I used to only eat chicken if I had mustard to dip it in. It’s a fact that’s somewhat shameful, but I open with this strange anecdote to show you that my love for mustard has deep roots, albeit weird ones.

I’m not a ketchup (catsup) fan. The stuff is too sweet for me, and just kind of bland and boring. I will give it some credit when Tabasco joins its forces.

Mayonnaise is the bane of my existent. I don’t like it and it only deserves a charismatic title when it’s called aioli.

But mustard…it’s tangy and bright (not to mention very low in calories, compared to its condiment compadres).

I like mustard to dip my fries in, to spread on paninis, to add to a cheese plate, to top off sausages (ok, and maybe still to have with my chicken). And there are all different kinds: yellow, grainy, horseradish, wasabi, truffle, etc. It’s a jack-of-all-trades!

I got to go to a media preview of a new restaurant in San Diego, in the Rancho Bernardo neighborhood, called Avant.

It’s a revamp of an old restaurant at a big golf resort and the food is to die for, the chef (Nicolas Bour) is full of personality and the ambiance is one-of-a-kind. But the coolest part for this foodie? They have mustard. On tap.

You read the correctly. On tap. Draft mustard. It’s a beautiful thing. They import mustards from France (enchante!) and serve ’em up fresh. You can even buy a ceramic container for refills every time you visit.

How amazing is that? I got to take home some truffle mustard in that baby above.

Thanks for existing, mustard. Without you, my hot dogs, sandwiches, chicken and even palate would be so boring!

Do you love mustard? Tell me in the comments below what your favorite kind is!