Best of 2006 - Food

Y'all know I need to push away for the table every once in a while, but I don't. Just more of me to love, I guess. That's what my mom has always said.

Burrito

I loves me a burrito. It's my favorite food so I'll start here.

1. Los Lunchero Wagono Asada - This huge upset put the portable roach coach on the corner of Folsom and Jackson on top of the list. They showed me that a burrito can be wonderful without the cheese, sour cream and guacomole.

2. El Portal Super Chicken - Too far away now (North Highlands), but still merits special notice. I shouldn't get spiritual about a burrito but I feel the warmth down to my toes in the wonderful creation that Pedro makes for me.

3. Chevy's Fajita Chicken - The tasty chips and salsa foreplay puts this one up there.

4. #24 Breakfast Burrito at Aldaberto's - Maddeningly inconsistent from chain to chain. But when it's good it's good, when it's bad, it's real bad.

5. Chipotle Chicken with Guac - The guacamole at chipotle makes this extra special.

Taco

1. Rubio's Fish Especial
2.El Portal Steak
3. Chipotle Chicken
4. Los Lunchero Wagono Asada
5.Woody's Mahi Mahi Firecracker Style

Burger

1. Maximum Burger at Sacramento Brewing - mmm mmm mmm
2. Bandera - Ok, I've only had bites of my kids burgers because of my inability to vary from things I like (see #1 in next section), but it is very tasty.
3. Pyramid Alehouse Burger
4. $6 Guacamole Burgerat Carl's Jr.
5. Woody's Bacon Guacamole Burger

Sandwich

1. Blackened Fish at Bandera - Add the world's best slaw, their amazing potatoes colcanon along with freshly squeezed Bocce Ball.
2. L'Michelle at Mr. Pickles - Just beware the old man at the counter.
3. The Perfect Veggie at Togo's with extra tomatoes - It was the one mystical time that employee care, veggies at their peak of ripeness were brought together at a time when I was starving
4. Hawaiian Chicken at Jack's Urban Eats - Yummy
5. Cheesesteak at Hoppy's - I'd like to actually have that with a beerfor a change.

Best of 2006 - Entertainment

Here are the movies, tv shows and books that occupied my mind in 2006...

Movies

1. Borat - Very nice!

2. The Departed - A little more violent than Mr. Peace,Love & Happiness would typically enjoy, but it was very well done.

3. Stranger Than Fiction - Will Farrell gets his Jim Carrey moment in this odd, literate movie.

4. Flushed Away - Of course, I see a lot of kids movies and this was my fave. Very funny.

5. Cars - Pixar does nice work. They might just make it.

TV Shows

While most of my tv viewing involves a ball or a puck, I do have some favorite non-sport related shows.

1. The Amazing Race - I know. Reality tv has a bit of a bad rap, but I love this show. The travel; the teamwork; the sweeping scenary. I love it and I'm man enough to admit it.

2. The Office - I loved the British show and really worried about this, but it is great.

3. The Daily Show/The Colbert Report - I'm grouping these as one show cuz they are in a way. This is the main place that I get my news.

4. Best Week Ever - This VH1 show is just like every other VH1 show where they have the comics making wise with hit or miss effect, but I like the current events and they hit more than miss. The second best place for me to get news.

5. Entourage - This show started pretty shallow but has really fleshed out the charachters over the seasons.

Honorable mention - My Name is Earl, 30 Days, Cheap Seats and Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.

Internet Sites

1. U.S.S. Mariner - Very intelligent baseball discussion and early information on the most frustrating baseball team on the planet. But I still cannot stop.

2. Deadspin - This is funniest sports related site ever. Responsible for the phrase "I'm with leather" and the celebrity of Carl Monday.

3. Bad Gnus Blog - Can't wait until I can figure out pictures and some of you post comments on the blog too.

4. The Mighty MJD - Deadspin's poor cousin, but still worth a read.

5. The Phat Free - Entertaining essays from regular Joes.

Books

I know most of you Gnus don't read, so this is really for my own historical benefit.

1. Foop! by Chris Genoa
2. Lord Vishnu's Love Handles by Will Clarke
3. Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
4. Cross Dressing by Bill Fitzhugh
5. A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore
6. The Contortionist's Handbook by CraigClevenger

Best of 2006 - Music

Those of you who know me, know that I am a bit of a geek. Those who know me well know that I love year end lists and rankings. Those who are closest to me know that I am a big enough geek that I make a year end list of my favorite things every year. Now, thanks to the world wide web, everyone can know how big of a geek I am!

You are now about to venture into my mind and read the first of many posts listing my favorites of 2006. I love music and this list honors those people who rocked my world in 2006.

Song

Here is the top 5 in order, followed with the rest of the top 20 who made my final Mike's Mix of the year.

1. Cupid's Chokehold by Gym Class Heroes

My band of the year needs to represent at the top of list. Best sample from a Supertramp song ever. Travis can bust some rhymes!

2. Romantic Rights by Death From Above 1979

Sadly, this band has broken up before they really hit it big. Techno-Metal may never be the same.

3. I Write Sins Not Tragedies by Panic! at the Disco

And I'm not even a 17 year old girl!

4. Gone Daddy Gone by Gnarls Barkley

I usually hate remakes of songs that I really like, but they did it good and had a very twisted video to go along with it.

5. Tear You Apart by She Wants Revenge

Rooted in the 80's, but the lyrical expression of passion in this song cannot be ignored.

Others (in no particular order):

SexyBack by JT (I didn't know I had left!)

DARE by Gorillaz

Ain't No Other Man by Christina Aguilera

The Queen and I by Gym Class Heroes

Dani California by Red Hot Chili Peppers

Bring It (Snakes on a Plane) by Cobra Starship

Cherry Cola by Eagles of Death Metal

Life Wasted by Pearl Jam

Cosmopolitan by Nine Black Alps

I Bet You Look Good On the Dance Floor by Arctic Monkeys

Steady, As She Goes by The Raconteurs

10 AM Automatic by The Black Keys

That Old Pair of Jeans by Fatboy Slim

Hands Open by Snow Patrol

All The Same by Sick Puppies


CD

1. As Cruel As School Children by Gym Class Heroes
2. You're A Woman, I'm A Machine by Death From Above 1979
3. Mercy by Burden Brothers
4. Death By Sexy by Eagles of Death Metal
5. A Fever You Can't Sweat Out by Panic at the Disco
6. She Wants Revenge (self-titled)
7. Skin & Bones by Foo Fighters
8. Pearl Jam (self-titled)
9. Eyes Open by Snow Patrol
10. Bullet in a Bible by Green Day (since I couldn't vote for American Idiot for the 3rd straight year)

Best New (to me) Artist

Should be pretty obvious, but:

1. Gym Class Heroes
2. Death From Above 1979
3. Panic! at the Disco
4. She Wants Revenge
5. Sick Puppies

Check back later in the week for other entertainment (TV, Movies, Books) and Food & Beverage which includes the much anticipated Mavester for Beer of the Year! You know you will...