Best Dishes 2018

My job continued to have me on the road quite a bit in 2018 and I took several neat food-centric vacations also and while I’ve had many, many outstanding meals in 2018, I’ve tried to narrow down to the 15 best dishes I enjoyed during the past year.

Here’s the list in restaurant name alphabetical order.

Andre’s Lakeside Dining, Sparta, NJ – The beef tartare with its tiny yolk and served on buttery bread was one of the best renditions of the classic dish I’ve enjoyed.

Atoboy, New York, NY – The “Egg” dish at Atoboy satisfied my chronic uni cravings. Uni is served with gim (seaweed) and hearts of palm. I was offered a fresh uni topping, and gladly obliged.

Brick Farm Tavern, Hopewell, NJ – Thistle Creek Devon beef with king mushrooms, Cipollini and sunchoke. Perfectly-cooked beef, woodsy flavors from the accompaniments, agreat winter dish.

Chef Bryan Gregg Private Tasting, NJ – I had the amazing opportunity to have Chef Gregg at my home for a private celebration dinner party recently. Incredible dishes were served, but the whole foie gras lobe roasted in fig leaves was the star of the evening.

Gaggan, Bangkok, Thailand – This isn’t about one dish per se, it was about the entire 25-course menu and the interactive dining experience. I feel privileged to have been ableto dine at Gaggan before it closes its doors.

Han Oak, Portland, OR – At this bustling Korean restaurant, the whole meal was memorable. The 11-item tasting menu was an explosion of bold flavors that left me needing another visit to the Pacific Northwest.

Heirloom Kitchen, Old Bridge, NJ – I’ve had several variations of octopus at this hot spot but the one served with a deeply-concentrated mole was likely my favorite.

Jockey Hollow Bar & Kitchen, Morristown, NJ – The pristine tuna tartare over garbanzo bean hummus at the upscale daPesca dining room was some of the best I’ve had.

Mercantile Dining & Provision, Denver, CO – This fantastic restaurant makes my list again for 2018, this time with its crab and uni spaghetti. Rich, briny and delectable.

Moxy Modern American Tapas, Portsmouth, NH – Yes, it’s a vegetable side dish, but the roasted cauliflower with golden beets, smoked feta, za’atar and garlic aioli was simply incredible. Bold flavors, great texture that left us wanting more.

Tempura Matsui, New York, NY – Our tasting menu was outstanding but the tempura scallop was sublime. Light, perfectly-crisp tempura exterior with a medium cook on the scallop. A dish dreams are made of.

Stages at One Washington, Dover, NH – This very special restaurant didn’t appear on my 2017 list simply because I didn’t make my yearly pilgrimage to NH. It’s back for 2018 and while most dishes I was fortunate to try were worthy of a mention, the white Pekin duck with beach radish was a masterpiece.

The Cannibal, New York, NY – The roasted bone marrow with parsley and pickled beets served with grilled bread is worth a visit to this popular spot.

Vaucluse, New York, NY – At the luxurious Michael White restaurant, a standout prix fixe lunch dish I adored was the jumbo lump crab ‘salad’ with honeycrisp apple and covered in caviar.

Viaggio, Wayne, NJ – Two dishes I experienced on separate occasions are on this list, and for great reasons. The first is the orecchiette in foie gras sauce – pasta and foie, two of my very favorite ingredients. The second was a special pasta in a buttery sauce and topped with oodles of shaved truffle – complete decadence.  

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Here’s to a very tasty 2019!

Veronique