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creeper

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Posts posted by creeper

  1. 5 hours ago, We’reTexas said:

    Thanks, came through restaurant so was hoping for a deal, but turns out not the case. Agree if I were making such purchases (and had such opportunities!) I’d go with Overnoy, but I’m not. Especially when Labet and Tissot are still like 1/20th the price. 

    Bummer.  I was in the Jura 5-6 years ago and even there couldn't find a single bottle.  Was hard enough finding a restaurant that would let me buy a bottle of Overnoy...

  2. 17 hours ago, Sam Lin said:

    High end dining in Taiwan might be even worse for needing to book wayyyy in advance or have the right friends. There've been quite a few Asia Top50 in Taiwan last couple years, and they're very difficult to get a seat at. I'm with you though, I see no reason to waste a meal at "fine dining" in Taiwan when I'm guaranteed a more satisfying meal at street level.

    A family friend who spends most of her time in Taipei wanted to book Le Palais for our upcoming trip... was booked out months in advance, though I suspect if you stay at the hotel you can get in, and I've seen the occasional next-day table pop up.  But I've heard places like Logy, RAW, and Tarroir are legit tough to book.  We're also visiting Seoul this time and the higher end spots there seem somewhat easier to book.

  3. 7 hours ago, We’reTexas said:

    Anyone ever able to try Domaine de Miroirs? Have access to some ‘13 and ‘14s that came into town. Pricing is beyond absurd for Jura but they are on my bucket list and I’ve never seen them in the wild…

    I've tried two bottles thanks to friends.  Both were amazing (clean, concentrated, intense, uniquely Jura), but if I were taking into account secondary market pricing, I'd rather buy Overnoy, which is also cheaper these days.  I came across a wine list while trip planning for Alsace last year that had a large list of Miroirs at reasonable prices... don't recall the name, but I could probably find it if you ever head that way.

  4. On 3/19/2024 at 11:04 PM, We’reTexas said:

    Who is distributing her stuff in Texas? I almost never even see it in the Bay. 

    Henderson Selections, though it's very limited.  They had a small amount available last month.

    • Hook 'Em 1
  5. Both amazing cities.  I've been to Tokyo a few times and at this point kind of build my initial itinerary around restaurants that need to be booked in advance (for the high end, that's pretty much all of them) and then fill in the rest of the trip (casual dining, exploring neighborhoods, museums, shopping, etc.) around that.  I have less experience with that type of dining in Taipei, mainly because I'd rather eat a bunch of Taiwanese breakfast food and hit up casual noodle/Taiwanese/Chinese spots.  There's also a big night market scene.  Kyoto also worth exploring, obviously, if you have time.  I'll be in both Taipei and Tokyo next month... can't wait.

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  6. 17 hours ago, Longhorn94 said:

    Seville - 2 days

    Granada - 2 days

    We were going to go Bar - Valencia - Madrid - Bilbao/San Sebastian but the recs for Seville and Granada were really strong. Does everyone agree with Seville/Granada over BB/SS for this time of year? It's our first time in Spain so we are looking to do all the normal touristy / cultural / churches / Museum type stuff. 

    Thanks in advance!!!

    Been to Bilbao/SS several times.  It's amazing.  Just returned from a Seville / Granada trip a couple weeks ago.  Also amazing, and the weather is great right now.  I'd wanted to make that trip for years but not in the summer.  Make sure to get your tourist-type tickets online ahead of time because 2 days at each of those spots will be very tight, and you don't want to waste time standing in line.  If it were me I'd drop either Barcelona or Madrid and use those extra three days to pad the rest, but I'm sure you'll have a good time.

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  7. 19 hours ago, Teebox said:

    My wife has put together an NYC trip just the 2 of us for my birthday in early November.  We have wanted to go to Le Bernardin for a long time since we both like Ripert and are big seafood eaters.  The problem is, that since plans weren't made far enough in advance, we have a reservation for 11pm on a Friday night.

    Since I'm well out of my 20s/30s now, I'm not too jazzed about a prix fixe at 11pm and we are on their waitlist for an earlier reservation, but I thought it would be worth looking into other spots that are (a) available for a reservation with less than a month notice, and (b) big-occasion / memorable spots.  Looked at EMP but it doesn't qualify as we definitely aren't vegetarian, and can't get in there at this point anyways.  Any ideas for a backup?  

    Depending on where you're staying, it might be worth having your concierge reach out.

    Friday night on relatively short notice will be tough.  In the LB / EMP / big-occasion / older-school camp, maybe check out Jean Georges or Daniel.  If you're okay with looking at some more updated options, Atomix is my favorite restaurant in the city at the moment, though it's tough to book.  Ko is amazing and (at least as of last year) took bookings starting two weeks out.  I'm not the biggest Gabriel Kreuther fan, but people love it and it qualifies as special occasion.

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  8. 1 hour ago, The Ace of Aces said:

    Buuuuump.

    Going next year - likely 6 days in Tokyo, 3 in Kyoto and 1 in Hiroshima. 

    Any Tokyo hotel recs? Id like to stay around Tokyo Station I think (unless you can talk me out of that, don’t want to stay in thr most busy area) and my budget is less than $750/night. Most places we stay are more (the Andez, Four Seasons, Conrad, Peninsula are all $900+). 

    Not sure what the Grand Hyatt is going for these days, but I've had good luck booking restaurants via their concierge, and surely it's under $750.  Not super close to Tokyo Station, though.  Stayed at the Conrad last visit and can't believe it's up to $900+.  Heading back in the spring but haven't booked things yet.

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  9. 10 hours ago, Sam Lin said:

    Ewww disgusting. Eva Air to Taiwan, and you stay Star Alliance so your United miles and status still help.

    I couldn't find an Eva Air ticket on miles (no flexibility on dates) but did find a business class seat on China Air SFO to Taipei... any experience?  Recent reviews aren't bad.  Will be flying Eva to Tokyo but haven't booked a return ticket yet.

  10. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/06/us/paqui-one-chip-challenge.html

    A kid just died after eating a Reaper chip:

    Quote

    One of the last things Harris Wolobah, 14, of Worcester, Mass., ate before he died was a single tortilla chip in a coffin-shaped box that bore an image of a skull with a snake coiled around it, his mother said.

    Lois Wolobah said her son’s school called last Friday to tell her he was sick and that she needed to come and get him.

    When she arrived, Harris was clutching his stomach in the nurse’s office, she said in an interview on Tuesday.

    He showed her a picture of what he had just consumed: a single Paqui chip, dusted with two of the hottest peppers in the world, the Carolina Reaper and the Naga Viper. The label on the box said “One Chip Challenge” and carried a warning — “Inside: One Extremely Hot Chip.” Paqui tortilla chips are made by Amplify Snack Brands, a subsidiary of the Hershey Company.

     
     

    Ms. Wolobah said she took her son home, but after about two hours he passed out and was rushed to a hospital, where he died. He had faced no underlying health conditions, she said.

     

  11. 24 minutes ago, G650 said:

    User avatar checks out.

     

    Did he? I definitely believe you, I just recall it was a brief tenure.

    Yeah, I'm not sure if he was a real contributor to the band or just happened to be around and available, but he played on a couple of early releases on "No Threes," including the Vains 7" and maybe the Silly Killers 45, in addition to Fastbacks 7".

  12. For mid-90s Austin live shows, it was hard to beat Superchunk, New Bomb Turks, the Dwarves, and--more locally--Glorium.  Those bands always brought it... the Dwarves maybe a bit too much.  No idea how the Turks are still doing it...

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  13. 6 hours ago, 6th Street said:

    You guys are brave, going in the middle of the summer with the heat

    This.  Was there last week (wife had a work event).  Played nine holes one afternoon and almost died.

    • Drool 1
  14. 18 hours ago, bluto said:

    Habanero’s on oltorf still kicking? That was go to spot, gringos were the minority every time I went so that has to count for something. 

    Still there.  Same menu, same staff.  Pricing is higher and they now accept cards but as good as ever.

  15. 40 minutes ago, Goofyboy said:

    We are staying in Sonoma. We don’t mind going over to Napa Valley, but wanted to try other areas. Russian River, etc.

    Mainly just stuff on that side.

    El Molino is fantastic.

    • Like 1
  16. Ridge is a fun visit (also fun to pack a picnic), but my favorite in the area is Rhys.

    Sadly, the best restaurant in the area--Manresa--closed after 20 years late last year.  You could do worse than checking out Mentone and The Bywater.

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  17. On 4/11/2023 at 10:16 PM, mchookem said:

    this thread is as good as any to put this...

    we are on the way to Vegas/California from Denver and today drove west across CO and Utah on i70 with my driving stint starting after lunch in Grand Junction. driving across CO was a piece of cake, our first time on the western slope, very scenic, but...

    HOLY SHIT i was COMPLETELY unprepared for the Utah leg of the drive.😲

    i mean...just holy holy holy shit. Utah has officially taken my breath away. literally, and multiple times. for the first time EVER in my entire life i had an anxiety/vertigo/panic attack, a stretch of what felt like 80 miles or so, starting just west of Green River...i came thisclose to having to pull over. speed limit is 80(!) and i slowed down at one point to <60. an absolutely surreal landscape on all sides as far as the eye could see...at one point it felt like we were  surrounded by deep giant canyons on all sides and i swear to god i was fighting not to drive right off the side!! 

    i had to focus on my breathing and attach my eyes to the trailer hitch of the vehicle in front of us and just could not even glance offroad...but my eyes felt like they were being pulled to the horizon! i felt like i was literally going to just yank the wheel off the interstate, and that feeling in turn caused near panic...this was that long stretch where there is nothing...like all the signs say 'seriously - there is nothing for the next 100 miles'. 

    nothing but my god the landscape. 😲

    i mean seriously, i have driven over huge bridges, the Makinac and Golden Gate, been through RMNP countless times as both driver and rider, to the top of Mt. Evans, Sandia Peak, have ridden in a car AND a bike down Haleakala...i have NEVER felt like i felt today! incredible. 😳

    i have never seen such jaw-dropping scenery...and we just barely drove by/skirted the NPs! i love the Rocky Mountains and Colorado is so beautiful...but Utah blew it away today. i have seen so many pictures, i follow several National Park accounts...but nothing prepared me for what i saw today. just wow wow wow. 

    i cannot wait to actually visit some of the parks. i see you, Utah! 👀

    We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold.

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