Best and worst restaurants you've been to?

[Sip]

Ok, I am really hungry right now so I am of course thinking about food! I thought it'd be kinda fun to know where everyone has had the BEST and WORST food ever in their life (so far). I think home-made stuff doesn't count (unless there's a way I can get to eat some at some point in the future )

 

So here's mine:

 

BEST

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1) All-you-can-eat Mongolian BBQ ... they have a couple of places here in southern cal... one near the CSUN campus, one in Resida. Oh my god ... it's the BEST thing ever. You pick and choose different frozen meats and then veggies and stuff (kinda like chinese stir-fry) in a bowl, add a few sauces (you pick) and they cook it right there in front of you. Mmmmmmmmm Mmmmmmmmm

 

2) All-you-can-eat Buffet at Alladin Casino in Vegas ... By far the BEST buffet ever. And believe me, I have tried many many in many many places. Everything is just exquisite: sea food, chineese food, italian, mediterantian, american, and not to mention their chocolate covered strawberries ... Mmmmmm Mmmmmmm ... The mediteranian sheep kabob just melts in the mouth. If it wasn't $20 per person, this would have been my #1 choice.

 

3) I think the name was Golden Dragon something ... It's a chinese buffet/all you can eat restaurant in Anchorage (Alaska). My mouth waters just thinking about that place. EVERYTHING and I do mean EVERYTHING in their buffet was so delicious, I couldn't stop eating. In addition to chinese food, they also have a Tai food buffet, a very nice BONUS!!! ... too bad it's far

 

4) This little buritto place in the town of Blue Jay, very close to Lake Arrowhead (about 2 hours from LA). I think this picture says it all:

http://zr2.cs.ucla.edu/Sip/zr2/burrito.jpg

 

For this place, the (size of buritto)/price metric is just outragously good.

 

5) This place called Landry's in New Orleans. Best shrimp I have ever had. I think this picture will explain some of it but there were some other parts to that dish that hadn't arrived yet (sorry it's a little big).

 

Worst Place

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I think I have mentioned this before somewhere but it's gotta be that one place I went in Paris. I don't speak french and the waitress did not know english. Some how, I said something and she brought me RAW DUCK MEAT. It was the most discusting thing I have ever eaten. Well, I was really hungry so I ate it. I don't think I like Paris too much.

 

Oh and another thing, I know it's a bit cliche' ... but what's up with those little small portions they give you at really fancy restaurants? As you may notice, no place like that has made my TOP list. In my head, quantity has a direct impact on quality when it comes to food Food critics don't seem to agree ... but sometimes that little shack in the corner of such and such street can leave me much more sattisfied than that fancy 5-star restaurant with all their differents forks and knives and plates.

[Azat]

Ohhhhhh. I love good food.(someday plan to have my own place) I definitely prefer quality over quantity(you can't tell that by just looking at me )

 

1. Nobu in Malibu, CA - I love sushi and this place is THE place to go and have great sushi. Try the specials. mmmmmmmmmmm sushi.

 

2. Morimotos in Philadelphia - the most beautiful restaurant that I have ever been at. The food is like art. It is owned by Iron Chef Morimoto of food Network.

 

3. Abbots Pizza in Venice, CA - If you have not had Abbots Beagle crust pizza you are missing one of the great things in life. This place is so awesome. Cheap, loud music, no place to sit, but the pizza is better than any I have tried anywhere. Even New Yorkers will agree with me that Abbots has the best pizza.

 

4. Hump in Santa Monica, CA - Another one of those great sushi places in LA. Great location overlooking the Santa Monica Airport runways. Sushi is prepared just magnificently. Make sure to try the yellow tail sashimi special.

 

5. Carnival in North Hollywood, CA - This is a small Lebanese place on Woodman that consistently serves great Middle Eastern food.

 

6. R23 - Downtown Los Angeles - Another great sushi place(I guess I love Sushi ) with great views of Downtown skyline. It is located in the "hood". Watch out for the homeless. The place itself is an old Rail Road warehouse on track 23(hence the R23 name) that has been turned to a great sushi bar. Beautiful old brick building with warm wood floors and high ceilings. The sushi is terrific as well. Very romantic and nice place.

 

7. Water Grill - Downtown LA - Best sea food in LA. They also have a wonderful wine list.

 

8. Chinois on Main in Venice, CA - In my opinion this is the best Wolfgang Puck restaurant. Better than Spagos and Granita and the others that he owns.

 

9. Broad Street Cafe - Jackson Mississippi - By far the most amazing veggie sandwich I have ever had. Great breads as well.

 

10. Border Grill in LA and Las Vegas and their sister restaurant Ciudad in downtown LA. These places prepare the best Mexican food I have ever tried. And the margaritas are to die for.

 

11. Patina on Melrose in LA and the sister restaurants Zucca in Downtown, Posto In North Hollywood, Pinot Bistro in North Hollywood and Valentinos in Santa Monica. All four place have great food and a superb wine list. If I am not mistaken Valentinos has the largest wine selection in the world and I believe they lost some 3 million dollars worth of wine during the 94 quake.

 

12. Campanile on La Brea - The food is good, but he bread and the pastries are terrific. They also sell their bread outside of the restaurant under the La Brea Bakery name. Campaniles use to be owned by Charlie Chaplin.

 

13. Eccola in Whippany NJ - This is a great Northern Italian place in Jersey(As one can only eat in Northern Italy and NJ) The food and ambiance are wonderful.

 

14. Harvest Inn in Glendale - In my opinion this is the best Chinese food joint in LA. Better than anything I have tried in Chinatown and also those foofoo places on the west side.

 

15. ASIAdeCuba - On Sunset Strip - this is where even the chicken breasts has implants. Great place to go be seen and see people. The food was okay. Very over priced.

 

I am sure I am forgetting many many great place that I have been too.

 

Bad places - There are many of those as well. I will write about couple that I had a bad experience at once I get a chance.

[Azat]

Why I do not eat shrimp.

 

About 15 years ago I went to dinner with family at Red Lobster. They had one of them all you can eat shrimp special going for 2 bucks or so ridiculous amount like so.

 

When they said all you can eat I misunderstood and thought you had to force yourself to eat as much as you can handle.

 

BIG MISTAKE. I had to visit the porcelain Gods often that night. I was very very sick and that is the last time I went to Red lobster(I understand it was not their fault) and last time I ate shrimp or lobster or crabs.

 

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I also had couple of bad experiences at 2 other places. I once had a cockroach walking on my plate as my dinner was delivered to me in a Chinese place in Santa Monica and once I had a green (2-3 inch long) worm in my salad at Mi Piaci in Pasadena.

[Azat]

Oh ya, and when I use to eat meat I use to LOVE In and Out Burgers and Fat Burgers. hmmmmmm I still think about In and Out

[Sip]

Hahahahah! I hear worms are very high in protein

 

One time, in Vegas, my brother and I ate SO much at the buffet, that we couldn't walk back to our room. This was at the Alladin ... we started with sea food, worked our way to chineese food, had some mediteranian kabob, and then to top it off had some itallian pizza and pasta. Of course we also had some deserts but right now, I can't really remember that part too much. I do remember at some point he and I were just sitting at the table with spoons full of pie and just looking at each other in disgust!!!

 

Anyway, we somehow stumbled back to the room (everyone on the way thought we were dead drunk) ... and we both passed out on the beds. I think I was passed out for about 5 or 6 hours.

 

After I got up, I was completely dehydrated ...

 

I just love all-you-can-eat buffets

[MosJan]

Azat jan muys amis yerb hajord In and out utelus jamanak@ ga achqis vra mi hat 2X2 qo patvin

 

amis@ 4 angam em janq food utum 1 hat chinakan - mi hat in and out mi hat Clame jumpers - mi hat sushi kam et tesak mi ban yev havata bavakanin mets tarbnerutyun ka arorjutyan@s mej.

[Sip]

Uremen sushin el arden junk food darav?

[MosJan]

Note to self - get extra 20lbs of reebs b4 inviting seaphan for BBQ.

 

MOvses

[MosJan]

iyo seaphan jan iyo

[Sip]

 

Mmmmmmmm reeeeebs

[Harut]

es karqin qef eq anum, u indz el cheq hravirum ha?

[Azat]

che Movses jan, Sushi nman surp uteliq@ junk food chi.

 

Lav me 5 pound el borcli ar im hamar.

[Azat]

Harut jan, do inch es sirum asa Movsesi het kxosem kdasavorenq.

 

Mos jan, aper chmoranas shat marojni arnes cofei het lav klini.

[MosJan]

Du vor Amis@ 2 angam tsnund ews anum mez el ches kanchum / menq ban asum enq / batsy shnorhavoreluts - es mi harts @ yerav

 

1 hat marojni - Azati hamar

mi bajak koffe azati hamar

 

10 kilo Reebs + 5 bajak marojni + extra larg coffe Seaphani hamar

 

Haroutin el - Seaphani uteliqi 10% yev Azat jan Haroutin Seaphanits heroo pahi - lselovs poqramarmina - mek el zakuski ter Seiphan@ yev@s yevs kani -

 

urish el ov incha tsankanum ?>?>?

[Azat]

One more to add. Has anyone in LA been to Palms Thai on Hollywood? This is a great place. It is the home of the Thai Elvis. It is definitely a must for any visitor to LA as a tourist spot. But the real reason to go is the super cheap and delicious food. On Sunday I took 3 friends there and we ate like we had not seen food for a week and had few beers and got entertained by Elvis. Even got up and accompanied him on "Don't be cruel" and ended up paying $72 including tax and tip.

 

Great place.

[THOTH]

In and out and Tommys - 2 great burger places that I miss from LA. I also miss all th Amrenian fast food - Zankou chicken and Falafel Arax (that were both on my street)- and all of the little Armenian groceries (with the best Basterma!) and at one time I missed Trader Joes (I know I am devolving into groceries) - but they just opened a few here around DC - so i am most happy.

 

I don't know where to begin concerning great restaraunts - there are so many (and most of the staff don't tend to speak much English).

 

As for bad places - one sticks out in my mind - Original Joes - an Italian place in San Jose. Story to long to type here now - maybe at some point....

[Alla]

The worst restaurant i've been to has to be the Grean Burrito ( i think that's what it's called).

 

Their veggi burrrito is so disgusting

[Alla]

green burrito

[Azat]

Alla,

have you been to the Baja Fresh? Their veggie burritos are SO much better. I also think that Baja Fresh(while a little pricy) is the best Mexican fast food around.

 

[ August 22, 2002, 11:50 AM: Message edited by: Azat ]

[Azat]

Just to tell you how superficial people in LA are(definition, how superficial Azat is)

 

I have been thinking about this for a week now. Last week I went out with 3 ex-coworkers for a night of great time. We started at The SkyBar at 6PM so there was no lines and they allowed us in. 1 drink each and $55 later we went across the street to Katana for sushi and rabata and beer and wine. We spent $315 there for 4 of us, but we were not done. We then drove to the BelAir Hotel(this is truly a magical place in the middle of LA and a visitor to LA should go there) lounge for a drink. 1 round for $68(ouch). It was midnight now and we just could not leave now, so we drove to the Beverly Hills Hotel to more specifically the Polo Lounge for drinks. We had another round and spent $60 more dollars.

 

At this time it was past 1AM and some of us wanted to continue(one guy did) and rest of us were ready to go home as we had work the next day.

 

This was lots of fun. Many beautiful people around(except for one named Azat) but we just had a blast.

 

What has been making me worry/wonder this past week is that we ended up spending over $500 for 4 of us for meals and drinks and parking in one 7 hour period. We could have taken 200 homeless people to Taco Bell and fed them for that money, or given that money to a family in some third world country to live on or even a family in Armenia could have used that money for a long period of time or something like that, but we did not. And for some reason I have this guilty feeling.

 

I donate to Children's hospital and couple of other organization annually, but I am wondering if I do not do enough and this is why I have this feeling or is it something that I should just forget about and enjoy more often.

 

BTW: I told myself the next morning that I would never drink again and that promise was broken soon after.

 

[ August 22, 2002, 11:51 AM: Message edited by: Azat ]

[Azat]

No, it's close to your hang. Just north of UCLA on Stone Canyon. Very very nice grounds to just go and watch the swans and crap like that that chicks like.

[Sip]

hahahaha! Vichaked shat lava kartses Azat jan Are you sure you have recovered from the "wild" weekend?

[Sip]

BelAir Hotel? Is that the one on top of the hill in Sepulveda pass near 405?

[Azat]

Panzanella Restaurant

14928 Ventura Blvd

818-784-4400

(Sorry for putting the add info, but I had to based on the experience I had)

(for those of you who remember Posto, it has changed owners and now is operated but Giaccomo Drago famous for Drago in Santa Monica and Il Postillo in Beverly Hills[couple of the BEST Italian places in LA])

 

I had the most Incredible experience in a restaurant that I have ever had(and I have been to MANY).

 

Went to Panzanella for dinner tonight with my sister and cousin. We had 7:30 reservations, but upon arriving at 7:30 were informed that it would take 10-15 minutes by the attractive Armenian Hostess. We were cool and sat at the small bar for a drink. At that minute the owner/head chef heard that our table was going to be late and came and offered us a round of drinks. We chatted for 2 minutes(very cool guy). In return when we were told that our table was ready I looked at the wine list and got the most expensing wine by the glass for the chef($22 for a glass of Rudd Napa Cab) and asked for one of the waiters to give it to the chef as a thank you from us.

 

That started the incredible dinner. Before we and ordered anything the chef sent us 3 small personalized appetizers of deep friend risotto, followed by an incredible dish that had goat cheese wrapped in thin slice of grilled eggplant. He once again came to thank us for the wine and we in return thanked him for the appetizers as they were super tasty. We ordered a bottle of Chianti Classico Gold Aiolo($42 a bottle[very good wine for the price]) and a artichoke salad and deep friend calamari to share. With our ordered appetizers Giaccomo came out and also brought a Panzanella salad(Awesome). Then we each ordered an entrée. Again he personally came out to make sure we liked everything. For desert we ordered 1 desert to share and 2 cups of coffee and a cup of tea. He came out with a waiter with what we had ordered and 2 other incredible deserts.

 

When I asked out waiter for the bill. Giaccomo came out again with the bill and 3 glasses of famous Italian lemon drink from Sorento and the bill. We talked for couple of minutes more and as he was walking away he said “I only charged you for the entrées.”

 

We got comped some $100 of food and wine and our bill was only $97 for the 3 entrees. I left a $53 tip but even that would not have covered my bill and I would have come out of that place normally with a bill for over $200-$250 and would have still thought that the food was worth every penny.

 

Anyways, I highly recommend this place. When I initially heard that Posto was closed I was sad, but it definitely has been replaced with another restaurant that is as good if not better.

[vava]

Great topic! Except I'm not in LA

 

I think I have a reverse view of Sip's quantity/quality viewpoint. I prefer a small, but very good, meal - to a huge, gorge-yourself-till-you-want-to-die buffet with different kinds of slop from a factory kitchen. When I go out, I want to be served! Presentation IS important. My food must be ordered before it's made! I prefer having 4/5 small courses rather than 1 gigantic plate. Moreover, I want to be able to take 4 hours to eat! I think that there's an element of refinement in European cuisine that we here in North America are sorely missing....

 

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