Favorite LOCAL places: China Garden is AWESOME, and Fat City Grill has the BEST BEST BEST grilled chicken salad ever!!

Favorite chain: Cracker Barrel, followed closely by Dixie Cafe and O'Charleys

The absolute best Italian restaurant in Michigan has to be Luigi's. It's this little place that used to be a house but was converted to a restaurant. It's kind of expensive but well worth the price. I do not like chain restaurants at all, I think all the food at places like Friday's or ruby tuesday bar and grill is overpriced and tastes like shit. It's really no different than eating at McDonalds. I prefer restaurants that have a house Chef that makes the menu than a restaurant that has one head Chef that makes the menu for 300+ restaurants.

Totally forgot about Joe T's!!!
I gotta add one for Dallas that I forgot--Kobe Steakhouse on Beltline in Addison. Japanese Steakhouse--YUM!

In Western Connecticut:

Taipei Tokyo: Combination of Chinese and Japanese food. Awesome sushi :D You haven't lived until you've had crab rangoon, sushi, and a scorpion bowl. Interestingly enough, I think the people that run it are Korean...

Rancho Alegre: Good food, great margaritas. It's just down the street from my old office - every once in a while, a group of us would get together for an unusually long lunch ;)

Joe's American Bar and Grill: Discovered it while living in Boston. There's one in Fairfield and another in West Hartford, along with a few in and near Boston. Sunday brunch... mmmm :)

I L-O-V-E East Side Pockets!!! I could eat falafel pockets every day. BTW, they're less like pockets, more like wraps...discuss amongst yourselves.:) I have seen some HAIRY legs and pits at that place waiting in line :eek:

Here in RI, I like the aforementioned ESP, Taste of India, Sicilia's and Spike's Junkyard Dogs.

Of course, RI lacks my fave chain restaurants, but they have the requisite, Chili's, Cheesecake Factory, and Macaroni Grill which I do like lots :)

In HOUSTON, I swear, they have every chain imaginable within 5 minutes of my parents' house. As far as local or regional chains, I will forever love my dear, dear LUBY'S. Oh, to savor their macaroni and cheese...my heart breaks :D I also love love love Papasito's and Papadeaux. BTW, I heard that the Pappas' now own most of the control of LUBY'S...

I also LOVE Frenchie's Italian on Nasa Rd 1. Molto bene. Or something. And a new (2 years?) restaurant that you must try in Houston is Two Brothers Italian Restaurant off of the Tollway on the South side of town near the AMC 30, in the new Kroger Shopping center (Sagemont/Southbelt area). It is to drool for, and there is a coffee house next door that is awesome and displays artists work and you can buy it!

OMG. and THE MELTING POT on Westheimer....droooool...

Ahhhhh!!! Living in Columbia I unfortunately have to do without Runza and Valentino's. Two of my staples that are sadly enough only found in Nebraska. YUMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!! Valentino's cinnamon breadstick with sprinkles, can't beat that! And Runza's french fries and runza's. YUM!!! I know Docet can back me up on the Runza thing. ;)

It's funny - WestFarms mall was always the mall we went to, from when I was a little kid up through high school, and Joe's has been there for a long time; but just recently I realized it.