"Three classically-trained chefs in a thumbprint-size space turning out some of the best Sichuan takeout this side of San Francisco’s Dragon Gate? You betcha. Together with Ryan Corbin, brothers Michael and Patrick Evans—who worked for many years in esteemed kitchens in the other City by the Bay—opened Crocodile Palace in 2023 and have been flooded with online orders from chef-types ever since. Friends on the West Coast ship this trio specialty ingredients such as dried scallop and true Sichuan peppercorns. Don’t miss the mapo tofu, which includes Michigan-made tofu, fermented black beans, and Sichuan chili oil." - Stacey Brugeman