Favorite Places you like to eat in your area and why

[riceboy]

For my 1000 post I thought I start something off. I didn't see a thread which had what places peeps here like to eat in their area and why. I work in downtown Honolulu, and for those not familiar with downtown Honolulu, it has a lot of places to eat. I was wondering what places you folks like to eat in your area and what do you like to eat there. I'll try to post something daily.

This thread is inspired by my cultural upbringing regarding food. The thing about Hawaii is that food is a pretty essential part of our culture. For example, if someone at work goes on a trip they always bring back food from the place they were visiting. In our work area we have tons, and tons of treats. I mean anything from chocolates, cookies, candy, Trader Joe items (we don't have one in Hawaii), chips, pretzels, etc. Mostly these items are Costco or Sam Club sizes. Talk about temptation. Also for our department meeting everyone takes turns bringing in a treat for the whole group. Two weeks ago someone brought in homemade Portuguese bean soup with French bread. Then this week was Dim Sum. If there are meetings in our company I've seen people bring in Madasada's (Portuguese donuts), pies, cakes, donuts, etc. We just celebrated Boys Day (Japanese culture thing), and the girls in our department made chili and hotdogs, rice, fruits, bagels, danish', and salad. Oh and for a small gift for Boys Day the girls gave us, you guessed it "food treats". Our company accomplished a goal recently and we ate at an all your can eat Japanese seafood buffet. Pretty much if there is a reason to celebrate we'll do it and there is always food involved. On New Years eve whole families get together to pop fireworks and cook tons of food. Any way I could go on and on about food here, but that would take a long time. The one good thing about living here is that the weather allows us to exercise all year round

Well, I'll start us off. I eat at a place near my workplace called Sushi Kahuna in downtown Honolulu. I like that place since it is authentic Japanese. I mean besides all the people speaking fluent Japanese the food is authentic, reasonable, and excellent. I love to eat Spicy Ahi, Spicy Salmon, or something called Chirashi. The Chirashi has fresh salmon, ahi, hamachi, tamago, and fresh crab over rice. The crab has the same flavor as a California roll. The rice is also top notch quality. Yes there are different grades of Japanese rice . Overall since a friend took me to that place I eat about 2 months ago I'm there 3 to 4 times a week and I love it. Okay your turn. Now I'm kind of getting hungry

[Dusty Chalk]

I used to know a stripper in Honolulu...never ate her, though.

I miss Honolulu -- my favorite place on earth that I've ever been to (and admittedly, that statistically sampling is error-prone-ly small).

I wasn't into sushi back then, I have a feeling I missed out.

(shakes himself) Okay, back on topic.

Okay, me:

Pilin Thai, in Tysons Corner -- I love Thai food, and I love practically everything on the menu. My recommendations for that place are: look at the menu, look at the ingredients, and if it sounds tempting, try it, because they do everything well. I tend to stay away from ginger, but their three-flavor chicken is a favorite of one of my friends; their Pad Thai and Panang Curry chicken are two personal favorites (their Panang is not peanutty at all -- they save their peanuts for the Massaman curry). I also love their thai custard and sticky rice desert, and their spring rolls and satay appetizers (two different ones).

[riceboy]

I used to know a stripper in Honolulu...never ate her, though.

I miss Honolulu -- my favorite place on earth that I've ever been to (and admittedly, that statistically sampling is error-prone-ly small).

I wasn't into sushi back then, I have a feeling I missed out.

(shakes himself) Okay, back on topic.

Okay, me:

Pilin Thai, in Tysons Corner -- I love Thai food, and I love practically everything on the menu. My recommendations for that place are: look at the menu, look at the ingredients, and if it sounds tempting, try it, because they do everything well. I tend to stay away from ginger, but their three-flavor chicken is a favorite of one of my friends; their Pad Thai and Panang Curry chicken are two personal favorites (their Panang is not peanutty at all -- they save their peanuts for the Massaman curry). I also love their thai custard and sticky rice desert, and their spring rolls and satay appetizers (two different ones).

LOL. Well if you are in town let me know . There are so many places to eat here because of the cultural diversity.

The place you mentioned sounds like a Thai place I was going to talk about later. I love Pad Thai and Curry Chicken. The Thai place around here has that sticky rice desert with fresh, homemade mango ice cream. There are tons of mango trees here. Is the sticky rice warm when it's brought to you? The place I go to serves it warm.

[grawk]

warm rice, cold mango slices is best

[grawk]

dusty, had you eaten there before I suggested it?

My favorite place to eat around here is home, because I live in a farm town. The only restaurants I've tried are chick-fil-a, a pizza place, subway, wendy's, and a mediocre japanese steak house.

My favorite place to eat in the dc metro, where i work, is kaz sushi, which is in foggy bottom. The price fixe dinner is spectacular.

I mostly ate at thai pillin and the mongolian bbq charlie chiang's in reston when I lived down there.

[riceboy]

dusty, had you eaten there before I suggested it?

My favorite place to eat around here is home, because I live in a farm town. The only restaurants I've tried are chick-fil-a, a pizza place, subway, wendy's, and a mediocre japanese steak house.

My favorite place to eat in the dc metro, where i work, is kaz sushi, which is in foggy bottom. The price fixe dinner is spectacular.

I mostly ate at thai pillin and the mongolian bbq charlie chiang's in reston when I lived down there.

I like the Mongolian BBQ stuff. There was a place where I used to like to go in Northern Cal when I lived there. There was a huge round cooking surface with two workers. You would choose what you wanted to cook up like the vegetables, beef, lamb, chicken, and sauce. Once you hand them the bowl they would throw it on and then put it in a plate. Good eats.

JeanRo Bistro. traditional Parisian style Bistro run by the French Chef of what was the longest running 5 star restaurant in the USA (a place called the Maisonette, which closed down when he left). he has several restaurants, all of which i've gone to, but JeanRo is my favorite, even though some visits have been awful (because of the person i went with). the food and atmosphere is great, and the service is always fantastic. pricey, but not really any pricier than most upscale chains.

That place sounds good. I like Bistros and Parisian food is great. I never heard of that chef, but I know a pretty well known chef here personally and if you are in town I think we would eat there. He is a co founder of Hawaii Regional Cuisine and it is really good. He is pretty darn amazing in how it mixes and infuses different styles of food together.

[grawk]

What I liked best about this place is it had lamb and squid. So I made the weirdest combo ever, every time.

Lamb and Squid, with broccoli, rice noodles, and schezuan sauce and chilis

[grawk]

I like it

[riceboy]

the chef is Jean Robert de Cavel. i'm a big fan of fusion food. Jean Robert had this, now defunct, restaurant that i loved. it was called Pho Paris. it was a Vietnamese/French fusion restaurant. really, really great.

I like his vision

[dc]

Lots of choices in Sydney, but one of my favourite places at the moment is Deniros's Restaurant/Pizzeria

Simple, authentic Italian pizzas that usually have no more than 4-5 toppings. Thin, soft bases with fluffy and crunchy crusts.

Pasta is ok, but pizza is great, and reasonably priced considering the quality. Service is good and consistent overall. Restaurant is nice and clean but a little cramped.

[riceboy]

Lots of choices in Sydney, but one of my favourite places at the moment is Deniros's Restaurant/Pizzeria

Simple, authentic Italian pizzas that usually have no more than 4-5 toppings. Thin, soft bases with fluffy and crunchy crusts.

Pasta is ok, but pizza is great, and reasonably priced considering the quality. Service is good and consistent overall. Restaurant is nice and clean but a little cramped.

It does look a little cramped, but that pizza sounds and looks good

http://www.deniros.com.au/page1.html

The dishes look really good too. Yum

[dc]

the chef is Jean Robert de Cavel. i'm a big fan of fusion food. Jean Robert had this, now defunct, restaurant that i loved. it was called Pho Paris. it was a Vietnamese/French fusion restaurant. really, really great.

Being Vietnamese Pho is one of my mainstays, there are a few suburbs near me - Cabramatta and Canley Heights where Vietnamese immigrants have flocked and entire businesses are run and owned by Vietnamese and the choice of food is fantastic.

One of my favourite Pho shops is also one of the cheapest, it's in Cabramatta and is called Pho 54. It's in a tiny store, not very nice to look at but has been there for as long as I've been alive (probably longer) and has just the best, simplest Pho and at only $6.50 for a basic Pho bloody good value to boot!

[tom_hankins]

"Murphy's" in Atlanta (virginia highlands) for breakfist. One of the best chorizos i have had and everything on the breakfist menu is killer. They have a bar there thatmakes killer bloody marys. Probably eat there 15-20 times a year. Southwest Frittata is to die for.

Phoenix Noodle or Vallartas for lunch. Both within 10 minutes of the house and great food. PN is a Vietnamese place with everything good and great prices. Vallartas is a hole in the wall Mexican place, all fresh made and home cooked. They start by bringing you Mexican chick soup and end with cheesecake. The absolute best chips, sauce and refried beens. Huge portions and my wife and always get out of there for under $20 including tip. Plus that includes margaritas that they refill for free until you leave. Always packed and nice family atmasphere.

Di Paolo...Best for last. One of the best in the ATL. area. Northern Italian. Killer menus that changes with the seasons and depending whats fresh. No matter how they do the Samon it is better than any I've had through out the country. My two favorites are the pan baked Samon on a bed of asparagus risotto, or the pan baked samon on a bed of shrimp rissoto. think I will call see if they have an reservation tonight!!

[grawk]

My favorite place to eat in Tom's area is Bones. Awesome buffalo fillet, awesome wine list.

[aardvark baguette]

I don't really do fine restaurants, save for family gatherings, when the parents are paying. Lots of times I'll just get a footlong club at subway and a soda from 711 on the way home from work. There is a new Moe's chain near where I live thats decent. Better than taco bell, similar to Chipotle, but much more variety. I always get the taco salad that comes in a big shell. I love me some shells.

I also make it a habit to return to the jerry's I used to work at to bs and give them a hard time.

I never eat alone in restaurants, so its mostly take out. When I don't eat at home, that is.

[grawk]

Oh, favorite breakfast in the dc area: Austin Grill. I love texas breakfasts

[dc]

I love eating out!

I used to take photographs and write reviews for all the nice places I ate it on my blog.

As I moved up the ladder, taking photos became less appropriate and hence the reviews dwindled.

Speaking of Chorizo, there's a place in Fairfield called Martinez Brothers that does the best Choripan (chorizo + chimichurri in a bread roll) for only $3.90 used to be $3 but that was a looooong time ago.

They also have a nice selection of salamis, cheese and other delicatessen goods.

More to come as they come to mind.

Yes I love food =)

[tyrion]

Kikos for sushi. We take out from there at least once a week. Laspadas for subs. Falcon Pub for fish and chips. First Watch for breakfast.

[jp11801]

Man I miss the Falcon Pub fish and chips.

Around here many to mention but Alembic on Haight st stands out for great small plates. 21st Amendment also makes standout fish and chips.

[dc]

Best value pub steak was @ a bar attached to the El Toro hotel.

$5 for a decent rump with chips. It's no longer available (probably making a loss) and is now $10 and even at that price worth the money.

However, of the "cheap steaks" (IMO anything under $20) the best was at the Milano Restaurant in at the Lansvale Hotel and Resort.

$13 on a Tuesday evening you could get a 400gram cut of rib eye on the bone with beer battered chips and salad with a choice of mushroom, pepper or diane sauce. One of the better steaks I've had period, let alone for a budget steak:

I wrote a full review of the place here soon after it opened here: Milano Italian Restaurant

[lostonetr]

Mitsuwa marketplace in costa mesa. Not much over $5 for a quick lunch. + I then buy the rest of the day's + the next day's meals for 'round $5 each. Good eats, way better than fast food, and tastes more natural/home cooked (duno how to word it) to me.

My old favorite nice time deli, Irvine branch (in english. Hao Nian Dong in Mandarin) has been weird for the consistency of the food since remodeling... I've been going there alot less. If they can get back up to par, I'd probably return as a regular. [also known as good time cafe-depending on location. owners all related by blood/marriage]

[Dusty Chalk]

dusty, had you eaten there before I suggested it?

Oh, yeah, I've been going there since shortly after it opened, about 15 years. I used to work across the street. I remember when they were a deli, and they sold gyros, I ate there...once. It was okay, but nothing like a College Park gyro. (For some reason, all the places in College Park, even the Pizza Boli's, make a decent Gyro.) Then my bud came back from lunch once, and asked if I had eaten there since then, and I said no, and he said, you have to, they've changed to a Thai place, it's really good now, and I went, and it was. There were weeks when I ate there up to 10 times a week (lunch and dinner). Several of them know me by name, and when I go to the other one in Falls Church, they call me "Mr. Peter".

LOL. Well if you are in town let me know...Is the sticky rice warm when it's brought to you? The place I go to serves it warm.

Will definitely let you know, when I was in town, it was always on business, so don't remember having much nice -- I think we went to Mai Tai bars a lot...karaoke seems to be a vague, unpleasant memory. The stripper I befriended there took me to some nice places for dinner. There was a really good tex mex place with awkward parking that was particularly memorable. So yeah, if when I'm ever back, I'll definitely look you up, and we can go eat at some nice places.

Yeah, warm sticky rice, cold icing...I don't remember if the custard is warm or cold, I'll have to go have some to remind myself. I know most people prefer the mangos with sticky rice, but for some reason, I have a particular fondness for the custard. I do like the mangos with sticky rice, too, it's just that I have desert so rarely (in general, not just at this restaurant), that the few times I am in the mood for desert, I have the custard.

[postjack]

There are a few Mobile/Gulf Coast classics and there are always some up and comers. Anyone who knows anything about stereotypes knows Southerners love food.

Dew Drop Inn. Been in Mobile like a thousand years, the best fucking hot dog on planet earth, with lots of saurkraut and a pickle right in the middle. I like to put pepper sauce on mine. One of the best hamburgers ever as well. Its an old fashioned fifties take out style thin slice of beef, toasted bun, thin meat chili. Again I like to do the pepper sauce, no cheese on this one for me. Then real hand flour battered onion rings, no bullshit premade frozen crap. I dip them in ketchup with, you guessed it, pepper sauce mixed in. Definitely a death row/final meal type of thing for me. Hopefully I never end up on death row. They also have tons of other fair and more fancy stuff, but I pretty much always do one dog, one burger, onion rings.

Boiling Pot. Fried seafood, also steamed seafood. Gigantic portions, and the place is always a fucking madhouse. A good 10-15 minute wait just standing in line to get to the cashier and place your order, and the line is always all messed up. I worked at a similar place called Neighbor's Seafood and Chicken summers during high school. Neighbors also has fried gizzards and livers over rice or mashed potatoes, smothered in gravy and grilled onions... mmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!

we of course have a waffle house on every corner, which crushes IHOP.

[grawk]

we of course have a waffle house on every corner, which crushes IHOP.

Yup, if you can't find a real greasy spoon, waffle house IS the place to go. I love waffle house when I'm missing the south. I once had thanksgiving dinner at a waffle house with my wife and her parents.

[postjack]

Yup, if you can't find a real greasy spoon, waffle house IS the place to go. I love waffle house when I'm missing the south. I once had thanksgiving dinner at a waffle house with my wife and her parents.

I've definitely done thanksgiving at waffle house.