Tyler Florence's 9 Favorite Restaurants Around The World Slideshow
Balthazar (New York City)
Balthazar is not only one of New York's highest rated French restaurants, it is also Tyler Florence's all-time favorite restaurant for a sit down meal.
"My hands down favorite restaurant is Balthazar in New York City 'cause I think there's different levels of satiation," said Florence. "There's nutrients and there's satiating the soul and I just think Balthazar is the epicenter of New York City."
The restaurant boasts a menu of signature and gourmet French fare, including moules frites, duck confit, and chicken liver with fois gras mousse. Florence's favorite Balthazar dish is the steak tartare.
"The steak tartare is just sensational," said Florence.
Chez L'ami Louis (Paris)
In Paris, Florence heads to Chez L'ami Louis for French bistro-style fare and a dose of the restaurant's stellar atmosphere.
"You walk in and you walk into a time warp of a restaurant," said Florence. "It is French bistro and the food is fantastic."
In terms of his favorite dish, Florence singles out the restaurant's potatoes fried goose fat.
"They have a potatoes fried goose fat," said Florence. "It's ridiculous, like what is that?"
River Café (London)
With a Michelin star under its belt, River Café in London dishes out some of Tyler Florence's favorite Italian food.
"I like River Café in London. I like it a lot," said Florence. "It's an amazing place. The last thing I had there was a tagliatelle with stinging nettles. The room is great and the vibe and the energy is fantastic."
The restaurant's menu is seasonal and therefore ever-changing, though some of the River Café's summer dishes include handmade pasta with summer girolles and thyme, poached langoustines with marjoram and sea salt, and veal loin rolled and stuffed with rosemary, fennel, and sage.
Casa Tua (Miami)
Located in Miami's Casa Tua Hotel, Casa Tua serves up Northern Italian eats in an outdoor garden setting complete with lantern lighting.
"It's an amazing place. It's sexy. You have to check it out," said Florence, who notes, "The tuna tartare is pretty incredible there."
Lucques (Los Angeles)
For signature California cuisine, Florence treats himself to courses at Lucques in Los Angeles.
"Lucques is pretty amazing," said Florence. "It's just the definition of amazing Californian flavors."
For dinner, Lucques cooks up mouthwatering entrees, such as harissa-grilled lamb sirloin with cous cous, apricots, labneh, and pistachios, and pan-roasted merluza with succotash, coconut milk, and curried cherry tomatoes.
"Susan Goin is just year after year the best," said Florence about the restaurant's multiple James Beard award-winning chef.
Di Fara Pizza (Brooklyn)
When Tyler Florence wants pizza, he goes out of his way to grab a slice from Di Fara Pizza in Brooklyn, even if the journey costs him $173.
"I got a town car from New York City and I spent $173 to go out to Di Fara's to have a slice and come back," said Florence. "It was worth every penny."
What Florence loves most about Di Fara Pizza's pies are the crust and the sauce.
"It's beautiful....Even the texture of the crust has a little snap to it," said Florence. "I've lived in New York City for fifteen years and I've had everything that you think is good pizza and I just don't think anything hits that level, hits every single note. The sauce is just perfectly balanced and has this nice texture to it."
Wayfare Tavern (San Francisco)
Florence names his own San Francisco flagship restaurant Wayfare Tavern as one of his favorite restaurants.
"I'd have to throw my restaurant in my top nine favorite restaurants," said Florence. "Every time I walk in Wayfare Tavern I fall in love with my restaurant all over again."
Open in 2010, Wayfare Tavern serves guests gourmet bites, such as American Kobe tartare with French mustard dressing, egg yolks, and warm garlic popovers, ahi tuna carpaccio, organic fried chicken with buttermilk brine, and a selection of fresh seafood from the restaurant's raw bar.
"We just had our second anniversary and we've never been better," said Florence. "Our food is just on fire right now."
Cibrèo Ristorante (Florence)
In Italy, Florence loves to dine at Cibrèo Ristorante, the Florentine restaurant where he staged earlier in his career.
"He's just brilliant with his food," said Florence of Fabio Picci, Cibrèo's owner. "The Florentine style of cooking is really more about the soft texture. The texture that he gets out of the slow cook, the mind blowing complexity of the slow cook...I just don't think anyone in Italy can really touch him."
15 East Restaurant (New York City)
15 East Restaurant is one of New York City's most buzzed about sushi bars. According to Florence, the restaurant not only has great Japanese food but also unparalleled service.
"I just had really good sushi two nights ago at this place called 15 in New York, sensational," said Florence. "The way the menu's crafted, it's very, very, very Japanese, but it's also sort of French-American at the same time. The sake program is treated with the same reverence as wine. The service is just impeccable...very, very, very good."
Besides an array of fresh sushi and sashimi options, the menu also serves awabi risotto with abalone, grilled swordfish with garlic chili miso, and blue crab croquettes with Dijon mustard and fois gras hollandaise. For $120, diners can also indulge in a six-course tasting menu.