“This was highly recommended by someone in the area, who said, ‘Oh, you’ve got to go to REDD.’ You’re in Rochester, NY, and not to sh*t on them, but you don’t have the highest expectations for everything. The chef is from Rochester, and after working in great restaurants in California, he came back and opened REDD. You’re in the restaurant and everything is oh my God, from the decor to the service to the food. Everything was seasonal and it felt like you were in Napa at a Michelin-star place.”

“This is one of the finer-dining Italian places in Boston. I feel like that can can be hit or miss. This place nailed it. Their Bolognese was incredible, their meatballs, their carbonara. It was all top-tier, authentic Italian style, and we as a group just flipped out for it. They also have this incredible wine selection.”

“This is a farm-to-table place in Madison, where, again, we didn’t know what to expect. One thing that’s consistent about farm to table is that they’re always really clean, like the cleanliness of the place always stands out, and the service is usually a step above what you find in most restaurants. And the food here was insane. One of my guys had a Wagyu burger that he said was the best thing he’d ever had in his life. The schnitzel was incredible.”

“Another farm-to-table place. Their whole menu is designed to be a tasting menu. In other words, if you order the ribeye, it’s three ounces because they’re just trying to get you to have tastes of things, and so we all ordered multiple dishes. And it was outstanding. I had a yellowfin tuna crudo that was incredible, and I had this lamb ravioli that was made in-house. Somebody else ordered it and said, ‘You’ve got to try this,’ so I called the guy back and said, ‘Throw one of those on for me!’”

“Oh my God. Alinea is a three-star Michelin restaurant and has been for years. That doesn’t happen by accident. This is a groundbreaking, life-changing kind of meal. I went on my birthday with a group. It is expensive, but it’s like saying that going to Tahiti and staying on a cabana over the water is expensive. Yeah, because you don’t get to do this all the time. They do things there that you don’t even consider, like they release smells into the room that go with the meal you’re getting….”

“Jaleo is Spanish-themed, traditional Spanish cuisine from Spain, which is José Andrés’ background. The gambas (shrimp) really stood out, the jamón ibérico was melt-in-your-mouth stuff, but all the dishes were just other level. They had traditional stuff and his take on things."

“L.A. arguably has the best sushi culture in the country. There’s the big places where it’s shiny-flashy, and then there’s the Valley that has all the secret stuff and strip malls. This one’s in Canoga Park, next door to a vape store, and I believe it says ‘Sushi’ outside. The decor is nothing to celebrate, but the chef is one of those guys, his life is sushi. I would tell anyone going there, do the right thing and order omakase. Tell him to take the reins—you will not be let down.”

“This is my favorite spot in Austin. If you’re trying to celebrate and you want to just eat like a king, everything is incredible, from the bone marrow toast—the most decadent, rich thing you’ve ever had—to this really good pasta dish they make with some spice and crab. And then, of course, if you want meat, you’re in Texas, so they’ve got the presentation and the quality. You will leave stuffed. I’ve brought friends who live in L.A. there and they say, ‘This is the best meal I’ve ever had.’”

“My agent hit me up. He knows I like great restaurants, and this is another one where it takes months to get into this place. I was like, oh, it’s Italian—you just think of standard Italian fare. But this was that other-level experience. The people that serve you there are so attentive and knowledgeable, but they have that New York flavor to them…and the food is just unbelievable. It’s the best version of every dish that’s on the menu—you’ve never had a better one.”

“I just went there. I like rib eyes, but sometimes they’re too fatty, they’re too much, they’re too rich. This place had a rib eye that was buffalo, so you know it’s going to be leaner. It was the best cooked steak I’ve ever had. I went back into the kitchen and talked to the chef. I was like, ‘This is the perfect rib eye because it was tender and full of flavor, but it wasn’t so heavily marbled that you feel almost sick eating it.’ So I give that dish a 10 out of 10.”