Hey, kids: guess what time is it? It's time to restart that Long March known as 100 Favorite Dishes (INSERT YEAR). YEAH!!!
Hey, don't ding us for listicles: Weekly DataLab studies show ustedes love this gimmick, launched in honor of our coming Best Of issue. Besides, it is rather fun to do this for us Forkers–an opportunity to highlight dishes from restaurants we'll never fully review, or secrets from old standbys. Anyhoo, let the march begin…
What took us so long to interview the luxe lonchera crew at Dogzilla? We have no idea. They crank out some of our favorite pig products from their green machine. While co-owners Son Thai and Martin Tse may offer a selection of over-the-top red hots, there was one we deemed worthy of this countdown.
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Our fairly fabulous dining companion said it best when they confessed that eating a hot dog is a very intimate experience. Bun, meat, toppings and condiments– That's a lotta action per bite! And our meal of choice is no exception. This ode to aloha treasure included a mix of grilled Spam and onions, plus fried egg (with runny yolk, of course). Garnished with ao nori and slivered green onions, they manage a balancing act inside toasty Kings Hawaiian rolls. How do they DO that?
Their loco moco was a flavor bomb. A meal so densely packed, it shouldn't be possible. Our dog was so intimidating, we got bashful and turned away before we could even tackle it. Consumed with gusto, we felt the salt ridden pang of heartburn shortly after. Oh, but it was so worth it. The only thing missing from our island daydream was a scoop of guri-guri for dessert. Mahalo, guys. We'll catch you at the next clustertruck….with antacid.
The list:
81. Fruit Tart at Le Croissant Dore
82. Daing Na Bangus (Marinated Milkfish) Silog Breakfast at Chowking
83. Strawberry Basil Lemonade at Mick's Karma Bar
84. Lemongrass Chicken Salad at Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop
85. Tofu Soup at Tasty Thai
86. Take-Out Dim Sum at Capital B.B.Q. and Dim Sum Express
87. Hodo Gwaja at Cocohodo
88. Popcorn Chicken Salad at Guppy House
89. Fried Okra at Memphis Soul Cafe & Bar
90. Salted Egg With Bitter Melon & Scrambled Egg at Tasty Noodle House
91. Boysenberry Lemonade from Bautista Creek Local Produce at SOCO Farmers' Market
92. Scallop Carpaccio with Curry Oil and Yuzu Vinaigrette from Cafe Hiro
93. White Board Specials at Taco Adobe
94. Coney Dog at LinX
95. Halal Pizzas from San Giovanni Pizzas
96. Clayuda at El Fortín
97. Lunch Buffet at Dosa Express
98. The Meats at Darya in Orange
99. Panocha at Taquería Zamora
100. Bean-and-Cheese Burrito from Del Taco
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A contributing writer for OC Weekly, Anne Marie freelances for multiple online and print publications, and guest judges for culinary competitions. A Bay Area transplant, she graduated with a degree in Hospitality Management from Cal Poly Pomona. Find her on Instagram as brekkiefan.