Restaurants

This local favorite makes excellent bread and pastry but also legit food. The popular Black Bean Chili has good old-school flavor, but it’s kicked up with a tangy cilantro pesto and served with jalapeno-cheddar challah muffins. Diners also rave about the Korean Pork Salad.

Diners come to Daniele Ius place for an amazing breakfast experience. The popular Cortez French Toast is the perfect marriage between cinnamon rolls and French toast. “If you like French toast it doesn’t get much more creative than that,” said Guy. The spicy Dragon Potatoes are another favorite. Guy compared the dish to a gigantic, deconstructed carnitas burrito.

This pan-Asian joint goes above and beyond the average sushi menu with items like Tom Kha Thai Steamer and Pork Belly Bibimbap. After moving to Chico, California from San Francisco 20 years ago, owner and chef Darren Chadderdon realized he missed the diverse Asian flavors available in the big city. He decided to take things into his own hands, and traveled to Thailand to take cooking classes before returning home to open his own restaurant. The Tom Kha Thai Steamer, a sweet and spicy seafood soup, blew Guy away: “I wanted that to be great,” he said after the first bite. “It’s not great, it’s phenomenal!”

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?

After buying a one-way ticket to Rome, John Atkinson returned home to Manhattan Beach, Calif., and opened his version of gourmet short order. He learned the trick to a great pasta carbonara. As for the signature Kahlua Pig Monte Cristo Egg Rolls? Guy said they were "supercalifragilistic tender."

Guy is convinced that this fourth-generation family-owned tavern, which uses locally sourced produce and seafood, makes the best Crab Cioppino. Generous portions of Dungeness crab, clams and shrimp are bathed in a light tomato sauce seasoned with cumin, which gives the dish a healthy kick. Guy is also a fan of the tavern’s take on a classic California specialty, a seafood-centric sandwich that features abalone stuffed between two slices of homemade sourdough bread.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

JAX at the Tracks may be an old-school diner, but all the dishes have an upscale, gourmet twist. Owner Bud Haley redid everything when he took over, including the menu. For a DDD first, Guy couldn't help but love the housemade English muffin used for the Crab Cake Eggs Benedict.