Rachael Ray makes it to the old mining town of Telluride, CO for coffee and breakfast and lunch service at the Crunchy Porcupine, on Food Network's $40 a Day.

After hitting the slopes, Rachael Ray picks up baked goods and sandwiches from the Wildflour Cooking Company, in Telluride, CO, on Food Network's $40 a Day.

A Denver favorite that calls itself "the affordable French restaurant," Le Central offers the tastes of Provence with an always-changing menu incorporating the freshest ingredients around. Try a selection of meat, seafood and vegetarian dishes for what Rachael calls "country cooking at its best."

The warm, inviting atmosphere at Julia Blackbird's attracts diners from all over Denver. Owner Julie Siegfried's Native American, Mexican and Spanish cuisine also includes vegetarian-friendly menu options. If you're looking to "start your day with a kick," Rachael recommends trying their breakfast.

Located in Telluride, Colorado, the classic 1950s-style diner cum ice cream shop is loved by tourists and locals alike. Try a scoop of Banana Cream Pie ice cream, which Rachael calls "sweet but not too sweet," or order from the diner menu for burgers, sandwiches or freshly made salads.

The White Wolf Café in Orlando, Fla., is a unique restaurant that doubles as a vintage antique store. While admiring the collectibles on display, customers can treat themselves to a variety of dishes, such as eggs Benedict and the special black bean hummus, which Rachael loved on $40 a Day.

unknown

When Rachael visited Miami on $40 a Day, one of her goals was to find delicious stone crab without going over budget — thankfully, she quickly discovered Captain Jim’s. When she tried the best-selling garlic crabs, she couldn’t stop raving about how sweet and succulent they were.

In San Francisco's famous Chinatown, locals crave dim sum from Oriental Pearl, where low prices and authentic flavors stack up to great value. Loaded carts circle the dining room delivering plates of vegetable egg rolls, pot stickers and the house specialty chicken "meatball" wrapped in egg white.

The bold wines of Napa are a perfect match to the rustic fare of Northern Italy; at Della Santina's Trattoria, you can enjoy both, by bringing your own wine or selecting from an extensive menu. The Gnocchi Della Nonna changes sauce daily but never loses its home-cooked Tuscan appeal.

Locals call it "the Basque," but there’s nothing short about this European cafe's menu. Daily fresh-baked breads are sold whole or used for sandwiches, toast or warm bread pudding. Everyone's favorite is the beehive - an almond praline-topped cake stuffed with custard - perfect anytime.

Corkscrew Cafe was initially going to be a museum for owner Walter Georis' expansive corkscrew collection. The superb grounds surrounding the space soon gave way to a garden, however, that now supplies the cafe kitchen. Stop off for a sandwich or salad whose greens were picked on-site that morning.

Fresh fish in the desert might sound like an oxymoron, but that's exactly what's on display at Fisherman's Market & Grill in Palm Springs, Calif. The $8 lunch menu offers 10 entrees, and the famous fish tacos are served with a side of salsa; as Rachael said on $40 a Day, ''What's not to like?''

To call V. Sattui a winery would be filling the glass only halfway. The family-owned business has a tasting room and an Italian market with more than 200 cheeses. Soak up the good life with a few snacks and a bottle of Sattui Family Red on the bucolic 19th century European-inspired picnic grounds.

Even the fishermen of Monterey visit Cafe Fina for the freshest catch in town. Known for sand dab - a locally caught fish that's breaded in cracker meal and lightly fried - Fina's specialties of the sea, pastas and grilled meats are rivaled only by the serene tableside view of the harbor.