Harry Buffalo (2120 East 4th Street, Cleveland, OH)

A great sports bar right outside of the Indian's stadium.  Buffalo wings, buffalo burgers, pizzas, wraps and more.  Great selection to please even the pickiest eaters.  Wings were good.  Although if you have a sauce called "You-Can't-Handle-it-Hot"....it better deliver the heat, which it didn't.  Good prices with specials through the week.  Good beer selection and service.

Harry Buffalo

Zocalo (2071 E. 4th St, Cleveland, Ohio 44115)

Located right in the middle of Cleveland's restaurant district (and just down from the Indian's stadium) sits a great little Mexican grill and tequila bar.  Celebrity chef Aaron Sanchez was originally brought in to help inspire the menu.  They have since changed the menu, but kept some of the original dishes.  The tequila selection was vast and gave you the options for flights or just ordering some very very very nice aged tequila.  I started with a simple Chile con queso with chips.  The queso didn't stay creamy for long, but the flavors provided that pop of spice with every bite.  I ordered the Enchilada Tinga Poblano with slow roasted carnitas wrapped in corn tortillas.  They were topped with a spicy chipotle sauce, enchilada sauce, a house blend of cheese, and garnished with crema fresca, chives and cotija cheese.  For me, they were a bit dry, but the flavors were good.  Prices were very reasonable and staff inviting.  If you want some mexican food in a relaxing setting, definately give this a try.

Zocalo

Lola Bistro (2058 East 4th Street, Cleveland OH)

Located right in the restaurant district of Cleveland just down from the Indians Stadium, Lola provides that ease and comfort to fine dining that most establishments miss the mark on.  Celebrity Chef Michael Symon (native to Cleveland) has put together an amazing menu.  Now, given that it is fine dining...and we all know that means $$$, the food definately hits the mark and backs up the reasoning for the big bill at the end.  I started off with the Beef Cheek Plerogi with wild mushrooms, horseradish, and crème fraiche.  While I wasn't a fan of the Plerogi's texture, the flavors simply melted in your mouth.  For my entree I ordered the

Smoked Berkshire Pork Chop with chilies, cheesy polenta, and BBQ onions.  I first would like to thank the FDA for finally giving their blessing for pork to be cooked Medium.  The pork chop was juicy and flavorful and the cheesy polenta gave it that extra burst of flavor.  Thoughts of licking the plate were definately on my mind...  Now I'm not normally one for dessert, but The 6 a.m. Special just could not be resisted.  It's brioche french toast, maple-bacon ice cream, and topped with caramelized apples.  Now I know what you're thinking....maple-bacon ice cream?  Trust me...simply amazing.  The staff was friendly and helpful.  If you enjoy fine dining, this is a bistro that is a must visit when in Cleveland.

Lola Bistro

Koopers Tavern (1702 Thames Street, Baltimore MD 21231)

Located in the historical Fell's Point area.  There are many bars in this area, but few with as good of food as you will find at Kooper's Tavern.  Quick and friendly service, great beer selection on tap, and a very comfortable atmosphere.  They claim to have the best wings in Baltimore, so I had to try them.  They were just okay...Not bad, but not great.  Now....I would definately recommend thier crab cakes.  Two 7oz. crab cakes loaded with nothing but backfin crab meat and very little filling.  If you're in the Inner Harbor area of Baltimore, skip all the chains and overpriced options, stroll east about 5-6 blocks and give Kooper's Tavern a try!  You won't regret it.


Kooper's Tavern

Bagby Pizza Co. (1006 Fleet St., Baltimore, MD 21202)

This is the perfect place to get a great thin crust pizza!  Gourmet toppings, quick and friendly service.  They also sell beer and wine.  Prices are very reasonable.  Definately worth giving this place a try if you're in the area and don't want to empty your wallet on overpriced crab in the inner harbor.

Bagby Pizza Co.

Alba Restaurant & Wine Bar (2480 Canyon Blvd, Boulder, CO 80302)

Great decor and lighting, but a little odd in placement as it sits in a little mini strip mall.  Alba is a small place and only holds about 10 tables outside the bar seating.  Being an Italian restaurant the wine list is mostly Italian, but gave a good choice in variety from the different regions.  The food selection was good.  We started off with a typical anti-pasta consisting of meats, cheeses, olives, and oils.  For dinner I had the Gnocchi alla Cinghiale, which is a potato gnocchi with wild boar ragu, parmigiano-reggiano, and sage.  The food was excellent, but unfortunately the service was very slow.  Only 2 servers working the entire room didn't help the fact.  The food was priced along the lines of fine dining with dinners costing $18-30.  I'd suggest giving it a try if you like fine dining Italian food.

Alba Restaurant & Wine Bar

Parrain's Seafood Restaurant (3225 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70808)

On our last night in Baton Rouge, we wanted to get one more night full of Cajun seafood.  We were directed to Parrain's Seafood Restaurant.  The restaurant sits back from the road and can be tricky to spot.  The entire establishment is wood and gives off that warm and comfortable feeling.  The server we had was very polite, knowledgable, and speedy.  I started off with Fried Alligator (you can also get is served blackened).  The batter they use has an amazing flavor and it's accompanied with a horseraddish dipping sauce.  If you've never tried alligator, you must.  It was delicious....and NO....it doesn't taste like chicken.  A colleague of mine got the grilled oysters.  They were simply delicious.  No grit and all flavor.  For dinner I got the half and half fried seafood platter with shrimp and crawfish.  Very reasonablly priced and the plate was huge!  The seafood was cooked perfectly.  If you're a seafood fan and you're in the Baton Rouge area, you absolutely must give Parrain's a try!

Parrain's Seafood Restaurant

Poor Boy Lloyd's (201 Florida St., Baton Rouge, LA 70801)

So one of my goals was to find myself a good Shrimp Po'Boy while I was down there.  Everyone I asked all pointed me to Poor Boy Lloyd's.  The Shrimp Po'Boy was perfect.  Friend shrimp, lettuce, mayo, and tomatoes all on a soft french loaf.  This place is only open for lunch, but you absolutely much try this place!

Poor Boy Lloyd's

Harrington's Cafe (329 Florida St., Baton Rouge, LA 70801)

Harrington's Cafe is a small little gem in "downtown" Baton Rouge.  The cafe is old and it shows, but thankfully the food made up for it.  I had the Crawfish Etouffee with white rice.  Delicious, especially that it's not technically crawfish season.  If you're in Baton Rouge and looking for a quick place, you definately need to stop in and give this cafe a try.

Harrington's Cafe

Wayfare Tavern (558 Sacramento Street, San Francisco, CA 94111)

Wayfare Tavern is the new flagship restaurant of Chef Tyler Florence.  The restaurant has that rustic feel to it that just makes you want good wine, fine cheeses, steak and potatoes.  The menu offers good selection for those less likely to explore (oven fried chicken) and for those that like to try new things (duck gumbo).  I ended up going with the Steak Frites, which essentially means steak and fries.  Sounds plain, right?  Wrong!  The steak was a perfectly medium-rare cooked Santa Maria tri-tip cut in to slivers.  Sat beside this was a roasted half a shallot topped with truffle butter and french fried potatoes.  Everything on the plate was cooked and seasoned perfectly.  For dessert, and I usually don't get dessert, I couldn't pass up the Sticky Toffee Pudding topped with warm toffee sauce aside ginger ice cream.  Of course after all great meals I jumped at the offer of some French pressed coffee.  After a meal like that you need some good coffee....or a cigarette depending on how the meal "moved" you.  Wayfare Tavern is an absolute must visit when in San Francisco.

Wayfare Tavern

Annabelle's Bar & Bistro (68 Fourth Street, San Francisco, CA 94103)

So when in San Francisco, I make it a point to seek out some quality Cioppino.  Based on some recommendations by locals, Annabelle's Bar & Bistro did not dissapoint.  The atomsphere is cozy and inviting.  Servers were knowlegable and friendly.  Good selection of local brews on tap always helps to start off a good evening.  Anyways...the cioppino, right.  It was everything I was expecting.  Fish, clams, mussels, shrimp, calamari, and crab all set in a delicious spicy tomato and shrimp broth.  Aside from the shrimp being a little over cooked, the flavors were out of this world.  The price was on par with what you would expect to pay for Cioppino in the city ($22 + $5 to add crab).  If you've ever in San Francisco (and outside of the Warf area), then you must try Annabelle's for the Cioppino!

Annabelle's Bar & Bistro

Tex Wasabi's (2243 Arden Way, Sacramento, CA 95825)

  Suishi and BBQ...Interesting.  Great layout, great food, and very friendly service.  This is another establishment of Guy Fieri.  I started out with the Chipotle BBQ Pork Soft Tacos.  Corn tortillas holding together sweet & spicy chipotle pork, topped with corn salsa, cabbage, and chipotle sour cream.  Simply put...the perfect appitizer.  We also sampled the brisket, which was juicy and tender.  The suishi was great, but the best rolls were actually "off-menu".  I suggest you ask your server what the sushi options are that aren't on the menu.  I recommend the Dirty Magazine.  You absolutely must try Tex Wasabi's!

Tex Wasabi's

Johnny Garlic's (10505 Fairway Drive, Roseville, CA 95678)

Okay, being a fan of Guy Fieri....I just had to try out his own restaurant while I had the chance.  The atmosphere was great.  Good lighting, good beer selection, friendly service...now onto the food!  Our group started out sharing the Kobe Sliders made with Wagyu beef and topped with sweet onions and a cilantro-lime aioli.  It was the perfect bite to start the night.  We also tried the Garlic Potatoe Chips, which were crisp and loaded with flavor.  While others ordered a salad, I opted to try the Roasted Garlic soup.  Simply amazing.  Plenty of garlic flavor without being over the top.  Made nice and creamy without any heavy cream might I add.  Ok, onto the main course.  The menu offered a wide selection, perfect for those "picky" eaters.  We took the waiter's recommendation and tried the Chipotle Shrimp & Hotlinks pasta that had fried leeks, pene pasta, smothered in a chipotle cream sauce.  Talk about a taste explosion!  The sausage was juicy, shrimp cooked perfectly, and the sauce offered a nice spice.  You absolutely must try out Johhny Garlic's if you get the chance.

Johnny Garlic's

The Golden Bear (2326 K St., Sacramento, CA 95816)

The Golden Bear is located in the middle of Sacramento central, but away from the "downtown" area.  The place is small, but pack big tastes.  There's a big porch with tables, where we found locals playing cards and drinking.  The inside seating is limited and tight, but well worth it if you can grab a table.  I had "The Taco" to starting things off.  Two soft tacos filled with slow simmered chicken, house chili rub, lettuce, cotija, and pasilla crema.  Taste was amazing and well balanced.  For dinner I had one of thier pizzas.  They do have a normal pepperoni and red sauce pizza, but it's thier sauceless pizzas that I suggest you try.  Thier Sausage and Slaw pizza packs amazing taste combinations.  First, the crust...thin, crisp and perfectly cooked over fire.  The pizza is topped with house-made pork sausage, slaw, and an red onion marmalade.  Slaw, on pizza?  I know, right?  It perfectly balanced out the tastes.  Fair prices and good service.  I recommend you give this one a shot if you have the chance.

The Golden Bear

Arch Street Tavern (85 Arch Street, Hartford, CT)

A perfect place for a bite and beer to escape the winter.  The place was well lit and inviting.  The service was very friendly and worked to meet your needs.  Good selection of beer and variety on the menu helped our group meet everyone's needs.  I started off with an order of Buffalo wings, which were right on par from what I expect of my wings.  Good buffalo sauce and just the right spice.  Nothing to complain about here.  My main course was thier house made rueben sandwich.  The meats and kraut were just the thing I was craving and Arch Street Tavern delivered.  The fries where...eh.  My colleagues got the Irish Nachos which looked like a cross between a baked potatoe and fresh nachos.  Never the less, they were good.  I definately recommend you drop in to this gem on the corner.

Arch Street Tavern

City Steam Brewery (942 Main Street, Hartford, CT 06103)

The atmosphere of the place was rustic, warm and inviting.  You could tell from the moment you walked in that they made thier own beer, which is always a plus in my book.  I visited this place twice during my trip to Hartford, so my review isn't just based on a "bad night".  The service was slow and they always felt they had better things to do than service our table.  That being said, the beer was great.  They had a great little Amber Ale called Naughty Nurse that was perfect for the cold weather.  At this point I probably should have just got a salad.  The food was underseasoned and overcooked.  The fries were the most tastless side I've ever had.  I ordered one of thier signature items called the Bacon Triple Decker, which is a burger that has grilled cheese sandwiches at the buns.  They should have stopped with the grilled cheese because the burger overcooked, dry, and underseasoned.  On my second visit I did, however, get the Hickory burger which was tastey.  Other members of my group ordered various other items with the same regretful feeling afterwards.  My suggestion is to get the Hickory Burger (ignore thier signatures...), side of chips and a Naughty Nurse to wash it down.  I would only suggest going here if you are looking for some good beer, because there is better food to be found....there has to be!

City Steam Brewery