Here are some of our favorite places to eat and experience local flavor.

Arlington VA: Me Jana

Great Lebanese food and interesting personalities. The manager/owner called Jim "James Bond" all night, but that's not the only reason we liked it. Our favorites were the grape leaves, seared haloumi, ablama (zucchini stuffed with beef), and the halawet el Jeben (sweet cheese in an orange blossom syrup). It's relatively inexpensive, and a locally owned place, so we hope they continue to get support!

Castroville CA: any restaurant that has a sign outside promoting fried artichokes These little nuggets are shockingly good. Most any restaurant or roadside stand in the Castroville area knows how to make these things...it is the artichoke capital of the world! We got one tray of 'chokes and inhaled them, wishing there was another tray! Lightly battered, crisp, not greasy, tender on the inside--road food at its finest!

Cave Creek AZ: Binkley's This is one of the most creative restaurants in Arizona! The parade of amuse bouche was incredible, and the presentation of all the dishes spectacular. Imagine a dish that lights up from below to highlight the colors of the food, and you'll get the idea. The tasting menu is definitely the way to go, and plan on spending several hours and tons of money.

Chambers AZ: Apple Dumplin Restaurant When we're traveling to St. Michaels and Sanders, Arizona, we usually end up with at least one stop at the Apple Dumplin, although we've only had the apple dumpling itself two times. At exit 333 on Highway 191 North, the Apple Dumplin is the place where the locals hang out. We've seen police officers, medical staff, tribal officials, teachers, and more taking up spots at the western themed tables and staying long after their food is consumed. Jim's favorite is the Navajo Sugarfoot, which is a huge piece of frybread filled with taco meat and smothered in green chile gravy. It does seem that whenever Jim goes to the Navajo Nation, he only eats food with gravy on it. 

<< "Little Red"

Flagstaff AZ: Tinderbox Kitchen Yes, occasionally I eat in Flagstaff. This is a cozy, locally owned and operated, hip restaurant that features "modern comfort food." My favorite side dish is the creamed corn with bacon, and Chef and co-owner Scott Heinonen does a great job with whatever fish he feels like preparing that day. Scott's a master with pork--in fact, one of their signatures is "pork, pork and pork." Love it. Kevin Heinonen, Tinderbox's Manager and co-owner, is their "tweet master" and is sometimes behind the bar as well. These guys have taken good care of my food and beverage needs in the past and I'm sure will continue to do so!

Flagstaff AZ: Diablo Burger Small, locally owned and operated burger place that uses beef sourced from Diablo Trust ranches, the Flying M and the Bar T Bar. It's a cash only place tucked into the back of Heritage Square. The fries are awesome, perfectly crisp and seasoned with an herb blend that includes rosemary. My fave burger is the Cheech, which is topped with guacamole, pepper jack cheese and fresh jalapenos. (I'm a bit obsessed with fresh--not pickled--jalapenos on burgers. See Kykotsmovi and Second Mesa for other examples.) All their burgers are served on toasted and DB branded English muffins and with a side salad. I've also had the Blake burger and the Vitamin B burger, also tasty. Eli, who's been at the counter twice when I've visited, is very helpful in guiding your choices if you're a newbie. We also met a bunch of Dutch tourists there once--one of the girls said, "The whole 'Dutch treat' thing is wholely American. When I go out on a date, the guy pays!"

Flagstaff AZ: Satchmo's A very small place that serves great pulled pork sandwiches. Gumbo and jambalaya are also pretty tasty. Easiest to take this to go, as they don't really have any seating, except for a few picnic tables outside. 

Gila Bend AZ: Outer Limits Cafe at the Space Age Lodge

Eat in a space ship! But go after the lunch rush--they seem to spend a little more time preparing the food after about 2 pm. When they take their time, the broaster fried chicken and the chicken fried steak are...out of this world.

Kykotsmovi AZ: The Hungry Bear When they have the Hopi Hot Beef on special, get it--it's fry bread with roast beef, gravy, mashed potatoes and a green chile on top. Yes, you can get this anytime at the Hopi Cultural Center, but it's a little different at the Hungry Bear. You can also make your own in Window Rock, as long as you don't tell them it's the "Hopi" hot beef.

Las Vegas NV: Bouchon at the Venetian Yes, it's Thomas Keller, so how can it be bad? We go for the terrine de foie gras, an intensely buttery, rich jar of foie gras. That's all we need. Well, and a cocktail to go with it.

Las Vegas NV: David Burke at the Venetian Discovered David Burke when Bouchon was closed.

The server was Jay, a mohawk-wearing, well-dressed dude who made the evening by being highly professional without being pretentious. The Angry Lobster, half a lobster poached in chili oiland somehow crisped but still tender, was the highlight, along with the finale bowl of pink cotton candy!

Las Vegas NV: Alize at the Top of the Palms Incredible view of the strip from the Top of the Palms. The food is pretty darn tasty as well.

Las Vegas NV: Rosemary's A stellar off-the-strip restaurant, they almost always have a coupon online for a three course, prix fixe lunch for $23 or $25. Andrew is our other favorite server in Las Vegas, and the service here is, much like David Burke, professional and unpretentious. The barbecued shrimp with gorgonzola cole slaw is a delicious study in flavor balance.

Las Vegas NV: Lotus of Siam A totally unassuming Thai restaurant in an off-strip strip mall, this is the best Thai we've had in the US. We always order too much, though, and usually right before we hit the road back to Flagstaff. So the leftovers torture us with their intoxicating spices until we decide to just open up the boxes and eat the leftovers cold. Our favorite appetizer is the Nam Kao Tod, a combination of crispy rice and sour sausage that tastes way better than it sounds. The roasted duck curry is also exceptional. 

Madison WI: The Essen Haus Yes, it needs a little refreshing, but it's a Madison institution, dang it! You can go to the newer, fancier places in town, but here you get lots of good beer, decent German food, and polka music seemingly every night. Plus, if you time it right, you can listen to a local barfly lecture the bartender about healthcare reform. Cool.

New Orleans LA: Restaurant August and Luke Part of Chef John Besh's restaurant group, August is the more formal older sibling of Luke, the louder, brighter bistro. Both provided excellent service and well executed dishes. Plus, I got to try absinthe for the first time at Luke--quite dramatic, but I'm not sure it's my potion of choice. At August, the foie gras three ways was delicious, and at Luke, incredibly good fried oysters.

New Orleans LA: Restaurant Luke Part of Chef John Besh's restaurant group, August is the more formal older sibling of Luke, the louder, brighter bistro. Both provided excellent service and well executed dishes. Plus, I got to try absinthe for the first time at Luke--quite dramatic, but I'm not sure it's my potion of choice. At August, the foie gras three ways was delicious, and at Luke, incredibly good fried oysters.

New Orleans LA: Cochon Restaurant Hip but cozy place located near Emeril's. Great place to get small dishes to share, like cured meats, rabbit, crawfish pie, okra, and other down home Cajun cuisine in a modern, relaxed environment. They have a lot of local brews and truly strange cocktails. Do not try the beet juice cocktail. I don't know what I was thinking. They also have Cochon Butcher next door, primarily a sandwich place, which I haven't tried but have read great reviews.

New Orleans LA: Emeril's Truth be told, I was terrified that I would be disappointed with this place. So many times, you go to the celebrity chef places and the hype does not match the experience. With Emeril's, I was not disappointed. The location is beautiful, service stellar, and food fantastic. I've also been to Tchoup Chop in Orlando, which didn't quite live up to the reputation, so I'll stick with the original Emeril's in NOLA.

New Orleans LA: Mother's Classic New Orleans for jambalaya, etouffee, red beans and po'boys. Expect a line at lunch time--just get in line, belly up to the counter and order some down home comfort food. I got the oyster po'boy but really wanted the combo platter, which is what Jim had. YUM.

New Orleans LA: Erin Rose Okay, not really a restaurant but a great local bar where you meet REAL LOCALS! Incredibly good value on drinks, especially since you're only one block off of Bourbon Street, and not a single neon blended drink to be found. Last time we were there, we met retired twins from Tennessee heading to Texas for NASCAR and a

local parish Justice of the Peace who sang Irish songs. So cool.

New Orleans LA: Cafe du Monde I can't believe I had this page up for a while before I posted this classic. This is the place where EVERYONE goes to get beignets and chicory coffee. It is a bit of a tourist trap, but that doesn't make the beignets any less tasty. Word of warning, do NOT wear black to this place. You will be dusted with powdered sugar, no matter how careful you are. Also, coffee refills are NOT FREE so be careful when the server asks you if you want a refill. And bring cash.

Nashville TN: Loveless Cafe About 30 minutes from downtown Nashville, this place is where everyone still calls you "hon" and they serve down home, stick to the ribs, comfort food. The biscuits with sausage gravy are like a sausage cloud, and will now be the gold standard by which every other biscuit with gravy will be judged. The fried chicken and barbecued meats are pretty dang tasty as well.

Oklahoma City OK: Cocktails on the Skyline A summer oasis on the roof of the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, they have live jazz performances and access to a full (cash) bar included in admission to the museum after 5 pm. Got to walk through the Chihuly glass exhibit and then get a glass of something.

Orlando FL: Machon at the Le Cordon Bleu Orlando Culinary Academy is a bargain find in the land of expensive tourist traps. A student run restaurant, you can make a reservation on Open Table and get to support the culinary students as well as get a good meal. For four people, two courses each, a bottle of wine, and desserts cost about $120. I had a delicious lobster bisque, rack of lamb, and bananas foster prepared tableside! All the tips go to the school's scholarship fund, so be sure to tack on a little extra since it's such a deal.

Peoria AZ: Hope Kee Hong Kong Style Restaurant at Lee Lee Supermarket

We never would have thought there would be a good, sit down restaurant inside a grocery store. But Hope Kee is definitely unusual, serving a broad selection of Chinese barbecued meats, very fresh (out of the case next door!) seafood, and seasonal specials like sauteed snow pea leaves, which Alice hadn't seen since Taiwan. The servers also like to tease people who spend too much time on their cell phones at meals.

Phoenix AZ: The Fry Bread House When you need a plate size piece of fried dough with spicy red or green chile stew, this is the place to be. Located near downtown Phoenix, you get a very hearty meal and get to experience a Southwestern specialty.

Phoenix AZ: Durant's

This is old school, baby. With dark paneled rooms, large booths, and appetizer selections like sauteed chicken livers, you come here for steak or fish and a martini. We saw Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio here, dressed in a elegant suit and surrounded by other tough looking guys in suits. Their motto says it all: "Good friends, great steaks and the best booze are the necessities of life."

Prescott AZ: SweetTart CLOSED IN 2009 :-( Keeping this review up in tribute. You get a sugar rush just walking in here. Remodeled and expanded in 2008, Alain turned his little rustic cafe into a totally hip, modern bistro. The pastries sit like jewels in a lighted case in the front of the restaurant, beckoning you to save room for dessert. Crystal is one of our favorite servers in Prescott.

Prescott AZ: American Jazz Grill 129 1/2 Maurice is our other favorite server in Prescott. Tall, imposing, and with a European accent of unconfirmed origin, Maurice takes good care of you, timing your courses and making good recommendations. After the chef took escargot off the menu, we lobbied Maurice to bring it back. We always get the escargot now.

Prescott AZ: Peacock Room at the Hassayampa Inn Two words: Monte Cristo. This is our favorite, served with a jalapeno jelly. Awesome. Alice also adores the coffee, which is made from a special concentrate that makes the coffee incredibly smooth and never bitter.

San Antonio TX: Boudros on the Riverwalk You MUST get the tableside prepared guacamole.

I ate the whole thing by myself, it was so good. Also, the prickly pear margarita was tasty as well as lovely.

San Diego CA: Peohe's on Coronado Island Lovely view of the San Diego bay and the Lobster Bisque is delicious.

San Francisco CA: Sam's Grill at Belden Place A San Francisco institution, their waiters still wear starched white shirts and black bow ties. The wait staff and kitchen team have worked together so long, they are like a family! The power brokers of the Financial District lunch here, so if you go a little after the typical lunch time, you have a better shot at a table. They make the best Manhattan in San Francisco! We had halibut cheeks for the first time here, which were tender and flavorful, and sand dabs, reminding Alice of the movie, Spirit of St. Louis.

San Francisco CA: Asia de Cuba at the Clift Hotel Hip, stylish restaurant tucked into the Clift Hotel near Union Square. Beautiful looking bar and lounge, and the centerpiece of the dining room is a cross-shaped, etched glass, mirrored table that reflects patterns throughout the room! Creative spins on Asian fusion cuisine.

San Francisco CA: Grand Cafe Brasserie and Bar at the Hotel Monaco Got an incredible deal on a half bottle of 1994 Bordeaux here. The cassoulet was very rich and hearty--probably could have served three! Alice's Dad was perplexed by the Soupe à L'Oignon Gratinée, which Alice had to explain was French Onion Soup. Dad asked, "Well, why didn't they just write that in English then?"

San Francisco CA: Yank Sing King of all dim sum (or deem sum, as they spell it) in the western United States. The Shanghai dumpling, their signature soup dumpling, is worth the trip in itself, but then there's the Peking duck, the lettuce wraps with pine nuts, the ha gow, the sui mai.... The special Yank Sing XO sauce is also a great spicy condiment for just about anything.

We prefer the Rincon Center location, which expands into the building atrium on the weekends. Be prepared to wait for a table, or better yet, make a reservation!

Santa Fe NM: Coyote Cafe This place is famous for a reason. Very creative cocktails--Jim insisted on something on fire--and beautifully presented cuisine. Service was impeccable as well.

Scottsdale AZ: Avalon Chef Travis Watson was a guest on Eight Cooks with Passport in October 2009, and was pretty much a natural on the air. Matthew and I went there the following day for brunch, and they have tater tots as a side! Why? "Because they're good." Crispy seared salmon was exceptional, and the chocolate decadence dessert had Matthew licking the plate. Cool music on Sundays and Wednesdays.

Second Mesa AZ: Hopi Cultural Center

Not much to look at, but pretty reliable, and one of just a handful of restaurants on the Hopi Reservation. Don't stray from the fried food, though, as the other things are not so good. The Hopi Hot Beef and the Hopi Center Burger are our favorites, served on frybread (of course) with very crisp fries. Whenever I'm on the rez, I seem to order food with fresh jalapenos. Jim orders stuff with gravy. (See Chambers AZ: Apple Dumplin.)

Tempe AZ: Rula Bula The one place on Mill Avenue that you can guarantee will be open late and serving food. Irish pub fare absorbs the copious amounts of Irish beer and whiskey being consumed by the local college students. The bartender will even set drinks on fire if you ask.

Tucson AZ: J-Bar GoalBusters friend Chef Janos Wilder gets to show off his "cantina" side at J-Bar, the less formal sister establishment to Janos at the Westin La Paloma. There are many creative dishes here, but a favorite is the Dark Chocolate Jalapeno Ice Cream Sundae!

Winslow AZ: The Turquoise Room at La Posada The bartender is clever and the signature soup is wonderful. The soup has a corn chowder and a black bean soup poured into a yin-yang pattern with a red chile "T-R" squiggled in the center. The bartender knows how to make Jim's signature cocktail, which is another post entirely.

Winslow AZ: E & O Kitchen (at the airport)

Oscar Barron, the "O" in E & O, is the host and server pretty much every day, and once gave us a detailed treatise on the proper way to make chile rellenos. He's absolutely right, because the E & O rellenos are our favorites--smoky, with a meaty texture and just the right amount of cheese. The gorditas are also a favorite, with a crispy corn exterior and meat filling of your choice. There are six different meats; Asada, Machaca, Picadillo, Carnitas, Adobada and Pollo. All are good, but we enjoy the ground beef (Picadillo) and the stewed pork (Adobada).

Washington DC: Burma Restaurant We had never tried Burmese food until this restaurant and were pleasantly surprised to discover that the foods didn't remind us of anything in other cuisines! The sour mustard plant and the green tea leaf salad were the highlights.

Washington DC: Cafe Atlantico, Oyamel, Jaleo and Zaytinya Chef Jose Andres and his ThinkFoodGroup restaurants provided an unforgettable "progressive dinner" at four different concept restaurants.

At Cafe Atlantico, we enjoyed tableside prepared guacamole, and two very creative cocktails: the Magic Mojito, featuring cotton candy in a martini glass, which dissolved "magically" into the drink when the rest of the liquid was poured on top with a flourish; and the Faux Syrah Syrah, which took the flavor elements of syrah--blackberry, black pepper, and lavender to name a few--broke them down into their parts and recombined them into a cocktail. 

At Oyamel, Jose's Mexican cantina, Dave Andersen, the manager, treated us like VIP's and brought out Jose's favorite margarita, topped with "salt-lime air," a delicate looking but surprisingly sturdy seafoam that added a hint of salt and lime to every sip. In addition, we savored red snapper ceviche, pozole, and three kinds of tacos--carnitas, lengua and grasshopper! Funny enough, the grasshoppers, about an inch long, kept "jumping" out of the taco. They were deliciously spicy and crunchy.

After that, off to Jaleo, Jose's tapas bar. There we enjoyed a buttery Iberico jamon with a dry sherry.

Finally, we braved the cold to walk to Zaytinya, where we were greeting by Andy, our server, with the question, "How hungry are you at this point?" When we replied, "a light appetite," Andy responded with, "Okay, then the chef will provide three courses...."

At one point there were 20 small dishes on the table! Exceptional dips--hummus, baba ghanoush, tzatziki among the six, with acompanion of a light pink bubbly. Grilled octopus--tender, lightly charred and mildly sweet. A pinot noir-esque red wine from Lebanon. Braised short ribs, a stewed lamb and chicken kabobs with an airy garlic aioli. Finally, we were presented with a glass of dessert wine and two desserts--a yogurt, brandied cherry and cherry sorbet parfait, which was light and refreshing, and a deconstructed chocolate covered cherry--crushed chocolate cookies, brandied cherries, caramel sauce, chocolate mousse-like pyramid and cherry sorbet. Taste a little bit of everything at once and it does indeed taste like a chocolate covered cherry!

Yuma AZ: Los Manjares de Pepe

In a little house on 8th Street in Yuma, this is our go-to Mexican place. Favorites are the chile relleno and the Pepe's Special, a slow braised pork in a green chile sauce.

Yuma AZ: Pupuseria y Taqueria Cabanas Another little hole-in-the-wall restaurant recommended originally by our Chowhound guru, "Ed Dibble" aka Ed in Yuma. A little Spanish is helpful here, since this is a family run place. The pupusa is a cornmeal hand pie with various fillings depending on the day. We've had them with pork, chicken, beans, and cheese, and all were delicious. We also had the arroz con pollo, and the chicken was fall off the bone tender. The tamales here are ethereal--incredibly fluffy and a perfect balance of filling and dough. This place is also one of the best values--we fed three of us on about $20.

Yuma AZ: Mariscos Nayarita

Another Ed recommendation. This is a "permanent" taco truck on 8th Street, although they are seasonal, usually closed in the hottest part of the summer. Their shrimp empanadas are crisp, not at all greasy and filled with just the right amount of chopped shrimp. When you bite into them, they let out this hot puff that we initially thought was grease, but it was trapped hot air. Great with a touch of hot sauce.

Yuma AZ: Tacos Mi Ranchito

Located right next to the Best Western Coronado, they have very tasty tacos and a good selection of Mexican beers. Our favorites are the chicharron, chorizo, carnitas, and lengua tacos. This establishment is connected with Mi Rancho down the street, which we don't like at all. We like the "little Mexico" feeling of this place, and the fact that we can gorge ourselves on tacos for almost no money. The first time we went here, we ordered one of every taco on the menu. Our server thought us a little strange, which we are.

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