Lem’s BBQ started in 1954 by two brothers Bruce and the late Myles Lemons helped define Chicago's barbeque style. This South institution serves juicy BBQ ribs out of a retro roadside takeout stand as they have no seating arrangement. It still tops its meats- from hot links and rib tips to chicken and shrimp with Lem’s original Bar-B-Q sauce and spices. They offer some really large portions for small prices.
Calumet Fisheries in South Deering, Chicago is counted among the only few smokehouse left in Illinois. It serves smoked and fried fish, shrimps and clams. They smoke seafood on site, in a natural wood smokehouse and they do not use any type of liquid smoke or industrial substitutes. The fish is marinated in brine overnight and carefully tended to bring out its flavors.
In spite of having appeared in a number of food shows and web-series and having been over more than 60 years in the business, it is still operated by the Kotlick-Toll family from a one room shack with a takeaway counter and no seating arrangement.
Grater's is simply everyone's favorite because of its delicious, rich and dense ice cream produced by the French Pot Batch process method. Started by Louis Graeter in 1868 in the neighborhood street market of Cincinnati now has branches in more than 50 locations offering super-premium ice cream, baked goods, and candy. The thick, handcrafted ice-cream is everyone’s favorite across the country including the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Harry Connick Jr., and David Rosengarten. Although they offer a range of flavors from the classic, seasonal and low glycemic ones but their signature is the range having chocolate chips. It has been called "the best ice cream in the world," and "the best out there," and won "Best Sweet" at the 2014 Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival.
Skyline Chili - a name synonymous with the dish Cincinnati-style chilli was started by a Greek immigrant Nicholas Lambrinides and his sons in 1949 in Cincinnati. The place which started as a small restaurant on a hilltop giving an impressive view of the city has now over 150 branches across four states. Skyline's signature dishes include cheese coneys (a hot dog topped with Skyline Chili, mustard, onions, and cheese), and 3-ways (spaghetti topped with Skyline Chili and cheese); 4-ways (choice of beans or onions added), and 5-ways (beans and onions both added). The secret chilli is cooked and packed off from a central commissary to every location. They are reheated and served which makes the quality consistent all over. The restaurants may be considered somewhere between "fast food" and "casual dining." Diners may sit at a booth or table and be served by a waiter, or at many locations, sit at a counter near employees preparing the food.
Growing up in Cozumel Island, Pepe’s has to make it to this list. Pepe’s was founded in 1966, and was founded by Don Eduardo Ruiz “Don Pepe.” Its long history makes this restaurant a must while visiting this island in the Mexican Caribbean. The location is exceptional as from a two story building you can see directly to the Caribbean Sea while scoping through a menu that has incorporated Asian, Italian and Mexican cuisines and also serves excellent quality Angus Beef steaks and seafood. Sharing meals is probably one of the smartest things to do when visiting this restaurant, as there are many delicious dishes on the menu to choose from. Some of the favorites are the Angus fillet carpaccio, Angus filet steak salad with lime-raspberry vinaigrette, and the special truffled lobster mac & cheese. Pepe’s also has a fresh fish fillet every day, and it is just a matter of asking the waitress what the fresh pick of the day, and decide the way you want them to cook it, and Voilá!
Now that Argentina’s finally ranked in the World’s 50 Best Restaurant for the first time in 15 years, dinner at Tegui is your ultimate fine-dining port of call in Buenos Aires. Germán Martitegui’s eight-course culinary adventure switches up every month, and as the chef-patron sources ingredients from tiny producers around the country, you truly get to sample a taste of Argentina.
Dashing wait staff run a smooth ship at this extremely stylish establishment, Martitegui overseeing every last detail; that includes a slick open kitchen you should definitely approach to see the team preparing scallops, Royal quinoa, green apple and kefir plated in Petri dishes, flame-grilled oysters for that classic Argentine touch or The Claw, a succulent partridge leg and breast. Also, keep an eye out to watch the sommelier ‘flyng’ through the wine cellar.
El Camarón Dorado is a local spot in Cozumel and a hidden secret between locals. The food is cheap and delicious. The seafood they offer in this establishment is freshly caught from the ocean every day, and you can be a spectator of this if you arrive early in the morning, you will see how fishermen deliver their load that will later be used to created these majestic “shrimp tacos” and other meals on the menu that give this restaurant its reputation. It is expected to eat more than usual and go with a big appetite. The tortilla from the shrimp tacos is soft and small, the shrimp are breaded and if you order “con todo” meaning with everything you will get in them, beans, sour cream, and purple onion. It is suggested to order a “guacamole” on the side to truly feel in heaven. El Camarón Dorado is a great spot to enjoy the local seafood cuisine.
J. T. Farhnham’s located on Ebon Creek overlooking the Essex River is best known for their award-winning "golden-fried clams" and “the best seafood chowder”. With the family being over seven decades in the business, they create homemade and local favorite recipes from the abundance of seafood harvested daily. Along with the acclaimed dishes, the top orders from the menu includes onion rings, crab and lobster rolls, crab cakes, lobster bisque, sweet coleslaw. Do not miss out on their "catch of the day dish".
They have an indoor and outdoor seating with an unmatched view and direct access to the water and marsh and easy access for boaters to order.
Open seven days a week, they work from the first Friday in March until the last Sunday in November.
Cozumel Island, in the Mexican Caribbean, has many options to offer, and Buenaventura Terrasse is a great start if it’s your first time on the island as a beautiful breakfast spot. All egg lovers will find different preparations using eggs that will be both unique and delicious. One of my favorite dishes is called “Huevos a la Veracruzana,” which is a typical breakfast served in Veracruz, a state in Mexico. This recipe combines scrambled eggs, beans, sour cream, fresh cheese and plantain all wrapped in a tortilla. It is spectacular, and even more so when having the Caribbean sea in front of you –what a way to start the day on the right foot. Another of my favorite egg dishes on the menu is “Huevos Motuleños” which are typical of the state of Yucatán, and is a fried tortilla, and on top, a fried egg is placed along with some black beans, and a sauce prepared with tomatoes, ham, and peas. One thing for certain is that it won’t be a boring breakfast.
This cute café in Barbados is a must go if you fancy eating healthy options from time to time but don’t want to compromise any of the flavors that eating “real food” provides. As a nutritionist, this is one of my favorite spots on the island. Usually, salads don’t have a great reputation, but the spinach quinoa feta in Café 195 and bistro has a mix of flavors that are just exquisite. The dish comes with baby spinach, quinoa, mandarin orange, dried blueberries, toasted almonds, crumbled feta cheese, and drizzled mix berry vinaigrette -too delicious for words. If having just a salad is not enough, it is a good idea to have it as a side with their salmon caper toasted focaccia, which has smoked salmon, caper cream cheese, pickles, caramelized onions and is delicious to the taste buds. In regards to beverages, their cappuccinos are wonderfully decorated and flavourful and their Aussie Blends Probiotic Yogurt Smoothies are delicious, my favorite picks are the berry bliss and tropical delight. Enjoy!