As the queen of Southern cooking, Paula Deen knows comfort food. Tyler Florence adores her free (yes, free) golden hoecakes, but everything from her fried green tomatoes to oyster shooters deserves a taste. For the all-you-can-eat buffet, arrive early, as this line wraps around the street corner.

When looking for a true Southern experience, get in line behind Roger Mooking, who thinks the restaurant at The Wilkes House makes the best fried chicken, lots of love included. Before being fried, the bird is marinated in evaporated milk, which Buddy Valastro calls “the creamy key to the chicken’s rich flavor.” Crowds have been flocking here for family-style portions of Southern staples since 1943.

On The Best Thing I Ever Ate, Duff revels in Enoteca Sardinia's exquisite braised lamb shank. While visiting Miami Beach with Guy, Duff discovered the luscious meat entrée made with rosemary, juniper berries and tomatoes. The secret lies in the braising that makes the meat tender and moist.

Chopped judge, Chef Scott Conant, believes that every meal should be savored "down to its very last taste." Ted Allen says that Scarpetta's homemade spaghetti with tomato and basil is worth every penny. The care and dedication Scott puts into cooking the tomato sauce makes it one of the best around.

On a road trip to Sun Valley, Idaho, Gina and Pat Neely discovered a tiny bit of Italian heaven: candied orange peels dipped in chocolate. Cristina prides herself on her Tuscan roots, and the menu's filled with Tuscan favorites, including margherita pizza and paninis served on fresh-baked bread.

Curtis Stone's Maui-style fish tacos at Paia Fish Market in Hawaii were not only satisfying, but they also became his favorite lunchtime snack. Everything on the tortilla was super fresh, from the salsa to the just-caught fish. For an even fresher dish, Paia also features blackened sashimi.

If the waterfront ocean view or the mahi mahi stuffed with lobster and crab in a macadamia nut crust doesn't impress you, maybe the lilikoi creme brulee will. Marc Summers calls the creme brulee the best thing ever, as you can taste the passion fruit flavor, aka lilikoi, in every bite.

Local Hawaiians, like Iron Chef Chairman Mark Dacascos, know that nothing beats a malasada from Leonard's Bakery wagon. A Portuguese doughnut with no hole, a malasada comes with coconut haupia or chocolate filling. Or, in plain cinnamon-sugar. Want a better description? Finger-licking Aloha.

Chef Alan Wong is an ambassador of Hawaiian regional cuisine. So a traditional "soup and sandwich" wasn’t enough. Iron Chef Chairman Mark Dacascos praised Chef Wong's sandwich with Kalua pig, foie gras and yin-yang tomato soup. In all of Wong's dishes, you’ll really taste Hawaii.

At the end of Kilauea Road in Hawaii, Marc Summers found the life-changing ahi tuna wrap. Kilauea Fish Market's signature wrap is prepared with a homemade teriyaki sauce and an addictive sesame island dressing that Marc calls a "love potion." The sauce also casts a certain spell over the red snapper

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Alton's Georgia roots get the best of him during the holidays, and for him, nothing says "holidays" more than barbecue at Beachcomber BBQ & Grill. Beachcomber has no secret ingredient. It's just pure pork, roasted low and slow. From the slaw to the fries, Alton usually orders, well, everything.

Alton Brown appreciates The Dillard House’s family-style serving, but on The Best Thing I Ever Ate, his appreciation abounded for the country ham, which is "about as salty as salty gets and still good." And because it's family style, you can also feast on cornbread and cobbler a la mode.

By now Mr. Chow's Asian cuisine has graced New York, London, Beverly Hills and Miami, to name a few. The stunning decor mirrors the menu where Chuck Hughes, host of Chuck's Day Off, says the diced squab lettuce cups are magical. Meanwhile locals perform disappearing acts with the chicken satay.

On Triple D, Benny's Mofongo caught Guy off guard. Mofo what? The Mofongo dish is a Puerto Rican favorite and now, Guy's too, as he added it to The Best Thing I Ever Ate. Made with mashed-up plantains, fried pork skin and then muddled with a baseball bat, this dish is a home run.