Just as every picture tells a story, so does every recipe, to some degree.

Some dishes, however, tell a deeper, more meaningful story than others. And for many chefs, those are the dishes around which the best concepts are built.

The stories that inform menu items can be a love language of sorts. They convey so much more than a combination of ingredients that taste nice together or generate a profit. They speak of families and heritage and history and place. They can be a signature or a holder of memories.

We asked chefs and restaurateurs around the country to share their food with a story, and here are five examples of signature dishes and the stories behind them.