Ever since Bette Kroening opened her Berkeley, Calif., diner, she's been dishing out home-style favorites to adoring local fans. Guy couldn't get enough of the Philadelphia-style scrapple and even an apple brandy pancake souffle that's light, airy and, as regulars say, like "eating a cloud."
Guy may have visited 900 Grayson for his Triple D Goes Tailgating special, but that didn't mean 900 Grayson was serving nachos. Instead, they feature dishes from the East to the South, like the LadyBoy prawn salad or the Demon Lover chicken and waffles plate topped with spicy buttermilk gravy.
Drive by this joint and it'd be a mistake, says Guy on Triple D. This husband-and-wife duo defies expectations by making everything by hand, from orange juice to biscuits. But the John Wayne "hangover" dish is legendary: eggs, home fries, sausage wagons and cheese all covered in Spanish sauce.
As a Santa Monica institution with an unmistakable neon green exterior, Patrick's Roadhouse has been specializing in eclectic burgers for more than 35 years. On Triple D, Guy becomes a fan of The Governator egg dish but for something more upscale, try the Rockefeller burger with caviar spread.
At Mambo's Cafe, the Cuban sandwiches have some serious "mojo," or sauce made of lemon juice, garlic and seasonings. Not in the mood for a sandwich? Try the Tostones Rellenos, a shrimp ceviche with twice-fried plantains.
In their hometown of Santa Rosa, Calif., Guy and his son Hunter have been longtime fans of La Texanita. Owner Alma Mendez's carne asada taco is served on handmade tortillas, and one of Guy's favorites is the posole — an authentic Mexican pork stew.
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.
This small-town cafe doesn't know the meaning of small. Guy learned that all the dishes at Ramona's are standout winners, handmade by owner Sonja Vanderveen. He loved the deep-fried cordon bleu with melted Swiss. To top it off, Sonja's giant pecan cinnamon rolls could barely fit in his mouth.
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.
Located in the heart of Sonoma wine country, Cafe Citti bills itself as a casual Italian trattoria. Chef Luca hails from Lucca, Italy, and all his dishes bring handmade to the table. On his DDD visit, Guy called the ravioli an "orchestra of flavors," and he loved the homey polenta with porcini sauce
Since 1981, Gloria Flores has been sharing her traditional El Salvadoran cooking to adoring Los Angeles locals. Guy's visit on Triple D left him scraping his plate of Adobada, a pork stew with a rich tomato sauce. And he was absolutely bowled over by the Seven Seas Soup brimming with crab legs and shrimp. “That is delicious — deep, deep flavor,” Guy exclaimed.
Scottish-born chef Jimmy Carter is "whipping up a little American Southern," and a little punch of flavor gets thrown into every bite at Meal Ticket. He's making great fusion food with dishes like the pulled pork with coconut curry, which has Thai-Southern flair with a little Mexican in the mix.
Get a taste of old-school Italian at Mama Cozza's, home to 20 scratch-made sauces that pretty much guarantee a quality Italian dish. Try Mama's sauce or Domery's sauce, and don't leave without having some pizza here. Guy says, "they’re doing it the way real Italians do it!"
The cornucopia of spices used for the luscious brisket sandwich at Jimtown Store goes hand in hand with the bounty of fresh vegetables and herbs found in owner Carrie Brown's garden. The nationally recognized country store was also a DDD favorite, as Guy loved the thick "standup" Chain Gang Chili.
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?
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.