Saturday, September 20, 2008
Quote of the Week
"You believe because you have seen. Blessed are they who have not seen, and yet believe." - Jesus Christ
Gastronomy
Today I'd like to provide you, my faithful readers, with a useful list. I wish to inform you of the best foods available in this world (as far as I know), that your culinary adventures might be more fruitful. Here then, is a list of where to find the best food in each listed category. I got rather specific, as I don't believe in stamping my approval on an establishment as a whole. (Every restaurant in the world has a dish I would hate... Pizza was an exception to this rule) Don't forget your appetite!
Best Sandwiches:
1) The Legend Club - LeGrand's Deli, St. Louis, MO
This tasty pile of freshly sliced Boar's Head meats, combined with pepperjack cheese, garlic cream cheese, and pepper spread is a not-too-spicy delight. Without a doubt, the best meal between two pieces of bread ever conceived.
2) Cuban Sandwich - La Carreta, Miami, FL
Ham, sliced pork, swiss cheese, pickles, mustard and mayo on Cuban bread. You can't beat that with a stick...
3) Prosciutto con Tomate - Bella Vento, Rome, Italy
Ultra thinly sliced prosciutto, tomato slices, mozzarella cheese, onions, oregano, and olive oil. It's worth flying to Italy just for this sandwich, but you should stay and see the Vatican while you're there...
4) Sandwiche de Lomo - Pastry, Buenos Aires, Argentina
The most simple sandwich you can imagine: A half inch cut of filet, cooked to your taste and served with tomato between fresh french bread. No one knows meat like Argentines!
Best BBQ
1) Parrillada - Rodizio, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Like I said, no one knows meat like Argentines! A parrillada is a mixed grill filled with several cuts of beef, as well as rib tips, chorizo, sweet bread, blood sausage, etc. At Rodizio it is brought to you on a platter which rests atop hot coals. The finest cow ever prepared anywhere on earth.
2) Pork Ribs - Rendezvous, Memphis, TN
In a dark, secluded alley just across the street from the famous Peabody hotel, Rendezvous serves up the finest baby back ribs known to man. Whether your fancy is Carolina dry rub or Memphis Vinegar, you'll find ribs you can pull apart by hand.
3) Pulled Pork Sandwich - Michelbob's, Naples, FL
Michelbob's serves up some of the best American style bbq around, but the pulled pork sandwich stands out. Not overly sauced like at most bbq joints, just perfectly cooked and flavored meat served on a hoagie roll.
Seafood
1) Shrimp Scampi - Legal Seafood, Boston, MA
The only chain restaurant you'll find on this list, Legal Seafood serves up the finest shrimp scampi you'll ever know. The garlic and butter combination is intoxicating, and the end of your meal is gloriously slurped up with the two pieces of garlic toast that accompany the shrimp.
2) Dungeneous Crab - Eliot's Oyster House, Seattle, WA
It's whole, it's steamed, and it's delicious. Fresh out of Puget Sound, Eliot's Oyster House steams you up the best dungenous crab you'll ever taste, with a beautiful view to boot.
3) Clam Chowder - Bristol's, St. Louis, MO
Bristols can't compete with coastal restaurants when it comes to seafood freshness (although they come close) but when it comes to clam chowder, they've got the goods. I have no idea why theirs tastes so much better than anyone else's, but it ain't no lie.
Steak
1)Bife de Lomo - Rodizio, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Meat is a way of life in Argentina, as you all are discovering. This exquisite filet is cooked to perfection on a traditional Argentine brick grill. It doesn't need steak sauce or butter or a piece of bacon wrapped around it in order to taste good. Such trifles are left up to far lesser steak houses...
2) Bife de Chorizo - La Chacra, Buenos Aires, Argentina
At the entrance to La Chacra there is a stuffed cow to great you. The restaurant inside might as well be a shrine to beef. Bife de Chorizo is a cut found only in Argentina, and that alone is worth a journey south.
3) Filet Mignon - Hereford House, Kansas City, MO
The Hereford House is a Kansas City institution. A marvelous wine list compliments the finest cuts of meat west of the Mississippi, and the filet is certainly the king. Dessert was mildly disappointing, but with dead cow like this, who cares?
4) New York Strip - Flemmings, Richmond, VA
A tender, moist, cooked to perfection strip is a thing of beauty, and I haven't found a place that does it better than Flemmings. The ranch garlic mashed potatoes are an excellent add to a fantastic beef experience!
Pasta
1) Tortellini a la panna - Mom and Pop joint, Florence, Italy
After wandering around the town for about 30 minutes in search of lunch, some friends of mine and I stumbled onto what was literally a mom and pop restaurant with two tables, and only two things on the menu. Tortellini, and salad. It was, beyond any doubt, the finest Italian pasta meal I'd ever eaten. Alas, there's no way I could ever find the place again...
2) Linguini Tutto Mare - Ristorante La Lanterna, Sorrento, Italy
The Linguini is hand made on location, and the fish and clams used for the white wine sauce are yanked from the ocean that very day. 'Nuff said.
3) Spaghetti Bolognese - Il Convivio, Rome, Italy
Three straight Italian restaurants in the pasta section. Hmmm... Coincidence? Il Convivio has a great atmosphere, friendly staff, and the best bolognese sauce I've ever tasted.
4) Cannelloni - Gianfabio's, St. Louis, MO
Gotta show the locals some love here. Gianfabio's is by far St. Louis's (and perhaps the midwest's?) best tasting Italian restaurant. The Cannelloni are veal stuffed and served under a cream and meat sauce mix. Yummy!
Pizza (listed by best pizza joints, not individual types)
1) Los Inmortales - Buenos Aires, Argentina
Yes folks, Argentina has the best food on the planet. I've been all over the US, Canada, South America, and Italy, and the fact is, no where yet has the food been so consistently good over so many categories. Pizza is no different, as Los Inmortales serves up fresh mozzarella and toppings to your heart's content.
2) Lou Malnato's - Chicago, IL
Giordano's is more popular, but Lou Malnatos is a better pie hands down. Deep dish lovers revel in front of a pizza you have no choice but to eat with a fork and knife.
3) La Gallina Bianca - Rome, Italy
It's the thick but light crust that makes this Rome's best pizza. If you don't parle Italiano, just point at what you want. They'll hack you off a slice big enough to be a meal, and you'll be a happy camper for sure.
4) Imo's - St. Louis, MO
If you're into super thin crust pizza (and I certainly am!) then Imo's is the place. It's a locally famous chain, and the only delivery place to make the list.
Well folks, you're welcome to argue with me all you want, but I'm sticking to my guns on this one. If you have additions, suggestions or just something mean to say to me, feel free to comment. I certainly hope for your sake that one day you'll visit one or two of these fine establishments. If you do, please let me know how you liked it!
Best Sandwiches:
1) The Legend Club - LeGrand's Deli, St. Louis, MO
This tasty pile of freshly sliced Boar's Head meats, combined with pepperjack cheese, garlic cream cheese, and pepper spread is a not-too-spicy delight. Without a doubt, the best meal between two pieces of bread ever conceived.
2) Cuban Sandwich - La Carreta, Miami, FL
Ham, sliced pork, swiss cheese, pickles, mustard and mayo on Cuban bread. You can't beat that with a stick...
3) Prosciutto con Tomate - Bella Vento, Rome, Italy
Ultra thinly sliced prosciutto, tomato slices, mozzarella cheese, onions, oregano, and olive oil. It's worth flying to Italy just for this sandwich, but you should stay and see the Vatican while you're there...
4) Sandwiche de Lomo - Pastry, Buenos Aires, Argentina
The most simple sandwich you can imagine: A half inch cut of filet, cooked to your taste and served with tomato between fresh french bread. No one knows meat like Argentines!
Best BBQ
1) Parrillada - Rodizio, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Like I said, no one knows meat like Argentines! A parrillada is a mixed grill filled with several cuts of beef, as well as rib tips, chorizo, sweet bread, blood sausage, etc. At Rodizio it is brought to you on a platter which rests atop hot coals. The finest cow ever prepared anywhere on earth.
2) Pork Ribs - Rendezvous, Memphis, TN
In a dark, secluded alley just across the street from the famous Peabody hotel, Rendezvous serves up the finest baby back ribs known to man. Whether your fancy is Carolina dry rub or Memphis Vinegar, you'll find ribs you can pull apart by hand.
3) Pulled Pork Sandwich - Michelbob's, Naples, FL
Michelbob's serves up some of the best American style bbq around, but the pulled pork sandwich stands out. Not overly sauced like at most bbq joints, just perfectly cooked and flavored meat served on a hoagie roll.
Seafood
1) Shrimp Scampi - Legal Seafood, Boston, MA
The only chain restaurant you'll find on this list, Legal Seafood serves up the finest shrimp scampi you'll ever know. The garlic and butter combination is intoxicating, and the end of your meal is gloriously slurped up with the two pieces of garlic toast that accompany the shrimp.
2) Dungeneous Crab - Eliot's Oyster House, Seattle, WA
It's whole, it's steamed, and it's delicious. Fresh out of Puget Sound, Eliot's Oyster House steams you up the best dungenous crab you'll ever taste, with a beautiful view to boot.
3) Clam Chowder - Bristol's, St. Louis, MO
Bristols can't compete with coastal restaurants when it comes to seafood freshness (although they come close) but when it comes to clam chowder, they've got the goods. I have no idea why theirs tastes so much better than anyone else's, but it ain't no lie.
Steak
1)Bife de Lomo - Rodizio, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Meat is a way of life in Argentina, as you all are discovering. This exquisite filet is cooked to perfection on a traditional Argentine brick grill. It doesn't need steak sauce or butter or a piece of bacon wrapped around it in order to taste good. Such trifles are left up to far lesser steak houses...
2) Bife de Chorizo - La Chacra, Buenos Aires, Argentina
At the entrance to La Chacra there is a stuffed cow to great you. The restaurant inside might as well be a shrine to beef. Bife de Chorizo is a cut found only in Argentina, and that alone is worth a journey south.
3) Filet Mignon - Hereford House, Kansas City, MO
The Hereford House is a Kansas City institution. A marvelous wine list compliments the finest cuts of meat west of the Mississippi, and the filet is certainly the king. Dessert was mildly disappointing, but with dead cow like this, who cares?
4) New York Strip - Flemmings, Richmond, VA
A tender, moist, cooked to perfection strip is a thing of beauty, and I haven't found a place that does it better than Flemmings. The ranch garlic mashed potatoes are an excellent add to a fantastic beef experience!
Pasta
1) Tortellini a la panna - Mom and Pop joint, Florence, Italy
After wandering around the town for about 30 minutes in search of lunch, some friends of mine and I stumbled onto what was literally a mom and pop restaurant with two tables, and only two things on the menu. Tortellini, and salad. It was, beyond any doubt, the finest Italian pasta meal I'd ever eaten. Alas, there's no way I could ever find the place again...
2) Linguini Tutto Mare - Ristorante La Lanterna, Sorrento, Italy
The Linguini is hand made on location, and the fish and clams used for the white wine sauce are yanked from the ocean that very day. 'Nuff said.
3) Spaghetti Bolognese - Il Convivio, Rome, Italy
Three straight Italian restaurants in the pasta section. Hmmm... Coincidence? Il Convivio has a great atmosphere, friendly staff, and the best bolognese sauce I've ever tasted.
4) Cannelloni - Gianfabio's, St. Louis, MO
Gotta show the locals some love here. Gianfabio's is by far St. Louis's (and perhaps the midwest's?) best tasting Italian restaurant. The Cannelloni are veal stuffed and served under a cream and meat sauce mix. Yummy!
Pizza (listed by best pizza joints, not individual types)
1) Los Inmortales - Buenos Aires, Argentina
Yes folks, Argentina has the best food on the planet. I've been all over the US, Canada, South America, and Italy, and the fact is, no where yet has the food been so consistently good over so many categories. Pizza is no different, as Los Inmortales serves up fresh mozzarella and toppings to your heart's content.
2) Lou Malnato's - Chicago, IL
Giordano's is more popular, but Lou Malnatos is a better pie hands down. Deep dish lovers revel in front of a pizza you have no choice but to eat with a fork and knife.
3) La Gallina Bianca - Rome, Italy
It's the thick but light crust that makes this Rome's best pizza. If you don't parle Italiano, just point at what you want. They'll hack you off a slice big enough to be a meal, and you'll be a happy camper for sure.
4) Imo's - St. Louis, MO
If you're into super thin crust pizza (and I certainly am!) then Imo's is the place. It's a locally famous chain, and the only delivery place to make the list.
Well folks, you're welcome to argue with me all you want, but I'm sticking to my guns on this one. If you have additions, suggestions or just something mean to say to me, feel free to comment. I certainly hope for your sake that one day you'll visit one or two of these fine establishments. If you do, please let me know how you liked it!
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