Warrior: peony and I are driving to Zion (the park) for the holidays. Any recommendations for food around there or on the way would be appreciated. I suspect most everything else is awful, so even recommendations for mediocre, tolerable places would be helpful. (We have Las Vegas covered.)
The lively hamlet of Springdale (just outside of the park entrance) is where most visitors to Zion National Park stay. Within Springdale:
Cafe Soleil for nice “to go” sandwiches and breakfast options.
Feel Love Coffee for caffeine.
Zion Pizza & Noodle Co. is quite nice.
If you’re staying at the Cliffrose, then the on-site restaurant Anthera is quite nice.
Enjoy Zion!
BTW in case you do go to Bryce, Bryce Canyon Lodge offers shockingly tasty cuisine, like scrumptiously good. There is very little in the way of competition in the area, so their food doesn’t have to be that great to impress. But it does.
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Peony: Wow! Thanks so much for the thoughtful recommendations ! It sounds more exciting than we expected! éťžĺ¸¸ć„źč°˘ä˝ çš„ĺ»şč®®! Looking forward to the trip!
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My pleasure. çĄťä˝ ä¸€č·Żé †é˘¨ !
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You might want to consider stopping at St. George for a meal along the way. About 90 minutes away from Zion. Good size city so you can probably find something more easily. It’s been years since I’ve been there but I enjoyed the following
El Coyote Charro - typical taco shop
Hawaiian Poke Bowl - probably not up to the standards in LA, but good for the area
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warrior: thanks. we went to both Raku and Lotus of Siam in our last Vegas trip (last April as I recall). i thought more highly of the latter than the former, though i would go back to both. we have reservations for picasso and michael mina this trip.
Picasso is OK but nothing more.
Have you tried the new Toridokoro Raku that’s focused on chicken?
Picasso is fine choice. Their food is always solid since their menu hasn’t changed in 10 years but they play it pretty safe. As for Michael Mina, I wouldn’t recommend it. My recent dinner there was quite uninspiring. Give Partage a try…
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warrior: that’s not inspiring! but i feel we may have tried any other option that is available and potentially could be better than picasso. so we may still go with it unless we get a wave of warnings not to go.
warrior: @moonboy403, thanks for the recommendations. didn’t picasso have two michelin stars? how can it be so dull? i’ve been to michael mina’s restaurant in SF a few times, and it is pretty boring to be honest–boring but good. maybe we’ll change our plans.
Have you tried é by José Andrés at Cosmo? Similar concept to Somni. You also can’t go wrong with Joel Robuchon especially given that they started updating their menu.
They did. No idea how they got 2 stars. Again, solid food with a superb view by the fountain, but don’t expect fireworks there from the food. Here’s my most recent visit.
I would go back to Picasso but not Michael Mina LV. You’ll have a much better time at Partage or go a la carte at Rivea.
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warrior: your picasso pictures are unimpressive. alright, we’re ditching it–and michael mina too. Thanks to both of you.
Michelin has not rated Las Vegas restaurants again since they published the 2008-2009 Las Vegas guide.
Michelin stars don’t necessarily mean that the food isn’t dull provided it’s sufficiently French. Which you might not consider dull if you like classic French food enough.
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warrior: thanks for the Eater lists, which i like. i think we’ve probably already exhausted the michelin debate. personally, i think michelin stars are the most reliable guide to restaurant quality and that they aren’t overly “frenchified” as you put it. pretty much every other list (e.g., Eater) is heavily influenced by “soft factors” unrelated to food quality, which is great when you live in that city and are looking for diversity, but not ideal when you’re on a trip and looking for the best possible meal.
It is not bad on a level that it requires a warning but it is quite boring and we would visit places again like L’Atelier etc. before going back to Picasso (even Bouchon was more interesting and it is not terrible creative cooking)
Michelin stars that are over ten years old are not reliable.
I think Michelin ratings guarantee a certain level of quality, and the Plate and Bib Gourmand lists cover a broader range of cuisines than the stars. Exactly what the stars mean varies with location.
If your idea of the “best possible meal” is the kind of experience you get at a two- or three-Michelin-star place, then you can’t beat their guides.
My visit in March to Lotus of Siam (OG Sahara location) was underwhelming. The newer Flamingo location may be better. At least that’s what the locals said. I shoulda listened.
How many great restaurants have been ruined by expansion? Arrgh.