dining guide

I am eternally grateful to have traveled as extensively as I have in just 28 years. And in those few times I've been lucky enough to call (city*) home, I've definitely uncovered a few culinary gems. Bon app !

Baltimore, Maryland
Faidley's for life-changing crab cakes
Red Emma's Bookstore for coffee and sandwiches

Berlin, Germany
Cafe Kranzler for a historical coffee break
Dos Palilos for Japanese tapas
Eat Cha Cha for Thai
Jules Verne for a German wine list
Kaffeebar for cappuccinos
Schleusenkrug for beer & sausages
The Barn for a caffeinated breakfast

Boston, Massachusetts
Abigail's Restaurant for a Cambridge meal
Roxy's Grilled Cheese for... grilled cheese
The Salty Pig for craft brews
Tealuxe for Harvard Square coffee/tea
Tory Row for veggie burgers

Boquete, Panama
The Rock Restaurant for international gourmet

Brussels, Belgium
Delirium Café for beer at any hour
Le Roy d'Espagne for an aperitif/cocktail
Les Brassins for a Belgian brasserie meal
Monk Bar for live music
Pistolet for breakfast/lunch
Portrait de Famille for Sunday brunch
Wittamer for chocolat chaud

Cuenca, Ecuador*
Café Austria for specialty coffees
Café Eucalyptus for international fare and dancing
Govindas Restaurante for prix-fixe vegetarian
Tres Estrellas for cuy

Edinburgh, Scotland
Brass Monkey for low-key brews
Khushi's for spicy Indian
The Devil's Advocate for a great gastropub
The Edinburgh Larder for Scottish farm-to-table
The Queens Arms for a New Town pub
The Vintage for new Scottish cuisine
Urban Angel for a lighter British breakfast


Jersey City, New Jersey
Light Horse Tavern for oysters, seafood, and wine
Satis Bistro for French/Italian/American delicacies
Tommy Two Scoops for gelato

Lisbon, Portugal
Fábulas for a trendy lunch
Pasteis de Belem for pastel de nata
Pensão Amor for cocktails
Restaurant Pharmacia for Portuguese tapas
Tartine for coffee and petit-dejeuner
Terrace BA for martinis with a view

Los Angeles, California*

Madison, Wisconsin
Graze for beer, cheese curds, and salads
Sunroom Cafe for lunch with U. Wisconsin students
The Chocolate Shoppe for ice cream
The Old Fashioned for cheaper beer and cheese curds
The Weary Traveler for kombucha cocktails

Montreal, Canada
Aux Vivres for vegan
Barraco for wine and cheese
Crêpe Café for... crêpes
Dieu de Ciel for microbrews
La Distillerie for drinks
La Garde Manger for dinner worth the reservation

New Orleans, Louisiana
Acme Oyster House for catfish po'boys
August for contemporary French
Café du Monde for beignets
Royal Street Deli for healthier options

New York, New York
Bronx
Zero Otte Nove for Northern Italian
Brooklyn
Barboncino for Neapolitan pizza
Chavellas for Mexican and cocktails
Flatbush Farm for happy hour
Traif for an indulgent brunch
Manhattan
AQ Kafe for a Scandinavian lunch
Alloro for innovative Italian
Awash for Ethopian
Ayza Chocolate & Wine for... chocolate, and wine
Balade for Lebanese
Beyogulu for Turkish
Café Asean for Vietnamese
Café d'Alsace for Alsatian (eastern French)
Café du Soleil for a French brunch
Café Viva for healthier pizza
Candle Café for affordable vegan
Caravan of Dreams for weekday vegan & organic brunches
Celeste for authentic Italian
Death & Co for tequila cocktails
Dos Caminos for guacamole
Gotham Bar & Grill for Restaurant Week
Grandaisy Bakery for workday coffee
Heidi's House by the Side of the Road for the least pretentious wine
Hummus & Pita Co for workweek lunches
Kaia Wine Bar for South African wine and cuisine
L'Arte de Gelato for... gelato
Land Thai for lynchee martinis and innovative Thai
Le Colonial for French-Vietnamese
Le Pain Quotidien for hot chocolate
L'Orange Bleue for North African
Loreley Biergarten for German beer and pretzels
Lulu's Apothecary for vegan ice cream
Lucky Strike for bistro fare and generous cocktails
Marche du Sud for a taste of the south of France
Mary's Fish Camp for the freshest seafood
Maya for unique Mexican
One Lucky Duck for green juice
Oren's Daily Roast for amazing coffee
Peace & Love Cafe for sandwiches
Pão for Portuguese
Pomaire for authentic Chilean
Pravda for infused vodkas and cocktails 
Pure Food and Wine for gourmet raw & vegan fare
Red Mango for frozen yogurt
Rye House for drinks and/or dessert
Sanctuary T for a prix-fixe brunch
Socarrat for Spanish paella
Spring Street Naturals for whole foods
Tapeo 29 for Spanish tapas
Terroir for wine, lots of it
The Gallery Bar for LES dancing and drinks
The Green Table for local eats
The Seahorse Tavern for the freshest seafood on the UES
The Sunburnt Cow for a boozy brunch
The Tangled Vine for wine dates
Tiffin Wallah for Indian
Tree Bistro and Garden for French-American
Tré for an Italian brunch
Ward III for cocktails
Westville for seasonal vegetables
Vespa for contemporary Italian
Yorkville Creperie for... crêpes
Zengo for Mexican & Japanese fusion
Queens
Queen's Kickshaw for craft brews and gourmet grilled cheese

Ogunquit, Maine
Arrows for elegant New England dining
The Lobster Shack for lobster rolls & iced tea
Scoop Deck for endless scoops of ice cream

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
105 Degrees for an amazing raw meal
Café Antigua for a Guatemalan brunch
Tana Thai Bistro for... Thai

Paris, France*
3 Pièces Cuisine for an 11-euro brunch
Anahuacalli for Mexican
Aname for Vietnamese
Angelina's for chocolat chaud
Artisan for superb brunch, small plates, cocktails
Baci Bisous for Italian frozen yogurt
Bistroy Les Papilles for French family-style
Bloom for a local brunch with locals
Bob's Juice Bar for green juice
Bosphore for Turkish
Brasserie Printemps for une noisette
Caillebotte for a local bistrot gourmand
Candelaria for tequila cocktails
Crêperie des Pêcheurs for crêpes and cider
Deux Fois Plus de Piment for Sichuan
El Guacamole for cheap tacos
El Nopal for Canal-picnic-ing tacos
Etoile du Kashmir for Indian
Grazie for NYC-style pizza
Gyoza Bar for... gyoza
Jeanne A. for well-priced French comfort
Jacquemart André Café for a bourgeois brunch
Joel Robuchon for steak frites
Joséphine for absinthe cocktails and music
La Caféothèque for fresh-ground coffee
La Fine Mousse for micro-brews
La Maison du Chou for the best cream puffs 
L'Auberge Rouge for a classic brasserie
L'Avant Comptoir for "real French hors d'oeuvres "
Le Bal Café for cappuccinos and scones
Le Camion qui Fume for American burgers
Le Chapeau Melon for natural wine with an int'l menu
Le Ciel de Paris for fancy prix-fixe with a view
 Le Descaeau for a French neighborhood gem
Le Garde Robe for natural wines and charcuterie
Le Marché des Enfants Rouges for market-dining
Le Mary Celeste for oysters, beer, and cocktails
Le Negus for Ethiopian
Les Cocottes for lunch near the Eiffel Tower
Monseiur for a 20-euro brunch buffet
Pierre Hermé for macaroons
Ô Chateau for wine-tasting
Olio Pane Vino for housemade Italian pasta
Polidor for créme brulée
Rosa Bonheur for sangria al fresco
Rimal for Lebanese mezze
Rose Bakery for British scones, eggs, etc
Rouammit & Huong for Laotian
Semilla for a special occasion meal
Sushi Gan for... sushi
Strobi for the friendliest neo-bistro
Terroir Parisien for modern French market fare
Verjus Bar a Vin for a Franco-American lunch

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Camino Real for California-style Mexican
Tria for wine/beer and small plates

Phoenix, Arizona
5th and Wine for celebratory meals
Dragonfly Café for brunch
Mesquite Room for Native American
Sugar Bowl for ice cream
The Rusty Saloon for happy hour
Wildfish Seafood Grill for... seafood

San Francisco, California
Black Bird for cocktails
Blue Bottle Coffee for cappuccinos
Bob's Donuts for vegan... donuts
Chloe's for brunch
Cotogna for seasonal American/Italian
Fat Angel for beer/wine
Hog Island Oysters for... oysters
Josey Bakery Bread for sourdough
Smitten for ice cream
Tartine Bakery for scones
Takashi for sushi
Taqueria SF for burritos

Santiago, Chile*
Blondie for dancing, South American-style
California Cantina for a taste of home
El Huerto for the health-conscious
Jammin' for drinks and DJs
Mercado Central for lunch
Peyo for classic, seasonal Chilean
Puerto Fuy for French-Chilean
Tren-Ünel for historical fusion
Viña Concha y Toro for wine tasting

Savannah, Georgia
700 Drayton for gourmet Southern comfort
Back in the Day Bakery for artisan bread and pastries
Gallery Espresso for coffee
Local 11 Ten for local favorites

Seattle, Washington
Homegrown for sandwiches
Molly Moon's for ice cream
Sitka and Spruce for quaint comfort dining
Tamarind Tree for Vietnamese
The Walrus and the Carpenter for oysters and the like

Strasbourg, France*
Brasserie for beer and tarte flambées
Café Brant for wi-fi and espresso
Café Expat for international fare
L'eden for Lebanese
Mosquito for Spanish sangria
Pizzeria Matteo for Italian pizza
Restaurant Louis XIII for classic French
Winstub for authentic Alsatian 

Syracuse, New York*
A la Mode for sandwiches
Chuck's for college (yes, the entire experience)
Eggplant for brunch
Faegan's for beer
Funk 'n Waffles for... waffles and live music
Pastabilities for group dinners
Sugar Pearl for a vegan brunch

Toronto, Canada
Fresh Restaurant for eclectic vegan
Paese for Italian-inspired and phenomenal service

(Westchester County), New York
Armonk
Fortina's for modern-Italian
Dobbs Ferry
The Cookery for Italian-inspired comfort
Hastings-on-Hudson
Saint-Georges for unpretentious French
Mt. Kisco
Neo for fantastic sushi
Pour for a city-quality wine bar in a country house
Pleasantville
Haven for a seasonal gem
Iron Horse Grill for intimate contemporary
Jean-Jacques for provincial French
Pontantico Hills
Stone Barns for the local gourmet of local gourmet
Rye
Andy's Pure Food for green juice
Longford's Ice Cream  for homemade ice cream
Tarrytown
Finalmente Trattoria for Italian eclectic

* = city I've lived in

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