Top 10 Favorite Foods

It has been a while since my last Top 10 List, Father’s day to be exact. It isn’t that I don’t like to do the list; it is just hard to create a list that is entertaining, will stimulate responses, and hasn’t been done to death. Sometimes I will hear or see something that will spark the creative juices and the ideas just flow out. Other times, it takes a little more effort to create the perfect list.

My favorite list was the best songs of all time, followed by the best movies, and best T.V. shows. Each of these topics had plenty of resources to choose from, and a lot of great comments from our viewers which either agreed or disagreed with my choices which is the whole point of making a list. Today, I will make my Top 10 List of favorite foods. I will assume that there will be plenty of feedback on my list, and I hope a lot of suggestions of foods that I didn’t include on my list.

Here are my favorite foods, and places to find them:

1.    Lasagna. I love lasagna, and although most people will say their Mom’s is the best, I will have to lean towards Buca di Beppo over my Mom’s homemade. Sorry Mom, I love you but they have this one down pat.

2.    Pizza. This is a tough one to single out only one restaurant, but for consistency, quality, and taste I have to go with Filippi’s Pizza Grotto. They also give your child a dough ball when you first sit down, which keeps them occupied until the food comes.

3.    Hot Corned Beef Sandwich. I love the Corned Beef Sandwiches at Callahan’s. Nice and thick slices, served on fresh rye bread. You don’t have to wait until St. Patrick’s Day for this Irish treat served daily. Added bonus if you have a pint of Guinness with it.

4.    Pita Sandwich. I used to be a sandwich guy every day for lunch, until I discovered Extreme Pita in the Mira Mesa Shopping Center. Now I am hooked. Instead of putting my favorite pita down, I will just tell you to go in everyday for a couple of weeks and try them all one at a time. They are grilled hot, but without oil or grease so they are a nice healthy choice for a great fast lunch. You can even click here for a coupon to save you on your next purchase (thanks Eric and Debbie!)

5.    Chicken Tandoori. I love spicy food, and my friends at Ashoka the Great have the best Authentic Indian Cuisine. During my last visit to Ashoka the Great, I told my friend Pally that I like very spicy food, and he did his best to catch my mouth on fire. It was amazingly hot, but still full of flavor. I am hooked. For beginners, try the lunch buffet for a variety of great foods at a very reasonable price.

6.    Chicken wings. I love chicken wings, the hotter the better. I hear that Hooter’s is known for their wings (among other things) but my wife keeps me on a rather short leash so I am not allowed to try their hot wings. I will give Callahan’s my nod, and recommend their suicide wings for the adventurous fire-eater. Or you can order the Russian roulette plate, which has a few suicide wings randomly tossed in with a huge order of regular ones. The first person to need a drink has to buy the next round!

7.     California Burrito. There are tons of drive through Mexican restaurants that serve California Burritos. They are mainly a variation of the Carne Asada burrito with either French fries or potato cubes mixed in. My favorite is from Cotija Taco Shop, and you need to enjoy it with multiple doses of hot sauce.

8.    Ultimate Ole breakfast from The Eggery. I got hooked on this variation of the chorizo scramble when my son was an infant, and our drive to Pacific Beach would put him out for an hour long nap so my wife and I could enjoy a meal together. It is the only thing I get every time we go for breakfast.

9.    Ice Cream. Ben & Jerry’s Chubby Hubby to be exact. There is nothing like relaxing with a bowl of ice cream after a long day. I happen to love the peanut butter filled, chocolate covered pretzels mixed in a malted vanilla ice cream. Great, now I am hungry and I don’t have a backup pint in the freezer!

10.    Lemon Chicken from Mandarin Garden. The portions are huge, the service is fast and friendly, and their Mai Tai’s are just the thing to make the whole evening a pleasant one.

That is my Top 10 list, now let me know what I missed. I hope you try some of my recommendations, as they are sincere and unbiased. Mira Mesa is full of many excellent restaurants, so please share your favorites with our audience.

Top 10 Father’s Day Gifts For Dad