As I departed from Eater before our annual roundup, I tried to resist the urge to recount my favorite dishes of 2024. But looking back on Gastronomy’s archives, I see that it was futile to deny myself the opportunity to “taste life twice.” It’s baked into my DNA at this point.

Back in 2010, the golden age of food blogging, I highlighted the year’s best bites by sweet and savory. My yearend retrospective simplified starting in 2017 with singular dishes that made the biggest impression: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. Continuing this grand, self-satisfying tradition, here are 10 unranked, brain-bendingly delicious dishes from 2024.

Vietnamese bò né at Nep Cafe in Fountain Valley, California

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Haitian salt cod patty at Alamod Caribbean Restaurant in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

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Khmer beef stew at Kim Sun Kitchen in Long Beach California

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Green chile sundae at Calichi’s Frozen Custard in Las Cruces, New Mexico

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Scallop with caviar at The Restaurant at Justin in Paso Robles, California

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Dan dan mian at Mala Class in Highland Park, California

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Myeonglan paste (pollack roe) at K-Team in Los Angeles, California

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Pork kidneys at Sichuan Street Food in Pasadena, California

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Waygu shabu shabu at UKA in Hollywood, California

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Blackberry cardamom croissant at Petit Grain in Santa Monica

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Pouring one out for the homies we lost this year…

Seared chicken hearts with veal brain ravioli at Poltergeist inside Button Mash, uni pasta at Isla in Santa Monica, white mole at Maizano in Costa Mesa, and loco moco at All Day Baby in Silver Lake.