Elite [San Gabriel Valley]
700 South Atlantic Boulevard, Monterey Park
626-282-9998

Sea Harbour [San Gabriel Valley]
3939 Rosemead Boulevard, Rosemead
626-288-3939

King Hua [San Gabriel Valley]
2000 West Main Street, Alhambra
626-282-8833

Discuss: Dim sum at King Hua: A Pictorial Essay

Photograph of shrimp dumplings by J.L.

Though still a fan of the bakery, cothev isn't as excited as blanch. "The croissants are indeed good, though small, but I'm not sure they are the greatest in the world," cothev says.

Maison Giraud Bakery [Westside - Beaches]
1032 Swarthmore Avenue, Pacific Palisades
310-459-7562

Discuss: Maison Giraud in Pacific Palisades has the greatest croissant in the world

Until now. Lau recently weighed in on both of these Japanese standards, finding them to be worthy versions. He reports that Berkshire pork sukiyaki—thin-sliced meat, simmered at the table with vegetables, tofu, and glass noodles in a concentrated broth seasoned with soy, mirin, and sugar—is very tasty. Beef shabu-shabu—the hot-pot variant in which slices of meat are briefly swished (hence the dish's onomatopoeic name) in boiling broth—is another winner. It's served with noodles, a heap of vegetables, and sesame and ponzu sauces for dipping.

Rounding out Lau's dinner: creditable renditions of simmered kabocha (winter squash); house-made tofu; sautéed ginger pork; satsuma age (fried fish cake, a past hound favorite); and tender, buttery gindara saikyo (miso-marinated grilled black cod). Service is friendly and the clientele is mostly Japanese, but the restaurant's access—downstairs to the basement, then upstairs to the above-street-level dining room—is somewhat baffling.

Momokawa [Kips Bay]
157 E. 28th Street (between Third and Lexington Avenues), Manhattan
212-684-7830

Discuss: Momokawa – Unappreciated Shabu Shabu and Sukiyaki

In some ways, Yo-Burger might even be too much like its fast-growing inspiration. Just two months after it opened, the lines at peak hours rival Shake Shack's. "They even went to the trouble of over-salting the meat just like Shake Shack!" says District 10. "Actually, the fries are way better than Shake Shack's. All in all, it's a pretty nice spot, and I'd much rather those guys have my money than Danny Meyer."

Yo-Burger [Bronx]
3726 Riverdale Avenue (near W. 238th Street), Bronx
718-708-6828

Discuss: Riverdale Restaurants

But Landbrot, which opened its West Village flagship last month and has a Lower East Side café/bar on the way, is not about bread alone. Chowhounds recommend the Linzer cake, Berliners (jelly doughnuts), bear claws, rhubarb coffee cake, pretzel rolls (plain or topped with Gouda), and an apple strudel that michelleats calls "out of this world"—moist and loaded with apple, raisins, nuts, and sweet spices. Arrive earlier in the day and you're likely to have lots of choices. kathryn dropped in around 4 p.m. and was too late for the Berliners. Timing was also an issue for katzimmer: "While I could not be more excited about the free-pretzel-with-your-beer happy hour, my pretzel was a little stale when I got it around 6 p.m."

Landbrot Bakery & Bar [West Village]
137 Seventh Avenue S. (between W. 10th and Charles Streets), Manhattan
212-255-7300

Discuss: Landbrot Bakery

Stephanie's sister restaurant, Stephi's on Tremont, opened in 2008 and is a much better choice, with some good food and "respectable" bartending. The delicious warm goat cheese appetizer comes with olives, roasted garlic, and a toasted baguette with herbs, and the "towering" ahi tuna tartare is wonderful, phelana says. "It was sushi grade tuna served with sesame poached tomatoes, whipped avocado, chipotle chile soy sauce, spicy mayonnaise, and lime vinaigrette."

Thanks to the outdoor tables, Stephi's on Tremont is great for people-watching, too—on the weekend, the area is "positively hopping," says phelana.

Stephanie's on Newbury [Back Bay]
190 Newbury Street, Boston
617-236-0990

Stephi's on Tremont [South End]
571 Tremont Street, Boston
617-236-2063

Discuss: Stephi's on Tremont

The schnitzel is outstanding, with a "perfectly crunchy breading on mouth-watering tender pork." But the Green Goddess salad is just "pretty good"; the highlight, again, is the pickles (in this case, pickled grapes).

The atmosphere at Deep Ellum is "dark and cozy," and there's an "elusive [and] amazing" beer menu. "If only I lived within walking distance of this place," says heypielady. "I could really become a regular."

Deep Ellum [Allston]
477 Cambridge Street, Allston
617-787-2337

Discuss: deep ellum

Fresh Pond Seafood [Arlington]
75 Summer Street, Arlington
781-777-1784

Discuss: Fresh Pond Fish reopening

Photograph by Ferrari328

Joan Kureczka loves Gilberth's "real winner": a burger made with a mix of lamb and chorizo, served with excellent fries and smoky chipotle aioli. It's moist, flavorful, and monster huge, cut in quarters and certainly large enough to share. The lightly pickled vegetables served on the side are divine, "especially the crunchy, raw pickled beets."

That burger is only $12, a relative bargain compared to Mission Bowling Club's much-praised and time-intensive $15 burger, served sans frites.

Gilberth's Rotisserie and Grill [Dogpatch]
2427 Third Street, San Francisco
415-913-7163

Discuss: Gilberth's Rotisserie and Grill -- looks like this is the first report [San Francisco]

A "sweet, crispy" pineapple turnover (three for $1) was loaded with fruit, as was a crispy, 15-inch-long stick-shaped pastry, "sort of like a diet palmier." On Saturday, Salvadoran tamales sell for $2 each. "Worth a stop if you're in the neighborhood," wolfe says.

Angie's Bakery [East Bay]
12889 San Pablo Avenue, Richmond
510-776-4759

Discuss: Turnovers at Angie's Bakery [Richmond]

Other interesting items on the menu include pig's stomach with preserved mustard, steamed head and stomach of live fish, and a coconut dish with sweet hasma (a traditional Chinese ingredient made from frog fat).

Yuet Foo Seafood [East Bay]
10350 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito
510-528-6847

Discuss: Yuet Foo Seafood in El Cerrito

"I usually order gun lo mein with wontons and duck with choy sum. I've been having it for 15 yrs or so. I now also order the crispy noodles with beef and choy sum. It's kinda like oyster sauce chicken over cake noodle from Hawaii, which I adore. Everyone does seem to order the fried fish." – mikeylikesit on B & M Mei Sing in SF's South of Market neighborhood

"Bevmo has the best selection. They usually have Abita, which you should definitely include. I also like and they have Sioux City and Sprecher's. Faygo is sweet but good. Sioux City also makes root beer variants birch beer and sarsaparilla. These brands are superior to the bigger commercial brands that I have tried like Thomas Kemper and IBC. ... Bevmo also has a 12 can pack of assorted root beer brands." – chocolatetartguy on the root beer selection at BevMo!

"Deviled eggs were mustardy, creamy, and served with a Parmesan frico. Nice little crunch to go with the softness and truffly perfume."

Octopus had a "nice char with lots of sliced garlic, some potatoes, and a ton of tasso." It's served with bread for mopping up the oil at the bottom of the plate.

To see the rest of yumyum's photos, be sure to check out the full thread.

Teatro [Downtown Crossing]
177 Tremont Street, Boston
617-778-6841

Discuss: Dinner before the ballet – near Boston Opera House

Photographs by yumyum

Topping a bowl of labne with a generous drizzle of honey and nuts is “by far my favorite way” to eat it, says bulavinaka, while zataar spreads it on a whole-grain English muffin, drizzles with honey, and tops with plenty of black pepper.

If you want to incorporate labne into a more complex dish, consider this bulgur pilaf with spinach and roasted tomatoes, which is “very tasty,” says Emily Hope. “Even my husband, who groans every time I bring out the bulgur, approved!”

Discuss: Uses for labne

Labne image from Shutterstock

These chewy molasses squares are a “sweet treat with a purely molasses flavor,” says Becca Porter, who thinks they “really are incredible!” And this granola recipe “is awesome for molasses lovers - like a gingersnap for breakfast!” says julesrules.

Discuss: Molasses...

Molasses image from Shutterstock

Chowhounds like to pair broccoli rabe with pasta. magiesmom cooks pasta, adding the rabe for the last five minutes, then tosses the drained pasta and greens with garlic sautéed in olive oil. Orecchiette with rabe and spicy sausage is “one of the best and easiest dishes around,” Mel.D says. For a variation, try CHOW’s Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe, Red Pepper Flakes, and Anchovies.

bob96 makes a pesto by blending grated cheese and rabe braised with garlic and olive oil, then tosses it with rice or pasta. Isolda makes a rice dish by sautéing garlic, then adding rice, red pepper flakes, white wine, blanched broccoli rabe, and chicken stock or water before covering and simmering until the rice is done.

Grilling is a great way to cook rabe, according to Jason_King, who says it “tastes wonderful with a little char on it.” MGZ drizzles it with olive oil and salt and roasts it at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for around 20 minutes, and erica recommends it baked with Parmesan.

Discuss: Broccoli Rabe - alternatives to sauteing?

Photograph of CHOW's Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe by Christopher Rochelle / CHOW.com

"I love pan fried chicken hearts, but grilled is even better. My favorite is to marinate briefly (maybe 30 minutes) in the adobo sauce from a can of chipotle chiles plus some lime or lemon juice. Skewer a bunch of hearts, and grill over charcoal or under the broiler. If you don't like it so hot, try a soy sauce + sesame oil + ginger + garlic + lemon marinade. Or if you're a minimalist, just brush with olive oil and sprinkle on some kosher salt." - Zeldog

"I use a Chinese dredge consisting of 1/2 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of corn starch with some salt and pepper ... I pat them dry and flip them in the dredge and fry them in peanut oil. I'll either eat them in a sandwich of toasted bread or by themselves. And I eat every bit, leaving nothing behind. They are so delicious. Yes the inside is a little stronger in flavor but that's part of the experience for me." - Cremon on soft-shell crabs

"Modern Pastry had a line out the door. Met some nice locals waiting—Bostonians are really friendly. They drove in from the 'burbs to get dessert for their best friend. Sweet. This place is really inefficient, but I thought it was good. They fill the cannoli to order. Delicious. Tried something called a torrone—loved the peanut one."

Want to know what he thought of Mike's Pastry down the street? Read the full post here.

Modern Pastry [North End]
257 Hanover Street, Boston
617-523-3783

Discuss: SF Hound Arriving 4/27 – Would appreciate advice

"The filet never has bones, catfish doesn't have nasty scales, and the meat is sweet and never fishy. It is a winner for people who don't much like fish. I fix it oven-fried—give it a squirt of PAM and roll it in bread crumbs then bake it at 425 degrees so that the outside gets crunchy. Because it's so sweet it goes well with a tangy sauce so I either make a sweet-and-sour pineapple sauce (onion, green pepper, a can of crushed pineapple, vinegar, sugar, thicken with cornstarch and serve the fish with rice) or a fresh salsa and have the catfish Cuban-style with black beans and rice." - Querencia

"I know of no USDA approved processing centers for poopy (yes, that is actually what donkey meat is technically called!). If you are traveling I should point out however that Venice is far from the only place that serves it. Saucisson d'Ane is a specialty of the French town of Arles (and horse sausage is common throughout the Camargue area). Actually you may have already tasted it. I remember reading that it is pretty common to add horse and donkey to the pork in many European dry sausages, common enough [that] the USDA was working on a way to be able to DNA test sausage meat to determine what animals were present." - jumpingmonk

Fried dough in various guises is a staple. For many hounds, this means churros. "Oh those fluffy, crunchy-on-the-outside cinnamon-sugar coated delights," says Popkin. kattyeyes knows sweet fried dough as pizza fritte. "I don't mind a hit of the brush with melted butter, either, before sprinkling the sugar on," she says. The English version, says smartie, is fried doughnuts hot out of the frier, dusted with caster sugar. "[T]hey taste like funnel cakes in a way but are doughier," says smartie. And sunangelmb loves the fried dough balls called zeppole at Italian carnivals: "So light and delicious, they were like eating sweet balloons."

Forget fried dough—swamp thinks the best festival food is crawfish Monica, a rich pasta dish with plenty of cheese and cream. kattyeyes' favorite is the beer-battered apple slices known as appelflappen, dusted with powdered sugar. "They used to hand out stickers 'I only came for the appelflappen' and I would wear mine proudly ALL DAY," she says.

In DunkTheBiscuit's area, fairs usually have a curry stall serving little tubs of vegetable masala and chapatis. "You balance the very hot tub on top of the hot chapatis in a paper napkin in one hand, and juggle to break off bits of bread to scoop up the curry with the other hand," says DunkTheBiscuit. "The precarious situation is part of the experience." jmcarthur8 loves lemon shake-ups (made-to-order lemonade), and tzurriz has four favorites: "Pickles, the mushrooms simmered in amazing sauce all day long served in a styro bowl with a toothpick, hot sweet pecans, and fried green tomatoes. YUMMMMMM!"

Discuss: Fair & carnival food

Image source: Fried dough image from Shutterstock