Food If you are in *insert city here*, you HAVE to try *insert restaurant here*........

Traverse City, MI

-The Cook's House (call WAY ahead. Reservations are about 4-6 months out)
-Frenchie's Famous (house-made pastrami and bread)
-Slabtown Burgers
-Jolly Pumpkin (AWESOME beers, really good food)
-Aeria (in the Grand Traverse Resort. Probably spelled it wrong. You go there for the view as much as anything else)
-7 Monks (42 tap taproom, but their limited menu is fantastic too)
-Travino's (nice Italian joint on a golf course)

 

Grants Pass, OR. Kalypsso. It's nothing fancy, but the Carne Asada tacos are the best I've ever had.

 

Los Angeles

Sprazzo, on Westwood Blvd, south of Wilshire- excellent pasta, gnocchi to die for, superb wine selection.

Jaipur, on Pico, near the Westside Pavilion- amazing Indian food, extremely fresh ingredients, cooked with a delicate touch. Best mattar paneer I have ever had, incredible korma, superb fish vindaloo.

Torafuku, next door to Jaipur- Japanese place, very good everything, rotating menu, watch for the specials.

Paru's, East Hollywood, on Sunset, just west of Normandie- vegetarian South Indian place. Great dosas, sambar, idli, etc. Little hole in the wall place, very chill, extremely affordable.

Ocean Seafood Restaurant, Chinatown, Hill Street- dim sum and seafood. Amazing. Incredible selection of dim sum, all delicious.

Empress Pavilion, Chinatown, also on Hill- dim sum. Stellar. Redonkulous dim sum.

Haifa, Pico, just east of Robertson- little Israeli dive, great hummus, kubeh, salads, etc., and good homestyle Israeli grill eats.

Fisherman's Outlet, Downtown, Central Ave- little hole in the wall fish place (market and restaurant), usually crowded, but oh so worth it. Very affordable, and incredibly scrumptious. They make their own cocktail sauce, and it rocks. Their portions are generous, and they know how to fry a fish so that it becomes utterly perfectly crispy and succulent.

Rome

I think it's called San Crispino, in a tiny backstreet near the Fontana di Trevi- little family gelateria, noplace to sit, no cones only cups...but OMG, the absolute best gelato in the world. Unreal. Incredible intensity of flavors, and they make whatever interests them, regardless of what people ask for, so you can find flavors like Honey & Bergamot, Black Anise, Pear & Grappa, and all kinds of fantastic stuff like that.

La Taverna del Ghetto, via del Ghetto, across from the Great Synagogue- Roman Jewish cuisine. Fabulous. The Carciofi alla Giudecca are to die for, and the zucchini blossoms stuffed with minced fish, also. Everything is made with incredible care and skill, and you get to learn a little about the Ghetto of Rome while you get there....

Jerusalem

Eucalyptus, on Horkanos street- cuisine of the Land of Israel, made with the freshest ingredients, using very little that is not local to the Jerusalemarea. The proprietor/chefs are warm and friendly, the food is unlike anything else you will ever find, and the best and brightest of Israel can be seen eating there.

Ansra, off Yafo street- Ethiopian. Small, a little divey, great Ethiopian food, totally worth going.

Misadonet, Yoel Salomon street- Kurdish food. Great little restaurant, stunningly good food. Stunning.

Darna, next to Eucalptyus on Horkanos street- pricey and crowded, but really excellent Moroccan food. Don't miss the harira (meat soup with chickpeas and lentils), it's awesome.

Canela, Shlomtzion Hamalka street- pricey, but terrific food. It's kind of Middle Eastern/Mediterranean with a French fusion. Ridiculously delicious dishes, but get there before around ten, when they turn it into a bar bistro with loud music.

Mordoch, off the Agrippas entrance to the Machaneh Yehudah marketplace- Iraqi and Kurdish cuisine. Their specialties are soups with kubeh in them, and they are off the charts. Unreally good.

Bein Aza le-Berlin, corner of Aza way and R. Chaim Berlin street- Divey falafel shack, but ungodly great kubeh, and the best hummus in Jerusalem.

Burgers Bar, various spots, but my favorite is on Emek Refa'im street- big line, order at the bar, fast food ambiance, but great burgers. Get the sweet chilli sauce, it rocks.

 

For lunch in Chicago try Manny's Deli
For people watching in Chicago have drinks at Tavern on Rush then go upstairs for dinner
One of my favorite restaurants anywhere, Eddie Martini's in Milwaukee
For great bar food try Fast Eddie's Bon Air in Alton Il just outside of St. Louis

 

Best fried chicken in DC: Madam's Organ, you cant miss it:



http://www.madamsorgan.com/

I prefer the Madam's chili over Ben's but you cant wrong with either one.

 

Louisville, Ky:
Al-Watan- middleeastern (with a bakery next door) Best hummus I've ever had (and I've been trying hummus at every restaurant I can find)!
Wok Express- just a plain, old, American-style fastfood Chinese restaurant. But the best damn one I've ever eaten at. It's downtown on 4th and Broadway. Their spring rolls are so crisp! Brocolli chicken has the best damn brown sauce I've ever had.
Red Hot Roasters-coffee place, only has a drive-thru, no seating. Great organic, fresh-roasted coffee!
Lynn's Paradise Cafe- lots of fun decorations, it's a high-quality breakfast diner (there's usually a crowd). I like their multi-grain pancakes a lot.
Santa Fe-authentic Mexican food (cash only). The queso burritos are HUGE and full of cilantro
Vietnam Kitchen-authentic Viet food. Just took a friend down there from up here in Indy, he was not disappointed! I love their ginger chicken (N8, I believe) and the rice cake with egg.

 

Bring an appetite to Manny's. The sandwiches are huge. I don't know anyone that can finish one.

Better yet, have drinks at Tavern, go upstairs and try the lobster diablo, then go back downstairs and play "spot the pro". Whoever wins gets to take the hooker home!

 

Tell me more about Tavern and "spot the pro".

 

Yes on the lobster diablo. Yes, yes, yes. The last time I was there for dinner I ended up sitting by Will Perdue at the bar much later. Probably a different kind of pro than what you're referring to.