BRIAN’S TOP TEN DISHES 2021: Numbers 10-6

I’m counting down the 10 best dishes I tasted in 2021…

The last time I put out an end of year list of best dishes, it was 2019 and the world looked very different. Not only were we not yet in the midst of a never ending pandemic, but the way I ate at restaurants was different. I would cozy up to a bar or cram around a communal table of strangers. Now I mostly find myself eating outside at the mercy of the elements and/or out of a take-out container.

The good news is, unlike 2020, I spent an entire year once again exploring the city’s food scene. And while I might not have a full 100 dishes to write about, I found much more than ten great things that were delicious in any form of eating out. Here I present my Top Ten.

NUMBER 10: COFFEE PEANUT BUTTER from BROOKLYN

You might think peanut butter and coffee do not belong together, but you would be wrong. Think about getting two scoops of ice cream on top of each other: one coffee, one peanut butter. Not so bad, right?

And when you realize that certain beans, like the Ethiopian ones, have fruity blueberry notes and provide not just a roasty cocoa flavor but also an acidic fruitiness, you remember peanut butter and jelly doesn’t sound good on paper, but it is a miracle combination.

Brooklyn Roasting Company, despite going through some financial troubles over the last few years, still sells both their craft coffee and this brilliant combination. Price: $9-$18

NUMBER 9: GNOCCHI ROSA at LILLO CUCINA ITALIANA

Lillo is a tiny Italian standby in a Brooklyn residential neighborhood that had been on my list for years. This was the year I finally got a taste.

The gnocchi rosa was a fascinating discovery for me. The pillowy potato gnocchi had been infused with beets giving it both a dramatic color and a sweet earthy flavor. Those dreamy gnocchi bits floated in a buttery soup spiked with sage and parmesan. It was absolutely amazing. Price: $14

NUMBER 8: POINT BLANK RAMEN at KARAZISHI BOTAN

When Karazishi Botan from an Ippudo chef opened in early 2020, it was immediately on my radar. But this little thing called the pandemic put me very late to the game.

I couldn’t resist the Point Blank which listed a chicken broth soup loaded with horseradish and pork. I’m a big fan of horseradish and don’t usually expect to find it my bowl of ramen.

Potent horseradish was the main flavor component of the bowl and I completely relished the entire experience.There are also notes of wasabi oil and wasabi tobiko on top. The bracing notes tingle and warm while the perfectly wavy noodles have a beautiful texture that along with the fatty pork chashu give the spicy notes depth and balance.

Just when I thought it couldn’t get more unique and intense, you’re instructed to add some of the accompanying yuzu juice to the bowl about halfway through. The peppery citrus juice brings a whole new spin to the dish. It tames the heat a bit but also enhances it in a way. It’s really brilliant. Price: $18

NUMBER 7: BIRRIA TACO WITH CONSOMMÉ at CASA BIRRIA

Birria, for the uninitiated, is a rich red adobo-laced meat stew from Jalisco, Mexico. It’s richly flavored with beef or goat, onions, chiles, and spices. And it has become quite popular in NYC since it first appeared here a few years ago.

After spotting the Casa Birria truck on the Upper East Side, I’ve now tried some of the best I’ve ever had.

My taco was already dripping with the vibrant red juices. The tortilla itself had all the possible flavor you could imagine and the meat was succulent and bursting with flavor. The salsa roja put it all over the edge.

But then came the consomeé, which was the pièce de résistance. Bits of raw onion and cilantro bobbed in the deep red elixir. I wasn’t quite sure if I should dip the taco or drink the soup. Turns out both are correct. Price: $4/$4

NUMBER 6: SINGAPOREAN CHILI CRAB FRIED RICE at THE TYGER

The trendy Asian bistro The Tyger put out probably the most beautiful dish I wrote about all year. It also happened to be quite tasty.

Chili Crab is a common dish in Singapore and here they turned it into some of the best fried rice I’ve ever had.

The crab is plucked out and mixed into the rice. Rich meaty pieces of the crustacean linger among some slick flavorfully spiced rice studded with sweet peas and scallions.

And then showered on top is this red crunchy magic. Not sure what it was exactly but it added so much wonderful texture and just a hint of heat to the dish.  Price: $27