Best of 2010 – Eats

2010 is over. Done. Finished. I’m moving full steam ahead into this brand new year and looking forward to a whole new series of food adventures, but before I dive into those, I wanted to take a look back at the best ones from the past 12 months. If there are any that you missed reading about the first time, do yourself a favor and click on the headers to read about them now. These are places you’ll want to add to your “to do” list for 2011!
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#10

Bar la Grassa, Minneapolis

First up is an experience that I never blogged about, but let me emphasize that it’s not because it wasn’t fantastic. On one of my trips to Minneapolis, my friend Steph & I dined at Bar La Grassa, a sister restaurant to 112 Eatery, which made my 2009 Best Of list. The Apple Prosciutto Salad with Gorgonzola pictured above was simply perfection on a plate. Followed by Eggplant and Prosciutto Bruschetta, Calamarata Pasta with Raw Tuna, and Mushroom Agnolotti with Red Wine Butter Sauce, it was easy to see why they were nominated for a James Beard award.
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#9

1808 Grille, Nashville

This ranking is actually for one specific dish, the Middle Eastern Spiced Lamb T-bone with orange harissa glaze, English cucumer and pea tendril salad. I proclaim it the best lamb I’ve ever eaten, and now all other lamb will compete with this memory.
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#8

Cyrus, Healdsburg

The beautiful multi-course tasting menu by James Beard award winning chef Douglas Keane wowed us. The stars of the show: Scallop with Rice Noodles, Pickled Green Papaya and Coconut Milk Froth  & the Sweet Corn and Black Truffle Risotto.
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#7

Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Zengcheng, Shenzhen, Zhejiang, Wenzhou

I know, I know, it’s not really fair to choose all of these as my #7, but there was absolutely no way that I could limit myself to choosing one dish or meal from all of my travels through China. This trip was absolutely amazing in the sense that it allowed me to experience so many tastes of another culture and discover some new loves like raw sea cucumber, pomelo fruit, and fava beans. If you haven’t read through all of my China posts, you really should! I mean, don’t you want to see me sucking marrow through a straw?
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#6

Smiling Elephant, Nashville

Again, another one that I haven’t had a chance to share with you. Don’t worry, you’ll get a full write up soon because this is a new Nashville spot I’ll continue to go to again and again. Their Tom Kha Kai (coconut soup) pictured above is sure to nourish me through the winter.
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#5

Elizabeth’s on 37th, Savannah

Early in 2010, my hubby and I were finally able to get away alone together for the first time since our honeymoon. The final meal of the trip at Elizabeth’s on 37th was icing on the cake to a perfect long weekend in Savannah.
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#4

The Bristol, Chicago

Monkey bread and an apple salad with toasted hazelnuts and marinated manchego that  I could not get out of my mind for days. Scratch that. Weeks.
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#3

Bar Crudo , San Francisco

The freshest everything here! Amazing, amazing. This is the kind of meal I could eat multiple times a week. Too bad I live in a landlocked state.
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# 2

Cha Chah, Nashville

If you follow me on Twitter or have read this blog much in recent weeks, surely you haven’t missed my current obsession with the Quinoa Falafel at Cha Chah. I’ve talked about it every chance I’ve gotten but I don’t want you to think that it’s the only incredible thing on the menu. Far from it. Every dish I’ve had there in recent months has been spot on. And it’s not just me- several friends and acquaintances have told me the same thing. If you live in Nashville and haven’t been there recently, then you are missing out. Big Time.
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#1

Woodfire Grill, Atlanta

I’m so happy that this meal could be shared with my sister. We don’t get to see each other that often, so to experience Woodfire Grill with her was such a pleasure. The memory of her reactions to the food brings a smile to my face :-) Their Spice Roasted Okra and Wood Grilled Bobwhite Quail were the dishes that lingered in my mind and stood out above all others this year. If you’re in Atlanta, this is a must!
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Coming up next- the best drinks of 2010! A girl can’t subsist on food alone you know!