FOOD!

what are youre favorite restaurants and what are youre favorite foods?

i for one love italian food and go to olive garden and buca di beppo frequently.

i love calamari fritti and baked ziti the best.

You're from Manhattan, you like Italian food, and you go to Olive Garden

Naturally my favorite food is also Italian with Chinese being 2nd. My 2 favorite pizza places in New York are 'Napolizi's' in New Windsor and 'Cascarino's' in Montgomery. My favorite pizza place in Texas is 'Reale's' (the family who runs it is from New York). And if you couldn't guess already, my favorite food is pizza!

I love Italian food. My favorite Italian place in Manhatten is "Il Giglio." My favorite place on Staten Island is "Da Noi."

For steaks and seafood, Sparks in Manhatten is my favorite with The Old Homestead a very close second.
"Shula's" in Chicago is a fantastic place, but I have yet to try the one in Manhatten.

As for Chinese food there is a place on Staten Island called "Jade Island" which is definitly one of the best out there.

As for Deli, "Harolds" in Edison New Jersey is fantastic.

And of course, my favorite Sicilian Pizza is from Brooklyn's own "L&B Spumoni Gardens."

Favorite round pie is from " Joe and Pats" on Staten Island.


Don Cardi

God, I have so many favorites!!

My favorite NYC restaurants: The wine dinner at Cite, Chinese at Wo Hop and Italian at Becco. I also like Carmine's for Italian, but I like the one on Broadway and 90th better than the one in the Theater District. One of my favorite places for drinks is The Rainbow Grill.

In the Bronx, Pasquale's Rigoletto or Frankie and Johnny's The Pine for Italian. And dessert at Egidio's.

In the 'burbs, Restaurant X for brunch, Italian at Il Portico, Pizza at Martio's and Chinese at Jade Village.

You guys are making me hungry!!

DC took my boss and I to Il Giglios. It was just fantastic.

Last Christmas we had a party at Old Homestead and I loved the food.


DS

Great places SB! Carmines uptown definitely is much better than the midtown one. Although the midtown one is not too shabby. Another great Italian place in the Bronx is Dominicks.

Hey SB, I'm getting hungry now too! Want to do lunch?


Don Cardi

You're on!! I could go for some Carmine's fried zucchini!!

That is one of my wife's favorite dishes at Carmines.

The Clam sauce is soooo good that you mine as well have it IVed right into your arm!

Don Cardi

Let's go. Right now. Or maybe Cite tonight.

Or how about some pizza at Sunnyside on Route 17, SB?

You know how much I love Cite. I hear that they raised the price a bit (I think it's $69 pp now), but it's still the best deal in NYC. I could use a good dinner out right now!! As you know, though, my problem with Cite is that I have to stay in Manhattan because I can't drive after all the wine!!

I've never heard of Sunnyside. Is it good?

There's a great Greek restaurant (and one of my favorites) on 7th Avenue by 56th Street - Molyvos. They have these little baby lamb chops that are to die for! plaw would love their fairly extensive (Meditteranean) wine list. The place is easy on the eyes and regular diners include Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward.

Just make sure not to knock into Paul Newman going into the restroom.

haha yeah i like to travel alot

I like Olive Garden. Mainly because my daughter gets a discount there, so whenever we go out to dinner she treats. Anytime it's free, it's good.

Sunnyside is a roadhouse/tavern kinda place on the southbound side of Route 17, in either Sloatsburg or Suffern; I'm not sure which.

Decent Italian food, great thin crust pizza.

PL - I must've driven past it about a billion times and never noticed it. How is that possible? I just looked it up and it is in Sloatsburg.

Check it out some night when you're in the mood. Or maybe you wanna go tonight; It's only about 45 minutes from me.

I haven't been to too many in NYC to know...


But as for Olive Garden -- it may not be a gourmet restaurant, but it's not all that bad.

The Zuppa Toscana (spicy sausage, russet potatoes and cavolo greens in a creamy broth) soup is great -- and the unlimited soup/salad/garlic breadsticks for $5.95 (here at least, 'til 4pm) makes a great lunch! :p

For dinner (among chains), though, I prefer Carrabba\'s . It's much better!

My local non-chain Italian favorite is Piancone\'s in Bradley Beach (NJ). (Their site sucks - can't find anything easily - but you get the idea). It's about 30 mins north of me, and worth the trip!

Amen on Carraba's. Best chain by far. I always ask the waitperson to bring me extra packages of the take out olive oil. It saves $$ at home and it is delicious/

DC there are many great Italian places in Manhattan. There is a pizza place on 89th and first (dont know the name) that is awesome.

I bet you like Sparks for what happened there as much as for the steaks! There's a steak place in Tampa, Fla called Berns that is worth the trip. They have a wine list the size of a telephone book. IN NY I like the original Palm.

Great Japanaese in NY at Nobu. AVOID MASA --- overrated and a rip off.

Best deli for me is Carnegie Deli

Best Restaurants overall are Daniel, Aureole and Aquavit in that order.

Oh yeah, I missed the topic of the thread...

My favorites include Italian; Seafood of all kinds, including Sushi; Asian (Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai); Mexican/Tex-Mex; and good ol' American (steaks, barbeque ( Famous Dave\'s ), burgers/dogs).

There isn't much I don't like. I went Indian once and hated it, but am willing to try it again some day. German and French are okay, just not something I'd seek out.

Fast food (McDonald's, Roy Rogers, White Castle, Taco Bell, etc) once every few months is a necessity, though!

I'm with you, JG. I need my Big Mac fix, or maybe some White Castle, every now and then. Also, I love Grande Soft Tacos. I'm dying to get that new wrap thing that Taco Bell has been advertising. My needs are quite simple.

I do like The Palm. Never understood the big deal about Ruth's Chris; their steaks are ok. I love steak, but I find that it takes so little culinary skill that I don't like to order it out (the prime rib at Cite is an exception). Usually I like to order food that I find too much of a pain the butt to cook at home. For example, I almost always order Creme Brulee for dessert because it's so time consuming and complicated to make.

PL - Will you buy me a thin-crust with meatball topping?

Berns. F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C and a real experience. I try to go there whenever I go to the Tampa area. One of my favorote parts of the meal experience is the private dessert room. Great food, great atmosphere and a lot of fun. Definately one of my favorites in Florida. I also like Hops Brewery. Good steaks, good food.

Been to Nobu several times with clients. I'm not into the sushi thing, but the several non sushi items I ate were good.

Carnegie Deli ...... went down big time. Not what it used to be.

Actually the place that I mentioned in my previous post, "Harold's Deli" is owned and operated by the former owner of the Carnegie Deli. Guess that's why the Carnegie now sucks and Harold's is good.

Have you ever eaten in the ORIGINAL "Crabby Bills" on Indian Rocks Beach? That was one of my favorite seafood places in Florida. I remember that they started to expand and open up all over HWY 19, but the last time I went there the ones all over HWY 19, except for one were closed. The Indian Rocks beach place is the best.

Last time I went to the Original Palm, it was so so service wise. The Palm West is a really great place.


Don Cardi

DC - OMG! We've never been to the west coast of Florida until this past April. We stayed in North Redington Beach and ate at the original Crabby Bill's. It was so good that we went back a few times. I had some sort of combo with clam strips, crab legs and ribs. It was amazingly good. I also had the catfish which was delicious. And their key lime pie was also great. And the prices were not to be believed.

The other Florida restaurant I love is on Key Biscayne and it's called The Rusty Pelican. Nice food and the most beautiful views of the Miami skyline. Great flan.

SB- Great stomachs think alike!

Do they still do the " The first person to come up to the register with a set of false teeth, or anything rubber, or a large paper clip, etc. wins a free lunch."

And they used to have those crazy handwritten signs all over the walls.

Great place and yes, the prices are so reasonable for the quality and amount of food that your given.

"Don't Worry, Be Crabby!"


Don Cardi

Chef\'s

DC - I didn't notice anything about getting to the cashier first, but maybe I was too busy eating!! It was a great place, especially with the kids. Now I want to go back!! Okay, you're making me hungry again!!