It started as a humble food cart, serving Portland visitors an uncomplicated, paper-wrapped poached chicken and rice dish with origins in Thailand. A popular Bangkok meal, it quickly caught on in Portland and became a business success story for its namesake, Nong. There are three locations, but the brick and mortar restaurant, unlike the carts, is open seven days a week. It’s the location you’re most likely to see the owner, Nong, supervising the kitchen, welcoming guests and reminding them of the complimentary hot tea and her house-made syrup and soy sauce. The Khao Man Gai is served over jasmine rice that has been cooked in the chicken broth. You get a “soup” side of the broth to sip on, as well as a few crunchy cucumber slices meant to cleanse your palate. It’s amazing how your body can crave something so simple. This dish is a perfect complement to Portland’s gloomy winter days. Good for when it rains, delicious when it shines and especially when you’re sick, this is the dish you’ll long for.

Another local favorite, Wolf and Bear has the tastiest little falafel wrap to ever come out of a restaurant on wheels. They’ve got a couple locations scattered around the city, but the cart I first tried was off Mississippi Avenue, a hip and trendy block filled with bars, burgers and boutiques. The falafel is light and fresh, organic and locally sourced (of course). Although it’s prepared in a food cart, don’t mistake it for fast food. You’d just as easily be presented with an equally satisfying lunch in a sit-down restaurant. For an alternative move, make it gluten-free. Lose the pita and opt for a falafel plate over a bed of greens.

Jonnie and Thérèse Boer have influenced modern Dutch cuisine over a 20-year career, combining local foods with cutting-edge techniques and idiosyncratic ideas. Their acclaimed restaurant is set in a former prison dating from 1739, now an upscale hotel in the center of Zwolle. The main dining area is in the courtyard, covered by an impressive glass and steel roof. The menu is tailored to suit individual tastes. Guests pick four dishes from color-coded sections before more plates are added to create a five-, six- or seven-course menu designed for each person. The innovative menu of modern Dutch cuisine includes a beef tartare and oyster canapé assembled on the back of your hand, and a diminutive masterpiece of foie gras, brown crab and red cabbage. Dry-aged dairy beef seared on hot rocks at the table is served with smoked eel and braised lemon.

The best underrated little sandwich in the city is at this unassuming little food cart off Burnside Avenue in SE Portland. A local favorite, the #1 pollo pibil is an untraditional, Portland-inspired torta. The Mexican sandwich has a super soft outer bun and a toasty-crisp underside that provides a nice subtle crunch. Layered inside are seasoned pulled chicken, chipotle-lime aioli, refried beans and shredded lettuce, which make for a beautiful bite. It’s a sandwich that’s not too messy and never tries too hard. The flavors combine to give you a light, yet hearty bite. Order an elote cup on the side and a cold beer from the neighboring cart and your lunch is complete.

One could say, there is a “flock” of great fried chicken places throughout Portland. Regardless, fans still swear by the chicken and waffle experience at Screen Door. It’s one of those places you’ve likely seen on the show “Portlandia,” poking fun of Portland’s ridiculously long brunch lines where people line up at 7 a.m. on weekends. But that dish (among many of their other Southern fare) is always worth it. Juicy-crispy salted fried chicken stacked on top of sweet potato waffles with a house-made honey drizzle. It’s a stacked plate, good enough to share, but it’s so dang good, you won’t want to. Pro tip: Forgo the weekend visit and go for brunch or dinner any weekday to avoid lines.

There are many places in Central California to enjoy Santa Maria tri-tip, but it isn’t so common around Greater Los Angeles. To find one of the best examples, head to Simi Valley and Green Acres Farm Market and Catering, a historic spot that opened in the late 1920s as a general store. In 1968, Dick Rhoads and some partners bought the market, then named for the TV comedy “Green Acres.” In the early '90s, son Randy Rhoads added the Santa Maria BBQ in front. While they dispense with the traditional coastal live oak in favor of mesquite, everything else is pure Santa Maria tri-tip. The bottom cut of sirloin beef is rolled in salt, black pepper and garlic salt before being grilled over Mesquite to infuse the meat with a sweet and savory flavor. Tri-tip sandwiches are served on a toasted garlic roll. A sauce bar featuring house-made BBQ sauces and sides are available. Green Acres also has a tri-tip dip, served with a side of au jus. Take a seat on the covered patio or get it to go. They do a brisk weekday lunch business, and weekends are busy, but it’s worth the wait. 

Owner-chef Bertrand Grebaut, a graduate of Alain Passard’s landmark restaurant Arpège, is recognized among such luminaries as L’Astrance Chef Pascal Barbot as the future of French cooking. A “who’s who” of Paris pack this neo-industrial bistro amid butcher block tables, spiral iron staircase, distressed walls and suspension lighting for a taste of his “micro seasonality” mindset. Grebaut reboots his short menu almost daily. Fans rave about Brussels sprouts and bacon in a mushroom sauce; white asparagus with oysters, hazelnuts and clotted cream; raw deer with tarragon and Kalamata olives; and a bay-flavored cheese sorbet with apple and pear purée. If available, don’t miss the endives with orange butter. Pro tip: Reservations are accepted no more than three weeks in advance and dinner booking is competitive. Lunch openings are a good alternative.

This newcomer to the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list is run by chef and owner Ignacio Mattos and wine director and co-owner Thomas Carter. Opened in 2013, their crowded and noisy Mediterranean-inspired bistro on Houston Street serves small tapas-like dishes made with market ingredients and Mediterranean twists. The relaxed vibe and brilliant wine list add to its draw. Served in an unfussy space with wooden floors, unadorned tables and simple furniture, the a la carte menu has fans raving about grapefruit sorbet with yogurt and Campari; a breakfast sandwich with egg, pancetta and avocado; mussel Escabeche on toast (lightly pickled mussels top char-grilled bread with cilantro jus); thick lamb ribs crisp and sticky with honey; and beef tartare with sunchokes.  

Award-winning Chef Tim Raue’s flagship eatery, opened in 2010 near Checkpoint Charlie, is renowned for aromatic, Asian-inspired cuisine crafted with Western ingredients and techniques. Awarded two Michelin stars, diners pack the retro-influenced interior adorned with delicate Chinese pottery and dark wood furniture to dine on such fare as wasabi langoustine. The six-course “Unique” tasting menu is preceded by amuse-bouche, such as spicy cashews, prawn sashimi and marinated pork-belly, moving on to mains featuring Wagyu beef, lobster, Australian winter truffle and tofu. Conversation point: Raue’s wife, Marie-Anne, is the restaurant’s maître d' and sommelier.

Mazunte, a small beach town 70 kilometers from the center of Puerto Escondido, is a gem, quiet and little touched by mass tourism. Among the simple restaurants set under thatched palapas facing the sea is Los Amigos. The chef and owner is originally from Argentina; his proposal is simple, all local and fresh. For those tired of seafood, he does a superb Argentine grill every Saturday, which includes pork belly, steak, marinated ribs and chicken, all cooked over wood coals.