don

Another vote here for Everest. Beautiful restaurant with wonderful foo and service, not to mention a terrific view of Chicago.

Beth2

Thanks, Dave, for the update. Sounds wonderful! I'll put it on my list, too. I'm more likely to get to Virginia than California in the next year or two! Enjoy your birthday!

Foodie

I would pick The French Laundry over The Inn at Little Washington if I had a choice. It is a good choice but the F. L. is perfect.

pam

The French Laundry..call two months to the day ahead of when you hope to eat there. I've eaten there three times and it is the best food I have had even with trips to Paris, Italy,New Orleans etc...

IMHO

French Laundry

Gourmet

My wife and I stayed at the Inn at Little Washington and ate in their restaurant twice and thought it very good.

We also ate at the French Laundry in the Napa Valley and it was truly the best food we have ever had. While in Napa we ate at Domaine Chandon, Terra, Tre Vigne and Auberge and all of those, with the exception of Tre Vigne, were better than the Inn at Little Washington.

Best Restaurant

Emile's in San Jose and Le Bec Fin in Philadelphia are both excellent.

GoToBerns

Dave:

I don't know if you can, but change your plans, and head to Bern's Steak House in Tampa -- lobsters flown in fresh daily from Iceland and South Africa, a wine list larger than most big-city Yellow Pages, properly-aged steaks, and they even grow most (if not all) of their herbs in their own private garden.

They don't do much publicity, thus they are rarely mentioned in the travel/restaurant pubs, but trust me, IT'S WORTH THE TRIP!!!

abc

I would agree about Berns. I think it is better than The Inn at Little Washington but I would choose the French Laundry over both.

Gary

I absolutely disagree with the recommendation for Berns, and can't believe it has even been suggested. Yes, it's good steak, but best in the country? No way.

Patrick

Bern's is a fun place, good steaks, and huge wine list. But the best in the country? Not even the best in Florida by a long shot!

do you like sushi

The most elegant meal of my life was in Kyoto, Japan. I was all alone and that was also one of the saddest moments, I had no one to share my total ectasy with! They serve a special type of seasonal menu that comes on a sort of tray with many tiny plates, each something intricate, beautiful and totally unidentifiably delicious! I went in summer, it was 104 degrees when I fell in the door of this place, no idea what the name but Kyoto is a mekka for fine food. I was not only the only Westerner in the place, I was virtually the only Westerner in the entire city. Apparently the Japanese vacation there purposefully to SEE foreigners! You can get there by Shinkansen from Tokyo. Everyone should see Kyoto once. Otherwise I strongly recommend Lucas Carton in Paris, a 3 star Michelin right next to the Madeleine. You will never get a reservation no matter how far in advance you enquire but on both mind=blowing times I have been there, I just walked in and was treated like royalty. The cheese table alone with over 150 varieties will make you weep. The ambience is original Beaux Arts. The clientele is 99% French. Otherwise, closer to home, I would truly consider flying to Toronto for authentic Hong Kong cookery---the lighting in all those places is terrible but the food will bring you to your knees. Better yet, go to Hong Kong! In the US, guess what, I like steak too and I vote for Smith and Wollensky in NYC which also has a wine list from heaven. I also love Knickerbocker's steak place in Greenwich village. I am purely in it for the FOOD...love the atmosphere but the food has to rock and roll or I am not impressed.

John

Here's a really long URL for Gourmet Magazine's "50 best" list from last year: http://eat.epicurious.com/gourmet/restaurant_reviews/index.ssf?/gourmet/restaurant_reviews/intro.html

Some of the places listed above (French Laundry, Everest, Inn at Little Washington, etc.) are on the list. I've eaten at a couple of the top 15 and agree on Chez Panisse; ditto the Herbfarm outside Seattle.

One person's "best" is another's "good" - the Robb Report said Ruth's Chris (steaks and flashlights) was the "best" - ho, hum. What makes it "best?" Ambience? Food? (French? Nouvelle or Haute? Sweetbreads?), Wine? View? Art on the wall?...

My votes: View+food+romantic - Canoe House, Big Island; ambience+food+fun - Chez Josephine, New York; gourmet+wine, Herbfarm, Seattle; psychedelic/surreal+quantity - Easter brunch at Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas (little girls in Easter dresses in a line that snakes through the slot machines); Best damn burger I've ever had: LeRoy NY, not far from the Jell-O museum. Go figure.

Wendy

John, thanks for that list! I have eaten at a few on there and was tickled that Palace Kitchen here in Seattle came in at #23. I'm a fan but wow! Things that make you go hmmmm! I'm sure Canlis was shocked too!

kldh

The French Laundry is much better compared to Inn at Little Washington.

ms sushi

Hey X...
The best meal in the US was served at my grandparent's farm in Michigan, and it was breakfast with fried eggs, bacon and sausage from the family butcher, fried potatoes, buttermilk pancakes, toast, fresh tomato juice, apple and cherry pie and lots of hot coffee. When that era ended, I was too jaded by the real thing to swoon over the French Laundrys of this world, which by the way can have their off nights like anywhere else....if you don't like my steak recommendation, try a couple of the amazing rib joints on Santa Monica Boulevard in Westwood....especially the one with the huge cast iron stove that you can smell roasting for blocks away with amazing cornbread....or try almost any roadside diner in Iowa or shrimp fresh off the boat in Holden Beach, North Carolina served with a terrific celery seed coleslaw --something that is REALLY AMERICAN and not fusion anything. Otherwise you are right about mecca.

whata

Shoneys

remy

Le Bec-Fin just received the coveted 5 star rating from Mobile Travel guide, a feat which only 14 other restaurants in N. America have received. So I guess all you naysayers should be, ironically enough, eating your words.

Fine Dining Lover

Could you give us a clue on where you are leaning....and where you live now. I spent the last 24 hours searching my memories for the very best recommendation possible and gave my input in another post...what have you decided

s

The thing is that to make special vacation of it, my vote would be FL, bacause the wine country is so lovely, with much to see, great Inns (Try the Hyphen) and proximity to SF. I like WA, to but if you like the tranquil countryside, I would do FL! Happy Birthday anyway! Brilliant idea!