end of the world food crawl

Tomorrow Jake and I will be embarking on a fun quest: to eat our favorite restaurant foods in one day, before the end of the world.

Okay, I must confess I don’t really believe the world will actually end, but I figured better safe than sorry. I actually got the idea from some PR releases I received about special “end of the world” dinners and it brought to mind some thoughts like, “What would I really want my last meal to be?”

Jake and I still need to finalize our “final-for-real-this-is-it” list. Here are a few of the hopeful items that may be a stop on our food crawl (in no particular order):

The Salted Pepper Chicken Wings from Mandarin in Chula Vista, CA is one of those delicious “it’s-like-crack” items. The post I wrote back in 2009 is still consistently my #1 looked at post on my blog. Get in here for lunch for a discounted price, with the same amount of wings. Can’t imagine facing an apocalypse without gnawing a few of these wings first.

Jake would really go for taco with adobada, but I would maybe kill for one of these quesadillas from Tacos el Gordo in Chula Vista. They dip the tortillas in the pork fat (!!) and then it’s filled with oozing, ooey, gooey baby jack cheese. What more do you need in life?

The “Almost Grilled Cheese” sandwich is another contender for my heart and the end of the world. Brie, gorgonzola and rosemary olive oil bread, oh be still my heart. Do you see a trend yet? Maybe I should just have another cheese party to tide me over until the world explodes.

I’m featuring this Bubba’s Signature Sandwich from Bubba’s Smokehouse in La Jolla since it’s a nice photo of my truly favorite item – the Hot Links. The garlic mashed potatoes here are a close second but what really makes this place “end of the world” list-worthy is their delicious, sweet, smokey BBQ sauce. Jake drinks the sauce by itself when we go here. Yeah, it’s that good (but you still won’t catch me drinking it).

Fred’s Old Fashioned Burgers in El Cajon has the best french fries ever. Crinkle cut. Triple fried (YES – triple!). Perfectly crispy and golden brown. If the end is coming near, who cares about the calories and cholesterol?

Jake still contends that my homemade macaroni and cheese is the best ever, but if we had to choose a restaurant for macaroni and cheese, it would definitely be this version at Urban Eats. We’ve been here a number of times now and we always have to order it, no matter what. It’s cheesy, creamy with the perfect crunchy topping. Heaven.

Del Mar Fair Cinnamon Bun. Split and grilled. With homemade cream cheese icing. SHUT UP. Thank you, The Huddle, for putting extra pounds onto my thighs.

Desserts are so hard for me. I’m only going to post two, but know that I could post SO MANY MORE. This Butterscotch Pudding from Banker’s Hill Restaurant is really, really, really good though. I know you’re like “really? Pudding for my last dessert ever? You’re pulling my leg.” But no, really! It’s creamy. It’s perfectly balanced and not overly sweet. Your tastebuds will dance with joy and you and sigh and remember it as asteroids fall to the Earth and we get sent back to the Stone Age. It’ll be grand.

Stacey and I felt so, so out of place when we went to the Grand Del Mar last year. We talk about how someday we’ll go back just to get this dessert with the incredibly long name: Peanut Butter Chocolate Pudding with Roasted Peanut and Graham Crust with Peanut Butter Ice Cream. You had me at “peanut butter”. The flavors and textures of this dessert could make me a very happy girl as the minutes tick down to our eternal demise. Isn’t that a happy thought?

What would you add to your own “end of the world” food crawl? Anything essential I’m missing from this list?

Oh and hey, if I don’t ever see you again… it’s been nice knowing you. Don’t forget to wear clean underwear, kiss your loved ones, and enjoy the sunshine before it explodes into a million tiny pieces.