Destination: Twin Cities Crawl

Well fed and hung over at the 2008 Republican National Convention. (By James Norton)

Grit and Grub in San Francisco's Tenderloin

From down-and-out to up-and-coming— the city’s next Mission District. (By Lessley Anderson)

Little Saigon is big and full of restaurants—not all of which are good. So here’s a partial glovebox list of the most chowhoundly joints in the area, most of which specialize in just one, super-delicious dish. (By Cicely Wedgeworth)

ahong likes Pho Hanoi for its mild but delicious pho. Their pho is different from most restaurant pho in the area; the flavors of clove and anise are much less intense, and the broth has the rich mildness of boiled bones. The... (By C. Thi Nguyen)

Turtle Tower’s is just like Grandma would make if Grandma were from Saigon. (By C. Thi Nguyen)

Tender beef and a red slick of flavorful oil. (By C. Thi Nguyen)

On the pho wild side. (By C. Thi Nguyen)

Rich, dark broth with just a hint of star anise and ginger. (By Sarah Perry)

Saigon Flavor’s pho beats the other local attempts, says csrbeach, even if the herb plate only has basil, bean sprouts, and lime. Broth has good flavor and pho tai has a nicely sized portion of meat. ... (By C. Thi Nguyen)

Chicken in rich yellow curry, grilled shrimp over rice vermicelli, and salmon in a lively casserole with ginger and scallions are some of the things they do well at Pho Hoai, which has two locations in Brooklyn. “Very... (By C. Thi Nguyen)

Vung Tau II has great banh khot. The crust on the outside of these little fried tasties is crisp, and the shrimp-laden interior is tender and custard-like. (By C. Thi Nguyen)

Chinese chicken soup, with fresh rice noodles. (By C. Thi Nguyen)

Northern-Style Pho at Pho Hanoi. (By Cicely Wedgeworth)

Pandan is a tropical shrub. The juice from the plant is light green in color (from chlorophyll) and subtly delicious. (By C. Thi Nguyen)

After only a few weeks, there’s already a big line at lunch at Kim Huong. (By C. Thi Nguyen)