What is "fine dining"?

[Paula]

Fine dining is any food that is so good that it brings you to tears, whether that's at a restaurant, the beach, a friends house, home.

One of my kids just said the food was so good at a restaurant we went to recently (the Mad Hatter on Sanibel Island - you can watch the sunset while dining) that she almost peed her pants.

And, if the context is romantic enough and you're with the right person, the experience of amazing food in a romanic setting makes you want to say, "Take me now..." (Two excellent restaurants in Cleveland of all places have that effect - Dante's and The Flying Fig)

(We're all pretty enthusiastic eaters at our house!)

 

[Kurt]

So it sounds like SoWal has upscale casual but not fine dining.

 

[Paula]

I was REALLY impressed with the restaurants in Cleveland (Cleveland, by the way, was voted the worst city in the U.S by some ranking agency, but we had a really nice time there). We have fine dining in Ann Arbor, and I've eaten in very nice restaurants. World class to me now means having a world class chef in which the food is outstanding and the presentation itself is artistic. The service is top-of-the-line as well.

I've had great food in a lot of places, so world-class dining doesn't necessarily mean the be-all-end-all, but it really does seem to be a class in itself. So, again, I think world-class chef, artistic presentation, outstanding service (and special setting -- which SoWal certainly has in many of its restaurants).

 

[Ohio Girl]

Thanks for the Cleveland shout out! We may have crummy weather but we do have excellent restaurants. Went to Dante's last week and it was superb. Gotta try Parallax next time you're in town.

 

[Desso]

Love Cleveland. Great restaurants and people. Definitely not the worst city in the US. I've been to the worst and Cleveland ain't it.

 

[Paula]

I agree about Cleveland. New York and Chicago were also on the list of worst cities, so that's great company to be in!

Cleveland has a great art museum. They definitely want to put themselves on the Map as a fine dining city. And I like it that the restaurants near Dante's all help each other out rather than compete. Lolitas recommended Dantes and Dante's said they don't put some things on their menu if it's already on another restaurant's menu. And the Flying Fig and Dante's were very romantic.

I'll try Parallex next time. Cleveland is only 2.5 hours away and we plan to go back.

 

[scooterbug44]

For the kids, hot dogs are served on a covered silver platter. I'll never forget that one. That was the only time I had to salt a hot dog. It probably had been in the freezer for a couple of years.

If there was a hot dog allowed on the premises it was not fine dining.

IF (and it's a big if) kids darken the door of a true fine dining restaurant they order the same items as adults.

 

[Green Knight]

Don't really think there is fine dining on The Emerald Coast..We have some excellent Upscale Casual Places but nothing what I would consider fine dining...Pano and Pauls in Atlanta back in the day was Fine Dining..The French Laundry in Napa....Inn at Little Washington outside DC... are the type of places I consider Fine Dining

 

[tistheseason]

I think Paradis and Fish out of Water are fine dining. Caliza, too. Fine dining at the beach is a little more relaxed than in a major metropolian area. The whole area is more relaxed than a big city --so I think it makes sense that the dining follows suit. I also think Find Dining in Atlanta is a little different than Fine Dining in Paris. Both reflect the culture of the city.