Favorite places to eat in your area

[westkoast]

Sorry guys, I know it's turned into food day somehow but I am curious on some of those hard to find places to eat in your areas.  I haven't been to SLC in two years but we do have work with the Utah Department of Transportation so I may be out there.  Would love to hear from the Utah residents about spots.  Jem, Santa Barbara?  Reality, SD?  JoMal, Sac-town?  The only place I found that was cool was Chevy's that overlooks some river.  Chevy's is all over the place and the food isnt that great but it was a cool place to have drinks at, right on the water. 

[jemagee]

Santa Barbara has a great italian place called ca d'ario - at least i like it a lot, mores than the other trendy/popular italian places

If you want a good burger, hit the santa barbara brewing companies, good local beers (i'm told, i don't drink) great burgers, heavnly garlic rosemary french fries and college girl waitresses who will flirt with you for extra tips.

Football Sunday, Sharkeez for breakfast, nice hawiian bread french toast.

There's no good deli/bagel place in santa barbara and it's kind of sad, i prefer the hambruger habit, fatburger (and when it was open RGs) to in and out if i'm going 'affordable' versus brewing company which is more of a bar/rest than cheap eats

Mexican Food - Super Cucuas, two local locations, great food, good prices, rudys is good (and closer to work) but cucas is better.

No real diners, but there is a place called the mesa cafe that comes close.

Sushi - don't eat a lot - but there's a place downtown called piranaha i think that every one loves, but i think that's more trendy than anything else...i can't say for sure, but i know it ain't cheap

Pizza, Taffys is the best locally, giovannis is ok, depending on which one you go to

If you come to SB and want a place on the water, there are dozens, from Longboards on top of a 'real' restaurant whose name I forget to moby dicks that are out on a pier,

The original SAMBOs is still open in santa barbara, and people rave by it for brekfast, but i've been there and was unimpressed, ditto for cajun kitchen, long wait for not so good food...

Nice burger place called the shoreline cafe, you can literally order and sit on the beach.

Eating by the beach is a given in santa barbara, pretty easy :0

[rickortreat]

In Philly there's good food everywhere, both in the City and the burbs and you can get the best and worst here.  The bad places don't last too long, but some of them manage to hang on.

Best deals for meals are in Chinatown in downtown Philly, and there are always pizza joints, burger joints, and cheese-steak joints in every neighborhood (sometimes the same place).

For Sushi the best place is a Japanese Seafood Buffet in Norristown of all places.  Expensive but you can get any kind of sushi you want or imagine there, fresh and laid out on a platter for you to come and get. Also, every other type of Japanese cuisine, all done to perfection.  Or you could go to Iron Chef Moromito's if money is no object.

For French the best is Le Bec Fin. but of course the prices are very expensive there.

There are lots of top-level Chefs in Philly and prices can get high, but it is always cheaper here than the same meal in the same level restaurant in NY.

Everything can be found here, from every ethnicity you can imagine.  I have lots of favorites, but it depends on what kind of food I want at that particular time.

 

[WayOutWest]

La Guelaguetza - Authentic food from Oaxaca, they are tops in City Search Restuarant Ratings but their food is not as tastey as their hole in the wall competion Las 7 Regiones.  Guelaguetza is more upscales and attracts diners from all walks of life for the "off the beaten" path of Mexican food.  This is probably Mexican food like most have never had before, mole is the end all be all Mexican party food.

El-Cholo - An LA landmark, just three blocks from my house, pretty authentic Mexican food.  Tons of celebs with the owner on the walls, including every Laker great and Dr Buss himself.  This is also probably not what most people expect, this food is pretty authentic, meaning pretty simple and plain.  Almost all Mexican food places in the US cater to the locals and over condiment and season the food, same way Pizza is here in the US vs Italy.

Papa Christos - Consistently voted the best Greek restaurant in LA, hard to believe that place has been there for over 20 years and I just found out about it 4 years ago.

Capitol Burger - Very good burgers, owned by a couple of greeks (how do those guys make the best burgers?).  They buy the same frozen pattys and buns I buy at Smart and Final but they make it their own with the seasoning.  They make their fries from scratch everyday.  Good chillie and awesome shakes.  Very much a local place cause if you drive by it you would think it is a burnt out buisness left over after the LA riots.  The best part is when the owner is there, he's constantly giving his sons a hard time, 20 years ago they would yell back at him but now they just stare at their shoes and mumble, they never ever smile.

Oki-Dog - Very wide range of wierd hotdog combos, burrito dogs, pastrami dogs, etc..  It's in an utlra ghetto location, right next to Rosco's house of chicken and waffles.  Better come strapped!

Toms #5 - Tommy's twin brother, hard to tell the difference between the two.  Toms #5 is a bit more ghetto, they serve 2 to 4 dollar assortment breakfests that attrack all the local bums and drunks.

Honestly, it would not be surprising if you car got broke into at any of those places with the exception of El Cholo.  You might even get "hit up".  Puro West side FOOLS!

[Laker Fan]

El Tepeyac on Evergreen, en East Los, specifically City Terrace (heart of the Varrio), the BOOOOOMB! Used to be in Monterey Park but it's cool where it is now, first class burro's, not htat some insipid little eastcoast clown would understand the difference.

[WayOutWest]

El Tepeyac on Evergreen, en East Los, specifically City Terrace (heart of the Varrio), the BOOOOOMB! Used to be in Monterey Park but it's cool where it is now, first class burro's, not htat some insipid little eastcoast clown would understand the difference.

El Tepeyac is another place that is consistently voted as a top spot to eat on City Search by both editors and readers.  It's definately on my "to do" list.

[westkoast]

Here are a few in Orange County that are very good...

Garlic Joe's in Newport Beach - If you like garlic and steak then this might be heaven on earth for you.  Right on PCH, little bit of a snobby atmosphere, but it is great to go to for a fancy dinner.  The garlic steak there is the best bar none.

Kobe's Steak House in Seal Beach - Not owned by Laker great Kobe Bryant   It's a teppan place so think Benihana but with much better beef, chicken, and sea food.  They also put on a better show.  Priced about the same as Benihana is.  Much better though.  Right off the 405 as you pass the 605 coming north or right before the 605 if you are going south.  Certainly not hole in the wall but doesn't get the same "love" Benihana gets.

El Chinaco in Costa Mesa - BOMB Salvadorian food.  The pupusas are like crack.  To the point where I think I could lose everything I own on a really bad pupusas binge if I was down and out.    This is at the end of the 55 freeway on 19th street.

Tina & Vince's Italian Deli in San Clemente - One of the best Italian deli's i've been able to find in the OC/SD area.  I am a sucker for Italian sandwiches and this is has the best ones.  You know being that I am Italian and all family get togethers use to look like the Sopranos where a bunch of Italians are digging over meats and cheeses for their sandwiches.  I've never once had the pizza there but I make special stops to this place anytime I have to go to San Diego for work.   It's right off Avenida Del Mar the main street you would want to go to if you wanted to get a small beach city vibe.