It's delightful to visit a traditional steakhouse that isn't part of a chain, and that maintains the aura and service that was a fixture of grand steakhouses before they became ubiquitous franchises.
Everything about Gallagher's is what I'm looking for, from the cozy booths to the subdued lighting, the sparkling central bar, and the professional yet friendly service.
We went after theater, and although the place was hopping, currently curtailed hours meant the kitchen was closing, so we limited our experience to a spectacular chilled seafood platter, some carpaccio, and some wonderfully crisp fries. Everything was terrific.
Prices are reasonable for NYC, and it was appreciated that there was a selection of half bottles of wine so we could each have our favorite.
We'll definitely make this a regular stop during visits to the theater.
Gallaghers Steakhouse 228 W 52nd St New York, NY 10019
InteriorExteriorChurrasco Misto A Dom Manolo – Mixed GrillLunch Menu
**** (4 stars)
Traditional Brazilian food, done well, in a nice place with table service and a full bar.
The emphasis is on meats of all kinds, and the VERY extensive menu does a good job of picturing everything. The prices seem high at first, but even the half portion is more than enough for two people. There is also a lunch menu.
Hard surfaces, so it can get noisy.
Boteco do Manolo 7653 International Dr Orlando, FL 32819
Amuse boucheInteriorAmuse BoucheCrabMenu 8/6/2021King SalmonHalibutTenderloinPre-Dessert SorbetBlood Orange and Earl GreyParking – Restaurant is to the left of this photo
***** (5 stars)
This restaurant just opened in July of 2021, and it's a bit hard to find until they add signage. It's not in the Inn at Abeja, but next to the winery. So when you go up the driveway and park you need to walk to the back and right.
For a restaurant so newly opened, they are doing a lot of things right, and I'm pretty sure this is the most upscale dining experience in Walla Walla. The dining room is under the experienced direction of Tom Uberuaga. Winemakers Dan Wampfler and Amy Alvarez-Wampfler also visited our table.
The tasting menu was created by Elodie Li, a young chef trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Seattle, and with Michelin experience in France. She also made a point of visiting diners' tables.
Highlights of the tasting menu included a wonderfully complex Amuse Bouche of cherry tomatoes, and a stunning dessert with flavors of blood orange and Earl Grey. Chef Li notes she isn't a pastry chef, but she certainly could be!
We also enjoyed the Tenderloin course, especially the oyster mushrooms in Cabernet jus.
As one would expect of a brand new restaurant, there were a few missteps, but nothing major. The dining room was much too bright, but Tom indicated dimmers were already being installed. It is also a bit noisy, but that may be addressed with some softer floor treatments. Service needs a little polish, and some dishes would have been better served on warm plates, but overall everything was quite good.
A wine pairing of Abeja wines is available and fairly priced, although a broader range of wines might find better matches with the food.
Over all I would say this is a must -stop restaurant for all foodies visiting Walla Walla.
The Kitchen at Abeja 2014 Mill Creek Rd Walla Walla, WA 99362
This place far exceeded my expectations for a counter serve restaurant. I had the mixed ceviche, and it was wholly authentic, and almost as good as the best I've had in Lima, Peru. My companion had the quarter chick, which was a great lunch time deal.
The only downside of this location is that the strip mall needs a parking lot twice as big!
We ordered an assortment of sashimi shipped to Orlando Florida. The package was shipped by Fedex, and although delayed one day the fish arrived ice cold and ready to eat. Kanpachi is usually my favorite, but this was just okay, perhaps because I'm still learning how to slice sashimi! But the salmon and tuna were both superb, as good as I've had from any restaurant. We'll definitely order from them again.
Honolulu Fish Company 824 Gulick Ave Honolulu, HI 96819
Chili Cheese Fries, Impossible CheeseburgerExteriorExterior
***** (5 stars)
Great historic roadside eatery from the 1940s, now occupied by a small local burger chain. Terrific chili fries, Impossible Burger, and some of the best onion rings I’ve had anywhere. Also a shout-out for the coffee shake! Sounds like a great 10am breakfast on Christmas Eve to me!
Shrimp and scallops with spicy garlic butterShrimp and scallops with spicy garlic butterExteriorInterior
***** (5 stars)
I’ve been to a few of these crawfish-in-a-bag type places, and never been very impressed. They tend to be messy but not all that flavorful. But this place is different.
You can tell you’re going to have a good experience here from the moment you walk in the door. The staff is obviously really into what they are doing, and proud of the results. Our server, Wynona, was terrific, and it was apparent everyone else was enjoying themselves, too.
I ordered the shrimp (heads off) and scallops, because I felt they would be the least messy to eat. That was certainly true of the scallops, although the shrimp still need to be peeled, so you’ll want that bib and gloves they bring you! Both the shrimp and scallops were tender and flavorful. The corn on the cob was also particularly good. I chose the spicy garlic butter as my sauce, and it was fantastic.
This was really a tasty meal, and I’ll be back soon.
Restaurants in tourist areas don’t need to be all that great, because there is a constant supply of new patrons. But I’m a big fan of Gibson’s restaurants in Chicago, so I decided to give The Boathouse a try, and I’m glad I did.
As you would expect for a restaurant at Disney Springs, the decor and theming are spectacular. But the food is even better. I had the chopped salad with a couple of shrimp added. The salad was huge, very fresh, and the shrimp were perhaps the freshest I’ve had anywhere. I will definitely explore their raw bar when I return.
My wife had a selection of raw oysters, and also commented on how fresh they were.
The place was packed at lunchtime on a Monday, but the servers did a good job of keeping up, and the noise levels were quite reasonable.
The Boathouse is definitely my new favorite restaurant at Disney Springs.
Orlando lacks variety in the high-end dining scene, with only a few top-notch restaurants that aren’t steakhouses. That makes the competition for best steakhouse even tougher, because there are so many to choose from. It doesn’t get much better than The Bull and Bear.
You won’t find much on this menu that isn’t on every other steakhouse menu in town, but the execution here is superb.
The wedge salad, really more of a stacked dome, is a good starter, with a choice of dressing, and delicious bacon crumbles.
The steaks, of course, are top-notch. But the real standout for me was the short rib, which was easily the best I’ve ever had. Served on one not-so-short rib, the meat was succulent without being overcooked, and the rich, complex reductive sauce was stellar.
The usual sides are here. Particularly good is the creamed corn.
Wine prices are average, and there is an adequate selection, although no vintage depth.
The electronic menu used for both food and wine actually works really well, and the pictures linked to the menu items looked exactly like the dishes we were served.
Our wine group used to meet here regularly, but over time it slipped off my radar, so I hadn’t been here in years. The food is a top-notch as it ever was, although the prices have certainly increased!
This has got to be one of the best outdoor dining places in Orlando. The restaurant is barely visible from the road, and looks like a dive, but once inside you realize it opens out into a couple of great patios that really are on the water.
While the menu may look like a sports bar’s offering, the food is much better than the average sports bar. The smoked fish dip was balanced and complex, yet served with simple saltines. The Waterfront Platter was a generous mix of batter and fried shrimp, fish, chicken, hushpuppies and fries. All were done with a light touch, so they weren’t oily at all.
The tuna poke was a beautiful and delightful portion of chopped tuna and fresh veggies.
On a day with a nice breeze blowing in across the lake I can’t imagine a better place to be in Orlando.
