10 Ridiculously Good Restaurants You Need to Check Out ASAP, According to Aziz Ansari

Aziz Ansari may or may not have co-created an entire TV show just so he could eat epic meals. In fact, the second season of Netflix’s Master of None (with Ansari playing actor-turned-newly-proficient-pasta-maker Dev) focuses on food as much as it does on actual humans. So it’s not exactly a huge shock that the man behind the fiction is known for sharing his passion for the most delicious eats he finds on his plate via Instagram. Ridiculously scrumptious-looking evidence follows…

Ansari and his Master of None costar/partner-in-feasting Eric Wareheim know how to travel in true, lip-smackingly delicious style. Asador Etxebarri in Axpe, Spain, was named #6 on the 2017 World’s 50 Best Restaurants list for its all-grilled culinary perfection—proving that the actor/show-creator does not play when it comes to highly legit destination dining.

Sure, Ansari is a talented actor and hilarious comedian, but we have equal respect for his deep appreciation of the art of the sandwich. The roasted pork, ham, Swiss, banana peppers and caramelized onion magic is courtesy of Paseo Caribbean Food in Seattle, where the hungry (and the lucky) line up for toasted sandwiches of all varieties of tastiness.

Ansari clearly knows the value of going hard for the most important meal of the day. Caffé Sicilia Noto in Sicily has been serving up epic sweets since 1892, and it’s especially beloved for its frozen desserts—although this breakfast-to-end-all-breakfasts spread is totally selling us on its pastry efforts.

Wait, is sandwich porn a thing? Because it feels a whole lot like that’s what our trusty celeb food shutterbug is serving us here. At Boston’s Coppa, the bread-with-meats connoisseur skipped the enoteca’s small plates, pizzas, and pastas in favor of hand-held heartiness. And mad props for that…

A food-is-life guy like Ansari wouldn’t toss around the word “best” lightly when it comes to his grub. So bestowing the title upon Portland’s Pok Pok PDX is serious business. The joint’s focus on northern Thai dishes served up family style keeps the people packed in elbow to elbow.

So, Aziz loves pasta. Like really, really loves it—and even knows how to make it from scratch like a legit Italian grandma. Which means he also knows exactly when to show it off, like at Rome’s Trattoria Da Cesare, where they dish up classic Italian dishes that are apparently so good they’re criminal.

A little sugar and dough can make getting out of bed in the morning so much more palatable. And Ansari clearly knows where to go in San Francisco to get the ultimate a.m. fix. Tartine Bakery has a deep bread-and-pastries cult following—and the hour-long line to prove it. Oh, and apparently a celeb clientele, to boot.

His fictional alter ego Tom Haverford famously called noodles “long-ass rice,” but Ansari will obviously seek them out by any name whatsoever. Seattle’s lunch-only Il Corvo Pasta creates three different fresh pastas daily that put eager eaters into a supremely pleasant afternoon carb coma. We salute your life choices, Aziz.

Treat yo’ self indeed. No word on whether Mr. TV Star was able to cut the infamous, four-ish-hour-long line at Franklin Barbecue in Austin (but probably not so much), although he wisely didn’t hold back when it came to loading up on ALL the meats. And that greasy tray paper is a sure sign that he’s living life so, so right.

Okay, so Ansari may physically be made up of roughly 25 percent pasta at this point, but at least he’d be a medical marvel with simply impeccable taste buds. The trattoria-inspired Ava Gene’s in Portland is known for killer veggie creations—with plenty of carnivorous options and drool-inducing pastas to round out the menu. Forks up…