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Each week the Filter newsletter cuts through the noise to bring you smart, practical recommendations on how to live better – from what is worth buying to the tools, habits and ideas that actually last.

New Orleans’ gumbo can’t be beat. Maine’s fresh seafood is to die for. You haven’t tasted real coffee until you’ve made a trip to Portland.

After bestselling cookbook author Padma Lakshmi, who travels around the country for her show Taste the Nation, shared her kitchen staples, I was reminded of all of the local delicacies I have yet to enjoy.

Read the story: Padma Lakshmi loves her onion goggles – and these other kitchen upgrades

Yet I found myself facing a dilemma: how can I experience the legendary foods of different places without forking over the dollars required for a plane ticket or car rental? I turned to my colleagues at the Filter for help. They shared a few of their favorite restaurants across the US with food products available for shipping.

Below are four of our best recommendations that you can enjoy from your very own kitchen table.

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New York, New York

The Frankie’s 457 Cavatelli with Browned Sage Butter is under serious consideration for my last meal – I haven’t been condemned yet, but it’s only a matter of time – and it’s a relief knowing they can ship the pasta. Even though I’m fortunate enough to live walking distance from Frankie’s, I’m not made of money, so my copy of the restaurant’s cookbook is in heavy, oil-spattered rotation. The roasted vegetable salad slays at potlucks and the Sunday sauce makes for a glorious weekend cooking project. Ruth Baron, senior newsletter editor at the Guardian US

Frankie’s 457 Cavatelli Pasta

The Frankies Spuntino Kitchen Companion & Cooking Manual

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Syracuse, New York

Purists will call me a heretic, but the best BBQ sauce I’ve had hails not from Memphis, Austin or Nashville, but Syracuse, New York. Tangy, garlic-forward and not overly sweet, Dinosaur BBQ’s Sensuous Slathering Sauce is the kind of magic upgrade you’ll want to drench even fries and cornbread in. Good thing they sell it in these enormous three-packs. Don’t have time to smoke meat for 14 hours? Me neither. Drown a crockpot of pulled pork in it for 90% of the flavor with 10% of the effort. Nick Mokey, editor of the Filter US

Dinosaur BBQ’s Sensuous Slathering Sauce

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Washington DC

I used to live one block from Dolcezza Gelato & Coffee, which meant every summer I walked past a line snaking out the door. On my commute home after long workdays, I had a regular bad (good?) habit of joining it. This hotspot uses peak-season ingredients from local farmers: think peaches in summer and oranges in the winter. I was emotionally attached to the mascarpone and berries flavor, which is thick and creamy with a tart swirl of strawberry, raspberry and blueberry jam. And the roasted strawberry: also jammy, but a little caramelized, like late-summer berries cooked down. I live in another city now but just discovered they deliver their pints nationwide. Karen Yuan, Filter US commissioning editor

Dolcezza Gelato

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Chicago, Illinois

What kind of Chicagoan would I be if I didn’t recommend deep-dish pizza? And in my opinion, Lou Malnati’s makes some of the best. Growing up, I recall sinking my teeth into its thick mozzarella and decadent crust while my loud Italian family and I sat around our kitchen table on cold winter nights. Even though I now live in New York City, where thin crust reigns supreme, if the craving for classic Chicago deep dish hits, they have frozen pizzas available for shipping. Lauren Gould, Filter US editorial coordinator

Lou Malnati’s Deep Dish Pizza

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Tucson, Arizona

The area my parents live, north of Tucson, Arizona, is a stunning amalgam of roads endlessly heading toward mountains, desert trails and saguaro cacti dotting the skyline. The nearest place for coffee – good coffee, at least – is unfortunately a 30-minute drive, but it’s worth it for Presta, which has four beautifully designed cafes across greater Tucson. Their breezy, peaceful atmospheres make any of them worth a visit in person, but for those not nearby, their thoughtfully sourced coffee beans, which they roast in small batches, are available to order online. Its website helpfully describes not only the flavors of each coffee, but the farm it’s from. Being on a first-name basis with the farmer of my coffee beans is a small luxury I never knew I could have. Caitlin Curran, production editor at Guardian US

Presta House Blend Coffee

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Pick of the week: Tierra Negra Pots

La Chamba Soup & Bean Pot

While we’re on the topic of trying different cuisines, one of Lakshmi’s go-to kitchen staples is this artisan-made clay pot from Colombia. She loves it for cooking up legumes. “They’re just excellent for slow cooking,” she says. “I especially like La Chamba pieces. They can be a bit pricey, but if you take care of them, they’ll last a long time.”

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Final week: sale on Anyday containers

Anyday has offered our readers an exclusive discount on its products, including our favorite plastic-free containers, which we love for meal prepping and cutting down on food waste.

This is the final week to save 20% off of your entire purchase, with code ANYFILTER20 at checkout.

Anyday 2-Cup Glass Round Dish Multipack

Waste less, save more: The Anyday glass food containers transformed how I store leftovers (and they’re on sale)

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Do not disturb: a dating app alternative

It’s no secret that dating today is rough.

If you’d like to ditch the apps, you may want to give Acquaintance Cards a go. They’re made by the Brooklyn-based small business No Particular Order and are inspired by flirting cards, which were used in the Victorian era to ask out a potential love interest.

Plus, I even tested them for myself.

For even more ideas on living your life offline, be sure to explore our Do not disturb series.

No Particular Order Acquaintance Cards

Read more about my experience: Flirting like it’s 1890: I gave this Victorian-inspired ‘acquaintance card’ to a stranger. Here’s how it went

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Editor’s picks: Spring cleaning

Because you don’t want to waste the first beautiful weekends of the year scrubbing pots and mopping floors, and then having to redo it because you had ineffective tools, we asked our contributors and colleagues to share products that make cleaning a breeze. They include a Japanese multitasking tool to leave your veggies and floors sparkling, as well as a cleanser to make your cast-iron cookware and stainless steel pans look brand new.

Tawashi Scrub Brush

Bar Keepers Friend Cleanser

Read the story: Make spring cleaning easier with these 13 editor favorites for scrubbing, cleaning and tidying