You are invited to the 7th Annual convening of the Banh Chung Collective! For the past six years, Diep Tran has gathered a group before Tết (Vietnamese New Year) to make these banana leaf-wrapped sticky rice parcels filled with shallots, mung beans, and pork. The event is open to the public for the first time and we would love to have you join us. Check out previous festivities here: 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2018.
It’s difficult to reflect upon 2018 without first acknowledging two events that shook me to my core: the passing of Jonathan Gold and the closing of Good Girl Dinette. It was a deeply sad year for those who root for the good guys, and truth be told, I’m not sure things will ever be the same. Still, I can appreciate the terrific meals that I had the privilege of sitting down to this past year.
Thank you for reading Gastronomy these past twelve years. And without further ado, here are the 10 best dishes that I ate this year…
Double HiHo Cheeseburger at HiHo Cheeseburger in Santa Monica, California
Made with 1/3 pound of house-ground, mustard-grilled beef, the burger’s fixings included American cheese, ketchup, onion jam, lettuce, and house-made pickles, all on a house-baked bun.
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Foie Gras Halva at Bavel in Los Angeles, California
There’s much to love about the entire menu at Bavel, but the “Foie Gras Halva,” a smooth and rich paté prettied with date paste, black sesame, and coarse salt, is on a whole ‘nother level.
The last time I ate at Rustic Canyon was in 2011, when Chef Evan Funke was serving up drippy burgers on Monday nights. It wasn’t until I picked up a copy of On Vegetables at my local library that I was reminded of the restaurant recently.
After zipping through Chef Jeremy Fox’s thoughtful forward and skimming some of the recipes, I immediately made dinner reservations for two. I wanted to experience firsthand the cooking of an ambitious chef who had finally found peace and balance in a professional kitchen. I hear it’s a rarity…
The Astronomer and I secured a sitter and made the trek to Santa Monica on a Saturday night. We were greeted with warm smiles even though we managed to arrive 30 minutes late for our reservation. The Westside is always further than I think it is.
The first dish was a fun take on the classic wedge salad. In place of iceberg lettuce was an array of endive, while the ‘nduja breadcrumbs and egg bottarga roughly approximated bacon bits ($18). A blue cheese dressing, blue cheese crumbles, and pearls of pomegranate rounded out the plate.