kevin d.'s Profile
Date
Sag Harbor, NY 11963
(631) 725-1045
Estia's Little Kitchen
Category:
Breakfast & Brunch
FULL REVIEW: Show up and see the crowd to the right of the restaurant on the grass. The place is kinda tiny. No room to wait inside and it is definitely worth waiting.
Took about 15 minutes to wait for a table for 2 this morning. We were seated in the front room in a corner. Nice table. Plenty of room and not crammed together. Server asked for drink orders and we got water, coffee, and OJ. All good. Coffee was outstanding.
I ordered special omelette with summer sausage, ratatouille, and ricotta cheese. Chose wheat toast and fruit as sides. Loved it all. Super high quality, simply prepared, fairly priced. Yay! Just what I expected from other reviews. Thanks Yelpers!
Wife had chocolate chip pancakes which were really good and bacon as a side which was perfectly cooked and delish. A universe apart from the miserable excuse for bacon we had at Babette's in East Hampton. I also ordered churros whhich were killer. LIke a warm mexican doughnut. Super with the fantastic coffee they served.
Definitely check this place out in Sag Harbor. It's really good.
Montauk, NY 11954
(631) 668-5958
Surfside Inn Hotel
Categories:
Restaurants,
Hotels & Travel
Very good dinner here with friends. Ended up here as a 2nd choice as we believed the hype about Surf Lodge and drove out but it was a MAD house with huge lines and cars parked up and down the highway and it was obvious dinner wasn't happening.
We had a large group. Ordered every appetizer on the menu and I tried most. My favorite was the raw littleneck clams on the halfshell. FRESH and outstanding. They also make a mean crabcake. Disappointment was the award winning clam chowder which was meh. Reminded me of Campbells Chunky clam chowder with extra herbs and wasn't served as hot (temperature) as it should have been.
My entree was a fluke special which was wonderfully prepared. There was a huge pile of organic greens on the side which was odd but tasty. Wife had the short ribs. Not fantastic but quite good. They came with grilled asparagus and mashed potatoes which were both great. One of our friends ordered the cheese grits as a side. OMG. The grits were sent directly from heaven. Definitely order the grits.
I recommend this place. The staff is friendly, the location is beautiful, and the food is good.
FULL REVIEW: This place is horrible. We were greeted by Babette. That was the high point. She said it would be about 10 minutes for a table for 2. It was a bit longer but no worries.
Our server started out OK. Took drink orders & served them promptly. Asked for an iced tea and a virgin bloody mary. The bloody was good but small. We never got the water we asked for. This becomes a theme...
It took server quite a while to take our breakfast/lunch order. Wife ordered chicken breast sandwich ($25) and I ordered Huevos Deluxe ($19 I think). The food took a long time to arrive. Once I got my food I realized I had no napkin or silverware. So I just gazed at it longingly until the tools arrived.
Huevos Deluxe looked good and tasted good. 2 poached eggs over tortilla chips (I swear they're Garden of Eatin nacho cheese). Little bit of fresh salsa and 1/3 of a small avocado. Cheese was baked over the top of the eggs. So I liked it overall and the quality of the ingredients was clear. BUT $19? No way. The food was way out of whack with the price..even for a resort area. Also, my bloody was long gone before entree arrived and we were still waiting on water when I was done with my entree. Server never checked in. Nobody poured water. Wasn't a huge issue for me. It was just annoying. It was an issue for the wife though.
Wife had the chicken breast sandwich. It was horrible. Huge but completely dried out chicken breast with the skin on which was really weird. Came with turkey bacon that tasted like greasy salted balsa wood. So again...kinda dry. The sandwich was served on kinda average seven grain bread. And still no water. My wife had to beg the busboy for a glass full. Finally she got it and she was saved from dehydration. Too bad I cannot say the same for the chicken. So the sandwich was terrible and it was $25. Not good.
When we were done eating. Took a while to get the check. My wife had to hunt down the server and ask for it since she had disappeared. She did bring it promptly upon request. Final bummer...no AMEX accepted. You would think they could afford the amex percentage with the prices they charge.
Calabasas, CA 91302
(818) 225-9092
Marmalade Cafe
Categories:
American (New),
Breakfast & Brunch
1 Previous Review:
-
7/28/2010
I've been to Marmalade Cafe in Calabasas probably 20 times. Usually love it. Have had several go-to entrees that are all awsm. However, they launched a new menu yesterday and it's far more limited now. Fewer items and they killed a couple winners like beef brisket and roasted chicken. We *really* will miss the roasted chicken.
Still worth a visit but with the new, limited menu, not as good as they've reliably been for so many years. Show owner comment »
Thousand Oaks, CA 91362
(805) 418-1811
Mastro's Steak House
Category:
Steakhouses
I had the 12oz Filet. Wife had roasted chicken. Both were flawless. Filet was tender and cooked perfectly. They undercook slightly there and the waitstaff will usually tell you. I ordered medium and got it just slightly on the south side of medium. Perfect.
Mac and cheese as a side was very good. Huge portion we shared and brought half of it home. I had it for lunch the next two days.
Butter cake is a must. Skip appetizers and have the butter cake. You simply have to do it. So, so, so good.
2 Previous Reviews:
-
11/21/2009
UPDATE: I just love this place. A repeat performance of awesomeness for our 2nd visit. Bring your checkbook because it is expensive but it is worth every penny.
We were greeted with a smile by the hostesses and quickly escorted to our table. Our server, Raymond, introduced himself quickly and warned us about the 400 degree plates and informed us about off the menu options that were available last night. I have to say...the service here is so good. Really outstanding.
We were pretty close to the live music in the bar so it was louder than our last visit but it was OK. Just had to raise our voices a bit when we talked. For our first visit, we were served in the Mastro Room. I recommend you request the Mastro room for seating if possible. It is a small room that accomodates only 20 people. It has a nice feel with a fireplace in the wall and is quieter because of it's location behind the kitchen.
I started the meal with a Red Bull Sugarfree served perfectly with the full can and a glass of ice. We skipped starters enjoying the bread bowl and saving room for dessert later. Wife had the chicken. I had the 12oz bone-in filet. Both entrees were wonderful. I asked for my steak medium rare. Raymond warned us that Mastro's undercooks steaks and advises guests to order up. ie: if you want rare, order medium rare. I stuck with medium rare and it was closer to rare. Raymond was right. I loved it anyway. Better undercooked than overcooked for the beautiful steak I had. Once again, one of the best steaks I've ever had. Bone-in filets rock. Period. And Mastro's does them better than anyone. We shared a side of Gorgonzola Mac & Cheese which was very good. Not as much gorgonzola as I expected but the dish was still very good.
Franco Checchini, the General Manager of the Thousand Oaks location, emailed me after our first visit and my Yelp review. He suggested I call if I visit again. Well, we didn't call because this wasn't really a planned visit, but we asked our server Raymond if Franco was there and he was. Franco stopped by our table and thanked us for our business. He then surprised us with desserts on the house. How could we refuse?!? We had the chocolate pudding cake and Mastro's Butter Cake. Both were excellent. I've already described our love for the Mastro's Butter Cake. The Chocolate Pudding Cake was the new kid at the table. It rocked. Superior to any other cake like it that I've had in the past. It was kind of like ablend between a souffle and a chocolate lava cake. The chocolate was *very* rich. Not a dessert for the faint hearted.
Thank you Franco and your team at Mastro's Thousand Oaks for another wonderful evening. I eat out alot and it's rare to find a place that gets so many things right. I know it is the result of hard, smart work and I appreciate it. -
10/24/2009
Mastro's crushes Ruth's Chris and Mortons. Not even close. Mastro's is a fantastic steakhouse with outstanding decor/mood and service to match. 5 stars all around for the Thousand Oaks, CA location.
Throughout the meal the service ranked right up there with the best I've ever had anywhere. Five star service for sure.
Wife started with Onion Soup and I had a wedge salad. Both were outstanding versions of the steakhouse classics. The wedge isn't exactly a wedge though. It's more like a half head of lettuce with the core removed. It ends up with all the taste of a wedge but is better. The salad is huge. It could be an entree.
For entrees, my wife had the roasted chicken and I had the 12oz bone-in filet. Both were fantastic. The steak was a beautiful cut, cooked to order and perfectly seasoned. Sides were steamed broccoli and mastros mashed potatoes. The broccoli was cooked just right. They serve it with cheese sauce on the side which is kind of unusual but not a bother. The mashed potatoes were great basically they're garlic mashed potatoes with chives, sour cream, bacon, and I think cheese mixed in. They had a great smoky taste. The size of the sides is enormous. LIke enough for four people. Ridiculous actually...ridiculou sly awesome.
For dessert we had Mastro's Butter Cake. It is OUTSTANDING. Cake was awesome. The vanilla bean ice cream on top was unbelievable. Great texture and very, very rich. A giant dish of freshly whipped cream was served alongside dessert. It was fantastic. Way too much but fantastic. We both had coffee which was amazing as well.
Love this place. Will definitely return.
Los Angeles, CA 90049
(310) 571-3800
Pecorino Restaurant
Category:
Italian
Neighborhood: Brentwood
The open kitchen is really cool and adds to the "homey" vibe. Wife had the spaghetti carbonara which was EXCELLENT. I had the tripe which is served "Roman" style which is basically like a stew in a casserole. So good. Just like Mom used to make (but better..don't tell her). When I ordered, our server said "only the Italians order it". I have a feeling he would have steered me away from it if I didn't express confidence in the order. I'm glad he didn't. Loved it. The table next to us ordered the Sole cooked on parchment paper special. OMG. That looked amazing and I'll try it next time.
Skipped dessert and headed over to Diddy Reese for cookie/ice cream sandwiches. We did have a coffee and cappuccino which were excellent. We will definitely be back.
I got the complete interior and exterior detail. Not cheap at $249 but it was worth every penny. I will absolutely return.
Los Angeles, CA 90064
(310) 475-4521
Matteo's Italian Restaurant
Category:
Italian
Neighborhood: West Los Angeles
We arrived really late. Had an 8:30 reservation but didn't show until 9:30 because the event we were at ran far later than we thought it would. The valets were on it! The host was really accommodating and I appreciated it. We were seated in a red leather booth. The place is really nicely decorated. Like a nicely updated version of a classic Italian steakhouse. We liked the decor very much. Inviting, comfortable, upscale. Good, good, good.
I started with the Spinach Salad. The dressing was a little heavy but the salad was excellent. Spinach, toscana cheese, golden raisins, spicy pecans, and really nice pancetta in place of the standard bacon. The bread basket had two really thick pieces. We had to ask for more and received a real basket full. The bread was definitely either freshly baked or warmed in the oven. The bread was great!
My wife had the Pollo Erbe e Senape (roasted 1/2 chicken with honey mustard/lemon sauce) as an entree. The chicken was probably a little less than average. I'd give it 4 on a 1-10 scale. Vegetables served with it were not really good either. Baby carrots with alot of garlic, green beans, and fingerling potatoes that were cooked well but not appetizing in appearance.
I had the Arborio Venere (black arborio rice with chicken breast, shallots, white corn, mushrooms, and asparagus in a mascaparone sauce) for an entree. My rice entree was average. Very RICH which I expected and liked. It was seasoned well. The chicken in the dish was all white meat and nice quality. Vegetables not so great. Average.Overall, I could imagine making a similar entree from a boxed mix and adding the chicken.
Dessert was chocolate tartufo. The gelato was very good. It was covered in dark chocolate chips that also were good. The dessert was exactly what we expected. Nothing more & nothing less. We would have loved to try the Chocolate Nutella cake but it takes 20 minutes to prepare and the server did not inform us about the timing while we were enjoying our entrees.
From the moment we entered the mood was nice. Decor was slick and modern but welcoming at the same time. Set a perfect South Florida tone. Service was perfectly attentive but not overbearing. Server was quite knowledgeable about the entire menu and answered several questions from our table professionally and with ease. The bread basket was wonderful. Freshly baked goodness from the kitchen.
I started with a sushi kind of appetizer. Kona Kampachi carpaccio with jalapeno, seaweed, balsamic soy emulsion and black olive sea salt. It was excellent. My wife had the tomato soup which she said was wonderful.
I ordered a whole fish as an entree: the whole Dorade. Fish was prepared wondefully. Perfectly cooked and quite flavorful. The server fillets the fish tableside so it's easy to eat. I'd rather have it in front of me actually but having the server fillet the fish tableside is a nice service. The fish was accompanied by tomatoes, polenta, and a few thin stalks of asparagus. The polenta was off the charts excellent. Smooth, buttery, perfect...
For dessert, we all had coffee which was french press prepared to perfection. Also had six mini-cupcakes which were great. I forget all the flavors but they were definitely killer and fun to share and discuss which was best, etc....
This is a must stop if you live in or are visiting Naples, FL. You won't regret it. Esquire was right to add it to their list of the best new places in America.
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Review votes:
31 Useful, 6 Funny, and 8 Cool
Santa Monica, CA
Yelping SinceApril 2008