
Food And Travel 4 You
email: leon@foodandtravel4you.com

Christmas of 2025 in Philadelphia

Feb 2026 In Panama City, Panama for a month.
"I've had the pleasure of dining at some fantastic restaurants across various cities worldwide. In Miami, I enjoyed the vibrant atmosphere and delicious comfort cuisine at the Red Rooster. In Chicago the deep-dish pizza at Lou Malnati's was a must-try and worth the visit!
Below are a list of recommended restaurants where we ate and the pros and cons of the restaurant which were the best the city or country had to offer.​
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Aruba - Be aware of tourist price gouging at restaurants near the port. Places to eat 1) "Cafe The Plaza" has great food, but at tourist prices. 2) "The Dutch Pancake House" is the absolutely best place to eat on the entire island, but the line for breakfast is insane. 3) "The Old Cunucu House Aruba" offers authentic Aruban food at its best. If you're lucky enough to go you must try the world class "Rab'i Baca Stoba (oxtail stew)".
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Anchorage, AK - Anchorage is not a foodie city and has poor choices throughout. Order salmon and be safe. Here are my choices among a lot of bad options 1) "49th State Brewing", the best choice out of a less than average choices.​ 2) there is none in my opinion, eat at the hotel or at one of the overpriced fast food chains.
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Augsburg, GE - Lots of places with good food. Here are my choices 1) "Ratskeller Augsburg" is still the best value for the money. 2) "Perlach Acht" is top notch and great value for the money. 3) "Hirblinger Hof" still serves some of the best truly authentic German food on the planet.
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Austin, TX - 1) "Salt Lick" is a very good value if you're seriously hungry and love BBQ. 2) "Corinne" has great food and even better prices. You'll feel like you stole a meal.​ 3) "Matt's El Rancho" They offer some of the best Tex-Mex in Texas at good prices. 4) "Franklin Barbecue" has the best BBQ meats in Texas, but the sides are not up to my standards and I'm a BBQ specialist.
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Bangkok, Thailand - a city with a 1000 places that has great food. 1) "Rongros" The best food in Thailand without a doubt. 2) "Blue Sky" restaurant is a winner as well for their authentic Thai offerings. 3) You have a lot of winners in Bangkok including the great street food offerings.
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Boca Raton, FL - A lot of the restaurants cater to the northern crowd, but there are many new and up and coming places. 1) "The Hen and the hog" The best breakfast in Florida outside of the Miami area and great prices to boot. 2) "CVI.CHE 105" The best restaurant in south Florida for seafood. 3) "The Blue Dog" is a good choice during the week.
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Boise, ID - Not a city with a wide selection of choices or great food. 1) "The Lively" Is a good place with cheap prices, but order a starter so that you get full. 2) "Percy" is cheap with good eats. Boise is not a great food city.
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Boston, MA - A city with a lot of great choices, but primarily steak and seafood, especially lobster. 1) "The Salty Pig" is not bad with a limited menu. 2) "The Alchemy Restaurant" is worth every cent with great food as well. 3) "Boston Sail Loft" has the best seafood and seafood menu in Boston without a doubt.
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Boquete, Panama - A city with a ton of food options and one of the highest restaurant population per person in the world. Boquete is an expat town (22% of the population consist of foreign-born individuals) with 140 restaurants in a town with 25,000 people. There is one restaurant for every 179 individuals which is ridiculous for any city. A lot of these restaurants are bars owned by foreigners, not owned by true Panamanians, it just so happens that the bars serve food and are classified as restaurants. So, saying all of that means there is very little diversity in the food offerings because the owners are primarily from North America (U.S.). My top three restaurants are 1) "Restaurante Al Punto Cucina Italiana" offers authentic Italian food with a Panamanian twist. Chef Antonio (European-trained chef) will not disappoint you no matter what you order. His Italian dishes are as good as the ones I had at Lake Como, Italy last year. 2) "Nomad Restaurant & Lounge" the food is primarily the same food you eat in every other country, but food is very good and cooked well. The staff is what sets this restaurant apart from others in Boquete. 3) "The Rock" at the Riverside Inn will not disappoint. It is not pricey as you might think, especially for what you get. The seafood is excellent as are the beef ribs.
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Canberra, Australia - I didn't find any kangaroo meat on any menu and I ate at over 30 restaurants. The Australians are not big vegetable eaters so your vegetable choices are severly limited. Good luck on finding two good meals in row.1) "Terra Canberra" has the best menu options and tasty food in the city. 2) "Rebel Rebel" gives you good options at a decent price.
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Cartagena, Colombia - You can't go wrong no matter where you pick. 1) "Buena Vida Marisquería" - Cartagena, simply one of the best restaurants in Colombia and when dining with friends, try their "Grilled Seafood Tower". 2) "Inkanto Prime" is a great choice and you will visit it more than once, no matter how long you stay. 3) "Restaurante La Mulata" has some of the best local Colombian dishes in the country.
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Charleston, SC - it wants to be a foodie city, but is overrated and overpriced, especially for comfort food. Places like Magnolia's tries to offer authentic southern, the food is mostly southern, but the prices are not southern. Hummus is not a southern dish. Here are my choices for the top-3 best value for the money in Charleston. 1) "Rodney Scott's BBQ", simply put, this is some of the best pulled and chopped pork on the planet. 2) "Virginia's on King", great value for the money along with real prices. 3) "Hannibal's Kitchen" is a great soul food place to visit and enjoy a great southern meal at a great price.
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Charlotte, NC - Charlotte food is real southern food and a lot better than the ATL food and without a doubt the best place to eat is 1) "Captain Steve's Family Seafood Restaurant" you can't go wrong and you will feel that you under paid for your meal. 2) "Stacks Kitchen" They just flat out make you gain weight with good food and plenty of it at very low prices. One of the three best breakfast places in all of the world. 3) "McKoy's Smokehouse and Saloon" there is something for everyone and the food is very good at a decent price.
Chicago, IL - A dream city for foodies, so many choices. 1) "Kabobi Persian and Mediterranean Grill," without a doubt this is the best Chicago has to offer. 2) All food Trucks, you can't go wrong, but they will charge you a tourist charge in their prices downtown or on the lake. 3) Lou Malnati's - If you're a pizza lover this is the place for you, but it is pricey for what you get. They claimed the ribs are good, but I didn't trust them.
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Clearwater, FL - Not bad food and most restaurants gives you a lot of food. 1) "Clearwater Family Restaurant" will give you more food than you can ever eat and has a great breakfast 2) "Chedders Scratch Kitchen" is not a bad second option. 3) "Olive and Thyme" is one of the best Greek restaurant in the entire state of Florida. Great food at great prices.
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Colon, Panama - Average food at best, but I didn't stray far from the port area, so this review will be a little tainted. 1) "Restaurante Jenny liang", tasty and very cheap for what you get. 2) "Restaurante Portobelo" (Sopas Colón), great value for the money and lots of food.
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David, Panama - This a place in Panama where you'll find authentic Panama food more so than in other cities with a decent population. I really enjoyed every restaurant I ate at in this city. Here are my favorite three. 1) "El Fogon" this place serves authentic Central American food at its best. This is a restaurant that locals just love and I can see why. It is worth a visit. 2) "Restaurante El Molino" serves authentic South American food and every dish we tried was great after going there four times over seven days. The food and service was worth every visit. 3) "Restaurante Puerta del Sol" if you want a great and cheap breakfast that is really then this is the place for you at least it was for me. It is a visit you will not forget.
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Denver, CO - This is a city for foodies, they have a great food truck scene competing with some great restaurants. 1) "Ted's Montana Grill", the best Bison in America outside of Yellowstone. 2) "Mercantile", a little pricey, but great food none the less. 3)"Sam's No. 3" they offer one of the best breakfast in Denver and they're very cheap.
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Lake Como, Italy - Lots of restaurants in a very small area, most are very good and fairly cheap. 1) "Passion Como"' you definitely leave full with a happy belly. 2) "La Tavernetta", a little pricey, but this area is now a touristy area and a lot of restaurants charge more for that honor and this is one of them, but the food is top quality.​ 3) "Osteria del Gallo" is one of my favorite spots. The menu is very simple and the food is just simply great.
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Las Vegas, NV - One of the top five food cities in the world with a catch - food is way overpriced if you eat on the strip, the strip is a huge ripoff, so don't eat on the strip, matter of fact don't do anything on the strip because everything and everyone is a ripoff on the strip. Now for the top three and none of them are on the strip. 1) "Lou's Diner" is without a doubt one of the best breakfast places in America. If you go there you will see why there is always a line, which moves quick, even on weekends. They give you a lot of food at a very cheap price and the staff is top-notch. 2) "Black Bear Diner" is a west coast chain and I don't do chains at all, but I live on the East Coast and we don't have them on my coast. It is very cheap with a large menu and stays crowded for a reason. The food is very good. 3) "The Original Lindo Michoacan" is as good as it gets for Mexican food in Vegas. Limited menu, but a good menu and all the dishes are good.
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Limon, Costa Rica - Quite a few choices, but not in the port area, so you will have to venture out for the good stuff my choices are 1) "Restaurante Cocori y hotel playa bonita", great food at great prices and 2) "Quimbamba Restaurant and Bar" has great local food at a great price.
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London, United Kingdom - Lets be honest, the Brits don't have any great eats when it comes to food. Your best bet for great food is to try food from pubs or other cultures unless you want to eat their greasy fish and chips (fries) for every meal. 1) "Fallow", unusual food, but tasty at a decent price. 2) "Blacklock", it is cheap and tasty. I couldn't find a third restaurant worth mentioning. 3) "The Greyhound Inn" they offer a basic British menu at a more than fair price.
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Los Angeles, CA - This is one of the best (Top 5) food cities in the world, you name it and you can get it in LA. I can name about 50 places easily with great food. If you go to Los Angeles, don't stick to American cuisine, be bold. My choices are 1) "Taste of Tehran", simply great food throughout the entire menu. I've been here about 20 times and will be going back every time I go to Los Angeles. 2) "Paco's Tacos Cantina", simply some of the best true Mexican food you're going to get in America at a great price. 3) "Sun Nong Dan" is Korean food at its best. You will love their food and seasonings.
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Louisville, KY - It's an interesting city for food, the food scene is a little bit of soul, but not really deep down soul food. I liked quite a few restaurants in this mid-size city but hear's no. 1) "Big Momma's Soul Food Kitchen" which is a great restaurant with great food, but it is only three days out of the week. Try the smothered pork chop meal, a little salty, but very tasty. 2) "Porch Kitchen and Bar", If you want great drinks and tasty food this is the spot for you. 3) "Repeal Oak Fired Steakhouse", A great steak in a not great city, worth the money.
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Memphis, TN - What can you say about a BBQ city. Most of the restaurants that you will run across in Memphis are very overrated like Alencia's, the owner is living off her past reputation back when a few TV crews filmed her restaurant. Now here's my list of the top three restaurants in the city, not all of them are BBQ oriented. most restaurants are overrated. 1) "Germantown Commissary" simply great value for the money with great food, 2) "Corky's Ribs and BBQ" - the prices make this small local chain attractive. The food is above average, but not great, but the prices make up for a lot things and the food taste exceeds the prices. 3) "Gus's World Famous Chicken", great food at great prices with a very simple menu. Everything on the menu is worth the money for the price you pay.
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Miami, FL - This is a foodie city at its best. This city has a large variety of choices all over the city, but here's my favorite three. 1) "Madda's Cafe" simply the best breakfast restaurant in the Miami area and also its the best overall restaurant in Miami. The menu is very simple and you get a lot more than what you pay for. I always get the French Toast Platter. The owner is actually in the restaurant every day which is more than you can ask for. 2) "Red Rooster Overtown" is a place that has great food, great ambience, great prices and a great staff. You can't really find any fault with anything in this restaurant. They have special food events all the time. 3) "CVI CHE 105" simply the best Peruvian restaurant outside of Peru. A little pricey, but worth it.
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Milan, Italy - Milan is not a cheap city in general, but no more than most major cities. The food is not as diverse as other large cities, but my favorite restaurants are 1) "Gloria Osteria Milano" great Italian food at decent prices.The food is very pretty and taste even better. 2) "Ribot Restaurant" They serve some amazing steaks and the pasta is simply amazing. 3) "Via Pasteria" nothing is as good as home made pasta in front of you. The menu is small and everything on the menu is just fantastic and cheap.
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Mobile, AL - Food in Mobile is very cheap with large portions, to the point maybe too large. Mobile, AL is what a mid-size southern city should be when it comes to food. They're not a very diverse city when it comes to food options, but they do have some great soul food options and a few different chains that are more local than national and here are my favorite three picks 1) "Mary's Southern Cooking" It's almost buffet style, but they serve you and with a smile. A very friendly smile. the staff is young and very pleasant and prices are ridiculous low. The smothered pork chops and ribs are great as well as everything else on offer. 2) "Dauphins Casual Fine-Dining" is a must visit place to eat if you visit Mobile, AL, The menu is very diverse from cajun food to steaks. 3) "The Blind Mule" is a great place for fast and cheap food, plus they have a great selection of beers.
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Munich, Germany - is a foodie city by every definition. Piece of advice, don't ask the hotel staff where to eat because it is a total waste of time. Munich has food from every corner of the globe, but their Bavarian food is some of, if not the best in the world. My favorite three places are 1) "Hofbräuhaus München" - I just love great German food and the portions are huge at a very cheap price. The menu is very small, but not the portions or the taste. 2) "Ratskeller Munchen Restaurant" - great simple German food. The food is great and you will immediately get your moneys worth. A very nice large restaurant. And 3) "Weinhaus Neuner" - I like a restaurant that has great German food fused with Austrian food. The food is great and the prices are more than reasonable for what you eat.
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New Orleans, LA - NOLA is 100% a foodie city and it is by far the best foodie city in the south. NOLA is what Atlanta wants to be when it comes to food. You can pick a thousand places to eat in NOLA and you would not find a bad meal. My three favorite places are 1) "Jacque Imo's. - Real cajun food with real taste. You will rave about this place when you leave the restaurant. The food taste from here will linger in your mouth days after you finish your meal. I've been to this restaurant more than 20 times. 2) "Mulate's | The Original Cajun Restaurant" - Another real cajun restaurant that has excellent food. The prices over the last 10 years have gone up, but so has the taste of the food. You'll always have great food and a house band to keep you busy and full. 3) "Willie Mae's NOLA" is a great place to fill your belly, but remember that 90% of the food is fried. I tried other dishes like gumbo and truly enjoyed myself, but this place is famous for their fried chicken. Everyone in my travel party thought the fried chicken was very good, but not the best they ever ate.
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New York City, NY - The ultimate food city if there is one on this planet. I can eat everything almost everywhere in each borough. I'm going to give my recommendations borough by borough.
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- Manhattan 1) "The Beefbar" it is very expensive and a once in a lifetime place to to visit. It is not a place you go to just to go and eat, nope it has to be that very special occasion that you're only going to celebrate once or twice in your life because you can't afford to come back, but the food is worth every single penny. 2) "Marlow East" it is expensive, but the food and atmosphere is great with a world class wine selection. 3) "Melba's Restaurant" in Harlem is a low cost, lots of great food type of restaurant. There are a few good restaurants in Harlem and this is the best of the best especially the wait staff who are very enthusiastic and make it fun to visit.
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- Brooklyn 1) "Zum Stammtisch" without a doubt it is one on the best German restaurants in the U.S. let alone New York City. The food reminds me of my days in Munich. 2) "The Simpson Restaurant and Bar" There are not many great Caribbean restaurants in Brooklyn with a menu this deep and food this good. My advice is to try the oxtails, they are worth the hype. 3) "Maison Provence Restaurant" A great restaurant offering French delicacies at its best.
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- Queens 1) "Rolo's" has one of the smallest menu I've ever seen, but why have a large menu if you can't cook it all good. I went with 10 people who ordered 10 different things and we all raved about great what we each had. We basically ordered everything on this small menu for brunch. 2) "Court Square Diner" everyone k nows I like a great diner and this one fits the mold perfectly. It has a large menu with breakfast being served all day.
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Panama City, FL - This is a city that specializes in fried foods and chain restaurants, every chain in the world is here outside of the few local restaurants. This city food scene is designed for beach goers, you know the type that eat fried foods three times a day? But I did find a few places that I felt earned my money and here they are 1) "Wicked Wheel" They are one of the few restaurants in Panama City that offers something other just fried foods and the price is very cheap for what you get. 2) "Bayou Joes Marina & Grill" has a very limited menu, but the food is outstanding as well as the prices. 3) "Dat Cajun Place Cafe" is a very good option with great prices. You have to remember that this is a city that fries everything including their seafood.
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Panama City, Panama - This is another foodie city no matter what you want to eat. Panama City has so many places, but I'll give you my favorite three places starting with 1) "Kaandela Restaurant" - A little pricey for Panama, but the short ribs melt in your mouth. You only live once. 2) "Lazotea Restaurant & Rooftop" a great menu, great presentation and great food. You will be impressed with your food. 3) "Aya la Vida Restaurante | Casco Viejo" - probably the best restaurant that specializes in just good old Panamanian food with a great price. 4) "El Trapiche" is another chain restaurant that serves only authentic Panamanian dishes. The food is great and very cheap. The food is made from scratch and the breakfast is to die for and this restaurant does not cater just to foreigners.
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Raleigh, NC - This city is Like Charleston, SC.....It really wants to be a foodie city, but it is not regardless of how many students live in this city. The food is average at best and the BBQ restaurants disappoints for a city of this size in the south. They have a food court that is big, but here are my top three choices 1) "The Pit Authentic Barbecue" A simple menu with great BBQ and great sides and the food is phenomenal. - 2) "Flour and Barrel" - great food, but it is more Italian than North Carolinian. The food is still great and worth a visit. 3) "Second Empire Restaurant and Tavern" - very pricey, but it its worth the money. A great diverse menu for all.
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Saint Petersburg, FL - St. Pete doesn't have a St. Pete vibe when it comes to food. There are a a few restaurants that stand out and number 1) "Uncle Mike's BBQ and more". They have good BBQ and good sides is the reason they stand out. The baked beans are not bad. 2) "Trip's Diner" - prices are very low and the food is very good as well. You can't go wrong here. 3) "Stillwater's Tavern" - Great menu at a decent price. They offer a diverse menu, so there's something for everyone.
San Antonio, TX - This is a foodie city, so you'll find a diverse food offering. You can't go wrong. 1) "Rita's on the River" The best menu and food in San Antonio, they have everything you would want to eat. 2) "Mi Tierra Cafe y Panaderia", the best food in San Antonio at great prices. This place has great breakfasts, great lunches, great bakery and a great dinner and they're all great meals. 3) "Max & Louie's New York Diner" in north San Antonio is worth a visit if you want a great breakfast at a cheap price. I would highly recommend this place for a family or a hungry place.
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San Diego, CA - This is not really a foodie city or unless you like a lot of different Asian cuisines. The city food culture is strictly for students or people not far removed from being a student. The Asian restaurants are all in clusters. The top 3 restaurants worth a visit are 1) "Pho Mignon + Seafood" is a good place if you want good food and has a taste for Vietnamese food after a long day. 2) "The Crack Shack" they specialize in chicken (all fried), but they have other good dishes and all of the food is fresh. They have above prices for their meals, but it is worth it for a lunch. 3) "Mitch's Seafood" is a great place for seafood with a harbor view of the USS Midway.
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San Francisco, CA - This is not a foodie city no matter what anyone else tells you. It was hard to find my favorite three, but her goes. 1) "The Stinking Rose", not really big fan, but the more I went the more I liked it. Everything has garlic in it even, the beer. 2) "Scoma's Restaurant" - Loved the seafood options with great price. 3) "Fishermen's Wharf" There are a lot of good restaurants here, but there is not one that is better than the others.
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San Jose, CA - this is a large city, but not a foodie city by any means and actually there is only one that I would go to again. By far the best restaurant is 1) "Teske's Germania" is an authentic German restaurant with great food and a great German beer selection. This is the best restaurant in the entire Bay Area. 2) "Urban Plates" is a winner with a very large menu, which normally I hate, but they have great food. It is a little pricey, but worth for a good dinner. 3) "Jackie's Place - North" is a BBQ joint with great food and is one of the best restaurants in all of the bay area.
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Seattle, WA - This a foodie city by all means with a lot of great options. Most restaurants have daily happy hours, usually half price menu items, but the best of the best is 1) "Marrakesh | Moroccan Restaurant" - This the best restaurant in Seattle hands down. Great food at a great price. This is authentic Moroccan food at its best. 2) "The Hart and the Hunter" offers the best brunch in Seattle. They are an elevated diner, which I would agree, and brunch is served daily, in addition to dinner and cocktails. 3) "Matt's in the Market" This is a seafood lover dream. The seafood here is excellent and the prices aren't crazy.
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Sydney, Australia - This is a foodie city if your taste is almost exclusive Asian dishes, the only western dishes you really see in a city this large is fast food chains, but my number one pick is 1) "Elements Bar and Grill Pyrmont" - This is pretty authentic Australian food as you can get and the steaks are great. 2) "Rusty Penny Brewing" - This is a BBQ joint with the best BBQ in the Sydney area, it would never meet any state standard in the U.S., but unfortunately the Aussies they don't have a lot choices when it come to western style foods. 3) "Saddles Mount White" - This place has a small menu but what the serve is very good. They actually serve decent vegetables.
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Taipei, Taiwan -
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Tampa, FL - This wants to be a foodie city with places like "Amateur Works", but too many old people, but the city is vibrant. A couple of places that had great food for the money have closed so, I'll not mention those places and stick to the restaurants I tried over the past ten days. 1) "On Swann" They have a small menu, but they offer something for everyone. The food is very good and so is the wait staff. You get your money's worth. 2)"Flan Factory" - there is cheap and good food and then there is the Flan Factory. Great food and very cheap. This is a Cuban restaurant who offers great food damn near free. Go here if you're on a serious budget and want great food.
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Vancouver, Canada - This a minor foodie city with some good choices but my picks are 1) Salmon n' Bannock - They have a very small menu, but everything I tried was great and the prices were cheap compared to similar restaurants. 2) "The Red Wagon" offers a very small menu, but the food is very good even if the prices are a bit pricey. 3) "Sawasdee Thai Restaurant" is the best Thai restaurant in Vancouver. The food is great and the prices are even better.
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