Restaurants

Be it the rocking chairs out front or the food, The Front Porch is the funky little neighborhood joint with plenty of charm. Guy swung by this South-meets-San Francisco joint and doled out his share of love for the "killer," "outstanding" and "succulent" Dr. Pepper short ribs and shrimp and grits.

Rob Larman and his wife are serving up old school barbeque in the heart of California wine country at Cochon Volant. Chef Larman puts his unique spin on fried chicken by soaking it in a sweet-and-spicy brine laced with granny smith apples and pasilla chile paste. “This is a chef’s fried chicken,” said guy between bites. Their other claim to fame is the towering WTF Burger. A seared beef patty is topped with 14-hour smoked brisket, smoked pork shoulder, house-cured maple bacon, a fried chipotle pork cake, melted cheddar cheese and house-made barbeque sauce.

When it comes to turkey, Willie Bird does it all, which includes raising nearly 100,000 turkeys on a turkey farm. Guy had to meet owner Willie Benedetti, aka "The Big Bird," the man who's using turkey eggs in batters, making turkey fried steak and serving Thanksgiving turkey dinner 365 days a year.

Guy was shooting Guy’s Grocery Games in Santa Rosa when his buddy brought him the Korean Burrito from Zoftig Eatery. He loved it so much he needed to put the place on DDD. At Zoftig, chef and owner Matt Spector taps into his fine-dining background to spice up the menu, sourcing local but peppering the menu with international flavor. The Korean Burrito is packed with marinated, local ground beef, pickled vegetables, kimchi, fresh herbs, avocado and barbeque sauce. “I’m going to drown in my own drool,” Guy said before digging into it.

The name behind W.O.W. - Worth Our Weight comes from its payment policy, as you only pay what you think is fair. Here, deserving youth receive tuition-free culinary training. Guy happily paid extra for his nectarine scones and pulled pork huevos rancheros -- he donated a pretzel car.

For authentic Vietnamese food made with love, head to this Fieri-family favorite. Chef and co-owner John Nguyen serves up the recipes that mother and co-owner Be Nguyen cooked as a chef in Vietnam.

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.

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.

In Guy's hometown of Santa Rosa, Calif., his favorite place to get a meal on the weekend has always been Hank's Creekside, where owner Hank Vance grinds the whole wheat for his famous pancakes in-house. He also serves up Homemade Corned Beef Hash, Eggs Benedict and Cinnamon-Walnut French Toast.

Chef and owners Zacarias Martin and Dionicia Valdovinos are serving up authentic Mexican food with influences from Guadalajara and Michoacán. The food incorporates chilis and spices, like cloves, and many of their dishes make use of the use of the molcajete, the traditional Mexican mortar and pestle. The Molcajete Mixto is a mixture of steak, chicken, shrimp and vegetables served inside a smoking-hot molcajete. Guy was in heaven, calling the it, “without question, one of the best Mexican food experiences I have ever had.”

When Guy tasted the authentic fish and chips that Dublin-native Chef Jason Killalee was dishing out he said, “If you can a make a living off a fish and chips truck in a town like Los Angeles, you must be doing it right.”

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.

Have a craving for handmade bratwurst? Follow Guy’s lead and head over to Brats Brothers, which draws diners from across the globe eager to sample some delectable sausages. Savor a classic brat made from pork or veal, or indulge in an exotic option like a wild boar andouille or a kangaroo sausage.

Chef-Owner Rick Hodges and his wife, Margie, are slinging more than six varieties of chili daily at their Wild West-themed restaurant. Each portion is served in an individual toasted flatbread tub (hence the restaurant’s name), which Guy thought was a great touch. He stopped here to sample the Turkey Drive Chili, which features roasted ground turkey seasoned with plenty of chili powder and Cajun spices.

If you follow the intoxicating aroma of fresh-baked rye bread in Palm Springs you could find yourself at Sherman’s Deli & Bakery. Once there, try the house-made turkey pastrami which is layered on that fabulous bread. “If that’s the only thing that you sold here I could expect lines all the way to Wisconsin,” said Guy. Or try the real-deal latkes that serve as the "bread" for meltingly tender brisket topped with creamy horseradish sauce. Be sure you don’t leave without a taste of the fan-favorite banana tart.