Spicy Food is not limited to one cuisine or continent.
Here are a few of the places that made me think.
Oaxacan — Brooklyn
Sam and I stumbled onto this very small restaurant in Brooklyn on our way to hear a concert at the Tea House.
East Coast Grille — Cambridge, MASS
If you don’t think a barbecue knows how to do hot food you should try their tamales from hell. Closed due to old age of owners, they’re my age!!
Skyline Five Way Chili –Cincinnati
You don’t have to go here during the Christmas Holidays and sing at one of the fraternities but it helps pass the time away while you try to get a cab to pick you up in “that” area of town.
K-Paul’s — New Orleans
The first Cajun Restaurant I went to — from the basket of breads to the Etouffee, red beans and rice or dirty rice. It gave me many sweet dreams about the Holy Trinity and the best shepherd’s meatloaf ever. I’ve eaten here five different occasions.
Ignatius – New Orleans
Some of the best spots in New Orleans are away from the quarter on Magazine Street. I love the hommage the restaurant pays to both Ignatius the turbo dog vendor in Confederacy of Dunces and to the Saint whose statues are adorned with rosaries and beer. This is down home cajun — andouille, rice and beans, poor boy sandwiches.
Cochon — New Orleans
And we thought pigs only befriended spiders.
Dawat — Manhattan
Madhur Jaffrey helped prepare the selection of foods on this menu.
Darbar — Manhattan
A place where you can get some great chutneys with your curries.
Devi — New York
I love the roghan jost and lambe dishes here.
Esparza — Portland, OR
Tex-Mex, brain tacos, great bowls of posole and murals of hopalong cassidy. Closed, maybe the plasma center was too much for the cowboy mural, tex-mex restaurant.
India House — Portland
India House is a downtown staple with chicken tandoori and coconut chicken curries. My nephew and I have gone to this restaurant several times. Great butter chicken dishes and lamb curries.
Por Que No? — Portland
Swagat Indian Cuisine — Portland A neighborhood fixture, fresh Mexican street food with Margaritas, A place for a long lunch and a designated driver.
Burma Super Star — San Francisco One of the old favorites with food as fiery as you want.
Juanita Juanita — Sonoma, CA
My friends, the Labitzkes, took me here. Pitchers of hot sauce at the countOneer and fresh, tortillas filled with barabacoa.
Taaj — Spokane
This restaurant has reopened four times in the past couple of years but it seems to have a consistency with its vegetables that make me want to go back.
Zarela’s Manhattan (now in the cemetery)
Thai on First — Spokane, WA
My son’s first foray into spicy foods and he has been going back for their Pad see uh, chicken with green sauce and chicken satay.
Vij’s — Vancouver, BC
Perhaps the best Indian restaurant in North America. A transplant from Toronto the food at Vij’s is amazing from the Samosas to the goat curries.
Palki — Vancouver, BC
Probably my favorite spot of vindaloo.