Local hot spot Bad Boy Burrito serves up some of the best, most-authentic Mexican food in the area. A favorite item is the “hot, salty, sweet” Kobe beef burrito stuffed with beans, rice and other tasty fillings. Guy is equally impressed with the Cayo Hueso Fish Tacos made with locally caught fish.
Joe and Lorrena Filgas quit their corporate jobs to start Cafe Nooner, a Creole-Mediterranean fusion restaurant. Local, organic ingredients are used here to create tantalizingly fresh dishes. Guy can’t get enough of the Creole-seasoned pulled pork sandwich that is crispy, tender and full of flavor.
Siblings Brendan and Kristin Connor put their own twist on traditional low-country dishes at Whisk. Guy recommends the cornmeal-fried okra, which combines fresh fish flavor with a crunchy texture. He’s also a convert of the beer-braised baby back ribs, which he calls “tender, porky, fall-apart-y.”
Siblings Will and Julie Horowitz are making culinary waves in NYC’s East Village with their restaurant, Ducks Eatery. Largely inspired by his extensive travels and his chef grandparents, Will serves up creative dishes like goat neck and pig ears. Guy also recommends the whole, smoked chicken wings.
Guy swings by Bless My Soul Cafe to sample Creole fusion dishes served up by Mama Janisse. Mama’s signature green Creole sauce adds some kick to various dishes on the menu, including the crawfish and shrimp etouffee. Regulars return to Bless My Soul for the scrumptious eats and Mama’s sassy charm.
Before Marie Yniguez makes her chipotle-infused Duke City Ruben sandwich, she feeds nearly 1,000 charter school students with fresh, scratch-made food. Guy's trip was no different, as he felt "the love" for Bocadillos and its gratifying biscuits and gravy, saying, "This isn't your grandma's gravy."
Korean fusion eatery Sakaya has many in Miami raving about its Cracklin’ duck sandwich. Smothered in a special Korean sauce called ssamjang to add some serious Asian flavor, it had Guy declaring “game over.” Guy also loved the Chunk’d tots: a mixture of tater tots and bulgogi (marinated beef).
Bun-Ker Vietnamese may seem like it is in the middle of nowhere, but the trip is worth it for Vietnamese street foods that Guy could eat “till (his) head falls off.” This joint serves up Southeast Asian-style favorites like grilled pork chops and crispy crepe with bacon, shrimp and bean sprouts.
Paul’s Live is a New York pizza joint with one little twist — it’s in California. Here, you can find “old-school, authentic, East Coast pie.” Guy’s favorite is the margherita pizza. Deep-dish fans, take note: Paul’s Sicilian pizza is good enough to have changed Guy’s mind about thick crusts.
When a student of former high school teacher Bob Laffranchi asked him how cheese is made, Bob decided to find out. Since then, the self-taught cheese maker has been running Loleta Cheese Factory, which makes 5,000 pounds of cheese daily using local milk. Guy’s favorite? The spicy habanero Jack.
Ferndale Meat Co. is the local butcher shop in Guy’s hometown. The specialty here is the “outstanding” Italian sausage composed of equal portions of beef and pork seasoned with six different spices and red wine. Guy recommends dipping the sausage in applesauce for an extra pop of flavor.
Hotel Ivanhoe is where Guy got his first kitchen job. Tucked away in his hometown of Ferndale, this American-Italian restaurant serves “old-school Italian” fare like chicken cacciatore, which Guy calls “one of the most comforting things you could eat.” The risotto with Italian sausage is also a hit.
Guy swings by Aristo’s for old-school Greek cuisine with a modern twist. He swears the grilled octopus drizzled with Cretan extra virgin olive oil and lemon will make a convert of anyone. The lamb tacos are also a hit; Guy says “the lamb is perfect, tortillas are great (and) the feta is fantastic.”
Guy loves Phat Bites’ Long Life Salad served on a bed of kale with black-eyed peas, Christmas lima beans, black beans, split lentils, red quinoa, pecans, dried cranberries, gold raisins, plums, mangoes and a citrus vinaigrette. Prefer a sandwich? Try the Big Jerk with jerk pork, cheese and onions.
At PotPie, a menu of simple, refined dishes draws the crowds. Here, pot pie gets the French treatment, resulting in a mouthwatering dish made of fresh chicken, veggie-laden broth and puff pastry. Guy can’t get enough of this Frenchified comfort-food staple, which he calls “creamy” and “delicious.”
Make restaurant favorites at home with copycat recipes from FN Magazine.
Let Guy take you on a coast-to-coast tour Friday at 9|8c.