2020 kicked off as an amazing food year. From oysters in the Outer Banks to tasty specials in the Big Apple, I was all set to have many new and exciting food experiences. 2020 had other ideas. Enter: pandemic, rolling shut downs, and border closures. Despite these insane challenges, I still managed to find delicious new bites as well as concoct creative dishes at home. Now in its FOURTH year, I present to you the 2020 version of the top things I ate this year (and here are 2017, 2018, and 2019).
#13: Pork cheek on cornbread, Fortify Kitchen & Bar, Clayton, GA
Sean and I revived our tradition of spending my birthday weekend in the mountains (we hadn’t done this since 2015 or so) and headed up to Hiawassee and Clayton, Georgia for expansive vistas, colorful fall foliage, and spectacular waterfalls. We also had some good eats – particularly at Fortify in downtown Clayton. We loved everything we had here but this appetizer of succulent, soft, juicy pork cheek on light and fluffy cornbread was very special. We savored every bite.
#12: Seasonal hummus with squash and leeks, Aziza, Atlanta, GA
We visited Aziza, an Israeli restaurant in West Midtown, on a date night this past fall. This ultra-creamy hummus was topped with velvety-smooth squash and melty leeks for an incredible umami taste. The hot, crispy-soft bread for dipping completed the dish.
#11: White clam pizza, Frank Pepe’s Pizzeria Napoletana, New Haven, CT
One of my 2019 Christmas gifts from Sean was a weekend visit to our dear friends Beth and JR in New Haven, Connecticut. They moved there from Atlanta shortly after Harrison was born in 2018. The entire weekend was so fun and we ate plenty of yummy things but the standout was definitely the white clam pizza at Frank Pepe’s. Fresh clams, grated pecorino romano, garlic, oregano & olive oil made for one of the more unique pizza experiences I’ve ever had. And it was really, really good. 
#10: Carolina Kumquat barrel-aged sour ale, Amor Artis Brewing, Fort Mill, SC
We’re entering the top ten with a drink and it’s the only one on the list this year. In June, we went to Fort Mill, South Carolina to visit our friends Lindsey and Dan. Lindsey and I stopped at the local brewery and enjoyed this lovely barrel-aged sour ale aged in neutral wine barrels with kumquats from SC. Many sours nowadays are simply too tart for me to really enjoy and I was skeptical of this one because kumquats are already tart on their own. But this was light, refreshing, fruity and made me pucker only slightly. Memorable.
#9: Agnolotti Di Oxo, Osteria Mattone, Atlanta, GA
Over the summer, Sean and I went on another date night to one of our favorite Italian restaurants in metro Atlanta for a pasta tasting. There were multiple courses of handmade pastas with wine pairings but the braised short rib stuffed pasta, butter sauce, and jus was a standout for me. It was quite rich but so delicious and well-executed. It’s still on their regular menu if you want to go try it for yourself. 
#8: Crispy tempura green beans with kimchi sriracha aioli, Valerie, NYC, NY
In late January, before COVID-19 began to dominate headlines and headspace in the US, I was in New York City for work and packed into the beautiful and completely crowded Valerie brasserie in Midtown Manhattan. Seems like a lifetime ago as I can’t even imagine being in that close of proximity to strangers now. But on this night we were all merry at the beginning of a new year in a great city, enjoying the company of colleagues from near and far. I think that’s part of what makes this dish so special. But don’t let a simple tempura green bean fool you. These were perfectly crispy, crunchy, salty and fresh. Plenty of fried taste while not losing the flavor of the green bean itself. And that aioli – I’ve had sriracha aioli before but never a kimchi sriracha aioli. It was a standout taste and married perfectly with the green beans.
#7: Crispy scored flounder, The Olde Pink House, Savannah, GA
Savannah, Georgia is one of my favorite places in the entire world. There is no place like it. As things began opening up in the late spring, we decided to visit again. I made a reservation for me and Sean with my mom and stepdad to have dinner at the iconic Olde Pink House. I had this crispy scored flounder with apricot shallot sauce for the first time over a decade ago, long before I knew what “good” food really was, and LOVED it. I remember thinking at the time that it was unlike anything I’d had before. I wanted to give it another try with my better-developed palate to see if I would feel the same way. Indeed, I do. 
#6: Peach and Sesame Crumble at home
In years past, I’ve had many more homemade dishes on this list. I don’t know if it’s because I got a bit sick of cooking being so cooped up this year or if we didn’t try as many things. Maybe both. Either way, one amazing thing that happened towards the end of the summer was a discovery of the best peaches I’ve had in years. I went on a tear, making all sorts of different dishes and desserts with the juicy fruit to get as much out of its terribly short season as possible. The best dish of the bunch was this peach and sesame crumble. Tahini, toasted sesame oil, and sesame seeds came together as a crunchy topping over cooked peaches. OMG. I still struggle to find the words to describe how good this is. Recipe is from Bon Appetit. 
#5: Seasonal local oysters, Blue Water Grill and Raw Bar, Outer Banks, NC
The fifth best thing I ate this year is a perfect example of the importance of seasonality and quality in what we eat. I love oysters but hadn’t paid too much attention to when they were in season or where they came from. With family now living on the sandbar that is the Outer Banks, NC, we are learning more and more about the different types of seafood and the seasons of peak freshness. Oysters over the winter here are fabulous. Meaty and briny with complex flavors and variations of brightness and richness, I look forward to these beauties each year when the weather gets cold.
#4: Mushroom tortellini, Leynia Restaurant, Miami, FL
As I learned in 2017 and as you can read in my list from that year, Miami is a food paradise. I was thrilled to return for a long weekend in January for a friend’s bachelorette party. One of our dinners was at the fancy Argentinian-style restaurant Leynia in South Beach. Every single thing was delicious but these mushroom tortellini stole the show for me. They were divine. Rich, umami flavors in soft mushrooms tucked inside handmade pockets of fresh pasta – YUM. 
#3: Fresh mint ice cream, Cream Bean Berry, Durango, CO
Our Colorado road trip for Sean’s 40th birthday back in June/July wasn’t intended as a food-focused trip. It was about nature and all its beauty. But we still managed to find some delectable dishes along the way. I love ice cream and this local shop in downtown Durango had a fresh mint flavor while we were visiting. It tasted just like the way fresh, sweet mint smells. Not like a mint extract that you find in the normal mint chocolate chip flavor. This was so, so, SO good. I still dream about it. (The coconut milk chocolate on the bottom and the blue corn waffle cone were also amazing).
#2: North African Crispy Cauliflower, The Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse, Boulder, CO
This stunning teahouse was our very first stop on our Colorado road trip. We tried a few dishes from their lunch menu but this crispy cauliflower with lemon tahini, harissa, and chermoula pistachios was by far the best. Each bite seemed to offer something new in both taste and texture. Complex, with just the right amount of sweetness and spices and a good crunch from the pistachios. We both loved this dish.
#1: Budino Caramellato, Osteria Mattone, Roswell, GA
A dessert in the top spot! And two desserts in the top five. This is a first for this list of mine. Budino Caramellato was the sixth course of our pasta tasting and we were already pretty full after four wonderful pasta dishes. I am not the biggest fan of bread pudding so I was less than excited about this dessert. That changed the instant I took my first taste. Southern-style, heavy bread pudding this was not. It was light and airy; soft and silky. It melted easily in my mouth with just the right amount of salted caramel flavor, complemented by a cold, creamy gelato and a latte-flavored sauce. I was so very (and pleasantly) surprised at the dish and ate every last bite. So I name this the top thing I ate in 2020!
I always end these with a nod to many more food adventures in the next year. When 2020 started to get dark and scary, I questioned if there would be any food adventures. But if it can happen in 2020, it will most definitely happen in 2021. So I’ll keep my ending and look ahead to new tastes and experiences to fill the days of next year. <3