Outstanding Places to Eat while traveling

[Woodmiester]

With folks traveling and now and then seeing a thread on what or where someone should go to get a good meal, thought I place for anyone to post the name/location of a resturant that's really above the norm might be helpful.

Maybe it's a truck stop or a tavern, or some rundown building that no one would ever think served really good food but if you've ate there let's share the info for others to enjoy.

Might also be good to add their "most known for" plate and even aprox. cost

 

[Woodmiester]

Chicago Chop House - Chicago, Ill

One of the very best prime ribs I've ever had. It's downtown a few blocks of Michigan Ave and average in price. Bar and a few tables on the first floor with a 2nd and 3rd floor for dinner. It's an old brownstone that's been converted.

 

[jussforfun]

With folks traveling and now and then seeing a thread on what or where someone should go to get a good meal, thought I place for anyone to post the name/location of a resturant that's really above the norm might be helpful.

Maybe it's a truck stop or a tavern, or some rundown building that no one would ever think served really good food but if you've ate there let's share the info for others to enjoy.

Might also be good to add their "most known for" plate and even aprox. cost

I love Las Brisas in Laguna Nigel, So Cal
awesome food, southwest with an amazing view of the Pacific
Margaritas are outstanding hot crowd on a weekend

 

[Woodmiester]

The Boardroom, Toledo, Oh

A fantastic place with everything being great and a superb greek salad. It's downtown and of average cost. One of those places where if your in town you really should make the visit.

 

[Woodmiester]

Sciota Ribber, Portsmith, Oh

Small town place, seating is limited and it's ultra casual. One of the best steaks you'll ever eat. They server strips or ribeyes and in 2 weights, 1 or 2 pounds.
16oz is $19
32oz is $28 (if I remember right)

It's downtown on 5th streeet towards the eastern bridge headed into Ky

 

[Arden]

Ruth's Chris Steak House (many locations) Best steaks in the world, but very pricy. It's worth going at least once, however.

 

[Arden]

There are a couple of outstanding restaurants in Eureka Springs, AR.

The Cottage Inn Mediterranean Restaurant
Rogue's Manor at Sweet Spring

 

[Kissophile]

No Name Restaurant - Boston

Overlooking Boston Harbor and Logan Airport, the No Name actually doesn't have a name. That's just what the customers call it. The address is 15 Fish Pier and you'd better not forget it because there is no sign to identify the restaurant.

In business since 1917 and run by the same family the entire time, this no-nonsense seafood restaurant serves the kind of hearty meals that customers talk about for years. The seafood chowder, for example, has such large pieces of fish that they stick up out of the broth. Most entrees are between 8 and 12 dollars.

The decor is plain, the room is almost always crowded, and the food is terrific. You'd be nuts to drive in Boston anyway, and that's fine because every cabbie in town knows the No Name.

 

[carrie-on]

There's a place inthe UP in Newberry called "Timber Charlie's" They have the best corned beef sandwiches I have ever had and also broccoli cheese soup! YUMMM I may have to make a trip to town!

 

[Woodmiester]

Ruth's Chris Steak House (many locations) Best steaks in the world, but very pricy. It's worth going at least once, however.

I plan on going there one day

the day I win the lotto that is

Yea I've heard about it and your right, very pricy

 

[Woodmiester]

No Name Restaurant - Boston

Overlooking Boston Harbor and Logan Airport, the No Name actually doesn't have a name. That's just what the customers call it. The address is 15 Fish Pier and you'd better not forget it because there is no sign to identify the restaurant.

In business since 1917 and run by the same family the entire time, this no-nonsense seafood restaurant serves the kind of hearty meals that customers talk about for years. The seafood chowder, for example, has such large pieces of fish that they stick up out of the broth. Most entrees are between 8 and 12 dollars.

The decor is plain, the room is almost always crowded, and the food is terrific. You'd be nuts to drive in Boston anyway, and that's fine because every cabbie in town knows the No Name.

Looks like a good place to try, thanks
No Name

 

[done_got_old]

Sidney Street Cafe in St. Louis is a great dining experience.... not for one on a limited budget.

 

[Cathleen]

No Name Restaurant - Boston

Overlooking Boston Harbor and Logan Airport, the No Name actually doesn't have a name. That's just what the customers call it. The address is 15 Fish Pier and you'd better not forget it because there is no sign to identify the restaurant.

In business since 1917 and run by the same family the entire time, this no-nonsense seafood restaurant serves the kind of hearty meals that customers talk about for years. The seafood chowder, for example, has such large pieces of fish that they stick up out of the broth. Most entrees are between 8 and 12 dollars.

The decor is plain, the room is almost always crowded, and the food is terrific. You'd be nuts to drive in Boston anyway, and that's fine because every cabbie in town knows the No Name.

Hey, you took my place!

If you're in Boston you'll have to go to Durgin Park too (in Fanueil Hall Marketplace area). I almost don't want to tell anything about it to keep the surprise. Let's just say you better have thick skin if you go! The food is good (not outstanding) but it is the atmosphere that is the treat.......... LOL Just be prepared is all!

If you want truly outstanding and elegant dining and accomodations it would be The Federalist at XV Beacon (Fifteen Beacon). The Federalist boasts one of the countries best wine lists.

 

[DLL]

god i would say any restaurant in little italy..can't go wrong

but if you want names...a friend just told me about jakes in portland....very very good (two thumbs up)

in ny..i think i said this one ..one of by land two if by sea
and the best steakhouse ..Ben Bensons..no finer...
and Carmines...great food fun people

 

[Woodmiester]

The Pine Club, Dayton, Ohio. On Brown Street known for just great food and super steaks. Casual to formal, they don't care.
And that old saying, you will pay extra for a great meal and theirs are great but worth it

 

[1sexylady]

Theres a place in New Jersey called **The Cabin** Great food..

 

[alwaysawake]

Here's several Oregon spots...

Being a burger hound...Helvetia Tavern in North Plains; Stanich's in Portland; Giant Burger in Lake Oswego; Carver Hangar in Clackamas; and Big Jim's in The Dalles. All have large burgers and are excellent.

For steak, a small town in Eastern Oregon has the BEST. the town is Haines and establishment is the Haines Steakhouse. Here's the most expensive item on the menu...a 20oz Porterhouse Steak; baked potato with all the trimmings; homemade beans; homemade bread and rolls; and a complete/varied salad bar for $26.95 (no sales tax in OR).

A truck stop in Bend, OR called Jake's has HUGE portions and inexpensive prices. For example, the chicken fried steak comes on an oval platter and the veggies/mashed potatoes on a second one! LOL

For five star dining, the Jacksonville Inn in Jacksonville, OR is a five star restaurant with a great wine list and microbrew beers. Wonderful food, but pricey!

 

[Hornymama]

you mean people actually eat somewhere besides fast food places WOW i am missing out

 

[Woodmiester]

you mean people actually eat somewhere besides fast food places WOW i am missing out

Fast food is okay now and then ...... myself I like burger king better than mckrapolds and their airfluffed junk

 

[1sexylady]

Fast food is okay now and then ...... myself I like burger king better than mckrapolds and their airfluffed junk

If I eat fast food I am a Burger King girl...Just give me the Whopper...

 

[Denae]

Not so much for a traveler, but it was a wonderful place to eat while vacationing in New Orleans. We just happened to be walking by and looking at menus to have one great meal.

La Louisianne--the best dining experience I've ever had away from home. Our reservations were made by a janitor who welcomed us as we perused the menu in the window in the early morning hours. Nothing could have made this a better evening. Mouthwatering meal, perfect service, after dinner a glass of wine with the bartenders and a piano bar. Lovely. I've recommended this place to several people who have had nothing but a positive experience as well.

 

[omahaman2]

Depending on your perspective, Interstate Bar-B-Que is notable for a number of diverse reasons.

To many connoisseurs of chopped pork and beef, it offers the best tasting barbecue in Memphis, a city regarded by many as the barbecue capital of the world. To neighborhood residents and businesses, it's a perfect example of one man's successful urban renewal campaign. To family members, it has presented practically unlimited career opportunities,

But for the judges of Memphis Business Journal's 15th annual Small Business Awards, Jim Neely's 15-year-old barbecue restaurant at 2265 S. Third is simply one of the best small businesses in the area. Interstate Bar-B-Que was named Small Business of the Year in the category of 26-75 employees.

For Neely, the success of his restaurant couldn't be more of a surprise

"Everything you see here has been an accident,- says Neely with a sweep of his arm. Shortly before the noon-time rush, Neely surveys the main dining room that is decorated on one wall with photos of three generations of his family,. Photos of celebrities such as rockabilly artist Carl Perkins and blues singer Bobby 'Blue' Bland adorn the opposite wall.

Like many other aspects of Neely's life, the business that employs 42 people came about because of the founder's curiosity.

"If I was a cat I would not have lived long," says Neely, who then asks with a grin, "You know about curiosity and cats, don't you?"

His career as a respected restaurateur in Memphis has some of its roots in California. Although born in Memphis, Neely and his family moved to Los Angeles in 1958 as he pursued a career in the insurance industry. On his frequent return visits to his home town, Neely always had to satisfy his craving for Memphis barbecue.

When I was a kid, Memphis had good barbecue on every corner, especially in the black neighborhoods," recalls Neely.

The Neely family moved back to Memphis in 1972 and Jim Neely opened successful insurance agencies throughout the south. While headquartered in Memphis, he had offices in such cities as Nashville, St. Louis, New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

A Rough Neighborhood
He worked long hours and frequently didn't stop to grab a sandwich until 9 p.m. or later. Neely found it harder and harder to find a good Pork barbecue sandwich in the heart of the city in the late 1970's.

About this same time, one of Neely's sons had to have his spleen removed while in the military. The operation left the son disabled and with an uncertain future. To help his son after he was discharged, Neely bought an old grocery store at 2265 S. Third in 1979.

Not only would the grocery store provide his son with a job, Neely thought the store might provide himself with a way to supplement his income once he retired from the insurance business.

The store was run down and had become a place for a rough element to hang out, drink, take drugs and get in the occasional fight. Most people probably would never have imagined the store could become a prosperous business. And even though the stench from the store caused Neely and his wife to wear bandannas over their noses while they cleaned it, Neely saw something in the establishment that others didn't.

People asked me why I came to this location and I said to them, "It's not the land, it's the man," says Neely. "I had a vision for what this place could become.

These were rough days. While the Neely's cleaned up their new small business, they went ahead and cleaned out some of the more unwelcome people who were loitering around the business. With out getting specific, Neely notes he had to rely on a billy club and his 38 caliber pistol every once in a while to convince some of the more unsavory characters he was serious about reclaiming his corner of this commercial strip.

An Idea Is Born
Once the area was made safer, Neely wondered how he could make his grocery store stand apart from other neighborhood markets. He toyed with the idea of adding a beauty shop to the grocery store. Then, he remembered how difficult it was on occasions to get the barbecue he recalled so fondly from his youth. He also remembered a friend of his who operated a fine barbecue Joint in California.

He asked his friend in California if he could help him bring this barbecue restaurant idea to fruition. His friend said while he would not divulge the ingredients to the recipe for his barbecue sauce, he could help him with other aspects of the business.

"I told him I didn't want his sauce recipe, I just wanted to find out how to keep a fire going for hours without it going out," says Neely.

His friend showed Neely the tricks of the trade and Neely returned to Memphis. He built a special barbecue pit enabling him to cook his barbecue with indirect heat. Using a combination of natural gas and hickory wood, these special pits slowly cook the meat without a flame ever touching them.

"It cooks in a closed pit," says Neely. "It creates a vapor. With moisture that surrounds the meat and keeps the moisture in the meat and keeps it from drying out."

Using this method, Interstate Bar-B-Que cooks the meat for about five hours. Using two of the specially built pits, Neely can cook as many as 500 slabs of ribs at a time.

The Secret Sauce
Developing the sauce proved even more difficult than figuring out how to keep a fire burning. Since Neely didn't have some secret family recipe he could rely on, he basically started from scratch.

"I spent two and a half years talking to old people who had some good recipes and then I would try this and that and I came up with the recipe we use today."

It is a recipe that obviously works. Its success shows in not only the critical raves it has received, but in the continued success of the business as well.

Interstate was rated as the second-best barbecue in the nation by People magazine in 1989. Vogue magazine pronounced it the best commercial barbecue in Memphis. After a two-month search of numerous restaurants in Memphis, The Commercial Appeal named Interstate Bar-B-Que as the home of the best all-around pork barbecue sandwich in the city in 1989.

Until 1985, the combination grocery/restaurant seated about 40 people. In 1986, Neely knocked down a wall to give the eatery more room. In 1989, he had to get rid of the grocery store altogether to meet the demand for the barbecue. The restaurant could accommodate about 100 hungry customers until 1993, the year the business added another room so it can now seat 275. Early in 1994 Neely added a drive-through.

Over the years the restaurant has provided solid jobs for the Neely family. At the moment more than a dozen family members work there. About five years ago, Neely's nephews decided to go out on their own, opening two Neely's barbecue restaurants in town. Neely's brother now operates the restaurant in California where Neely first learned how to operate a barbecue pit.

"The reason we have succeeded is because of our quality and customer satisfaction and trying to be just a little bit better. I couldn't have made it without my wife or my customers. That's why I want to say, 'Thanks Memphis.'"


Jim Neely's Interstate Bar-B-Que is proud of our accomplishments. Over the years, we have earned many awards and honors for our barbecue!

People Magazine -- rated as the second-best barbecue in the nation.
Vogue magazine -- pronounced Interstate the best commercial barbecue in Memphis.
The Commercial Appeal -- named Interstate Bar-B-Que as the home of the best all-around pork barbecue sandwich in the city.
USA Today -- Best place in America for a pork BBQ sandwich.
In a subline dining review on where to eat in America, done by USA TODAY. Only two restaurants in Memphis made the review. Interstate Bar-B-Que for barbecue, and Buntyn Street Restaurant for home cooked meals.

 

[Woodmiester]

sounds good, and now I'm a ankerin for some BBQ

 

[DLL]

Originally posted by gwh
Oh, and another one! Legal Seafood! The freshest fish and some unusual preparations along with the more standard grilled, seared and fried. And good wine too.

I personally do not care for Legal Seafood I think a better seafood place is the Chart house....but i like the clam chowder at Legal...

 

[dcraz]

Sidney Street Cafe in St. Louis is a great dining experience.... not for one on a limited budget.

For the St Louis Area...

Louis and Clarks in St. Charles - Got to try the white chili!

And in St Louis, Deirdorf and Harts for GREAT steaks!!!