Soeurved

Below you will find a list of personally tested culinary destinations. Some are obvious. Others are obscure. All merit a visit. (more to come)

NEW YORK

Food Shops

Kalustyan’s: 123 Lexington Ave

Pastosa Ravioli: 7425 New Utrecht Avenue, Brooklyn (multiple locations)

Russ & Daughters: 179 East Houston St

Vintner Wine Market: 671 Ninth Ave / what to get: Spanish panino

Bars

Ear Inn: 326 Spring St, near Greenwich

Little Branch: 20 Seventh Ave. South

Tile Bar: 115 First Ave, at 7th St

African/Moroccan

Africa Kiné (Senegalese): 256 W. 116th St

American

Amy Ruth’s: 113 W. 116th St, near Lenox Ave / what to get: BBQ Spare Ribs; Candied Yams

Diner: 85 Broadway, at Berry St

Prune: 54 E. 1st St, near First Ave / what to get (brunch): Dutch Style Pancake; Egg en Cocotte; Fried Oyster Omelette

(Southeast) Asian

Food Sing 88 Corp. (noodles): 2 E. Broadway, near Bowery

Golden Unicorn (dim sum): 18 E. Broadway

Great N.Y. Noodletown: 28 Bowery, at Bayard St

Joe’s Shanghai (Chinese): 24 W. 56th St, near Fifth Ave (less crowded); 9 Pell St, near Bowery / what to get: Crab Meat with Pork Soup Dumplings; Hong Kong Style Hot & Sour Soup; Moo Shu Pork; Dungeness Crab; Twin Lobster

Kunjip (Korean): 9 W. 32nd St, near Broadway

Num Pang (Cambodian sandwiches): 21 E. 12th St, at University Pl / what to get: Pulled Duroc Pork Sandwich

Kampuchea (Cambodian): 78 Rivington St, at Allen St / what to get: Pickle Plate; Sweet Pulled Oxtail sandwich; Chilled Rice Vermicelli

SriPraPhai (Thai): 64-13 39th Ave, near 64th St, Queens

BBQ

Hill Country: 30 W. 26th St, near Broadway

French (AKA the “duh” section)

Adour Alain Ducasse: 2 E. 55th St, at Fifth Ave

L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon: 57 E. 57th St, near Park Ave

Balthazar: 80 Spring St, at Crosby St

Le Bernardin: 155 West 51st St

Daniel: 60 E. 65th St, near Madison Ave

Eleven Madison Park: 11 Madison Ave, at 24th St

Minetta Tavern: 113 MacDougal St, at Minetta Lane

Italian

Defonte’s: 261 Third Ave, at 21st St

Del Posto: 85 Tenth Ave, near 16th St

I Coppi: 432 E. 9th St

’ino (panini): 21 Bedford St, near Downing St

’inoteca: 98 Rivington St, at Ludlow St; 323 Third Ave, at 24th St

Locanda Verde: 379 Greenwich St

Lupa: 170 Thompson St

Luzzo’s (pizza): 211-213 First Ave

Scarpetta: 355 W. 14th St, near Ninth Ave

Japanese

Sushiden: 19 E. 49th St, near Madison Ave

Sushi Yasuda: 204 East 43rd St

Yakitori Totto: 251 W. 55th St, 2nd floor / what to get: Tako Wasa (raw octopus in wasabi); Gyoza; Tori Dango (rice dumplings with chicken meatballs); Shishitou Tsukune Tsume (green pepper stuffed with chicken meatball); Kuruma Ebi (prawn); Yaki Nasu Miso Dengaku (eggplant with miso paste); Tori Zousui (rice porridge with chicken & vegetables); Totto Tokusei Yaki Onigiri (grilled rice ball with soy sauce or wheat miso); Kyona To Jyako (fried small fish salad with raw egg); Ice Banana

Kuruma Zushi: 7 E. 47th St, 2nd floor

Latin American

Café Cortadito: 210 E. 3rd St

Caracas Arepa Bar: 91 E. 7th St / what to get: De Pabellón Arepa (shredded beef, black beans, cheese & sweet plantains); Los Muchachos Arepa (chorizo, cheese with jalapeños & sautéed peppers); Ensalada Mixta

Mediterranean & Middle Eastern

Beyoglu (Turkish): 1431 Third Ave, at 81st St

Pylos (Greek): 128 E. 7th St, near Avenue A

Sip Sak (Turkish): 928 Second Ave, near 49th St

Mexican

Cascabel Taqueria: 1542 2nd Ave, between 80th and 81st

Taco Taco: 1726 Second Ave, near 90th St / what to get: Cochinita Pibil

Sweets

Cafe Roma: 385 Broome St / what to get: Cannoli

Ceci Cela: 55 Spring Street / what to get: Almond Croissant

GREATER BOSTON AREA

Food Shops

Iggy’s Bread of the World (bakery): 130 Fawcett St, Cambridge / what to get: Cranberry Pecan Rolls

Owen’s Poultry Farm: 585 Central Ave, Needham / what to get: Poultry; Baking Powder Biscuits

Massis Bakery (Armenian grocery): 569 Mt. Auburn St, Watertown

Nashoba Brook Bakery: 152 Commonwealth Ave, West Concord / what to get: 7 Grain Bread

Russo’s (produce and specialty goods): 560 Pleasant St, Watertown

Volante Farms (farm stand): 292 Forest St, Needham

Yankee Lobster Fish Market: 300 Northern Ave, Boston / what to get: Lobsters; Steamers

Asian

Fugakyu (Japanese): 1280 Beacon St, Brookline / what to get: Nama Hamaguri; Binnaga Sushi (Seared albacore tuna)

O Ya (Japanese): 9 East St, Boston

Pho Pasteur (Vietnamese): 137 Brighton Ave, Allston / what to get: Chao (rice chowder); Banh Hoi Thit Nuong (vermicelli rolls with pork); Twin Lobster; Soda Chanh (sparkling limeade)

Mexican

Anna’s Taqueria (burritos): 446 Harvard St, Brookline (our favorite location) / Regular Burrito with Chicken, Grilled Vegetables & Cheese; Regular Burrito with Chili Verde, Grilled Vegetables & Cheese (the meat + veg option is not listed on the menu); Horchata

Sol Azteca:  914 Beacon St, Boston / 75 Union St, Newton / what to get: Enchiladas Suizas (not on the regular menu); Sangria

Mediterranean & Middle Eastern

Farm Grill and Rotisserie (Greek): 40 Needham St, Newton / what to get: Lamb & Beef Gyros; “Regular” (not caesar) Chicken Gyros (not on the regular menu)

Shawarma King: 1383 Beacon St, Brookline

Seafood

B&G Oysters: 550 Tremont St, Boston

Neptune Oyster: 63 Salem St, Boston

Woodman’s: 121 Main St, Essex / what to get: Clam Chowder; “Chubby’s Original” Fried Clams; Lobster Roll

Sweets

Dairy Queen: 323 N. Main St, Natick

Flour Bakery: 1595 Washington St, South End / what to get: Roasted Lamb Sandwich with Tomato Chutney & Goat Cheese; Grilled Roast Chicken Sandwich with Brie, Arugula, Roasted Peppers & Caramelized Onions; Carrot Cake; Sticky Bun

Modern Pastry Shop: 257 Hanover St, Boston

Toscanini’s (ice cream): 899 Main St, Cambridge

White Mountain Creamery: 19 Commonwealth Ave, Newton / what to get: Waffle Cone (it’s homemade); Coffee Oreo Ice Cream; Cookie Dough Frozen Yogurt

CINCINNATI

Avril-Bleh & Sons (meat market): 33 East Court Street / what to get: Bratwurst; Hot Metts; Tiny Links

Graeter’s (ice cream): numerous locations / what to get: Caramel Ice Cream; Butter Pecan Ice Cream; Black Raspberry Chip Ice Cream; Mocha Chocolate Chip Ice Cream; Peppermint Ice Cream (seasonal); Bittersweet Topping; Butterscotch Topping

Skyline (chili): numerous locations / what to get: Cheese Coney

Walt’s Hitching Post (BBQ): 3300 Madison Pike, Covington, KY / what to get: 1/2 Rack of Ribs

TENNESSEE

The Dog of Nashville: 3302 Nolensville Rd, Nashville

Loveless Cafe: 8400 Highway 100, Nashville / what to get: Biscuits and Gravy; Pit-Cooked Pork BBQ and Eggs

Miss Mary Bobo’s Boarding House: 295 Main St, Lynchburg

Rendezvous (BBQ): 52 S 2nd St, Memphis

Swett’s: 2725 Clifton Ave, Nashville

FRANCE

L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon: 5, Rue de Montalembert, Paris / what to get: Tasting Menu

Aux Lyonnais: 32, rue St-Marc, Paris

La Grande Epicerie (at Le Bon Marché): 38 rue de Sèvres, Paris

Brasserie Le Bourbon: 1, place du Palais Bourbon, Paris

Chez Janou: 2, rue Roger Verlomme, Paris / what to get: Mousse au Chocolat

Le Divellec (seafood): 107, rue de l’Université, Paris

Marius et Janette (seafood): 4, avenue George V, Paris

Senderens: 9, place de la Madeleine, Paris

Tan Dinh (Vietnamese): 60, rue de Verneuil, Paris

Le Vieux Logis: 24510 Trémolat, Dordogne

JAMAICA

Scotchies (jerk): Falmouth Road, Montego Bay