Happy New Year: Welcome 2020

It's the New Year, 2020, and it's my fervent hope that it will be an even better year than the one before. I hope you understand though that it is your own efforts which will make the most difference to your life this year. You need to take an active role to make change, on all levels, and apathy is the enemy. And when we combine our individual efforts, we can accomplish even greater change. However, it all starts at the individual level, when we take control of our own lives.

For example, in 2018, I encountered some health issues which adversely affected some of my activities that year. So, in 2019, I made significant strides in addressing those medical issues, including losing about 30 pounds. My health improved and it didn't interfere with any of my activities in 2019.  I know that I must continue working on my health issues, to ensure that the quality of my life continues to improve and improve. It is within my control, the life decisions I make.

In 2019, there were a number of highlights, including my journey to the Republic of Croatia, exploring its wine, food, history and culture. I learned so much, had lots of fun, and ate and drank plenty of delicious food and wine. You can read about my explorations in my 25+ articles in All About Croatia. I also visited New Hampshire a couple times, primarily exploring the area around Wolfeboro, dining at a couple excellent spots.

For 2020, I'd like to travel more and there are a few possible destinations I might visit, such as New Zealand in the summer. We shall see if any of those trips coalesce or not. I'll likely return to New Hampshire too, exploring more of the Wolfeboro region. I also look forward to making my annual pilgrimage to the Seafood Expo in March. I need to do some more local explorations too, to neighborhoods, towns and cities which I haven't spent enough time visiting, such as Jamaica Plain, Quincy, and Watertown.

This New Year, I'll continue to explore more niche wines, such as from regions including Croatia, Moldova, Hungary, Georgia, Greece, and more. I have some new Sakes to sample as well, both from Japan and the U.S. I hope to continue with my Mind of a Sommelier series, where I interview local sommeliers about their wine lists, wine pairings, and more. These interviews have been extremely popular, so it's more of just finding local sommeliers willing to participate. I also hope that Adam Japko brings back his blind wine tastings.

In 2019, I wrote a number of historical food/drink articles, especially delving into their origins, including The First American Source About Carrot Cake,  The Origins of American Chop Suey, Krug Champagne: Early History in the U.S., the three-part Water Doughnuts: Some Bagel History, More on the Origin of the Everything Bagel, and the two-part Historical Tidbits About Baijiu. I also significantly revised and expanded some of my prior historical Sake articles, including A History of Sake Brewing in the U.S., Historical Tidbits About Sake in the U.S., Early History of Sake Brewing in British Colombia, and A History of Sake Brewing in Brazil.

My favorite of my historical articles was my extensive five-part series, The First Restaurants in Boston's Chinatown, providing plenty of fascinating details about the history of Chinatown and its restaurants. I refuted the myth of the first restaurant in Chinatown, and provided numerous references supporting my analysis. This year, I'll be revising and expanding this history, and I already have over 20 pages of additional references and new information for that expansion. I'll also write some other original, historical articles, about different foods and drinks, and we shall see what develops.

If you have enjoyed and found value in these historical articless, then please consider donating to me through Ko-Fi. Gaining access to some of the newspaper archives that I use for researching these articles isn't cheap and every donation makes that easier for me to do. I appreciate any support my readers can provide.

As 2020 progress, I'll also be open to opportunities, as no one can really predict what might arise over the course of the year. I seek inspiration wherever I can, from magazine articles to friend recommendations. And sometimes you stumble upon something cool just by exploring an unfamiliar neighborhood. I hope 2020 brings some pleasant surprises.

What are some of your plans for 2020?

10 New Year's Resolutions For My Readers

Happy New Year's Eve and I hope you enjoy your celebrations tonight, whether you party at First Night or enjoy a relatively quiet night at home. I hope you spend the evening with family and/or friends and drink some type of delicious Sparkling Wine, from Champagne to Crémant d'Alsace, Cava to Franciacorta. It's my fervent wish that this New Year is better for all of us than 2019.

This is also the time when many people will ponder the conduct of their lives and choose to make Resolutions, the things they want to do, or not do, to make their lives better in the New Year. Maybe you want to give up smoking or lose weight, maybe you want to start going to a gym regularly or save more money. Unfortunately, many people will break their resolutions after only a short time, within less than a month, so numerous people will choose not to make a resolution, figuring they won't follow it anyways.

As I've done for the last several years, I want to offer some alternative suggestions for resolutions, all connected to food and drink. Rather than deal in absolutes, or exact measurements, I merely hope that you choose to do your best to follow these suggested resolutions with the simple goal of doing better than you did last year. I don't expect anyone to follow these resolutions all the time. Please just do your best. I think you might find this easier to do than a more specific resolution which is an either/or proposition. Seek continued forward progress in these ten resolutions throughout the entire year.

1) Resolve to eat & drink healthier
This encompasses so much, such as eating less calories, consuming less sugar, and choosing items that have less unwanted chemicals. Take small steps in your approach rather than diving into a major change. The smaller steps won't seem as burdensome and it will make it easier to take another small step later on. And even small changes can bring about positive changes, especially when they accumulate over time. We all would benefit from eating and drinking healthier and it will also help our environment and economy.

2) Resolve to consume more local food & drink
Local products can help the environment, the local economy and benefit the local community. Plus, many of those local products can be healthier than mass produced, overly processed foods that might come from thousands of miles away. Eating more local seafood is such a great idea, for many reasons, from bettering your health to helping the local fishing industry. This resolution also includes drinking local wines, as every state now produces wine, and you might be surprised by the quality of some of that local wine. Not all local food and drink is delicious or good for the environment, so do some research to find out the best.

3) Resolve to eat more seafood, especially domestic
Seafood can be extremely healthy for you, especially those fish rich in Omega-3s, so it is an excellent choice for dinner. Seafood is also delicious, versatile and often easy to prepare. Yes, it can be more expensive, but it is well worth the added cost, and there are ways to get more value in your seafood purchases. Buying more domestic seafood will help our economy, rather than buying so much imported seafood. Eating more seafood can be one of the healthiest life changes you ever make. It has scientifically been proven that consuming 26 pounds of seafood annually will reduce your chances of heart disease by 36%. An easy and delicious resolution.

4) Resolve to expand your drink horizons
Don't keep drinking the same old stuff all the time. There are so many wonderful beverages out there to taste, and you might find some new favorites. Break out of your rut and endeavor to try something new on a regular basis. If you mainly drink Chardonnay, venture out and try some other white wines, such as Gruner Veltliner, Trebbiano or Albarino. Try Sherry, Sake, Japanese Whisky, Mezcal, Franciacorta, Baijiu, and other under-appreciated beverages. Taste it all, constantly trying new beverages, and continue drinking those you enjoy.

5) Resolve to expand your food horizons
In a similar vein, don't keep eating the same old stuff all the time. There are so many wonderful foods out there to taste, to see if you can find some new favorites. Break out of your rut and endeavor to try something new on a regular basis. Try some less common meats, from rabbit to wild boar, or maybe something even more unusual like insects or guinea pig. Seek out cuisines that are new to you, and look for new ingredients you can try out in your own kitchen. Taste it all, constantly trying new foods, and continue eating what you enjoy

6) Resolve to cook more at home
Cooking at home is another way to benefit the environment, and it can be more economical than eating out all the time. It also gives you a better handle on exactly what you eat, so you can make the food as healthy as you desire. It can be fun too, if you cook with someone else, breaking the potential boredom of cooking alone. Be creative in what you cook, seek out new recipes, and share recipes with others.

7) Resolve not to be THAT jerk when you dine out
When you dine out at a restaurant, be polite and show respect to everyone working at the restaurant. Don't demand special treatment or threaten the restaurant just because you write reviews on some community website. Tip genrously, showing your server gratitude for all their hard work. If you have a problem at a restaurant, speak to the management and see if they can resolve your issue. If you enjoy a restaurant, spread the word about your positive experience. Good restaurants can use, and deserve, all the help they can get. It's a very tough industry and consumers need to better understand its difficulties, and be more understanding of restaurant efforts to better pay their employees.

8) Resolve to give more to fight hunger
Despite the wealth of the U.S., there are still far too many people in our country who can't afford to eat properly. Hunger is a major problem in our country, as well as all across the world, and one that we can do something about. Give food or money to local food banks, national organizations, or any other charity that is trying to combat this problem. Those of us without food security issues can all help out, in whatever way we are capable.

9) Resolve not to waste as much food
It is said that up to 40% of our food ends up as waste, and that is a nearly unbelievable statistic. Food waste can lead to higher food prices and cause more environmental damage. Do your part to help reduce food waste. Don't make as much food as normal when making a meal so you don't have leftovers in the first place. As your mother probably once said to you, finish everything on your plate. Use any leftovers to make additional meals.

10) Resolve not to drink & drive
As I have said time and time again, do not drive if you are impaired at all by alcohol. It is much too dangerous and you could injure or kill yourself or someone else. Even if you don't get in an accident, you could be arrested and that comes with its own high costs. It isn't worth doing it, so please just don't drink and drive. Take a Uber, taxi, or catch a ride with someone else.

Is there anything I missed?

The Passionate Foodie's Top 50 Restaurants

In addition to my list of Favorite Restaurant that I posted earlier today, I've also compiled my annual list of Top 50 Restaurants, those Massachusetts places where I'm sure to always have a delicious meal, whether a casual breakfast or a high-end French dinner. These are the places I seem to recommend the most to others, including some places where I dine on a regular basis.

Many of these places have been listed on prior Favorite Lists, some for multiple years, and are all worthy of recognition and recommendation. There are also some new Favorites, places I only recently encountered but which I know I will be returning frequently. Please note that this is not a list of the "Best" Boston-area restaurants, but my own personal favorites, however I suspect most people will agree that the restaurants on this list are all worthy of your attention. And if you dine at any of these places based on my recommendation, please let them know.

Please also note that there are thousands of restaurants in the Boston+ area and just because a place is not on my list doesn't mean I wouldn't recommend it. This is only a small list, and can't include every good restaurant. Plus, there are some worthy restaurants that I haven't yet dined at, or reviewed, and I hope to remedy that in 2020.

Arlington
Home Taste (There's a second location in Watertown)

Belmont:
Il Casale (There's a second location in Lexington)

Beverly 
A&B Burgers (There's a second location in Boston)

Boston
Bistro du Midi
Committee
Dumpling Cafe
Gre.co (There's a second location in the Seaport)
Mooncusser Fish House/Cusser's Roast Beef
Kamakura
Pabu
Prezza
Select Oyster Bar
Taranta
Troquet

Brookline
Taberna de Haro

Burlington
The Bancroft (There's a second location in Peabody)
Chopps American Bar & Grill
Feng Shui
Island Creek Oyster Bar (There's a second location in Boston)
Sichuan Gourmet

Cambridge
BISq
Craigie on Main
Momi Nonmi
Puritan & Co.
Sumiao Hunan Kitchen
Tampopo
The Table At Season To Taste

Chelsea
Ciao! Pizza & Pasta

Ipswich
Clam Box

Malden:
Infused Kreyol

Medford
Bistro 5
The Porch: Southern Fare
Tasty On The Hill

Needham:
Spiga

Newton
Moldova Restaurant

Saugus
Prince Pizzeria

Somerville
Bergamot 
Dali
The Painted Burro
Posto
Tasting Counter

Stoneham
Fusion Taste
Taste of Siam

Wakefield
Tonno (There's a second location in Gloucester)

Waltham
Osteria Posto

Watertown
Jana Grill

Winchester
Mitho Restaurant

Woburn
Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe (There's a second location in Boston)
Matadora
WuBurger

What were some of your favorite restaurants this year?

2019: Favorite Restaurants & Food-Related Items

What were some of my favorite restaurants and food-related items of the past year?

Let me continue the lists of my best recommendations and favorites of 2019. I've already posted my Top Wine lists, my Favorite Croatian Wines and Dining Experiences, and my Top Ten Favorite Restaurant Dishes. Now, I want to address my Favorite Restaurants & Food-Related Items of the past year.

This is certainly not a complete list but it is more a sampling of memorable restaurants and food items I've experienced and/or posted about over the past year. This is also a purely subjective list, based on my own preferences, and makes no claims about being the "best" of anything. But all of the items here have earned my strong recommendations and I hope you will enjoy them as well. For more Restaurant reviews, you can just search my blog posts for the past year.

Favorite Nepali/Himalayan Restaurant: Opening in December 2018, Mitho Restaurant, in Winchester, impressed me from the start, offering intriguing and delicious cuisine. From Momos (dumplings) to Chicken Chhoila, the menu offers a wide variety of dishes from Nepali and Himalayan cuisines. Some of the dishes may seem familiar from other cuisines, but they have a unique spice palette which will intrigue and delight your palate. Dishes are also rated based on their spicy heat level, from 1 to 10. Everything is fresh and tasty, and they have an ample selection of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free dishes. Be adventurous and dine out here.

Favorite Lunch Spot: If I lived in Boston, I'd probably be stopping by Cusser's Roast Beef & Seafood at least once a week for one of their Roast Beef sandwiches. Living north of Boston, there are plenty of good roast beef sandwich joints, but Cusser's serves one of the best. Plus, I enjoy their onion rings, Mooncusser chowder, Fish & Chips, and Whoopie Pies! They are only open for lunch, from Monday to Friday, but it is well worth stopping by during the week to sample their excellent sandwiches and seafood.

Favorite Comfort Food Restaurant: Located near Inman Square in Cambridge, BISq primarily serves a variety of small plates for sharing, including some compelling comfort food such as their famed Fried Chicken and Ricotta Cavatelli. Both are scrumptious dishes, prepared well, and will satisfy your belly and soul. During the winter, they are both great choices. BISq also has an excellent wine list so you can order a glass, or a bottle, to pair with your dishes. I'll also note that with some advance notice, they can prepare a whole animal dinner for you and your guests.

Favorite Seafood Restaurant: Boston's restaurant options for seafood have increased greatly in quality during the last ten years. This year though, I have to give special kudos to Mooncusser Fish House. Their Tasting of Local Fishes is a multi-course seafood bonanza, each dish offering fresh seafood in a creative and tasty presentation. Some of the best seafood I've enjoyed in the Boston+ area. I also highly recommend you ordering the wine pairing for this dinner as well, as their choice of wines were excellent.

Favorite Suburban Italian Seafood Restaurant: I eagerly awaited the opening of Tonno in Wakefield, Chef Anthony Caturano's second location of this Italian seafood restaurant. And it didn't disappoint in the least. Great Italian food, home-made pastas, compelling seafood, and so much more. There are options for almost all food preferences, and all of the dishes will please. They also offer a number of specials during the week, including some inexpensive bar specials. I've recommended this spot to a number of friends, and all have loved this restaurant.

Favorite Georgian Food: Georgian cuisine is rare to find in the Boston+ area, but it can be found if you know where to look. Jana Grill, in Watertown, primarily serves Armenian fare, but also serve a few Georgian dishes, including Ajarian Khachapuri, Georgian cheese bread. The Khachapuri is wonderful, cooked perfectly, and full of cheesy delights, and topped by an over easy egg with a gooey yolk. I still need to get to Jana Grill some Wednesday night to try their Khinkali, Georgian dumplings.

Favorite Middle Eastern Restaurant: Located in an unassuming building on Squire Road in Revere,  which you might drive by without a single glance, Aladdins Grill offers delicious Mediterranean & Middle Eastern dishes. Hummus, Falafel, Kebabs, Shwarma, and much more can be found here, generally all prepared in-house. Everything has so much flavor, tastes fresh, and there's always an ample supply of warm pita bread. Service is excellent too and more people need to know about this culinary treasure.

Favorite Lunch Buffet: There's few spots anywhere where you can get all-you-can eat pizza, ziti, garlic bread, and dessert pizza for only $8, except Prince Pizzeria on Route 1 in Saugus. I've been a fan of this restaurant since I was a young child and I still dine there regularly. This is one of the best deals in the area, and their pizza is their own unique style, unable to fit into the various existing pizza categorizations.

Favorite Vegetarian Fare: I know, this seems like an odd category for me, but I was thoroughly impressed with Koshari Mama at the Stoneham Farmer's Market, though they now have a brick-and-mortar shop in Bow Market in Somerville. Koshari, an Egyptian street food, is a hearty vegetarian/vegan dish composed of rice, lentils, pasta, and chickpeas, topped with a spicy tomato sauce and fried onions. It presents a delicious blend of flavors and textures, from the softer macaroni to the crunchy fried onions pieces. It had a certain nuttiness to it, as well as a nice spicy flavor from the hot sauce. They serve other vegetarian dishes as well, and based on their Koshari, I suspect they are delicious as well.

Favorite Second Location of a Restaurant: Greco, which initially opened on Newbury Street, serving Greek gyros and loukoumades, is one of my favorite spots. This year, they opened a second, and larger, location in the Seaport. The spacious new location has some new menu items, and also serves Greek wine and beer. A Lamb Gyro with a Greek red wine is such a delicious combination. They are planning to open more locations of Greco as well, spreading Greek passion through the Boston area.

Favorite New Chinese Restaurant: Though this is also a second location, the original being in Boston's Chinatown, I've never dined at the original spot. Spicy World joins a host of other excellent Asian restaurants in Malden, and it offers Sichuan Skewer Pot, better known in China as Málàtàng, which roughly translates as "spicy numbing." This compelling dish is basically a large bowl of savory soup/broth and you select from a wide variety of skewers of meats, seafood and vegetables (at only $1/skewer) to top the broth. They rate the broth on a spiciness on a scale of 1-5, and even 2 is very, very hot! Their other Chinese dishes are quite good as well.

Favorite Restaurant Return: The Porch; Southern Farm & Juke Joint closed its Wakefield location in June 2018, finally reopening in Medford in July 2019. It went from a tiny, 20-seater to a spacious 250-seater with a large bar, stage for musical acts, pool tables, and more. Their menu of Southern cuisine has expanded, though it still contains many of the items from their Wakefield spot, and overall, the food at the new location is even better than it used to be. Fried chicken, ribs, brisket, cheese grits, deviled eggs, corn hush puppies and more will please your palate. Plus, with a full bar, you can get some tasty cocktails as well.

Favorite Off-The-Beaten Path Restaurant: Groton, in northwestern Middlesex County, isn't well known for its restaurants, except for Gibbet Hill Grill. However, there's another restaurant in Groton which is worthy of your attention, Forge & Vine. With a homey vibe, an open kitchen, and a large bar, it's a fine spot for casual dining. Its seasonal menu has plenty of options, from small plates to larger entrees, with lots of comfort food options. Oysters to Flatbreads, Potato Crusted Cod to Wood-Grilled Ribeye, Ribs to Mussels. Plus, they have a fascinating group of natural wines on their wine list which should intrigue any wine geek.

Favorite Breakfast Restaurant, Massachusetts: A new restaurant this year, Nick & Andys, in Danvers, is killing it with their breakfast menu, from their home-made muffins to their Cinnamon Swirl French Toast, from their hearty Hash Stack to Chicken & Waffles. A homey vibe, good prices, nice service, and delicious food, all combine to make this a fine breakfast destination. They serve a good lunch as well, where you can get sandwiches like the Monte Cristo, but breakfast is the most compelling.

Favorite Breakfast Restaurant, New Hampshire: Katie's Kitchen is a cozy little spot in Wolfeboro that serves delicious, home-made and extremely inexpensive breakfast dishes. For example, you can order 3 Eggs, Toast & Home Fries for only about $2.20. What a deal! Their Cinnamon Rolls are amazing, fresh and hot from the oven, and its hard just to eat one. This is a spot for locals, as well as those who in the know, who understand the treasure of this spot.

Favorite Pan-Asian Restaurant, New Hampshire: East of Suez, which has been around in Wolfeboro since 1967, serves Asian dishes from a variety of different cuisines, from Japanese to Filipino. The various dishes are tasty, well balanced and possess a nice depth of flavor. Manila Polo Club Chowder, Philippine Lumpia, Sichuan Giant Dumplings, Bulgoki Steak and plenty more. It is also BYOB, so you can bring your own wine or beer to accompany the delicious dishes. If you travel to the area, you definitely should make plans to dine there.

Favorite Culinary School: NECAT is a local culinary school which trains people from challenging backgrounds, from ex-convicts to recovering addicts, from the homeless to the chronically unemployed. NECAT fills an important need for culinary help while helping numerous people achieve a better life. It is such a worthy school, helping to transform lives, and it really touches my heart. It helps individuals while also helping the community, and I continue to try to raise awareness of NECAT so that its good work can continue and even expand. For example, check out NECAT's 2018 Accomplishments. 

Favorite Food Trade Event: Once again, I have selected the Seafood Expo North America (SENA) as my favorite. It is a massive trade event, a three day event showcasing purveyors of seafood and related vendors. You'll find tons of free seafood samples and learn plenty, from sustainability to cooking. The Seafood Show is an engaging event and you can read some of my latest articles about the show such as An Overview of the Seafood Expo, Increasing America's Seafood Consumption, and Eating Ogusokumushi. The Seafood Show is compelling on many levels and I look forward to attending the next SENA in March 2020. Hope to see you there too.

Favorite Cookbook: The Mei Mei restaurant is well known for their Double Awesome, a sandwich made with a scallion pancake and stuffed with two oozy eggs, Vermont cheddar, and local greens pesto. The owners have now published their first cookbook, Double Awesome, with over 100 recipes for Asian dishes with their own creative twists. Most of the recipes are easy to make, and I'm sure everyone will find plenty of recipe to appeal to their preferences. The cookbook also has a strong emphasis on sustainability and the use of local ingredients, both admirable values. This cookbook belongs on your bookshelf.

Favorite Food History Article: This year, I'm especially proud of my article, The First Restaurants in Boston's Chinatown, comprising a five-part series. I conducted extensive research and was surprised and enlightened by some of the information I found. The article began with a question, what was the first restaurant in Chinatown, and expanded into so much more. In addition, the article is also a work in progress, as I've continued my research, with plans to expand the article in the near future. This year, I wrote a number of historical articles about food and drink, breaking new ground, and I'll continue to do so in 2020.

What were some of your favorite restaurants this year?

2019: Top Ten Restaurant Dishes

What were some of my favorite restaurant dishes of the past year?

Let me continue the lists of my best recommendations and favorites of 2019 with my Top Ten Restaurant Dishes of the past year.

This list includes ten dishes which I not only enjoyed immensely, but which I also found to be particularly compelling for various reasons. They might be especially delicious or something more unique, but all stand out for some particular reason, above the other dishes I have tasted this past year. These are the type of dishes I would order again and again, and which I would highly recommend.

This is certainly not a complete list but it's more a sampling of memorable dishes I have experienced and/or posted about over the past year. It is also a purely subjective list, based on my own preferences, and makes no claims about being the "best" of anything. But all of the items here have earned my strong recommendations and I hope you will enjoy them as well. This list is not in any order of preference, so all receive equal accolades. For more of my favorite restaurant dishes, you can just search my blog posts for the past year.

Jeera Chicken at Mitho (Winchester)
Mitho is a new restaurant that serves authentic Nepalese and Himalayan cuisine, and it's food is quite compelling. One of my favorite dishes on their menu is the Jeera Chicken. "Jeera" means "cumin seeds" and this dishes includes pan-grilled chicken, with cumin seeds, that is cooked in a typical Nepali way. The crispness of the chicken pieces was compelling, and the spices and seasonings were absolutely delicious, with a pleasing spicy kick. This dish is an appetizer and it would be an excellent snack for cocktails or Sake.

Roast Beef Sandwich at Cusser's Roast Beef & Seafood (Boston)
Beneath the Mooncusser Fish House, and open for lunch during the week, Cusser's Roast Beef serves delicious roast beef sandwiches and seafood. The Roast Beef Sandwich can be ordered in two different styles: North Shore and 80T Style. The 80T Style is served with cheddar, pickled red onions and Thoreau sauce (a type of spicy mayo). I went for the North Shore style, which usually comes with barbecue sauce, mayo, and cheese. The rolls, made daily by pastry chef Katherine Hamilburg, are soft and fresh, with the slight crunch of the seeds atop the roll. Hamilburg's roll was an excellent vehicle for the extremely tender and flavorful rare, roast beef. The barbecue sauce had a pleasant tang to it and didn't overwhelm the sandwich. Each bite was so satisfying and frankly, it is one of the best Roast Beef sandwiches I've eaten anywhere.

Rye Chitarra at Mooncusser Fish House (Boston)
And atop Cusser's the Mooncusser Fish House offers a seafood-centric menu, with a few exceptions, and the seafood is fresh, creatively prepared, and superb. One of my favorite dishes there is the Rye Chitarra, made with uni, celeriac, and mushrooms. Perfectly cooked pasta, briny uni, and umami-rich mushrooms, all combined for a fantastic taste. Such a nice blend of flavors of the soil and sea. This dish cried out for an umami-rich Sake, though they have an excellent wine list. The restaurant recently acquired a full liquor license, and now you can get cocktails there too.

Fried Chicken at BISq (Cambridge)
The Inman Square area has a number of excellent restaurants and BISq is certainly one of the best. They are well known for their Fried Chicken, with Thai Bird Chili Salt, and you receive four ample-sized pieces of boneless fried chicken, with your choice of dipping sauce, Buttermilk Ranch or Chipotle BBQ. I chose the Chipotle BBQ sauce, which had a pleasant tangy and slightly spicy taste. The fried chicken has a very crisp, crunchy and flavorful coating, covering the moist and tender chicken within. I can easily understand why this chicken is so beloved, and it is a very good value as well.

Ajarian Khachapuri at Jana Grill (Watertown)
Only a few local spots make Khachapuri, Georgian cheese bread, and the best I've tasted has been at the Jana Grill. Khachapuri is made in numerous ways and one of the most popular is the Adjarian, where the bread is molded into a boat shape and the middle is topped by a soft-boiled egg or just the yolk. Jana's version is pure comfort food, with a crust that's cooked perfectly to a nice golden brown, with a crisp exterior and a light, fluffy interior. The thick crust surrounding the middle even had cheese inside of it. The cheesy blend in the middle, when mixed with the egg yolk, was salty, cheesy, creamy and rich of umami. Each bite made me want to have another.

Goat Cheese Rangoon at East of Suez (Wolfeboro, NH)
East of Suez, a Pan Asian restaurant, is a delightful culinary destination in New Hampshire with plenty of tasty options. It's also BYOB, which is another reason to dine there. Their Goat Cheese Rangoon are made from local goat cheese, seasoned with fresh herbs, and enveloped in a deep-fried wonton skin with a sweet chili sauce dip. I'm not a fan of Crab Rangoon, with their fake crab meat and cream cheese, but I loved these goat cheese rangoon. Fried perfectly, with a crunchy exterior, the creamy goat cheese was a delight on the palate, enhanced by the sweet chili dip. Why can't more restaurants make something similar rather than the usual crab rangoon?

Pork Milanese at Osteria Posto (Waltham)
Osteria Posto is one of my favorite suburban Italian restaurants, and dishes like this are part of the reason. The Pork Milanese, made with mozzarella and tomatoes, was a killer dish. The plump little tomatoes spray your mouth with hot juices. The pork, pounded thin, was coated with a thin, crispy coating and the pork itself was very tender, covered with plenty of gooey cheese. You almost didn't need a knife to cut it. Overall, though it was an amply-sized piece of pork, the overall dish seemed light and you would definitely eat every piece.

Friptura De Miel at Moldova Restaurant (Newton)
I love lamb and the Moldova Restaurant knows well how to prepare it. Their Friptura De Miel is made from roasted lamb, stewed in a special wine and rosemary sauce, and it was served with polenta, feta cheese and sour cream. The lamb was cooked for over four hours, braised and then roasted in the oven. All that slow cooking made the lamb extremely tender, and you certainly didn't need a knife to cut it. The lamb was superb, with a hint of rosemary, and plenty of juicy, tender meat, lacking that gaminess which turns off some people to lamb. As a lamb lover, this dish impressed me immensely.

Torched Salmon Sashimi at Legal Harborside (Boston)
I haven't yet written about this dining experience but it was too good not to include on this list. The Torched Sashimi is made with Ōra King Tyee Salmon, farmed in New Zealand, which some say is like the Waygu beef of the seafood world. Made with ponzu sauce, a slice of jalapeño, and some soy sauce bubbles, this salmon was so rich and fatty, silky like butter, and well accented by the hint of heat and the umami of the soy. Pure hedonistic gustatory pleasure. Legal Harborside is the only New England restaurant that has any of these unique salmons.

Cinnamon Roll at Katie's Kitchen (Wolfeboro, NH)
Have to end this list with some home-made sweetness, a Cinnamon Roll from a cool, little breakfast spot in New Hampshire. It is everything you want in such a pastry, fresh, soft and full of plenty of rich cinnamon, as well as covered with a mildly sweet glaze. Though it comes with a large pat of butter, you won't need it for this sweet treat. This is one of the best cinnamon rolls that I've eaten at a restaurant. I'd come to Katie's Kitchen just for a couple of these pastries.

What were some of your favorite restaurant dishes of the past year?