For a meal to be truly delicious, it must run down your arms and the front of your shirt, says Duff, who calls The Backstabber sandwich at Ike's Place, made with an herb aioli, aka dirty sauce, the real deal. Locals also rave about the Menage a Trois made with BBQ sauce, cheddar and Halal chicken.

On The Best Thing I Ever Ate, Aida Mollenkamp swoons over Bi-Rite's Sam's Sundae made with German cocoa, Bergamot olive oil and Maldon sea salt. Local dairy Straus Organic Dairy provides the freshest milk not just for Bi-Rite's famous sundaes but for their decadent ice cream cakes, too.

Thanks to Iron Chef Japan, Chef Sara Schafer cracked open a sea urchin and concocted the most melt-in-your-mouth dish: warm sea urchin with Dungeness crab. Just ask Aida Mollenkamp, as she was instantly hooked. Not hungry for urchin? Try the infamous Angels on Horseback or Lobster Rolls on Brioche.

Spread's peanut butter may stick to the roof of Tyler Florence's mouth, but that doesn't stop him from calling the white chocolate pretzel peanut spread "insanity in a jar." What's true insanity is that Spread makes more than 15 different nutty spreads and a completely vegetarian menu to go with it.

The name Extraordinary Desserts says it all, but the proof is in the pudding. As one of the top pastry chefs in the country, Karen Krasne makes desserts that are decadent enough for magazine covers and have made many best-of lists. For Marcela Valladolid, the Dulce de Leche cake takes top honors.

There’s regular Thai food and then there’s Jitlada. Guy swore that if the chef of Jitlada won GGG he would come to the restaurant, and he was not disappointed. “This is one of the best Thai experiences I have ever had,” Guy said after tasting the Green Curry and the Tom Yum Soup.

For owner Joan McNamara, fresh meals made with love are at the heart of her family and her restaurant. Katie Lee raves about the “wonderful, homey taste” of the short rib sandwich. Buttery sliced bread is stacked with a layer of pickled onions and a mound of tender meat smothered with melty cheese.

From the day they appeared on the menu, the Indonesian Corn Fritters at E&O have been the signature dish. On The Best Thing I Ever Ate, Brian Boitano happily chomps down on this crunchy appetizer that sets the stage for another one of E&O's modern Asian signatures: the Black Pepper Shaking Beef.

The prime rib is the star of the menu here, even arriving on a silver-domed serving cart. A unique roasting process ensures each cut is particularly succulent. Coarse rock salt covers the meat before roasting, which seals the juices while simultaneously seasoning the beef and creating a tasty crust.

Every donut at Dynamo Donuts, from the Lemon Pistachio to the Banana de Leche, is made by hand. This also includes the unctuous Bacon Maple Apple donut that pork-fanatic Chris Cosentino adores, as the dough is studded with bacon and apples and then sprinkled with crispy bacon bits on top.

What could be more romantic than a plate full of succulent oysters and a bottle of champagne? How about eating outside, right on the water with a perfect view of the Bay Bridge? Hog Island's oysters are as fresh as they come, and Tyler Florence can't get enough of them.

On Food Network's $40 a Day, Rachael Ray goes to Citizen Cake, a restaurant, bar and patisserie from Chef Elizabeth Falkner with a recommendation from the Michelin Guide, in San Francisco, CA.

Chef Mourad Lahlou humbly displays his Moroccan roots in creating one of Chris Cosentino's favorite wrapped dishes, Basteeya. Lahlou piles braised chicken and an earthy blend of Moroccan spices and nuts inside a crunchy package of phyllo dough. It's just one layer to this exquisite restaurant.

It came as no surprise that on The Best Thing I Ever Ate, soufflé-lover Alton named Café Jacqueline for the best in strawberry soufflés. Owner and Chef Jacqueline Margulis does "nothing else" but make flawless soufflés, specializing in flavors like chocolate to Gruyere.

For breakfast-lover Bobby, a classic French toast may be good, but the Peanut Butter and Banana Stuffed French Toast at Café 222 deserves a spot on The Best Thing I Ever Ate. On a menu of breakfast classics of pancakes and eggs, the Pumpkin Waffle also deserves a mention as a local favorite.