What are your favorite local restaurants?

[saraandmichael]

If someone came to visit where you live, what restaurants would you tell them they must eat at?

I have a few.

Italian food is Bellas. Their lobster bisque is insanely good. And when I ate meat, I loved their pasta with sausage dish. www.bellasitaliancafe.com/

This tapas place is my absolute favorite. I wish my husband liked to eat here, because I dream of their portobello relleno. And I am always sure to under order dinner so that I can eat the coconut ice cream with fresh berries. www.ceviche.com/

I also love this place for sandwiches and comfort foods. Their pretzel bites are freaking amazing. www.datzdeli.com/

And for an amazing food and dining experience I would totally recommend going to Bern's. Its going to cost a ton of money, but I am told it is worth every penny. I don't eat any meat except for fish, so I can't justify going there for dinner. But I do love the dessert rooms. Even if none of the piano players know how to freaking play Piano Man. www.bernssteakhouse.com/

[emjacobs]

Top of the list hands down is The Corner Deli, it is a family owned and operated little corner deli that serves the best homestyle comfort food. Their breakfast is the best.

Next up is Claires at the Depot ( www.clairesrestaurant.com/ ) Claires She Crab Soup is to die for. I could eat it every day.

And for desert is the Moo Thru ( www.moothru.com/ ) Their dairy is about 5 miles from my house, it is awesome how fresh everything is and the ice cream is so rich and creamy. We get our milk there too.

[alzi]

Good to know!

[Deleted]

Barry's Pizza. Am I right, Tiny?

[Deleted]

American Food: Kirby House has consistently good food, a good drink menu and they have live music and an outdoor seating area. www.thegilmorecollection.com/kirby.php

Pizza: Fricano's Pizza Tavern has amazing thin crust pizzas with simple toppings. www.fricanospizza.com/map4.htm

Gyros: Mr. Kozak's has some delicious gyros and cheese fries or chili cheese fries that are great for late summer nights. My siblings, MH, and I got gyros there after our wedding. www.mrkozaksgyros.com/

My family also frequents Snug Harbor. They have good food, nothing super fancy, and a lot of different options (great when you are eating with 6 other people). They also have outdoor seating that looks out over the water. www.harborrestaurants.com/snugharbor/index.htm

GH is a beach/tourist town so much of the appeal of a place depends on outdoor seating during the summer and being sort of casual. There are some other local summer favorites: Butch's Beach Burritos, Pronto Pup (corn dogs), Nautical Knots (pretzels), and more that are all right along the water and just fun places to go when you are craving those foods.

[nahoku]

These are all in Minneapolis.

Bar La Grassa. I have only been there a couple of times but I am dying to go back to get their soft eggs and lobster bruschetta and gnocchi w/cauliflower and orange. OMG. barlagrassa.com/

For tapas and sangria, I really like Solera - they are in our theater district, so it's fun to go there for pre or post show drinks/food. www.solera-restaurant.com/

For their butterknife steak, Murray's. They are an old school steakhouse and it looked like they hadn't redecorated since the '60s. They just closed for a short time so they can renovate and I'm sad that I didn't take DH there before then. murraysrestaurant.com/

[nahoku]

Oh and it's always a debate as to which restaurant has the best jucy lucy, but I like Matt's mattsbar.com/

For fancier jucy lucys, Blue Door Pub - thebdp.com/?page_id=16 I've only had their blucy, but I really want to go back and try the Bangkok Blucy.

[hisno1girl]

Mexican - Los Cabos Restaurant in Sheilds, no website. It's a mom & pop style place.

Deli - Intermission Deli in Saginaw, no website. Not needed. Everyone in Saginaw knows Intermission and probably has the menu memorized. The guy that owns it has like 7 or 8 kids, all boys, and they all look exactly the same.

Fine Dining- Jake's Old City Grill in Old Town Saginaw
www.jakesforsteaks.com/public/Default.aspx - The BEST Martini list in the area

Steak/Seafood - Lucky's Steakhouse - Clio, MI
www.luckyssteakhouse.com/locations.htm - The best steak in my part of MI

Chicken Dinners - Zehnder's in the Land of the Chicken AKA Frankenmuth, MI
www.zehnders.com/dining/zehndersrestaurant.htm - The family style chicken dinners are amazing and I could eat just their noodles. They're that good.

Chinese - Panda House in Saginaw, no website. It's a tiny little place.

[Deleted]

I love Addis Red Sea, Ethipoian food (South End and Cambridge) www.addisredsea.com/

And for fun/fancy food, definitely Sel de la Terre www.seldelaterre.com/. They have a FUN wine pairing dinner -- you eat for like 5 hours and they serve you full glasses of wine with every course. ETA but their waterfront location closed

We went here for my dad's 50th and it was a blast, yummy Spanish food www.barlola.com.

[vicky]

Okay, for Brooklyn classics we go for L&B Spumoni Gardens - Best square pizza and spumoni www.spumonigardens.com/

Brennan and Carr's - www.yelp.com/biz/brennan-and-carr-brooklyn-2 - Famous for their double dipped beef sandwiches. AMAZING.

And Roll-n-Roaster - 60's drive in style food on the bay. Their motto is you can have cheez on anything you pleez. ALSO best old fashioned chocolate shakes EVERRRR. rollnroaster.com/custom/rollnroaster/commercial.htm

Now, for amazing Thai Food - Song in Park Slope, Sea in Williamsburg
Indian Food - Ghandi Palace in Brooklyn Heights, for 30 bucks you get a feast.
THE BEST BRUNCH EVER - Bogota in Park Slope - Mango Mimosas by the pitcher = 21 dollars, plantanos stuff french toast, guava beignets - Amazingggg.

[blueballoon]

Cheesecurds Gourmet Burgers and Poutinery
cheesecurdsburgers.com/
Amazing burgers and poutine

Stayner's Wharf
www.staynerswharf.com/
Great seafood, super friendly staff and they almost always have live newfie/folk music. St. Paddy's day there is a blast!

Kel's Deli
No website
Best deli meat subs around.

[nahoku]

Aug 1, 2012 8:37:33 GMT -5 vicky said:

THE BEST BRUNCH EVER - Bogota in Park Slope - Mango Mimosas by the pitcher = 21 dollars, plantanos stuff french toast, guava beignets - Amazingggg.

I want to go to there. Right now.

[peachykate]

:-( I live in a black hole where our only options are chains. We had a great sushi place but it closed in less than a year.

La Quetzalteca is decent enough for Mexican food and our go-to in town.

[vicky]

Aug 1, 2012 8:38:38 GMT -5 nahoku said:

Aug 1, 2012 8:37:33 GMT -5 vicky said:

THE BEST BRUNCH EVER - Bogota in Park Slope - Mango Mimosas by the pitcher = 21 dollars, plantanos stuff french toast, guava beignets - Amazingggg.

I want to go to there. Right now.

I will meet you.

[Deleted]

I'm hungry.

And also a push for NOT my city -- we went here for brunch after the Philly GTG and it was amaaaazing: www.farmiciarestaurant.com/

[lsea0323]

Ohhh Sara, I LOVE Datz! THe chicken and waffles are my favorite. We go every time I come down to Tampa, and if E is having a shitty day at work I use the delivery service in town and have lunch delivered to him.

Options are pretty limited here, but this place has the best she-crap soup I've ever had in my life...http://fireflypcb.com/

And for barbeque, I am obsessed with this place. Phillipino style. Lumpia and ribs... drool...http://sweetracksbbq.com/

[lightbulbsun]

There's an amazing vegetarian place called Blue Sage. Their desserts are incredible. www.bluesagegrille.com/

There's a Moroccan restaurant near my mom called Casablanca, and it's awesome. I've only been there a few times but they have a traditional 8 course menu (you can get meat or vegetarian) and they have belly dancers. You sit on sofas and they bring around rose water so you can wash your hands before you eat. Everything is served family style. It's fantastic. casablancaone.com/

[newenglandwifey]

West Hartford/Farmington, CT
Seafood] Max's Oyster Bar
www.maxrestaurantgroup.com/oyster/
fresh CT oysters and clams
BEST martini in town
red leather booths which I totally adore

Italian Bricco
restaurantbricco.com/
They have a Wild Mushroom Piazza with truffle oil that is to die for

Burgers Max Burger (same owners as above)
www.maxrestaurantgroup.com/burger/
I only ever get the veggie burger or portabella but I am told their meat burgers are delicious too

American Grant's Resturant
www.billygrant.com/grants/menus-2/
Great atmosphere. A bit pricey but totally worth it

Brunch and Happy Hour this place has an amazing patio right by the Farmington River
www.apricotsrestaurant.com/
This place is the perfect summer spot

[nahoku]

I'm on my way, vicky!

lsea - I love lumpia so much. My dad makes the best ones I've had though. We finally found a place that does Filipino foods on Sundays (it's in a supermarket/gas station, so it's obviously really fancy, lol) and I just found out about a food truck that serves it, too. Filipino food is hard to come by in Minnesota (unless my dad makes it!)!

[lsea0323]

Aug 1, 2012 8:51:52 GMT -5 nahoku said:

I'm on my way, vicky!

lsea - I love lumpia so much. My dad makes the best ones I've had though. We finally found a place that does Filipino foods on Sundays (it's in a supermarket/gas station, so it's obviously really fancy, lol) and I just found out about a food truck that serves it, too. Filipino food is hard to come by in Minnesota (unless my dad makes it!)!

It comes in an order of 20 and I easily eat the whole thing. And then have a half rack of ribs and greens. lol. It's surprising that there's anything like that down here, but I'm not complaining!

[Bernadine]

Ok, remember, I live in a really small town-

For a good, non-fancy, neighborhood place- www.greenmountstation.com/

For a nice dinner, fancy brunch- www.johanssonsdininghouse.com/

[lazyphoque]

I always feel like my actual favorite places are sentimental as much as good food.
Loui's Pizza - Old-school Detroit-style pizza, decorated in your Italian grandmother's basement circa 1957. So good.
Lily's Seafood - Brewery/restaurant where I spent a lot of time before kiddo and still regularly go for dinner and bruch.
Roast - Michael Symon's Detroit outpost. Ignore the beast of the day, get everything else on the menu. The brussels sprouts are like crack.
Golden Harvest - Dim sum. In a huge, loud room with big family tables and giant lazy susans. Magically cures hangovers.
Mexican Village - Family classic in Mexican Town.
Lafayett Coney Island - Coney dogs. Anyone who sends you to American is a heathen and west-sider.

[Deleted]

Aug 1, 2012 8:50:56 GMT -5 newenglandwifey said:

Seafood] Max's Oyster Bar
www.maxrestaurantgroup.com/oyster/
fresh CT oysters and clams
BEST martini in town
red leather booths which I totally adore

Italian Bricco
restaurantbricco.com/
They have a Wild Mushroom Piazza with truffle oil that is to die for

Burgers Max Burger (same owners as above)
www.maxrestaurantgroup.com/burger/
I only ever get the veggie burger or portabella but I am told their meat burgers are delicious too

American Grant's Resturant
www.billygrant.com/grants/menus-2/
Great atmosphere. A bit pricey but totally worth it

Brunch and Happy Hour this place has an amazing patio right by the Farmington River
www.apricotsrestaurant.com/
This place is the perfect summer spot

So weird -- you must live near where I grew up. I've been to all these places!!

[jerseygrl]

Italian: Angelos Fairmount Tavern in Atlantic City
www.angelosfairmounttavern.com/

or Maplewood
www.joesmaplewood.com/home.php

Steak: The Library
www.librarytwo.com/

Seafood: Crab Trap
www.thecrabtrap.com/

Mexican: Los Amigos
atlanticcity.losamigosrest.com/ordereze/default.aspx

There are some bigger named restaurants in the casinos but I would definitely pick these local establishments over them any day

This is making me very hungry!

[sweetday]

Pizza: Bennys in Hoboken - Dowager went and fell in love.
Thai: Sea, Brooklyn
Brunch: Bondi Road in Brooklyn
Dominican food: Mamajuana - Washington Heights, NY

[Nicole]

The hole in the wall homemade Mexican places. Hands down.

[ering1115]

jerseygirl- I LOVE Angelo's. LOVE. I just wish they would take credit cards.
Actually, your entire list is my vacation week dining spots. We were just at the Crab Trap on Saturday.

[jerseygrl]

Aug 1, 2012 9:29:07 GMT -5 ering1115 said:

jerseygirl- I LOVE Angelo's. LOVE. I just wish they would take credit cards.
Actually, your entire list is my vacation week dining spots. We were just at the Crab Trap on Saturday.

When was the last time you were there? We go to Angelos a lot and we always pay with a debit/credit card

How long was your wait at Crab Trap? I grew up in Somers Point and used to go there a lot but the wait times have gotten ridiculous!

[ering1115]

Aug 1, 2012 9:31:15 GMT -5 jerseygrl said:

Aug 1, 2012 9:29:07 GMT -5 ering1115 said:

jerseygirl- I LOVE Angelo's. LOVE. I just wish they would take credit cards.
Actually, your entire list is my vacation week dining spots. We were just at the Crab Trap on Saturday.

When was the last time you were there? We go to Angelos a lot and we always pay with a debit/credit card

How long was your wait at Crab Trap? I grew up in Somers Point and used to go there a lot but the wait times have gotten ridiculous!

Angelo's- hmmmm maybe 3 years ago now. I am so happy that they take plastic. I have gone to the shady Hess station a block away more times than I care to admit to get cash.

Crab Trap- we went early bird special style (530p) and it was only 20 mins. We had DS with us so we planned accordingly. By the time we were leaving I heard the hostess quote 90mins for people putting their names in. Yikes!

I basically grew up part-time in Brigantine and still have lots of friends and family in the area.

[textbookcase]

If any of you ever find yourself stuck in Holtville, Ca, I highly recommend George's Pizza. John Travolta sends minions down here to get it for him!

Other than that, we have good hole-in-the-wall AUTHENTIC Mexican food. Mmm.