CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA

Dragon Lady - Inconsistent over the years but got me through my senior year of high school. Americanized Chinese food in what I swear used to be a Wendys by the shape of the building. Good egg rolls, wonton soup, X & broccoli.
2119 Ivy Rd, Charlottesville, VA 22903 • (434) 979-9292

BOSTON

China Pearl Restaurant - This is a large restaurant in the Boston Chinatown. I had a good dim sum lunch here one Sunday while visiting some friends in the city. Didn't leave me with any MSG hangover, good number of choices, our waiter was brusk but the dim sum cart ladies were generally friendly.
9 Tyler St., Boston, MA 02111 • (617) 426-4338

Winsor Dim Sum Cafe
Superior dim sum served fresh to order. Onion pancakes are a savory dream. Everything I tasted was wonderful, none of the over greasy, chemically blech that can bring a dim sum house down.
10 Tyler St., Boston, MA 02111 • (617) 338-1688

CHICAGO

Phoenix - Best dim sum in Chicago. I usually eat in the Cafe downstairs. It is in Chinatown across from zodiac statues.
2131 S Archer Ave, Chicago, IL  60616 • 312-328-0848
***Update 12/05: The Phoenix cafe has closed up shop and is now a hot pot spot. I haven't tried it yet. I believe you can still get dim sum upstairs in the larger Phoenix restaurant but I don't think it is nearly as good.

Szechuan Garden - Good veggie Szechuan Chinese food. Kinda of a healthy-Buddhist vibe with herbal tea and meditation literature in the window. Both a meat and a veggie menu. I am a big fan of the veggie pot stickers, anything with soy gluten, the chow fun, and the specials. The tastes are complex and the sweet stuff is not too sweet.

The owner lady is a wisp of a woman and is always there. Service can be erratic but she sure is trying hard and even runs pick up orders out to waiting cars so they don't have to park or get a ticket. Pictures of elaborate veggie creations on the walls. Used to be in Chinatown under the name Vegetarian Garden or something like that and I guess a lot of people don't know it moved to this new spot.
2901 North Broadway, Chicago, IL 60657 • 773-588-9140

Szechwan - Mag mile restaurant with food that is notch above your standard ameri-chinese food. White table clothes, all the red everywhere and bow-tied waiters give this place a older, 50's style Chinese restaurant feel. It is the only place I know to get Peking duck in the city...comes with homemade wraps and they do the slicing at your table. The homemade potstickers are good, sizzling lamb is good, everything is pretty good. Nice buffet. I think the weekend dim sum is greasy and kinda lame. My vegan girlfriend can find a few things here but I have to ask specifically for no chicken stock, etc.

A bit pricier than most chinese food in the city. Caters to business folks, some upper-middle class Asian diners, and the tourist population that is brave enough to walk around the corner and downstairs to a restaurant.
625 N Michigan Ave (really the entrance is around the corner on Ontario, look for the red awning), Chicago, IL 60611 • (312) 642-3900

Double Happiness Bakery & Cafe - My tai chi teacher turned me on to this one. Dirty little cafe with more exotic dishes. The homemade veggie dumpling are cheap and the best. Very cheap but lower quality ingredients.
2409 S. Wentworth Ave., Chicago, IL 60616 • 312-842-6888

Ed's Potsticker House - Perhaps you can tell by the name this is a good chinese restaurant. Serving the "traditional Mandarin" style food of Northern Beijing including lots of dim sum, noodle dishes, hot pots and lots of interesting veggies combinations. They have big round tables with dumbwaiters in the center and it is a good place to go with a group.  Try the Eggplant and Garlic Sauce, the Cumin Lamb w/ Bone, the House Special Pot Sticker (Long), and a Whole fish.
3139 S. Halsted Ave., Chicago, IL 60608 • 312-326-6898

PHILADELPHIA

Shiao Lan Kung - During a trip to Philly, I walked around the rather nice little Chinatown in the city and found Shiao Lan Kung. The window was posted with some acknowledgements by local publications and it had a good family owned cafe vibe. The food was surprisingly good at moments...the Roast Pork Wonton soup actual smelled delicately of sesame oil that must have been sprinkled on top (a touch that recipes always recommend but a flavor that usually gets lost in restaurant preparations for some reason). The egg roll I had was over-fried (dark brown) but filled with good east coast style ingredients. I have a wonderful duck dish called Wor Siu Duck which comes with julienne snow peas, bamboo, and shitake mushrooms. I have heard rumors there are better places in the city but this is a great spot to start.
930 Race St, Philadelphia, PA 19107 • 215-928-0282

SAN FRANSISCO

Home of the best Chinatown in the U.S.

House of Nanking - My favorite chinese restaurant. Hunan style made with good fresh ingredients. The food is great and straight forward but it is the attitude that wins me over. First heard about it from a Canadian guy on bus headed for the city. He tells me he always takes some of the food back with him up north. First two times I ate there I sat at the counter next to midwestern tourists in over their head. Both times these folks had been told to try the place showed up but then tried to just order some fried rice. And both times the owner read them and asked what kind of ingredients they like and made them something special to their taste.

Small menu, excellent menu that you can tweak if you ask confidently. People often don't get what they ask for if you don't pay attention. It is two tiny restaurant spaces next door to each other. Lots of counter seating and small tables. Turns out it is a tourist favorite and in the guide books and whatnot. Long waits at lunch time or for parties bigger than two. Try the scallops and sweet potato. Everything is good.
919 Kearny St 94133 (Broadway/Pacific) • 415-421-1429

VANCOUVER, BC

Shanghai Chinese Bistro - My friend Calvin turned me on to this place. It was right off a major shopping district in the downtown. Slightly upscale. Everything was amazing, with subtle flavor variations. The Peking Duck is served in several courses and one of the best I have had.
1128 Alberni Street, Vancouver, BC V6E 1A5 • 604-683-8847

WASHINGTON D.C./NORTHERN V.A.

In the DC/Northern VA area there are lots of good peking duck houses. I can't remember all of them.

Peking Gourmet - Gained fame (notoriety?) as the favorite restaurant of the first Bush. Good damn duck and some unique house dishes. A bit more upscale.
6029 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, Virginia 22041 • 703-671-8088