Favorite Meals of 2022 (Part 1)
Favorite Meals from some friends of Buffalo Eats (original published in December 2022)
Wildair (source: Conde Nast Traveler)
For the 11th time, we have reached out to our friends to ask about their favorite meals of 2022. In what started as a fun way to connect back with all of our podcast guests at the end of the year, has turned into one of my favorite things we've ever done. We often get spoiled by the amount of thought and effort put into these responses and reading through these descriptions of meals that are fondly remembered just feels good.
So please enjoy our annual series and thank you to everyone who participated this year.
Regina Scrambling (NYC Based Food Writer): This procrastinator and her consort actually ate better in 2022 than we ever did in the Before Time, mostly because we were much more discriminating as restaurant prices had to go up but also because I did research and made reservations. Winging it really doesn’t work when you have to scope out which places have tables outside in this tridemic, and which are worth braving indoors when COVID case counts are down.
Interestingly, our real standout meals were not mostly in the alleged food capital of America but farther afield (at least in Amtrak distance). Our favorites in Manhattan included Llama San in the West Village, a Peruvian/Japanese spot where every dish is exquisite, and which might be the only place anywhere where brunch is better than dinner. Steelhead trout ceviche with togarashi, avocado and crispy squid was sensational, as was duck confit with egg, rice and the Peruvian chile sauce huancaina.
At Wildair on the Lower East Side, we had four-star food (and killer wines) in the street, like jerk prawn skewers and pissaladiéclairs, the traditional pastries turned savory with a filling of anchovies, caramelized onion, tapenade and cheese. We went out for Mexican maybe 50 times this year, and while Fonda in Chelsea and in Tribeca always turned out classic queso fundido perfection, two meals from more innovative kitchens were most memorable: Arctic char aguachile with caviar, and a tlayuda layered with the unlikely but sensational combo of celeriac purée, beans, figs and endives on a crisp tortilla, at Atla in Noho, and roasted kabocha squash served over charred cabbage with sour orange mayo and pepitas at Empellon Waterline on the Upper West Side. Laser Wolf in Brooklyn was vaut le voyage for the salads and pickles alone, although the whole trout was one of the best fish we ate all year. (All meals comprise the platter of 10 salatin, a grilled main and a dessert of soft-serve “ice cream” with pomegranate and date molasses for one price.)
Our saddest favorite meal was at Rebecca Charles’s Pearl Oyster Bar in the West Village on one of the last nights before it closed for good, after an impressive 25-year run. The crab cake the smoked salmon on johnnycake were, as always, stellar, the whole grilled pompano impeccable and the shoestring fries — the only shoestring fries worth eating — good to the soft/crunchy last bites.
For one of our rare eating expeditions outside the city, I picked the Washington Post’s restaurant critic’s brain before heading to Baltimore, which guaranteed we ate phenomenally well. Tom Sietsema was right about Alma, Charleston (“fine dining,” for sure), Cindy Lou’s Fish House on the waterfront overlooking the Domino’s Sugar sign and especially about the tennis ball-size jumbo lump crab cake at Faidley in the total-trip Lexington Market. But our blowaway meal was at Clavel (pictured above), which did Mexican even better than New York, with masa made in-house that was so great we bought a bag to schlep home. Tostadas, tacos, tamales and mixtas (a twist on quesadillas) were all fabulous.
Because Philadelphia is only 80 minutes away by train, and because we have good friends there who loan us their houses, we made five treks south and had dazzling meals almost everywhere every time. It’s a seriously underrated food city. Fiorella, aKitchen, Parc, Kensington Quarters (now with a seafood-centric menu), Cantina La Martina, Barbuzzo, Pera, Pizzeria Vetri, KPOD (new-wave Korean), Down North Pizza, Via Locusta and Le Virtu were just a few of the greats. Even the Mike’s BBQ cheesesteak we had to eat on a park bench in the cold was a revelation. Our favorite meal, though, was outside at River Twice, one stunning dish after another, with the most personable service. The charcoal-grilled softshell crab covered in golden Osetra caviar was just one bit of brilliance. Close seconds would be our two dinners at Gabriella’s Vietnam, starting with the water fern dumplings and ending with the justly celebrated shaking beef.
Finally, even I have to concede our trip to Maine was worth braving maskholes on crowded planes and airports. Eventidein Portland again produced many sublime dishes, like a crab roll with yuzu mayo, squash tempura with pickled mushrooms and wondrous bluefin tuna pastrami. In Biddeford, the “new Portland” just outside the bigger city, everything was fried right at Fish & Whistle, dinner at Magnus on Water was a revelation (not least for the Japanese turnips two ways with caviar and creme fraiche) and even the hipster Palace Diner was worth the crazy-long wait for the over-the-top bacon-egg-and-cheese sandwich with jalapeños.
Maybe the most memorable meal of 2022, though, was with friends in Booth Bay Harbor. We had planned our Maine trip to stay with them, but a heart attack got in the way. We booked hotels and used the plane tickets anyway, then a medical miracle happened: Our host was sent home early and felt well enough to have us over for super-fresh raw oysters, corn chowder, perfectly broiled oysters, one of his wife’s gutsy salads and her signature dessert, sliced oranges dusted with cardamom powder. As with every meal in a streetery, it was reassuring to realize it’s the food and company that matter more than the setting in this weird age of uncertainty.
Paul Hamilton (Sabres Reporter for WGR 550): I suppose I could talk about the beer cheese soup at the French Pubbecause for me, a bowl is so thick and big, it is my meal. It comes with two huge pretzel logs for dipping. I don't know what makes it so good, but it is the best soup I've ever had.
Elizabeth Licata (Author of Secret Buffalo, 101 Things to Do in Buffalo Before You Die): Our two places in Buffalo are Billy Club and Bacchus, for consistent excellence. At Bacchus, that includes any soup they happen to be pouring that day as well as the roasted beet salad and the chicken. At Billy Club, that includes a top notch Caesar with its tonnato dressing as well as the charcuterie app. They seem to understand what that's supposed to be. I also had a wonderful cacio e pepe at Inizio, and their housemade bread is just as good as the pasta.
We were in Pittsburgh recently and visited a place that has a Central/Eastern European vegan menu, Apteka. All vegan pierogi, dumplings, schnitzel, pates, stuffed cabbage and more are offered here and we had a wide range of it. The celeraic schnitzel, potato dumplings and squash/pumpkin seed pierogi were amazing, but really everything we had (8 menu items) was great. The placek with dark cherries was rich and refreshing at the same time. Much for Buffalo to emulate here!
Jessica Forster (Partner/Sommelier at Waxlight Bar a Vin): I can recount my top meals of 2022 from a 10 day span in France this summer. For our honeymoon, Ed & I ate and drank our way through the south of France, up from Avignon, with stops in the Rhone Valley, Beaujolais, Lyon, Beaune, then back to Paris. We had a delightful, prix fixe lunch at Emain Avenas, up in the hills (hills is putting it lightly, more like small mountains) of Beaujolais with one of my favorite Beaujolais producers, Julien Sunier, and some new Quebecois friends. The camaraderie of strangers, hospitality we felt, and the epic views made the uber-seasonal and local meal that much more special.
Later that same night, we went to what many consider the holy grail of French cuisine: Restaurant Paul Bocuse. It was, without fail, in my top 3 dining experiences of all time, perhaps even number one. Even though we opted for the beverage pairing for our 13-course meal, I poured over the wine menu for 20 minutes and had not even hit the halfway point- it was as thick as an encyclopedia. The wine pairings were made by chef-sommeliers from the restaurant's past which made them all the more special. The poulet de bresse en vessie (pictured above, read: Bresse chicken steam-cooked in a pig's bladder) paired with a vin jaune from Chateau Chalon in the Jura nearly made me cry. And then the cheese course came out. Our server and sommelier joked, "the more cheese you choose, the more pairings you get." But it was not a joke. We chose 7 different cheeses and 7 different glasses appeared in front of each of us. Watching the army of a staff waltz through the dining room with ease and elegance was so beautiful to watch. It's something you don't get to witness very often.In Burgundy, we ate at so many bistros and brasseries all offering their takes on the local fare, but we got to hit up the epic farmer's market in Beaune on Saturday morning- whole truffle for only 7 euro, poulet de bresse, a bounty of summer vegetables. Ed made sure to bring one of his knives and we had a most beautiful meal in our air bnb in the city center.
Lastly, we fittingly finished our honeymoon at Jules Verne, the restaurant on the second level of the Eiffel Tower. We were worried it would be somewhat of a tourist let down, but we were oh so wrong. The views were insane, the wine list was pared down but thoughtful & included global offerings, and the multi-course meal struck a good balance of decadence & light summer fare. It didn't hurt that the minute we touched back down on land, the tower lit up & sparkled as it does at 11 every night- pure French magic, and a whole trip I will never forget.
Ca Phe Rang (source: Blog TO)
Joe Pucciarelli (Owner of Extra Extra):
1. Chicken wings from Ca Phe Rang in Toronto. Stopped here for a quick Banh Mi and wings before catching a Yankees/Blue Jays game. Figured the sandwich would be fire, as Chef Tang has been pretty viral on social media for a while. But that very quickly took a back seat to these wings. Crispy, juicy, sticky, funky. Every single thing you could ever want in a single bite. I have dreams about them to this day. 10/10 would crush a few lbs of wings again.
2. Italian beef sandwich at the Barrel & Brine pop up. I know their last name is Marvin, but I’m calling a bluff on them. No way they’re not Italian. Maybe Marvinelli. Perfectly cooked, perfectly spiced beef that just fell apart seemlessly in your mouth. Crusty squishy bread to soak up the liquid. Tangy giardiniera to balance everything out. Couldn’t have asked for anything more. My friends and I have our notifications turned on for b&b in hopes that they announce another pop up. An absolute home run. 5 million stars to RJ and Lindsay.
Patrick Galante (Drummer for Ice Nine Kills, Co-Founder at The Beer Keep): This year has been a crazy one for me, being on the road for about 9 months of 2022. In that time I had some amazing meals throughout 11 different countries including the chocolate waffle pictured from a vegan cafe in Mexico City called Vegamo.
I also had the pleasure of being home in Buffalo the weekend that Strong Hearts (pictured above) opened their Buffalo location. Those garlic parm wings are SO damn good. I am a sucker for a vegan wing that has some sort of stick/sugar stalk in the middle to really give it that classic wing feel.
But the real winner of my Favorite Meal of 2022 was from a traditional Italian restaurant in Montreal called Conceria, which is 100% vegan. As an Italian who is also vegan, finding traditional Italian dishes is very tough, and I miss those comfort meals so much but this place was INCREDIBLE. With a menu full of shareable plates, my group of herbivores and carnivores enjoyed tasty olives, focaccia, arancini, ravioli with tofu “ricotta” in an amazing pomodoro sauce, and rigatoni a with a spicy red sauce. For dessert we shared beignets and enjoyed perfectly crafted cocktails. It was a wonderful experience for all. Being able to find and share awesome vegan meals with people of all dietary worlds is one of my favorite things about traveling. Cheers!
Dylan England (Director of Coffee Operations at Spot, Singer/Guitarist of Del Paxton): My favorite meals of 2022 were mainly takeout, due to a kitchen renovation that rendered our house pretty much useless. My wife and I both love to cook, so we prepared what we could for some meals. We made a microwave/instant pot/toaster station on the garage toolbox and carved out a post-Labor Day grill area, but colder weather and washing dishes in the basement utility sink gets old kid of fast, so we decided to try some new spots.
Tiny Thai was the standout for sure. Drunken Noodles with pork meant actual pork ribs, while the spring/summer rolls were perfect. 10/10. We love Sun Cuisines, and they have the pickled tea leaf salad which is probably my favorite thing to eat in Buffalo. We also live dangerously close to Nellai Banana Leaf which is a regional southern Indian restaurant, if that’s your thing.
I also must shout out Flint, who I wrote about last year. They have a new pastry chef now and the malted chocolate chip cookies are imho Buffalo’s top cookie. These are worth the lunch break trek if you work downtown. Make sure to get a bar drink too, I just tried their Chili Mocha with a big homemade marshmallow, dehydrated chili pepper and sea salt.
source: Buffalo News
Cody Weiler (Owner of Holy Smokes Supply Co): My favorite meal of 2022 is one that I've had dozens of times in my life. It's been in my (sometimes weekly) rotation for years, but this time it hit me a bit differently.
The best thing I ate this year was a simple pair of chorizo tacos from La Divina Tacos (pictured above) in Kenmore. A lightly grilled corn tortilla, melted Oaxaca cheese, spicy ground chorizo, and whatever your heart desires from the self-serve toppings bar. In this case my heart desired avocado sauce, green chili salsa, sliced radish, a squeeze of lime juice, and an obscene amount of cilantro. Just pull up a stool and assume the taco eating position: back hunched and elbows spread to avoid the inevitable grease drip on your pants.
Like I said, La Divina has always been one of my go-to spots when I'm in the mood for tacos (which is upwards of 90% of the time). But due to the pandemic I came to realize that I hadn't ventured back to my personal taco paradise in over 2 years. So not only was this particular trip a delicious lunch, it was also a representation that my life was resuming some semblance of normalcy...whatever that means.
When it comes to food I'm a fairly simple guy. Don't get me wrong - I've had some fantastic meals at some of the higher-end dining establishments that Buffalo has to offer. But if I'm being honest with you (and myself), my favorite places to eat are typically casual, working class hangouts. And for me, La Divina ticks all of the boxes.
Next time you find yourself in Kenmore, please stop in to La Divina and tell them that Cody sent you. They will have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, but I sure would appreciate it.
Joe George (Creator of Urban Simplicity, Local Cook): As someone who has cooked professionally their entire adult life, my favorite meals are usually those which I’ve cooked for family or friends, or family or friends have cooked for me. The one that comes to mind is somewhat recent and may seem obvious but it is my favorite for a few reasons. I’m referring to Thanksgiving.
Normally I spend Thanksgiving with family at a sister’s house where there are 20-30 people present. I’ve only missed this meal twice in the past 30 years and this year was one of them. I no longer cook in restaurants but for the past five years have been employed at a group home for the formerly homeless, and for a variety of reasons—mainly that I had to work—was unable to attend our family’s annual gathering.
After prepping and cooking and cleaning for a few days leading up to Thanksgiving (I am the only cook), and after serving the residents a full home-cooked feast, I packed up a double portion of everything and brought it home.
At home while leftovers heated in the oven I lit the wood stove and fed the turkey gizzards to my two elderly pugs who were dancing at my feet. My adult son came over and we ate Thanksgiving dinner while sipping wine and watching Sopranos reruns.
My son and I don’t spend as much time together as we once did so this was really special. The food, which was all made from scratch (including my late mother’s recipe for sausage stuffing) was delicious. But it was the company that mattered. As simple, or at least traditional, as it was, this is the meal I remember with the most fondness over the past year.
A great meal isn’t always just about the food, but more so the place and the people you are with.