyards or the cellars.
The dining room, and the food served is equally local and it resembles the fabric of the town. Well, prepared with good sized portions, the food is some of the most consistnet on the Square. The head chef has been a staple at the restaurant for the past three years and nightly specials grace the menu that are flavorful to the palate and the pocketbook.
The dining room is appointed in a rustic inn style with a warm open patio that is covered during the winter months. The fireplace and the heaters keep the guests warm in this landmark that offers good food, excellent service and a friendly, vivial atmosphere.
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The first time I walked into Judy's Cafe I was a little hesitant when I was told there was a wait and that if I wanted to stand outside, in the fog I could. When I looked around me there were small...
The first time I walked into Judy's Cafe I was a little hesitant when I was told there was a wait and that if I wanted to stand outside, in the fog I could. When I looked around me there were small groups of people lingering, waiting, almost panting. When I asked the two cute girls next to me if it were worth the wait they said that they didn't care if they waited until Monday, ( it was Saturday morning), they needed a Crab Omelette.
Charles Bain and his mother, Judy, have been serving the best CO's for the past 25 years. And, the best time to get them is in the winter, when the crab are running. After a short wait and a free cup of coffee, I order the Crab and could have easily split it with another person. Packed with claw meat the eggs were perfectly done and the flavor was as fresh as you could get.
But if crab isn't what you think of when you think of eggs, that's o.k. too. Judy's serves great fruit platters, wonderful French Toast with gigantic strawberries, and of course, your standard omeletes with bacon, sausage, toast and home baked pumpkin bread. The place is a winner and Judy has put her special touches on the menu.
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Oakville Grocery, that famous, tasty, tiny gourmet grocery store, perched just off the pavement of Highway 29 in Oakville, California for more than 100 years, serving as the gateway to Napa Valley...
Oakville Grocery, that famous, tasty, tiny gourmet grocery store, perched just off the pavement of Highway 29 in Oakville, California for more than 100 years, serving as the gateway to Napa Valley wine country, recently opened its doors in another historic building, San Francisco's Del Monte Cannery. For the residents and visitors of San Francisco the store will once again prove to be a gateway to great things gourmet. The new location and design, which has married and merged the feel of the old and quaint with the robust metal and modern offers customers a comfort from vine country blended with a San Francisco air.
A welcomed neighbor, according to those residents of Russian Hill who quicklywalked down to peruse the prepared food cases and purchase products from the floor to ceiling shelves, the store was quickly welcomed with open arms by the locals.
THe cheese selection is one of the best in San Francisco and the made tgo order brick oven pizza is the most flavorful The City has to offer. when they put salami on the Oakville pizza its the $18.00 a pound stuff.
Larger than the tiny gem that sits directly in front of the Opus One Vineyard, the Del Monte Cannery location shouts food. The closest the city has come in emulating a New York City Zabar's, Oakville has twelve feet of prepared foods, a selection of cheeses that would make the population of Point Reyes give a standing o, and a grab and go counter filled with salads, sandwiches, pre-washed fruit and of course piazza fresh from the open hearth oven.
But this Oakville, unlike its cousins in the communities to the north and south, offers room to roam and browse at the tremendous selection of purchasable product that doesn't have to be eaten by days end. The still hard to find anywhere else jams and chutneys. Salsa's and sauces are available, but this Oakville has a variety of gifts and baskets for gift baskets that you will not find in the other locations.
And, of course- flagship stores- as all stores in San Francisco have become known - have to have something different than other locations in a group. The wine tasting bar Oakville offers is the perfect place to go after a long walk down the hill. The other day as I passed through the eatery, I noticed four women who had just finished shopping on Polk St. sitting down with a bottle of wine and four glasses, discussing the purchases they made at Brown Dirt Cowboy. If that isn't cosmopolitan, what is?
If you have not had the time to browse the newest Oakville Grocery, stop in - you'll like what you see. A well known Napa valley resident was shopping in the store last week. When asked what she was doing in the store she comically said, "We love it. It gets us down to the city."
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