Here is a listing of my favourite masticatoria. These are places, which for a variety of prices, will render you full edible value for your hard-earned elusive golden shekels.

National

I wander a bit. I have eaten in all of these wonderful places. If you get near them, gravitate to them and celebrate their wonderful offerings

The Green Room is a glorious eating estabishment in the famed Hotel DuPont in Wilmington, DE. It specializes in French cooking.

Bayard House is a restaurant situated along the C&D Canal in Chesapeke City, MD. It has an extensive wine list and excellent seafood dishes. I recommend the Quesadillas Chesapeke and the Tournadoes Baltimore. My last vist here in August 2007 found all in excellent order.

This is The Best Restaurant on the Planet! You will need to reserve well in advance because it is very small. The food is celestial. Bring your friend Benjamin Franklin, because plastic is not accepted and because, as with all great things, it costs some dough.

A visit to Elizbeth on 37th in Savannah, GA rewarded us with excellent food served in a charming setting. It's well worth a visit if your find youself in Savannah. This is a beautiful city that merits a trip! I can recommend The Foley Inn as a nice place to stay.

The Common Grill in Chelsea, MI is just a short ride west of Ann Arbor. My parents eat here every Thursday. It's their favourite restaurant, and if you go, you will quickly find out why. This restaurant has been an important part of our family life for many years. My parents have known its owner, Greg Common, for a very long time.

The Whitehouse-Crawford restaurant is a culinary gem situated right in the midst of Eastern Washington's wonderful wine country. The steak-frites is a wonderful dinner. Have it with some Washington Cabernet. A Woodward Canyon wine is a great choice for that. Since the winery is not far off, visit that too.

Brigtsen's is an uptown New Orleans restaurant serving up some magnificent food. A highlight is the tournadoes of beef in a Marchand du Vin sauce.

Arnaud's is a venerable New Orleans restaurant in the Quarter serving up wonderful food with tip-top service. Do not neglect to order dessert.

Dick and Jenny's is an uptown New Orleans gem with reasonable prices and great food.

Gautreau's is an uptown restaurant tucked away in a residential section of town. Both food and service are absolutely top-chop.

Latour in Ridgewood, NJ offers woderful French fare. It is a don't-miss if you are in Northeast NJ. We have been here many times.

Madeline's Petit Paris in Northvale, NJ is a superb French restaurant run by a nice Belgian couple. This is an old favorite.

Chateau Rolland is a beautiful Chateau in the Bordeaux region of France. The winery has a restaurant, which serves aetherial creations. Do not neglect to sample the wines of the chateau whilst there.

Rocky and Carlo's at 613 West Saint Bernard Highway in Chalmette, LA is a bit of a drive east of New Orleans. You will see people from the docks and piers ordering humongous quantities of food to feed their ravenous co-wokers. The poboys and the mac-n-cheese are amazing. Zagat's gives it a 24 (very good) rating. If you order a hot roast beef poboy and an order of mac-n-cheese, it will feed two big appetites or three reasonably normal ones.

The Triangle

There are plenty of great eateries here in the Triangle! Try some of these. Some are great choices for prom dinner. Some are quite close to the school.

Fine Dining in the Triangle

Chapel Hill This is not a long way from the school and it affords some great eateries.

• Elements Restaurant in Chapel Hill is a great new place for seafood. Their wine list includes two very affordable and very nice white burgundies. Do not miss the sashimi appetizer.
• Provence in Carrboro is a great classic French restaurant. There is a wonderful brunch on Sundays. On your first run, try Escargot and the Steak au Poivre. The scallop appetizer is really good.
• Kitchen is at the corner of Airport (MLK) road and Hillsborough Street just north of UNC. It is a Belgian bistro known for its steak-frites and moules. Prices are reasonable and the food is great. It is smart to go early here, as it gets crowded later.
• Il Palio is the restaurant of the Siena Hotel, just off Franklin and Estes in in Chapel Hill offers Italian fare using lots of ingredients from local sources. There is an excellent selection of wines, and the pasta dishes are excellent.
• The Weathervane Cafe serves upscale fare in a nice restaurant situated inside of A Southern Season, Chapel Hill's famous gourmet food store. You can buy a bottle of wine in the store (there are hundreds of bottles to choose from) and have it with your meal for a $10 corking fee. The soups here are very good. The steak dishes are excellent and the scallop appetizers are celestial.
• Restaurant ONE in Meadowmont in Chapel Hill provides a great meal in a modern, spiffy setting. Sit at the food bar and watch aces in the kitchen prepare your dinner. Yes, it's quite expensive. However, the food is celestial and the service very attentive.
• Red Lotus in Chapel Hill has traditional Chinese fare in addition to the usual favorites. The food is very nice and you should not miss the soups. They have a nice selection of wines at reasonable prices.

Durham Durham is ridiculous for the number of quality eateries it has. We live in a food elysium!

• Four Square features gourmet dining in a Victorian four-square house. The menu changes constantly and the chef is tirelessly innovative. Four Square gets all the details right! It is the onw od rhw best restaurants I have visited in NC.
• Watts Grocery, right across the street from NCSSM features an eclectic menu of foods prepared from fresh ingrients, and they emphaisize foods obtained from local farms.
• Rue Cler is a wonderful bistro with great food. It is a few minutes' drive from the school and it serves up great lunches and dinners. The sandwiches which are available at lunch are excellent.
• Mateo at 109 W. Chapel Hill Street in Durham serves up wonderful Spanish tapas. It can be crowded in the evening. It is open for both lunch and dinner. The food here is loaded with flavor, and there is an excellent list of wines and beers.

Raleigh/Cary

• Sitti in Raleigh is an excellent Lebanese eatery. Lamb? Of course! Failure to sample the desserts is a big mistake. Go straight for the chocolate layer cake.
• Prepare to spend some money at Herron's in the Umstead Hotel. It features amazing food and absolutely perfect service. Go full evil and order the tasting menu paired with wines. Prepare for a serious treat.

More Casual Places in the Triangle

Chapel Hill

• If you are rarin' for some Mexican and you are in Chapel Hill, Carrburritos will slake that yen with fresh, tasty fare. It's just over the town border in Carrboro. Do not miss the wonderful salsas! Order the quesidillas and you have enough food for two healthy appetites.
• Merrit's is just south of the UNC-CH campus. Its marquee offering is BLTs with varying amounts of amazing bacon loaded onto them.
• Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen in Chapel Hill is a great drive-in place to pick up breakfast.

Durham

• Daisy Cakes in downtown Durham boasts a fine selection of sandwiches for lunch. It also has a wide array of sinful and beautifully-prepared desserts. I think it is one of the best new restaurants in the Triangle.
• Scratch in downtown Durham features wonderful lunches and pies made with the most fantastic crusts. The chicken pot pie comes highly recommended, as do the lemon pies they make.
• Cosmic Cantina affords good, cheap Mexican eats in a divey setting on Perry street, just off 9th Street in Durham. The deluxe steak burrito is particularly tasty. The chicken salad is an excellent choice for the calorie-conscious and non-calorie-conscious alike.
• Super Taqueria at 2842 N. Roxboro Street is a great casual Mexican place. Get the over-the-top burrito or the tacos. You can see right into the kitchen as your food is being prepared.
• Saigon Grill at 2929 N. Roxboro features wonderful bowls of warm pho. It is an excellent bargain for the money and the food is great.
• Chubby's Tacos on Ninth Street in Durham produces some very nice Mexican fare. I recommend the $3 tacos, which can come with beef, shrimp, or fish. Their salsas are extremely good.
• International Delights serves up excellent Gyros and a fine rendition of the honorable Philly cheesesteak. Don't skip the Baklava.
• Joe Van Gogh is a great place to have coffee, cappuccino or espresso. They also carry a small selection of muffins and pastries.
• Los Comales is a short drive east of the school; the link supplies a Google Map. Do not expect fancy ambience. Expect amazingly tasty food. Zagat gives it a rating of 27 (phenomenal).
• Wimpy's serves up great BLTs and burgers. It is a short distance from the school on Hillsborough Street. Note that it is take-out only.
• The Q Shack at 2510 University Drive, will warm the heart of any Texiz BBQ fan (I am one of these of the rabid sort). Go there and prepare to feast. The brisket is the real deal.