The Best Restaurant From Ten Cities That I Went To This Year

Over the last 12 months, I've travelled across America for work quite a bit. I've been to some places that aren't exactly destination cities in America, and I typically stay in pretty mediocre hotels. As such, the one perk I've allowed myself is to eat at great restaurants. I'll always do a google search for wherever I'm at that weekend, and Eater has proven to be a very reliable resource. Lots of you have also been great in messaging me about where to eat in your cities. Thank you. 

I thought I should share my favorite restaurants from 10 of the cities I visited. Some of these are "chalk" picks—restaurants that already have a lot of hype, but that met or exceeded my already sky-high expectations. I'm not trying to pretend I'm so foodie insider who is discovering the hidden gems; rather, if you're in any of these cities for ONE NIGHT, you should try to get to these places. 

Here's the top ten restaurants I've been to this past year from 10 different cities: 

10) Monteverde

Chicago, IL

Went here a couple weeks ago after winning roofball as a treat. The wagyu beef skewers don't just melt in your mouth, they dissipate like cotton candy. I've never had to chew meat less. So tender that you could brush them across an infant's forehead to put it to sleep. Then lick the juice off I guess. If you're one of those super alternative parents. 

The pastas seemed excellent. Great cocktails. Sitting outside was nice too—they have some plantings that make it a little more private from the street but you still get to surreptitiously people watch through the shrubbery. Chicago is a tough city from which to choose a favorite restaurant, but this was a new one for me and it makes the list at 10. 

9) Neptune Oyster

Boston, MA

Boston is to seafood what the University of Cornell is to unhappiness. Every time I'm in Boston, I try to make a visit to Neptune Oyster. The biggest issue is that you always have to wait in line for about an hour, which really blows. But it's on this great little alley-street at the start of the North End, and there are tons of fun streets to wander through once you're full of oysters and seafood stew. The place has the feel of a tiny French brasserie, with menu options written on the mirror and the majority of the patrons saddled up at the bar. It's always packed and the kitchen is impossibly small. But the food is fresh as hell and filled with flavor. 

Go nuts on the oysters. Grab a flinty bottle of Antarctic-chilled chablis and then work your way through some ceviches or tartares. The lobster roll is SIZE, which I appreciate as a Mainer. They do not skimp on this bad boy, so save room if that's your bucket. 

8) Fat Ox 

Scottsdale, AZ

I went here with White Sox Dave when we were shooting in Scottsdale. I suppose that was a little over a year ago but I wanted to include it anyway. I almost apologized to the restaurant for bringing a neanderthal to their classy establishment. I'm pretty sure he kept his gum in while he ate his meal and, when he was finished, he placed his napkin on his dirty plate to signal that he was done. But boy did we have a good time. This place gets high marks from all the food publications in Scottsdale, and there are some pretty creative takes on meat dishes. But the traditional steaks are going to work quite well too. Don't be afraid to sit outside unless it's any of the five months a year in Arizona where you physically cannot be outdoors due to the heat. Seriously, how people are flocking to this state I'll never know. They're legitimately running out of water. Water! Second only to air on the list of most important human resources. 

Great restaurant though. Great whiskey cocktails. 

7) Tornado Steak House

Madison, WI

Alright, this place is a cult classic. You walk in through the most non-descript door into a dimly-lit supper club, which apparently is a major thing in Wisconsin. It almost feels like a speakeasy restaurant but there are a few more seating rooms in the back that are more traditional. It's all wood and feels a bit like a log cabin you might return to after a long day of shooting bison with your dad who points out across the prairie and says "see this, son? Whatever you do, never sell an inch of this land." 

Steak is the play here. They bring out gigantic bricks of meat and throw an onion ring on top like a little birthday bow. The sides are very simple but the meat is excellent and the cocktails are legitimate bird baths. The vibe and experience here outperform the food, but if you're ever in Madison, give it a run. It's a step back in time. 

6) Suerte 

Austin, TX

The wagyu brisket tacos. I don't know what more there is to say. Except the goat barbacoa. Holy MOLY. I think they said they get a goat a week or something and smoke it over a couple days? Can't remember, they'll tell you. This is high-end, creative Mexican food at its finest. They have a mezcal and tequila list that could fuel a cartel war for years. Austin has so many good restaurants, but I can't help myself from returning here every single time I go. I love everything about this place. 

5) Rol San

Toronto, ON 

Ok, little off the beaten path here but we went to Rol San in Toronto at 2AM after the late show one evening. Somehow, this place seems to reach its liveliest point at that hour. It was PACKED, but they bring the food out insanely fast and feed you everything your heart desires. If you like dim sum, this is probably the best I've ever had. It's very easy to overorder (which we did) but you might as well give yourself options given that you'll probably never be back. If you're ever drunk at a very late hour in Toronto, go to Rol San. 

4) Ekiben

Baltimore, MD

I was told to try Ekiben in Baltimore, and I didn't really have high expectations because it's just a hole-in-the-wall street food spot that does takeout. They actually have a few locations it seems, but I hit the one in Fells Point—which is a lovely neighborhood in a city that truly feels quite dangerous. You know it's dangerous because the people who live there are proud of their city and love their sports teams but when you ask if it's really dangerous, they grimly nod their head and tell you to take an Uber home anytime after midnight, even if it's a two-minute ride. 

Nonetheless, Ekiben was an unbelievably delicious surprise in the face of my potential demise at gunpoint. Flavor upon flavor in a tiny box of exploding flavor. Just ask them what to get, you can't go wrong. Maybe the single best bite of chicken I've ever had. 

3) Friday Saturday Sunday

Philadelphia, PA

Switching things back up again, let's head to Philly for some CLASS. Friday Saturday Sunday has an upstairs that is a tasting menu type place, and the downstairs which is more casual. When in doubt, go casual. I sat at the bar downstairs and immediately knew I was in for a treat when the bartender handed me a cocktail of his tailoring with a giant, clear ice cube featuring a brand of the restaurant's logo. You can really tell a lot about a restaurant by the quality of their ice. 

The plates are small but incredible. The gnocchi was absolutely nuts. You just feel relaxed here, knowing you're going to get insane food. Plus, the seats are comfortable and the wait staff is very attentive but not in your face. Positively excellent. 

2) Mabel Gray

Detroit, MI

Detroit is another city that carries a rather… lackluster reputation. I wasn't exactly excited to go there, but I've learned that a lot of these cities that people don't really love tend to surprise you. Especially when it comes to their restaurant scene. I guess that even when your public transportation, weather, and drug-related deaths/violent crime are all plaguing your city, you somehow turn to eating as a last effort? Maybe? 

Whatever it is, Detroit seems to have excellent restaurants. This statement could not have been more forcefully illustrated by Mabel Gray. Holy fucking shit, what a restaurant. This place seems to simply invent everything on the fly. We had to wait a long time for two counter seats, so the bartender came outside and asked us what we'd like to drink. Specifically, he asked me what sort of cocktails I like. I mentioned whiskey, and he brought me out some concoction he'd cheffed up in his own imagination that was so good, I later asked for the recipe. Turns out, it had about 20 ingredients and he called it "The Most Dangerous Game," after the short story we all love. I've tried to make it twice, with mixed results. 

I don't know how to categorize the cuisine here. They say the chef just decides one week to lean in to Asian fusion. The next week, it's Italian-inspired. Then on to barbecue. Then French. Whatever fits his fancy, they make. It seems incredibly challenging to constantly reinvent the wheel and teach your entire staff a series of new dishes, but I guess that's what makes this place so fun for locals to return to all the time. I can't even recommend a dish because I doubt they'll have it anymore. 

Great vibe, great decor. Sorta feels like a diner in Miami Beach in the 80s except the food will knock your goddamn sandals off. This is just the sort of place that might restore Detroit to its former glory. 

1) Spoon and Stable

Minneapolis, MN 

This restaurant single-handedly changed my entire perception of the city of Minneapolis. I went for the first time in February and it snowed the entire time, on top of some four feet of previous accumulation. Needless to say, simply walking around was hard. Getting a morning coffee was hard. I had the wrong footwear, I was slip-sliding around uneven brick sidewalks that stand no chance against the unforgiving elements. A city built for those who enjoy the indoors is no place for a boy from Maine. 

But then I heard about Spoon and Stable, and I went and sat at the chef's counter. It's an open kitchen, which is always extremely fun as you get to watch the chefs prepare your food and wonder aloud, "is that mine? Oh, I think that's mine." And they hear you, and they can smirk knowing it isn't yours. 

The food is mind-blowing. This place has received a lot of hype, so I'm hardly breaking the news about Spoon and Stable. But Jesus, I must have ordered seven different things and every single dish maintained a level of quality that would have stood out as a winner at almost every other restaurant I've been to. The bread and butter are insane. The pork chop will turn a lifelong vegan loser into a carnivore. The cocktails are balanced, innovative, and refreshing. The desserts are NUTS. I can't even remember all the things I had but there seems to be no weak links on the menu. 

Bonus: Rudy Gobert was sitting a few tables away. It is truly preposterous to see a 7'1'' NBA player eating dinner at a restaurant, trying to be a normal person. Just as they have high-chairs for toddlers, they should have low chairs for human praying mantises like this guy. The distance between the plate and his mouth meant that every scoop turned his food cold. It's a treacherous lift and I'd be shocked if they didn't need to vacuum the floor around him after his meal. 

This was the best restaurant I've been to in the past few years. If you're ever in Minneapolis, do whatever you can to go. Absolutely spectacular. 

Honorable mention: 

-Thames Street Oyster House, Baltimore MD

-Uchi, Austin TX

-Aba, Chicago IL

-The Chloe, New Orleans LA