Sorrentino's - San Diego, CA

i love a good cheesesteak. do you ever go to a place that has a huge menu, but you love one thing so much that you never change it up? this is how i feel about sorrentinos. everytime im in sd i make it a point to eat here - on my list of top things i miss about san diego - this is probably top 3. the cheesesteak itself is huge, longer than a footlong, with tons of meat, cheese, onions and green peppers (if thats your thing, i get it without). whether or not they make their own bread or order it, the bread is absolutely the x-factor that makes this sandwich that much better.

i know some people prefer a grease-through-the-bag cheesesteak, this is not that, the meat isnt minced up and it isnt as gooey - but personally i like it better that way.

how many times have you craved pizza but didnt want to have an entire pizza and have leftovers for days? never? me neither, i love pizza. but if im visiting and i dont have a refrigerator pizza by the slice is the answer. pizza by the slice places are a little harder to come by on the west coast it seems and sbarro is not really whats hot right now. slices run for about $1.25 here and they'll throw it back in the oven so its nice and hot.

overall this is a spot i would go to frequently back in college - good value, good food. the owner even started giving me 20% off because he realized i was coming in so much. they have lunch specials (half sub + soup/salad) for cheap, ive never tried their pastas but the other sandwiches are really good as well.

Libby's - Honolulu, HI

this place serves one thing: manapuas. if you don't know what a manapua is, click here to learn more.

2 seconds after holding the manapua

3 seconds after holding the manapua

4 seconds after holding the manapua

you will not be disappointed. i guarantee it. unless you go after noon time because they run out of stuff. FAST. when we went, it was like 1 pm and all they had left was kalua pig manapua. 1 pm?!?! i thought we were early for being in hawaii. it was phenomenal, but i really wanted to try a lot of their other stuff like the black pork hash or their chicken manapua.

i in no way would say i am a bao or manapua expert, but these are by far the best meat filled buns i've ever had in the universe. the bread they use is super soft, sweet and sticky, and the amount of meat they fill it with it incredible. when you're in hawaii and planning on chillin at a beach and driving on the H1 either through or towards honolulu, pick up a dozen...even if you're by yourself. they are great at the beach, on the car ride back from the beach, as a snack late at night, for breakfast food, or any other time you want food. libby's manapuas always hit the spot. literally anywhere.

if you go to the island of oahu, please bring me back a half dozen or so of any type of manapua. surprise me. better yet, surprise me with two dozen.

TLDR version: get any sort of manapua you want....but go early!

Lola - Seattle, WA

i had to try the fried donuts giada de laurentiis mentioned on 'best thing i ever ate', because well she seems very trustworthy, no?

the fried donuts......were amazing. everything i imagined and even more. you know how when you're a kid and you're super excited about christmas? you're just giddy with excitement. you're thinking....maybe a super nintendo or sega genesis, when i was dead broke, man i couldn't picture this....and then the first huge present you open is a super nintendo? and then you go even crazier?!?? yeah, it's basically like that. or like this.

you imagine these fluffy crispy light flavorful donuts and when they come out shaking in the bag and dumped onto your plate, the aroma was so exciting, i forgot to dip it in the sauces. but it was awesome none the less. as i calmed down, i ate some with the sauce and it became more amazing. whew.

so onto one of the wackier food combinations i've ever had - tom's big breakfast. strange combinations when done right are mind boggling. like peanut butter and bananas. or teal and purple. or french fries and ice cream. or jay z and linkin park. or spam, eggs and rice. or japanese and korean people. whoaaaaa racial tensions!! 

OOOOOORRRRRR a chainsaw plus a unicorn:

i present ................. CHAINICORN!!!!

tom's big breakfast is just like chainicorn. it's a wild combination of octopus, yogurt sumac, green beans, bacon and other craziness, but when all put together, it's so frackin ridackulous. i was so hesitant to spend my money on something that could've been such an utter failure, but i'm so glad i went out on a limb and tried it. so when people ask me about places to go in seattle, this is the FIRST place i recommend to people. the second is this irish restaurant called mcdonald's. they serve great fries.

TLDR version: great breakfast spot in seattle....take a chance and try tom's breakfast!