Three Taco Plate  @ Nanataco
This bright and cheery counter-serve spot is known for its sophisticated takes on Mexican comfort classics. Check out such creative additions such as lamb cheeks, tongue and pork belly. You can get three tacos with rice, beans and tortilla chips for less than $10. They have a large student following and it's a perfect spot for families with young kids. Fruity margaritas and a number of choices for beer round out the meal.

Salciccia e Vongole Pizza @ Whit's End
Of the dozen wood-fired pies on offer at Chef Whitney Aycock’s Rockaway Beach pizza parlor, the one that best reflects the terroir is the Salciccia e Vongole (sausage and clams). “These are sand to sand, not sand to mud,” Aycock shouts over the pulsing world music and barroom bravado as he waxes rhapsodic about the Littleneck clams, which are seeded in Rockaway and finished out East. “There’s a big difference genetically. These clams are amazing, dude,” he says before whipping around to split wood in front of the pizza oven that is the heart and soul of his raucous restaurant. Joining the clams are house-made sausage seasoned with spezzaforte, pepperoncini and shaved garlic. Aycock refers to spezzaforte, the aromatic blend of clove, star, anise, juniper, and allspice, as “Tuscan grandmother spices.” The combination of fiordilatte mozzarella and Parmigiano Reggiano with the other toppings makes for the best clam pie outside of Zuppardi’s.

Pigeon @ Lung Wah Hotel
Lung Wah has served great food in Shatin for more than 50 years. Back then, the dining room was on the ground floor while hotel rooms above attracted such celebrity guests as Bruce Lee. The owner’s idea of promoting pigeon was a huge success and today, Shatin pigeon remains a household name. While the rest of the country has undergone a major transformation, Lung Wah seems to remain frozen in time, from its garden to the dining tables. Thankfully, the quality of their pigeon dishes hasn’t changed. They are still considered by Hong Kong gourmands to be the best. Lung Wah’s pigeon are soaked in five spice, then served deep fried, with a thin and crispy skin, or poached one of three ways: in Chinese rice wine, soy sauce or salt brine. The young pigeon meat is tender and moist without being overly fatty or gamey. With Lung Wah’s chicken congee and homemade tofu dessert, pigeon makes up what locals call “Shatin’s Three Treasure.”

Döner Kebab @ Hasir
Doner Kebab at Hasir Hasir is one of the oldest Turkish grills in Berlin. A large contingent of Turks migrated to Berlin when after WWII, becoming the largest immigrant population in the city. In an epic, historic dispute, Hasir’s founder, Mehmet Aygün, claims it was he who invented the German version of the döner kebab in 1971 and not, as common perception goes, Kadir Numan in 1972. True or not, Hasir remains one of the oldest döner kebab eateries still in existence in Berlin.

Schinkenhaxe @ Zur Haxe
Zur Haxe is a fantastic German eatery hidden in Northern Prenzlauer Berg where you can eat Berlin's best Bavarian style pork knuckle and satisfy your deepest pork crackling cravings. This enormous pork knuckle, covered entirely in the most crispy pork crackling, is served with fat slices of potato knödel, a mountain of sauerkraut and the most amazing gravy. If you manage to finish all of it, you have all of my respect. Otherwise, the extremely lovely wait staff, dressed in traditional Bavarian clothes, will be more than happy to pack it in a doggy bag for you.

Strammer Max @ Engelberg
Engelberg is a classic German breakfast and lunch spot on Oderberger Strasse in Prenzlauer Berg, which is one of the most beautiful streets in Berlin. Sourcing some of the finest charcuterie and cheese from across Germany, Engelberg is one of the prime restaurants in the neighborhood and, quite frankly, one of the best spots in Berlin for a proper, German breakfast with copious amounts of bread, cheese, cured meats and sausages. A great, German dish you should try here is the Strammer Max, essentially a thick slice of German sourdough bread with beautiful German ham and two fried eggs.

Currywurst ohne Darm @ Krasselt's Imbiss Berlin
Krasselt's in Steglitz is one of the most iconic currywurst joints in existence. What started out as a cart in a Berlin market in 1959 (the same year the alleged inventor, Hertha Heuwer, patented her famous Chilluo-sauce recipe) is now widely regarded as one of the best currywursts you can get in Berlin. Krasselt's is especially famous for its homemade ketchup and, because hardly any tourists make it out here, it's often the favorite currywurst of local Berliners.

Gemüse Chicken Kebab @ Rüya Gemse Kebab
Rüya Gemse Kebab is a döner kebab snack shack in Schöneberg, entirely off the hipster grid, hidden in plain sight on a main street and one of the strongest contenders for the best chicken döner kebab in Berlin. Rüya serves a succulent and fresh chicken döner kebab, where the quality of the meat and the pita bread play very nicely with the fresh greens, vegetables and herbs.

Buletten  @ Imbiss 204
Imbiss 204 is a tiny restaurant in Prenzlauer Berg that has the looks of your standard snack joint but the food of an upscale, German restaurant. Pay it a visit for a surprisingly sophisticated dining experience and great versions of classic Berlin dishes. Don't miss their signature dish, called Buletten, a classic meatball dish from the region. At Imbiss 204, diners are served three giant meatballs with gravy, fried potatoes and vegetables. Check their daily specials, they are always great.

Combo Yiros @ East End Yiros
After something quick and tasty in the east end of the city and the cafes and restaurants on Rundle Street just aren’t tickling your fancy? Head to East End Yiros on Grenfell Street for a quick bite. Never heard of a yiro? That is what the citizens of Adelaide, call Greek kebabs. I flew solo on my visit and was contemplating between the platter for one or the yiros (a hungry stomach calls for hungry eyes!). The lovely lady behind the counter highly recommended I order the small yiros, or what I like to call it -- the fun-sized yiros! What I got was succulent char-grilled tender meats with a generous serving of fresh crispy lettuce, juicy tomato and a lashing of garlic sauce. Your breath won’t thank you, but your taste buds surely will. Dine in or take away. They have seating upstairs, downstairs and outside. The platter for two is apparently huge. So if you order it, bring your friends, your empty bellies and grab some grub.