Opinionated About Dining

The Best and Worst Meals of 2006

2006 wasn't the greatest year for dining out. While I managed to have some excellent meals, I don't think it held a candle to 2005. I'm not sure whether the lack of appeal was due to the boredom that comes from dining out too often, or the year was stagnant in terms of culinary creativity. Part of the problem might have been that I took the word of certain people I had trusted in the past, and the restaurants they recommended turned out to be duds. What I find amazing is that in some instances, the same people who recommended restaurants on the best of list also recommended restaurants on the worst of list.

Meals of the Year

1. Arpege

2. Fat Duck

3. Le Calandre

4. L'Astrance

5. Sant Pao

Chefs With Great Potential

Danile Humm at Eleven Madison Park

Michael Ciramusti at Providence

Special Recognition For Commitment to Market Cuisine Award

(Tie) Mistral and Lampreia

Most Disappointing Meals and Restaurants of 2006

1. WD-50

2. L'Arnsbourg

Worst Meals of the Year

1. Phillipe Rochat

2. Le Meurice

3. Del Posto   

4. Nicolas Le Bec

5. Gilt (Christopher Lee)

Countdown of the Top 50 European Dishes of the Year

Countdown of the Top 50 European Dishes of the Year 

If putting together a list of the top 25 dishes in the U.S. was a huge burden, the task of doing it for European restaurants was enormous. The biggest problem I ran into was that I had more than 25 dishes I wanted to put on the list. I tried solving this problem in a couple of different ways. First, I contemplated making two different lists, one for traditional restaurants and one for contemporary restaurants. But when I finished it didn't sit well with me. Then I tried making separate lists for the various segments of a meal, compiling different lists for appetizers, fish courses, etc. But that eliminated the excitement of the countdown, an aspect of the U.S. list that a number of people told me they enjoyed. So I decided to take the easy way out. I expanded the list to 50 dishes and suddenly my problem was solved.

Following the same method I used to compile the domestic list, I reviewed every meal I had during the year and instinctively placed the dishes where they felt right. But after deciding to expand the size of the list to 50, I had to spend some time bouncing the bottom 30 around. I guess the practice of creating the domestic list paid off because, all in all, the list took shape rather quickly and I only needed a half dozen attempts to get it right.

                                                                        

Countdown of the Top 25 U.S Dishes of 2005

Countdown of the Top 25 U.S. Dishes of the Year                                                                                             

I wish I knew how many pounds of food I ate this year. Forget about my two trips to Europe where I easily ate my weight. In the U.S. alone, besides going to my typical New York haunts on a regular basis, I took a number of trips to Boston, a trip to Miami, a trip to Chicago, spent nearly two weeks in San Francisco on three different business trips, visited Los Angeles twice, and most recently had a three-day eating binge in Washington, D.C. One would think that with a list of cities as long as my arm I would have eaten in every great restaurant in the country. But even an iron man like me couldn't pull that off, and I had to settle for only eating in most of them.

Recently I was thinking about what information I could extract from the past year's dining experiences that readers would find useful. I always write an article called "My Year in Review of Dining," but based on when I published last year's article, this year's version isn't due to appear until sometime in April. Then I thought of making a list of the top restaurants, like Steve's list of the groovy restaurants of the year or something like that. But that isn't exactly new information either. The ratings for a restaurant are posted at the end of each review. What's so difficult about putting them in order? So after a few days of mulling it over, I had a brainstorm and I came up with the idea of compiling a countdown of my top 25 U.S. dishes of the year. First, it's a ranking that people don't normallly see—restaurants and their chefs are usually honored by a newspaper or guidebook awarding them stars or a numerical score. But I also thought that this was a different way of honoring a chef's excellence. Especially since the number of chefs who are working in the U.S. today, and who deserve recognition, is growing every day.

                                    

 

Steve Plotnicki's Guide to Dining

Each year since 2002 I have been putting together a list of the restaurants that I have visited over the course of the year. For each restaurant I include a capsule review as well as a letter rating which reflects how strongly I am recommending that restaurant within that particular ...continue

                               Highest Rated Restaurants by Category

                                          

                                          New York                                                                     

Formal Dining                                                                        

Per Se - For my money, this is the best restaurant in New York City. I enjoyed three dinners, two of them excellent, and I was fortunate enough to be invited to their Thanksgiving brunch. “Oysters and pearls" gets my vote for the ...continue

Upper Middle Dining

Craft - By far the best restaurant in this category of dining. Not only in New York City but probably anywhere. I know Tom Colicchio fashioned this restaurant after the à la carte menus of the steakhouses of old, but I have found that the ...continue

Creative and Bistro Dining

WD-50 - I don't think there is another restaurant in the city that can rile me up as much as this laboratory of modern cuisine; my meals here have ranged from stunning to maddening. Dishes like the bay scallops with a chorizo flan ... continue

Japanese

Sushi Yasuda – Many people think sushi is about the fish. But at Sushi Yasuda, my sushi restaurant of choice, the key to greatness lies in how they handle the rice. Of course that isn’t to say they don’t use top-quality fish at Yasuda.... continue

Formal Ethnic Dining

Devi - From nowhere to the city's best Indian restaurant in leaps and bounds. Chef Hemant Mathur does a good job of pushing the Indian cuisine envelope. His Manchurian cauliflower might be the best vegetable dish in the city,and ...continue

Steakhouses, Seafood, and Brasseries

Peter Luger Steak House - Hands down, this the best steak anywhere. That's what happens when all of the top meat wholesalers in town give you the first pick of the short loins they receive. I did notice that during the prime ... continue

Casual Dining

Casa Mono - Batali does tapas. And not a half-bad job of it either, although there is more cooking going on than there would be at a traditional tapas bar in Spain. But that's what puts this Irving Place restaurant at the top of the...continue

Inexpensive Ethnic and Regional Cuisine

Sripraphai - Possibly the city's best ethnic eatery. Recently renovated and doubled in size, the kitchen turns out top-notch Thai food with a freshness and quality that is atypical of NYC’s ethnic restaurant scene. There is a full ... continue

                         

                                    Northeastern U.S.

Formal Dining

Uni - Ken Oringer runs this sushi bar in a space that it shares with his more formal restaurant, Clio. It's just a counter with six seats and four small tables along the back wall. One night last October I sat down at their opening time of ...continue

Casual Dining

East Coast Grill - The casual restaurant of my dreams and the easiest place to eat in Boston. Good raw bar, some not half-bad barbecue, a nice job with grilled meats, and the best grilled fish anywhere. I wish they would clone this ...continue

                            

                                       Rest of U.S.

Formal Dining

Manresa - Chef David Kinch is an ambitious man. A veteran of NYC’s Quilted Giraffe, as well as a number of Europe’s finest kitchens, he has joined Thomas Keller and Grant Achatz in the club of American chefs who serve large multi- ...continue

                              

                                          France

Formal Dining

Paris

Pierre Gagnaire - A combination of one of the world’s greatest and most frustrating dining experiences. At a recent meal, Gagnaire served us two courses so stunning that they were easily the best dishes I ate on my entire trip ... continue

Provinces

Troisgros - I’ve had four meals at Troisgros over the last year and a half and I have come to know Michel Troisgros’ cuisine fairly well. It isn’t the best cuisine in France, nor is Michel anywhere the chef that Bras, Gagnaire, Passard ...continue

Casual Dining

Maison Rousseau - Joyous oyster bar in Lyon’s Les Halles. Rub elbows with the locals and feast on huge platters of Belons and Fin de Claires, steaming pots of mussels served in a variety of sauces, and a terrific soupe de poissons ...continue

Food Shopping

Pierre Herme - I am going to make a bold statement. I think the level of excellence that you will find at this rue Bonaparte patisserie is the best of any food producer or purveyor in France. Starting with the glorious macarons ...continue

                                                                              

                                            Spain

Formal Dining

Mugaritz – Not all of today's ultramodern chefs have a natural-tasting cuisine. But at Mugaritz, Andoni Aduriz has managed to develop a cuisine that relies on natural ingredients, while utilizing cutting-edge culinary technique to prepare ...continue

Casual Dining

Casa Julian - The town of Tolosa is about a 30-minute drive from San Sebastian. Other than being settled by the Romans because it was on the trade route, Tolosoa’s main distinction is that it’s located on the banks of the...continue

                                                                         

                                      United Kingdom

London

Formal Dining

Tom Aikens - The highly controversial plating method that Aikens employs puts many people off. But if you can get past the way the food looks (many people, including me, like the abstract look of the plating), you will find a cuisine ...continue

Casual Dining

New Tayyab - Okay, we’re talking exceptional cheap eats here—and loads of fun as well. The mixed tandoori platter at this Pakistani restaurant in East London belongs in a class with Katz’s pastrami and the Thai food at Sripraphai ...continue

                                                                        

                                      Wines of the Year 

(click on continue to see the rest of wines in that region)

Red Burgundy - 1966 DRC Grand Echezeaux ... continue

White Burgundy - 1992 Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne ...continue

Piedmont - 1961 Giacomo Conterno Monfortino ...continue

Northern Rhone - 1988 Guigal Cote Rotie La Turque ...continue

Southern Rhone - 1981 Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape ...continue

Rioja - 1920 Lopez De Heredia Vina Bosconia ...continue

Bordeaux - 1959 Latour ...continue

Sauternes - 1949 Chateau d'Yquem ...continue

Chablis - 1989 Raveneau Chablis Clos ...continue

Alsace - 1983 Trimbach Riesling Clos St. Hune ...continue

Champagne - 1982 Krug from magnum ...continue

New York Formal Dining

                             

Per Se - For my money, this is the best restaurant in New York City. I enjoyed three dinners, two of them excellent, and I was fortunate enough to be invited to their Thanksgiving brunch. “Oysters and Pearls” gets my vote for the single best dish in American cuisine, and I don't think I will ever tire of eating it. Add the cauliflower panna cotta and the butter-poached lobster to the list of delicious dishes, not to mention the delicious roast pork belly and the roast beef cap. I really could go on and on. The service is excellent, and the room is one of the most comfortable and serene dining rooms in the city, which is a bonus in an era where the noise in restaurants can be deafening. With only 16 tables, they serve somewhere between 75 and 90 meals per night or at lunch on the weekends. And with something like 300 people a day trying to make reservations, that makes it a very tough table to get. Typically, between getting a busy signal and then sitting on hold once you get through, the process of making a reservation can take 45 minutes or longer. And some days when you finally get through, they are already fully booked. But this is an instance where diligence and patience will pay off, and if you successfully manage to get a reservation, I think you will find that it was a worthwhile investment of your time. A

Thomas Keller’s “Oysters and Pearls” at Per Se

New York Upper Middle Dining

Craft - By far the best restaurant in this category of dining. Not only in New York City but probably anywhere. I know Tom Colicchio fashioned this restaurant after the à la carte menus of the steakhouses of old, but I have found that the best way to enjoy the restaurant is to set the menu aside and allow the kitchen to choose your dinner. Just tell them how many courses you would like, and they will send out the best ingredients they have on hand that day. They might treat you to succulent black pork from Idaho, or a Wagyu skirt steak, or maybe a Duclair duck from Massachusets. Or how about a two-pound lobster tail from Australia, or Craft stalwarts like the fork-tender short ribs, along with a selection of the best vegetables available that day? A party of six stands the chance of having the best meal, and if you organize a bottle of wine per course, you will have a veritable feast. A

Roast Duclair Duck from Craft

New York Creative & Bistro Dining

WD-50 - I don't think there is another restaurant in the city that can rile me up as much as this laboratory of modern cuisine; my meals here have ranged from stunning to maddening. Dishes like the bay scallops with a chorizo flan and the roast cod with smoked mashed potatoes and pepper oil are among the greatest dishes in contemporary American cuisine. But other dishes include flavors so challenging that they take the joy out of the dining experience. Of course, not everyone agrees with me—some people like dishes that are focused on intensely bitter flavors or which pair fishy flavors like anchovies with foie gras. But when the kitchen is on and the flavors are balanced, this is the most compelling dining experience in the city. It is a restaurant with the potential to move into a more serious category of dining, if Dufresne ever decides he wants to run a more serious restaurant. A

Wylie Dufresne's Cod with Smoked Mashed Potatoes, Red Pepper Oil, and Shiitake Mushrooms

New York Japanese Dining

Sushi Yasuda – Many people think sushi is about the fish. But at Sushi Yasuda, my sushi restaurant of choice, the key to greatness lies in the rice. Of course that isn’t to say that they don’t use top-quality fish at Yasuda. On an average day, they might serve you five to seven different varieties of tuna or salmon, or three or four different types of yellowtail, as well as superb specimens of numerous other fish that are fresh that day. But what makes this restaurant special is the way Yasuda can grab 264 grains of creamy and firm, slightly warmer than room temperature short-grain rice, and pair it with perfectly trimmed slices of cool fish. Of course, the best way to experience this treat is to sit at the counter with Yasuda-san himself and let him organize your meal. His timing in the way he serves up each group of fish is impeccable, as if he’s performing a Mozart concerto. Even his delivery is unique. He will pick up two or three pieces at a time and use an overhand motion that would make Hideki Nomo envious. Make sure you ask him to end your meal with two of my favorite pieces—West Coast Oysters and Santa Barbara Uni, both served on sushi rice, with a squeeze of fresh lemon and a small sprinkling of coarse sea salt. Absolutely delicious. A

Hamachi, Kanpachi, Otoro, and Uni at Sushi Yasuda

New York Formal Ethnic Dining

Devi - From nowhere to the city's best Indian restaurant in leaps and bounds. Chef Hemant Mathur does a good job of pushing the Indian cuisine envelope. His Manchurian cauliflower might be the best vegetable dish in the city, and his Parsi halibut with mint-coconut chutney and lemon rice is hands down the best fish dish I've ever been served in an Indian restaurant. Excellent desserts by Suvir Saran and Hemant's wife, Surbhi. B+

Hemant Mathur’s Parsi Halibut with Mint-Coconut Chutney and Lemon Rice

New York Casual Dining

Casa Mono - Batali does tapas. And not a half-bad job of it either, although there is much more cooking going on than there would be at a traditional tapas bar in Spain, and that's what puts this restaurant at the top of the category. The lomo with squash and pomegranate seed and the skirt steak on onion marmalade are really the size of small entrees. Makes for a good lunch or a casual dinner. The space is so cramped that I prefer eating at the bar. It's best to share plates between two people—that’s the easiest way to get to taste six or seven different dishes. The kitchen can be erratic and that is somewhat of a downside. B+

Lomo with Squash and Pomegranate Seeds at Casa Mono