What/Where Should I Eat When I Come to Your Town/State

[brewshooter]

Having been involved in foodservice distribution for over 20 years in the SF Bay Area, I concur that there are a dizzying array of choices for excellent fare, but the picking are mighty slim in Chinatown where I would eat.

So true, I have only a couple of places I go to in Chinatown. We used to eat at this good dim sum place, and then they got the food inspection noting rat droppings and dead insects everywhere. My favorite divey Mexican joint in the Mission closed down years ago for violations including thawing raw frozen chickens in a fridge over bowls of butter. Yummy!

I've been spending a good deal of time in the bay area and have a couple of favorites.

Sable, you've mentioned several good ones. We sometimes hit the Zachary's location in San Ramon, good deep dish, but a long wait for your meal. Lefty O'Doul's and Tommy's Joynt are both San Francisco institutions.

 

[warren]

Southeastern Alaska: Goeduck (pronounced gooyduck) a rather large mollusk which, when cooked correctly is delicious.
Gulf and Southcentral Alaska: fresh King Crab
Fresh Copper River Chinook (King) Salmon when and where you can get it. Very small window of mid-May through mid-June is the season.
Grayling, less than 10 minutes out of the water, cooked on my campfire is my favorite Alaskan meal.

 

[buroak]

If you find yourself in Kansas City, MO, you obviously need to eat the barbecue. Pick Arthur Bryant's (the 18th and Brooklyn location only) and Joe's Kansas City BBQ (formerly Oklahoma Joe's) over KC Masterpiece. Also check out some of the hole-in-the-wall BBQ joints that have sprung from competition BBQ teams.

 

[mso489]

Raleigh, N.C., downtown, Bida Manda, a Laotian restaurant that is truly superior as it is rare in these or any

parts -- 222 S. Blount Street. Is Raleigh global cosmopolitan or what?

 

[mso489]

Morehead City, N.C., Tony's Sanitary Fish Market (love the name) a local institution that has some years

stronger than others, but when it's good, it is very very good. Right on the waterfront with considerable

parking.

 

[johnnyreb]

Catfish Charlie's @ Sni Landing, Wellington, MO for the best fresh catfish around! Also Camp Rulo River Club, Rulo, NE for the same. Blackened catfish with jalapeño hushpuppies or jalapeño cornbread are my favorites.
For carp fish go to Joe Tess Place, Omaha, NE. They make carp a delicacy!

 

[ravkesef]

If you're in Philadelphia, go to the Reading Terminal Market, and have the Philly steak sandwich in the place where it was invented.

 

[warren]

I thought Philadelphia suffered a great loss when Sunny's closed. Finest baby backs I ever ate, anywhere! Hands down, the best! Period! End of sentence! No debate!*
*The above is a purely subjective observation. And being such, is not open to debate or challenge. I am sure others will think otherwise. Especially if they never tasted Sunny's ribs.

 

[unholy1]

If you ever come to Iowa, though I'm not sure what you would, then you need to check out ZombieBurger in Des Moines.

 

[dcrguns]

Hatch green chilies pretty much anywhere in New Mexico. I buy them by the case at my local supermarket where they will roast them for you while you wait.

 

[lordofthepiperings]

Also, in Vegas it's my opinion that Landry's has the best burger in town, aside from In N Out that is.

 

[huntertrw]

"...aside from In N Out that is."
+1 In-N-Out Burger is a favorite when I travel in California.

 

[nurseman]

Best to stop in Chicago and eat before you go to Wisconsin ... Midwest bland is the local dish

 

[warren]

Nurseman you do your state a disservice. I've experienced some great middle-European meals in Wisconsin. One in particular, an Amish themed restaurant, served me some of the best griddle cakes and sausage I've ever eaten. It's somewhere on 90 near the Illinois line. Where ever 90 meets the main drag to the Dells area, I think. It was a whirlwind drive but I do remember that place fondly.
Wisconsin haute cuisine I can't speak to but, some of the roadside places were great. Home made kraut, great sausage and, of course, the cheese speaks for itself.

 

[lordnoble]

In Rochester, NY a Garbage Plate from Nick Tahou's is a requirement. Basically it is home fries next to mac salad with two hamburgs/cheeseburgs/red hots on top smothered in a spicy ground beef hot sauce (similar to Texas Hot Sauce) topped with chopped onions and mustard.
-Jason

 

[natibo]

In Cincinnati, OH have lunch at Skyline Chili. It won't be like any chili you have had before. For dinner, go to a Jeff Ruby's steak house.

 

[username]

All I can think of for Tucson is El Guero Canelo for the sonorian hot dogs.

 

[huntertrw]

"In Cincinnati, OH have lunch at Skyline Chili. It won't be like any chili you have had before."
This is true...they put CINNAMON (among other things) in it!

 

[dwt63]

New Orleans fried soft shell crab, from Mandina's. You will only need one. It covers the whole plate.

 

[jefflee01]

Columbia SC area Maurice's BBQ for the good bbq, California Dreaming for a good atmosphere, Sandy's Hot Dogs in Lexington SC for a good dog and next door to it is a cigar/tobacco shop, and there are too many more than I can recall off of the top of my head.