Choosing just one dish at a restaurant is a difficult and emotional decision. My technique is always the same: I close my eyes and imagine myself eating the items in question—sometimes going as far as to hold my hands up in a hamburger formation, then switching to a fork-twirling motion for pasta. I always wish I could order a little bit of several dishes, which makes an event like San Diego's Taste of Downtown a fun (albeit challenging) way to spend an evening.

The event is a self-guided eating tour of several downtown restaurants. Your ticket gets you a "taste" of a different dish at each place, which can include anything from a forkful of pasta to a pulled pork slider, to a tiny teacake. This year, 55 restaurants in downtown San Diego took part, including everything from cafes to pubs to swanky upscale lounges.

Some restaurants go all out, offering a buffet and free cocktails (this was the case at two Indian restaurants), while others offer something less exciting, like a sad little plate of penne. This is where the challenging part of the evening comes in: With 55 bites vying for room in your stomach, there's only so many that can make the cut.

There are several "Taste of..." events throughout the year, each of which features several restaurants in a different neighborhood, including The Gaslamp, Hillcrest, North Park, and more. Taste of Downtown happens each year in September. Here are 10 of the best "tastes" from this year's festival.