In preparation for the upcoming National Day holiday and the enormous amount of tourists that it will bring to the city's eateries, top restaurant review website Dazhong Dianping (roughly "Reviews by/for the Masses") has posted a list of the best locations to indulge in five of Shanghai's local specialties:

Shengjian: those small, pan-fried baozi that you see people lining up on the sidewalk waiting to savor. Dianping recommends Xiaoyang Fry-Dumplings at 54-60 Wujiang Rd (previously on Shanghaiist), and Caijing Shengjian at 530 Sichuan Middle Rd.

Xiaolong Bao: steamed, piping-hot soup dumplings, probably the most widely agreed-upon Shanghai classic. Dianping recommends Jiajia Tangbao at 90 Huanghe Rd (also previously here), Fuchun Xiaolong Shop at 650 Yuyuan Rd (Jiangsu Rd metro stop), and Delongguan at 473 Jiangxi Middle Rd.

Hongshao Rou: the perennial reddish-brown soy braised pork, but with a Shanghainese touch. Dianping recommends Jesse Restaurant at 41 Tianping Rd (down the street from Arch Cafe), Yuanyuan Restaurant at 550 Wanping Rd, and Keven Chinese Cuisine at 1A Urumqi Rd.

Youbao Xia: soy-salted river shrimp fried up crispy, just the way grandma Xu made them. Dianping recommends Lanting at 107 Songshan Rd (a short walk from Xintiandi), Lüya Restaurant at 372 Jiangxi Middle Rd, and Chun at 124 Jinxian Rd.

Xiefen Doufu: it wouldn't be Shanghai without hairy crab making an apperance — in this case, on tofu — and don't forget that crab season starts this week; Dianping recommends Lang Yifang Restaurant at 168 Lujiazui West Rd (fifth floor of the Super Brand Mall), Ye Old Station Restaurant at 201 Caoxi North Rd (actually an old French Monastery across from the Xujiahui Cathedral), and Xiao Nanguo at 214-216 Huanghe Rd.

In the same vein, Dianping has put together a list of the top shopping centers in town, from top to bottom: Super Brand Mall, Cloud Nine Mall, City Plaza, Plaza 66, Parkson's, Raffles City, The Landmark, No 1 Yaohan (Babaiban) NextAge, Grand Gateway, and Taipingyang Dept Store.

Shanghaiist loves our dear readers because you never hesitate to let us know when you disagree when it comes to a restaurant recommendation. Well, now's your chance to put a little of your own skin in the game. Famed restaurant guide Zagat is currently collecting survey responses regarding restaurants in Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. Users who submit the survey by the September 23rd deadline will receive a free copy of the resulting 2008 China's Restaurants and Hotels Guide when it's published. According to Zagat they are covering over 175 restaurants in Shanghai. We signed up (site registration is required in order to take the survey) to take a peek. The restaurants are broken out by district, and glancing at the full list it looks like usual suspects from the listings on City Weekend (which, by the way, appears to have upgraded their website).

The format of the survey will look familiar to readers of Zagat guides: food, decor, and service are all rated on a scale of 0-3 (with three representing "excellent"), and there's an input area for comments, from which the editors will comb through and filter for publication. According to the site they're looking for comments that are descriptive, witty and pithy...basically, of the same caliber that you dear readers so lovingly leave for us.

Restaurant Update: A couple of weeks back we mentioned that Backyard Cafe was ostensibly closed for renovation. One loyal reader (thanks Thomas K!) sent us a recent picture of the exterior, which shows the front windows plastered with posters that say: "Get ready for the true Australian experience." We ask: does the true Australian experience include super-sized burritos? Yes, we're stupid, but with a never-ending fountain of optimism.

Happy news for lazy beer lovers: Sherpa's is now delivering some American Craft Beer selections. Says the website: "99 rmb per 6-pack, served cold! Best price in Shanghai (or at least we think it is). Varieties available: Rogue, Dead Guy, Acme, California Pale Ale, Brooklyn Lager." Those of you in Pudong and Hongqiao will have to hold off dialing a bit longer; service to you guys is coming soon.

Eric Hu is Shanghaiist's Food Editor. Email tips, recommendations, and news and gossip about Shanghai's food scene to food at shanghaiist.com.

Walking into Steak & Eggs, Shanghaiist was flooded with fond childhood memories of chowing down on big greasy breakfasts at truck-stop diners during family road trips along Interstate 10. Sure, we love Moon River and its classic 1950's theme, but Steak & Eggs is the first place we've eaten at in Shanghai that fits the mold of the no-frills American roadside diner.

The owner is a friendly Canadian named Paul, who opened the first two Steak & Eggs restaurants in Beijing, and has now brought the popular diner to Shanghai. With its prime location (on Xikang Lu right between Plaza 66 and Shanghai Centre) and expansive menu targeting all sorts of appetites (6 a.m. omelettes to 22 RMB all-day cocktails), the place is sure to be popular throughout the entirety of the day.

How's the food, you ask? Authentic, uncompromising, and gritty. Literally: this is the first place we've ever dined at in Shanghai that serves grits (didn't try yet). We thought that the steak, roast beef, and country ham were all a little on the dry side; perhaps the chef didn’t quite have his timing down. On the plus side, one Shanghaiist claimed that they served the best breakfast sausages he has ever had in China, made with real meat and spices that made the whitish and bland sausages served in many a western restaurant, ahem, pale in comparison. The sausages, corned beef, and ham are all specially made in Beijing and flown in. Paul also knows his potatoes; the home fries and hash browns were delicious. We hear from friends who’ve visited Steak & Eggs in Beijing that the freshly baked breads, cakes and desserts are not to be missed. The dessert selection was certainly enticing, and we locked in on fact that we can now have decent pumpkin pie year all year round.

One area where Steak & Eggs will undoubtedly differentiate itself from its neighboring competition is the quality of the service. Eight staff members from Beijing were actually relocated to Shanghai, and from the efficiency and professionalism with which they took, remembered, and correctly served our orders we could tell they were old hands at western-style service. That is to say, service was not riddled with mistakes and obnoxiousness. Paul himself supervised our orders, and made it clear (without knowing we were elite city bloggers) that he welcomed any criticism and advice in the name of providing the best dining experience for his customers. Sure, we know we’re in the honeymoon phase, but at reasonable prices (55 RMB for a roast beef sandwich, 80 RMB for the steak and eggs, 19 RMB for pie) for straightforward food that reminds us of home, we’re already madly in love with him.

Steak & Eggs - 99 Xi Kang Lu, Bldg. 3 near Nanjing Lu (西康路99号, 近南京西路) - Tel: 6279-2201, 6:00am-midnight

Eric Hu is Shanghaiist's Food Editor. Email tips, recommendations, and news and gossip about Shanghai's food scene to food at shanghaiist.com.

These are definitely sweet days for Shanghai dessert lovers. We've already reviewed Sugar and La Crêperìe. We even panicked a little over the temporary closing of Paul, which thankfully is now thriving and whose napoleon is one of the best tasting pastries we've ever had. Now comes Brix 12, located on the first floor of Hong Kong New World Plaza, which had their grand opening last week after a month-long soft run.

Calling itself a dessert bistro, Brix 12 is named for the sweetness level of an apple on the Brix scale, which is used to measure the approximate amount of sugars in fruits, vegetables, juices, wine, and other beverages (thanks Wikipedia!). The restaurant's name references the apple because it represents the spirit of their dessert offerings: refreshing, healthy, and light.

Shanghaiist had the very distinct pleasure of indulging in a parade of their treats, perhaps too eagerly after convincing ourselves that the fruit-based nature of Brix 12's concoctions would spare us from an onset of post-dessert guilt. Alas, despite the natural ingredients, the experience ceased to be healthy once we started double-fisting the blueberry cheesecake and the peppermint panna cotta. And this was after we had already enjoyed some of the more original creations from the chef, who we were told was classically trained and held a previous stint at the St. Regis hotel. Some of the more memorable offerings included the passion fruit risotto tartlet and the mango coconut crepe rolls.

Thankfully for our waistline, the regular portions are truly light as advertised, most of them clocking in the 38 RMB range. Brix 12 also has salads, soups, smoothies, and risottos, but the desserts are clearly the stars of the menu. While most of us will start off with meals of greater substance elsewhere, we expect the small but chic space to be filled with those seeking a sweet and satisfying after-dinner tickle of the taste buds.

Brix 12 - Hong Kong New World Plaza, G112, 300 Huaihai Zhong Lu (淮海中路300号，香港新世界广场, G112室) - Tel: 6335-3398, 11:00am-10:00pm. Their 2nd bistro is scheduled to open in Xujiahui later this month.

Eric Hu is Shanghaiist's Food Editor. Email tips, recommendations, and news and gossip about Shanghai's food scene to food at shanghaiist.com.

Yep, it's that time of year again: When Americans here try to explain to everyone else why we place so much importance on college athletics, namely football (the version where you don't use your feet too much). If you'd like to try to understand, or if you would just like to tell college footballs fans how silly you think they are in person, head out to Bubba's today. The first full Saturday of college football games is going on right now in the good ol' US of A. And Bubba's will have a couple selected games playing on tape delay on Sunday. Here's Bubba's email:

And like last year, Bubba's will be NCAA headquarters all season each Sunday with NCAA Tailgate Parties, cold beer, fine barbeque, and plenty of smack talk among fans. Each Sunday we'll feature two to three games played by top-ranked teams. We'll also run specials on barbeque and will have our usual happy hour with 20 rmb draft beer and house pours, and 30 rmb margaritas and Texas Teas from 2 to 8 p.m. We'll kick this season off on Friday night at 7 p.m. with #2 LSU vs Mississippi State. Then, on Sunday, we'll show Alabama-Birmingham vs Michigan State at 1 p.m. followed by the feature game of the weekend.....#15 Tennessee vs #12 Cal at 5 p.m. For NFL fans, we'll be dishing up games all season via satellite and also via slingbox.

If you want the results of Saturday's games to remain shrouded in mystery until you have watched them at Bubba's DO NOT click here.

And if you know of any other places to watch college football in Shanghai, please let us know.

Hunker down, you hairy dawgs.

Image from the official website of Penn State intercollegiate athletics.