A superb hot dog can be found at Gazela, a simple cafe in central Porto. Here the bread is excellent but the key is the high-quality sausage, topped with melted cheese and (optionally but advised) a spicy sauce. The hot dog is sliced and is a thing of beauty when you eat it. There are perpetual queues here for these creations, both in the evening and at lunch. The place has a few bar stools around a central counter, and they also do takeaway. The best €3.20 you will ever spend.
Chinois on Main is the second restaurant opened by Wolfgang Puck and has been on the top of the list since its start in 1983. They are considered as the inventors of Asian fusion cuisine where they combine Chinese tradition and fresh California ingredients with contemporary French techniques. Classic menu items include Shanghai lobster with curry sauce and crispy spinach, Whole Sizzling Catfish and Szechuan Beef. The famed Chinois Chicken Salad is one of Puck's truly inspired inventions, a dish which numerous people have tried to imitate but unsuccessful. The food is served family style, creating a fun sharing experience that brings people together. Chinois remains a culinary landmark, with its timeless interior design by Barbara Lazaroff, open kitchen, full-service bar, and extensive wine list.
Gwang Yang BBQ is a Korean restaurant in the Koreatown of Los Angeles which provides the best authentic Korean BBQ experience. They have an expansive, large dining room as well as individual ones for parties. It is relatively new in Los Angeles but has a long history in Korea spanning three generations. The signature dish bulgogi is extensively inspired by the style originating in the Gwangyang city, one involving the black oak charcoal and served in two styles the sweeter “LA style” and a more subtle beef focused “Gangnam Style”. Their secret to great taste and success lies in the family recipe passed down for generations.
Established in 2014 Scopa Italian Roots is a restaurant by Mario Guddemi, Salvatore Aurora, Chef Antonia Lofaso and cocktail duo Pablo Moix and Steve Livigni. “Top Chef’s” Antonia Lofaso’s interpretation of old-school Italian food inspired the owners to create a restaurant that honors the Italian traditions. The restaurant has a perfect modern outlook with giant mirrors, high ceiling, and splendid lighting. Menu and design both are inspired by the group’s Italian-American upbringing and show off its ties to both New York City and Italy. They have a widespread of a menu to choose from starting from the crispy biscuits and coffee cake to antipasti and pasta. The team has taken an approach similar to their other places by bringing great food, wine, cocktails, and beer to an intimate and inviting environment. The place is always packed so reserve your place or be ready to join the queue.
The original house for Birria of Chicago, Birreria Ocotlan was established by Ramon Reyes of Ocotlan, Jalisco in 1972. The place is a must visit for the lover of tacos and the garnish of cilantro and onions with a splash of green salsa is on point. The locals say they have maintained a consistency over the years. They have a soup option too. It is a small place so do reserve your place on the weekends.
Lem’s BBQ started in 1954 by two brothers Bruce and the late Myles Lemons helped define Chicago's barbeque style. This South institution serves juicy BBQ ribs out of a retro roadside takeout stand as they have no seating arrangement. It still tops its meats- from hot links and rib tips to chicken and shrimp with Lem’s original Bar-B-Q sauce and spices. They offer some really large portions for small prices.
Calumet Fisheries in South Deering, Chicago is counted among the only few smokehouse left in Illinois. It serves smoked and fried fish, shrimps and clams. They smoke seafood on site, in a natural wood smokehouse and they do not use any type of liquid smoke or industrial substitutes. The fish is marinated in brine overnight and carefully tended to bring out its flavors.
In spite of having appeared in a number of food shows and web-series and having been over more than 60 years in the business, it is still operated by the Kotlick-Toll family from a one room shack with a takeaway counter and no seating arrangement.
Grater's is simply everyone's favorite because of its delicious, rich and dense ice cream produced by the French Pot Batch process method. Started by Louis Graeter in 1868 in the neighborhood street market of Cincinnati now has branches in more than 50 locations offering super-premium ice cream, baked goods, and candy. The thick, handcrafted ice-cream is everyone’s favorite across the country including the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Harry Connick Jr., and David Rosengarten. Although they offer a range of flavors from the classic, seasonal and low glycemic ones but their signature is the range having chocolate chips. It has been called "the best ice cream in the world," and "the best out there," and won "Best Sweet" at the 2014 Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival.
Skyline Chili - a name synonymous with the dish Cincinnati-style chilli was started by a Greek immigrant Nicholas Lambrinides and his sons in 1949 in Cincinnati. The place which started as a small restaurant on a hilltop giving an impressive view of the city has now over 150 branches across four states. Skyline's signature dishes include cheese coneys (a hot dog topped with Skyline Chili, mustard, onions, and cheese), and 3-ways (spaghetti topped with Skyline Chili and cheese); 4-ways (choice of beans or onions added), and 5-ways (beans and onions both added). The secret chilli is cooked and packed off from a central commissary to every location. They are reheated and served which makes the quality consistent all over. The restaurants may be considered somewhere between "fast food" and "casual dining." Diners may sit at a booth or table and be served by a waiter, or at many locations, sit at a counter near employees preparing the food.
Growing up in Cozumel Island, Pepe’s has to make it to this list. Pepe’s was founded in 1966, and was founded by Don Eduardo Ruiz “Don Pepe.” Its long history makes this restaurant a must while visiting this island in the Mexican Caribbean. The location is exceptional as from a two story building you can see directly to the Caribbean Sea while scoping through a menu that has incorporated Asian, Italian and Mexican cuisines and also serves excellent quality Angus Beef steaks and seafood. Sharing meals is probably one of the smartest things to do when visiting this restaurant, as there are many delicious dishes on the menu to choose from. Some of the favorites are the Angus fillet carpaccio, Angus filet steak salad with lime-raspberry vinaigrette, and the special truffled lobster mac & cheese. Pepe’s also has a fresh fish fillet every day, and it is just a matter of asking the waitress what the fresh pick of the day, and decide the way you want them to cook it, and Voilá!