Choice Cioppino and Chowder at Ray's Cafe

What: Seafood; Italian and American food

Where: Ray's Cafe in Seattle, WA.

Must Order: Ray's Northwest Cioppino; clam chowder soup

The Verdict: I'm a sucker for seafood. More than that, I'm a snob. A slightly overcooked shrimp has me wrinkle my nose and a fishy-tasting fish makes me shudder. Thus, anyone who can adroitly pick out the pin bones in a fish, who knows to yank a just-pinked shrimp off the grill and can properly cook up a fish without charring the skin definitely has my respect. And at Ray's Cafe, they certainly know their seafood. What else would one expect from a swanky (but not too swanky) establishment overlooking Puget Sound?

Two dishes in particular that are the stand-out stars are Ray's Northwest Cioppino and the Clam Chowder Soup. For only $19 you can enjoy all your favorite fish, shellfish and crustacean simmered to perfection in a tomato-saffron broth. The entree comes with manila clams, penn cove mussels, dungeness crab meat, whitefish, salmon, shrimp and two slices of garlic bread neatly tucked in. All the seafood is fresh and and provided in appropriate portions. There's enough of each item to satisfy your palate yet somehow leave you wanting more. As for the broth, the saffron ever so slightly mellows the tartness of tomatoes so that no flavors are lost.

The Clam Chowder Soup, meanwhile, is a dish you expect Ray's to have just right -- and it does. It's thick and chunky, with enough clams and potato wedges to fill you up. I recommend splitting a cup (for $5) with a friend to ensure you're still hungry enough for the entree.

Get Old-Fashioned at Top Pot Doughnuts

What: Doughnuts, pastries, coffee and tea

Where: Top Pot Doughnuts in downtown Seattle, WA.

Must Order: Old fashioned doughnuts, including glazed and pumpkin; ovaltine latte

The Verdict: So what? They're just doughnuts. Ah, but often, it's the simpler foods that catch our eye. Certainly, unusual foods pique my interest, but when I hear about an ordinary dish that's served up in a memorable way, I do a double-take.

You may have heard of Top Pot Doughnuts in the news recently; President Barack Obama stopped by in October and treated himself (and, I assume, his sizable entourage) to a few dozen doughnuts. The friendly staff at Top Pot revealed that the president himself enjoyed the Pumpkin Old-Fashioned Doughnut. That, indeed, was one of the establishment's better doughnuts, but my personal favorite was Old-Fashioned Glazed. It was simple, it was sweet and best of all, it packed that ever so slight resistance when I bit down.

Sweet treats aside, another must-order is the Ovaltine Latte. I'm a big fan of both hot chocolate (when it's made correctly) and lattes. Top Pot fuses them together with this drink. With the sweetness of the chocolate and the kick of the coffee, you get the best of both worlds in this velvety drink.

The Cheesiest Grilled Cheese at Dahlia Lounge

What: American and Italian food; lunch/dinner; appetizers; brunch

Where: Dahlia Lounge in downtown Seattle, WA.

Must Order: Grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup; coconut cream pie

The Verdict: I first heard about this restaurant a few months ago from The Best Thing I Ever Ate on The Food Network. The moment Giada De Laurentiis named the Lemon Scallion Dungeness Crab Cakes as her go-to crab cake fix I made it my mission to someday visit Dahlia Lounge. So when I took a weekend trip to Seattle, WA, the Tom Douglas establishment was first on my list of restaurants. As much as it pains me to say this, the crab cakes were just average. I appreciated the quality crab meat but overall I found the cakes to be dry -- they were breaded too heavily. $29 is too much to pay for mediocre crab cakes. But enough about those cakes. Let's talk about what truly is delish megish at Dahlia Lounge.

It's the grilled cheese sandwich. Simple as that.

In between two slices of potato bread is thick, gooey cheddar cheese. But what they don't specify about the Dahlia Potato Loaf Grilled Cheese and Tom's Tasty Tomato Soup on the menu is that they lovingly crust the outsides of the bread with parmesan cheese, a salty bite that complements the sharp cheddar. Munch on this with the accompanying side of tasty tomato soup, a thick yet brothy concoction, and you immediately forget the rainy dreary weather outside. For $12 this filling duo is a good deal.

But save room for dessert! The foodie adventure isn't over yet. Be sure to order a slice of the Coconut Cream Pie. It's soft and fluffy, creamy yet light -- truly a decadent treat and well worth the $9.