Amid his two locales, Chef Joe Ng turns out over 20,000 dumplings weekly. He brings a whimsical twist to the classic har gow with his Pac Man dumplings. Stuffed with shrimp fillings and vegetables, they come complete with black sesame-seed eyes. A winter must is the black truffle soup dumplings.

The lush 250 acres that surround this mountaintop inn are the perfect setting for a picnic. There’s no need to pack your own, as The Swag offers a weekly picnic with comforting dishes like banana pudding pie. Fresh banana slices come nestled in a vanilla-wafer crust and topped with velvety pudding.

This drive-thru-only joint has been serving biscuits to Chapel Hill locals and students for more than 40 years. Its signature sandwich, The Bad Grampa, was named for the movie of the same title that was filmed in the area. This breakfast dish features crunchy fried chicken, fluffy scrambled eggs, a slice of cheese and several strips of crisp bacon, all sandwiched between two halves of a fresh-baked biscuit.

This classic New York spot dishes up Jewish comfort food and lively entertainment. Indulge in a massive skirt steak seasoned with kosher salt and a fresh garlic spread. Also try the mashed potatoes dressed up with crispy fried chicken skin and a decadent drizzling of schmaltz (rendered chicken fat).

Crowds flock here for the meatball Parm hero. Veal, beef and pork sausage are given the old-school Italian treatment when mixed with panade (milk-soaked bread) to make delectably tender meatballs. Tomato sauce and mozzarella add to the flavor. Another standout is the chicken Parm on a semolina roll.

This restaurant’s signature ribs pay homage to a defining ingredient of New Mexican cuisine: the chile. Baby back ribs are marinated for 24 hours in a tangy paste that’s made fresh daily from red chile pods, then cooked for six hours until they are fall-off-the-bone tender and full of spicy flavor.

When Tito Gonzales opened this family-owned joint three generations ago, he set out to create a dish that blended the bold flavors of his Mexican heritage with the Italian cuisine he loved. And so the Carne Adovada Turnover was born. For this dish, pork shoulder meat is marinated in a fiery Hatch red chile blend and roasted until tender. The juicy pork meat, along with Wisconsin cheddar, is then stuffed into a flour tortilla that’s sealed shut like a calzone and fried until irresistibly crisp.

Former Chopped contestant Jeremy Spector lures locals to his spot with a scratch-made menu. The star is Sebastian’s Steakhouse Burger: a patty-cheddar-onion combo that Guy calls “dynamite.” The duck confit poutine made with hand-cut fries, cheese curds and, of course, duck confit, is also a hit.

Chef-Owner Carlos Swepson uses his French culinary training to riff on soul food staples. The mouthwatering results include the Double Cut Pork Chop. For this signature dish, a 20-ounce pork chop is rubbed with a spicy-sweet mixture and seared to seal in the meat’s natural flavor. The chop is roasted until tender, then smothered with a sauteed onion-and-apple mixture and nestled on a bed of rich black-eyed peas.

Best Pizza dishes out classic New York slices at old-school New York prices, making them one of the best deals in the city. Many of the ingredients are housemade, including the mozzarella cheese that’s the star of the popular white pie, and each thin-crust pizza is cooked until satisfyingly crisp in a century-old wood-fired oven.

This tropical-inspired spot has brought Jamaican flavors to an island of another sort — Manhattan. Crowds flock here for distinctively Caribbean cuisine like the jerk chicken wings: A bold paste made from Scotch bonnet peppers adds both sweet and spicy notes to the succulent grilled meat.

You don’t need reservations to eat at this pizza joint in the Cosmopolitan Hotel — just a sense of adventure. The by-the-slice counter service is unmarked and tucked away at the end of an unassuming hallway in the hotel. Reward yourself for uncovering this clandestine spot with a white slice. All the dough is made with a yeast that’s been aged for 10 years to ensure maximum flavor. The white pie is finished with a trio of cheeses — mozzarella, ricotta and Parmesan — and drizzled with garlic oil.

It may seem impossible to find fresh fish in the middle of a desert, but Joyful House is no mirage. The chefs at this seafood-centric spot prepare dishes with fresh lobsters, prawns and more plucked straight from tanks right on the premises. One menu highlight is the Honey Walnut Shrimp. Fresh shrimp are wok-fried, then tossed with a sweet sauce made from pineapple juice and condensed milk. Candied walnuts add to the richness. Bonus: This spot is open until 3 a.m. for your late-night cravings.

This homey restaurant is a go-to breakfast destination. Fuel up for the day with hearty options like sweet potato hash, a chili-stuffed omelet and a short stack of oatmeal pancakes dressed up with whipped cream and strawberries (and chocolate chips, blueberries, pecans or bananas if you so desire).

Executive Chef Skip Steele uses the techniques he honed on the competitive barbecue circuit to turn out succulent ribs infused with an addictive blend of smoky, savory and sweet flavors. The meat is seasoned with Skip’s secret dry rub and sprinkled with brown sugar before being smoked slow and low.