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Rachael Ray grabs a cup of fresh roasted coffee and gourmet pastries from Kaffe 101 Inc, in Coos Bay, OR on Food Network's $40 a Day.

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Rachael Ray heads to Bush Garden Japanese Restaurant, in Portland, OR, to sample the authentic Japanese-style sushi and kicks it in the karaoke lounge, on Food Network's $40 a Day.

Visitors can't leave Philadelphia without trying a world-famous cheese steak, and Jim's is among the contenders for serving the best in south Philly. Using their original recipe for fresh baked bread and quality beef sliced on the premises, Rachael called her very first cheese steak "delicious."

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After a busy day in Durham, N.C., on $40 a Day, Rachael thought Caffe Driade would be a great place to sit down and unwind, and she couldn't wait to try the shop's award-winning coffee. She quickly fell in love with the iced cappuccino, calling it ''a thing of beauty.''

The menu at Tupelo Honey Café in Asheville, N.C., is full of modern twists on classic Southern favorites – for example, Goat Cheese Grits with Shrimp and Fried Chicken Saltimbocca. The café's claim to fame is sweet potato pancakes, which got Rachael's approval on $40 a Day.

As Rachael says on $40 a Day, Early Girl Eatery "serves up Southern fare with a gourmet flair." Her trip to North Carolina wasn't complete without Early Girl's locally sourced dishes including the Sauteed Local Mountain Trout topped with pecan butter. Take note -- vegans love the tofu scramble here.

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When Rachael visited Asheville, N.C., on $40 a Day, she couldn’t wait to check out the French Broad Food Co-op Tailgate Market, a weekly highlight that has been around for more than a decade. Over 20 local producers sell their specialties here, including homemade desserts like pumpkin pie.

When Rachael went on vacation in Ashevile, N.C., on $40 a Day, she stayed at the inn located on the massive Biltmore Estate. Originally built by George Vanderbilt over a century ago, this gorgeous property is now home to a winery producing award-winning Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines.

Perhaps you've seen Tate's Bake Shop's cookies sold in your home-town. Well, it was in Southampton, N.Y., that founder and owner Kathleen King made her cookie debut. At this local favorite, cookies, cakes, brownies and squares vanish off the shelves in record time.

Perfect for a sushi outing, this Japanese restaurant is a Sag Harbor, N.Y., favorite. According to Rachael, Sen's "menu is as innovative as their fish is fresh," and she swears by the yellowtail roll. The fun bar crowd makes it worthwhile for a pre-dinner drink, as well. Rachael loved the Saketini.