When Gustavo Arellano eats his meals, he doesn?t skimp on portions and he doesn?t get scared of new ?avors. He orders precisely what he wants without holding back, and always uses the proper utensils.

Intellectual to the core, self-proclaimed nerd and open to trying new food options out of eagerness to grow, he sat across from me at a Hawaiian restaurant in Irvine and spoke to me about his work.

Ferociously soaking his chicken in a spicy dipping sauce with a well-practiced hand in chopstick use, he said, "To me, when it comes to food, all I care about is good food."

"What is this hot sauce made out of?" he asked the waiter as the food was brought to the table. "This isn?t Sriracha and it's not a sweet and sour sauce. It's something else, but it's really good though."

Arellano, a part-time professor in Chicano studies, has been "the subject of press coverage in the Los Angeles Times, Detroit Free Press, San Antonio Express-News, Mexico City’s El Universal newspaper, The Today Show, The Situation with Tucker Carlson, Nightline, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s The Hour, The Tom Leykis Show and The Colbert Report.

Gustavo’s commentaries on Latino culture appear regularly on National Public Radio’s Day to Day and Latino USA program, the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, The Glenn Beck Show and Paci?c News Service. Gustavo was a ?nalist for the 2005 Maggie Award’s Best Public Service Series or Article category for his work on the Catholic Diocese of Orange sex-abuse scandal, a topic for which he was the recipient of the Lilly Scholarship in Religion from the Religion Newswriters Association."

His love of food and Mexican culture is evident in his work and life. Author of a best-selling book and writer of the famous OC Weekly column "Ask a Mexican!" he is the Orange County version of Andrew Zimmerman.

"I love good food. I don?t care if you throw it at me, I don?t even care if you spit it at me," Arellano said. "If it's good, that's all I care about."

Arellano came from humble roots. His father being an illegal immigrant who snuck into the country in the back of a truck and his mother a tomato canner, they worked very hard to educate and raise their four children to be amazing assets to society.

Elsa Arellano, his younger sister, said his love for food came "from seeing my mom and aunts in the kitchen during special occasions."

"I remember when we moved as kids. For his birthday my mom made Mexican gorditas with beans, and some of his new classmates came over to eat and play Nintendo," said Elsa. "Food is such a unifying part of Mexican culture — most cultures as a matter of fact."

Elsa also believes his motivation comes from hearing about their family’s journey and experience navigating American culture with their Mexican heritage.

"Some people’s close-mindedness to other cultures (to the point of vilification) has driven him, sometimes through sarcasm and humor, to break down cultural barriers," Elsa said.

In March, Arellano went to Lonchera Lane, a long stretch of Main Street in Santa Ana lined with "some of the best food trucks in Southern California." He tasted food from every truck, such as the Roasted Corn Kings, Hot Taco and Los Reyes del Elote Asado, and chose his favorites.

Rico Reville, the marketing and publicity director of Soho Gourmet Taco Catering, was chosen as the Best Food Truck in Orange County last year by Arellano in a food truck contest.

"Absolutely amazing food," Arellano wrote in the article that was published April 7, 2011. "Behind the counter, Gabriel or Andres will make virtually any taco or burrito you can dream up with the items available, always using made-that-morning tortillas and providing fried-that-morning chips. And if they’re not there, the tacos still impress: tripas fried until they’re more decadent than bacon, salsa that sears, fresh-squeezed orange juice. Sure, the only seating is outside and affords you scenes of moms pushing strollers–but you’re in a carnicería in the barrio, not Javier’s."

After the publication of the article, Reville claimed that their business immediately doubled.

"He?s not easy to please and he is not shy about how he feels about the food," said Reville. "If you're gonna make Mexican food in Orange county, it better be goddamn good. If you read the OC Register, it is too bland and there is rarely any criticism except (from) Gustavo. He goes out on a limb and says it's bad. I appreciate his honesty and his intelligence."

There are three things Arellano loves. The ?rst is obviously food, the second is his Mexican heritage and the third is "helping the people that get screwed over."

This is where his journalistic talents come in to play.

His platform against bigotry, racism and stereotyping is evident in his articles in the OC Weekly, where people send in questions about anything to do with the Mexican culture.

Naida Jannet Jimenez, a Cal State Fullerton alumna who graduated in 2005 in international business, has followed his lectures and read his books in the past year. The Fullerton native said she "really likes the fact that he supports people that also support our community."

"He pro?les people that aren?t people in the mainstream media issues and aren?t pro?led in mainstream media," said Jimenez. "It's not giving opinion, but he?s very informative. He?s not ranting on his opinion, but he backs it up with history."

His book, Ask a Mexican!, an organized compilation of questions he has received over the years, is organized on topics such as ethnic relations, food and culture.

"The questions he is asked are mostly negative," Jimenez said. "Some people think that some explanations he give(s) don?t apply to all Mexicans, but there are different levels of assimilation. People see him as a threat because they don?t understand or appreciate him and realize how active he is in the community."

Among many platforms that Jimenez appreciates about Arellano, the one most characterized among his friends and followers is his dedication to his community.

"All of his events focus on people that succeed or do good in the community," Jimenez said. "He talks about people that work for the improvement of our community. I ?nd it very inspirational."

Last week, Jimenez attended a lecture Arellano sponsored that featured William Nericco, the chair and professor in the English and Comparative Language Department at San Diego State University.

Nericco is an author of four books, one of which won the Outstanding Academic Title in 2007 by the American Library Association in the category of Film Studies.

"Most writers are narcissists; they are so much self-loved and self-important in being a successful writer," said Nericco. "Gustavo is generous. He shares the spotlight. He puts writers in the spotlight. What he does with this Fullerton series is reaching out to the community and sharing his contact list to his audience."

Nericco, who has known Arellano for ?ve years since writing him a fan email, has invited him to SDSU several times and is always surprised at "how willing he is to give up his time to young students, journalists and writers."

"He gave his presentation and went to the campus restaurant and hung out with students," Nericco said. "He wanted his students to hang out with me and him, like an apprenticeship. He pays it forward and shares everything with his students so they are used to writers, teachers who run graduate programs."

Although Arellano has made many positive impressions in the community, he is also known to receive hate mail and threats because of his work.

"The people (who) hate him the most are the most racist," Nericco said. "If you look at the level of commentary on one of his pieces, the commenters are usually the least educated, least articulate, small-minded people on the planet. The ones that are most adamant are Southern Californian racists. This is the country we live in, anti-Mexican hate. Gustavo, God love him, is the best American. He defends the weak and the speechless."

Arellano?s next lecture will be Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at the Fullerton Public Library. The topic will feature a wide array of taco trucks for foodies to enjoy. For more information, call the Fullerton Library at 714-738-3122.