Over the past 12 months I enjoyed a number of dishes on my plate, so much so that I willingly decided to be one of those journalistic schmucks pumping out a Top Ten list at the end of the year (which is code for “crap, I don’t know what to write about this week”).



Here are my top eight eats for 2008 (in no particular order):



1. I took a trip to China in February discovering that the food in China trumps the typical fatty stuff they peddle in the United States. In China the cuisine actually embodies freshness, fire, flavor, and frivolity. I especially loved the hot pot — an oily, peppery, fondue-like meal where diners dip shaved meat into the bubbling broth. Only one place replicates the real Chinese experience in the South Sound — Tacoma Szechuan (9601 S. Tacoma Way, Lakewood). Their hot pot is excellent.



2. I discovered goat this year — finding several places that honor the mighty Capricorn. My favorite — Opa Greek Cuisine (6104 Sixth Ave., Tacoma). Their braised goat with turnips and shallots in a tomato sauce tastes of cinnamon and nutmeg. Cut from the shoulder, the meat tastes incredibly mild and tender — barely a hint of wild taste. This goat may scare your wallet a bit — ringing in at over $18 a plate, however, it comes with soup as well as a side of rice and vegetables.



3. My favorite dive discovery took place this summer while walking around Olympia in search of “funky” foods. I walked into the QB (213 Fourth Ave. E.), unsure exactly what was inside — I thought maybe a bar, an AA meeting place or just plain empty (that’s how dirty the windows are). What I found, however, was well-crafted food, light, home grown and artisan. Bar none, the best item on the menu is the QB’s Steve’s deep-fried Cadillac burrito — a mama with chicken, tofu or gilled vegetables, beans, rice, avocado, cheese, sour cream and Pico de gallo. This bad boy tastes great the next day cold, too.



4. My top guilty pleasure in 2008 — Mongolian Beef at Hot Teriyaki near Oakbrook (8013 Steilacoom Blvd., Lakewood). I’ve certainly railed a bit about American derivatives of Chinese food, but in the category of sinful foods I love, this Lakewood eatery’s Mongolian beef certainly makes my all-time favorite list. The Mongolian beef, diced thin and cooked crisp, mixed with onions and carrots and a sweet sauce and served with white rice tastes hearty. The dish combines fantastic texture and aroma. It’s comfort food that goes with any season.



5. In the best new restaurant category, Maxwell’s Speakeasy + Lounge (454 St. Helens, Tacoma) easily takes the honors. The place is smart looking, smart tasting and delivers consistency. I loved this place the minute I walked inside. With classy golden brown and geometric details, smart furnishings and hip fixtures, it’s one more restaurant making Tacoma a big city town.



6. In the also newish category, I tasted my first Red Hot dog in 2008 (2914 Sixth Ave., Tacoma), and I am now hooked. Hot dogs smothered in cheese sauce, chili and jalapeños served with Pabst Blue Ribbon and chased by a Moon Pie — heaven. This place gives you a heart attack just reading the menu — it’s the art of hot dogs — the big Kahuna.



7. I ate more than 40 sandwiches this summer in a quest to find the best 21. People I know suggested where I go, and in the end, the number one was worth all the ones that gave my tummy an ache. My favorite — Meconi’s Philly Cheese (5225A Lacey Blvd., Lacey). Although a bit crammed inside, the sandwiches they turn out are big in flavor and homemade love. The Philly Cheese features sliced steak, grilled green peppers and onions, mushrooms topped with mozzarella. Stacked, rich in beef flavors and hot to handle — clearly, hands down, this is the South Sound’s best sandwich.



8. For reasons still unknown to me, I did a Spam story, trying the various dishes offered in the South Sound. I liked one — L&L Hawaiian Barbecue’s Musubi (10417 Gravelly Lake Dr., Lakewood). More appetizer than meal, two slices of Spam get placed on rice and wrapped in nori. Salty with hints of the sea, it’s just the right portion (meaning tiny) for enjoying Spam.