I have favorites in my current hometown (Lubbock) and my former hometown (Dallas area). We have some great original food joints in Lubbock, TX...my personal favorites are:

1. Orlando's Tex-Italian...fave dish: Green Chili Chicken Linguini (HOTHOTHOT) washed down with a Margatini (combo of amaretto & tequila w/a great big Spanish olive!).

2. Cilantro's Burrito Grill: Burritos as big as your head. Just like Freebird's (in College Station), although the atmosphere is a little different.

3. Stockmen's - steaks that melt in your mouth.

4. Edited to add Abuelo's - we have one of the original 2, before it became a national chain. YUM!

In Dallas (my former home town), we loved those off the beaten path places:

1. El Ranchito - on Jefferson in Oak Cliff...2 words: Flaming Margaritas. Seriously, the set the tequila on fire. Totally cool.

2. Celebration - on Lover's Lane...family style servings-Chicken St. Caroline is the best.

3. La Calle Doce - Mexican Seafood on 12th Street in Oak Cliff

4. Gloria's - Salvadorean food...fried Plantain & Yucca is yummy!

5. Babe's - actually in Roanoke, a little town about an hour west of Dallas, just on the other side of Trophy Club...2 choices only: fried chicken and chicken fried steak. Terrible for you, but oh so yummy.

6. Not food, but fun to wind down at Grape Escape in downtown Ft. Worth...get yourself a flight of any wine you please, and feel good all night! (my favorite's the Port flight!)

In DC they used to have this place called Houston's, but it's gone now. It was my favorite restaurant in the world. Now my current favorite place is Froggy Bottom Pub and Grill.

Re: Favorite Local Restaurants
 

Is Wrapworks that good? What do you think of Chipotle?

I have never beent o chipotle. I hear its good though.

In Ottawa, the downtown-market area is stock-piled with great restaurants all within walking distance of eachother.


My favorite, and where i recommend all the hotel geusts to eat, is a old mansion of a former historical figure of the city

Friday's

I promise, the best roast beef you'll ever eat in your life...nummy num nums.

My Favorite Restaurants
 

1.) Mardi Gras near Cleveland State University. Great food, especially when they open until 4:00a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

2.) Hard Rock Cafe.

3.) BW-3, home of the great wings

4.) Phil the Fire. They have the best soul food in town.

5.) Yours Truly in Shaker Square near the gateway to the heights. great all around food.

My favorite local restaurant in Chicago is La Donna. Two words: pumpkin ravioli...sooooooo good.

Without question, Le Perigord is the best restaurant that I have ever been to in NYC. :)

fave LOCAL restaurants
 

Primanti's
Mariani's Pleasure Bar
Jimmy Tsang's
Mad Mex (although the atmosphere is horrible)

Good Time Charley's...I think the only one is downtown ann Arbor. They have these pizza/pepperoni twist things that are the ULTIMATE comfort food (hmm...I think I might get some for dinner!)

Backroom Pizza - this little hole in the wall place in Ann Arbor that has the BEST pizza in the entire freaking world

Seva - awesome vegetarian food. Also in Ann Arbor

Raja Rani - awesome Indian food...only if you get the buffet. The stuff straight out of the kitchen can get kinda scary. Oh yeah, it's in Ann Arbor as well

Hmm...can you tell I like Ann Arbor? :p

My fave restaurant is the Cannery (it has the best seafood in Vancouver).

I also love The Eatery - it is a funky Sushi-western restaurant in the Varsity district near UBC.

Other restaurants I love:

Kisha Poppo - all you you can eat sushi - they have the freshest Cali rolls

White Spot - a BC classic

The Fish House - in Stanley Park (a fave among tourists)

Dentry's - great little Irish pub/restaurant


and for dessert...

La Casa Gelato - in the heart of Vancouver's little Italy. It is known around the world for it's ice cream. There are 198 flavours to choose from including Wasabi and Pear & Blue Cheese (I kid you not). The most adventurerous I've been is trying the marzipan gelato...

kanki japenese steakhouse- their food is heaven on earth!!!

the loop pizza and grill- yuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmmyyyyyyy!!!!

stonewood tavern and grill- very classy and delicious.

When I lived in New York City, my favorite local spots were John's pizza (on 44th St, between 7th and 8th Avenues), Narita Japanese restaurant, Comfort Diner, Around The Clock, Burritoville, Veniero's (the best cakes in the city), Toraya (the best tea cakes) and Cones (the best homemade ice cream/gelato).

Now that I live in Arizona, I don't have any local favorites, yet (sigh). I do like the Olive Garden, Outback, Starbucks (always did), Red Lobster, Mimi's Cafe (semi-local) and IHOP (for Saturday breakfast).

http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmili.../pinkieone.gif http://smilies.crowd9.com/contrib/bl...milecrunch.gif http://burns.thefinaldimension.org/o...k/smily012.gif

where in arizona are you? i have some great recommendations for the scottsdale area..

as for my favorite restaurants in northern NJ:

szechuan village or bill and harrys- yummy chinese food
stretch's - AMAZING italian food, known for its chicken savoy..yum!
resevoir or la strada for pizza
hana sushi