Chicago City Guide

(Updated 2014)

ITALIAN:

• Anteprima. *Love* this place. They let me rejigger their prix fixe so that I could have three courses of pasta.
• Mia Francesca
• Spacca Napoli for pizza. Really friendly; they will give you treats if you're stuck waiting too long.

MEXICAN:

• Mixteco Grill

POLISH:

• Red Apple Buffet

BRUNCH:

• Little Goat. Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard's place.

VEGETARIAN:

• Green Zebra

DRINKS / LIVE JAZZ:

• Green Mill: Awesome Jazz Age vibe - feels like Al Capone could sitting two tables over. There's a cover, but the music was amazing when I went. 

Portland City Guide

(Updated 2017)

BRUNCH:

• Southern: Pine State Biscuits. Really good sausage gravy. Sadly, I didn't have the room to try their shrimp and grits. (Aug 2014 update: Went back and had the shrimp and grits. They were good, but I think the biscuit-based dishes are stronger. Bryan had the one with the fried chicken and it was pretty awesome. Get that.)
• Mother's Bistro. Crazy long line, super popular. I wasn't blown away by the food, seemed like pretty standard brunch fare to me. Definitely yummy but it's your call whether it's worth the wait.

DINNER:

• New American: Q, f/k/a Veritable Quandry.
• Shared plates: Tasty & Sons. Can get pricey but the food is really good. My favorite dish was their Toro spinach with pine nuts and golden raisins - SO delicious. We also had the skirt steak and the pork chop with bacon jam (huge portion on the latter). Staropramen on draft to wash everything down. Yum. (Warning that they don't have A/C if you're going in the scorching summer months.)
• Peruvian: Andina. Flawless service. The ceviche is perfect for a balmy summer evening.

BEER:

• Belmont Station. A retail store that boasts over 1000 beers (local and international selections) and a dive-y bar room that has 30 drafts on tap. Very friendly staff.
• Deschutes brew pub. It's right in the Pearl district so it's perfect for an afternoon pit stop if you're shopping in the area. Their sampler is a good way to go.
• Stormbreaker. A local microbrewery. The sampler is definitely worth a try, and they have a nice, low-key outdoor space. I thought their take-away options were a bit on the expensive side; it probably works out better if you're local and already own a growler.
• Lucky Labrador. Another local microbrew. The selection's a bit limited, particularly if you don't like IPAs, and I ended up getting a cherry cider from Washington. The space is a giant, shabby hall (in a good way) and they also have two legit dartboards.

MISC:

• Voodoo Doughnuts: If you want to avoid the 'round-the-block line at the original store, go to the Voodoo Too location. I personally thought their maple bacon doughnut was inferior to Lucky's in Vancouver, but Voodoo is a Portland institution.
• Powell's Books: The most interesting part of their stock is the used books but they are scattered throughout the different rooms, sorted by category/genre and mixed in with the new books. I still had a great time browsing the shelves. Picked up a charmingly battered Brontë set with woodblock illustrations and a gorgeous Phaidon Spanish cookbook.
• Halo Shoes: Stumbled on this awesome shoe store, really great inventory, all handmade. It's pricey, but I picked up a few sale pairs from their "last pair" shelf.

Seattle City Guide

(Updated 2018)

LUNCH / BRUNCH:

• Turkish: Cafe Turko. I took a group of seven there and got unanimous raves. Some particular crowd pleasers included the muhammara (a divine walnut-based dip), the yam hummus, the beet salad and the spinch and feta börek. Very reasonable price-wise as well. Highly recommended. Also good for dinner.
• Salumi is a real Seattle institution. Note that the sandwiches are GINORMOUS and a single one can easily feed two fairly hungry people. Monday is takeout only.
• Swinery gives Salumi a real run for its money, imho. Just a bit of counter space for dine-in, tho.

DINNER:

• Tapas: List. This place has a very date-y (almost bordello-like) décor, but their happy hour special is amazing. From 4:00 to 6:30 every day, including weekends, and all day Sunday and Monday, it's half price on the food, $3.75 for wine by the glass and $2.95 for draught beer. My sister and I got the octopus salad, meatballs, sea bass, chicken with mushrooms, prawns, and a glass of wine each for a grand total of $43 before tip. Recommended enthusiastically.
• Pizza: Stoneburner. Good pizza; nice chill vibe; in the very cute Ballard neighborhood.
• Pizza: Delancey. Molly Orangette's place!
• Fancy Italian: Raccolto, in West Seattle. You probably want to make a reso.
• Cajun: Toulouse Petit. Three-course prix fixe for $39, or order à la carte. Excellent cocktails, including the Toulouse Sangria with tequila.
• Xiao long bao: There are a bunch of Din Tai Fung locations in the Seattle area. It's not quite the same experience as the Taipei locations but if this is as close as you're going to get, then it's worth a visit. Not sure what the lines are like now but they used to be horrendous.

DRINKS:

• Bookstore Bar. Great place for a drink and chat. Happy hour is 2:00 to 6:00, 10:00 to midnight. We had spectacular $1 oysters and giant glasses of wine for $5.
• Prost, in West Seattle. German beer hall, relaxed but not dive-y. A real neighborhood place.

DESSERT:

• Molly Moon's. I had their strawberry balsamic ice-cream topped with lemon curd. Fantastic.

SHOPPING:

• Vintage Mall in Fremont

Boston City Guide

FINE DINING:



CAMBRIDGE:

Washington D.C. City Guide

ITALIAN:

• Posto

EXOTIC:

• Zaytinya does Greek / Lebanese / Turkish small plates. I don't think I've ever spelled their name right on the first try, but their feta and roasted pepper dip is divine.

• Ba Bay
• Cava Mezze
• Ted's Bulletin
• Hank's Oyster Bar
• Ben's Chili Bowl

Toronto City Guide

(Updated 2012)

BRUNCH:

• School Bakery & Cafe. Alfred and I shared the spiced Benedict ($14) and the blueberry pancakes ($13) and both were yummy. Nice outdoor patio area, well shaded with umbrellas.

• The County General. Amazing fried chicken sandwich ($14).

BURGER:

• Burger Shoppe / BQM. We went to their Diner location. I had an excellent brisket Riverside burger ($11) but the real stunner was the "Über" poutine with chorizo and caramelized onions. Heart attack on a plate but Oh. My. God.

ITALIAN:

• Terroni

MISC:

• Macarons: Nadège Patisserie. The chocolate macaron was so fudgy and delicious but the cassis was my favorite.

Vancouver City Guide

(Current as of Mar 2018)

LUNCH / BRUNCH:

• Slickity Jim's. Eclectic diner vibe. Apparently this is one of Moby's favorite restaurants.
• Paul's Omelettery
• Red Wagon. Go early to avoid the lineup.
• Meat & Bread. Their porchetta sandwich has bits of crackling in it. Need I say more?

CHINESE:

• Non-dim-sum Chinese brunch: Ningtu. Get the sesame rolls with minced pork filling. Their tea-smoked duck, while not strictly a brunch item, is also amazing; it's available as a whole or a half duck.
• Dim sum: My personal favorite is Sun Sui Wah
• Hand-made noodles: Sha-lin Noodle House
• Dive-y Hong Kong cafe, cheap and casual: Angel
• All-you-can-eat hot pot: Fatty Cow

INDIAN:

• Traditional: Tandoori Raj (f/k/a Original Tandoori King). Love the lamb korma and eggplant bhartha. Their takeout portions are significantly more generous, so this is a good option for a night in with a growler of microbrew.
• Fancy: Vij's Rangoli. All the great flavors and creativity, with less fuss than at the flagship restaurant.

JAPANESE:

• Cheap, generous portions: Samurai (Fraser location only)
• Izakaya: Zakkushi
• Izakaya: Guu
• Fancy sushi + izakaya: Kingyo

CAMBODIAN / VIETNAMESE:

• Phnom Penh. For the brave, the deep-fried frog legs are amazing. For the less brave, the butter beef is too. And the chicken wings, for everyone (the lemon dipping sauce really makes this dish).

FRENCH:

• Bistro: Café Salade de Fruits
• Bistro: Absinthe
• Fancy: Le Crocodile. The decor is starting to look really dated but the food is solid.

ITALIAN:

• Tavola (f/k/a Tapastree)
• Fancy Neapolitan pizza: Nicli Antica Pizzeria
• Ludica has an entire wall of board games for you to play.

SPANISH / TAPAS:

• Sardine Can. Do not miss out on the sherry-cream mushrooms.
• España is on the fancier side and can get pricey but the food is great.

MIDDLE EASTERN:

• Jamjar. They usually have several seasonal flavors of hummus. A good option for brunch too.

MEXICAN / TACOS:

• La Taqueria. My favorite ones are the carnitas and the lengua.

WEST COAST:

• Fable. Farm to table.
• Flying Pig. Has a great happy hour.

VEGETARIAN:

• MeeT. I am a total carnivore - but SO addicted to their quinoa, sweet potato and kale salad. With a cup of the house chili, it makes for a pretty substantial meal.

SEAFOOD:

• Crab: Dungeness is great almost year-round in Vancouver, but Alaskan King crab season is truly legendary. The price for these monster crabs - live in tanks in most restaurants - dips below $20/lb, sometimes even below $15/lb, and Chinese restaurants do a particularly tasty preparation with tons of garlic called suan long. YUM!
• Geoduck: A weird-looking but delicious creature in the clam family. It's delicious simply sliced and blanched, in a dipping sauce of soy and scallions. (The cleaning and prepping is tricky so best not attempt to cook it yourself if you have no experience with it.)
• Like eating with your hands? Holy Crab
• Best salmon burger in the city: Tipper

FOR THE VIEW:

• In a park (warning: these are a tad tourist-y): Stanley Park's Teahouse or QE Park's Seasons
• A little further out: Beach House or Salmon House (unaffiliated) in West Vancouver. Enjoy a scenic drive over the Lions Gate Bridge on your way to dinner.

AFTERNOON TEA:

• Your great aunt's parlor: Adonia 
• Rustic farmhouse: Secret Garden

SWEETS AND PASTRIES:

• Purebread. A veritable orgy of baked goods. Your sweet tooth will thank you. Your waistline, maybe not so much.
• Earnest Ice Cream. I like to try the limited edition flavors, but their Tahitian Vanilla has a wonderfully restrained purity.
• Aphrodite's Pie Shop. Their strawberry-rhubarb is my favorite.
• Cheesecake Etc. They're open late, so it's a good place to catch up with old friends. My favorite thing to order is a frozen slice of the classic cheesecake with extra strawberry sauce.
• Lucky's Doughnuts / 49th Parallel Coffeehouse. Get the espresso milkshake if it's in season.
• New Town Bakery. Famous apple tarts and other Asian pastries.

MISC:

• Activity / market: Granville Island Public Market. There is an artisan sake maker, and local micro-distillery called Liberty on Granville Island.
• Kitchenwares: Gourmet Warehouse
• Dried fruits and nuts: Ayoub's

BARS:

• Main St, preppy: Portland Craft
• Main St, microbrew: Brassneck. Of the three Main Street micros, I like Brassneck's beer and selection the best. They have all the standards but I love them for their sours and seasonal fruit-infused beers.
• Main St, microbrew: 33 Acres. Their beer is a bit hoppy for my taste but their cider is divine.
• Gastown, wine: Salt - note: yes, the only entrance is off "Blood Alley"
• Gastown, whiskey: Shebeen
• Olympic Village, beer: Craft. Very deep beer menu and decent food. Can get a bit noisy in the converted warehouse space, and multiple rounds of drinks can add up to a painful bill.
• Cambie or Commercial, Belgian: BierCraft. They have Delirium Tremens on tap.
• Broadway or Commercial, nerdy: Storm Crow. A sci-fi fan's wet dream.
• Canucks games and cheap chicken wings: Original Joe's (half price on Tues); The Pint ($4/lb on Wed)

New York City Guide

(Updated 2014)

ONE MEAL TO RULE THEM ALL:

• Babbo's pasta tasting

BEST OF THE REST:

• Casual Italian: Lupa, a.k.a. Babbo-lite
• Tapas: Tia Pol
• BBQ: Fette Sau in Brooklyn, hands down
• Everything chicken: Yakitori Totto
• Lobster rolls: Mary's Fish Camp or Pearl Oyster Bar. They're neck-in-neck in my book.

JAPANESE:

• Sushi Yasuda
• Fusion, fancy: Nobu. The lobster ceviche is out of this world. Excellent miso cod too.

VIETNAMESE:

• Fancy: Omai
• Budget: Nam Son

MEXICAN:

• Móle

FRENCH:

• JoJo, a.k.a. Jean-Georges-lite. Great 3-course prix fixe lunch.
• Fancy seafood: Le Bernardin

ITALIAN:

• Po

SOUTHERN:

• Kitchenette
• Good Enough to Eat
• Spoonbread Too

BURGERS:

• Shake Shack, Madison Square Park. I don't take with those newfangled locations. I'm convinced the line makes the burger taste better. My standard order is a double cheeseburger and strawberry milkshake.
• Pulled pork sliders at Wilfie & Nell

PIZZA:

• Fancy: Otto or Pala
• Gourmet but casual: Artichoke
• Cheap: Koronet's a sentimental favorite from my student days

STREET FOOD:

• Falafel and shawarma: Mahmoun's
• Halal chicken rice truck
• Endless Summer taco truck in Williamsburg
• Belgian fries: Pommes Frites. Really hits the spot after a hard night karaoke'ing on St. Marks.
• Hallo Berlin German hot dog stand
• Takoyaki, okonomiyaki and yakisoba: Otafuku
• Ice-cream: Van Leeuwen ice-cream truck

VERY SPECIFIC UNITASKERS:

• Meatballs: The Meatball Shop
• Rice pudding: Rice to Riches

DESSERT:

• Momofuku Milk Bar for the crack pie and the chocolate-marshmallow-cornflake cookies
• Cupcakes: Billy's or Buttercup

MARKETS:

• Union Square farmer's market
• Eataly

KITCHENWARES:

• Fishs Eddy

NON-FOOD ACTIVITES:

• Shakespeare in the Park in the summer - tickets are free
• Met Opera $25 rush tickets in the fall, winter and spring
• Jazz at Lincoln Center. The Rose Theatre overlooks Columbus Circle and it's gorgeous at night.
• Brandy's Piano Bar. Singing starts at 9:30 every night but the best nights are Friday and Saturday. Grab a slice at Two Boots on the corner if you get the midnight munchies.