Here are the 12 most impressive meals I ate in 2008, regardless of cuisine or price level, excluding Los Angeles. The entries appear by date of consumption.

1. American Flatbread – Los Alamos, CA – February 16, 2008

Sunday through Thursday, Clark Staub and his dedicated team utilize American Flatbread as a wholesale bakery, shipping frozen flatbreads to premium grocery stores nationwide. Friday and Saturday nights, as a way to connect with the public, the bakery becomes a restaurant, showcasing flatbreads, salads and desserts made using market-driven ingredients that are always credited to local farmers.

A balanced salad incorporated baby-lettuce, chicories, treviso, celery-like cardoon roots and crumbled egg, all dressed with walnut oil. Sweet Kumamoto and DeBob oysters from Oregon were plated with endive, coarse slices of organic beef sausage and Sotto Aceti – tangy house-pickled olives, beets and carrots.

Clark Staub crafted his impressive oven from local clay and stone. He burns red and white oak to produce flatbreads with supple, blistered crusts. We reveled in the version with “wood-fired cauldron tomato sauce,” caramelized onions, Arroyo Grande mushrooms, fresh herbs and a blend of whole milk mozzarella, Three Sisters Farmstead ‘Serena” and organic Grana Padano. A sauce-less flatbread sported intense smoke-dried tomatoes, onions, Arroyo Grande mushrooms, cheese and crumbled Cayucos pork sausage seasoned with fennel, red pepper and blue agave.

For dessert, the moist Los Alamos Olive Oil Cake was surrounded by sections of “winter citrus,” including blood orange, Valencia oranges and tangelos.

2. De Lorenzo’s Tomato Pies – Trenton, NJ – June 6, 2008

It was a tough decision. Should my cousins and I eat at the original De Lorenzo’s Tomato Pies in Trenton, or try the new branch in Robbinsville? My cousins seemed to think the original had more character, but the new De Lorenzo’s had Sam Amico, the founding family’s pre-eminent pizzaiolo. We finally decided on an equitable plan: eat pizza back-to-back at each branch and compare the two. The Trenton original was significantly more satisfying.

Sam Amico’s grandfather Chick De Lorenzo started De Lorenzo’s Tomato Pies with his brothers in the ‘30s. The current location dates to 1947. Chick’s descendant Eileen Amico was happy to discuss her family’s tomato pies. The cheese goes down first, with tomato sauce on top and less cheese than normal. Eileen uses fresh crushed California tomatoes, because they’re consistent. The dough’s made fresh daily. Nothing’s ever frozen.

Our large half-sausage, half-plain pie was incredible, with scintillating sauce and a thin, crisp crust. The chunks of sausage were luscious, but the pizza didn’t need any help from the meat.

3. Una Pizza Napoletana – New York, NY – June 7, 2008

Anthony Mangieri is a traditionalist, baking “100% Handmade Neapolitan pizza”
in a wood-fired brick oven, with a dome imported from Italy. He allows no substitutions or alterations, and don’t even think about asking for condiments. There aren’t any. Mangieri gets flack for charging $21 per pizza, but it’s the best pizza in New York City at this point, and for such a high quality Manhattan dinner, the price is reasonable.

We ordered all four pizzas. My favorite variety, by a hair, was the Filetti, featuring explosively flavored cherry tomatoes, mozzarella di bufala, fresh garlic, extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil and sea salt. On every pie, the blistered crust was startlingly good, nice and pliable, with a slightly sour tang. On the Bianca, Mangieri scatters little cubes of mozzarella before sliding the pizza into the oven, where they melt evenly. The combination of mozzarella di bufala, extra virgin olive oil, fresh garlic, fresh basil and sea salt was incredible. Marinara
combined San Marzano tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, oregano, fresh garlic, fresh basil, sea salt. With tomatoes so vibrant, and crust this special, the cheese wasn’t entirely missed. However, cheese certainly added another dimension to the Margherita, which hosted a sauce made from San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella di bufala, extra-virgin olive oil, fresh basil and sea salt.

4. Egg – Brooklyn, NY – June 8, 2008

North Carolina native George Weld partnered with Steve Tanner on this unassuming Williamsburg. Even without visible signage, the duo’s eatery has become a Williamsburg favorite due to its beyond-reasonable Southern-tinged menu. Thanks to this meal, Egg may be my all-time favorite breakfast spot.

Our waitress presented a complimentary coffee cup of airy beignets that weren’t too sweet, since there was only a smattering of sugar granules. For Weld’s killer Country Ham Biscuit, the ham comes from Colonel Bill Newsom’s Hams in Princeton, Kentucky, known to be about the best in the nation. The biscuit would be excellent solo, but with the salty slab of ham, sweet homemade fig jam and melted Grafton cheddar, it was insanely good. The breakfast sandwich came with a side of stellar Anson Mills grits, from South Carolina, plus two chile-flecked, char-grilled sausage patties that delivered some legitimate heat. Eggs Rothko was a compelling tribute to the contemporary artist, with an easy-cooked egg cradled in an airy, hollowed-out slice of Amy’s brioche, topped with more Grafton cheddar. We opted for a side of High Hope Farms scrapple, which had thin, crispy sheathes, a nice outer char and luscious interiors. Sugar-crusted, caramelized grapefruit was served with mint and helped to restore my faith in grapefruit. My only complaint: Egg is 2782 miles from my apartment.

5. Quan Hop – Westminster, CA – June 29, 2008

This stylish Vietnamese café debuted in 2006 courtesy of the Ton family, which also owns Quan Hy nearby. According to our waiter, the name means, “people from Hue who come to be happy and eat,” not that you have to be from Hue to enjoy matriarch Kim Toa Tran’s dishes.

Banh uot cuon thit bo nuong were especially luscious: grilled beef wrapped in steamed rice paper with scallions, served with sesame-studded soybean sauce. Bánh ít ram are glutinous “potstickers” stuffed with crumbled pork and shrimp, scallions and slivers of black tree ear mushroom. They appeared on crunchy fried rice cakes with sweet fried onions and scallions. Com ca sea bass hap gung showcased light but flavorful chunks of steamed sea bass submerged in a peppery broth with julienned ginger, okra, cherry tomatoes, red and green peppers and bitter greens. A terrific Iced Mint Tea incorporated fresh mint leaves, sliced oranges and plenty of sugar.

6. MARKET – Del Mar, CA – July 26, 2008

Carl Schroeder opened MARKET in 2006 after working for culinary superstars Bradley Ogden and Michael Mina in the Bay Area. In Del Mar, he utilizes some of Southern California’s best ingredients, including prized produce from nearby Chino Farm.

Fluffy jalapeno corn muffins, still hot from the oven, came with house-whipped butter. Crispy Duck Confit & Roasted Plums tasted good. Then again, why wouldn’t duck leg and thigh poached in its own fat, coated with spicy-sweet ginger-orange marmalade? Stupendous Pancetta Wrapped Bison New York Strip featured lean but luscious slices brushed with chipotle glaze and wrapped in crisp Italian bacon. The meat was plated on sweet cilantro-spiked corn kernels and topped with smoky string beans. An accompanying spiced bison sausage tamale layered moist masa and rutty crumbles of sausage patty. Perfectly cooked Bacon Wrapped Maine Dayboat Scallops were similarly spectacular, joined by piles of curried couscous and dime-sized cherry tomatoes of varying colors. Filling out the plate were cuts of eggplant, butter beans, sweet pepper relish and a golden tomato broth.

Pastry Chef James Foran’s Roasted Plum-Sour Cream Cake was a moist pound cake with a crisp streusel top and a central vein of cinnamon-apple streusel. He plated the dessert with roasted plums and a scoop of ginger ice cream plumed with candied ginger.

7. SPQR – San Francisco, CA – August 4, 2008

Nate Appleman is my kind of chef. He’s incredibly talented. In addition to SPQR, Appleman and Wine Director Shelley Lindgren also own A16, a rock-solid Marina district Italian restaurant. Most important, the heavily tattooed chef is supremely committed to pork products.

SPQR’s succulent, house-made pork patty was browned on the grill and ultra-juicy, plated with a sweet corn, green tomato and radish “salsa.” Heritage pork porterhouse was plated with frisee, hazelnuts and lemon. The pig was fed up to 2.5 pounds of plums per day, imparting a sweet flavor to the browned bone-in chop. Rigatoni Amatriciana was tossed with guanciale (cuts of pork jowl, similar to bacon), tomatoes, red onions, pecorino and chilies. The sauce was spicy due to the chilies, and the house-made pasta was perfectly cooked.

No surprise, Appleman doesn’t need pork to create flavor. Sometimes, he doesn’t even need meat. Chunks of Fried Cauliflower remained moist with help from olive oil, tossed with garlic chips, parsley, capers and lemon juice. Wild arugula salad contained slivers of sweet black Mission figs, peaches and red onion, croutons and whisps of ricotta salata. Fried Local sardines accompanied chunky mashed tondani beans (similar to white beans), cucumbers and pickled onions. A squeeze of lemon helped cut the sardines’ oceanic tang. Our first Antipasti Grande - Lamb cacciatore - was basically juicy chunks of browned lamb tossed with rosemary, garlic and white wine. Cannelloni of beef sausage, ricotta, kale and pecorino was akin to Italian enchiladas, only with pasta sheets instead of tortillas. The sauce was vivid, naturally sweet.

For dessert, Riso budino with apricots and pistachios was a terrific rice pudding, a little creamy, made with the precision of a fine risotto. There were crunchy chunks of crumbled pistachio biscotti, which added to the texture. Honey granita paired well with tart blackberries, candied fennel and tangy ricotta. Sadly, the candied fennel didn’t quite achieve “candied” status. Chocolate panna cotta with cocoa nibs and cherries was incredible, bittersweet chocolate pudding with explosively sweet cherries and tart cocoa nibs.

8. Marche Moderne – Costa Mesa, CA – October 4, 2008

Chef Florent Marneau and wife/pastry chef Amelia opened this contemporary French bistro on the third floor of ritzy South Coast Plaza in spring 2007, introducing a culinary oasis to a sea of outrageously expensive shops. The interior was like the Marneaus’ food, polished without being stuffy.

Good pizza is nearly impossible to come by in Southern California, but Florent Marneau’s wood-burning-oven tart was a highly satisfying substitute. The supple crust supported gobs of creamy burrata cheese, smoky sautéed escarole, slabs of caramelized braised bacon, sweet red onion jam and earthy truffle tapenade.

Marche Moderne’s Confit Pork Belly was one of the two best pork bellies ever (the other was at Palate). Florent’s version was crisp at the edges and meaty with very little fat. Chunks of braised peach and black Mission fig jam played off the richness of the meat. At the base, we found pools of anise-scented jus.

My Bouillabaisse could have easily fed two people. The ambrosia-like fish broth contained large portions of fresh seafood flown overnight from the Med, including John Dory, rouget (a crisp-skinned fish similar to red mullet), dorade grise, dorade rosé, calamaretti (miniscule calamari), mussels, clams, rouille (garlic paste), fingerling potatoes, fennel and leeks. The dish came with a few interesting accompaniments, including a pot of additional rouille, tapenade, roasted cherry tomatoes, lemon preserve and millimeters-thin toast. The entire dish was staggeringly good, but the highlights were the firm fillets of luscious fish, tender calamari and slabs of fennel. Millbrook venison “caramelizé au vin” was a surprisingly simple dish, celery root mousseline topped with seared slices of succulent burgundy-hued deer and plump chanterelle mushrooms.

For dessert, Amelia Marneau prepared a distinctive Rhubarb-Strawberry Crème Brulee Tart with an especially yolky crème brulee cap and a bracing scoop of peppermint-scented gelato.

9. Mesa – Costa Mesa, CA – October 23, 2008

For its first year of business, the owner of Mesa didn’t allow any signage or photography, preferring to let the concept speak for itself and for support to build organically. In the two weeks leading up to dinner, Mesa added a sign, listed their phone number and printed business cards. In this economy, there’s no reason to play hide-and-seek with your customer base, especially when a restaurant offers the total package of food, atmosphere and (at least on this night) service.

David Haskell, who closed BIN 8945 to start 2008, led us on an incredible food and wine journey, with each stage featuring two dishes and two glasses. Haskell is an exceptional sommelier, not only for his knowledge and enthusiasm, but also for his straightforward manner and ability to discover esoteric varietals from the Middle East and Eastern Europe.

Mesa opted to cook their mussels in a cast-iron skillet with sea salt, cracked pepper and butter. This led to some seriously supple and smoky shellfish. A silky slice of hamachi came on aioli-slathered crispy rice, topped with Chinese green garlic, a sliver of red jalapeno and wasabi-infused tobiko. To combat the pungent truffle oil in the chanterelle crostini, Haskell paired a glass of Chateau Musar, an “effervescent” northern Lebanese wine made from Marue and Obiedah grapes.

Bacon-wrapped dates have becoming increasingly en vogue ever since A.O.C. filled theirs with Parmesan. Mesa takes the concept to another level, stuffing their roasted dates with braised oxtail. The rich packets were plated with parsnip puree and pickled grapes. Haskell needed a bold wine to compete with the flavors of the dates. He pulled out a bottle of Bibich, the Croatian equivalent to Sangiovese.

Since the cast iron skillet worked so well with the mussels, Mesa used it again with their meatballs. The pepper-studded meat caramelized on the pan and was doused in zesty tomato sauce strewn with garlic and sea salt. Tenderloin is normally the least flavorful cut of beef, since it’s so lean, but Mesa was able to muster plenty of flavor from their char-grilled slab, which was strewn with sea salt and plated with Roquefort fondue, rows of Tuscan black kale and sweet cipollini onions.

10. Sea Rocket Bistro – San Diego, CA – November 1, 2008

Dennis Stein and Elena Rivellino opened their ultra-local ocean-centric bistro in red-hot North Park on June 1, naming Sea Rocket for a variety of wild arugula that grows on San Diego beaches. The duo quickly developed the kind of unpretentious, seasonal seafood restaurant that for some reason doesn’t exist in Los Angeles.

On our visit, Chef Christy Samoy prepared an outstanding Pan-Seared San Diego Opah, with a terrific char and juicy flesh that was similar to swordfish, but sweeter. The plate also held L-shaped streaks of chimichurri and “a medley of seasonal vegetables,” a luscious mix of onions, zucchini, peppers and carrots. Stein was nice enough to let us replace mashed Yukon Gold potatoes with lima bean salad drizzled with tangy lemon-infused Temecula avocado oil.

Sea Rocket Bistro offers the option to top any dish with a trio of grilled San Diego sardines. Our “bait” was excellent, not nearly as pungent as the second-rate canned variety. The skin had a nice sear, so it was a little crispy. They came on skewers, and you know that food always tastes better when it’s on a stick.

Carlsbad Steamers amounted to a pound of sweet clams and mussels from Carlsbad Aqua Farm, sautéed in an herb-flecked white wine broth and served with ciabatta crostini from nearby Cardamom Café. The clams were clearly the superior shellfish, small but sweet.

For our “sweet ending,” Honey Beer Cake turned out to be a dense vanilla pound cake layered with cream cheese and sweetened with avocado honey. Chef Samoy normally makes the cake with wheat beer, but since it wasn’t on draft, she used Ballast Point Pale Ale. Very good.

11. High Cotton – Charleston, SC – December 27, 2008

It took over eight years to have dinner at High Cotton, a downtown Charleston standby that delivered one of the only meals to elicit a rave review from my father in the past five years. The duck purloo that he loved so much wasn’t on the menu, but just about every other dish that Executive Chef Anthony Gray and his crew produced was excellent, especially the Pan Fried Rabbit Livers. The rich but terrific starter featured crisp-crusted chunks of tender organ meat on white corn grits, dressed with a rich mess of smoked bacon, sweet pepper relish, roasted garlic and Marsala jus. Prosciutto Wrapped Rabbit Loin featured juicy white meat medallions, smoky Hoppin’ John risotto studded with braised greens and a healthy drizzle of Carolina mustard BBQ sauce.

To drink, The Charleston Cocktail mixed local Firefly sweet tea vodka, Madeira, lemonade and mint infused syrup. The drink was like a supercharged Arnold Palmer with some of the best qualities of a Mint Julep.

The Milk Chocolate Pot de Crème was a satisfying special, ultra creamy, topped with chocolate whipped cream, a question-mark-shaped peanut butter tuile cookie and crunchy chocolate dots.

12. Trattoria Lucca – Charleston, SC – December 30, 2008

Talented Italian chef Ken Vedrinski is no longer involved with Sienna, and Daniel Island’s loss is Charleston’s gain. For the past three months, he’s owned Trattoria Lucca on a residential stretch of Charleston and his plan for the city is just beginning. In late 2009, Vedrinski plans to open a refined Italian seafood restaurant in the nearby Cigar Factory building. In the meantime, Vedrinkski already has one of the best restaurants in Charleston, Italian or otherwise.

To start, we chose an overflowing platter of Verdure, Formaggi and Salumi, including supple Grilled Artichokes seasoned with Lemon Agrumato (citrus oil), Sicilian Sea Salt and finely shaved cheese, silky Prosciutto di Parma/Grand Riserva, air cured for 36 months, and Coppa, boldly flavored with garlic and red wine. The Verdure that didn’t fit on the platter turned out to be the most impressive. A roasted Portabella cap was loaded with roasted oyster and trumpet mushrooms, plus sweet Saba (grape reduction) and salty (in a good way) Gorgonzola.

My father took one bite of the feathery Sheep’s Milk Ricotta Gnudi with house-made Italian duck sausage and Grandma Volpe Tomato Ragu, and immediately ordered a second plate. The fresh “pasta” was definitely impressive, with a rich sauce, basil and a thin sheathe of melted Caciocavallo cheese (similar to mozzarella). Strozzapreti, known as “priest stranglers” in Italy due to Umbrian clergymen’s inability to stop eating them, were strewn with a creamy sauce involving minced arugula, preserved tomato and Scamorza Fumata (a smoked relative of mozzarella).

Crispy Ashley Farm Chicken “Mattone” was a ridiculously moist, herbaceous half-chicken plated with Dried Figs, cuts of Cipollini Onion, and Olive Oil Roasted Root Vegetables, including carrot and parsnip spears and a bed of mashed turnips. It’s hard to tell from the photos, since they aren’t to scale, but the portions were definitely hearty. The chicken came in a dish that was over a foot across. Pesci Locali della Preparazione dei Cuochi, the local fish of the day, involved luscious triggerfish fillets in a light tomato broth, a bed of olive oil potato puree and a bath of tangy marinara made with tomato, garlic, capers and olives.

Dolce was highlighted by a warm polenta cake dabbed with Mascarpone, plated with sweet strawberries heightened with Chianti.

Related Posts

1. 2008 Top 15 Meals in Los Angeles
2. 2008 Top 12 Dishes Outside Los Angeles
3. Una Pizza Napoletana – New York, NY – Saturday, June 7, 2008 [CLOSED]
4. Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana (a.k.a. Pepe’s) – New Haven, CT – Sunday, August 31, 2008
5. Il Grano (Sagra Del Pomodoro) – Los Angeles, CA – September 10, 2008

This entry is filed under Special Features.