Top 10 dishes of 2011

Reflecting back on this past year of eating, I realized two things: (1) nearly all of the new restaurants we tried in Seattle were somewhat disappointing, but (2) every restaurant we love continues to be as good as ever.

I told LaV that I can't put anything from Spinasse or Sitka & Spruce on my annual top 10 list anymore because they'd be guaranteed to make it each year, with amazing dishes like fuls medames with harissa and a mistakenly-ordered albacore tuna wowing us at S&S, and the spectacular simplicity of a single roasted leek, fontina fonduta and ligurian olive oil creating a moment of transcendence at Spinasse. Going on more than four years now, our experiences at both restaurants continue to be treasured moments.

Even though most of the memorable dishes of 2011 were from outside of Seattle, there were still some real gems that made it into the top 10 from local spots. Here they are, in no particular order:

spot prawns and their roe

Nothing is quite as exciting as fresh spot prawns full of tiny reddish-orange pearls of roe. Live spot prawns in good condition are hard to come by now that the ultra-local spot prawn season is over, but Alaska's season is still in full swing with fresh gems available at shops like Mutual Fish.

Sauteed or salt roasted at high heat, count these among the things that make L's eyes sparkle at first sight.

short rib sandwich

I love leftovers. Short rib ragu from the prior evening--not enough to dress another serving of pasta, but just the perfect amount for a glorious sandwich on toasted sourdough with melted manchengo. It never made it to the plate from the cutting board.