And here we are again. I’ve already told you about my 21 favorite new restaurants of 2015. But even the unremarkable spots usually have something memorable on the menu. After a long year of dining out and cooking from chefs’ books, this is what stuck with me—on average, something uniquely delicious nearly every other day.
Here they are, in roughly reverse chronological order:
(1) Reuben at Fahlstrom’s Fish Market
(2) Grits at Baker Miller Bakery & Millhouse
(3) Chicago dog, (4) baked Alaska, and (5) Anton Chigurh (cocktail) at the Duck Inn
(6) Crispy ginger at Franklin Room
(7) Falafel at Pita Alsharq
(8) Vegetable tartare, (9) wedge fries, (10) beef shoulder, and (11) chocolate chip cookies (none of the dishes remain on the menu) at White Oak Tavern & Inn
(12) Chawanmushi (savory custard) and (13) gyu tataki (thinly sliced rare beef with ponzu) at Izakaya Mita
(14) Kimchi fries at Takos Koreanos
(15) Shrimp toast and (16) hot-and-sour soup at Hong Huah
(17) Roti and (18) goat curry at Taste of Trinidad
(19) La Lupita Salsa Diabla
(20) Clams and chorizo and (21) bouillabaisse at Bascule Wine Bar
(22) Italian dip lampredetto (tripe sandwich) at Nonna’s (RIP)
(23) Garlic bread and (24) anchovy pie at Pizza East
(25) Wedding soup, (26) giardiniera, (27) rabbit cacciatore, and (28) escarole at Formento’s
(29) “Soup dumplings” at Qing Xiang Yuan Dumpling
(30) House-made salsas at Kokopelli (RIP)
(31) Pizza by the slice at Roxie’s (RIP)
(32) Riced potatoes and chicken skin, (33) sturgeon fillet, and (34) truffled grits at Intro
(35) Short rib mac ‘n’ cheese and (36) biscuits at Luella’s Southern Kitchen
(37) Long beans at Taus Authentic
(38) “Angry Spice” mudbugs at the Angry Crab
(39) Fried chicken skins, (40) charred leeks and country ham, (41) “corn pops,” and (42) tapioca with lemon curd at Seven Lions
(43) Miso ramen at Furious Spoon
(44) Morcilla (blood sausage), (45) picanha (beef rump cap), (46) Malbec-soaked chips, (47) Hasselback potatoes, (48) bread service, and (49) dulce de leche flan at Rural Society
(50) Spicy ma la broth at Little Lamb Hot Pot
(51) Charcuterie plate at Community Tavern
(52) Baked polenta and (53) prime beef burger at Presidio
(54) Brownie crinkles from Cookie Love by Mindy Segal
(55) Chicken paitan ramen at Ramen Takeya
(56) Machete de cochinita pibil (20-inch-long quesadilla) at Machetes Big Quesadillas
(57) Seared duck breast, (58) crudites, (59) cauliflower gratin, and (60) fleischnacka, goat-cheese-stuffed onions, at Boeufhaus
(61) Gumbo z’herbes from The Big Jones Cookbook by Paul Fehribach
(62) Octopus in sauce vierge and (63) key lime bombe at C Chicago
(64) Hunter beef pastrami from Low & Slow 2 by Gary Wiviott and Colleen Rush
(65) Brisket (sauce on the side), (66) mac ‘n’ cheese, and (67) fried green tomatoes at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
(68) Stroopwaffel (Dutch waffle cookie), (69) nasi goreng (fried rice with accoutrements), and (70) “war fries” at De Quay
(71) Pizza in a Bag, (72) the Norberto, (73) the Big Jim Reeves, and (74) Chicken ParmaJon at Taco in a Bag
(75) JustIce
(76) Soppressata at ‘Nduja Artisans
(77) Saag paneer, (78) gobi Manchurian, (79) lamb dumplings, (80) mango lassi, and (81) Sichuan tripe at Pub Royale
(82) Whitebait, (83) squid bocadillo, (84) wood-grilled prawns, and (85) lardo-roasted oysters at Bom Bolla (RIP?)
(86) Shrimp roll at Luke’s Lobster
(87) Garlic peri-peri sauce at Nando’s
(88) Fatracha peri-peri chicken at Fat Rice
(89) Beef tartare, (90) 48-ounce tomahawk prime rib, and (91) Pink Squirrel (ice cream cocktail) at Cherry Circle Room
(92) Ceviche mixto, (93) anticuchos (beef heart), (94) chaufa aeropuerto (Peruvian fried rice with pork), and (95) stuffed rocoto peppers at Via Lima
(96) Banh mi cevapcici at Sunset Pho Caffe
(97) Khao kha mu (stewed pork with rice) at Taste of Thai Town
(98) Salted potatoes at Jerk Modern Jamaican Grill
(99) Hilsa (a freshwater fish) and (100) beef liver samosas at Mithai Restora
(101) Duck hearts with lavender barbecue sauce at Son of a Butcher
(102) Blanquette de veau, (103) oeuf Outhier, (104) seared foie on pain perdu, (105) duck a l’orange lobster salad, and (106) pistachio bombe at the Blanchard
(107) Cheese cake from the Great American Cheese Collection
(108) Double cheeseburger, (109) fish-and-chips, and (110) gazpacho at Johnny’s Grill
(111) Cha Cha Cha Ramen at Jinya Ramen Bar
(112) Lamb “hashwi” and (113) spinach salad at Bernie’s Lunch & Supper
(114) Smalec ze szkwarkami (bacon-studded lard) on rye bread from Dunajec Bakery & Deli’s meat hut
(115) Milk from 1871 Dairy
(116) Buldak, aka “fire chicken,” at Dancen
(117) Kimchi bokkeumbap (fried rice) at Yeowoosai
(118) Potato tornado and (119) honeydew-soju cocktail at Agit
(120) Bulgogi-kimchi-loaded tots and (121) bulgogi burger at BDG Sports Gastropub
(122) Baked wings and (123) chicken in garlic sauce at Ju Rang Fusion Grill
(124) Soba with mountain yam, (125) blue shrimp with mountain yam, (126) sanma (mackerel pike), and (127) chicken karaage at Lure Izakaya
(128) The Biscuit Man’s lamb naan roll at the Long Room
(129) Beard & Belly’s chili-mac at the Long Room
(130) Cemita, (140) arroz negro (squid-ink rice
0, (141) guacamole, (142) nachos, (143) esquites (corn cup), (144) tacos al pastor, (145) tres leches cake, and (146) margarita at Cantina 1910
(147) Octopus, (148) sea urchin spaghetti, (149) carrot soup, (150) fried chicken oysters, (151) Gangster’s Paradise (cocktail), (152) Steamboat Cochrane (cocktail), and (153) the Meat Packer (cocktail) at GreenRiver
(154) Dafina (Moroccan brisket stew) from Jewish Slow Cooker Recipes by Laura Frankel
(155) Charred carrots at the Cotton Duck
(156) Bougatsa (phyllo pocket with semolina custard), (157) Iberico pork chop, and (158) feta burrata at Sociale
(159) Celery root agnolotti, (160) Caesar salad, (161) French onion soup, (162) rib cap, (163) black-bottom pudding, (164) creamed spinach, and (165) roast chicken at Swift & Sons
(166) Stoner cookie from Dinner at Home by JeanMarie Brownson
(167) Cheddar risotto from Cooking Like a Master Chef by Graham Elliot
(168) Pickles, (169) greens, (170) Caesar salad, (171) meatballs, (172) chicken liver paté, (173) steak tartare, (174) smoked eggplant, and (175) fries at Bar Marta
(176) Veal heart Philly and (177) Reuben at Wyler Road
(178) Il Nocciolo cheese with rosemary shortbread at Appellation Wine Bar
(179) Secreto (a “secret” pork cut) and (180) albondigas (meatballs) from Pata Negra at Latinicity
(181) Churrasco from Saladero Latin Grill at Latinicity
