When I travel, I prefer to try local restaurants rather than the nationwide chains.  So if one were to travel to your neck of the woods, what local restaurants would you recommend? 

I'll post mine in a bit :)

If you wanted somewhere a bit 'upmarket' I'd say go to 2 hopewell.  Staff are a bit pretentious at times but the food is lovely.

Just down the road from there is the South Tavern.  A sports bar, but the TV's don't get in the way of having an enjoyable family evening there.

Our favourite pizza place is Frank Pepe's pizzeria in Manchester, CT.

I will mention several later as i am at work and really should do some work first, but there are quite a few that i will recommend here in Northern california East bay region

Most people like a place called "White spot", or "Earl's"

Lots of Japanese restaurants here, many are good. Chances are you won't run into a bad one.

Alrighty...

Mexican - Our family faves are Macayo's and Valle Luna.  Valle Luna has an awesome dish called a Fundido which to me seems basically like a chimichanga with jalapeno cream cheese inside with the meat and then topped with melted cheddar.  :)  We're having our rehearsal dinner at Valle Luna. :)

Chinese/Mexican - Chino Bandido.  I took Rice Cube & Jessica there when they came through town. :D  The one in North Phoenix is kinda like a dive; the one in Chandler is a newer location and pretty nice.  You can have your choice of a Chinese or Mexican entree served with rice or rolled up in a tortilla.  And their snickerdoodle cookies rock.

If you like fajitas, I recommend...well, Fajita's :D  They make their own flour tortillas, always fresh.  I highly recommend their shrimp fajitas.  We're going there tomorrow night for my niece's birthday dinner and this will be Sara's first Fajita's experience. :)

Although not necessarily a local joint, there is only one White Chocolate Grill in the Metro Phoenix area (other locations in the Denver area and Chicago suburbs - Naperville).  It's not what you think by the name.  They specialize in white chocolate desserts, but they're not grilled.   Some of their entrees are, however. ;)  A little pricey, but their prime rib kicks ass.  8)

For a great burger and some eye candy to boot, check out Heart Attack Grill in Chandler. :D

I have about three favourite pizza places, two are local and one isn't.  Johnnie's Dee's Chicago-style Pizza (North Phoenix) has the best thin-crust pizza around and Johnnie is a great guy.  They serve awesome RC Cola products at the restaurant too :D  Nello's and Rosati's (which I think is in other areas also) are the pizza joints to go to for the thick crust pies.

Yes, even in the desert we have great Chicago-style restaurants. ;D If you like real hot dogs and Italian Beef sandwiches, check out Luke's of Chicago.  They also serve RC Cola products.  8)

I'll post some local favourites of other cities I've visited later. ;)

Market Grille Cafe - a Greek/Mediterranean restaurant near my home.

Lindo Michoacan - Mexican restaurant that recently opened a location near my home. 

Retro Bakery - Wonderful cupcakes!

The Brasserie - You name it, it's got it !

Verve - Mediterranean and Modern Australian cuisine

La Carretta - Italian

Smiley's Deli ~ I'm addicted to their wraps and macaroni salad

A Place in Tyme ~ is a nice little cafe.

Central Market ~ great farmers market with fabulous food stands

Chinese/Mexican - Chino Bandido.  I took Rice Cube & Jessica there when they came through town. :D  The one in North Phoenix is kinda like a dive; the one in Chandler is a newer location and pretty nice.  You can have your choice of a Chinese or Mexican entree served with rice or rolled up in a tortilla.  And their snickerdoodle cookies rock.


That place rules on so many levels.

For Chicago style pizza in my neighborhood, I always head to Cholie's, a little dive around the corner from our place.  They also make GREAT antipasto salads and regular pizza.

For Thai food, I always go to Thai 55th.  There are two other Thai restaurants on the same street, but I gravitated towards this one and am pretty well known there now. :D  They usually know what I want before I order (Pad Thai, crab rangoon, and some form of smoothie with tapioca pearls or an original Boba Tea)

For really really frickin' awesome sandwiches, I just discovered Morry's Deli.  I actually didn't just discover it, it has been on the corner of 55th and Cornell forever, and I usually pass by it, but never had occasion to stop there until the other night.  Their Reuben sandwich (pictured in the middle of their website) made me weep with joy.  I think they also make their own pickles.

I'll think of some more later on.

Zachary's pizza in Berkeley or San Ramon has awesome deep dish

Max's Opera Cafe in San Francisco. if you go at dinner time, the waitresses and waiters sing and there is a pianist

Blondie's pizza on Telegraph ave. in downtown Berkeley near the college campus is a great place to walk in and get a humongous slice of pizza.

Los Panchos for Mexican food in Pacheco and San Ramon have the best red sauce that is ladeled over enchiladas and tamales, it is so so very good.

The Dead Fish in Crockett is a bit expensive and I still have never been there but 'I hear' that the seafood and primerib is most excellent and the restaurant name is so cool.

If you are driving through Illinois on 80 - I suggest turning off at the LADD exit and go to a small town for Ripp's Chicken  - It has the Best Fried Chicken around!  People from Chicago head there (atleast an hour drive), it is a little dive and you may have to wait in line around the building.  But the chicken is still great and it is 4.25 for a plate (you just order 1 plate or 2 plates or 3 plates of white or dark).  It comes to you on paper plates, and the chicken is sitting on wonder bread - to soak up the grease.  You will get a bowl of crispies (fried little bits of chicken batter) and the locals take the bowl of crispies, the wonder bread and the pickles provided and make a sandwhich. YUMMMM  -  been the same way all of my life.  It is great.  AND my family lived 45 minutes away (it was a goto spot).  Head to Torre's for Ice Cream after.

If you are in:

Illinois Quad Cities - Frank's Pizza (they make their own sausage and it is crumbly) - AWESOME, but different from others

Jim's Ribs - I get the Boney Basket.  It is a "special" as it does not have as much meat, but I like the boney ends and it is great!

Ice Cream Palace - Don't let the name fool you - It is a Mexican Restraunt - get a CDR Burrito - shredded beef and rice burrito - they used to be 1.50 each and I used to get like 6 as they are great for left overs

Red Lobster
Friendly's
Sizzler
Shoney's- Kissimmee, Florida
Royal Buffet (Chinese Buffet)- East Hanover, NJ
Dairy Queen
Olive Garden
TGI Fridays
Daruma Japanese Steakhouse in Lyndhurst, NJ
Benihana's
Terazza's- Nutley, NJ
Franklin Steakhouse- Nutley, NJ
Scoop De Ville- Ramsey, NJ

Mrs. Midas took me to a new place this weekend - Juan Jaime's Tacos And Tequila.  Went there for lunch and got the three-taco plate.  Salsa - fresh.  Got the soft-taco style.  Each soft taco had cheese sandwiched between two flour tortillas and filled with filling of choice and onion & cilantro (did one shrimp, one steak, one ground beef).  All were excellent!  Service was great too!  Even the refried beans were good :D

Check it out if you're ever in the Valley.  Locations in Chandler and North Scottsdale.  O0

Kansas City is world famous for its barbecue restaurants. The tourist guides always mention Arthur Bryant's and Gates but I've become really picky about BBQ and I think those places blow.

IMO, the best places for BBQ in KC (and I've tried pretty much all of them) are LC's, Oklahoma Joe's and Fiorella's Jack Stack. When it comes to the actual barbecue it's really a toss-up because they're all so damn good, but the side dishes are what makes the difference.

You simply will not find better barbecue baked beans anywhere on God's green Earth than at LC's. Big chunks of meat and sauce so thick you can stand a fork up in it.

Jack Stack, on the other hand, has this wonderful side dish called "cheesy corn bake" (I posted the recipe a while back) that is so good that I could go there and skip out on the barbecue and eat a 5 gallon bucket of the stuff.

Oklahoma Joe's has BBQ that is every bit as good as the other two places but their sides aren't quite as bit of a home run.

Another place which has BBQ that isn't quite in that league but close, yet has much better atmosphere is BB's Lawnside BBQ. The BBQ is almost as good but what makes BB's unique is that it is also a live blues venue, which makes it awesome in its own right. Great place to hang out on a summer afternoon.


Being a former cowtown, KC also has a lot of great hamburger joints. Number One on my list would have to be Town Topic.

Town Topic is definitely a KC institution. It's a tiny cramped place that can hold maybe 15 people, it's been around since the 1930's and has changed very little. And there's nothing like being there at 2 in the morning, lots of weird people and drunks, I've struck up many interesting conversations with complete strangers in there. And if you're like me, then the greasier the burger the better. About as old school as you can get. So old school, as a matter-of-fact, that one time when I was in there, some dude asked the old lady behind the counter (who's always there) how long she's been working at Town Topic and she said since 1970. And she takes no sh*t off anyone. It's heartening to know that in 2010, there's still places around like that.

Other good burger joints are Haye's Hamburgers and LC's Hamburgers (no relation to the BBQ joint).



Italian: V's Restaurant in Independence is excellent, but if you want your honest-to-God Goodfellas kind of place then you've gotta go to Cascone's on North Oak.

Here's how awesome Cascone's is: My best friend from KC who grew up here told me that once when he was a kid in the late 60's or early 70's, his dad took him there for dinner on a Friday or Saturday night. As they were going inside my friend noticed that the parking lot was full of Cadillacs and Lincolns but when they got inside the dining room he noticed there was hardly anyone inside. He then asked his dad why there were so many cars outside yet the restaurant was almost empty, and his dad replied, "Shaddup! You wanna get us shot?" Apparently all the mob guys were down in the basement gambling.


Mexican: Los Corrallos is excellent, it's been around since the late 40's.  There are supposed to be a lot of really good Mexican restaurants in the Hispanic section of town but I haven't really made it to any of them yet. Rancho Grande up north is really good too.

It's mother's day weekend and I am going home to see my mommy!!!!  Which also means ( it is not a safe idea to eat my mothers food) I get to eat at some of my favorite haunts!!!!  Frank's pizza was last night on my way to mom's, we have 1/2 a pizza left fir leftovers!  Mother wants to go shopping today, so that means Chicken George today at canelight in ( pieces of white chicken in a light - almost tempura batter- with Jan's special sauce ) at Candelight Inn !  And tonight I have a date with my bestest girlfriend ( and our husbands ) to wait in line for 2 hours and eat Rip's chicken ( The BEST Fried chicken evah-people drive from Chicago and all around to get this chicken). For 3.00 ( dark plate) and 3.50 a light plate, I think I am bringing home 6 togo orders as well!  The same family has done this chicken for 60+ years, the town us only 500 people but this restraint puts out 6,000 orders of chicken a week - did I mention YUMM.   


Tomorrow - who cares where they take me for mother's day ( perhaps ice cream palace on our way back home)

Excellent everyone!  I realised I should have mentioned to post local faves in places you travel to as well. :)  I'm going to San Diego again in a few weeks to see my brother and here's some of the places he's taken me to:

The Mission North Park - Best breakfast in San Diego.  Get the Roast Beef Hash & Eggs.  It may sound a little weird but it's AWESOME.  Their Chicken Apple Sausage is good too. :)

South Beach Bar & Grill - in Ocean Beach.  If you like fish tacos or want to try one, this is the place to go!  Seating is first come, first serve though, so at busy times you may have to wait around like vultures for a table. :D  Atmosphere is awesome though - right near the beach at the end of Newport Ave.

Ate lunch for the first time at Capriotti's today - good stuff if you're looking for a good cheesesteak or Italian Beef sandwich.  They have a few locations in a few states across the U.S.