World Food Superlatives

Unless you live in a major metropolitan area with loads of food options (most likely in the US), a big part of the fun of Traveling can be eating things you could never get at home.
Here are some of the things I have picked up over the years about food in the world.. some simple categorizations:

Best Street Food:
Thailand The Flavor's in a one dollar Thai street meal can rival a 100$ dinner in other countries. It's perfect for the weather as well.
Mexico This hyper competitive street market manages to do as many things as possible with about the same 20 ingredients.. Mexican street food is about tried and true themes with just enough variation to distinguish 20 taco stands on the same street from each other..

Freshest tasting food:
Iceland
Why? they have one breed of cow that has been specialized to the country, and greenhouses for fresh even tropical produce. Also some of the best butter in the world comes from Iceland, Smurj. Iceland is small enough, 300,000, that they are basically cooking for each other, and you happen to be there to enjoy it too.

Best High Cuisine:
France
Honorable Mention goes to Japan, which is constantly refining and creating fun experiences.

Best Restaurant Rating System:
Michelin
 Now obviously, there is a lot debate and whimsey possible in stating what restaurant is best, as mood, taste and moment all play a factor, but if you want to see the idea of a Restaurant taken to the extreme, 3 Michiln Stars is the ultimate for a restaurant that would submit to a rating. This leaves out everything from the Lone Wolfs to the Acolades of Bouli out on their own and unrated.
Honorable Mention goes to:
Relais & Chateaux you are pretty much guaranteed great thoughtful service at any restaurant they rate
Zagats, the american standard, does a great job as well.
Your Local Alt Paper They will tel you what is popular in the town you live in or are visiting.

Best Restaurant City: New York City It's both perhaps the most diverse and most competitive, from high cuisine to every variety of ethnicity, to experimental and unique. Street food in New York isn't the most amazing, it can be hard to get a license for a cart, which has allowed Pizza and Hot dogs to be the De Facto street options, but a Sabrett's Hot Sausage with Catsup and Stewed Onions can make the homogeneity worth it. New York can go in cycles with waves of new immigrants (for instance, unlike the rest of the US, Mexican's just recently began arriving in force in NYC), but you will find what you want somewhere, no matter how odd the itch.

The Progression of European Food: The Greek's started it, the Italians refined it, and the French, feeling threatened, decided to take it to the nth degree.. the British gave up on competing, and the Spanish decided to give it a try for a little while..

National Palletes:
Brazil Sweet
Mexico Hot and Savory
South Africa Sweet, allmost Saccharine, and Savory
Thailand Sweet, Spicy, and Savory
America: Savory