Restaurants

Classic diner fare meets Vietnamese comfort food at this homey California spot. The family-friendly diner serves everything from eggs Benedict to spicy Thai coconut soup, and Guy says the pho (a rice noodle soup with thinly sliced beef and broth) is "crazy good."

Aldo's Restaurant is the ideal location for fresh seafood dining. Situated on the scenic Santa Cruz harbor, Aldo's brings in fresh seafood daily, everything from calamari to salmon. Guy devoured the cioppino. As for the handmade ravioli — he'd order those by the thousands.

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.

At this multitasking diner, owner Cathie Moreno is cooking, baking and brewing. Guy loved the hint of mint from the lamb burger paired with an acidic red pepper relish inside a fresh homemade bun. Locals recommend ordering the meatloaf sandwich and enjoying a nice cold beer with it.

Emma Jean's son and daughter keep tradition alive with their mother's recipes. This legendary trucker paradise aims for a "keep it simple" menu that's stayed true to its roots for more than 60 years. The result? Guy devoured the homemade biscuits and couldn't resist the all-American Brian Burger.

Nighthawk Breakfast Bar specializes in serving breakfast for dinner. Chef and owner Chef and Owner Jeremy Fall is all about pushing the envelope on beloved childhood flavors. The Drunken French Toast is a crispy creation topped with cognac sautéed pears, mascarpone mousse and a dash of pear brandy.

Southern California maybe isn't the first place someone would think of when looking for great barbecue, but Baby Blues BBQ in Venice Beach smokes their pulled pork for 16-18 hours. They also make their own ''XXX'' hot sauce with Scotch bonnet and poblano peppers, which knocked Guy's socks off.

This family-owned eatery is famous for slinging rectangular thin-crust, Neapolitan-style slices, which they've been doing since well before pizza made it to the West Coast in a big way. Back in the 1940s, Barone's owners set out to re-create the Italian-style pizza popular in New York using the only tool available — a sheet pan — and thus the signature slices were born. Another must-try is the ricotta and Parmesan lasagna, served with meatballs and housemade marinara sauce.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.