THE FIVE BEST THINGS I HAVE EATEN IN THE PAST YEAR

It’s no easy task to reduce a year of great dishes down to the FIVE BEST. I went back through each post and mentally re-tasted each yummy morsel. There were several that stood out but most of the top five were ones I have often thought about during the year.  Interestingly, the final list is composed of one soup, two appetizers and two entrees. There were certainly other items that I hated to leave off the list but five seemed to make more sense than doing ten.

Here then, in no particular order, are the TOP FIVE BEST THINGS I HAVE EATEN IN THE PAST YEAR:

The CRAB CHOWDER at The FAYETTE STREET GRILLE.  There is nothing quite as tasty as a well done crab or lobster chowder and the one offered at the Conshohocken eatery is absolutely first class. Generous portions of crab interspersed with potato and veggies and tantalizing spices made this one an easy choice for the list. Hopefully, a return visit for more of this scrumptious soup is not too far away.

The LOBSTER RISOTTO at TISHA’S FINE DINING in Cape May, NJ. This appetizer was so good that the picture on the left is NOT that of the dish I had. I got so caught up in the taste-tempting creation that I neglected to take a photo of it. This is just a “losbster risotto” pic from the internet. For the real thing, you have to head down the shore….but not yet. Tisha’s has moved from their “on the beach” location to the Washington Street Mall and their much anticipated re-opening is scheduled for July 14th.

The LOBSTER MAC n CHEESE at RITZ SEAFOOD in Vorhees, NJ and the LOBSTER MAC n CHEESE at the BLACK LAB in Phoenixville. It may just be that it’s hard to NOT make a great lobster mac n cheese. But both of these restaurants do a fantastic job of creating an appetizer that you wish was your entree. They were both delicious and both worthy of a spot on my Top Five.

The CHICKEN INDORATI at LoBIANCO’S in Collingswood, NJ. This place is one of our favorites as it is consistently good. This dish with the truffled potatoes, baby spinach and glazed fontina atop the perfectly done and full of flavor chicken breast was a perfect example of why our friends thoroughly enjoy this star of the Collingswood culinary scene.

As I mentioned in my review, the dish pictured here may not totally stir your taste buds but it’s truly a case of looks being deceiving. The HOMEMADE POTATO GNOCCHI with CRABMEAT which is one of the signature dishes of Chef Alex Capasso, who presides over the kitchen at BLACKBIRD RESTAURANT, one of the shining stars on the Collingswood, NJ dining scene. The dish is just perfect. Light, great flavors, perfectly seasoned and available as both an appetizer and an entree. You can also chop six dollars off the price by skipping the crabmeat but you do NOT wanna do that.

There they are, the FIVE BEST, my apologies to a few others that came so close. I’m looking forward to another year of great food and great wines.