# What's the best restaurant where you've eaten? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 23, 2005, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-restaurant-where-youve-eaten/323058 "2005-09-23T14:51:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-restaurant-where-youve-eaten/323058/1 "2005-09-23T14:51:39Z")
This could be a hard question, so let’s break it up into categories. Best appetizers Best entree Best dessert Best drinks Best service Best atmosphere Most expensive For me: Best appetizers Lola’s, on Martha’s Vineyard. Best biscuits ever. Best entree Lola’s, on Martha’s Vineyard. Coconut-encrusted grouper with lemon cream sauce. Best dessert Ban Chiang in Jamaica Plain, MA. Coconut ice cream surrounded by fried bananas. Topped with exotic fruits and drizzled with chocolate sauce. Best drinks Trudy’s in Boston. Great margaritas. Best service Maison Robert in Boston. Four waiters just to bring the soup? That’s service! Best atmosphere Aloha in Rochester, NY. It has a pond with a little bridge over it. What’s cooler than that? Most expensive Omni Parker House in Boston. $95 per plate on New Years Eve. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-restaurant-where-youve-eaten/323058/2 "2005-09-23T15:38:33Z")
**Best appetizers** Dalí - Somerville, MA (all of them! esp. the garlicky chicken, the baked goat cheese, the octopus vinaigrette, the roast duck in berry sauce) **Best entree** Osteria Pepò - Florence, Italy (rabbit stewed in red wine with olives) **Best dessert** Ruth’s Chris - New Orleans, LA (a very light French-style cheese cake with an equally light blueberry sauce - perfect after a heavy steak) **Best drinks** Boston Beer Works - Boston, MA (Centennial Alt! Centennial Alt! Centennial Alt!) **Best service** Vivere - Chicago, IL **Best atmosphere** Victoria - London, England (some mediocre pics [here](http://www.professorharbottle.co.uk/pub/londonwest/victoria.html) - we spent a few evenings sitting by the fire drinking Fuller’s and eating food with gravy on it) **Most expensive** - Morton’s - Boston, MA (spent a little under $300 for two, but that included wine) **NEW CATEGORY Best Overall Experience** House of Nanking - San Francisco, CA (a friend took us there, told the waitress we eat everything & to bring us whatever. We had some of the most amazing Chinese food I’ve ever had - and I have no idea what some of it was. There were unfamiliar vegetables and unfamiliar meats throughout. Great time!) ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-restaurant-where-youve-eaten/323058/3 "2005-09-23T15:47:39Z")
> [@Motorgirl](#): > > **Most expensive** - Morton’s - Boston, MA (spent a little under $300 for two, but that included wine) Where is that exactly? > [@](#): > > **NEW CATEGORY Best Overall Experience** House of Nanking Heh. At first I thought you said House of Wanking. Sounds like fun but I don’t think I’d eat there. That’s a hard category but I’d have to call it a tie between Maison Robert and Lola’s. The primary difference being “Bon appetite!” and “Bon appetite, y’all!” And I should make special mention of the two best places in the world to get fried chicken. The Florida House in Jacksonville, FL and The Brookville House in KS. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-restaurant-where-youve-eaten/323058/4 "2005-09-23T15:59:12Z")
[The Waterside Inn](http://travel.guardian.co.uk/restaurants/story/0,13739,1002866,00.html) in Bray Berkshire would rank first in every category. ---
**Author:** ![SuperNelson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@SuperNelson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuperNelson)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-restaurant-where-youve-eaten/323058/5 "2005-09-23T16:06:37Z")
Best appetizers: Potato puffs at Antoine’s in New Orleans, Oysters Bienville at Parrain’s in Baton Rouge, or Cheddar Fries at Snuffers in Dallas (if it has over 4,000 calories is it still an appetizer?) Best entree: The Daily Grill on Rhode Island in Washington, DC had lobster pot pie as a chef’s special one night. Haven’t seen it on the board since, but it was wonderful. Best Dessert: Chocolate soup at the Palace Arms in the Brown Palace in Denver. Bananas Foster at Commander’s Palace in New Orleans. El Diablo at Tango in Seattle (dark chocolate with cayenne and caramel…) Best Drinks: Strongbow cider at any decent pub in London. Margaritas at the Blue Goose in Dallas. Best Service: Antoine’s in New Orleans, hands down. Ask for Charles. Best Atmosphere: Canlis in Seattle. Pat O’Brien’s courtyard at night on a quiet night (yes, there is such a thing). The Aerie on Vancouver Island. High tea at the Empress in Victoria. Most Expensive: I try not to think about the bill after I’ve paid it. There are some doozies on this list, but none stands out from the crowd. ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-restaurant-where-youve-eaten/323058/6 "2005-09-23T16:17:27Z")
**Best appetizers** there’s a liitle Mexican place near where I work - they have the most marvelous eggplant appy - it’s almost like a rotini, but lighter, and with a kick **Best entree** the Palm Court in the Omni Hotel in Cincinnati - it was veal medallions in some wonderful sauce - it was rapturous (but since I live in NY, it’s not likely I’ll make a special trip for that again) **Best dessert** Applebee’s has a warm fugdy brownie that makes my eyes roll back into my head **Best drinks** Applebee’s - especially their ice cream based drinks **Best service** some italian place in Greenwich Village I went to years ago (I cannot remember the name) each server had only two tables so “attentive” was an understatement. IIRC we tipped 30% that night **Best atmosphere** if the lighting isn’t too subdued, if the music isn’t too loud, and if parents keep their rugrats in check, I’m happy **Most expensive** Mareno’s Steak House - before figuring in drinks and dessert, we were at $50 each - but it was well worth it ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-restaurant-where-youve-eaten/323058/7 "2005-09-23T16:18:04Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Where is that exactly? It’s on Boylston, between (I think) Fairfield & Exeter. Its entrance is very subtle, looks almost like the entrance to a corporate office. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-restaurant-where-youve-eaten/323058/8 "2005-09-23T16:26:46Z")
I have been fortunate enough to each at **The French Laundry** in California’s wine country and **Masa’s** in San Francisco - both were exquisite from start to finish. Their reputations are richly deserved. And I got to expense one of them!! I also ate at a place in Provence in France that has a similar “best ever” reputation, but the name escapes me. Oueste something? It was meh. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-restaurant-where-youve-eaten/323058/9 "2005-09-23T16:27:54Z")
> [@Motorgirl](#): > > It’s on Boylston, between (I think) Fairfield & Exeter. > > Its entrance is very subtle, looks almost like the entrance to a corporate office. Ah. There are a few restaurants tucked into tiny corners around there. Somewhere on Newbury Street there’s a boarded-up crackhouse door, behind which is the hugest and bestest Italian food you’ve ever had. ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-restaurant-where-youve-eaten/323058/10 "2005-09-23T16:29:27Z")
> [@Motorgirl](#): > > It’s on Boylston, between (I think) Fairfield & Exeter. > > Its entrance is very subtle, looks almost like the entrance to a corporate office. My brother’s recording studio used to be there - top floor of one of those brownstones - closer to exeter IIRC that restaurant name sounds familiar - how long has it been in existance? ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-restaurant-where-youve-eaten/323058/11 "2005-09-23T16:29:35Z")
In terms of pure enjoyment: Battista’s Hole In The Wall, in Las Vegas. So delicious you’ll slap your momma. Everything there was soooo good, and the espresso they give you after your meal is superb. Compared to Battista’s, the Olive Garden is like Spaghetti-Os. Best dessert was probably that slice of cheesecake I bought at Dee’s Cheesecake Factory in Albuquerque. My wife tasted hers first, and started making “oh my god”-type orgasm noises. “It can’t be THAT good,” I said. Oh, but yes it was. Try the almond amaretto. Most expensive in recent memory was Fulton’s Crab House in Downtown Disney. We ate there about a month and a half ago. The bill for my wife and myself was $184, and we didn’t drink any alcohol. That was for a meal of: appetizer of grilled scallops, main course of filet mignon with Alaskan king crab claws, and some sort of killer chocolate cake and cheesecake for dessert. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-restaurant-where-youve-eaten/323058/12 "2005-09-23T16:35:23Z")
Okay - here it is: [L’Oustau de la Baumanière](http://www.concierge.com/destination/provence/restaurant/Property/Restaurant/data/provence/fodors/LOustaudelaBaumaniere.xml/) Fancy? Yep, the pigeon terrine qualifies. Expensive? No kidding - way too much just for lunch. Good? Again - meh. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-restaurant-where-youve-eaten/323058/13 "2005-09-23T16:41:23Z")
> [@anyrose](#): > > My brother’s recording studio used to be there - top floor of one of those brownstones - closer to exeter IIRC > that restaurant name sounds familiar - how long has it been in existance? According to the lady at the front desk (just phoned them) they’ve been in that location for 18 years. ---
**Author:** ![rpinrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b3f665/32.png) [@rpinrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rpinrd)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-restaurant-where-youve-eaten/323058/14 "2005-09-23T16:44:01Z")
Number one in each of those categories for me would be the **French Room** at the Adolphus Hotel in Dallas. The food, serivce, atmosphere, food, and the food are all out of this world (with a bill to match). Funny story that happened the last time Mrs. Nrd and I were there. We we’re enjoying one of the little palette cleansers they bring out between each course (probably a lemon ice) and I was saying something about them, but I couldn’t remember the right word. So I was fumbling along trying to describe the course that came between two of the other courses, you know, “the intercourse!” Pretty funny at the time, although I don’t think any of the other tables heard me. ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-restaurant-where-youve-eaten/323058/15 "2005-09-23T16:58:50Z")
> [@Motorgirl](#): > > According to the lady at the front desk (just phoned them) they’ve been in that location for 18 years. I think he’d already moved the studio to his home by then ---
**Author:** ![rexnervous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e9c0ed/32.png) [@rexnervous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rexnervous)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-restaurant-where-youve-eaten/323058/16 "2005-09-23T17:04:38Z")
Hmm…what’s funny is that while I’ve eaten in a number of remarkably good restaurants, but damn if I remember much about 'em. So my list is short. [New Category] **Best Salad** : _Cafe Rosemary_ in Bend, Oregon. They only make one salad, and it’s part of the cost of the meal. But it’s by far the best salad I’ve ever eaten. **Best Appetizer** : _Obaeur_ in Werfen, Austria. Trout Strudel **Best Atmosphere** : _Princeville Hotel_ in Princeville, Kauai. Forget which restaurant it was there, but we sat outdoors as the sun set at the edge of the verandah next to a lipless pool, overlooking Hanalei Bay. **Most Expensive** : was probably _Obaeur_. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-restaurant-where-youve-eaten/323058/17 "2005-09-23T17:12:54Z")
> [@rexnervous](#): > > [New Category] **Best Salad** : Eagle Inn in Rowley, MA. They put wasabi peas in it. ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-restaurant-where-youve-eaten/323058/18 "2005-09-23T17:21:52Z")
I’ll list my favorites by place. Pacific Northwest: [Anthony’s](http://www.anthonys.com/). It’s a chain, but the one where I’ve eaten, in Bellingham, has just about the best sourdough bread, the Alder Planked Salmon is incredibly good, and the Wild Mountain Blackberry Cobbler is the best dessert I’ve ever eaten. The first time I ate it I almost cried because I was too full to eat it all. San Francisco Bay Area: [Skates On the Bay](http://www.skatesonthebay.com/), in the Berkeley Marina. Great view, great food, great drinks, great everything. I’ve eaten a lot of different dishes there, ranging from fish to pasta to steaks. It’s all been excellent. I love their Bloody Marys, too. Los Angeles: [Dar Maghreb](http://www.darmaghrebrestaurant.com/client/darmaghreb/) Moroccan food. Beautiful decor and fantastic dishes, especially the chicken and the signature dish, B’stilla. As if it eating excellent food until you’re about to pop wasn’t enough, they have belly dancers. New York: [Artie’s Delicatessen](http://www.arties.com/). OK, so it isn’t a foodie paradise, and probably on no one’s top 50 New York restaurant list. I can’t help it. I ate six different things, including my favorite, the corned beef and pastrami, cole slaw and russian dressing sandwich, and I fell in love. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-restaurant-where-youve-eaten/323058/19 "2005-09-23T17:26:18Z")
**Best Salad** John Harvard’s - Cambridge, MA. The sadly departed Catch of the Day Salad. A piece of grilled fish on top of greens with _fresh_ sweet corn, roasted red pepper, some other stuff, and a fantastic vinaigrette. It hasn’t been on the menu the last few times I’ve gone, so I’m worried it’s gone for good. ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-restaurant-where-youve-eaten/323058/20 "2005-09-23T17:31:29Z")
[Best Salad] _ **Dont’ Yell at me but** _ i really like MacDonald’s California Cobb with grilled chicken and Newman’s Own dressing - I have that at least twice a week [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-restaurant-where-youve-eaten/323058.md?page=2)