Our 100 Favorite Dishes for 2014 Begins NOW: No. 100, Bacon-Wrapped Dates from Lola Gaspar

Behold the beginning of our annual 100 Favorite Dishes countdown! Every day until the publication of our fantabulous Best Of Issue, we'll list our favorite meals this year in descending order. Enjoy, pass it on, and tune in daily!

Bacon-wrapped, bleu cheese-stuffed dates are a cliche now, and a cliche that was never truly impressive. So leave it to the chavos at Lola Gaspar in downtown SanTana to not only revive the appetizer, but show the promise of it if only put in the hands of able people.

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First off, the dates are fat, meaty Medjools oozing oozing barely melted, beautifully strong bleu cheese. Then comes the problem for most places: the bacon. Most bacon-wrapped dates feature bacon so cooked that each bite unleashes shards of ash; Lola's uses thick, juicy straps of bacon cooked so that only the outside crisps up, while the inside is as tender as carnitas.

Best of all? They give you six per order. Eat them all, root on for your team during the Mundial, and applaud the Lola guys for elevating their game year after year.

Email: ga*******@oc******.com. Twitter: @gustavoarellano.

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