If were not for the personalities this would become C-SPAN4.

Yes, but we have quite a few who have earned their reputations over long histories, and then we have the "bull goose loony" sorts. Actually we also have our share of Nurse Ratched types too, though they are mainly in the Lounge. Just trying to warn Tom that he might want to know the table before he antes up.

Merci Beaucoup Fra_Diavalo. Your "welcome" to Fodors was certainly nicer than a couple of others by you "old timers" - and please: Take my stake and deal me in.

Yo - I stand by what I wrote about Tout Va Bien, and as I said, they certainly had their "A" game working two Sundays ago (for the reasons subsequently noted) - but this apparently lead to consternation from a few of your other jaundiced bloggers who have dined there over the years.

Given a choice between an authentic "Paris Bistro" type lunch at Tout Va Bien or say fine dining at La Bernardin, or Eleven Madison Park, or Joel Robuchon's L'Atelier, where would I go?

Well - I think the answer is obvious - but for our group - we were looking for a tres reasonable (ergo - pas de - Bistro experience, and received it in fine fettle.

Au Revoir.

Glad you enjoyed your "authentic Paris Bistro" lunch. Or was it a "pas de bistro" lunch?

Anyway, keep enjoying your "gourmet" foods! Just don't snag all the bluefin tuna.. (You can certainly find it on sushi menus here in NYC, for better or worse)

Touche. Another typo by this old lad. It was supposed to read: pas de cher - but that would probably also make my French teacher cringe.

And hopefully one doesn't snag a Bluefin, as they are tough enough to land even if you get the hook in the corner of their mouth. They fight more than just about any other fish, including the Yellowtail, which fights more than the Yellowfin.

What's amazing here is that although there can be a decent Bluefin catch every few years by sportfishermen in relatively local waters (within a day and a half trip from the Pt. Loma Docks) - you can't sell to the restaurants/local fish markets - due to the powerful commercial fisheman's union. So when you do find Bluefin in the local Fresh Fish stores (rare in the sushi restaurants also), it's not only a somewhat unique event, but it's also expensive - from $35 to $50 a lb in the fish markets.

Still say there is nothing better than seasme crusted, lightly seared bluefin, althogh Ahi/yellowfin is also tasty.

Bon Chance aussi.

And when you get a chance, why don't you write up some of those great meals you've had so we can all "experience" them on the page? You can find my own food-centric reports on this forum, too.

Will do. And will look up some of your reviews.

As for the best - while it wasn't necessrily gourmet - while river rafting in Costa Rica - for lunch - we pulled over to the shore for a simple ceviche and ham and cheese sandwiches, and it never tasted so good

Hi Tom, I've enjoyed reading your posts on this thread. Hope you stick around.

Thank you starrs. Hey - not the first time I have been the new kid on the block and had to deal with newbie stuff.

Stick around. You'll see the exact same thing happen to someone else down the road.

In closing, I think that most of us can agree that we should limit our restaurant/shop reports to places that we have actually patronized. As Tom did in his first post.

There are many sites that run reports from people purporting to review hotels, for example, and upon further reading of their "review" it turns out that they have not actually stayed at said hotel, or eaten at that particular restaurant. That is why some websites end up being far less useful than they originally set out to be. I hope we can keep this forum useful by offering up comments based on personal experience. And if you have an impression of a place based on a quick peek, and feel that you must chime in, then please be forthcoming about not having actually eaten at tal place.

Not sure who is on hall patrol on this page - but Duh!!!!!!
I ain't using a Trip Advisor format.

I believe I said I had eaten Pizza pie at Motorinos, and had a slice of pie at Joe's, and said I had a very good look at the pizzas in the other places along Bleeker St. and asked the patrons how they liked their pizza, and they were all favorable.

In the past - I have dined at Per Se (didn't mention that because while the food was good - I found it be the height of pretentiousness), Jean George - whom I love, Masa's Sushi bar (down the hall from Per Se), a couple of the well known Steak houses, and years ago at Vongs, Le Cirque, and others of that ilk.

And also had a marvelous pasta this time at Dell'anima in the West Village, and my sister and her friend from Italy said they also truly enjoyed Piccolo Angelo.

So now please tell help me out: What are the "reporting requirements" again?

Tom: I think I spelled out my view point fairly well in my post. On another board you "reviewed" a butcher where you had bought nothing. Merely listing the "fine" restaurants in which you have dined years ago, or the places where you have stopped in (how did the patrons at Keste react when you interrupted their meal?) is not terribly helpful in my personal opinion. In any case, enjoy.

Enough! Enough!

Tom will go away when he gets tired of his new found way of being obnoxious! Anyway, I hope so.

Getting back to Tout Va Bien,several in our party ordered a French beer.Tom, do you recall what was the name of the beer that they carried?

And to address the subject of reviews.I know some people have gamed Trip Advisor and other sites with fake positive and negative reviews.Thats really ashame and one reason I don't read Trip Advisor reviews as much as I used to.The reaction to that has been that some people now doubt all reviews on forums from new posters.Thats ashame too.

Rob - I think it was actually a Belgian beer - and it was spritzed, and Jacqueline and Marian split it and I had a sip - and it was tasty - but a bit suc/fruity pour moi as beers go.

As for having dined where I said /we did - how much clearer can I/we make it: We dined at Tout Va Bien and Motorinos Q - are we allowed to comment on Motorinos because somebody did a year ago or so?.

I then also had a piece of Pizza at Joe's, and yes, the people at Keste pizza were very friendly when I asked them how they liked their pizza, just as they were at Johns. Hey - people are much more informal in Pizza places than at the citadels of cuisine, plus this was around lunchtime, not during the sacroscant dinner hour.

And yes, I also dined at Dell'amina this trip - in the West Village, and I think I should be permitted the liberty of passing on that my sister and her friend (who lives in Italy) can also give me their opinion of the 2nd Italian restaurant they dined at - Picco Angelo - both of which receive a 25 from Zagat's for their food.

Also - SusieQ - why are you so one sided in your opinion? Do you not think Ekscruncy was tres obnoxious when she initially responded and totally dismissed my review as - just another newbie?

Q - you are not related to Ekscruncy or Sandi are you? see:


ekscrunchy on Nov 3, 11 at 1:26pm That review (from a first-time poster) reads like a press release to me. Sorry.
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sandi on Nov 3, 11 at 2:46pm You do have to wonder about the OPW - one post wonders!

Tout va Bien is an institution and always outstanding, no need for some special review.
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ekscrunchy on Nov 3, 11 at 3:15pm OPW--I'd not heard that one before!

I don't get the "punch bowl of sangria," though.