I always have to order...
Is there a food or dish that when you see it on a menu you have to order it?
For me if I'm at a pub I HAVE to order the Club Sandwich...
My cousin says if she sees seafood pasta on a menu she has to get it.
I have a friend who will order anything with cheese in it.
What's your go to dish?
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65 Comments:
Foie.
izatryt at 10:46PM on 10/21/08
Boudin noir (blood sausage)
If I see it on a menu, I have to force myself to keep reading in case there's something I might like more. I love, love, love the stuff. The taste and texture of it is so intoxicating. That and foie gras, although I can stop myself from ordering foie gras simply because of the hole it'll leave in my wallet.
SqueezeBottle at 10:48PM on 10/21/08
I have my favourites, but I don't always have to order them. Among favourites are: foie gras, beef carpaccio and dishes with jumbo lump crabmeat (but not necessarily crab cakes. In fact, I seldom order crab cakes for fear of being disappointed) and lobster. Oh, and creme brulee - even though I've been disappointed more times than I care to count:-).
brooke29 at 11:13PM on 10/21/08
Dinner: Lamb Shank, no second thoughts.
Breakfast: Corned Beef Hash (and not hormels, lol)
Lunch: Local Eatery Cheese Burger
w/ mayo, mustard, lettuce, tom, onion, pickles
wrapped in one of those tissue papers in a red
plastic basket.
In Season: Soft Shell Crabs.
Good Clubs and Foie, most defenitely on my top list. As for the blood sausage, I've never eaten it but would really like to try it.
lochaven at 11:19PM on 10/21/08
Lobster bisque
erinlovestoeat at 11:36PM on 10/21/08
Hmm, let's see. If I go to a Mexican place and they have tacos de lengua, I'm all over it. In fact, I can't keep myself from the offal, in any restaurant. And lochaven, when you try blood sausage, let us know how you like it - it's one of my favorites, too!
BangieB at 11:38PM on 10/21/08
Duck. Not many restaurants have it, and not all that have it do it well. But when you find it done well, it's so worth it.
beth1 at 11:52PM on 10/21/08
Caesar Salad. Funny, when I was really small, I always wanted the fried shrimp. No matter what else was on the menu, it had to be the shrimp.
StripeyChef at 11:57PM on 10/21/08
I'm intrigued to see the wide variety here! I didn't realize I always order the club sandwich at bars until one of my dining companions pointed it out.
I've never had foie gras but it's definitely on my list of things to try!
ag3208 at 12:53AM on 10/22/08
Whole fish. If a restaurant is confident enough to offer it, I'm willing to take a chance that's it's fresh and that they know how to prepare it well.
hungryinhouston at 1:24AM on 10/22/08
I'm with Stripey - ALWAYS a Caesar Salad. I think it says a lot about the restaurant.
modysoul at 2:07AM on 10/22/08
oh gosh -- steak. rare steak.
chicken parm sub at italian delis.
penne alla amatriciana at italian restaurants.
chicken tikka masala (so unoriginal i know but so delicious) and garlic naan at indian restaurants.
breakfast? banana pancakes or eggy crumpets with bacon and chili pepper. chocolate con churros when i lived in spain.
megannesta at 2:49AM on 10/22/08
veggie burger
cheese plate
creme brulee
smile at 3:12AM on 10/22/08
salmon or tuna steak. I live in central, Illinois, and even though the fish isn't necessarily fresh, it's still always a big deal when I go somewhere to eat that doesn't have horseshoes on the menu!
EatingVirgo at 6:51AM on 10/22/08
For brunch, eggs florentine (or maybe royale if they have it).
And those eggs better not be hard!
wicheda at 7:17AM on 10/22/08
I tend toward things with blue or gorgonzola.
katarina_santiago at 7:52AM on 10/22/08
Spinach-artichoke dip. I'm systematically testing it at every restaurant that serves it, so far Outback Steakhouse is the worst (what did I expect?) and this little restaurant/bar in Cleveland Circle is the best.
embolini9 at 9:03AM on 10/22/08
the first two that come to mind are:
beef carpaccio
tres leches cake
Southern_bella at 9:15AM on 10/22/08
anything that comes with a fried or poached egg on top.
anything with fresh clams in it.
carriebwc at 9:43AM on 10/22/08
tiramsu
eggplant parm because i LOVE IT and HATE making it...
anything Pomegranate
Calamari
oh and a good broth based Tortilla Soup...not the creamy kind...
hungrygrl7 at 9:55AM on 10/22/08
I lean toward anything with shellfish, crab or lobster in it....I'm a huge fan of mussels and steamers.
If we're at brunch, my general go-to meal is always eggs benny -- and near where i live down here in GA there's a place that does a southern spin on the classic benny -- they add a crispy hot fried tomato to it. Yum.
I NEVER (and I really mean never) order chicken out. I figure, I eat chicken so much at home I could cluck...so I'm not ordering it out.
My rule of thumb is: Am I likely to be making this in my own kitchen any day soon? And if not, then I'll order it out. (which is why I usually order the eggs benny, having never really been able to perfect a homemade hollendaise without it getting clumpy)
juliebugsmama at 10:00AM on 10/22/08
Forgot to say "hot fried GREEN tomato"...makes a big difference.
juliebugsmama at 10:32AM on 10/22/08
Something I don't make at home on a regular basis.
That said, I do tend toward shellfish, seafood in general and caesar salads. The best one ever had anchovies on the plate. Always on the prowl for the perfect crab cake, and I'm usually very disappointed.
If in NYC at a good deli, it's hard to choose between hot pastrami and a grilled reuben, Kosher dill pickle a must.
If I have any room left and there is homemade coconut cream pie, I might have a slice. Otherwise, rarely get dessert.
PerkyMac at 10:58AM on 10/22/08
Breakfast - corned beef hash
Lamb anything, particularly in Indian places - and dal
At Montana's, the chicken wings done with cornmeal crust (if I could figure out how to make those at home, well, chickens of the world be very afraid!)
Maureen at 11:05AM on 10/22/08
I am a soup lover, can't have dairy though. My must order soups are black bean, pasta e fagioli, escarole and white bean, mushroom or chicken barley and chicken rice/noodle.
Appetizer faves
lettuce wraps
steamed veggie or seafood dumplings
summer rolls
shrimp cocktail
chicken satay
sandwiches
hot open turkey w/gravy
entree-
monkfish- it is unusual to see it on menus so I snatch it when I can
side
quinoa
KtMc24 at 11:09AM on 10/22/08
something edible.....
mepolo at 11:22AM on 10/22/08
Reuben sandwich
jessie at 11:30AM on 10/22/08
Haha this thread just reminded me of my friend who ALWAYS orders bisque if it's on the menu. We'll be reading our menus and he'll say things like "hm, seems like they've got a bisque. Wonder if it's any good." He'll then continue on a Seinfeld-esque rant about what a tragedy it would be if he ordered the bisque and it wasn't good. We tease him about it endlessly.
embolini9 at 11:39AM on 10/22/08
@ Jessie... I second Reuben at a deli. Duck at a restaurant for a main, and creme brulee
Pavlov at 12:18PM on 10/22/08
Well, depends on the type of restaurant. Most of these dishes aren't cross-served, at least not in Cleveland.
I eat at the following types of restaurants weekly:
Vietnamese: grilled pork summer rolls + pho tai
Japanese: unajyu or tendon
Thai: red curry w/ mango (hmm massamun too...) and pad thai to share
Indian: goat curry and pappadum
Deli: corned beef sandwich - it's a flip between sour dough/white bread (not toasted or grilled) or potato pancakes with Thousand Island dressing and yellow mustard
Mexican: chicken soup
I don't really go to "American" or Italian restaurants but a few times a year...
Cassaendra at 12:32PM on 10/22/08
If it's a bar or bar-food type place, I always get the buffalo chicken sandwich. Not the healthiest I know, but I'm addicted to buffalo sauce.
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 12:39PM on 10/22/08
There really is nothing that I feel is a *must order* when I see it... my problem is usually narrowing down all the things that sound good and arriving at a selection. It generally takes me forever to decide what I want. That said...
I do have very hard time passing up soups. They're a bit of an obsession for me.
If I'm in a high-end restaurant and I see sweetbreads on the menu, there is a very good chance I'll order that dish. Especially if it's a starter.
And hamburgers are always a problematic temptation. Really.
LoCo at 12:49PM on 10/22/08
It's hard to order when we're out to dinner, because if I see one of the keywords listed below, I'll obsess the whole time "Is this the right thing to order, what if it's not good? What if there's something new and different that someone else orders and I end up envious for the remainder of the meal?" It's a hard life
-Rueben
-Banh Mi
-Duck
-Goat Cheese
-Marrow
-Smoked Salmon (If there's the option of lox and bagels on any menu, I get it. No questions asked.)
-Brie
-Curries with mango involved
-Bacon wrapped anything
-Braised anything
-Drunken Noodles
Alyrmc at 12:52PM on 10/22/08
shrimp anything
dawnie2u at 2:05PM on 10/22/08
A Rueben. Mmmmm.
scarletini at 2:21PM on 10/22/08
Mine used to be duck, but I've had some really awful duck in some really nice restaurants, so now I'm a little more cautious.
Grilled cheese/tomato soup in a really really upscale restaurant. I love to see what chefs do with such a classic combination. (my favorite was a foie gras grilled cheese at Alan Wong's in Honolulu. I actually convinced them to serve it to me even though I didn't get the tasting menu.).
And huckleberry. Cannot resist huckleberry. It reminds me of my childhood and my grandmother's huckleberry pies and jam. I can't imagine how long it took to pick enough berries for a pie, but I'll order anything that involved huckleberry.
cyberroo at 2:51PM on 10/22/08
It used to be carpaccio or steak tartare. Well, it still is, actually, but they need to be able to tell me where the meat's from and I need to like the answer i.e. no commodity beef.
Eggs benedict or florentine are hard to pass up.
Always order egglplant with basil at Thai style restaurants.
OliverRanch at 4:39PM on 10/22/08
If it is brunch or Breakfast -- eggs benedict.
For an evening meal I have a hard time passing up crab. I love it in pretty much any form any type-- blue, stone, snow, king, I love 'em all. steamed is my favorite but I love it pretty much any way it is prepared.
lakeloverhh at 5:20PM on 10/22/08
one of everything
dearrie at 6:36PM on 10/22/08
If at a bar, I always order the buffalo wings because I must know if they are any good or not...I'm always on the prowl for good buffalo wings.
If I see foie, I may get it if it's a terrine; I will definitely get it if it's seared.
Sweetbreads
Quail
I used to always order carpaccio if on a menu, but not so much anymore.
Raw oysters
Creamed spinach
Bone in veal rib chop
REAL corned-beef hash with poached eggs and hollandaise
Truffles, porcinis, morels, the word "nicoise", lardons/bacon, ramps, roasted beets/beet salad all get my attention...sometimes my husband has to talk me out of ordering two entrees because I just do not want to miss tasting something I love.
wookie at 7:21PM on 10/22/08
If I'm at a new restaurant, I often will go with an old favorite of some sort, as a test. But otherwise, I'm most likely to order something new and different, if there is such a thing.
dbcurrie at 12:09AM on 10/23/08
@oliver - good point about the carpaccio, I have the same standards too.
Southern_bella at 2:20PM on 10/23/08
Eggplant parm!!
CookiePie at 2:49PM on 10/23/08
I absolutely HAVE to order fried mushrooms or stuffed mushrooms if I see them on the menu!
If I'm at an Outback, I have to order a blooming onion with extra sauce.
caramel at 4:40PM on 10/23/08
I second Eggs Benedict for brunch, or lunch or dinner or anything. We were recently at a brunch place in the city and was totally disappointed it was missing from the menu. The only time I won't have it is on a buffet...
sitting around will definitely turn those gorgeous poached eggs into hocky pucks.
bessfour at 4:10PM on 10/24/08
I always order eggs benny at brunch.
fried calamari if it's on the menu...which is sometimes VERY rubberry and disappointing...
If I need a go-to lunch or dinneritem because I cant decide I go for french onion soup.
mayoxqueen at 12:22AM on 10/26/08
Breakfast : Corned Beef Hash
Lunch: Rueben
Soup: French Onion
Appetizer: Mussels
Dinner: lamb
Dessert: Creme Brulee
cb1414 at 9:44AM on 10/27/08
For me I have to try their bloody mary mix, fries and salsa. For BF it always is to try a cheese burger (if they have it) before anything else on the menu, no matter if it is a 1 or 5 star place. If we go back then he gets what he feels like eating that night. It drives me out of my mind because he will be talking about, say (for instance) calamari for days, we go to a new place they have it but he has to order the burger, then I have to listen to his s@#t till he gets it lol.
pjracz10 at 10:25AM on 10/27/08
Especially if it as a NON-sushi spot, anything with uni. Also truffle french fries. And Osso Bucco. Eclectic combination, I know.
FoodieTraveler at 11:43AM on 10/27/08
any dish with tuna and avocado, and any dish with pumpkin, as ingredients. also cobb salads.
Meewlee at 12:41PM on 10/27/08
Ceviche! I absolutely love it. For brunch, corned beef hash. I also usually will order anything with goat cheese, and if the menu specifies anchovies on the ceasar salad, I have to have it. And, I love stuffing. Also, to drink... If they can make a michelada, it quickly becomes a new favorite restaurant.
avideater at 12:54PM on 10/27/08
Clam chowder and/or reuben sandwich, bonus is when they both are GREAT!!!
jjoneseats at 1:08PM on 10/27/08
Chocolate Souffle -- ever since my father took me to an elegant lunch at New York's Cafe Nicholson some forty years ago, to console me when a boy I had a huge crush on left for his home in England without even saying goodbye.
It was a special order, and the most exotic and delicious dessert I had ever eaten. I still love it, preferably with a tiny scoop of excellent vanilla bean ice cream melting into the middle. Besides, it makes me think of my father and the extravagant gesture that meant so much to a sad girl.
(On the other hand, that lunch certainly stoked my burgeoning love of expensive and fattening food as comfort -- something I could certainly do without!)
adbw83 at 1:27PM on 10/27/08
Well... whenever I am at WHOLE FOODS I ALWAYS have to buy their grilled vegetables, roasted Brussels sprouts & their grilled salmon! It is a ridiculously TERRIBLE & EXPENSIVE habit which is why I try so very hard NOT TO get within a MILE of its perimeters! ha ha!
Oh and when I am out to sushi... I must order sashimi & hamachi collar - ALWAYS!
Giasbash6260 at 12:02AM on 10/28/08
I love calamari, so I typically order it when I see it (especially if marinara sauce is involved). I also love pork tenderloin, shredded smoked pork or beef (BBQ - I'm from the Carolinas), and most any kind of meat (pork, chicken, beef, mild-flavored fish) that has been simmered in or is served with a tomato sauce or salsa.
PinkCupcake at 1:38AM on 10/28/08
grilled octopus and most types of squid - always.
for non-fancy places with run-of-the-mill menus, i have pretty standard choices - i'm always looking for a new favorite.
diner: french onion soup, chicken finger basket
chinese: wonton soup
italian-american: white clam sauce
french: steak frites
z911empire at 1:16PM on 10/31/08
The spiciest darned thing I can find. Which, seeing as how I live in MN, is hard to do!
TheCheapChick at 2:44PM on 11/02/08
Onion Rings
Ribster at 8:41PM on 11/02/08
seared ahi tuna.
veggieout at 9:15PM on 11/02/08
Macaroni & Cheese. Especially if it's not a mac & cheese kind of place (meaning nicer than). Anything with Goat Cheese. Stuff with peanut sauce. Caesar salads, esp with salmon.
MaresyDotes at 9:32PM on 11/02/08
Brined stuff. If a place has house-made pickles or olives, I'm all over it.
BangieB at 10:12PM on 11/02/08
crab rangoon
organic beer
wine from interesting places (lebanon for example)
natural (no hormones/antibiotics EVER) beef
local/ in season stone fruits
coolname at 11:14PM on 11/02/08
Red Velvet Cake...That is truly my kryptonite. I usually like to watch what I eat and workout a lot but if I see this puppy anywhere I know I am about to consume some extra calories.
FrostyGhost at 1:29PM on 11/04/08
Mushroom Barley soup
Vegetable/Mushroom risotto
Roasted brussels sprouts
Affogatto.
sweethunibabi at 1:44PM on 11/07/08
for me its all about sweetbreads.sorry, but true..
trb1148 at 12:55PM on 11/19/08