Finally, the oyster bar Seattle deserves. The Taylor family has been farming and harvesting some of the Pacific Northwest’s best oysters and shellfish for more than 30 years. For a tide-to-table experience in a casual environment, check out their just-shucked oysters, served on the half-shell with lemon and champagne mignonette; freshly steamed clam and mussels; geoduck sashimi and local Dungeness crab cracked ready to eat. Also check out their artisan beers, ciders, and a rotating wine list.

Owner Hiep Ngo is a Vietnamese-American chef who lived for several years in Louisiana. To bring a taste of the south to the Northwest, he opened Crawfish House in February 2011. Customers can begin their meals with such typical Southern starters as fried pickles, fried gizzards, fried rice or catfish, then top it off with the “boils” — seafood sold by the pound. The choices are crawfish, which comes with sausage and corn, Dungeness crab, snow crab legs, king crab legs, clams or shrimp. But really, it’s all about the crayfish. The seafood comes with a choice of sauce, including Ngo’s special house creation. Crawfish House’s super-spicy seafood boil swims in hot chili oil. Patrons pick the spice level, ranging from “chillin,” to “can’t feel my mouth.”

This tiny neighborhood bar turns out an excellent rendition of the fiery Tennessee specialty. The signature dish starts with a Washington-grown chicken brined in buttermilk for 48 hours, then dredged with a secret blend of “spices and love.” Next, the kitchen crew fries the fowl in cast iron Dutch ovens, coats it in pork fat, and then bastes it with Sisters and Brothers' own hot sauce, followed by a dusting of a proprietary spice blend. Customers can choose their heat level: Naked, Mild, Heat or Insane. Orders come with bread and butter pickles, white bread and a choice of side: fries with malt vinegar aioli; smoked Gouda and Wisconsin cheddar mac ‘n’ cheese; cabbage and pepper slaw; or fried corn cotija with lime aioli.

Pro tip: If you can’t stand the heat, steer clear of even the Mild. Order it Naked.

Taken over in 2006 by Sarintip "Jazz" Singsanong and her brother, Suthiporn "Tui" Sungkamee, this Southern Thai restaurant has become L.A.’s finest Thai restaurant, and one of the best in America. The menu boasts more than 400 dishes of the spicy Thai cuisine, with such classics as coco-mango salad, fried morning glory and turmeric-fried fish. The storefront in a Hollywood strip mall fills up quickly on a typical night, and parking can be hard to find. A row of chairs is set up outside for waiting customers. Secret menu item: The "Jazz Burger” is a Thai-basil-topped beef patty marinated with garlic, palm sugar and other secret ingredients, served with lettuce leaves to wrap it in, along with special sauce, sliced red tomato, slivers of purple onion and spicy chiles.

The Crispy Morning Glory Salad is a showcase of lightly battered and deep-fried Chinese watercress served with shrimp, red onions, red cabbage, cilantro and the restaurant's spicy house dressing. 

If it is Thursday, it’s a Swedish tradition to dine on pea soup and saffron pancakes.  And no one does it better that owner/chef Peter Bennyson, whose restaurant and wine bar in Gamla Stan hosts thematic evenings, wine tastings and fine dining cuisine. Based on the notion that guests should not have to make too many decisions, gastronomic four or seven-course tasting menus are served at dinner. Updated weekly, menus are heavily influenced by European flavors with a Swedish twist and draw on fresh Swedish ingredients like oysters, wild mushrooms, lingonberries, roe deer and juniper.  The award-winning eatery also has an impressive wine cellar, and its selection of wine-by-the-glass is one of the largest in the world. Book in advance, there are only 27 seats.

Chef Ian Doyle, who trained in Michelin-star restaurants Noma and Esperanto, transformed the menu and turned Stockholm Wine Bar into one of the true gems in the city. Next to the Royal Opera, it is easy to miss the restaurant’s anonymous entrance (apart from the summertime when the patio is open). But the venue, in an old bank building, is rich in tradition with wooden décor, high ceiling and white linen on the tables. Dishes like white asparagus with cured egg or sirloin with Jerusalem artichoke, turnip and oxalis frequent the menu. 

See Niki's Blog Post: http://tinyurl.com/hkbhl7e

The sister of two-star Michelin restaurant Frantzen, famous Swedish chef Bjorn Frantzén opened The Flying Elk in 2013 as an upmarket gastropub in Gamla Stan (Old Town). Here, his cuisine is inspired by a blend of Swedish culinary tradition and British pub culture. Explore the hearty menu of updated pub grub, browse the extensive artisan beer list or visit the Gaston wine bar next door. Scallops, aged balsamic vinegar and quail are frequently on the menu. The Fish & Chips, the signature dish, is executed to perfection. The cod melts in your mouth while the batter has just that perfect crust. 

See Niki's Blog Post: http://tinyurl.com/hpbsyl4

This bakery is in the heart of the old town of Lyon, almost opposite the cinema museum. Lyon is noted for its bread and among the city’s top bakeries here, this is a favorite. As well as a variety of loaves, they make superb cherry clafoutis in the summer. The bread here is better than that at the iconic three-star Troisgros, which are made in the kitchens of the famous restaurant. Allow plenty of time or go at a quiet time, because there is usually a queue of locals.

Not only does this 18th-century naval building house exhibits on the history and culture of alcohol in Sweden, it also features a bar and restaurant. The daily changing menu is a creative melting pot stocked with seasonal, locally sourced ingredients. Head chef Petter Nilsson has become a well-known name on the international avant garde cooking scene. Don’t miss his lobster with vinegar-infused pomegranate seeds. 

Rising star and Chef of the Year 2014 Filip Fastén joined forces with colleagues Joel Åhlin and Lina Ahlin Olofsson (formerly of restaurant Frantzen) to create this 24-seater with an open kitchen. The wood-fired oven is the heart of the restaurant and the smell of birchwood is the first thing that greets you when you enter. The forest is present in the decor as well, where birchwood is piled along the walls. Expect top class yet completely relaxed wine service, and hand-picked, foraged and chef-shot produce from Swedish dairies, farms, ranches and forests. The set menu, which places an emphasis on vegetables, changes daily. Two seatings each night feature about four or five dishes and a couple of amuse bouche, depending on the produce availability that specific night.

See Niki's Blog Post: http://tinyurl.com/jmrw45u