This post may contain affiliate links wherein I earn a small commission if you purchase or subscribe to a product from one of my links (at no extra cost to you!). Read my full Privacy Policy here.
Well, I certainly ate good in 2024!
While this year kept my travels limited to the United States, my A to Z world cuisines challenge I started last year took my appetite on a world tour, completing the letters J through S. I also got to return home to Hawaii, stopping first on Maui to eat all my favorite foods (plus a few new spots) and then onto Kauai.
My 2024 travels also took me up to Portland, Oregon for a travel conference, wherein I proceeded to squeeze in as many new restaurants and food carts as my stomach would allow, and even went on a food tour! And there’s much more to recap from my travels throughout California.
And in great foodie fashion, I also followed in the footsteps of Anthony Bourdain and Phil Rosenthal, visiting a handful of restaurants they covered on their food travel shows. A girl can only dream about eating being her full-time job one day! For now, I live out my foodie fantasies by hitting up the same spots they did.
Best Bites & Foodie Highlights of 2024
In no particular order, here’s a detailed recap of what I thought my best bites and foodie highlights were from 2024!
Italian at Il Cortile in Paso Robles, CA
I’m not usually big on Italian food in the U.S., but as of late, we’ve been finding some great spots! I even wrote about another local-ish Italian restaurant in my 2023 best bites recap.
But let’s talk about Il Cortile – a small, cozy Italian restaurant located in Paso Robles wine country that we visited for my friend’s 40th birthday trip. I could not have asked for a more perfect meal!
Every component of our dinner was fabulous at Il Cortile, but there were three standout dishes that earned the highest marks from me:
Chilean Sea Bass
This delicate seabass, a special of the night, was served lightly pan-fried with a savory cream sauce and some crunchy veg. It’s rare for us to see Chilean seabass on a menu, so we always order it when we do. It’s a favorite! I ate slowly, appreciating the perfect cook and flavors of this fabulous dish.
Pork Ossobuco
Ossobuco is a stick-to-your-ribs kind of dish. This meaty wonder was served in a pool of rich gravy with a side of creamy rosemary-infused risotto. I love a good fall-off-the-bone moment when it comes to meat, and this was one of those “tender” moments.
Panna Cotta
Ever since our first trip to Italy, panna cotta has been one of my top three desserts of all time. Restaurants don’t always get it right though (I’ve tried many a panna cotta). Consistency is key, and on my first bite, it was evident this was it. I legit had a tear in my eye because I was so happy to experience this perfection! Be still my heart.
Tinono & Beef Tomato at Break + Feast Kauai
Dinner at Break + Feast was hands down our favorite meal from our Kauai trip and it was a last-minute decision that even led us here! Fate? Destiny? Certainly…
pork belly tinono
Up first, Pork Belly Tinono – a Filipino dish that I had never actually eaten despite growing up in Hawaii, which has a large Filipino population! This dish featured crispy fried pork belly, onions, and tomatoes pulled together with a tangy chili vinaigrette.
Mind blown. I scarfed this down so fast! What a perfect balance of texture between the crispy pork belly and tomatoes and onions. And that sauce – drool. If there was ever a dish to use the buzzword “umami” for, this is it.
Short rib beef tomato
The second highlight here: Short Rib Beef Tomato, a unique take on a classic Hawaiian-Chinese dish that surprised my taste buds in the best of ways. This dish had a generous portion of short rib stacked on top of a whole-roasted tomato, served with a savory jus and steamed rice for mopping up the sauce. The acid from the tomato helped cut through the richness of the short rib and each bite packed a punch of flavor.
My husband, not a huge lover of tomatoes, was pretty impressed that they could turn a whole roasted tomato into a perfect companion to the short rib. This was such a creative take on this comfort food!
Korean Food at Daon in Danville, CA
In my A to Z world cuisines challenge, I knew from the get-go that Korean cuisine would be my choice for the letter K. It’s not a cuisine I eat often since we don’t have a good spot in our immediate area, but I’m always down to travel for the flavors of Korea.
At Daon in Danville, California, we tried a variety of dishes, but my favorites were the Bibimbap (which we got with pork) and the kimchi soup.
Bibimbap
Our Bibimbap bowl came out sizzling, stuffed full of rice, fresh vegetables, delicious pork, and an egg. If you’ve never had this dish before, the intent is to mix all of these ingredients together as they come out hot, making sure you get a little bit of everything in each bite.
I love any kind of rice bowls, but the pork in the Bibimbap was so damn good, it made the dish shine.
kimchi soup
The kimchi soup was a dish that surprised me most. I like a good soup and I love me some kimchi, but kimchi soup is not a concept that ever crossed my mind. This soup is something you’ll definitely want to have on a cold wintery day to warm you up or when you’re fighting off a cold! Spicy broth coating your throat does a body good.
Pelmeni at Babushka in Walnut Creek, CA
Give me a dumpling and I’m a happy girl!
Typically, when I think of dumplings, my mind wanders over to Asian cuisine. However, there are so many other cultures with versions of dumplings that can’t be skipped.
In completing another letter for my A to Z challenge, we went out to Babushka in Walnut Creek, CA – a little deli and market serving Russian and Eastern European delicacies. I had been here before but not for several years, so I went in with the mindset of trying new dishes that we didn’t get on our last visit.
The one dish that I couldn’t get enough of was the beef and pork pelmeni, served in a garlic broth and topped with cream. These bite-sized dumplings were so comforting and full of flavor, both from the dumpling itself and the garlic broth that they were bathing in. I have been craving a bowl of these pelmeni ever since!
Following in Anthony Bourdain’s Footsteps
Diehard foodies you meet are likely going to be fans of Anthony Bourdain (hi, hello…it’s me) – a great chef with a no-nonsense personality who traversed continents showcasing amazing food from all over the world. Who wouldn’t want to follow in his footsteps and do the same?
In 2024, I got to cross two spots he visited off the list!
apizza scholls
Apizza Scholls, located in Portland, Oregon, is a beloved pizza joint with delicious pies. This was an organized group meetup by Valerie at Eat Like Bourdain that I went to during my time at Travelcon! It was cool to hang out with other food lovers and eat fabulous pizza too.
puka dog
Puka Dog is a small, Hawaiian-style hot dog shop on the island of Kauai. This was a spot I thought might be a little overhyped, but Tony liked it and turns out, I did too.
Puka dogs are polish dogs stuffed into a hollowed out bun filled with your choice of creamy garlic sauce (we went with the spicy lava), relish (pineapple was our pick), and a special lilikoi mustard (this is a must in my opinion). It’s the perfect beach day snack!
Sadly, restaurants close as time goes on, which makes it harder to visit the same spots Tony did. Eat Like Bourdain is a great resource with guides to every spot he visited on his shows, making it easy to plan trips around those that still exist!
Portland Food Tour
Food tours are such a great way to get to know a city, not only for its food culture but often for history and art as well.
When I was in Portland for Travelcon, I signed up for a FAM tour with Lost Plate PDX for their Food Carts, Pods and Patios tour. We visited two different food cart pods, a food hall, and ended at a brewery for some final sips and bites of the tour.
This tour was such a fun way to check out some of the Portland’s food cart pods! We had some really delicious eats and I made so many new friends that day. It was one of the biggest highlights of my visit to Portland this year!
Peruvian Food at Mistura in SLO, CA
Peruvian cuisine has really made its mark on me over the years and Mistura in San Luis Obispo has undoubtedly served my favorite Peruvian meal! We ordered several things here (surprise, surprise), but my favorites were the Lomo Saltado and Acevichada causa.
lomo saltado
Lomo Saltado is the signature dish of Peru and of all the times I’ve eaten Peruvian food, I avoided this (mostly because I didn’t eat meat for several years). I thought this was the perfect time to finally give it a try!
This dish is super interesting because it combines flavors of Peru along with Chinese cuisine – an influence from workers who migrated from China to Peru back in the 1800s.
Mistura’s Lomo Saltado included chunks of beef filet stir-fried with onions, tomatoes, and French fries in a soy-based sauce served with rice to soak up the juices. The meat was so tender and I could not get over how flavorful and satisfying the sauce was! This was probably my favorite thing I ate on our trip to SLO this year.
Acevichada Causa
We also tried a dish called causa, which I had heard of before (from travelers who’ve actually been to Peru) but had never seen on a menu. Causa is typically a dish consisting of cold mashed potatoes layered in a stack with various fillings like chicken salad and avocado. At Mistura, they formed it like a sushi roll rather than a stack, which I think makes it easy to eat!
Our causa of choice (the Acevichada) came with chilled lime-seasoned mashed potatoes filled with king crab salad and topped with aji amarillo, ahi tuna, and fish roe. It was so interesting texturally, had amazing flavors, and was presented beautifully!
Gimbap at Han Oak – Portland, OR
Dining at Han Oak in Portland was one of the most memorable dining experiences I had in all of 2024 – not only for the food, but the company I had too.
When in Portland for Travelcon, I met two special people, Rich and Abigail from Toys Travel Tips, on a food tour (the very one I mentioned above!). We got to talking about foodie life and they invited me and a few others (Adventures of Matt & Nat and Sydney Brown Travels) to join in their Han Oak reservation to follow in Somebody Feed Phil’s footsteps!
Han Oak is a restaurant that showcases Korean culture and cuisine, and the meals here are generally interactive and family-style. These fun, rotating dinner concepts promote a more intimate and conversation-sparking experience with your dining companions!
On our visit, they were featuring their gimbap menu, where were served endless plates and bowls filled with different components to build gimbap rolls. After eating our way through appetizers of corned beef soo yook and delicious little dumplings, we piled bulgogi beef, cured hamachi, fresh and pickled vegetables, and rice into nori wraps to create our own little gimbaps! Our meal finished with a delicate and refreshing bing soo shaved ice dessert.
The food was excellent; the experience was awesome; and the company was the absolute best.
Thai Food at Hanloh in Santa Cruz
On a bit of a whim, we booked a quick overnight trip to Santa Cruz, California. I found a little used and rare bookstore called Bad Animal that doubles as a space for rotating restaurant concepts and a wine bar. The perfect mix of weirdness and wonder for me! My curiosity was piqued.
The current residency is Hanloh, serving a small (but mighty) menu of seasonal Thai comfort foods. Thai flavors are some of the boldest you can get with food, which is why it’s one of my favorite cuisines. Hanloh is a testament to its roots.
We started our meal at Hanloh off with Laotian Woon Sen – a flavorful glass noodle salad packed with herbs and a sour tamarind sauce – the kind of dish that makes your mouth salivate. Then, we dug into the Mieng Phlaa Todd, a fried chili pepper rock fish tossed with tamarind, lemongrass, peanuts, coconut, ginger and chili.
And finally, the piece de resistance: Pad Prik Khing – the most tender cuts of prime ribeye stir fried with red curry paste, crunchy green beans and sweet peppers, and ginger. And if you’re wondering, yes, we did have rice too (because rice is life).
This was a meal for the books (literally, my view was a wall of books)!
Detroit Pizza at Bear & the Wren
I’m a person to enjoys all pizza styles (no hate here), but lately, I’ve grown particularly fond of Detroit-style pizzas. There’s just something about that thick dough crusted in cheese and loaded with toppings!
Enter Bear & the Wren in San Luis Obispo. When we visited SLO earlier this year, Bear & The Wren was the first spot I booked a reservation for. I knew after brewery hopping that pizza was going to make my taste buds and tummy happy. I’m an expert, thank you.
Our order: The Meaty, loaded with sausage, pepperoni cups, thick cut bacon, and capicola. We added jalapenos for a little kick and they provided a nice pop of color too. My, was it delicious, especially with hot honey poured all over it.
The pizza was fab, but Bear & the Wren also knows how to put out a good side dish. We got the most beautiful asparagus topped with brown butter hollandaise and an earthy beet salad. When you’re going to gorge on pizza, it helps to balance out with some vegetables right?
The Year of Sandwiches
I’m dubbing 2024 as “The Year of Good Sandwiches,” which I surprisingly had a lot of! I couldn’t choose a favorite so I’m sharing the top three spots of the year here.
high street deli in slo
Let’s start with High Street Deli in San Luis Obispo, where we had two sandwiches at this nearly century-old deli. These sandwiches were bursting at the seams, packed with so many goodies.
Their Dutch Punch, a regular favorite, featured turkey, bacon, jalapeno Havarti, avocado, tomato, onion, and a chipotle mayo on Dutch crunch bread. I’ve been allowing mayo into my life a little more lately and I’m glad I did on this sandwich. It really puts the “punch” in Dutch Punch.
We also got the Tuesday Special, which was The Italian Summer. This one was my favorite, layered with roast turkey, prosciutto, mozzarella, artichoke chunks, pepperoncini, and arugula. The tangy flavors of balsamic vinegar and basil pesto rounded it out. Divine!
Muffuletta from Oxbow market
And then, there’s the Muffuletta from The Fatted Calf at the Oxbow Market in Napa – a sandwich that originates from a Sicilian deli owner who immigrated to New Orleans. Layered meats and cheeses come together with the star ingredient being a tangy, salty olive salad. I’m hooked.
This is my favorite thing I’ve eaten so far at the Oxbow Market!
They do an excellent thinly-sliced porchetta sandwich here too.
the og pastrami from pasture pdx
And last but not least, my favorite sandwich of the year – the OG Pastrami from Pasture PDX in Portland, Oregon. I’m not normally a big pastrami girl but I went for it and it was amazing.
I was taking myself on a DIY food tour in the Alberta Arts neighborhood and had only planned on eating half the sandwich and taking the rest to go. I ate the whole thing! It was much lighter than I thought it would be, particularly because of the bread – airy with a little bit of crunch; soft enough not to wreck the roof of your mouth (my biggest gripe with sandwiches).
The OG is a pastrami sando fashioned after the Vietnamese banh mi with thinly sliced pastrami and a zesty house-made chili oil slaw. The chili oil slaw really is a nice addition to cut through the delicious salty meat. It adds a crisp and refreshing element to the sandwich, but also big flavors and a tiny bit of heat. It’s the perfect bite of food in Portland if you ask me.
German Guys in Waterloo/Lodi, CA
Are you still with me? Thanks for making this far!
My final pick for one of my best bites of 2024 was our spread at The German Guys – a small, authentic German restaurant between Stockton and Lodi, California.
Authentic German food is not something I’ve had many times before, so I was very excited to get to try an array of different things! We ordered a sampler platter that included schnitzel with both Hunter (mushroom gravy) and Gypsy (tomato cream) sauces, bratwurst, curry wurst, and potato pancakes. For our sides, we chose spätzle and bigos, which is a warm cabbage sauerkraut mixed with sausage, bacon, and tomato sauce.
It was a tour of Germany for our taste buds and I enjoyed everything washed down with a cold German beer.
So what do you think – did I eat good in 2024?
Can’t wait to see where my buds get to travel to in 2025. I have some big foodie adventures already planned! Stay tuned!
Leave a Reply