OMG Mimi's Cafe is the BEST!!!!!! I lived in Tempe for about 6 months and we went there all the time. AZ was also my first exposure to Sweet Tomatoes (mmmm)
Oh and if you've never been to Oreganos. please go and have a Bazookie Cookie for me!
:D

OMG, I used to wait tables at Celebration!! The food is the best ever-I always go there when I go home!

Gloria's is amazing too-their Margaritas were really good!

Hmm..probably..

1. Fatboyz Pizza- OMG, their food is the best!! They are super cheap yet all their food comes out in huge portions and is really really good! Favorite meal there is probably their Steak, Bacon and Cheddar Sub, the bread is baked and crispy, it's a freaking orgasm!

2. Lorobi's Pizza- A very greasy-greasy pizza place, but omg, it's awesome. I know the owner so me and TKE209 get free food there all the time. What's not there to love?

My favorite chains are probably Logan's Roadhouse and Applebee's.

COOL! I had my wedding reception at Celebration - it was a small affair...40 of my nearest & dearest in the back room. That place holds a special place in my heart & I'm going to be there on August 2nd (to meet some old friends, and celebrate the end of the Bar exam hell that I'm in right now!!!).

I don't have one favorite above all the rest, but there are many that I like:

Steakhouse: F. McLintock's
Japanese: Tsurugi's
Korean: Okhee's
Chinese: Mandarin Gourmet
Moroccon: Oasis
Thai: Thai Palace or Noi's (toss up)
Indian: Taj Palace
Italian: Buona Tavola or Rosa's (toss up)
Hamburgers: Sylvester's
Mexican: There aren't any really good Mexican restaurants down here, but back home is this place called El Charro that is the shiznit.

... to name a few. :)

I live in the West Valley area (Surprise, and yes that is the name of the town), but I sometimes go to Scottsdale to shop.

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Hey siobhan, what's the name of that restaurant that was a by-product of Charlie Trotter's....dammnit, i can't remember the name, but it's considered one of the best in the world.

My favorites from home are:

Zero's- best subs anywhere. they started in Va Beach and have become a local virginia chain with one store way out west and one up north. The nearest one to me is 40 minutes away in Fredericksburg :(

El Rodeo- best mexican I've ever had

Franco's- Italian...yumm!

Baker's Crust- excellent gourmet sandwiches, salads, and desserts. Their Crepe Jamaica is the best. Rum-soaked bananas with coconut, chocolate, and whipped cream in a yummy crepe.

As for the metro area:

The Orleans House near the Rosslyn metro station isn't half bad for steak and buffet-type stuff.

Bullfeathers in Old Towne Alexandria is fabulous, too.

Cosi is definitely on the top of my list, too.

Old Speghettoi Factory
Chessecake Factory
Corvette Dinner


MMMM munchies

Putting the emphasis back on LOCAL restaurants (no Red Lobster for me!)

FLORIDA
-Fudpucker's Beachside Bar and Grill
-Coach and Four Steakhouse
-Seagar's Steakhouse

RHODE ISLAND
-Meeting Street Cafe
-Angelo's Civita Farnese
-Sakura
-East Side Pockets
-Cassarino's

Representing for my hometown of Palm Bay/Melbourne, FL:

Pizza: You can get real New York pizza in Florida at Bizarros, conveniently located on 5th Ave. beach

Pub: Meg O'Malley's in Downtown Melbourne - excellent Irish pub grub

Bar-B-Q: Dustin's

Milk Shakes: Del's Freeze on US 1

Japanese: Makoto's

AstroAPhi, maybe you can add a couple? :)

ZTAMiami, I will definitely tell my family about about those two places. BTW, what is a Bazookie Cookie? It sounds delicious though!

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Joe T. Garcia's - been here since the 30s. Famous throughout Texas.
I grew up on this food and I think it is the best Mexican food anywhere.

I forgot to mention Wild Wing Cantina in Chesapeake for the best wings around. They don't have 21 flavors of wings and 21 flavors of margaritas for nothing. If you're nuts enough to try the D.O.A.'s, make sure you can handle it... don't want your picture on the Wall of Shame.

In Cincy:

Arthur's-the Boursin burger is the best
Teller's
Jeff Ruby's

In Dayton:
Dominic's-Martin Sheen eats there when he's in town
Pine Club
Submarine House
Williehana Asian Buffett