TRACK DOWN A UNIQUE EAT
Plan a Unique Eats restaurant road trip, starting with breakfast at VooDoo Doughnut.
FEAST YOUR EYES 31 Photos
See the best Unique Eats from across the country. Warning: pictures will induce hunger.
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See Episode GuideSeafood
Take a tour of restaurants with unique takes on seafood standards. In Philadelphia, oysters are smoked with hay, while in Portland, Oregon, you can savor a pot pie filled with local fish and shellfish. And how about a fish sandwich like you've never had before? It's all about the ocean's bounty served in the most one-of-a-kind way.
Gastropubs
These are places where the drink list may be long, but the dining is the real reason to visit. We meet the chef who brought the tradition of gastropubs over from England and experience her nose-to-tail cooking. Then, a gastropub that serves American favorites like hot dogs and tater tots, but this fare is far from the ordinary. Plus, a traditional German-style beer hall that boasts the best homemade charcuterie in town.
Adventure
We're taking you on a gastro tour of some of the most adventurous efforts in dining today. From a nine-course underground dinner party to a double-decker bus serving gourmet comfort food and an all-out Beef Seven Ways feast, these unique culinary adventures are not to be missed.
Food Fantasy
Imagination roams free at these amazing dining spots where food and fantasy meet. A pioneer chef in molecular gastronomy pushes the boundaries between food, science and art at WD-50, while culinary innovator Jose Andres offers up a collection of magical dining experiences entwined in an artistic Spanish-inspired setting at The Bazaar. Plus, get an inside glimpse at an exclusive Hollywood speakeasy serving tea-inspired tastings to LA's most elite eaters.
Pubs
Pull up a barstool at these unique pubs where the food is delicious and daring. Step into Joe Beef in Montreal for their signature creamy lobster spaghetti, rich Swedish Meatballs and indulgent Foie Gras. Visit Double D. Longman and Eagle in Chicago where there is a critically acclaimed gastropub downstairs and a cozy inn upstairs. Go to Citizen Public House in Boston for the Carpetbagger, a filet mignon with fried oysters and oyster butter. And, it's a step back in time at Henry Public in Brooklyn for pre-prohibition cocktails and comfort foods like braised turkey sandwiches and made-to-order doughnuts.
Eat Your Veggies
We travel from the east coast to the west, discovering restaurants that are creating truly innovative dishes with vegetables. This isn't just about a healthy diet, it's about completely changing the way you eat your veggies.
Hot Spots
Find out what the buzz is all about at these dining hot spots across the country. Visit a San Francisco legend turning Chinese food on its head, a New York City favorite where American classics get a twist and a cozy Portland, Oregon, favorite where the menu changes every night. After this, you'll be calling for a reservation.
Nostalgic Noshes
Join us for a trip down memory lane as we discover restaurants serving dishes that are reminiscent of the old days but with a deliciously modern twist. A renowned chef updates the Asian dishes from his childhood. Another takes good old British pub fare and throws in a curveball. And then there are savory pies brought to a whole new level and American barbecue that will reawaken your taste buds.
Romantic Spots
We tour the Big Apple, dipping into eateries that are perfect for you and that special someone. Whether it's a first date or the tenth, a budding romance or the finale to a steamy weekend, these are the romantic hot spots to put in your little black book.
Queens
Taste your way through Queens, New York, and experience something culturally diverse and utterly unique. Check out Egyptian clay pot cooking, Mexican delights from scratch, grilled cheese in all of its gooey glory and Korean dishes where the atmosphere experience is just as thrilling as the food.
Mexican
We discover amazing Mexican food with a twist. Dive into a Mexican brunch in Boulder, Colorado. Find out how one chef in New York is really breaking the mold. Feast on small delicacies in Washington, DC, and then head to Cleveland for a grocery store-turned Mexican food hot spot.
Chi-Town
Chicago continues to draw hungry foodies from all corners of the country with their innovative restaurants. Publican Quality Meats sells farm-raised meats and housemade charcuterie from their butcher counter, but the real draw is the hearty, meat-filled sandwiches. Yusho creates a buzz with their creative Asian-inspired street food. Antique Taco in Wicker Park offers authentic Mexican tacos and classic American comforts foods with a Mexican twist. Familiar brunch dishes get a fine-dining makeover at the Trenchermen.
Small Bites
It's easy to sample everything on the menu when it comes in the form of small bites. My Ceviche in Miami Beach, Florida, keeps it light with the freshest local fish and zesty dressings that define the traditionally Latin-American ceviche dishes. Barley Swine in Austin, Texas, features 13-15 small plates a day, each highlighting ingredients from the local farmers' market. Amis in Philadelphia puts a twist on classic Roman trattoria food where diners are encouraged to order several dishes to share, and Momo Sushi Shack in Bushwick, Brooklyn, serves sushi and dumplings that have Manhattanites crawling through the tunnel to try.
Drinks
Check out creativity at its best at these eateries where it's not just about the food, but also the unique drinks. Visit a java boutique where coffee drinks come in the most unique flavors, a brew pub where the beer menu reads like a book and the ales are used in the dishes too, a Mexican eatery shaking up margaritas and mezcals in unusual combinations and a prohibition-style gin joint where even the ice is carefully crafted.
Small Plates
Small plates with big flavors are the attraction at these restaurants. Enjoy unique tapas in one of Boston's hottest hangouts, Peruvian seafood specialties by the bay in San Francisco, Mediterranean bites in Los Angeles and Southern twists on American comfort food in Charleston, South Carolina.
Local Legends
These are eateries that have quickly become famous food destinations. From Ogunquit, Maine, and Cleveland to Baltimore and San Francisco, these restaurants showcase unique and pioneering dishes that turn first-time customers into long-time fans.
Off The Grid
Go off the beaten path and visit extraordinary eateries that are unknown to the average tourist. Stop by a rustic Italian restaurant in Staten Island, New York, where the nonnas are in charge, a perfect pizza joint outside the bright lights of Las Vegas, a dining destination only for those in the know in Hawaii and a cool spot for shaved ice under the palm trees.
Vegas
Everyone knows Las Vegas for its bright lights, humming slot machines and big shows. But if you play your cards right, you can also eat at some of the most interesting, delicious and unique restaurants. We're going on and off the strip to discover those eateries. After this, you'll be convinced to spend an evening outside of the casino.
New Asian
We've found the most unique new Asian eats across the country. In Austin, Texas, an authentic ramen house is taking classic broths and adding intense flavors. At Pubbelly in Miami, Florida, the pig is big and served at this gastropub in unique Asian-inspired ways. Traditional Thai food has reached the people of Austin, and they couldn't be happier with Sway. And in Brooklyn, Dassara is transforming brunch favorites into an Asian noodle dish.
Comfort Foods
We take you to some of the most unique eateries in New York City that are serving up their twists on comfort food staples. A rowdy meatball joint on the Lower East Side, a bustling restaurant serving knockout chicken and waffles in Brooklyn, an eco-friendly hot dog haven where the chef makes the condiments from scratch and a burger and fries shack in the middle of the city that boasts lines down the block every day.
Desserts
Visit a pie shop in Brooklyn where they sell by the slice and are sold out within hours every single day. Discover an ice cream truck that sells artisanal ice creams with specialty ingredients sourced from around the world, and stop by a bakery filled with treats so good, you'd be shocked to know they never use butter, eggs, milk or flour.
Hand-Held Eats
The meals are hand-held at these hot spots, but the unique flavors are the big attraction. Authentic Mexican cuisine pioneer Rick Bayless celebrates Mexico's most beloved street food and snacks, while two brothers bring decadent Italian toasts to one of New York's hippest neighborhoods. A Top Chef winner turns traditional Eastern-European cuisine on its head with inspirations from his own Scottish-Israeli heritage. And a former fine dining chef feeds the need for cheese on the streets of Los Angeles, one gourmet grilled cheese sandwich at a time.
Meats
We'll find out why the burger at Minetta Tavern is the most talked about burger in town and what makes this eatery top everyone's reservation hot list. Plus, starred chef Daniel Boulud takes us inside his first downtown eatery for an international tour of his house-made sausages. And, there's nothing more unique than a restaurant that specializes in every kind of grilled meat imaginable -- and it's all you can eat.
Americana
From heavy metal-inspired burgers in Chicago and stick-to-your-ribs barbecue in Brooklyn to a downtown LA hot spot taking desserts to new heights and the craziest ice cream creations you can fit on a cone, classic American fare gets the royal treatment at these extraordinary spots.
Great Spaces
Take a tour of the most unique places and spaces in dining today, from a food truck serving the most delectable Korean-Mexican dishes on four wheels and a bowling-alley-cum-music-venue boasting its own special Blue Ribbon menu to a locally inspired farm table dinner requiring reservations up to a year in advance.
Italian
Classic Italian meets passion, authenticity and innovation at these noteworthy restaurants. Vetri has been called one of the best Italian restaurants in America, presenting simple, fresh and authentic Italian dishes in utterly unique ways. Chef Nate Appleman brings gourmet savory and dessert pizzas to Pulino's from brunch to late night, while Porchetta's Sara Jenkins draws a steady stream of the hip and hungry to the Lower East Side with her drop-dead-delicious pork.
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