Frikandel sandwich (Belgian street food) topped with cheddar cheese and cheddar duvel ale sauce at Saus in Boston, MA

Kale ravioli (made with wonton wrappers) in a thyme-lemon broth, garnished with preserved lemons and fried garlic

Tomatoes and goat cheese in wonton cups with balsamic glaze

Breakfast sandwich at The Haven, a Scottish pub in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts: one fried egg, Lorne-style sausage, Cotswold cheese, tattie scone, and pickle juice on a brioche bun, with a side of baked beans.

Hasselback potatoes with pesto, served as a side to grilled goose with a red wine reduction.

The winners of my quest to find the best cupcakes in Massachusetts: miniature cupcakes from The Chocolate Tarte, a bakery in Somerville, MA

Biscuits and Gravy for brunch at Pies 'n' Thighs, a Southern restaurant and bakery in Brooklyn, NY

An organic miniature maple bacon cupcake (topped with candied bacon!) from Le Petit Cupcakery in Brooklyn, NY

Arroz con pollo, a traditional saffron rice dish, at Tio Pepe in NYC's West Village. This version includes chorizo, peas, and red peppers.

Steamed dumplings filled with broccoli and spinach in a black bean vinaigrette from Spice, a small chain of Thai restaurants in New York City.

Seared striped bass with summer succotash, cockles, and homemade chorizo: course five of a nine-course tasting menu at KO Prime in downtown Boston, Massachusetts.

A bowl of slow-cooked pulled pork with BBQ beans, garlicky, kale, and slaw - part of the Restaurant Week menu at Thee Red Fez, a gastropub in Providence, Rhode Island.

Beef on Weck, a Buffalo, NY specialty, at All Star Sandwich Bar in Cambridge, Massachusetts: thinly sliced, rare roast beef on a kummelweck roll with hot au jus. It is often topped with horseradish.

A Mint Chocolate cupcake from Cakeology, a new mobile cupcakery based in Boston, Massachusetts: Ghirardelli chocolate mint cake with green mint buttercream, chocolate ganache and a Junior Mint candy

Gingerbread cake, a toasted vanilla bean marshmallow, and chocolate ganache. Friday's Flavor of the Day at Kickass Cupcakes in Somerville, Massachusetts.

A peanut butter chocolate cupcake from Petsi Pies in Somerville, Massachusetts.

Muffin-sized blueberry pies topped with sugared basil leaves.