Adam's Pick

Adam Richman has been eating his way across America, and there are more than a few famous food spots that he thinks should be at the top of your list. Here’s a taste. The White Spot Cafe, Anchorage, AK My Anchorage makeup artist Amber recommended The White Spot Cafe. In particular, "their double stacked, fried Halibut sandwich which is to die for." It's also one of the oldest restaurants in the whole state. Sidecar, Brooklyn, NY Opened by the brothers DeCoursy (of Blue Ribbon Bakery and O'Connors), this place has phenomenal food served until 4 a.m., signature drinks and what some people call the best fried chicken in NYC. I love the Brandade and the Banh Di (their version of the Vietnamese sandwich). Alchemy, Brooklyn, NY Seven words: white chocolate and sweet pea creme brulee. Plus 11 bucks gets you a great burger with fries, a small salad AND a beer! Franny's, Brooklyn, NY My friend John is the chef here. He’s taken his haute roots from Per Se and created amazing pizzas, pastas and house-cured meats. The eggs and spicy pickles and the prosciutto are not to be missed. Ask your server anything -- these guys are among the best in the city. Char No. 4, Brooklyn, NY The best bourbon selection ANYWHERE plus great pork nuggets, cheese curds, pulled pork sandwiches and BLTs. All meats are house-cured, and they have great sides like warm baby beets with bleu cheese and pecans. Press 195, Brooklyn, NY A phenomenal sandwich place that recently remodeled and came back with a vengeance with Belgian frites, homemade lemonade, a full bar and salads, plus their famous maple- syrup pesto. G&M Crabcakes, Baltimore, MD I found out about this one from one of my most reliable sources: LOCALS, bellboys, busboys and parking attendants. It’s located in Linthicum, just outside Baltimore, but they even ship their crabcakes nationwide. I like the quiche with crab in it and the more informal dining room on the right. Faidley's Crabcakes, Baltimore, MD I have to admit, I know about this place from watching HBO's "The Wire". Both the good and the bad -- both McNulty and Omar -- ate these cakes. And for me, that's all I needed to know. Best advice: go early. They get crowded, and their hours are unusual. Old Ebbitt Grill, Washington, DC Great for late night bites, half-priced oysters and a dining room that screams history. The Eastern Market, Washington, DC This historic market offers amazing softshell crab sandwiches and crafts for about a zillion square miles. It's recovering from a fire a couple of years back but is still awesome. TenPenh, Washington, DC This upscale, Southeast-Asian-inspired restaurant is sexy, expensive and totally worth it. The address is 10 Pennsylvania Ave -- hence the name. Basque Festival, Boise, ID We found this by accident, and I fantasize about this street food at least once a week. High Cotton, Charleston, SC The flagship of the Maverick restaurant group. Ordinarily, any corporately owned place makes me cringe, but High Cotton gets it right -- from decor to grits. Awesome. Taco Boy, Charleston, SC Taco Boy’s newest location in downtown Charleston (the other is on Folly Beach) still packs enormous flavor. Great drinks and a huge patio with both food and drink service -- plus free fake tattoos! Giovanni's Shrimp Truck, Kahuku, Oahu, HI There are a ton of places on the North Shore, but Kahuku has the sweet corn and fresh shrimp that are the stuff of legend. While Opal has a huge following, Giovanni's is the oldest truck, and the garlic shrimp and spicy shrimp are not to be missed. Shiao Lan Kung, Philadelphia, PA Specializing in stir-fries, steamed meats, poultry and seafood, Shiao Lan serves up amazing eats in the heart of Chinatown. Lolita, Philadelphia, PA A fun BYOB place with a distinct South American feel to its dishes. Seating is tight so try to avoid the 2-tops in the back. Instead, get a table by the wall to the left as you enter. Tu Lan, San Francisco, CA Basic, no frills, awesome Vietnamese that has been sampled by everyone from me to Julia Child. Delicious. Dain's Place, Durham, NC Dain’s was featured in our “Doughman Challenge” episode. Dain is the perfect bar owner: interested but not too in-your-face with a great menu of food that is just a slight cut above typical bar fare. Great beers, great tater tots and great service. Zankou Chicken, Los Angeles, CA So Amazing. Middle Eastern fare: the chicken shawarma platter is just perfect. Get extra garlic sauce and extra meat. Perfectly made pita, hummus and tahini. Flavorful, moist roasted chicken straight from the rotisserie. Mayflower, San Jose, CA Hidden at the back of the Milpitas Mall, delicious dim sum served from carts and times finished up right at your table. Gets crowded, so come early -- and hungry. Get the banana-leaf-wrapped chicken and any of the har gow and fried dumplings. Ted Drewes Custard, St. Louis, MO For almost 80 years, Ted Drewes Custard has been warming the hearts and freezing the brains of St. Louis natives. The specialty of the house is the “concrete” – a combination of dozens of toppings that are blended with the custard until it is so thick it will not fall out of a cup that is turned upside down. Get a pumpkin pie concrete and watch the world fall into place. Delicious, historic, and perfect for a summer day in the Gateway City. The Angus Barn, Raleigh, NC Come hungry and come often. My cousin, Keith, who went to UNC, took me there with his family. Just amazing ribs, steaks, phenomenal appetizers and desserts, plus the dining room is cozy despite its vast size. Great olives and cheeses in waiting area where you wait in plush, wing-back chairs. Isle’s Bun and Coffee Company, Minneapolis, MN Cinnamon rolls the size of a shot put, and icing so perfectly decadent that some have said it was secreted by a divine being. Delish!

Mini-Hot Dogs With Brown Sauce Boost London’s W8

Sometimes, a dish may stop you in your tracks for the right reasons: cutting through the small talk, pulling your wandering eye back to the plate and causing an involuntary movement that returns wine glass to table. Game consomme with bacon cream and a small game hot dog --a starter at Philip Howard’s informal new west London venue, Kitchen W8 -- take a bow. (The kitchen is headed by Mark Kempson of the Vineyard at Stockcross, so he should take one, too.) The consomme comes in a mug, and I confess I’ve asked the restaurant what’s in it, rather than just identifying through taste the grouse, venison, pheasant and mallard that have gone into it. It’s topped with thick and creamy bacon foam. The texture is like an old-fashioned Irish coffee. It’s richly flavored and comforting on a cold day and the gourmet mini-hot dog served on the plate alongside the mug may raise a smile. It’s venison, hare and pork and comes with a sweet-and- sour brown sauce with onions, spices, malt vinegar and beer. I’m not sure where I last had so much pleasure for 8 pounds ($13) but it was probably late at night somewhere exotic in Asia, rather than at a smart London neighborhood restaurant. Howard is best known for his fabulous food at the Square, which holds two Michelin stars and attracts a corporate crowd. His business partner here is the restaurateur Rebecca Mascarenhas. Crab Ravioli The seasonal modern European menu employs mainly British ingredients and is full of reasonably priced tempting dishes, with eight of the nine starters costing less than 10 pounds, 12 of the 13 mains costing less than 20 pounds and all of the desserts at 6.50 pounds. The top-priced dishes are ravioli of crab & red mullet with squid, cuttlefish, octopus and lemon (10.50 pounds); and fillet steak with red-wine butter at 12 pounds. There’s a foie-gras mousse starter with raisin puree, crisp fruitbread and parmesan that I would order repeatedly if I didn’t like the hot dog so much, and if you like game as much as I do, you may love the hand-rolled pappardelle with rich game sauce. This uses meat from a braised hare leg, with a red wine and port sauce. It’s finished with diced carrot and swede. The current bestseller in these early days is fillet of halibut with Beaufort (cheese) crust with melted onions and chanterelles, according to Simon Freeman, the former sommelier at Hibiscus who oversees the wine list. There are about 120 wines on the list, which starts at 14.95 pounds a bottle and includes a reserve section. The house wines (a chenin blanc-semillon from Argentina and a French Cabernet Sauvignon) are fine by the way, and the list -- chosen by the excellent Freeman -- merits exploring. Citrus Crunch Among the desserts, the rice pudding comes awash with Pedro Ximinez sherry -- which is a good thing -- and the passion fruit & lime mess with Brillat-Savarin cream comes in a glass: light and citrussy with a satisfying crunch. Howard is known for the Square. Its corporate feel belies the passion of the chef, who has battled his own demons to overcome drug addiction and to win the admiration of his peers. While Kitchen W8 is more relaxed, the professionalism is the same. In attempting something similar to his protege Brett Graham of the Ledbury -- who last year opened the wonderful Harwood Arms in Fulham -- Howard has revealed more of his own talent and made the London dining scene that little bit better. Kitchen W8, 11-13 Abingdon Road, London, W8 6AH. Tel. +44- 20-7937-0120 or click on http://www.kitchenw8.com/. The Bloomberg Questions Cost? The lunch and early dinner menu is 19.50 pounds. Sound level? Pleasantly quiet: about 70 decibels. (A London park is 50 decibels and a subway train 90 decibels.) Inside tip? Tables at the front are best. Special feature? The Sunday lunch is a bargain. Will I be back? yes. Date place? Yes. Rating? ***