For delicious homemade tamales, drop by Mom's Tamales and sample one of eight options, all steamed and using scratch-made batter. The corn and cheese, chicken mole and beef tamales are particularly noteworthy. Also worth a try: specialties like stuffed peppers, queso fresco and sopes asadas.

Rutt’s is the go-to place for Hawaiian food in Los Angeles. Guy recommends the Hawaiian Royale with its tasty mix of teriyaki beef and scrambled eggs. Another pick is the Lau Lau plate: a flavorful blend of pork and butterfish wrapped in taro leaves. Locals love the large portions and value prices.

When Texan native Jack Stewart came to California, he started an artisanal Southern comfort food diner. Guy downed the potato and collard green pancakes topped with Potlikker Gravy and enjoyed the French toast-like Pain Perdue. Try the shrimp and grits and kick it up a notch with Tabasco Gravy.

A this tiny spot in Napa, Chef and owner David Lu is putting out delicious Asian cuisine with fresh local ingredients. Guy loved the Kimchi Fried Rice with braised beef cheeks and the house-made ramen.

The allure of craft brews is what first drew many locals to Commonwealth, but it’s the food that keeps them coming back. The craft tacos are one crowd-pleaser that Guy just had to try. “There’s so much flavor in each one,” he declared of the trio that included a banh mi taco layered with cilantro, jalapenos, pickled carrots, red radish and pulled pork tossed with a housemade umami sauce.

At this cool little spot in Modesto, Chef-Owner Tye Bauer serves up a tantalizing array of dishes inspired by his Portuguese and German ancestries. Guy headed here on Diners Drive-Ins and Drives to chow down on the three-meat Octavian Sandwich (think Portuguese sausage, pulled pork and Portuguese braised beef) and a lamb burger topped with mushrooms, bacon and gorgonzola.

This family-run food truck is all about community, from its origins as a crowd-funded project on Kickstarter to its use of regionally sourced ingredients. And the locals are certainly lining up for the creative comfort foods cranked out here, as Guy found out when he swung by to chow down on the Root Beer Pulled Pork.

Serving the cuisine of Yucatan, Mexico, this counter-service Downtown restaurant is popular for its Cochinita Pibil — pork cooked in banana leaves.

Korean and Mexican cuisines come together at this casual restaurant in dishes like kimchee quesadillas and Korean short rib burritos.

Fat Sal’s is everything health-conscious LA is not and deliciously so. Guy gets his hands on a Fat Jerry sandwich stacked with cheese steak, chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks, bacon, fried eggs and fries. He also indulges in the Meat Luv’rz pizza roll stuffed with beef, pepperoni and sausages. Jeff and Audrey Dunham were in to taste their 13-pound creation: Big Fat Fatty. This mega sandwich features five burger patties, five fried eggs, ribeye, pastrami and bacon topped with a basket of fries, onion rings, chicken fingers and mozzarella sticks. 

Guy called Azla and Nesanet Abegaze “culinary ambassadors,” as they serve a meatless take on traditional Ethiopian cuisine at their restaurant. The mother-daughter team's standouts include the misir wot, a flavorful stew made from red lentils cooked down with onions, tomatoes and pungent spices sourced straight from Ethiopia. “There’s a ton of flavor in that,” Guy declared after dipping into the dish with a piece of injera, the spongy flatbread that’s traditionally used for scooping up food.

Chef Katherine Dabrowski grew up helping her mom in the kitchen and now she is sharing her Polish dishes at Polka. Guy devoured the pierogi done three ways - with meat, sauerkraut and potato. The goulash impressed with its tender meat and gnocchi. For dessert, try the creamy filled crepes.

A neighborhood diner in the Richmond district of San Francisco, Q Restaurant specializes in "funky, American comfort." Try the Pulled Pork or Funky American-Style Duck Confit, made over 16 days, finished in the deep fryer and served with polenta and asparagus. Guy's take: "So worth it!"

Guy says if you're looking for live music, fresh delicious seafood, a huge patio and good times, you've got to head to Pier 23. Many come for the legendary NorCal oven-roasted Dungeness crab, but if you have room for more, try the duck jalapeno poppers.

On Triple D, Guy called the arepas at Pica Pica a "corn pocket wonder." The gluten-free tortilla acts as the container for dozens of Pica Pica's dishes. Guy's pick? The Arepa Beef Pabellon stuffed with shredded beef, sweet plantains and a black bean spread. Vegetarians, note: Tofu is available here.