The Travel Channel will feature East Nashville's own Mitchell Delicatessen tonight at 8 pm CDT on Adam Richman's Best Sandwich in America. A much slimmer Richman (of Man vs. Food fame) is clearly benefitting from the switch to a new show, which does not require him to consume/sweat through 12-egg omelettes from Beth's Cafe, 180 Oysters from Acme Oyster House or fiery phaal curry from Brick Lane among other ludicrous food challenges. 

As for the Mitchell's sandwich up for the honor of competing with the nation's best: That would be the Asian Flank Steak Sandwich topped with provolone and crunchy giardiniera (available only on Mondays). As far as we're concerned, it couldn't have happened to a more deserving restaurant. This great little neighborhood deli provides hearty breakfasts, local meats and cheeses, and wonderful sandwiches - we're particularly fond of the turkey-apple-brie, the curried chicken salad and the turkey-avocado-bacon (Benton's, of course). Here's a sneak preview of tonight's episode, in which the Asian Flank Steak Sandwich will compete with the chicken cheddar biscuit from Time-Out in Chapel Hill and the Chicken Conquistador from Zunzi's in Savannah, GA. 

Happy Mardi Gras and laissez les bon temps rouler! The editors of LocalEats adore New Orleans. And though some of us may have been known to partake of the occasional hurricane, Huge Ass Beer (to go!) or frozen Irish coffee from Molly's on the Market - perhaps the most refreshing drink ever concocted - our primary indulgence is the sublime cuisine. It's an unparalleled food culture. We've compiled a list of the best New Orleans restaurants for all your Mardi Gras dining needs. And for the uninitiated, here's a list of a few must-try Crescent City dishes to make your Tuesday just a bit fatter. 

Debris-topped po'boy at Mother's ( the Famous Ferdi Special)

Barbecue shrimp at Pascal's Manale

Alligator cheesecake at Jacques-Imo's

The boucherie plate and fried boudin at Cochon (or anything else pigcentric from the restaurant or butcher shop)

Mussels and pommes frites at Luke

Beignets at Cafe du Monde

Oysters on the half shell at Felix's

Oyster loaf at Casamento's

Fried chicken at Willie Mae's Scotch House

Gumbo at the Gumbo Shop

Brunch at Commander's Palace

Oysters en Brouchette at Galatoire's

Fried Oysters at Dick and Jenny's (po-boys available at lunch)

Bananas Foster prepared tableside at Brennan's (a bit touristy, but worth it for the history lesson/atmosphere)

Blackened drum at K-Paul's Louisiana Cuisine

I'll stop there for now as pangs of hunger and jealousy will not allow me to continue. In the meantime, I'll be daydreaming of oyster po-boys, unbelievable coffee and a swine smorgasbord from Cochon. 

As stated in the previous Eating the Obvious entry on Primanti Bros. in Pittsburgh, we at LocalEats delight in finding restaurants off the beaten path and hidden gems frequented by locals-in-the-know. Sometimes, though, the best way to orient yourself in a new city is to visit the most iconic restaurant or try the most obvious indigenous foodstuff. With Eating the Obvious I'm exploring well-trafficked restaurants that are popular for a reason and haven't let quality suffer by coasting on their reputation. Today's completely obvious choice: Mother's in New Orleans.

Pretty much everything is allowed in the Crescent City: gambling, open containers, frontal nudity, Alabama fans, hurling cabbages into crowds, and plenty of other acts pertaining to public intoxication or done in the name of acquiring MORE BEADS. One thing that is not tolerated however, is bad food. Any restaurant worth its salt simply can't survive in a town with such a superior food culture. So while there are plenty of restaurants that do indeed thrive on reputation and draw huge crowds of tourists, there aren't many that have slid into mediocrity or beyond. One restaurant in particular that still has an intimidating line extending well beyond the door is Mother's, "home of the world's best baked ham."

How did I become yet another tourist in this line? On a recent trip to NOLA revolving around a major sporting event hosted at the Superdome, I found myself in a hotel downtown with a group of about 10 family members and no car. Left to my own devices, I'd avoid the ballgame crowd and head uptown for a barbecue shrimp po' boy at Pascal's Manale or make my way to Jacques-Imo's. But with no transportation and a large group in tow, I became resigned to the fact that most of dining on this particular trip was going to happen downtown. We were a large group of tourists, so we might as well not pretend otherwise. A mere block or so from the hotel we spotted the line from Mother's and, after much deliberation (hooray, group dynamics!), we decided to at least get in line and see if it moved. And nary a better decision was made on the trip.

After only about a 20 minute wait, it was our turn to step up to the cafeteria-style counter and place our order. It's slightly chaotic, so it's good to have most of your order figured out well in advance, lest you get menu anxiety and just start pointing at things. I couldn't resist trying what Mother's is best known for: the Famous Ferdi Special po' boy. That would be Mother's signature baked ham and roast beef topped with debris and gravy. For the uninitiated, debris refers to the scraps of roast beef that fall into the gravy while it's baking in the oven. And it is divine. Two soft but crusty pieces of French bread complete this behemoth of a sandwich. The group agreed that the food and experience were well worth the wait. So Mother's qualifies as yet another renowned restaurant that is popular for good reason and able to maintain quality despite the volume. I somehow managed to finish the decadent po'boy and chase it with a few bites of pecan pie. In danger of slipping into a day-killing food coma, I had to seek out the most delicious revitalizing drink known to man: the frozen Irish Coffee at Molly's on the Market. But that's an entirely different gustatory undertaking altogether. 

The Famous Ferdi Special

Ignatius J. Reilly: another victim of the New Orleans diet

At LocalEats, it's part of our mission to highlight great locally owned restaurants that are off the beaten (eaten?) path: places that are beloved by locals in-the-know but often overlooked by tourists and major dining publications. But, we're not entirely about obscurity here. We don't aim to be the know-it-all hipsters who suggest every restaurant with a heavy dose of "you've probably never heard of it before" attitude. Sometimes the best way to orient yourself with a new city is to visit the most iconic restaurant or try the most obvious indigenous foodstuff. Of course, there can be potential issues with such establishments. The line might be prohibitively long. Said line may suspiciously consist of ONLY tourists. Or the quality of the restaurant can decline after decades of popularity (or perhaps a bunch of new franchises) give them no incentive to maintain standards. In this series, I'll share a few tasty experiences I've had when going with the most obvious restaurant or food in various cities. First stop: Pittsburgh. 

If there's one restaurant that encapsulates the spirit of the Steel City, it's Primanti Bros. Dating back to the 30's, Primanti Bros. got its start when Joe Primanti opened a small restaurant after previously having had successs selling sandwiches to truckers from a cart in the Strip District (food carts and street eats: not just a modern foodie phenomenon). Not long after opening, Primanti Bros stumbled upon the delicious gimmick which makes a Primanti sandwich a Primanti sandwich: fries and coleslaw on the sandwich. For truck drivers and steel workers often on-the-go, having everything on the sandwich made eating much more convenient - increased portability and one-handed eating being preferable. Though it boasts some 14 locations in the Pittsburgh area now, the original Strip District shop still stands, and quality has not suffered a bit.

On one snowy March day, I popped in to the original Primanti Bros. for a not-so-light lunch. The straightforward sandwich menu likely hasn't changed much since the depression with popular offerings such as ham and cheese, double egg and cheese, Jumbo (bologna) and cheese, and the Pitts-Burgher cheese steak. I opted for the ham and cheese and added an egg on top for good measure (for 50 cents). Ham, cheese, egg, coleslaw, French fries and tomato were piled high between two thick slices of white Italian bread. Measuring in at a height of about six inches, this monstrous meal did not disappoint. With an Iron City Beer in hand, I felt ready to take in more of the Steel City, having experienced a truly timeless meal at its most famous establishment. Oh, and just in case a Primanti Bros. sandwich isn't enough food, it's worth noting that you can also order a side of fries, cheese fries or chili cheese fries. As a former Pittsburgh resident once told me, "If there's an empty nook or cranny anywhere in the city, Pittsburgh will find a way to stuff some fries into it."

Not sure how those truck drivers ate these with one hand. 

Here's a brief look at what's cooking on the food obsessed web today.

Sam Sifton of The New York Times counts down his Top 10 New Restaurants of 2011.  The tasty slideshow includes the likes of NYC restaurants such as Danji, Red Rooster, The John Dory Oyster Bar, Boulud Sud and more. 

A Massachusetts bill would allow restaurants to donate food leftovers to charitable organizations without fear of being sued. Less food waste and more people fed: makes perfect sense to me. 

Ray Isle, wine editor of Food & Wine, suggests wine pairings for grilled cheese sandwiches. Oh grilled cheese, you've grown ever so sophisticated over the years. I wonder if this guy could provide a few suggestions for juice box pairings. 

Jason Sheehan of Philadelphia magazine calls attention to 12 Restaurant Trends That Need to Die. Couldn't agree more with sushi in non-sushi restaurants, cupcakes and "ingredient demagoguery." In his words: "I don't care if the chef grew the squash for tonight's entrée in his bathtub. Locally sourced, homegrown, organic and artisanal ingredients are only good if they're  good."