Restaurants where you live

[treedimensional]

1. Do you have a wide array of independent restaurants where you live? Or are the restaurants mostly chain restaurants? 

2. When you go to dinner at a restaurant, do you choose someplace familiar, most of the time? Or do you like to try a new place as often as possible?

3. Tell me about one of your favorite restaurants. If I came to your town, what restaurants would you recommend to me?

[duff]

1. Do you have a wide array of independent restaurants where you live? Or are the restaurants mostly chain restaurants?
 We have a pretty good mix, and are starting to get some more chains that haven't been out here (we just got a Cheesecake Factory a few months ago).  But anywhere you go, you can easily find a good, local, mom and pop New Mexican place.
2. When you go to dinner at a restaurant, do you choose someplace familiar, most of the time? Or do you like to try a new place as often as possible?
  It depends.  I'm such a creature of habit that I typically go to the same few places until someone suggests somewhere new, or if I make plans to go ahead of time.  A lot of the new places I'd like to go to are downtown or in the university area, and I live in a suburb about 30 minutes away, so we normally try to plan to do those on the weekend, when we can do other stuff in that area too.
3. Tell me about one of your favorite restaurants. If I came to your town, what restaurants would you recommend to me?
  My go-to recommendation is El Pinto.  They have the most gorgeous patio and the food is so good.  Super hot chile and amazing margaritas! 

[glw]

1. Do you have a wide array of independent restaurants where you live? 
      Yes, tons. I haven't been to a chain in years.

2. When you go to dinner at a restaurant, do you choose someplace familiar, most of the time? Or do you like to try a new place as often as possible?

      When it's just MH and me, we try something new. When we're taking people out, we tend to go to someplace we've been before and loved.

3. Tell me about one of your favorite restaurants. If I came to your town, what restaurants would you recommend to me?

       Birroteca for beers and crispy Brussels sprouts, then dinner at Fork & Wrench, followed by cocktails and frites at Le Garage. Then late night ping pong and nitro draft coffee at the marketplace. Then later-night crab nachos, hubcap margaritas, and people watching at Nacho Mama's. 

[atlas]

I don't "go" here. But I love polls like this and saw it on the Recents page

1. Do you have a wide array of independent restaurants where you live? Or are the restaurants mostly chain restaurants?
Wide array. I'm in Portland now, and my hometown is a bit away but also lots of local places. Obviously Portland has more of the chain restaurants as well being a big city.
2. When you go to dinner at a restaurant, do you choose someplace familiar, most of the time? Or do you like to try a new place as often as possible?
My BF and I go out so little that we usually go to the same or similar types of places. Back home my family ends up going to like 2 restaurants. But we always try out the new places when they open.
3. Tell me about one of your favorite restaurants. If I came to your town, what restaurants would you recommend to me?
Warning: I like beer, so these are mostly breweries
Portland - Deschutes Brewery, 10 Barrel Brewery, 23 Hoyt, Piazza Italia
Bend - 10 Barrel Brewery, Deschutes Brewery, Sunny Yoga Kitchen, Drake, Bario

[2curlydogs]

1. Do you have a wide array of independent restaurants where you live? Or are the restaurants mostly chain restaurants?

Yes, we have a pretty good selection and quality. Especially for a city our size. 
2. When you go to dinner at a restaurant, do you choose someplace familiar, most of the time? Or do you like to try a new place as often as possible?

I like going somewhere new if we can. But we also like our "favorite haunts" so it's probably a 50/50 mix.
3. Tell me about one of your favorite restaurants. If I came to your town, what restaurants would you recommend to me?

Just one? Not possible.

Fancy pants - Sanfords. Hands down. Runner up - Any of the Bartolotta places.
Farm to Table - Wolf Peach. Odd Duck. Amilinda. Ardent.
French - Coquette Cafe
Seafood - Harbor House
Brunch - Comet Cafe. Blue's Egg
Burger - Sobelman's
Kischy - The Safe House
Ice Cream - Purple Door
Pub - County Clare
Steak - Coerper's
Pizza - Pizza Man


I'm sure I could think of more....

ETA: OH LOOK. An article about how awesome we are just appeared in my FB feed.

www.thrillist.com/lifestyle/milwaukee/milwaukee-is-americas-most-misunderstood-city

[auntie]

Jun 21, 2016 15:43:03 GMT -5 treedimensional said:

1. Do you have a wide array of independent restaurants where you live?

Yes. My immediate small town is filled with really good independent restaurants and I'm a 20 minute drive to 3 other communities with really high quality food options. Most cuisines are amply covered here although our Thai place closed and we don't have a legitimate Mexican place currently. 


Or are the restaurants mostly chain restaurants?

More indie places. Way more. We have a Wendy's, a Chick-Fil-A, a Zoe's, a Corner Bakery and an Applebee's. The latter almost always has a line. I have no idea why. I can replicate the experience by microwaving a Lean Cuisine and pouring some Kendall Jackson Chardonnay into a dirty glass. 

2. When you go to dinner at a restaurant, do you choose someplace familiar, most of the time? Or do you like to try a new place as often as possible?

I will sometimes grab lunch at Zoe's or pick up a burger for DS at Wendy's, but I don't go to the other places. 

Usually, if it's just DH and myself, we grab a something at one of the beer pubs. Usually the old man one because the staff and other patrons are amusing if DH is picking. I like the clubbier brew pub, because they have more beers and really great salads. 

Most weekends we meet up with friends and get out of our little town. Sometimes New Hope/Lamberville, sometimes Princeton, rarely Philadelphia. 

3. Tell me about one of your favorite restaurants. If I came to your town, what restaurants would you recommend to me?

Hard telling. What do you like? I can direct you to several good Italian places, several good Indian ones, upscale Mexican or a fun hole in the wall backyard, Middle Eastern, a goofy place that has exceptional fried chicken and Trenton pies, a clubby bar with great drinks and mashed potato pizza and beer. 

[mrsukyankee]

Jun 21, 2016 15:43:03 GMT -5 treedimensional said:

1. Do you have a wide array of independent restaurants where you live? Or are the restaurants mostly chain restaurants? 

2. When you go to dinner at a restaurant, do you choose someplace familiar, most of the time? Or do you like to try a new place as often as possible?

3. Tell me about one of your favorite restaurants. If I came to your town, what restaurants would you recommend to me?

1.  I live in London.  We have both but primarily non-chains. 
2. We do both.  We have some we enjoy going to often and we enjoy also going out to new places.
3. Mill Street Bistro - it's a quaint French bistro that seats about 12 and is fabulous.  The owner is from Paris and the food is wonderful.  I love the small label wines.  Great breakfasts too!  I could recommend so many pubs and restaurants in London. The food here is wonderful (unless you find a tourist place and then its shit).

[atlas]

Jun 21, 2016 16:29:33 GMT -5 2curlydogs said:

Burger - Sobelman's

Back when I was in college, you had to know someone with a car to go to Sobelman's. Now there is one on campus. I love their fries.

[2curlydogs]

Jun 21, 2016 16:49:13 GMT -5 atlas said:

Jun 21, 2016 16:29:33 GMT -5 2curlydogs said:

Burger - Sobelman's

Back when I was in college, you had to know someone with a car to go to Sobelman's. Now there is one on campus. I love their fries.

WE ARE...

[atlas]

Jun 21, 2016 16:53:02 GMT -5 2curlydogs said:

Jun 21, 2016 16:49:13 GMT -5 atlas said:

Back when I was in college, you had to know someone with a car to go to Sobelman's. Now there is one on campus. I love their fries.

WE ARE...

MARQUETTE!

[Violet]

Jun 21, 2016 16:29:33 GMT -5 2curlydogs said:

1. Do you have a wide array of independent restaurants where you live? Or are the restaurants mostly chain restaurants?

Yes, we have a pretty good selection and quality. Especially for a city our size. 
2. When you go to dinner at a restaurant, do you choose someplace familiar, most of the time? Or do you like to try a new place as often as possible?

I like going somewhere new if we can. But we also like our "favorite haunts" so it's probably a 50/50 mix.
3. Tell me about one of your favorite restaurants. If I came to your town, what restaurants would you recommend to me?

Just one? Not possible.

Fancy pants - Sanfords. Hands down. Runner up - Any of the Bartolotta places.
Farm to Table - Wolf Peach. Odd Duck. Amilinda. Ardent.
French - Coquette Cafe
Seafood - Harbor House
Brunch - Comet Cafe. Blue's Egg
Burger - Sobelman's
Kischy - The Safe House
Ice Cream - Purple Door
Pub - County Clare
Steak - Coerper's
Pizza - Pizza Man


I'm sure I could think of more....

ETA: OH LOOK. An article about how awesome we are just appeared in my FB feed.

www.thrillist.com/lifestyle/milwaukee/milwaukee-is-americas-most-misunderstood-city

Oh hello local person! I was reading the replies and I'm like "wait...I know these names!" People should visit MKE just to go the Purple Door. It's the best ice cream ever and I've tried a lot of ice cream shops.

I'm just going to work off your list:
Bar food/Burger: Karma Bar & Grill - their pretzel rolls + honey mustard, Buffalo Mac, and a Mojito would be my last meal request.
Tacos/Fresh Tex-Mex: Bel Aire
Italian: Il Mito or The Pasta Tree
Sushi: Kanpai

[glw]

2curlydogs, I lived in Wauwatosa for a while and now I'm really craving Purple Door!

[Marmee]

Jun 21, 2016 15:43:03 GMT -5 treedimensional said:

1. Do you have a wide array of independent restaurants where you live? Or are the restaurants mostly chain restaurants? 

2. When you go to dinner at a restaurant, do you choose someplace familiar, most of the time? Or do you like to try a new place as often as possible?

3. Tell me about one of your favorite restaurants. If I came to your town, what restaurants would you recommend to me?

1.  I live in the "inner city" (<1mile from downtown) so I have mostly independent restaurants nearby.  To get to some chain restaurants I'd have to drive to one of the main commercial streets (a few miles away).
2.  When DH & I do date night we do independent.  When we take MIL & sometimes the kids we will sometimes do chains because they are bigger, have a larger menu & have kid friendly menu/accommodations.
3.  In my neighborhood Fruition. Potager and Table 6 are good.  They are farm to table seasonal menu types.  I sometimes go to Pho or Mexican (Bennies) when I want something more casual & less expensive. There is a hot dog place that is fun near my old house (about 2miles away).  I also enjoy the Italian place in the neighborhood over but it's all served family style so I usually get it to go & feed the family here.  I have other favorites but they are further away (3-5miles).  My city is not a foodie city (landlocked Denver) but it's getting better.

[whiskeytails]

I love all of the Wisconsin talk!!

1. I live in the Oshkosh-Appleton area, so we have a decent mix.

2. 9.9 times out of 10, I go to a local joint. For a quick to go, I default to Qdoba.

3. I have an old fashioned blog (see link), so of course I would want to take you to a good Wisconsin style super club--like Red Ox in Appleton or Cedar Lodge in Malone (tiny town).

[mrs.jacinthe]

Jun 21, 2016 15:43:03 GMT -5 treedimensional said:

1. Do you have a wide array of independent restaurants where you live? Or are the restaurants mostly chain restaurants? 

2. When you go to dinner at a restaurant, do you choose someplace familiar, most of the time? Or do you like to try a new place as often as possible?

3. Tell me about one of your favorite restaurants. If I came to your town, what restaurants would you recommend to me?

1. Yes. Tons of independent restaurants.

2. We have a couple we like to frequent regularly, but we're usually pretty open to new places.

3. It depends on what you like. We have favorite places for pizza, vegan, high-end, and burgers. Our absolute favorite, however, is a place called Joe Caribe, which specializes in Caribbean/California fusion.

[InBetweenDays]

1. Do you have a wide array of independent restaurants where you live? Or are the restaurants mostly chain restaurants?
We live in an urban neighborhood of Seattle and I'd say we have over 70 independent restaurants. We of course have our fast food chains, but I'm not sure of any real restaurant chains (in the neighborhood at least). Very wide variety of types of food - seafood, Mexican, Italian, French, Thai, Indian, Vietnamese, pizza, bbq, sushi, burgers, Puerto Rican, Lebanese, Mediterranean, Australian, you name it.

2. When you go to dinner at a restaurant, do you choose someplace familiar, most of the time? Or do you like to try a new place as often as possible?
I'd say it's about 50/50. Some nights we just feel like going to someplace familiar. Others we try someplace new.

3. Tell me about one of your favorite restaurants. If I came to your town, what restaurants would you recommend to me?
One of my favorite recent seafood restaurants is Rock Creek. Some of the best black cod I've had. If you like oysters - I'd recommend Walrus and the Carpenter. And if you want a great Caribbean sandwich try Un Bien. It's a small shack with a walk up window and only outdoor picnic table seating. But you can take it to go and sit at the beach across the street to watch the sunset If I expanded to all of Seattle there could be a ton more recommendations, depending on the type of food you're looking for.

[bunnymendelbaum]

1. I want to be all proud because we don't have chain restaurants, but the truth is they won't open here even if we wanted them! HA! Seriously, it made news when the first chain restaurant (applebees) opened within Detroit city limits because it had been so long. We do have a White Castle down the street though. Almost all the local businesses are independent.

2. We like to try new places as often as possible.

3. So many good ones. For fancy I like Selden Standard. Wright & Co was also delicious.

[bostonmichelle]

1. Do you have a wide array of independent restaurants where you live? Or are the restaurants mostly chain restaurants?
We have a ton of restaurants within a 30 minute drive. There is a ton of variety and some chains. We live in NC within driving range of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill.

2. When you go to dinner at a restaurant, do you choose someplace familiar, most of the time? Or do you like to try a new place as often as possible?
There are a few places we go to if we want something good and easy and we don't have to worry about it being new. But I do try and go out to new restaurants as much as possible since there are so many restaurants.

3. Tell me about one of your favorite restaurants. If I came to your town, what restaurants would you recommend to me?
This is a tough one. We have a handful of standbys that we take guests to and it depends on what you want and how much you want to pay.

[thatgirl2478]

Jun 21, 2016 15:43:03 GMT -5 treedimensional said:

1. Do you have a wide array of independent restaurants where you live? Or are the restaurants mostly chain restaurants? 

2. When you go to dinner at a restaurant, do you choose someplace familiar, most of the time? Or do you like to try a new place as often as possible?

3. Tell me about one of your favorite restaurants. If I came to your town, what restaurants would you recommend to me?

MY town, not the bigger city about 10-20 minutes away?

1. Except for fast food, we have ZERO chain restaurants. If you wanted to have a sit down dinner at a 'chain' you'd have to go to a Pizza Hut or Monical's, Hardees, McD's or Taco Bell. So mostly local restaurants.

2. Unfortunately we usually go to the same places, and not the ones in our town. However that's temporary since we have small kids. We eat places that we know the menu and we know the traffic patterns (so we can go when they aren't busy) and usually the ones that offer free kids meals with an adult meal.

3. So I don't LOVE any of the restaurants in our town.  However a steak place just opened and it's supposed to be delicious and quirky. If you didn't want that, I would *maybe* suggest the Mexican place in town - but honestly I prefer their sister location 10 min down the road (cleaner, the food tastes better, the staff is nicer etc).

Now if you go to either of the towns next to us you can have a HUGE variety to choose from, chains AND amazing local places.

If you're visiting my parents, there's 1 choice and it's a bar that also serves food. However you can drive for 5 min and find some pretty decent options.
Save

[mrsd2006]

Jun 21, 2016 15:43:03 GMT -5 treedimensional said:

1. Do you have a wide array of independent restaurants where you live? Or are the restaurants mostly chain restaurants? Yes, but I live in a big city (Atlanta). There are lots of chains too, but plenty of independents. 

2. When you go to dinner at a restaurant, do you choose someplace familiar, most of the time? Or do you like to try a new place as often as possible? Usually someplace familiar. I'm a picky eater and I like what I like. 

3. Tell me about one of your favorite restaurants. If I came to your town, what restaurants would you recommend to me? One of me and DH's faves is a local chain that serves tex-mex- tacos, burritos, etc. It depends of what kind of food you like as to where I'd take you. 

[mrsd2006]

Jun 21, 2016 16:07:12 GMT -5 atlas said:

I don't "go" here. But I love polls like this and saw it on the Recents page

1. Do you have a wide array of independent restaurants where you live? Or are the restaurants mostly chain restaurants?
Wide array. I'm in Portland now, and my hometown is a bit away but also lots of local places. Obviously Portland has more of the chain restaurants as well being a big city.
2. When you go to dinner at a restaurant, do you choose someplace familiar, most of the time? Or do you like to try a new place as often as possible?
My BF and I go out so little that we usually go to the same or similar types of places. Back home my family ends up going to like 2 restaurants. But we always try out the new places when they open.
3. Tell me about one of your favorite restaurants. If I came to your town, what restaurants would you recommend to me?
Warning: I like beer, so these are mostly breweries
Portland - Deschutes Brewery, 10 Barrel Brewery, 23 Hoyt, Piazza Italia
Bend - 10 Barrel Brewery, Deschutes Brewery, Sunny Yoga Kitchen, Drake, Bario

Atlas- are you in Portland? My husband is going to be there this weekend. Any recs besides the above?

Thanks

[atlas]

Jun 22, 2016 10:11:21 GMT -5 mrsd2006 said:

Jun 21, 2016 16:07:12 GMT -5 atlas said:

I don't "go" here. But I love polls like this and saw it on the Recents page

1. Do you have a wide array of independent restaurants where you live? Or are the restaurants mostly chain restaurants?
Wide array. I'm in Portland now, and my hometown is a bit away but also lots of local places. Obviously Portland has more of the chain restaurants as well being a big city.
2. When you go to dinner at a restaurant, do you choose someplace familiar, most of the time? Or do you like to try a new place as often as possible?
My BF and I go out so little that we usually go to the same or similar types of places. Back home my family ends up going to like 2 restaurants. But we always try out the new places when they open.
3. Tell me about one of your favorite restaurants. If I came to your town, what restaurants would you recommend to me?
Warning: I like beer, so these are mostly breweries
Portland - Deschutes Brewery, 10 Barrel Brewery, 23 Hoyt, Piazza Italia
Bend - 10 Barrel Brewery, Deschutes Brewery, Sunny Yoga Kitchen, Drake, Bario

Atlas- are you in Portland? My husband is going to be there this weekend. Any recs besides the above?

Thanks

I am! What does he like? Do you know what area of town he will be?

[adhdfashion]

1. We just started getting chains as the area grows. So mostly independent restaurants.
2. I try new places whenever possible. H is more a creature of habit. So we are regulars at a couple places.
3. One of my favorites is Massimo's it on the water, right on the spit near the bridge. The view is killer as is the Italian food. It's perfect when it's stormy. The waves crash against the bulkhead and spray up on the windows.
New find that I love is Brix 25 it's downtown in the harbor. It doesn't have a view. But has great atmosphere. It's a tiny little gem hidden away behind a grape arbor. They serve foodie people food's. Everything is mouth watering, flavor packed, and perfect.

[Pibs]

Jun 21, 2016 15:43:03 GMT -5 treedimensional said:

1. Do you have a wide array of independent restaurants where you live? Or are the restaurants mostly chain restaurants? 

2. When you go to dinner at a restaurant, do you choose someplace familiar, most of the time? Or do you like to try a new place as often as possible?

3. Tell me about one of your favorite restaurants. If I came to your town, what restaurants would you recommend to me?

1.  Yes, there are tons of independent restaurants where we live.  I feel like there are way more of them compared to chain restaurants here in PDX.  Or maybe it's just where we choose to eat.  Whenever we went on vacation as a kid, my mom ruled out chain restaurants because why eat someplace that you can get anywhere when you can find an amazing local place instead?  That said, we are getting a Cracker Barrel out here in suburbia, and I'm kinda excited for chicken & dumplings and fried okra.

2.  50/50.  We've got a huge list of places we want to try, but we also have our favorite places to go back to.  Just depends on our mood.  Like this weekend for my birthday, we're trying a new Italian place (IDK which one yet, but I've got a list).  We usually take visitors to tested places, though.

3.  It depends on what food you want.  Here's part of the list I give people who are visiting.
Brunch -- Tasty and Alder, Mother's Bistro, Gravy, Jam
Pancakes -- Batter
Beer/Brewpub -- Deschutes, Breakside, Hopworks Bike Bar, Ecliptic, 10 Barrel (they have a great rooftop patio!), Occidental, Coalition, Alameda.  If those options are too many, Loyal Legion which is a great bar with only Oregon beers on tap, and there are 99 of them.  That way you can pick a beer from any of the previously mentioned breweries.
Ice Cream -- Salt & Straw
Place with a multipage dessert menu and great food -- Papa Haydn
Just dessert -- Pix Patisserie
Cuban -- Pambiche
Mexican -- Mi Mero Mole or Por Que No
Thai -- Pok Pok
Pizza -- Apizza Scholls wins national awards, but Ken's Artisan, Oven & Shaker, and Lovely's are also great
Multiple options -- pick a food cart pod, or check out Pine Street Market
Tapas -- Toro Bravo for sure, Tasty & Sons or Tasty & Alder (more American/steak house type small plates, or southern-ish small plates)
Southern comfort food -- Screen Door

[simpsongal]

1. It's a mix - I'm Northern Virginia, so we have a lot of upscale/healthy chains (e.g., Sweet Green, Chopt, Cava, etc.). Quite a few independent places, and smaller restaurant groups too (e.g., Matchbox, American restaurant group, founding farmers, etc.). I work in the city and buy my lunch - generally from a food truck or other local place (e.g., &pizza, Skwr)

2. We mix it up - if our toddler is coming, that drives the decision. Fancy meals are few and far between but we tend to try new places.

3. We had more favorite places when we were childless and lived closer to DC.

[hausfrau]

1. I live in a small college town, so all but the Subway are locally owned, non-chain restaurants. Outside of the village, though, most of the suburbs are chain restaurants. In our "big city," there are some fast food chains downtown, but it is mostly locally owned non-chain restaurants.

2. We will try out new places when they are opening, but generally we go to the same dozen or so local places or ethnic restaurants that we enjoy.

3. Hands down, if you are in the village, you can't have a bad meal at Sunrise Cafe (http://www.sunrisecafe-ys.com/). Most of what they cook comes from local farmers. The secret is out about Sunrise, though, and most weekend mornings it is packed with out-of-town tourists. It's easier to get dinner there than breakfast on the weekends. In the full swing of summer, they open back up late on Fridays and Saturdays from 10-2 with a speakeasy menu of special cocktails and small plates. They have a magical patio out back that's open on nice days.