Favorite restaurant after dinner candy

Nov 17, 2006

So I was at a Sushi restaurant tonight (in Baltimore), and with my check, they brought me this Green Tea Hard Candy (it was the single most intense Green Tea Taste I have ever experienced).

It got me thinking, the after dinner treat, for me, really adds to the experience at a restaurant. It may not be the most important reason for going to a particular establishment, but it certainly influences the overall experience (who doesn't like a sweet treat for free?).

It got me thinking about some of my favorite restaurant treats. Certainly one of them is Del Frisco's giant bowl of jelly beans. I also like the Andee's Thin Mints (although I can't think of where I have had them lately, maybe the Broker?).

What are your favorite restaurant treats?

Frasca Food and Wine

Mar 15, 2007 Without a doubt, this is my favorite restaurant in the world. I have never had less than a stellar experience there (which says a lot, since a restaurant can't be perfect all the time - this one is).

Count yourself lucky to get the Milkshake brownie desert. It isn't available all the time, and is absolutely wonderful. I was bummed that it wasn't available last time I was there.

As far as prices, this place is a great value. The portions aren't huge (go to Cheesecake factory for that), but I have never left hungry (always the opposite, quite full).

They have a prix fix on Monday nights (where they bring in a vintner to push a certain wine). It is a unbelievable value at about $30 for 3 courses, and another $30 for wine pairing (which they will always split into 2 glasses for us, so we don't have to drink and drive). Less than $100 for dinner for 2 (with wine) at such a great place is a spectacular value. The wines are always the best the winery produces BTW, which makes the value that much more spectacular.

Asia de Cuba - Mondrian Hotel - Scottsdale

May 17, 2007

Went there on a Sunday morning, for brunch (so it was a special menu). I found the food excellent. All the ingredients were top notch, and the combinations of tastes were great. Since we had a limited menu, we didn't get to try some of the signature dishes. The bread basket was wonderful, and my wife swooned over the scones (which she quickly hoarded and kept to herself).

The restaurant was very quiet on Sunday morning (which was actually nice, as we weren't looking for a scene), and the service was excellent. I thought the prices reasonable, as the portions are huge (keep that in mind, because we ordered way too much food).

From what I understand, this place can get quite busy on weekends, or other nights, and the nightclub in the Mondrian (which has really great decor) becomes exclusive, and is difficult to get in (if you aren't in the right crowd).

I would recommend AdC. Thought the atmosphere, food and service were all very polished. Not sure if I would wait hours to eat here, but they take reservations so I will plan ahead.

The hotel itself is pretty cool.  The lobby is all white (which seems to be their theme), with a ton of really cool design touches.  We always take guests to check it out.

Dish in Edwards, CO

Went to "Dish" last night, and really enjoyed it. We did the tasting menu, consisting of 7 different dishes. Each of them was great. It is a short easy drive from Avon or Beaver Creek, and is a good alternative to the expensive places at the Ski resort.

Some standout dishes, included a "Marlin Bacon" - which was thinly cut fish, raw, that was very smokey. Another, was the "Churro with Chocolate Dip" (my name - I can't remember their description). Also really enjoyed the Brussel Sprouts (who would have thunk that that is a standout dish). The only item we had, that is available always, is the White Truffle popcorn, which as everyone else says, is positively addictive.

If we go again, I think we will not do the tasting menu, but instead, select our own dishes, as we didn't get to try the exact dishes we prefer (although, I would say, that the items the chef chose for us were all wonderful). In particular, I would have liked to try the White Truffle Pasta dish on the menu that day.

Bottom line, this is a great place, you could really tell their love for great ingredients, and love of food. I also thought this was a great value, as our dinner came in close to $100 for the 2 of us (and I think our bill, was a bit on the higher side, of average).

One last comment, about the wine. They have some unusual, and wonderful wines. In particular, they had bottles of Turley, which is wonderful, and difficult to find (which is a testament to the wine worthiness of this place). Also tried the owners sparkling wine (I think it was labeled - Muse), which was pretty good.

This place is a gem. I only wished we lived closer, so we could go there more often.

Jan 13, 2008

Andreoli - Italian Grocer

Oct 01, 2007

Finally tried this place this weekend, and I am in love! I thought the service and atmosphere were both top notch. The place really feels like an old Italian deli. Very rustic. The order taker couldn't have been more nice an patient. He explained everything on the menu, and gave us as much time as we needed to come up with our order.

We decided to split the sausage sandwich, and the daily pasta special.

The sausage was wonderful, and reminded us of the sausage served on the pizza at Pizzeria Bianco.

The pasta bolognese was probably the best version of this I have ever tasted. It was just so meaty. It really tasted like beef, with some other delicate spices to round out the taste. This dish was expensive though (not sure, but it must have been north of $15). Being so expensive, I would probably hesitate to order it again (just because there are a few other cheaper options on the menu I still want to try), but I would say it was worth every penny. Really wonderful.

I am smitten with this place, and think it is a wonderful addition to the valley. I can't wait to get back, and dig into the menu a little more.

Andreoli's Italian Grocer 8880 E. Via Linda Scottsdale, Az. 480-614-1980

Phoenix Knife House

There is a really wonderful resource for Asian knives in the valley - Phoenix Knife House.  It is a unique place, we are lucky to have.  The owner (Eytan) clearly cares about what he does, and it is a pleasure to give him my business.

Eytan will definately let you try anything, and will also make some great recomendations (based on what you really need, not what will make him the most money). This store is a treasure, and we are lucky to have it (and need to support it!).

Oct 08, 2007

He charged me $10 for 3 knives (2 were small, one a 8" Chef's). More importantly, he told me he would teach me how to sharpen my own knives if I wanted.

I told him that he shouldn't do this, business-wise, but he just replied, (paraphrasing) that knife sharpening is his passion, and he wants to share it with the world.

Can't recomend this place enough, and my knives are sharp!

Bourbon Steak - Scottsdale Princess

Phx Restaurant Week (2008) :

We had a wonderful experience at Bourbon Steak.

The portions were definitely ample (we asked the busboy if they were smaller than usual, and he informed us that they were slightly smaller, but that they increased the portions later in the week, as they had some complaints early).

The duck fat fries were really great (especially the truffle ones).

The service was great (as you would expect from a high end place like this), with no attitude about "people looking for a restaurant week deal".

The food was excellent. I would recommend the corn soup (I have to disagree with ButterflyWest, as it had a huge flavor burst of sweet corn - like it should), skirt steak, and the begniets (which my New Orleans schooled wife said were just like she remembered from her school days). That seemed to be the best combination of items from the menu (although the "Fish and Chips" looked good as well, if people are meat averse).

Drink prices were not cheap (which quickly inflates the bill), but considering the value of the deal, we were OK with that. I loved my Domain Wachau Reisling (it is a new entry on my list of all time faves), but it was pricey for a single glass.

I also loved the interior design of the restaurant. If I won the lottery, I would hire their designer to do my home (we especially loved the white stone walls). The busboy (can you tell we made a friend that night?) told us that they won a big time design award for the restaurant.

Went back for their "Special Bar Burger menu":

We visited this summer, and got a burger off their burger menu (which they only offer in the bar).  The place was dead (it was 8:00 on a summer night, so maybe this wasn't unexpected).

The menu offers a choice of meats, and then allows you to customize your burger (with a large variety of toppings), or pick one of their "special burgers" (which had the toppings already selected).

We both decided to make our own.  Mine had peppers, avocado, cheese, onions, and ?.  I went with the standard beef (they had other options including salmon, chicken, buffalo, and veggie as well).  The SO had similar toppings.  The burger was great (one of the best I have had).  It was juicy, and flavorful (and definitely hand packed).  It wasn't cheap (I think it was $16 if I remember - which isn't a bargain by any strech), but the great ingredients, and atmosphere make this a little easier to understand (and this is still a relatively cheap way to enjoy Bourbon Steak, which is super expensive).

We got an order of Duck Fat fries to share, which were an incredible bargain at $5 for the order (and we didn't finish them, so it was a large portion).  These were exactly the same as the ones we had during restaurant week, and are really great.