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My Favorite Restaurants
As a professional juggler and yo-yo man I am on the road a lot. On my way I have found some really great restaurants. Some of them are so good that when I'm in that town it's hard to go anywhere else. Here's a list of my favorite restaurants and the towns they are in. By the way, although I am a vegetarian, these places will serve omnivores too.
Pick a State:| WI | ||||
California:
Los Angeles:
Fred's 62, (American Contemporary) 1850 N. Vermont (between
Russell & Franklin) (323)667-0062
Hollywood-retro-hipster is the best way to describe this place I think. I LOVE
it here. It has all the charm of a diner, but with funky style thrown in. I
always appreciate good comedy, and the menu has plenty of it. You can get the
Hunka Hunka Burning Love Pancakes, or the Bearded Mr Frenchy (french toast with
a face, and a cornflake beard) among other things. I had the Tofu Chiliquile,
which was good, but I thought it could have used some texture variation. It's
a squishy, but delicious dish. Fred's 62 is a great place to go anytime of the
day, but I have often ended up there in the middle of the night. Good place
to go for dessert.
You will find LA prices but great food and great atmosphere. Possible celebrity
sightings too. I saw the lady from X-Files who played Moulder's mom... or Scully's
mom... or something else... but she's on TV at the VERY least.
5 visits
updated 5/1/05
Leela Thai, 1732 Silverlake Blvd (323)660-6100
Cute little place with very friendly people. I had the Vegetable Curry w/tofu
and it was so could I almost couldn't stand it. I have a special fondness for
Thai food, but this was frighteningly good. I was afraid that I might have unknowingly
sold my soul in exchange for such an incredible meal.
Unfortunatley Leela Thai is cash only.
1 visit
updated 5/1/05
Illinois:
Arlington Heights:
Chowpatti Vegetarian Restaurant, (Indian) 1035 S Arlington
Heights Rd. (847)640-9554
I stumbled upon this place one day when I happened to have several
hours to kill before a show. Not only is the food outstanding, and they are
VERY accommodating to food requirements (like allergies and Vegans). Also, they
have the best menu I have ever seen. They clearly lay out what they can and
can't do, they have things carefully organized and explained in a laminated
and thorough guide that is extremely helpful and informative. Also, they offer
simple, and "American" food if you bring along picky, or less adventurous,
eaters.
Chowpatti is very easy to get to as well. It's just a few blocks north of I-90
on Arlington Heights Rd, on the right side of the street. If you're travelling,
but you want to have a nice meal, this is the perfect place to stop as long
as you're not in a huge hurry. The service is quick, but naturally it's not
fast food speed .
3 visits
updated 4/23/06
Champaign:
Dos Reales, (Mexican) 1407 N Prospect Ave, (217) 351-6879
I can't recommend the Vegetarian Burrito highly enough. Will be VERY busy on
Saturday nights, and they don't take reservations on weekends.
Now with two locations! Also try 1106 W University Ave, Urbana IL. Near campus.
5 visits
updated 4/23/06
Chicago:
Check out my suggestions or use Metromix's restaurant finder.
Earwax, (American Contemporary) 1561 N. Milwaukee Ave., (773)
772-4019
Fun, hip place with good, non-standard food, and lots of cool people.
Added bonus, if you have to wait for a table you can go downstais and peruse
the video store.
3 visits
updated 5/4/05
Hot Doug, 3324 North California, (773) 279-9550 www.hotdougs.com
Hot dogs, lots of hot dogs. With names like: "Jennifer Garner (formerly
called Brittney Spears)- Fire Dog: Mighty Hot!" and "The Elvis- Polish
Sausage: Smoked and savory - just like the King." There are pictures of
stars on the walls for that close-to-fame feeling, and punk rock music coming
out of the stereo... maybe not a place for sunday brunch w/grandma... especially
since they are closed on Sundays. Also, Hot Doug closes at four. Plan ahead
since the line usually starts forming at 3:15. And yes... there is a vegetarian
dog.
1 visit
updated 1/19/06
Kamehachi, (Japanese w/sushi) 1400 N Wells St (they have 4
locations around chicago) (312)664-3663
www.kamehachi.com
This is a great Japanese restaurant and sushi bar near downtown chicago. It's
got a really nice contemporary atmosphere that is still influenced by Japanese
aesthetics. I was first taken to Kamehachi by my Japanese friend Hiromi. I have
now been there twice, and it was great both times. They have lots of vegetarian
sushi, and my favorites are the Shitake Maki, the Ume Shiso Maki (plum paste
and shiso, which is Japanese mint), and the AAC Maki (asparagus, avocado, and
cucumber). Hiromi absolutely loves the Natto Maki, which is fermented soybeans.
It's a pretty powerful and pungent taste though, and may be one of those things
that Americans just can't eat. Two great bonuses of this place are that it's
pretty cheap, especially for vegetarian items, and it's open really late. Despite
our best intentions on the last visit though, I've never eaten there before
1am.
2 visits
updated 6/14/05
Bongo Room (formerly Room 12), (American Contemporary) 1152
S. Wabash, (312) 291-0100
Really nice and somewhat unusual food. These folks come up with some very interesting
taste combinations that are really good. The decor has a really nice casual,
modern but comfortable feel. Even if the food wasn't good, I'd still go to the
Bongo Room for the atmosphere. Breakfast, brunch, and lunch only though, so
be sure to get there well before they close at 2:30 each weekday, and 2:00 on
weekends.
2 visits
updated 4/06
Sultan's Market, (Middle Eastern) 2057 West North Avenue,
(773)235-3072, www.sultans-market.com
and www.chicagofalafel.com
The best falafel I have ever had. For real. It's cheap too. An added bonus is
getting to watch the skill of the guys behind the counter put your falafel together.
Contemporary middle eastern decor. Gets busy during peak times with good reason.
Middle Eastern essentials like hummus, Baba Ghanooj and Tabboule as well as
sandwiches andl dinners. Vegan friendly. For an authentic drink with your food
buy a can of chilled Vimto.
6 visits
updated 4/23/06
Taste of Lebanon, (Middle Eastern) 1509 W Foster, (773)334-1600
Man, this place was good! I can't recommend the lentil soup highly enough. This
is a very low-key restaurant, and the food is really good, and really cheap.
Amazing.
4 visits
updated 9/13/06
Indianapolis:
Sakura Restaurant (Japanese) 7201 N Keystone Ave, (317)259-4171
Very nice, and very popular, restaurant. It's a good idea to get there before about 6:15 (they open at 5:00) if you don't have a reservation. Sakura only has two kinds of vegetarian sushi, but they are both really good. You have to write in the Vegetable Roll, and the Asparagus Tempura Roll is already on the sushi order form. Much to my surprise, this is not a taste that everyone likes, but I LOVE the Ginseng-Up soda. It's like Ginger Ale but significantly more awesome.
At some point you may have to choose between the soup and the salad, and it's a tough choice. I love Miso Soup, especially the way it looks right when it is delivered, but their salad dressing is fantastic. It's vinegary, but also has a strong sesame flavor. If you have enough room you might just want to get both.
3 visits
updated 9/13 /06
Minnesota:
For the Twin Cities check out my favorites or find your own with the Twin Cities Dining Guide.
Minneapolis:
*Smoking ban for restaurants and bars! Yay!*
Chatterbox Pub (American Contemporary) 2229 E. 35th St. (612)728-9871
This is such a fun place. First of all it's very cozy. A lot of the coziness
comes from the fact that they have display cases with vintage board games and
lunchboxes, crazy lamps on endtables, and perhaps most importantly... Atari
2600 game consoles available for rent and use on-site. I personally find it
very comforting to have a fierce game of warlords going on in the background
while I eat my veggie burger. By the way, all their bugers are available with
either the standard beef patty, or a veggie burger.
It's rare to be immediately comfortable in a public place, but at the Chatterbox
it happens right away.
3 visits
updated 6/23 /05
Jasmine Deli, (Vietnamese) 2532 Nicollet Ave S (612)870-4700
Really good Vietnamese food, and unusually cheap for Minneapolis. Try the sandwiches
and the spring rolls.
2 visits
updated 3/7/05
Psycho Suzi's Motor Lounge, 2519 Marshall St. NE (612)788-9069
This place is SUPER fun. Tiki bar and restaurant, with a whole pile of crazy
fun thrown in. They have some of the best drink names I've ever seen, and the
food is good too. I'll be able to give you a better assesment after I have gone
back a second time, but Psycho Suzi's is so fun that I wanted to add it to the
list right away.
Unusual for a restaurant, not only do they have a website, but it's a highly
entertaining one: www.psychosuzis.com
1 visit
updated 5/4/05
St. Paul:
Taste of Thailand, (Thai) 1669 Selby Ave (651)644-3997
My past experience, and all of the reviews I've read, told me that the first
thing that you need to know about this place is that the service is terrible,
but the food is great. My most recent visit on 5/28/05 changed my view a bit.
The food is still great, but this time the service wasn't bad at all. We were
seated promptly, and the food arrived very quickly. At worst, the waitress was
a little cold, but it was nothing serious.
This place is one of the best-kept secrets in town, perhaps largely because you have to endure the service to get the food. My favorite dish is a peanut curry with big chunks of fried tofu in it called Pra Ram Long Song (#38 w/tofu). It is exponentially better than it sounds. It's one of the dishes they are famous for. The last time I went we also ordered the vegetarian egg roll, Pad Pak (#44 vegetarian), and the Vegetable Red Curry (#37). All of them were stunningly good, but I think the two curry dishes were the real stand-outs.
The decor is nothing interesting, even a bit seedy, but don't be fooled. Ambience is nice, but at Taste of Thailand I think they have put all of their energy into the food, and that's not a bad thing at all.
Easy to get to from Hwy 94. Exit Snelling Ave from the West and Hamline Ave
from the East. Go South a few blocks and turn Right on Selby.
3 visits
updated 5/30/05
Wisconsin:
Madison:
*Smoking ban for restaurants! Yay!*
Mickey's Dairy Bar, (Diner) 1511 Monroe St
A great diner near Camp Randall stadium. Huge portions and low prices.
Usually REALLY busy on weekend mornings, so wear your patience pants.
Many, many visits over many years
updated 6/14/05
Vientienne Palace, (Lao-Thai) 151 W Gorham St. (608)255-2848.
One of my favorite dishes in the whole world is Pad Lao with tofu. It is SO
good. In fact, just writing this is making me salivate. Another favorite is
their "Curry Dishes" also with tofu. Beware though, when they say
hot, they mean it. I usually get the Mild (one star). It's plenty hot for me,
and I'm no wuss about spicy food.
Many, many visits over many years
updated 5/1/05
Ella's Deli, (Kosher) 2902 E Washington Ave. (608)241-5291
Ella's is great not so much for the food as for the atmosphere. There aren't
a whole lot of vegetarian choices, but that doesn't really matter. The good
part is all of the stuff inside. The restaurant is filled with mechanical toys
and machines and crazy things that move and make pleasant sounds. There are
rockets that move slowly across the ceiling on wires, there are little stages
where mechanical orchestras play, or clowns dance. There is a clear plastic
tube system on the ceiling that has pool balls continually rolling around in
it. Most of the tables have glass tops on them so you can look down inside at
a yo-yo collection, a gun-wrapper collection, or a Pez collection (to name a
few) or you can play with the interactive toys using magnets or knobs. This
place is awesome in the true sense of the word.
It's a good place to take adults, and an even better place to take children
(or child-like adults). Aside from being fun for kids, it's fun for adults to
watch the kids reach complete sensory overload and burn out. There's also a
full-size carousel outside, and delicious ice cream made on site.
Many, many visits over many years
updated 5/1/05
Milwaukee:
Beans and Barley, (non-scary and still delicious healthy food)
1901 E North St, (414)278-7878
This is an especially nice place to go with vegetarians. It's a very relaxing
atmosphere with great food, nice people and a store at one end. They have gorceries,
especially the somewhat hard to find vegetarian and wierd hippe foods, but they
always have a lot of fun other items. We bought our watering can there, and
you can always find great gifts for your most interesting and unusual friends.
Sometimes you can buy books of their recipes too.
I get the Quesadillas the most often, but last time I had the quiche of the
day (rosemary, red pepper and mushroom). I wish I could make quiche that good.
It's hard to go wrong at Beans and Barley.
Many, many visits over many years
updated 5/26/05
Comet Coffee Shop, (American Contemporary) 1947 N Farwell
Ave., (414)273-7677
Even though it is a coffee shop, Comet has great food. They also have the best
hot chocolate I have ever had. Seriously. Don't go there if you can't handle
cigarette smoke, or cool people. Comet has plenty of both.
Recently remodeled, Comet is now a full-on restaurant. The food is still great,
but everything is a little spiffier. The hot chocolate is not as good anymore,
but maybe they'll come back around.
Many, many visits over many years
updated 4/23/06
Izumi's, (Japanese) 2150 N Prospect Ave., (414)271-5278
I have recently become a bit of a sushi hound. It's a little odd since I am a vegetarian, but if you are persistent and look hard enough you can find sushi places that have vegetarian stuff. Izumi's is one of those places, and they have a great selection for the veggies. Most places have one or two vegetarian options, but Izumi's has eight or so, and they are SO good! I usually have the miso soup and then I have to decide which of the delicious items I don't get to have this time.
Very nice atmosphere, and if you have a large group you can reserve the private room in back. I usually go during Summerfest with my performer friends and it's usually a good idea to shelter the rest of the world from our group. I can't tell you about the non-veggie sushi, but my friends seem to like it, and we always go back.
4 or 5 visits over 3 or 4 years
updated 9/13/06
Maharaja, (Indian) 1550 N Farwell Ave., (414)276-2250
I love Indian food, and this place is great every time. Also, it's always packed
with actual Indian people, so you KNOW it's good. Overwhelming lunch buffet...
in a good way.
3 visits
updated 7/10/05
1) Large chain restaurants can be really good, but you probably already know
all about them. This list is more about finding special gems in an unfamilar
city.
2) Thai and Indain food are yummy.
3) I like menus written in chalk. It means someone cares enough to go to the
trouble of writing it out.
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