The Best of 2009

I am obsessed with annual Top 10 lists—I love making them and reading other people’s perspective on what was great in a year. So, it should come as no surprise, I am ranking my Top 10 meals / food experiences of 2009. This is a difficult list to make. Meals are fleeting experiences—unlike a great song, you cannot eat to it over and over again (unless you are willing to shell out for it over and over again). Anyway, here were my favorite meals of the year:

January 2009: Tom’s Tuesday Dinner. It’s crazy to think back when my brother was still working for the Craft empire, but he was able to wrangle us a four-top for Tom’s Tuesday Dinner. My experience with set tasting menus is that about 75% of the plates are great and the rest are either average of failures. The meal definitely had some high notes (pig’s trotter, lobster) and some low notes (undercooked lamb, brebis panna cotta). One of the more memorable moments came when Chef Tom came over to our table and we are stared blankly at him, completely starstruck. Chef Tom later fell down during the service and our table had to bit our tongues to refrain from laughter.

April 2009: Corton. I actually was rather impressed with Corton. The space was really warm and inviting, especially considering the price point and managed to retain a downtown feel while serving high-end cuisine. My memory of the meal is somewhat hazy—but I do remember really enjoying all aspects of it. Strangely enough, the two items that made a huge impression on me were the petit fours (salted caramel, delicious) and the butter selection. I actually caught myself at one point eating butter straight from the plate. Rest assured, I had my cholesterol checked over the summer and all is well.

March 2009 / May 2009: Scarpetta. I really enjoy Scarpetta. The first time I went, I was really impressed with the pasta dishes and the wine selection. My general quip with the place is the $20+ priced spaghetti, but it is the best spaghetti I’ve eaten, Italy included. Other standouts include the black cod, which is hard to think of outside the Nobu context, but it is nicely acidic and deliciously Mediterranean. Interestingly enough, one of my favorite desserts of the year was served to me here: a coconut / passion fruit panna cotta that blew my mind away. Still dreaming about that one.

July 2009: Market Table. This West Village restaurant had always been on my radar but there was always someplace else that I wanted to try first. A friend and I went during the summer and I was thoroughly impressed with the locavore cuisine and the impeccable service. The skate wing was by far my favorite, lightly sautéed, perfectly crispy and tender. Like many New York restaurants, the price was the downfall of the meal—but all and all, a great spot, especially for the organic, locally grown food lovers.

July 2009 / October 2009: DBGB. I was ready to crown DBGB my favorite new restaurant of the year (until Maialino complicated matters for me), but it definitely is still a contender. This is one restaurant that my friends and I are mixed on. For me, the appeal of DBGB is the sausage. I do not consider myself an aficionado of sausage, but at DBGB, sausage is why you go. My two personal favorites are the Vermont and Beaujolaise, but I intend to continue trying more varieties in 2010 (New Year’s Resolution!). The feedback I’ve heard on the burgers is mixed—I thoroughly enjoyed mine though. Lastly, the ice cream sundaes are perfect for grownups who love eating like children (aka me).

August 2009: Aldea. I’ve written about my experience here, so I will keep it brief, but I adored this place. It is worth a visit alone for the arroz con pato (rice with duck) which ranks among my top 10 dishes of the year (maybe a post on that will come over the holiday break). I am definitely interested in going back to Aldea sometime in the New Year (once the crowds disappear for a few months) to see what other interesting dishes the chef is putting out…but honestly, the arroz con pato, with its classically Spanish ingredients is the star here.

August 2009: Locanda Verde. I’m loco for locanda. I was wowed by this neighborhood Italian place in the Greenwich hotel. I’m still thinking about the crostini with ricotta or the unbelievable lamb sliders or rabbit terrine. I hate the fact that this place is perpetually mobbed and I have yet to return (though I have tried on numerous occasions). It’s a great example of the restaurants that were great in 2009: straightforward, reasonable, delicious cooking…with a cheap wine list to boot.

Weekly, since Spring 2009: Num Pang. I cannot exclude this restaurant from my list. If an establishment can manage to capture my business upwards of thrice a week, they deserve a gold star. The sandwiches at this place never cease to amaze me. The old reliable, Duroc Pulled Pork, is probably the most important sandwich I’ve ever eaten. The brisket sandwich is decadently fatty, rich, and juicy. The catfish is a lighter option that benefits from a nice drizzle of sriracha. The shrimp, a slighter sweeter option perfect for a hot summer day. I order the corn, the lentil soup, and the grilled vegetables. All are winners. I cannot hype this place enough.

November 2009: Maialino. One of my more recent posts was about Maialino, so I do not really have much else to add here. I definitely need to try Maialino again before I bestow more effusive praise upon it, but I am confident in Danny Meyer’s ability to get a restaurant right (see: Gramercy Tavern, Union Square Café, Shake Shack, etc.). If you visit Maialino, be sure to get the namesake entrée…it is the best piece of pork I’ve eaten to date.

The Best Meal of 2009
July 2009: Cinc Sentits. What a cop out. My favorite meal of 2009 was a meal I had abroad! In Barcelona, my other favorite city in the world, my friends and I went to Cinc Sentits. Everything about this restaurant was flawless. The foie gras I had melted and was perfectly crisped in its sugar shell. The cochinillo (suckling pig) was near perfect (just one notch below Maialino’s). The canneloni’s were perfectly cooked, not too chewy and rich and hearty. The wine list started at 10 euros. My absolute favorite part of the meal was the amuse bouche: it was a shot of warm maple syrup, cream, finished with rock salt. I have never tasted anything it like before and am doubtful I will taste anything like in the near term. Definitely among the best meals of my lifetime.