USA - The Northeast/Midatlantic

[EnLinea Media]

Whether you're a local or a visitor, what are your favorite restaurants, bistros, bakeries, roadside joints, oyster shacks, whatever? How about cooking schools? Food markets? Favorite delicacies? It's all fair game, in Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington, DC.

More info: AdventureBaltimore.com, Boston.DiningGuide.com, DiningFever.com, DiningInNH.com (New Hampshire), DiningOutBoston.com, EdibleEastEnd.com (Long Island, NY), HungryVT.com (Vermont), MarylandRestaurants.com, MenuPages.com (New York City), New.York.DiningGuide.com, NHDiningGuide.com (New Hampshire), PhiladelphiaDiningGuide.com, PhiladelphiaRestaurants.com, TravelFoodNotes.Blogspot.com (New York City), Washington.DC.DiningGuide.com.

[David Paul Appell]

Manhattan snooty spots on sale, according to an interesting piece I just caught in this week's New York magazine. "In a Fixe" describes how some of NYC's fanciest and most overpriced eateries are chopping prices and throwing in extras thanks to the recession. Examples: Nello's, Harry Cipriani, Le Cirque, even Per Se, for god's sake.

[David Paul Appell]

I was interested to find out that just this past March, Atlantic City followed the lead of a lot of other U.S. cities in starting a "Restaurant Week" (www.ACRestaurantWeek.com), when dozens of restos -- even fancy-schmancy joints, in the case of AC, like Buddakan, The Reserve, and La Fontana -- offer low-cost prix-fixe menus (this year it was $15.09 per person at lunch and $33.09 at dinner). The dates for 2010 are February 28-March 6, and if this year is any indication, many of the restaurants will probably extend it an extra week. I've done this kind of thing in several cities, and it's great.

[Janice Brown]

Amherst, Mass., is a classic college town in Western Massachusetts. Tucked into an unassuming and narrow storefront on the main street is Chez Albert, a superb restaurant that combines simply wonderful French food with the warm ambiance of a neighborhood joint. Here is a review.

[Janice Brown]

Hanover, NH, is home to Dartmouth College. It's also home to the Canoe Club Bistro, a simple but delightful restaurant that serves creative American food with a European influence.

[Janice Brown]

The Common Man Restaurant in Ashland, NH, offers consistently great American food served in a quirky old house on Main Street. It is part of the Great American Dining chain, a group of terrific restaurants run by local hero and experienced restaurateur Alex Ray. While the flagship Common Man in Ashland is my favorite, the menus are similar in all Common Man restaurants -- and, if you are driving up Route 93 in NH, you are usually never more than a few exits away from a Common Man. I hear good reports about the newest Common Man restaurants, in Claremont (near the Vermont border) and in Portsmouth, on the seacoast.