Restaurant-Dining Critiques

Soi Cowboy, Sukhumvit 23, Bangkok
Tel. 02 258 4332
Opening Hours: 17:30 to Closing
Credit Cards: All Major
Prices: Moderately Expensive

This is Bangkok, afer all, and a great deal of tourists from all over the world travel here to check out the nightlife, in addition to the delicious and varied selection of cuisines available in Krung Thep.

Baccara is probably the best Go-Go Bar on Soi Cowboy (the entertainment area located between Sukhumvit Soi Asoke and Soi 23) flaunting a double decked dance floor with the upper floor constructed from glass so customers on the bottom level have a view of the girls on the top level who are dressed in school uniforms sans knickers and very often the uniforms suddenly dissapear. Girls in bikinis dance to the music on the bottom floor and there is also a Terrace Bar, which opens from 17:30 daily, directly in front of the Baccara where smoking is allowed.
The bar stocks a selection of Belgian, German and Japanese beers in addition to the local Thai choices. You may order a bottle of whiskey, or any other spirit and receive unlimited soft drinks and ice with your bottle order. Espresso coffee is also available.

54, Boulevard de LaTour-Maubourg, Paris 7.
Tel. 01 47 05 89 86.
Opening Hours: Mon - Fri 12pm - 2:30pm & 7:30pm - 10:30pm
Sat - Sun: closed
Cuisine: French
Capacity: 80
Dress code: Smart casual
Metro: La Tour Maubourg
Credit Cards: All Major
Prices: Moderate

Chez Les Anges, overlooking the Esplanade des Invalides, has been through a change of name and several different owners before Jacques and Catherine Lacipiere of Au Bon Accueil restored it both in the culinary department as well as refreshing the decor with light colored spotlights splashing the walls and adding highly refined seating.
Game is featured in season and the menu reflects the other seasons bounties during the balance of the year. They have compiled a fine wine list with Burgundies especially accentuated.

La Goulue
746 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10021
at 65th St.
212-988-8169
Opening Hours: Open every day
Lunch: Monday to Saturday 12 noon to 4:00 p.m.
Dinner: Monday to Saturday 6:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Sunday Brunch: 12 noon to 4:00 p.m.
Sunday: 6:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Credit Cards: All Major
Prices: Expensive

I really enjoy many dishes from this venerable restaurant, regardless of the few negative comments I have heard, and most fondly remembered is the foie gras terrine among many other favorites. The location on Madison Avenue is ideal and the place generally has a “Parisian feel” to it.
It has a busy lunch crowd and gets the upper east side neighborhood crowd filling up the bar area while waiting for one of the banquets, especially one in the front to open up. They offer a Cafe Menu between 4p.m. - 6p.m. with items such as duck foie gras, steak tartare and an excellent profiteroles for dessert.

Footnote: For those who may not be aware. . .  Louise Weber, nicknamed La Goulou (The Glutton), was born to a Jewish family from Alsace. Her mother worked in a laundry where Louise borrowed customer’s outfits to perform in local dance halls.
She began dancing in small clubs around Paris and became popular because of her dexterity as a dancer and especially for her routine, which included hiking up her dress to show her panties with an embroidered red heart and kicking off men’s hats with her toe. She received the affectionate nickname “La Goulue” because of her frequent habit of grabbing customer’s drinks and downing the contents while dancing past their tables. She eventually danced an early version of the Cancan at the Moulin Rouge and became a highly paid star.
She decided to leave the Moulin Rouge and invested in a traveling show that toured the country as part of a large fair. Her fans did not have the same interest to see her in this type of setting and the venture turned out to be a failure. She took to drinking heavily and wound up destitute, toothless, unrecognized and reduced to selling cigarettes and peanuts on the street close to where she once had been a star at the Moulin Rouge. She died shortly after and is now buried at the Cimetière de Montmartre.

101 Wilshire Boulevard
Santa Monica, California 90401
TOLL FREE: 1(866) 540-4470
Tel.(310) 576-7777
FAX (310) 458-7912
E-MAIL santamonica@fairmont.com
Website: http://www.fairmont.com
Seating Capacity: 92 including the Bar
Opening Hours: Breakfast: 7:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Lunch: 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Dinner: 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Credit Cards: All Major
Prices: Moderate-Expensive

FIG Restaurant - Coming Soon!
The Fig Restaurant at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica, named after the enormous 100 yr. old fig tree on the property that I remember quite vividly, having spent a great deal of time at the Miramar as a young boy when my grandparents took up temporary residence there, which stretched into several years while they looked for a house in the vicinity.
John P. Jones, a silver magnate, built an estate in 1889 on five acres of land above the cliffs where Wilshire Boulevard ends and named it “Miramar”.
It seems as if the Fig Bistro has mimicked the menu of of the successful Anisette Brasserie on the Santa Monica mall to a certain extent.
Fairmont Miramar guests may call for room service around the clock or rendezvous at the Koi Pond Lounge for cocktails or soon at The Fig restaurant for California brasserie cuisine.
Enjoy the California Brasserie featuring a Cruvinet and Charcuterie area. The menu features delicious dishes with ingredients from local Farmers Markets to ensure only the freshest produce is used.
The parklike grounds add a wide selection of venues flanked by lawns, fountains, and waterfalls.  ocean-view balconies, and private saunas. Guests may call for room service around the clock or rendezvous at the Koi Pond Lounge for cocktails or The Fig restaurant for California brasserie cuisine. Or use the hotel’s Lexus SUV, to head for the new Miramar Beach Club, where butlers attend umbrella-shaded lounges and furnish Boogie Boards, volleyballs, soft drinks, snacks, and a full beach menu.

Church & State        photo by Anne Fishbein
Located in the Biscuit Company Lofts
1850 Industrial St. (Mateo St.)
Los Angeles, CA 90021
Tel. 213-405-1434
Website: www.churchandstatebistro.com
Opening Hours:  Lunch: Monday - Friday: 11:30am - 2:30pm
Dinner: Monday - Thursday: 6:00pm - 10:00pm,
Friday - Saturday: 6:00pm - 11:00pm
Credit Cards:  Visa, MasterCard, American Express
Prices: Inexpensive-Moderate

This is a new French restaurant in the industrial district of downtown Los Angeles. It is Steven Arroyo’s latest after Malo (Silverlake), Cobras & Matadors (West Hollywood), 750ml (Pasadena).

The industrial look stems from the former Biscuit Company, the frontage is floor-to-ceiling windows and the interior has been given a coat of red paint on the walls, accented by antique mirrors.

The menu has the usual list of classics: fruits de mer, salad frisee au lardon, steak frites, and cassoulet, etcetera.

In the past, as far as nightlife was concerned, downtown Hollywood was a wasteland of bawdy tattoo parlors, neon-lit liquor stores, and dirty sidewalks and save for
Les Deux
1638 North Las Palmas Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90028
323-462-7644
Credit Cards: All Major
Prices: Expensive

Owners Mike Malin, Lonnie Moore and Sylvain Bitton haave transformed this restaurant/club, which was one of the first on the scene many years ago when there was virtually nothing. L.A.’s hottest restaurant of the ’90s has had a soft reopen in 2006, the Parisian-style main room still features familiar peach-tinted mirrors and curvy-black architecture accented by Louis XVI candelabras. An added Ultra Lounge offers a dimly lit bar area with overhead projection of foreign films and vintage fashion shows to DJ-spun house music. The patio is still the best place to see and be seen
Presently, there are almost too many clubs that have opened in Hollywood, starting with The Highlands Hollywood, which really never caught on with the club scene set, although it opened the doors for what was to come, namely the
Kress
6608 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA
(323) 785-5000
Website: www.thekress.net
Opening Hours: Tue-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Smoking: Outdoor Area/Patio Only
Prices: Expensive

A 38000 sq. ft. multi-floor entertainment center, located in the former quarters of Frederick’s of Hollywood, including a basement nightclub. It was developed by Mike Viscuso—who was at least partly responsible for the renovation of the Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego.

Avalon
1735 Vine St
Hollywood, CA 90028
Phone: (323) 462-8900
Opening Hours: Showtimes vary
Pros: Music, Crowd, Service, venue
Cons: Strict bouncers, 18+ nights
Parking: Pay lot
Live Music: Yes
Credit Cards: Visa, MC
Music Types: Alternative Rock,  Rock & Pop, Hip-Hop & Rap, Techno & Industrial, Funk, Soul & R&B

It first opened in 1927, this classic Hollywood art deco landmark and former Palace location has played host to almost every entertainer. Extensive renovations and posh additions have brought the art deco landmark into the 21st century–think minimalist, modern decor; an outdoor smoking lounge with its own bar; an entirely new upper lounge built over the existing balcony; reserved seating; and a private club-within-a-club called the Spider. The impresarios behind the venture are a pair of ex-East Coasters with a string of successes, including the Limelight and Tunnel in New York, and Axis and Embassy in Boston.
Entrance to the Spider Club is handled separately from the Avalon. You must be on the guest list. The line forms just north of the main entrance, near the alleyway.
DJ Mr.White spins good selections. Service is very good, the bottle girls are pleasant. A 33000 sq. ft. club that holds rock shows on weekdays and electronic extravaganzas during the weekends has been open since 2003 and now with the recent opening of its exclusive lounge and bar Bardot atop the Avalon, they are expecting to attract an elite crowd who will enter through a separate entrance.

Bar Delux
1624 Caheunga Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
Tel. 323-461-6800
Restaurant / Bar
Music: Pop / Top 40
Cross Streets: Selma Ave.
Dinner served
Dress Code: Casual Chic
Alcohol: Full Bar
Smoking: Outdoors Only
Bar Style: Whiskey, Lounge, and Martini
Audience admittance: 21+
Atmosphere: Upscale
Prices: Expensive
Credit Cards: All Major

This is the latest venture from Adolpho Suaya and designer Kristofer Keith (Spacecraft), Delux is an Art Deco cocktail lounge featuring elegant chandeliers and a massive emerald stained glass mural.

Ecco Ultra Lounge
Located on Cahuenga corridor this club is L.A.’s first green nightclub that features organic cocktails, energy-efficient LED lighting and waterless urinals.
Katsuya a late-night sushi bar and the adjacent Philippe Starck designed S Bar at the famous intersection of Hollywood & Vine are both very popular venues.

Playhouse
6506 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028
Bar / Club Type: DJ / Dance Club

Robert Vinokur’s Playhouse is emulating a bit of La Vegas blended with a healthy dollop of South Beach in the center of the newly revitalized downtown Hollywood.
The 13,000-square foot nightclub (designed by the same design firm behind STK and Villa, Manhattan-based Icrave), situated inside the Fox Theater on Hollywood Boulevard at Wilcox Avenue will feature top name DJ’s from Europe and a 24-hour diner type of operation. It will have top-name DJs from Europe.
The sound system is state of the art and was designed by Dan Agne from Sound Investments (known for work at Cielo New York, Vanguard, and Beta Nightclub in Denver).  The lighting system at the Fox was designed by Steve Lieberman of SJ Lighting, known for his work at Tao Las Vegas, Cherry Las Vegas, and Crobar New York. One can easily see they have spared no expense on the technical side.
Projected Opening: Mid-December 2008

Vanguard
6021 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028
Driving directions: Located on North side of Hollywood Blvd. between of Gower St. and Bronson Ave, 3 blocks East of Vine St. Entrance from the back (parking lot).
Tel. 323-463-3331
Website: www.vanguardla.com
Type:  Afterhours, Club

In Hollywood where most clubs shut their doors by 2 A.M., the Vanguard’s dedicated after-hours dance scene has become a mainstay for house music and late-night action in L.A.  with a rooftop patio.
Credit Cards: All Major
Prices: Expensive

The next massive development to be opened in the next year or so will be the W Hollywood operated by one of Las Vegas’ top nightlife destinations.

Only the other day I commented to a friend of mine in Los Angeles, ”What has become of the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach?” My timing was right on, when I started to investigate, I found that a Gala Grand Opening had just transpired after completion of a 1 billion dollar renovation. Just as starters, there are seven different restaurants to choose from: Gotham Steak - Steakhouse; Hakkasan-Chinese Cantonese restaurant (Alan Yau’s London based, Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant); Scarpetta - Italian; La Cote, - French, Mediterranean; Vida - Pan-American; Solo - Cafe & Patisserie; Fresh - Snacks & Gelato. Sean O’Connell is the Executive Chef of Fontainebleau Resorts.

I will be updating as I become privy to new information. K.M.

Chef Chan Yan-Tak of the Cantonese restaurant Lung King Heen (View of the Dragon) located in the Four Seasons Hotel, Hong Kong has just received three Michelin stars. This is the first time a three-star rating has been awarded to a Chinese chef.
Michelin inspectors carefully monitored Chan’s career. They inspected the restaurant 12 times before giving it three-star approval. “His Dim Sum were as light as clouds,” they said.

I think the way in which she was ousted was an appalling display on the part of New York Magazine, especially after 40 years! Ms Greene will still be reporting via her blog on things culinary in New York City http://www.insatiable-critic.com/ One good note: she can now devote more time to her charity Citymeals-on-Wheels, which she founded 27 years ago. It supplies food to the elderly who are unable to find means to do so otherwise.

Elaine’s Restaurant
1703 Second Ave., New York, NY 10128 near 88th St.
Tel.+1 212-534-8103
Opening Hours: Mon-Sat, 6pm-2am; Sun, 5pm-1am
Credit Cards: All Major
Prices: Moderate-Expensive

The food at Elaine’s has always been barely passable, however that is not the point of the excursion to eighty-eighth Street, players from stage and screen, writers, power-brokers, intellectual types hang there. Bobby Short took my girl friend and I around the corner to smoke a joint—I am a drinker not a smoker but I took a drag anyway! This is a fun place where a lot of people mingle and the buzz is high. I used to drop by whenever I was in the city just for the hell of it.
In the low-lighting of the bar people look good, even at elbow to elbow distance, and the dining rooms are lively especially later in the evening. Elaine Kaufman, the owner, can be snarly, though she is not afraid to pick up a glass and make a drink if necessary, and will usually greet customers if she is not too engaged in conversation with other guests. You can become drunk, get unruly—no one will notice—it’s that type of place.
Elaine’s is an American-Italian joint, but there is only one of them like this in NYC; or anywhere else in the world for that matter.