CA's Best Food And Drink: 2018 'Complete Guide' Ranks Top Spots

It's no secret that you could eat your way across California and not be disappointed with the wide variety of offerings of the state's fare. From delicious, authentic Mexican cuisine to some lighter California salads, the state has it all.

"If there’s a new trend in health food (or beer!), it also most likely started in California," the Daily Meal says of the Golden State's sustenance. The organization just released a list of the Best Food And Drink In Every State For 2018.

The Daily Meal has provided what it considers the "complete" guide of the best food and drink in California for the coming year, noting that the state is "the nation’s breadbasket... home to some amazing and legendary restaurants." They covered more than 40 categories for their project, including the best steakhouse, the best taco, best pizza, best Irish pub and more.

Nearly all of them are food-and-drink places that have become local, understated places of legend, each of them having managed to avoid being drowned out by the chains.

Here are 8 of the victors from a sample of categories via the foodie website, along with a bit of what they had to say about the winners:

Best Bar: Bar Agricole, San Francisco

"You’d think California’s best bar would be located somewhere in Los Angeles, given the city’s legendary food & drinks scene, but it’s actually right in the Bay Area. Another one of Esquire’s best bars in America, Bar Agricole (which means “farm bar” in French) is still quintessentially Californian."
READ MORE: The Best Bar in Every State

Best Burger: Father’s Office, Los Angeles

"What do you get when you go to Father’s Office, chef Sang Yoon’s gastropub in Los Angeles (now in both Santa Monica and Culver City)? No table service. And no pretension... But let’s face it: you’re there for the Office Burger, which many people in LA refer to as the city’s best burger. There’s nothing frou-frou about it, just arugula, bacon, caramelized onion, Gruyère, and Maytag Blue on a loaf that’s more similar to a baguette than a bun. It’s a very, very juicy burger with funk, freshness, and great flavor. The fries are also among America’s best, but don’t forget that there’s no ketchup on the premises."
READ MORE: The 101 Best Burgers in America

Best Chinese Restaurant: Koi Palace, Daly City

"World-class dim sum is the name of the game during lunchtime, but once dinnertime rolls around, Koi Palace becomes a seafood destination with entire menu sections dedicated to abalone, crab, shrimp, and lobster. Though these preparations are spot-on authentic, there’s plenty of room to be daring: Goose intestine chow fun, anyone? We’ll stick with the whole suckling pig, selling for $190, or its legendary Shanghai crab dumplings."
READ MORE: The best Chinese Restaurant in Every State

Best Cupcakes: Tiffany’s Sweet Spot, La Quinta

"This small, family-run bakery began as a passion for cookies, but quickly grew into a gourmet cookie and cupcake destination. The delectable cupcake creations come in a variety of flavors like Boston cream pie, PB&J, red velvet and tres leches, to name a few."
READ MORE: The Best Cupcakes in Every State

Best Food Truck: Food Fix Original Food Creations, Modesto

"Food Fix is the best food truck in California. The Modesto-based truck offers some fantastic food creations unlike anything you’ve ever seen on wheels (or at all, in most cases). Think sandwiches like the 'Porkstrami and Preztzel,' 'Root Beer Pulled Pork,' and 'Angry Bleubird'..."
READ MORE: 101 Best Food Trucks in America

Best Hot Dog: Pink’s, Los Angeles

"Is there anything to say about Pink’s that hasn’t been said? Hard to imagine. Even detractors define themselves by it ... Credit much of Pink’s success to its chili — it once led then New York Times restaurant critic Ruth Reichl to go dumpster-diving to figure out the recipe (true story). And while he wouldn’t divulge its ingredients, in an interview with The Daily Meal, Pink did note 'that it needs to be relatively smooth, but still have enough texture to make it stand up to hot dogs and hamburgers.'"
READ MORE: America’s 75 Best Hot Dogs

Best Seafood Shack: Splash Café, Pismo Beach

"This colorfully cool Pismo Beach cafe is making waves in the world of West Coast seafood with its award-winning clam chowder. The chowder is made from scratch every day, and Splash says it serves more than 20,000 gallons per year."
READ MORE: America’s 40 Best Seafood Shacks

Best Dive Bar: Zeitgeist, San Francisco

"For 30 years, bikers, punkers, and indie rockers alike have been congregating at Zeitgeist in San Francisco. Though the clientele has classed up a bit over the years, the bartenders are still crusty and the barbecue is still greasy. Don’t leave without trying one of their legendary Bloody Marys and drinking it out on the sprawling patio."
READ MORE: The Best Dive Bar in Every State

Click here to see the full list of categories and winners on The Daily Meal.

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Patch file photo by Renee Schiavone