The Best Things We Ate in 2013
Veni, vidi, edi: We came, we saw, we ate. And ate, and ate, and ate. In 2013, as every year, the Bon Appétit staff chewed and tasted our way around the nation—nay, the world! We were like gustatory conquistadors, devouring all that stood in the way of . . . more things to devour. And now, at the end of a long, fruitful, and stuffed year, we're proud to report on the best things we ate, from farm-fresh Maine blueberries to rye bread to grilled octopus. It's the most mouth-watering trip down memory lane we've ever had the privilege of taking. Happy New Year, and happy eating!
1/17"I keep coming back to the smoked eel and scrambled egg smørrebrød (open-face sandwich) I had at lunch the legendary Restaurant Schønnemann in Copenhagen. The dish is simple enough: hearty bread, soft scrambled eggs, smoked eel, and a shower of finely cut chives. This was a trip where I'd eaten at some of the the best restaurants in the world (and had some mind-bogglingly good dishes as well), but there's just something about this straightforward, classic, Scandinavian creation that I love. Smoky, hearty, rich, and creamy all at once. The several shots of aquavit and a few pints of beer doesn't hurt either." —Andrew Knowlton, restaurant and drinks editor
2/17"Flatbread and all the dips from Glasserie." —Dawn Perry, senior food editor ____(Photo: Krista Garcia/Goodiesfirst.com)
3/17"Anytime I'm drunk in Chinatown and get dumplings. Each and every one of those instances became the best thing I ate all year, only to be surpassed by the next time I did it. And so on: the next time will probably be tonight." —Timothy McSweeney, designer
4/17"An octopus tostada and shrimp tacos from the Mariscos el Pescador taco truck in the Toys 'R' Us parking lot in Chula Vista, California. They made me never want to attempt to eat seafood or Mexican on the East Coast again." —Randy Hartwell, research (Photo: The Eaten Path)
5/17"We called in a bunch of American caviar for the September issue, and at the end of the week I made off with a few tins of the leftovers and drove to visit some friends in Western Massachusetts. I hit crazy traffic, and didn't get to their house until 2 a.m., but when I finally made it we feasted: huge dollops of salmon and paddlefish roe on Lay's potato chips with cold cans of Pabst. Magic." —Amel Stanek, assistant to the editor in chief
6/17"They do a really fun tasting menu at Mr. Pollo in San Francisco, but the extra optional chicken arepa I had to order was outstanding. It was crackly but soft, not greasy at all (can you believe it?), and expertly stuffed; I'm still thinking about it months later." —Joanna Sciarrino, assistant editor (Photo: Gary Soup/Flickr)
7/17"Soup dumplings at Joe's Shanghai in Chinatown." —Ali Bahrampour, copy chief (Photo: Yogma/Flickr)
8/17"Maine blueberries I bought from a guy selling them out of his pickup truck." —Alison Roman, senior associate food editor
9/17"In March, I spent a week in San Francisco, gorging on pastries, and came back with a loaf of Bar Tartine's sprouted Danish rye bread in my suitcase. Not only was it was the most transporting, satisfying, unusual, and delicious thing I ate all year, but it lasted for days, seeming to improve as time went on. As soon as my pre-ordered copy of Tartine Book No. 3 finally shows up, I might even try to make it myself." —�Carla Lalli Music, food and features editor (Photo: Tartine Bread)
10/17"The core of my diet is made up of bagels, doughnuts, and Italian subs. And the single best Italian sub I've had in my life was the legendary Godmother sandwich, which I consumed last weekend at Bay Cities Italian Deli in Santa Monica, California. The thinly sliced meats, provolone, and hot peppers are similar to those you'll find at any good Italian deli, but the fresh, crackly bread puts it on another plane entirely." —Julia Kramer, associate editor (Photo: Ron Dollette/Flickr)
11/17"The cronut! No, just kidding. For real, it's the Georgian khachapuri at Oda House in the East Village. It's just the right amount of wrong: melty, gooey, salty feta and mozzerella and a poached egg, fork-tossed tableside in a crunchy bread boat." —Ashlea Halpern, special projects editor
12/17"My once-a-year serving of oyster stew, made right in front of me at the Wellfleet OysterFest. Yum." —Christine Penberthy, research director
13/17"To call it the single tastiest thing I ate wouldn't be accurate, and would certainly be arrogant, since I made it myself. But the dish I enjoyed most this year was Duck Confit with Pickled Raisins, a recipe from our October issue care of Dawn Perry and Carla Lalli Music that I served at a big dinner party. The recipe was easy to make, the results were outstanding (the meat was so tender!), and I ate it over many glasses of wine with some of my closest friends." —Meryl Rothstein, senior associate editor
14/17"The pork cooked in milk that Mona Talbott made for BA's Alice Waters dinner." —Christine Muhlke, Executive Editor
15/17"Hiya-Atsu at Koya. Maybe the best udon I've ever had. Better than anything outside of Japan and as good as any I've ever had in Japan. So simple. Perfect." —Alex Grossman, creative director
16/17"Thanksgiving weekend. Pillowy, butter-glazed Parker House rolls, baked by my sister's best friend, Lucy Pope (top-secret recipe courtesy of her late mother-in-law Mercedes Palmer)." —Adam Rapaport, editor in chief
17/17"It's incredibly simple, but the best thing I ate this year was grilled octopus at Taverna Kyclades in Astoria, Queens. The tentacles are tender at the thickest part and crunchy at the thinnest, and dressed in fruity olive oil, red wine vinegar, and coins of sliced cucumber. Best washed down with the restaurant's 'house' white wine, of course." —Danielle Walsh, assistant web editor
