What is your favorite restaurant?

[lil Jimmie]

What is your favorite restaurant? Not any of those fast food joints either as I know some of you guys consider Taco Bell fine dinning.

Mine has to be a little Mexican joint called Martins Capitol, but I also like another nice place called Cattle Barrons and for Italian there is a place called the Pasta Cafe.

Edit: I forgot to add that the above restaurants are in Roswell, NM

[kram 2.0]

I actually have a few that stand out. One is Metropolitan Grill in Seattle, WA - excellent steak and worth the heafty bill. Another one is Ucello's in Grand Rapids, MI - best pizza I've ever had. Last but not least (but not least!) is probably Montgomery Inn, right down the street here in Cincinnati, OH. Delicious Ribs and steak.

kram

[Tin]

3 Star.....right smack in the middle of Detroit. its not really in Detroit, but its in Hamtramck, which is the small city in the middle of Detroit. they have the best ribs this side of the moon.

[inflames988]

Quite a few i like, but my favorites are

1.) Red robin, for burgers that are AWESOME
2.) Sal's a local pizza place with the best local wings and pizza
3.) Hilton Head Brewing Company, in south carolina. ive been there once, but the wings were AMAZINg and the food was great too. Sometime, im gunna go all the way there just for that and fireworks. That way i can be on one of those commercials they have of stupid accomplishments...IDK what company it was, but they had things like "i once called shotgun, 12 hours before a road trip"....

"i once drove 12 hours...for hot wings"

[lil Jimmie]

BTW this is our new Micky Dee's

[Mac Medic]

The Capital Grille, Atlanta, GA.
http://www.thecapitalgrille.com/Locations/Atlanta/Main.asp?Location=Atlanta&rid=1

and panos & pauls, Atlanta, GA.

[Strider]

Schuler's in Madison, Mi
Weber's in Ann Arbor, Mi
The Bannana Boat in Boynton Beach, Fl (Might be Ocean Ridge)
Shooters in Ft. Lauderdale, Fl

and for good sandwiches and soup - TooJay's in Florida

[kram 2.0]

I actually have a few that stand out. One is Metropolitan Grill in Seattle, WA - excellent steak and worth the heafty bill. Another one is Ucello's in Grand Rapids, MI - best pizza I've ever had. Last but not least (but not least!) is probably Montgomery Inn, right down the street here in Cincinnati, OH. Delicious Ribs and steak.

kram
Forgot one - Taj II Indian Cuisine @ Columbus, OH. Excellent food, huge portions :cool:

kram

[catacon]

Let's see. Chevy's Tex Mex (Mexican), Malone's Pub and Grill (Irish/pub), Holuhan's, Pho Grand (Vietnamiese), Cafe Manilia (Phillipino/Pan Asian). All of these are in St. Louis.

[Tin]

we have a good seafood place here in Auburn Hills, MI called the Maryland Crab Shack....i can run through that place like a Mack truck.

[bigandy]

BTW this is our new Micky Dee's

Why am I not surprised.

Hmmm. I really like this deli in Berkely called Sal's. It's a Jewish deli, great corned beef and pastrami, and the sandwiches are massive. And I always get a cup of Russian cabbage soup too. There's no better soup (not that theirs is the best, but that type of soup). Plus they have good chocolate Babka.

There's a reeeeaaalllly good Vietnamese place I've been to in Oakland called Le Cheval, and I love it. Tons of different stuff, and the food tastes incredible. A little on the pricey side (if I remember correctly) but totally worth it).

For mexican, I like Rosie's Cantina. Lots of food, pretty good prices, and it's darn tasty. For burritos, like I mentioned in a previous thread, it's hard to beat El Super Burrito. And the weird thing is, they're both pretty close to each other.

I don't get to go there too much but for steaks, chops, seafood, etc., I like Kincaid's. Unfortunately the prices are a little high for us to dine there frequently, but it's a nice treat.

[bailey]

I kinda like the food at appelbees anywhere

[Tin]

I kinda like the food at appelbees anywhere
OT here....but when did you move to MI?

[juppy]

Well, all of mine are right here in Enid, Oklahoma.

We've got a place that's my overall favorite, called Tia Juana. Best chicken fried steak and the best sirloin steak for miles around here. Strange thing is though, alot of people get confused because with that name they think they are a Mexican food restaurant....and they don't have a single food item that would be considered Mexican anywhere on the menu! :D

If I want Mexican food though, I go to a place called La Macarena. Best fajitas in town!

We've got a good Italian place called Zino's, but geez they're high priced! That's the "only eat there on special occasions" restaurant. :)

[colecifer]

In a town famouse for barbequeit is only fitting that my favorite restauarant is oklahoma Joe's, the best barbeque in town if you ask me. Plus its only about 5 blocks from my house so i can get there real fast.

[Cirerrek]

Some good places I've encountered in my travels:

Kansas City, KS:

Sienna Bistro - connected to a caberet theater, owner/chef Brian is a treat to talk to about
wines and food, will offer you some of his homemade Kahlua to cap the dining experience
McCormick and Schmidts - chain, but good, try the chocolate box dessert
KC Hopps Barley's Brewhaus - good food and about 100 beers on tap, need I say more :)

Saint Louis, MO:

Kirk's American Bistro & Bar - excellent martini bar and excellent food
Nippon Tei - Excellent sushi for a price that will not break the bank
Sydney Street Cafe - excellent food, expensive, can be trick to get reservations
Black Thorn Pub - Excellent pizza, but call ahead if you want to eat any time soon

Sikeston, MO:

Lambert's Cafe "The Only Home of the Throwed Rolls" - Good country cooking and lots of it

Exit 31 off I24 in KY:

Paddy's - awesome 2" thick pork chops wrapped in hickory smoked bacon

Nashville, TN:

The Merchant's - Excellent food, piano player on 2nd floor to set the mood, all around great
dining experience
Jack's BBQ - Variety of fresh cut meats for scrumptous BBQ sandwhiches, cheap, and fast

Golden, CO:

The Table Mountain Inn - 5 Star Cooks and food for a 3 star price, great selection of microbrews
on tap

[spyder003]

McGrath's (http://www.mcgrathsfishhouse.com/)

I absolutely love this place. I like to go, get loaded on Long Islands, and have their catch of the day. I think the best I had was Mako shark.

[Amazin Caucasian]

hands down best meal i have ever had was at Ruths Chris. sure it was insanely expensive. thats why my dad pays :)

[Hi Ho]

I have several favorites:

Camp 18 in Oregon about a half hour from Cannon Beach. They have great food (the biggest and juiciest steak I've ever seen) but the building and surroundings are the main attraction.

Pizza A' Fetta (I think) in Cannon Beach OR. They have the best pizza I've ever had.

Carefree Station in Carefree AZ. The best burgers I've had plus sweet potato fries which are really good.

El Encanto, seen HERE (http://community.webshots.com/photo/342397658/395455926SgkhrS#), is a beautiful outdoor restaraunt in Cave Creek AZ. Great food too.

The Spaghetti Factory in Tacoma is really good I always like to go there.

[bailey]

OT here....but when did you move to MI?

still in the process of moving, I got at least two more loads to bring up here, my work benches and all my test equipment, and radio stations.

[LA22]

My all time favorite is Gordons Steak and Crab House here in New York. They have amazing food. Two other places I like are Buffalo Wild Wings, and Alex's Place, in a town called Batavia, NY. They have the best ribs, literally.

[Iniamyen]

Hey Kram, if you are in the Seattle area and like steak places, try Morton's of Chicago. I love the MG too, but Morton's is better.

Personally, my favorite restaurant would have to be a little Italian place called Angelinas, in West Seattle.

[Lamilia]

ok I got three of them
1. This place called kopps they only have 2 places and they are both here in wisconsin they are so good, and they were on a cable TV show they said that they were the best in wisconsin they have some nice burgers and the custard is to die for here is the website http://www.kopps.com/.
2. A little place called tams chop suey me and my family are usuals there because they have tons of different choices and they are great.
3. the third one isn't a resturant but they have great food its on the summerfest (http://www.summerfest.com/) grounds it's called polish fest and they have kialbasas and brats and all that good stuff they also have this octopus soup that is marinaded in vinegar for a while and it is great.
oh man now I'm really hungry ;)
EDIT: forgot there is all this nice pizza place called organ piper where if you come at the right time they have this organ that they play while you eat. Another good place is the charcoal grill (http://www.charcoalgrill.com/) they always give me heartburn but they are great. I probably have hundreds more but I will just stop there.

[Panama Red]

Can't say I have a favorite because I've eaten in many fine restaurants all over the country. Lobster in Maine is hard to beat as is a good steak in Kansas City or Denver. The two most pleasureable dining experiences that stand out for the food, ambiance and occasion would have to be these.

For my wife's 50th birthday in Apr of 04 I invited another couple to join us at a local fine dining spot called The 1913 Room. It is a 5 diamond rated place and I think we had something like 4 servers of various "rank" waiting on our table for 4. The other couple arrived before us as a surprise to my wife. This was her first time at The 1913 Room. We arrived at 7 and didn't leave til 10. Shared a couple bottles of wine and deserts along with our fantastic meals. I paid the tab to the tune of $350. Not someplace I'd go every week!

By far, my most memorable dining experience was in 1969 in Saigon, Viet Nam. A couple of us had an assignment in Saigon that kept us overnite there and we opted to dine at a French restaurant in downtown Saigon. Sat on an open air veranda with a French maitre d' and all the wait staff in tuxedos. Had a five course meal that was awesome. Keep in mind, I hadn't had anything but Army chow and C-rations for 18 months! All this fine dining and the two of us sat there in our jungle fatigues. Only GI's in the place. I think each of us paid about $30 including the tip which was a bunch back then and you have to consider that our MONTHLY pay was something like $150 - $200!

[Statica]

It's hard to choose a favorite restaurant. Of my regular places we go to here in Toronto - "Queen's Pasta", "My Thai Kitchen" and "Kaarma".
Best dining experiences - hmmm.. difficult to choose but some of them are:
Cafe Chianti - Halifax, NS; Acqua - Toronto, Steirereck - Austria, pretty much every place I've eaten in Quebec City, pretty much every place I've eaten in mainland Europe . including any airport food out there :), and the Cheesecake factory, Chicago - that was a fun experience.

<hr>
Addendum: Given the wide geographical spread of the membership here, it would be real interesting to see if there were any overlaps on choices!

[doctorgonzo]

Lots of different favorites depending on the kind of food.

For burgers: a little hamburger stand called Val's in St. Cloud, MN. It rocks.

For Chinese food: the Village Wok at the University of Minnesota campus. Still go there even though I graduated long ago.

I live in a place where there is every kind of restaurant imaginable within walking distance, so there is a lot of things to choose from.

[HAL9000]

Poverino's Pasta Grill here in Regina has to be my favorite. They actually make their own pasta, sauces and sausage meats ... you can tell that everything is fresh. The best part is, it's CHEAP. I can go there with my wife and daughter, have a mighty fine meal, even toss back a couple of Smirnoff Ice for about $30-$35CDN. We've been going there quite regularly now over several years and the owner of the place never ceases to amaze me. He WILL stop by your table to be sure everything is ok, and not just a simple "how's the food" that every waiter and waitress will ask. If something isn't right, he will make it right beyond your expectations. A fantastic place to eat.

[kram 2.0]

Addendum: Given the wide geographical spread of the membership here, it would be real interesting to see if there were any overlaps on choices!
Certainly. It would also act as a nice guide should anyone visit the geographic area that another member resides.

kram

[Litespeed]

http://www.thegraperestaurant.com/

The best service, and best food around.

When you are not in a rush and you want to sit and enjoy a meal the right way head here. Enjoy a great wine with some of the best dishes around.


And this place Cuba Libre. Their famous frozen Mojitos are so good. Along with great Jerk Beef Soft Tacos topped with Blue Cheese.

http://www.guidelive.com/portal/page?_pageid=33,97400&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&item_id=11640

[rackham]

Indiannapolis- Panera Bakery and a little Mexican place called El Mercado.
Santa Barbara CA- Margies Diner, Blenders in the Grass (best smoothies anywhere), and Chevy's

Also in some Jamaican resort I cannot remember the name of, one of the restaraunts was the best Italian place I have ever been to.

[lil Jimmie]

Certainly. It would also act as a nice guide should anyone visit the geographic area that another member resides.

kram


If anyone of the members were to stalk another member on the forums they would also have some great places to eat while out and about. This is not to be taken seriously.

But yeah I thought the same thing as Statica and so far Applebee's is the only other restaurant that I've been to and personally I'm not fond of the service or atmosphere of the place, they always screw the orders up. We do have a Tia Juana's (is different than the one Juppy mentioned) which serves mexican food and is owned by the same corporation that own Cattle Baron along with Farley's Food, Fun and Pub. All have great service and good eats.

[austin1]

Schuler's in Madison, Mi
Shooters in Ft. Lauderdale, Fl

and for good sandwiches and soup - TooJay's in Florida


i live in fort lauderdale :) i like to go to carrabas,olive garden,chis ruths, the ale house, but to top it off wendys is the best lol jk, oo i like jacks there awsome, a lot of steak places down here.

[bigandy]

We've been going there quite regularly now over several years and the owner of the place never ceases to amaze me. He WILL stop by your table to be sure everything is ok, and not just a simple "how's the food" that every waiter and waitress will ask. If something isn't right, he will make it right beyond your expectations. A fantastic place to eat.

Yep, there's a Chinese restaurant I go to a lot with my aunt and uncle in Palo Alto, and the owner is always there cooking, greating customers, talking with people at their tables, making drinks, anything he can to make sure you have a great experience. Which isn't hard to do because the food is awesome.

[Kov-Ice]

catacon mentioned Malone's in StL, which is a good little sports bar/burger joint. My personal favorite restaurant is Joe Boccardi's Ristorante, Est. 1971 in my hometown. Joe now has three others open around the area. Grew up eating there...

Most memorable = about 12 years ago when visiting a cousin in San Fran. He took us out to a place called ZUNI, I think. Very upscale restaurant. Our table overlooked the preparation area. He picked up the tab for our party of three at over $350 before tip. Yikes!

[glc]

Lawry's

http://www.lawrysonline.com/theprimerib.asp

[David M]

A one of a kind Thai food place called "Toomie's". Thai food is absolutely the best if it is cooked in its authentic form. There are lots of other Thai food places which are basicly serving crap. So don't judge Thai food on one or two not-very-authentic restaurants. The un-authentic Thai food is greasy, salty, ridiculously hot and sugary. Authentic Thai is none of that.

[austin1]

aw im thinking of this 1 resteraunt i think its called bennyhanas or something but they cook ur food in front of you and throw knives in the air and do crazy stuff its expensive there thow.

[bigandy]

aw im thinking of this 1 resteraunt i think its called bennyhanas or something but they cook ur food in front of you and throw knives in the air and do crazy stuff its expensive there thow.

Yeah, I've been to a few Benihana restaurants (for people's birthdays). We have one here in Burlingame. It's pretty cool, and the food is good, but like you said, not on the cheap side.

[David M]

Benihana's is fun. The food is okay but what you really go for is the show. Some chefs though are much better showmen than others. If you can, find how who the better showmen are and get reservations for that person. You won't be disappointed.

[kram 2.0]

Hey Kram, if you are in the Seattle area and like steak places, try Morton's of Chicago. I love the MG too, but Morton's is better.

Personally, my favorite restaurant would have to be a little Italian place called Angelinas, in West Seattle.
I just went to their website, per your restaurant recommendation, and found that Morton's has a location in Cincinnati :D. Time to give them a try.

http://www.mortons.com/website/index.html

Thanks.
kram

[SARGE]

A no-brainer for me:

http://www.saltgrass.com/


http://www.joescrabshack.com/

[mbossman2]

http://www.joescrabshack.com/

No offense sarge but....*shudder*...gotta come down to the coast of the carolinas and get some seafood from the docks...(just stay away from the calabash nasties that they make here)

[glc]

Matt, Joe's is pretty decent for a chain. Not gonna get much better in a place like Dallas.

[mbossman2]

i apologize...I keep forgetting how fortunate we on the coasts are when it comes to seafood...

[SARGE]

Matt, Joe's is pretty decent for a chain. Not gonna get much better in a place like Dallas.

There's better tasting seafood around town, but the atmosphere at Joe's is cool. Folks like the waiters and waitresses when they do their song/dance routine to YMCA

[doctorgonzo]

I share your shudder...I just hate Joe's, for the same reason that other people seem to like it: the antics of the wait staff. I'd rather have people that are attentive instead of singing or jumping up on tables. It's just irritating to me anyway. If I want seafood from a chain restaurant, I'll go to Red Lobster.

[SARGE]

While not a restaurant in the sense of the word, I prefer seafood from here and cook it at home:

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products/list_seafood.html

[ComputerNut]

Theres a great place down here in K-Town called Angels Diner. theyve got the best Montreal smoked meat you can get without actually going down to montreal! And they make a killer poutine (for those who do know what this is, its basically french fries with gravy and melted cheese) the deals are pretty good too.

CN :)

[FLG]

Carmines pizzeria here in brooklyn, there pizza is great and the food is pretty good....he's my cousin so wether i like it or not i have to eat there ;)

http://carminespizzeria.com/

[Litespeed]

While not a restaurant in the sense of the word, I prefer seafood from here and cook it at home:

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products/list_seafood.html


Sarge,
Just got back from Austin where Whole Foods is based out of, they built an amazing store there. It is like a food experience you would not believe. You know that Central Market on Lovers, well it blows it out of the water, and I am a Central Market fan. The Whole Foods in Austin has every thing. A chocolate fountain, fresh exotic meats and fishes wow.

[Litespeed]

Matt, Joe's is pretty decent for a chain. Not gonna get much better in a place like Dallas.


GLC,
I am afraid I might have to disagree. Being landlock has removed us from "the fresh from the sea seafood" like the coast, but this place....

http://www.guidelive.com/portal/page?_pageid=33,97400&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&item_id=1088

is great. Fresh seafood from all over flown in daily. I can't afford to eat there often, but some of the best sea food I have had. And yes I have eatten fresh sea food in most coastal states and European islands. Oceanaire prepares the most amazing Dungeness crab or Sea Bass that I have ever had.

Just a little fact for ya'll since we are talking restaurants. Dallas has more restaurants per capita then any where else in America. (I know this is where every one say's let's see proof. Well when I get home I will look it up.) My father in-law works in developmental realestate field, and this sort of thing is his business. Should we put restaurants here and there and how will they do? Well, if a company is trying to figure out if a certain type of restaurant will work as a high end chain in America chances are they will open there first one in Dallas. So if you got a hunger for some thing in particular or even your wildest imagination chances are we have it here.

Oh, and if you like meat try Fogo de Chao.

http://www.guidelive.com/portal/page?_pageid=33,97400&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&item_id=2482

Enjoy, Matthew

[HAL9000]

................... they make a killer poutine (for those who do know what this is, its basically french fries with gravy and melted cheese) the deals are pretty good too.

CN :)

I find most Americans don't have a clue what poutine is and think the sound if it is disgusting :rolleyes:

[doctorgonzo]

I find most Americans don't have a clue what poutine is and think the sound if it is disgusting :rolleyes:

No, I didn't know what poutine was until just now, and yes, it does sound disgusting. :D

[mbossman2]

I find most Americans don't have a clue what poutine is and think the sound if it is disgusting :rolleyes:


I do cheese fries.

I do fries with gravy

but together? I don't think so...

(OK so label me a typical american....but I do like good canadian bacon)

[Statica]

mmmmmmmmm....poutine!!

[bigandy]

I find most Americans don't have a clue what poutine is and think the sound if it is disgusting :rolleyes:

Haven't had the chance to eat it yet, but I'd sure like to. Anything with gravy on it has to be good. Right?

[SARGE]

Sarge,
Just got back from Austin where Whole Foods is based out of, they built an amazing store there. It is like a food experience you would not believe. You know that Central Market on Lovers, well it blows it out of the water, and I am a Central Market fan. The Whole Foods in Austin has every thing. A chocolate fountain, fresh exotic meats and fishes wow.

Tried the WFM on lower Greenville? I couldn't believe the meats and got hungry just staring.

[Litespeed]

Tried the WFM on lower Greenville? I couldn't believe the meats and got hungry just staring.
That is the one I always go to. Glad they gave it a face lift. If you ever go to Austin hit the one there.

[mairving]

Been to several of the places mentioned, Ruth's Chris, Mortons, Lambert's Home of the Throwed Rolls (http://www.throwedrolls.com/) and even been to the CattleBaron in Roswell as well as to some of their other locations.

Hard to say about my favorites though. Kind of depends on the mood. One of my favorites is Firebirds (http://www.firebirdsrockymountaingrill.com/). I also like PF Changs as well as some of the numerous barbeque places (Memphis, TN) around here.

Oh yeah, just remembered another favorite is Patti's (http://www.pattis-settlement.com/home/) up near Kentucky Lake. They have a 2" thick pork chop that is about incredible as well as some monster deserts.

[Marke522]

There's a couple of places here in Johnson County, Kansas that have really impressed me, but the two on the top are Macaroni Grill (www.macaronigrill.com ) and Paulo & Bill's (http://www.kansascitymenus.com/pauloandbill/). Great food, great service, great atmosphere, and I didn't have to spend a whole days pay.

[bailey]

today I had lunch at the old country buffet in port huron michigan, and I must say it is the best place I have ever had a meal in, I sampled everything and belive me , it was just the same as my mother and grand mother was doing the cooking, all of it was as perfect as I can remember the way I like it fixed, and to top it all off, it was all you can eat for only $6.00 each person.
this place has made the top of the list of my favorite places to eat.
and I have eaten all over the U.S.A.

[Fastfly]

today I had lunch at the old country buffet in port huron michigan, and I must say it is the best place I have ever had a meal in, I sampled everything and belive me , it was just the same as my mother and grand mother was doing the cooking, all of it was as perfect as I can remember the way I like it fixed, and to top it all off, it was all you can eat for only $6.00 each person.
this place has made the top of the list of my favorite places to eat.
and I have eaten all over the U.S.A.
Bailey...I fail to see the sarcasm in that....please tell me it is there.

[bailey]

Bailey...I fail to see the sarcasm in that....please tell me it is there.
I am not sure what you mean here.

but let me say it this way:

say you go to a family renunion, and it is a pot luck type of food, everyone brings something to eat and there are at least 100 differant meals and they are all your favorite dishes fixed just the way you like it, good old fashon home cooking, it was like being in eating heaven. or I could say it was like a thanksgiving dinner with all your favorites.