Let’s Eat, Y’all

November 2024

With a nod to the recent US Thanksgiving holiday, and my guilty pleasure of all things pumpkin spice, this installment will focus on some memorable meals and eateries I’ve enjoyed over the years. There are restaurants I visit as often as possible and others which have come highly recommended that I simply can’t wait to try.

Thanks to my profession, quite a few business meetings revolve around a meal or cocktails and nosh. Because of this, I’ve been fortunate to have visited countless remarkable (and pricey) high-end dining establishments as well as some delightful greasy spoons found coast to coast over the past two decades. Of those where I’m welcomed back each time I return, I take pleasure in introducing colleagues, friends, and fellow travelers to the place with the hope and expectation they’ll love it, too, (and silently judging them if they don’t).

I find it helpful and suggest that you join me in keeping a running list of restaurants you’ve enjoyed or those you’ve heard about and want to try. The following is a small sample of restaurants I’ve enjoyed and those on my must try list. It’s not a comprehensive list and is purely based on experiences I’ve had, and delighted in. Sadly, there may be one or two establishments listed that were victims of the pandemic, but I feel they deserve a shoutout and remembrance.

Places YOU need to visit:

Greater Los Angeles

• Carasau Ristorante in Culver City: order the saffron ravioli. Let’s talk after you’ve done so.
• Blue Plate Taco in Santa Monica: sit at one of their sidewalk tables with serapes and space heaters to keep you warm while sipping a margarita and dining on Baja-inspired cuisine all while gazing at the mesmerizing Pacific Ocean.
• Nick’s in Metlox, an outdoor mall found in Manhattan Beach: can’t go wrong with anything on their menu and you can walk it off strolling the pier down the street.

New York City

• Campagnola in the Upper East Side: a tremendous amount of homestyle Italian food served family style by an amazing staff – quite the experience.
• Gramercy Tavern: I dined here pre-pandemic when they were trying out the ‘no tips’ but offering competitive salaries for staff and I was delighted with my meal and the experience. It has since gone to a prix fixe menu with MUCH higher prices.
• Tony DiNapoli’s with locations in the Upper East Side and Midtown: another one of my favorite Italian spots and while it may lean toward attracting tourists, I’ve never had a meal there I didn’t enjoy a great deal. Sharable plates (their vodka sauce scores a 10/10), tasty martinis, charming red and white checkered tablecloths, and friendly and solicitous staff.
• Havana Central near Times Square (there’s also one on Long Island): yes, it’s located in the most frenetic place in the Eastern time zone, but you’ll be rewarded with some of the tastiest (and authentic) Cuban food in the Big Apple. Do yourself a favor and order the empanada sampler with beef picadillo, chicken sofrito, and Ropa Vieja. You’ll thank me later.
• BG on the seventh floor of Bergdorf Goodman’s: delivers a bird’s eye view of the Plaza hotel and one of the southern entrances to Central Park. This posh setting provides an exceptional opportunity for observing “ladies who lunch” and offers scrumptious seasonal menus to boot. The gentlewomen are those from a different tax bracket, donning signature Chanel attire, dripping in jewels, and carrying exquisite Birkin bags.

Miami

• Casadonna on North Bayshore Dr. (located in the historic Women’s Club building): waterfront coastal Italian cuisine with offerings based on traditional fare found in the seaside towns of Italy. Before your meal, sip on cocktails on the chic verandah while enjoying views of the Intracoastal Waterway and Biscayne Bay.
• Café La Trova: you’d be hard-pressed to find a livelier, louder, and tastier Cuban restaurant in Little Havana. Go there with fun friends, ready to be entertained by the Trova musicians and cocktail-slinging bartenders and be prepared to depart with a belly full of authentic Cuban-inspired offerings.

Nantucket

• Brant Point Grill at the landmark White Elephant hotel: delivers a sublime setting for harborside dining with spectacular views of the Nantucket Sound. It’s hard to go wrong with an al fresco meal of lobstah rolls and Aperol Spritzes.

Estes Park

• Twin Owls Steakhouse: located in the Taharaa Mountain Lodge on the southwest side of Estes Park. The setting offers stunning views of the Rocky Mountains via floor to ceiling windows, a cozy fireplace (which was welcomed on a chilly August evening), and a diverse menu featuring beef, bison, elk, salmon, trout, and several respectable vegan/vegetarian selections.

Places I want/need to visit:

Telluride

• Alpino Vino: one the highest elevation restaurants in America, at close to 12,000 feet…I’ll need to take a Zofran before taking on that European menu.

Los Angeles area

• Lemon Grove: a newish rooftop bar and restaurant in old Hollywood. If “bougie chips and dips” is listed on the menu, count me in.

New York

• Café Luxembourg in the Upper West Side: it’s legendary and if Stanley Tucci and Ina Garten rave about it, that’s reason enough to try it.

I’d love to add your suggestions to my running list so please share! Also, if you live in or have plans to visit the Sooner State, I’ll gladly give a plug for my home state and recommend some of our delectable dining options in Norman, OKC, and Tulsa. Teaser: the lemon cake (see pic) at Legend’s in Norman is utterly DIVINE and should not be missed!

This is a good stopping point and time for me to share this month’s: Cautionary Tales and Helpful Hints from the Road.

If possible, please don’t be that person who haggles with the waiter over the bill (unless it’s blatantly incorrect) or send your meal back for a small discrepancy in your dish. Take it from the mom of two daughters who once worked in the food service industry…the age-old adage that the customer is always right may still exist, but it doesn’t give us free reign to humiliate the staff or criticize and question the chef’s food prep skills. Yes, on occasion, I’ve asked my waiter to request that the chef continue cooking my steak from its current version of steak tartar to the medium with a warm pink center I ordered. At any good steakhouse, the waiter will ask me to cut into the center of the steak to determine if it is to my liking. If not, that is my chance to politely ask that they give it another try. In college I worked retail but never have I worked in a restaurant. Because of my girls’ experiences and those I’ve witnessed (with embarrassment) and read about, I am likely more cognizant of modeling patience and kindness. Yes, it may just be my nature to “not cause a fuss” but I strive to live by the axiom of catching more flies with honey than vinegar and find that it applies to most every situation I encounter, be it in a boardroom, at the dinner table, or in a lively conversation.

Here’s hoping Big Suitcase Girl continues to offer insight, suggestions, highlights and, at times, a smattering of lowlights, mixed with a bunch of levity around the big world of travel, no matter the size of suitcase you choose to bring. More soon!