We Recommend

Our policy: While we occasionally attend and blog about media dinners and opening parties for new restaurants, we will only recommend places where we have dined anonymously on our own dimes. That’s because restaurants might treat food writers better than the average customer, and we want our recommendations to reflect the real experience. The out-of-town selections are posted below the local listings.

Los Angeles

Angeli Caffe

Pizzeria Mozza

Comme Ca

Kiriko

Orris

Lucques

Mimosa

Ammo

Campinile

Puran’s

Sushi Roku

Scoops

Koi

Cube

Nyala

Beverly Tofu House

Santa Monica

Wilshire

Rustic Canyon

Musha

Tengu

Chinois

Melisse

Bay Cities Italian Deli

Venice Beach

Joe’s Restaurant

Chaya Venice

Beechwood

Primitivo Wine Bistro

Abbot’s Pizza

26 Beach Cafe

Beverly Hills

Spago

Matsuhisa

Culver City

Wilson

Tender Greens

Ford’s Filling Station

Father’s Office

Marina del Rey

Aunt Kizzy’s Back Porch

Jer-Ne

San Gabriel Valley

Green Village Shanghai Restaurant

For Vegetarians:

Axe (which also serves meat dishes) in Venice

Real Food Daily (organic vegan cuisine only) in Santa Monica

Out of Town

Boston

Mother Anna’s

Calgary

Caesar’s Steakhouse

River Cafe

Chicago

Avec

Gene and Georgetti

La Tache

Hopleaf Bar

Denver

Buckhorn Exchange

Detroit

Rattlesnake Club

Durham, N.C.

Magnolia Grill

Edmonton

Hardware Grill

Minneapolis

Manny’s Steakhouse

Montreal

Gibbys

Nashville

The Acorn

Sunset Grill

Zola

New York

Babbo

Gramercy Tavern

Joe’s Shanghai

Philadelphia

Jack’s Firehouse

Jack's is located at 2130 Fairmount Avenue

San Francisco/Bay Area

The Big Four

Foreign Cinema

Jardiniere

Chez Panisse (Berkeley)

Dopo (Oakland)

Dio Deka (Los Gatos)

Sushi Tomi (Mountain View)

Evvia (Palo Alto)

Zibibbo (Palo Alto)

Village Pub (Woodside)

Toronto

Lee Garden

Vancouver

Sun Sui Wah

Washington, Va.

Inn at Little Washington

Washington, D.C.

BLT Steakhouse.

Overseas:

Capri, Italy:

Al Grottino

Il Geranio

Florence, Italy

Osteria del Cinghiale BiancoTry the Truffles at Cinghiale Bianco in Florence.

Ristorante Le Fonticine

Rome

Casa Bleve

Ristorante La Bruschetta at Via Sardegna, 39

San Gimignano (Tuscany)

Trattoria Chiribiri

Taipei, Taiwan

Din Tai Fung