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My travel schedule in 2023 had me away more than home, allowing me to enjoy food at many outstanding restaurants, in America and internationally.

As is true of past lists, the 2023 Best Dishes list encompasses a blend of fine dining and casual dishes, which were truly the ‘best’ dishes of 2023 (see past lists).

I’ve narrowed down all the incredible dishes I enjoyed to the following 15 Best Dishes 2023. The list is in restaurant name, alphabetical order.

3^rd Cousin, San Francisco, CA – Darling space, talented culinary team, outstanding service is how I’d describe this Michelin-recognized restaurant. When we dined at this popular San Francisco restaurant, they were shaving black truffles on standard menu dishes, so I indulged with a hefty serving on my incredible Maine Lobster Risotto served with snap peas, demi sec cherry tomato, yuzu and Reggiano.

Audrey, Nashville, TN – Named after Sean Brock’s grandmother, Audrey serves up humble, delectable Appalachian-influenced food in an intimate, welcoming space. We were wowed by all the dishes we shared, but don’t pass on the Appalachian Sourdough Bread served with cultured butter stuffed with candy roaster squash jam. It was the most perfect way to start our meal at Audrey.

August, New Orleans, LA – I’ve made repeat visits to this elegant NOLA institution with the sole purpose of revisiting the most perfect dish of all time, the Gnocchi “Black and Blue”, pillowy gnocchi with black truffles, jumbo lump crab served in a Parmesan sauce.

Cafe Martorano, Fort Lauderdale, FL – Love this elevated neighborhood place and when our waiter mentioned one of the signature dishes, Veal Cutlet Martorano, I knew I had to order it, and glad I did. It’s a pounded thinly, perfectly cooked breaded veal tenderloin cutlet served with gnocchi in a cheesy sauce. Not for the faint of heart, but worth every calorie.

Casa Benigna, Madrid, Spain – While there are many places to have outstanding Paella in Madrid, this cozy family run restaurant is a must-try. We sampled the Snail and Rabbit Paella and it was perfectly cooked over open flame in a pan customized for the restaurant.

Clam Bar, Portland, ME – This roadside clam shack came highly recommended, so we stopped by on the way to the airport and WOW, did it deliver. While we sampled multiple items, including a better-than-most lobster roll, the star were the perfectly fried Clam Bellies.

Codex at Conrad Punta de Mita, Punta de Mita, MX – This chic, seaside restaurant served up our favorite meal of the vacation. Particularly noteworthy was the simply named TUNA starter, yellowfin tuna, house made corn tlayuda chips, wild herb mousse, sea asparagus and an artisan chorizo sauce.

Cúrate, Asheville, NC – While I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve tried at this popular, James Beard winner, the favorite dish we ordered in 2023 was the Rossejat, thin noodles prepared like a paella in squid ink and shellfish stock. The dish transported me back to Spain’s seaside.

Josie Wyatt’s Grille, Moab, UT – This hot spot was located in the Hoodoo Hotel we stayed at, and we ate here twice as it was so delicious. Our favorite of the items we enjoyed was the American Wagyu Carne Asada made using Snake River skirt steak and served with charred onion, Dove Creek Pinto beans, grilled jalapenos and a side of perfect flour tortilla.

O-Ku, Charlotte, NC – This is one of our very favorite restaurants in the Queen City for its sexy vibe, great service and incredible food. We love sampling shared dishes, and our favorite is the Lobster Temaki, handrolls stuffed with butter-poached lobster, asparagus, chive, cilantro aioli and black salt.

Poole’s, Raleigh, NC – This place gets all the accolades for very good reasons, it’s fantastic. From the service, adorable space and delectable food, Poole’s is a win. I sampled many dishes during my visit and the Chicken Liver Pâté with two mustards and pickles was a standout.

Ratafia Bar à Vin, Montreal, QC, Canada – At the fun Montreal hot spot, the menu is divided in ‘salty’ and ‘sweet’ and each dish we tried was delicious and could have made this list, but, our favorite was the Agnolotti made of sweet potato, Mascarpone and brown butter with spicy bread crumble in a Parmesan and butter broth and gilded by fried sage chips. Dear God.

Rose Mary, Chicago, IL – Sexy space, great service and stellar food is how I’d succinctly describe this West Loop hot spot by Chef/Owner Joe Flamm. We tried several pasta dishes and our favorite was the Radiatore Cacio E Pepe, nicely al dente pasta with tons of freshly cracked pepper and Pecorino. Don’t skip the Stracciatella starter with smoked pear butter, marinated pears and lepinja.

Saddle, Madrid, Spain – Although we had limited time while in Madrid, we knew we wanted do eat at one fine-dining restaurant and Saddle fit the bill perfectly. While each dish was more incredible than the next, included the memorable bread service, our favorite dish was the Pâté en Croute served with pickled vegetables. Don’t skip the cheese course for dessert.

Vivian, Asheville, NC – This James Beard-nominated restaurant in Asheville served up one of the best meals I had in 2023. The favorite with our party was the Beef Tartare prepared in a traditional way with Dijon, ketchup, shallot and capers and served with potato chips. Also, don’t pass on the Nordic Deviled Eggs.