So here are a few of my favorites from 2008.

Favorite downtown spots: Nickel Diner, Wurstkuche, Colori Kitchen
The meal that’s worth the price tag: Providence
Best new “Bistro”: Comme Ca
Best tapas bar: Bar Pinxto
Best places to eat pig: Ford’s Filling Station, K-Town, Animal
Best re-model: Osteria La Buca
Best Mexican that’s not a taco truck: Loteria Grill
Best Mexican that comes from a truck: Taco Zone Truck
Best new burger: Laurel Tavern
Most indulgent cup of coffee: LA Mill
Biggest surprise: Katsuya
Biggest letdown: Beso

My 2009 resolutions… eat a steak at Cut, tapas at The Bazaar, experience the gamut at XIV, get a raise so I can eat at Bastide, finally fucking eat at Gordon Ramsay at the London, and last but not least, continue my search for LA’s best burger.

The self disputed king of LA tacos started as a taco truck in East LA way back when polyester and bell bottoms were all the rage. Now there are twenty plus locations, and despite its ill fated stint in Dodger Stadium (the food at that stand was mediocre at best), it’s still serving up great tacos all these years later. Conveniently located east of K-Town and west of downtown, King Taco #10 is situated on Pico Blvd near Alvarado. Chances are there is one a few miles from you too.

They are not only famous for their perfectly marinated asada, but for their amazing (and super spicy) red and green salsas. Their closely guarded family recipe carne asada has a definite citrus flavor. It’s lean and cooked to perfection, placed in a perfectly grilled corn tortilla. At $1.25 per, you can’t get a better recession deal.

By far my favorite meat on the menu here is Pastor. Similar to Shawarma, this heavenly hog is cooked on a rotating, vertical rotisserie (or Trompo) then topped with a juicy pineapple. The juice breaks down protein and makes the meat very tender .The red colored pork gets its color from the red vinegar and achiote it’s marinated in. Once cooked, it’s sliced into little chunks, and grilled with some onions to give the meat a crispness and delicate onion flavor. It’s by far the best pastor I’ve ever had.

They also have great Sopes for just $2.59 each. Sopes are slightly concave crispy thick cornmeal shell topped with refried beans, meat, lettuce and Mexican cheese. These taco alternatives are similar to tostadas but have a much richer corn meal taste. The Sopes at King Taco are exceptional and I highly suggest you go and get one. Now!

Other items on the menu, burritos for $4.99, a whole rotisserie chicken for $11.99, nachos for $4.75, and fresh tamales for $1.59 each. My 2009 food trend prediction, people looking for cheaper food options turn to taco stands for fresh cooked asada, pork, and chicken. Take that Bon Appetit. More food trends at Eater LA.

I came here for a Hornitos event, Midnight in the Garden of Agave. The cocktails were flowing and so were the celebs. Well, sort of celebs. Lauren “Lo” and Frankie from The Hills, Nicky Hilton, Ian Ziering, Tila Tequila (natch), Jamie King, and a few others you would only recognize if you saw them on TMZ. Photos from the night here and here.

The Hornitos cocktails were flowing. On the menu, some Hornitos specialty cocktails. There was the Paloma, which had Hornitos, grapefruit juice and tonic and a Spicy Passion with Hornitos Reposado, triple sec, sour mix, pomegranate juice, and a dash of hot sauce. The standouts of the night were the Politan with Hornitos Plata, triple sec, cranberry and fresh lime and of course my favorite, the classic Margarita.

Sean Patrick was the “celeb” DJ for the night. The sound system was good, and lighting was perfect for a nighttime outdoor event. It was a little chilly, so we huddled under the heat lamps most of the night.

We didn’t munch on any of the Mexican food appetizers being passed around as we hit up the downtown Los Angeles sausage joint Wurstküche before imbibing on cocktails for the night. We ordered the Rattlesnake, Duck & Bacon, and Buffalo along with some Belgian fries and a holiday favorite, Delirium Noel.

Whoa, wait a minute, rattlesnake you say? Yeah, expand your palate for just a LA minute. This is flavorful, succulent snake meat. The Rattlesnake sausage is still my favorite of all the sausages here. All are delicious, but this is my personal fav. Perfectly seasoned, the rattlesnake is mixed with rabbit and pork, and stuffed into a perfectly snappy casing. I can’t wait till they are finished with their full bar as space in the small dining area can get a little tight, especially with it’s recent popularity.

Exotic sausages, free Hornitos Tequila and B celeb sightings, great success!

Not much has changed in the 60 years Apple Pan has been open.

When was the last time you drank a coke out of a paper cone?

The fries come out crispy and hot, served with a cardboard saucer of ketchup.

Fresh meat, tasty red sauce, and a perfectly toasted bun.

Apple Pan would be our base for the day, as our next stop was wine tasting at Bottle Rock. It was day two of their round table wine tasting. Over 40 different wineries with 60 bottle of wine were represented. Drink as much as you want for $25. We got there early so we could have time to speak with the wine reps but the wine bar quickly became bustling with thirsty wine lovers. We sampled wines from all around the world and took about two hours to try 20 wines or so (we skipped most of the whites). The wines were discounted today which made taking home a few of them a little bit easier on the wallet.

We came away with a great Portuguese wine, a 05 Quinta de Cabriz Reserva for $16. A 05 Pascual Toso Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from Las Barrancas Vineyard in Argentina for $15. And three bottles of a great Spanish wine, the 02 Lopez de Heredia Vina Cubillo Crianza for $23 a bottle.

Get ready for lots of wine at Bottle Rock, Culver City

Picked up three bottles of this delicious Lopez de Heredia Vina Cubillo Crianza

It got pretty crowded an hour into the event, but I heard not as crowded as it was on Sat.

We had a little time for a siesta after the wine tasting then it was on to the monthly Beefsteak dinner at Bacaro. The bar is named after the god of wine, Bacchus. These typical wine bars from Italy are laid back places to dine on cicheti (think tapas) and enjoy wine with friends. Bacaro is owned by former A.O.C. sommelier and wine buyer Santos Uy. The wine bar, located in USC’s University Park area, is small and has a great neighborhood feel. Small, rustic tables line both sides of the chalkboard walls, which display their wines and the food menu.

A quant building in an area otherwise filled with liquer stores and laundrymats.

Wine bottle lighting on the ceiling

The wine selection and menu were displayed on chalk boards covering the walls.

The wine bar and kitchen at Bacaro.

On the first Sunday of every month they do a Beefsteak night. All you can eat grilled hanger steak is served on bread with a side of roasted potatoes. Their steak was delicious, perfectly seasoned with salt and pepper. The potatoes were a little bland, drizzled with lots of olive oil and a little bit of cracked pepper, they needed more seasoning.

All we could eat, ended up being two plates of the delicous hanger steak with bread and potatoes.

Wine for the night was Bonacchi Sangiovese

The red wine tonight was a 06 Bonacchi Sangiovese. At around $10 a bottle retail, you figure to pay around $20 in a restaurant, but tonight it’s all you can drink. They also had a white wine along with Peroni on tap. It’s a decent deal for just $25 a person. They have two seatings, one at 5:30 and one at 8pm. Reservations are highly recommended and can be made by calling 213.748.7205. Starting Sunday January 11, they begin serving a Sunday Brunch featuring items like eggs on brioche with mornay sauce & Niman Ranch bacon or Honey Polenta served with fruit or nuts.

We headed into Inglewood for our first stop at Nkechi African Cafe. The somewhat surprised host/waiter/chef couldn’t believe his Nigerian eyes as our large group descended into this modest and homey cafe on a Saturday afternoon. But he quickly threw some tables together and went over the small menu with us. We decide on a few dishes to share (hey, it’s a marathon, you can’t stuff your face at each location) and settle in for our adventure. We got some Palm Juice. Slightly carbonated, it had a bitter aroma and sour taste, but a nice nutty finish. My favorite dish was the Jollof Rice. A tomato based rice with spices and topped with deep fried “mixed meat.” I only took a bite of the last two dishes, Ogbono Soup and Egusi Soup. The flavoring was nothing like I had ever tasted, similar to a curry taste, made from the seeds and nuts of melons and mangoes respectively. It had a sort of rubbery flavor and was very off putting. It didn’t agree with my taste buds, but I’m glad I was able to try it.

Nkechi African Cafe, Inglewood

Palm Juice

Matt passes the goat dish, Egusi Soup

The mystery meat dish with rice and plantains

The Ogbono Soup had a whole fish swimming in the gooey soup, bones and all

Next on our stop was El Rocoto, a Peruvian joint in a Gardena strip mall. Peruvian food has influences from mostly Asian, French, British and Italian immigration, and it’s rich food reflects that. In 2006 Lima was even declared “Gastronomic Capital of the Americas” at the Summit of Gastronomy Madrid Fusión. I could live off their Aji Rojo and Aji Verde salsa with rice alone. My favorite dish was the Seco de Cordero, a cilantro lamb stew. The gaminess of the lamb paired very well with the bold flavor of the cilantro stew. On the same plate was the Cau Cau, a tripe stew. I’m not a fan of cow stomach, but tried it anyway, and I’m still not a fan. We also ordered the Ceviche Mixto, a mixed plate of shrimp, white fish, octopus and scallops. It was swimming in a tart citrus lime marinade and covered with red onions.

Salsa from heaven

Seco de Cordero and Cau Cau

Ceviche Mixto

Next were off to Siem Reap Restaurant in Long Beach. A popular Cambodian joint who claims to be “World Famous”. It’s a large restaurant, catering to family style dining and large wedding parties. Perfect for our large group of foodies. With Cambodian karaoke playing on the TV’s around us, we order up some a Fish Salad with (very) bitter Sadao Leaves, a slightly spicy Ground Pork Curry, a delicious plate of beef Lok Lak with a lemon & pepper dipping sauce, a Fish and (tiny with the shells on) Shrimp Soup reminiscent of a traditional sour Thai soup, and a tender Beef and Anchovy Salad.

The menu was as expansive as the restaurant space

I bet this place goes off on a Saturday night

Our next destination is Little Saigon and a trendy Vietnamese restaurant Quan Hop. This is my first real experience with Vietnamese food, and it sure to not be my last. I was eager to try every Bahn Mi and noodle dish on the menu, but being our last stop I was about 80% full already. So we shared a variety of dishes. They start you off with a Banh Beo, steamed rice-flour pancakes topped with chopped veggies and little pieces of pork. We also had Banh It Ram (uber-gooey Vietnamese rice paste potstickers), Tu Tiu Hop Dai (rice noodles with pork and shrimp), Banh Hoi Thit Nuong (thin sliced sheets of vermicelli noodles topped with grilled pork), Jack Fruit Salad, and finally Goi Cuon Nem Lui (deep fried shrimp paste spring rolls).

Banh Beo

Jack Fruit Salad

Tu Tiu Hop Dai

Our last stop of the night is right up the street. In a mini mall filled with Vietnamese businesses, is the market Nuoc Mia Vien Tay. Filled with sugary and salty snacks from Vietnam, this place is known for it’s Sugar Cane drink. The workers feed sugar cane through a large juicer and out comes a greenish sweet juice that they mix with kumquat nectar. Milky green in color, surprisingly it had a very distinct citrus flavor. It’s a refreshing drink, perfect for an after dinner treat, especially after a long 7 hour Food Marathon.

Feeding the sugar cane into the juicer

Vietnamese sweets at Nuoc Mia Vien Tay

8pm on a Thursday night and the place is hopping. As you enter there is a counter top with stools overlooking the action in the small kitchen and tapas are displayed beneath a glass case. To the right is a wall of Spanish food products. Further into the restaurant, the very small dining room is lined with Spanish wines up to the ceiling.

There is a short wait, in the meantime we are offered a glass of wine. The hostess suggests a glass of the Rioja special of the night, a 2002 Concordia Signa for $10. (If you can find it, should cost about 20 US dollars per bottle retail) The wine had a concentrated bouquet of ripe berry fruit and cedar notes, showing some extensive barrel aging. They have quite an extensive selection of Spanish wine, and we tried a couple of other glasses of reds, but came back to this one.

The menu here is large, something lacking at other tapas restaurants around town. On the left side, your traditional tapas like fresh tomatoes, Serrano ham on grilled bread (two for $4), or chorizo on a slice of French bread topped with a fried quail egg (two for $5), or Dungeness crab (mixed with mayo) wrapped with smoke salmon and topped with a salmon eggs on a slice of bread (one for $7).

Other favorites from the platos side of the menu. The Patatas Bravas ($5) were flavorful crispy potatoes tossed in a tomato based salsa and drizzled with a roasted garlic aioli. The croquetas ($6) were crispy on the outside and filled with a creamy mixture of chicken and ham on the inside. The Costillas de Cordero ($12) a single lamb chop with a chorizo crust, was salty and small-ish, but had great rustic game flavor.

The joint was loud and packed with people getting together after work for wine and small bites. They don’t take reservations, so be prepared to wait. They have a lunchtime 3 course, Prix Fixe ($15) menu that changes daily and also offer Happy Hour Specials (Mon-Fri 4-7pm) of 6 tapas for $6, $3 sangria and $1.50 Stella.

Since I made it all the way over to the west side we finished the night at the wonderful Bar Chloe for some great artisan cocktails. A delicious Grape Collins ($12) made with VeeV Acai Spirit, muddled red grapes, fresh lemon, and soda water for her and a Sidecar ($14) made with Hennessey, Cointreau, and fresh lemon with a sugar rim for me. And of course a trip to Chloe without a champagne cocktail isn’t complete, so I also delighted in a Citrus Blush ($12) made with champagne, rum, grapefruit juice, lime juice, and sugar.

MappyHour is a great site that lists Happy Hours around town. It’s not too late to snag a table on OpenTable’s Appetite Stimulus Plan. Prix fixe menus for lunch and dinner ($24 and $35 respectively) are being offered up by several restaurants around town. Some of the restaurants on the list are the likes of Asia de Cuba, Grace, Comme Ca, Boa, Katsuya, The Kress, and more.

Metromix has a “recession” list going, as does ABC7. There are a slew of restaurants that offer pre-paid dining cards at discounted prices here, here, here and my favorite site here.

LA Times has some great deals listed, like Dollar Mondays at the Stand, Tuesday specials at Murano Restaurant, 5.75 dinners at Sabina’s, and more. Citysearch has a couple of dining deals listed here and here. Chowhounders have a great list of always on the cheap meals and of course in these tough times of higher food prices there is always the 99cent Chef.

You might have seen this meal prepared for Andrew Zimmern on Bizarre Foods. A suckling pig dinner fit for a king, or at least fit for a bunch of LA Bloggers, brought together graciously by the new food community site FoodDigger.

The table rounded out with some of my favorite fellow bloggers. kevinEats, Food Destination, L.A. and O.C. Foodventures, Mattatouille, The Delicious Life, Teenage Glutster, i nom things, Gourmet Pigs, and of course Will, Marshall, and Thi from FoodDigger.

The pig, which takes two days to prepare, is brined, smoked and slowly fried in goose fat. After toasting a glass of 2005 Château Monbousquet St. Émilion with Chef Ford, the meal commenced. For the side dishes they brought out Roasted Kabocha Risotto, Brussel Sprouts with Bacon, Cavalo Nero & Escarole and nicely rounding out with Roasted Carrots with Pomegranate. The selection of winter veggies was a nice touch, and each dish was delicious.

But we were here for the suckling pig. The proud Chef brought it out to the table, in a wondrous display of swine heaven, the pig came out sprawling on a silver platter. On the plate was a Pig’s Tongue Salad served with a frisée and topped with crispy fried pig ear, Porchetta stuffed with fennel and onions, Panchetta Wrapped Pork Loin, Pig Eyes stuffed with ham hocks then deep fried (yes, they were good), Crispy Smoked Pork Legs, Pork Cheek (head cheese), and my favorite of the night, Confit of Pork Shoulder and Fresh Hams.

The entire pig was brought out on a silver platter.

Pig Eyes, stuffed with ham hocks and deep fried.

Tongue salad, topped with fried pig ears.

For dessert they brought out a Walnut Torte and Hawaiian Bread Pudding. Maybe it was the salt and pork induced coma but when dessert came I just couldn’t indulge too much. By the way, this meal can be had by anyone. Just call ahead several day in advance and bring a large group of your hungriest pork eating friends. The cost depending on how much you drink is around $80-90 a person.

The Chef definitely lived up to his reputation of creating dishes that are down to earth and full of flavor, with high-quality, local ingredients.

*Food porn courtesy of Mattatouille and kevinEats

The menu includes Spinach-Watercress Veloute, Autumn Salad with Walnuts & Persimmons, Braised Lamb with Cumin; Roasted Beets, Shallots & Carrots, and for dessert a Candied Fennel Cheesecake with Pomegranate Caramel Sauce. If you want to check it out, email info@chickswithknives.com for the link and password to purchase your tickets. By having you pay in advance, they know how many people to cook for, and how many chairs to have.

*Image of a Pork Loin with Chard and Cauliflower featured last month at the CWK dinner.