Teacher's Pet wrote: Mon Jun 26, 2023 10:00 am

OrthodoxEaster wrote: There's also a historic, hole-in-the-wall Dominican lunch counter near Times Square called Margon, recommended for a plate of roast pork or stewed oxtails w/yellow rice, plantains, and red beans or maybe a Cuban sandwich. Ask for the garlic-and-vinegar sauce. No dinner, so crack a mid-day beer among office and construction workers.

100%. This place rules. Great Cuban sandwich. I also used to get a chicken sandwich here sometimes and the guy would just plop a whole thigh on the bun, close the bun, and pull out the bone. Boom, done.

My favorite NYC food writer covered one of the Midtown Sichuan places this week. (Scroll down.) Eater also has tons of other useful info/maps/guides etc.

Made the mistake of trying to go to Margon on July 4, and it was closed.

Thanks for the Upside Pizza recommendation, we went there our first night, we both enjoyed it! Thanks also for pointing me to the Eater, found out about Los Tacos No.1 and we had that for lunch one day, those tacos were fantastic.

zircona1 wrote:Made the mistake of trying to go to Margon on July 4, and it was closed.

Thanks for the Upside Pizza recommendation, we went there our first night, we both enjoyed it! Thanks also for pointing me to the Eater, found out about Los Tacos No.1 and we had that for lunch one day, those tacos were fantastic.

Margon makes most of its money from the workweek-lunch crowd, so it makes sense that the place would be closed on holidays. Sorry you missed it. Next time.

Unrelated: Returning to the Azores in September and October after eight years away.

Visiting the three islands we did not get to the first time out (Terceira, Graciosa, Santa Maria) and returning to São Miguel (to fly home but also to see some of the less obvious places we did not visit before). Anyone been? We won't be driving, so we'll be relying on taxis, limited bus options, and the kindness of strangers. Our focus will be on hiking and great food. Thanks.

OrthodoxEaster wrote: Tue Jun 13, 2023 11:44 am

tommy wrote: Heading to Greece next week. I’ll be in Mykonos (most of my free time is already filled up there) and Athens. Anyone have any recos, especially in Athens. I think we are staying sorta near The Acropolis.

As of two years ago, Atlantikos in Psirri served simple, quality seafood at gentle prices. It's popular and very tourist-friendly but not exclusively touristy.

Volvi, outside Varvakeios Market on Evripidou, is a window for better-than-normal souvlaki and meatballs made w/(for once) good ingredients. The market itself is worth a look as well

These were both outstanding. Thanks! We typically do a food walking tour (focused on non-touristy places) the first day we are in every new foreign city. Volvi was a stop on that food tour.

Sadly, I was with a big group of severely Type A people and these are the only things from my list that we did. I greatly prefer just traveling with my lady for this very reason. I couldn’t get her to break away from the pack on this trip and I don’t love solo travel.

OrthodoxEaster wrote: Thu Jul 06, 2023 8:21 am

zircona1 wrote:Made the mistake of trying to go to Margon on July 4, and it was closed.

Thanks for the Upside Pizza recommendation, we went there our first night, we both enjoyed it! Thanks also for pointing me to the Eater, found out about Los Tacos No.1 and we had that for lunch one day, those tacos were fantastic.

Margon makes most of its money from the workweek-lunch crowd, so it makes sense that the place would be closed on holidays. Sorry you missed it. Next time.

We also tried to go to Cafe Katja that day for dinner, that was also closed.

But, we did go to Potluck Club one night and had the salt+pepper chicken, which was delicious. The chili crisp+plum jam with the scallion biscuit was really good too!

We are heading for Brighton next week. We're going with my wife's whole family and we have our two kids with us (3 months and 6-ish years old). Any recommendations are apprectiated! We might be able to sneak to see a gig or show or something, but I suck at googling gigs in UK.

zircona1 wrote:We also tried to go to Cafe Katja that day for dinner, that was also closed.

But, we did go to Potluck Club one night and had the salt+pepper chicken, which was delicious. The chili crisp+plum jam with the scallion biscuit was really good too!

I'm glad that at least one of those joints worked out. Potluck Club is terrific. So happy you liked it.

tommy wrote:These were both outstanding. Thanks! We typically do a food walking tour (focused on non-touristy places) the first day we are in every new foreign city. Volvi was a stop on that food tour.

You're welcome. I've benefitted so many times from places people have suggested abroad, so I'm always happy to advise.

Wife and I going to UK October 4-17. Would love to meet up with some of you.

At some point we'll be hitting Manchester and Sheffield, too, probably.

Looking for recommendations for neighborhoods to stay in.

Interests: museums, scenic beauty in nature, architecture, probably attend a football match, food (no dietary nor lifestyle restrictions), record shops, live music, and some shopping, probably.

Other suggestions welcome.

enframed wrote: Tue Aug 08, 2023 10:36 am Wife and I going to UK October 4-17. Would love to meet up with some of you.

At some point we'll be hitting Manchester and Sheffield, too, probably.

Looking for recommendations for neighborhoods to stay in.

Interests: museums, scenic beauty in nature, architecture, probably attend a football match, food (no dietary nor lifestyle restrictions), record shops, live music, and some shopping, probably.

Other suggestions welcome.

So, I will be passing through London, but next week… about a month earlier than you.

I know there are folks based in the UK on here and hope they can provide some suggestions. I have been in London so many times but usually in transit so I am not really good at providing suggestions. The thing I can recommend… while obviously touristy… is to ride on the London Eye. It’s pretty awesome. Also, take every opportunity you can to go to a local pub. Ales are okay, but the local ciders (served on cask and usually like a day from going bad) are fucking incredible.

I wish you a great trip.

Aside from that..

Any PRF folks based near Stuttgart, Germany or Warsaw, Poland? I will be there during the weeks of Sept. 11 and Sept. 18, respectively. Right now, I have thoughts of taking the train to Munich to go to the first day of Oktoberfest on Sept. 16.

If you don't have accommodations in Munich lined up yet, good luck. Also with trying to get into a tent at all on the first day. If you haven't been, you're not allowed to drink outside of the tents. I went once during the week (Wednesday?) in the early afternoon with two coworkers from Bavaria, one had a relative working in one of the tents.

AdamN wrote: Tue Sep 05, 2023 1:40 pm If you don't have accommodations in Munich lined up yet, good luck. Also with trying to get into a tent at all on the first day. If you haven't been, you're not allowed to drink outside of the tents. I went once during the week (Wednesday?) in the early afternoon with two coworkers from Bavaria, one had a relative working in one of the tents.

Thanks for your reply.

I know there's no way I'd be able to get a hotel in Munich.. was planning to take a train in and out from Stuttgart, same day. Sure, it's 2 hours each way on the ICE, but as you implied, it'd pretty much be the only feasible option I'd have at this point.

So I wasn't expecting to get into a tent, but do they seriously not have or not allow any drinking outside of the tents?? Considering we're talking about a country where public drinking is allowed, and one where I walked around with and was sold a gluhwein on a public sidewalk, this doesn't seem right.

That being said, will take your comment as a heads-up and will look into it further before heading that way. I have alternate plans to either go to the Black Forest or to just stay in Stuttgart if it's a bust to go to Oktoberfest without a tent reservation.