Your favorite restaurant dishes of 2008...
What have been your most memorable dining out dishes, whether it was a slice of great pizza to a blini with caviar, and where did you enjoy it...In random order, some of my favorties of the past year have been:
Lobster BLT appetizer at Fore Street, Portland, Maine...very tasty!
Rack of Lamb Asian-style, Blue Ginger, Wellesley, Mass...Ming Tsai does it!
Cold Seafood Platter for two as served at Mulino's of Westchester, White Plains, N.Y....amazing with those dipping sauces!
That big hunk of Short Rib, a blackboard special at Artie's, City Island, The Bronx, N.Y....served over pappardelle, its tender and delicous! Artie's also does an incredible deluxe Burger, nealy a pound...
Fresh Mint Chocolate Ice Cream, Inn at Little River, Little River, VA...a revelation!
Deconstructed Banana Split as served at Chef Michel Richard's Central, Washington, D.C...enjoyed this bustling spot 3 times so far!
Chesapeake Crab in the rough served with a mallet, The Crab Claw, St. Michels, Maryland...plenty of napkins to go around.
Just to name a few...what are some of yours?
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19 Comments:
Hands down, the best that I have had this whole last year (since I was saving money and didn't get out much) was at this little hole-in-the-wall Tibetan place near me, with the *best* steamed goat momo (dumplings) that I have ever tried, served with an amazing achar (dipping sauce) that was just perfect! I keep going back there now, just for those!
Traveller at 11:24AM on 12/29/08
i had duck confit here in columbus at barcelona a few weeks ago...i can still taste it in my mind...so good.
gastronomeg at 11:28AM on 12/29/08
Traveller, sounds great...don't keep it a secret though...what's the name of the spot and where is it? Share the wealth...
gutreactions at 11:29AM on 12/29/08
@gutreactions: It's in Saint Paul, MN, called Can Man Do on Grand Avenue. There is another Tibetan place on the same street that was the original, but apparently something happened and the chefs up and left and then brought a few of the waitstaff with them and opened up this new place a year or so ago. It's fantastic! Okay, the other one (Everest on Grand) is great, too, but they don't serve goat dumplings, and this one does! :)
Traveller at 11:41AM on 12/29/08
I had the best risotto here in Charlotte, NC white truffle risotto, It was amazing!
ryan112ryan at 11:48AM on 12/29/08
I wish I could say Roka Akor was the best restaurant food I had all year, considering the bill, but it was unfortunately over-rated and over-priced. Delicious, but still.
I had some amazing spinach and mushroom etouffe in Indianapolis (thanks to SE'ers!) and the typically outstanding steak at Cattleman's in Fabens, tx.
But what really takes the cake was the kobe beef with lobster bisque at Tibburon in SLC when we visited the bf's family for a ski trip and stayed with an old friend of his. So good.
joyyy at 12:08PM on 12/29/08
Now that we live in a tiny town I realize I didn't take advantage of living near NY and Baltimore as much as I should have. Here in OK we have (no joke) 3 restaurants in my town. fast food doesn't count and of the 3 two if them are chains (rib crib and Chilies). So I am gonna live vicariously through all of your pots!
love2cook at 12:44PM on 12/29/08
Flatbread at Flying Fig -- my disdain for pizzas was rebuffed when I ate a flatbread appetizer at a neighborhood restaurant that specializes in locally grown organic food. It had mushrooms, spinach, pancetta, and taleggio. Their seared duck breast served with duck confit, cranberry reduction, and homemade spaetzle was fantistic, but I expected it to be delicious...
Carrot cake cupcake at A Cookie and a Cupcake -- another neighborhood store. The cupcake was so moist, so perfect, so cute!
Grilled pork summer rolls at #1 Pho -- I'm not a fan of pork, but I love tender, grilled/smoked meats! Their thin slices of grilled pork are perfect. No fat on them, like at other places. The summer rolls are always rolled fresh and the dipping sauce is not your ordinary nuoc cham.
Warm crab and sliced asparagus spears at Blue Canyon -- I love crab and I love asparagus. Combined? 'Splode!
Smoked beef brisket at Famous Dave's -- I love everything that this place makes thus far, from the tender smoked meat to the tender smoked meat, to the tender smoked meat, and bread pudding. I love my pralines.
Cassaendra at 1:05PM on 12/29/08
@love2cook- I feel your pain. I get all excited when I go to Annapolis Mall and can get California Pizza Kitchen ;)
hammondcheese at 1:06PM on 12/29/08
Plain ole vanilla ice cream at Murpy's Ice Cream in Dingle, Ireland
Blood sausage and dropped egg at St. John's in Smithfield, London
Brunswick Stew at Mike n' Ed's- Auburn, Alabama
Colcannon and Ribs at Jack Meade's in Waterford, Ireland (holy hell this is a belly buster y'all!)
White Pizza at 900 degrees Manchester, NH
Pavlov at 1:29PM on 12/29/08
@ gutreactions - that Rack of Lamb Asian-style sounds like my cup-of-tea! Did you do this at home? Have a recipe?
I discovered my favourite salad this year: Diced endive, diced ripe pears, candied pecans, crumbled gorganzola w/ apple-lime dressing
I had raw-octopus this year finally--at least I can say I've tried it,
I had excellent rabbit this year with really nice fingerling potatoes, my first time trying rabbit out of another kitchen besides my fathers!
I also had a really nice sugar-free dessert that made me re-consider the meal all-togeher!
**DREWWWLLL over keyboard**
I hope 2009 brings all of you [and me :D ] some just-as-good and new culinary discoveries!
Christel :D
hungrychristel at 2:10PM on 12/29/08
The 2 lb. Cantonese Lobster fried and tossed in a sticky soy glaze at Todd English's Blue Zoo down at Disney was an orgasm on a plate.
The grilled Alaskan King Crab legs at Pompano Joe's on the beach in Destin, Florida.
A perfect slice of cheese pizza, from Regina's in Boston.
juliebugsmama at 2:55PM on 12/29/08
Many great meals in 2008-
Pasta fagioli to start and Tilapia, clams, mussels with diced tomatoes and garlic- Blackboard special at Intermezzo local Italian place.
Spicy salmon roll app and miso glazed salmon (perfectly med rare) with fresh steamed white asparagus.
KtMc24 at 3:17PM on 12/29/08
Uni at Orient Express in Atlanta.
As always - the Beef Wellington at One If By Land TIBS.
The "deconstructed" Chef's Salad I had on a visit to Canyon Ranch.
The Shrimp & Cheese Grits at Blue Heaven in Key West.
The Porterhouse BF and I shared - plus the Creamed Spinach at Flemings in Tampa.
The Duck Salad at China Grill in NYC.
therealchiffonade at 7:18PM on 12/29/08
I want to die and be reincarnated in New York City. I dream of the little stores and shops where you can go to buy authentic delicious Greek, Indian, Italian or any different ethnic foods. Here in Podunk, CA...sadly, the "high end" restaurants are either Chinese at Hunan's, Marie Calendars, Sizzler, or over-priced Cool Hand Luke's. We do have about 20 Mexican restaurants, though...que bueno!! Doesn't help me because I cook Mexican food all week long!
lamora at 11:48PM on 12/29/08
Oh Man this is a hard one:
The Little Thai, love their swimming rama with chicken
Palaminos and Al Forno for both their pizza's and then at Palaminos the crab artichoke dip.
Pam's Caribbean Kitchen , for their jerk chicken.
Malabar's Southern Indian food for their chciken tikka masala.
Shultzy's for Rori's pulled pork sandwich.
Gordito's for their "size of a baby" burrito's.
Thanh Vi for their Barbequed pork skewers and Pho.
But right now I am drooling and going insane for the China First's hot and sour soup with extra tofu.
pjracz10 at 12:08AM on 12/30/08
Two favourites immediately come to mind. Incidentally, both include scallops:
*spinach salad with smoked sea scallops
*maple-seared scallops with port & fig risotto.
brooke29 at 1:01AM on 12/30/08
My husband's work gave us a couple of exciting international travel opportunities in 2008--they coincidentally provided some of my best eating moments of the year!
*Olives, beet salad and falafel in Cairo, Egypt
*Spinach & Ricotta tortellacci in Buca Mario's in Florence, Italy
thehostess at 12:58PM on 01/04/09
Anything and everything (especially the sandwiches) @ Joan's on Third in Los Angeles!
tambybear at 3:10PM on 01/08/09