302 West (2006)
For some reason, this is a restaurant that will always have a place in my heart…no matter what. And no, that’s not a segue to some bad news about 302 West. I have enjoyed some very special moments and occasions there, and I remember how saddened I was with the passing of 302’s Joel Findlay […]
18 Esperienza
Somehow, even after a 4 ½ Zin rating – back in December of 2003 – the owner at what was then 18 North mistakenly got the idea that I had ripped his restaurant. After I reread my own review of 2003, I noticed only two things that I stated I was unhappy about: the way-overpriced […]
O’Brien’s Pub & Grill
There is a small venue in Batavia – just across the river and north of Wilson Street – that, at one time, had some very decent food. It has changed hands several times and the food has never been the same. Another new owner (now O’Brien’s Pub and Grill) has taken over, and I stopped […]
Swordfish
At the very least, Swordfish – contemporary sushi – is a feather in Batavia’s restaurant hat. But that statement is somewhat misleading, since Batavia’s restaurant hat is, at least at this point, relatively featherless… And the statement does absolutely no justice to what both Lauren and I believe to be a simply marvelous sushi dining […]
Tribella Bar & Grill
It was another night where cooking my own dinner was just not at the top of my ‘want to do’ list, so Lauren and I – almost simultaneously – decided to head out for the evening. Our destination: Tribella Bar and Grill. Not the Typical Tuesday I have given Tribella mixed reviews on past occasions, […]
18 North
For some unknown reason, Tuesdays have become our night of choice to go out for something to eat – whether for a snack or for a full-on dinner. Last Tuesday was no exception, except that I had decided to ‘dial it up a notch’ on this particular Occasion. I say that because I decided that […]
Baja Cantina
On Carmel Valley Road, about 3 miles east of Carmel, California is a small shopping area that includes a landscaping supply company, several small shops and a couple of great places to eat. One of those places is called Baja Cantina. (This page may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure about affiliate links.) What’s special […]
Courthouse Pub
With plate presentations that rival some of the best that I have seen and service that is superior to many places that I have visited — not to mention the quality of the food and dining experience — the Courthouse Pub in Manitowoc, Wisconsin is certainly a place that I could make a habit of […]
California Market
One of the things that I enjoy most in life is food, and I especially enjoy it when I can eat outside. Just a few miles south of Carmel – on a hill, high above the Pacific Ocean – is a place called the Park Hyatt Highlands Inn. It is a marvelous venue at which […]
Wagon Wheel
Many years ago for a birthday present, on one of my very first trips to Carmel, my sister and brother-in-law took my mother and me to Quail Lodge – just east of Carmel – to play golf. We stayed at the lodge that evening, and in the morning we went next door for breakfast to […]