By: tkonter
Asian, Bakery/Cafe, Italian, Mediterranean/Greek, New York, Restaurants/Bars, Savannah, , ,

Best Dishes of 2024

My foodie faves for the year (yes, I’m posting it late)

  • Cottage Cheese on Toast
    • Where I Ate It: Home – brand must be Good Culture, whole milk blue container. I’ve tried plenty of variations, but the best ones are on sourdough. Usually with flaked salt and chili crisp. Maybe tomato and/or avocado.
    • What It Cost: $5.99 for a 16 oz container. Plus whatever toppings, but the thing that matters here is this specific cottage cheese.
    • Why It’s So Freakin’ Delicious: I always hated cottage cheese. Very little flavor and a texture that gave me the shivers. THIS cottage cheese is different. It’s practically ricotta. Something about the creamy but hearty spread on top of perfectly toasted firm bread is just so satisfying. It became a hyperfixation lunch that makes me sad I no longer work from home.
  • Omakase
    • Where I Ate It: Takumi Omakase (honorable mentions go to Sendo and Thirteen Water)
    • What It Cost: I spent $165 total, including tax and tip, and that got me 15 courses PLUS two extra courses PLUS a bottle of sake. The omakase itself is significantly cheaper and still substantial.
    • Why It’s So Freakin Delicious: The quality is incredible and the price is tough to beat.
  • Dirty Martini Chip
    • Where I Ate It: Home
    • What It Cost: $15 worth of ingredients will get you a lotttt of chips.
    • Why It’s So Freakin Delicious: It really does taste like a dirty martini! It’s a perfect happy hour snack that’s salty, crunchy, and tangy.
  • Onigiri
    • Where I Ate It: Tokuyamatcha & Onigirazu Bar
    • What It Cost: Average of $11 each
    • Why It’s So Freakin Delicious: I got two because in my head onigiri aren’t that big (plus I wanted to try more than one after trekking there)…but these were quite large so one would probably do it for you. I went with the ramen-ish (pork belly, scallions, bamboo shoots, garlic oil, boiled egg, wakame, sesame, soy sauce, seaweed, ramen chicken broth flavored rice) and curry mackerel (mackerel, Japanese curry powder, cheese, lettuce, Japanese mayonnaise, rice, seaweed, sesame seeds). Both were so good and definitely the most unique onigiri I’ve ever had.
  • Spice Bag
    • Where I Ate It: Galway, Ireland (Xian Street Food)
    • What It Cost: €8.95 (note: the spice bag is in the background of the pic)
    • Why It’s So Freakin Delicious: Chinese food in UK/Ireland is its own thing. I learned this on TikTok when I saw someone showing off her order that included a standard dish (like chicken and broccoli + rice)…that she then topped with salt and vinegar fries, curry sauce, and crunchy seaweed strips. That single plate had about four different cuisines all mashed together, and they seem to swear by it. When Rebekah and I were finishing our day trip to the Cliffs of Moher, our guide offered tips on his favorite local spots and mentioned the Galway-famous “spice bag.” I immediately googled and learned it’s basically Chinese-style chicken with fries, a dry spice mix, sautéed peppers and onions, and often a sauce all shaken up in a bag. Apparently it’s the number one drunk food in the area, which proved to be true when we were attempting to place our order and a bartender came in to get one after his shift ended. We got ours topped with curry sauce and though it is not at all authentic Chinese, it IS authentic to the Irish experience. It was also crispy and vinegary and packed with so many things to perk up my taste buds. And it was a ton of food for not a ton of money. So, yea, perfect late night food.
  • Chili Crisp Alfredo
    • Where I Ate It: Home
    • What It Cost: $10 maybe?
    • Why It’s So Freakin Delicious: I made and ate plenty of good pastas this year, but this comes out on top because it was extraordinarily comforting without being overly familiar, seemingly a contradiction. It was also insanely easy to prepare.
  • Smoked Mussels
    • Where I Ate It: Home, Ekone brand
    • What It Cost: $13
    • Why It’s So Freakin Delicious: I’ve been playing around with tinned fish a lot in the last 18 months. I have found plenty I really like, but this was a standout.
  • Chicken Cantina Crispy Taco
    • Where I Ate It: Taco Bell
    • What It Cost: $5.48 on Postmates (likely cheaper elsewhere)
    • Why It’s So Freakin Delicious: The Bell is my guilty pleasure, and I think this menu addition is one of their best to date. The way the cheese on the outer shell crisps up to create a unique soft/crunchy bite is perfect. Combine this with a cheesy Gordita crunch (and a glass of wine and a Netflix holiday movie) and I’m in absolute heaven.