089 - Best of 2017

Edacious

Here it is folks. My Golden Fork Awards for 2017! What did I eat that was noteworthy? A lot of stuff evidently. These are dishes so tasty I have to talk about them at length, even months after eating. Which is how I construct the list, the way I've done it since 2009. It’s not a perfect method, just my own. Let me know what you think. Do you agree? Disagree? What did I miss?

2017 was different. A lot happened. To me. To our community. I found myself reaching for foods that screamed "COMFORT" more often than not. I also found my memory ain't what it used to be. So when I ate something that fed more than just my stomach? I wrote it down. Sometimes I remembered to take a photograph. I did away with limits, so there are not 10 dishes or one that tops them all. It's not "Best Of" meaning all the other stuff I ate was subpar. Far from it. This is not a popularity contest. These are my opinions. This is about the folks in our community who do the hard work. The Work of Food. It's about Big Love. These dishes gave me Big Love and comforted me, all of us, at a time when we really needed it. I'm so grateful to everyone who granted me each and every memorable experience.

Thank you for your continued support, suggestions, and comments. I'm honored and proud of our community. At the amount of food talent in our region. I’m beyond grateful for the opportunities my own version of the “Amsterdam Chess Club” has afforded me. 2017 in Edacious World? Not so bad. I took a class, gained a mentor and a student, did my first fundraiser, moderated several food panels, and met two of my heroes. I took my chosen vocation to the next level by just showing up. Doing what needs doing. In launching a podcast I’ve learned so much about our community, but even more than that I’ve gained insight into my own being which was entirely unexpected. The only resolution I’m making is to continue these connections. To do more with these conversations. To go deeper. It’s been a wild ride and one I hope you’ll continue to take with me in 2018. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! May it be joyful, rewarding, and full of good food, experiences, and BIG LOVE!

Best of 2017 Golden Fork Award Winners! (Photos Below!)

Cocktail - The Coat Room, Left Field Manhattan.

Beer - Champion Brewery, Shower Beer.

Wine - Jake Busching Wines. All of them. Viognier in particular.

Breakfast (a tie!) Blue Moon Diner. Anything. With Beignets. JM Stock Provisions, Tasso Ham Biscuit with honey and hot sauce.

Lunch - Roots Natural Kitchen, The Southern.

Dinner - The Coat Room. Will Bryant Curley and Reid Dougherty will treat you right.

Dessert (a tie!) Spring Wine Dinner at Caromont Farm with Chef Harrison Keevil of Keevil & Keevil Grocery and Kitchen. Pound cake with strawberries, whipped cream. Brasserie Saison, Dark Chocolate Ice Cream.

Takeout - Al Carbon.

Burger - The Pub By Wegman's. Medium rare. With Cheese, Lettuce, and Tomato.

Soup/Stew (a tie!) Soup - Justin Vesser's Pork Belly Consommé at the Soup There It Is! competition by WTJU. Stew - BBQ Exchange, Brunswick Stew.

Fancy Pants Dish (a tie!) The Shack, Chef Ian Boden - Green gazpacho, peanuts, olive oil croutons, cherry olives. The Ivy Inn, Chef Angelo Vangelopoulos - Bite-sized gyro at Meals on Wheels Taste This! charity event.

Sandwich - The Market At Bellair, The Jefferson.

Bread (a tie!) MarieBette Café and Bakery, Olive Baguette. Orange Dot Baking Company, Rosemary Major Muffins.

Snack - Mochiko Cville, SPAM Musubi.

Treat - Gearhart's Fine Chocolates, Malt Caramels.

Craving (three-way tie!) JM Stock Provisions, Cerdito Sausage. Carpe Donut, Apple Cider Donuts. The Spice Diva, Simon Davidson's Everything Bagel Spice.

Cookie - The Pie Chest, Oatmeal Creme Pie.

Brownie - Gearhart's Fine Chocolates.

Cake - Arley Cakes, Lemon raspberry Birthday Cake.

Cheesecake - Paradox Pastry.

Pie - The Pie Chest, Chocolate Pie.

Pastry - MarieBette Café and Bakery, Vanilla Cloud Bronut.

Events (four-way tie!) Love Fest at IX. Wine Dinners at Caromont Farm. Cardinal Point Oyster Roast. Fire, Flour, & Fork Merroir Lunch with Gabrielle Hamilton.

Edacious Golden Fork Hall of Fame - Dishes that have appeared on "The List" for 3 years or more. Congratulations!

2014 – BBQ Exchange - Smoked Turkey 2016 – BBQ Exchange - Lard Fried Chicken 2016 – Bodo’s Bagels - Pastrami and Swiss on an Everything with lettuce, tomato, and mustard 2017 – Paradox Pastry - Lemon Hand Pies 2017 – Pearl's Bake Shoppe - Plain Jane Cupcake 2017 – Whole Foods - White Pizza with lemon, arugula, currants, and mozzarella

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