Staff picks, take one.
One of the best parts about working at "Rachael Ray"
is we love food, so our staff is gonna be sharing
some of their picks all over the country
that you will all definitely want to enjoy.
My favorite restaurant is The Apple Pan.
It's in Los Angeles, California.
It's a tiny diner, right smack in the middle of bustling LA.
It's been around since the 40's.
It definitely feels like you're sucked right back
into that time period.
Old wallpaper, the stools along the counter
are like an old leathery red.
It's a typical diner, burgers, sandwiches on the grill,
soft drinks, and the best pie in the world.
The banana cream pie.
It is my favorite pie.
When I was growing up, I did not like birthday cake,
and I would ask for a banana cream pie from The Apple Pan
as my birthday cake every single year.
And you have to get the Hickory burger.
I mean, lettuce, tomato, pickles, their secret sauce,
and a slice of cheddar cheese
Doesn't get better than that.
My favorite restaurant is Imani Brooklyn.
It's in the Fort Greene area.
It is a Caribbean soul food restaurant,
a modern twist on authentic Caribbean food.
I would say my go-to thing to order
at Imani is the shrimp and grits.
Traditional shrimp and grits is a southern meal,
so it can be savory or sweet.
Most of the time savory with like a lot of butter,
but because it's a Caribbean spin,
they use coconut milk in the grits,
so it kind of gives it more of a smoother texture,
and then it has that Caribbean seasoning on the shrimp.
It's absolutely amazing and delicious.
I also really like the Escabeche.
It's a red snapper fish
and they have it with a white jasmine rice.
Amazing.
My favorite restaurant is Raza
which is located in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Raza is an Italian eatery,
I would say most known for their pizza.
Pizza is more Neapolitan style
so it is really thin in a wood-fired oven.
Cooks in less than like three minutes,
and I think what makes their pizza so special is
the ingredients that they use.
Fresh and seasonal and local,
down to the flower that they use in their pizza.
It's milled in Clifton, New Jersey, I believe.
All their cheeses are local Jersey cheeses.
Seasonal produce from farms around New Jersey.
My favorite is the Santo, which is the sausage pizza.
It's got a little spice.
They nail it every time. I haven't had a bad thing there.
My favorite restaurant pick is
Via Locusta in Philadelphia.
It's very romantic.
It's very dark and feels like you're transported
in the middle of Philadelphia.
Their menu is incredible.
Everything about it is just very special and unique,
and it's kind of like something you never had before.
Their ravioli is to die for. It's handmade.
The filling always changes.
It's so fresh, it melts in your mouth.
It's a must have.
And then as soon as you walk in,
you're also gonna smell their homemade focaccia,
which is so, so tasty.
My pick for best restaurant is
the Columbia in Tampa, Florida.
The Columbia Restaurant is the oldest restaurant in Florida.
It was opened in 1905 and is a mix of Cuban and Spanish.
The entire interior is covered
in colorful tiles, beautiful artwork.
Everything feels so authentic and historic,
and you feel like you're stepping back in time.
If you go, you have to try the Cuban sandwich.
Their Cuban sandwich is world famous.
They also have this incredible salad.
I know it's a salad. It's called the 1905 salad.
It has olives, it has lots of delicious cheese, veggies
and whatever they make in their dressing.
It's a special Columbia dressing that is absolutely perfect.
It's an incredible restaurant filled with lots of tradition,
amazing Cuban dishes, lots of fresh fish,
and a beautiful, fun, historic atmosphere.