I was inspired by TNT Diner reader joelchang, who posted his good, bad and ugly list for 2008 on the You Plate Special thread.

Below is the start of my good, bad and ugly list. Click the "read more" button to see the rest of my list, plus joelchang’s list.

And now it’s your turn to post your good, bad and ugly lists. What makes your list? Comment here, or e-mail to tntdiner@thenewstribune.com and I'll post them here.

My good list for 2008 (in no particular order):

1. Pupusas at El Pulgarcito in Tacoma. These warm, gooey treats are a bargain at $1.95 and are representative of the quality eats that come from the kitchen of Salvadoran restaurant El Pulgarcito. If you haven’t been to El Pulgarcito yet, get yourself there and try the queso (cheese) or calabazita (zucchini and cheese) pupusas.

2. The Big Al’s Combo at Lucky’s Hot Dog Diner in Puyallup. Brian Britton and family make a mean hot dog in their downtown Puyallup store. Get the Big Al’s, which is a casings-on snappy dog on a poppy seed bun and dressed in the mustard-onion-relish trifecta of hot dog perfection. It's great walking around food. After you're done there, walk up the street to Indulge Cupcakes for a red velvet wonder.

=> Read more!

This in the TNT Diner inbox this morning:

Hello--
I'm a former resident of Tacoma, south end.  We used to go to two different Italian restaurants in that end of town, La Pergola in Spanaway, then South Tacoma, and Amerigo's in University Place ..... I am looking for some kind of contact or any recipe info the TNT might have published.  We're talking the 1950's.
Thanks for your help.
Richard White

Unfortunately, a hand search of our microfiche library could take days or weeks and I'm on deadline for two stories and a project this week and next (doh!).

I recommended the reader connect with the Northwest Room at the Tacoma Public Library for some background research. But I thought perhaps TNT Diner readers may have background information, fodder, maybe even recipes for this reader. If you do, please comment.