What's your favorite restaurant and meal?

[Trek420]

yum...I might have to forgo my ethics to eat there..(I like BV because it respects its food sources... ....but its oso hard to resist that road food!!!

Redrum burger has the best turkey burger I've ever had. They get the spices juuust right. You can get a whole wheat buns and while I usually go the whole wheat route their "normal" buns are good. Their milk shakes are the best with all the standard shakes like coffee, chocolate, real espresso in the cappucino shakes or mocha. But look for seasonal options; strawberry, blackberry, peach whatever's in season.

I haven't asked if their food is local, organic etc. Since they are in California Central Valley in Davis which is an agricultural college (Go Aggies!) and Davis was voted one of the most bike friendly cities in the US of A .... odds are good the tomato on your burger is fresh.

[Tuckervill]

Y'all are torturing me! Our small city has plenty of restaurants, if you like Mexican food. And since we're in a "dry" county, we have to drive to Oklahoma to get a margarita!

I did try the little Thai place recently, but even their spring rolls were deep fried.

Any other kind of restaurant is available, but you have to drive 30 miles. We're getting a Zaxby's Chicken, but that's all fried and I don't eat it.

Karen

[Running Mommy]

They still have "dry" counties?? REALLY?????

WOW...

[Tuckervill]

There are a few left. But, our county, home of Wal-Mart HQ and therefore many, many transplants from other parts of the country/world, is only pseudo-dry. We have what you call "private clubs" which are really just regular restaurants, like Outback and Boston's, with member register books that you should sign when you come in. If the local municipality doesn't forbid it (mine does) they can operate and serve liquor by the drink. Bentonville and Rogers, AR are blessed to have the cosmopolitan population drawn by high-tech Wal-Mart jobs, and therefore their city councils can't get away with voting to keep the dens-of-inequity out.

Our little city is dominated by a private Christian university, and an unofficial sign at the town line proclaims "Welcome to God's Country, Where Jesus Christ is Lord" ikidyounot. So, the county may go wet some day, but Siloam Springs--NEVER.

The irony--Oklahoma just recently made tattoo shops legal in OK...before that, our uber-conservative border town has always had the tattoo parlors, and OK had the casino and the liquor! The casino is expanding and there will be Siloam Springs homes literally in the shadow of the hotel. The liquor store is quite literally on the state line, and you wouldn't know you'd left the whole state if you didn't know better.

Regardless, I love it here, and my little house.
Karen

[Fredwina]

There are a few left. But, our county, home of Wal-Mart HQ and therefore many, many transplants from other parts of the country/world, is only pseudo-dry. We have what you call "private clubs" which are really just regular restaurants, like Outback and Boston's, with member register books that you should sign when you come in. ...

Reminds of when I lived in Dallas(actually Garland) about 20 years ago. My uncle was a member of the Pizza Hut club! Only there, you had to show your membership card.

[Tuckervill]

Reminds of when I lived in Dallas(actually Garland) about 20 years ago. My uncle was a member of the Pizza Hut club! Only there, you had to show your membership card.

It is such a charade. I don't know who in the world signs those books...we've never signed one, but there are signatures on it. Back in the '80s, when I just was getting legal to drink, I remember there always being cover charges ("membership fees"), too. I'm sure the state taxed those cover charges--but I think just to be like the restaurant in the next town over, some restaurants built the "fee" into their cost of business, and it be came common practice.

But what a charade! ah don't get me started on the small mindedness of my little town, which will likely rally the churchgoers to defeat the wet proposition if it ever gets on the ballot.

Karen

[Fredwina]

FWIW, Liquor laws are what I've found that vary the most from state to state
PA : no grocery store sales of any liquor - only at state shops . The minimum quantity of beer you can buy is a case unless you go to a tavern -see link
VA: gorcery store can sell Beer and Wine, but "hard" liquor is sold by the state.
Also remember when I was a teen, and the drinking age in MO was 21 , but 18 in IL. Going across the river bridge late at night, there was usually two or three cop cars sitting on either side waiting for drunk drivers.

[Running Mommy]

There are a few left. But, our county, home of Wal-Mart HQ and therefore many, many transplants from other parts of the country/world, is only pseudo-dry. We have what you call "private clubs" which are really just regular restaurants, like Outback and Boston's, with member register books that you should sign when you come in. If the local municipality doesn't forbid it (mine does) they can operate and serve liquor by the drink. Bentonville and Rogers, AR are blessed to have the cosmopolitan population drawn by high-tech Wal-Mart jobs, and therefore their city councils can't get away with voting to keep the dens-of-inequity out.

Karen

Hey I've been to Bentonville! I was even an invited guest at Helen Waltons home. Pretty home. A creek crosses under the house- literally. A Frank Lloyd Wright home if I recall.
I worked for the mart for a few years back in the early 90's. When Sam was alive (he died while I worked there). Different place back then that's for sure! Back then they proudly proclaimed how much of the store had items made in the USA. HA! Now it's all China... sigh...

[Tuckervill]

You know what's awesome about that? I've never known ANYONE who's been to Mr. Sam's house! You'd think that 6 degrees thing wouldn't have to stretch so far across the country, huh?

It could also be that everyone who was Mr. Sam's contemporary is also mega-rich, too, because they got in on the "ground floor", and I just don't run in their circles. lol.

Karen

[Trek420]

Y'all are torturing me!

We're so sorry Move here? Or visit?

[Tuckervill]

We're so sorry Move here? Or visit?

I try to get away as often as I can!!! I hit both Portlands this year. Caribbean next month.

Karen

[ummbnb]

We eat out waaaaay too much. But food...and wine ....are really are favorite things to spend money on. We rarely eat at chains, preferring to eat locally. A friend of ours is the food critic for our local Village Voice publication so we often get the inside word on where to go from him....and on occassion get to dine out on the paper for a review. That's the BEST! Nothing like ordering darned near everything on the menu and then disecting it bite by bite.

[Meaux]

In no particular order (this is only my hometown restaurants):

-El Rey-tasty Cuban Mexican food. The plantains are to die for.
-Cafe Montrose-Belgian food. I need to go back, I think I might appreciate it more now that I'm cycling.
-Barnaby's-really good fresh cooking, and they're very animal friendly (Barnaby is the owner's childhood English sheepdog!)
-Mission Burrito-like Chipotle, but with fresher ingredients
-Tookie's-it's in a far suburb or Houston, but I swear they have the best burgers and onion rings.
-Chuy's-fantastic Tex Mex. It's rumored to be one of Lance Armstrong's favorite restaurants.
-Mai's-Vietnamese and Chinese foods. It's open until 2 AM on the weekends.

There are so many more, but it would get out of control if I put more thought into it.

[Bruno28]

http://www.macsween.co.uk/index.asp

Oh, c'mon - what did you expect from me?

I like Thai and Italian if I'm eating out but haggis, neeps and tatties is to die for. Vegetarian option available - although it does kind of miss the point.

[Thorn]

I did try vegetarian haggis while in Scotland--it was an interesting nutloaf. But I love this line from the web site you've listed:

We think the Macsween vegetarian haggis is particularly delicious served with roast meat

uh....if you think vegetarian haggis misses the point, doesn't serving it with meat really miss the point?