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Fresh and creative Thai food located just steps from the Royal Mile. I have enjoyed dining at Thai Orchid several times and have never been disappointed. Good food quality and great value.
5a Johnston Terrace, (Just off the Royal Mile)
Edinburgh, EH1 2PW
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Spring has arrived in Edinburgh and so has my wife Lori. I have flown to Edinburgh many times this year and have enjoyed dining at some local Indian and Thai places. This trip was special, I was bringing my wife to work. I did some research and found the Plumed Horse was one of the best restaurants in town. We got off to a slow start in EWR and arrived late missing our lunch reservation. I spoke to Ian (one of the partner’s that own the restaurant) and explained the situation. He informed us that they where fully booked for the evening meal and would wait list us. We hit the ground running and got in many of the sights of Edinburgh. When we got back to our hotel to take a nap the phone rang. It was Ian; they had a cancellation and could seat us for dinner.
There is one seating for dinner at the Plumed Horse because it is a relaxing all evening dining experience. We decided to put the meal on auto-pilot as Ian suggested and have the Chef’s tasting menu. Chef Tony Borthwick has won many awards including a Michelin Star. There were so many courses we lost count. I documented them all with the photos. We enjoyed the very interesting seafood course the most; it was wonderfully presented and prepared to perfection. . .The most memorable course was the FOIE GRAS & SAUTERNES TRIFLE, BRIOCHE MELBA TOAST. It included Foie Gras ice cream. The service like the food was world class.
We both enjoyed our evening at the Plumed Horse and highly recommend you join Ian and Tony for a special dining experience.
The Plumed Horse
50-54 Henderson Street
Leith
Edinburgh
EH6 6DE
plumedhorse@aol.com
0131 554 5556
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After watching “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” show on the food network, Lori wanted to try the EGG YOLK CARPACCIO. This dish turned out to be a little disappointing. We sat at the tapas bar and the chef making the tapas was very friendly and helped us select some other dishes. The other dishes were excellent and the very simple PAN CON TOMATE turned out to be the star of the evening. We had the Jamon on top of it but it really wasn’t necessary, the tomato alone was enough. The fresh heirloom tomatoes and EVO just exploded with flavor in every bite. The SHRIMP TIRADITO also excellent featuring high quality prawns, huancaina sauce and popcorn. Popcorn sounds unusual however it works very well in the dish. The Rabo Encidido was also wonderful Trofie pasta with full flavored oxtail meat sauce with just a touch of richness from the creamy sweet mascarpone cheese. The desserts where spectacular, my favorite was the Pastelito De membriello Y Queso. The candied Jarom Serrano was over the top……
SRA Martinez
4000 NE 2nd Avenue
Miami, Florida 33137
305.573.5474
info@sramartinez.com
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Several years ago we asked our friends that live in Camucia to take us to a local place where people go to eat for everyday food. They took us to Canta Napoli and we LOVE it….I have been reluctant to place anything about this place on the internet fearing it may ruin such a wonderful place unspoiled by tourists.
It’s a Neapolitan style pizzeria as the name implies. They feature a large variety of pizzas. We always have one however we never miss some of the freshest seafood available anywhere. I recommend the calamari salad and mixed grilled seafood. Both of these dishes are featured in the pictures above. Let’s not forget the fresh Neapolitan pastries driven up from Naples almost daily. The Baba Rum or Baba au Rhum is my personal favorite and I rejoice when they have them……..
I wholeheartedly recommend Canta Napoli and we will certainly return hoping that not too many of my followers are taking all the tables.
Canta Napoli – Ristorante – Pizzeria
Loc. Le Piagge, 33 – Camucia Cortona (AR)
http://www.cantanapoli.net/chisiamo.htm
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Remotely located in the small village of Monticchello is this jewel of a restaurant, Osteria La Porta. Traveling to this town requires a 30 minute drive off the beaten path. If you follow your GPS you may end up on some unpaved roads. Don’t worry about the unpaved road just drive slowly and enjoy the scenery. Plan your route in advance and you can stay on pavement.
Once arriving at Monticchello, Osteria La Porta is to your left as you walk into the town. I would plan on arriving during the daylight and strolling around the quaint town. Try to get seated on the outdoor patio in time to enjoy a spectacular sunset.
Once you’re seated you will be presented with a menu that includes fresh local seasonal ingredients. For starters, the Burratta is amazing…. don’t pass it up. The PICI is a favorite of ours. It’s a thick rolled pasta that they make in-house. I’d recommend any of the meat or tomato sauces on it(Cheese is a bit heavy). The white Tuscan pork is also very interesting with a truffle cream sauce. It’s hard to make a wrong choice at La Porta so be adventurous and try some of the local specialties .
We have been to Osteria La Porta several times and highly recommend it…
Osteria La Porta
Wine Bar – Enoteca – Caffetteria
Via del Piano 1 53026
Telefono e Fax +39 0578 755163
Ristorante La Cantina
Via San Luigi 3 53026
Telefono +39 0578 755280
Monticchiello di Pienza (SI)
email: osterialaporta@valdorcia.it
http://www.osterialaporta.it/monticchiello.en.php
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In the small town (one cafe, one bar, one shop,one hotel/restaurant and one horse) of S.Mamette Italy is located the charming family owned and operated INN and restaurant Hotel Stella d’Italia. This hotel has been in the Ortelli family for four generations. Located on the west side of Lake Lugano in Italy it is easy to find being that there is only one small road on this side of the lake. If you have never driven in Italy before this road can be exciting… it is very narrow at parts.
The Hotel is located on the lake side so every room has the most amazing view of Lake Lugano. Rooms are nicely decorated and kept in spotless condition. All the modern conveniences one would expect at a small luxury hotel are present. All of the rooms have balconies so you can sit outside and enjoy the view. I recommend requesting a high floor when booking your room.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner is served daily outdoors weather permitting otherwise indoors. The outdoor area is nestled in the lovely grounds with the spectacular view of the lake. The view alone would make the restaurant worth visiting however the food is also excellent and the staff can not do enough to please the guests. In fact many of the staff serve royalty in St. Moritz during the winter season when the hotel is closed. We usually dine in the hotel several times during our stay. The chef prepares specials on the weekends for dinner so I recommended you don’t miss out on a fine dining experience. The food preparation and presentation are on par with most fine restaurants however very few can match the ambiance of Hotel Stella.
If you are planning a trip to the Northern Lake Region of Italy don’t miss Hotel Stella d’Italia and please mention the Photogourmet sent you !!
Hotel Stella d’Italia
S.Mamete Valsolda
22010 Lake Lugaano
Phone: +39 0344 68139
Email: info@stelladitalia.com
Website: http://www.stelladitalia.com/htm_us/fr0_index.htm
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This year when making arrangements for our annual pilgrimage to Tuscany (Cortona Area), we were discussing places to stay with our Italian friends and they recommended a place a bit off the beaten path in Tuoro sul Trasimemo. Il Capricci di Merion. Please don’t get put off by the words agriturismo on the website. This is an entry level luxury resort with it’s own spa, outdoor pool and beautiful gardens.
On arrival, we were warmly greeted by the staff that could not do enough to accommodate my very fussy wife. Being a slow week at the Inn, they allowed us to tour several rooms and choose the one of our liking. They were all fully equipped with all the features one would expect at an upscale resort, including high thread count linens. All the rooms had en suite bathrooms, some with showers others with tubs and showers. I would recommend you view the rooms on their website and choose which is best suited for you or trust their recommendations.
We decided to have lunch our first day in Capricci di Merion’s picturesque restaurant. The food was all home made and authentic. I would highly recommend that you have at least one meal in house.
Having stayed at many fine Hotels, Inn’s and B&B’s worldwide, We can say that Capricci di Merion is world class and should not be missed on your next trip to Italy.
Capricci di Merion
http://www.capriccidimerion.it/eng/villa.html
Via Pozzo,21 Tuoro sul Trasimeno (Pg) – P.I. 02465620546
Tel: +39 075.825002 Fax: +39 075.8258217 E-mail: info@capriccidimerion.it
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Just a couple of blocks from the Campo de Fiori in the heart of Rome lies this wonderful bakery. Forno Riscioli features a world renowned pizza. It’s one of our favorite stops for a lunch while we are wondering about the picturesque alleyways around the Campo. The next time your in Rome don’t miss this pizza. We are sure your going to love it as much as we do. Roscioli also has a restaurant that I’ll discuss in another post.
Here is a link to their website: http://www.salumeriaroscioli.com/Roscioli_Eng/homepage_eng.htm
The bakery and the specialities
Via dei Chiavari, 34
00186 Roma
Tel: 06 6864045
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We had an amazing lunch at Chef Daniel Boulud’s DBGB Kitchen.
It’s a really trendy, upscale, casual dining experience. We enjoyed many items from the menu including the DBGB Dog, a NYC favorite done to perfection. The selection of sausages is crazy, I will have to go back and try some more soon. They also feature a very nice selection of craft beers and fine wine list.
We where surprised and lucky to have met the Chef himself who was having lunch with his family.
I highly recommend DBGB Kitchen and can’t wait to go back.
DBGB
299 Bowery
New York, NY 10003
(212) 933-5300
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We have dined at Tyrst a couple of times. Today we enjoyed a great Happy Hour with 2 for 1 drinks including everything except bottles of wine and a special food menu. We found most of the items to be of high quality and prepared well. The Chilled Mellon Soup was a really outstanding, Pad thai although not very authentic was tasty, Mussels were very good and the Fish Tacos are awesome. The small plates at happy hour allowed us to enjoy a nice variety of dishes without being stuffed or breaking the bank. Service was outstanding!! I have seen a few reviews that panned the service but weekends in season are trying times at all the places in town. Locals like ourselves really enjoy the laid back atmosphere this time of year. There is an extensive beer and wine list with a nice variety of choices at various price points. We will certainly recommend Tryst and visit again.
Tryst
4 East Atlantic Avenue
Delray Beach, FL 33444-3723
(561) 921-0201
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In the town of Narita, Japan conveniently located 5 minutes from Narita Airport.
Raman Bayashi is a small traditional noodle shop. I tried it once and was not very excited, nor very disappointed. If you would like a quick bowl of noodles for lunch it’s not the worst choice you can make.
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I stopped in for a quick dinner while in Beijing on a 24 hour layover. The Great Wall was just around the corner from the hotel. I tried a few items on the menu and found it to be very disappointing. This is strictly a tourist place with very uninspiring food.
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To quote thier website”Located in a charming home in downtown Windsor, Executive Chef Matthew Bousquet creates inspired French cuisine with a distinct twist. General Manager Bryan D. Bousquet’s gracious cordiality influences all aspects of front of the house service and wine program. Together they provide an outstanding dining experience in a romantic setting that accommodates seating for only 24 patrons”:.
It’s been a few years since we have visited however we enjoyed the food as well ability to bring our wine from our day exploring the Vineyards of Sonoma County. The service was outstanding and the presentation sublime.
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CASTEL DE TRES GIRARD 7, rue de Très Girard 21220 MOREY SAINT DENIS Tel : +33 (0)3 80 34 33 09 Fax : +33 (0)3 80 51 81 92 www.castel-tres-girard.com
We where driving around Burgundy one afternoon when we discovered this magnificent B&B and restaurant. The seafood was fresh and prepared to perfection. The chefs presentations where breathtaking. I still can recall the exciting taste of the apple pastry and carrot galace’. It was locate in the heart of Burgundy so you can imagine how good the wine list was. This was truly a fine dining experience in a very romanic setting.
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220 North Road, Milton, New York (NY) 12547
In the car escaping the hurricanes a few years ago, we discovered the ButterMilk Falls Inn and SPA. As you can tell from the photos we were lucky enough to catch the fall foliage in it’s glory. The Inn offer a nice breakfast as well as a full service SPA. The main attraction for us, is the beautiful ground and water falls. The Inn is locate on many acres, with a view of the majestic Hudson River. Rooms at the in vary from small queen size rooms, larger suite and cabins. Although the service was friendly, they lack some of the finer touches that are present at the more professionally run establishments. We have visited the in more than once which is Lori’s highest recommendation, if she returns the town should rejoice because this does not happen often.
Owned by same owners of the Palazzo del Capitano in San Quirico d’Orcia, This charming ristorante feaures truly authentic Tuscan food. Wonderfully simple dishes of tuscan beans teased and pleased our palettes. Fresh tri-color pasta was tossed with cheese and candy like tomatoes. The wine list include some of my local favorites like Biondi-Santi. All this is just a short walk around the corner from the hotel so have a second bottle of wine.
http://www.palazzodelcapitano.com/ristorante.php
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I have been to Italy about 150 times visiting Tuscany many of those, basically I know a good authentic Tuscan meal when I have one. Unfortunately the most authentic part was it’s name, Caterina did not live up to it’s claim. The ambience was wonderful however the food was lacking. The Hudson River Valley is know for it’s outstanding food. Spotted with excellent restaurants, Caterina has not been worth a second visit. We did enjoy the enthusiastic service of the students and the meal although not what it claimed to be was still enjoyable. It’s been a while since our visit, so one can only hope that it has improved. If anybody has been there recently, I’d appreciate their input.
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In the Famous hilltop village of Cortona, La Bucaccia is conveniently located near the center of town. The owner and manager, Romano personally greets all of his guest with his unique style of humor. The menu is traditional Tuscan with some excellent specialities of the day. La Bucaccia’s wine cellar is Ramano’s pride and joy. He will gladly give you a guided tour and help you select a fine choice to accompany your dinner. Romano loves to play with the guest cameras and has perfected this technique of photographing them through a wine glass. We have dined there several times and have always enjoyed our meal. This evening we were accompanied by our dearest friends Bianca and Enzo.
I would certainly recommend that you visit La Bucaccia for an enjoyable meal and entertaining evening.
BTW: The bottle of 1995 Avignonesi Vin Santo was not in the cellar, We acquired it elsewhere and shared some with Romano… This bottle is hard to find and is a heavenly experience.
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Located in the heart of the Willamette Valley this causal bistro owned by the Ponzi wine family offers some creative fare. The wine list features their own marvelous wines from the Ponzi vineyard (this is Pinot country). The spectacular presentations get your mouth watering for some fantastic food however you will be disappointed. The plate design is much better than the execution. I’d recommend a relaxing afternoon sipping some of their wonderful Ponzi Pinot Noir and snacking on some cheese.
The Dundee Bistro at http://www.dundeebistro.com/
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We were honored to have a private tour and tasting at Biondi-Santi the birthplace of Brunello di Montalcino. Private tours are the only type available at Biondi-Santi. I recommend booking well in advance because they are very limited. Our tasting included a 2000 Brunello. This is the epitome of wine tasting in Montalcino.
