I Am... 20 of the best restaurants on Grubhub you can order for delivery
Steph loves ordering in with a passion that's not really fitting for someone who's made cooking her career. While I like delivery a little less than her (because I actually like a social atmosphere) I can't deny that it's amazingly convenient when you've had a little too much to drink and can't leave the house. We're also on the road a lot, and if you're staying in a hotel and don't want to go out, you have pretty much no other options. From our experiences across the country, what we've found is that the ratings are skewed towards how well the food is packaged and speed of delivery, which is great, but what if you just want awesome food and you're willing to wait a few extra minutes? That's where this list comes in, it's based on restaurants we've personally been to or ordered from, and you can be sure they're among the best in their cities. Although sometimes it is best to travel around the area you are visiting and find Restaurants in Aylesbury it's also nice to have recommendations of places to eat too. So, without further ado, here are our 20 best restaurants from Grubhub, because sometimes you just want to eat in: Note: If you've never experienced the joy of Grubhub before, save $9 on your first Grubhub order with this link: https://grhb.me/2M72Qj7
Sandwiches/Burgers
KATZ'S - NYC Katz's pastrami is the stuff of dreams. It's smoked for months and people will line up for hours or pay to ship it cross-country. If you live or stay in their delivery zone, it can be yours in under an hour. Grubhub link • Photo by Katz'sPARM - NYC I'm a huge meatball sandwich head. Anything from Vietnamese meatball subs to subway italian marinara, if it's meatballs, I'll eat it. Parm's meatball parm radically raised the bar for how good a meatball sandwich could be in my eyes. Grubhub link • Photo by iamafoodblog
KENNY & ZUKES - Portland, OR Kenny & Zukes is probably the greatest Jewish deli on the west coast, rivaling anything you can find in New York or Montreal. Grubhub link • Photo by Kenny & Zukes
UMAMI BURGER - Nationwide Umami burger started in LA with a dream of making really, really extra burgers. These burgers have high end components and are composed the way great restaurant plates are composed. When you're tired of in-n-out or shake shack because even though their burgers are amazing but their menu never changes, Umami burger is the answer. Also: probably the only place you can try the impossible burger, if that appeals to you. Grubhub link • Photo by iamafoodblog
MEAT & BREAD - Seattle Meat & Bread is laser focused on its one mission of making amazing sandwiches and it shows. Their porchetta is one of the first big things Steph tackled way back in 2012. If you don't want to spend 24 hours making porchetta from scratch, order a sandwich from Meat & Bread Grubhub link • Photo by Meat & Bread
PUBLICAN QUALITY MEATS - Chicago When we are in Chicago, the Publican can do no wrong. On the weekends at their main restaurant, they make this simple but amazing frites with a fried egg. This link is for their sandwich/butcher shop, but the quality is the same - out of this world. Grubhub link • Photo by Publican
Fried Chicken, Pizza, and Noodles
BONCHON - East Coast & Midwest A lifetime ago Steph and I had a Korean Fried Chicken-off in New York. We ate all the fried chicken we could find (including the Momofuku fried chicken feast, which wasn't Korean but David Chang is, so we said it technically counted) and Bonchon came out on top. If you've never had triple-fried Korean fried chicken, you owe it to yourself. Grubhub link • Photo by BonchonROSCOE'S HOUSE OF CHICKEN & WAFFLES - LA area Snoop Dogg loves Roscoe's. Snoop Dogg knows stoner food. Martha loves Snoop Dogg. Therefore Roscoe's is indirectly Martha's favorite fried chicken shack. We've been there. It's good. So good Snoop would buy the whole chain to save it from going under. Grubhub link • Photo by Roscoe's
SIZZLE PIE - Seattle We get sizzle pie anytime we're in Eugene, OR (which is a lot more often than you'd think). Sizzle Pie is actually from Portland, but the Seattle location is on Grubhub, and it is good. Sizzle Pie's claim to fame is a giant slice, but the breadsticks are what we get. We've been known to stop in Eugene just for the breadsticks. Grubhub link • Photo by Sizzle Pie
ROBERTA'S - NY Roberta's doesn't really need a lot of introduction. Roberta's has the best crust around. Roberta's was frequented by the Clintons. Get Roberta's Grubhub link • Photo by Roberta's
AFURI RAMEN & DUMPLINGS - Portland, OR Afuri is an outpost of a Tokyo favorite, where they are known for healthy, veg-heavy, light and bright ramen as opposed to the pork bone stuff most Americans are familiar with. They chose Portland for the location of their first American branch because of the quality of the water. We chose them for this list because of the quality of their ramen. Grubhub link • Photo by iamafoodblog
JINYA RAMEN BAR - Nationwide Jinya is as authentic a ramen bar as you'd find in Japan, but it's LA born and raised. Its ramen is easily good enough to hold its own in Tokyo, and we're lucky that they've expanded nationwide. Sure, you can find awesome ramen in LA and NYC near you, but in Tulsa? They're a godsend. They've singlehandedly brought great ramen to the rest of America. Grubhub link • Photo by iamafoodblog
CASSIA - Santa Monica Cassia is this hidden-ish and super stylish Vietnamese/Singaporean place in Santa Monica, and they have brilliantly redefined a couple of dishes for me: the Vietnamese charcuterie board (genius) and the best laksa I've ever had. I can't believe they do delivery and my new vacation dream is to stay at the Palihouse Santa Monica and order Cassia's laksa in. Grubhub link • Photo by iamafoodblog
Desserts & Treats
BOUCHON BAKERY - NYC Thomas Keller's bakery mini-chain is still going super strong. We had their fresh donuts earlier this year and they were out of this world, alongside their always awesome croissants and other treats, including the TKO (Thomas Keller Oreo). Grubhub link • Photo by iamafoodblogHIGH POINT CREAMERY - Denver There must be something about the elevation because High Point Creamery has some of the best ice cream this side of the Atlantic. It's not as fancy as Salt and Straw in Portland but it's super high quality (get it?) ice cream, delivered, in Colorado. There are reasons to get delivery when in Colorado. Grubhub link • Photo by High Point Creamery
SWEET ROSE CREAMERY - LA area The couple that own Cassia (and a million other Santa Monica restaurants) have an eye for fostering talent. Sweet Rose Creamery exists thanks to that; it's a stage for an old friend of theirs to show off her ice cream skills, and she has those skills in abundance. Flavors like Blueberry Muffin (with muffin bits) are not to be missed. Grubhub link • Photo by Abby Mahler
BEARD PAPA - Nationwide Beard Papa has a strange name and a familiar treat. Cream puffs, done perfectly. Crispy choux pastry, real vanilla custard, impossible to eat just one (but you really should). Grubhub link • Photo by iamafoodblog
GONG CHA - Nationwide Steph's top 3 boba places nationwide would be (in no particular order) - Boba Guys (SF), Half & Half (LA), and Gong Cha (everywhere). I'm not a fan of Boba Guys but I agree with the other two, and Gong Cha wins in my books by being available in more than one city. Grubhub link • Photo by iamafoodblog
ESS-A-BAGEL - NYC What's the best bagel in NYC? Is it that rainbow place? Is it H&H? It doesn't matter, because none of them deliver and Ess-a-Bagel does. Also of note: Ess-a-Bagel is usually at the top of those "best bagels in nyc" lists for a reason. Now if only Russ & Daughters delivered. Grubhub link • Photo by Ess-a-Bagel
CHICK-FIL-A - Nationwide Is this filler? No, it's saving the best for last. One time Steph and I spent a weekend in Chicago eating nothing but Shake Shack chicken shacks and Chick-Fil-A's spicy chicken sandwich, discussing the finer points of chicken sandwiches while making this super cute 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle. The winner of the chicken sandwich off? It was a tie because Steph preferred Shake Shack and I preferred Chick-Fil-A. The winner of the jigsaw puzzle making? Neither of us because we lost a piece in the couch cushions and never found it. It sounds like an unsatisfying weekend but it was the total opposite. Grubhub link • Photo by Chick-Fil-A Did we miss any? Disagree? Let us know in the comments!
I Am... American Flag Pie Recipe
It's a red, white, and blueberry pie! Just quick note to share this American flag pie with you guys and to wish everyone a Happy Fourth! May there be a cookout and lots of pie!
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I Am... What to Cook in July
It's the season of backyard barbecues, long summer nights, potlucks, and ALL the fresh produce. Here are a couple of things to cook in July!
Blueberries
It's blueberry season and the bushes are bursting. July is when blueberry season really picks up steam so now's the perfect time to eat blueberries out of hand and make some sweet treats. Jordan Marsh's famous blueberry muffins are famous for a reason. I'm completely obsessed with the cake-y texture, tall domes, and crunchy sugared tops. These mini blueberry galettes with pistachio are perfect with ice cold creamy vanilla ice cream, especially when the galettes are still warm. Kind of like blueberry pie, but even easier! Blueberry buttermilk pancakes are what summer brunches are all about. Give me a giant plate with a bowl of maple syrup for dipping and I'll eat these guys like chips and dip :PCucumbers
Nothing says summer quite the cool refreshing crunch of a cucumber. Cucumbers are delicious as is, but they can also be the star of all your summer salads! Hello creamy, cooling, cucumber-full tzatziki! Great for scooping up with pitas, on meats or fish, or even using cucumbers to scoop up all that goodness. Digging this easy and flavorful miso smashed cucumber and green bean salad. So crunchy, so fresh, so clean! If you're looking for noodles but don't want to sweat over a hot bowl, this cold salmon summery noodle salad full of cucumbers (and bonus in season tomatoes) is for you!Peaches
Millions of peaches, peaches for me, millions of peaches, peaches for free! Well, not for free, but is there anything better that a sun-ripened peach, still warm from the tree, juicy and full of summer sweetness? SO GOOD. A peachy summer forward salad full of all the good stuff: juicy peaches, melon, burrata, ham, basil, and some seeds for crunch. Summer is for stone-fruit sangria! Use whatever fruit you like, but peaches are just peachy in this easy, lightly spiced, sweet and juicy sparkling sangria. Cinnamon-y soft baked peaches topped off with a crisp and crunch pistachio caramel crumble. Is peach pistachio caramel crumble the dessert of the summer? I might have to say yes, especially if there's ice cream too :)Tomatoes
Tomatoes just taste best in summer, am I right? A super quick skillet pasta with cherry tomatoes, burrata, and basil. Kinda like a summery mac and cheese minus the cheese sauce. Apparently I'm in love with tomatoes and burrata because this salad has both! Plus some blistered shishitos for a bit of fun. Any salad that has giant toasted croutons is a salad for me! Summer grilled cheese! Essentially a caprese salad squished between two very thin slices of buttery toasted baguette. Gooey, crisp, fresh, and so so good. Alright, that's all for now! Happy July and happy all the summer produce! xoxo steph Read More →
I Am... Friday Finds: 6.29.18
Happy last Friday in June! I can't believe that it's going to be July next week. We've been having June gloom over here for the last couple of days and I'm kind of missing the sun and the heat so I can't wait for July to warm up. Mike and I have been insanely busy with work and I'm kinda just trying to hold my head above water simultaneously hoping and dreading our deadlines. I mean, once the deadlines have come and gone that means we can chill out and enjoy summer (I hope!). But once the deadlines arrive, I'm pretty sure I'm going to be freaking out about not meeting them?! Anyway, we're taking a self-mandated weekend break because we need it :) Hopefully your summer is much more chill vibes? If it is, here are a couple of fun links to veg out on!
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I Am... Bourbon Honey Char Siu Wings Recipe
It's officially barbecue season and we're celebrating with these bourbon honey char siu wings! Sticky, sweet, classic char siu flavor, and a hint of bourbon – trust me when I say these wings were devoured in an instant.
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I Am... 5-Ingredient Pasta alla Gricia Recipe
I love, no, adore, pasta with the same fervor that cats have for catnip. Give me noodles any day, any time, and I'll forever be your friend. Even better than just pasta is great pasta that you can make at home, easy as pie – heck, easier than pie because pie isn't really all that easy, am I right?
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I Am... Small Batch Grapefruit Olive Oil Yogurt Baked Donuts Recipe
Just a quick note today to say: it's donut season!! Okay, not really, but just because it's summer time doesn't mean you can't have donuts, especially when they're healthy and baked and made with olive oil and yogurt. This genius recipe comes from Molly Yeh's Short Stack Yogurt cookbook. In her book she makes a nice giant loaf but since I was feeling snack-y, I divided the recipe by 8 and made these small batch donuts.
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I Am... Friday Finds: 6.15.18
The other day Mike and I were walking to our neighborhood artisan ice cream store when Mike spotted something AMAZING. A noodle shop is opening up right (okay, 5 minutes away) next to us! I'm so excited because noodles. Anyway, aside from noodles, we've been extremely social – lots of dinners with friends – I think I'm ready to mummy myself up and be extra introverted. My Friday plans involve noodles and netflix, how about you?!
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I Am... Small Batch Black Pepper Parmesan Chive Biscuit Recipe
I'm loving the new neighborhood Mike and I moved into. Mostly because there's a little bakery a couple of minutes away that bakes everything fresh, in house. Sometimes we go on early morning walks and the smell is so enticing that we'll step in, just to look. Of course I always end up getting something. Lately my go to order has been their parmesan and chive scone. It's crispy on the outside, tender on the inside and super savory.
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I Am... 2018 Father’s Day Gift Guide
It's a Father's Day Gift Guide! Are you looking for the best present for the dads in your life? Maybe it's your baby daddy, your dad, your father-in-law, your brother, or maybe just a father figure? Here's a round up of cool dude things that are perfect for Father's Day :)
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I Am... St. Germain Negroni Recipe
I'm not a hugely serious cocktail person. By this I mean, when I order a drink and the bartender asks me which brand I want, I usually reply with a blank, open mouthed look. I know a bit about cocktails from Mike and also because I'm obsessed with cocktail paraphernalia – so many pretty shakers and strainers and stirring spoons – but when it comes to particular liquor brands, I'm pretty chill. Except, I have a love-love relationship with St. Germain.
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I Am... The best Chinese food in America is in Las Vegas
A little over a decade ago the city of Las Vegas saw the signs of the times and consciously pivoted itself into a hardcore serious culinary destination. Pretty much everyone ridiculed the early attempts: far flung outposts of famous restaurants with menus dumbed down to the palate of the lowest common denominator, but over time Las Vegas has really came into itself as a restaurant city that's hard to ignore. It's undeniable that a lot of people travel to eat these days, and it's equally undeniable that for destination restaurants Las Vegas stands unique as a culinary experience in America, if not the world. There's no other city that you can compare and contrast the strengths of In-n-Out vs Shake Shack vs Bouchon's secret off-menu burger. If you're not snobby about hidden hole-in-the-wall gems and local up-and-comers, Las Vegas is probably and rightfully already on your bucket list. But even with all the hype over its celebrity chefs and famous restaurants, there's another side of Las Vegas that's still a pretty well kept secret: it has the best Chinese food in America. Good Chinese food is hard and expensive. Forget crab rangoon and egg rolls. Real Chinese food is made up of high dollar ingredients, labor-intensive preparation, and to-the-second execution. Mess something up and you can be sure Chinese diners will complain - and there are lots of Chinese coming to Las Vegas these days. Consequently if you want high end Chinese food in America (and especially if you want it in a nice room with good service) Las Vegas is the place to be. Besides eating Chinese food when growing up, Steph and I have been lucky enough to have made multiple trips to some of the best restaurants in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, and more, and Las Vegas compares easily. We were also lucky enough to have the opportunity to stuff ourselves full of Las Vegas's Chinese offerings when we recently visited, so without further ado, here were the highlights:
Beijing Noodle Number 9
Without a doubt, this was the most homestyle (in a good way) offering in Las Vegas, and by far the most authentic and relatable as an Asian person. The waitress was basically a stereotypical Chinese auntie. We told her I had a peanut allergy and she said "OK, you shouldn't order this one, or this one, or this one. This one looks safe but some guy had it at the Wynn and he was on the ground before his meal was over. He almost died, better safe than sorry. How about you just eat vegetables?" In the end I convinced her to let me order a few super safe options. It was homey and heartwarming. The food wasn't bad either, especially the noodles. The room is just as pretty as you see when you google it. This place has bad reviews online, but I feel that it's just because people don't understand they are going for a casual vibe. To be honest, this place was probably the most authentic of the 7. Go here for: accessible casual Chinese food, staff with personality Beijing Noodle No. 9 Caesars Palace 3570 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109, USA 10am-11:00pm (hours may change) No reservations needed $China Poblano
China Poblano is a really interesting restaurant, a Chinese restaurant by a chef famous for bringing Tapas to America. We went here because Mexican friends of ours told us that the carnitas tacos were better than in Mexico (they were really good). While we were at it we ordered dumplings and noodles. The tacos and more Spanish inspired part of the menu were great. The Chinese part wasn't much to write home about, but you should go check out those tacos. If you have some anti-asian-food people in your group, this is a great place to ease into Chinese. Go here for: fun, super accessible but not very authentic Chinese food. China Poblano The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas Address: 3708 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109, USA 11:30am-11:00pm (hours may change) No reservations needed $$China Tang
Chinese people take fried rice really, really seriously, to the level of the Japanese and sushi or the Spanish and molecular gastronomy. Steph and I always talk about this fried rice we had one time (twice, actually, in one day) in Hong Kong, from a place called Ming Court that changed the way we thought about fried rice. China Tang's fried rice was, for me, that level of fried rice. I would fly to Las Vegas for their fried rice. China Tang is basically the epitome of what you'd find if you were rich and hungry in Hong Kong. Impeccable service and food, contemporary but with a nod to Chinese traditions and history, both in their dishes and decor. The cocktails were inspired, the signature hammer chicken was on fire, the xiao long bao came on tiny bamboo carriers so you don't need good chopstick skills, and the beef chow fun was out of this world, but all of that pales to the fried rice. Go here for: high end Chinese fine dining on the same level as what you'd find in Hong Kong China Tang The District, MGM Grand 3799 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109, USA Weekdays 5pm-10pm Fri-Sun 11:30am-10pm (hours may change) Reservations Suggested $$$$Hakkasan
Hakkasan once poisoned me in their London location. We're not talking food poisoning, we're talking gave-me-food-I-was-allergic-to poisoning. Since then, I haven't had much of a hankering to try another Hakkasan, but friends suggested that this was not to be missed, and they were not wrong. The service was ultra-competent but very friendly and approachable, the food was inventive but clearly based in traditional Chinese cuisine, and the sake list was a dream: Dassai 50 (some say it's played out but I love it) for an extremely reasonable $46/bottle. Hakkasan probably won't make you dizzy with excitement over any one dish (though the crispy prawn dumpling comes pretty close), but you will walk away remembering that everything was perfect. Also, they do a smoky cocktail called the Blood and Sand which is scotch, antica vermouth, umeshu, blood orange, and orange wood smoke, and if that doesn't scream perfect I don't know what does. Go here for: inventive food, great service and room, the inspired cocktails, and the sake list Hakkasan Restaurant MGM Grand 3799 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109, USA Weekdays 6pm-10:30pm Weekends 6pm-12:00am Sunday 6pm-11:00pm(hours may change) You can probably walk in $$$Mr. Chow
Mr Chow has been on my list forever, it's kind of the original high end Chinese in America, although the first Mr Chow opened in London. A lot of people think Mr Chow's food is bad, including, famously, Frank Bruni in regards to the New York location. I haven't been to those Mr Chows. This Mr Chow was just as fabulous as the rooms in Beverly Hills, Tribeca, and Knightsbridge are reputed to be, with a multi-hundred-thousand-dollar light installation that moves distractingly every few minutes, tableside champagne carts, and fresh noodle-making theatrics. The food at this Las Vegas location though, far from Frank Bruni's assessment for the New York one, was (for me) perfectly executed. In particular, the lo mein was so good it changed the way I think about lo mein, and the Peking duck was one of the best I've had (Steph and I try to make it a point to order Peking duck whenever we can). The all important fried rice was perfectly done, and an understated highlight of the meal was the white fish with woodear mushroom. Service is as good as you would expect at a place that costs this much. Go here for: noodle making theatrics, incredible food, people watching Mr Chow Caesars Palace near Rao's 3570 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109, USA Tue-Sat 5pm-10:00pm (hours may change) Reservations highly recommended $$$$Wing Lei
Wing Lei is what happens when you have an unlimited budget and a fondness for Michelin-style food. It's thoroughly modernized Chinese food, with foams and faux-dirt, which is not usually stuff I like (Steph has more of a tolerance for it than I do), but you can't deny how great the room and service is. The service wasn't stuffy and formal either, the staff were friendly, telling stories and joking with us. The garden lives up to its hype, we came around sunset and the whole garden (and room) was infused with a warm glow. There were moments of food brilliance too, such as a xiao long bao with truffle and gold leaf that was more delicious than it had any right to be, and probably the best xiao long bao I had all trip. We'll be back to try the Peking duck next time we are in town. Go here for: modern Chinese in a beautiful room, Michelin star service Wing Lei The Wynn 3131 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109, USA 5:30pm-9:30pm (hours may change) Reservations highly recommended $$$$It was all bar none some of the best Chinese food we've had and I can't wait to go back. Read More →
