Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Best City for Food/Restaurants

obeygiant said:
You obviously had a different experience than I did, but moving from San Francisco, which is legendary for Chinese and Thai food, LA's Asian cuisine just tasted generic to me. A little south of LA towards Torrence there is few really nice Japanese places like Musha.
Click to expand...

LA (and NYC) have much better and more diverse Japanese and Korean offerings than are available in SF.

Tough to choose between SF and LA Thai food. NYC doesn't come close at all.

I've gotten really tired of Chinese cuisine, for the most part. I still have my favorite overly-lit late night Chinese seafood joint in SF and made the occasional dim sum stop, and Mission Chinese is certainly an interesting take (though I couldn't see myself eating there regularly - interestingly enough they're opening a branch in NYC soon). I'm probably more interested in exploring some of the regional Chinese cuisines more closely. Lately I've been on a bigger Japanese kick since I have so many more options available now.
 
'Bmac said:
.....
Also on The Hill there is a place where they make the MOST delish Pasta Pie. The "crust' is a meatball mixture in the pie plate like a "crust: would be then Pasta domed on top to make the pie filling. ABSOLUTELY delisious! I think it is my favourite meal on The Hill.
...
Click to expand...

I think you've just made Italian people around world start to cry.... that and an earlier "toasted ravioli".....

I'm sure it's good, but I'm not sure one can call it Italian anymore....
 
FrankieTDouglas said:
Paris
Click to expand...

I liked Paris a lot even though I wasn't able to stay there for too long. For me, it has to be Washington, DC (yeah I'm a little biased) Since it's basically one giant ethnic melting pool, there are tons of different places in and around the Metro area to eat at. Sadly, I have not been able to eat at all those places but, maybe, someday, I will.
 
snberk103 said:
I think you've just made Italian people around world start to cry.... that and an earlier "toasted ravioli".....

I'm sure it's good, but I'm not sure one can call it Italian anymore....
Click to expand...

OK. It's Italian-American. NOT "true Italian". I AM Italian and I do know GREAT Italian food. Which if you can't be in Italy to "maniga" YOU NEED to be in NYC! Little Italy in Manhattan or Bensonhurst, Brooklyn and don't forget Arthur Ave. in the Bronx!
 
'Bmac said:
OK. It's Italian-American. NOT "true Italian". I AM Italian and I do know GREAT Italian food. Which if you can't be in Italy to "maniga" YOU NEED to be in NYC! Little Italy in Manhattan or Bensonhurst, Brooklyn and don't forget Arthur Ave. in the Bronx!
Click to expand...

Fair enough.... to my mind some of the best cooking comes from fusing of two or more cultures. The new cuisine taking the best of each and creating something better. Of course there is some really really bad fusion cooking too.... just saw a menu listing (on line) for snail porridge. blech!

We've taken a couple of pasta making classes from a fellow who grew up cooking in his uncles' bistros in Italy (plural uncles, each uncle having a bistro). Turns out what we consider to be "Italian" food (from Italy) was itself fusion cooking once upon a time. The idea for pasta coming from China, and tomato sauce could not be invented until someone brought back tomatoes from the new world. It's a small world, eh?
 
It seems if you are into a specialty cuisine, then a particular city probably has the best selection of that particular type of food more than any other. However, in terms of a general variety of cuisine, price and quality its still the NYC area without a doubt -- at least within the Unites States. I'm not just referring to famous restaurants opened by famous celebrity chefs and Hollywood actors either--that's a tiny portion of what's available. There are countless independent restaurants all over the 5 boroughs.

Open any restaurant locator app anywhere in NYC and you'll a constellation of choices everywhere. In other cities after you filter out Ruby Tuesdays, Big Boy and TGI Fridays you're not left with much.
 
Avro said:
London, great choice and good prices.
Click to expand...

Compared to where, exactly?

London has some great food (in fact I was considering nominating it for the variety and quality of eats available) - but price wise, its scary. Maybe cheap compared to silly spots like Moscow or Oslo, but compared to New York, Paris, or San Francisco even - its pretty pricey at just about every level.

I would say, provided you stay away from tourist traps and recently Michelin-starred places, that Paris is still a fantastic place to go out to eat. I've had some amazing prix-fixe meals there - mostly under €50 per person (before wine and tip.) Paris, for a variety of reasons, still seems to be the place great young chefs go to burnish their credentials, before heading off to make their fortunes dishing up substandard fare in Las Vegas and London.
 
I did a food tour in Chicago and I loved it.

NY has my favorite pizza spot on the planet (Grimaldi's) and there's nothing better than Italian food from the east coast. I also think ramen is better in NY than over here in LA.

I can't think of anything here in LA worth bragging about besides novelty restaurants (Phillipe's, Orochon, etc) and food trucks.

But the Vietnamese food in Orange County is some of the best in the country. And the Mexican food in San Diego is THE best.
 
vrDrew said:
Compared to where, exactly?
Click to expand...

Compared to just about every place else I have been in Europe: Denmark, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Austria, Croatia, Belgium.

Extremely good and low cost ethnic food in London. A lot of the restaurants have signed up to the Taste Card that gives you 50% off meals, so you can eat very well indeed for £10-£20 a person. :)
 
Silencio said:
LA (and NYC) have much better and more diverse Japanese and Korean offerings than are available in SF.
Click to expand...

I disagree with NYC having better Japanese and Korean than SF.

For both variety and quality of everyday eats (US), NYC easily #1. Then a rough tie between DC, LA, SF. As in you can good quality of just about any kind of food in these cities.

In the midwest or south, regardless of how good the local food might be, you're going to have a hard time finding great Peruvian chicken AND good Wienerschnitzel AND pho within reasonable distance. In NYC, you can probably get it all delivered to your place within an hour.

Worldwide, inclusive of fine dining (IME) - NYC, London, Hong Kong.

Never been to Vancouver, but I'll be there next month and staying downtown so I'm open to suggestions.
 
Signal-11 said:
.....

Never been to Vancouver, but I'll be there next month and staying downtown so I'm open to suggestions.
Click to expand...

Look for the moderately loud, moderately rowdy restaurants filled with foreign students. They come to Vancouver to learn english at the many english language colleges downtown, but they gravitate to restaurants that offer them a taste of home. You won't get the 'fancy' Japanese/Korean/Thai/etc cooking here, but you will get authentic street cooking.

Check the restaurant review sites to keep current with the higher end restaurants. We've been out of town for a bit and our knowledge is a bit rusty. However, you should make sure you get some salmon and other seafood. Sushi is also recommended.

Try the Cafe Medina for brunch, and the Lavendar Latte. Trust me. Their sister restaurant is also recommended for dinner.

But just ask around. And walk around.

Have fun.
 
snberk103 said:
Look for the moderately loud, moderately rowdy restaurants filled with foreign students. They come to Vancouver to learn english at the many english language colleges downtown, but they gravitate to restaurants that offer them a taste of home. You won't get the 'fancy' Japanese/Korean/Thai/etc cooking here, but you will get authentic street cooking.
Click to expand...

I currently live in Korea and work throughout Asia. I'm probably not going to eat much Asian food in Vancouver.

Case in my earlier point - Seoul. Great local food, fail on accessibility and quality of foreign foods.
 
Signal-11 said:
I currently live in Korea and work throughout Asia. I'm probably not going to eat much Asian food in Vancouver.

..
Click to expand...
Perhaps. However, there are some Japanese restaurants in Vancouver for which the Japanese will in fact make a trip - from Japan - to visit. And also Chinese restaurants that are attracting visitors from China.

Plus - I was answering a question from someone who was travelling to Vancouver, not Asia.
 
snberk103 said:
Perhaps. However, there are some Japanese restaurants in Vancouver for which the Japanese will in fact make a trip - from Japan - to visit. And also Chinese restaurants that are attracting visitors from China.

Plus - I was answering a question from someone who was travelling to Vancouver, not Asia.
Click to expand...

Yes, you were answering me, who will be traveling to Vancouver from Asia. ;) But as I understand it, Vancouver is pretty much Asia anyway. :)

I am on Asian food overload. I want food that involves butter and cheese and cream and stuff like that.
 
Signal-11 said:
Yes, you were answering me, who will be traveling to Vancouver from Asia. ;) But as I understand it, Vancouver is pretty much Asia anyway. :)

I am on Asian food overload. I want food that involves butter and cheese and cream and stuff like that.
Click to expand...

Understandable. Hmm.... our tastes don't run much in that direction, but do check out the Medina for brunch. And it's sister the Chambar for dinner.

Have a good visit.
 
I personally think when it comes to flat-out food quality, these cities definitely are up there in terms of restaurant food:

New York City--wide variety of high-end restaurants, many catering to the Wall Street crowd.

Chicago--if you're looking for wide variety of ethnic food and especially steaks and pizza, that city is definitely it.

San Francisco metro area--a lot of newer-style high-end restaurants, and of course excellent Chinese food.

Tokyo and Osaka in Japan--of course great Japanese cuisine, and high-end excellent Western cuisine has been popular in recent years.

Hong Kong--probably the greatest city in the world for Chinese cuisine.

Paris--great cuisine, especially if you can speak French and find the good small restaurants the locals eat at.

Brussels--excellent local cuisine, not surprising considering how many highly-rated Guide Michelin restaurants are located in that city.

Turin (Torino) in Italy--many have said that this city represents the best of Italian cuisine, especially the locals take full advantage of the highly varied local agricultural products and the fact the Slow Food movement started there.
 
Recently we went to the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas, we ate at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill there. It was very good, plus the lighting and atmosphere were perfect. Spicy tuna tartare and chicken black bean quesadilla for starters, the kids had salmon and I had pork. It was good, but there was an extra level of subtle taste which is what I think makes Flay and Iron Chef. If you can get to a Mesa Grill in Vegas or where ever you should try. menu
 
obeygiant said:
Recently we went to the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas, we ate at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill there. It was very good, plus the lighting and atmosphere were perfect. Spicy tuna tartare and chicken black bean quesadilla for starters, the kids had salmon and I had pork. It was good, but there was an extra level of subtle taste which is what I think makes Flay and Iron Chef. If you can get to a Mesa Grill in Vegas or where ever you should try. menu
Click to expand...

This seems like more of a 'i eat at expensive restaurants and want to show off' thread.

This is macrumors... Not foodrumors
 
I have to also go with SF... Even the fast food is good there!

I was in Paris and Rome this summer.
Paris it was difficult to find good food that I could eat..mom fairly picky and don't like trying new things. Plus I don't eat pork and didn't have enough French ability to order something custom or make sure no pork product..
There was also a really famous restaurant in front of our hotel that I wanted to try ( can't remember the name) but the line was huge. so just gave up and went to a small cafe and got nachos...... Yes.... Nachos.

Went to Rome and was really dissaponted. I reallllly like Italian food.... At least here in north America ( it was also fine in Germany ;)).
But when I was in Italy I was not liking things one bit.
everything was very salty ( different restaurants), and expensive.. Meals were often broken up.
I ordered a grilled turkey steak ( which was completely plain, no seasoning, sauce.l just a slab of meet on a grill), and when I got it to my table that's all there was. Apparently in Italy you have to order everything seperatly, no side dishes come with meals. Travel agent warned us of that, but really didn't think it was so common.
 
$600 - ouch!

I'm stunned about the $600 price for two at the beginning of this thread. Still the way things are going over here that sort of price might be pretty average soon.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back