Top 10 Restaurant Meals of 2005

[docsconz]

I know that I have had the best restaurant meals that I am likely to have in 2005, although one never knows. Nevertheless, the likelihood of anything I might have beating out my top ten for the year is pretty low. This has probably been my most outstanding year of eating of my life so far. My top ten:

El Bulli 28-Aug

Alinea 3-Dec

Alinea 21-May

Citronelle 22-Apr

WD-50 10-Dec

Erlowest 22-Jan

Jean Georges 9-Dec

Jaleo 20-Apr

Rafa's 29-Aug

Each of these was particularly outstanding in its own way and many other extremely deserving meals were by necessity left off this list.

Yours?

[FabulousFoodBabe]

Mine aren't as fancy as Docsconz's ... but here goes.

Blue Hill at Stone Barns (January, August, and this Thursday night!)

Per Se (March)

Cafe Gray (April)

Craft (May)

Alto (September)

Blue Hill NY (September -- Juan cooked for us, it was exquisite)

The Bar at the Four Seasons ( )

Alta (February), Greenwich

And because I projected that Thursday's dinner will be on the list, I'll add one more:

Hudson House, Nyack (august or september or something? I can't remember the date, but I remember everything else. Wonderful)

Ahhhhh. I feel well fed just thinking about it!

[Edited to add: l'Impero was probably tied with Craft food-wise, though I had a better time at Craft. And in 2006, somehow, some way, I will get to Alinea, and WD-50.]

Edited December 20, 2005 by FabulousFoodBabe (log)

[docsconz]

Not too shabby, FFB! What I am really curious to see is what restaurants made people happiest in 2005. Fancy is not a requirement. Rafa's, on my list is far from fancy, although it is sublime (and not easy to get to unless one happens to live on the Costa Brava).

[I_call_the_duck]

Studio Kitchen, Philadelphia (November)

Django, Philadelphia (February, April, May, September)

Mama’s Fish House, Maui (September)

The Beach House, Kauai (September)

Morimoto, Philadelphia (May)

Katz’s, New York (August)

Matyson, Philadelphia (March)

Spago, Maui (September)

Because of a combination of my increasing fondness for wine and premature senility, I'm having trouble remembering much before the summer. Oddly enough, we were in NYC a lot this summer, but haven’t had the time to try new restaurants that are on our list, so we just went to our old favorites.

Edited to add dates

Edited December 20, 2005 by I_call_the_duck (log)

[mikeycook]

I think in 2006 I am going to have to keep a journal, because it's hard to recount every place you've been at the end of the year.

Mine are...

L'Impero, NYC (Dec)

L'Impero, NYC (June)

Stanton Social, NYC (June) - Went with friends of the chef and were treated royally

Gotham Bar and Grill, NYC (Sept)

Bofinger, Paris (Feb)

Spago, Beverly Hills (Aug)

WD-50, NYC (July)

Jaleo, DC (November)

Au Pied du Cochon, Paris (Feb)

Cobras and Matadors, LA (Aug)

2005 was our first time at all of these places except L'Impero, which we had been to once before. Also going their for New Year's so I may have to revise my list.

I have to say, as much as I enjoyed my own list, I am envious of some of the entries on the other lists as well. Already making a short list (ok, maybe a long one) for '06.

[rich]

Here goes:

Devi (July)

Annisa (July)

Landmarc (October)

Sapori d'Ischia (November/Truffle Menu)

Wine Bar (Saratoga Springs/July)

Cru (February)

Tasting Room (March)

Mesa Grill (June)

Henry's End (November/Game Menu)

Park Side (May)

[Chris Amirault]

I want what Doc had! Working backwards:

In December, a great slate of mezze, including several astonishing kibbeh, at Zaytinya in DC.

In late October, a warming early winter meal of braised short ribs at Ici in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

In early October, a wonderful anniversary meal at Al Forno in Providence.

In July, some killer hot dogs at Pink's in LA and El Guero Canelo in South Tucson.

In January, a perfect bahn mi at Lu's in Boston.

Plus, regular trips to Kabob n Curry in Providence for saag paneer, Lucky Garden in North Providence for dim sum, the Red Fez in Providence for grilled cheese and fries, Haruki in Cranston for sushi, and Original New York System in Providence for weiners.

[Suzanne Podhaizer]

I've certainly had my best restaurant year ever--most of the offerings are in the San Francisco area cause I was there on my honeymoon...here's the list:

1) French Laundry (Napa)

2) Fleur de Lys (San Fran)

3) No. 9 Park (Boston)--not dinner though, this was a delightful 9 course lunch that I had all by my lonesome. It was my first time eating alone in a fancy restaurant.

4) Chez Panisse (Berkeley)

5) Quince (San Fran)

6) B&G Oysters and the Butcher's Shop (same night--Boston) I was on a Barbara Lynch tour during that trip to Boston

7) The Slanted Door (San Fran)

8) Cortez (San Fran)

9) L'Amante (Burlington, VT)

10) Smokejacks (Burlington, VT)

I ate at Gary Danko too, but was disappointed by the meal and the service.

[kgaddis]

Seattle has a lot of great places but you guys in New York and San Francisco are so very lucky.

Jan- Gordon Ramsay at Claridges, probably the best service I have ever had.

Jan- Mirabelle, even though MPW in not in the kitchen, it was outstanding.

Feb- For my daughters first birthday I made boudin blanc, rittettes, pate campagne, french onion tart, truffle chicory and lardo salad and the kids made cookies. The service was Awful though!

Jul. Bar Jamon and Casa Mano was nice on a hot summer night while in NY.

Jul. Every time I am in NYC I go to Blue Ribbon for Oysters, Foie and Marrow. This summer I was in town for business and ate alone at the bar. The bartender was great, the food same good as always, gourmet comfort food.

Aug. Lark in Seattle. Great service and wonderful small plates. We ate too much.

Sep. Barking Frog at Willows Lodge

Dec. Crow, solid gourmet comfort food.

Dec. Pata Negra for great tapas in Portland. Once again, the small plates got me way too full.

Jan-Dec Anything else that I didn't have to pay for is always great and anything that is a write off usually tastes better as well.

Happy Holidays

[madziast]

Franny's in Brooklyn - Feb & July (buffalo mozz and clam pizzas. heaven) 2 out of 4 meals. fantastic lovage drinks in July

Onera - April

Gusto - at least 4-5 transporting meals (out of about 20, only 2 or 3 were ok/good, the rest - great or near-transporting)

Public - Feb

Tocqueville - favorite restaurant so many great meals, best were in the summer (that sweet corn panna cotta! and not packed to the gills)

The Tasting Room - Oct. (best mushroom soup i ever had)

Geisha sushi bar only - March

wd50 - June, corned duck, caramel panna cotta, hyssop drink, special aged sake at the bar same menu twice, both times equally fantastic

Galileo, DC - July - il Laboratorio orgy (walking around the block in 5-inch stilettos to make room for cheese)

Cabana Las Lilas in Buenos Aires - Sept. best steak (still dream about it)

The Bell at Skenfrith, Wales - Feb. (amazing venison and cheese)

Kentchurch Court - Regency era dinner at a private manor house on the border of England and Wales cooked by former chef to prince of wales. guest in full costume. '92 white burgundy, vintage sherries and ports

can i have that for my b-day too?

la croix in philly - just short of a top meal. so was rasoi in london

disappointing: Jaleo in July was just mediocre - good shrimp, so-so everything else (when it made it out of the kitchen). Herbfarm was slightly freaky with all the victoriana and the food not really worth the trip.

most disappointing meal of the year - airport ramada inn buffet instead of gordon ramsey (hospital rd) when our flight was canceled. don't even travel as much as i'd like to - have not had any international trips take place as scheduled in the past 2 years... funny how flights are always canceled on the way to, never from

[Austin]

Mine would have to be moo paa tom kati, wild boar in a spicy coconut curry at this stall at the night market in Trang, Thailand:

I guess this isn't technically a restaurant, but it certainly wasn't at home! The curry was very rich and had a strong taste of cumin, not common in Thaifood. Thai boar has a very distinct flavour, and the whole mess was served with a plate of vegetables (cucumber, young cashew tree leaves, pennywort), and nam phrik, chli paste. I ate there three nights in a row. It cost less than 50 cents US.

Austin

[SG-]

culinary disaster this year... nothing worth remembering...

[nyokie6]

It may not look it, but we did go places other than Las Vegas.

Alex Las Vegas (Aug)

Circo Las Vegas (Feb)

Bartolotta Las Vegas (Aug)

Red 8 Las Vegas (June)

Silver Fox Dallas (Mar)

Coach House Oklahoma City (July-some really outstanding specials)

Prime Las Vegas (Feb)

Tableau Las Vegas (June-wonderful wine!)

Fix Las Vegas (June-after show fun & food-Thanks Nightscotsman)

Sensi Las Vegas (Feb,June & Aug-a menu that I didn't think I'd like when it was 1st viewed, led to three great meals)

[Pan]

I don't think I can do a top-10 list.

Best meal: Joe's in Venice, California (nothing came close).

Best meal in a taqueria: Three meals at La Super-Rica in Santa Barbara, California (nothing came close).

Best dim sum: CBS Seafood in LA (again, nothing came close).

Best non-dim sum Chinese: Spicy & Tasty in Flushing, NY (Grand Sichuan, both the 50 St. and St. Marks locations, came close).

Best non-dim-sum meal at a Cantonese restaurant: Congee Village, New York, NY.

My best meal at Lupa (New York, NY) was probably my first one, which was just barely in 2004 (Dec. 26), but I have had two very fine meals there since. I'm trying to remember whether my excellent meal at L'Impero was in 2004 or 2005 (too lazy to search for the thread right now [Edit: It was in 2004]).

I'm concerned that I'm taking my proximity to great pastrami at Katz's for granted. I was there several times this year and had great pastrami every time.

In terms of Indian food, my best meals in 2005 have probably been at Indus Valley and Madras Cafe, with honorable mention for Angon (all in Manhattan).

If you're asking me to rank these meals, that's where I run into difficulty. Joe's is #1, but what's #2? To pick between La Super-Rica, CBS, Lupa, Spicy & Tasty...how to do that?

[Edit: I left out the best Korean category, which I had intended to include. That would have to be my dinner at Seoul Garden, a restaurant which I very much plan on returning to in 2006. Also, best sandwich hands down goes to Banh Mi Saigon Bakery, the banh mi gai.]

Edited December 25, 2005 by Pan (log)

[M.X.Hassett]

  It was my first time eating alone in a fancy restaurant.

←

The best way to go IMHO

Best Meals '05

NY: Per Se, WD-50, Masa, Lugers, Daniel, and not a restaurant per se but a day (11am-4am the next day) spent wandering chinatown and eating everything ATL: Chef Menard's last night cooking at the Ritz, Seegers, Joel. Mass. Once again not a restaurant but probably the best meal I had was in Cape Cod clamming/oystering: rake, shuck, eat, repeat.

Well what can I say I have not travelled much this year.

But to answer Doc's second question:

What I am really curious to see is what restaurants made people happiest in 2005

Honestly Blue Ribbon NY, for me it has become comfort food, mind you I eat there at least once a week so I might be biassed(god that looks funny think bi-vlave) just an example Good Food well honestly anyplace that can serve me great bone marrow, oysters, and same day Alaska crab legs the lenght of my forearm at 3:45 am makes me happy .

[Chris Amirault]

I'm concerned that I'm taking my proximity to great pastrami at Katz's for granted. I was there several times this year and had great pastrami every time.

←

Rest assured, my lucky friend, that I will never, ever allow you to take proximity to Katz's for granted.

[deltadoc]

I didn't eat out much during 2005, but the best meals I had were:

Holyland Lebanese Restaurant - Minneapolis

Mangere Italian Restaurant - Dorado, Puerto Rico

Monterrey Mexican Restaurant - Lexington, MN

doc

[raxelita]

Shout out to Quito:

After 12 hours on a bus through Ecuador with no food, finally landing back in Quito and finding Adam's Rib, a barbecue place run by an ex-New Yorker. Cornbread, Spicy potato soup, Ribs, Chicken, Steak, Fries, Slaw, Chocolate Cake, and a half a bottle of Malbec...I ate it all, and it was so good.

NYC favorite meals/dishes were:

Beet Salad at (Carmelini's) Cafe Boulud

Mushroom salad at Upstairs

The Bread, Miale and Panna Cotta at Falai

Foie Gras and Passionfruit souflee at WD-50

Mushroom Risotto at Cafe Gray

All 20+ Burgers I ate at Diner in Williamsburg

[jm chen]

Top 5, all in DC:

opening night at Dino (July)

Restaurant Week at Corduroy (August)

Minibar! (September)

Tasting Room at Restaurant Eve (September)

Ray's the Steaks (October?)

Edited December 21, 2005 by jm chen (log)

[jesteinf]

I'm not sure I could rank, but here's my list:

Spring (Chicago) - Birthday dinner with my girlfriend.

Avenues (Chicago) - Anniversary dinner. My first foie-li-pop.

Upperline (New Orleans) - Even more special now, for obvious reasons.

James Beard Benefit Dinner at Charlie Trotter's (Chicago) - Dinner featured 7 CT alumni, each cooking one course.

Per Se (New York City) - As close to perfection as possible. Is there anything better than Oysters and Pearls?

Alinea (Chicago) - Went twice in 2005. Both meals were great but the second was better than the first.

Picasso (Las Vegas) - Classy and understated, by Vegas standards. Wonderfully executed food, and probably the best single scallop I've ever eaten.

I'm not sure if 2006 will be able to top 2005, but I want you all to know that I will try my absolute hardest

[bookluvingbabe]

I think I have to go chronologically:

January--Hearth, NY

April--Noodle Pudding, Brooklyn

May--Buddakan, Philadelphia

Citronelle, DC

July--Dino, DC (opening week)

July--Firefly, DC

August--The Church, Stratford (three times)

October--Palena, DC

November--Firefly

Palena

December--Palena

[docsconz]

This certainly isn't a scientific survey, but it is interesting to see a very high percentage of DC restaurants here. For my money DC has come along way as a food town in just a few years. It is in my experience one of the very best food cities in the US right now. There is some really solidly excellent food being made there. There is no question that in most years my dinner at Citronelle would have been number one for me and meals at Corduroy, Firefly, Rays the Steaks and Two Amy's though not in my top ten were all very highly regarded.. I am very much looking forward to a return visit to that city, whenever that will be!

[Andy Lynes]

Like Docsconz, I had more memorable meals in 2005 than any other year I can recall. It's difficult picking out the highlights, but they include:

My 40th birthday at Le Meurice, Paris. A beautiful room, matchless service and stunning food.

A chance meeting and a truly nourishing and delicious lunch at Chez Panisse Cafe, Berkeley, California.

A chat with restaurateur James Schenk over the startling and addictive flavours of his nuevo latino cuisine at Destino, San Francisco.

David Hawsworth, Sam Mason, Angela Harnett, Dominique & Cindy Duby, Philippe Legendre, Gerard Boyer and many others at Masters of Food and Wine, Carmel, California.

Seven hours at Manresa then back to the hotel at 1.00am to sip beer and watch Canadian chef Rob Feenie win Iron Chef.

Quail at the bar in Gramercy Tavern, New York.

Feasting with Fat Guy at New Bo Green.

Two weeks of non-stop dining in Vancouver, the Okanagan, Harrison Hot Springs and Victoria including outstanding meals at Cin Cin, Feenies and Vij's in Vancouver and lunch at Joie Cookery School with owners Michael Dinn and Heidi Noble.

The return of former Michelin starred chef Philip Brittan to the stoves for one week only at The Food Rooms in Battersea.

Making new friends over a bowl of deep fried goujons of lemon sole with tartare sauce and a bottle of Bierzo 1999, Descendientes de J. Palacios at Chez Bruce in Wandsworth.

[Daniel]

My top 10 meals of 2005 are very diverse.. This year my girl and I drove across the country 4 times.. We had gone to a bunch of very expensive place at a bunch of very cheap places.. This year I had the best burger I have ever had, the best wings, the best oysters,the best lobster roll, taco,fried clams,hotdog, chili, the best ribs,custard, the best bbq, the best of a lot of things, including the best restaurant.. Tru.. Here are just some of my favorite meals off the top of my head..In no particular order, but if forced would put Tru first and then Laurie Raphael..

1)New Years Eve dinner at Laurie Raphael..- Quebec City

2)Dinner at Tru -Chicago

3)Some Muslim Chinese Restaurant-Canton, China

4)Salt Lick BBQ, all you can eat- Texas

5)Dinner at Tasting Room- NYC

6)Any given dinner at Grand Sichuan-NYC

7)Tacos at Asadero Morlan 2- Mexico

8)Green Chile Cheese Burger at Nellies- New Mexico

9)Fried Chicken at Willy Mae's- New Orleans

10)Taiwanese Restaurant- Hong Kong

Runners up-

1)White Manna Burgers NJ

2)Blue Hill- NYC

3)Spicey and Tastey - NYC

4)Europea- Montreal

5)Totonnos- NYC

6)Obryckey's- Baltimore,MD

7)Lenny and Joe's Fish Tale- CT

8)Saka Gura-NYC

9)Onera-NYC

10)Luizza's-NO

11)Crescent City SteakHouse- NO

12)Alinea-Chicago

13)Lems- Chicago

14)Moto- Chicago

15)The Place- CT

16)Red Eats- Maine

17)Peter Lugers-NYC

18)Morimotos- PA

19)Denny's Beer Barrel Pub-PA

20)Devi- NYC

21)The Patio-Chicago

22)Pats- Philly

Most terrible meals of 2005:

1)Aruns Thai- Chicago

2)Jack in the Box-AZ

3)El Indio- San Diego

4)Room Service- St. Lukes Hospital

5)Rooney's Ocean Crab House- Long Branch, NJ

6)China Bowl- Edison New Jersey

Edited December 27, 2005 by Daniel (log)

[M.X.Hassett]

Awesome list and year for you Daniel. Yeh I forgot about Saka Gura great place that pork belly may be the best I have tasted. But I think Mt.Sinai might give St.Lukes a run for there money in the terrible meal catagory.

I just started trying to figure out my food and drink costs this year, and I had to stop, scary stuff.