For many (including those here at the Post), the gastronomical goodness of Long Beach—or just the world in general—is its best feature. Food and drink do more than nourish our bodies; they connect us socially and make the neurons in the pleasure centers of our brains do a little happy dance.

Long Beach is home to a unique and ever-growing food scene. From old world favorites to new, experimental concepts, there is no shortage of spots to get down and grub.

Welcome to Best of Long Beach 2014: Food and Drink.

Vote for your favorite in each category below, or nominate a new entry by typing it into the “add an answer” box. Voting is open until Friday, December 12 at 11:59PM.

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Best Lunch Special in Long Beach
You may claim the depression is over, but the cost of daily office lunches to-go adds up and can lead to some serious bank account panic. Where is the best place to score amazing grub for under $10 on your break from the grind?

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Best Non-Traditional Take on the Taco in Long Beach
Last year, we asked for your pick for the best authentic taco in Long Beach, and La Taqueria’s taco showed itself to be the local favorite version of the handheld food by a landslide. However, there are so many versions of this folded delicacy that break all the traditions. Which one is the best?

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Best Tap List in Long Beach
We are home to phenomenal breweries and, at least according to the Great American Beer Fest, the nation’s best mid-sized gastropub (Shout out to our men and women at Beachwood!). This equates to glorious tap lists all over the city that offer beautiful goblets of brew, both locally-sourced and internationa—so we are handing over to you the incredibly difficult challenge of choosing the best.

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Best Veggie Burger in Long Beach
The Factory in Bixby Knolls is our reigning champ for best burger in Long Beach, but let’s not forget about our herbivorous friends. Vegetarian cuisine is rising up to the challenge in Long Beach, offering meat-free burger options that appease both the vegetarian and conscientious carnivore alike (well, mostly). From the Shore to Bixby Knolls veggie burger options are plentiful, but who does it best?

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Best Tamales in Long Beach
‘Tis the season for tamales, and frankly we can’t wait to tear through some corn husk wrapping paper and bombard our stomachs with masa-entombed gifts. Where do you go to to take part in the tamale tradition?

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Best Place in Long Beach to Cure the Midnight Munchies
In the wee hours before we turn back into pumpkins, our hunger has a tendency to go into vicious overdrive. From mini-markets to fast food joints to the holes in the wall kind enough to leave their lights on for us, we want to know where you go when it’s late and you’re suddenly starving.

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Best Cottage Business in Long Beach
You’ve see them online, at the farmers market, and consigning their wares at brick-and-mortar businesses throughout the city. From coffee roasters to preserve canners to dried meat products, Long Beach is home to a plethora of small businesses run out of the home. Who did it best in 2014?

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Best Happy Hour to Drink Your Late Lunch in Long Beach
Long Beach is home to some of the best happy hours around, with dangerously delectable drink deals that are sure to erase both your mid-day malaise and short term memory. Where is home to LB’s best happy hour purely for the adults?

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Best Local Market in Long Beach
These hidden gems are dispersed throughout the city, from ma’n’pa-style hubs to carnicerias. Where do you forgo the massive grocery lines in favor of the local market?

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Best Seafood in Long Beach
We love the fishes because they’re so delicious—well, that and the fact that Long Beach restaurants serve up some of the best sushi, fish, shellfish and other gifts from the sea with impeccable quality and taste. Where is the best place to mow down on some oceanic creatures?

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Best Fast Food Joint in Long Beach
Don’t lie. We’re all friends here. Be it the ubiquitous burger joints attached to numbers or the franchise that is seen nationwide, sometimes you just want to partake in America’s greatest gift to the world: fast food. Where do you go in Long Beach when it’s time to disregard your waistline and crush your hunger?

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Best Chain Restaurant in Long Beach
We beat the localism drum pretty hard around here. The only thing better than wolfing down a plate of delicious, locally-sourced food is the satisfaction of knowing you’re supporting a fellow Long Beacher’s dream. But, there’s also a handful of great eateries that, despite not being locally owned, grace our city and give us something to look forward to. What is the best chain restaurant that’s put down roots in Long Beach?

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