USA Restaurants

Our favorite restaurants in the US

Restaurant Resolutions…

It's officially the new year. It hasn't just started, it's almost February... have you made any headway on your new year's resolutions? Was it to get back in the gym? To lay off dessert? To spend more time with the family? Heck, maybe it was just to be a better person... There are a number of great tasks you could have set for yourself, but if you were a restaurant, you'd only have one new year's resolution for 2010... get some people in the seats this year! 2009 was a very bad year for the world's economy in general. It's hard to say who had it worse, and why bother [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:20:24-04:00January 22nd, 2010|Other happenings, USA Restaurants, xyz misc|0 Comments
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Meister Hut Wine Dinners, North Conway (NH)

Taking place in the 1940s-era log cabin at its summit, Cranmore's wine dinners offer a  fine dining experience in front of a fieldstone fireplace with spectacular views of the lights of North Conway Village (New Hampshire).  The editors of New Hampshire Magazine selected these Mountaintop Dinners as “Best of NH 2008.”  Guests choose between a selection of five entrees, each accompanied by wine matched to each course. The four-course wine dinner costs $150 per person. This 2010 winter the dinners will be offered on : * January 23 * February 6 * February 20 * March 13 Limited seating available. Ages 21+ only. For more information click here, or to [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:20:24-04:00January 13th, 2010|Other happenings, USA Restaurants, xyz misc|0 Comments
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Opinionated About Dining Survey Names Top Dining Experiences of 2009

While the state of the economy didn't improve very much in 2009, foodies continued to visit the top restaurants. Opinionated About Dining asked 75 top chefs, restaurateurs, food writers and bloggers where they had their best meals of 2009 and which new chefs and restaurants showed the most potential. The full list of respondents and restaurants can be found at www.opinionatedabout.com. Participants included: Dan Barber (Blue Hill, New York), Anthony Bourdain, Sean Brock (McCrady's Charleston, S.C.), Michael Carlson (Schwa), David Chang (Momofuku), Daniel Humm (Eleven Madison Park), Gale Gand (Tru, Chicago), Krista Kern Darjelais (Bresca), Paul Liebrandt (Corton), Thomas Keller (French Laundry), Danny Meyer (Union Square Hospitality Group, New York), [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:22:03-04:00January 6th, 2010|USA Restaurants, xyz misc|0 Comments
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Steak Frites For Burgers and Beer

Sometimes a burger and fries just hits the spot! Okay, okay it often does, but I know that juicy sandwich and crispy potatoes are high in fat and cholesterol, so I don't indulge too often. I tripped over Steak Frites one afternoon as a friend and I were looking for something to satisfy our hunger. We noticed a menu board outside boasting "$8.95 burger and beer at the bar," looked at each other, walked right, sat at the bar and ordered that incredible meal deal. Don't go running over there expecting the $9 incredible bargain. A restaurant spokesperson explained that the restaurant was loosing money on that offer, as they [...]

By |2017-10-22T15:01:51-04:00December 8th, 2009|City Bites, USA Restaurants|3 Comments
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Recessionary Sandwiches

The “lunch wars” are taking off. Everyone is fighting for your newly reduced lunch budget. Hey, we're all tightening our belts, so who wants to have to loosen it at the same time (stay off the fast food burgers!)? There are a number of large chain restaurants (and thankfully smaller mom/pop restaurants) that have been rolling out the specials, trying to get us to still eat out in these harder times. Quiznos has fired the latest shot in the ongoing lunch saga, stepping all over Subway's $5 footlong promotion with the introduction of two different types of subs, both under $5!! Get ready for the Toasty Bullet & Toasty Torpedo [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:20:27-04:00November 23rd, 2009|Other happenings, USA Restaurants, xyz misc|2 Comments
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IKEA FUD

Do I have to put my sandwich together myself? Will I need allen wrenches? IKEA offers food, lots of food actually. You may not have known this, but they've been doing it for a long time. IKEA, randomly, is the only place in the United States where you can purchase Daim candies (a European fave), but the furniture company is now really trying to promote their foods. As school gets back into the swing of things, IKEA wants you to know that they offer everything from lunch box essentials to dinners on the run. Oh yes, there is an IKEA Swedish Food Market. It's not just for piecemeal furniture anymore. [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:20:28-04:00November 17th, 2009|Other happenings, USA Restaurants, xyz misc|0 Comments
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Dallas Edition: John’s Cafe, Just Good Food

By Bite of the Best regional correspondent, Stephanie Amsel John’s slogan is “Just Good Food” – no gimmicks, no pretensions, just an old-fashioned neighborhood family business owned by John Spyropoulus, who never misses a chance to look up from the grill and catch your eye as you walk to the front counter. There is an art to eating at John’s, something I know since I’ve crossed the one dozen visit mark in just 4 short months. You don’t sit at a table when you walk in; instead you first walk, or saunter, always looking like you’ve done this before, up to the counter to order your food before finding a [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:20:28-04:00November 16th, 2009|USA Restaurants, xyz misc|Comments Off on Dallas Edition: John’s Cafe, Just Good Food
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StarChefs.com New York Rising Stars Tasting Menu – Boston Next

StarChefs.com's 2009 International Chefs Congress ended with a gala tasting high-concept cooking done by the 2009 New York Rising Stars held at the Mandarin Oriental (Columbus Circle).  Each dish was paired with ultra-premium wines selected the the Rising Star Sommelier Claire Paparazzo from Blue Hill. We began the evening sipping Palmes d'Or Champagne and nibbling yummy Pertossian caviar on a buckwheat waffle, with each indentation filled with either caviar or chopped red onion, egg yolk or egg white —  a dish created by host chef Brandon Kida from the hotel's Asiate restaurant. Once the doors opened to the tasting room, we sampled the chef's delicacies and the matching wine. Since [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:20:29-04:00October 26th, 2009|Foodie Interviews, USA Restaurants, USA Travel, xyz misc|0 Comments
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Another 50 Best, Another local success

Everyone has their idea of what the best are... It doesn't even matter the subject is, everyone has their own opinions. Give me the top-10 restaurants in your city, now your state, now your country, now the world. Did any of the selections from your first list make it to your last list? Well, those of us from New Haven can say so, at least when quoting the London-based, Guardian Newspaper's latest 'The 50 best things to eat in the world' article. What a statement by the way... The 50 BEST things to eat, in the WORLD! When I first saw this, I just knew I had to give it [...]

By |2017-09-01T16:51:02-04:00October 23rd, 2009|Other happenings, USA Restaurants|1 Comment
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The Bloody Mary, 75 Years Old

On October 5th, right after New York City’s mayor, Michael R. Bloomberg declared it Bloody Mary Day,  I — and about a hundred others — were invited by Paul Nash ( the general manager of the St. Regis Hotel in New York City)  to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Bloody Mary at the  King Cole Bar. According to the folks at the St. Regis, the drink began as the “Red Snapper” cocktail in 1934 when bartender Fernand Petiot concocted it for one of his vodka-loving clients who asked him to recreate a tomato juice cocktail he'd had in Paris. At that time, the name “Bloody Mary” was deemed too [...]

By |2017-10-22T15:02:20-04:00October 15th, 2009|City Bites, Rambling, Recipes, Starters, USA Restaurants|0 Comments
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New York Edition: A Second Helping of Life

Share's sixth annual A Second Helping of Life, held on September 21st at Pier 60 at Chelsey Piers with over 700 attendees (New York City) raised $405,000 for SHARE to provide peer support for women living with breast or ovarian cancer. The event — successfully coordinated by M. Young Communications  — featured 25 of New York's female chefs, guest female mixologists, actresses, editors and 22 fine wines and spirits all who donated their time, talents and products to support SHARE, a not for profit organization run by ovarian and breast cancer survivors. I ran into actress Kathleen Chalfant, an incredibly talented actress who I had seen on stage at Long [...]

By |2017-10-22T15:02:32-04:00October 13th, 2009|City Bites, Rambling, USA Restaurants|2 Comments
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New York Edition: Chop’t Creative Salad Company

My friend — who was home recuperating — sent me to Chop't when I asked where she's like me to pick up lunch. My only instructions, "No onions or green peppers." Having never been before, I was a bit overwhelmed at the fresh selections — from 5 lettuces (romaine, iceberg, arugula, spinach, mesclun), 27 add-ins, 19 meats and premium choppings, 6 cheeses, 3 fruits and nuts and a selection of 29 things to dress it with. My turn came too quickly as there was no line, so instead of hand-selecting my ingredients,  I chose one from their classics menu that fit the bill: Harvest Cobb - with grilled chicken, granny [...]

By |2017-10-22T15:03:04-04:00October 6th, 2009|USA Restaurants|0 Comments
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Table ONE – Hawaiian Dining

Another restaurant read that was too inspiring to keep to myself. I love the concept of dining a bit too much at times. A good restaurant review or announcement will keep me as glued to the page as a good novel... and a novel has yet to make me salivate... Orchid surrounded tasting menus, it's bordering on regal... Halekulani is an iconic Hawaiian luxury hotel, long celebrated for its award-winning cuisine. The hotel recently announced a new addition to their already one-of-a-kind dining experience. TABLE ONE is a restaurant where diners sit, surrounded by exotic orchids and overlooking open-air panoramic views of  Waikiki Beach. TABLE ONE features the culinary prowess [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:20:31-04:00October 1st, 2009|Foodie Interviews, USA Restaurants, xyz misc|0 Comments
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Hill-Stead Museum, Farmington, CT, Worth the Trip

Most things change dramatically, but not Farmington's Hill-Stead Museum. I first visited the museum many moons ago when doing a story on Connecticut art museums for Yankee magazine's travel guide. Hill-Stead is a home — 152-acre farmstead built about 1900 — tucked in the hills overlooking the Farmington Valley where almost nothing has changed since owner and architect Theodate Pope Riddle died in the 1940s. That's because her will, leaving the house as a museum in her parent's memory, stipulated that everything stays put! You can enjoy original works seen nowhere but here.  Collections include original furnishings, paintings by Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet, James M. Whistler and Mary [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:20:31-04:00September 29th, 2009|USA Restaurants, USA Travel, xyz misc|0 Comments
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LA Edition: Los Cabos Culinarios

I was reading recently about the new menus at The Westin Resort in Los Cabos.. The piece got me dreaming a bit.. Just thinking about great food in beautiful surroundings made me smile for no other reason. Just thought I'd share some of my read... The Westin announced its latest seasonal menus and offerings at its two restaurants, La Cascada and La Playa, bringing a plethora of fresh new items for guests to enjoy. At La Cascada Restaurant, an elaborate Sunday brunch, either indoors or outdoors in the ocean breeze, offers guests a buffet of fresh seafood... spinach stuffed and puff pastry wrapped Canadian salmon fillet... antipasti and salads such [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:22:03-04:00September 28th, 2009|USA Restaurants, xyz misc|0 Comments
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Dallas Edition: The French Room at Hotel Adolphus

By Bite of the Best regional correspondent, Stephanie Amsel Greetings from Dallas! I told my 82 year-old neighbor that I felt like my neighbors here were as nice as my neighbors in Yorkville in NYC and she just about fainted, not realizing how nice New Yorkers can be and are. I find myself constantly using the New Yorker litmus test for everything - including kind, welcoming neighbors who used to bring me a Spanish potato tortilla, like a frittata, bruschetta with anchovies, smashed tomatoes and garlic, and wine in my building, and I mean everything - which brings me to the topic of food, something I once again use to [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:20:32-04:00September 15th, 2009|USA Restaurants, xyz misc|2 Comments
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Chicago Edition: Skydeck Chicago’s Ledge: All Hype

I couldn't wait to walk out on the ledge. I had seen it when it first opened to the public in July. The Skydeck was on every national and local news with all the hype about your breath being taken away as you walked out onto the thick glass bay that juts out from the 103rd floor of the former Willis (formerly Sears) Tower. I called ahead to make arrangements with the media office as I was in Chicago for a conference with little time to spare as I had meetings all day and dinner plans at night. I took the elevator to what I thought was where the Skydeck [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:20:32-04:00September 11th, 2009|USA Restaurants, USA Travel, xyz misc|0 Comments
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New Haven Edition: Ibiza Tapas Wine Bar and Cafe, Hamden CT — I Can’t Stay Away

Ignacio Blanco always sports a smile. And he should, as he has another hit restaurant:  His new no-reservations tapas and wine bar across from Home Depot in Hamden, CT. It's easy to drive right past it on Dixwell Avenue, as there's no real sign — just a the painted side of the building. But that hasn't stopped the crowds from coming. The restaurant is buzzing no matter what time or what day you go. They begin serving at 5 pm and continue until 11 pm. Lucky for me, it's almost walking distance from my home. I just can't stay away. After my first visit when Ignacio asked to cook for [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:20:32-04:00September 10th, 2009|USA Restaurants, xyz misc|0 Comments
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New York Edition: Maialino Opening in November in the Gramercy Park Hotel

I've never met a Danny Meyer restaurant I didn't like. Seriously, his eating establishments are some of my — and many other New Yorkers' — favorites: Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, Eleven Madison Park, Blue Smoke, The Modern.... This November, he's adding Maialino, a Roman trattoria on the first floor of Ian Schrager's Gramercy Park Hotel. It's Danny Meyer's first new place since The Modern at the Museum of Modern Art in 2005. Maialino executive chef will be Nick Anderer, the former Executive Sous Chef at Gramercy Tavern. Stay tuned, as I plan to check it out and report back! -bonnie Maialino in the Gramercy Park Hotel 2 Lexington Avenue [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:20:33-04:00September 9th, 2009|Other happenings, USA Restaurants, xyz misc|0 Comments
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The 100-mile Menu

In July, The Plaza Hotel (in New York) unveiled a new signature drink, the POMONA. The drink was created to further promote The Plaza's '100-Mile Menu'. The POMONA is a locavore creation; made only from ingredients hailing from the 100-mile area surrounding New York City. The cocktail includes American Fruits' Black Currant Cordial, Lieb Family Cellars Blanc de Blanc, and locally produced honey. The signature drink was fittingly named the POMONA for the Roman goddess of abundance and orchards. A statue of POMONA actually adorns the fountain outside The Plaza's main entrance. The concept of the 100-Mile Menu is a culinary movement that marries seasonal fare with elegant style. It's [...]

By |2017-08-31T16:20:33-04:00August 27th, 2009|Foodie Interviews, Other happenings, USA Restaurants, xyz misc|4 Comments
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