Critics’ Picks: The Year’s Top 40 Dishes

Even after hundreds of meals, miles of crisscrossing the region, and too many calories to count, there are some dishes we can’t stop thinking about.

By Todd Kliman ,    Ann Limpert ,    Kate Nerenberg ,    Rina Rapuano    Published Monday, January 24, 2011 

Our annual 100 Very Best Restaurants issue just hit newsstands last week, and it’s the culmination of a year’s worth of eating. Even after hundreds of meals, miles of crisscrossing the region, and too many calories to count, there are some dishes we can’t stop thinking about. Because we ranked the area’s 40 top restaurants, we’ve chosen to highlight 40 plates (plus a few extra desserts); they’re listed in alphabetical order according to the restaurant.

1. Chanterelle mushrooms and summer corn at Bar Pilar.
2. Buffalo-milk ricotta with rose honey and almonds at Bibiana.
3. Veal sweetbreads with celery-root mousseline and diced veal tongue at Bistro Bis.
4. Spinach-and-olive tian at Bistro Provence.
5. Seared Nantucket Bay scallops with root vegetables and date purée at Blue Duck Tavern.
6. Prime-steak burger with cheddar at Bourbon Steak.
7. Shrimp and roast-beef po’boys at the Cajun Experience.
8. Corned-beef sandwich at Central.
9. Fried chicken with curried lentils at Circle Bistro.
10. Peekytoe-crab tart at Citronelle.
11. Sturgeon risotto with apples and cured trout roe at CityZen.

12. Red-snapper bisque at Corduroy.
13. Plancha-grilled squid at Estadio.
14. Sul leung tang, a milky beef soup, at Gamasot.
15. Seafood chowder at Hell Point Seafood.
16. Lamb carpaccio with Caesar-salad ice cream at Inn at Little Washington.
17. Gazpacho at Jaleo.
18. King-salmon belly with shiso sorbet and candied pine nuts at Komi.
19. Fresh sea urchin, served in its shell, at Kushi.
20. Ceviche at La Canela.
21. House-made pheasant sausage at Mannequin Pis.
22. Chicken tikka masala at Masala Art.
23. Bun cha at Minh’s.

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