Best cities for dining?

[producer4000]

Just kind of curious to see where we have been and really liked the food. I'm not talking about ethnic food per se but if for example you had the best chinese of your life in SanFran, thats kind of what I'm going for.
About two weeks ago I was in Chicago for a one nighter at the Rockit Bar on Hubbard. I was kind of surrounded by places that looked interesting, food wise (a Thai kitchen on the corner, for instance), but I was being fed by the buyer at the club. The menu had some options and some suggestions were made, but I went for the fillet mignon prepared as rare as possible. I've ordered this all over the U.S. and this was easily one of the top two I've ever had.
My day of culinary excellence did not stop there however. After the show, I decided I wasn't leaving Chicago without pizza. At 12:45 am Giordano's was locking the doors as I walked up. Where to now? It just so happens that by sheer luck that I approached one of the top three pizza joints in Chicago (as I later discovered via the internet). Pizano's on State St. made me one of the best pizzas I've ever had. Not trueSicilian, but a deep dish hybrid with the pseudo cornbread butter crust. Three pieces actually made it home for my wife to enjoy and she agreed it was the best we've had.

Seattle runs a close second because of the freshness of the fish, but that's a different story.

So, where has everyone been that made your socks roll up and down, food wise?

[mediatechnology]

Wow. Great post.

We don't travel much anymore and tend to try off-the-beaten places locally and south in the Texas Hill Country.

Our recent favorite is a place called Trios in Cedar Hill. Here's the menu: http://www.ka-electronics.com/Images/Trios_Menu.pdf
The Shrimp Trompos are incredible.

We also like "12th Street," La Calle Doce in Oak Cliff: http://www.lacalledoce-dallas.com/
This one is Vera Cruz influenced. The owner, Laura Sanchez' motto is "Cleanliness is Beauty."

VeraCruz Cedar Hill, Texas is also excellent.

In Salado Texas "The Range." http://www.therangerestaurant.com/ as well as the Stage Coach Inn

The Lodge in Cloudcroft New Mexico: http://www.thelodgeresort.com/dining.cfm

Any restaurant in the Peabody Memphis

The Guild Inn in Toronto, Ontario: http://www.toronto.ca/culture/the_guild.htm

In Chatham Mass the Chatham Bars Inn: http://www.chathambarsinn.com/default2.asp

Asheville North Carolina The Grove park Inn: http://www.groveparkinn.com/Leisure/Dining/

In Gallup New Mexico The El Ranco Hotel: http://www.elranchohotel.com/

In Ludington Mich PM Steamers: http://www.pmsteamers.com/

[buttachunk]

Cleveland has the new Iron Chef, Michael Symon, at either of his restaurants in town-- Lola or Lolita.

http://www.lolabistro.com/

[mediatechnology]

Symon also has a blog: http://symonsays.typepad.com/

Looked at the menu. Wow. Check out the soup-n-sandwich desert...Worth a trip to Cleveland.

[buttachunk]

Worth a trip to Cleveland.

yup-- a 20 minute drive from here.

and the prices at Lolita are very reasonable (especially for an Iron Chef's restaurant!)

[jeffrey_burr]

I live in a fairly rich area food-wise (east SF bay area). I've spent this summer though in Sapporo, Japan, and I am pretty much ruined as far as seafood goes. I can't see myself eating much fish back in CA, either out or in.

I do miss the general variety of foods back home though, we went to an "Indian" restaurant here and everything was the same two dishes, no dal, no palak paneer...

[JR.]

I've had good and bad meals in many countries.

Best Indian meal was in England, but I've never been to India.

Best Mexican meal was in Mexico (duh).. not the Tex-Mex we think of as Mexican food, but unfamiliar (to me) dishes, while all good.

Here's an unusual one.. best sushi/sashimi I had was in a small hole in the wall restaurant in Orlando, Fla ?

American perceptions of other nation's foods is skewed by American food industry stereotypes. The American version of Mexican food is the every day common meals. The banquet I enjoyed in central Mexico was unrecognizable special occasion holiday dishes. OTOH the American version of Chinese food we eat here as routine daily meals is generally their special holiday dishes. Their common every day food is noodles, dumplings, etc.

JR

[mediatechnology]

The best cities for dining?

Consider Tempe, Arizona....

http://www.heartattackgrill.com/

Profiled on this morning's CBS Sunday Morning with Bill Geist having the "quadruple bypass."

[emrr]

HELP ME!!!

[mediatechnology]

Mouth-watering pure hunger.