Restaurants

This San Carlos destination puts its spin on classic Italian food with wood-fired pizzas and handmade pastas. The restaurant makes a knockout Ricotta Gnocchi with artichoke, lemon and mint that's absolutely worth your time and taste buds.

The only way you'll find this unmarked dive bar is if you know to look for its green awning. The filet mignon sandwich with toasted garlic bread left Guy speechless. He also appreciated the melt-in-your-mouth smoked prime rib with au jus. Be sure to check out their rotating daily specials too.

The Golden Bear quickly became a Sacramento, Calif., favorite and Guy couldn't agree more. His visit changed his attitude about slaw, as he called The Sausage and 'Slaw pizza with homemade sausage and smoked slaw "out of control." The taco with citrus-achiote chicken's also a flavor town winner.

This tiny burger joint is short on space, but customers pack in for favorites like the Squeezeburger with Cheese. A 1/3-pound patty is heaped with so much cheese (more than half a pound) that the topping forms a crisp skirt of sorts after a turn on the flat top. “That thing is money,” said Guy of the cheese-blanketed burger, which comes topped with dill pickles, tomatoes, mustard and mayonnaise.

Quiche on a salad and a grilled ham and Brie cheese sandwich are just some of the French country-style favorites at this deli. Guy appreciated the nice and rich flavors of the chicken pate and goat cheese sandwich and loved the "floral notes" found in the chilled lentil salad with roasted prawns.

The Dad's Burger is so popular that when the current owners bought the restaurant, they kept it on the menu. Guy describes the signature 8-ounce bacon and blue cheese-encrusted beef patty as the most "righteous" and "juiciest" burger ever. If you prefer chicken, try the Hot Blonde with avocado.

Only at Guy's restaurant can you get a little Italian, Mexican, Cajun and Asian. The grilled-onion-and-garlic tortilla stack, inspired by Guy's mom, has "dynamite" texture and flavor. Guy's Sashimi Won Tacos dressed with eel sauce were double gold winners at the Sonoma County Harvest Fair.

Visit Gatsby's Diner for Old World European comfort food and unique vegetarian dishes. The pastrami-marinated beet sliders with green goddess dressing and homemade chips were meaty and tender according to Guy. Meat lovers should try the flavorful beef rouladen or the brined pork chops.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Take a drive to the southern tip of San Francisco and you'll be in good company at the Broken Record. Guy's Triple D crew marveled at the more than 300 kinds of whiskey. But Guy got a real kick out of the food, including the creamiest roasted mushroom polenta. The real kicker -- it's only $8.

This Palo Alto destination serves up a farm-to-table experience with organic and locally-sourced ingredients. The result: fresh California cooking with dishes that won't leave you feeling weighed down. Guy suggests trying the Calafia Citrus Carnitas or the Vegan Gnocchi.