What was the best thing you ate in '08?
Ok, only a few more days left in the year. What was the best meal or food you ate, or food you discovered in '08?
For me..big, juicy, sweet mangoes. I fell in love immediately.
What about you serious eaters? Let's here it!!!
*Also, if it was a meal, describe where it was, whom you were with, the whole 9 years.
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62 Comments:
I just didn't get the appeal of raw oysters. I've tried them several times over the last 10 years or so and did not like them. Last October we went back to New Orleans and I gave them another shot. Went to Acme Oyster House and got a half dozen. I get it now. Over the next 2 days went back for more. As far as something new or different for me that was the best thing I ate all year.
chazmo at 5:43PM on 12/29/08
Could be any of the following...
My first mouthful of shrimp and cheese grits from Blue Heaven in Key West.
The Beef Wellington at One If By Land TIBS.
(And believe it or not...) A veggie pizza, including artichokes and spinach that was to die for. The kicker? It was from Queens Pizza in Florida.
therealchiffonade at 7:11PM on 12/29/08
Hmm. So many things. But in particular, I like to eat healthy and in the past month I discovered Pumpkin Oats. (Stay with me here.) Take 1/3 cup oats, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup pumpkin (not the pie mix), cinnamon, and sweetener of choice--Make the oatmeal, then stir in everything else and enjoy. I've been eating it almost everyday...
luswim06 at 7:28PM on 12/29/08
i have to say of all of the food eaten in 2008 -- i have to say that many things stand out: the local sweet potatoes grown by a farm upstate new york -- the romanesco broccoli, new on the veggie scene at the farmer's market, sprout creek cheeses - batch 35 and eden .... and pea shoots grown by another small farm in the area..... all of these wonderful foods were available at the farmer's market this year....
all in all, everything that was locally grown .... such flavor, such energy in that food.....
pooch at 8:35PM on 12/29/08
the first tristar strawberries of the year from berried treasures at the greenmarket. i can't wait for spring!
cybercita at 9:27PM on 12/29/08
I'm pretty sure I can't put that on here... the best food I ate was the Dublin Coddle at Gallaghers Boxty House in Dublin, IE
Pavlov at 11:02PM on 12/29/08
The best food memory I have of this year, was the most delicous slice of sour cream, apple pie, with a double thick nut/crumb crust. It was at a cozy little cafe, somewhere on the west side, near Chelsea. I only wish I could remember the name. I was with my ex husband, and I can't ask him where it was b/c he's an idioit!
Happy New Year everyone!!
Kaneez at 11:09PM on 12/29/08
I freshly fried happa from Lotte Department Store food court in Busan, Korea.
smile at 11:15PM on 12/29/08
Splurging on lobster tail and king crab with butter and sourdough bread...made at home. *Sigh and weep*.
lamora at 11:36PM on 12/29/08
After not eating for a month and a half I would have to say hot and sour soup from China First which is right now on my mind 24/7.
Rori's pulled pork sandwich at Shultzy's.
The pizza at both Al Forno's and Palaminos
The chicken tikka masala at Malabars
pjracz10 at 11:46PM on 12/29/08
Sticky Mango Pudding at Thai House : ) Heaven in a bowl.
gourmetgal at 12:52AM on 12/30/08
The most memorable meal of 2008 was a swan dive off the health charts into a roast suckling pig (I mean really small-23 day old, milk-fed porker) in Segovia, Spain. With my wife, in a reknowned restaurant just off the town's main square. Second place goes to a grilled salmon filet at a summer grill party with friends in the Czech Republic. My read is that the company you keep has a big impact on the "quality" factor of the meals you eat.
czken at 1:08AM on 12/30/08
The best meal I had in 2008 was definitely the one my OH cooked for me in honour of my 35's birthday.
brooke29 at 1:12AM on 12/30/08
I'm currently blinded by the incredible fish tacos I had from Alto Cinco here in Syracuse the other night. Normally I'd scoff at cabbage in my taco, but it fit perfectly and gave a very satisfying crunch.
I was also able to finally procure a Magnolia cupcake this year, and it was indeed a fine treat. not mind blowing, and it only sticks out as a memory because my wife and I waited in line for 45 minutes just because we could.
The topper was the finest filet mignon I prepared all year long. Seasoned with just salt and pepper, cooked to a perfect medium rare...and cuttable with only a fork. My wallet wasn't happy when I left the store, but my mouth and stomach were satisfied enough.
phenosteve at 1:44AM on 12/30/08
i discovered the Honeycrisp.
'nuff said.
mayoxqueen at 3:18AM on 12/30/08
I already commented on my best restaurant meal on another thread, but I'll repeat here: the 2 lb "Cantonese Lobster" I had at Blue Zoo in Orlando, Florida...served fried and tossed in a sticky soy glaze. Ridiculously expensive and worth every penny.
Pizza from Regina's and Santarpio's in Boston.
Also, this year I finally discovered the joys of fresh figs. Who knew that figs dont' JUST come stuffed into a Newton??? Several friends down here in GA have fig trees in their yards, and I enjoyed the bounty this year. Now I am hooked!!! Cannot wait for SPRING for those succulent morsels of heaven.
Oh, and Kale. (I'll stop now.)
juliebugsmama at 9:18AM on 12/30/08
At McGurk's in St Louis-Grilled cheese sandwich. Sourdough bread, monterrey Jack, cheddar and Goat cheese, Roma tomatoes and Guinness caramelized onions. OMG The sharp cheddar, the tanginess of the goat cheese, the fresh tomatoes and the candy sweetness of the onions is just the most incredible flavor combination that you can imagine. I'm wiping my chin now.
When house-hunting in Baltimore at the beginning of the year my husband and I want to a really great little -almost secret- restaurant in Hampden called Dogwood Diner. Next to Dogwood Deli is a door that goes downstairs and it's in the basement. Dark and very cool. The chef prepares the menu daily based on what's available at the market. My husband had some really incredible escargot, very buttery and garlicky, tender and delicious. I had an absolutely amazing wild mushroom soup. Very rich and creamy and aromatic. But the crowning glory was a basil-scented creme brulee. It tasted exactly like basil smells. Really hard to describe and even harder to live without.
That same trip we went to a little neighborhood called Mt Washington and ate at the Mt Washington Tavern, it was there that I had foie gras for the first time; heavenly.
These meals/restaurants convinced me that I could live here.
carolrsfMISSESTEXAS at 9:45AM on 12/30/08
Sweet Potato anything. I used to hate sweet potatoes. Now, I want them every way, shape, and form. Love going to Iron Hill Brewery to get the Sweet Potato Fries. :)
I discovered Foie Gras this year. Dear God. That stuff is incredible.
Lobster Carpaccio. What else needs to be said?
A Fresh Lobster Dinner when we were in Isla Mujeres, Mexico. My BF stopped eating his dinner to help me eat mine. And he doesn't like lobster. Best I've ever had. Fayne's had some amazing food.
Japanese Macaroni and Cheese from Swanky Bubbles (restaurant in Philly). I want some of that right now.
Chocolate Motlen Cake that had to be ordered as we were ordering our appetizers. I think they added crack. Morton's knows what they are doing.
Butrflygirly at 9:59AM on 12/30/08
A glorious piece of sea bass cooked very simply in a Spanish restaurant back home in Argentina; an ostrich curry that was simply out of this world and the best bife de chorizo and bife de lomo in Buenos Aires accompanied by 10 little side dishes and sauces...
HappyMuncher at 10:11AM on 12/30/08
@mayoxqueen~My daughter and youngest son are apple snobs. Braeburn or Honeycrisp only. I said whatever, I like them all. Then I tasted the Honeycrisp. I stand corrected.
@Butrflygirly~I've had that Molten Cake at Morton's. I believe your recipe is correct. As a side-note, that was birthday dinner for my son who was turning 10. (You get to pick where you want to go on your birthday and invite a friend) He loves steak and he heard it was good.
It was delicious and we could have taken a family vacation.
carolrsfMISSESTEXAS at 11:18AM on 12/30/08
@Texas: Is it not the best thing? Seriously, I have no words for how good that is. And what a gift to your son and a GREAT choice by him. :) My BF and I went to Morton's while we were in Chicago. A little sidenote-have you ever been to a Brazilian Steak House? One of my Xmas presents is we are going to Fogo de Chao. Can't wait to try it!
I also see you tried foie gras for the first time this year. How angry were you that you waited so long to try it? Or at least, I was anyway. :)
Butrflygirly at 12:07PM on 12/30/08
I will give the same answer every year. Foie, Foie and more Foie.
izatryt at 12:16PM on 12/30/08
Yes, @Izzy-I agree. I do believe it will become a staple on my list as well. People in Chicago have got to be happier now. :)
Butrflygirly at 12:24PM on 12/30/08
sweet corn on the cob...at the farmers house. yum!
supersu75 at 12:53PM on 12/30/08
You know it girly! Woo Hoo! 2009 is the year of FOIE!
izatryt at 2:35PM on 12/30/08
@girly -- Fogo de Chao is wonderful. Think endless skewers of perfectly grilled/roasted meats served by hunky Brazilian men. Meat!!!! :o)
juliebugsmama at 2:57PM on 12/30/08
@Izzy: I'm gonna like 2009 then!! SWEET.
@juliebugsmama: By the way, love your name. :) I don't know if I can handle it all!!
Butrflygirly at 3:04PM on 12/30/08
Izatryt,
I'm with you. Foie Gras.
Went to a chef's tasting where they asked ahead of time what your favorite foods were - I said foie gras, mais oui! There were 22 courses, albeit bite size, and many contained foie gras. No words describe.
Then, in tribute of the Christmas season, we were given several slices of a foie gras terrine - nothing but foie gras and fleur de cel...so I guess it's been a foie gras year.
I don't feel guilty. Don't make me.
Nonny at 7:18PM on 12/30/08
I love the new Hershey pumpkin spice candy kisses. They were only out at Thanksgivin
sarahita at 9:22PM on 12/30/08
fajitas and guacamole.
dearrie at 9:30PM on 12/30/08
@mayoxqueen - I'm totally there with you regarding the Honeycrisp.
But for sheer perfection, every single time, it's my friend Paul's Dal. (I make it regularly, but always credit him.) It is the most delicious, warming and satisfying thing I've ever eaten. I could eat it every day of the week, and often do, poured over brown rice. I love Indian food and love dal in general, but this one? Oh My Goodness.
chisai at 12:01PM on 01/01/09
Damson plum jam from the farmer's market. I actually got a little weak in the knees, it was so good.
sobriquet at 12:39PM on 01/01/09
New Year's Eve at Michael Symon's Roast! in Detroit: a 16 oz dry aged ribeye with a side of creamed spinach and feta. I still have a good sized piece of the steak left for lunch today. Best meat I have ever tasted in my life......perfectly seared crust on the outside with nothing much more than salt and pepper and medium rare everywhere else.
robincat at 9:39AM on 01/02/09
I discovered two new foods this year that I am now wild for. The first was live sea urchin, I was skeptical having tried sea urchin sushi. Live sea urchin is a completely different taste experience. It has this wonderfully perfumed floral note to it that I can't properly describe. You have to experience it yourself to understand. The next food item I've found just recently is Goat's Milk Gouda. Slightly pungent nice smell goes wonderful with black seedless grapes or just in small slices on it's own.
Martini Me at 11:14AM on 01/02/09
The best thing I've eaten this year? Hmm. I went to France for the first time, so pretty much everything we ate there qualifies - from the saucisson sandwiches on baguette from the epicerie across the street from our hotel in Avignon, to the amazing three-course meal we ate at our tiny country in near Isle sur la Sorgue, and of course Paris, and Pierre Herme macarons and felafel, and, and , and....
At home? 2008 was the year that I decided to just relax and trust my instincts in the kitchen - many good meals, from home-made pizzas on the grill, to roasts. Oh. I also learned about butter this year, so everything got way more deliciouser!
provey at 2:23PM on 01/02/09
One of the best meals I had in 2008 was at BB King's restaurant in Nashville. I had chicken fried chicken, which had been marinated in buttermilk and hot sauce, and served with utterly decadent mac and cheese that they make individually. It was heaven (and a heart attack) on a plate.
karenevans at 3:48PM on 01/02/09
It was a generally not-that-memorable year, I guess. Lots of good stuff, but nothing of legend.
My "new" thing was fresh figs, which I learned to like.
Dinner at Blue Hill at Stone Barns was amazing, but the memorable dishes were the passed hors (it was a wedding).
Favorite new-to-me restaurant was Ad Hoc.
Place I'm most happy to check off the list is Magnolia Bakery.
cyberroo at 4:08PM on 01/02/09
Avocados, especially with eggs. They have spoiled regular scrambled eggs forever.
styska1 at 7:34PM on 01/02/09
I went to Hershey and they did not have the pumpkin but they do have them on ebay. If you must have them.
I started making Indian food at home in 2008. I found with the right ingredients and some great cookbook suggestions from all of you, my flavors were spot on. I also saw a nice naan recipe on tastespotting today.
Next project mango pickle. I am just loving good home cooked Indian meals. We make it spicy as we like.
JerzeeTomato at 9:45AM on 01/03/09
-Tomatoes and peppers grown in our garden.
-Thick cut bacon and Chicago-style Italian sausage from Kroeger Bros. in Findlay Market
-Array of oysters from the Atlantic and Pacific at Oceanaire in Cincinnati
-Bone-in ribeye at Morton's
-My 4th of July smoked Boston Butt with homemade Carolina style bbq sauce.
-My wife's chicken wings, best I've ever had and one of the reasons I've gained five pounds.
-My 10-year old son's breakfast eggs. Not the greatest eggs I've ever eaten but the effort makes them delicious. His goal is to be a chef.
kmitch218 at 4:22PM on 01/03/09
Creamed cabbage! Sounds vile, doesn't it? I had it at a Mennonite restaurant - I almost passed but then I took a bite! It was the side that came with all the meals and everyone else in our group loved the stuff.
bareneed at 5:36PM on 01/03/09
the autumn menu @ Talula's Table.
http://www.talulastable.com/
steept at 7:51PM on 01/03/09
mayoxqueen at 3:18AM on 12/30/08
Yep.
And I made a Shepards pie that someone posted the recipe to.
Pretty tasty.
Rookiecook at 8:30PM on 01/03/09
VOZA on Columbus between 106 and 107...as good as Union Sq Cafe!
Ask for Sean and tell him Neal sent you!
For a great dinner! Really.
Thanks!
Neal
646-884-0594
nealhugh at 11:06PM on 01/03/09
Most memorable for me was a lovely piece of grilled ahi tuna caught fresh that day while on a Hawaii trip. Best ahi I've ever had!
Perkins10 at 11:56PM on 01/03/09
My mom and I discovered a spicy lettuce mix at our farmers market in southern new hampshire. it was so good thats all we put in our salad all summer--and so spicy it gave me that same sinus rush that you get when eating too much wasabi...
oh i miss the freshness of summertime
veggieout at 12:12AM on 01/04/09
Slow-braised pork belly at Maze by Gordon Ramsay during Restaurant Week, and the yogurt at Bouchon Bakery. Actually, both were top of my list not just for 2008, but my entire life--after that meal at Maze I was ready to take on the world!
lloix at 3:03AM on 01/04/09
Wow. I can't believe how much awesome food I had this year. Raw oysters on the Gulf, fresh crawfish, crab nachos, mussels, calamari, the BEST corned beef hash to ever exist, the Bayside buffett @ mandaly bay in Vegas. It was probably the best food year of my life
aimingforzero at 2:25PM on 01/04/09
Fried Chicken at "THE PIT" in Raleigh, North Carolina with Chef Ed Mitchell at the helm.
Nemis at 9:24AM on 01/05/09
my favorite thing i ate was coming home after ten weeks of college food and my mom had made the most delicious meal - a big salad - spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, radishes, crutons, cheddar cheese. plus some grilled chicken to put on top and some cheesy garlic bread. delicious
listener at 9:56AM on 01/05/09
I fell in love with a not particularly "authentic", but very tasty maki at our local place. The "Red Sox Maki" is an inside out roll filled with sauced unagi and topped with crab salad. It's plated with drizzles of spicy mayo and more unagi sauce that looks like a baseball diamond and a mound of wasabi to represent the Green Monster. We order it almost everytime we go.
Amandarama at 11:57AM on 01/05/09
My first meal in Cambodia. Ginger fried chicken with more julienned ginger than slices of chicken, a vegetable stir fry, and in particular, samlar m'jew - this amazing fish based soup with fresh pineapple and tomatoes in it. I'm salivating just thinking about it.
marchpane at 5:46PM on 01/05/09
Homemade ravioli, pulled pork, everything I ate in paris, raclette in switzerland...most memorable dessert was the anise roulade with figs from Gourmet.
dettling05 at 6:41PM on 01/05/09
Definitely salted caramel ice cream from the Bi-Rite Creamery in San Francisco -- Wow! Salivating for it til this day :) Oh, and 2008 was the year I discovered my love for sweet potatoes :)
Bettydee at 12:48AM on 01/06/09
The best experience of 2008 was definitely eating at minibar.... 27 glorious bite-sized courses stretched over two hours. And getting to watch the chefs make everything right in front of you was as much a feast for the eyes as it was for the stomach.
Too many to choose from... BLTs with fresh summer tomatoes and the best bacon in the world (Whole Foods Black Forest bacon, it won our household "bacon-off" competition), butter and sugar corn on the cob, anything at EatBar, the west coast ribeye at Red Rock Canyon, everything at craftsteak... oh happy memories....
Tootsie at 1:54AM on 01/06/09
The free apple I was handed getting off the airport train in Zurich Switzerland. Still don't know what variety it was (I can ask for beer and the bathroom in German, but that's all), but it was actually BETTER than a Honeycrisp, and I'm an apple snob...
cowprintrabbit at 2:10AM on 01/06/09
For my birthday, my husband made salmon mouse with smoked salmon and dill on crispy toasts, he made an endive, walnut, and stilton salad with dijon balsamic dressing, and petite filet oscar. There was no room for dessert!
csbrown at 10:04AM on 01/06/09
The polenta at Union Square Cafe and vanilla cupcake at Magnolia Bakery.
krawford at 10:12AM on 01/06/09
best thing i ate last year was probably dessert! i indulged in that a lot! this spot gyenari in culver city def has some of the best desserts i've seen, green tea donut with a pink sauce my favorite dessert of 08!
GrabTrees at 1:54PM on 01/06/09
Dinner at ST John Bread and Wine in London. Particularly the Scottish Forerib roast.
kaszeta at 2:50PM on 01/06/09
Noreen Kinney's Irish Soda Bread (recipe at epicurious) is my discovery of the year. The whole-grainiest whole-grain bread you will ever eat. Yum.
I'm s'posed to avoid salt, so I'm thinking of reformulating it as a yeast bread. I bet it would work just fine.
gentlyferal at 2:45PM on 01/07/09
We moved to a small rural town this summer and we were cavorting in the weekly farmer's market every Thursday until Thanksgiving. Pricey, except for the stuff that is too expensive to buy in the supermarkets (leeks and beets, mostly; sold by the pound at the farmer's market rather than the stingy bunch-of-two-or-three in the supermarket). Never have cabbage and greens tasted so good! One day we paid $6.00 for a big honeydew/cantaloupe hybrid melon that was worth every penny. Sweet juicy ambrosia, delicious right down to the rind.
Truth to tell, in this garden-savvy town, even supermarket vegetables are better than I remember from my former, urban hometown.
And I'll never be "too stingy" to buy beets again, since I discovered that the greens are delightful cooked and then dressed with a little butter and vinegar. Savory every single time. With beets you get two vegetables for the price of one.
gentlyferal at 2:53PM on 01/07/09