G. Garvin's 9 Favorite Restaurants Around The World

G. Garvin orders the grilled octopus with pickled red onion salad and red wine vinaigrette at Kyma, a Mediterranean seafood tavern. Pano Karatassos leads the kitchen at Kyma, which means "wave" in Greek. Karatasso and his team create Greek fare like meze of dolmades, grapevine leaves stuffed with tomato, bulgur, and cumin yogurt; herb grilled whole sardines with Hawaiian sea beans, olive oil, and lemon; and spicy lamb pie baked in phyllo with kefalograviera cheese, baby arugula, and Kalamata olive salad.

Executive chef Paul Kahan focuses on local ingredients at Blackbird, a modern, minimalist dining room in white and gray mohair. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, and G. Garvin likes the entire menu, which includes à la carte, lunch prix fixe, and dinner tasting menu options. The tasting menu includes dishes like seared sturgeon belly with golden raisins and pickled yellow squash; crispy veal sweetbreads with wax beans cherries, hazelnut, and truffle; and fried butterscotch pudding with toasted masa ice cream, sweet corn, and ground cherry jam.

Japonais fuses modern Japanese cuisine with European refinement in a sleek and modern space. The menu includes Japanese Yonezawa beef rolled with asparagus and mango in a teriyaki glaze; a range of nigiri and sashimi like the chef's special maki mono, which includes tempura soft-shell crab topped with hirame and octopus topped with spicy tuna; and Le Quack Japonais, a whole smoked duck with hoisin sauce, mango chutney, and mushu wraps.

The French Laundry takes its inspiration from France's countryside. G. Garvin greatly admires The French Laundry, which prepares two nine-course tasting menus daily in which no single ingredient is ever repeated throughout the meal.

James Beard Award-nominated Nobuyuki Matsuhisa's Nobu Matsuhisa serves a range of innovative and inspiring sushi and Japanese entrées. The menu includes à la carte, lunch and dinner omakase, and bento box lunches.

G. Garvin enjoys the Italian fare at Cucina 24, which includes pastas, pizzas, salads, and sandwiches. The seasonal menu created by executive chef Brian Canipelli includes Benton's country ham, baby leeks, thyme, and goat cheese pizza; tagliatelle Bolognese; pork chop with Hakurei turnips, mustard, pancetta, and grapes; and goat cheese polenta.

The New York neighborhood-inspired Dominick's was once a popular hangout for the likes of Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack. The Italian restaurant serves traditional, homestyle favorites like Italian wedding soup, rigatoni with crispy eggplant, fresh mozzarella and Parmesan, and spaghetti and meatballs.

While the service may appear surly — G. Garvin notes that the proprietor of Ann's Snack Bar "makes the Soup Nazi look like an angel" — and the bar is held up by duct tape, Ann's Snack Bar is a must-try.

"It's one of the best burgers in the country," said G. Garvin, who orders Ann's Ghetto Burger, two beef patties with onion, bacon, and other gooey toppings. "Truly it's an experience. Got to have your big pants on to go there."

Set around a large marble table, Oyster House is a seafood restaurant and raw bar whose white brick walls are adorned with 100 vintage oyster plates. Chef Andy Kitko's menu changes daily, but G. Garvn likes to order the lobster roll, which is made with Maine lobster and served with hand-cut fries.