Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

The Chipotle location does tend to matter a lot -- The one across from my work is so-so, and I've become a lot less enamoured of the chain since that one opened. That said: I don't care much for Chipotle's beans, but I like going with a 'fajita' burrito -- they give you sauteed peppers and onions instead, and I've rarely not liked those particular veg. I'm also partial to the carnitas, which has very rarely been flavorless or dry (but, it happens sometimes).
Most importantly, though, I've never once been disappointed in their guacamole. There are days I stop in just for a bag of their lime chips and a side of guac. YUM.

Overall.. Not sure I'm a fan of the price tag, but it IS a filling meal once in a while, provided you've got a good location to stop in.

Like dbcurrie and SavtaShayna, I've made the Toll House cookies -- but I'm also rather fond of French's green bean casserole: Growing up, my mother made it, exactly as directed by the package. Now that I cook for myself, I've dressed it up a little -- but the original still has a special place in my culinary heart. :)

Also, rice crispies treats! Can't forget those, though it's been years.

I'm sad to say I haven't been here in years, but I harbor some seriously good memories of Filippi's Pizza Grotto: There's more than one (and the concensus seems to be the Little Italy one is the best), but the one I personally can vouch for is the Mission Gorge location.

I used to always get the meatball ravioli: Like I said, haven't been there in years, but when they say meatball? They mean meatball. Singular, but as large as my fist, and with some seriously flavorful sauce. Their cheesecake was also very, very tasty. -- My parents tell me they loved Filippi's pizza, but I could never get away from my favorite to try it.

Bring an appetite if you go. There's lots of food.

I was just reading about a similiar issue in the LA Times last week, where a bloom of bacteria off the West Coast wiped out billions of oyster larvae (link here, but I can't recall whether it makes you log in or not) -- Effectively, the culprit out here is a strain of bacteria called Vibrio tubiashii, which is harmless to humans but fatal to baby oysters, and attacks their free-swimming larval stage before they settle to the seafloor, latch onto rocks or other oysters and grow thick shells. (Wild oysters are even more vulnerable than the farmed ones.)

To me, this sounds like it may not be just a local issue. :(

I'm personally fond of the Southern Exposure Seed Exchange: I've only just started using them earlier this year, but I've already got some really tall heirloom tomato plants from the seeds I put down in May.

So I made "Marcus's coconut cookies" on the package of free trade sugar. They were supereasy to make and very, very good - a slightly less chewy macaroon.

Those Bisquick package recipes were what I had in mind when I started this thread. I remember that cheeseburger pie recipe and always wondered if it was any good.

I went there a few times and their burritos are big, "organic" and they taste ok, but they did not leave a "OMG I can't wait to go back" impression on me. If I want a chain food burrito I go to Taco Del Mar.

I like the corn bread recipe from the back of the Quaker cannister. We also like to make the Cheeseburger Pie recipe from the back of the Bisquick box (it reminds BF of deep dish pizza sorta).

The first recipe I ever made from a food label was for Noodles with Peanut Sauce from the label on a bottle of hot chile oil my mom purchased for stir-fries when I was quite young. I still make it (or at least my own variation of it) to this day.

oatmeal cookies off the quaker oatmeal box. its the only recipie i use. awesome best oatmeal cookie ever. sometimes i use craisins and raisins together. mmmmm. also ronzoni fettuccini package used to have a really good (with eggs and cream) alfredo recipe.

Some years ago Quaker Oats had a recipe for oatmeal chocolate chip bars on the inside of the lid. My grandma cut it out, but I loved them so much I soon started making them myself. I brought them into the office one day when I worked at a newspaper, and the food editor couldn't stop raving about them - and she wasn't big on sweets. She couldn't believe the source of the recipe.