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Ten Most Pleasure-Inducing Dishes of 2007: What Are Yours?

Posted by Ed Levine, December 27, 2007 at 6:54 AM

I've had a lot of great food this year, so trying to pick my top ten dishes is an excruciatingly difficult task. It requires me to dig deep into my taste memory trying to conjure up every deliciousness-inducing experience of the last year. So here goes. I'm sure I've forgotten more than one, so please forgive me if I neglect to mention some dish I have rhapsodized about.

The prosciutto tart at the Spotted Pig: I could have gone with the gnudi, the Cuban Sandwich, or the haddock chowder here, but the prosciutto tart, which has only been on the menu for a few months, is a rectangle of buttery, porky, flaky deliciousness. It even has some greens on it.

The Serrano Ham Sandwich at El Quinto Pino: It's not just a ham sandwich, it's the essence of ham. A couple of slices of Serrano Ham, melted Serrano drippings, and a little crusty hero roll. Sandwich perfection.

The 35 Day Bone-In Kansas City Strip Steak at Prime House: I've had a lot of great steaks in my life, but none better than this minerally, just-aged-enough, ultra-beefy slice of carnivore delight.

The short ribs at Hill Country. Perfectly marbled, just smoky enough, and as just about as rich as foie gras, these short ribs shouldn't just be special. They should be on the regular menu.

The short ribs at Daisy May's: Unlike the short ribs at Hill Country, these babies are on the bone. Charred on the outside, juicy on the inside, these short ribs taste like the essence of barbecue.

The fried chicken at Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar and Grill: New York is not a great fried chicken town, but the Bromberg brothers fry chicken with a greaseless, ultra-crunchy, perfectly seasoned crust and juicy, perfectly cooked meat inside.

The onion rings at the Bread Bar at Tabla: Floyd Cardoz's onion rings are so good they should figure out a way to serve them at the neighboring Shake Shack. They're only served at dinner in the Bread Bar.

Grilled cheese, apple, and bacon sandwich at Artisanal. Combine great bacon, serious cheddar, a Granny Smith apple, and excellent bread, and what you get is an unforgettable combination of melted gooey pleasure and smoky, porcine delight. And though they are absurdly expensive, have the gougeres at Artisanal as well.

Al Fileto pizza at Una Pizza Napoletana: UPN's owner and sole pie man Anthony Mangieri's brand new oven, the best imported bufala mozzarella he can find in this country, a little Sicilian sea salt, sliced cherry tomatoes, fabulous extra-virgin olive oil, and a cloud-light crust with just enough crisp chewiness combine for pure pizza-eating pleasure.

Fried Flounder at Esca: Yes, I wrote a book with Esca chef-partner Dave Pasternack, but one bite of the local flounder he serves at his restaurant will alleviate any doubts you might have about any conflict of interest or shilling possibilities associated with this choice. If my mom's fried flounder was this good, I wouldn't have had to douse it with tartar sauce.

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