Food in the area:
Palo Alto
Good Eats
- Ramen Nagi | GMaps Link
- Super rich, filling broth, but long lines to get in.
- Oren's Hummus | GMaps Link
- A classic in the area - big hearty bowls of hummus, falafel, and kebabs. The sampler dish is also a lot of fun with friends!
- Pho Ha Noi | GMaps Link
- Crepevine | GMaps Link
- Very friendly staff and generous portions. The Bangkok salad is a banger, and I like the Cote D'Azur Benedict (Smoked salmon), Abruzzo pasta (pesto w/ sliced almonds), Jamaican crepe (bananas foster), Huevos Rancheros, and the El Paso (corned beef hash). Okay, okay, I do have an excuse for why I've been here so often - shout out to the Palo Alto Chess Club! We meet Mondays from 6-9pm, come join us!
- Palo Alto Creamery | GMaps Link
- Asian Box | GMaps Link | Order link
- This is going to sound stupid... but they have really, really nice takeout containers. My favorite is the Vietnamese Hot Chicken, but the Chef's Salad and the Miss Jones are both great also. Protip - they have a "Family Feast" - two signature boxes + two kids boxes for 40$. Given that the children's boxes are also full meals by themselves, it's honestly a pretty reasonable deal. However, the children's boxes are just rice, meat, and steamed broccoli... The 4 signature boxes + 2 rolls is a bit more bang for your money, but it does leave food in your fridge for like a week, which makes me skeptical.
- Salt & Straw
Meh
- Pho Banh Mi | GMaps Link
- Good enough for a banh mi, and good prices.
- YAYOI | GMaps Link
- The tablets are fun, but everything is pricey!
- O2 Valley | GMaps Link
- So I do like the food here, but somehow all of their boba makes my stomach hurt... probably just the non-Lactose free milk they use?
- Buca di Beppo | GMaps Link
- Zareen's | GMaps Link
- Cafe Venetia
- CPK
- The Melt
- Open until very late! Far later than McDonalds!
Fancy (Postdoc Dinner level)
- Rangoon Ruby Burmese | GMaps Link
- The tea leaf salad is a must try, and the Monk Hingar is great, but a bit of a small portion. A lot of the main curries and meats seem very similar to those in other Asian (Chinese, Thai) cuisines. The coconut rice is a very nice little add-on!
- Coconuts Caribean | GMaps Link
- La Bodeguita del Medio | GMaps Link
- Bevri
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Menlo Park
Good Eats
- MJ's Sushi | GMaps Link
- Good, cheap rolls - Philadelphia is my go to! Karage and tempura are both reasonable. Chirashi bowl is a bit overpriced, as are their specialty rolls, but hey, a shop has to make money somehow. Hand rolls are okay, but a bit small.
- Cafe Borrone | GMaps Link
- A great place to sit and relax on a Saturday morning. I wish I could buy the Foccacia directly! The standard coffee has unlimited refills, and their BLT sandwiches have incredibly solid bacon in them.
- Bistro Vida | GMaps Link
- Delicious French cooking - the coq au vin blew me away, and their escargot was incredibly cute - they have specialized dishes for the 6 little snails you get, and even a special snail holder + tine for poking out the meat!
- Jeffrey's Hamburgers | GMaps Link
- Classic American diner experience. Patty melt is decent, BLT & Club sandwiches are pretty reasonable and the cherry milkshake was great! The pineapple teriyaki - while yummy - becomes a soggy mess very, very quickly.
To try:
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Mountain View
Good Eats
- Hummus | GMaps Link
- My goodness, their Turkish breakfasts are fantastic. Go with a group of 4 to prevent yourself from being too stuffed, and definitely try the clotted cream & Honey side - it's incredible.
- Queen House | GMaps Link
- Just incredible. Cheap boba next door, with 1$ off if you order in the restaurant!
To try:
- Alexander's Patisserie | GMaps Link
- Okay, so technically I haven't actually had anything here yet, so take it with a grain of salt. But I do feel like my eyes have already eaten here...
- La Fontaine | GMaps Link
- Doppio Zero | GMaps Link
- Vida Tapas Y Coctels | GMaps Link
- Olympus Cafe | GMaps Link
- Fu Lam Man | GMaps Link
- St. Stephen's Green | GMaps Link
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Redwood City
Good Eats
- Homeskillet | GMaps Link
- A comforting brunch spot!
- L&L Hawaiian Barbeque | GMaps Link
- Huge portions, and you can use the leftovers to make fried rice that will last for another two meals.
Meh:
- Franklin Street Caffe | GMaps Link
- A nice place to sit if you've missed your train.
- Teriyaki Madness | GMaps Link
- Quick and filling.
- Margaritas Mexican Restaurant | GMaps Link
- It's reasonable and has nice tortilla chips
- Vons Chicken | GMaps Link
- Not quite at the level of k.bbq or Bonchon, but the prices sure are!
- Rockn' Wraps | GMaps Link
- Passable.
- Sakura Teppanyaki and Sushi | GMaps Link
- I mean, it's not the worst sushi I've had?
... I have a lot more resentment for my past year of living here than I initially recognized
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San Francisco
Chinatown
- Garden Bakery
- Dol Ho Restaurant
- Golden Gate Bakery
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To try out:
Chicago, IL
Good Eats
- Roux
- Small Cheval
- Valois
- Medici on 57th
- Nellas
- Paco's Tacos
- Chi Cafe
- Taipei Cafe
- Min's Noodle House
- Big Boss Spicy Fried Chicken
College Park, MD
Honestly, there's just one single place that stands heads and shoulders above every other place here.
- Taqueria Habanero | Website link
- It looks like their College Park location is only a food truck now, but my goodness, do I miss their mole. Amazing salsa, delicious tacos.
New Haven, CT
Bellevue, WA
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