What was the best restaurant you ever ate at?

[RichRed]

My favorite restaurant: Tautog's near the oceanfront in Va. Beach.

Great food (esp. seafood), atmosphere (converted cottage with indoor/outdoor seating and two bars), friendly service, reasonable prices especially for the oceanfront and its own free parking lot - a rarity in that area.

Any time friends are in town, we take them there. Love that place.

[Chip R]

I'd say either the Embassy Club in Des Moines or the Waterfront here.

[klw]

I'd say either the Embassy Club in Des Moines or the Waterfront here.

My brother's wedding rehearsal dinner was at the Embassy Club. I am excited to report I have eaten at someone else's pick. Yeah.

[RollyInRaleigh]

Randy,
Ever been here?



It's a little hole in the wall on the dock at the yacht basin in Southport, NC.
Best shrimp I've ever had and the beer used to be self serve. Don't know if you can do that anymore, but it's probably the place I miss most down along the coast.

http://www.provisioncompany.com/

Interesting you ask that. No, I haven't been there, but we were one win from going to the NC State Little League baseball tournament this past summer in Southport and one of my friends recommended the place, if we went.

[RollyInRaleigh]

My favorite restaurant: Tautog's near the oceanfront in Va. Beach.

Great food (esp. seafood), atmosphere (converted cottage with indoor/outdoor seating and two bars), friendly service, reasonable prices especially for the oceanfront and its own free parking lot - a rarity in that area.

Any time friends are in town, we take them there. Love that place.

Know what a tautog is? I've heard they are quite tasty.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...&ct=image&cd=1

Ugly, but tasty.

[AtomicDumpling]

It's also where the Chinese are planning their invasion of America.

LOL

I have been to PF Chang's in West Chester about 20 times and I have never seen a Chinese person there. That is weird now that I think about it.

It is Asian-inspired food but it is not a Chinese restaurant.

I suggest ordering the lettuce wraps, the Hot Fish, the garlic noodles and the spicy-grilled green beans. Now my stomach is growling.

[oneupper]

Been lots of places. Usually just happy to get a good meal and move on. I have some wealthy friends and deal with bankers...so I usually don't get the tab.

Like 15fan had a nice experience in Rome. A place called Nino's close to the Spanish Steps.

Another noteworthy place I can recall: Bar Basque in downtown Caracas.
Only four tables in the place, Doña Blanca cooks it all herself (if she's still around..it was a while). I guess it is still around...wikitravel mentions it.
Caracas is a great place for eating out BTW.

Geraldo's in Madrid. Ate barnacles for the first time. Really good.

Here's Restaurant magazine's 50 best in the World. I don't think I've eaten at any of these..


http://www.theworlds50best.com/2008_list.html

Bar Basque, Alcabala a Peligro, La Candelaria, ☎ +58 212 572 4857. Caracas has a large Basque immigrant community and many excellent Basque restaurants. Bar Basque is the pick of the litter. Run by the same family for half a century, it's a legendary hangout for the politically connected. As in all Basque restaurants, the menu focuses on seafood. Superlative food. Expensive. Only a few tables, reservations required.

[Highlifeman21]

There's lots of hidden gems out there in the world. There's an Indian place I adore in San Francisco (Mehfil), a Moroccan restaurant in Montreal, a tapas joint near me in Boston, a goulash house in Danbury, CT. I could go on all day.

Yet the absolute best meal I've ever had is a five-star restaurant in Boston - L'Espalier. I've been there twice and everything I've ever had there has been exquisite (including the butter and I never eat butter). It's beyond expensive, but you oddly come out thinking you got a bargain. You can get a seven-course meal and you're never full and you're drinking the finest wines and liquors and the service is superior and it blows your mind.

My reaction the first time I was there was that America is the greatest nation ever conceived because my ancestors came over starving and in poverty and now I literally have gotten to eat like a king.

Get out of my head, M2!

Yesterday I was discussing this thread with my boss, attempting to jog my memory of places I've eaten, while listening to places at which he's eaten, and he raved about L'Espalier. Turns out he goes there every 4th of July for Boston's festivities.

But, as for my list...

Honolulu, HI
la mer

San Diego, CA
Nobu

Trattoria Acqua

Pebble Beach, CA
Club XIX

Las Vegas, NV
Delmonico at The Venetian

SW Steakhouse

Kokomo's
--- I proposed to my fiancee @ Kokomo's

San Antonio, TX
Biga on the Banks

Chicago, IL
Fogo de Chao

N9NE

Sullivan's
--- also been to the one @ King of Prussia, but this one was definitely better, IMO

Cincinnati, OH
Palace

Precinct
--- The only Jeff Ruby joint that will ever get my money

Palomino
--- Is this place still there?

Columbus, OH
Lindey's

Refectory

Philadelphia Area, PA
La Bec Fin

Morimoto
--- Ridiculous sushi, words escape me

Moshulu

Bobby Flay Steak
--- Ok, Philly Area is a stretch, b/c this is in Atlantic City, which is about an hour-ish from Philly, but anytime I'm in AC I only give my money to the Borgata, and I only go to Bobby Flay Steak

Washington, DC
Charlie Palmer

CityZen

Capital Grille

NYC
Aureole

Peter Luger
--- A must if you're ever in NYC... Definitely in my Top 3 of all-time

Del Frisco

Naples, FL
Shula's

While I've been to Ruth's Chris in probably at least 7 states, the one down in Estero, FL was my favorite, and I had the best meal of any Ruth's Chris there.

Hartford, CT
Max Restaurant Group --- The Max group is kinda like the Cameron Mitchell group in OH. Trumbull Kitchen, Max's Oyster Bar and Max Downtown are my 3 favorites, but I've never had a bad meal at any of them.

J Gilbert's

Boston, MA
Grill 23 & Bar

Anthony's Pier 4




My Top 3 of these would be, in no order...

Peter Luger
Charlie Palmer DC
Morimoto Philly

[Highlifeman21]

Fogo de Chão in Houston....meat heaven...

El Rincon Argentino in Mexico City...cielo de carne parte II

Didn't see your post, I've been to the one in Chicago.

You're absolutely correct when you call it meat heaven!

[Highlifeman21]

By having white kids as waiters who tell you that "Soy Sauce.. that's like Salt to the Chinese" as I was told.

Must be a company phrase.

I asked for salt, and they told me to "use soy sauce, it's like chinese salt"

Good stuff.

[Boss-Hog]

Palomino
--- Is this place still there?

Yup

[RedsBaron]

That must have been something. In my one visit to the Maisonette, I was amazed not just at the food, but at the service. At one point my wife asked me if I had noticed that the butter dish kept getting refilled. Somehow, the guy kept sneaking up and putting down a fresh one without us seeing him. But the most impressive thing was the fact that the waiter was as nice to us as he was to the group sitting next to us, with Carl Lindner at the head of the table.
His regular table, at that.

I ate at the Maisonette a number of times and I agree: the food was great and the service was terrific. I loved the place.

[vaticanplum]

Yet the absolute best meal I've ever had is a five-star restaurant in Boston - L'Espalier. I've been there twice and everything I've ever had there has been exquisite (including the butter and I never eat butter).

You never eat BUTTER? Butter is in everything! How do you cook without butter?

[westofyou]

You never eat BUTTER? Butter is in everything! How do you cook without butter?

Olive Oil, 1 pound of butter can last 6- 8 weeks in my house and most of it will be used for breakfast or baking.

[vaticanplum]

Olive Oil, 1 pound of butter can last 6- 8 weeks in my house and most of it will be used for breakfast or baking.

I cook mostly with olive oil too, but still, if you go through a pound of butter in 6-8 weeks you are still eating butter, and not a supersmall amount of it either. and if you eat at a restaurant, you'd better believe that butter is in most dishes. They throw that stuff around like candy.