Best Things We Ate in 2024
Kimchi Butter Katsu Chicken Plate — Shootz, San Juan Capistrano, Stanton, Long Beach, Ontario
What joy to have found a South County Shootz at the tail end of 2024. Located inside the enclosed Rodeo River Street food hall at San Juan Capistrano’s new River Street Marketplace, Shootz, an eatery that combines Hawaiian- and Asian-inspired fare with California cuisine, is a choice pit stop due, in part, to its kimchi butter katsu chicken plate. The deceptively simple dish hits the tongue like an umami bomb, featuring a generous helping of the kimchi-laced katsu chicken glazed with butter and topped with green onion and furikake, Spam brûlée musubi and mac salad with tuna. Shootz (Hawaiian slang for "OK" or "yeah") is one of a handful of kiosk stations at the new food hall, a stone’s throw away from the train station platform. Locations can also be found in Stanton, Ontario, and Long Beach.
Roast Beef and Cheddar Sandwich — Simple Simon’s Bakery & Bistro, Riverside
One of my last meals in 2024 was one of my best. I visited one of my favorite sandwich spots, Simple Simon’s Bakery & Bistro in Riverside, and had a half roast beef sandwich with cheddar on terrific sourdough bread. They weren’t serving their signature gazpacho, but I got the last Nut Bomb in the display case for dessert. The total bill was $18.98.
Juárez-Style Burritos — Los de Juárez Burritos, Anaheim
Omar De la Vega and Juan Del Rio’s Los de Juárez Burritos pare down the behemoth known as the California-style burrito to its essential parts, all of which maximize complexity and flavor. Measuring a quarter the size of the regular ones, the Juárez-style burritos are tightly wrapped with a few ingredients (guisado, some beans, a bit of cheese) inside from-scratch tortillas made with lard and butter, before getting seared a light golden brown on the plancha. The result is an exceptionally juicy burrito. Los de Juárez Burritos opened in May, with another location specializing in breakfast burritos, christened Los de Juárez Burritos Desayunos, which opened in November. Both places can be found in Anaheim. Word to the wise: Arrive early. Lines of hungry patrons often snake out the door.
Garlic Cream Cheese Bread — Disney California Adventure, Anaheim
When Disneyland drops its foodie guide for various seasons and festivals, I comb through it and make note of which goodies I want to try the next time I’m at the Anaheim theme park. When the Halloween seasonal items were announced, this snack immediately caught my eye. Called the "Garlic Cream Cheese Bread" you can only find it at a few snack carts throughout Disney California Adventure, one near Paradise Gardens and the other near the Incredicoaster. The item is described as "sweet bread with cream cheese garlic spread topped with a hot honey." The dish must have been a fan favorite because after the Halloween season was over, the item returned for the winter holiday menu. It is easily one of the best things I’ve had at Disneyland. It’s so good in fact that I’ve made my own version to bring to holiday parties, where its been a hit numerous times. The snack is easy enough to make at home and works great as an appetizer.
Legumes de Saison — Knife Pleat, Costa Mesa
Chef Tony Esnault introduced his "flora" menu this year, the lauded chef’s ode to vegan fare at his one-star Michelin-ranked restaurant at South Coast Plaza. Among the litany of vegan bites, which changes depending on the day’s harvest (Esnault hand picks produce from organic markets on a regular basis), my favorite was his legumes de saison ("seasonal vegetables"). His signature dish offers a composition of 15 different vegetables all prepared separately. From sous vide and roasting to thinly sliced and braised, the pomp of tastes and textures on one plate highlight vegetables in both their purest and eccentric forms. Such joyous maximalism, such taste. One of the best dishes I’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting. Heightening the experience was the setting, inside one of Orange County’s most swank spots. In an era where big-name chefs and their restaurants seem hellbent on appearing down to earth, it’s refreshing to go somewhere to feel top-drawer every now and again.
Cherry Tomato — Bavel, Los Angeles
How something simply listed on the menu as "Cherry Tomato" can be one of the most complex, delicious things I’ve ever tasted is beyond me. This dish is so much more than tomatoes (and might even surprise tomato haters) — gaviota strawberries, whipped feta, burnt harissa, sprouting cilantro all combine to make this savory, sweet and, above all, fresh appetizer. HIGHLY recommend.
Roasted Cabbage — Darkroom, Santa Ana
Zach Scherer’s Darkroom proved one of my favorite openings this year. Of the many menu items I enjoyed, including a beef rib with aleppo peppers and a hand-held caesar salad, the roasted cabbage with charred end was one of the highlights of the year. I keep coming back to this dish when I think of cruciferous creativity. Vegetables, like dessert, can be an afterthought at many fine restaurants with chefs gunning to show you their own take on a slab of beef. Scherer does wonders with vegetables (David Pratt’s Finca in San Juan Capistrano also gets wildly creative with veggies, with awesome results), which you can see his take on cabbage, which comes with buckwheat and aged beef hollandaise. Darkroom also goes heavy on the atmosphere, with dark interior (hence the name), soaring ceilings, and a cocktail-hour energy that doesn’t veer into party-down territory.
Berry and Cream Churro — Hello Kitty and Friends Cafe, Universal City
I tried this churro for the first time back in October and made sure to include it in our monthly round up, and I am still talking about this churro to anyone that will listen. The other day a coworker brought pastries into the newsroom from Paris Baguette, one of which was a strawberry mochi donut and do you know what I informed everyone? "This is so good it’s like the churro I got at the Hello Kitty and Friends Cafe at CityWalk, have I told you about it?" and then went on a rant (again) about said churro. It is a classic churro stuffed with a berry jam and cream cheese frosting, topped with pink frosting and a chocolate version of Hello Kitty’s iconic bow. It is like a toaster strudel in churro form. I have since been back to have said churro, and can confirm it still holds up.
Pork and Prawn Dumpling — Heritage Barbecue, San Juan Capistrano
Heritage Barbecue, the Orange County titan of Central Texas-style smoke, celebrated its fourth anniversary this summer with a special dinner celebrating the culinary breadth of its chefs. Among the highlights was a pork and prawn dumpling wading in a prawn consommé and chili crisp oil. A surprising departure from the expected, this dish, the brainchild of Chef Eric Linares, has stayed in my mind ever since that late-summer night. While the filling was complex and succulent, it was the exceptionally thick, yielding wrapper that stole the show, providing the most satisfying chew I’ve experienced all year. Hopefully, this one-off foray is a sign of things to come; Heritage plans on expanding its San Juan Capistrano location in 2025, promising increased seating and a bigger menu.
Conclusion
As 2024 comes to a close, it’s clear that our team has been spoiled with an incredible array of culinary delights. From innovative dishes at high-end restaurants to sweet treats at theme parks, there’s been no shortage of exciting food adventures to be had. As we look to the future, we can’t wait to see what 2025 has in store for us.
FAQs
Q: What are some of the best things to eat in Southern California?
A: Some of the best things to eat in Southern California include the kimchi butter katsu chicken plate at Shootz, the roast beef and cheddar sandwich at Simple Simon’s Bakery & Bistro, and the garlic cream cheese bread at Disney California Adventure.
Q: What are some of the most creative vegetarian dishes in Southern California?
A: Some of the most creative vegetarian dishes in Southern California include the legumes de saison at Knife Pleat, the cherry tomato at Bavel, and the roasted cabbage at Darkroom.
Q: What are some of the best theme park snacks in Southern California?
A: Some of the best theme park snacks in Southern California include the berry and cream churro at Hello Kitty and Friends Cafe and the garlic cream cheese bread at Disney California Adventure.
Q: What are some of the best barbecue joints in Southern California?
A: Some of the best barbecue joints in Southern California include Heritage Barbecue, which offers a variety of meat and seafood options, and Los de Juárez Burritos, which serves up delicious burritos with a variety of fillings.
