You know how TV dinners got their name? You have to be completely distracted by the television to actually eat it without gagging. When we eat just to survive, it goes with the territory that your meals won’t stray far from the norm too often. But you and I both know that the norm can become mind-numbingly boring. To many menu maniacs, food is not just a means to an end, but a means for bizarre worship. These obsessive culinary artists make the plate their canvas and go to absurd lengths to create the proper sanctuary and ambiance, where their concepts and vision can find the proper space to attach an experience to the mundane act of eating. Such artists have attracted the eyes of curious consumers worldwide, who will often go to lengths as great as the artists themselves to try something exotic. So strap in and have a taste—the Cowboy Burger at Applebee’s will still be there when you get back.
7. Felony Franks, Chicago, Illinois
Hot dogs sell themselves, especially in a city that reveres them as much as Chicago. But only the boldest wiener entrepreneurs take risks to stick out in the crowd. A classic example is the Wiener’s Circle, where traditional service by day becomes raucous and insulting at night; their greasy dishes are served with a side of nasty from the person handling your food. A sunnier version of this risk-taking spirit is embodied in Felony Franks, where nearly all of the cooks and prep staff are former criminals who have cleaned up their acts and become master chefs of the famous Red Hot. The owners’ goal is to promote second chances and humanize individuals who have made mistakes and paid their dues. Its concept has caused controversy, but the food hasn’t; instant classics like the Misdemeanor Wiener and Freedom Fries have already created return customers.
6. Absolut Ice Bar, Stockholm, Sweden
Some things sound really spectacular and brilliant on paper, but become less spectacular upon their execution. Draw me up some blueprints for a building made completely out of ice, and in turn I’ll probably try to think of some way to make a pun about that idea being “cool” (thanks, Arnold), which is exactly what Absolut Vodka has accomplished: furnishings, walls, and bars all looking like they were hit with an ice sceptre. Ask me to hang here every weekend—even in VIP—and I still might balk at the chance to be freezing cold while indoors. Regardless, tourists have come decked in thick coats and ordered vodkas on the rocks with enough frequency that the owners have seized the opportunity to open another location in London.
5. Mars 2112, New York, New York
Your neighborhood’s cosmic mini-golf and cosmic bowling make their best effort in pouring on the spacey kitsch, but is that enough? Owners of Mars 2112 sure don’t think so. They’re going to infinity and quite possibly beyond in their devotion to their concept, having built their futuristic station on 35,000 square feet on two different levels. Its big budget gives it the authentic appearance of a film set (as authentic as a Mars station could be), with servers in flashy garb and alien costumes. Unfortunately, the restaurant’s menu has been criticized for being just above space food in terms of quality. But it’s a nifty visit for a restless touring family or a sci-fi nerd.
4. Vampire Café, Tokyo, Japan
From Dracula to Buffy and now Twilight and True Blood, vampires have oddly captivated one generation to the next in an almost exponential way. What will be the final nail in the coffin? Vampire Cafe has remained undead since 2001 and could see a spike in tourism with the recent craze. The place is decked in red velvet and black and illuminated by candles, and certainly looks like a joint where a respectable bloodsucker might entertain a few victims (or tease them endlessly with will-they-or-won’t-they vampire/human lust). There’s a fixed menu of food in miniature coffins, which are decked out with blood-red whenever possible. Just don’t expect too much garlic.
