This was the year I returned to mostly indoor dining. That in itself was a triumph after doing nothing but takeout through fraught 2020 and opting for outdoor dining primarily in skittish 2021 and 2022. How wonderful to lean ever closer to “normalcy” again.
This is my annual list of the most memorable bites or dishes I enjoyed in 2023. It pained me to leave off a few places that have since closed (San Francisco’s Afici that will forever spoil me for its clever use of Chinese scallion pancakes instead of the usual blini for caviar service) or tragically were destroyed in the devastating Maui wildfires (Pacifico On the Beach for its imaginative mahi mahi Wellington, and Papa’aina’s dazzling and so intentional tropical fruit plate).
It’s an important reminder to really savor and appreciate the restaurants, bakeries, and other establishments that enrich our lives so much. Without further adieu, here is my Top 10, in no particular order:
1. Double-cut galbi at San Ho Won in San Francisco. Yes, I am married to Meat Boy. But truth be told, I don’t eat nearly as much beef as he does. That being said, I would muscle my way past anyone to get at these Korean short ribs that are simply the juiciest, most succulent rendition I’ve ever had. They’re first braised, then grilled over binchotan, rendering them utterly yielding and lusciously smoky. If you’re someone who does only one big beef blowout a year, make it at this place that rightly has a Michelin star.
2. Hummus duck ‘nduja at Bavel in Los Angeles. Let’s face it, even a mediocre version of hummus can be pretty good, given the appropriate time and setting. But a transcendent version? That’s a rare beauty. And it can be found at this celebrated Middle Eastern restaurant. This hummus is not thick and pasty, but rather more languid with a dreamy light, whipped texture. Spicy, smoky crumbles of robust duck ‘nduja cover it, along with a streak of turmeric oil. It’s served with two rounds of fluffy warm pita that you’ll use to wipe up every last drop of this incredible hummus.
3. Pastries at Alta Bakery in Monterey. For years, I’d been hearing friends rave about this bakery. This year, I finally had a chance to try it, and now I am flummoxed as to why I waited this long. What a find this place is. It was opened in 2019 by Pastry Chef Ben Spungen, who worked previously at acclaimed Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur and Bernardus Lodge in Carmel. The pastries are flawless — decadently buttery, layered to perfection and crispy beyond reproach. What’s more, they are huge. They’re about $5 each, give or take, depending on variety, and so sizeable that, honestly, I was stuffed to the gills after finishing just one. And if you know me, that’s saying something. A generous portion of diced, poached quince (top) sits atop a taller than usual pastry foundation. It has to be that lofty because what you don’t see underneath is the luscious pastry cream center it holds. The lovely pistachio-rose spiral (bottom) is like poetry made into a pastry.
4. Any pizza at Bookie’s in Santa Cruz. It’s almost a running joke that whenever we are anywhere in the vicinity of Santa Cruz, my husband will see that glint in my eyes and know that we are destined to stop here. The next thing I know, we have commandeered a long, live edge table in the Sante Adairius Rustic Ales tasting room, with enough pizzas in front of us to feed a family of six, despite it being just the two of us. But the great thing is that this version of Detroit-style pizza travels and reheats well. Chef Todd Parker, who cooked at the now-shuttered Michelin three-starred Manresa, as well as Campbell’s Manresa Bread, applies his fine-dining chops to thick, pan-style pizza with those coveted cheesy corners, and turns it into the best version of itself. The crust is long on fermented flavor, super crispy on the sides and bottoms, and fluffy and chewy within. There’s everything from the classic pepperoni (that form into cups all over the pie) to more adventurous combinations such as ‘Nduja, Pineapple & Anchovy. Don’t forget to order the fried maitake mushroom “wings” with Frank’s Red Hot sauce that will make even the most hardened carnivore swoon.
5. “Impossible Ma Po Tofu” at Palette Tea Garden in San Mateo. This is not your classic Chinese ma po tofu by any means. First, the tofu is served in one large slab, more along the lines of Japanese agedashi. Second, there’s none of the usual ground pork or beef in it. In fact, there’s no meat whatsoever. Instead, the tofu is smothered in “Impossible” crumbles with a spicy, numbing gravy. It is a powerhouse of umami that makes you want to go back for seconds and thirds. Steamed rice is a must to sop up all that delicious sauce, too.
6. Sesame Turkish bread at Meyhouse in Palo Alto. As Executive Chef-Partner Omer Artun set down the first dish of warm, house-baked bread, he half-joked to me, “Don’t eat it.” Meaning, don’t fill up on it before everything else. OK, that’s like dangling a just-baked chocolate chip cookie in front of Cookie Monster and daring him not to gorge on it. Ain’t going to happen. Meyhouse makes most everything in-house, including its own yogurt. The bread is a marvel that’s crisp, airy, puffy, and chewy in various parts. You could make a meal alone out of it plus a few superb hot and cold meze.
7. Chestnut soup at Troubadour’s Le Diner. From selling gourmet sandwiches on house-baked bread in the daytime to serving a classy, upscale, French-influenced prix-fixe at night, Troubadour’s metamorphosis is quite the feat to behold. On the chilly winter night that I dined there, I opted for the chestnut soup to warm up with. It not only did the trick, but did so in major style. Tasting intensely of nutty, earthy chestnuts, this velvety soup was emboldened with chanterelles. Served in a gold rimmed bowl atop a matching plate, it was further embellished with a gilded cage of puff pastry. As I dipped my spoon into it, I almost felt like holding my pinkie aloft.
8. Raviolo at Chez Noir in Carmel-by-the Sea. How sublime is this version of an oozy egg raviolo? When Co-Owner Monique Black accidentally set a second serving in front of me, I was tempted for a long hot second to not correct her and just greedily savor another helping. But honesty won out. I still regret it — just kidding. There’s always a pasta course on the prix fixe at this charming, intimate Michelin-starred restaurant she founded with her husband, Chef Jonny Black. The couple have an impressive background with both of them having worked at Quince in San Francisco, and he having cooked also at Per Se in New York and Atelier Crenn in San Francisco. The pasta is supple and the orange yolk flows like lava. What really makes this so special is how harmonious the other accompaniments are: the honeynut squash puree playing so nicely with the sweetly caramelized cippolinis and the apricot note of the chanterelles. It is pure autumn in a bite.
9. Fazzoletti at Molti Amici in Healdsburg. Truth be told, I nearly picked the raviolo at this restaurant, too, or the pizza. That’s because everything I ate here was just stellar. I’ve had a lot of great pasta in my time, but the ones here really shine. The fazzoletti are languid, wide hankerchief-like noodles that are so supple and silky that I nearly wanted to drape them across my cheek like an Hermes scarf. The noodles camouflage sausage crumbles in a vivacious pesto sauce underneath. Pretty petals and baby basil leaves dot the top. It’s a dish that is as dreamy as dreamy gets.
10. “Seared Imperial Cheese” at the Imperial Hotel restaurant in Amador City. Who would have guessed that a hotel in the smallest city in California (0.3 square miles) would seduce me with this thoroughly memorable house-made ricotta dish? Admittedly, we nearly glanced right past the plain-sounding “Seared Imperial Cheese” on the menu. But after hearing our server’s enthusiastic description of it as a “savory s’mores,” we were all in. The ricotta gets seared so that it’s crispy on the outside yet fluffy and custardy inside. It comes to the table done up with oyster mushrooms, crunchy hazelnuts, puffed rice, sesame seeds, and a touch of Chinese black vinegar. It’s like a savory, lighter-in-texture cheesecake that comes to the table warm, and tempts you mercilessly to dig in. I don’t see it on the current menu online, but here’s hoping the restaurant brings this deserved dish back on regular rotation.
More: My Top 10 Eats of 2022