Favorite food towns - USA

[Stinky The Clown]

This is not another shellfish flame war ... well .... maybe it can become one. :)

What are your favorite **US** cities for great cuisine? Not just one dish, but the entirety of a city's cuisine?

I'd rank New Orleans and San Francisco as best for their indigious cuisine .... and New York as the king for the breadth of its cuisines.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

1. Chicago

A unrecognized gem of a food town. Absolutely wonderful places in the tiniest storefronts, all over the city. The hip places on the Near North side and down in the Loop are the least of the city's offerings.

Suburban Chicago does all right, too. Up in Winnetka and Evanston, there's such an abundance of great - truly great - delicatessen as well as lots of Asian places.

And, of course, there is Walker Brothers, in Highland Park, and the best apple pancakes in the world. Right now, I'd sacrifice every member of my family for a Ledo's pizza and a Walker's apple pancake.

Well, maybe not the dog .................

[tishaLA]

2. SF, NYC, Philadelphia

I think Philadelphia is underrated for its food...I know it has a couple of the best restaurants in the country, but it also has wonderful little places for ethnic foods, especially Italian. And cheese steaks?! C'mon already.

[Beaverhausen]

6. PHILLY! But LA has it's good points.

I am currently living in California and miss the food from back east - especially the pizza and hoagies. I grew up outside of Philly.

They say there is something in the water there that makes the doughs have a certain taste and texture that can't be matched.

But here in Los Angeles you can get food of any ethnicity if you want it...and it is usually authentic and good. Not to mention a lot of choices for vegetarians and vegans...don't see as much of that back east.

[tishaLA]

10. I love LA, but a food town it ain't IMHO

I get really great organic veggies and all that...and eat lots of different ethnic foods...but compared to most cities it's just weak in the culinary department. Besides that, since I moved to LA I can't afford to go to good restaurants very often cause I'm in grad school, so if I go I end up begrudging them the cost of the food! Not a good thing.

On the other hand, I get amazing Mexican food for cheap cheap cheap! And I love the Ethiopian stuff, too.

When I think of Philadelphia, I don't think of pizza usually, although the pizza is excellent (love Taconelli's in Fishtown!). I think of the little Italian places in South Philly that South Philly Italians know about, like Dante and Luigi's. To say nothing of the great mid-range places in Center City like Friday, Saturday, SUnday and Astral Plane--the restaurant renaissance places. And I will always love Susanna Foo, where you can get Chinese food as haute cuisine; Le Bec Fin, Brasserie Perrier, and The Fountain Room at the Four Seasons for wonderful French food; and Zanzibar Blue, where you can have dinner and listen to some really hype jazz (and then go to Ortlieb's and have beer and some even more hype jazz). But you also have to go to Monk's for Belgian beers and comfort food, too.....

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

3. too hard.

I remember dishes. From San Fran to NYC (my first legal drink was in Windows on the Word at the World Trade Center).

The best margarita I ever had in Yuma, Arizona. The first time I tried Soles Veronique. The best sole I ever had in San Fran. The most unbelievable Tex-Mex. Incredible Chinese. A restaurant where the service was in the stratosphere-they brought out a candelabrum candelabra? to read the menu. When I was little, a place where the Shirley Temple was flambeed. A place where the waiter brought out the fish to make sure it met with my approval. LOL!.

I just can't name a city. I can name dishes that have always had me searching for the same.

best

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

4. And,

the best club sandwich was on a ferry from Seattle to Victoria, BC.

The most outrageous lunch DH & I had.

A fabulous meal we had with out son, DIL & granddaughter where the waitress agreed that granddaughter was brilliant, absolutely brilliant,

[livetohike]

5. New Orleans and Charleston, SC

are my favorites :-).

[Stinky The Clown]

7. Charleston .... perhaps America's most beautiful city

I was stationed there in the Navy. I lived in a 'garden house' (euphemism for shitty apartment over a garage) in the old city, near Tradd St.

[livetohike]

9. We lived N. of Charleston in Moncks Corner

but went down to Folly Beach every weekend to party :-). Also, ate at Henry's in town quite a bit. It's no longer there :-(.

[bearfan454]

8. Chicago for sure

Pizza at Gino's East. I grew up on that.

http://www.ginoseastrollingmeadows.com/

Check out this menu !

http://www.ginoseastlakezurich.com/images/menu.pdf

German food at Berghoff's

http://www.berghoff.com/

http://www.berghoff.com/Berghoff/home.html

And of course Chicago hot dogs, gyros and Italian beef

http://www.chicagoworldcon7.org/dogs.html

[Stinky The Clown]

13. Italian beef

I remember the first time I ever had it .... at the jewel Tea employee cafeteria. Probably in the mid 1970's. I was doing some work for them on in-store delis. I don't remember the job at all, but I can't forget Italian Beef. I've never ever seen it anywhere but Chicago.

[lavenderdiva]

11. New Orleans, hands down...

that is my home town, and I don't believe there can be any comparison anywhere. From well-known, superstar restaurants, to neighborhood eateries, there are unlimited possibilities for absolutely scrumptious, gastronomic delights!

[Stinky The Clown]

12. Mother's

Nothing like Mother's ... touristy and yet it always seems the locals go there, too.

Cafeteria with attitude!

[lavenderdiva]

14. Have you tried R & O's in Bucktown?

they have the best po-boys in New Orleans, no kidding! The thing I don't like about Mother's sandwiches, is they serve them with shredded cabbage. Personally, I don't like cabbage on my sandwiches! They do not even offer lettuce as an alternative. While they are popular, they tend to be more 'touristy', and down-town workers. R & O's, on Old Hammond Highway, in Bucktown, near the Lakefront, is an old New Orleans hangout, and offer the absolute best bread for their po-boys, and build from there! I am salivating while writing this! Its been soooo long since I had one- I've moved from N.O. to Houston some 3 years ago. Anyway, if you are down that way, try it!