Restaurants

Diners head to Grana for pasta and comfort food done right. This centerpiece of this farm-to-table restaurant is the oven that Chef Jeff King had imported from Italy. Two must-try dishes are the Braised Pork Ragu topped with a bright salsa verde and the deceptively simple Braised Chicken Leg served with dreamy white cheddar polenta and braised greens.

Diners say The Banshee is Chico’s best kept secret. Chef Will Brady’s food combines his Boston background with his time in Southeast Asia into true fusion comfort food. The Pho French Dip is made with braised beef and topped with house-made pickled cucumbers, onion, carrots and spicy mayo and then dipped in a spicy broth. “You’re taking folks international and they don’t need a passport,” said Guy.

Wilma & Frieda is a brother-and-sister-run joint that specializes in eclectic breakfast and lunch food. The luscious short rib melt is freshened up with peppery arugula and tangy pickled onions. Their breakfast tarts are filled with fruit and slathered with frosting and sprinkles.

Good eats, indeed. This Triple D destination offers up American fare that includes a must-try Nashville Hot Fried Chicken Sandwich and a Blueberry Bacon Blue Cheeseburger that's an absolute winner. Bonus: While waiting for your food, enjoy a drink from the Lucky 13 bar, located adjacent to Scolari's.

When Guy was growing up, his family would stop at Granzella’s Deli on road trips for the best muffuletta ever. Stop in and try one of their 30 different sandwiches.

Stop by Frankinbun for one of the best vegan dishes Guy has ever had. The meat-free hot dog is crafted from brown rice flour, black eyed peas and aromatics and then topped with a dynamite house-made chili. Plus, try their handheld version of chicken and waffles which consists of Bavarian chicken apple sausage surrounded by a crisp waffle shell served with maple syrup. 

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.

For a taste of New Orleans in the midst of Stockton, Calif., Guy made a beeline for this Miracle Mile restaurant. In addition to crepes (both savory and sweet), this spot also serves up its own twist on traditional beignets (chocolate or caramel dipping sauce, anyone?).

Guy heaps the praise on this restaurant's Pad Thai and Tom Yum Kung soup, calling it "nice and light and bright and fresh."

Former NFL player Steve Smith has traded in the pigskins for wings, which he slings at this Stockton joint. One popular option is the Damn Hot, which Guy called a “good old-fashioned funky, crunchy wing.” For this dish, the wings are coated in a paprika-laced flour mix, fried and then slathered in a fiery sauce whose heat factor is kicked up with cayenne, smoked jalapenos and green chiles.

In a first for Guy, he checked out this food truck dishing up Laotian street food, which Chef-Owner Mony Vangsoulatda characterizes as “spicy, sour (and) bitter.” Guy tried the Kao Piek, a garlicky, chile-laced chicken soup featuring noodles that Chef Vangsoulatda makes herself. “These noodles got some texture and some bite,” Guy exclaimed, declaring the dish one of the top three Asian soups he’s ever tried.

Guy's trip to Burger Me had him witness everything from chicken burgers to the beloved BBQ Bison Burger. But the Italian Stallion burger (where burger meets deli sandwich) forced Guy to hunch over to take a bite, as it included beef, salami, mortadella, hot peppers and Cabernet vinaigrette.

This authentic Italian deli churns out 4,000-plus ravioli a week using a ravioli machine that dates back more than a century. “I have seen really cool kitchen equipment in my day,” Guy said of the gear. “This might be the coolest.” The deli’s signature ravioli are stuffed with a combination of beef, cheese, spinach and Swiss chard, then served with a homemade Bolognese-style meat sauce

With over 30 signature burgers, there’s something for everyone at Grill-a-Burger. Guy tries the spicy Devil’s Revenge and the Napa cabbage-topped Buddha Burger. 

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.