Fortunately for my annual Best Dishes recap, I was back on the road for work and leisure quite a bit in 2021. This allowed me to experience many outstanding meals along my journey.

This year’s list includes a combination of fine dining and casual dishes, which were truly the ‘best’ dishes of the last 12 months, regardless of price point.

I’ve narrowed down all the fab dishes I had to the following 13 Best Dishes 2021, plus a bonus dessert. The list is in restaurant name, alphabetical order.

Aquila Pizza Al Forno, Little Falls, NJ – The only thing as lovely as the soppressata and Meyer lemon pizza with its perfect, slightly-tart and salty crust charred in all the right places is the team behind the cozy pizzeria. By the way, I copied/pasted this recap from my 2019 Best Dishes list and I’ll do the same in 2022 if I’m fortunate enough to visit pizzamaker extraordinaire Jerry…perfect pizza, period.

Café Chameleon, Bloomingdale, NJ – At his former place of business, Chef Bryan Gregg continued serving some of the best scallops I’ve had. The preparation of the scallops during this visit was outstanding with morels, quinoa and pea butter. I look forward to my next plate of scallops at Chef Gregg’s new home, Blue Morel in Morristown, NJ.  

Christopher’s at the Wrigley Mansion, Phoenix, AZ – This hot spot within The Wrigley Mansion is the brainchild of Chef Christopher Gross. Among the lineup of winning dishes was the duck two ways, a seared breast and a confit leg. Did I mention the foie gras terrine? A very sexy space with gorgeous views, masterly-prepared food and impeccable service.

Ever, Chicago, IL – During a business trip to the Windy City, I was able to secure an early table for one at the amazing Ever. This was by far my most luxurious, fine dining experience of 2021. While each dish was masterly crafted and original, one dish I consider the best, is a signature dish from Chef Duffy’s former restaurant, the Alaskan king crab dish (here’s a video of it being made).

Futo Buta Ramen House, Charlotte, NC – The craving for ramen is real and we were thrilled to find cozy place when we moved to Charlotte. Highly recommend the Buta Bowl with its chicken and dashi broth, double noodle, pecan smoked pork belly, onsen egg, duck confit, spicy ground pork, ono chili sauce, sweet white corn, roasted and julienne leeks, scallions and cayenne pepper threads. Yes, it’s a mouthful to say and eat.

Heirloom Kitchen, Old Bridge, NJ – I believe this is the only restaurant that’s always been on my annual lists. Chef David Viana creates incredible experiences at his chef’s counter and the meal I had there in 2021 was a special one as I was with my mom who I’d not seen in 18 months due to Covid. I can’t pass up the opportunity to say that whatever preparation is applied to his signature duck, is always, and I’ve had many variations over the years, always the best duck you’ll ever have.

Jon G’s BBQ, Peachland, NC – Truly some of the very best barbecue I’ve had and the brisket, not a typical North Carolina BBQ winner, is the gem among all the memorable dishes. The brisket is juicy, perfectly fatty with a nice coating of pepper. Plus, the wait, complete with free beer, is an experience. Highly recommend.

La Barbecue, Austin, TX – I know Austin is all about brisket, and this was some of the best I’ve had, but the smoked turkey was by far the greatest turkey I’ve had. The exterior was generously coated in spiced, heavy on the pepper, and the meat was mind-blowingly juicy.

La Belle Helene, Charlotte, NC – The prettiest space we’ve found in our journey through the Queen City, our new hometown, is undoubtedly this place. French bistro food is served here, but the space itself is the opposite of what one would consider ‘bistro’ like. The rich French onion soup topped with Compté is worth ordering and so is the well-made steak tartare.

O-Ku, Charlotte, NC – A hot restaurant doesn’t always translate to hot food, but at this hip Charlotte restaurant, the food isn’t a passing thought. One of our favorite dishes was the Lobster Temaki, a trio of handrolls filled with butter-poached lobster, asparagus, chives, cilantro aioli and black volcanic salt.

Standard Oyster Company, Hickory, NC – This local gem serves up some of the freshest oysters in the Charlotte metro area. We enjoyed a variety of bivalves, but a fun, old school treat my mom and I opted in to is the oyster shooter, which can be served with beer, Tequila or Vodka (we selected the latter). Tip: 12PM – 2PM Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Standard Oyster Company serves $1 raw NC oysters.

The Everyday Market, Belmont, NC – I wrote about the special café and market earlier in 2021. Pastry, dish and dessert are prepared with the care of a veteran, classically trained Chef Majid Amoorpour. Particularly great is the cheesy scrambled eggs on croissant. My out-of-town visitors rave about this breakfast item months after their visits.

Vecina, Phoenix, AZ – At this intimate Latin-inspired hot spot, the drinks are creative and flavor-packed to match the delectable food. One of the winning appetizers we sampled was the white bean puree with crispy short rib, herb salad and served with ultra-thin flour tortillas. The must-order entrée is the Carnitas Empanada, Duroc pork confit, onion marmalade, Manchego, salsa verde and Manzana chile.

Best Dessert

La Boucherie Restaurant, Orlando, FL – I don’t usually include desserts on this list, but the perfectly executed Floating Island at this popular Orlando restaurant were light, melt-in-your-mouth and served with a decadent crème Anglaise and a drizzle of caramel.

What have been some of your favorite bites of 2021?

Happy eating!

Veronique