What's Your Favorite Dish?

Dedicated restaurant lovers know that when you meet someone new, one of the first questions they'll most certainly ask is, "What's the best thing you've eaten lately?" in some form or another. This question is a stumper for most, since there are simply way too many choices to choose in a split second. 

Sometimes its easier to answer this question in reverse — considering your favorite restaurants first and then determining which dishes are the must-haves from there. To get the memory juices flowing, The Daily Meal's editorial team thought long and hard about the most memorable meals and dishes and they had in 2011, then they upped the ante by pinpointing which dishes they're hoping to eat in 2012.

The items that made this year's best dishes list run the gamut from a hot dog from Shake Shack (with cheese sauce and sport peppers) to uni risotto with white truffles from BARMASA in Las Vegas. Seafood dominated the picks, including toro sushi from Sushi Gen, the lobster roll from Pearl Oyster Bar, and The John Dory's oyster pan roast.

Now it's time to turn the reigns over to the readers — what's the best thing you've eaten lately? How about the top five (or 10 or 15) dishes you've ever eaten? Consider this as a challenge to take a journey through your personal culinary history and craft the ultimate highlights collection. 

Comment with your choices below, send us photos of the dishes, and join the discussion on Facebook and Twitter with fellow food lovers.

Right now The Daily Meal is developing a new and exciting way to get involved in the food and dining community — The Daily Meal's Best Dishes App. When it launches, you'll be able to use this app to give and get recommendations for the must-eat dishes in each of The Daily Meal's 12 featured cities: Austin, Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, or Washington, D.C. Get in on the ground floor by sharing your photos and recommendations now.

For those serious food enthusiasts out there, The Daily Meal is also looking for city editors to share their dining experiences and insights into their city's food scene with restaurant reviews. If you're interested in harnessing your passions for food and writing, and you live in Austin, Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, or Washington, D.C., shoot an email to The Daily Meal.