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The year of 2023 brought us a delectable array of delicious bites, as per usual. Since we focus so much on food when we travel, the list of memorable meals we eat seems to grow larger and larger each year! In 2023, our travels took us around California, up to Washington State, across the ocean to Maui, and all the way over to Ireland where we found something special to savor in each destination.
This year, I also started my A to Z World Cuisines Challenge where we’re trying a cuisine from each letter of the alphabet in the Bay Area. It has really opened us up to new cuisines and taken us to some adventurous places, some of which are on this list!
Best Bites of 2023
Looking back at the year, I can see just how spoiled my taste buds really are. I’m grateful for this foodie life! Choosing my 10 best bites of 2023 was a tough task, but here they are. Enjoy!
1. French food at a Walnut Creek, CA bistro
I’ll start this list off with one of my favorite meals of the year, which was at La Sen Bistro in Walnut Creek, California. Visiting La Sen was a part of my quest to explore new cuisines with my A to Z challenge and I chose French cuisine for the letter “F.”
Given that one of my favorite meals of all time was at a bistro in Paris, France, it’s no surprise that La Sen tops my list.
I came to La Sen with a mission to try French onion soup for the very first time. How I went this many years of life without trying it escapes me! Each bite was pure bliss, and I scraped every bit of that melted Emmental cheese off the soup bowl. I have, in fact, been missing out!
The Boeuf Bourguignon also called to me. Can you get any more classic than this? The ultimate French comfort food has to be this dish with tender chunks of braised short rib swimming in a rich red wine jus with hearty vegetables.
I dream of going back just to eat this and have requested my husband recreate Julia Child’s famous recipe at home someday.
2. Seafood in Howth, Ireland
Next up is a seafood lunch from a small spot in Howth, Ireland called Baily Bites at Kish. This meal almost didn’t happen due to issues with public transportation to get out to Howth from Dublin that day. We decided to just bite the bullet and pay an exorbitant amount of money to take a taxi and we have no regrets because it was one of the best meals of our trip to Ireland!
Here, we tried two different variations of fish & chips – one with hake and the other with smoked haddock. Let me tell you, that smoked haddock was on a whole new level of fish & chips for us! The batter was light and airy and well-seasoned and the flavor and texture of the fish was perfection.
We also threw down some fresh oysters and enjoyed the best seafood chowder from our trip to Ireland, served piping hot in a bread bowl. Everything was amazing, but the seafood chowder was my absolute favorite, not to mention insanely comforting on a cold, windy and rainy Irish day.
3. Fried chicken & lobster noodles on Maui
In the summer, I finally got to take my husband to Lineage on Maui when we were back on the island for our friends’ wedding. It was the last dinner of the trip and rather spontaneous, so I’m glad we were able to fit it in!
The menu here changes regularly, but one thing you can always expect to see is their Korean Fried Chicken. You can get this dish prepared two ways – slathered in gochujang sauce or our chosen preparation, served with a garlic finadene dipping sauce. We dunked (I mean submerged) each bite of chicken into this incredibly flavorful sauce. It was magical.
We were so stuffed from the whole meal that we took some of the chicken back to our condo to enjoy later and ended up eating it cold for breakfast the next day. I was shocked that the chicken was still crispy after sitting in the fridge all night!
But let’s not forget about the Cantonese Lobster Noodles, which had to be one of the tastiest dishes we had all year. It’s hard to go wrong with garlic noodles, but these were elevated with bold flavors of ginger and XO butter. The Maine lobster was a nice touch too.
There is no way you can visit Lineage and skip on ordering this! I hope it stays on the menu as a permanent item.
4. Georgian food in Palo Alto, CA
Georgian food was the cuisine that sparked my A to Z challenge this year, so I was very excited when it came time for “G!” For our Georgian food adventure, we visited a small restaurant in Palo Alto, CA called Bevri for lunch and sampled several things off their menu.
The star of the show at Bevri was definitely the khachapuri – a cheesy bread served with an egg yolk and butter. You mix everything up in the middle of the bread with the melted cheese and then pull off pieces of bread, dipping it in that amazing egg yolk and butter combo.
I also really enjoyed the pkhali sampler, which included a variety of walnut pastes flavored with spinach, beets, garlic and eggplant, and the chicken mtsvadi which was very a moist chicken dish served with a salsa-verde like dipping sauce.
5. A fancy night at Spago Maui
Another visit to Maui and another night being spoiled at Spago! Since my brother works for Spago, it’s a no-brainer to get in for a dinner here. It’s always overindulgent but I think it’s okay to spoil yourselves every once in awhile.
I don’t even remember how many courses we had (10+), but there were some standout dishes for us like the gnocchi topped with black truffles and the seared toro. Surprisingly, I also really loved the pina colada – a drink I don’t normally enjoy!
If you ever want to feel like a spoiled foodie, book a dinner here.
6. Italian food at a Lodi, CA trattoria
Some of the best Italian food that we’ve had outside of Italy is at a trattoria in Lodi wine country called Pietro’s. This restaurant is always bustling and for good reason! They serve the most delicious and hearty Italian dishes here.
We ate here twice in 2023 and everything we had was so good, including their porchetta with polenta, Amatriciana pasta, Bolognese pasta, lasagna, and of course one of my favorite desserts ever – the butterscotch budino. Even after I am full from all the heavy hearty food, there is always room for a butterscotch budino!
7. Crème Brulee French Toast in Apple Hill
The crème brulee French toast from Drew Bean Farms in Apple Hill goes down as one of the best things we’ve eaten on our annual visits up to this fun fall destination.
I have to admit, I was skeptical when my husband ordered it since it looked like bread pudding (which we aren’t normally fans of). I was so wrong in the best way!
They warmed up the French toast for us before serving and it was so damn good! The edges of the bread were caramelized and the little bits of nuts added extra texture.
I almost wanted to order another for takeaway. In reality, I should have just ordered a tray for Thanksgiving (because yes, you can totally do that). I am so looking forward to coming back here next year!
8. Duck Wings & Cheeseburger Dumplings in Dublin
Even though we were traveling in Ireland – the land of hearty stews, I wanted to try something a little more unique on one of our nights there. We decided on Big Fan, which was a highly-rated and Michelin Guide-recommended Chinese spot in the heart of Dublin.
One of standouts for me were their wagyu cheeseburger jaozi dumplings. As a cheeseburger fan, I felt these were a unique take on the classic American dish.
I was also amazed at how much I enjoyed the duck wings – something I’ve never eaten before. With hints of Chinese five spice, these wings were so rich and crispy.
Big Fan – I’m a big fan!
9. Chicken & waffle sliders in Yakima, WA
Chicken and waffles is a pretty common dish these days but the chicken and waffle sliders at The Distillarium in Yakima, Washington were unreal. Why? Because they use liege waffles!
Liege waffles are a Belgian-style waffle made with pearl sugar that holds its shape during cooking. Not only does the pearl sugar provide a sweet element, it also gives the waffles a little bit of crunch. Coupled with the savory fried chicken and bacon, I was in shock at how much I really enjoyed these!
10. Cheeseburgers in Fairfield, CA
Last but not least, I have to give a shout out to my favorite cheeseburger in all the lands at Rustwater Kitchen in Fairfield, California. I discovered this taproom in my exploration of the Suisun Valley wine country and we cannot stop coming here every time we are in the area doing our wine pickup.
It is an addiction. Seriously, we ate here three times this year and did not try any new restaurants in Suisun Valley.
Rustwater’s cheeseburger is one of the best I’ve ever had – and they are affordable too! They also have delicious fancy fries and their beer selection is one of the best I’ve seen in the Bay Area.
I’d be in here weekly if we lived closer!
And there you have it – 10 of my best bites of 2023! What meal sounds the most enticing to you? Drop me a comment and let me know what you’d eat off this list!
I can’t wait to see what delicious eats 2024 has in store for us. Happy eating!
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