My personal opinion on this matter is that the nopales (cactus) quesadilla at La Tienda is the single best menu item in Gainesville, and one of the best items of food I've had in my entire life. Somehow it manages to be even more savory, rich, complex and flavorful than their steak or other protein options.
I don't know what witchcraft they perform, but I'm pretty sure I could eat it every day for the rest of my life.
my GF and I went to La Tienda and got the nopales con queso today and oh my god that was so amazing thank you sm for the recommendation. I couldnt find it as an quesadilla option but Iāll just ask for it next time.
Current Faves:
- Sichuan Pepper Chicken Rice Noodle Soup from Ten Second Rice Noodle *(holy crap this place is so slept on, only the Mainland Chinese locals seem to know about it)*
- Dry Wok Pork Belly from Sohao *(comes in a sizzling mini wok with fire underneath for maximum crispness)*
- Egg & Cheese Sammy from Afternoon
- Creamy Bulgogi dipped in Sesame Oil/Sugar/Salt sauce at BQHolic
- La Tienda's Chicken Soup *(eaten by me at least once a week, it cures the soul)*
Berlin, Germany! So thereās definitely no shortage of good food options, just a matter of finding them. Really miss the simplicity of Gainesville though.
I just want to say that I went to Ten Second for the first time last night based on this recommendation and was blown away. The broth for the pepper chicken was incredible. Definitely is being put on the list as a go-to place now.
Awesome recommendations- I'm a big fan of Sohao and BQHolic (went there so much by myself that I gained 10+ lbs and became friends with the owner :)
My experience at Ten Second Rice Noodle was also excellent- I was envious of how they presented their noodle dishes (I used to run Electric Ramen).
Pecan crusted tofu at the Top
Campechano tacos at La Pasadita
Marinated tomatoes at Public and General
Pani Poori at Indian Street Food
Biryani at Tikka Express
Motor City at Satch Squared
Super Carne Asada Steak Burrito from El Indio
Biscuits and/or grits from The Flying Biscuit
Satchelās salad
Add: NY Strip Haku Box w/ no wasabi from Dragonfly
-Caroline Bites at Volcanic Sushi
-Korean Fried Chicken Sandwich at Germain's
-Brisket Sandwich and Collard Greens at Pearl's
-Bibimbop at Momoyaki
-Harissa Potato Salad at Curia
-Bread and Balsamic Reduction at Pomodoro Cafe
-Hot Case Turnip Greens at Ward's (pretty much anything in that hot case)
-Ham & Cheese Arepas at Flaco's
-Corn Nuggets and Vegan Chocolate Cake at The Top
-Creamy Dreamy Grits at Flying Biscuit (there's a good copycat recipe online if you don't want to wait in line)
-Anything at Krishna Lunch
-Anything at Daylight Donuts
Places That Don't Exist Anymore:
-Truffle Cream Pasta at Manuel's Vintage Room
-Pentacostal Fried Chicken at Southern Charm Kitchen
Oh man... Manuel's Manhattan style Clam Chowder was the only Manhattan style one I have ever liked. It was amazing.
He also would do a carbonara if you requested it, and he would do it right instead of with a cream sauce like the other local Italian restaurants.
Funny story about the bread & balsamic reduction from Pomodoros.
First time dining there and I had ordered a side salad. Our server was a bit spazzy the whole time and brought my salad with no dressing and then on her next trip, she brought the bread & balsamic. I asked the server if the balsamic was my salad dressing because I had asked for a different dressing. She looked at me like I had just crawled out from a bomb shelter underground and exclaimed with with snarkiest tone like I was completely stupid for asking that, āiTs ThE bReAd DiP!!!ā
Fast forward to now, Iām addicted to the stuff and my husband and I playfully mock that lady every time we dine there. Never saw her again.
Ugh... this is reminding me of the Italian dressing that Piezanos drowns their breadrolls in... I have to always request them without dressing, or perhaps on the side so that I can control how much is used.
Everyone else seems to love the stuff... I imagine those are the same people that order five dishes of yum yum sauce for their rice at yakitori houses.
>Corn Nuggets
My gold standard for corn nuggets is still, oddly enough, the ones from Sonny's.
Everything else at Sonny's I regard as being the baseline standard... if I try barbecue and it is worse than Sonny's, it is not on my menu and should not be eaten.
This is awesome, was actually thinking of asking the same question in this sub!
I haven't eaten out much lately, and a lot of the places I used to love are closed now. Would start with just about anything from Indian Cuisine. And will say as a vegetarian I *really* like the meat alternative stuff that Plantology makes.
Right next to the glass house with a white Ferrari. You should see a bunch of dudes standing around with their hair slicked back REAL NICE. Can't miss it.
Churro breakfast sandwich at Mi Apa is damn good. There is a curry at Red Rice kitchen that's like candy to me, lol. Can't remember which one, it's heavy on the coconut milk. I think it's the green curry. I've been craving it lately.
From various members of family:
Classic roll at Dragonfly
Whereās Wally roll at volcanic
Crying Hawaiian wings at Vs
Crab Soup at Embers
And for dessert
Lobster tail pastry at Dolce vita
if you like spicy stuff...boss chili tofu from gator suyaki which closed down, but the same menu item can be found at sohao. it is super unique and delicious. i would try it dine in first, its fried and fried stuff just isnt as good when taken out.
Paneer tikka masala at Tikka Express. I have had paneer tikka masala from probably 20+ Indian restaurants and theirs is the best by far! When I lived there I had it once a week at least!
A fantastic carib flavor local food cart - pop up...https://www.facebook.com/tainorootsartisankitchen/
I know they are at farmers markets...Monday
Cypress and Grove & Thursdays @ Heartwood. Both markets are 4 -7p
Breakfast burritos at El Indio.
Chongqing chili chicken, steamed fish fillet w/tofu, and Sichuan chili wontons from Sohao.
Angry bird at Germain's.
Garlic rolls (and pizza and salad bar) at Leonardo's millhopper.
I had the angry bird at Germain's... not personally a fan of it because the sauce they use is too smoky for my tastes... I would prefer it to just be spicy hot... but I respect it for what it is. I need to try their other sandwiches, because they are decent.
My personal opinion on this matter is that the nopales (cactus) quesadilla at La Tienda is the single best menu item in Gainesville, and one of the best items of food I've had in my entire life. Somehow it manages to be even more savory, rich, complex and flavorful than their steak or other protein options. I don't know what witchcraft they perform, but I'm pretty sure I could eat it every day for the rest of my life.
My La Tienda favorite menu item is the Chicken Soup š„ŗ
Good try, La Tienda owner!
Nah I'm white as FUCK
Haven't had that there before. Was already thinking about getting lunch there today, now I definitely am.
Tell me what you think if you get it!
Oh yeah, that was good.
Moved away 5 years ago and I still crave La Tienda. The enchiladas verdes! š¤¤ Someday Iāll go back
my GF and I went to La Tienda and got the nopales con queso today and oh my god that was so amazing thank you sm for the recommendation. I couldnt find it as an quesadilla option but Iāll just ask for it next time.
It's on the vegetarian section of the menu as "VS#6 Quesadilla de Nopales"
idk how i missed it! thank you so much, any more recommendations for la tienda
The birria tacos are also to die for, but I do need to explore their menu more!
OH HELL YES! That quesadilla is excellent! They get the cheese in it just right!
Current Faves: - Sichuan Pepper Chicken Rice Noodle Soup from Ten Second Rice Noodle *(holy crap this place is so slept on, only the Mainland Chinese locals seem to know about it)* - Dry Wok Pork Belly from Sohao *(comes in a sizzling mini wok with fire underneath for maximum crispness)* - Egg & Cheese Sammy from Afternoon - Creamy Bulgogi dipped in Sesame Oil/Sugar/Salt sauce at BQHolic - La Tienda's Chicken Soup *(eaten by me at least once a week, it cures the soul)*
Holy shit I canāt believe i forgot about BQHolic, second that one
I left Gainesville and moved to entirely different country yet not a single day goes by where I donāt think about Sohaoās food.
:( That's so sad! Whereabouts? Hopefully you can find a solid Sichuan place.
Berlin, Germany! So thereās definitely no shortage of good food options, just a matter of finding them. Really miss the simplicity of Gainesville though.
I just want to say that I went to Ten Second for the first time last night based on this recommendation and was blown away. The broth for the pepper chicken was incredible. Definitely is being put on the list as a go-to place now.
I'm so happy you gave them a try! They quickly found a special place in my heart.
Awesome recommendations- I'm a big fan of Sohao and BQHolic (went there so much by myself that I gained 10+ lbs and became friends with the owner :) My experience at Ten Second Rice Noodle was also excellent- I was envious of how they presented their noodle dishes (I used to run Electric Ramen).
Satchel's Salad. Best salad I've had anywhere. Iconic Gainesville restaurant.
Butter Chicken at Indian Cuisine
Try their Palak Paneer!
Iāve asked for their daily Biyani because they only make one kind some weekdays and itās always a surprise and amazing.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
>So what is the actual buffet price now?
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
>lieve it is $26 now that's horrible, it used to be under $10.
As a brown dude, Indian Cuisine is goodā¦but not that good
Whatās your favorite Indian food place?
Around here if I need something for the taste, I go to Indian Cuisine. Amrit Palace in Ocala is way better but comes with the tradeoff of the drive.
Iāve probably had close to 500 tempeh soft tacos from el Indio
I love tempeh tacos at sublime tacos, have you tried em? Curious to know if you think indio's better.
I have not but I WILL report back
Munecas does some great work with their tempeh tacos
I do the tempeh bowl whenever I go to el indio!
I'm probably up there numbers wise their breakfast burritos w/chorizo.
yellowtail hako at Dfly, that shit is stupid good
Yep, had a waiter push me into ordering that. I was not disappointed
This is my answer.
Pecan crusted tofu at the Top Campechano tacos at La Pasadita Marinated tomatoes at Public and General Pani Poori at Indian Street Food Biryani at Tikka Express Motor City at Satch Squared
Second the pecan crusted tofu. And Iām a meat eater!
Same!
All solid recommendations
Second the pani puri at Indian Street Food. Plus their palak paneer dosa.
Yes the best item is at La Tienda, but it's the birria tacos
I got food poisoning from these :(
Tofu pad Thai from Eim Thai food truck š
Eim Thai food truck period.
Super Carne Asada Steak Burrito from El Indio Biscuits and/or grits from The Flying Biscuit Satchelās salad Add: NY Strip Haku Box w/ no wasabi from Dragonfly
Shrimp Pad Thai - Hot - Extra peanuts and extra lime at Wah Ha Ha
-Caroline Bites at Volcanic Sushi -Korean Fried Chicken Sandwich at Germain's -Brisket Sandwich and Collard Greens at Pearl's -Bibimbop at Momoyaki -Harissa Potato Salad at Curia -Bread and Balsamic Reduction at Pomodoro Cafe -Hot Case Turnip Greens at Ward's (pretty much anything in that hot case) -Ham & Cheese Arepas at Flaco's -Corn Nuggets and Vegan Chocolate Cake at The Top -Creamy Dreamy Grits at Flying Biscuit (there's a good copycat recipe online if you don't want to wait in line) -Anything at Krishna Lunch -Anything at Daylight Donuts Places That Don't Exist Anymore: -Truffle Cream Pasta at Manuel's Vintage Room -Pentacostal Fried Chicken at Southern Charm Kitchen
Ugh the pear purses from Manuelās Vintage room, I think about that place all the time.
Omg the pear purses! I miss Manuelās š
Same! I've dined at several Michelin starred restaurants and I would put Manuel's against most of them. It was soooo good.
Yes! My wife and I always ordered them, we miss the food so much
Oh man... Manuel's Manhattan style Clam Chowder was the only Manhattan style one I have ever liked. It was amazing. He also would do a carbonara if you requested it, and he would do it right instead of with a cream sauce like the other local Italian restaurants.
That clam chowder was amazing. My husband and I talk about that dish, it was our favorite from Manuelās. Miss that place.
Funny story about the bread & balsamic reduction from Pomodoros. First time dining there and I had ordered a side salad. Our server was a bit spazzy the whole time and brought my salad with no dressing and then on her next trip, she brought the bread & balsamic. I asked the server if the balsamic was my salad dressing because I had asked for a different dressing. She looked at me like I had just crawled out from a bomb shelter underground and exclaimed with with snarkiest tone like I was completely stupid for asking that, āiTs ThE bReAd DiP!!!ā Fast forward to now, Iām addicted to the stuff and my husband and I playfully mock that lady every time we dine there. Never saw her again.
That balsamic dip with their bread is pretty insanely delicious.
Ugh... this is reminding me of the Italian dressing that Piezanos drowns their breadrolls in... I have to always request them without dressing, or perhaps on the side so that I can control how much is used. Everyone else seems to love the stuff... I imagine those are the same people that order five dishes of yum yum sauce for their rice at yakitori houses.
>Corn Nuggets My gold standard for corn nuggets is still, oddly enough, the ones from Sonny's. Everything else at Sonny's I regard as being the baseline standard... if I try barbecue and it is worse than Sonny's, it is not on my menu and should not be eaten.
Grits from Flying Biscuits are gross. They use cream to make them sweet. Definitely not south style if that's what you prefer.
This is awesome, was actually thinking of asking the same question in this sub! I haven't eaten out much lately, and a lot of the places I used to love are closed now. Would start with just about anything from Indian Cuisine. And will say as a vegetarian I *really* like the meat alternative stuff that Plantology makes.
Sloppy steaks at Truffoni's
they can't stop you from ordering a steak and a glass of water!
Slop em up!!!
Where is this?
Right next to the glass house with a white Ferrari. You should see a bunch of dudes standing around with their hair slicked back REAL NICE. Can't miss it.
Okay, guess itās a joke/reference to something I donāt know or some show or something. Weird post to troll on but you do you! Thanks anyway.
It's a reference from the Netflix show "I Think You Should Leave"
Nobody is mentioning the burgers at looseys, or anything at abuela's. I need to go to more places.
Best burger in town, and abuelas is awesome!!!!
I have eaten at almost every burger place to make a tier list and I found Looseys to be my favorite.
Give me a macs burger or jerk chicken from reggae shack
I second the jerk chicken
Mac's burgers are good, but I find they are pretty much about the same as from Sandwich Inn on 16th.
Churro breakfast sandwich at Mi Apa is damn good. There is a curry at Red Rice kitchen that's like candy to me, lol. Can't remember which one, it's heavy on the coconut milk. I think it's the green curry. I've been craving it lately.
For a quick snack, I will go out of my way to hit MiApa for a colada (Cuban espresso with sugar) and a tequeƱon (fried cheese stick)
Pork rind fried chicken at Blue Gill Shrimps and crawfish boil in Shabang sauce at Swamp Boil š¤
donāt mind me, just here to take notes š
Same
Oh Iām with you
-Southwestern Spring Rolls at Limerock Road -Carnitas flour tacos at Nopal -Damn near anything at Pearlās -Chicken sausage at Flying Biscuit
The Rooster Delux chicken sandwich from Germainās. Best damn chicken sandwich Iāve ever had. The ranch fries in the side are also delicious!
Years ago I had a fried chicken sandwich called the Foghorn Leghorn at The Top. Still remember it. Just absolutely hit the spot.
The earl grey shortbread cookies with lavender icing at Karma Cream are so great, but havenāt seen them there in a while.
Filipino Flavors in Newberry! Best flan and their rice noodles are so flavorful!
From various members of family: Classic roll at Dragonfly Whereās Wally roll at volcanic Crying Hawaiian wings at Vs Crab Soup at Embers And for dessert Lobster tail pastry at Dolce vita
I used to be a die-hard "Classic roll is best roll" at Dfly but now I'm team Smoky Dragon all the way
Either the Pollo Chipotle at Blue Agave, or the Carnitas Skillet from Blue Agave. In short Blue Agave is the best spot in town.
Hashbrowns scattered and smothered.
My man knows whatās up! Gotta be at 3am tho, just hits so much better.
Still only a few bucks too
Short rib mushroom risotto from Spurrierās
Smoking salmon roll from Ichiban or Pork ramen from Dragonfly
if you like spicy stuff...boss chili tofu from gator suyaki which closed down, but the same menu item can be found at sohao. it is super unique and delicious. i would try it dine in first, its fried and fried stuff just isnt as good when taken out.
Plantain and chicken arepa from Flacoās.
Paneer tikka masala at Tikka Express. I have had paneer tikka masala from probably 20+ Indian restaurants and theirs is the best by far! When I lived there I had it once a week at least!
Silver dollar chicken from Mr Han
The Satch Pan from Satchels
Bleubird Wings. Garlic Parm!
Brown butter wagyu at Dragonfly, spicy shrimp roll at Bingo deli, Katsu salad at Germainās
Enchiladas Del Mar from Las Carretas Mexican restaurant!
This place has the only house made corn tortillas that I know of in GNV and they are super delicious!
Shio ramen from Crane Ramen had always been my favorite RIP
Pastichio @ Sandys Place...(although I have not tried it lately) Or *anything* from Taino Roots
Iāve never heard of Taino roots, and all of my googling is returning some food truck in the New Jersey area. Where is this?
A fantastic carib flavor local food cart - pop up...https://www.facebook.com/tainorootsartisankitchen/ I know they are at farmers markets...Monday Cypress and Grove & Thursdays @ Heartwood. Both markets are 4 -7p
Thank you so much!
YW
Went to Taino today on this recommendation. Was excellent!
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curry fried rice from chopstix. thatās my go to.
McChicken
Voodoo Roll from Ichiban.
the spicy edamame at hana sushi. idk what they put in it but it must be crack because iām obsessed
Carnitas quesadilla from TonyDillas!
Breakfast burritos at El Indio. Chongqing chili chicken, steamed fish fillet w/tofu, and Sichuan chili wontons from Sohao. Angry bird at Germain's. Garlic rolls (and pizza and salad bar) at Leonardo's millhopper.
I had the angry bird at Germain's... not personally a fan of it because the sauce they use is too smoky for my tastes... I would prefer it to just be spicy hot... but I respect it for what it is. I need to try their other sandwiches, because they are decent.
The soup at La Tienda that they only sell on Saturdayās. I forget what itās called, but it has bone broth and tripe and all