My sense is that OP is after a less-choreographed, more down-home person-to-person kitchen exchange to accompany the easier to experience “best of” restaurant crawls.

Almost all areas have specific food items of which almost every home cook has his or her own version – and great pride in the result and thoughts as to why his/her version is the best. Wherever you are, learn enough of the language to be able to ask about the particular item and then start asking who in the area makes the best version of it – at the markets, at the dock, somewhere close to the source of the hog, the mussels, or whatever. If you want to learn how to prepare it, all the better. You may find doors opening even without having to drag all those cameras and sound equipment around. Genuine curiosity and respect for wherever you find yourself should take you a long way.