Local favorites feature comfort food that evokes home-cooked meals; warm, cozy and nostalgic foods from mac 'n' cheese in Detroit and chicken pot pie in Portland, Ore., to fried chicken in Atlanta and classic meatloaf in Kansas City.

From lobster smothered in melted Monterey Jack cheese to s'mores with gooey handmade marshmallows drenched in chocolate, this coast-to-coast tour finds the most indulgent, thickly coated culinary creations ever made.