2014 is drawing to a close. During 2014 I visited over 100 different restaurants, and like most data sets there were some that were fantastic. Here is a list of my favorite dishes from 2014.

Appetizer – Harlan Social’s Artichoke Muffaletta. It pairs a glass jar filled with an artichoke / olive salad (with tons of other ingredients) with a scoop of the wonderfully creamy Stracciatella di Burrata.

Appetizer – The Whelk’s Green Goddess Deviled Eggs made me a believer that this dish can rise to spectacular levels. The fried oyster and pickeled onions separates this version from any other.

Burger – The Walrus + Carpenter burger is a shoo-in to make my top burger list in a few months. A crisp char, flavorful grass-fed meat with Bourbon onions separated this rendition from the rest, an incredible burger.

Food Truck– Vanchetta’s Porchetta sandwich was outstanding. Great rotisserie pork with slaw, provolone, red onion marmalade…all hitting the palate simultaneously.

Meat Entrée – South End’s Pork Chop Scarpariello, a >1” chop with a few hot peppers, chunks of hot and sweet sausage, some incredibly flavorful potatoes and broccoli rabe and you have the perfect meat entrée.

Meatballs – How can you pass up the meatball sampler at Bar Sugo? Each is delicious by itself and together are fantastic.

Pizza – Locali’s “The American X-Butcher” grabs this spot. The dough was perfect with toppings that include DOP tomatoes, bacon, Vidalia onion, potato slices and topped with organic farm eggs. It was exceptional.

Sandwich –JAX & Co.’s Cubano. The combination anchored by incredible pulled pork was outstanding, and the spicy mustard really kicked up the heat.

Soup – Match’s pho ga was delicious. It was deep in flavor, the sriracha added a touch of spice and the hoisin the delightful umami. This was one great bowl of pho.

Taco – The pork taco at Rincon Taqueria is an easy winner. The shredded pork was one of the best braised pork dishes I have tasted and could easily be served as an entrée.

Not in Fairfield County…a special call out is required for the Luigi Bianco pizza at Fortina in Armonk. Start with a perfect crust and add some burrata, robiolona, and parmesan cheeses and then take it to pizza stardom with the swaths of black truffle. Wow!!

In my continuous and unending search for great hamburgers in Fairfield County, I returned to SONO to sample Chef Dan Kardos’ latest version at LOCAL Kitchen and Beer Bar. Kardos is no stranger to my “Best of” list with previous version from both Harvest Supper in New Canaan and NOLA (at this same location) earning a spot. The interior of the restaurant has been transformed, with more woods and lights plus the rear room (never my favorite) was converted into a Bourbon Bar. The new décor gives a much hipper and fun feel.

Chef Dan’s latest version is named “THE LOCAL BURGER” and includes all natural, humanely raised beef, sautéed wild mushrooms, bacon, Swiss cheese, fronions and black pepper mayo, encased in a Wave Hill bun…served with French fries and a pickle. I ordered it medium-rare and as I waited I looked through the menu. It includes four entrées, with the remaining items small and shared plates. Likewise it is very diverse in its cuisine’s origin, from Cuban Wraps to Pizzettes, to Pulled Pork Sliders and Thai Popcorn Chicken, the menu is a stroll around the world.

The burger arrived and the first item I noticed was its size, particularly its height. The patty must include at least 8-ounces of meat (sourced from Saugatuck Craft Butchers), covered in melted Swiss cheese. The cheeseburger sat atop the bacon, fronions and an array of sautéed wild mushroom. I cut in half and it was cooked absolutely spot on to medium-rare, the interior glistened with juice. A quick bite confirmed that Saugatuck Craft has great meat and the kitchen took care in forming the patty, allowing the meat to maintain its medium grind. The oozing Swiss cheese delivered creaminess and a great nuttiness. The fronions, wild mushrooms and bacon were intermingled under the patty, with the earthiness of the mushrooms the centerpiece of the flavors. The bacon was mild with just a touch of saltiness and the onions added additional saltiness. The pepper mayo added creaminess and a little spice. The Wave Hill bun continues as my bun of choice.

The fries were excellent, soft on the interior with a good crispy exterior, and seasoned perfectly.

Overall I though Chef Kardos’ newest burger, “The Local Burger” is delicious, with great flavors.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Little Barn in Westport is celebrating its first anniversary and a few bloggers gathered to captured the sights and tastes

The history of Rosy Tomorrow’s is an inspiration to all. In the early 1900s a young orphan named Rosy was taken in by a local merchants to help with household chores. The head cook of the family took a liking to Rosy and together they started catering numerous local parties. Rosy learned the power of food.

At the Great Danbury Fair in 1915 she opened a booth next to the beer hall and sales of her food specialties were spectacular, and patrons returned year after year. She later organized women to compile baskets of food for returning soldiers as they disembarked at railway stations. Over 65 years later, in 1981, the Fair ended and Rosy’s booth was no more, but Rosy Tomorrow was opened. Thirty five years later, as it approaches the 100^th anniversary of Rosy opening her stand at the Great Danbury Fair, Rosy Tomorrow stands as a tribute to the great woman, who started with nothing and gave everything to her love of food and her country.

Today, the restaurant stands in a red planked building reminiscent of a rail car with a garden room off the back. The interior with its soaring ceilings is filled with an eclectic collection of woods, lights, high top tables, and items from all walks of life. The menu continues this eclectic focus.

The appetizers include a Mucho​ Nacho Platter, Caribbean Fried Coconut Shrimp, Spicy Buffalo Style Calamari and California Mesquite Chicken Quesadilla, Rosy’s signature Fisherman’s Chowder, Chicken Pot Pie Soup, Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna, Bangkok Beef Salad, Lobster Cobb Salad, Kantang Chicken Salad, Thai Chicken Salad, ​​​​​​​and a South of the Border Cobb Salad.

There are plenty of burger combinations to choose from including a classic Bacon Cheeseburger, Swiss ‘n Portobello, Stuffed Blue Cheese and Bacon Burger, The Famous Garbage Burger (with sautéed mushrooms and onions, smoked bacon, cheese, Bermuda onion, tomato, lettuce and pickle), Maui Wowie Burger (fresh mozzarella, smoked bacon, pineapple, roasted red peppers, ranch dressing, lettuce, tomato and onion), and a Vegetable “Save the Earth” Burger.

Sandwiches are equally varied and range from a French Dip with a choice of sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onions and melted cheese, a Cuban Pork Dip Sandwich, Grilled Pastrami or Chicken, a gluten free Portobello Mushroom Panini to a Spicy Buffalo Chicken Panini.

For the hungrier appetite, Rosy’s Tomorrow offers a Maple Cider Chicken and Squash Kabobs, a Barolo Braised Short Ribs​​​, Atlantic Salmon, Baked Asian Atlantic Cod, Fish & Chips, and the daily Prime Rib of Beef au jus, while it lasts.

After 100 years of as a mainstay in Danbury, Rosy’s Tomorrow is a tribute to that young orphaned who knew the power of food and the love of the community.

When you think back on memorable meals, my recent meal at Le Languedoc qualifies as a perfect event. From the décor, the ambiance, the service and the food, each component was a perfect 10.

Located in downtown Nantucket, this French restaurant has several rooms and our group was seated in the rear room. The server asked for drink orders and described the additions to the menu for the evening. Included on our night was an appetizer of tomatoes and Burrata plus a lamb dish for the entrées. She mentioned the prices of each at the end of the presentation (which was perfect) and then allowed the table to decide from the regular menu or the specials.

For my appetizer I ordered the Tomato and Burrata Special and the Grilled Quail for my entrée.

The tomato and Burrata arrived and is was a generous portion, this was not the beginning of a small plate dining experience. The tomatoes were thickly sliced, sweet and delicious, and the Burrata was as creamy as any I have eaten. Basil leaves, plus a few drops of basil oil and extra virgin olive oil complemented the dish perfectly. The kitchen also added a few other greens, which were delicious but unnecessary.

My entrée arrived and I was pleasantly surprised that two full quail were included. Quail are usually very difficult to cut so I asked for a steak knife and when I made the first incision it was boneless, a fantastic way to serve. The quail was perfectly seasoned with a good amount of salt and pepper and cooked to retain all of its fantastic flavor and maintain its juiciness. The sides that accompanied the dish were a great balance of earthiness plus crunchiness that allowed the delicious quails to shine. We passed on dessert since we planned on ice cream at the Juice Bar down the street.

Overall this was an outstanding meal and our weekend in Nantucket.

I highly recommend Languedoc on any visit.

Two of us decided to give Heyday a try and I am really glad that I did.

Located on the southwest corner of 27^th and Lyndale, the restaurant is separated into two room. The first room contains a large bar, with several tables and the rear room overlooks the open kitchen. Adorning the walls are large paintings, the triple-pig swirl was a great painting for a restaurant.

The server walked us through the menu and was spot on in his service throughout the meal, major kudos to him. We decided to order three appetizers and three entrées and share.

The first appetizer was the Chicken Liver Tart ($9), which was topped with several varieties of pickled vegetables and green tomato jam. The liver was smooth and delivered rich flavors that were beautifully complemented by the toppings. The second dish, the Lamb Tartare ($10) was delightful, delivering rich flavor without any gaminess. It was served with two thick slices of toast. The toast was sweet and a great canvas for the richness of the tartare. The third appetizer was the corn panna cotta. The panna cotta was topped with a gelee and passion fruit. The varying flavors did not work together and the textures were off-putting. When eaten by itself, the panna cotta was outstanding.

Our entrées began with my favorite dish of the night, the Grilled Durade ($14) topped with slices of avocado, et. al. The filets were perfectly prepared and the spices were perfect and when combined with the toppings created an incredibly delicious dish. Close behind as the favorite of the evening was the Black Cod ($16) served atop baby corn. The fillet was cooked to medium rare, maintaining its gelatinous structure and the corn and sauce created an unbelievable flavor combination. The biggest disappointment of the evening was the Lamb Belly ($11). Simply prepared and served with sugar snap peas the three slices of belly lacked the bold and vibrant flavors of the other dishes.

Four of the dishes were outstanding, some of the best in the area. It is interesting of the other two one was too complex, which created an issue and the other was very underdeveloped. Overall I cannot wait to return to Heyday.

With all the positive reviews and posts about Pontos Taverna we decided to have dinner after a movie at the Garden Cinema. Our impression was quite different from all the positive accolades.

After a movie expect to wait for a table but ours was well within the 20 minute estimate the young lady mentioned when we left our name with her. Both she and all of the staff were incredibly pleasant throughout the evening, many restaurant should send secret shoppers to Pontos to learn from them. The interior is a cross between a cafeteria and a beer hall. No ambience whatsoever, no music at all, just the loud din of other guests…the ambient noise is deafening.

We decided to order a couple of appetizers while we looked through the menu. As I looked for an entrée I saw several marked “MP”…I would like to know the prices, but they were all reasonable when asked.

The Tzatziki was very good and offered a bright refreshing start to the meal. The Melitzanosalata included too much garlic, which overpowered the eggplant. I liked the Dolmades, which were mild and not overwhelmed by lemon.

I asked our server what she would recommend and with her reply “everything” I ordered the sampler plate, which included a lamb chop, a Beeftkia beef patty, a chicken Souvlaki skewer and gyro meat, served with Tzatziki. My wife ordered one of the specials of the evening, the sautéed Bronzini. The server forewarned us that the fish was served with no sides, but we still had appetizers on the table so it was fine.

The sampler was a hefty dish. The basic comment is that everything on this dish was overcooked. The miniature lamb chop was served well done. My two bites indicated that it was perfectly seasoned, but lost all its juiciness from the preparation. The beef patty was crispy on the exterior and firm on the interior. The pillowy interior I was looking for was not present. The chicken was the best of the dish, it still maintained a modicum of juiciness but was more dried out than juicy. The gyro meat was inedible, incinerated and no amount of Tzatziki could bring it to back to life. My wife’s fish was very tasty and cooked to the correct doneness but was smothered in oil, eating both filets was not possible.

It was obviously a different experience for us than many others. The front of the house was excellent but the kitchen was not up to the hype that others have mentioned.