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

Portland: Driftwood Room at the Hotel deLuxe

This has to be one of the coolest bars in Portland . . . dark, intimate, and feeling like you've just entered the set of Mad Men. Or, maybe Bewitched . . . seems like you could run into Larry, Louise, Samantha and Darrin having a cocktail here on any night. There is a great happy hour menu, with interesting choices that are beyond the usual burger/fries/olives at some other places. My personal favorite is the savory gorgonzola cheesecake, served warm with roasted garlic and bread. It is close to perfect.

The down side of this place is the service, which can only be described as disorganized. There dosen's seem to be a particular server assigned to any given table, it all feels pretty random. And, maybe because of that, nobody takes responsiblity for checking in, taking orders, delivering drinks and food. On our evening one of the bartenders came over and took our drink order, then disappeared. Eventually the drinks arrived, but we had to flag someone down to order the above mentioned cheesecake. Someone else brought the cheesecake, and we asked her for another drink. Ten minutes went by and no drink, so when the original bartender walked by we asked about it and he was like 'oh, yeah' and walked over to the bar and brought the drink to the table . . . it had been sitting there all along and nobody bothered to deliver it. Disorganized and less than concerned about service, that's the take here.

Oh, and one more thing . . . my companion ordered this way: "I'd like a Bombay martini with three olives" and the bartender responded "What kind of vodka do you want?". Really? The BARTENDER? My personal soapbox is that a martini IS gin with a whisper of vermouth . . . and olives! You want onions with that? Then order a Gibson. And if I had wanted vodka, I would have ordered a VODKA MARTINI. Oh, and just because it is served in a martini shell doesn't make it a martini . . . so take your chocolate, pomegranate, coffee and cheese flavored drink and enjoy it . . . but don't call it a martini. OK, getting down off the soapbox now.

EatHereOrNot: EAT HERE

Good bye ten01

So last night I was walking with friends to one of my favorite Portland restaurants, ten01. We got there and found it closed, but peering through the glass it wasn't just closed, it was gone. Fixtures dismantled, boxes on the floor, glassware packed away. This elegant space, with its well prepared and forward thinking food, was one of my favoirtes, and a real gem in the Pearl District. Apparently they planned to be closed January 1 & 2 and just never came back. This is a blow to the neighborhood and the Portland dining scene, and I only wish the best to wonderful staff who always took such good care of me. I'll remember the food and experiences for a long time ... especially the spectacular mini ice cream sandwiches made with maple cookies and candied bacon ice cream from one New Year's Eve. Cheers!

Colorado Springs: The Broadmoor Hotel

This was my first time staying at the Broadmoor and for years I have been hearing about how wonderful it was and I figured it was so much hype. But, from the moment I checked in I was blown away. Everything was perfect, from the grounds to public areas and finally to the spectacular room. Beautifully decorated in a classic style that is at once understated and opulent. The whole resort was amazing . . . everything was well thought out, with a nod to the history of this fabled place. The variety of restaurants was also very cool, from casual to four star, and everything in between. All in all I wanted to just have my clothes shipped in and stay forever.

And one more thing, the staff was the best I have ever encountered . . . friendly, professional, and engaging. Complimenting the hotel ambience of the hotel and extending the experience. Start to finish a perfect experience.

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

Bedford, MA: Flatbread Company

So here I am in Bedford on a Monday night, craving pizza after checking in to the hotel in an area where there is nothing visible around in terms of food [or anything, for that matter]. The front desk person vaguely pointed in a direction that there were restaurants and off I drove into the night. Random, really, that I found Flatbread, its in an office park kind of place with two other restaurants and barely visible from the road, but find it I did and went inside. They had actually closed for the evening, the ovens weren't hot enough to bake a pie, but the manager set me up with a great salad and I went back to the hotel happy. The next evening I went back for pizza [you can see that I was focused] and it was a great decision.

The restaurant is large, sleek in a funky kind of way, with an open kitchen and wood fired ovens. The ingredients are organic and locally sourced when possible, and the beers on tap from the area as well. Casual, but not without thought to both food and service, this was a very cool local place and popular with the community. The pizza was great, thin and crispy crusts on the pizzas [my favorite] and well balanced, housemade topping. I had a sausage pie with caramelized onions and it was close to perfect. The sausage was excellent and the portion not stingy. There is a nice selection of salads as well, organic greens with with goat cheese and vegetables, and a very nice berry vinaigrette to top things off. And some not-to-bad brownies as well, a great casual dinner on a midweek evening.

The focus here is on not only the food, but the community, and its very cool. The night I was there they were doing a benefit for a local high school, and the place was packed with happy pizza munchers. Good energy for a Tuesday night. Of course, regardless of how good the food may be, it is the staff who can make or break an establishment and on this count it is definitely a 'make'. The manager, Sean, was personable and welcoming, even in the heat of a very busy evening, making sure that everyone was taken care of an included. He has an infectious energy that kept the staff smiling and the pizzas flying out of the kitchen. The only negative thing that I can say is that the place isn't well marked, if you don't know what you're looking for you could easily drive right by .. . a sign please? Great place for a casual evening, go in and tell Sean that I sent you.

EatHereOrNot: EAT HERE