What is the best city on Earth to eat? - Page 8

partygirluk · #71 02-28-2005, 05:57 PM

[ QUOTE ]

Though I've never been there, if Bologna is considered the food capital of Italy it would have to merit serious consideration.

[/ QUOTE ]

I was in Bologna in the summer. It is a very nice small city. Worth a day trip, and nothing more. Food was nice, did not sample enough to make a definitive conclusion.

Ulysses · #72 02-28-2005, 06:03 PM

[ QUOTE ]
"Houston is a great restaurant city. For moderate-priced stuff, it's better than the Bay Area. And in all categories from cheap to fine dining, it stacks up respectably against any city. "

I grew up and lived there a couple of years of my adult life, and I heartily disagree with every aspect of that post.

[/ QUOTE ]

You're simply wrong. I know you've spent a lot of time there, but I suspect you have not eaten out enough in Houston to make a good judgement on this. I went to high school and college in Houston, during which time I learned about all the great cheap places. Post-college I was a consultant on expenses in Houston for about a year, during which time we ate out for every single meal and got to check out the nicer places in Houston. Of the cities I've had hundreds or more restaurant meals in (San Francisco, New York, London, Atlanta, St. Louis, Denver, and Chicago), Houston definitely stacks up very well. As an overall "restaurant city" only New York is a clear favorite. From my limited experience, LA seems great as well.

Shajen · #73 02-28-2005, 06:08 PM

I'm curious where you rank Atlanta, El D. I say the food here isn't anything special, but there are some gems to be had...they always seem to be an hours drive though. Damned city.

mmbt0ne · #74 02-28-2005, 06:22 PM

It's only an hour drive because northside traffic sucks donkey balls. Holla back Midtown!

Shajen · #75 02-28-2005, 06:27 PM

[ QUOTE ]
It's only an hour drive because northside traffic sucks donkey balls. Holla back Midtown!

[/ QUOTE ]

Dude, you ever actually get outside of the perimeter? Traffic blows goats all over the city [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Actually, I wouldn't mind living downtown. The house I currently live in is worth about 750k there [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

MortalNuts · #76 02-28-2005, 06:57 PM

[ QUOTE ]
"Houston is a great restaurant city. For moderate-priced stuff, it's better than the Bay Area. And in all categories from cheap to fine dining, it stacks up respectably against any city. "

I grew up and lived there a couple of years of my adult life, and I heartily disagree with every aspect of that post.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hmm. I don't know when you were in Houston, or how often you ate out, but I'm quite surprised. In the years I lived there in the mid-late 90s, Houston was an almost shockingly good place for restaurant food, particularly if cost was at all a factor.

When I was in college there, a group of friends and I made it a tradition to eat out at one really spectacular meal at the end of each semester. (This was in addition to the usual set of other special occasions.) I ate at all the best restaurants in the city, some of them multiple times, and was consistently amazed at how good a meal you could get for a sane amount of money. I'm even more amazed now, after eating loads of fabulous meals in some of the world's great dining cities, how well you could eat in Houston for say $50 before wine. I've had better meals since, but most of them cost way way more than that; one of the end-of-semester dinners we had in Houston is still (years later) on my short short list of "top 5 meals I've ever had", along with places in France, Aspen, etc. -- every one of the others cost twice as much as the Houston meal.

On the lower end, I thought the everyday eating in Houston was also perfectly decent. You could get dirt-cheap Mexican/Tex-Mex that is better than that you can get most places in the US, good BBQ, decent cheap indian, etc. I ate out an average of probably 3 times a week for 4 years, so we're talking a large number of tasty meals here.

I'm not saying the place is the best dining city on the planet, but it really is remarkably good. imho, of course.

later,

mn

3rdEye · #77 02-28-2005, 06:59 PM

Based on my limited experience, I'd have to say NYC.

Washington DC has some surprisingly good grubberies too, though. Philadelphia Pizza near Georgetown (literally at the bottom of the huge flight of steps in The Exorcist) has a badass meatball sub.

partygirluk · #78 02-28-2005, 07:10 PM

Isn't Texas the fattest population in the World? The impression I have (almost solely from the media) is that most diners offer large plates stacked full of heart attack inducing deep fried trash.

Obviously I am very wrong. I also had the impression that Texas was mainly white, a few blacks who get poorly treated, and lots of illegal Mexicans. Are there lots of Indians/Chinese types also? How about Europeans?

mmbt0ne · #79 02-28-2005, 07:15 PM

When I get out of the perimeter it's usually down to the south, but my dad lives up in Acworth, so I have to brave Dallas Hwy, 19/41, and the like from time to time.

riffraff · #80 02-28-2005, 07:20 PM

I agree with this.. Chicago Pizza is unmatched anywhere. Lou Malnatis, Edwardos, and Ginos lead the way. Unos is good too and can found outside of Chicago (at least one is in the bay area).

Las Vegas is superb for food in general.

I haven't looked at who the food magazine picked.. I'll go look now.