This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston® issue, we're counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston's cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least once.

I'm a big fan of the lunch specials that Goode Co. Seafood serves, and not just because they're a good way to sample several signature items at once (grilled catfish topped with shrimp étouffée? YES, YOU CAN) without spending a bucket of cash. I love them because they're available every day of the week.

And my favorite from the ever-reliable lunch specials list is the half po-boy with a cup of gumbo: two classics, side by side. The gumbo is creamy and light -- no dark roux, if that's your cup of tea -- and packed with seafood. But, in keeping with Creole tradition, it contains only seafood, and no meat.

The po-boy comes with your choice of catfish, shrimp or oyster -- the catfish and shrimp can be fried or mesquite-grilled; your choice again -- but I prefer the three plump, cornmeal-battered oysters myself. On top of the fully dressed sandwich with soft yet sharply crunchy French bread goes a tangy rémoulade that pulls every part of the po-boy together. Order it with a crisp, slightly sweet Sauvignon Blanc and enjoy a perfectly civil lunch at a Houston classic.

The list so far:

No. 100: Chili cheese mac at Jus' Mac No. 99: Texas turkey sandwich at Spec's No. 98: Custard at Petite Sweets No. 97: Caprichos mixtos at Taqueria Monterrey Chiquito No. 96: Pineapple-wasabi burger at Lankford Grocery No. 95: Farmer's MKT Pizza at Phoenicia's MKT Bar No. 94: Potatoes at Money Cat Brunch No. 93: Breakfast tacos at Sunrise Taquito No. 92: Hot dog at Tacos D.F. No. 91: Avocado gelato at Frozen Cafe No. 90: Chicken sandwich at JerryBuilt Homegrown Burgers No. 89: Beer-battered asparagus at Hearsay No. 88: Honey Badger omelet at Kraftsmen Cafe No. 87: Pastelitos de carne at El Jalapeño No. 86: Pancakes at Union Kitchen No. 85: Wild boar and crab pizza at Boheme No. 84: Breakfast croissant at BB Donuts No. 83: Pretzel at Anvil Bar & Refuge No. 82: Short rib sandwich at Shepherd Park Draught House No. 81: Grilled shrimp po-boy at Pappadeaux No. 80: Dahi puri at Shiv Sagar No. 79: Aporreado at Los Corrales No. 78: Oxtail francobolli at Aldo's Cucina Italiana No. 77: Tonkotsu at Cafe Kubo's No. 76: Spinach danish from Angela's Oven No. 75: Pupusas at El Petate No. 74: Pheasant dog at Sammy's Wild Game Grill No. 73: X-Tudo burger at Friends Pizzeria No. 72: Esparragos gratinados at Tintos No. 71: Gua bao at Yummy Kitchen No. 70: Geisha dog at Happy Endings