A rich goat massaman curry from Kin Shop in Manhattan. [Photo: Robyn Lee]

Kin Shop: The delectable Thai fare at this new West Village restaurant in New York proves that Top Chef alum Harold Dieterle is a champ on and off screen. The Goat Massaman Curry, "rich with shallots, toasted coconut, dry chile," and melt-in-your-mouth braised goat neck, was one of the night's many hits.

San Francisco Neapolitan: Flour +Water are only two of the many ingredients that go into the pizza at this San Francisco "Cali-politan" restaurant of the same name.

Oddly Specific Pizza: Daniel Zemans has labeled the pies at Joe's Italian Villa in Bridgeview, IL "Midwest tavern thin crust." Similar to Chicago-style thin crust, the shredded in-house mozzarella and "crisp, cracker-thin, yeast-free crust" make the oddly specific pies at this 60+ year old institution worthwhile.

Pastrami Burger: The epitome of excess, the gigantic pastrami burger at The Hat in Pasadena, CA, takes a bland patty and turns it into a "salty, rich mess of flavor that delivers one of those deeply satisfying, over-the-tip mouthfuls that define great burgers."

Spicy & Tasty: The food at this Flushing Sichuan restaurant in Queens mostly lives up to its name. While some of the dishes lacked sufficient Sichuan peppercorns, the Shredded Dry Beef with Spicy Sauce, "stir-fried with fermented soy bean, celery, chili peppers, and Sichuan peppercorns," was nothing short of "sado-masochistic capsicum-powered self-flagellation."

Good Burgers In Chicago: The burgers at Stable Kitchen & Bar in Chicago are more than decent, but the greatness that should come with a $15 burger just isn't there.