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American Restaurant

American Restaurant

Alinea, Chicago

Alinea Chicago exterior decor

Why did we dine here? – Finally a chance to dine here! Alinea is a legendary three Michelin star restaurant in Chicago. It has four times been named the Best Restaurant in America and is one of only 13 restaurants in the U.S. to earn the coveted Michelin 3-Star rating. This is Chicago’s only 3 star restaurant.

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Girl & the Goat, Chicago

Girl and the Goat Chicago Exterior Decor

Why did we dine here? – Girl & the Goat is Top Chef Winner Stephanie Izard’s top rated and very popular restaurant. It was our first time in Chicago, so had to try all the hot spots and compare them to SF! You need to book 2 months in advance to get in here. We did not have reservations and walked in right when the place opened (4:30pm) and sat at the bar. The waiter said it was harder to walk in during the winter because outdoor seating is not present.

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GT Fish and Oyster, Chicago

GT Fish and Oyster Chicago exterior decor

Why did we dine here? – GT Fish and Oyster is a seafood restaurant in Chicago’s River North area. We were looking for an informal spot on our Chicago trip and their menu looked good. Bib Gourmand rating on the Michelin Guide.

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Reading Terminal Market, Philadelphia

Since 1892, this has been America’s oldest and largest public market. A perfect place for breakfast, lunch or a snack. Get exposed to Amish and Pennsylvania Dutch. A must visit for anyone into food and history! Some vendors close early, so beware. A lot more history to this food market than our Ferry Building.

Our Favorites stores:

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Lazy Bear, San Francisco

Lazy Bear San Francisco exterior decor

Why did we dine here? – Lazy Bear bills itself as “A modern American dinner Party”. Since 2014 they have been hosting 2 seating of a single prix fixe Tasting Menu served to guests on a long communal table. They started as an underground pop-up, gained traction, scored one Michelin star and have established themselves as more than a gimmick.

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Spruce Review, San Francisco

Spruce San Francisco Exterior Decor

Elegant old school favorite. Why did we dine here? – Spruce is a popular American restaurant in San Francisco’s upper crust Laurel Heights neighborhood. This restaurant has one Michelin star and has been packed ever since it opened. This is our fourth visit, with our last meal here several years ago. The chef Mark Sullivan also oversees Village Pub in Woodside. We recently had one of the best duck dishes there, in a long time. Our last Visit was in 2018.

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Legal Seafood, Chestnut Hill

Legal Seafood Chestnut Hill Exterior Decor

Does it deserve 3 Yelp stars? We had not eaten at a Legal Seafood for over 20 years and decided to try a Legal that was conveniently located at the mall we were at. This Chestnut Hill, Boston location has been in existence since 1975, and is now part of the posh ‘The Street’ mall. Be sure to check out the cool SuperLux movie theater here, it has great amenities.

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McDonalds, Barcelona

McDonalds Sagrada Familia Barcelona Spain 2017

We like dining at McDonalds at different countries around the world. What interesting items will we find. Our last trip was to Spain. We checked out the local McDonalds in Barcelona and found some interesting items.

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‘Aina, San Francisco

Aina San Francisco Exterior Decor

Why did we dine here? – ‘Aina (means land) is a modern Hawaiian restaurant that went from popup to mega wait hit inside a couple years from Hilo born Chef Jordan Keao. We finally woke up early enough to hit their Sunday brunch. Lines start around the 9am open time, and 2 hour waits are not unheard of. (This restaurant is small) We can near opening time, allow us to minimize the wait. Some Yelp reviews suggest that Brunch is a better time to come than dinner. Aina is Michelin Bib Gourmand ranked. This spot reminded us of Liholiho Yacht Club.

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Tartine Manufactory, San Francisco

Tartine Manufactory Pastries Bread

Bread heaven! Why did we dine here? – Tartine Manufactory is Chad Robertson and Elisabeth Prueitt’s new bakery, ice cream shop, and restaurant. We love their bread, so we could not wait to try their sandwiches and desserts. This 5,000-square-foot restaurant is home to their bakery, so you can see them working their magic. They crank out a lot of bread than the old Tartine Bakery 18th street location, making it easier to score this fantastic bread. Bread from 10:30 until it is sold out.

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Plumed Horse, Saratoga – One Michelin Star

Where do well heeled Silicon Valley people eat?

Plumed Horse Saratoga Exterior Decor

Why did we dine here? – Plumed Horse is a long standing (1952) restaurant located in Saratoga, not far from the Montalvo winery. This location used to be a stable, hence the name. Peter Armellino (Jardiniere, Aqua SF, Village Pub) is the chef.

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Bird Dog, Palo Alto

Why did we dine here? – Bird Dog is a popular new restaurant in downtown Palo Alto. This brings some sophisticated SF style innovative dining to the Peninsula. The interior is impressive, especially for a restaurant down here. Robbie Wilson was the chef of Matsuhisa in Aspen, Colo., and most recently headed up the kitchen at Mattei’s Tavern in Los Olivos (Santa Barbara County)

Insider Tip – On the fence? Especially about the prices. Eat at the bar.

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In Situ, San Francisco

In Situ San Francisco Menu

Why did we dine here? – In Situ serves the best dishes from famous chefs around the world. Corey Lee (Benu, Monsieur Benjamin) gets recipes from cooks and replicates them as he best can. The dishes may not be the same as ones being served at those restaurants today. Older variants might be when is being copied.

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Yankee Lobster Co, Boston

Yankee Lobster Eatery Boston exterior decor

Why did we dine here? – Yankee Lobster is a casual seafood restaurant near the end of pier in South Boston. They also run a commercial lobster operation. This is an order at the counter, pay, and wait for food to be delivered place. Decor is pretty low key, making this a casual spot. A nice out of the way location that fewer tourists dine at.

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Lincoln Ristorante, New York City

Lincoln Ristorante New York City exterior decor

Why did we dine here? – Two words: Lincon Center. Lincoln Ristorante is located right in the middle of Lincoln Center next to the reflecting pool, making it a super convenient place to dine before a play, performance, show, ballet, movie etc. Wish we had so many fantastic activities like this in San Francisco!

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Black Tap Craft Burgers & Shakes, New York City

Black Tap New York Exterior Decor

Why did we dine here? – The Best Milk shakes of course! Black Tap has rocked the social media world with huge shakes covered with all sorts of crazy candies, cookies. It was definitely on our must hit NYC list. This restaurant is notorious for waits up to 3 hours, something we did not look forward to.

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Merrimans, Kapalua Maui

Merrimans Kapalua Maui interior view

Why did we dine here? – Merrimans is a popular restaurant on Maui, perfectly situated on the coast by the beautiful Kapalua Beach. It is well reviewed and we were playing at the beach next door, so it was high time to try this place. This restaurant also has locations on the Big Island, and Kauai. The same owner runs the more casual Monkeypod Kitchen.

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Town Restaurant Review, San Carlos

Town San Carlos Exterior Decor

Steak on the Peninsula. Town Restaurant is a steakhouse serving American comfort food in downtown San Carlos. It opened in 2006 and has gotten positive press, so we figured we would see how it stacks up. Over the years, this restaurant has been consistently busy. Town is definitely a hit with the locals, many of which can just walk over for a meal. Our last visit was in December 2015. It is so busy, we had to make a reservation over a week in advance.

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Aster, San Francisco

Aster San Francisco exterior decor

Why did we dine here? – Aster is the latest in the Daniel Patterson Restaurant Group’s establishments. (Coi, Alta CA, etc) It is focused on California Cuisine using local farmers, ranchers and purveyors products, especially produce. They earned One Michelin Star in 2016. Executive Chef Brett Michael Cooper (Rubicon, Coi, Saison, Outerlands) has a long distinguished record for fine cooking.

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Bull Valley Roadhouse, Port Costa

Bull Valley Roadhouse Port Costa Exterior Decor

Why did we dine here? – An oasis in the middle of nowhere. We’ve read about this place for many a year and finally got a chance to dine here, on the way home from Tahoe. Bull Valley Roadhouse serves farm fresh American Fare & Pre-Prohibition Cocktails.  This restaurant is located on the South side of the Carquinez Bridge, at the end of a windy road.

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Sage, Las Vegas

Sage Las Vegas exterior decor

Why did we dine here? – Sage is in the Aria Hotel and has 4 stars on Yelp. We were seeing Cirque du Soleil Zarkana in this Hotel, so that is why we dined here. The show was good but seemed like a mash up of the usual Cirque stunts, go to the Beatles or Michael Jackson one instead.

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Trestle, San Francisco

Trestle San Francisco exterior decor

Why did we dine here? – Trestle is a small restaurant in San Francisco’s Jackson Square district. Their claim to fame
is a three course prix-fixe menu for $35 per person, with an option to add an additional pasta course for $10. $60 for bottles of wine! The team behind this popular restaurant also runs Stones Throw on Russian Hill and Fat Angel.

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Hopscotch, Oakland

Hopscotch Oakland exterior decor

Why did we dine here? – Hopscotch Oakland is an upscale restaurant in Oakland’s Uptown area. We were attending a concert at the Fox Theater and ate here beforehand. This restaurant is located 2 blocks from the Fox.

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Bally’s Sterling Brunch, Las Vegas

Ballys Sterling Brunch Buffet Las Vegas exterior decor

Why did we dine here? – The Bally’s Sterling Brunch Buffet is the one Vegas buffet that has been on our hit list for many years. We had not stayed over on a Sunday in Vegas for years.. Finally we got a chance during Defcon, which happened to be in the same hotel. How convenient.

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Napa Rose Restaurant Review, Anaheim

Napa Rose Anaheim exterior decor

Why did we dine here? – Because we went to Disneyland of course! Napa Rose is a nice respite from the hectic theme parks next door. We’ve eaten here before and found the food top notch. The waiter told us that 40% of the patrons live locally and brave the crowds to dine here.

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Animal Restaurant Review, Los Angeles

Animal Los Angeles exterior decor

Why did we dine here? – Animal Restaurant is a popular place in trendy Los Angeles. The award winning chef owns several restaurants. This particular one focuses on meaty dishes, at extremely reasonable prices. We had to give it a try and were not disappointed.

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Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay Navio Sunday Brunch Restaurant Review, Half Moon Bay

Best Buffet in the SF Bay Area!

Navio Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay Sunday Brunch Buffet Exterior decor

Best buffet in San Francisco Bay Area? The Navio restaurant is located inside the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay. It serves one of the best Sunday Brunches in the San Francisco vicinity. They have everything from traditional breakfast items, Sushi, caviar!, fresh seafood, prime rib, Dim Sum, cheese, Pastries, and Desserts. The location on the coast is perfect, you get beautiful views of the coast and golf course.

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The Plant Organic Cafe Restaurant Review, Burlingame

The Plant Cafe Organic Burlingame exterior decor

Why did we dine here? – The Plant Organic Cafe is a small local chain of restaurants focusing on organic and vegetarian oriented cuisine. The menu features many vegetarian items along with seafood and even cocktails. They have locations in Mill Valley, San Francisco at Pier 3, Downtown, and the Marina. We dined at their Burlingame location. Next door is a cafe where you can get Blue Bottle Coffee, their trademark smoothies, as well as baked goods. We really enjoyed their selection of vegan cookies, cupcakes, desserts. There are few places with this variety.

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Saison Restaurant Review, San Francisco

Saison San Francisco Exterior Decor

Saison (French for “season”) is a Michelin starred restaurant in San Francisco that focuses on a singular 8 course prix fixe meal each evening using local, specifically identified, and sustainable ingredients.
This style considers different elements of the ingredients, incorporating influences from its native environment and leveraging primitive techniques like ember and ash cooking. They earned two Michelin stars in 2014.

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Lanai Restaurant Reviews

Lanai has been on our must visit lists for a while. We finally got a chance to visit this tropical paradise in April 2014.
The easiest and cheapest way to arrive is by ferry from Maui.  The fare is a reasonable $60 round trip. Frankly we saw more dolphins, flying fish, and whales riding this ferry than we did on a whale watching tour!

There are two Four Seasons Resorts on the island along with a small Lanai Hotel. We stayed in the Four Season Manele Bay, right on the beach. (Why would you want to stay at the other one?) One beautiful resort and priced a couple hundred less than the Four Seasons Maui. Lanai City is a small plantation town in a timewarp to the 70’s. A tiny place with a small town square. Here are 3 places we ate in between all the chilling.
One Forty
1 Manele Bay Rd
Lanai City, HI 96763
(808) 565-2000
Website

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Tasty n Sons Restaurant Review, Portland

Tasty n Sons Portland exterior decor

Why did we dine here? – Tasty n Sons was recommended by fellow foodies on Chowhound. We had just arrived in Portland from an early morning flight and were ready to experience Portland’s highly regarded food scene. Conveniently located, this restaurant was on the way to downtown Portland from PDX airport. This was a great first meal.

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Lardo Restaurant Review, Portland

Lardo Portland exterior decor

Why did we dine here? – Lardo was the place mentioned several times by other foodies, when asked where to get a great burger in Portland. We’re also big Porchetta fans, so this made it an easy decision. We selected the location right near downtown Portland, within walking distance of our hotel and that bookstore to end all bookstores, Powell’s.
They have 3 locations to serve your pig-out needs. Chefs Table Group also owns Ox, Grassa Next Door, and several other well respected restaurants in Portland.

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Lark Creek Blue Restaurant Review, San Jose

Lark Creek Blue Santana Row exterior decor

Why did we dine here? – Lark Creek Blue takes the place of the seafood oriented Yankee Pier at Santana Row in San Jose. Run by the same restaurant group, they still maintain the seafood emphasis (Monterey Bay Seafood watch) but with a more contemporary look. Lots of wood, communal tables, jazzy music. They are located across the street from Left Bank.

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Lahaina Grill, Maui Restaurant Review

Lahaina Grill Lahaina Maui Exterior Decor

Why did we dine here? – Lahaina Grill is one of the most popular high end restaurants in the touristy part of Lahaina, Maui. It definitely has a great repuation, and is situated in the midst of a ton of tourist traps. Foodies regularly recommend this restaurant, so we had high hopes. This place fills up fast, so you need to make reservations ahead of time or have to sit at the bar.

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Marlowe, San Francisco

Marlowe San Francisco exterior decor

Marlowe is a market driven neighborhood bistro near SF’s ATT park, they moved to the old Coco 500 location in 2014. Chef du Cuisine: Jennifer Puccio was formerly of restaurant Cortez. The focus here is on American comfort food. We decided to try this place because Michael Bauer raved about its burger. Our last visit was in February 2015. Marlowe’s sister restaurant is Park Tavern SF.

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