It's almost been a year since I became editor of this infernal rag, and one of the first things I righted on this ship was the food situation. A newspaper staff is a hungry staff, and a newspaper staff is infamously picky in what they want to eat. We now get donuts weekly for our staff meetings, usually from Oh Those Donuts in Costa Mesa, donuts chosen according to the tastes of everyone, and I treat the Weeklings to a full lunch every month, alternating between Pizza D'Oro in Costa Mesa and Soho Taco.
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A taquiza, of course, is the Mexican Spanish word for a taco-catered party, and I've encountered them my entire life. Most are good; some are great. But only Soho is spectacular. They come in with your choice of meats, your choice of sodas, your choice of hand-made or regular tortillas, and that's it–they take care of the rest.
Oh, how love Soho–no need to explain the average Soho taco, since we've written about it many times and called them the co-best restaurant in OC last year. We love them so much that when it came time for our nominating party for our Best Of issue in June, we had Soho cater us–about 30, which is a small party for them, given their bread-and-butter is weddings. It's not a cheap proposition–there's a reason why we called them Best Restaurant When Someone Else is Paying this year–but in the world of taquizas, this remains a bargain, and is JUST FUCKING AWESOME AND YUMMY…MMM…SOHO TACOS…
One final anecdote, which gets to the core of why these guys are beloved by their fans and by restaurateurs. This past summer, we had Soho cater us. Yasmin is a huge fan of theirs, but couldn't enjoy their tacos because it was Ramadan and she fasts during the day during that time. She was pretty sad that day, seeing all of us gorge on tacos. The Soho guys, knowing this, asked why Yasmin wasn't eating; I explained. Not only did they understand, they packed her a chingo of meats, veggies, rice, beans, and tortillas so Yasmin and her pals could eat tacos to break their fast! She was the happiest chica in OC that day–now THAT'S customer service, and that alone guaranteed them this slot.
So what the hell are you waiting for? Call them up! And let your second-guessing of me begin…but remember this is a list of our FAVORITE dishes, not BEST. Enjoy!
The list:
2. The Asparagus (or Equivalent Stalky Green) With Fried Egg, Prosciutto & Asiago At Three Seventy Common
3. Enfrijoladas Choriceras at Potzol den Cano
4. Spontanae Menu at Marche Moderne
5. Banana Pudding At Merely Sweets
6. Anything by Taco Maria
7. Venison Filet Mignon at Mare Culinary Lounge
8. Pot Pie Purse at the Crosby
9. Farmers Market Feast at Anais+
10. Tortilla de Patatas at Ole Spain Delishop
11. Picadita At Alebrije's Grill
12. Blowtorch-Seared Mackerel At Izakaya Ku
13. Any Octopus Dish At Broadway By Amar Santana
14. Tri-Tip Benedict at Rocq Cafe
15. Porkabello At Bacon-A-Fair
16. Soba and Curry Combo Special from Miyabi Tei
17. Sashimi sandwich at North Shore Poke Company
18. Kotlety i Zrazy at Moscow Deli
19. Meyer Lemon and Honey Duck Wings at St. Roy Chef's Pub at VINE
20. The Karma Burger at Mick's Karma Bar
21. Breakfast Hash and Eggs Waffle at Bruxie
22. Fried Bologna Slider at The Burnt Truck
23. Chowder Fries at Slapfish
24. Nemesis at The Viking Truck
25. Tuna Empanada at Puerto Madero
26. Suckling Pig Dinner at Haven Gastropub
27. Any Fried Spuds at Umami Burger
28. Lunch at Playground
29: Calamari at Three Seventy Common
30. Four-Course $7 Lunch Special at Olé Spain Delishop
31. Starving Artist Sandwich With the Fixins' at the Crosby
32: Mac 'n' Cheese at Chapter One: The Modern Local
33: Chocolate Dome Cake at AnQi
34. Neff Ranch Orange Juice from That Guy at the Saturday Irvine Farmer's Market
35. Carlsbad Aquafarm Oysters at Slapfish
36. Hu Tieu at Pho Crystal Noodle House
37. Chocolate Soufflé at Bistro Bleu
38. “15-Minute Wings” at Simmzy's
39. Hot Pots at Boiling Point
40. California Burrito at Taco Pronto
41. Kohryu Ramen at Kohryu Ramen
42. Meyer Lemon Curd at Irvine's Lucca Cafe
43. Cola Braised Pork at Haven Gastropub
44. Shao Shan Tsai at 101 Noodle Express
45. Any Sandwich from Paninoteca Maggio
46. Any Vegetable Platter at Tana Ethiopian
47. Bun Cha Ca Thang Long at Vien Dong
48. Comida Corrida at Lindo Michoacán #2
49. Gordita de Tinga at El Rincón Chilango
50. Lobster Waffle at Bruxië
51. The Scone at Coffee, Tea and Tulips
52. Huarache de Carnitas at El Paraiso
53. Chivito at Puerto Madero
54. Brizio Combo at Brizio Chicago Style Pan Pizza
55. French Toast at Starling Diner
56. The $7 Three-Item Combo Plates at Yu's Garden
57. Gudeg at Indo Ranch
58. Salted Caramel Gelato at N'Ice Cream
59. Live Amaebi at Sushi Imari
60. Any Burrito from Dos Chinos
61. Olive Tree's Iftar
62. Sonoran Dog at Rubalcava's
63. Sizzling Hiramasa Sashimi at The Catch
64. Yakisoba Dog from Dogzilla
65. Crispy Pork Belly from Lucca Cafe
66. French Toast with Bacon at Flurries Shaved Snow Bar
67. The Venetian Roll at Sushi at The Venetian Gentleman's Club
68. Okaki Asparagus at Hamamori
69. The “Fried Egg” at Eat Chow
70. Nam Kao Tod at Vientiane Restaurant
71. Chicken Ramen at Jinya Ramen Bar
72. Pig Snout at Tacos & Carnitas Sahuayo
73. Kale and Mushroom Flatbread at 320 Main
74. Congee at King Lobster Palace
75. Fish and Chips at Slapfish
76. Fries at Playground
77. Carne en Su Jugo at La Cocina de Mi Abuelita
78. S'mores at Ti Amo Biscotti & More
79. Broken Rice at Dat Thanh
80. Bulgogi and Potato Pizza at Chicken & Pizza Love Letter
81. Braised Bacon at Break of Dawn
82. Cake Donut at Cream Pan
83. Bistec de Pollo at Mercado El Rey
84. The Rhino at Rancho a Go Go
85. Cabernet Brownies at Blackmarket Bakery
86. Cookie Monster at Lola Ice Cream and Deli
87. Polenta Board at CUCINA Enoteca
88. Falafel Taco at Taco Asylum
89. Wagon-Wheel Bread at THE RANCH Restaurant
90. Toothpick Tacos at Mexico Supermarket
91. Hoppin' John at Memphis at the Santora
92. Free Beans and Chips at Taqueria Zamora
93. Pig in a Blanket Waffle with Gringo Bandito at Cafe Calacas
94. “Pork Hash” at Huong Giang
95. Sweet Chili Chicken Quesadilla At Kogi
96. Licuados at Mil Jugos
97. Hawaiian Ahi Poke at California Fish Grill
98. Takoyaki at Takoyaki Tanota
99. Fiesta Noodles at Jollibee
100. Chilaquiles Verdes Con Huevos Estrellados at La Tablita California
Click here to view our 100 Favorite Dishes of 2010!
Click here to view our 100 Favorite Dishes of 2011!
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