Since this blog is all about food, I figured I'd add in a page about food things I like. Here is a list of some of my favorite restaurants. As you'll see, it's pretty diverse--I like different places for different reasons. Feel free to comment with your favorites!
Morning Glory (Ashland, OR)
This breakfast and lunch joint is literally the best breakfast you will ever have. I dream of their pancakes with lemon butter and homemade raspberry jam, the gorgonzola omelet with toast walnuts, carmelized onions and fonina cheese, the perfect coffee--and I didn't even like coffee in college, and of course their giant mimosas--though I was never allowed to order that when I lived there. ;) There is usually always a line to get in on the weekends, but it's literally the only place I will wait more than an hour to get sat. It's just that good.
Bridge Creek (Red Lodge, MT)
Back before I even lived in Red Lodge, my grandma would take me to Bridge Creek every time we were in town to get cheesecake so I've been a fan for a long time. Unfortunately, they no longer home-make their cheesecakes, but they do pretty much everything else. I worked here for a few summers and Christmas breaks, so I know it seems biased, but this is probably the best place to get lunch (definitely) and dinner (depending on what you get) in the whole town of Red Lodge. The kitchen makes practically everything from scratch--sauces, soups, dressings, you name it--so the quality of ingredients and flavor trumps the usual Sysco-esque food items from other restaurants. People seem to complain that Bridge Creek is "too expensive" but when I go to other restaurants, I find I spend just as much if not more for less than mediocre food anyway--so really I think it's more the atmosphere that people feel is "expensive" rather than the actual food items. This is true for lunch especially. Though they are famous for their clam chowder, the other homemade soups (usually two-one veg, one meat) are just as delightful and exciting to try because they are only around for as long as that batch lasts. If you're worried about cost at dinner, try a few appetizers instead of a more pricey dinner meal. If you're going to get steak, I recommend the flat iron or Ribeye (if they have them--their menus change seasonally). And don't forget the crème brûlée!
Regent Thai (San Francisco, CA)
My best friend and roomie, Kate, from undergrad is from San Fran. Whenever we would roadtrip down from Ashland, and her family took us to this great Thai place. Since Kate's dad and brother are celiacs, this was a good choice because it has gluten free options. The staff are so nice--they even brought us a free mango rice pudding dessert once! Definitely a place to check out when you're in the city craving a delicious and decently priced meal.
J Cruz M (Valparaíso, Chile)
J Cruz M is famous for it's chorrillana, so if you're cruising the coast town of Valparaíso, you have to duck into the back alley where it's located and grab lunch. This is a classical "hole in the wall" place. They only serve a traditional Chilean dish called chorrillana--a bed of french fries, topped with sauteed beef strips, onions and fried eggs. It is possibly the most delicious greasy spoon meal I've ever indulged. . One order will serve four people comfortably. They don't have a website, but I linked the google map for reference.
In memory of my favorite restaurant in undergrad: Deeps Indian Cuisine (which I hear now is replaced by Taj Inidian Cuisine). Here's to the tall, cool and mysterious Indian owner of Deeps, who liked to go to concerts at the Mobius and crack jokes with customers, and of course to the Nan!
