Not too many non-chains around here, lol.

When I think of Ribs, I think of TW Lee's in Lexington. Not sure if it is still there.

There is a place in another town about 19 miles from here call the City Cafe. They used to have this steak that was to die for..but they changed their menu:eek: Something they haven't changed is their desserts -- they do a lot of catering of desserts to fancy hotels, etc. The dessert case is in the dining room area so you can see everything before you order. They have a sampler plate of minitures so you can try everything at once.

In Atlanta, the Swan Coach House rest. has wonderful chicken salad and it's dessert is in a pastery-shaped swan!:D The Spagetti Warehouse is wonderful too!

I'm with DeltAlum I am mostly a steakhouse girl, but I'll try...

Tampa: hands down Bern's Steakhouse is my fav.

Orlando: Ruth's Chris (chain I know) or Emeril's

Las Vegas: Emeril's Delmonico Steakhouse

New Orleans: Brennan's, I also like House of Blues a lot

New York: China Grill, and there is a little Japanese place on a side street off 5th (near SFA) next to an Italian place - don't know the name only know the place when I see it

Atlanta: Surin (thai food), I've liked everywhere I've been so far - we don't visit a lot of chains here (sometimes I miss them)...

---
Rudey: I haven't met a Wolfgang Puck restaraunt I have liked yet. I'm starting to wonder what the big deal about him is :rolleyes:

You don't understand. It wasn't one of his little chains. It was his main Spago. He came out to say hi and talked with everyone there for dinner. When the dinner menu is so limited and not because of a degaustation or tasting menu, the menu better be damn good. Getting a lamb curry, with meat on the bone, green curry sauce simmered over - well it's nothing special. In fact the lamb was awkward. I don't drop that much to be eat like a dessert dweller or poor villager.

As for Emeril's in Orlando, I never met anyone that liked it. Last summer I had friends who went and the fish was raw - unintentionally.

-Rudey

Lemme see....

Chesapeake:

Court House Cafe (best prime rib this side of everywhere)
Cheers (their Fairfax location is known as Beacon Street. Amazing ribs and boston dips)
Kyoto Japanese Steakhouse
El Toro Loco (killer tacos and the best refried beans in the world)

Virginia Beach:

Chick's (on Chick's Beach at Rudey Inlet. Best filet mignon in town that doesn't require a black tie or a million bucks)
La Pizzeria (best. white. pizza. ever.)
The Beach Pub (incredible burgers and fab fried anything, especially hushpuppies)
Baker's Crust (nifty yuppy place for anything from brunch to dinner. Fantastic pasta salad and sandwiches)

ETA: Rudey- I've never met anyone who liked Emeril's either, and my sister is a huge food and wine connoisseur. I thought the food was disgusting. I'd rather eat in one of the Disney restaurants...

Anchorage:
Moose's Tooth for pizza and locally brewed beer.

Glacier Brew House for fish, meat, and locally brewed beer.

Humpy's for fish, appetizers, good music, and locally brewed beer.

The Bear's Tooth Theatre for dinner, a movie, and locally brewed beer. The Bear's Tooth is great. They have a restaurant, a cafe, and a walk up window. You can have food from the walk up window delivered to your seat during the $3 movies (mostly artsy, indie, foreign, and older films), and enjoy many fine local beers. No one under 21 allowed on the main floor, so that cuts down on obnoxious teenagers. Hands down the best date place in Anchorage.

Columbus:

Columbus Fish Market (Crossroads)
Cap City Diner
Gordon Biersch (it may be a chain, but really great food and beer)

Louisville:

Lynn's Paradise Cafe
Mike Linnings
Bristol (late nights and Sunday brunches)
Irish Rover

Bridgeport, CT:

Recupero's Pizza (it's been at least 10 years, but the best darned pizza I've ever eaten!)

In Ames:
Definetely have to agree with ISUKappa - Hickory Park and Great Plains are great. I also love Wallaby's.

Back in NE Iowa:
Breitbach's (oldest family owned restaurant in the state - awesome steak and breakfast)

Here in the Des Moines area:
Latin King
Tumea and Sons
Paesano's (I love their pizza)
Monterey Bay
Tasty Taco (good cheap tacos)
Centro
Palmer's Deli
El Rodeo

In Jackson Hole, Wyoming~Mangy Moose
In Casper, Wyoming *and there are a couple in some other cities*~Sanfords. The one in Fort Collins isn't so great, but the one in Cheyenne and Casper are. I also like the Fireside in Casper.

Orlando:
Hue- Great food although very expensive.
California Grill- Also expensive but good food.

Ft. Lauderdale:
Tom's Barbeque- OMG, the best barbeque I've ever had.
El Mariachi- Best Mexican food I've ever had.

in roswell nm: tijua juana, pepper's, both Mexican
in ruidoso nm: saldanas, italian
in alamogordo nm: margo's mexican food
in las cruces nm: nellies, mexican, lorenzo's, italian, double eagle, steak.
in el paso, tx: kikis mexican food, italian kitchen, lucy's mexican food.

makes me hungry thinking about it.

Rudey -re: Wolfgang: I ate at Spago in Vegas (granted not LA), another restaraunt at the MGM, and one here in ATL. My review of all 3 would be that it tasted like they took one of his frozen dinners out of the freezer, microwaved it, and put it on a fancy plate.

Re: Emeril's - I really only ate there once. I had a steak, a salad with Goat Cheese, and dessert. I guess you really can't mess that up very much. I can't speak for anything else on the menu though...

So far I've only eaten here once, but it is far and away the best meal I have ever had-
Union Pacific in NYC

I'm a "foodie" and every year for the b-day my finace takes me to a "fancy" place here in NY. We did Union Pacific a few years ago and everything was exquisite - the decor, the atmosphere, the wait staff (friendly and knowledgeable without being pretencious), and the FOOD! I had venison and it *literally* melted in my mouth. Rocco DiSpirito is the executive chef and he made a name for himself there before he ever did "The Restaurant" and he truly is an amazing talent - even if he is a cocky SOB. :)

Cincinnati, OH:
*Scotti's Italian Ristorante (this place is ancient, but my Grandma knew the owner and it's the closest thing to what she used to make when she was alive)
*Jean-Robert's Pigalls (He used to be the chef at the Maisonette, a five star restaurant, and branched out on his own...heavenly!)
*DaVeeds (this is in Mt. Adams actually, but it's a great place with a menu that changes each month!)

Indianapolis, IN:
*Dodd's Town House (steaks & the best chicken EVER!)
*Mezzaluna (lots of garlic, but lots of creative seafood dishes!)
*St. Elmo's Steakhouse (the name says it all! :) )

Cleveland :

Fat Fish Blue
Rascal House near CSU

Shaker Heights:

Italian Cafe
Noggins

Chicago: Charlie Trotters (most definitely not a chain)
SF (actually Berkeley): Chez Panisse - the only place I'll eat vegetables
Miami: Joe's Stone Crab (technically could be considered a chain, since they now inexplicably have locations in other areas, but the real one is in Miami, and you can get takeout if you're in the area but wearing jeans or flip-flops)
NO: Palace Cafe (one of the Brennan restaurants) and Galatoire's

This thread is making me hungry ...

There are too many restaurants in Toronto and I haven't been to many so I can't really say.

All thought I do love Amato Pizza and Butler's Pantry (not expensive places but they make good food)

When I was in Ohi I went to a restaurant called Big Fish. The food was excellent. But I can't remember what city it was in. It was just outside Sandusky.

Yeah Joe's has become a chain steakhouse in essence. I can't appreciate the seafood as much, but I do like the closeby Smith&Wollensky environment better.

-Rudey

Las Vegas has too many chains. My favorite places to eat are in Juneau, AK my fiances home town we go back every year and eat so much food.

las vegas
siena deli - small family run italian place

Juneau
Thai place - don't know the name they have the best tom yum soup

Ricks - it's a sandwich place with the best curly fries

twisted fish - touristy but has really good seafood.

oh and the fiddlehead - a vegetarian restaurant - you may have heard of their cookbook

The Cracked Claw at Peter Pan in Urbana, MD and Chick and Ruth's Delly in Annapolis. Not necessarily for their menu, but for their atmosphere. They both have spunk.

DC:

AKA Friscos (best Deli ever)
Rocklands (oh the BBQ)
Jandara (thai)
Reef Gouche (takes months to get a table - one of clintons and bushes frequent haunts)

Bethesda, MD:

Maggiannos
Cheesecake Factory

Emilea's Cabin (fondue place in Murfreesboro) except that it went out of business last fall. :(

Cafe CoCo

Melting Pot

My Favorites Are......
 

Carrabbas...the best chicken parmesagne (sp)

Ruby Tuesdays...the best buffalo chicken salad ever

Chilis...good food!

Olive Garden...great

Sylvia's in NYC....OFF DA DAMN HOOK soul food!

That's all I can think of for right now.

Batista's Hole in the Wall in Vegas.....THE BEST PASTA IN THE WORLD!!!

Sao Pablo in Vegas....the best General Tso's chicken ever!

Q

I like Sylvia's too. I have only gone on Sundays when they have live music. That's fun.

Joe's Crab Shack Because I love crab legs.

Murfreesboro: Marina's on the Square
Front Porch Cafe
All Souped Up
Demos'

Clarksville: Hananoki
Blackhorse Pub/Bar and Grill
Sportsman's Lodge on Ft. Campbell

Re: My Favorites Are......
 

Yeah sometimes I go McDonalds or Chili's for fine dining and then there are times when the whole family goes to Olive Garden just so we can get the never ending breadsticks.

-Rudey

http://entertainment.metromix.chicag...tromix-Dining-!PlaceDetail-24998,00.html

Green Zebra for vegetarian cuisine in Chicago if people ever want to eat something not meaty.

-Rudey

I can't believe I forgot Tony's Pizza in Valparaiso....sooooo goooood! :D

I need to add the Hofbrauhaus in Newport, KY! It's right across the river from Cincinnati and so good. It's german food and authentic beer from Munich. MMM! :)

Love Hofbrauhaus! Mecklenburg Gardens in Clifton has awesome German food and beer, too, Jess-check it out sometime!

As for me:

Dayton: Thai 9, Pine Club, L'Auberge, and Dominic's

Cincinnati: Teller's, Arthur's, and Scotti's

Columbus: Cap City Dinner

Would this be Scotti's downtown? My grandma (crazy old italian lady) used to know the owner and we'd eat there all the time when I was little!

Yup. I used to work at the other end of Court Street, and we would walk down there for lunch once in a while. SO good.

I was just reading through the thread and saw that you mentioned DaVeeds-heavenly! I forgot about The Precient, too.

We need to organize a Cincy-area dinner before you go back to school-I'm fiending here!

Like TO, there are way too many local restaurants in Vancouver to name, so I will put down a couple of my faves.

The Cannery
Dem Bones
Il Giordino
The Fish House
Brock House
The Eatery

And last time I was in Victoria I went to this amazing seafood restaurant called Nautical Nellies.

Yummmmm............. I started going to Tasos when I was just a little bitty kid. I haven't been there in years though:( , as hubby doesn't like Greek food. I need to go there w/o him...
Tasos is yummy--- and the belly dancers are always entertaining!

Wahoo's in Murrells Inlet, SC..good sushi

Frank's in Pawley's Island, SC...good everything

Beefmaster in Wilson, NC....great time with a bunch of people. The place can only hold about 25 people, so you pack a cooler and tailgate until your table is called. People go out there just to tailgate! There is no menu, its just steak (the best ever), salad, potato, bread, and a sauteed onion....kinda hard to explain, but it is worth it!

In Southern New Hampshire (home) I LOVE SHorty's MExican Roadhouse.

In Central New Hampshire (at school) I love The Common Man Inn. SO GOOD (but rather expensive..)

:)

Ditto on Frank's--my inlaws live in Pawley's Island, and Frank's is always a good meal.

Akron/Canton, OH

Corky's Cafe - good food, small restaurant atmosphere

Hibachi Japan (Cuyahoga Falls) - great Japanese food cooked right in front of you. I'm sure everyone has something like this

Luigis - great Italian food especially if you are up late at night and you get hungry....they're open until 4am!

That would be a toss up between these three in Lexington, KY:


Durango's Mexican Restaurant

Bella Notte Italian Trattoria

Giuseppe's Italian Ristorante


I'm as happy as can be to eat at any of these three. :)

Los Angeles:

Inn of the Seventh Ray
Most romantic restaurant with good food in LA, located in Topanga Canyon. AMAZING!
Campanile
I can't say enough good stuff about Campanile except you should really try their Thursday gourmet grilled cheese nights or family night on Mondays.
The Lobster
Great seafood!
Sushi Sasabune
If you like sushi you have to try the creations here. Just be prepared for chef's choice.
Taylor's Prime Steaks
Great affordable steakhouse in koreatown
'Ye Ole King's Head Pub
Best fish & chips outside the UK
Casa Escobar, La Barca & Gilbert's El Indio
Great authentic Mexican!
TITOS TACOS
best take away mexican ever
Diddy Reese
The best cookie store ever!!!! Try their ice cream sandwiches