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It’s time for my annual list of awesome things I consumed. Many of them are available to you NOW, there are only a few on this list that aren’t available regularly and only one that you will never get to enjoy. But DO enjoy this list. All photos provided are by me personally. In no particular order, here we go…
Northwest Seafood and Coconut Soup at Etta’s Seafood in Seattle. Salmon, clams, mussels, shrimp, calamari with house sambal. Yes, it’s from Tom Douglas.
The best thing we ate on the entire trip! A Thai spiced fish stew at Etta’s.
Fried Quail at Hakkasan in the MGM Grand – this was on the menu during Restaurant Week for Three Square. It is not a regular menu item, but shows up from time to time.
Crispy Fried Quail with Five Spice
Bacon Jam at Carson Kitchen – yeah – there is no pic of this because we ate it too fast. Just go, and get it and thank me later.
Spicy Cold Noodles at Mama Ji’s in San Francisco – thank goodness the noodles themselves are icy cold because the sauce that goes on top is SPICY and HOT. Definitely a do-over the next time we eat there!
Cold Spicy Noodles at Mama Ji’s
Prime Veal Chop at NYY Steak in Coconut Creek, Florida – This was so much more than I expected in a simply prepared veal chop. Dry aged 21 days and absolutely perfect.
And Whitey Ford’s retired number was on my plate!
Charcuterie and Sausages at Lowbrau and Block Butcher Bar in Sacramento – I don’t have enough nice things to say about this. Lowbrau and Block are connected and sister stores.
Charcuterie board from Block Butcher Bar
Spicy Andouille sausage at Lowbrau
Beef Tasting Dinner at STK – Chef Stephen Hopcraft pulled out all the stops for this fantastic meal. Having a “take it or leave it” attitude about beef in general, after eating this, I now have a MUCH better appreciation for cow flesh.
Our beef selections included all natural, grass fed and prime filets.
Three different types of filet mignon with sides.
Porchetta at the Swine & Wine dinner at MTO – The Sunday Suppers at MTO are always a surprising mix of Chefs working inside a theme. This was obviously a pork-centric meal and this porchetta was a stand out.
Porchetta waiting to be sliced at MTO’s Swine & Wine
And my top two faves this year, drumroll please….
The Fried Chicken at Yardbird in Miami – it’s opening in Vegas later this month and I can hardly wait! I will be able to eat this fried chicken any time I want. (Moment of Truth – Fried Chicken would be on the short list of “last meals” for me).
Just look at the little captions
The Chefs to the Max Dinner – RX Boiler Room – Twenty Four Chefs together created a once in a lifetime meal as a fundraiser for critically injured food writer Max Jacobson. Each and every course was superb. Bonus for me? Because I volunteered my time, I was allowed full access to photograph the Chefs at work and this is my fave pic of the night, taken during the pre-shift briefing. Can I tell you how fun it was to see Bobby Flay taking pics of other Chefs at work like any old fanboy?
The Chefs were just as giddy as I was I think.
