Madison, WI: Nostrano

This quirky little space near the state capitol provided not only a cool ambiance, but really wonderful food as well. Quirky in the sense of the space's aesthetic [think almost Zuni Cafe in San Francisco], and the menu, but both in a very good way. The food was engaging without being fussy, and fresh and locally sourced as well.

I started with a spring radish salad, with both the greens and the radishes from the chef's garden. I will admit to a fondness for radishes, so it was a must have for me. The greens were a varied mixture, the sliced radishes crunchy, and the chive vinaigrette flavorful without being overpowering. There was a crouton made from sunflower bread, topped with a local goat cheese to complete the plate. The flavors worked well together and the dish was a success, with my only complaint being that the greens were tepid and somewhat limp. But the flavors were there, and that was a minor misstep.

For the main course I had a roasted squab, served with braised cabbage, buckwheat spatzle, and trumpet mushrooms, and foie gras. The squab was perfection, crisp on the outside and rosy red in the middle. The base of the dish, the spatzle,cabbage, mushroom concoction [almost a ragout, really] was excellent ... I could have eaten it as a main course. The foie gras, for me, was a gratuitous addition to the plate, not really melding with anything, just a cold chunk placed on top of the rest of the things on the plate. And, you now how much I like my foie [I'll risk a gout attack for some], but it really made no sense with the rest of the ingredients.

For dessert, a chocolate crema,served with buckwheat pizzelle, poached cherries [dried and fresh, poached in a cherry beer that was AMAZING], and a cherry gelato. AS much as I liked everything else, this was the best thing that I ate hands down. The combination of flavors and textures and temperature really played well off of each other, and I wanted more.

This is a stylish little restaurant in the capitol district and I highly recommend it. The servers were engaging, the space interesting, and the food held up its end of the equation as well. If you're in Madison, check it out.

EatHereOrNot: EAT HERE

Philadelphia: Amada

What a find . . . a perfectly beautiful and delicous tapas bar in the Society Hill area of Philadelphia, within walking distance of my hotel. I discovered it by accident as I was taking an afternoon walk around the historic areas near the hotel [remember Paul and the ride and . . . oh wait, what was he saying or doing Ms Palin?], and it was a perfect stop. Dark wood, a friendly bar, engaging staff, and beautiful food. So, here are the details:

Sangria Blanca to start, crisp white wine with pears, apples, and pineapple . . . refreshing, juicy and a great accompaniment to both the warm sunshine outside and the beautful food inside. And the food was beautful, true tapas on small plates, artfully arranged and perfectly spiced.

I started with a white asparagus gaspacho, served with a small, crisp, hot crab cake in the center of the bowl as the server spashed the pale green nectar around. Perfectly seasoned, smooth and delicous. And, close to the best gaspacho I've ever had. I almost ordered a second serving.

Then a tortilla with red pepper aoli, spicy and just right. The tortilla itself was a little bland, but the sauce made up for it.

A close second to the gaspacho was an amazing diver scallop [huge], butter poached, then seared. It was served with an orange aoli, finely sliced fennel and a minute lobster croquette. Amazing to look at, and an amazing combination on the palate.

I highly recommend Amada for a snack, drink, or a full meal. Everything about it was good, and its a real find in and around the tourist area of historic Philadelphia. If you're on the American heritage tour checking out Independence Hall, take a detour to Spain and enjoy this great spot.

EatHereOrNot: EAT HERE

Minneapolie: Restaurant Alma

Last night I ate at Restaurant Alma, a nondiscript neighborhood place that is easy to miss when driving by ... watch carefully. The space is sleek, yet warm and the staff an equal mix of urban hipster and welcoming charm. I was, in fact, blown away by the entire evening and can highly recommend a visit to this gem of a spot. The menu changes regularly, so what I'm describing here may not be available when you visit, but I have confidence that what you order will be equally wonderful. The tasting menu is a reasonable $48 and includes three selections, one from each section of the menu. The choices were varied and would, to my mind, accommodate a variety of preferences. For my dinner I had:

First Course: salmon tartar with avocado, baby basil and cavier creme fraiche. The dish was beautifully presented and went well with the cava that the bartender recommended. The salmon was clean tasting and the creme and basil offered nice counterpoints to its texture and flavor. The only down side to this dish was a not mentioned on the menu parmesean tuile, crushed and added as a layer on top of the tartar. I found it to be overpowering in flavor and distracting in texture, an addition that subtracted rather than enhanced the whole. Scrap it off and enjoy everything else.

Second Course: white corn polenta with mushroom stew and spring vegetables can only be described as PERFECT. The polenta was puffy and creamy, the mushrooms deeply flavored and the shower of al dente spring vegetables a perfect compliment. I could have eaten two or three portions of this dish, it was truly amazing and maybe the best polenta I've ever eaten. I want more!

Third Course: gently cooked trout with crispy artichokes, orange, and rosemay butter was also close to perfection. The fileted trout was beautifully cooked and the crispy artichokes were amazing, deep fried and crisp without being battered. The citrus balanced the plate well and cut the richness of the rosemary butter nicely. Wonderful.

Dessert: I wasn't going to, but there was a lemon souffle cake that sounded to good to miss, and I made the right choice. The chilled souffle was light and etheral, with some excellent lemon curd too boot. It was a perfect ending to an unexpectedly wonderful meal.

Now, about the staff, they were as good as the food. Charming, engaging and clearly proud of the food and the restaurant. Ready to offer suggestions, pair wine and generally make things happen. On this particular evening there was a big storm that droppend marble sized hail stones on the street and a funnel cloud threatened to form on the horizon ... the bartender poured me more wine and told me not to worry. And I didn't.

EatHereOrNot: EAT HERE

San Pedro, CA: Think! Bistro

This is a promising looking establishment in a strip mall, warmly decorated and inviting from the outside. An older couple, seemingly the owners, greated us at the door and we were immediately seated. The menu was eclectic and interesting, with some classics that were right up my alley. Then the food came. It was a disaster for everyone at my table.

I started with a beet salad served with hearts of palm and goat cheese. The beets were large, flat slices with the texture of wet paper towels, either canned or boilded to death. The hearts of palm were OK, but nothing done to them except opening the can. For my entree I had beef stroganoff . . . it was served over spaghetti noodles and seemed to have been made using a hamburger helper mix. It was truly awful. Another member of my party had the boullibase, a favorite of her's, and she left most if it describing it as overcooked shellfish with jared marinara sauce dumped over it. Nothing even close to the real dish. And finally a potato crusted halibut, a very thin filet of some kind of white fish. Overcooked with a soggy potato crust.

This dining experience was a complete waste of calories and time, nasty food and inattentive service. I would have rather had fast food. Stay away, stay away this is not worth the investment of either your time or money.

EatHereOrNot: NOT

Greenville, SC: High Cotton

This is a beautiful new restaurant in the downtown area of Greenville that offers some twists on Southern cooking with excellent results. The space is huge, three levels, and well appointed. It reminded me in a vague way of the original Palomino in Seattle; polished, interesting light fixtures, glass. The service on both visits was excellent, with particular kudos the the bartender for an excellent martini and good conversation. I tried several menu items and enjoyed them all, with the exception of what I thought was going to be wonderful: smoked bacon hollandaise, which turned out to be heavy and rather bland. Maybe it was a bad day for the sauce chef. Some of the good things inclued a black-eyed pea hummus [a nice changes from the usual], pork belly tacos with a green tomato pico de gallo [what a concept], and a tuna tartar stuffed avacado with a tasty ginger and shallot dressing. An iceberg wedge was tricked out with fried green tomatoes and an excellent buttermilk blue cheese dressing and was pretty perfect. Good things all around.

The entree standouts included wild American shrimp and grits that included smoked chicken andouille, leeks, and charred tomatoes. I put in Tabasco, but that's just me as I think grits should have some heat. Also an excellent grilled pork chop that was served with a black-eyed pea ‘cassoulet’ that was a flavorful intrepertation of the original dish. Both plates were well balanced in terms of flavors and textures and fit in nicely with the concept.

Desserts were less successful, pretty pedestrian actually and a disappointing end to the meals. Seems like most of the inventive thought went into the other food on the menu. Oh well.

EatHereOrNot: EAT HERE

Asheville, NC: Corner Kitchen

I eat at this place every time I'm lucky enough to be in Asheville, North Carolina and am always rewarded with delicious, well prepared food from a menu that changes frequently and is always engaging. The place is a fairly casual space, in a old house in the historic Biltmore Village area and is crowded at prime time for dinner. I've been here in all seasons, this is actually my first summer visit, and have always seen many other happy diners, on the terrace if the weather is good.

Tonight the amuse was a potobello mushroom and smoked mozzarella relish on a small cracker. It was full of flavor and a great little bite . . . and because of the smoked cheese, it actually tasted like bacon was involved. How can you not like that! My starter was a spicy gazpacho with a cilantro cream that tasted like summer and had some nice heat going on. My only complaint was that the soup was tepid, I prefer my gazpacho chilled . . . really cold . . . and this did not deliver. If it was colder, I think it would have been near perfect. The entree was meatloaf . . . yes, meatloaf . . . made with three kinds of meat and served with three sauces. It was very tasty and there were some pistachios in the mix as well. Accompaniments included wonderful cheese grits and vapid greens . . . the weakest thing on the menu. For dessert a passable key lime tart, the highlight of which was the ginger snap crust, otherwise not remarkable.

I enjoy this restaurant, the service is friendly, the guys working in the kitchen are gregarious and seem to enjoy what they are doing, and the food is good . . . sometimes rising to wonderful. The changing menu will always have something surprising and in tune with the season. Give this place a go and let me know what you think.

EatHereOrNot: EAT HERE