Folks in the restaurant industry know good food, so we want to know where they eat when they’re not cooking. In this series, we ask a local chef, bartender, restaurateur, or food artisan to share their favorite restaurants in town and what they order there. This week, we interviewed Kyle Gaddas, Executive Chef for Menagerie Hospitality Group, which includes The Wine Loft and The Vintage, both in South End — as well as the soon-to-open Figo36 in NoDa.

Gaddas lists five of his favorite spots, plus a bonus food artisan he frequents for his home cooking.

Konnichiwa, Dilworth
Spacious restaurant featuring sushi and pan-Asian dishes
Kyle’s Order: The hamachi is modern, vibrant, and spicy. The crab rangoon is clearly handmade and a generous step above competition.

Flour Shop, Montford Park
Specializes in pastas and wood-fired grill items
Kyle’s Order: Duck with spaetzle, scallops, and their pork chop. I love their creativity, service, and mixture of comfort and class. I also greatly appreciate their full line of amaro!

Vana, South End
Casual, new American cuisine prepared in a wood-fired kitchen
Kyle’s Order: Pork cheeks every time! Plus their bar staff is talented and creative.

Fin & Fino, Uptown
Focus is on seafood (especially oysters) and other American fare
Kyle’s Order: Always oysters; poké often. Also love their octopus and duck dishes. They crush it in every direction: food, cocktails, service.

Oysters from Fin & Fino in Uptown. Kristen Wile/UP

Copper, Dilworth
Indian cuisine in a fine dining setting
Kyle’s Order: Every time I go to Copper, half the menu (at least) is ordered and thoroughly enjoyed.

Mano Bella Artisan Foods, Uptown
Handmade pastas and other Italian delicacies to prepare at home. (Dine-in counter coming soon)
Kyle’s Order: Whether I’m eating at home utilizing their pastas and other great products or hanging out at The Market at 7th Street, it’s always personal, heartfelt food that nourishes the soul as well as bringing me back to the old world that I miss on a daily basis. 

More from this series:

Patrick Gourmet’s Patrick Garrivier
Counter-‘s Sam Hart
Community Matters Cafe’s Ashley Anna Tuttle
Your Farms, Your Table’s Sam Diminich
Para’s Alex Verica