I enjoy varied kinds of dining. Not much of a fan of fast food but thats more for health reasons, that said I will succumb once a while. One of my all time favorites was a vietnamese dive in Edmonton....the most amazing spring rolls (served with lettuce & Thai basil leaf....so fucking good), wonton soup, pretty much everything. The building was a dump, the neighborhood was sketchy as fuck (hookers, drug dealers, etc.) but inside was spotless & the owners were awesome. But on the opposite end of the spectrum is Anton & Michel's in Carmel CA. Fantastic food, brilliant service and a beautiful location. What they both have in common is they're unique, offer an excellent product & something experiential...which IMO makes them both tip worthy.
One of my complaints about suburban living is the lack of unique dining choices. Canada or or the US all seem to have these mega outdoor malls or power centers and I fucking hate them. The format is all the same. Built around a ring road, predictable collection of the same stores including the mix of restaurants. In Calgary that means a McDonalds, a A&W (slightly less shitty burger chain), Tim Hortons (awful coffee & donuts), Burger King, assortment of shit "ethnic" eateries (thai, middle east, chinese, etc.), a Boston Pizza (terrible pizza), Joey's/Montana's/Earl's/Keg/Tony Roma's (all chain restaurants with no creativity, the same "roadhouse" style menu/decor).