I didn’t make a ‘Best Of’ post last year as I wasn’t really taking the blog seriously enough back then. Also, I think it would have been dominated by my trips to L’Enclume & Noma anyway.
This year I was certain I wanted to do something but as i’m a few days late and have already read many ‘best of’ posts I wanted to do something a little bit different.
So welcome to the first annual (maybe) Food Geek Awards.
There are 14 awards ranging from individual dishes, to best service and best overall dining experience. For each i’ve picked my top 3 in reverse order and have also linked to my review for the relevant dish/restaurant.
Whilst the vast majority of my dining experiences in 2012 were hugely positive, there were a few exceptions so i’ve created a couple of ‘Worst’ awards as well.
Best Side / Snack
3rd: Deep Fried Pickle Spears (Southern Eleven)
2nd: Home Made Pickles (Yuzu)
1st: Scotch Egg (The Hinds Head)
Best Starter
3rd: Pulled Pork Sundae (Solita)
2nd: Soused Mackerel with Cucumber, Pickled Lemon and Horseradish (The Hinds Head)
1st: Meat Fruit (Dinner By Heston)
Best Main Course
3rd: Saddle Of Venison, Beetroot Soubise, Risotto of Spelt and Umbles (The Fat Duck)
2nd: Waldorf Salad (Restaurant Sat Bains)
1st: Lobster Baked Hake with Hand & Flowers Carrot, Pumpkin Seeds and Lardo (The Hand & Flowers)
Best Dessert
3rd: Raspberry Soufflé with Buttermilk Sorbet and Toasted Oat Cream (The Hand & Flowers)
2nd: Tipsy Cake (Dinner By Heston)
1st: Sweetcorn, Miso, Passionfruit (Restaurant Sat Bains)
Best Festive Dish
3rd: Miracle Sandwich (Miracle On High Street)
2nd: Mince Pie Ice Cream (Solita)
1st: Christmas Pudding (Aumbry)
Best Tasting Menu
3rd: Restaurant Sat Bains
2nd: Aumbry Festive Tasting Menu
1st: The Fat Duck
Best Cocktail
3rd: ‘Candy Cane Collins’ (Miracle On High Street)
2nd: ‘Yuzu Sake’ (Yuzu, Manchester)
1st: Custom Made – Vodka, Cumin, Passionfruit (Pollen Street Social)
Best ‘Fine-Dining’ Restaurant
3rd: Dinner By Heston, London
2nd: Restaurant Sat Bains, Nottingham
1st: The Fat Duck, Bray
Best ‘Casual Dining’ Restaurant
3rd: Jimmy’s Farm Restaurant, Ipswich.
2nd: Burger & Lobster, London.
1st: Solita, Manchester.
Best Authentic Cuisine Restaurant
3rd: Italia, Manchester (Italian)
2nd: Bodega Dos de Mayo, Seville, Spain (Spanish)
1st: Yuzu, Manchester (Japanese)
Best Service
3rd: Aumbry
2nd: Restaurant Sat Bains
1st: The Fat Duck
Best Overall Dining Experience
3rd: Dinner By Heston
2nd: The Hinds Head
1st: The Fat Duck
Worst Dish
3rd: Christmas Tiramisu with mascarpone & Limoncello (Jamie’s Italian, Manchester)
2nd: Banana Fritters (Nam Ploy, Bolton)
1st: Habanero Burger (Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Trafford Centre)
Worst Overall Dining Experience
3rd: Momentum Restaurant, Westhoughton, Bolton.
2nd: Gourmet Burger, Trafford Centre.
1st: Taps Bar & Restaurant, Manchester.
As promised here are my ratings:-
Best snack:-
3.Garbage chicken wings – Little Venice, Trumansburg
2. Crisps & Balamic Dip – The Stagg Inn, Titley
1. Ham Croquetas – Esquina, Singapore
Best starter
3. Valley Venison tartare – L’Enclume
1= Soused mackerel – Hind’s Head & Cheese dumplings – L’Enclume & Roganic
Best Main
3. Wild Sea TRout with Qunioa – Lumiere
2. Heel of Beef – John Salt
1. Squab Pigeon with Girolles – Lumiere
Best Dessert
3. Mess of blackberries – Hind’s Head, Bray
2. Mojito – Castle House, Hereford
1. Milk Chocolate, Peanut & Blackcurrant – Gwynnett St, Brooklyn
Best Festive Dish.
None – The US doesn’t really do festive food.
Best Tasting Menu
3. The Tippling Club, Singapore
2. Lumiere, Cheltenham
1. L’Enclume, Cartmel
Best Cocktail
3. S.W.V. – Longman & Eagle, Chicago
2. Marmalade Vodka Martini – Lumiere
1. ALN – Kin Shop, New York
Best Fine Dining Restaurant
3. Medlar, London
2. Eleven Madison Park, New York
1. L’Enclume, Cartmel
Best Casual Dining Restaurant
3. Chez Casimir, Paris
2. Chez L’Ami Jean, Paris
1. Esquina, Singapore
Best Authentic Cuisine
3. Tamarind, Ithaca (Thai)
2. Da Dong Beijing (Chinese)
1. Jungsik, Seoul (Korean)
Best Service
3. Eleven Madison Park, New York
2. Roganic, London
1. Medlar, London
Best Overall Dining Experience
3. Eleven Madison Park, New York
2. The Tippling Club, Singapore
1. L’Enclume, Cartmel
Worst Dish
3. Cream of Tomato, Mushroom & Lamb Soup – The Heights, Ithaca
2. Kowloon Adventure – Kowloon, Boston
1. Squid Ink Risotto – IPO, Chicago
Worst Overall Dining Experience
3. P.J. Whelihan’s, Lehighton
2. IPO, Chicago
1. Kowloon, Boston
Thanks for your comment and apologies for the delay in approving it!
Very interesting to read your ratings, you obviously get around a lot more than I do but I’ve added a couple of London places to my list based on your opinions :)