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If I go to your city, tell me 3 places I -have- to eat

enzo_gt

tagged by Blackace
Toronto, Ontario:

Kaiju - Japanese Curry
https://www.yelp.ca/biz/kaiju-toronto

Tiny place that tastes great but is in an awful location (basement food court of some mall - extremely easy to miss). The place looks like a food court stall, but serves amazing curry that belongs in a much nicer restaurant.
Discovered this recently after a friend reccomended it. The mall is half-abandoned too, lol.

The Chicken Katsu is to die for. Nothing should taste that good.
 

Zeronax

Member
Madison, WI

Graze
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As stated on their menu: "ground short ribs, sirloin, bacon, cabernet jus-caramelized onions, Hook's Swiss Emmental compound butter, SarVecchio brioche, with fries & aioli"
So good.

Saigon Noodles

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It's become my favorite noodle soup and has been a weekly staple for the past 2 years.

Tienda Los Gemelos

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An unassuming restaurant connected to a Mexican grocery store, the food is simple and authentic.

Honorable:

Taigu

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Located in Middleton, which is right to the west of Madison. Delicious stir-fried noodles with finely cut beef.
 

Elitist1945

Member
These are three chains you can find everywhere. Is this a joke post?

No. I don't frequent non-chain restaurants, and the ones I listed are really tasty so I don't see why I wouldn't list them. Also I took it more as a "if someone from another country was visiting your city", not "someone from the same province is visiting your city".
 

Stinkles

Clothed, sober, cooperative
Seattle: Sushi Kashiba - world class sushi made in a beautiful location by a renowned master.

Paseo: a delicious Cuban sandwich you won't forget.

Canlis: breathtaking view and bill with old school fine dining and cocktails.
 
Gonna give 3 different options for Portland.

1. Langbaan
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This is in a hidden little room inside another Thai restaurant where they offer a tasting menu. Pok Pok might be most popular but this is the best.

2. Guérö
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I can't get enough of this burger even if they mess up on the assembly every now and then. It's got nice pickled chilis, American cheese, and even a fried piece of carmelized cheese at the bottom there. They also have excellent Carnitas and veggie based Tortas.

3. Afuri
pomo_1216_afuri_grouped_fbcny6.jpg


In Japan, this is actually a well known Ramen chain from what I understand. Their restaurant in Portland is completely different and I'd actually ignore the Ramen. They have this crazy grill setup here and I recommend all the grilled items.
 
If you're in the LA/OC border, I recommend the Lobsta Truck at the Food Truck stop off at Best Buy in Fullerton for the best Lobster rolls (they aren't there every friday, check their schedule).

Juan Pollo - Good rotisserie chicken done right.

King Taco - Order an all meat carne asada burrito. Make sure you try their hot sauce. It's legendary.
 

Minus_Me

Member
Montreal

1. L'Express
2. Maison Publique
3. Le Vin Papillon

Bonus: Fairmount Bagels

Poutine: Montreal Pool Room/Patati Patata
 
New Orleans there are hundreds but

1. Parkway Bakery and Tavern- incredible poboys
2. Company Burger- great local burger joint
3. Jacques-imos- awesome variety of local foods
 
Guelph, Ontario, Canada (where I live now)

1. Miijidaa. I guess the best description is modern takes on traditional Canadian food, and the name itself is a native term, so it's influences of native peoples, French and English. It's my favourite in town.

2. Lucky Belly. It's had a few menus over the years, but it's mostly sliders and sides, examples being the Fried Chicken & Cheddar Beer Waffle or the Crispy Chicken Parmesan. It's cute and very tasty.

3. La Cucina. Just incredible Italian food, probably the most expensive meal I've ever had, but the best meal I've ever had. Also a nice rooftop patio:


Windsor, Ontario, Canada (where I am from)

1. Motor Burger (or literally anything on Erie St, which is Windsor's Little Italy. This list could also include Take Five, or Mezzo, or Spago). Delicious burgers, featured on various TV shows, and now they have a micro-brewery there.

2. The Manchester (second pub choice is Thompson House). It's a pub, and arguably the best one in the city. It's the soccer viewing spot, I was actually turned away on Saturday during the Champions League final, they were full. Jerseys and scarves on the wall, plenty of TVs, and they actually put the match audio up! (That's a rarity in this city.) The food's good by pub standards, too.

3. The Squirrel Cage. I'm a sucker for a cute little restaurant, and this is it. Soup, sandwiches and brunch, it's a nice place all tucked away downtown.

 

Cosmic Bus

pristine morning snow
Seattle:

The Wandering Goose - You can always grab a mean breakfast/brunch here, but I suggest showing up early for the one day of the week they serve dinner: fried chicken Friday.

Kedai Makan - Formerly just a take-out window, they upgraded to a small restaurant a couple years ago. Incredible Malaysian food, but even if you aren't familiar with the regional specifics, just know that it's the absolute best Asian food in the city.

Simply Dessert - Tiny little cake and coffee shop, cash only. It ain't fancy at all, but this is the best slice of cake you'll find in the area.
 

matt360

Member
Hiroshima, Japan.

Lopez Okonomiyaki
Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is already God-tier food, miles ahead of its Osaka-style counterpart. Lopez is a guy from Guatemala who studied under the okonomiyaki master Hasho, then made his own restaurant. He puts Central and South American toppings into the traditional Japanese food with amazing results.
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Gaba Ramen. Best tonkotsu in the city.
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7-11. Or any convenience store, and grab yourself a Black Thunder chocolate bar.
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The Lamp

Member
Dallas.

I've traveled Europe, Asia, and South America. I really like food. Here are some Dallas recommendations I have.

Spice Creations (Indian). Get the tikka masala with garlic naan, holy shit.

Gorditos las Comales (Mexican). Get the mole poblano and come by for dancing on Sundays. Or El Tizoncito (Mexican) - get the tacos al pastor. This is really good hole-in-the-wall Mexican food.

Jasper's (American). Started by a winner of Hell's Kitchen. Get the homemade Butterfinger creme brûlée.
 
Memphis TN-

I will give you a breakfast-lunch-dinner.

Breakfast - blue plate cafe, typical southern American breakfast, and biscuits and gravy served with every order
Lunch- central BBQ - hands down best pulled pork and sauce in memphis, dry rub is great too
Dinner- flight, name says it, they serve flights of meals, order proteins/ salads/soups/wine/beer and they serve you three or four different amazing small plates.

And that's just American food centric, I could give you lunch and dinner in different types of food as well (Memphis has amazing Thai, Indian, Chinese, Moroccan, and Japanese as well)
 

The Lamp

Member
Man. That is tough. There are some super high end fancy places (Uchi/Uchiko springs to mind) that people would definitely recommend ahead of some of these options, but for me personally, these 3 are musts.. Franklin is a big time investment, so you could sub La Barbecue for a shorter wait.

Austin, TX

Torchy's Tacos - A Texas institution at this point. The queso is unparalleled and the variety of tacos is fantastic.
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Franklin Barbecue - You simply cannot find better BBQ anywhere.
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Via 313 Pizza - This is actually Detroit style pizza so it isn't unique to Austin or anything, but man, I love their pizza.
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I recommend trying the queso at Fuego in College Station. There's a Torchy's there too and many claim Fuego's dominates it. But that restaurant also had a major food poisoning incident a few years back, so ymmv
 

Staccat0

Fail out bailed
Dallas, TX
Torchy's (the atmosphere is worse than the ones in Austin but still... they don't play)
Bistro B
Hard 8
 
Long Beach / Lakewood

Deli News - Family run Italian and pizza place
Jongewaard's Bake and Broil - A Long Beach Institution. So fucking good.
Joe Jost: another instution. Fucked up crowd but it's awesome
 

LionPride

Banned
Memphis TN-

I will give you a breakfast-lunch-dinner.

Breakfast - blue plate cafe, typical southern American breakfast, and biscuits and gravy served with every order
Lunch- central BBQ - hands down best pulled pork and sauce in memphis, dry rub is great too
Dinner- flight, name says it, they serve flights of meals, order proteins/ salads/soups/wine/beer and they serve you three or four different amazing small plates.

And that's just American food centric, I could give you lunch and dinner in different types of food as well (Memphis has amazing Thai, Indian, Chinese, Moroccan, and Japanese as well)
Ay fellow Memphian. I wish the Korean BBQ joint here was better but they can't all be winners.
 

Raging Spaniard

If they are Dutch, upright and breathing they are more racist than your favorite player
How is Taqueria Cancun not in the OP???

Canoe is pretty good with a great view to boot.

Wow, I guess I'll check these out when I'm in Seattle

Haha relax! Never heard of it! Im not pretending to be an authority on this. I'll look it up!
 

rataven

Member
Metro Detroit area (specifically near Royal Oak)

Jet's Pizza -- Detroit-style pizza chain but a good affordable option and far and away my favorite.Their BBQ chicken pizza with Turbo crust is so addictive I can't bring myself to order anything else.
Vinsetta Garage -- An old automotive garage on Woodward Ave converted to a hipster diner serving fancy comfort food. Fun to visit for the Detroit car culture and watching the cruise on summer nights.
Red Coat Tavern -- Made Thrillist's best burgers at #9. I'm a sucker for an olive burger and their's are a delight. Plus the best onion rings ever.

This should be a good mix for some local flavors and sights. If you wanted to venture into Detroit proper, I'd swap out Red Coat for Slow's Bar BQ. Yes, it's super popular and maybe played out, but it helped put Detroit cuisine on the map and it's worth the visit. Best mac and cheese around too.
 
Gonna give 3 different options for Portland.

3. Afuri
pomo_1216_afuri_grouped_fbcny6.jpg


In Japan, this is actually a well known Ramen chain from what I understand. Their restaurant in Portland is completely different and I'd actually ignore the Ramen. They have this crazy grill setup here and I recommend all the grilled items.

I've been to Afuri in Tokyo and loved it. The Portland version just made me sad and angry at the same time. I know the Japanese guy behind it all is in charge, but the American obsession with taking ramen, hyping the shit out of it, jacking up the prices ignoring the fact that it's inexpensive food for the common man drives me insane.
 

Kevtones

Member
Los Angeles



I can't pick 'the best' food so I'll just pick underrated:

1. HomeState
2. Pie N' Burger
3. Chateau Lemongrass (best Vegan pho in the world and it defies space/time)
4. RCA (Night+Market Song whatevs)
5. Modan


Long Beach / Lakewood
Jongewaard's Bake and Broil - A Long Beach Institution. So fucking good.


I tell everyone in Los Angeles heading to LB about this place. Used to live in Bixby and it's incredible. The owner still calls me 'Ducks fan' after all these years. Perfect spot.
 
I've been to Afuri in Tokyo and loved it. The Portland version just made me sad and angry at the same time. I know the Japanese guy behind it all is in charge, but the American obsession with taking ramen, hyping the shit out of it, jacking up the prices ignoring the fact that it's inexpensive food for the common man drives me insane.

Yeah, that's what I heard from my friends that recently moved here from Japan. They love the restaurant but not for the ramen compared to Afuri in Japan. They do really like Marukin though. No one would be able to open up here if they weren't able to jack up the prices unfortunately.

I'd love to see an Afuri with this style here:
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Parallax

best seen in the classic "Shadow of the Beast"
LA is pretty spread out and off the top, so are the places im gonna mention.

Szechwan- a chinese food place in torrance. ive been going there since i was a little kid and they have the best kung pao in the city of all the places ive tried

the hat- theres a bunch of locals across the city. shotgunned even. but no matter where you go, theyre bound to be crowded. known for their pastrami, they also have a hunch of other sandwich options

ramonas- theres a few locations in the city. there may be fancier mexican restaurant in the city, with a more varied menu, but if your looking for some fine ass burritos, tacos, and enchiladas, theyre top of the line. they have frozen menu items, but they dont do the place justice in the slightest
 
Ay fellow Memphian. I wish the Korean BBQ joint here was better but they can't all be winners.

I lived in Memphis last year and I tried to eat around a bit. Ironically I've never been anywhere on your list besides Soul Fish and Central BBQ.

I think my favorites were:

1. Hog and Hominy (burgers & pizza)
2. Germantown Commissary (BBQ), I liked Central and Rendevous about the same, but I went to the Commissary a few more times because it was closer to me.
3. Folk's Folly (high end steak restaurant)

Local's on the Square and Babulu's (tacos) were pretty good both times I went to them too. For quicker food I really, really liked the local chain Pyro's Pizza, which was basically a subway for pizza, but amazing and had a store located dangerously close to where I was living.

I'm now in Oxford, MS. If you ever end up in Mississippi like me... which who knows why. There are a few really good places to eat:

1. Ajax (this is the classic down home southern food restaurant, with damn good... everything from chicken and dumplings to country fried steak all served with jalapeno cornbread)
2. Jinsei (best sushi in town... but also best wings?)
3. Volta Taverna (greek food, great gyros and maybe the best appetizer I've ever had in Hotty Toddy balls, also 2 for 1 margaritas Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays)
 

vern

Member
Shanghai -

1 ) Yang's Dumplings aka Xiao Yang Sheng Jian / 小杨生煎

The best shengjian dumplings in Shanghai. Cheap as chips and so damn good. It's a chain and they are all over this city, just look for the pink sign.

2 ) Nanxiang Xiaolongbao 南翔小笼包

Obviously I like my dumplings lol.. the original and some might argue the best steamed soup dumplings in Shanghai. It's a bit of a trek out to Nanxiang but it's worth it.

3) There's a little tiny place I forget it's name but it's near Jiaotong University in Xuhui District, it's got 2 tables and it always has a line. They specialize in Zhajiang Noodles 炸酱面. It's on Tianping Road and I think Kangding Road, on the corner. Its better than the zhajiang noodles from up north imo. Mmmm.
 

Stencil

Member
Minneapolis:
Revival - Best fried chicken around but their double cheeseburger is the sleeper hit
Kado no Mise - Best sushi in town and one of the only Kaiseki restaurants in the country AFAIK
Burrough/Parlour - Amazing burger & chicken sandwich.

also I saw someone recommended Giordano's; don't go there... Out of all the restaurants in the Twin Cities, Giordano's? Really? Pizza Lola is the best pizza joint around. Even Burch steakhouse is much more of a contender when it comes to pizza.
 

Piggus

Member
Ashland, Oregon

1. Big Al's Diner - Best burger in town, and their fry sauce is divine. This place has been around for decades, and for good reason.

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2. Omar's - Generally known for their steak and seafood. The chef wins awards all the time, and they great bar food as well.

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3. Hearsay - I might be a little biased since my family owns this restaurant lol. But we're quickly gaining a reputation as being one of the better restaurants in town, especially for outdoor dining. Our chef is amazing and incredibly creative.

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EDIT: Since there seem to be a lot of peeps here from Dallas, I suggest you guys check out a place in the University Park area called Neighborhood Services. They had fish and chips made with Mississippi catfish the last time we went, and it was the best fish and chips I've ever had, hands down. Everyone in our group had an amazing dinner in fact.

http://www.nhstheoriginal.com/
 

Meier

Member
Thanks for this idea btw, OP. My wife and I are visiting Denver and Nashville this summer so personal recs will be really great to have on hand.
 

LionPride

Banned
I lived in Memphis last year and I tried to eat around a bit. Ironically I've never been anywhere on your list besides Soul Fish and Central BBQ.

I think my favorites were:

1. Hog and Hominy (burgers & pizza)
2. Germantown Commissary (BBQ), I liked Central and Rendevous about the same, but I went to the Commissary a few more times because it was closer to me.
3. Folk's Folly (high end steak restaurant)

Local's on the Square and Babulu's (tacos) were pretty good both times I went to them too. For quicker food I really, really liked the local chain Pyro's Pizza, which was basically a subway for pizza, but amazing and had a store located dangerously close to where I was living.

I'm now in Oxford, MS. If you ever end up in Mississippi like me... which who knows why. There are a few really good places to eat:

1. Ajax (this is the classic down home southern food restaurant, with damn good... everything from chicken and dumplings to country fried steak all served with jalapeno cornbread)
2. Jinsei (best sushi in town... but also best wings?)
3. Volta Taverna (greek food, great gyros and maybe the best appetizer I've ever had in Hotty Toddy balls, also 2 for 1 margaritas Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays)
I may end up in Oxford since I'll be in college starting in the fall and maybe visiting some folks there when I can.

Thing about Memphis, it has such a diverse amount of places to eat no matter what
 

jiiikoo

Banned
First I'd ask what the fuck are you doing in Oulu Finland, and then I'd tell you to go to Hella, Friends & Brgrs and to Kauppuri 5.
 

jb1234

Member
Four Seattle mentions and I'm absolutely astonished no one has brought up Dick's yet. IT IS A CITY TRADITION.
 

itwasTuesday

He wasn't alone.
If we are talking ribs. Wet is for babies that cant handles the power that is the dry rub. Dry rub is for only for the most super macho men around. Babies need not apply. Women also prefer men who eat the dry rub.

just fyi
 

wandering

Banned
3. Afuri
pomo_1216_afuri_grouped_fbcny6.jpg


In Japan, this is actually a well known Ramen chain from what I understand. Their restaurant in Portland is completely different and I'd actually ignore the Ramen. They have this crazy grill setup here and I recommend all the grilled items.

Lol that's so Portland

Four Seattle mentions and I'm absolutely astonished no one has brought up Dick's yet. IT IS A CITY TRADITION.

Hot take: Dick's isn't that good, it's just cheap.
 
Also for Seattle: Luna Park. Breakfast place in West Seattle with great eggs and an awesome selection of hot sauces. Great food, and close to Alki!
 

Retsudo

Member
Porto, Portugal

Bufete Fase

Best Francesinhas in the city. This is not for the faint of heart and stomach but it is so delicious. A lot of places serve francesinhas in Porto, but this one might top them all.

NEG_BUFETE_FASE_08_0.jpg


Cervejaria Gazela

The BEST hotdogs you will have eat. The place is tiny, 10 people in there and it's crowded, and when the bread is over they close for the day.

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Conga

The best spicy bifanas in the city. A bifana (or two or three), a super bock on the side and a plate of caldo verde soup to close out the meal, and you're good for the day.



There are a lot more awesome places to eat if you visit my hometown, but i chose these because they are super cheap and the best in their respective niche.
 

Raging Spaniard

If they are Dutch, upright and breathing they are more racist than your favorite player
Ah, found out Im staying in Ft. Worth, not Dallas proper, thanks for the suggestions anyways! Maybe if we have a free day, that Smokehouse looked amazing :D
 

ColdPizza

Banned
Buffalo, NY

Bar Bill, East Aurora

I guess when you hear Buffalo, NY, you think of the Buffalo Wing. These are probably the best wings you'll find in the area. Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. I particularly like how they fan out the wings here, instead of piling them up. This makes it so the wings stay crispy because they're not steaming one another.

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They also have what I consider the other best Buffalo signature dish, Beef on 'Weck. It's basically slow roasted beef sliced thin on a kimmelweck roll (a roll with salt and caraway seeds). Pairs nicely with horseradish.

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Grovers, East Amherst

Once an old hunting lodge for President Grover Cleveland, and my favorite burger joint in town. They serve up an 8oz. mammoth of a burger to your liking. This place is so popular, it even made it on Diners Drive-Ins and Dives.

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Dinosaur BBQ - Downtown Buffalo

Yeah, they're a chain restaurant, but you know what? They originated 2 hours away in Syracuse, NY and I think this is the best BBQ you can get in Buffalo (besides at my house). Excellent everything. If you're ever in a city that has one, you should try it out.

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