Your city's foodie destinations

[10023]

Originally Posted by badrunner

I agree with this. I don't really associate the word foodie with fine dining. A farmers market frequented by local professional chefs and home cooks can be "foodie destination." Or the latest trendy food truck in your city. Or even the local county fair with all its glorious deep fried goodness.

This. While “foodie” is a stupid concept (and only really in Anglo-American cultures with weak food traditions does it even have meaning), it does not mean “gourmand”.

[dimondpark]

Nyum Bai is this awesome Cambodian restaurant in East Oakland. If youre ever near the Fruitvale BART station, the eatery is only steps away and definitely worth a visit.

[CivicBlues]

Something’s Fishy
Raise your hand if you ever visited Phu Quoc Island.
What? No hands raised?
Ok, so it’s not a vacation hot-spot, but it is a Vietnamese island known for producing exceptional fish sauce, called “nuoc mam”. And it’s where Vietnamese ex-pat Cuong Pham went to recreate the taste he remembered from his childhood.
Fish sauce is a traditional Asian condiment made from fermented fish.
Red Boat Fish Sauce is a super-premium fish sauce produced from only two ingredients: sustainably sourced wild caught black anchovies and sea salt. It’s well known among chefs as the gold standard of fish sauce.

*raises hand*

I've been to Phu Quoc Island (albeit 10-years ago now) and it is very much so a vacation hot-spot even then. It's even more developed now I bet. The beaches aren't bad:



I do seem to recall back then that there was still a large fish sauce industry there at the time and factories there are one of the stops on the 'round island tours you can go on.

[dchan]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

Mustard? Bah.

It's all about the patis.

I've been using an ancient bottle of fish sauce to provide the anchovy flavor for my half-homemade Caesar dressing. The half-homemade part refers to the fact that I use store-bought mayo instead of making the emulsion using eggs and oil.

[Minato Ku]

Originally Posted by ocman

And they’re always crowded as hell. And it’s bullshit the French try to blame the crowds on American tourists because the crowds are clearly all locals. Anyway, the quintessential foodie spot for Paris would be L'as du Falafel.

The only who try to blame tourists on the invasion of fast foods in Paris are tourists themselve, especially American tourists who believe that everything in the city revolve around them or change because of them.
But I've never heard this blame from locals.

We, locals, blame tourists for stereotypical French restaurants that would never exist without them. (No one would go in a restaurant to eat a "French onion soup").
Place around Place du Tertres in Montmartre would have much more varied food scene if it wasn't a tourist trap.

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by Minato Ku

No one would go in a restaurant to eat a "French onion soup"

They are missing something good then. Onion soup, with or without the appended "French" qualifier, is delicious stuff. It depends on top quality beef stock, though and that's what distinguishes a great onion soup from something passable. Because it's not so easy to make really good beef stock, home-made onion soup is simple but doesn't always turn out as good as the best restaurant stuff. Sorry you French folk don't take pride in it.

What you should really be embarrassed by is what passes for "French fries" over here. Cooked the wrong way (all at once) in the wrong oil (canola).

[bnk]

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

They are missing something good then. Onion soup, with or without the appended "French" qualifier, is delicious stuff. It depends on top quality beef stock, though and that's what distinguishes a great onion soup from something passable. Because it's not so easy to make really good beef stock, home-made onion soup is simple but doesn't always turn out as good as the best restaurant stuff. Sorry you French folk don't take pride in it.

What you should really be embarrassed by is what passes for "French fries" over here. Cooked the wrong way (all at once) in the wrong oil (canola).

Yep frites

Need to be cooked twice at two different temperatures.

The Belgian way. With fresh Mayonnaise as a side dip and course sea salt.

https://www.internationalcuisine.com/frites/

[Thebestofeverything]

Originally Posted by yuriandrade

Casa do Porco (Pig's House). This one is three blocks away from home, 2nd year featuring The Worlds 50 Best Restaurants (https://www.instagram.com/theworlds50best/?hl=pt-br) and pointed as the best one in South America.



Creative food focused on pork. Never been there because lines are massive and it's full of posers from upmarket neighbourhoods trying to be cool eating Downtown. Their food is great though.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acasadoporcobar/?hl=pt-br

When we were in SP in the Winter 2017, we ate our way around the city: 1) Japanese/Asian food in the Liberdade district, 2) at food stalls in the Mercado Municipal, and 3) at churrascarias - we went to Fogo de Chao off Avenida Paulista and it was ok and Morumbi on Av Roque Petroni Junior and it was excellent but I believe it has since changed its name. SP is a great foodie destination. We'll be visiting again as soon as this pandemic subsides and we brush up on our Brazilian Portuguese which helps to enjoy the many eating choices this great city offers.

[mrnyc]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

That's another problem I have with that word; often, people who call themselves foodies only eat one kind of food or only the same kinds of food.

Hehe and you should NEVER use flash when taking pictures of food, they always look awful! You wanna see the details and texture of the food; flash just blasts that all out, and it ends up looking like pictures of things people want to sell on ebay.

this is where i insert jim leff's chowhound manifesto, the old original food topics forum, dating back to the late nineties aka the go-go nineties era, where the distinction between chowhounds and foodies was crystal clear (it may not be so clear today):


Chowhound Manifesto
Everyone has one in his life: the brother-in-law with a collection of 800 takeout menus, the co-worker who's late from lunch because she HAD to trek to one end of town for soup and to the other for a sandwich. Chowhounds know where the good stuff is, and they never settle for less than optimal deliciousness, whether dining in splendor or grabbing a quick slice.

We're not talking about foodies. Foodies eat where they're told. Chowhounds blaze trails. They comb through neighborhoods for culinary treasure. They despise hype. And while they appreciate ambiance and service, they can't be fooled by flash.

now unfortunately, while that site still technically exists, its a terrible shell of itself today. and nothing makes me sadder being an early participant! however, have no fear, just google the reviewer robert seitsema. he is the godfather of all chowhound types and is still doing his thing combing the city and turning over ethnic rocks for the very best 'you name it' dish.

[badrunner]

Originally Posted by mrnyc

this is where i insert jim leff's chowhound manifesto, the old original food topics forum, dating back to the late nineties aka the go-go nineties era, where the distinction between chowhounds and foodies was crystal clear (it may not be so clear today):


Chowhound Manifesto
Everyone has one in his life: the brother-in-law with a collection of 800 takeout menus, the co-worker who's late from lunch because she HAD to trek to one end of town for soup and to the other for a sandwich. Chowhounds know where the good stuff is, and they never settle for less than optimal deliciousness, whether dining in splendor or grabbing a quick slice.

We're not talking about foodies. Foodies eat where they're told. Chowhounds blaze trails. They comb through neighborhoods for culinary treasure. They despise hype. And while they appreciate ambiance and service, they can't be fooled by flash.

now unfortunately, while that site still technically exists, its a terrible shell of itself today. and nothing makes me sadder being an early participant! however, have no fear, just google the reviewer robert seitsema. he is the godfather of all chowhound types and is still doing his thing combing the city and turning over ethnic rocks for the very best 'you name it' dish.

Jonathan Gold would like a word with you

from wikipedia:

Describing his work in the LAist, Megan Garvey wrote: "It would be difficult to overstate Gold's impact on the culture of food in Southern California. His reviews of L.A.'s restaurants drew international attention." Anthony Bourdain described Gold as "the first guy to change the focus from white tablecloth restaurants to really cool little places in strip malls"—a subject for which Bourdain also became renowned.

...

In 2007, Gold became the first food critic to win the Pulitzer Prize; the citation referenced his "zestful, wide ranging restaurant reviews, expressing the delight of an erudite eater.".

[mrnyc]

Originally Posted by badrunner

Jonathan Gold would like a word with you

from wikipedia:

actually he had many words with me.

he used to post on chowhound back in the day.

[Yuri]

Originally Posted by Thebestofeverything

When we were in SP in the Winter 2017, we ate our way around the city: 1) Japanese/Asian food in the Liberdade district, 2) at food stalls in the Mercado Municipal, and 3) at churrascarias - we went to Fogo de Chao off Avenida Paulista and it was ok and Morumbi on Av Roque Petroni Junior and it was excellent but I believe it has since changed its name. SP is a great foodie destination. We'll be visiting again as soon as this pandemic subsides and we brush up on our Brazilian Portuguese which helps to enjoy the many eating choices this great city offers.

Yeah, São Paulo is not an obvious touristic city, but it might offer one of the greatest urban experiences in the world, specially regarding food and nightlife. As we're on an urbanism forum, I definitely recommend SP. A good previous research is always good to make sure you do all the things that the city can offer.

Since 2017, I guess churrascarias lost some ground to creative cuisine. Lots of new things are popping up everywhere, all the time, specially Downtown and on Pinheiros district.

[mrnyc]

Originally Posted by yuriandrade

Yeah, São Paulo is not an obvious touristic city, but it might offer one of the greatest urban experiences in the world, specially regarding food and nightlife. As we're on an urbanism forum, I definitely recommend SP. A good previous research is always good to make sure you do all the things that the city can offer.

Since 2017, I guess churrascarias lost some ground to creative cuisine. Lots of new things are popping up everywhere, all the time, specially Downtown and on Pinheiros district.

we have been twice -- can confirm!

[C.]

What are the best cities for beef in the world. I crave both Argentine and Brazilian steakhouses. They have chains in most cities, which are usually pretty good. I prefer the independent spots. I use to love love love Buenos Aires at 513 E 6th St in New York. I would sometimes take dates there I wasn't really feeling, just so I can have an excuse to enjoy the steak and excellent sangarias.

[mrnyc]

Originally Posted by C.

What are the best cities for beef in the world. I crave both Argentine and Brazilian steakhouses. They have chains in most cities, which are usually pretty good. I prefer the independent spots. I use to love love love Buenos Aires at 513 E 6th St in New York. I would sometimes take dates there I wasn't really feeling, just so I can have an excuse to enjoy the steak and excellent sangarias.

i dk, but i know one hard and fast rule, whenever you visit elswhere if you are stuck for where to go eat then definitely hit up the local old classic steakhouse in the area. the reason is it will likely be great or at least fine and more importantly it will always be way, way cheaper than nyc steakhouses lol.

and yeah that east village argentine joint is great.