Tag, I'm It!

Although I am prone to ignoring this type of thing, I'll definitely make an exception for this one. I've been tagged by my sister-in-law, among others, for this dining meme that seems to be spreading like wildfire. Since this one is food related, I'm happy to oblige and list my top 5 local restaurants. I've only been here a year or so, but it's been a year of good eats!

First, to clear things up:
meme: n. A unit of cultural information, such as a cultural practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another.

So here's my 5 OC restaurant list, in no particular order. I won't say top 5 favorite, as I don't like commitments like that, but 5 restaurants that I like in general.

1) Roy's: Adam and I discovered the glory of Roy's on our honeymoon in Hawaii. It's "Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine" - how can that not be good? I think that the Maui location was the second of this chain, but we just discovered this spring that there is a Roy's at Fashion Island in Newport Beach. Excellent. Their seafood is amazing with really rich and unique sauces. Of course, no trip to Roy's is complete without the Chocolate Souffle - yum! I just checked the locations and there is one in Atlanta, for you Southerners!


2) Wood Ranch: Wood Ranch in RSM feels like a little piece of home to me with really great barbecue, vegetables like sweet potatoes and mac & cheese (yes, I consider that a vegetable), and rolls! My friend Abbie works there, so sometimes we get to bump into her!


3) In 'N Out: What can you even say about this? Clearly its the best burger fast food of all time and a reason in and of itself to visit California. If you've been keeping up with the Platt's CA trip blogs, you know that they went 5 times in their 8 day trip. Cheeseburger, animal style, with a diet coke and if I'm lucky, a chocolate shake. Yes, please!


4) Chipotle: Chipotle is my favorite that I've found so far for a good burrito. It's a Moe's-style establishment with fresh (sometimes organic) and rich ingredients. Their burritos are huge, and are even better if you order lime chips and guacamole to go with them! There have been multiple rumors of one coming to the beloved Foothill Ranch, though so far we haven't seen any evidence of it. I still have my fingers crossed. Be thankful if you live near Lexington, Atlanta, Orlando, as all of those locations already have Chipotle. I read an article recently that it's the fastest growing fast food chain (it's more like medium-paced food to me) in the country.


5) BJ's: As I've gotten older, I've come to love pizza more and more. Seems like it should be the other way around, but I feel like I could eat it at least once a day and never get tired of it. BJ's is a great Chicago-style pizza place with tons of great variations - white, BBQ chicken, etc., etc. Yum. And, of course, who can resist their Pizookies. Basically it's cookie dough in a dish - baked about 75% of the way - served hot and with ice cream. I love the Laguna Beach location!

I've lost track of who all has and hasn't been tagged, but I'd love to hear from Melissa R (Bham), Courtney G, Cathi, and Ryanne (OC), & Abby (Louisville).