Our Favorite Things! Food by Item (e.g., best bbq)

Best barbeque - Bryant's in Kansas City MO

Best bargain - all you can eat chicken livers or chicken fried steak on Tuesdays at the Big Fisherman for $2.25 as of 2009 - Port Aransas TX

Best blt - Ultimate BLT at Kounty Quart House in South Range WI or The Peanut in Kansas City MO

Best bread pudding - prickly pear bread pudding - Turquiose Room in Winslow AZ or Famous Dave's (multiple locations)

Best breakfast burrito - Hello Deli in Albuquerque NM

Best breakfast meal - Arizona Green Chile Eggs or Corn Maiden at Turquiose Room in Winslow AZ

Best burger - onion burger at Sid's Diner in El Reno OK or a Double Double at In-N-Out (multiple locations) or a double cheeseburger or a mushroom swiss burger both at Big Jud's (Ashton, Boise, Rexburg ID)

Best cherries - from an orchard near Wenatchee WA; be sure and try the Van and Lambert varieties in addition to the Bing and Rainier

Best chicken fried steak - Stroud's in Kansas City MO

Best chicken livers - Rusty Duck in Dexter IA

Best chicken pot pie - Kounty Quart House in South Range WI

Best chile relleno - La Salita in Albuquerque NM

Best clam chowder - Ivar's Mukilteo Landing in Mukilteo WA (chowder from the many fish bar locations are also very, very good)

Best cookie - the gold rush from the Alaskan Sour Dough Bakery on the Seattle WA watefront

Best eggs benedict (unique) - welsh eggs at Knead Cafe in Kalispell MT; southwest benedict at Cedric's in Idaha Falls ID

Best eggs benedict - Loula's Cafe in Whitefish MT or TJ's Homestyle Restaurant in Avondale AZ

Best fish and chips - Ivar's Mukilteo Landing in Mukilteo WA (fish and chips from the many fish bar locations are also very, very good)

Best french onion soup - Crooked Spoon in Grand Marais MN

Best french restaurant - Tatsu's in Overland Park KS

Best french toast - raspberry french toast at the Kaleva Cafe in Hancock MI, cranberry wild rice french toast at Sara's Table in the Chester Creek Cafe in Taran's Marketplace in Duluth MN, French Man's Toast at Naniboujou Restaurant in Grand Marais MN, marionberry french toast at Fishtails Cafe in South Beach OR

Best fried chicken - The Keg Chicken in Sioux Falls SD

Best fried pork chop - Rio Ranch Cafe in Kerrville TX

Best fries - Snead's BBQ in Belton MO

Best fudge - dark chocolate, caramel, sea salt fudge - Beth's Fudge and Gifts in Grand Marais MN

Best German restaurant - Rheinland in Independence MO

Best grits - Loula's Cafe in Whitefish MT

Best gumbo - Mother's in New Orleans

Best gyro - Mr. Gyro in Overland Park KS

Best halibut - Ivar's Mukilteo Landing in Mukilteo WA

Best Italian - Lidia's in Kansas City MO

Best Italian dish - Spaghetti a la Homer at Old Spaghetti Factory (browned butter with mizithra cheese)

Best Lake Perch - Wendt's on the Lake in Van Dyne WI (near Oshkosh)

Best New Mexican restaurant - La Salita in Albuquerque NM

Best oatmeal - TJ's Homestyle Restaurant in Avondale AZ

Best omelet - Gondolier in Clearwater Beach FL (spinach feta or their greek omelet)

Best oyster stew - Charlotte Plummers in Rockport TX

Best pancakes (Buttermilk) - TJ's Homestyle Restaurant in Avondale AZ

Best pancakes (international) - German at Smitty's Pancake & Steak House in Idaho Falls ID, Swedish (Swedish Pantry in Escanaba MI, Finnish (Suomi in Houghton MI)

Best pancakes (speciality) - orange pancakes at PM Park in Clear Lake IA or sweet potato pancakes at eggtc in Kansas City MO or pumpkin pancakes at Drake Diner in Des Moines IA or lemon ricotta pancakes at Jensen's Cafe in Burnsville MN or sourdough pancakes at Smitty's Pancake and Steak House in Idaho Falls ID

Best pancakes (syrup) - Jensen's Cafe in Burnsville MN

Best pie; blueberry - Three Sisters Tavern in Colorado City CO

Best pie; caramel apple - Serving Spoon in Menominee MI

Best pie; cherry - Historic Gifford House in Capitol Reef National Park

Best pie; lemon meringue - Serving Spoon in Menominee MI

Best pie; pumpkin - Historic Gifford House in Capitol Reef National Park Utah

Best pie; rhubarb - Star Family Restaurant in Murdo SD

Best pinto beans side dish - Rio Ranch Cafe in Kerrville TX

Best pizza - 'My Sister's Special' - My Sister's Place in Grand Marais MN

Best salmon - Arnie's in Mukilteo WA

Best shrimp quesadilla appetizer - Charlotte Plummers in Rockport TX

Best smelt - Wendt's on the Lake in Van Dyne WI (near Oshkosh)

Best sopapillas - La Salita in Albuquerque NM 

Best sour dough bread - Alaskan Sour Dough Bakery on the Seattle WA waterfront

Best steak and eggs - Smitty's Pancake and Steak House in Idaho Falls ID

Best waffles - Aunt Bessie's sourdough waffles at Smitty's Pancake and Steak House - Idaho Falls ID

Most unique baked beans - navy beans with brown sugar at The Keg Chicken in Sioux Falls SD

Most unique breakfast - Big Dog at TJ's Homestyle Restaurant in Avondale AZ (cheddar cheese and bacon cooked into pancakes covered with sausage gravy and topped with two eggs)

Most unique clam chowder - slumgullion (shrimp and white cheeses added to chowder and baked) at Fishtails Cafe in South Beach OR

Most unique dining experience - Organ Stop Pizza in Mesa AZ (huge organ that is built into building, and the pizza is darn good too)