California

Fried catfish has a way of turning a regular drive into a mission. Across California, from busy city…

By Evan Cook · Sep 26

Ask any group of California transplants where to get a real Philly cheesesteak and you will start an…

By Evan Cook · Sep 26

There is a rhythm to weekends in California, and for a lot of people it starts with a…

By Evan Cook · Sep 26

California takes its fish tacos seriously, and the best ones are often found in small spots that fill…

By Evan Cook · Sep 26

Millions of people know the soft rolls that show up at holiday tables and grocery store shelves, but…

By Evan Cook · Sep 25

Some cafes ask you to slow down, and this one in the Sierra foothills means it. Locals happily…

By Evan Cook · Sep 25

There is a bar in downtown Los Angeles where the walls hold more than a century of stories,…

By Evan Cook · Sep 25

The smell of fresh bread has a way of stopping people mid-walk along the San Francisco waterfront, and…

By Evan Cook · Sep 25

Menudo is one of those dishes people plan their whole weekend around, and California has plenty of kitchens…

By Evan Cook · Sep 25

Some breakfast spots earn a following one plate at a time, and this little cafe in the Sierra…

By Evan Cook · Sep 25

Some places in wine country hand you a tasting menu and a lecture. Others just pour a solid…

By Evan Cook · Sep 24

Some restaurants feed you and send you on your way. This one hands you a plate and then…

By Evan Cook · Sep 24

Some meals in San Francisco arrive on a plate. Others arrive in a bowl so large it could…

By Evan Cook · Sep 24

Some mornings in a small California town start with a line forming outside a wooden storefront, all for…

By Evan Cook · Sep 24

Tucked into the pine-covered foothills of the Sierra Nevada sits a small city where the pace slows down…

By Evan Cook · Sep 24

Somewhere in Monterey sits a building where a single afternoon can turn into a full-day hunt without anyone…

By Evan Cook · Sep 24

If you have ever had a real torta ahogada, you know it is not a quiet sandwich. A…

By Evan Cook · Sep 23

Some places on the map stay quiet because they make you work for them. A long climb over…

By Evan Cook · Sep 23

Somewhere in the San Fernando Valley, there is a counter where the coffee stays hot no matter what…

By Evan Cook · Sep 23

Some restaurants build their reputation on a single plate, and word travels fast when a dish is worth…

By Evan Cook · Sep 23

Some meals are worth a long drive across open desert roads, past wide horizons and quiet stretches of…

By Evan Cook · Sep 23

California is packed with old-school diners that make waking up early feel worth it. From coastal towns to…

By Evan Cook · Sep 22

Some breakfast spots chase trends. This one has stayed almost exactly the same for over seventy years, and…

By Evan Cook · Sep 22

California grows more strawberries and avocados than anywhere else in the country, and the best way to taste…

By Evan Cook · Sep 22

A good patty melt is a simple promise kept: a griddled beef patty, melted cheese, and soft onions…

By Evan Cook · Sep 22

California has more coastline than most people can drive in a single trip, and every stretch of it…

By Evan Cook · Sep 22

California takes its doughnuts seriously, and some shops have people waiting in line before the sun is even…

By Evan Cook · Sep 22

Prime rib is one of those meals that turns a regular dinner into an event, especially when the…

By Evan Cook · Sep 22

Some of the best food along the Northern California coast comes from a place with no fancy dining…

By Evan Cook · Sep 21

There is something about a chili dog served through a walk-up window that a fancy restaurant just cannot…

By Evan Cook · Sep 21

Some mornings call for more than a plate of eggs and a paper cup of coffee. They call…

By Evan Cook · Sep 21

House prices across California can make your head spin, yet there is one desert spot where the math…

By Evan Cook · Sep 21

Roast beef sandwiches do not always get the spotlight, but across California there are counter spots where regulars…

By Evan Cook · Sep 21

Some people fly across an ocean to taste real Neapolitan pizza, but a growing crowd in Orange County…

By Evan Cook · Sep 21

Some scoop shops keep it simple with a dozen tubs and call it a day. Then there is…

By Evan Cook · Sep 20

Some corner spots in a small California town carry more history than the buildings around them, and this…

By Evan Cook · Sep 20

Some places quietly hold onto their old ways while the rest of the world races ahead, and one…

By Evan Cook · Sep 20

Some road trips are all about the destination, but there is a spot near Palm Springs where the…

By Evan Cook · Sep 20

Halfway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, right along a stretch of old Route 66, sits a road-trip…

By Evan Cook · Sep 20