Okay, I know it’s a bit early to start with the best of 2019. With the holidays upon us this important post could get delayed and I want to share what I found in my travels during 2019. This year I’m going to break it up into best of Foodie experiences, Destinations, then Everything Else.
As usual, I found incredible eats out there in foodie land. In January I traveled to Snowmass for a ski trip. At the Viceroy Hotel, their restaurant Toro was amazing but what really stood out was the pastry chef’s offerings. Here’s a shot of the kabocha tart that blew me away. Pastry chef Ron Viloria trained in Japan for several years to perfect the Japanese art of fine pastries and I consider him a master.
Kabocha tart
On a February trip to Santa Barbara, my brother and I were treated to exceptional vegan/vegetarian fare at Satellite. We loved the gem lettuce appetizers and everything else the chef prepared. The owner is also well-versed in purveying top-notch natural wines from near and far.
Gem lettuce at Satellite
Springtime on the foodie trail
In March, my wife and I traveled to Maui for our first Hawaiin vacation. We found Habibi in the tiny town of Makawao serving Mediterranean fare with a North African element. The owner spent time in Saudi Arabia and the menu reflects his love of that cuisine. We had a combo platter with baba ghanoush, fried cauliflower, chicken shawarma, rice, and salad that was delicious. Be sure and check out this open-air, husband and wife-owned cafe.
Habibi in Makawao on Maui
May was a big travel month with trips to Cape Charles, Virginia, Cape Town South Africa, and a day trip to Annapolis. Cape Charles provided so much foodie goodness I landed an article with Edible Delmarva Magazine about the culinary scene. One of the things that stood out was the town has two excellent from-scratch bakeries- Bakery on Mason and Coastal Baking. Both bakeries are fabulous additions to the food scene.
Bakery on Mason Cape Charles
During the warm season, Brown Dog Ice Cream is one of the best ice cream shops in the country. My dog Sophie was in seventh heaven when Brown Dog’s owner Miriam fed her special doggie ice cream on the bench in front of the shop.
Sophie getting her treat
In Cape Town South Africa I went on a food tour with Cape Town Culinary Tours. Their Cape Town Food & Drink Safari introduced me to several types of African cuisine, ending with a stop at a wine tasting room. It was over-the-top-good. The owner of the tour company, Elsje, gave us an excellent taste of the town.
Elsje at Cape Town Culinary Tours
A relative visit
June took me to Fairhope, Alabama where my siblings and spouses attended ou aunt’s 100th birthday bash. Breakfast at Another Broken egg was affordable, fast, and delicious. All of us had what we wanted, me a granola, fruit&quinoa power bowl and everyone else yummy stuff like salmon avocado toast, mixed berry pancakes, and crab cake benedict.
Granola quinoa&fruit power bowl at Another Broken Egg
Later in June, I attended a media trip hosted by Visit Philadelphia. We ate and drank our way through the city of brotherly love. The best pizza of the year was served to me in a former fire station dubbed-Dock Street Brewery. Yes, the beer was good but the buffalo chicken pizza stole the show.
Dock St pizza in Philly
July was another busy travel month with trips to Rock Hall, MD, Oxford, MD, and Round Pond, Maine. During the Maine trip with my wife and her parents, we took the Cabbage Island Clam Bake cruise. This was the best lobster of the trip! We were fed two lobsters, steamed clams, baked potato, corn on the cob, and blueberry cake. What seemed like too much food ended up getting devoured. The one hour boat ride was educational and scenic, but the New England style clambake was awesome.
two lobsters at Cabbage Island clambake
Closer to home
In August I traveled just up I-95 to Wilmington, Delaware to see what was on the menu. For fine dining, Ciro Food&Drink was one of the best meals of the year. Located on the south side of the city in an unassuming strip mall, two CIA grads show what good food and wine are all about. The roasted purple cauliflower was colorful and ultra-fresh. I can’t wait to go back for a full tasting menu experience.
As September rolled in dry and warm, I headed to the Livermore Valley in California to investigate the wine and food scene. This valley is one of the oldest wine-producing regions in California and full of great foodie stops. My brother joined me as a backup camera guy and wine taster.
We were both wowed by the food and wine at Posada in Livermore. The owner, Eduardo personally served us food and wine, proving he is a master at both. Once again, a strip mall eatery blew me away and we did our best to eat everything that was paraded in front of us. We loved Eduardo’s creamy guacamole but the seafood tostadas stole the show.
Tostadas and wine at Posada
Best Foodie of them all?
In October, I was able to take Sophie for a road trip to Lewes, DE and on to Cape May, NJ. We were hosted by the Cape May/Lewes Ferry, a dog-friendly ship that crosses the Delaware Bay. In Lewes, I had what might have hit the top of the best foodie list of the year at Heirloom.
Housed in an old Victorian home, this farm-to-table restaurant ticked all the boxes. Great ambiance-yes, incredible food-yes, excellent wine list-yes, and the service was outstanding even though the place was packed on Wednesday night. The beet and berry salad was gorgeous and delicious with beets so fresh they tasted like they were just picked.
Heirloom beet salad
I was going to order the pan-seared Virginia fluke until I saw my neighbor to the left get the Pan-seared Moulard duck breast. The duck was served with baby carrots, farro, maitake mushrooms, carrot miso puree, and housemade plum hoisin sauce. It was outta this world and easily made the best foodie list.
Heirloom Moulard duck
A work trip to Santa Fe
In November, I attended the International Food Wine and Travel Writer’s Assn. meeting in Santa Fe. While at the meeting I had the opportunity to dine solo at Geronimo where they know how to make solo diners feel welcome. I ate at the bar and was later joined by two other solo diners who appeared to be regulars.
I ordered the four-course vegetarian tasting menu and devoured every bit of it. The food was excellent, but the biggest surprise was they had Luigi Bosca Malbec by-the-glass. It was a good thing I walked a mile to get there as I needed a good walk back to La Fonda after this extravagance.
Geronimo basil pesto risotto
With December upon us, there’s still time to find another best foodie place on the list so forgive me if I come back and add one more. I’ve got a trip to Easton, MD later this week that could make the list. One can only hope that each new restaurant proves worthy. Stay tuned.
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