100 BEST ’18: Top Ten (Numbers 5-1)

I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2018…

One thing I vowed to do this year is to eat less meat. And I was mostly successful at that, as is evidenced in my list of 100 Best dishes. I found some amazing vegetarian (and vegan) food around the city. It’s easier and more exciting than ever to eat less (or no) meat in NYC. But it was also a good year for simplicity. Many of the dishes on the following Top Ten contain very little fuss – just good ingredients with traditional preparations and that usually equals deliciousness in my book.

NUMBER 5: BANANA JUSTINO at EXISTING CONDITIONS

I guess there is a bit more work that goes into making this amazing elixir behind-the-scenes at Existing Conditions including centrifuging the banana with a special enzyme that breaks down pectin. Don’t know much about all that, but I know the Banana Justino cocktail is pretty spectacular. It’s a crazy thing to say but whatever they do to this makes both the banana and the rum more pronounced and almost more alive than usual. Somehow a creaminess is hinted at with the combination of the ingredients and with a squeeze of lime it’s dangerously easy to sip.  Price: $16

NUMBER 4: CHIRASHI KAISEN DON SET at SUSHI AZABU

The best sushi restaurants in the city are unbelievably expensive and not something most 99 percenters can experience. But if you choose the right place, you might be able to have a transportive experience at lunch time while keeping your bank account in check. The underground Sushi Azabu is one of those. And at lunch you can choose the chirashi which is cuts of varied raw fish over warm sushi rice. From the miraculously tender steamed octopus to the fatty toro to the luscious egg custard to a sweet jumbo shrimp, it was some of the freshest sushi I’ve ever tasted. And I didn’t yet mention the fact that they included Japanese uni (my favorite) as the cherry on top. Price: $38

NUMBER 3: CRULLER at DAILY PROVISIONS

This majestic cruller got all the media attention last year, but I didn’t get to sample it until 2018. It was worth waiting for. Once I cracked open the maple glazed exterior, the soft eggy center of the doughnut put this thing well over the edge into food superstardom. I’m not sure how this was so light, soft, rich and decadent all at the same time. But it was. And it was utter perfection – no matter the year. Price: $3.50

NUMBER 2: HIJIKI-COCONUT TENTACLE TACOS at JAJAJA MEXICANA 

I truly got excited about vegan food this year because it was truly exciting. The most amazing creation I tried was a healthy lettuce cup full of what looked and tasted like squid tentacles but was actually poached coconut shards. Jajaja Plantas Mexicanas is making vegan food that is smart, fun, and impossibly tasty. The “tentacles” are topped with spicy pineapple salsa, pico de mango, and briny bits of hijiki seaweed. With food this exciting, who needs meat? Price: $8

NUMBER 1: ARROSTICINI from D’ABRUZZO

A bit ironic that in my year of vegan love, the best thing I tasted was a simple stick of grilled lamb. I discovered D’Abruzzo at the Vendy Awards (where they won Best Market Vendor) and reunited with them at the Bryant Park Holiday Market. The sticks are perfectly layered with the right amount of fat and grilled to a crispness on a special charcoal grill that didn’t effect the lamb’s juicy tenderness. It’s just slightly seasoned with salt and pepper so the pure lamb flavor stands out. Arrosticini is a traditional Italian street food rarely seen in the city, but I for one am grateful for this new business bringing us a taste of perfection. Price: $12 for 5 sticks