Far from the coast of France, Chez Francois has become Northeast Ohio's definitive upscale French restaurant. Beyond the sumptuous roast tenderloins and lobster raviolis, the beef wellington with black truffles and Hudson Valley foie gras should not be missed.

If you go to Columbus, Ohio, you'll find Katzinger's Deli. Enter and maybe you'll be overwhelmed (that's okay) because the owners want it that way. You'll experience the true deli experience with loads of meats and cheeses and Ted Allen's favorite combo: pastrami Reuben and noodle soup.

The Queen City Cayenne ice cream was the first flavor Jeni Britton Bauer ever made at Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams (the first location opened in 2002 and Jeni's roster of shops have been growing ever since). Lucky she did, as Ryan D'Agostino calls it his favorite spicy indulgence. Another standout flavor is the decadent Whiskey & Pecans (made with oak barrel-aged whiskey from Middle West Spirits).

The swanky bar prides itself on its traditional hand-crafted cocktails made from its proprietary recipes measured to the gram. Michael Symon found heaven in a glass when he tried the India Lime Fizz. The lime in the gin and rum based drink gives it a pop, while the egg mellows out the flavors.

Head to this hip tavern for your fry fix. Michael Symon favors the Gravy Frites, which are cooked in duck fat and then smothered with mozzarella cheese and brown gravy. The Animal Style Frites are also a must-try: These fries come heaped with cheese curds, pork belly lardons and sunny-side-up eggs.

All Anne Burrell can say is "mmm -- it's good" about Steve's Gyros. On The Best Thing I Ever Ate, she gets in line for this Cleveland specialty made with a secret sour cream tzatziki sauce. As the jumbo size packs 2 pounds of spiced beef and lamb, you know this is a gyro Zeus would be proud of.

Iron Chef Michael Symon's fierce Cleveland pride takes him to Seti's, home of the Polish Boy that "not even your silly Philly cheese steak" can top. The local favorite has all the right ingredients: fries, sauce, hot sauce and a dog that should take a max of five bites to eat.

The heavy Oregon rain doesn't keep Chef Andy Rickers from cooking up some of his favorite dishes he brought home from his travels across Asia. Guy was all smiles as he ate the grilled boar with chile-lime garlic sauce and the spicy Vietnamese chicken wings topped with fried garlic.

Aarón Sánchez says the underrated Brussels sprouts take an "evil, decadent" turn at Lolita, where Iron Chef Michael Symon and Executive Chef James Mowcomber fry them in pork fat and then coat every leaf in citrusy shallot vinaigrette. It's a great lead-up to Lolita's pork chop.

Michael Symon may be an Iron Chef but that doesn't mean he's immune to loving the "soul satisfying" biscuits and gravy from Lucky's Cafe. The combo has worked for years and for good reason. Guy also stopped by to sample them, in addition to Lucky's Reuben and super yummy Baked Mac-N-Cheese.

The original Aztec ingredients for guacamole consisted of avocado, tomatoes and salt. But at Lopez -- Southwestern Food Club, those ingredients get a major upheaval. Iron Chef Michael Symon loves dipping his chips into their version with sage and blue cheese -- and for his benefit, lots of bacon.

In search of the all-American bite, Michael Symon turns to his favorite all-American hotdog, found at Happy Dog. He tops his locally made quarter-pound creation with chunky peanut butter, Sriracha and alien pickle relish topping – only three of the more than 50 homemade toppings available.

Iron Chef Michael Symon took one bite of J & J Czuchraj Meats' beef jerky and his feelings on jerky were forever changed. On the Best Thing I Ever Ate, Michael says the "process of love" makes this jerky — and the kielbasas and famed beef smokies — a Cleveland favorite since 1954.

As the locals will tell you, Three Square Grill takes home cooked meals to a new level. Its menu of classic American regional cuisine satisfies on both flavor and substance with locally produced cheeses, meats and more. But Pat and Gina Neely think the cranberry preserve is extra special.

The eggplant Farmhouse Veggie Burger at this Portland, Ore., establishment rocked Duff's world. Made with homemade zucchini pickles, roasted peppers, caramelized onions, baby greens and spicy brown mustard in an artisan bun, the burger earns Duff's vote as one "amazing" combination.