Restaurants in North America
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A
In-N-Out Burger
At California’s famous In-N-Out, where the beef patties are never frozen and the potatoes are hand-diced daily, there’s a secret menu. Ask for your burger ‘animal style’ (with mustard, an onion-grilled bun and extra-special sauce).
reviewed
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B
Montage
This beloved Creole nightspot under the Morrison Bridge has long, white-clothed community tables, aggressively oddball waiting staff, oyster shooters, streetwine cocktails and legendary macaroni and cheese.
reviewed
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C
Café du Monde
Du Monde is overrated, but you're probably gonna go there, so here goes: the coffee is decent and the beignets (square, sugar-coated fritters) are inconsistent. The atmosphere is off-putting: you're a number forced through the wringer, trying to shout over Bob and Fran while they mispronounce 'jambalaya' and a street musician badly mangles John Lennon's 'Imagine.' At least it's open 24 hours - you might be able to capture some measure of noir-ish cool as the drunks stumble past in the Edward Hopper-esque wee hours.
reviewed
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D
Stash Café
Hearty Polish cuisine is served up with good humor in a dining room with seats made of church pews and daringly low red lights illuminating the tables. Staff range from warm and gregarious to completely stand-offish, but the food is consistent, with quality fare like pierogy (dumplings stuffed with meat or cheese, with sour cream) and potato pancakes with apple sauce. An enthusiastic pianist hammers away from time to time.
reviewed
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E
Veselka
Here lies the epitome of what’s beautiful in New York’s dining scene – mind-blowing variety, which can cover several continents as well as the whole gamut of budgets in just a single city block. The East Village's roots lie with Ukrainian traditions, and you can still find some low-key pierogi (dumpling) palaces hanging on, like the classic and uberpopular Veselka.
reviewed
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F
Afterwords Café & Kramerbooks
Generations of DC intelligentsia swear by this combination awesome bookstore and awesome squared brunch spot. Food is simple but very pleasing stuff, stick to your bones but pleasingly innovative – pecan-crusted catfish with hollandaise, anyone? Browsing the stacks before stuffing our guts is a favorite way to spend Washington weekends.
reviewed
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Restaurante Natura
Styled after the successful 100% Natural chain, this little bistro offers up a good mix of natural and vegetarian Mexican cuisine.
reviewed
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G
Eatery
Wooden booths, lava lamps and a neon ‘miso horny’ sign are all part of the ambience at this pop-culture reinvention of the traditional sushi joint. Bring your manga comic and dip into the giant, well-priced menu of soba bowls, curry-rice and several sushi combos, all washed down with a good selection of Japanese and Canadian bottled beers. There are plenty of vegetarian options, including some shareable platters for all those veggies who travel in packs.
reviewed
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H
360°
You don't need to tell us that dining at the top of the CN Tower is an obvious cliché, and it's damn pricey too, but come on, how can you compete with those views?! Even if the food was ordinary (which it most certainly isn't), there would be no better place in Toronto, if not Canada, for a high-class meal and a conversation about mankind's magnificent achievements. And the elevator ride is free!
reviewed
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I
Da-De-O
The best Cajun diner this side of The Big Easy, with checkerboard floors, '50s-style booths and tunes born on the bayou. Hitch yourself up to the counter and tuck into an order of jambalaya. It's a little slice of Bourbon St in the Great White North. Go on, eat to the beat, you know you want to.
reviewed
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J
Escape from New York Pizza
The Haight’s obligatory mid-bender stop for a hot slice. Pesto with roasted garlic and potato will send you blissfully off to carbo-loaded sleep, but the sundried tomato with goat cheese, artichoke hearts and spinach will recharge you to go another round.
reviewed
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K
Joe Jack’s Fish Shack
Seafood aficionados flock to this joint for fish and chips, garlic shrimp, whole red snapper and great slabs of mahi mahi. Large groups are graciously accommodated on the pleasant rooftop terrace. The service is jovial and quick, and the music classic rock.
reviewed
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L
Salt Lick BBQ
Many people say the Salt Lick is well worth the drive for the vast Hill Country horizons seen from its rustic outdoor tables. The family-style meal includes all-you-can-eat beef, sausage, pork ribs and sides. There’s also live music on weekends.
reviewed
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M
Barking Crab
Big buckets of crabs (Jonah, blue, snow, Alaskan or whatever is in season), steamers dripping in lemon and butter, paper plates piled high with all things fried… The food is plentiful and cheap, and you eat it at communal picnic tables overlooking the water. Beer flows freely. Service is slack but the atmosphere is jovial. Be prepared to wait for a table if the weather is warm.
reviewed
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N
Angeli on Decatur
Great philosophers have long debated one of the most pressing of human questions: what makes a late-night place great? We humbly submit: the food tastes as good sober as when you’re trashed at 3am. Enter Angeli: decked out with hipster art and patrons, the food here is wonderful no matter your state of mind/inebriation/whatever. It serves burger, pasta and pizza fare, but it’s top-of-the-line stuff, especially if you need to layer your tummy after a long night out. Early music sets by solid live acts are a good way to launch your evening, but bring cash – credit cards are not accepted. Good range of vegetarian dishes.
reviewed
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O
Naam
A rare and evocative relic of Kitsilano’s hippie past, this vegetarian restaurant has the feel of a comfy, highly chatty farmhouse. It’s not unusual to have to wait for a table here at peak times, but it’s worth it for the hearty stir-fries, Mexican platters and sesame-fried potatoes with miso gravy. This is the kind of veggie spot where carnivores are also happy to dine. There’s nightly live music, an array of great organic beers and a popular patio – it’s covered, so you can cozy up here with a bowl of broth and still enjoy the rain.
reviewed
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P
Bridges
You’ll easily spot this bright yellow bistro as you pass over the Granville Bridge on your way here. In summer it offers one of the best sunset patios in town from which to enjoy well-executed classics like seafood chowder, halibut and chips and thin-crust pizzas – the smoked-salmon variety is recommended. Also consider a pitcher of Granville Island Iced Tea (if you have enough friends to finish it). Diners can escape the patio clamor at the quieter, more upscale upstairs dining room (dinner only).
reviewed
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Q
Paillard Café-Boulangerie
This bright and buzzy space has high ceilings, huge windows looking onto the street and a long wooden table down the middle where diners tuck into tasty gourmet sandwiches (ham with green apples and brie; hot roast beef sandwiches with blue cheese, caramelized onions and horseradish), satisfying soups and fresh salads. The attached bakery with its displays of sweet temptation is too hard to resist. It’s a bit of a madhouse at lunchtime.
reviewed
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R
5 Spot
In Upper Queen Anne, everyone’s favorite breakfast and hangover diner is the 5 Spot. Good strong coffee keeps the staff ultraperky. Try a local legend, like the red flannel hash ($9.50), or get crazy with the wild-salmon cakes. On weekends, go early to avoid the lines snaking out the door – or go for lunch or dinner; this is an excellent place for a quiet meal featuring good American cooking.
reviewed
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S
Mint
This loungey late-night hang-out is popular with bar staff winding down after their shifts. But they don't just come to bitch about their non-tipping customers; Mint offers an eclectic, finger-licking menu of Nepalese, Tibetan and fusion delicacies that runs from spicy lamb cooked with apricots to almond-and-cashew pesto fettuccine. There's an equally diverse menu of regular DJ performances.
reviewed
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T
Roscoe’s House of Chicken & Waffles
It’s not spiffy, the lighting’s not so great, and the decor’s best described as well worn and wooden. But for LA’s best Southern soul food, look no further than this 30-year-old landmark where the namesake dish is can’t-miss. The combo sounds strange but the reality – crispy, juicy fried chicken with a side of soft, syrupy waffles – is simply delish. There’s salad on the menu, but why?
reviewed
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U
Fonda Margarita
Possibly the capital’s premier hangover- recovery spot – witness the line down the street on Saturday mornings – this humble eatery under a tin roof whips up batches of comfort food for the day ahead. Soulful fare like pork back in chile salsa verde is doled out of giant clay dishes. The fonda is beside Plaza Tlacoquemécatl, six blocks east of Avenida Insurgentes.
reviewed
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V
Artisanal
For those who live, love and dream fromage, Artisanal is a must-eat. More than 250 varieties of cheese, from stinky to sweet, are on the menu. Along with classic French mains like steak au poivre, you can sample four types of fondue (including chocolate) and gougères (little servings) of everything from Brie to Ossau-Iraty.
reviewed
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W
Güero’s Taco Bar
Oh, Güero’s, how we love you. Why must you make us wait? Well, clearly it’s because of the three million other hungry people crammed into your bar area. Still, we’ll try to be patient, because we love the atmosphere lent by the century-old former feed-and-seed store, and because we have an obsessive craving for your chicken tortilla soup.
reviewed
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X
Café Santropol
This is an iconic Montréal eatery known for its towering and creative sandwiches, its colorful digs, and lush outdoor garden patio. Its creations range from the sweet root (carrots, raisins, coriander, nuts, mayo and fresh apple) to pepper island with ham (which comes with jalapeño pepper jelly, pesto and cream cheese spread).
reviewed
