Puerto Madero

No. 5: Spontanaé Menu at Marché Moderne

South Coast Plaza typically isn't a haven for bargain hunters, but for several years the prix-fixe lunch at Florent and Amelia Marneau's Marche Moderne has had one of the best lunch specials in the county.Dinner for two at Marche can easily top $100, but like Rachael Ray taught us on $40 a Day, expe ... More >>

No. 6: Anything By Taco Maria

I have been known to wait outside Taco Maria for 20 minutes, desperate to be the first in line before the masses come. I've been known to drunkenly tweet that if you don't know Taco Maria, you don't know Mexican food, and fight with people over said sentiments. I've plugged Taco Maria God-knows-how- ... More >>

No. 8: Pot Pie Purse at the Crosby

Aside from La Palma Chicken Pie Shop and a handful of chain restaurants (Claim Jumper, KFC, Marie Callender's), there just aren't enough places doing pot pie anymore. And if they are, it's certainly almost never beef pot pie.Comfort food in the wrong hands can be too much of a good thing--over-porti ... More >>

No. 7: Venison Filet Mignon at Mare Culinary Lounge

Mare is supposed to be known for its seafood. But you should know by now that Alessandro Pirozzi of Cucina Alessa fame has the golden touch, even with game meats, as it turns out. The venison filet mignon he serves at his newest restaurant, two cubes the size of a baseball sitting on opposite side ... More >>

No. 11: Picadita at Alebrije's Grill

You can join the thousands of non-wab Orange Countians who have visited Alebrije's on the corner of Main and Cubbon streets in SanTana, eat nothing but their legendary taco acorazado (which we named our favorite dish in Orange County in 2010 because it was), and you'd be in our good graces forever. ... More >>

No. 12: Blowtorch-Seared Mackerel At Izakaya Ku

The menu said the mackerel would be seared tableside; but I didn't expect the hand-held flamethrower. I admit it:I was nervous. I inched away in my seat a little when the waiter lit it and the thing whooshed like an acetylene torch. We were sitting in an all-wooden booth shrouded with noren, the tra ... More >>

No. 13: Any Octopus Dish at Broadway By Amar Santana

The first time I ever went to Broadway by Amar Santana was on a double date with Gustavo and his chica. I mostly wanted to drink, and I ordered something or other off the menu without really thinking too hard about it.Then the enormous, far-too-large-for-the-tiny-table plate was placed in front of ... More >>

No. 14: Tri-Tip Benedict at Rocq Cafe

Rocq Cafe has already established itself as the place in South County for intense, incredible macarons, but even the hungriest of cookie monsters (sorry! Had to go there!) needs a real meal sometimes.Much of Rocq's menu is on the lighter side--sandwiches, salads, housemade pastas--and those suffice ... More >>

No. 15: Porkabello At Bacon-A-Fair

As we approach the home stretch of our favorites, we look back on one helluva fair season. Between our team's participation in culinary chowdowns (Go Dave!) to our interviews with Robert Irvine and Fabio Viviani, one thing is clear: It's all about the grub. Usually deep fried, and always incredible, ... More >>

No. 17: Sashimi Sandwich at North Shore Poke Company

The picture you see above is crappy, and it shows only a quarter cut. The sandwich isn't much to look at anyway. Its appearance isn't important. What's important is that it is possibly the best dish at North Shore Poke Company, which is little more than a cold station with the proprietor, Shawn Gole ... More >>

No. 18: Kotlety i Zrazy at Moscow Deli

I'm sure I'm going to take some flak for this being as high in the list as it is, and I have my defense ready: I eat this at least once a month, and I don't work anywhere near Costa Mesa. It's because it's so perfectly done that I drive so far to get this Russian home-cooking standard. Is it som ... More >>

No. 20: The Karma Burger At Mick's Karma Bar

Like how the Thompson Twins were neither related nor named Thompson, the "karma" is as ambiguous as the fact that they don't serve alcohol (and that they close by 10 p.m.). Mick's has a number of factors going against it, even before we try to explain where this is located on the ground floor of an ... More >>

No. 21: Breakfast Hash And Eggs Waffle At Bruxie

When folks ask us where our favorite place is for breakfast, we fail to mention Bruxie. Why? Partially because we forget (we're only look young). It's not like they're notorious for only the most important meal. But we're glad that we do, because one of our favorite bites is served on the weekends t ... More >>

No. 24: Nemesis at The Viking Truck

There was a time when we couldn't get enough of the luxe loncheras. Eventually, we got bored and took a break. Maybe five months passed before we even contemplated a truck stop. So in the last year, we've had our fair share of catch up with mobile meals. An entire menu devoted to sausages is enough ... More >>

No. 25: Tuna Empanada at Puerto Madero

Even with fantastic sandwiches packed with charred Argentinian sausage, lengths of skirt steak, or a buffet of meats and cheeses, the star on the menu at Puerto Madero is a simple fish pastry. Tuna salads and sandwiches might be in other people's lunch bags, but one of the best ways to savor th ... More >>

No. 27: Any Fried Spuds at Umami Burger

The meticulously-crafted, flavor-formulated burgers at Umami are the main draw, but whether you love or hate the Japanese-influenced twist on classic Americana, it can't be argued that every great burger needs an equally great potato pairing to truly shine.Fortunately, the Umami cooks are skilled in ... More >>

No. 28: Lunch at Playground

You'd think there would be a lot of food choices in an area as concentrated with workers and residents as Downtown SanTana, but you'd be wrong. Good Mexican is out of the question, you can only eat so many arepas at Mil Jugos or Soul Burgers at Memphis before you're all doughy inside, and the Crosby ... More >>

No. 30: Four-Course $7 Lunch Special at Olé Spain Delishop

It's been a SanTana-heavy list for me in this round of 100 faves, but we gotta speak the truth, and SanTana has really emerged in the past year as a destination not just for Mexican food but for ALL sorts of food--and it's only going to get better. That's why I love Olé Spain Delishop so much--not ... More >>

No. 33: Chocolate Dome Cake at AnQi

The garlic noodles at AnQui? Of course. The tamarind crab? Legendary. Cocktails? Superb. The South Coast Plaza eatery can always be counted on for a great, inventive dinner--a recent addition is tongue tacos made from a wonton shell--take THAT, Glen Bell!They also have a molecular gastronomy section ... More >>

No. 34: Neff Ranch Orange Juice from That Guy at the Saturday Irvine University Center Farmer's Market

You know that guy at the Saturday farmer's market in Irvine across the street from UC Irvine, the guy who sells orange and apple juices. You know...that guy! Kind of looks like Andrew Zimmern, except more soft-spoken? Only sells apple and orange juice? Near the northern entrance? Not the Cal Poly Po ... More >>

No. 35: Carlsbad Aquafarm Oysters at Slapfish

If Slapfish only served these oysters and nothing else, it would already justify the restaurant's existence. And co-owners Andrew Gruel and Jethro Naude know how special these babies are. Gruel--who was a program manager of the Aquarium of the Pacific's sustainable-seafood initiative--is an advocate ... More >>

No. 36: Hu Tieu at Pho Crystal Noodle House

The grime on the windows suggest that Pho Crystal Noodle House has been there on Bristol Street for quite a while--at least as another pho joint. The artifacts of its former life as Pho Bistro is still on an old marquee the landlords hadn't bothered to change. Apparently it recently changed hands be ... More >>

No. 37: Chocolate Soufflé at Bistro Bleu

Just as at any place offering soufflé, you should order it at least a half-hour in advance at Bistro Blue. But at $6 (as of this writing), this soufflé automatically distinguishes itself as the most reasonably priced in the county. Thank owner-chef David Kesler for that. This ex-chef from The Ce ... More >>

No. 38: "15-Minute Wings" at Simmzy's

I do not know why they are called "15-Minute Wings". Supposedly they take that long to prepare; but I got them in significantly less time than that. I am guessing that since so many people order them, the production of these wings is non-stop. The point of the name, I think, is to convey that they t ... More >>

No. 39: Hot Pots at Boiling Point

Boiling Point's hot pots are shabu shabu for the lazy. Everything you want and need--veggies, protein and a freshly cracked egg--is there already cooked to be picked off one-by-one in a simmering vessel heated by Sterno. All that needs to be done is to dip the still-steaming pieces into chile oil, g ... More >>

No. 40: California Burrito at Taco Pronto

We have no shortage of burrito joints in our fair county, and yet one type famous in our neighboring county makes itself noticeably absent here: the California burrito.What's that? You've never heard of a California burrito? Let's just say it's not named that because it has a cornucopia of our state ... More >>

No. 41: Kohryu Ramen at Kohryu Ramen

Japanese parents don't name their children after themselves. There are no men named Junior walking around Japan. Yet Japanese businesses have no problem calling their house specialty after the name of the shop. So it is with the Kohryu Ramen at Costa Mesa's Kohryu Ramen. With two new heavyweight ra ... More >>

No. 42: Meyer Lemon Curd at Irvine's Lucca Cafe

It was May, sometime during Meyer lemon season, when we happened by for dinner at Irvine's Lucca Cafe. Chef Cathy Pavlos had made a lemon curd dessert served in a glass Ball jar to celebrate the delicately tart fruit's ephemeral appearance.

No. 43: Cola Braised Pork at Haven Gastropub

It might be fair to say that the chefs at Haven Gastropub have a hard-on for pork. Witness Haven's roasted whole-hog parties. Witness their participation in last weekend's Pig Out 1.0. Witness also their Cola-Braised Pork with Smoked Creamed Sweet Corn.

No. 44: Shao Shan Tsai at 101 Noodle Express

The wonderful beef roll at Irvine's101 Noodle Express, or any other dish for that matter, is enhanced with the spicy-salty condiment of green pickled Chinese vegetables, cilantro, and fresh serrano chilis called shao shan tsai. It sits on your tabletop in a small clear container which will be nearl ... More >>

No. 45: Any Sandwich from Paninoteca Maggio

We are now more than halfway through our march toward our favorite dishes in Orange County. It's run the gamut from Japanese to Mexican, from American comfort food to post-Ramadan fast food. When we get to the end, you'll know it's time to go pick up your free copy of this year's Best Of issue i ... More >>

No. 46: Any Vegetable Platter at Tana Ethiopian

We are now more than halfway through our march toward our favorite dishes in Orange County. It's run the gamut from Japanese to Mexican, from American comfort food to post-Ramadan fast food. When we get to the end, you'll know it's time to go pick up your free copy of this year's Best Of issue i ... More >>

No. 48: Comida Corrida at Lindo Michoacán No. 2

We are now more than halfway through our march toward our favorite dishes in Orange County. It's run the gamut from Japanese to Mexican, from American comfort food to post-Ramadan fast food. When we get to the end, you'll know it's time to go pick up your free copy of this year's Best Of issue i ... More >>

No. 49: Gordita de Tinga at El Rincón Chilango

We are now more than halfway through our march toward our favorite dishes in Orange County. It's run the gamut from Japanese to Mexican, from American comfort food to post-Ramadan fast food. When we get to the end, you'll know it's time to go pick up your free copy of this year's Best Of issue in da ... More >>

No. 51: The Scone at Coffee, Tea and Tulips

Whether you're at Coffee, Tea and Tulips for a fancy-ass tea service, or just regular ol' breakfast or lunch, "Moody Chef" Michael Samawi's lengthy menu can be difficult to navigate. American, British, French and Middle Eastern fare all appear, so once you think you know what to order, something els ... More >>

No. 52: Huarache de Carnitas at El Paraiso

A meal at El Paraiso feels as if you're a guest in someone's home. The same staff is always there and always hard at work in this Salvadorian kitchen no matter what time of day, forming pupusas, shredding cabbage for curtido and pouring steaming bowls of caldo. Hardly a lick of English is spoken in ... More >>

No. 53, Chivito at Puerto Madero

I struggled with which of my two favorite dishes at Puerto Madero to feature on this list first, though both undoubtedly deserve a place on this year's 100 Favorite Dishes. You'll have to wait a little longer to see what bested the remarkable Chivito, but for now, let's talk sandwiches. Of the ... More >>

Orange County Register Reporter Pleads With Readers to Try Santa Ana Restaurants, Racist Hilarity Ensues

​The only time I met Orange County Register reporter Jeff Overley, one of the people with the fine--if sporadic--Food Frenzy blog, was a couple of years back, when we were both judges at a dog show at the Back Bay Bistro. He struck me as a good, earnest person, which is the attitude he's carried i ... More >>

Puerto Madero's Extraordinary Alfajor

Like these, but better..​My only criticism of Puerto Madero Market, a newish Argentine deli in SanTana, when I reviewed it a couple weeks back was the relative lack of alfajores, the Argie shortbread cookie usually featuring a quince or dulce de leche filling. They do sell them, but don't feature ... More >>

[Hole in the Wall] Argentinian Delights at Puerto Madero Market in Santa Ana