I am a sucker for comfort food. I know what I like and I have my favorites. Whenever I travel throughout Washington, I make a mental note of the places I know I want to eat at. Yeah, I'm all about making new favorites, sure, but I also like what I like. My favorite food is tater tot casserole, full stop.

Photo by Coen Staal on Unsplash
Photo by Coen Staal on Unsplash
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I get that casserole can be a scary word, especially if you had church potlucks or similar gatherings in your upbringing. But for me, it simply means "find the nearest couch and get ready." We're making a food baby, people.

Photo by David Trinks on Unsplash
Photo by David Trinks on Unsplash
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The Gilded Unicorn in Spokane has the best tater tot casserole I've ever had.

My wife and I used to take a lot of day trips before we had kids. We still go on trips with the kids but they're planned out a little bit more. I think it was my wife's 21st birthday when we went to Spokane that I encountered the Gilded Unicorn for the first time. It's got a wonderful aesthetic and vibe. You take a hole-in-the-wall door off the sidewalk and walk down the stairs into the Unicorn. The temperature drops and you're met with a scene right out of Game of Thrones. Seriously, like where's the mead? (I think they have mead.)

Behold, Gilded Unicorn's tater tot casserole. (Pete Christensen)
Behold, Gilded Unicorn's tater tot casserole. (Pete Christensen)
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I'll never forget the first time I tried the tater tot casserole at the Gilded Unicorn. I'll admit that I wasn't expecting much so I was absolutely blown away when I first tasted it. The chunky beef was so good. You'll have to watch this video to get the full scope of this masterclass in culinary arts.

What other hidden gems in Washington are waiting for me to eat them?

LOOK: Here Are 30 Foods That Are Poisonous to Dogs

To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.

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