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Celebrity Chef Restaurants On Any Budget

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Forking out for a meal at a famous restaurant can be a thrill, but at what cost? These days, you could just as well pay your rent as you order a tasting menu. Fortunately, those enterprising celebrity chefs are hard at work building restaurants to satisfy crowds on any budget.

Click forward (or jump to a city) to see Debonair`s picks for the best celebrity chef-owned restaurants on a budget – we`ve even totaled a sample bill that includes dinner for two, a decent bottle of wine, tax, and tip!

New York City – Mario Batali

Babo Even though his restaurants are only in New York, Batali`s Food Network presence and larger-than-life persona have made him a household name across the country. Now pushing into Las Vegas and L.A., it`s clear that this Iron Chef is just getting started.

Babbo$$$ – Blasting rock music and serving kick-ass Italian food like fennel-dusted sweetbreads with sweet and sour onions, duck bacon and membrillo vinegar, it`s no wonder this is one of the toughest reservations to get in the country.

Estimated Bill – $276.55

Otto$ – Batali does his take on pizza at this bustling wine bar just around the corner from the much pricier Babbo. At only $10 a pie, you can go every night of the week for practically the same price. Try unique toppings like Fennel and Bottarga or the uber-gluttonous Lardo, which is nothing but flatbread and slices of luscious, melt-in-you-mouth pig fat. Yes, pig fat.

Estimated Bill: $67.21

Atlanta – Anne Quatrano / Cliff Harrison

Floataway Café

We pity Atlanta`s other restaurants; having not just one but two world-class chefs in one restaurant must seem a bit unfair. And they`ve got plenty to envy. With their celebrated haute-Southern flavors, it’s hard to remember when Quatrano and Harrison weren’t the ones to beat.

Bacchanalia $$$ – The height of Atlanta dining for well over a decade, this restaurant flexes its culinary muscle on complex dishes like poached prime tenderloin pot-au-feu with roasted marrow and Kobe short rib.

Estimated Bill: $268.89

Floataway Café$$ – If high prices aren`t your style, you can still get Quatrano & Harrison`s classic flavors at this more casual eatery, serving dishes like slow-roasted leg of lamb with African squash and ricotta cannelloni.

Estimated Bill – $152.40

Mario BataliNew Orleans – John Besh

You know him from the fawning media coverage and, most importantly, his solid whupping of Mario Batali on “Iron Chef”. Plus, his good looks suggest he`s been reading Debonair.

August $$$ – Often cited as the best restaurant in the Big Easy, you`ll get sophisticated dishes like slow-cooked Berkshire pork belly with butter-poached Maine lobster and black truffles at Chef Besh`s flagship.

Estimated Bill – $184.82

Lüke $$ – At Besh`s brasserie, similar flavors come at a serious bargain compared to August; anyone in need of convincing should dig into a plate of the jumbo Louisiana shrimp with cream white grits and Andouille sausage.

Estimated Bill – $91.28

Los Angeles – Suzanne Goin

Suzanne GoinUnlike so many top chefs these days, you can`t find Los Angeles‘ most exciting rising star on screen; she`s too busy running her two restaurants, writing cookbooks, and collecting awards. After picking up two from the James Beard Society last year – one for Best California Chef and another for Best Cookbook – Goin is finally getting the national recognition she deserves.

Lucques$$$ – Sure, Goin’s “Sunday Suppers” are legendary, but expert New American dishes like braised veal cheeks with farro, chestnuts, red flame grapes, and Pedro Ximenez wine keep the place packed every night.

Estimated Bill – $223.21

AOC Wine Bar$$ – A more casual setting than Lucques means lower prices, though the food remains phenomenal; stuff your face with a Dijon mustard and tarragon rabbit ragu, then wash it all down with a glass of Burgundy wine.

Estimated Bill – $117.60

Cleveland – Michael Symon

LolaAfter racking up awards for more than a decade, Symon supercharged his star power by winning Food Network`s “Next Iron Chef” contest and cooking for Anthony Bourdain when his show, “No Reservations” came to town.

Lola$$$ – Easily one of the brightest talents in Cleveland, Symon built a national reputation with this stylish downtown restaurant. On the menu you`ll see Midwestern fusion eats like beef cheek pierogi with wild mushroom and horseradish crème fraiche.

Estimated Bill – $174.09

Lolita$$ – Solid Italian fare paired with Symon`s signature bold flavors; you can`t go wrong with gnocchi in a pork and tomato ragú.

Estimated Bill – $97.20

New York City – David Bouley

Upstairs and Bouley BakeryWhy he still isn`t a household name we`ll never know. Studded with awards, Bouley shut down his restaurants after Sepetember 11th and served over 100,000 meals to rescue workers at Ground Zero – a move that almost bankrupted him.

Bouley$$$ – In a city where hundreds of restaurants open every year, Bouley has stayed a foodie destination for a solid decade. The iconic design is only upstaged by the food; must-eat dishes include Maine Day Boat Lobster with Porcini & Black Trumpet Mushrooms, Pencil Asparagus, Parsley Root Purée, and Burgundy Wine Sauce.

Estimated Bill: $284.46

Upstairs at Bouley Bakery$$ -This two-story neighborhood joint has a take-out café and bakery on the ground floor and a casual dining room above. While it`s not what we`d call cheap, perfectionist food like organic milk-fed veal chop cooked à la plancha, with savoy cabbage, glazed carrots, and onion soubise, keeps it a relative bargain. Still suffering from sticker shock? Forgo sit-down all together and pick up one of the city’s best sandwiches for just a few bucks instead.

Estimated Bill: $153.60

Boston – Barbara Lynch

No. 9 ParkThe reigning culinary god of Beantown has three restaurants, her own cooking school, an artisan grocery, a successful catering business, and a battery of awards for each. In her spare time, she likes to establish world peace and work on energy policy (just kidding).

No. 9 Park$$$ – Set in a historic townhouse in Boston‘s richest neighborhood, everything about this restaurant screams money, right down to the sophisticated French fare and lengthy wine list. Those who can afford it feast on items like roast poussin with escargot and Brussels sprouts.

Estimated Bill: $259.31

The Butcher Shop$$ – A welcome step down from the lofty prices of No. 9 Park, you`d hardly know this wasn’t the flagship from the sophisticated menu here; dishes like crispy sweetbreads with quince-almond chutney keep this one of the best values on the east coast.

Estimated Bill: $108.94

Chicago – Paul Kahan

Bacon Ice CreamSince rocketing to the national spotlight as Food & Wine`s Best New Chef in 1999, Paul Kahan has been building an impressive reputation with his brand of innovative food in the Windy City. Nominated for the James Beard Award for Best Chef last year, Kahan has clearly proven he`s no flash in the pan.

Blackbird$$$ – An experimental streak runs through this universally-loved Chicago restaurant. Plates like braised rack of lamb with preserved lemon in rum-raisin consommé are complemented by the strikingly modern design.

Estimated Bill: $247.32

Avec$$ – Just because the prices are lower than Blackbird doesn`t mean Kahan hasn’t tried new things here too; where else can you try homemade saffron fettuccini with sardines and lemon?

Estimated Bill: $120.88

San Francisco – Traci Des Jardins

Jardinière Another contender from “The Next Iron Chef,” San Francisco‘s Des Jardins won a James Beard Award in 2007 and has been a Bay Area celeb for over a decade.

Jardinière$$$ – Jardinière made Des Jardins a culinary star years ago, but critics say the quality`s never slipped. The kitchen makes a convincing case with options like scallop carpaccio with cucumber, jalapeño, pickled plum, and Tsar Nicoulai Caviar.

Estimated Bill: $228.95

Mijita$ – Even with its organic ingredients and local produce, this taco-joint is about as dirt-cheap as they come in the world of celebrity chefs. For just $4 you can chow down on fresh fare like tacos de carnitas made with crisped braised pork in soft corn tortillas with tomatillo salsa, cilantro and onions.

Estimated Bill: $40.88

Seattle – Tom Douglas

Serious PieSeattle‘s favorite restaurateur is responsible for putting Northwest cuisine on the map. He tanked on “Iron Chef”, but don`t feel too bad for him – a popular radio show, a handful of cookbooks, and plenty of attention from the James Beard Awards gives this chef plenty to brag about.

Dahlia$$ – This is the crown jewel of Douglas`s empire and the dining spot that put Northwest cuisine on the map. Menu options like the troll-caught King Salmon with curried cauliflower, black butter spinach, and gingered cashews scored the chef a James Beard nomination for Best Restaurant in 2006.

Estimated Bill: $189.60

Serious Pie$ – Douglas takes an affordable detour at his haute-pizzeria where “serious” toppings like the hot Coppa with soft egg and dandelion greens will give you the experimental sensibility of Dahlia without the cost.

Estimated Bill: $80.41

Napa Valley – Thomas Keller

The French LaundryWorshipped by foodies and adored by the press, Thomas Keller just might be the most revered chef in America today. His legendary French Laundry is a destination in itself in Yountville, near Napa Valley, California, and by far the priciest restaurant on our list.

The French Laundry$$$$ – Is it just the best restaurant in the US, or the best in the world? Using ingredients from the restaurant’s very own garden, the menu changes every day, but past courses like Snake River Ranch “calotte de boeuf grillé,” crispy bone marrow “bread pudding,” Chanterelle mushrooms and Jacobsen’s Farm black-eyed peas sound pretty awesome to us. And no, that price isn’t a misprint.

Estimated Bill: $876.25

Bouchon$$$ – You won`t get the French Laundry`s fifteen course menu or elite ingredients like caviar and foie gras, but Keller`s obsessive perfectionism and traditional French style still shine in dishes like roast chicken with onion confit, celeriac, and black truffle tartlet.

Estimated Bill: $193.52

This article was first published on DebonairMag.com on April 27, 2008 and was reproduced with permission.

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