Raleigh dining's Top 10

I've thought quite a bit over the past week about Raleigh's dining options. (Yes, I do have way too much free time.) Does the Capital City have a lack of quality restaurants? Probably not. But I began thinking about what I consider the absolute best restaurants in town, and in my head I began to rank them.

The following list is what I consider the best 10 joints in town, based on (first and foremost) cuisine, ambiance and service. (As I've said before, I can handle somewhat sketchy service -- just as long as the food makes up for it. The converse does not apply, by the way.)

This list does not boast to list all the great restaurants in the city, but the top ones based upon my criteria. The list also doesn't include places from Cary, Garner, etc., just all Raleighwood. I had to have visited a place at least twice to qualify, thus no room for Vinnie's Steakhouse and 18 Seaboard -- both of which would probably make such a list. And longtime Raleighites will probably notice no Angus Barn -- sorry, it just doesn't do it for me, personally. Does that make the list illegitimate? Maybe. But it's still my list.

Anyway, on to the Top 10 Restaurants in Raleigh. I'm 99.9 percent confident that if you took someone from out of town to any one of these places they would come away satisfied and impressed.

1. Hayes Barton Cafe: Truth be told, there was a span several years ago where I felt the waiters and waitresses were a tad on the snippy side (but Frank Ballard's attention to the customers made up for it). It seems like that has been fixed, thereby cementing its place at the top. The decor -- retro with portraits of Silver Screen stars from "back in the day" -- makes it unique. And the food -- my God, the food! -- is untouchable, especially the desserts. And it's a solid pick for a special occasion. (Matt's picks: Either the chicken pot pie or the meatloaf. And ALWAYS get a dessert; Pattycake's a solid choice.)

2. Red Dragon: Just down the road from the HB Cafe, Red Dragon is the quintessential neighborhood Chinese restaurant. The kind of place in which you'll always run into someone you know. Never had a bad meal there, either. (Matt's picks: Sesame chicken or Mongolian beef, crab ragoon and beef fried rice.)

3. Caffe Luna: Parker Kennedy has given Downtown Raleigh a touch of sophistication with his Italian restaurant. With his wife's art on the walls of old industrial settings, Caffe Luna is both classy and urbane. Oh, and the food ain't half-bad either. (Matt's picks: Salmon and bowtie pasta.)

4. Lilly's: Yes, a pizza joint. And one could argue that Lilly's "ambiance" is anything but. But that's just the thing about ambiance: it doesn't have to be cloth napkins and candlelight. Heck, it doesn't even have to be a quiet place to enjoy a meal. Lilly's is loud, ugly and hip; it's basically a Young Democrats hangout, for lack of a better term. But the atmosphere is fun, and the pizza is wonderful. (Matt's pick: The Hawaiian.)

5. Porter's: Kevin Jennings has a knack for putting together great combinations of good food selections and atmosphere at his restaurants. Porter's, to me, is the best combination. Its clientele is everyone -- NCSU students and faculty, Raleigh businesspeople, hipsters and the elderly. Almost completely by itself, Porter's legitimizes Hillsborough Street. Porter's would've rated higher save for a bad batch of shrimp and grits a month ago and the fact that the menu changes inevitably take away the things I really like. (Matt's pick: The tavern chips.)

6. Sullivan's: Ah, the first "expensive restaurant" on the list, which proves you don't have to spend a lot of money to have a memorable dining experience. Nevertheless, Sullivan's is a steak-eaters steakhouse. The sides are huge, and the atmosphere, uh, "macho." Gets points taken off because it does appear to have a somewhat "slimy" side to it. (Matt's picks: Well, a steak, creamed spinach and the onion rings.)

7. Rockford: Though the selections themselves aren't unique, the dining experience is. The Rockford sits in the second floor of an older building overlooking Glenwood South. (Yes, there are some older buildings remaining there.) Perhaps more so than Red Dragon, the Rockford is a neighborhood-type joint. And it's fairly inexpensive, too. (Matt's picks: Any sandwich.)

8. Dos Taquitos: For my money, the best Mexican restaurant in town. (It's also been known to induce labor in very-pregnant women!) It's darkly lit with couples' signatures written all over the walls and tables, and you get toys -- instead of tazers/beepers -- while waiting for your table to be ready. (Matt's pick: Steak tacos.)

9. Oakwood Cafe: You can't beat a complete meal of Cuban steak, mashed potatoes and green beans -- all for about $10. It's small (or "quaint"), and cheap wine doesn't hurt either. Points are deducted because of slow service time and whacky hours of operation. (Matt's picks: see above.)

10. NOFO at the Pig: What NOFO lacks (good service) it makes up for in tasty cuisine and an inventive shopping experience. Need overpriced oven mitts? Got it. Need candy you haven't seen since you were a kid? Cha-ching! Want a great meal? You bet. (Matt's pick: The cheeseburger with Pimento cheese.)

Just missed the cut: Char-Grill and Moe's (the bungalow downtown, not the southwest grill chain).

Honorable Mention:
Ole Time Barbecue
Moonlight Pizza
Angus Barn
Big Ed's
Amedeo's

What do you think? Are my picks pretty good, or am I out of my mind?