Burrito: Papalote Mexican Grill, Carne Asada Burrito
Lightly marinated steak and all the regular fixings are elevated by Papalote's amazing signature salsa. 3409 24th St., San Francisco, CA; papalote-sf.com.
Taco: La Taqueria, Tacos de Carnitas
Meat, beans, and salsa tucked into a corn tortilla proves that sometimes simple really is better. 2889 Mission St., San Francisco, CA; 415/285-7117.
Burger: Little Big Burger, Chèvre with Bacon Burger
As if the winning toppings weren’t enough, the patty is flavored to perfection with a basting of brown butter. 122 N.W. 10th Ave., Portland, OR; littlebigburger.com.
Steak: Laurelhurst Market, Cold Smoked Ribeye with Blue Cheese Butter and Sweet Onion Rings
Laurelhurst individually smokes the steaks with mesquite and adds delicious touches that don’t overpower the meat. 3155 E. Burnside, Portland, OR; laurelhurstmarket.com.
Asian dumplings: Yank Sing, Spinach Dumpling
The fresh vegetable filling and chive sauce make this dumpling a dim sum highlight. 101 Spear St., San Francisco, CA; yanksing.com.
Asian noodles: Boke Bowl, Caramelized Fennel Dashi
This vibrant entrée topped with raw vegetables and seaweed is a vegan dazzler. 1028 SE Water Ave., Portland, OR; bokebowl.com.
Pizza: Ken's Artisan Pizza, Soppressata
The igloo-shaped Neapolitan oven was the first of its kind in Portland and turns out this magnificent spicy pie. 304 S.E. 28th Ave., Portland, OR; kensartisan.com.
Salmon: Willows Inn, Willows Inn Locally-Caught Salmon
Fresh-caught salmon spends ten hours in the smokehouse before diners savor the simply prepared dish. 2579 W. Shore Dr., Lummi Island, WA; willows-inn.com.
Vegan: Natural Selection, Truffle and Potato Filled Morel
A celebration of mushrooms, this dish is soft on the palate yet bursts with flavor. 3033 N.E. Alberta St., Portland, OR; naturalselectionpdx.com.
Salad: Burma Superstar, Tea Leaf Salad
The tea leaves for this crunchy salad of fried garlic, peanuts, and seeds are sourced all the way from Burma. 309 Clement St., San Francisco, CA; burmasuperstar.com.
Ice cream: Salt and Straw, Almond Brittle with Salted Ganache
Grandma's almond brittle is taken to the next level with house-made, perfectly soft chocolate ganache. 2035 N.E. Alberta St., Portland, OR; saltandstraw.com.
Pie: Park Cafe, Razzle Pie
Fans of this pie made with raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries say they can die happy after just one bite. 3147 U.S. 89 W., St. Mary, MT; parkcafe.us.
