Restaurants and Other Foodie Places That You Gotta Try At Least Once

[phildinftlaudy]

With so many members, representing so many parts of the world and so many tastes in food - thought it might be cool to start a thread on restaurants and other foodie places that you feel people gotta try at least once.

Here's my first one:

Chima Brazilian Steakhouse: (Fort Lauderdale - they have 3 other locations in the US [1 in Philadelphia Ms. P]
www.chimasteakhouse.com

This place is really one of a kind.  Atmosphere is very contemporary.  Food is focused on those who love meat. They give you a chip which is orange on one side and black on the other.  The gauchos keep bringing you different cuts of meat/poultry (filet mignon, NY strip, chicken, etc.) until you turn your chip over to black.  Rest a bit and turn it back over to orange and continue.  Their salad bar is out of this world and so are the desserts.  Dinner runs about $50 a person - and is well worth it.

Edited to add location.

[Jeff G]

That place looks Yummy Phil . When I eat at a place like that I try and not let anything green touch my plate like salad . 

[phildinftlaudy]

That place looks Yummy Phil . When I eat at a place like that I try and not let anything green touch my plate like salad . 

I hear you J-
Nice thing is their salad bar isn't like a typical salad bar - some interesting things on it
Oh - and the gauchos who serve the food - well, that's another story 

[phildinftlaudy]

Cafe Du Monde (New Orleans)
http://www.cafedumonde.com/main.html
Home of beignets

Several locations in N.O. - but the oriiginal on Decatur Street in the French Market is the best (in my opinion)
Sunday mornings the outdoor patio stays packed - standing room only.

[mecch]

Barney Greengrass - NYC
http://www.barneygreengrass.com/welcome.php

H&H Bagels
http://www.hhbagels.com/

Shalom!

[phildinftlaudy]

Seasons 52
http://www.seasons52.com/default.asp

They have locations in PA, NJ, CA, FL, MD

Interesting concept - their menu is seasonal (like a Farmer's Market) and nothing on the menu is over 475 calories.  Their flatbreads are to die for.  I typicallly defeat the 475 calorie purpose of the menu by eating a whole flatbread appetizer by myself and ordering two shot glass size desserts after my main course.

[BT65]

Gino's pizza in Chicago. The best pizza evah.

http://www.ginosonhiggins.com/

[phildinftlaudy]

Gino's pizza in Chicago. The best pizza evah.

http://www.ginosonhiggins.com/

I saw them featured on the food network - Pizza Paradise.  Looked great!  Don't they have online ordering - where you can have it shipped to your house even all the way down to Florida?  I have to check their site and see - if not them, then it is another one in Chi-town.

[peteb]

Teds Hot dogs the best

[Hellraiser]

Seasons 52
http://www.seasons52.com/default.asp

They have locations in PA, NJ, CA, FL, MD

Interesting concept - their menu is seasonal (like a Farmer's Market) and nothing on the menu is over 475 calories.  Their flatbreads are to die for.  I typicallly defeat the 475 calorie purpose of the menu by eating a whole flatbread appetizer by myself and ordering two shot glass size desserts after my main course.

Seasons 52 is owned by Darden Concepts, the same company that owns Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze, and a couple of other full service restaurants.  I've never been to Seasons 52 myself, but you're not the first to tell me they're pretty good.

There's a little Taqueria chain in Baton Rouge called Izzo's Illegal Burrito and despite having gotten burritos from Dallas and Houston (which have a much larger mexican population and thus a slightly more authentic feel) Izzo's blows all of them out of the water.

[phildinftlaudy]

Best conch fritters I have ever had -

Chef Creole
http://www.chefcreole.com/chefcreole/home.php

Can only be found in Miami - there's a location about 4 blocks from my place.