Thursday, October 20, 2005

THIS IS THE PLACE TO TELL US ABOUT BUFFETS YOU HAVE BEEN TO

This post has been created just for your ability to tell us about buffet, smorgasbord, or all you can eat reastaurants that you have enjoyed - or did not enjoy. Please use the comments section to tell us your dining experiences.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

What do Christmas gift sites and Gardening sites have to do with buffets? Unless you want to give a Christmas Gift Certificate from a buffet to someone - but some how I do not think that is what the comments here imply.

Anonymous said...

When in upstate NY catskills on a saturday night, on the thruway take the Kingston Exit 19. On rt 28 west there is a town called Pine Hill. It is about 35 mins from the Thruway on 28. Take the left into pine hill and go to Colonial Inn. Every saturday there is a very nice buffet with italian food, hot and cold salads, sauerbraten, potatoes, veggies, excellent fried chicken, ice cream, pies, and this amazing warm apricot cobbler stuff for about 12.95. It is all homemade. Across the street is a delicious Indian buffet for the same price. After you eat go a little further west to Fleishmanns and enjoy the auction at Roberts. A fun way to spend a saturday night and you can find many treasures, new, old, antiques at Roberts. Auction ends when all is sold, starts at 7 til ??? Excellent homemade food at the snack bar too if you can eat any more after Pine Hill.

Unknown said...

If you make it out to San Diego, then you should know about the three best buffets there. First is a family owned restaurant called Fairouz. Everything is homemade by the family and it is also a sort of art gallery with one of the owners amazing paintings on the walls. They serve the best saffron rice that we have ever eaten anywhere. All of the food is good there. They always have lamb meatballs, gyros, stewed tender chicken, okra with tomatoes, eggplant, hummus, tabbouleh salad, garden salad, pickled cabbage, lemon chicken soup, and at dinner they always have lamb shanks. The desserts are ok--usually rice pudding, cookies, and a syrupy farina cake. There are some other things but I named the main things I always remember.

Another great buffet in San Diego if you like Japanese food is the chain Todai. I love this place. I eat the salmon sushi, tender sukiyaki, and at night rubbery lobster. They have the best beef sukiyaki that I have had in the states.

The third good buffet is an indian buffet located on Miramar Road just north in San Diego. I don't remember the name but it is located on Miramar Road East of the 805 just behind or next to a visible Carl's Junior. Do not go to any of the indian restaurants near the 15 off of Miramar Road because they cost more and aren't as good.

There is also a brazilian meat place where they bring you all kinds of brazilian cooked meats on kabobs. Various steaks, beefs, chicken, chicken hearts, etcetera. I think a little expensive but worth it if you can really eat a lot of meat.

I know this is a site for buffets but could I mention my favorite two restaurants in San Diego. If you like Japanese food, do not miss Chopstix I on Convoy (don't bother with Chopstix II near Marukai). I recommend any of the soups or the mabo don or the curry rice/mabo plate. Well, everything there is good and very reasonably priced.

Also, be sure to hit the Marukai market for a great selection of Japanese groceries. If you like Korean food, try the Tofu House where you will get the most delicious and amazing tofu soups served in cast iron pots. It comes boiling and you drop an egg in it at the table. It also comes with free starters like pickled cucumber and kimchee. Their best tofu soup in my opinion is their pollack roe tofu soup although I also like to add the big shrimp, oysters, and clams also sometimes.

For the best chocolate chip and similar cookies go to Uncle Biff's in Hillcrest across from Whole Foods Market. "Uncle Biff" isn't my favorite guy and his hours are not very good but those cookies are amazing.

For a great chocolate cake get the chocolate pyramid at City Deli in Hillcrest. They also have good matzo ball soup. Nothing else at the deli is that great.

Try to avoid all of the restaurants in the Gaslamp. It is touristy and expensive and hugely overpriced. Unless you are made of money in which case the Gaslamp should be a good time for you. The Gaslamp is a meat market for 30 and 40 somethings.

If you head into Ocean Beach, eat at the Sunshine Company on the main drag (Newport Street). Everything there is fresh and tastes great and cheap! Best mexican food in San Diego. I particularly like the octopus ceviche there because the octopus is incredibly fresh and tender and it is just sooo good. They have good fried potato wedges (jo jos) and nice chicken, too.

You can get good desserts like pies at Marie Calenders but don't eat anything else there unless you have no palate.

I lived in San Diego for 15 years and this is my list of the best of the best. You can go to San Diego and have a lot of bad meals or you can take my advice and have a lot of good meals for a good price.

Unknown said...

Addendum to my previous post about San Diego---For the best late night food go to the restaurant located under the Golden Dragon sign on University in Hillcrest between 4th and 5th Avenues. Just turn onto University (right turn) from the University exit off of the 163 south and go two blocks. You can't miss the golden dragon sign. This place has delicious and amazing food and they are open until 3 a.m. You can't find better food than this after 9 p.m. in San Diego.