I've been eating my why through the menu at SimpleThings, but might have to halt my journey after trying the Sweet Potato sandwich: a thick slab of warm grilled sweet potato, with "jammy" onions, creamy chevre spread, and sliced avocado, contrasted against the crunch of tart Granny Smith apples and crisp cumin coleslaw. More

• Junoon: Is Fine Dining Indian Worth The Price of Admission?: Indian classics in fine dining style. Stick to the eggplant chaat and vegetarian thalis for the best values.
• The Best Pad Thai in Chicago: It may not be possible to find truly authentic pad Thai in Chicago restaurants, but with 13 contenders and a strict set of criteria, we embarked on a journey to find the next best thing.
• Trout Salad Sandwich at The Sentinel, San Francisco: This enormous sandwich is crazy addictive, combining tender, flaky pieces of smoky trout with diced up apple, snappy fennel, and mayonnaise for a deliciously layered flavor profile.
• Almost Every Burger From the 2012 Philadelphia Burger Crawl: With 23 restaurants competing to raise money for charity, not to mention the title of Best Burger, this cook-off showcased the tastiest patties Philly's chefs have to offer.
• The Guerra Legacy Lives on at Detroit's Cloverleaf: One of the oldest pizzerias in Detroit, started by the man who introduced the world to Detroit-style pizza, Cloverleaf will scratch a pizza-loving itch but ultimately falls short of other local competition.
• 7 Can't-Miss Dosas in NYC: Even the most standard dosa manages to delight taste buds, but that doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement. From Chili Paneer to Gunpowder Masala, this roundup of diverse dosa preparations highlights the most unique and standout variations to be found in New York.
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I have something of a problem with the trout salad sandwich at The Sentinel—namely, that I can't seem to stop ordering it. This is a problem because every sandwich available at The Sentinel is, well, awesome. More

In Los Angeles, there is no sanctity in food. This town invented the Korean BBQ taco, the sushi burger, and all sorts of wacky pizza concoctions along the way. So it should come as no surprise that Sky's Gourmet Tacos, a Mid-City sit down spot with a soul food bent and one hell of a great lemonade, serves up some of the tastiest and most inauthentic tacos in this part of town. More

• Perla in the West Village: Gabriel Stulman's Latest Hit: Perla seems very much a neighborhood restaurant, but it's stately and sophisticated, a restaurant that belongs on Minetta Lane, with all that name connotes.
• First Look: Burritt Room and Tavern, San Francisco: Chef Ashley Weaver shared a number of dishes at Charlie Palmer's new restaurant in the Mystic Hotel, which will remain on the menu year-round, while adjusting to account for in-season fruits and vegetables.
• Standing Room Only: Jimmy Bannos Sr.'s Big Easy in the Chase Tower: What this New Orleans-inspired stand lacks in the ambiance of its sister Heaven on Seven, it makes up for in convenience and affordability, making it a solid lunch option for those on the go.
• Reality Check: Burger King Japan's Apple-topped Ringo Burger: Japan is a country known for trying out flavor combinations that few others would--tomato-flavored white chocolate, anyone?--so it's no surprise Burger King in Japan released the BK Ringo: a burger with lettuce, honey mustard, mayo, and a slice of apple (ringo in Japanese).
• Six Flatbreads in San Francisco that Raise One Big Question: Not quite a bread, not yet a pizza: six curious, quirky topped flatbreads in San Francisco.
• Los Angeles: Los Cinco Puntos Really Is That Good: A squat and vibrantly painted building that overlooks a confluence of five different streets--Cinco Puntos means "the five points"—these guys are at once a neighborhood small grocer, local lunch spot, and takeaway dinner destination.
• Knockout Noodles: Japchae at Tozi: Japchae is a pretty uncommon sight in Chicago's Korean restaurants. At Tozi, the japchae rocks all that good stuff and more.
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The perks of tasting menus: Part of the fun is the element of surprise, and part is being served something that you wouldn't ordinarily order—and discovering a new, unlikely favorite. That's how it happened with me and the Grilled Trout ($22) at Il Casale. More

The Tribune is garnished with a handful of salaminchini—pepperoncini stuffed with salami-wrapped provolone—halved and jammed into the sandwich along with dry cured capicola (the real stuff, similar to prosciutto) and regular capicola (the pink stuff that's more like deli ham). More

Los Cinco Puntos is an absolute Los Angeles treasure. As a gateway into East LA (both figuratively and literally, with their location along Cesar Chavez Blvd.), there is no better messenger to herald the call of the authentic taco. Inside, they'll point you in the right meat direction, take care of your homemade tortilla needs, and deliver you a finished taco that is among the best you'll find not just in Los Angeles, but anywhere. More

If you've ever stood in line for Richie Nakano's Hapa Ramen, you get what all the fuss is about. Since he started slinging noodles at the Ferry Building's Tuesday and Thursday Farmer's Market, the demand for his innovative and deeply satisfying dishes has steadily grown. In addition to being a fixture at the Fort Mason Off-The-Grid on Friday's, Nakano will be opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant in the Fillmore this summer. More

Meals in New Orleans are rarely a one-napkin affair, and the Shrimp Po' Boy ($10) at Domilise'sis no exception. When they serve up your order, the guys at the counter hand over a small stack of paper towelettes, and with a sandwich this chock-full of juicy fried shrimp, fully dressed, you'll need 'em. More

For years, I wrote off New York Subway as not worth my time; that was easy to do if all you ever did was briefly glance inside. Luckily, a few years before I left Toronto, I tried several items at this curiously-named shop, which specializes in Indian-spiced burritos and satay sandwiches—not deli-style hoagies, as the name might suggest. The veggie burritos (particularly the cauliflower and bean) are great and cheap, but I have more love for the grilled chicken sandwiches, like the grilled chicken satay sub ($8.95). More

Starbelly's Dungeness crab cake po' boy ($15), available at lunch and brunch, is as fresh and produce-oriented as a sandwich involving fried fish can be. Couched in a warm, fresh roll, the sandwich is certainly smaller than its New Orleans' cousins, and seems to have tomato slices as thick as the red pepper-laced crab cakes. Still, the flavor of the crab most certainly shines through, and an ample dollop of Old Bay aioli keeps the sandwich from feeling too healthy. More

If you never left downtown Los Angeles, you'd be convinced that the whole wide world is awash in Mexicali Taco & Co. love. The former late night taco table long sat in a parking lot north of Staples Center, often siphoning off in-the-know event goers willing to trade in a yard of beer for some of LA's best street eats. After piling up enough gold stars from locals and food-blogging bigwigs alike, they managed to win the vaunted 2011 Taco Madness bracket-style tournament. They quickly earned a whole new wave of hungry customers. Then they earned themselves an eviction notice. More