Welcome to the Weekly's list of our 100 Favorite Dishes for 2011! Tune in every day until we get to número uno! Now, on to the latest entry.
It doesn't surprise me that Sol del Sur's Dave Emery hasn't run out of
steam. What drives the man is a constant need to challenge himself.
Japanese, Cajun, French, Italian, Spanish. He'll do it all. He'll rotate
out dishes, try out new ones. He's just as likely to introduce a new
item tonight as he is to jettison one that doesn't work tomorrow.
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He's still offering a telephone book of a menu, and most of the time,
he's cooking it all just by himself. Being a seasonal cook and a perennial experimentalist, Emery's list as it reads now is
unrecognizable from when I was there last.
One dish that seems to
be staying for good is his chorizo and quail egg on toast. It's a simple
as it sounds: the spicy, oily sausage is unsheathed, the meat sauteed to
a caramel burnish on a hot pan. Then on a sliced toasted baguette it
goes before a sunny-side-up quail egg is laid on top.
Three come to a plate, but it won't be enough, especially if you're
sharing. So do Emery a favor, just order one for every person at your
table, will you? He's got enough to worry about than make
you another batch when you realize you want more.
Click here for our 100 faves from 2010! The list so far this time around:
No. 72: Fried Brussels Sprouts at 320 Main
No. 73: G-Style Fries at G Burger
No. 74: Fried Cuttlefish at Benley
No. 75: Roti at Bangok Taste
No. 76: Wet Burrito at 301 Cafe
No. 77: Pork Curry at Miyabi-Tei
No. 78: Bánh Tieu at Bánh Mì So 1
No. 79: Any Sandwich at the Crosby
No. 80: Fish Pho at Pho Vinh Ky II
No. 81: Quesadilla Chilanga at Alebrije's Grill
No. 82: Lobster Roll at Lobsta Truck
No. 83: Nem Nuong Cuon at Nem Nuong Khanh Hoa
No. 84: Wild Boar Balinese Sausage at Valhalla Table
No. 85: Comida Corrida at Taquería La Raza
No. 86: Breakfast Burrito at Troy's Drive-In
No. 87: Mandoo at L&M Liquor and Deli
No. 88: Chicago Dog at Chicago Harv's
No. 89: Sweet Potato Tater Tots at Pee Wee's Famous
No. 90: Kaya-Stuffed French Toast at Chomp Chomp
No. 91: Egg Breakfast at Rick's Atomic Kitchen
No. 92: Sticky Rice With Chicken at Quan Hy
No. 93: Beef Koobideh at Hen House Grill
No. 94: $5 Fish Bento at Bentoss
No. 95: Milanesa Sandwich at Piaggio's Gourmet on Wheels
No. 96: Samurai Burrito at Wafu of Japan
No. 97: Carnitas Gordita at Bodega R Ranch Market
No. 98: Spam Musubi at k'ya Street Fare
No. 99: Tortilla Andorra at Anepalco's
No. 100: Lemongrass Chicken, Extra Spicy at Vietnam's Pearl
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Before becoming an award-winning restaurant critic for OC Weekly in 2007, Edwin Goei went by the alias “elmomonster” on his blog Monster Munching, in which he once wrote a whole review in haiku.