OK, let's try to make this into our own personal Zagat's. My top five reduced-price luxury restaurant options in New York City -- or, the way to check out some great restaurants for a lot less cash: 5. The tavern section of Gramercy Tavern. You almost definitely have to wait for a table, but damn is the food worth it. The back room's prix-fixe is something like $80 a person; up front you can order from an a la carte menu and eat well for less than half that. 4. The Bread Bar at Tabla -- Just as good as the main room, but more relaxed and a hell of a lot cheaper. 3. Blue Smoke -- It doesn't have a cheap-menu option because the all-BBQ menu is inexpensive enough to begin with (at least by high-end NYC restaurant standards). It's Danny Meyer's most affordable restaurant, but it still has the great food and near-perfect service that all of his restaurants have. Also, it's just a lot of fun. The banana cream pie dessert just might be the best dessert on earth. 2. AZ -- Beautiful space, great food, and normally not cheap. But, my wife and I last went there for the $20.03 lunch during Restaurant Week in January, and it was just as good as their $65 per person dinner. 1. Union Square Cafe -- There are few true New Yorker dining experiences greater than sitting at the bar of the Union Square Cafe. Everything tastes perfect, and it's half the price of the main dining room. The valhrona (sp?) hot chocolate is the drink of the gods. Anyone else?
I'll toss in some reviews...good and bad Reno's Pizzeria and Restaurant; Studio City, CA I believe it's family owned. Rather small, but it's all about the atmosphere...they make you feel like you've just become part of their big Italian family. Pizzas start at 3.50, they also have calzones, pasta dishes, subs with fries and other things (like shrimp, fish, clam dinners). I had the meat lasagna (it comes with salad and garlic bread, but I didn't want the garlic bread so the man said "okay, I give you extra big salad instead") My friend had the steak sub with fries (they're crinkle cut and quite yummy). We were both satisfied with our meals and even sampled each other's dishes. It's a Coke place, so bonus points for that Jerry's Famous Deli; Encino, CA I don't know how this place got to be so famous...must be the friendly service because I wasn't too impressed with the food. I got the Philly Cheesesteak with fries (shoestring)...they were good, but not as good as the crinkle cuts at Reno's. The steak on the sandwich was rather tough, dry and appeared to be overcooked. The grease from the cheese made the sub roll soggy and doughy. If I'm paying 11.95 for a cheesesteak, I expect a WHOLE lot more when it comes to the flavor dept. Makes me long for a Charley's Steakery...where I KNOW I can get a good cheesesteak with fries and a drink for about 6-7 bucks. I wanted to finish my meal with a decaf cappacino and was brought a regular decaf coffee instead. The server was friendly though. Like I said, that must be what they're famous for. California Pizza Kitchen...all over the damn place, though Beverly Hills or Hollywood on the patio are good for people watching One place that I've worked for that I can honestly say that I like just about EVERYTHING on the menu. So I'm going to mention some select items. Appetizers= spinach artichoke dip soup= potato leek soup salad= BBQ Chicken salad or White Balsalmic Provencal (even better if you add chicken breast) pizza= traditional: hawaiian or vegatarian with goat cheese; non-traditional:= southwest chicken burrito pasta: chicken tequila fettucina, chicken marsala marinara dessert: key lime pie, tiramisu sandwich: chicken caesar sandwich
Pachanga Grill- Odenton, MD Kind of odd for a genuine Mexican restaurant, owned by Mexican natives, to be found in Maryland (our hispanic population is mostly Salvadoran and Honduran), but there it is. Nothing too surprising here...very good Mexican food, huge servings, and cheap. The enchiladas are where it's at. I don't recall them having a bad dessert, either. Considering my town Crofton, which is right next to Odenton, has only Taco Bell and La Fiesta (a Mexican place run by guys from Bangladesh), this was a fine addition to the area's choices. Macaroni Grill- Chain Yeah, it's a chain. So what? It's also great every time. I'm sure almost everyone has been there, so I won't go on. Sly Horse Tavern- Crofton, MD The best place in town. Kind of a secret too, since it's inside a community and rather hard to find. Well worth it though...it is expensive, and you can't go dressed in your "I'm With Stupid" tshirt, but the food makes up for it. The crabcakes are equal to any I've had, and this is Maryland so that actually means something. Los Panchos- Fresno, CA Similar to the Pachanga Grill...what can I say, I like Mexican food. Good rice, good guacamole, and the beef flautas were fantastic. Plus, $2 ice cream sundae! I almost went back for dinner that same day.
Baker's Cafe- A steak place in Canton, Ohio is home to the best steaks I have ever tasted. The meat is purchased from the Amish who live nearby and the quality is second to none. Go during the PGA Firestone tournament if you want to rub shoulders with some pro golfers. If it is good enough for Norman, Palmer, and Nichlaus, it's good enough for me. Candlelight Inn- A Scarsdale, NY restaurant that has the best chicken wings ever. The place is tiny so even on a Monday at 3 in the afternoon you have to wait for a table. Antonio's Pizza- It is what it is. Located in downtown Amherst, MA, this pizza is the perfect college restaurant. They sell pizza and pop. Nothing else. The different types of pies are sure to please and you can gorge for three dollars. Tacqueira Mercado- Fairfield, OH, just north of Cincinnati is home to the best Mexican food I have ever had. Nothing fancy, just quality food cooked with care. Nothing on the menu is over seven dollars and the portions are huge. Moonlight Tandoori- My favorite Indian restaurant is on Cottingham Road in Hull, England. Cheap, tasty, and fantastic naan bread. These are the first five that come to mind.
chipolte - chain i know, i know. fast food. but so what. the first time i went there i simply fell in love with their simple burrito's that put anything else you can buy for $4.00 to shame. stan's restaurant - westerville, ohio this is one of those places that your grandparents would take you when you were a young kid. the food is incredibly inexpensive, the servers are those old ladies in hair-nets just looking to get you whatever you need to make the meal great. their specialty; an open-faced turkey sandwich covered in gravy that is to die for, and it costs all of $5.00 bucks. figlio's - columbus, ohio a moderately priced italian restaurant that has a pretty decent wine list for a place that won't bust your credit card. they make some of the best wood-fired gourmet pizzas i have ever had outside of italy...and when i dont wana have pizza i can always enjoy their portobello ravioli. the refectory - columbus, ohio okay this is usually one of the best rated restaurants in columbus and also, one of the most expensive...but on a special night this is the place to come. a wonderful french cuisine and the thing i get everytime i go, the roasted rack of baby lamb. oh yea, they have the best wine list in columbus as well, some 13,000 bottles. barcelona - columbus, ohio paella to die for. the best i have ever had. they also have this pork chop dish that is stuffed with prosciutto and fontina cheese...mmm, i am getting hungry just thinking about it. it is a pretty trendy place in german village, just south of downtown that is usually packed on the weekend with the 'nyc' wannabes stuck in columbus. damn, i need to go make some dinner now!
Galileo Ristorante, Washington DC. My wife was Robert Donna's pastry chef back in 1986 or '87, before I knew her. Roberto is a fantastic chef, and is also a hell of a lot of fun to party with. Ristorante Tosca, Washington DC. Cesare Lanfranconi was Roberto's executive chef, and left about three years ago to start his own restaurant. Yokohama Restaurant, Wheaton Maryland. Our favorite sushi bar. Mr. Kim, the owner, is Korean, and claims to be the longest working sushi chef in the entire DC Metro area. He's been at it for 35 years. In addition to sushi, he also has really good Korean food. Fiaschetteria Toscana, Venice, Italy. Traditional Venetian food at very reasonable prices. Their cuttlefish on a bed of risotto flavored and blackened with the ink of the cuttlefish is one of the most fantastic things I have ever tasted. Ristorante Al Covo, Venice, Italy. Really really nice people, really really home style atmosphere, really really great food. Agata e Romeo, Rome, Italy. Recommended to us by Roberto Donna, of Galileo. Agata and Romeo are a really nice couple. She cooks, he runs the business side, and their daughters wait the tables. We've closed the place every time we've been there. There are so many other places we really love. Cibreo, in Florence, Italy, Cafe Atlantico, in Washington, DC, Jaleo, in Washington, DC, Tara Thai, in Bethesda and Rockville MD, lots of other places. One of my favorite things to do is to mention that my wife was a pastry chef and used to be in the business. It makes going out to eat a lot more fun.
Taste of Thailand - Birmingham, AL - This is some seriously good stuff. Cheap as mess...it's in a crappy strip mall, but is awesome. The owner is really into soccer (big USA fan since Thailand sucks.) Taste of India - Miami, FL - I can't believe the place serves south Indian food...an extreme rarity in the USA. Their chaana and vadha are awesome. Ali Baba - Birmingham, AL - Persian restaurant once again in a crappy strip mall. You'll pay through the freakin' nose at this place, but is is worth it. The chef is the son of a chef that worked in the Shah's kitchen. Awesome stuff. I hate fish, but will eat it there because they know how to prepare it. Dreamland Ribs Tuscaloosa, AL - Their slogan "Ain't Nothin' Like 'Em Nowhere" pretty much sums it up. Mellow Mushroom - can be found in college towns all across the southeast - awesome pizza (each independtly owned & operate though).
Best Steak - Sam & Harry's - Washington, DC - The New York strip was amazing. Best Ribs - Wet - Calhoun's - Nashville - Has locations in Knoxville that I've never been to. Best Ribs - Dry - Corky's and The Rendezvous - Memphis - Corky's is more consistent, and has a couple of locations throughout the South. TIE: Best Dessert - Commander's Palace - New Orleans - This place is a contender for best restaurant. Classic old New Orleans, the Bread Pudding Souffle is a classic. You can go for lunch and get a gourmet experience for half the price of Emeril's myriad of restaurants. Best Dessert - Don't know the name of the place - Ljubljana, Slovenia - It was an nice restaurant in the city center, near the river. They had this blueberry pie/cake that was incredible - one of the best things I've ever eaten. If you go, make an effort to find this place. Best Expensive Dinner in New York - Picholine - Impeccable wine and service, and amazing food, at a price (of course). Very gourmet, this place has a guy who's just in charge of cheese. Any lover of gourmet cheeses will fall in love. I've found that, at many gourmet restaurants, it's often a matter of style over substance. Not true here, where the food is definitely the star. Best Chocolate Shake - Rotier's - Nashville - I've had shakes all over the country. They've never topped this one. Best Burger - Char-Grill - Raleigh, NC - Many contenders here, but for my money, the consistent winner is the steak burger at this burger stand in Raleigh. I'm partial to the location on Hillsboro St. near NC State, but I've had success at other locations. Best Sandwich - Central Grocery - New Orleans - After much soul-searching, I have to go with the original Muffaletta. Gooey, greasy and bigger than your head, it is a sandwich experience like none other. A few years back, I would have said the Po-Boys at Mother's in NO, but they changed owners, raised prices and have gone downhill, I'm afraid. And slightly off-topic... Best Bar - Tosca - San Francisco - A classic, with a beautiful bar, knowledgeable bartenders and chocolate brandy concotion that is the perfect warm-up on a cold evening. Make sure to try it before moving on to your favorite perfectly mixed cocktail.
hmmm Doe's Greenville, MS: Its run down, in the middle of a ghetto, and expensive as hell. That said it serves huge, and I mean huge, steaks that hang of the plate, and tons of MS delta hot tamales. McCallisters chain based in Jackson, MS: its a great Sandwich place. Little Tokyo Jackson, MS: sushi bar, main chef Tomei-San is very friendly, but its a little place and often has long waits. Cinco de Mayo Jackson, MS: best Mexican food I've ever had, I was shocke when I came to Arizona that the Mexican food here is good, but no where near is good as Cinco de Mayo. Ra Sushi: Tempe, Az very good Sushi restarant. Very loud though with ultra-trendy interior. Saki's Tempe, Az: its not as good a Sushi place, but has some great entrees and even some good pizzas Slices Tempe, Az: Great little quick stop pizza place. Subway all over the U.S. and in 72 countries: well they make sandwiches.
I'll do a little promotion of my hometown restaurant scene, Portland, Maine. Little city, great restaurants. My best/most favorite (all of these are in Portland): Back Bay Grill: great seafood, GREAT winelist, great staff. Personal fave is the filet mignon, which is dreamy at the BBG. Fore Street: probably the best resaurant in the city in terms of all the awards it gets. Even so it's not portentious, and has great service. They have remarkably fresh food, anything grilled there is mucho yummy. The atmosphere is a little like an airplane hangar and it's almost impossibe to get a seat without a reservation, but I always try to go at least a couple of times a year. IMO one of the 10 best restaurants in all of New England. Silly's: A charming little hole in the wall, with third-hand furniture and an outside "dining room" with tables of wire barrels and whatever else they could find. Also, some great, original food. "10" on the "cool" scale. Street & Co.: Cramped & expensive, but worth it. Great food, great wine. Not so great service all the time but it is an enormously popular place and they always seem rushed and harried when I go there. Also they have an absolutely enormous Sea Food selection. It's also down a little cobblestone side street, which makes you think you're in another century. Ri Ra: a little hole in the wall on Portland's waterfront, with authentic and good Irish and English food. Complete with a cramped little Irish pub in an old, OLD wood building. Miss Portland Diner: Portland is near the heart of Diner country, and this is a true diner, a large, sivelry, shining dining car parked on the side of Marginal Way. It has that Diner ambiance, and some pretty good food. In true Diner tradition, it's also one of the most inexpensive places around. Becky's: The Queen of early morning breakfast. Cheap, good eats, cheap, plastic seating, only the best at Becky's. Go early or you wont get a seat. Benkay Sushi & Japanese Restaurant: There is good Sushi in Portland. Honest. It's here. Flatbread Company: Ok, it's a chain, but it's really good. Fresh made, original, and delicious pizzas. Gilbert's Chowder House: Classic little New Englad chowder house, with true, heavy, delicious chowder. Great Lost Bear: this is one of those "hip" places frequented by those who think of themselves as the young cool crowd, but who are really much closer to the flannel/pickup/facial hair/Rush Limbaugh crowd. But I like it anyway, almost entirely because of their Beer List, which is many pages long. Gritty McDuff's deserves a mention because of it's Beer. It's otherwise too cool for school. ugh..there's dozens of others but that's enough.
Filomena's - Washington DC - Simply the best Italian restaurant in DC. Absolutely great food and the service was top notch. Man Ray's - New York City - Great food with a very nice atmosphere. The blend of chinese/western european/american dishes are excellent. Not to mention their very good sushi. Gino's Pizzeria - Ithaca, NY - GREAT pizza and it's cheap too. A real college town pizzeria. Thai Cuisine - Ithaca, NY - The best Thai food I've ever had. People would travel from Buffalo just to eat there. Trattoria Ramiglia - Frosinone, Italy - Everything is homemade and you can taste it, all the pastas the sauces the dough. The vegetables and fruits are grown in their garden behind the restaurant. It had to be the best food I had in Italy, ever. I'm sorry, but I thought this restaurant was terrible, I went their twice and both times I was sorely dissapointed. The service stunk and the food came out cold the second time, not to mention it tasted horrible. I will never go back, nor would I ever recommend it to anyone.
Best Steak: Bob's Steak and Chop House in Dallas Best Barbecue: Country Tavern between Tyler and Kilgore, TX Best Pizza: Pizza King in Longview, TX Best French: Bookinistes in Paris Best German: Dattler in Freiberg Best Vietnamese: Kim Phung in Austin Best Seafood: La Posada in La Libertad, El Salvador
I had a great experience here as well. I couldn't remember the name, and it was a few years ago, but it was solid. JackTown55, do they still have Pizza Express in Jackson? About 15 years ago, that was the best delivery place in Jackson, and some of the best delivery pizza I've ever had. The sauce and whole wheat crust were incredible.
Oh well. Of all the restaurants I have ever eaten in, Ristorante Galileo is my all-time favorite. Roberto Donna is recognized as one of the best chefs in the country. He has won numerous awards, and has cooked for the likes of Dick Cheney, Hillary Clinton, Alan Greenspan, Dick Armey, and other Washington big wheels, all of whom are repeat customers. Il Laboratorio del Galileo is incredible, or at least the New York Times seems to think so. In fact, we happened to be eating in the Laboratorio the night of the review. My wife and I will be at Galileo again this Saturday for a barberesco wine tasting and cooking class. We've celebrated birthdays, anniversaries and other special occassions with Roberto and his staff. We've taken friends and family there, and they've all been very impressed with the food, the service, and the atmosphere. I thought this thread was for people to post their favorites, not to have those favorites bashed by someone who had a bad experience or two.
Some Favorites Rocco's - Italian - NY city, east village Maria's - Mexican - Santa Fe, NM Goode Co. - BBQ - Houston Fogo de Chao - Brazilian BBQ - Houston North Beach Restaurant - Italian - San Francisco
Schneider's Churrascaria, Sao Leopoldo, RS, Brasil. Beats Fogo do Chao's bunda. I loves me some Tony Cheng's Mongolian Barbeque, too.
Casa Botin Madrid. On some levels, there are several other places I have enjoyed more in Spain, but (and this shows you the absurdity of soccer fandom) I will love Botin like I loved...well my first love, as it was here I ate dinner with my wife-to-be on the night Real Madrid beat Juve to win the '98 Champions League. One of the best nights of my life-I have the bill framed above the desk I'm typing from: I started with the Melon con Jamon, the Cochinillo Asado for the main course...Oh Jesus... What a night! Seville This is a very good Spanish place on Christopher Street-fantastic green sauce Malaga Another good Spanish place on the Upper East Side. Blue Smoke I will second Obie: fantastic BBQ, great music. Joe's Pizza There are two Joe's on Bleeker right off Father Demo Square-go to the one on the actual corner for IMO the best NY-style pizza in NYC. The art of the slice lives here.
I rarely dine high end, so many of these will be your casual joints, but anyway: Denver: Chipotle and Qdoba: Gotta have me a burrito. Marlowe's: Downtown on the 16th Street Mall, well reknowned in the area for steak. They used to have a post-midnight $3.99 Cheeseburger and fries special, just short of an all you can eat. Big tasty mushroom burger if you want some hangover prevention. Lim's: funky little Mongolian BBQ joint on the far west side of LoDo. Plenty of beef, nnodles, and other good stuff for cheap ($6 of lunch for big lunch bowl with side orders). Quebec City: ANYTHING. I don't remember the names of the places, but they were all frigging amazing. Steak, fish, fondue, everything rocks up there. Boston: Grand Canal: DO NOT order the nachos unless you are completely hungry. Delicious, but the plate's about 2 feet high, enough to feed four or five people. Don't bother with the dinner, these will fill you up for good. Pho Pasteur: You like Vietnamese, you'll love this place. Outstanding fish and noodle dishes. John Harvard Brewhouse: Greatest Pot Pies EVER. Redbones: Legendary BBQ joint in Davis Square, Somerville. Many kinds of pork, kick ass fried catfish, you name it. Blue Ribbon BBQ: In Arlington, MA, maybe more flavory BBQ than Redbones.
The most expensive meals I've ever eaten but didn't pay for -- all of these are at least four years old, as the good old days of business dinners are (at least temporarily) over: 1. I helped a former co-worker get a new job, and she thanked me by taking me to Lespinasse in NYC's St. Regis Hotel. Over $150 for lunch for two. It wasn't even that spectacular, though the three-course dessert was really memorable. Thank you, Judy Ye, wherever you are now. 2. Era Ora, in Copenhagen. Business dinner with my boss. Very good, funky new Italian. I didn't see the bill when it came, but if my foreign exchange rate math is any good it was $115 per person pre fixe. And we added a couple of bottles of wine to that bill. Thank you, GN Great Nordic, the client who paid for that trip. 3. A traditional ten-course New Year's dinner at the China Club in Hong Kong (I can't find a web site for this -- it's private, members only, US$ 15,000 initiation fee). I'd estimate the cost of this one at $100 per person. If I never eat shark fin soup again, I'll survive. The scary thing about this dinner was that I didn't know I needed a suit jacket and tie until less than an hour before, so I needed to run to Marks & Spencer in the Pacific Place mall to get them. Then, I was told to expense the jacket and tie to the client. Thank you, Bechtel. 4. I didn't even think it was possible to have a $60 breakfast until I stayed at the Grosvenor House on Park Lane in London. But sure enough, after I ordered what I wanted and got the bill, it was just over GBP 40. Mighty fine waffles can be had for $60. Thank you, Alpharma. 5. A bistro whose name I cannot remember in Paris' La Defense district. My all-time favorite boondoggle: a one-day internal meeting the week of the '98 World Cup, where I just happened to stick around for an extra week. But I had a steak frites at this place that was listed at something like FF 300 ($50), plus salad, plus wine, plus dessert as I talked to our national general manager there about the tournament. There was no business discussed that entire day, but I still had my plane fare plus two (out of seven) hotel nights paid for. Thank you, Towers Perrin, my former employer.
I have a quibble with this. I've eaten here twice. Is it authentic BBQ? No. Is it Danny Meyer quality food? No again. This restaurant is the most overhyped piece of trash to make its way to NYC since Surya, Mexican Radio, or any of the late '90s "comfort food" joints ala Chat n Chew or Live Bait. It would be the finest restaurant in many cities on this continent, but it's not up to NYC snuff in my book.
some must visits and why: St.Louis IMOS PIZZA - st louis style pizza at its finest - the best cheese in the world - best to only get 1 or 2 toppings so as not to overwhelm the pie's quality (i reccomend bacon only) - dont forget a big salad with the wondrous house dressing and a big pepsi - dont go unless you are hungry ST.LOUIS BREAD CO. - spreading all over the country - outside of the midwest, they are called panera bread co. - proof that there are too many businessmen in the world - why mess with perfection? - i could LIVE here and i dont even like coffee, much less fancy poopoo latte mocha blah blah blah coffee - the bakery, the sandwiches, the soups (chicken with wild rice is magnificent!) + IBC in bottles and a nice atmosphere - BEWARE you will become hooked! BLUEBERRY HILL - come early evening and get a great burger, stay until closing for the great beer selection (+ woodpecker cider on tap), the people, the darts, the pinball and (if im not mistaken) still the biggest jukebox in the world - best be staying awhile if you hope to actually hear your selections - tre cool decor too - you could spend all afternoon inspecting the toys and photos on display TED DREWES - best frozen custard on earth - youll want to get a concrete, so named because the person who serves you turns the cup upside down to show you how thick it is before they hand it over - 100s of possible combos available - praline heath? sure mint chocolate chip? of course strawberry kiwi? you bet - the elvis is pretty popular: chocolate peanut butter banana - if its a hot summer night, bring some friends and be prepared to wait in line Birmingham, AL JOHNNY RAYS - great BBQ sauce, good eats all around, BUT THE PIE!! - best on this rock as far as i know - the lemon is quite famous and lives up to the hype (just ask nicodemus or pvan) - banana and chocolate are also unreal (i dont even like thinkin about coconut, but some people love that pie too EWWWWWWWWWWW) YANKEE PIZZERIA - BY FAR, the best pizza and calzones in all of the south - great selection of fresh ingredients, good price - i usually get a wheat crust, 1/2 pesto, 1/2 marinara, chicken & onion - tell joseph to hook it up sweet... he will PURPLE ONION - in a town that loves its mediteranean grub, this is the king - the best hummus ive ever had (a surefire first ballot hall of fame hangover prevention latenight foodstuff too) - great gyros, chicken fingers (coated with pretzel crumbs, chicken salad wrap, omelettes and kafta California IN AND OUT BURGER (LA and frisco) - cheeseburger, onion rings,shake - fuhgeddaboutit!!! simply the best L'ORANGE (LA) - im not usually one for foofoo restaurants, but this one is so freakishly good... well its just freakishly good - BEWARE $$$$ Chicago BIG AL'S - get an italian beef and enjoy - perhaps the best sandwich in existance - the juiciest roast beef, the peppers, the onions, the spicy cheese (dont get too much, itll hide the flavor) - please be hungry or rather drunk more later, i gotta get
Re: Re: Your Favorite Restaurants Thread Considering that I had Tabla, Gramercy Tavern and USC on my list, you can say that I'm a Danny Meyer fan. Is it his best? No, of course not, but it is great for groups and much more accessible than any of the others he owns. Since NYC is the home of Cipriani, Balthazar, Salute!, Patsis, and Metrazur, I can't consider it anywhere near "the most overhyped piece of trash" in the city. As far as it being "real BBQ", I'm not a BBQ ribs person but both the steak and their seafood are very good. Maybe you can get better ribs in, say, New Orleans, but in NYC?