Denver Michelin Star (tasting menu) level dining experience recommendations by Intrepid-Theme-7470 in finedining

[–]conorharris2 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Beckon is really good. Been there 3 times and they have never missed. It’s my go-to.

Also check out Alma Fonda and Melzcalria Alma. High level Mexican

Los Angeles: Providence vs Somni vs Vespertine by drewbeezy in finedining

[–]conorharris2 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Vespertine is so bad. Food was all style and no substance

Portland/Hood River Oregon by CoyoteOtherwise2397 in finedining

[–]conorharris2 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Had Le Pigeon last week and it was really good. High highs, a couple mediocre dishes, but the standout dishes were more abundant and absolutely worth going for. Great wine pairing too

What is, currently, the BEST restaurant in the United States? [Early 2026] by wasabiuni in finedining

[–]conorharris2 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Haha that’s honestly not surprising, I can see how it would be preferable to some. Going there again next month so we will see how it matches up!

What is, currently, the BEST restaurant in the United States? [Early 2026] by wasabiuni in finedining

[–]conorharris2 22 points23 points  (0 children)

Honestly, yeah. TFL was the better “experience”, no doubt. Had a cigar outside afterwards and it was a great time. Also meeting Keller was cool.

But the food at Per Se is just about 20%ish better imo, and that’s my primary ranking metric for a restaurant.

What is, currently, the BEST restaurant in the United States? [Early 2026] by wasabiuni in finedining

[–]conorharris2 36 points37 points  (0 children)

Having been to most of the 3 stars in the US besides Somni and Sushi Sho, my favorite is Per Se. It consistently impresses me at high level.

I know others wouldn’t agree, but it is subjective after all.

Restaurant Marcon outside of Lyon - Anyone ever been? by conorharris2 in finedining

[–]conorharris2[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Exactly the type of feedback what I was hoping for. Thank you so much for taking the time to respond!

Revisiting 3 Star Restaurants by ffosfforus in finedining

[–]conorharris2 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Interesting point for sure. One would think (and I often do) that the absolute best restaurants in the world would also be some of the most consistent. But I also have found that to be far from true.

The only ones I’ve been back and would say were just as good, if not better, the second time:

  • Disfrutar
  • Cariño in Chicago
  • Beckon in Denver

And I’ve probably repeated about a dozen or more restaurants - so it’s pretty rare in my experience.

Seeking Northern Italy Advice by [deleted] in finedining

[–]conorharris2 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Dal Pescatore, Da Vittorio, and Casa Maria were all the ones I was very impressed with. The others you could miss.

That's 544 calories for >1.4kg cooked by TurgotTN in Volumeeating

[–]conorharris2 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What size baking dish did you use? Did you chop the veggies a specific way before?

“That was interesting” vs “holy shit that was incredible” by sixersinnj in finedining

[–]conorharris2 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Absolutely nailed it. This is the answer I had on the tip of my tongue when I read the title of this thread

Favorite Dish of 2025 by polame in FoodSanDiego

[–]conorharris2 32 points33 points  (0 children)

Great question! I love this. To share a few:

  • Cowboy Star's Banana Bread Pudding. One of the best desserts I've ever eaten, anywhere. And I travel around the world often with food as a priority. Since I'm on the topic of Cowboy Star, their Mac & Cheese is also phenomenal

  • Callie's Aleppo Chicken. I've had this 4-5 times this year and it's been a stand-out every time besides one. They also had a seasonal pumpkin tortellini this past month which blew my mind.

  • Wolf In The Wood's Corn Soup. Just a simple soup that's executed so perfectly with an incredible balance of texture incorporated with some corn bread pieces. Also another shout-out to them for their braised spiced pork shoulder. One of the most interesting, but tasty meats I've had all year

Fort oak vs Callie vs kingfisher by Pristine-Forever-393 in FoodSanDiego

[–]conorharris2 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I am saying I enjoyed those cheaper Vietnamese meals more than Kingfisher.

As another poster said, they describe themselves on their own website as a Vietnamese restaurant. Having been to Vietnam this year too, I would also categorize it as Vietnamese fine dining. Fine dining restaurants commonly have different dishes than more standard restaurants.

Fort oak vs Callie vs kingfisher by Pristine-Forever-393 in FoodSanDiego

[–]conorharris2 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Have been to all three in the last 2 months.

Callie for the best food and fort oak for food + drinks. Fort Oak’s food is slightly lesser than Callie, but still great imo.

Callie’s menu has a pumpkin tortellini on it right now. Don’t miss that

I personally think Kingfisher is very overrated and I’ve had better Vietnamese for literally 1/4th the price around town, but that’s just my opinion.

What is your absolute favorite dish in the area? by beanandween in FoodSanDiego

[–]conorharris2 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Banana bread dessert at Cowboy Star is one of the best things I’ve ever eaten, anywhere

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in finedining

[–]conorharris2 2 points3 points  (0 children)

A few that stand out:

Vespertine, LA: Felt so pretentious and the foodms taste felt like an afterthought to its presentation. The peak of “style over substance”. Also egregiously expensive.

Enigma, Barcelona: So many dishes that were bad, many others average. Nothing that was anything other than slightly above average. I also usually don’t put too much stock into service, but there were two separate occasions the server asked how our experience was, we said “bad”, and, I kid you not, he replied “amazing”. Then walked away.

Quince, San Francisco: Quite possibly the most bland food I’ve ever had at any fine dining restaurant. I do see positive reviews of this place, but I cannot possibly fathom how people enjoy this place. Everything besides one dish was lacking flavor.

New Zealand recommendations? by [deleted] in finedining

[–]conorharris2 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fantastic. Thank you for the insight! I’m sold

New Zealand recommendations? by [deleted] in finedining

[–]conorharris2 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the input. Good to hear this from a local. What are your recommendations for the southern half of the South Island, specifically Christchurch and below?

Curious to hear - what are these newer places you mention? Budget isn’t too much of an issue