We eat out somewhat frequently, but it's mostly small local diners and such. But due to circumstances we have found ourselves in a couple of new (for us anyway) restaurants, and it is interesting to me how some of these places get their reputations.

A little over a week ago, we went to a place in Phila. called Davio's. This is a very trendy hotspot, with fairly good local reviews and a decent rating from Zagat's.

The atmosphere was really good. It's in an old bank on the second floor, large arched windows and a nice subdued decor. The service was a little better than okay. The captain was amazing good and professional, the bus person was also very good, and then there was the waiter.....We had been at the bar and I was drinking a Herradura Anejo, when I took my seat, he asked if I would like another, I said sure, I'm drinking a Herradura Anejo. He stares at me, I then said "that's a tequila", to which he replied "I know that, how would like it"? I was going to say on his head, but I just said neat. The dinner continued, it was in fact a business meeting, and the Captain was very cognizant of our conversations and made sure that she never interrupted, the waiter on the other hand kept interrupting. Finally, as to the food, better that average Italian cuisine, but not what I expected from such a highly rated restaurant.

I started with Davio's to contrast it a little place we went to Saturday night. The name of the place is IndeBlue. It is an Indian restaurant and it was wonderful. The interior is unlike any Indian restaurant I've ever been to. It was set up and decorated like a bistro, a very pleasant blend of contrasting colors and art. The wait staff was excellent, and the owner's wife (8+ months pregnant) was there to make sure everything went very well. There was a hiccup with our bread order and she was on that cook until it was on our table. The food was actually the best part. The chef is originally from India and has done stints in UAE, and Britain before coming here. The food was flavorful without being overly hot or spicy, and the best was his ice cream. It was some of the best I've ever eaten.

Have you had any new restaurant experiences recently?

 

Well, I did have some shrimp parm with kind of "iffy" red sauce.this weekend.......... but service and atmosphere were fine.

We have one local hangout that never lets us down. We've been going there for 30+ years (three owners over that time) and still they serve pretty darn good food for reasonable money.

The most recent "new" place we tried is a small Ale house in the city. Casual pub food. Good service and one of the best burgers I've had in a long while.

A few new more upscale restaurants have opened locally, but we've yet to check them out.

 

Ken,

In Philadelphia, I'd recommend Tinto. It is owned by Chef Garces (Iron Chef) and is very good.

 

OK if it's a philly restaurant I could recommend http://www.fogodechao.com/home/ Fogo de Chão which is a Brazilian churrascaria.

I've been to the one in Minneapolis and in Philly. It's high end cuts of meats, open barbecued. Awesome salad bar, good service ~$50 a head, go hungry, very hungry as you won't want to stop eating.

salad bar for example has;
24 Month, Aged Parmesan
Aged Manchego Cheese
Prosciutto
Brazilian Hearts of Palm
Artichoke Bottoms
Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Fresh Mozzarella
Smoked Salmon
Italian Salami
Jumbo Asparagus
Tabbouleh
Shitake Mushrooms, among many other things.

 

There's a tiny little place called Studio Cafe very near our home where we often enjoy breakfast or brunch. Very, very simple little place with $3.99 breakfasts and they serve a veggie omelet that is one of the best I've ever eaten. The walls are covered with the works of local artists. Its a nice little place to go when we can't think of anyplace else to go and I like to look at what's new on the walls.
When we want to eat in a place with table cloths and nice service we go to The Mayor's House. It is a very nice restaurant nearby and we enjoy it. Most of the places down here are touristy saloon-type restaurants or chain restaurants. If we want a really nice meal we have to hike up to North Myrtle Beach.

 

Well, since we just came back from Bermuda, I can recommend some places there. We concentrated on seafood. The Hog Penny Pub was good - the +1 had fish and chips; I had short ribs in pastry - without the ribs. The Lobster Pot was yummy. I had rockfish Cajun style and the +1 had the fish chowder (served with a squirt of black rum and sherry peppers - signature dish) and wahoo. Desert was a banana fritter with cinammon sugar and rum set aflame - to die for! The Harbourfront was good, but not as good as the Lobster Pot. The fish of the day was amberjack, which we both had fixed different ways. The atmosphere is the thing there. Lovely table outside right next to the harbour. And lastly, a cafe called Bouchee. I had a wonderful shrimp and mango salad with avocado, and the +1 had a broiled scallop salad. Tea at the Rosedon every afternoon was a highlight, too. Little tea sandwiches and cakes. Delish.

OK...back to DC! We are planning on Cuba Libre soon. The WaPo food critic has given it an initial favorable review, although it is noisy which I don't care for.

 

We've been to Amada (another Garces place in town), and really loved it. We also stopped at the Trading Co. and bought mustard one day. He just opened his 7th restaurant in Phila. We are quickly becoming big fans of his.

 

Thanks for the recommendation, I was actually looking for your experiences at new places.

That said, I have been to Fogo a few times and love it. It spent more that a couple of weeks in Brazil during part of my career and became very familiar with Churrascaria.
We actually had a meet there a couple of years back

 

In Dallas a locavore restaurant voted Best new rest in Dallas 2009.

Been there and it is amazing,

Bolsa restaurant

 

The one in Dallas is also excellent.