In the world of eating, Rob and David have few contenders. We know you’re hungry, too. Without further adieu, here are each of their top 5 restaurants:
David’s recommendations
Gracias Madre, San Francisco, CA
This restaurant is in the Mission District of San Francisco, a neighborhood renowned for its Mexican food. It has the unique position of offering an entirely vegan Mexican menu, with ingredients sourced from a farm they run. What the hell?! It is annoyingly amazing. Get the posole. And the mole. Bring lots of people so you can be sure to try as much as possible. Bring a cosh to knock said people out and steal their dinner.*
Millenium, San Francisco, CA
This is super-complex, amazing vegetarian fine dining. I went here once on a special occasion, and both the food and cocktails were incredible. Bring money.
Paseo Caribbean Food, Seattle, WA
My parent’s house is 5 blocks away from this kick ass Cuban sandwich hole-in-the-wall, and I was tortured every day by the smells wafting in my school bus as I drove by. There is nothing bad on the menu, and the biggest challenge you’ll have is deciding between sandwiches or a dinner. If you don’t like this restaurant, I don’t like you.
Ike’s Place, San Francisco, CA
Crazy-good sandwiches, with dozens of vegan/vegetarian options. They bake their signature dirty sauce right into the bread as you order. You can get a sandwich with mozzarella sticks and jalapeno poppers, for maximum health. The only bad thing is the wait, so call an hour ahead.
Assimba Ethiopian Cuisine, Seattle, WA
This place is consistently mentioned as one of the best Ethiopian spots in Seattle, and for good reason. The dishes are spicy and flavorful, and you can get pretty large portions to share with a friend for cheap. I love it when my silverware is edible, and here, everything is eaten using injera, an Ethiopian sponge bread. Also, hit up their homemade tea, because it’s pretty boss. Yeah.
* Probably not worth the arrest.
Rob’s restaurants
El Tigre, Madrid, Spain
The last time I went to El Tigre, I ended up hanging out with seven lesbians. Look, I really don’t want to go into it. I think it was all of the free tapas that came with my 2€ beer. Quality? Not bad. Authenticity? Decent. Quantity? Top notch.
Tasty ‘n’ Sons, Portland, Oregon
Here’s the scene: you’re staying at your high school buddy’s house in Portland on your band’s first tour. You’ve got a long day ahead of you, playing classic arcade games at Ground Kontrol and taking in the sights at Magic Garden. How do you start off the day? A gourmet breakfast with a gourmet breakfast drink, you say? Listen to your heart. Listen to your shart.
The Dish, Seattle, Washington
I’m gonna make you a scramble with curry and cream cheese in it. Either that, or I’m going to make you a scramble with tortilla chips and enchilada sauce. Additionally, I’ve got 60 hot sauces from which to choose. The line is kind of rough, but man, there’s coffee outside!
That soul food place in the Atlanta airport, whatever its name was
Really? The best soul food I’ve had was in an airport? Maybe it was the limited options or the gallon of sweet tea, but it really hit the spot. It somehow felt authentic – the line, the warming trays, the collards, what have you – and it was better than the places I went while in Atlanta proper.
Loopback Chili, Seattle, Washington
A concept restaurant that will never see the light of day. Forget I even mentioned it.
