15 Chefs Share The Best Thing They Ate In 2021
2021 was an interesting year, to say the least. It was a year of vaccines, of restaurant reopenings and closings, of staff shortages, of pivoting and readjusting to keep customers safe and businesses open. While many of us are hoping for a better year ahead, I wanted to take a look back at some good things that happened in 2021, like food.
I’m a big believer in the fact that a great meal doesn’t necessarily include the fanciest, most elaborately prepared food. Sometimes meals are great because of the occasion, the people you’re with or the environment the hospitality staff has created. To pay homage to the many factors that make a dining experience great, I asked chefs from around the country to share their stories on the best dish they ate this year. Here’s what they had to say.
Byron Gomez, executive chef of 7908 Aspen
Dish: Dinner at Le Pavillon in New York City
“My recent meal at Le Pavillon was epic. After working with Daniel Boulud aka ‘Papa’ for years in my early cooking days, being back at one of his restaurants at this point in my career was memorable. Tasting those classic French flavors, I was flooded with memories and filled with respect thinking about his impactful mark on our industry. Dishes like Mussels Billi Bi transported me back to cooking dishes with these flavors at Cafe Boulud. His Canard with Turnip Farci, a seasonal dish, made me smile and realize that cooking with seasonality is ingrained in me from working at his restaurant. Seeing Papa that night and talking to him about his kids and what our lives have become, and checking out the kitchen with my old chef friends Will Nacev and Christin Bourgeois, is a memory that I will cherish for the rest of my life.”
Rikku O’Donnchu, executive chef of Amorette
Dish: Omakase at HIROKI in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
“I had an unbelievable experience at Hiroki. From beginning to end, it was exceptionally well thought out. Finding the door to the venue, which is built into an old car repair shop that backs onto a bar on the main road, was a treat and made the whole thing feel really exclusive. The ambiance in the intimately set, beautifully decorated, understated, calming restaurant brought a feeling of authenticity and transportation—straight to Japan. The chefs behind the open kitchen counter were choreographed in harmony, silent in execution and almost dangerous in delivery. Dangerous, because you start feeling like you can quite possibly eat yourself to death. The whole meal was incredible, but the standout was the toro hand roll. The mouthfeel was like silk, the flavors from the fat as it heated up on the tongue were almost Wagyu-like and the freshness was outstanding. The rice, cooked and seasoned perfectly, and the nori, toasted and crispy; exactly how it should be. What a bloody great restaurant and insanely good sushi.”
Christopher Curtin, master chef and chocolatier at Éclat Chocolate
Dish: Oysters at Sweet Amalia Oyster Farm in Cape May, New Jersey
“I spent a day this summer checking out farm-to-table aquaculture at Sweet Amalia Oyster Farm. It was great hanging out with some industry friends and learning how oysters are harvested right at the source. We were on the beach all day working the oyster beds but come happy hour, a bar on inflatable wheels pulled up to the sandbar. We sat there for hours eating gobs of fresh-shucked oysters and sipping cocktails while soaking in the sunset. It was an amazing day. My favorite experiences in life are the simple ones spent with friends.”
Jessica Scott, corporate pastry chef at 50 Eggs Hospitality Group
Dish: Embered mushroom hummus at Albi in Washington, D.C.
“The coursed dinner tasting took me on an adventure throughout Levantine cooking that I didn’t know that I needed! The atmosphere makes you feel like you are walking into a setting that seems so hip and cool, but also so warm and welcoming, as if I was stepping inside a family’s home filled with smells of Eastern spices and garlic. My most memorable dish at Albi was the embered mushroom hummus. The housemade pita is so light and flavorful, and to dip it into a soft egg yolk confit surrounded by charcoal roasted mushrooms is just out of this world!”
Matthew Kammerer, chef of The Harbor House Inn
Dish: Thai Taco Tuesday at Anajak Thai in Sherman Oaks, California
“I went last July with nine other industry friends and colleagues including Daisy and Greg Ryan of Bell’s in Los Alamos, California, to celebrate the release of the California Michelin Guide. We ordered the entire menu four times over, celebrated with Champagne and forgot there was a global pandemic going on just for a night. Everything was just delicious including the scallop tostada and fried chicken. Most importantly, the ability to dine with friends was such a gift due to all the lockdowns we’ve been through the past couple of years.”
Justin Owen, chef at Ocean Restaurant at Cape Arundel Inn & Resort
Dish: Roasted suckling pig in Jamaica
“My favorite meal of 2021 is associated with my favorite memory of the year. While visiting my wife’s family in Jamaica for the first time since the pandemic began, we rented a cottage on the beach where we opted to prepare and share a roasted suckling pig at sunset.”
Alain Verzeroli, culinary director at Le Jardinier and SHUN
Dish: Sweet shrimp, eggplant, tomato and salmon roe at ATOMIX in NYC
“The best dish I had in 2021 was at ATOMIX, back in October. In this dish, the flavors of the changing seasons collided to create a harmonious and delicate combination. The tomatoes were ripe as it was already the very end of the season. The freshness of the Hokkaido shrimps was impeccable, and the work on the textures and contrast very thoughtful.
“Atomix is really a unique place. It is very elegant, yet humble, refined and calm. I lived in Japan for 18 years, and its atmosphere reminds me of some small, exclusive Japanese restaurants—real hidden gems in Tokyo where time is suspended. To celebrate my birthday I wanted a dinner somewhere calm and refined, which was exactly how I imagined this place. Chef and owner Junghyun Park is so talented—a genuinely good person, humble and elegant.”
Owen McGlynn, executive chef of Asheville Proper
Dish: Fancy seafood tower at The Ordinary in Charleston, South Carolina
“We head to Charleston every summer and stopping by The Ordinary for this tower has become a family tradition. It includes oysters, clams and shrimp, and I love seeing our daughter’s face in awe of how big the tower is!”
Brian Tsao, chef and owner of Mission Sandwich Social
Dish: Fig jam pizza at L’industrie Pizzeria in Brooklyn, New York
“The fig jam slice at L’industrie Pizzeria was life-changing. Mozzarella, fig jam, bacon, goat cheese and basil is a match made in heaven and having it on a slice of pizza is a true stroke of genius. It’s a perfect example of refined, yet approachable comfort food that I believe can save the world.”
LaMara Davidson, chef and founder of Cornbread and Kimchi
Dish: Peking duck and Osetra caviar at Hakkasan Miami at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach
“I just celebrated a milestone birthday in Miami with some dear friends and we stayed at the iconic Fontainebleau Hotel. We all needed a winter break and this was perfect! It was my 50th so I went all out; we’re talking Peking duck and Osetra caviar. Not only was it delicious, it was a production in itself! The server presented the whole duck in all its golden, crispy delicious glory on a beautiful plate adorned with orchids before taking it back to the kitchen to slice. It was served with perfectly steamed rice paper wraps, thinly sliced scallions and cucumbers, a tangy hoisin duck sauce, and the Osetra caviar was the cherry on top. It added a salty glorious burst. Simple, yet all the elements were there; fresh, crisp, fat, salty and sweet. The star was the beautiful Peking duck skin. It was crispy and absolutely flawless.”
Barbara Sibley, chef and owner of La Palapa
Dish: Doughnuts at Fan Fan Doughnuts in Brooklyn, New York
“During the early part of the year, I would drive out to Brooklyn once a week to provide meals for homebound seniors (in partnership with the Gotham Org) at Breaking Ground in East New York. The one treat that I would allow myself would be to stop by Fan Fan Doughnuts to visit its owner Fany Gerson. Seeing Fany, my friend from Mexico City, and eating her delicious hibiscus and passion fruit flavored doughnuts, made me so happy and comforted. They are pure deliciousness.”
Brian Beadle, head chef of higher education at Genuine Foods
Dish: Veal chop capricciosa at Trattoria 632 in Purchase, New York
“I love the veal chop capricciosa I tried this year from chef Cesar Orellana of my favorite local restaurant, Trattoria 632. It’s pounded thin and fried to perfection with a light, crisp breading. The arugula salad is simply dressed with extra virgin olive oil and a hint of lemon with fresh mozzarella, tomato and red onion. It’s a simple dish executed perfectly.”