Top 10 Favorite Restaurants

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Is Uncle Jack's better than Peter Lugars? I've never been to Uncle Jack's but I love Peter Lugars and try to go every time I'm in New York.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Is Uncle Jack's better than Peter Lugars? I've never been to Uncle Jack's but I love Peter Lugars and try to go every time I'm in New York.

Have you been to Keens?  That's definitely my favorite in NYC.

Never been to Keens. Looks like there's a new place I need to try when I go back next month.

I assume Keens and Uncle Jacks are more diverse than Peter Lugers. I always order the same thing at Peter Lugers when I go, but it's always worth the trip to Brooklyn.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Is Uncle Jack's better than Peter Lugars? I've never been to Uncle Jack's but I love Peter Lugars and try to go every time I'm in New York.

I've never been to Peter Luger before, though I pulled up their site and their aging process looks to be similar to Uncle Jack's. Jack's does 45 days of dry aging ... I had a ribeye that simply fell apart when I put it in my mouth ... charred outside, like butter on the inside and no knife necessary. It was phenomenal.

One of the reasons I went to Uncle Jack's in the first place, though, is because they are known for their service. The server was very knowledgeable and made the whole experience better, for sure.

See, you aren't even supposed to ask the servers anything at Peter Lugers. Looking at the menu is taboo there, and if you ask for a recommendation, the server normally tells you he isn't the one eating the food. Of course, they're famous for their quit witted servers.

I have no idea what my list would be because I can't really rank my favorites, but the ones that stick out to me are:

1. Peter Lugers (NYC)
2. Fig (Charleston)
3. Marea (NYC)
4. Halls steakhouse (charleston)
5. The Ordinary (charleston)
6. Joe's Shanghai (NYC)
7. Colt and Allison (sea island, Georgia)
8. Seasonal Pantry (DC)
9. Shake shack (NYC)
10. TAO (NYC)

Whew, that was hard
 

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Is Uncle Jack's better than Peter Lugars? I've never been to Uncle Jack's but I love Peter Lugars and try to go every time I'm in New York.

Have you been to Keens?  That's definitely my favorite in NYC.

Never been to Keens. Looks like there's a new place I need to try when I go back next month.

I assume Keens and Uncle Jacks are more diverse than Peter Lugers. I always order the same thing at Peter Lugers when I go, but it's always worth the trip to Brooklyn.

Keens has a really nice mutton chop which they're known for, but I usually get the porterhouse.

If you're visiting NYC though, I would check out Momofuku Noodle Bar.  You can get a halfway decent steak most places in America, but Momofuku is special.  Their pork bun is one of the best single bites of food in NYC.

Thanks for the suggestion! I have heard of Momofuku, I think Chef Chang was up for a James Beard at one point. Normally when I go for asian, it's either in china town, TAO, or indian chinese in queens (my best friend who lives in Washington Heights is of Pakistani descent), but I'll add that to my list for the next time I'm there.

Keens looks delicious too, very different concept over Peter Lugers, but I like different. Their mutton chop looks wonderful.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

I have a hard time accepting that people spend $100+/person on food. That's incredibly wasteful.

It's a special occasion.  People spend $100 per person on concert or sports tickets all the time.  If your thing is food instead, why not go to an expensive restaurant every now and then.  Plus, I would rather waste money on a great restaurant than go to some gross chain restaurant that costs $25 per person.

Yes, it's not like I spend $100 on food regularly, but for a special occasion, spending $100 a person isn't unheard of, especially if you include wine/alcohol. It's much better than spending $25 at a chain restaurants, and most chains aren't any cheaper than non-chains aside from the super fine dining/Michelin places.

It really all depends on how you view food. If you just view it as something you need to survive, you wouldn't understand what its like to try new things or have an experience in a restaurant instead of just a meal. Food/culinary is an art.