Food of 2009, Food of 2010 (food)

Some highlights of food in 2009, and food plans for 2010:

Favorite restaurant: Eleven Madison Park, no contest. For lunch and dinner.

Most memorable: Pascal Barbot guesting at Ko. True European 3 Michelin Star food without having to travel. Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

Most eye-opening: Eating in the countryside with the best natural food flavors at Blue Hill at Stone Barns. The tastiest eggs, tomatoes, chicken, and more.

Most indulgent: The 3 week food-fest when my Mom came to visit.

Restaurant I love: Marea. Second to EMP, the pasta is terrific but the fish is really at another level.

Restaurant I wanted to love but didn't: Joel Robuchon at the Mansion. The food here is certainly first class, but it wasn't majestic enough to make it worth its price tag.

Terrific but overshadowed by the extraordinary: Picasso and SHO

Most surreal: My trip to Vegas. 10 days in Vegas is too much. I did a lot of eating.

Rediscovering New York: Pizza in Brooklyn, asian food in Flushing and Queens, burgers and hot dogs, and down 1st Avenue.

Disappointing meals: Jean Georges and Bouley.

Unexpected good meal out of town: Sushi Taro in DC, found through the power of Chowhound.

Extraordinary comfort foods: Ramen, BBQ, the extraordinary fried chicken at Momofuku, and the consistently amazing sandwiches at Num Pang that probably constituted a majority of my lunches in the fall.

Looking towards 2010, I hope to be able to afford more good food, but there are a couple specific aims. First is to try some of the other amazing pasta places in the city. Can't always just go to Marea and Scarpetta. On the list are Locande Verde and SD26. I also want to go back to Kurumazushi. The most amazing raw fish meal I ever had, also the most ridiculously expensive. It's been over 2 years since I've been, so I want to see how it is now. In the meantime, Seki and Yasuda have been consistently remarkable. Any readers want to join me? Or any suggestions for other things to try?