2022 turned out to be a great year for food. Although we moved from Atlanta to a much smaller community in the Outer Banks, NC, we managed to have a wide variety of food experiences in both our new home and on all of our fun travels. This is the sixth year of my annual wrap-up of my top eats and I still love making this list so much. I hope you enjoy seeing our year through the tasty food we ate. Cheers!
#14: Tofu Bao Buns, Little Miss Ha, Charleston, South Carolina
We got these on a whim and they were so delicious. Lemongrass tofu, marinated cucumber, pickled onions, carrots, daikon, and fresh cilantro made for a perfect combination on the warm and soft bao buns. 
#13: Scallop Puffs, Cockeyed Clam, Buxton, North Carolina
Imagine a warm, creamy scallop dip on a crunchy tostini then roasted and finished with a zip of fresh lemon juice, and you have the scrumptious scallop puffs from Cockeyed Clam down on Hatteras Island. 
#12: Roasted Enchiladas Suizas, Rosa Mexicano, New York City, New York
Yes, Rosa Mexicano is a chain. Yes, I’d been to the one in Atlanta before. But it’s popular for a reason and this enchilada dish embodies that. It’s chunks of juicy chicken – not shredded! – a rich and deep tomatillo salsa verde, and creaminess from crema and chihuahua cheese – is expertly done. 
#11: Lemon-coconut and plain glazed donuts, Duck Donuts, North Carolina
I have had some amazing donuts in my life, which seems weird to say. Are donuts really that special? I suppose I’m saying “yes” by including these in my list of top eats. Duck Donuts are really, really, REALLY great. Moist, fluffy, not too dense or light and with richly flavored glazes and toppings, these tasty treats are a MUST. I also love the plain glazed – underrated but an important indicator of how good the base recipe is that it stands on its own as a favorite.
#10: Fennel Soup, Etc. Restaurant, Nashville, Tennessee
We were in Nashville for our 8th wedding anniversary weekend and had a celebratory dinner at Etc. restaurant. This fennel soup was a special of the day, and was divine. Creamy, silky, and rich with a bright celery drizzle and chewy, salty bacon. Very memorable. 
#9: Fried Goat Cheese, Ecco, Atlanta, Georgia
I’ve had this dish many times in the past. It is an iconic dish in the Atlanta dining scene and for great reason. The tangy, creamy goat cheese is perfectly fried and drizzled with honey and black pepper, hitting all the right notes. Crave-worthy and always a deserving “top eat.” 
#8: Masala Dosa, 5th Element, Jacksonville, Florida
We stopped in Jacksonville on our way to Melbourne this year at Thanksgiving and I was able to meet up with one of my coworkers for the first time. Our company recently sponsored his visa from India, and he took us to an Indian restaurant he likes in town. When I saw they had dosas on the menu, I knew we had to get that as it was one of my favorite things I ate when I was in India in 2017 but I don’t see them offered at too many Indian restaurants in the States. He suggested we get the Masala Dosa which comes with Indian mashed potatoes and it was divine. Pure comfort food with creamy, rich and deeply spiced potatoes eaten with the thin and crispy dosa and dipped in tamarind and coconut chutneys, and sambar. YUM!
#7: Curry Fish, The Vault Kitchen & Market, Savannah, Georgia
The Vault is a must for us whenever we’re in Savannah. This time we tried their curry fish and it was quite memorable! The white fish was soft and flaky and the red curry was rich, fragrant and deeply satisfying with fresh herbs, coconut and fish sauce. 
#6: Spicy Salmon Tartare, The Smith Restaurant, New York City, New York
I was in NYC in August for work and we had a ton of great food (three dishes from that trip made the list this year!). The Smith is a quintessential New York-style restaurant to me and this Spicy Salmon Tartare was everything you want from this type of dish. The salmon mix was creamy and soft with a hint of spice from Sriracha and had perfectly crispy rice on the bottom for chew and crunch.
#5: Peppermint Ice Cream, Leopold’s Ice Cream, Savannah, Georgia
My favorite ice cream shop in the world. Yes, the world. At least, of the ones around the world that I have been to. The ice cream is so fresh and creamy, and they have such a wonderful and unique mix of regular and seasonal flavors. My go-to flavors here are normally peanut butter chippy and mocha chip but when I saw the Peppermint seasonal flavor, I knew I had to try it. I loved it. So much. 
#4: Fresh Pamlico Sound Oysters, Cousins’ Oysters, Outer Banks, North Carolina
One of the absolute best parts of the Outer Banks in the winter are the oysters. Starting in October, restaurants start to advertise their local oysters and then throughout the winter there are various oyster festivals, oyster tastings, oysters roasts, etc. We had some amazing oysters from the Pamlico Sound from Cousins Oysters that were served both raw and grilled, and were so tasty. Can’t get enough of these beauties especially at this time of year.
#3: Seared Pork Tenderloin, Etc. Restaurant, Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is a nice little food city and Etc. was so great there are two dishes from our dinner there on this list. I had the seared pork tenderloin with summer vegetable relish, pickled okra vinaigrette, Meyer lemon tarragon grits, roasted red pepper cream sauce and yellow squash sauce. The pork was so soft and flavorful and the dish allowed for many wonderful flavor combinations – that veggie relish with the spicy and rich red pepper cream sauce were so delicious paired with both the pork and grits. I love a dish that surprises with flavors and textures and this hit that mark. 
#2: Roasted Carrot and Avocado Salad, ABC Kitchen, New York City, New York
I ate here for lunch with colleagues and once I got over the sticker shock of the prices, settled on this roasted carrot and avocado salad with crunchy seeds, creme fraiche, and citrus. It was out-of-this-world. I have never had a salad like this. I was almost in shock at how good it was and was trying not to brag about it too much to my coworkers who all chose sandwiches (which were undoubtedly still good but…). I later discovered that this is a famous salad from about 2012 and took the city by storm. I had no idea but absolutely understand! What a dish!
Photo from ABC Kitchen, NYC
#1: Tandoori Lamb Chops, 5th Element, Jacksonville, Florida
I want to say this year’s top spot was a difficult choice, especially since #2 and #3 were such extraordinary dishes but I pretty much knew after the first bite of these sizzling tandoori lamb chops that they were the best thing I ate all year. I’ve never had lamb chops like this – it’s usually some foo-foo “lamb lollipops” with a little side of sauce that cost $30+ and each one has about one bite of meat on it. Not these. Meaty, flavorful, juicy – this felt like the ultimate “meat-on-a-stick” experience and I’d love to have more food like this in my life. Haha! My top dish for 2022 – so excellent!
Another year of amazing food in the books with plenty of new places both near and far that we were able to try. I still love making this list each December and am happy to have made it six years of this tradition. Happy New Year – 2023 will be even more DELICIOUS.