Chef Forum banner

What's Your Favourite Restaurant?

23K views 70 replies 53 participants last post by  vince de juan 
#1 ·
Mine is a place called Restaurant Como. My dad promised me once they got back from holidays, he'd take all of us, thanks to his job being paid permanent

I keep looking at the menu each day and drooling - i'm hoping that the new menu for this month shall be as cool, because the duck or the venison sounds good..... real good.
 
#2 ·
I have a couple: All in Montreal (but there are many other places) outside MTL I enjoy.

Le Pois Penche (food, music and ambiance is just like Paris- style of the 1940's , it is a great restaurant )

Au Pied du Cochon: everything is good

Queue de Cheval : The Chef will make you "Anything you like"

Restaurant 40 West : has the best Oyster bar and wine selections

Le Chambertin: (for dance)

Gibby's: (for the lamb).....
 
#4 ·
Probably the meal meal I have ever eaten was at Gary Danko in SF. Blackbird in Chicago also ranks right up there as one of the best meals I have ever eaten. Trotter's as phenomenal as well. A few others that I love are:
NAVA-Atlanta
Le Bouchon-Chicago
Aureole-NYC
Star Canyon-Dallas
 
#5 ·
My list changes constantly here are the top 5 currently. (in no particular order.)

SANTE'S Spokane, WA - A new/young creative chef specializing in European style farm to table cuisine. Not only do they use only locally grown (when possible) they also butcher and cure their own meats. If he was in a large city this restaurant would be a stellar hit, with write-up's and multiple James beard nominations.

CHEF MAVRO Honolulu, HI - Asian / French fusion (SIDEBAR: I hate fusion, most fusion restaurants fail because the chef hasn't mastered one cuisine and then they try to combine elements of two or three that they haven't mastered - 99% failure rate if we wish to be honest) This fusion restaurant actually works, cuisines are clearly identifiable, authentic yet melded together in ways that boggle my mind. You will pay through the nose, but for a fusion restaurant that actually delivers it might be worth it. The only restaurant in Hawaii that deserves 5 stars IMHO.

ROVER'S Seattle, WA - Pacific NW ingredients cooked in a French 'style'. Not fusion, not French, not Pacific NW America, it's just Rover's and it's fantastic. Rover's truly uses the freshest indigenous ingredients to create culinary masterpieces. The dishes are consistently excellent, creative, fresh and most importantly full of natural flavors that do not compete or over power one-another.

PASCAL'S ON PONCE Coral Gables, FL - The best French in America - It's not a pretentious stuffy haute French restaurant, more of a slightly upscale neighborhood bistro, but the food trumps most of the top French restaurants in America.

THAI PLACE San Bernardino, CA - A little tiny hole in the wall serving the most authentic Thai food I have had outside of Thailand. Cheap, small (6-7 tables), semi-clean, to-go orders are 1-3 hour waits on weeknights.
 
#6 ·
I have 2.

The Italian. Commercial st Dundee. The only place locally that i can really enjoy a whole sea bass

And Hymans Charleston NC. I've been twice now and I love the hustle n bustle of the place. Sitting outside on the benches, waiting for your table. Eating boiled peanuts and swigging beer from the bottle while you people-watch on a warm evening, is a fabulous appetiser. It doesnt matter how busy they are, the foodand service is top notch.
 
#7 ·
A major reason for returning to Montreal!

A propos Chicago restaurants: I've not had the pleasure of dining at Trotter's, but I did enjoy a wonderful meal at Tru. I'm fixated on eating at Publican there, as Nicko (and others here) give it raves.

Now to answer the question: my favorite restaurant is Coquette Cafe in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Milwaukee Restaurants- French Cuisine Never a bad meal, nothing but great service, and just 20 minutes from my doorstep. :lips:
 
#10 ·
In Charlotte, I like Capital Grill and 88. From what I've tasted of his menus elsewhere, Gagliardo's should be excellent when it opens. Also Longitude 81 in Fort Mill and The River Rat in Lake Wylie are very good for casual..

Outside of Charlotte, I can't remember the names of many places but there are so many great ones that I could never pick a favorite.
 
#11 ·
My current favorite is Sel Gris in Portland OR.
I met Chef Dan Mondok years ago when he worked in this area and recently had the pleasure of dining in his restaurant.
The tastes, the textures......I was in heaven.
Sweetbreads, foie......I wish I could eat like that all the time.
 
#12 ·
Marcellos (St. Clair West, east of Dufferin) - simple Italian food, awesome pizzas made in an old style clay oven, haven't had a bad dish here yet and I'm a regular of 10 years and still inexpensive

Kom Jung Yen (Spadina ave, south of College st) - a "hole in the wall" Chinese BBQ claiming to have the best BBQ pork in North America. This isn't self proclaimed, it was backed up by a old review done years ago but there is something to say about this place thats been there unchanged as long as even my mother can remember being in her mid 50s. Their duck is pretty good too, roast park ain't bad, good noodle items but not the greatest rice dishes around. Very inexpensive. Been a regular here since the day I was conceived...seriously!

Saigon (across the street from Kom Jung Yen) - probably the very first Vietnamese restaurant in the city and its still there. Their spring rolls are awesome and they do a really nice rare beef noodle...probably the only 2 things I ever order when I eat there.

Country Style (Bloor St West, east of Bathurst st) - Turkish/Ukrainian food like Chicken Paprikash but I come for their mean and huge schnitzel with dumplings. They also do a mean apple strudel and desert crepe with nut filling (I can't remember the exact name). They've gotten pricey but still reasonable.

Vinnie Zucchinis (Steeles Ave E, east of Bayview) - Italian buffet. A bit pricey and not many Italian buffets around but this place makes everything fresh in front of you with a nice selection. Price however only has me going there on the very odd occasion (like 1 birthday every few years).

Keg Steak Mansion (Jarvis St, north of Wellesley) - Steaks and steaks only and they do it good. They have a version of bruschetta on grilled flat bread, fresh basil, buffalo mozzerella, and very very thick reduced balsamic vinegar. Their escargot are good but use to be better. Prime rib with garlic mash and crunchy deep fried onion slivers as always is perfect.
 
#13 ·
#16 ·
Publican in Chicago rocks.....I prefer it over Blackbird and Avec....great warm bread, butter and lots of pig, small fish and beer.....just exceptional all the way around.
thepublicanrestaurant.com

Naha, again Chicago....the bar menu is on my short list for Chicago eats.
Naha

Craft, NYC

Bayona, New Orleans......even after all these years, any time I'm in NO Bayona is a must.

Best all round meal in the past 10 years.....August with John Besh at the stove. staff was stellar, food was exceptional......New Orleans

Annie Gunn's in StLouis, Lou Rook, jr does an outrageous job.....The Smokehouse Market and Annie Gunn's
 
#18 ·
I'll be headed to New Orleans tomorrow, the wife has family there. I must agree, our night out on the town will probably begin at Bayona and end at Cafe Du Monde. You just can't pass up chicory coffee and beignets.
 
#20 ·
I've always enjoyed the notion of debris. It's all about a beautiful presentation of scraps and shavings. Hats off to whoever came up with it.

On a more serious note, my wife has bet me a back rub that I can't finish a whole Muffuletta from Central Grocery. I've done it before, so I'll be enjoying a back rub tomorrow night. :peace:
 
#23 ·
Well, I can't say I'm well versed on high end dining, but my visit to Gordon Ramsay's Maze in NY city was wonderful. I would have to say that the lobster bisque was the best thing I'd ever tasted in my life. One of the servings was definitely not to my likings, the diver scallops with chorizo, but the rest was pretty darned good. I would have to say I'd enjoy going back. I love his recipes as they are fairly easy to make and I love the fact they can make me, a home cook - at best, look like I know what I'm doing. Much like many other cooks, but I like his food pairings the most, as of yet. Maybe it's just my newbie-ness, but I guess you have to find someone to follow and he's the guy I do right now. Julia Child's recipes never seem to get old either.

Anyways, The Maze was wonderful and at around $250ish (We didn't dine in the highest of the three retaurants you could there due to having our youngin with us) I'd go there again in a heartbeat.

-Brian
 
#25 ·
One favorite? No way. :lol:

Montreal- Queue de Cheval, The biggest indoor charcoal grill ever. Killer dry aged steak.

Maine- The White Barn Inn-True five star service. I also like Redds Eats for a lobstah roll in wiscasset but you have to wait in a looooooong line. It's worth it.

Hawaii- Merrimans in Waimea.

Vegas-Charlie Palmers Aureole

Chicago- Alinea or Frontera.

Nawhlens- Acme oyster house

Nassau- Graycliff
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top