I did it again! Well, pretty much. This journey through Time Out’s 100 Best Dishes was harder than last year’s. It might have been because we got overconfident, but I blame the economy. Restaurants dropped like flies this year.
We missed out on the jerk chicken at Barry’s Jerk Delight in the Bronx (it has been replaced by Richie Rich’s Caribbean Food), St. Anselm gained a new concept and no longer offers their disco fries, and Flying Pigs Farm has yet to make their famous chicharrones again (I’m still waiting on that one). Both The Loading Dock and the original Baohaus have since closed, but we got in there before they locked their doors for good.
Overall, I thought this list was more consistent than last year with very few misfires (I think I’m the only one in the city that really doesn’t like the meatballs from The Meatball Shop).
On the bright side, I was moved by the shocking perfection of the Pork Milanese at Roman’s, the depth of textures and richness from the Wilkinsons at Henry Public, the sheer comforting deliciousness of the Chicken Biscuit at Pies n Thighs, and the always transcendent Spekuloos Sauce from Wafels & Dinges. And thanks to Time Out, we had truly memorable meals at places like Del Posto, St. Anselm, and Kaz an Nou. You can see the full list of the dishes and my thoughts here or watch this video of me eating all 100 dishes.
Which brings me to my plan for the rest of the year. Even though Time Out has released their newest list (and it looks like a good one), I’m going to hold off with those posts until January since I’m eager to share with you, as I did last year, my personal 100 dishes of the year. I’ve probably eaten out more this year than any in the past and thanks to my trusty point and shoot camera, a mental notepad, and my voracious appetite, I was able to compile this delicious list. And of course, Time Out gets credit for inspiring the list, but it’s my tastebuds that get credit for these discoveries.