Guy couldn’t help but munch on this restaurant’s staple ingredient: fresh curry leaves that are blended with a heat-packed combo of spices and chile peppers to create the robust base that starts off all the South Indian bowls served here. Diners can choose from beef, chicken and vegetarian options.

Bang! describes its cuisine as "new American, classics with our little twists." Take, for example, the righteous gumbo served with a slice of warm jalapeno cornbread. Guy called the gumbo "killer," but his Flavortown GPS quickly led to Bang!'s signature meatloaf drizzled with spicy homemade ketchup.

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.

Key West is known for fresh seafood, and D.J.’s Clam Shack serves some of the freshest around. Guy digs into the garlic butter clams that are buttery with a spicy zing, thanks to the jalapeno spice. Other popular menu items include lobster rolls and conch fritters.

Eli and Kenna Pancamo bring a fun attitude and serious culinary edge to their food truck, Garbo’s Grill. Guy was won over by the Umamiburger smothered in chipotle Gouda, calling his first taste of this topping a “history-making moment in Triple D.” The sweet, spicy Korean BBQ tacos are also a hit.

This old school Italian joint has been serving up homemade ravioli for five generations. Owner Andrea Wakefield still follows the same red sauce recipe that her great grandmother used in the 1940s. Guy was blown away by the Beef Braciole, which is braised in the oven for three hours and served with a side house-made spaghetti. The meat is so tender, Guy could cut it with a fork. “Tender, it pulls apart, crazy,” he said.

This pork-focused deli specializes in sausages: chef-owner Billy Rawstrom sells up to 40 different varieties at a time, most inspired by his favorite dishes. Guy was blown away by the Thai Curry Chicken Sausage Sandwich: the sausage itself is made with a blend of chicken, pork and common ingredients in Thai cooking like cilantro, curry powder, lime juice and coconut milk. The links are served on a bun with a house-made cabbage slaw and a Sriracha mayo. “You’d be hard pressed to tell someone that didn’t come out of a famous Thai restaurant,” Guy said after tasting.

Everything at Putah Creek Cafe is made fresh, right down to the homemade sausage and killer gravy. But the top-notch cioppino made with crab and shrimp had to be Guy's favorite. Want something just as impressive? How about a dynamite herb chicken pizza made from the trailer-towed pizza oven outside?

Valencia Luncheria took Guy by surprise, as he'd never had the Venezuelan tortilla called an arepa. The thick tortilla gets fried and then stuffed with both savory and sweet fillings. Think roasted pork shoulder, tender shredded chicken, ceviche and even Nutella and cream cheese.

The Feisty Pint has traditional features of a pub: 26 beers on tap; mounted televisions; and bar fare like tacos, burgers, wings and fries. However, if you're a feisty patron, you can attempt either of their food challenges: The Feisty Challenge Burger, three angus patties with spicy toppings, or the Roadkill Challenge, three pounds of tater tot hash topped with bacon, jalapeños, onions, cheese and eggs.

This quirky neighborhood spot uses locally sourced ingredients in unexpected ways to craft innovative dishes like the Americano Del Sur pizza. Guy raves about the bite provided by the thinly sliced tomatillos that adorn this creative pie, which also features garbanzo beans and fresh jalapenos.

Triple-D alum Aaron May and former NFL player Jared Allen are the dynamite duo behind this spot, which has a mountain-lodge vibe and hearty dishes to match. Guy is a fan of the flavorful chili, which comes loaded with beer-braised pork butt and pureed green chiles for added kick.

Even though head chef Jasper Singh is a vegetarian, the menu at this cozy Wilmington joint doesn’t skimp on meaty dishes—the restaurant is known for their killer burgers, like the That’ll Do Pig burger. The burger is made by topping a thick beef patty with three different kinds of pork: sweet bacon jam, hearty thick cut bacon slices and a house-made bacon mayo, which is all topped off with a layer of crunchy tater tots. Guy thought the burger was so amazing, he joked that they should rename the restaurant “The Pig and the Cow” in its honor.

For a taste of Little Italy in Wilmington, head to this funky spot for unforgettable Italian food. Since 1988, Chef and Owner Luigi Vitrone has been serving up regional Italian cuisine in a restaurant that looks like a funky apartment in Milan in the 1970s. Diners love the Gorgonzola-stuffed Arancini and the decadent Veal Scaloppini Rollatini.

While looking for a space to produce pickles for his growing enterprise, Wilmington Pickling Company, Chef Daniel Sheridan stumbled upon a building on the edge of Little Italy and a concept for a whole new venture started coming to life. With the goal of pairing barbecue with pickles, Sheridan teamed up with a couple of other food-loving locals, Mike Gallucio and Justin Mason. Locale BBQ Post took off like hickory wood in a smoker upon opening, selling out of meat by 2 p.m. on its first day. Now well past its infancy, the place still draws the crowds for its wide selection of ’cue smoked with flavorful cherry wood.