10: This one isn�t a specific meal as much as it was a Bill tradition throughout the year. When I wanted good, greasy comfort food on the cheap, my destination was always In �n� Out. For five bucks, I could let my gullet luxuriate in a double-double (two burger patties, two slices of cheese) served up animal style with two orders of fries. Why two orders of fries? Because you have to have something to eat on the drive home, and besides: five bucks! In �04, I�ll (appropriately) be shooting for the 4X4, even as I try to change my eating habits�at least a little. Maybe. Starting in February.

9: Just a few weeks ago, the night I flew into Chicago, I went straight from the airport to my mom�s house, to my favorite little Thai restaurant, Roong Petch on Montrose. My guy there remembered me, which was nice as I hadn�t been there in over a year, and he joked about sending me some freeze dried food. I had the best cashew chicken I�ve ever had, in any type of restaurant (they don�t fuck it up with pineapples) and they serve absolutely amazing crab rangoon, of which there is a dire lack in Los Angeles.

8: Sometime in early �03, the roommate and I made one of our numerous runs to Tito�s Tacos. Apparently, it�s a west side institution, even though it really isn�t all that amazing (for evidence, one merely needs to sample their watery guacamole that is poured from a jug). Tell that to the crowds that line up outside, though. Jonny and I ate like kings, our entire living room table covered in tacos, enchiladas, chips and tamales, all for less than fifteen bucks. Coincidentally, I think a massive roach made it�s one and only appearance the next day. We probably should have thrown out the stuff we didn�t eat, rather than leaving it on the coffee table. The matter has since been rectified.

7: The night of my birthday was spent with my old pal Heather. We ordered pizza, watched tv, and I think that ice cream was involved at some point. Simple and good.

6: When I went out for my birthday with Jonny and our friend Natalie, I was in the mood for ribs. We drove around for two hours, looking for one place that didn�t exist, and then we headed to the most far flung location of a particular chain we could find because the first one we passed looked too �ghetto.� After a similar experience driving around the valley with these two, I vowed to never be in a car with them again. Once we got there, though, the driving was offset by a then ravenous appetite, good company, and a shoebox sized rectangular brick of onion rings. God, that was tasty. The ribs? I�ve had better.

5: When I was dating that Abby chick, I was on this kick about cooking dinner at home and having dinner party type things for which everyone prepares or brings something. I thought it was a brilliant way to get a whole bunch of food all in one place at minimal expense to me, and it worked perfectly. One night, we were all hanging out, and suddenly we wanted Rice Krispie treats. Abby and I headed off to the grocery store, spending way too much time looking for marshmallows. We couldn�t find them anywhere. Our search became methodical, and we finally found the marshmallows tucked away in some aisle that had nothing to do with food. I think the grocery store sign in that lane said something like:

Light Bulbs

Cleaning Supplies

Marshmallows

4: Robin visited me in Chicago, and I took her to my absolute favorite Mexican restaurant, perhaps my favorite Chicago restaurant, Fiesta Mexicana. I�ve been getting drunk there since my senior year of high school, and I�ve tried most everything on the menu. Enchiladas tres Colores are my favorite, and the small guacamole is huge. During our meal, I had my favorite dish, and we split a pitcher of mango-flavored margaritas. Luckily, my favorite waiter was there that night, and he honored my return by half filling our glasses with tequila before pouring us the margaritas. I blame him for the fact that, later that night at Second City, I spilled Robin�s vanilla martini into her lap. Mango margaritas can make anyone misjudge table length.

3: The hors d�oeuvres at the Motorola Toys for Tots party. I don�t know what they were called, but the little flaky pastry cups filled with meats and cheeses and other tasty things of unknown origin did an excellent job of soaking up the seven or eight Absolut and Red Bull beverages I also threw down.

2: At nearly the last minute, I realized that I hadn�t had Chicago pizza during my visit home. I met up with Sally and her friend Jon and we headed out to Leona�s for some good Italian. Leona�s isn�t known for it�s pizza specifically, but neither is Southern California, so this was a huge step up in comparison. I ordered a medium pizza with the works all to myself, ate three fourths of it, and polished off the rest back at my mom�s later that night. Leona�s has locations all over Chicago, and it has been many the night I�ve wished they would open a branch out here.

1: And the number one meal sneaks in just under the wire. I�m going with the sappy choice here, and announcing my number one meal as the New Year�s Eve meal Robin and I shared: We got some delivered Chinese, after which we really did mean to go out and celebrate and not act like we�re each fifty years old, but we fell asleep at 10pm in 2003, waking up at 1am, all cuddled up in 2004. It was a perfect way to end a tough year, and begin a new good one. There were also some really good shrimp dumpling type things.