Top 7 Restaurants on US Route 6; 14 States Coast to Coast

Suffice it to say, I ate very well along all of US Route 6's 3,652 miles.  So it was tough winnowing down hundreds of restaurants to just seven.  But that's what lists are all about so.....

Here they are, according to me, in ascending order:

Museum Cafe - Joslyn Museum
Omaha, NE

#7 - The Museum Cafe, Joslyn Art Museum; Omaha, NE: Staffed with graduates of Omaha’s Metro Community College Institute for Culinary Arts, the food is terrific.  Even the potato chips are hand-sliced and ethereal.  Sip on home-made soup and enjoy those lighter-than-air chips while sighing in appreciation at a sky-scraper-tall Chihuly glass sculpture.  Ultimate bliss.

Noodle Bowl - Red Rose Cafe
Palisade, CO

#6 - Red Rose Café in Palisade, CO. In a nondescript storefront, in a town acclaimed for it abundance of peach trees and vineyards, the Red Rose Cafe features an eclectic menu; Italian, American, and inexplicably, Vietnamese.  Owner Rose is from Vietnam and she and her husband, Tom Casabona turn out some of the best Asian dishes I've ever tasted. Order the excellent Noodle Bowl - a perfect combination of piquant marinated grilled meat, noodles and greens.

Lola Restaurant
Cleveland, OH

#5 -Lola; Cleveland, OH -  Owned by Iron Chef Michael Symon, first champion of Cleveland’s now thriving culinary scene, Lola is THE high-end place to dine and be seen.  Funky linear crystal chandeliers lend flattering candlepower to the dark, atmospheric room where a dressed up mid-age crowd (read: those who can afford this kind of fine dining) talk low over comfort dishes with a twist.  Beef Cheek Pirogues are not like your Polish Grandma used to make, but are tasty in their crème-fresh way.  The bone-in, moist and crisp-skinned chicken breast sits on a mound of white beans and sausage, juicy and perfectly seasoned.  Worth the splurge.

A trio of menu items
Belfry Inn and Bistro
Sandwich, MA

#4 - Belfry Inn & Bistro; Sandwich, MA - sitting down to dinner in the (former) sanctuary of a Gothic church – with its towering arched ceiling – is a lofty enough experience, but attentive wait staff and sumptuous farm-to-table cuisine live up to the surroundings. Homemade chowders (clam and corn), fresh-picked greens and comfort foods like four cheese mac and cheese draw a steady stream of locals.

Watermelon Gazpacho
Bin 707 Foodbar
Grand Junction, CO

#3 - Bin 707 Foodbar, Grand Junction, CO; A contemporary NY-Style bistro with a Western twist, Bin 707 dishes out terrific skinny seasoned fries (wow), and simple, but toothsome pleasures like seasonal "Watermelon-Gazpacho" cold soup - spicy and refreshing at the same time.  This is a relatively new restaurant in town and I wish them many years of success. With this kind of inventive cuisine, pulled off extremely well, they should thrive for a long time.

Incomparable "Beet and Grain Burger"
Birdsall House
Peekskill, NY

#2 - Birdsall House – Peeksill, NY –declared one of 19 “Hottest New Restaurants in Westchester” by Westchester Magazine.  Don’t let the dive-pub exterior fool you.  This is a serious foodie joint; farm-to-table, seasonal. The glory goes into the food, not the décor which is Early Linolium.  Lunch was up there with the greats.  Try the “Beet and Grain Burger”  smothered with sautéed onions, goat cheese and wilted spinach.  I’d drive hours for that dish alone. Appreciated roundly for its craft beer on tap, the Birdsall House motto is  “Beer is Good” and the menu proclaims, “Thank you for your beersness.”  Who wouldn’t love a place like that?

Drumroll please:

The Numero Uno Dining Experience on US Route 6;

Chillingsworth
Brewster, MA

#1 - Chillingsworth Restaurant and Bistro; Chef/owners Nitzi and Pat Rabin believe in transcendent experiences when it comes to dining.  And they sure deliver.  Zagat’s deemed Chillingsworth “worth the drive from anywhere.” I’ve had haut meals the world over and I’d rank mine here among the best.  If you want to rush or catch a movie, ask to be seated in the bustling Bistro – causal and less expensive - which has its own kitchen.  For a meal to savor, reserve a table in the original home built in the late 1600’s.  Each intimate room is dressed in French and Early American finery.  The couch in the single table “Library” has seen many a bended knee according to Pat; it is a popular spot to propose marriage.  I held court in the Empire Room where portraits of French Royalty adorn the walls.  Black/White Truffle Mac and Cheese, perfectly balanced tuna taretare ringed by mango puree, a trio of ambrosial soups (refreshing cold melon, piquant lobster bisque and tomato clam broth) perfectly seared Cape Scallops sitting on a bed of fresh corn risotto, a cloudlike lemon custard for dessert – this is a special meal – made even more special when owners come out to greet each guest when the rush is over.  Outstanding, transcendent and worth the splurge.