AND you get the satisfaction of laughing at the weirdos with terrible hair coming out of the Paul Mitchell salon school that shares the strip mall.

Since most of my favorites in SoCal have been mentioned and nothing else is coming off the top of my head...

Two Bit Street in downtown Ogden, UT

It's actually in Fullerton.

I'll second that. The enchilada's rock!
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My suggestions:

1. Tulsa Rib in Orange - awesome BBQ.
2. Blue Agave in Yorba Linda - Southwestern. Several of you joined me for my birthday here last year (or was it the year before?)Their Kiva Steak rocks.
3. The Burrito Factory in Chatsworth (and other locations). Granted, I haven't been there in a couple of years, but the quality was always A1.
4. The Hat - Several So Cal locations. Best damn pastrami I've ever had.
5. Katella Deli - Great comfort food. Great bakery. And they have a Monte Cristo for those craving one outside the park. And not too far from DL.
6. The Hobbit in Orange. Definitely one of the best dining experiences I have ever had the privilege to enjoy. Seven course prix-fixe menu and one of the best wine cellars around. Reservations are a must and popular days (Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, etc.) usually book out a year in advance. Some of their recent past and upcoming menu's:

• November 7 - November 11: Medallion of Prime Filet Mignon Helder w/ Three Sauces,Tomato Concassée, Béarnaise and Bordelaise
• November 14 - November 18: Prime Aged New York with Green and Black Peppercorn Sauce
• November 23 - November 30: Filet of Beef en Croute, Prime Filet Mignon with Mushroom Duxelles, wrapped in Puff Pastry, sauce Bordelaise
• December 1 - December 9: Filet of Beef en Croûte, Prime Filet Mignon with Mushroom Duxelles, wraped in Puff Pastry, sauce Bordelaise
• December 11 - December 30: Beef Wellington, Prime Filet Mignon in Puff Pastry with House made Pâté , Sauce Bordelaise
• January 4 - January 13: Tarragon Crusted Rack of Lamb
• January 16 - January 20: Côte de Boeuf with Fresh Horseradish
• January 23 - January 27: Prime Roasted New York with Sauce Béarnaise
• January 30 - February 3: Sirloin of Lamb with Chorizo Demi-glaze
• February 6 - February 10: Medallion of Veal with Baked Apple and Calvados Cream
• February 13 - February 17: Wild Mushroom Stuffed Prime Filet Mignon
• February 20 - February 24: Prime Aged Filet Mignon with Spice Cured Foie Gras

I was wondering that myself.

Gombei - Japanese food in Menlo Park CA

Cool, I haven't seen any of my favorite haunts listed. :)

El Tepeyac - (east LA) best burrito in Los Angeles.

LaRocco's Pizza - (San Clemente, Huntington Beach) Yes, after years of searching, I finally found the closest thing to real authentic NY pizza I've ever encountered on this coast And the worst part is, they have been there for years - less than 10 miles from my place. If I had only known sooner...

Pat's House: (Anaheim) Literally some of the best Thai food I've ever encountered. Dirt cheap, amazingly flavorful, and right down the street from Disneyland. Lunch is $5.95.

Uoko Sushi - (Lake Forest) been going there for about 20 years now and have had countless exceptional meals.

Hey, that's my hairdresser you're mocking! :p But yeah, they do make themselves look rather odd don't they?

Reminds me though... that same center has a place called Maru Sushi. Not the cheapest sushi around, but not horrible, and they have wonderful presentation and good food.

Hey, I should have mentioned that restaurant that started with an H that I forgot the name of. Great authentic Japanese food in... (no surprise here, to me) Gardena.

What was the full name, NA?

Hey, we were hearing a story about this place (I think) late at the party, I think. Sounded totally worth a trip.

Oh, one of my favs. The Hollenbeck is my usual.

NM, EH and I almost went there after the car show on the day after Thanksgiving. However, we decided that having the friend of NM who we were meeting (she was down visiting from the Bay Area) try to find her way blindly around East LA at night might not be the best thing.

I'm about overdue for an El Tepeyac visit.

ETA: from their web site: