Top 10 Dishes of 2021

2021 was my third and last year living in Dusseldorf so I ate extremely well, trying to visit all the restaurants I could. This included a trip to Paris to finish off the three stars in the city (Arpège, Kei) and an exceptionally well regarded two-star (Le Clarence). My French foray did not stop at Paris as I took a road trip through the countryside, checking out the lavender fields and some of the harder to reach restaurants (Bras, Régis & Jacques MARCON, L'Oustau de Baumanière, AM par Alexandre Mazzia) before making pits stops in Lyon (Taka0 Taknao, Paul Bocuse, Le Neuvième Art) and Antwerp (The Jane, Zilte). After a COVID cancellation the year before, I also made the long drive down to to Alba mainly to visit the truffle festival but also to stop by a few-starred establishment (Piazza Duomo, Enrico Bartolini, Lido84). Beyond the longer adventures, weekend trips to Hamburg, Malta, and other locales brought plenty of good food (The Table, Haerlin, Alex Dilling, Christian Bau). Needless to say, the competition for my favorite dish of 2021 was as stiff as any year in the past.

#10 - Foie gras with black truffle and almafi lemon jelly from Alex Dilling in Malta / Foie gras with cherry and hazelnut at Victors Fine Dining in Perl, Germany

Perhaps it is cheating to start 2021 top 10 with a tie but I just couldn’t decide which of these foie gras dishes was better. Alex Dilling’s foie had superior texture, so silky and smooth it was a miracle it held its shape. While the consistency of Bau’s foie may not have been as stunning as Dilling’s, I enjoyed his accompanying flavors better as they offered the perfect mix of sweet and salty to play a proper foil to the rich foie. Two dishes that use similar techniques to create different, but equally remarkable, dishes. 

#9 - Tomato with burrata and avocado from at two star Haerlin in Hamburg, Germany

I have had this flavor combination many times but this dish stands out because of the exceptional amount of flavor Chef Christopher Rueffer was able to coax out of the classic ingredients. The tomatoes, picked directly by the chef himself from Kleverhof farms, were in absolute peak form during our mid-August visit and burst with flavor. Those natural flavors were smartly highlighted by the use of tarragon and an addictive broth that concentrated the tomato flavor and left a lasting impression on me.

#8 Skewered Quintart's pigeon with hibiscus, rhubarb, and confit leg pastilla at Restaurant le Neuvième Art in Lyon, France

During a two-week food trip through France, I had a run of four main courses in a row where the underappreciated pigeon was front and center. Each dish had its own strengths and weaknesses, but the most stunning bird came from Le Neuvième Art. Served skewered, the pigeon was a triumphant blend of perfectly sourced ingredients and careful cooking that resulted in juicy meat, crispy skin, and just a touch of smokiness from the grill coming through. Perhaps the kitchen knew they had a tremendous piece of meat because the accompanying rhubarb and hibiscus was subtle, adding some fruity sharpness to the dish but letting the dazzling pigeon shine.

#7 - King Crab at El Viejo Marino in Argentina, Ushuaia

I am not sure if this king crab is really the 7th best thing I ate in 2021 but it is certainly one of the best food memories as it was our last dinner before heading off to Antarctica. El Viejo Marino is a hole in the wall in the best way, inauspicious decor and service but tremendous food. The restaurant specializes in serving up king crab caught fresh only a few hours off the coast of Ushuaia. The crab was excellent, bursting with natural sweetness and served with nothing more than a few slices of lemon. Best yet, the full king crab costs only ~$25 - I think I have been charged more for an espresso at some starred restaurants. Order one of these crabs, throw in a bottle of the local Torrontés for the low price of ~$3, and prepare to dig in and have a great time.

#6 - Langoustines with butter and caviar sauce at Le Clarence in Paris, France

While not the best langoustine and caviar dish I had this year, this was still a remarkable dish from Chef Christophe Pele and the team at Le Clarence. When a dish features only a few ingredients, it takes real skill for it to shine but that is exactly what happened here where superb langoustines were paired with an absolute stunner of a sauce which had just the right balance between richness and acidity. On top, a sorrel leaf added a bit of welcome earthy balance. This was not the most Instagram friendly presentation but the flavors were top notch.

#5 - “Focus” at The Jane in Antwerp, Belgium

This course was labeled “focus” and included no description so you can do your best to identify the flavors yourself from the three mini dishes centered around flavors from Japan. I have encountered this “guess the flavors” concept a few times and I always think it is clever as it makes you focus (get the name now?) and really try to figure out what you are tasting. Thankfully they gave the dish descriptions at the end so I can accurately tell you (from left to right) that there were dishes of balfego tuna topped with caviar and kohlrabi, chawanmushi with north sea crab, ginger dashi, and sancho pepper and dumpling filled with duroc pork and langoustine served with gooseberry. Each of the three dishes showed off great complexity and flavors with the dumpling and tuna being the co-favorites. The dumpling in particular was made very thin and the langoustine flavor came through surprisingly well with the broth adding a nice level of heat. This reminded me a bit of a pork belly clam dumpling dish at Osteria Fransescana - I preferred the Jane version more.

#4 - Risotto with alba truffles at Enrico Bartolini in Milan, France

I have really struggled with Michelin restaurants in Italy. Arguably the three most famous (Osteria Francescana, Le Calandre, & Piazza Duomo), failed to elicit any real response from me. Resigned to give up, I almost cancelled my reservation at Enrico Bartolini as he has a similar modern cooking style to those disappointing restaurants. I kept my booking and my perseverance was rewarded with a wonderful fall tasting menu that was rooted in the seasons and region. The highlight of the meal was this simple risotto. Wonderful toothsome al dente rice with the creaminess from the risotto adding a bit of fattiness to the beef reduction. While these were strong flavors, they still provided a good vehicle to the truffles which added their signature scent even if we are still quite early in the season. Such a simple course but one that was executed with finesse and packed full of intense flavors.

#3 - “Gargouillou” at Bras in Lagiole, France

It is amazing just how thrilling this simple “salad” is to eat. The vegatable quality was dazzling, fresh from the garden and miles away what you find in even the best restaurants much less your local grocer. Even more important, the various components are treated a variety of ways. This makes each bite an adventure, not sure what you will get but always delicious and intriguing. I found my meal at Bras to be deeply disappointing but its signature dish more than lived up to its reputation. This is dish that has been copied countless times and while I have tried some of the most famous facsimiles (Den, Piazza Duomo, Kei), the original out paces them all.

#2 - Torta di rose at Lido 84 in Lake Garda, Italy

This was the complete package, the aroma and freshness from the lemon, wonderful airy pastry and supremely smooth zabione mingling together to create a deeply satisfying (and comforting) bite. More modern pastry kitchens, which often produce needlessly complicated desserts, would benefit from taking the simplified approach Lido 84 took here. Forget the theatrics, just produce as near as perfect pastry as you can. The only complaint was the portion was too big for the end of a tasting menu - it was so good I could not stop eating it even if I should.

#1 - Langoustines with cream and caviar at L’Arpege in Paris, France

This dish was a literal head turner, with other guests craning their necks to see what just came out of the kitchen. I couldn't really blame them - it wasn’t on the printed menu or any of the specials which included grilled, but not raw, langoustines. I only bothered trying to order it based on LondonEaters guidance that if you want something at L’Arpege you need just ask and they might be able to make it happen. Sublimely sweet langoustines pounded thin, topped with delicate caviar laced cream to add some fattiness, and finished off with world-class leafy greens from the garden. I paid dearly for this dish, an eye-watering €135 (almost the same as the entire cost of the gardener's lunch tasting menu €175) for a half a la carte portion and I am glad I did. This was the best thing I ate in 2021 and the exact type of transcendent dish you are seeking when visiting Michelin restaurants.