The Best Dishes We Ate In 2012 Slideshow

BEST THING I ATE IN 2012: "This has been a particularly rich year for me gastronomically, with lots of travel, so it's harder than ever to single out a single 'best' dish. Ultimately, though, I think it might be a simple snack I improvised for myself one afternoon at home from ingredients brought back from various trips: I toasted a thick slice of sourdough rye (pictured) from a little bakery in a village called Albanyà, in the Empordà region of Catalonia (probably the best bread I had all year; wish I'd been able to stuff more than one loaf into my carry-on), then drizzled it with Pukara Estate Hunter Valley olive oil that I'd brought back from Australia, spread on some doçe de leite (the Brazilian dulce de leche, which I'd bought in a small town in Minas Gerais, Brazil), and sprinkled it all with Maldon salt. Very international. Very wonderful."

MOST ANTICIPATED 2013 DISH: "To continue the homebody theme, I think what I'm most looking forward to eating in 2013 are the first really good tomatoes from my balcony garden, just sliced and sprinkled with some of that Maldon, on a warm, sunny day."

BEST THING I ATE IN 2012: "I set a bad example in that we do this piece annually, and I can't limit my picks. Case in point 2011's 96-dish list. (Our Entertain editor still gives me a hard time about that list.) I was just as fortunate this year to check some great places off my list, so I don't plan on being any more self-restricting this time round (list to come). If I have to pick just a few dishes as representative of 2012, I'd note the elBulli homage ice dessert (pictured) at Next in Chicago as well as that city's tamale hot dog at Fat Johnnie's Famous Red Hots, the peameal bacon sandwich at Toronto's Carousel Bakery, and an amazing meal at Sushi Yasuda in New York City. Sure, I get that it might seem ridiculous to feature a photo of ice as one of the best things I ate all year, but its playfulness really did make it one of 2013's most memorable eating moments for me."

MOST ANTICIPATED 2013 DISH: "As every year since 2004, my most anticipated dish for next year is at Masa. I've never been. I've wanted to go since the Bruni review — I can't believe anything was lost between it and what seemed like an unfounded Sifton slight. Maybe this is the year? Other dining experiences? Husk, Blackberry Farm, The French Laundry, The Catbird Seat, restaurants in India and Japan? I have no idea where 2013's dining adventures will take me. But based on the past few years, I sure am excited."

BEST THING I ATE IN 2012: "Normally, I would just say the best thing I ate all year was straciatella cheese from Eataly (with tomatoes, basil, and balsamic, natch), but Pam Mazzola at San Francisco's Prospect won me over with a perfect Japanese-inspired fall soup. One bite of her kabocha squash and matsutake mushroom soup and I was instantly transported back to Kyoto where homey, comforting foods are both seasonal and sophisticated. First, there was the soup itself: miso-laced, smooth without being creamy, simple yet refined. Then there were the fixings: Tiny shimeji mushrooms to add texture and flavor, diced Asian pear for a hint of sweetness, and the fusion-y 'tempura crunch' (normally a turnoff, but delicate enough to work). It might not be as elaborate or pricey as foie gras sushi, but it made me want to drop everything and get on a plane to Narita Airport."

MOST ANTICIPATED 2013 DISH: "As for next year, all I really want is some really exquisite maguro sashimi. Maybe with some Scotch."

BEST THING I ATE IN 2012: "2012 was filled with amazing dishes, and when I sat down and started to think about the best, I had a laundry list within minutes. There was this amazing Santa Fe chicken dish that a private chef made me in Aspen, Colo., cheese and jalapeño-stuffed chicken breasts in a smoky roasted red pepper sauce, and then the super burrito from Benny's Burritos in the West Village — a tortilla so soft you couldn't pick it up with your hands no matter how hard you tried. I also kept going back to that heaping plate of peppery, crunchy Cajun popcorn shrimp at the Clam Bar in Amagansett, N.Y., in July.

That's just the start of my year, though; my list goes on. In an effort to keep this short (I'm already failing), I decided that the best dish was a mixed mushroom ragù served over a grilled New York strip steak, enjoyed in none other than the comfort of my own home. I stumbled on the recipe in an old issue of Food & Wine that I had lying around the house (January 2011), and was inspired to make it because of its unique ingredients: Dijon mustard, coconut milk, harissa, blond miso, and golden raisins — certainly not any old mushroom ragù recipe. The recipe was written by cookbook author and former Top Chef contestant Stephanie Izard, and the ingredients intrigued me, but it was easy to put together — just minutes of sautéing and then simmering to create this rich, approachable sauce that would go with any chicken, steak, or fish dish. The most unique part (and my favorite) was the coconut milk it mellowed the spicy harissa and gave the ragù a golden red hue that made it appear as if it had stewed for hours. I made that in May, and I'm still thinking about it in December. Sure, maybe it's biased to pick something I made, but I give the credit to the talented Izard.

MOST ANTICIPATED 2013 DISH: "I'm traveling to Charleston, S.C., in the spring for a bachelorette party and I'm looking forward to dragging all of the girls to Husk and enjoying whatever seasonal and Southern creation chef Sean Brock has thought up."

BEST THING I ATE IN 2012: "First there were the crispy Brussels sprouts from Steuben's in Denver. 'It's vegetable crack,' the waitress explained to my sister and I as we sat outside our favorite hometown haunch. And right she was: the perfectly fried, salted Brussels sprouts inspired me to not only order them wherever I saw them on the menu, but to recreate my own. They'll never taste as good as Steuben's, though (especially when paired with its long list of comfort foods).

The other 'best' was boeuf bourguignon at Café Constant in Paris.When in Paris, eat boeuf bourguignon: after a few disappointing dishes at other cafés, we finally tracked one down that was as it should be: rich, melt-in-your mouth beef with intense flavors. Hidden around the corner from the Eiffel Tower, the neighborhood spot was a gem and made the City of Light sparkle that much more."

MOST ANTICIPATED 2013 DISH: "Whatever new meatball creation the Meatball Shop debuts each week."

BEST THING I ATE IN 2012: "The best thing I ate this year is the best thing I have eaten every year for the past nine years, Din Tai Fung's xiaolongbao (soup dumplings). Ever since I discovered Din Tai Fung on Xinyi Road in Taipei in 2003, I can't get enough. They are worth the around-the-world flight. Since trying Din Tai Fung's xiaolongbao , I have not only developed an addiction to them but I also can't look at other dumplings the same. What was once an oil shop opened by Chinese mainlander Bingyi Yang, has grown into the world's best purveyor of xiaolongbao. The key is the wrapper, which many restaurants have tried to imitate but fall short by creating wrappers that are too thick or too chewy or fall apart. Each of Din Tai Fung's nearly translucent, plump Shanghai-style baozi (steamed bun) features a soupy filling that makes them sag when grasped between a pair of chopsticks. The soup is made of meat gelatin, which melts during steaming and each wrapper has exactly 18 folds. These bite-sized morsels are served so fresh that the steam is still rolling off the bamboo basket. Should you find yourself near one of Din Tai Fung's more than 50 restaurants around the world, you must try these. You'll thank me."

MOST ANTICIPATED 2013 DISH: "The fried chicken at Momofuku Noodle Bar, which has to be ordered in advance and is shared among four to eight people."

BEST THING I ATE IN 2012: "It's never an easy task to mentally go back and figure out what really stands out as great meals of the year, but for 2012 there are certainly a couple items that come to mind, and they also happen to be some of the best things I've ever eaten. First, the pastrami at David's Brisket House in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. It's a tiny restaurant with just a few scattered tables and chairs, but when Dr. Brown's Diet Cream soda is in the self-serve fridge, you know you're in for a quality deli experience. The pastrami served is unlike anything in the city, with all the smoky, peppery flavors you'd expect, but with the texture of the most mouthwatering, falling-apart barbecue you've ever had. It's also a lot less expensive than its more-famous Manhattan counterparts, and even the 'small' sized option is enough for two meals. Second, I have to heap some praise on the lamb burger at April Bloomfield and Ken Friedman's The Breslin, on Broadway just south of Herald Square. A patty of the highest-quality lamb available is seasoned with just a little salt, seared on a flattop and topped with a slice of feta, and slivers of raw red onion. It's like no other burger I've had, and is one of the few restaurant items that I ever truly crave. Come to think of it, I can go for one right now."

MOST ANTICIPATED 2013 DISH: "Next year I'm hoping to finally have the opportunity to try Michael White's famous fusilli with bone marrow and octopus at Marea. I've already replicated his uni and lardo crostini at home, but this dish takes a little more skill than I possess." 

BEST THING I ATE IN 2012: "Leaving out all too many, my favorite foods of 2012 have been narrowed down to three. Rosarito Fish Shack's langosta tacos were absolute heaven. Hearty chunks of lobster, with just enough pineapple, chipotle mayo, cilantro, and onions to make the dish zing, but without bogging it down. Pure tortilla, lobster, and flavor. Then there was Zingerman's Food Coma Gift Box (thank you, Mom) peppered bacon farm bread, chile Cheddar bread, and roadhouse bread. A-mazing."

MOST ANTICIPATED 2013 DISH: "Some good old Maryland blue crabs, summer 2013, Captain Leonard's. That, and the next seasonal brunch menu at Bluegrass Grill."