I ate over a thousand restaurant dishes this year (really, I counted!). Here are the ten that I haven’t stopped thinking about, in no particular order.
Lobster and Grits at the Dabney
Now that we have a toddler, my husband and I get out together, well, never. So this was a double-win: a slam-dunk meal at one of my fave dining rooms (especially in winter), plus a date night. This lobster with preserved chilies and grits was a special, and I choose it almost arbitrarily from all the great things we ate.
Pizza bagel at Call Your Mother
Where two amazing things, the pizza at Timber and the bagels at Call Your Mother, converge. I’m not gonna lie, the fresh mozz’ and micro-basil had me worried. But man this thing was good, with a chewy, slightly sweet bagel, marinara that knew its place, and those little coins of pepperoni. I’d wait in line for it—hell, I’d even cross state lines for it. PS. Sorry if this all calls to mind that ‘90s jingle that is stickier than “Baby Shark.”
Cauliflower with Tahini at Chloe
2018 was the year of the cauliflower, which, um, let’s do better next year? Haidar Karoum’s flash-fried, tahini-painted version, doused with lemon and mint and parsley, redeemed the ubiquitous vegetable.
