Best Dishes 2021

Best Dishes 2021

Fortunately for my annual Best Dishes recap, I was back on the road for work and leisure quite a bit in 2021. This allowed me to experience many outstanding meals along my journey.

This year’s list includes a combination of fine dining and casual dishes, which were truly the ‘best’ dishes of the last 12 months, regardless of price point.

I’ve narrowed down all the fab dishes I had to the following 13 Best Dishes 2021, plus a bonus dessert. The list is in restaurant name, alphabetical order.

Aquila Pizza Al Forno, Little Falls, NJ – The only thing as lovely as the soppressata and Meyer lemon pizza with its perfect, slightly-tart and salty crust charred in all the right places is the team behind the cozy pizzeria. By the way, I copied/pasted this recap from my 2019 Best Dishes list and I’ll do the same in 2022 if I’m fortunate enough to visit pizzamaker extraordinaire Jerry…perfect pizza, period.

Meyer Lemon Pizza

Café Chameleon, Bloomingdale, NJ – At his former place of business, Chef Bryan Gregg continued serving some of the best scallops I’ve had. The preparation of the scallops during this visit was outstanding with morels, quinoa and pea butter. I look forward to my next plate of scallops at Chef Gregg’s new home, Blue Morel in Morristown, NJ.  

Chef Gregg’s Scallops

Christopher’s at the Wrigley Mansion, Phoenix, AZ – This hot spot within The Wrigley Mansion is the brainchild of Chef Christopher Gross. Among the lineup of winning dishes was the duck two ways, a seared breast and a confit leg. Did I mention the foie gras terrine? A very sexy space with gorgeous views, masterly-prepared food and impeccable service.

Duck Two Ways

Ever, Chicago, IL – During a business trip to the Windy City, I was able to secure an early table for one at the amazing Ever. This was by far my most luxurious, fine dining experience of 2021. While each dish was masterly crafted and original, one dish I consider the best, is a signature dish from Chef Duffy’s former restaurant, the Alaskan king crab dish (here’s a video of it being made).

King Crab

Futo Buta Ramen House, Charlotte, NC – The craving for ramen is real and we were thrilled to find cozy place when we moved to Charlotte. Highly recommend the Buta Bowl with its chicken and dashi broth, double noodle, pecan smoked pork belly, onsen egg, duck confit, spicy ground pork, ono chili sauce, sweet white corn, roasted and julienne leeks, scallions and cayenne pepper threads. Yes, it’s a mouthful to say and eat.

Buta Bowl

Heirloom Kitchen, Old Bridge, NJ – I believe this is the only restaurant that’s always been on my annual lists. Chef David Viana creates incredible experiences at his chef’s counter and the meal I had there in 2021 was a special one as I was with my mom who I’d not seen in 18 months due to Covid. I can’t pass up the opportunity to say that whatever preparation is applied to his signature duck, is always, and I’ve had many variations over the years, always the best duck you’ll ever have.

Heirloom Duck

Jon G’s BBQ, Peachland, NC – Truly some of the very best barbecue I’ve had and the brisket, not a typical North Carolina BBQ winner, is the gem among all the memorable dishes. The brisket is juicy, perfectly fatty with a nice coating of pepper. Plus, the wait, complete with free beer, is an experience. Highly recommend.

BBQ Platter at Jon’s

La Barbecue, Austin, TX – I know Austin is all about brisket, and this was some of the best I’ve had, but the smoked turkey was by far the greatest turkey I’ve had. The exterior was generously coated in spiced, heavy on the pepper, and the meat was mind-blowingly juicy.

Turkey at La Barbecue

La Belle Helene, Charlotte, NC – The prettiest space we’ve found in our journey through the Queen City, our new hometown, is undoubtedly this place. French bistro food is served here, but the space itself is the opposite of what one would consider ‘bistro’ like. The rich French onion soup topped with Compté is worth ordering and so is the well-made steak tartare.

French Onion Soup

O-Ku, Charlotte, NC – A hot restaurant doesn’t always translate to hot food, but at this hip Charlotte restaurant, the food isn’t a passing thought. One of our favorite dishes was the Lobster Temaki, a trio of handrolls filled with butter-poached lobster, asparagus, chives, cilantro aioli and black volcanic salt.

Lobster Handrolls

Standard Oyster Company, Hickory, NC – This local gem serves up some of the freshest oysters in the Charlotte metro area. We enjoyed a variety of bivalves, but a fun, old school treat my mom and I opted in to is the oyster shooter, which can be served with beer, Tequila or Vodka (we selected the latter). Tip: 12PM – 2PM Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Standard Oyster Company serves $1 raw NC oysters.

Oyster Shooter

The Everyday Market, Belmont, NC – I wrote about the special café and market earlier in 2021. Pastry, dish and dessert are prepared with the care of a veteran, classically trained Chef Majid Amoorpour. Particularly great is the cheesy scrambled eggs on croissant. My out-of-town visitors rave about this breakfast item months after their visits.

Cheesy Eggs Croissant

Vecina, Phoenix, AZ – At this intimate Latin-inspired hot spot, the drinks are creative and flavor-packed to match the delectable food. One of the winning appetizers we sampled was the white bean puree with crispy short rib, herb salad and served with ultra-thin flour tortillas. The must-order entrée is the Carnitas Empanada, Duroc pork confit, onion marmalade, Manchego, salsa verde and Manzana chile.

Empanada

Best Dessert

La Boucherie Restaurant, Orlando, FL – I don’t usually include desserts on this list, but the perfectly executed Floating Island at this popular Orlando restaurant were light, melt-in-your-mouth and served with a decadent crème Anglaise and a drizzle of caramel.

Floating Island

What have been some of your favorite bites of 2021?

Happy eating!

Veronique

Heirloom Kitchen Dinner at the Farm

Heirloom Kitchen Dinner at the Farm

Last night, I was fortunate enough to attend the 4th annual fall dinner at Hauser Hill Farms in Old Bridge, NJ. The food was creatively crafted by one of the most talented chefs in the area, David Viana, of nearby popular restaurant, Heirloom Kitchen.

The setting was incredible – 110-person communal table in the middle of the farm’s apple orchard. With the open air mock kitchen Chef Viana was working with, you’d think he would keep the menu simple and the plating easy-to-accomplish…but, no. He designed a menu reflective of the season and the gorgeous setting for the dinner.

Guests were warmly greeted by Heirloom Kitchen’s Founder/Partner/General Manager Neilly Robinson and welcomed with a signature cocktail at a makeshift bar. Elegant bites were passed butler-style.

We found our way to our seats and found ourselves among loyal customers of Heirloom Kitchen, fellow groupies of Chef Viana and past attendees of the farm dinners. Great group of folks.

First course was the ultimate farm-friendly dish – Heirloom tomatoes, peach, marcona almonds, quinoa, mint crema. Vibrant colors on the plate, big flavors from the mint crema, great texture from the quinoa. Just a lovely dish and beautiful presentation.

Second course was – Pine Hill lamb, ricotta gnudi, delicata squash, sweet potato. Pure comfort on a plate with rich lamb, pillowy gnudi and sweet/earthy squash. This might have been my favorite of the evening.

Third was – Simply Grazin grass fed NY strip, apple cheddar potato gratin, broccoli, broccoli chimichuri. Perfectly-cooked beef (how does one do that in an open air kitchen for 110 people?), decadent cheesy potato gratin and the best example of broccoli I’ve had. Divine with the uber fruit-forward Pinot Noir poured from magnums (see my hubby excited about those magnums in the following pic).

Dessert was – Apple bread pudding. The perfect ending to an outstanding meal along with aged port.

The evening continued at a campfire under twinkling lights. Simply a magical night.

Cheers,

Veronique 

 

Bird Dinner at Crystal Springs Resort

Bird Dinner at Crystal Springs Resort

Chefs Bucco & Viana

Award-winning Crystal Springs Resort is hosting a fun collaboration between its Chef, Anthony Bucco, and Chef David Viana of Heirloom Kitchen on Sunday October 8th at 7pm in the Chef’s Garden at the resort.

The three course menu will feature each chef’s unique preparations of different birds and fall seasonal vegetables, all cooked in the Chef’s Garden wood fired ovens and stoves. Dishes will be true collaborations with elements from both chefs on every plate.

Some dishes include Chef Bucco’s Pheasant Sausage paired with Chef Viana’s roasted pears and walnuts and Chef Viana’s Stuffed Quail served with Chef Bucco’s baked heirloom beans. Black Dirt Applejack cocktails, Naked Flock hard cider and wines from Alba Vineyard will be paired with the menu.

Seats for the dinner are $105 (tax & gratuity additional) and reservations can be made by calling 855.698.2283.

Chef’s Garden is located at 3 Wild Turkey Way, Hamburg, NJ; www.crystalgolfresort.com/dine/garden/.

Cheers,

Veronique

Heirloom Kitchen Partners with Chef David Viana

Heirloom Kitchen Partners with Chef David Viana

heirloomkitchen_kitchenHeirloom Kitchen, Chef’s Table & Cooking School, in Old Bridge, NJ, has announced a partnership with Executive Chef David Viana that includes weekend dinner service Friday through Sunday from 5PM until 10PM.

Viana has spent a year freelancing as a guest chef at Heirloom Kitchen and can now offer a truly unique dining space where guests may choose to dine at the Chef’s Table, an island surrounding an open kitchen where they can watch Chef Viana and Sous Chef Andrew Wolverton prepare and artfully present their dishes. Communal seating at a ten foot white oak farm table and more traditional dining options are also available.

Chef Viana’s menu rotates weekly, featuring modern, playful and seasonal takes on American classics. Chef Jon Boot will spearhead the pastry program and conceptualize Heirloom’s desserts. Chef Boot has worked in some of the state’s most esteemed restaurants, including The Ryland Inn, Elements, and The Bernards Inn.

Heirloom Kitchen is a BYO but will also hold a California Winery License from Domenico Winery which will offer fabulous California wines at retail pricing.

About David Viana

viana3Among Chef Viana’s many accomplishments, was his recent post as Executive Chef at The Kitchen at Grove Station in Jersey City, New Jersey, where he earned a coveted three stars from The New York Times. Among his experience includes time working with the industry’s most recognizable chefs including Bobby Flay, Michael White, Anne Burrell and David Drake, in addition to his time working at heralded restaurants such as Eleven Madison Park, in New York City.

Dinner Service: Fri–Sun, 5pm–10pm

Reservations can be made on Open Table or by calling 732 727 9444.

Heirloom Kitchen – 3853 Route 516 Old Bridge, NJ 08557.

Cheers,

Veronique

Terre à Terre Supper Club: The Art of Local Cuisine Collaboration Dinner

Terre à Terre Supper Club: The Art of Local Cuisine Collaboration Dinner

In the Terre à Terre kitchen, Chefs Todd Villani and David Viana will present a 6-course dinner showcasing the art of locally-sourced cuisine. The dinner is January 12th at 7PM.

~  First  ~

Liver and Onions – chicken liver mousse and caramelized onion bread pudding (Chef Viana)

~  Second  ~

Beet Ménage – goat cheese mousse, wasabi walnuts (Chef Villani)

~  Third  ~

Local Trout “Puttanesca” – tomato confit, black olive emulsion (Chef Viana)

~  Fourth  ~

Smoked  Pork Tenderloin  – aerated parsnip, pomegranate jerk (Chef Villani)

~  Fifth  ~

Slow Braised Short Rib – glazed carrot, maple black sesame sauce (Chef Viana)

~  Sixth  ~

Sweet Potato Pound Cake “Brulée” – roasted marshmallow gelato, cinnamon potato skins (Chef Villani)

Cost is $92 p/p (not including tax & gratuity).  Reservations required by calling 201.507.0500. Please call Terre à Terre at 201-507-0500 to hold your spot. Terre à Terre – 312 Hackensack St, Carlstadt, New Jersey 07072

Escape Charity Dinner Featuring Chef David Viana

Escape Charity Dinner Featuring Chef David Viana

Escape LogoEscape Montclair Chef Bryan Gregg Holds a Charity Dining Experience with Acclaimed Chef David Viana of The Kitchen at Grove Station in Jersey City.

When: Wednesday, January 28, 2015 at 7PM. 

Cost: $68 per person plus taxes and gratuity.

What: The Charity Dinner Featuring Chef David Viana, of The Kitchen at Grove Station, menu will feature:

Amuse Bouche

Cornmeal oyster, apple pie vinaigrette – Chef Viana

1st Course

Barbecued local eel, borage, charred pear – Chef Gregg

2nd Course

Warm carrot salad, carrot cumin vinaigrette, quinoa, beet ketchup – Chef Viana

3rd Course

Roasted cod, smoked pork brandade, pickled clam – Chef Gregg

4th Course

Mod cup braised short rib, crispy pesto potatoes, duck fat fried sunchokes – Chef Viana

5th Course

Semolina, whipped goats milk, moro, almond nougat – Chef Gregg

The five-course dinner will allow diners to bring their own wines to pair up with the courses. The cost of the dinner will be $68 per person with 50% of the proceeds being donated to the Carol G. Simon Cancer Center of NJ.

Seating for this event is very limited, please call (973) 744-0712 to reserve. 

Escape – 345 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair, NJ 07042.

Cheers,

Veronique