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If my waistline is any indication of how well I ate this year, it would say I ate really well – maybe a little too well?
This year brought some amazing foodie adventures involving bucket list trips (even with one entirely revolving around food!). We visited Spain’s Basque Country and did daily pintxos and bar crawls. Chicago called to us and we hopped over to the Windy City and proceeded to eat an ungodly amount of deep dish pizza, Italian beef sandwiches, and Chicago dogs.
I also took a trip home to Maui and ate my heart out at both new spots and old favorites. And the biggest surprise of all – we traveled to Iceland and fell in love with not only the scenery, but the cuisine too.
Each year continues to dazzle my tastebuds and I am so lucky to be able to traverse the world to be able to try so many new things!
My Favorite Bites of 2025
There are so many dishes and food adventures that stood out for me this year! I’m definitely leaving out some gems but if I wrote about every delicious bite I had in 2025, this post would probably never end. So, I narrowed it down to a list of just some of my favorite bites and foodie experiences I was lucky to have this year. Here they are, in no particular order:
A Food Tour in Madrid
In early June, we rolled into Madrid after spending a week in Northern Spain’s Basque Country and my senses were immediately overwhelmed. Going from the smaller, more laid-back cities of Bilbao and San Sebastian to Spain’s capital was sensory overload.
I ended up booking a last minute food tour with Devour so that I wouldn’t have to worry about a thing. Even though I planned the crap out of this trip and was prepared to visit a long list of restaurants in the city, I needed a little mental break. To be honest, this food tour actually made our time in Madrid worth it!
The food we had with Devour Tours was fantastic, from fried bacalao (salt cod) at Casa Labra (literally the best thing we ate in Madrid) to chorizo-stuffed mushrooms at Mesón del Champiñón. And you’ll know if a mushroom dish is really that good when I highlight it because I used to hate them.
And I have to shout out the gambas al ajillo at La Casa del Abuelo. These little shrimps cooked in garlic oil were bursting with flavor!
Something I truly enjoy about food tours like this (aside from the food) is meeting new people – even as a major introvert. On this tour, we met three airline pilots on a city break, a family who had just completed the Camino de Santiago, and a solo traveler from Jordan. It’s so cool to see people from all walks of life and different parts of the world brought together by food.
Walking around Madrid in good company as the city cooled off for the evening, eating foods I probably wouldn’t have without the tour, showed me the magic of this city. You can do all the research in the world, but the ease of being on a guided tour where the work is done for you is just chef’s kiss. Overall, it was just a well-rounded experience.
Tortilla from Antonio Bar in San Sebastian
Another highlight from our time in Spain this year was trying different tortilla de patatas (aka the Spanish omelette/tortilla Espanola).
The best tortilla we had in Spain was in San Sebastian – a dream destination for me as a foodie! One of the spots I knew I had to try was Antonio Bar, famous for their tortilla. It’s made with a whopping 35 eggs, giving roughly 35 pieces for each, made on a limited basis each day.
In it’s simplest form, this dish is eggs and potato cooked in olive oil. When elevated, caramelized onions are added into the mix and is where I think this dish shines. I want that extra flavor and I think the tortilla needs those onions to really be a standout.
Antonio Bar’s tortilla was just incredible. They caramelize their onions for nearly 40 minutes before folding them in with potatoes, eggs, and green peppers. It makes a great breakfast, but I could eat this at any time of day. I crave this constantly and fear I may have to travel all the way back to Northern Spain to satisfy said craving.
An Icelandic Food Tour
“You don’t go to Iceland for the food,” they say. False – you should absolutely go to Iceland for the food! I actually hear this about other destinations and I’m always out to prove those statements wrong.
Iceland has incredible food. I could tell just by browsing restaurant menus that it was going to be a treat! Expensive? Yes – but it’s worth the splurge.
When we spent time in Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital city, I knew a food tour was the best way to get the lay of the land. We learned a bit about Icelandic cuisine, got to try some traditional foods, and ate modern dishes made with Icelandic ingredients. Our guide Ben was a riot and made traipsing around from spot to spot (in the pouring rain no less) a lot of fun.
Highlights for me: grilled lamb with wasabi pesto at Mat Bar, and fried lobster tacos and seafood soup from Sjávargrillið. In contrast, Sjávargrillið was the same place where we tried fermented shark (it wasn’t as bad as everyone says) and took a shot of Brennivin (aka Black Death).
We also tried the famous Icelandic hotdogs (made with a mix of lamb, pork, and beef), cured Arctic char, pulled lamb shoulder, and ended on a sweet note with Happy Marriage cake!
This tour is easily the best thing to do in Reykjavik and was the perfect way to kick off our trip in Iceland.
Icelandic Cinnamon Rolls Rule Them All
Iceland also offered up the best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever had – like in my entire life. I simply cannot eat them anywhere else now without passing harsh judgement. With every bite I take of a cinnamon roll elsewhere, my mind immediately wanders back to Braud & Co.’s perfect pastries. All others have been ruined, lol!
At Braud & Co., we tried the traditional cinnamon roll (kanilsnúðar) and vanilla roll (vanillusnúður). These rolls were so soft, moist, and full of flavor with a lightly crunchy sugar crust on top.
Icelandic pastries are superior. I would actually consider hopping on a plane to fly back to Reykjavik just so I can bite into these amazing things once again.
The Best of Maui
In August, I took my annual trip home to Maui where my week was an absolute marathon of eating! I visited a handful of new spots and revisited some old faves to try new menu items.
I love to eat when I’m home and try to keep up on restaurants as best as I can for my Maui Food Guide (which still ranks as my most popular post on the blog!).
spago is always memorable
I feel incredibly lucky to have a brother who works in the restaurant industry on Maui. Because of this, I’ve had the opportunity to have some really amazing meals! He’s been at Spago for quite a long time now, and it’s always a treat to get to dine here. The service is always top tier and the food is delicious without fail.
One Spago dish that really impressed me this visit was the scallop crudo – so delicate and sweet with the right touch of acid. This was the year I became somewhat of a scallop girlie thanks to our time in Spain and I’ve been enjoying them more ever since!
Another standout was a whole-fried madai with a savory Thai sauce, veggies, and rice. A whole fish for the table is always an impressive visual and even better when the taste lives up to the presentation.
milk bread from KOAST
I went to happy hour with my sister at a new spot owned by celeb chef Chris Cosentino called KOAST. What blew me away? The milk bread. These soft, fluffy rolls were served with a kaya (coconut) jam and salted butter. I slathered jam and butter onto each each heavenly bite of bread and had to resist the temptation of getting another order. It’s a must.
The Best of Chicago
This year, we finally made Chicago happen – a new state and city to check off the bucket list, filled with the heartiest eats imaginable. It was a hard job, but I sacrificed my stomach to try three different deep dish pizzas, five Italian beef sandwiches, and five Chicago dogs to find the best of the best!
Gino’s East Deep Dish Pizza
The Chicago Deep Dish Pizza at Gino’s delivered on all fronts: crust, sauce, filling/toppings, and cheese ratio. Gino’s was up against Lou Malnati’s and Giordano’s (at least for this trip) and it was the clear winner. I also think Gino’s had the best atmosphere – it felt like an authentic, lively pizza place and our server was the best!
Italian Beef from Johnnie’s
Eating five Italian beef sandwiches in a four-day span is not for the faint of heart! For our finale of Italian beef, we took a Lyft out to Johnnie’s in Elmwood Park just to get this raved-about sandwich. It was 100% worth the drive!
Johnnie’s’ salty, hot Italian-seasoned beef was the best of them all (and also the messiest). Our order: dipped (you gotta have a wet bun) with sweet and spicy peppers and a side of lemon Italian ice for balance.
Portillo’s Chicago Dog
And of course, you can’t go to Chicago without getting at least one Chicago dog. We went all in on five different dogs in five days and found the best to be at Portillo’s (which also happens to have a solid hot Italian beef sandwich too).
It should be a requirement to get these loaded with everything: mustard, pickles, tomatoes, green relish, sport peppers, chopped white onions, and a sprinkle of celery salt all stuffed into a poppyseed bun. Some of the ingredients may sound weird (tomatoes on a hot dog?) but they just work. Portillo’s will definitely be a stop for me on every future Chicago trip (along with Johnnie’s and Gino’s)!
Sushi Table in SLO
Planning a trip to Japan has got Japanese food at the forefront of my mind. So, when we visited San Luis Obispo (for the second time in 2025), Sushi Table was on my radar. This 12-seater sushi bar hidden behind a curtain at SLO Ranch Marketplace delivered speakeasy vibes and outstanding food.
The menu at Sushi Table is really different than what you see at many sushi places in the states. Instead of elaborate rolls doused in sauces, they focus on nigiri, hand rolls, and sushi “tacos” (essentially open-faced hand rolls) filled with delicious combos of spicy tuna, blue crab, soy-cured ahi, scallops, and unagi, just to name a few.
Every bite we had here was so good, but we particularly loved the scallop sushi tacos and hand rolls. Scallops are having a moment right now (at least in our lives…)! The nigiri specials were also top notch, from seared wagyu beef to a unique white salmon and otoro (fatty tuna). I’ve really come to love the simplicity of nigiri-style sushi.
The owner was also there chatting with diners and served us an extra plate of ahi carpaccio as a bonus. Little gestures like this to customers really go a long way with me! As a parting gift, we were handed an onigiri-themed Christmas card and reusable bag as a thank you. This was just a really unique dining experience with unexpected moments – my favorite.
A Food Tour in Bilbao
Circling back to Spain, I’m highlighting yet another food tour – this time in the city of Bilbao. Bilbao is a bit of an underrated Basque Country city compared to the more popular San Sebastian. It’s a beautiful place with it’s own amazing food scene – especially when it comes to pintxos!
Bilbao was the first city we visited when landing in Spain and seeing as how there was a language barrier for us, I wanted to ease into the culture with an expert.
We met Olaia with Best of Basque, who was an amazing host. She introduced us to some Basque classics (like Gildas), pintxos unique to Bilbao (like baked mussels), and gave us tips on ordering dishes from restaurants’ hot menus (i.e. the most amazing scallop with mushroom whip at La Olla!).
We also learned how to pour Basque cider and even learned a few Basque words to use for the remainder of our time in Basque Country. Every single stop on this tour came with a wine (or cider) pairing as well, which is such a great value. I loved this tour so much that I would actually come back and do it again!
Eating Gildas in Basque Country
Ladies and gents – meet my new favorite appetizer – La Gilda. As a lover of olives and pickled things, this bite cannot get any more perfect. Green olives are skewered together with pickled guindilla peppers and anchovies and drizzled with olive oil. These are maximum umami and the perfect bit to start a pintxos crawl!
We became mildly obsessed with finding the best Gildas in Basque Country and tried them at 14 different places. I will henceforth order one at every bar that has them. What’s more, we now subscribe to regular guindilla pepper deliveries so we can make them at home.
Torrija from Casa Urola in San Sebastian
What can only be described as my best single bite of 2025 is the torrija from Casa Urola in San Sebastian.
Torrija is not an overly complicated dish – essentially, it’s a Spanish version of pain perdu or French toast. Bread (typically brioche) gets soaked in eggs, milk, and spices and then pan fried. Spanish torrija also has a soft, custard-like center and slightly crunchy outside and is sweet enough to be served as a dessert rather than a breakfast food.
Casa Urola takes theirs to the next level and caramelizes the outside! I don’t know what other sprinkles of magic they put in here, but I basically teared up when I took the first bite. The side of coffee ice cream wasn’t even needed (but ice cream is always appreciated).
This will forever be a mandatory stop (and bite of food) for me when visiting San Sebastian.
A to Z Challenge Update
If you’ve been following me for a while, you might remember my A to Z challenge I came up with to give me something to do in between my travels. And if you don’t know, it’s where I choose a cuisine based on the letters of the alphabet and find a restaurant that serves it in my local area (the San Francisco Bay Area of California).
It has been very enlightening and exciting to either discover new flavors entirely or uncover new spots that serve some of my favorite cuisines!
I started this in 2023 and I had every intention of completing it by the end of 2024. Well, here we are at the end of 2025 and I only got through two more letters – T (for Turkish food) and U (for Uyghur cuisine)! I guess I was a little too busy with my other travels to focus on it this year.
That means I have the letters V through Z to complete (which are some of the hardest letters to think of things for). I simply must complete this in 2026! If anyone has creative ideas for X or Z, I’m all ears.
First Time Trying Turkish Food
For the letter “T,” I envisioned trying Turkish cuisine from the start of this challenge – mainly because it’s not something I had ever tried, surprisingly.
I found a highly-rated Turkish spot in Emeryville, CA (right on the border of Berkeley) called Simurgh Bakery that serves Turkish and Balkan cuisine. Here’s everything we ate:
- Simit: similar to a bagel, covered in sesame seeds and filled with creamy labneh (a thick, creamy Middle Eastern cheese). This was my favorite thing we had (but I’m also a bagel fiend).
- Spinach and feta Bourek – a savory, layered pastry made with phyllo and eggs
- The Istanbul Plate with a variety of kofte kebabs, potatoes, grilled shishitos, labneh, and avjar red pepper sauce, all served with a fluffy side of pide bread
- Menemen – scrambled eggs, tomatoes, onions and peppers with more pide!
- Chocolate pistachio bakalva with Turkish tea
Eating new foods was one of the biggest reasons for starting this challenge and Turkish cuisine is definitely something I’d get again.
Uyghur Cuisine – What is it?
I bet a lot of you have never heard of Uyghur cuisine! The Uyghur people are an autonomous ethnic group that live in Northern China and are muslim and Turkic-speaking. Interesting huh? China has been accused of genocide against them too, so yeah, there’s a bit of darkness associated with this…
Uyghur cuisine is a fusion of Chinese-style foods with other cuisines like that of Central Asia (i.e. the Stans) and those of the Middle East. For example, they have kebabs and nan bread but also dumplings and hearty stews atop hand-pulled noodles. Dishes are infused with spices reflective of Silk Road heritage and also adhere to halal principles.
For our Uyghur food adventure, we trekked down to a strip mall in Milpitas lined with many other Asian cuisines and pulled up a chair at Kusan Bazaar.
This food was…interesting. We have honestly never had anything like it! The spices and flavor profiles were extremely unique.
Some highlights for me:
- Lamb samsas (kind of like a meat hand pie)
- Cold beef appetizer topped with tons of aromatics and chili oil
- Beef cumin chao-mian noodles
Overall, I wasn’t blown away by what we had and I probably won’t be running eat Uyghur cuisine anytime soon. However, I will take it as an educational win!
Our First-Ever Michelin Star Experience
Last but not least, in 2025, we got to check off dining at a Michelin-starred restaurant from our foodie bucket list. My husband and I aren’t really into fine dining – I just find it really hard to justify the cost. However, our Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card gave us the perk of a $150.00 dining credit to use twice a year at select restaurants, so I figured why not!
I picked out one of the more “affordable” restaurants from the list – Selby’s in Redwood City, California. The three-course menu there is offered at $125 per person (with supplements available for an additional cost). Overall, I actually think it was a decent value for everything we got (although we did splurge a little with supplements).
The service at Selby’s was great and each dish was explained in detail and presented beautifully. Taste was on point for most dishes, with only a few minor notes I could give on others.
Dishes we had at Selby’s included:
- An amuse-bouche of cheese puffs and a layered pate
- Crab salad with orange gelee on endive
- Freshly-baked popovers (Holy crap, I now love popovers. We each had two!)
- Seared scallop with sunchokes, marcona almonds, grapes, and a topper of caviar (a $35 supplement and worth it – it was hands down the best dish of the night!)
- Duck agnolotti in a rich butter sauce
- Pan roasted cod with lentils du puy and chanterelle mushrooms
- Beef Wellington with creamed spinach and Robuchon’s Potatoes ($25 supplement)
- Spiced apple tart with hazelnut frangipane and Dulcey chocolate ganache
- Sticky toffee pudding with thyme ice cream (this is my all-time favorite dessert and they did it justice – the perfect sweet ending!)
Suffice it to say, I think I may be open to more Michelin-starred dining experiences in the future – especially if I can use our Chase Sapphire Reserve credit!
And that’s my 2025 foodie highlights in a nutshell! 2026 is going to bring me a lot of adventures in the U.S.A. but we will also be traveling to Japan. I’m going to predict a high number of best bites for the year coming just from that trip alone! I’m so looking forward to it.
Happy eating in 2026 from me to you!
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