A place is only as good as its beer list right? Show your favorite beer-friendly eatery some love at this year’s Golden Foodie Awards! Here’s my picks for week one! Vote here! 

1. Best Mexican Food – Anepalco’s Cafe, Orange. Anepalco’s French-prepared Mexican cuisine is as tasty as it is beautiful to look at. Paired with local beer on tap? Total win. (C’mon Taco Maria, go local. Nobody should have Shipyard IPA in SoCal. Do you get your masa from Maine too?)
2. Best Vegetarian Food – Avanti Cafe, Costa Mesa. Last year I went vegan for three months. Avanti’s food tastes like actual food, not a science experiment meat clone. Housed walking distance from Hi-Time Wine Cellar, you can guarantee their four taps rotate with quality product. Runner ups: Seabirds Kitchen, Tender Greens, Healthy Junk (and Junk Bar). Their beer is vegan too, which is why Bison and Uinta are on tap.
3. Pizza – uh, Pizza Port in San Clemente is the obvious choice, but places like Pizzeria Ortica in Costa Mesa, Rances and Pitfire Pizza are taking beer seriously. I’d give the nod to Ortica because the chef’s homebrew saison is better than mine. His pies are legit as well! Out of the Park Pizza is a local favorite of beer geeks with one of the best tap lists in the county. Nod to Fuoco in Fullerton for making a serious delicious pie and good beer options.
4. Beer – Now, this is sort of like picking the OCBeerBlog best beer bar in Orange County, which is true. This place must have taps that are rare, fresh and served at proper temp in clean/proper glassware. The beer menu must be meticulously planned (not 80% IPA’s, for instance). The servers must be smiley and knowledgeable about beer without being snobbish like a 1995 Tower Records employee. The servers should know the menu and what’s on tap and be willing to offer up pairing suggestions. Prices must be in line with other places (no $8 pale ales, for instance). For me it’s a tossup between Beachwood BBQ in Seal Beach or The Playground DTSA. Not only is their beer list well planned, the food is also killer!
5. American Cuisine – See #4. Add in Chapter One: The Modern Local if you like Ketchup.
6. Burger – This is tough as I’m very particular with my burgers. I like them no bigger than my fist so I can easily fit a beer and some fries in my belly without exploding. Haven Gastropub’s Lamb Burger is one I always go back to. Nods to Fireside Tavern’s burger/beer Thursday where the chef recreates fast food burger masterpieces.
7. Best Cocktail – 320 Main in Seal Beach makes the only beer cocktail I’ve ever liked, so nods go to them. The Detroiter has notes of bit-o-honey balanced with the hoppy bite of beer. Joe over at The Playground also shakes and stirs nicely.
8. Best Food Talk Radio Show? I only listen to podcasts and I hear Four Brewers is great. Beer is food right?

Get over there and vote before the week is up!