2011: A Year in Eating

December is always a time for year end lists. Best albums. Best songs. Best concerts. Best new restaurants. Best desserts. Best new bars. It seems like there's a list for everything.  

This got me reflecting on the best things I ate in 2011. But, how to rank? How to compare an appetizer or one simple ingredient to a full entree or ten course prix fix? So in no particular order, the best things I ate in 2011: 

Fresh Brazilian starfruit
plucked right from the tree. 

• The delice de bourgogne cheese plate at Maude's Liquor Bar. Absolute decadence. It was the dish that spurred me to launch The Drunken Goat Dispatches in May, and I'm still in love. 
• The deluxe focaccia at Avec, with taleggio cheese, ricotta, truffle oil and fresh herbs is salty, savory and more addicting than a Big Mac.  
• An authentic Brazilian fish feast prepared by the lovely people at Salto das Nuvens, a small, waterfall-side restaurant, bar and resort located in the Matto Grosso state. It was like being on an episode of No Reservations.
• Fresh starfruit picked off a tree (also in Matto Grosso) and eaten. Nature's sweet tart.  
• Mom's stuffing at Thanksgiving. So incredibly simple (bread, onions, celery, stock and pork sausage) yet delicious and flavorful. The memory of Thanksgiving leftovers is still lingering.  
• Served with crisp sourdough bread, sea salt, parsley and red onion jam, the bone marrow at Longman & Eagle is savory and rich.  
• While I love the cheese and charcuterie at The Purple Pig, the olive oil poached tuna with lima beans, fresh herbs, red onion and vinaigrette is still the dish that I keep thinking about. 
• Fetucine a la Pasquale at my family's favorite restaurant, Pasquale's Osteria in Norwalk, Conn. Homemade pasta, shrimp, ham, asparagus, tomatoes, fresh basil in a garlic red sauce with a touch of cream. It's ultimate Italian comfort food made by Pasquale, a former Vatican chef (more on that in a future post).   
• The lobster roll at B&G Oyster in the South End of Boston served just the way I like it: heaping mounds of lobster, slightest touch of homemade mayo, herbs, S+P, on a butter toasted roll. 
• I'm still blissed out from The Lair of the Minotaur burger at Kuma's Corner. The brie, pancetta and bourbon poached pear made the burger worth the wait...and the calories.    
• The cheese cart at Tru. An unpasteurized heaven on wheels.   
• The hen at Graham Elliot: a savory and memorable dish that embodied fall with every bite.

What was your favorite dish or dining experience in 2011? 

Sao Paulo Dispatch

I recently had the fortunate opportunity to travel to Sao Paulo, Brazil -- my first visit to South America. I was immediately struck by the warmth of the Brazilian people, the lush landscape and the flavorful and fresh food around every corner.

While the business trip offered little time for exploring during the day, our Brazilian hosts were proud to show us around over lunch and take us to their favorite local establishments. Like their European counterparts, Brazilians do lunch right. They take at least an hour, even if it's sitting outside taking in the warm spring air.

I didn't see one person eating a sad turkey sandwich on wheat at their desk, and I think they're on to something.

A few other observations on eating and drinking in Sao Paulo:

Coffee in style...at McDonald's?
Delicioso!

• The coffee is among the best I've ever tasted. For many, the venti-sized "to go" coffee is not an option - even McDonald's takes their coffee seriously! I was pleased to see espresso machines in several offices and conference rooms, which naturally got me thinking about whether or not I could perch such a machine on the windowsill of my office.
• The Brazilians love their pastries - especially for breakfast. Chocolate frosted cakes were a regular occurrence at my hotel's breakfast buffet. My favorite was the savory "pao de queijo." This classic Brazilian cheese bread is a breakfast staple and can be small (like an olive) or larger (like a scone). It's texture is light and airy, but it's flavor is sharp and buttery. There's nothing quite like this in the U.S.  
• I was reminded during this trip about how much I love hearts of palm. Whether served grilled with giant capers and a fruity vinaigrette or cold on a salad with parmesan cheese and frites, this vegetables takes many shapes and flavors.  
• Brazilian churrascaria (or what they call "BBQ") is quite the feast and even better than you might have had at similar Brazilian steakhouses in the states, such as Brazzaz or Fogo de Chao in Chicago. Various sausages (including blood sausage), lamb, multiple cuts of beef and the most succulent pork loin I've ever seen crossed our path over the lunch hour. The salad bar was a feast in an of itself.  



Beautiful colors of Brazilian sushi

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• Even traditional sushi has a distinctly South American flare. One of the most memorable dishes of my trip was a simple salmon ceviche flavored with thinly sliced onion lime juice and parsley, surrounded by salmon sashimi. Clean, fresh and enormously flavorful.  

While my visit was short, I was fortunate enough to try a small sampling of Brazilian staples, of which there are many. There are certain places that you visit that you just know you'll be back. For me, Brazil is one of the those places.