Best Restaurants You've Ever Been To

Top One- Ten years ago at Charlie Trotter's, Chicago, Kitchen Table. Never had an experience like it. Can't afford another one like it either.

 

French Laundry, Sonoma; Highlands Grill (Frank Stitt's place), Birmingham; Commanders Palace, New Orleans (private dinner with my wife, the staff, and the keys to the cellar. 10 courses and 18 different wines and liquors. The two of us and 7 staff SLEPT there. I cherish the picture of Laura walking to the limo the next morning in Balenciaga and bare feet!!) What I wouldn't give up for another chance at that.

 

Hey cool, Fine Dining was tacked onto this forum when I wasn't paying attention.

The Hump in Santa Monica - best sushi I've had (and the most expensive unfortunately), and overall my favorite restaurant anywhere.
Matsuhisa in Beverly Hills - also good sushi, but less ambiance than The Hump.
Fogo de Chao in Beverly Hills - I know it's a chain, but excellent meat.
House of Prime Rib in San Francisco - awesome prime rib.
Delmonico's in Las Vegas - great steakhouse with a ridiculous wine list.
Bandera in Westwood and Corona Del Mar - owned by Houstons but awesome food.
... and of course the Mortons, Ruths Chris', etc.

 

Colombe d'Or ,Saint Paul de Vence,SouthernFrance
Windows On The World,WTC,NYC
FrenchShack,52nd[?]St,NYC
all had atmosphere,surroundings,silverware,seating that were otherworldly
and the food was fine,I'm easy to please
I'd really like to be able to say FrenchLaundry[my s-daughter did,just getting the res was an event by itself]maybe one day.
cheers,
RE

 

I love Columbe D'or as a gracious, informal hotel, but don't think of it as a stellar restaurant. Frankly, though, hanging out in the South of France, in warmer weather, the idea of killer french cuisine is a little off-putting. The restaurant there does a nice job with simple dishes, and I'm ok with that. (We were there last for Christmas/New Years a year and a half ago, and the salad with truffles was probably about 75/plate then. Given the continued decline of the dollar relative to the Euro, it can only be more expensive).
I'd be hard-pressed to name the absolute 'best' restaurants eaten at, only because there are so many places that are so wonderful for different things. Among the three stars, in france, I'd probably include Arpege, Grand Vefour, Georges Blanc and Lameloise, in Paris, Bresse and Burgundy respectively. But, there are some dives and cafes, in places ranging from Paris, to Lyon, which could hold their own in tasty food, if you ignore the room, the service and the overall ambience.
I am seldom impressed with french cuisine in the US, but when Bouley opened the restaurant under his name in the late 80's in NYC, it was comparable to the gastronomic palaces of france. I still rate Joel Robuchon's bistro (which I've done many times, sit at the bar, not at the tables) as well as Daniel (which I haven't been to in years) as stellar. The service and ambience of Chanterelle was world class, but I don't consider it A+ cuisine, more like an A- with a very good wine list. One of the world's best hot dogs- Walter's in Mamaroneck, as well as the hot dog stand in the middle of Stockholm.
There was also that chicken on a spit place in a dungeon-like room in Lisbon- phenomenal chicken, potatoes and spicy sauce, sit at long tables, a fabulous dive.

 

The Lobster Bar in Atlanta is at the top of my current list.

 

Fogo De Chao in Sao Paulo is 2X better than the one here.
Dan Tana's, W. Hollywood
Kreutz Market, outside Houston
Peter Luger, Brooklyn NY
Mon Grenier, Encino Ca

 

Twigs, Blowing Rock NC is likely my #2. That place just rocks!

 

Maison De Marc Veyrat
13 Vieille Route des Pensieres
Veyrier-du-Lac 74290 France



Without equal on this Earth.

 

Have you tried Per Se, Thomas Keller's sister restaurant to The French Laundry?

 

Yes.

Best: La Fontana - Prato, Italy

 

Yup, one of my favorites. I also like the New Orleans version, it has a lot more ambiance, same fabulous food.

I wonder how many F-Chatters know what you're recommending here? "Outside Houston" is a little misleading, it's significantly closer to Austin and San Antonio.

I'll never forget my first trip to Del Friscos in Dallas 15 years ago. I didn't know a steak could be that good. Of course, that was before they sold out to the major corporation.

 

***ami - at the Phoenix Seagaia Resort, Miyazaki, Japan -- By far the best steak I've ever had.
Taqueria Eduardo - San José, California -- A serious dive, even scary at times, but their tacos are fantastic.


edit -- Dang profanity filter! The steak place is spelled eff - yu - kay - ay - em - eye.

 

All's I remember is that we drove for over an hour from Bellaire and that it was well worth it!

We used to go out to Mo's too.

 

Caterina's - Milwaukee

Small Italian place. Family run. Started by the dad when he came off the boat from Sicily. I know it is Milwaukee but it is THE best food I have eaten. After we moved to Madison, my wife and I used to drive over an hour for dinner every month. I have enjoyed meals in nice places in Italy, France, Spain, etc. but none have I enjoyed more than that little place.

From the start of antipasto to the Tiramisu served with a glass Frangelico on the rocks at the finish, I truly miss that place.........

 

VA, DC and Baltimore have a few good ones...
Fogo De Chao in Baltimore is great.
The Palm in Tysons Corner, VA is another great one
The Oval Room in DC is another favorite

 

Moto in Chicago...fun and exciting (think chemistry class involving food).
Tru in Chicago
Alex in Las Vegas
Craftsteak in Las Vegas
Maxims in Monte Carlo
Le Grille in Monte Carlo
NYC, there are lots of excellent restaurants but none are really the best I've ever been to. I've heard great things about Per Se, but haven't been there yet.

Best regards,
Dino

 

West, No i haven't. When it opened, I couldn't take the hype, and honestly, I've never even set foot in the building. One of the joys of eating outside of the US is that high end restaurants in places like France and Italy don't abuse you; you can have the table for the night, no stupid waits to be seated. Many of the restaurants in NYC that are fashionable/trendy put people through the wringer. Not saying Per Se is abusive, just tend to avoid the ones that are fashionable here. (Unless I am confident that I am going to be treated right...).

 

Blue Point in Atlanta across from Phipps Plaza has an awesome peanut encrusted grouper.....one of my favorites. Stoney River in Nashville is good also, its an OCharleys owned concept but you would never know it.

 

It is gone now but Star Canyon in Dallas.

Another long gone restaruant in Seattle (don't remember the name). A friend of ours was the big investor and we were all together with us bringing the wine. Nothing we had was on the menu. Before each course the manager and the chef would sample what was going to be our next wine then go off and create something as a perfect pairing.

Maha Naga in Bangkok. Contemporary Thai.

Bel Guardo in Siam Paragon, Bangkok. Very Northern Italian that is incredibly clean in the preparations. White asparagus soup that was frothed.

That makes four when the request was for the top three.

Jeff

 

Emerils in New Orleans. Sat at the "chef bar" and he personally cooked our meal. A lot of fun

Lowake Steak House, Lowake TX. Called the "best steakhouse in Texas" for a long time. Had their own private airstrip at one time.

Stubbs BBQ, Lubbock, TX. maybe not the best BBQ on the planet, but pretty damn good. Seeing Stevie Ray Vaughn and a host of other legends play there made it the best place on earth for me.

 

The best i've eaten in is "Pierre Orsi", in Lyon, France!

 

Here's a few of our favorites:

Hugo's - Hong Kong
Jimmys Kitchen - central district Hong Kong
Ratskeller am Marienplatz - Munich
La Noche - fabulous Italian food, balsamic vinegar - not much English spoken there - just outside Maranello

Best by far (eaten there on a couple trips and always worth it) - St. Gertrude's Cloister in Copenhagen - a 17th century monastery where you dine underground with candlelight only - tad bid pricey - about $300 USD for two but the food/atmosphere couldn't duplicated

Carol

 

I've been to the best in Paris, HK, NY etc but the best meal I ever had was at Alinea (Chicago). It blows Trotters away.