Food Week - Favorite Restaurants (Part Two)

On Monday I posted everyone's favorite restaurants in their own town/city - today I have favorites from anywhere - all over the world, anyplace they've ever eaten.

Jen (Honey Kennedy) - I love L'as du Falafel in Paris. I crave it ALL THE TIME. I also love this little Chinese takeout place in Seattle called Green Village in the International District. I've been going there since I was in high school for their cold noodles. For $4.50 you get the best, most sweet and spicy balanced peanut noodles ever. I also lucked out once and Naomi prepared me an INCREDIBLE vegetarian meal at Beast in Portland while I was there with some carnivores. Portland really does have an incredible food scene - we're really spoiled here.

Jena (Modish) - We tend to plan trips specifically around what we want to eat and which restaurants we want to visit. About a year ago, we eloped in Mendocino - not only because it's one of our favorite vacation spots, but because we wanted to eat at The Ravens for our wedding meal! It's all vegetarian, the veggies are grown right there on their grounds, the dishes are unexpected and different and everything we've had there is super delicious.

M. Fay (Amateur Couture) - Brophy Bros. in Santa Barbara, California. Their clam chowder sings to my soul. I like to dip the warm crusty sour dough bread into my soup for that "AHHHH" moment. You'll find me sitting on the patio with a bottle of wine soaking in the mountains and the ocean views.

Anabela (fieldguided) - Probably one that exists only in my head, the perfect combination of cozy, quiet atmosphere, good service, and whatever food I feel like eating that day, which would be a copy of any number of excellent meals I have had throughout my life.

Erin (butter and brass) - Pizza, in Paris, at La Briciola. In a city with the most amazing food, this place is a little bit of home with a big, steamy scoop of ricotta on top.

Sara (Brown Paper Bag) - Anywhere? Hmm... I think I would tend to associate that with memories and comfort. I would say my favorite restaurants are pizza places (such a food philistine I am!), because that's where I have the warmest memories with friends and family. In Baltimore, it's a tie between two really awesome pizza places: Iggies or Joe Squared.

Kate (Lovelorn Unicorn) - I had the best brunch I've ever had at Bouchon in Las Vegas. I ordered some sort of big breakfast, which came with juice, tea, a pastry, eggs, lyonnaise potatoes and garlicy spinach. Everything was gorgeously presented and it was a delight to be there. I'm very brunch-centric. Brunch (or breakfast) is a great way to get to try a restaurant that's ordinarily out of your budget.

Melanie (you are my fave) - On my last trip to New York I made the trek to Katz Deli. I still have dreams about that Reuben sandwich, then I wake up hungry and disappointed to only find Crispix in my kitchen.

Gemma Correll - In San Francisco: the Mexican Taqueria Cancun... I still dream about the "Super Taco".

Liza (Length x Wit) - For this one, there is only one answer. I know exactly what restaurant it is, but I can not for the life of me remember what it is called. It's either Little Italy or Little Roma or something along those lines, but I had the best meal of my life there. I was in Rome a few years ago with my family, and the first night we were there, we asked the concierge at our bed and breakfast for a dinner sugestion. I remember being a little disconcerted that the restaurant's name was in English. That feeling didn't last long. It was a simple meal - salad, spaghetti bolognese, and mont blanc for dessert - but each course was so flavorful, so fresh, and so fulfilling on every sensual level that I feel nothing could or will compete with it. Even the parmesan was mind-blowing. I don't think I can explain it properly beyond that or "ohmygoshsogood," but I remember it as clearly as if I had eaten it last night. My entire family still references it as our favorite meal of all time. Considering the twisty streets of Rome, I unfortunately doubt I could ever find the restaurant again, but the memory of my experience there lives on in minute detail.

Mariah (size too small) - I'm going to have to go with Kuba Kuba in Richmond, VA.

Emily (short story design) - Le Refuge des Fondues in Montmartre, Paris. Ooey-gooey cheese fondue + red wine out of baby bottles. It's hilariously delicious.

Diana (Miss Moss) - I went to a restaurant in Paris last year called La Taverne du Sergeant Recruteur which is basically an all you can eat and drink for a set price affair. You arrive at your table and there are already baskets of food for you to dig into - bread, different kinds of cured meats, pates and a load of fresh vegetables (so you can make your own salad - think giant carrots, ripe tomatoes and even a head of lettuce). You're immediately served with a bowl of their soup of the day, then you order a main - I had the duck confit, wow. When the waitor sees that you're starting to fall into a food coma, he brings over a platter of cheeses and asks you what you want for dessert. On top of all this, you can drink unlimited (and I mean unlimited) bottles of wine.

Elise (Pennyweight) - A couple of months ago, my husband and I visited Mario Batali's restaurant Osteria Mozza in LA. There were six of us, and we all tried a little bit of each, not to mention we shared a few small plates to start. Let's just say I left very happy, bursting at the seams with refined, tasty Italian food.

Allira (so on and so forth) - Romdeng in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Not only is it the best Khmer food I've ever tasted, but the restaurant is run by former street youth in training, so you're supporting a very good cause. It is part of Friends-International, who work with vulnerable children and youth and offer vocational training -giving them confidence, life skills, the opportunity of employment and an alternative and sustainable life off of the street. I can't remember how many times I went there, but in numerical terms it was a lot. Friends in Phnom Penh (which is also part of Friends-International) serves tapas and comes in at an equal first.

Megan (Commas and Clauses) - Red Bamboo! Since it was virtually on my undergrad's "campus" in Greenwich Village, I went there all the time, usually for the soy BBQ chicken (far better than real chicken). The menu is vegan-friendly (with vegetarian options, as well) and the atmosphere is both cozy and welcoming.

Maggie (Folkloric) - Vista Spring Cafe is where I always eat dinner when I visit Portland. It's tucked away on a residential street, so it's quiet and homey, and they serve basic food done well. I have so many fond memories of this place from over the years that, at this point, it's almost impossible to distinguish them from my opinion of their food.

Dabito (Old Brand New) - I have no idea what the name of it is, but it's a tiny restaurant in a strip mall. They have the best Hainan chicken rice.

Katie (thank you, ok) - While I was living in Seoul I loved going to cafes (like this, this, and this) for set-cutesy lunches and traditional Korean restaurants for larger meals consisting of lots of tiny side dishes. In Paris, I liked the Rose Bakery (and have since made use of their cookbook). Also, although it's not a restaurant, I had a very memorable time at Jim Haynes' house for his Sunday dinner. For atmosphere, lingering over dinner on the lawn of Spring/Summer/Winter in Bangkok was the best - soft, relaxing, and they played amazing music.

Sara (Matchbox Kitchen) - I had the best meal of my life at Le Pigeon in Portland, OR. Every bite felt like that moment in Ratatouille when Remy takes a bite of cheese and a grape to combine the flavors together.

Hannah (banana meet-cute) - I had a fantastic meal earlier in the year at the Foodstore in Auckland, NZ. The creamed paua with crusty bread was a taste sensation.

Jen (hellojenuine) - We visited Gothenburg last year and found a really great vegetarian cafe/bar called Solrosen (Sunflower). You could pick a main and top up your plate at a salad bar. We were only sorry that we couldn't visit more than once.

Kate (For Me, For You) - It's a tie between Moto in Brooklyn and Candle Cafe in Manhattan.

Food Week - Favorite Restaurants (Part One)

Food Week has begun!

When I decided to do this gem of a week devoted to all things edible, I emailed a bunch of awesome people I've encountered on the internet to ask them some food related questions. They were kind enough to answer me (thank you everyone!) and over the course of this week I'll be posting their responses.

The question this post is devoted to is - "What's your favorite restaurant in your town or city?". Below, you'll find their answers. Feel free to post your own favorites in the comments!

I loved reading everyone's responses because I keep a running list (well, a running bookmarks folder) of restaurants I want to go to someday - restaurants all over the world. This list has been useful because whenever I find out that I'm going to be traveling somewhere, I have an eating itinerary ready to go. I suggest that you do the same - it comes in handy, and here you are with a perfect excuse to start: tons of restaurant recommendations!

(each image is linked to the source)

Jena / Modish (Portland) - It's so hard to choose a favorite, but one outstanding place that's a Portland must visit, I'd say, is Dove Vivi - they do cornmeal pizza crust and it's so. amazingly. delicious.

Emily / short story design (New York) - Caracas Arepa Bar. A lot of people love this place as evidenced by the crowd that's usually waiting outside the East Village outpost. Go on an "off" time or get an arepa to go from the carry out location a few doors down. I always get the same thing - A10 on the menu: La del Gato (guavanese cheese, fried sweet plantains, and avocado slices). Simple perfection in the most delicious corn flour pocket.

Jen / Honey Kennedy (Portland) - That's really hard because Portland has SO MUCH GOOD FOOD. I'll have to say Navarre, Toro Bravo, Ya Hala, The Farm, Khun Pic and Apizza Scholls. More than one is OK, right?

Mariah / size too small (Cape Town)- My favorite restaurant is The Kitchen in Woodstock, Cape Town. They have the world's best salad plates. I go at least twice a week.

As far as my favorites go... living in an insanely small town I tend to consider everything in a 50 mile radius as being a part of "my town", so some of these are in New Hampshire not Maine (as I live right on the Maine / New Hampshire border). Okay - Horsefeathers & Aurora Provisions & Po Boys & Pickles & Sea Dog Brewing Company because they all have sandwiches I adore (I'm not a fancy dining girl - I'm a sandwich fiend); Sebago Brewing Company for their lobster quesadilla; and Willard Scoops, Beal's Ice Cream and Mount Desert Island Ice Cream, for, well, ice cream! Also, call me lame, but the one Whole Foods in Maine used to make the most delicious peanut butter cheesecake I have ever consumed. I would make special trips there just to buy one (they were individually sized). Sadly, they swapped pastry preparers (or I was the only one eating them?), because they haven't been in the case for months. That doesn't stop me from checking (in vain) every single time I go though.

Finally, if you want the real ocean-y-Maine eating experience, you need to go to The Lobster Shack. My family goes there every single year for Mother's Day (because my mom loves it, although everyone else does too). You eat delicious seafood right on the rocks with the waves crashing below you. It's pretty great.

Elise / Pennyweight (Nashville) - Marche: not only do they have amazing food, but the vibe is very rustic, bright and natural. Delicious, freshly harvested meals served beautifully in this European-style cafe. My favorite time to go is brunch - their croissant french toast is out of this world.

Maggie / Folkloric (Seattle) - I love El Chupacabra in Greenwood. It's a little divey, and often there's a bit of a wait for a table, but the food is so good, the margaritas strong, and the atmosphere eclectic. I love taking friends from out of town here for a loud and fun dinner out.

Hannah / banana meet-cute (Melbourne) - This is hard to narrow down! A new favorite is Shanghai Street Dumpling House on Little Bourke Street in the Melbourne CBD. I am obsessed with dumplings and could eat at this place every day. A "classic" favorite that I always love to visit, particularly with out of town guests, is Next Door Diner in Northcote. It's a little out of the way, but really sums up a cozy local restaurant - yummy and unpretentious.

Allira / so on and so forth (Melbourne) - If you head a little way out of Melbourne, there's a lovely town called Kyneton and a restaurant called Mr. Carsisi (admittedly, I've stolen this place from a friend) and the mezze menu is DELISH! The restaurant is beautifully decked out, has the charm of a farm barn, but is stylish and sans hay and animals.

Kate / Lovelorn Unicorn (Wellington) - It's tough to pick, but probably Floriditas. It's a lovely cafe/restaurant with amazing brunch, baking and coffee, pretty plates and enormous windows which make for excellent people watching. Their rocket and walnut pesto pasta with crushed olives, pea shoots and parmesan is for sure the best pasta I've ever had (though I've never been to Italy). For a more relaxed time I love Monterey, a cool diner and bar where you can draw on the paper table cloth, eat great burgers, play board games, listen to records and drink old timey cocktails.

Melanie / you are my fave (Denver) - Breakfast is my favorite meal to go out for and the entire morning menu at Root Down makes you want to vie up on any other type of food entirely. The lemon ricotta pancakes make my stomach dance.

Leslie Knope - Why would anybody ever eat anything besides breakfast food?

Ron Swanson - People are idiots, Leslie 

Diana / Miss Moss (Stellenbosch) - This is an easy one to answer because I actually live with one of my best & oldest friends who owns a restaurant with her fiance in our home town of Stellenbosch. It's called Nook and, I'm not being biased, it's the best place to eat in town.

Megan / Commas and Clauses (Philadelphia) - Some of the places I frequent most:

• Distrito in University City: It has the best-mixed drinks in all of Philly (I am convinced), and the food is pretty amazing (though there really aren't many veg options), as the restaurant's owned and operated by one of the Iron Chef dudes.
• National Mechanics in Old City: My favorite brunch in the city, with the tofu scramble and Bellini being my usual.
• Copabanana in University City: Crazy delicious margs (but expensive as hell).
• Gojjo on Baltimore Ave.: Right in my neighborhood, with the perfect backyard patio to just hang and drink beer at in the warm weather.

Anabela / fieldguided (Toronto) - It changes, but at the moment I really love a restaurant called Pizzeria Libretto. I don't know if it's sacrilegious to say this about pizza that is made in the traditional Neapolitan way (certified!) but the dough tastes like naan bread to me. So good.

Gemma Correll (Norwich) - A dim sum place called Baby Buddha (in Norwich, England).

M. Fay / Amateur Couture (Des Moines) - I've been around the world and I, I, I, - I can't find a better sushi restaurant than the one in my hometown (Des Moines, Iowa). Yes, you can get fresh sushi in a land locked state. Go to Miyabi 9, ask for the Captain Crunch roll and thank me later.

Katie / thank you, ok (Toronto) - I like The Black Hoof for special occasions / fancy cocktails, Brockton General for the brunch prix fixe, and The Harbord Room for eating burgers up at their bar.

Sara / Matchbox Kitchen (Los Angeles) - Zelo in Arcadia, California doesn't make any ordinary pizza: their cornmeal crust adds the best texture to accompany their fresh toppings (like corn, sautéed onions and an assortment of cheeses). You must try the corn pizza!

Kate / For Me, For You (Los Angeles) - I recently became a vegetarian (again, after a long hiatus) so it's hard to say because my favorite can no longer be my favorite! But right now I'm obsessed with finding the best Thai food in my neighborhood - Jitlada, Wat Dong Moon Lek and Bulan are my top contenders.

Dabito / Old Brand New (Los Angeles) - The Spice Table: flavorful dishes inspired by traditional cuisines of Singapore and Vietnam. My go-to dish is their catfish claypot: it reminds me of my mom's cooking.

Liza / Length x Wit (Dallas) - Dallas is a restaurant-rich city, so a question like this is both exciting (there is so much to share!) and slightly stumping (there is so much to share...). I tried to narrow it down, but I know that by the time you're reading this, I'll have thought of three other places I should have mentioned. Such is good food, no?

• The first place that comes to mind is Yutaka, which is the best sushi restaurant I have ever been to, hands down. Going there will make a sushi-lover out of anyone, even the raw/shellfish-sensitive.

• For a fancy-pants dinner, I'm torn between St. Martin's and The Capital Grille, which is located inside a super nice hotel and is always impeccable, from the wait staff to the steaks. St. Martin's, however, looks like a total hole in the wall from the outside. The first time I went there I was completely suspicious, but as soon as you walk through the door, you're inside a wood-paneled, romantic dream. The surprise of that definitely adds to the meal.

• And since this is Texas, I feel obligated to mention a burger place and there is no where else for me but Angry Dog. Flavorful juicy burgers that don't soak through the bun - flawless.

Sara / Brown Paper Bag (Baltimore) - Woodberry Kitchen: BEAUTIFUL space, delicious new American food, very into sustainable farming practices and using what's local to shape their menu.

Erin / butter and brass (Ann Arbor) - You can't live in Michigan and not crave pasties and coney islands, but for the Ann Arbor alternative I love the Aut Bar for its weekend brunch, Frita Batidos for its cuban sandwiches on brioche, and Sidetrack (in Ypsilanti) for its $6 black bean sliders and depot meets hunting lodge decor.

Jen / hellojenuine (Scotland) - My current situation is in limbo, as I'm going back & forth between Dundee & Glasgow:

• In Dundee, my favorite is - hands down - the Parlour Cafe. It's a tiny cozy little place that has an amazing menu with lots of amazing salads (don't scoff! you haven't tried them!) and dishes all freshly prepared. They did a special tapas menu for Valentine's Day which my boyfriend and I took advantage of. I ate so much I thought I might cry, but everything was so tasty! We ended up taking dessert home. Most of their menu is vegetarian too, which is a bonus. I recently had the pleasure of illustrating a cookbook for them and I can't wait until it's published.
• I'm still a novice when it comes to eating out in Glasgow, but so far I'm not disappointed - not least due to there being lots of vegetarian restaurants/cafes, something Dundee hasn't managed yet. So far I love Stereo, Mono and 13th Note (good veggie fry-up). My boyfriend tried a couple more places which I need to visit. Ask me in a year & maybe I'll be able to pick just one!