Best Places to Eat the Next Time You're Hungry

I didn't travel anywhere this weekend, so it's time to recapitulate. There's a bit of an incentive issue with working at an airline, in my mind. Most people who start at an airline do not have kids, so its very easy for them to travel. However, they are at the bottom of the seniority list and new employees have the least amount of vacation. My coworkers who have been in the company for a few years now have families, and although they have more vacation timel, they have no way to use it because their 2 year old son will cry throughout the flight, wherever they go, and the stress of traveling is unneeded.

Well I've used up all of my vacation and am relegated to weekend trips, which usually turn into Saturday day trips - getting back on Sundays can be difficult because flights fill up very quickly. Which got me to thinking - what are some of the best one-day trips I've taken over the past year or so? But most day trips are made for the purposes of eating - so what are some of the best restaurants I've visited in the last year? Here are a top 10 for best restaurants I've visited in the last year. Rankings are based on taste, value, experience, etc. Non-breakfast cuisines only:

10. Rendezvous Room - Memphis, TN

I went to this restaurant because it is arguably the most popular rib joint around. But the ribs were disappointing. They are dry cooked, and served dry. You add sauce as desired. I just didn't get the wonderful stick-to-your belly experience I was expecting. Price: $10-20 per person, depending on how much beer you drink.

9. Anthony's Pier 66 - Seattle, WA
Well, this wasn't a trip taken for the food, but to get away from the cold of Minneapolis for a day. The view of the Puget Sound from this restaurant is amazing, and the seafood was good, but overpriced. This place will impress, though, if you're looking for that sort of thing. Price: about $35 per person.

8. Taste of India - Rochester, NY
Hands down the best Indian buffet I've had. It has a lot of variety and all the food is well made. There are a lot of Indian restaurants in this town, so there's pressure for quality and affordability. I wouldn't say that this is the best restaurant in Rochester, but it's the restaurant I visited on my day trip last year, so it's the only one that qualifies for this list. Price: about $10 per person.

7. Giordano's - Chicago, IL
Deep dish pizza! So much better than what you can get outside of Chicago. It's filled with cheese, if you want it, and it's made with tons of butter. Yum. Price: a pie is around $25, but I dare you to eat more than two slices; very filling.

6. La Marée - Montreal, QB
I was told to visit this place for the lobster bisque, and at just over $9 per bowl, you may wonder if it is worthwhile. And I'll tell you - it was. The salmon in a boysenberry sauce wasn't bad, either. Price: about $40 per person, but no need for a large tip in Canada!

5. Dintaifung - Taipei, Taiwan (also in Los Angeles)
Great food. Simple meals that taste very good. I wasn't as impressed as I should have been, mostly because this was one of the last restaurants I visited while in Taiwan, and all the food I had in Taiwan was good. Price: not sure - the bill was not in English!

4. Arthur Bryant's - Kansas City, MO
Best BBQ place I've been to yet. It's cafeteria-style, complete with a waiting line that extends outside the building. I ordered my meal to-go, which was great. They took my beef brisket, complete with my fries, and wrapped it up hoagie-style. It was more food than I possibly could eat in one sitting. Price: less than $10. Slip a $1 to the guy taking your order and your food will double.

3. Safari - Minneapolis, MN
A Somalian restaurant in the Twin Cities. I've had nearly everything on the menu and I still haven't found a dish that I disliked. Most dishes are a concoction of either beef or chicken, vegetables, and a special sauce. Can be spicy or not, and everything is served with a banana. Free refills on the Mango Juice. Price: $10 per dish, including mango juice.

2. Saburo's - Portland, OR
If you like sashimi at all, you really need to try this place. Everything is fresh, the portions are large, and they have a wide variety to choose from. Everything is served cold, and the rice is never dried out. Make sure to come early because the wait has always been 2 hours or more when I've gone. Price: depends on what you order, but it's probably half the price of what you would expect. You can easily fill up on $15, or you can go crazy and spend $40, but you won't be able to finish your food.

1. 草山松園 (I Think) - Taipei, Taiwan
I have no idea how to say this name in English - sorry. It was a bath house that has been converted into a restaurant. The view is very scenic - it's on Yang Ming Mountain - and the food is so fancy, some would refer to it as "exquisite". I won't bother describing the style, but if a restaurant can serve me 8 dishes that are completely different and they all taste good, then something must be done right. Did you know that vinegar can be served as a drink? I didn't either, but it was a good experience. You need to book your reservation two weeks in advance or else there's no way to get into this place. Price: $40 per person, and they choose your food for you.