First, the restaurant must have a highly devoted customer base and should appeal to locals and tourists... Second, the food must obviously be stellar and unique enough to produce a dedicated clientele. Being home to 'The Best' or 'The Original' of something helps. Third, the wait is almost always unbearable — but worth it. On this note, population density was given some consideration. Fourth, multiple locations are okay, but not too many, unless they’re in another country. Finally, for our purposes, a single meal should be relatively cheap.Only one Philadelphia establishment on the list -- a mediocre cheesesteak tourist trap -- when both ends of the Lorenzo's/Jim's South Street Burrito would be more meritorious. But overall, I think you'll be satisfied with a new life's checklist. (HT: Marsha.)
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
ROSCOE'S! It only takes one entry for me to credit as legitimate a list compiling the 100 Greatest Cult Restaurants In America:
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I am a little embarassed at the number of Chicago one's I have not been too, but now we have a goal for the winter. And I will gladly sing the praises of cafe iberico, yum yum spanish noms and great sangria and it seems to cost about $20 a person (with the booze) no matter how many people you go with! My fave is the tortilla espanola and the queso de cabra (goat cheese in a puddle of tomato yummy sauce with basil toasts).
ReplyDeleteAh yes, Hot Dougs. A place that refuses to have proper service since that's part of the supposed "ambience". Hell no, I'll take my business elsewhere. (Same goes for the rude servers at Golden Circle and the community-theatre-wannabes at Ed Debevics.) You know, not that I like my food servers to be good at their jobs rather than competing to entertain me. (Why no, I don't like interactive dinner theatre, why do you ask?)
ReplyDelete/Wow, did that go off on a weird tangent.
Ah yes, Hot Dougs. A place that refuses to have proper service since that's part of the supposed "ambience". Hell no, I'll take my business elsewhere. (Same goes for the rude servers at Golden Circle and the community-theatre-wannabes at Ed Debevics.) You know, not that I like my food servers to be good at their jobs rather than competing to entertain me. (Why no, I don't like interactive dinner theatre, why do you ask?)
ReplyDelete/Wow, did that go off on a weird tangent.
Strong seconds on Grimaldi's (Brooklyn), Saigon Sandwich (SF), Jacques-Imo's (NOLA), Rainbow Drive-In (Honolulu), Momofuku (Manhattan), and Salt Lick (Austin).
ReplyDeleteI was about to resignedly note the lack of Boston restaurants until I saw Redbones at #77. Feels like a stretch to me. I love Redbones; it has an awesome atmosphere and a fantastic, constantly rotating beer selection, but the barbecue is only okay. It's a B+ on the New England curve; it would be a C- in Texas/KC/SC. On the other hand, the sides are pretty great. Okay, I'll endorse Redbones' presence on the list on beer and sides alone.
It's sad, but I don't think the Boston area really has any other contenders. Anna's Taqueria fits the profile -- I eat there at least once a week -- but it's a few notches below any of the California burrito joints on the list.
Crazy Jim's Blimpy Burger in Ann Arbor.
ReplyDeleteThere are Cape places I'd like -- Arnold's in Eastham for the onion rings.<span> </span>
ReplyDeleteShake Shack is good, but you can get a better burger at In'n'Out. S'Mac is not as good as it thinks it is. Grimaldi's really is delicious and excellent pizza. I've been to Hot Doug's only once and loved it -- totally delicious. Momofuku really is delicious and worth the wait.
ReplyDeleteAnd now I have a new destination: Taco Matamores!
THe only Philadelphia restaurant that warrants "cult" status is Victor's Italian Cafe: it's how Pavarotti got so fat.
ReplyDeleteI've got nothing against Red's, but it's totally not the reason traffic is so bad in Wiscasset, and the cult restaurant of the Maine coast is definitely Moody's. And for seafood I'd go to Bob's in Kittery or The Sea Basket in Wiscasset.
ReplyDeleteAnd reading that list has made me hungry for...every type of food in America.
I do think Emilio's (any of the locations) has better tapas, though.
ReplyDeleteI don't really know what you mean by "proper service" or "entertainment" - it's not like it's Weiner Circle. You go, you order at the counter, say hi to Doug, someone brings you your order. Your delicious, delicious order.
ReplyDeleteFatt Matt's is ok for ribs and they went to Minneapolis and didn't mention Al's Breakfast? Jacques-Imo was the victim of one of my favorite restaurant reviews.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't crazy about the food itself, and it's not cheap. But it's worth going to once.<span> </span>
ReplyDeleteI get the big city-dense population-long wait bias here, but the best restaurants I've eaten at are always in the middle of freakin' nowhere. A 40 minute wait in Chicago? How is that unexpected? A 30 minute wait in a town of 300? They must have the best food ever.
ReplyDeleteZingerman's would've been my Ann Arbor choice. Love that Tango Sur is on there - makes me think of my post-college days in Chicago. That was my go to second date place...
ReplyDeleteI would have to vote no on Salt Lick - Iron Works is much better tasting and is conveniently located downtown - not 30 minutes away in Driftwood. What about Chuy's? That is definitely Austin's cult restaurant.
ReplyDeleteFirst, love Zingermans, but it doesn't seem right for this list, for some reason. Not so much culty as quality.
ReplyDeleteSecond, Pinks? Seriously?
<span>I don't really know what you mean by "proper service" or "entertainment" - it's not like it's Wiener Circle. You go, you order at the counter, say hi to Doug, someone brings you your order. Your delicious, delicious order.</span>
ReplyDeleteI'm pleased that Nashville's Loveless Cafe and St. Louis's Pappy's Smokehouse made it on the list. Although it's pretty telling that St. Louis's only entry on the list doesn't even serve St. Louis-style barbecue, but Memphis-style.
ReplyDeleteI can definitely vouch for El Farolito Taqueria. Damned good.
ReplyDeleteGrimaldi's? No. It was very good years ago, but in the last few years, as the lines outside have become ridiculous, the quality of the pizza has suffered. Soggy and undercooked, Grimaldi's is no longer a top pizza place in NYC. DiFara, Patsy's (East Harlem original, not the franchises), Lucali.
ReplyDeleteThe rest of the NYC places are good (though I'd go with momofuku ssam bar over noodle bar.)
Redbones is good BBQ for the Northeast, but really?
Love this Freudian typo in the Iberico entry: "it’s no wonder people are willing to weight outside for an hour on the weekends"
ReplyDeleteShake Shack is a cut above in n out. And I like In N out, but Shake Shack's custom beef blend with brisket has a much greater depth of flavor than In n out's. With the squishy potato roll, Shake Shack's is a very well composed burger. But it's also not worth waiting in line for more than a couple of minutes. Thank you, Danny Meyer for opening a Shake Shack down the block from my office in Hell's kitchen.
ReplyDeleteAnyone know anything about the two places in Phoenix on the list (Pizzeria Bianco and Chino Bandido)? I'll be there next week, and will have some free time to eat.
ReplyDeleteI live a five minute walk from Cafe Habana, Congee Village, and Pommes Frites, and have been to none.
Pizzeria Bianco is supposed to be amazing. It's often written up in food magazines, and sounds like it's well worth a trip - I've just never found myself in Arizona with time to go.
ReplyDeleteMatt, for Phoenix check out the guy at the Skillet Doux blog. Doesn't look like he's reviewed those two.
ReplyDeleteAgree re: Grimaldis.
ReplyDeletePizzeria Bianco has a legit claim to best pizza in the US (and has for a decade or more, so the article's condescension on pizza in Phoenix is dumb). However, the lines are absolutely ridiculous. You will be in line for several hours. I ate a lot of Chino Bandido as a kid and the food is nothing special but those cookies are delicious. Not worth a trip, though. I don't live there anymore but from what I hear there's lots of good new places to eat downtown.
ReplyDeleteI actually preferred La Grand Orange's pizza to Bianco's on my trip to Phoenix. Feel free to judge me.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the only Boston joint is a great bar, but at best only the third best BBQ place in the city. I would eat there far less frequently if I didn't live around the corner.
Proper service as in not having to wait 45 minutes for a hot dog because they don't hire enough staff. (And yes, Weiner Circle; no idea why I called it Golden Circle up above, except that it is down the street from a Golden Pancake/Apple restaurant.)
ReplyDeleteso, seattle is represented by pike place chowder and piroshky piroshky? no. no. no. so, so wrong. salumi, ezell's, seattle deli, etc. -- so many better choices are out there.
ReplyDeletebut i do love hot doug's, although i went there before the wait became intolerable...
I am originally from AZ and my parents love Bianco's. We have tried to go twice when visiting, and have given up during the wait for vaious reasons. Locals often suggest getting there well ahead of opening time and trying to be one of the first ones in.
ReplyDelete?!?
ReplyDeleteWhere is Doug supposed to put all of this extra staff he's supposed to be hiring, Joseph? Are they to be hung from the rafters? Crammed into the entry vestibule? Stood atop the toilet tank in the phonebooth of a restroom? By my count, he's managed to get himself, 3-4 cooks and two runners into a space that's smaller than the footprint of my car. Demand outstrips capacity. Deal with it or don't. But don't act like the guy is morally obligated to open more locations because Joseph J. Finn doesn't like waiting for his hot dog.
What's more, how you could possibly lump a guy as professional, friendly and accommodating as Doug in with the freakshow at Weiner's Circle and the frustrated actors' brigade over at Ed's is beyond comprehension.
Take that business elsewhere, indeed. Less of a wait for me, and Doug doesn't seem to be hurting.
And another thing...
ReplyDeleteThe bottleneck isn't the staff. The bottleneck is the seating. If the size of the kitchen and staff were doubled, you'd wait *LONGER* because there would be fewer tables. In any restaurant, you have to balance the space between kitchen and seating, getting in as much seating as you can so that you can serve as many people as you can while still giving the kitchen enough room to operate. When you can explain how he can further shrink the size of the kitchen to accommodate more tables -- which, unlike adding more staff, is what would *actually* make your wait shorter -- I'll eat my words.
The space he's in was plenty big to meet demand when he opened it. Now he's a city icon with national press and a horde of tourists beating down his door. In other words, the only way to shorten those waits is for him to add locations or move into a bigger space. So contrary to your implication that the guy's a cheapskate who doesn't want to hire enough staff, the truth is that he could be cashing in but isn't because he's happy making less money and simply running his little stand where he can focus on ensuring the quality is up to his standards rather than wringing every penny out of the formidable amount of fame he's managed to achieve. In an era when everybody with a halfway successful shop can't wait to expand, sell out, franchise and send their original vision slipping down the slope towards mediocrity in the pursuit of a few bucks, you're going to beat up on one of the few people who's actually putting quality, lifestyle and character before ambition and money?
If you're going to be snotty, at least know what the hell you're talking about.
Not enough geographic balance on this list. Also, having Pat's solely represent Philadelphia is ridiculous. Primanti Bros. does belong on the list, but Obama-approved Pamela's would have given it more cred.
ReplyDeleteWell, at least they didn't pick Gino's.
ReplyDeleteAnd whoa Whoa WHOA. Who put Georgetown Cupcake on that list? That's an embarrassment:
ReplyDelete"<span>the food must obviously be stellar and unique enough to produce a dedicated clientele. Being home to 'The Best' or 'The Original' of something helps."</span>
Georgetown Cupcake is arguably a leader in DC for cupcakes (which is kind of like being the tallest midget) ... we're just FIVE YEARS BEHIND THE REST OF THE WORLD ON THIS TREND. I suppose Jumbo Slice in A-M just missed the cut? And I guess the Lobster Truck was #102?
Also - did I miss something, or Bertha's in Fells Point (Baltimore) not make the cut? It seems to me that a restaurant that can spur an iconic bumper sticker that's more common around here than a $500 lobbyist check should probably make the list.
Ben's? Sure. Ray's Hellburger? Absolutely. But Georgetown Cupcake is a follow-on copycat to the West Coast cupcake trend. Sure, they perfectly tasty - in no way deserving of some kind of iconic status.
I like Emilio's too, but when I go to Iberico I kind of feel like I have accidentally gone to another country, and I do enjoy when we get seated at night in what is essentially "the deli counter" portion of the place during the day.
ReplyDeleteYep, I call that a lack of service. If he wants to serve that many people in a day, he can expand his space a bit. I'm not saying he should build a Crab Schack, just something that can handle the amount of people he and his staff are catering to. Because right now it's a hot dog stand with a 45 minute wait and that's just goofy.
ReplyDeleteI ate at Grimaldi's a couple of months ago and thought it was fantastic. But the pizza where I live in the DC suburbs really sucks, so it's possible my standards are too low.
ReplyDeleteI was so mad when Man vs. Food visited Ann Arbor, and they went to Maize n' Blue Deli. Seriously?!? How did they not go to Zingerman's?
ReplyDeleteI like Iberico, but compared to the other Chicago locations on this list, I just don't think of it as a cult place.
ReplyDeleteThe list isn't iconic places, it's cult places. There's a difference. Georgetown Cupcake can have a maassive cult following in DC and not be the first. As the list says, it helps to be "the original" but it's not required. "Stellar" or "The Best" will do.
ReplyDeleteOn that note, I'm shocked Great Lake pizza in Chicago didn't make the list. It's the Hot Doug's of pizza, was rated the best pizza IN THE COUNTRY by GQ (and countless bloggers) and certainly qualifies as a cult place here - people wait for hours. I've never been, so I don't have a dog in this fight, but it seems like it's the very definition of a cult place. It can have Iberico's place on the list.
Two of the top 5 being Chicago places makes me happy. (And thanks for the HT!)
Ah... I see. Which way should he expand, then? Across the sidewalk to the north, the sidewalk to the east, the alley to the west, or into the house to the south?
ReplyDeleteOr maybe down. Yes, that would make sense. Excavate beneath the old brownstone! I'm sure that wouldn't be prohibitively expensive.
I wasn't a big fan of Arnold's when I was there this summer. Then again, I was there during the Great Heat Wave of 2010, and perhaps greasy onion rings just don't taste as delicious when you're dealing with no air conditioning and 97 degree heat.
ReplyDeleteGrimaldi's is still capable of turning out a good pie. They still use good ingredients, but because they've gotten so much more popular in the last few years, they rarely cook a pizza long enough to be done. So they come to the table a soggy mess. If you go at a time when they're not busy, it's still possible to get a good pizza there. But the chances of that happening have gotten very low -- it's become such a tourist magnet that it's hard to evaluate. Once lines started showing up there, I stopped going. Compared to most American pizza -- heck, even compared to most New York pizza, Grimaldi's is very good. But it's fallen a level below the exceptional pizzas in NYC and it just isn't worth waiting in line for 30 minutes or longer.
ReplyDeleteFor cult status, DiFara stands head and shoulders above Grimaldi's for inclusion on this list. It's in a less accessible neighborhood (Midwood, not Fulton Landing/Dumbo/Brooklyn Heights), there's consistently a wait, it's tied to a particular personality and has a bit of arbitrariness, and the food is consistently excellent.
Okay, maybe you're right about the depth of flavor. Still, if you factor in the waiting-in-line, I maintain that In'n'Out gives you more bang for your buck.
ReplyDeleteI also work right down the street from the new Shake Shack! I'll anonymously see you in line :)
I agree with you, Jake. I know Grimaldi's is touristy and the line takes forever, but I still love the pizza.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the landlord will be all over this plan, BTW.
ReplyDeletethere was a day when Rascal House would have been on this list (Miami), but saddly that oversized matzoh ball has sailed.
ReplyDeleteBTW, when I saw Roscoe's in the header, I thought you were referring to the Roscoe Diner. Anyone who went to Syracuse, Cornell, Ithaca, Binghampton, etc. will know this one (or anyone who has been to the Catskills).
Sadly has one "d." I type too fasttttt.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to be in San Diego in December for 4 days for a conference, and I see #44 Hodads in Ocean Beach (Hi, Hank & Britt!) and #28 Phil's BBQ, which both sound well worth my while and, per the Google, would be an easy drive from my hotel in the Gaslamp, or from the airport. Anyone been to either of these and care to offer a review? Any other ideas from the community for SD eatin'?
ReplyDeleteThe California location (which I still think of as the "new" location) is larger than the Roscoe location, right?
ReplyDeleteYou know...I'm not sure I'd have Ben's Chili Bowl ahead of Ray's Hell Burger. Ben's is more iconic in DC, yeah, but it does *not* have the cult follow of Ray's Hell Burger...or *any* of the Ray's places.
ReplyDeleteI will agree that iberico isn't really a 'cult' place, but is tango sur for that matter?
ReplyDeleteAnd great lake is so much more a cult place.
I once spent four hours at the Roscoe Diner on the Sunday after Thanksgiving due to a car breakdown about a mile away. AAA came and got the car, and my car-mates and I told the driver to drop us off at the diner so my then-boyfriend could come get us. I had all my stuff from Thanksgiving break in the car, including my computer (a Mac Classic), as did everyone else, so we piled it all in the lobby and took turns sitting down to eat at the diner or watching our stuff. As I was reading a book on my shift to watch the stuff, an older couple came in to eat and I overheard the wife say to the husband, "If she's homeless, why does she need a computer?"
ReplyDelete(And it's Binghamton - no P!)
The Roscoe Diner couldn't be on this list, because the food was terrible. It's main attractions were (a) proximity to an exit (b) far enough into the drive from Long Island that one was hungry (c) relatively clean bathrooms and (d) the ability to get served, eat, and get out quickly.
Also Voodoo from PDX made the list, but not Top Pot in Seattle? I know Voodoo does more interesting/non traditional doughnuts, but Top Pot's are better.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure about the burgers (vegetarian), but the Peanut Butter milkshake at Shake Shack is divine. And you don't have to wait in the long line if you just get a shake.
ReplyDeleteLemon cheese sauce!!! Hysterical review. Could it possibly be that bad and still end up on this list?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Andrew. DiFara and Lucali are both better than Grimaldi's. I guess Grimaldi could be considered a cult place for tourists, but DiFara is more of a cult place for NYers.
ReplyDeleteI just ate at (17) Wurstkuche last Friday! It's soooo good.
ReplyDeleteOf the other LA establishments on the list that I've been to:
--I find Pink's (3) overrated but that may be in park to the fact that I hate the damn line.
--Phillippe's (7) is always in a battle with Cole's over best French Dip -- I go towards Cole's because they have a great happy hour deal of half-dip and side for $5, it's walking distance from my office, they have amazing spicy pickles, and the best bar in L.A., the Varnish, is located in the back.
--Roscoe's (11) is a treasure.
--Father's Office (14) has my favorite burger in L.A. but I prefer the Culver City location to the Santa Monica one. Fellow ALOTT5MA commenters Watts and Becca and I all met there for food and drink when Watts came to L.A. for her Jeopardy appearance.
--Porto's (35) in Glendale is so great. Seriously, I could eat their stuffed potato balls forever.
I have many others tio try now, thanks to this list.
Yay Pomme Frites! That's my favorite place to get fries, before that I had never even thought to eat fries with mango chutney, and it opened my eyes.
ReplyDeleteHA I totally thought I was going to be the only one to say Moody's! I love that place.
ReplyDeleteI agree on Redbones. That place is mediocre at best and their catering is terrible. I would vote for Ana's, which has pretty damn good burritos for MA.
ReplyDeleteGet thee to Hodads!!! Amazing bacon cheeseburgers in the perfectly low-fi hippie beach town of Ocean Beach. I used to live in SD and I was sad to leave Hodads behind. I went back in March and it was just like I remembered. Try to sit in the VW bus that's in the dining room. I took some stodgy coworkers to Ocean Beach and they were slightly horrified by the dirty around the edges vibe, but I love the place. Lots of kids with dreads walking dogs on homemade leashes.
ReplyDeleteAs for Phil's, it's moved to a new location since I left town. The original location was in this charming little neighborhood, but the neighbors HATED all the smoke and long lines, so they moved to Point Loma. I'd hit up Hodads before Phil's but I'm more prone to burgers. Phil's has good BBQ, but not sure if it would need to be on my list.
If you are into sweets, you definitely need to make a visit to Extraordinary Desserts. There are locations in Little Italy and Balboa Park. My favorite is the Blood Orange Ricotta Tart.
And if you are ever looking for a delicious breakfast, head to The Cottage in La Jolla. I had the most delicious chilaquile<span><span>s--rocked my world. </span></span>
I miss San Diego!
Sounds great - now, I'll have to figure out how to squeeze them all in (though it seems I can move Phil's lower on the list). Thanks, Katie!
ReplyDelete