“I want to start with a hometown iconic restaurant that I used to visit when I was a kid and still do now when I go back to see my family: Pete’s Hot Dogs stand in Newburgh, New York. It’s this hole-in-the-wall a block away from a scrapyard, and it’s the best hot dog I’ve ever had. I always order a chili dog: If I could ship Pete’s chili dogs here, then I’d be home.”

“Heading into New York City, Hop Kee is an incredible Chinese restaurant that has been around for decades. Whenever I’m there, I get the duck. It blew me away so much that we had someone make us a scale model of this restaurant, out of plastic and foam, that I have in my home.”

“It wouldn’t be a trip to New York without Peter Luger’s. I’ll have my father drive down from the Hudson Valley and we’ll meet up here for dinner. It’s simple, but it’s just so seamless. Everything I order is perfect. We get a massive steak for four, even though there’s only two of us. Tomato and onion: You have to get that too. And an apple strudel with extra schlag at the end—schlag is a pile of homemade whipped cream. I keep a bottle of Peter Luger steak sauce in my fridge.”

“I lived in Massachusetts for a couple years, and though I didn’t realize it at the time, that was a lot of my study for Broad Street Oyster Co. One of the iconic destinations there is the Clam Box in Ipswich, which has been around since 1935. It’s a down-and-dirty fried-seafood New England spot, which I love. You have to get the fried clams. I get the fried scallops too.”

“My favorite slice in New York is Patsy’s in East Harlem. You have to be very careful with the pizza place that you choose as your favorite slice! Whenever we visit my girlfriend’s family in Long Island, we’ll drive over to Patsy’s, pick up a couple of pies, and head out to Glen Cove. I’m amazed by it. It’s the best group of people imaginable that line up to grab a slice. We’ll order a couple of pies, then I’ll grab a slice or two to eat while we people watch.”

“Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami is a really special place to me. I’ve become friendly with the owner, so I’ve been able to sit at a two top in the kitchen on a Saturday night, which is one of the most mesmerizing experiences, to watch that type of service. It’s like an orchestra. And it’s silent! Some of these guys have been in the kitchen for 20, 30 years. It’s so impressive. I get two or three orders of the select stone crab claws, hash browns, and fried chicken. The fried chicken is the sleeper!”

“My favorite barbecue—which is another contentious choice—is in Kansas City, at Arthur Bryant’s. They've been around since at least the ’40s. It's a magical place. You walk in, and you’re just like: ‘This is the spot.’ That’s something you earn over decades; it’s so hard to replicate with a new restaurant. Burnt ends is the most popular there, but I love their brisket.”

“My favorite deli of all time is Langer’s in Los Angeles. I used to make it a tradition: Every single Monday for the first five or six years I lived in Los Angeles, I would go to Langer’s. I order pastrami on rye and tuna on egg bread. I’m a glutton! I'll eat both of those sandwiches. It’s my favorite tuna sandwich in Los Angeles. And I get a cream soda. That’s my happy place.”

“My personal favorite, for legacy restaurants in California, is Musso & Frank. Musso & Frank makes me feel how, as a kid, I always imagined I would feel in a restaurant in Los Angeles. Martinis. Ribeyes. A packed dining room. That’s what it’s all about.”

“I get a similar feeling at Tadich Grill in San Francisco as I do at Musso & Frank, but it’s a different vibe. It’s so impressive to sit at the end of the massively long bar here and look down at the packed room. Every time I’ve been there, I’ve loved the experience. I’m a pretty simple man, so I typically just get some type of meat and a martini and I’m loving life.”