What was your best restaurant "find"?

[fredhashway]

Hello.

I'm new here and I'm still finding my way around, so please forgive me if I've posted this in the wrong place. But as someone who loves to find great place to eat when I travel, I thought I'd ask what your best "find" was. You know...something that you didn't plan on or expect, or maybe someplace that's not featured in any travel guides, but which resulted in a memorable meal. I'd love to hear about it!

[disneygal]

Hi fredhashway,

Your question reminded me of a special little place we discovered while skiing in Zermatt, Switzerland. There are little resturants, almost like huts, on the mountain. This particular one was at Tufturn. The menu was very limited, with only a couple of choices. But we had a wonderful soup, fresh bread, and a slice from a huge wheel of cheese. We sat outside in the sun, with a view of the Matterhorn right in front of us. My husband snapped a photo of our lunch, with the view in the background, and it remains our favorite photo from that trip.

[claassenam]

I mentioned this restaurant on one of the threads about Italy. In Lucca, there is an old stadium that has been built into a little tiny shopping center easily stumbled upon when one is walking around the town. I stumbled into it one evening with a friend and we were so surprised to find it! There is a restaurant on the left side of the main stadium entrance, just a little italian brasserie, that had the most amazing rabbit ragu. Just the perfect little casual restaurant, with excellent bread, wine and food. I wish I could remember the name of it! But if you are ever in Lucca, it shouldn't be too difficult to figure out.

[bonniejoy03]

For fun food, I would suggest B & D Barbecue in Anguilla. Even though Anguilla is known for their amazing restaurants, B & D is the total opposite. Steel drums that serve as barbecues sit out on the front yard. A cooler is next to the house's patio with beverages. The family cooks wonderful chicken, ribs, and sometimes fish. Choices of fries, pasta salad, or coleslaw round out the food offerings. Plastic table and chairs are set up on the lawn. Its a great mix of tourists and Anguillans looking for a great bite to eat in a great casual setting. It is a lot of fun! Not gourmet, but good cooking. YEAH Bernice! And the prices...too good to be true! We have watched as the family members serving have grown up.

[fredhashway]

That sounds wonderful. I have never been to Switzerland (someday...) but I have a friend who goes to Zermatt to ski every year. I'll pass this info along to him.

[fredhashway]

Ah, there's nothing like tripping over wonderful food in Italy, is there? Honestly, it's enough to spoil you for home. One of my favorite finds was also in Italy. We were in Venice and thinking about lunch and since it was a gorgeous, sunny, day, I was hoping to sit someplace outdoors with a view. So we walked to the Hotel Danieli, right on the Grand Canal, in the hope that maybe they'd havea restaurant with a view. Oh boy, do they. On the top floor there's a lovely restaurant with tables on a large balcony overlooking the canal. I had the most heavenly pasta with tiny little clams and a breathtaking view. I could have sat there for days.

[fredhashway]

I think I read about this place! I read a memoir several years ago by the Blanchards...a couple who, after running the Blanchard and Blanchard salad dressing and assorted other gourmet goodies company, moved to Anguilla to open a restaurant. Along with their foibles trying to get the place off the ground, they wrote about the local food and culture and I could swear I read about the BBQ place.

[bonniejoy03]

Hi Fredhashway. You probably are correct. The Blanchards are wonderful people who own a restaurant right near us. They also opened a new restaurant on the island right at the new golf course. I have heard rave reviews on the property. Along with restaurants, we should put in a plug for the Blanchards and their restaurant and cookbook. They have excellent food. They also have a cookbook to share some of their favorite recipes.

[fredhashway]

I haven't been to the island (well, other than in my armchair while reading the book) but I will certainly visit their restaurant when I get there.

[claassenam]

Just thought of another wonderful restaurant "find" - not sure why both of mine are in Italy, as it's been quite a while since I've been, but these were quite memorable. On the island of Torcello, past Murano and Burano, there is a restaurant called something about Da Diavolo. It is somewhat open-air, overlooking the beautiful old church and little canal. Near the bridge also sharing the name Da Diavolo, this was a fantastic little bistro where we had the best prosciutto I've ever had, as well as gnocchi and great wine. This felt like such a "find" as my husband and I were not only the only ones in the restaurant, but didn't see any other tourists wandering around the island like us! This was in the thick of things in August so we felt very lucky. Torcello is lovely and quaint and well worth the short ferry trip.
Message Edited by claassenam on 03-22-200704:04 PM

Message Edited by claassenam on 03-22-200704:05 PM