This is a very tough one. With a gun to my head I would probably land at:

-Italian
-American -- hard to pick a specific region but thinking: fresh caught fish and shrimp from the NC fish (low country boil type meal), NC BBQ, steak and mashed potatoes, burger and fries, shrimp and grits, crawfish, brown butter lobster, cornbread, stovetop mac and cheese, etc.
-Greek/Turkish

I find it hard to believe that I'm leaving off Indian (UK Indian -- give me the entire Dishoom menu), TexMex, and Japanese (sushi as a standalone would make this dish and I love a good ramen but it doesn't quite make it all the way to the top -- especially with the lack of authentic Japanese restaurants near me)

I considered both Indian and TexMex as well. On the latter, since Mexican was in my top 3, I figured I could safely leave it off. But it was really close between Thai, Japanese, and Indian for third place.

I'm surprised so many people have Italian on their list. I think of Italian as a cuisine that everyone likes, but I never go out of my way for an Italian restaurant (and we do have a few authentic ones here in Chicago), or crave Italian food. Other than Italian-American pizza, I can't think of an Italian food that I would order for takeout or delivery either.

For me it�s the range of food in Italian cuisine. From almost Germanic in the north down to North African influences in the south and Sicily. Tortellini in brodo, Fiorentina T-bone steak, risotto, great cured meats, fresh seafood, wonderful oils & vinegar, vibrant salads. My love of Italian food came solely from eating local food in Italy, I wouldn�t rate it so highly based on eating pasta and pizza, however good it�s made.

ditto - I�ve spent the most time in Germany and Italia and love both cuisines so much. I greatly appreciate the range of flavors in Italia. I�m sure this is how it is in every nation and the challenge is having the time to visit and eat the range as possible. I�ve been to Italia a total of 4 times, but for 12 weeks, which is more than everywhere else I�ve travelled outside my home nation, except Germany in which the majority of the time was solely in Nuernberg so there�s much of German cuisine I�ve never eaten since I�ve only been to 3 major areas there (Bavaria, Ruhrgebiet / Koeln, and Hamburg).

I'm going to have to pull Original Poster rank and ask you to choose between Greek and Turkish.

Also, I'm intrigued that you leave Japanese off because restaurants near you aren't good. That sounds to me like, if they were in your area, it would be on your list...but then, being that you're not in Japan, how "authentic" are they?

No snark intended--we're talking about food here, so I'm interested - for trip-planning, or otherwise - in what y'all have to say!

I'm not surprised at all. Almost everyone I know would put Italian at or near the top of their list. I'm the odd man out, in that it might barely make the top ten. I DO NOT count Americanized pizza, which I love, as Italian food.

As In said earlier in the thread, unless you have traveled to both places, it is very hard to differentiate between the two by only eating at restaurants in anytown,.
USA. I know a few differences, but they seem similar. Help us out here. Here is a menu of a very good (IMO) Mediteranian joint that is Turkish owned and operated.
https://www.kebabcafearcata.com/menubkp

Yes I agree. There's so much good stuff.

I like the breadth of Italian food options. You could go with a bistecca all fiorentina, you could do pizza, you could do a caprese (salad or sandwich), you can go fresh pasta, fresh fish., etc., though I agree takeout/delivery Italian is usually meh (you can make it better at home and the pasta won't be soggy)

Ahh that's brutal. Okay gun to my head I'm choosing Greek and it's not all that close. Tzaztiki, grilled branzino, pita bread, Greek salad. And I find that most places have at least 1 good place that can make good, authentic Greek food and I've been fortunate enough to eat the real thing in Greece a couple of times. There are some areas where Greek/Turkish food crosses over (kebabs, falafel -- which others claim too, baklava -- had amazing baklava in Istanbul)

Re: Japanese food -- my love of Japanese food is mostly centered on sushi (though I do enjoy a nice bowl of ramen from time to time). Before I went to Japan, I was happy with any sushi but after going to Japan, I gained an appreciation for real sushi (high quality fish, the rice, the technique, etc.) and the problem is you can only really find that in the US in NYC, LA, San Francisco, Seattle and I don't live in any of those places so I have a hard time putting it on my top 3 when I maybe get it once every year (in normal non-COVID times).

Breakfasts are one area where Turkey's culinary side truly shines. Why? It's not that the typical options are decadent; rather, they are a simple but varied mix of nuts, vegetables, cheeses, spreads - including kaymak (water buffalo clotted cream), tahini, and Malatya apricot preserves - olives, and bread. Thought I haven't been, apparently we have the eastern Turkish city of Van to thank for the all-encompassing bounty. (BBC - Travel - The Turkish city that lives for breakfast)

Turkish food overall has a bit more heat to it. Moreover, for a quick snack in Istanbul, I might nip in for an ayran (a mix of yoghurt, salt, and water) with a d�ner kebap, topped with powdered sumac and served alongside biber turşusu (pickled hot peppers). I believe Turkey has more minced meat options - k�fte - whereas Greece might be more famous for octopus, and a liberal use of oregano.

Desserts? Yes, there's the baklava in each, but I believe Greece employs more honey in theirs. In Turkey, I've seen more pistachios and sour cherries, and these, too can be served with kaymak. I also believe Greece has more famous cookies, but I would take k�nefe over kourabiedes or any other without hesitation.

Makes sense!

Thus, I will ask: choosing only one from Tokyo, Istanbul, or {insert Greek location here}, in which would you spend two weeks just to eat?

Pretty much how I feel. I could eat pizza every day, but Italian food rarely comes to mind.

I know the question wasn't directed at me, but I need to point out the fault in it. IMO, Tokyo is the only correct answer, and not because of Japanese cuisine. You can find ANY type of food in Tokyo, and at very high quality restaurants. It's just such a huge city, with such variety, and so much attention to food perfection, including other ethnic foods. In two weeks, you could eat at a different ethnic restaurant in Tokyo for every meal, and if you planned correctly, each might be one of the best you've had.

I'm not trying to say that a particular Greek dish in Tokyo will be better than in Athens, just that if you look at the whole picture over two weeks, it's not a fair comparison. Maybe the question should be "if you could only have one meal...".

Unless the person doesn't like Japanese food!

That also begs the question, have you eaten much non-Turkish food in Istanbul, or non-Greek in Greece?

Additionally, Tokyo may have good Italian-esque, French, and Taiwanese places, but merely having a certain cuisine doesn't automatically qualify that restaurant as worthy of a visit. This is partially why I think New York City is so overrated for dining.

I've always believed that it helps to have fresh ingredients grown within 100 miles of a destination; hence, why I don't think Tokyo does SE Asia well (never mind that Japan isn't the place to be for spicy offerings). This is another reason why NYC's food scene is underwhelming.

Tokyo is an amazing food city. But I'm just as smitten with Istanbul's eats (not to mention, I think Turkish desserts kick Japanese desserts arse.)

Why have you written �Tokyo may have good Italian-esque� places when it has plenty of both Italian-esque AND Italian restaurants.
Or are those interchangeable words for you?

This is an interesting point. If we're saying "if you could only have one meal..." I'm choosing sushi in Tokyo (was lucky enough to get to Sushi Yoshitake a few years back and that remains my sushi pinnacle).

If we're saying what city do I want to spend 2 weeks in for eating, I'm going to Singapore because I can get incredible food that represents the spectrum of SE Asia flavors plus some strong cuisines from other parts of the world.

If we're saying where do I want to go that combines great food and non-food activities, I'm either going back to Santorini or I'm going somewhere in Italy (maybe back to Florence but have never been to Amalfi Coast or Cinque Terre so those might take the cake) with the expectation that I have great food (and gelato in Italy) that I love, great wine, and non-food those are great places to relax and explore.

totally agree - a city of millions where quality is top factor; it justifies or explains the high cost of everything. I can�t imagine any other city with extremely high quality global cuisine.

Amalfi is a great combo of food and location; if possible, stay the night as much as possible in any of the amalfi coast.

I don�t know where you live but surely great sushi is available in many other places in USA. My CHICAGO people have mentioned some great sushi spots. It�s nice because I never even comprehended sushi until I was past college and now my child and his classmates all have their own sushi favorites.

Chicago does have some fantastic spots, but sadly, some of the most authentic have closed in the last 20 years. I understand there are some good options in the northwest suburbs, but there are not many spots for good home style Japanese meal in the city. And our elevated Japanese cuisine is very sushi focused -- plus, you don't always want to drop $200pp for an omakase meal. I miss the Hotel Nikko, Honda and Suntory for the variety of food they served, and Sunshine Cafe for casual homestyle Japanese cuisine.