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Some cities limit street venders or its requirements do. Fine-dining top tier is like comparing country/popular music to Classical/Opera.
When rating foodie cities. Those with this top tier offering will generally win. Unless you separate it with overall variety of local flavor and ethnic offerings.
Some cities do both well. That then maintains it as a Top Food city. Even in BBQ Texas has competition in NC, Memphis, St Louis varieties too. A city like Chicago competes well in the Top tier to ethnic and its local flair it gets a reputation for.
Just once you add money no object as that person noted I responded too. The win is not going to a BBQ and Mexican fare as the person used? You raised the bar to top tier dining.
If you never had top tier Mexican food, you're dining wrong. Then again I'm from New Mexico, so I would be disgusted by the bland versions in the other states, too, probably because they do not have access to good green chile (jalapeños do not suffice). No self-respecting food-lover would overlook Santa Fe, for example.
If you never had top tier Mexican food, you're dining wrong. Then again I'm from New Mexico, so I would be disgusted by the bland versions in the other states, too, probably because they do not have access to good green chile (jalapeños do not suffice). No self-respecting food-lover would overlook Santa Fe, for example.
I knew someone would say Mexican can and is top tier food. I'm fine with taco nite at my local Voluntary Firehouse w/bar and restaurant. I'm fine with my local chain Texas Roadhouse. Still the best ribs I had in driving distance and not high priced.
By if I go to a Chicago? Besides the lunch Chicago-dog or Italian Beef. I want some fine dining that offers no re-fried beans or great ribs I can get at home too. I also like Chinese even Americanized fare. But it is nothing like a real Chinatown dining.
I can't even get Chicago-dog sport peppers by me in stores LOL. SURE if went to the US southeast I'd do Tex-Mex fine dining or bar fare. But I'm not going to Vegas or even Phoenix to choose it.
I'd love a roadside BBQ in Texas. But if I'm in Dallas? I would seek it less.
Houston is very well rounded. The top 4 lack great Mexican and BBQ.
I see Austin is taking shots from the usual suspects, but Uchi is regarded as one of the best sushi places in the country. And my chef friend in San Antonio readily admits Austin is the mecca in Texas (I vote Houston).
Houston has only so-so bbq, does ok in Tex-Mex but is not the greatest when it comes to traditional Mexican food. It is also missing several international cuisines like Moroccan, Russian, Tibetan, etc.
It should be in the top 5 but is not a top contender.
Houston has only so-so bbq, does ok in Tex-Mex but is not the greatest when it comes to traditional Mexican food. It is also missing several international cuisines like Moroccan, Russian, Tibetan, etc.
It should be in the top 5 but is not a top contender.
Actually Houston does amazing at traditional Mexican food. Hugo's? Nico's? Cuchara? Xochi? Im sorry, but I completely disagree there.
How many cities have Tibetan restaurants though? Houston does have a couple of places that do Nepalese food. Thats not terribly off.
I agree with Russian. I dont know of a place here that does it. I miss the hell out of Taste of Europe in Arlington (just west of Dallas). They did Belorussian and Russian well.
I agree with the last statement. I would place Houston in the number 5 or 6 spot in best food cities in the US.
I knew someone would say Mexican can and is top tier food. I'm fine with taco nite at my local Voluntary Firehouse w/bar and restaurant. I'm fine with my local chain Texas Roadhouse. Still the best ribs I had in driving distance and not high priced.
By if I go to a Chicago? Besides the lunch Chicago-dog or Italian Beef. I want some fine dining that offers no re-fried beans or great ribs I can get at home too. I also like Chinese even Americanized fare. But it is nothing like a real Chinatown dining.
I can't even get Chicago-dog sport peppers by me in stores LOL. SURE if went to the US southeast I'd do Tex-Mex fine dining or bar fare. But I'm not going to Vegas or even Phoenix to choose it.
I'd love a roadside BBQ in Texas. But if I'm in Dallas? I would seek it less.
Well, maybe it is more New Mexican fare I'm thinking of. Tex-Mex is like Chinese-American cuisine: It only vaguely resembles Mexican. New Mexican food is more traditional, and far more diverse; you can't get a green chile cheeseburger, red chile candy, or Navajo tacos in either Texas or Mexico (and if you can, blugh). I'm talking places like Frontier, Garcia's Kitchen, Sadie's, and (Little) Anita's. Food, but with sabor!
When I judge a food city, I am looking for 5 things:
1) Ethnic Variety - how many ethnicities have restaurants in the area.
2) Regional Cuisine - what cuisine is available in said city that isnt available anywhere else or at least is best in said city.
3) Fine Dining - how many 4 or 5 star restaurants are there.
4) Everyday dining - is there an abundance of good food that wont break the bank.
5) Innovation - did the area in question bring about any food trends.
Based on the above, there are only 4 areas (I dont leave things confined to cities, if there is a good place in a suburb, I give the city credit) that excel in all the above:
1) NYC
2) Chicago
3) San Francisco
4) Los Angeles
Next in line I would list a few cities that excel in most areas but may have one or two areas that are weak. The below cities are near perfection, just not quite there:
1) Houston
2) Boston
3) Philadelphia
Then I would have a group of cities that knock it dead in one or two categories but area devoid of other areas:
1) New Orleans
2) Charleston
3) Memphis
4) San Diego
5) Santa Fe/Albuquerque
Then there are cities that I feel are very good food cities, but just dont stand out as much in certain areas. The cultures just dont place as much emphasis on food as a whole. Nonetheless, the below are still excellent places to eat:
1) Miami
2) Dallas
3) Atlanta
4) Detroit
5) DC
6) Seattle
When I judge a food city, I am looking for 5 things:
1) Ethnic Variety - how many ethnicities have restaurants in the area.
2) Regional Cuisine - what cuisine is available in said city that isnt available anywhere else or at least is best in said city.
3) Fine Dining - how many 4 or 5 star restaurants are there.
4) Everyday dining - is there an abundance of good food that wont break the bank.
5) Innovation - did the area in question bring about any food trends.
Based on the above, there are only 4 areas (I dont leave things confined to cities, if there is a good place in a suburb, I give the city credit) that excel in all the above:
1) NYC
2) Chicago
3) San Francisco
4) Los Angeles
Next in line I would list a few cities that excel in most areas but may have one or two areas that are weak. The below cities are near perfection, just not quite there:
1) Houston
2) Boston
3) Philadelphia
Then I would have a group of cities that knock it dead in one or two categories but area devoid of other areas:
1) New Orleans
2) Charleston
3) Memphis
4) San Diego
5) Santa Fe/Albuquerque
Then there are cities that I feel are very good food cities, but just dont stand out as much in certain areas. The cultures just dont place as much emphasis on food as a whole. Nonetheless, the below are still excellent places to eat:
1) Miami
2) Dallas
3) Atlanta
4) Detroit
5) DC
6) Seattle
The only thing that New Orleans lacks according to your list is variety. It pretty much kills everything else ok your list in my opinion. Shouldn't it be on the second list with Houston and Philly?
1) NYC
2) New Orleans
3) Houston
4) Los Angeles
5) Chicago
My preferences are based on what I like though - I'm really into Creole/Cajun, East and South Asian, and a few other specialty ethnic varieties (Ethiopian, traditional Mexican). I'm not generally as into Tex-Mex, Italian, Polish, etc., though I definitely have my dishes I enjoy with those varieties. I think unless you're talking about the broadly excellent food cities like NYC, LA and maybe Chicago/SF, the food cities you prefer will be really influenced by the types of foods you like more than anything else.
Some cities limit street venders or its requirements do. Fine-dining top tier is like comparing country/popular music to Classical/Opera.
When rating foodie cities. Those with this top tier offering will generally win. Unless you separate it with overall variety of local flavor and ethnic offerings.
Some cities do both well. That then maintains it as a Top Food city. Even in BBQ Texas has competition in NC, Memphis, St Louis varieties too. A city like Chicago competes well in the Top tier to ethnic and its local flair it gets a reputation for.
Just once you add money no object as that person noted I responded too. The win is not going to a BBQ and Mexican fare as the person used? You raised the bar to top tier dining.
In that perspective I can understand. I just feel like the best food always comes from The Self-Owned/Hole In The Wall places, in my opinion. Especially when the food comes from the people who live, practice and engage themselves within that specific food cuisine culture. I always told myself that if I wanted to really try some GOOD Mexican food, that I would always support and eat from places that are actually owned by Mexicans; same for Mediterranean food, Indian food, Dominican Food, etc.
That's why I see New Orleans as the best food city in the US. When people are going to New Orleans, 90% of the time the first thing they're going to eat there, is food from New Orleans, by people from New Orleans.
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