If you're looking for something higher end, I suggest Blue Hill at Stone Barns. The weather is nice now that you can even walk around the farm for a little while. Take a look at the menu online. They have a ton of great greens available now.

-----
Blue Hill Cafe
2427 Route 52, Hopewell Junction, NY 12533

Thanks for the reply. We're leaving on Monday, so I'll be sure to give a full trip report when we get back. Any breakfast ideas for Memphis? We're staying overnight and will need breaktfast.

Well, just made a lunch reservation at Topolobampo and we're very excited. Have decided on portillo's for a very filling lunch and my husband's eyes lit up at the idea of cinnamon swirls at Fox and Obel. Thanks so much for all the ideas. We still don't leave for another week so if there are any more suggestions please send along. Thanks!

-----
Topolobampo
445 N Clark St., Chicago, IL 60610

Thanks! I think I wax really trying to have some help elimating the duplicates. The breakfast recs sound great and I will have to try topolobampo.
It's just so hard since we want to try everything!

Thanks for the reply. We are staying at the Amalfi and will have a car and are willing to travel. We're from NY so public transportation doesn't scare us and we will travel anywhere if it's good. We are pretty adventurous eaters and love new experiences. We're actually making it a long road trip going through Nashville and Memphis and St Louis on a barbecue tour. Put it this way we think dirtier usually equals better and more soulful. Mexican is always a welcome recommendation.
I would love more breakfast recs since that seems to be where I'm having the most trouble deciding.
Thanks for all the tips so far.

Hi Everyone,

My husband and I will be in Chicago for 3 days for a wedding. Two nights are taken up by wedding festivities, so we only really have one night for dinner. We'll have 3 days for breakfast and lunch. Take a look at my list and let me know if we're missing anything. We want local specialties and aren't really looking for fancy dinners. We want what the locals get and don't mind traveling, since we'll have a car.
So far

Breakfast:
Bongo Room
Yolk
Ann Sathers (strictly for the rolls)

Lunch & Dinner
Lou Malnatti's
Uno's
Al's #1
Portillo
Weiner Circle

These are the places we're really interested in and the type of food we really want to experience. Feel free to tell me I'm doing it wrong or suggest other places to go.

Thanks!

-----
Bongo Room
1152 S Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60605

These are all fantastic. We have decided to spend the day in Nashville and overnight in Memphis. We're going to try to hit as many of these barbecue spots as possible. Thanks for all the replies and if you guys can think of anything else that's a can't miss please post.

Hi Everyone - there seems to be a lot of places that I must eat in Nashville and I want to try them all! So, I'm coming to this board in the hopes of narrowing down my options. My husband and I are taking a road trip from NYC to Chicago and have decided to take a couple of extra days and head south to Nashville with a stop over in Memphis. We have 24 hours in Nashville and know for certain that we'll be having Prince's and possbily breakfast at the Loveless Cafe, but we really want to experience the barbecue and local Nashville eats that we can't get any where else. What would you suggest for getting the best out of our 24 hours.
Also, if there are any Memphis recs please send along. We'll be spending the afternoon there before driving on.
Thanks!

We just went to Outhouse Orchards this weekend in North Salem up by Katonah. Tons of apples and pears to pick from and I heard that they will have fresh cider this weekend. Also, the donuts are amazing.
They also have local vendors set up and hay rides.

You could always head over to Arthur Ave, (about 4 blocks or so) and go to Mario's. They have pizza and pasta and would definitely be good for kids. You could even do zero otto nove. I've gone there with a 2 year old twice and have been fine both times.
Have fun.

Zero Otto Nove - they have everything you just mentioned above and it's delicious.
For pastries you definitely want to go to Delillo's. It's around the corner on 187th street.
Have fun.

MoGridder's is indeed open on Arthur Ave. I've had it 3 or 4 times and each time has been very good.

You could probably get a late night Tarry Lodge reservation. I know that I've called a couple times on the day of and been able to get reservations for 9:30 pm or later. I've been there a couple of times and everything has been delicious. The pizzas are wonderful and a great app. Also, the orrechiate with broccoli rabe and sausage is amazing.
I for one love Le Provencal. I've been there 3 times and each time has been absolutely wonderful. It's also got a nice romantic setting without overdoing it. I think I actually have dreams about their onion tart.
Nessa is also nice, but I went and had horrible service and it was so loud I couldn't hear my husband across a tiny table. The service alone was enough to make me not want to go back.

That would be casa della mozzarella. It's on 187th street between Arthur Ave and Hughes Ave. It's so delicious, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

I have been to both, numerous times and enjoy them both. I do enjoy them for different reasons though. If I want a special dinner, I'm going to Roberto's. If I'm looking for something super yummy, but a little more casual I hit up Zero Otto Nove. It's worth a try for the pizzas alone. And, everytime I've eaten at Zero Otto Nove I have seen Roberto himself coming out of the kitchen, so you know that the quality control is the same as it is at Roberto's.

Another inexpensive eat on Arthur Ave is Mario's. Very traditional red sauce place, but they do it very well. And if something's not on the menu you can ask and they'll whip it up for you. I love that place. It's not the culinary star that Roberto's is, but it's a solid delicious meal at a great price.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

Another note of love for zero otto nove. That being said, I love Johnny's and make it a point to travel there at least once a month. You have to stay and eat it there because it does not travel well. It's not totonno's , but it's pretty delicious and worth a try.

I've actually never dined at Emilia's even though I lived a block away from Arthur Ave for 3 years and went to school in the area, so I can't help you there. It has gotten a lot of really good recommendations on here, so I don't think you can go wrong.
I mean every restaurant there is delicious, but everyone definitely has a favorite. I would definitely go to Mario's if you want a straight up red sauce place. Also, don't be afraid to ask if they have something because more than once I've gone in and asked for a dish and they've made it for me. Zero Otto Nove is definitely worth it if you want something different. I've eaten there about 5 times and everything has always been delicious. If you go be sure to get a pizza as an appetizer. It's delicious.
Lastly if you are going to walk around after, go to Madonia Bros and pick up a prosciutto loaf and try not to eat the whole thing before you get home ;)

Well, Arthur Ave has a lot to offer. You went to Dominick's last time and I have to say I've never been really impressed and they definitely charge you what they feel like.
That said, Marios across the street is always a solid bet. They have great entrees and great pizza. It's usually only on the dinner menu as an appetizer, but ask for it and they can make it.
Zero Otto Nove is also great as is Roberto's which is around the corner and not on the main strip. Both are owned by the same chef owner and both are delicious. Zero Otto Nove has some great pizza as well.
Those are the 3 restaurants that I recommend and have been to multiple times. Skip dessert at these places and walk down to Egidio's on 187th and sit and have some amazing pastries and a coffee.

Also, have to second the thoughts on Coals. Again a totally different pizza, but I've never been dissapointed. The Heaven Scent is perfection. They also have one with pepperoni sometimes as their menu changes and it's delicious too.

I like Mario's a lot. I think it's a personal preference. The pizza at Mario's is a really thin crispy crust which I just find to like better. I love zero otto nove, but they are different pizzas.
Louie and Ernie's is also a fav, but not as high up for me as the other two pizzas.
If you like thin crust pizza you should try Johnny's in Mt. Vernon.

Zero otto nove has wonderful pizza, but I suggest you go to Mario's on Arthur Ave and ask for the pizza. I think they'll serve a full pie for lunch even though it's not on the menu and they have it listed as an appetizer for dinner. It's probably my third favorite pizza behind DiFara's and Johnny's in Mt. Vernon.
If you do go to Zero Otto Nove get the sausage and potato pizza - it's delicious!

Not at all. I've been 4 times and the longest I waited was 20 minutes. I've had to wait 45 minutes and longer at Roberto's. We sat at the bar at Zero Otto Nove and had a glass of wine and ended up taking it to the table because a table opened up sooner. These were also Saturday nights at about 8 to 8:30 pm.
I haven't been in about 3 months and I think the place has gotten a lot of hype since then, so the wait might be longer, but it's definitely worth a shot.

Zero Otto Nove! It's the new restaurant owned by the same chef/owner as Roberto's and the wait is half the time. I've been 4 times and everything has been fantastic. If it's on the menu get the sausage potato pizza as an appetizer and share. I was hesistant to order it, but I'm glad I did.
The other restaurants right on arthur avenue are fine, but Roberto's and Zero Otto Nove are probably the best for a night out.

Zero Otto Nove, which is the newest restaurant from the same chef who owns Roberto's, is delicious. I actually liked that lunch better than my lunch at Roberto's.
If you're looking for just a classic red sauce place, Pasquale Rigoletto's at the end of Arthur Avenue is very good as is Mario's. I believe they all can accomodate a party of 12.
After lunch, stop in any bakery and grab some delicious pastries. You really can't go wrong with any place, but my favorite is Egidio's which is around the corner on 187th street. They also have seating, but the group may have to split up to fit. The coffee and cappucino there is also excellent.

Enjoy!

I am not sure how far you want to travel, but Arthur Ave is about a 10 minute drive along Pelham Parkway and there are plenty of great food options there. I would suggest a sandwich at Mike's Deli in the Market and some dessert at one of the many pastry places in the area.
If you want to stay close by, you can drive to City Island and get some fried food at Johnny's for a great price. City Island has plenty of restaurants, but Johnny's is the most casual.
I haven't been to the food pavillions at orchard beach in a long time, but it's fairly standard stuff. Chicken fingers, hamburgers and such. There is also a stand that serves spanish food and always has a line, but I have never checked out.

Have fun!

City Island has a couple of good places.
You can go to the Black Whale. They have a solid menu and the meals are delicious, but they really have the best dessert so save room for that. They also have a prix fixe menu which is a great deal.
You should definitely do Johnnie's Reef. It's heaven for fried food. You can sit at cafeteria style tables (very casual) and order anything from fried shrimp to fried frogs legs. They also make things broiled, so if you don't like fried you can try that. The best deal is the beers and frozen drinks for about 3 to 4 dollars each.
You can also try Artie's seafood. It was recently written up and is a great Italian seafood place.

On Arthur Ave try Roberto's new restaurant Zero Otto Nove. It's great food and less of a wait than Roberto's. Also, If you go to Arthur Ave for lunch go to Mario's and ask for the pizza. It's not on the menu and they only serve it as an entree for lunch, but it's some of the best pizza I've ever tasted.

Have fun!

We recently went to Meritage for my husband's birthday. We had an excellent meal and excellent service. The little plates are great and we have the mozz and the roasted peppers. I had the fish which was lovely and my husband had the lamb preparation of the day. I think it was braised. It was all very delicious. Definitely someplace I would go back to.

Le Refuge is actually really nice. I'm assuming the one on City Island. They have a restaurant in Manhattan too.
I've only been on special occasions and ordered off a special menu, but the escargot is delicious so I would suggest that and my husband had the lamb once and it was delicious. Also, the shrimp over couscous is pretty good.

Enjoy.

Get the Italian hero. I craved those for 9 months when I was pregnant. They also have a bread, like a stromboli with potato and cheese, that's also delicious.

Just sit right in front of the counter and people watch. Arthur Ave is great. Also, don't forget to stop at borgatti's and get some fresh ravioli. They are life changing.

I've never had the burger at Arties, but I know Coals on Eastchester Road which makes delicious grilled pizza makes a great burger. Other than that I haven't had one that makes me say wow and I've lived in the Bronx all my life. Beware, however, that the coals burger isn't available for lunch...only after 5 pm.