Our Editors' Favorite Dishes and Drinks of 2023

Food & Wine's superlatives include a Kewpie corn pizza, Turkish coffee cream pie, and the ultimate lunch counter burger.

As 2023 comes to a close, the Food & Wine team reflects on the dishes and drinks that still stand out after a year full of incredible dining. These are our superlatives for the best things we tasted over the past 365 days — cue “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds.

Most craveable pasta: Mushroom Gnudi at Press (Napa Valley)

“This was hands down my favorite dish of the year. Press regularly has a gnudi variation and it's executed to perfection every time. This one had three small gnudi (like super light gnocchi) in a mushroom consommé. It's super savory and flawlessly balanced.” — Sean Flynn, senior editorial director 

Best slice: Chef Katsuya’s Original Mentaiko and Corn Pizza at Tonari (Washington, D.C.)

“While in Washington, D.C., I visited Tonari, a restaurant that's serving Wafu (meaning, Japanese-style). Several of the dishes were unforgettable, but my favorite was this square slice of pizza. It is a super creamy, topped with corn sauce, Kewpie-mentaiko cream, brick cheese, and chives. It was so decadent, fluffy, and delicious. It channeled my fond memories of eating creamy corn as a child but in a new, classier way. I'd like corn and Kewpie on all slices of pizza from now on. ” — Merlyn Miller, social media editor

Best dressed: Charred Broccoli with Cornbread Romesco at Marjie’s Grill (New Orleans)

“I love it when you order the most unassuming thing on the menu and are then knocked out by its complexity and the attention to detail that the cooks give the dish. I'm always up for roasted broccoli but didn't expect this depth of flavor from the coal-roasted broccoli salad at Marjie's. It was fantastic — tangy and funky from the lime juice and fish sauce and served over what they call, 'cornbread romesco,' a sauce made with crumbled cornbread, chiles, and cane vinegar. This dish gave plain roasted broccoli the best kind of upgrade.” — Chandra Ram, associate editorial director, food

Most dependable: S&P Burger at S&P Lunch (New York City)

“It's physically impossible to consume this burger in more than six bites, and I've gobbled it up in far fewer. With its plush bun, smear of mayo-based sauce, and its just-thick-enough patty topped with American cheese, tomato, crisp iceberg lettuce, and white onion, this is the platonic ideal of a lunch-counter burger.” — Lucy Simon, assistant editor

Related: 'Succession' May Be Going Away but Cousin Greg’s Real-Life Restaurants Are (Hopefully) Here to Stay

Life of the party: Fruta Fresca con Chamoy at Superbueno (New York City)

“I had this beautiful chamoy-drenched fruit salad during a very quick trip to New York City. I love this bar very much, and the chilled fruit was so good with mezcal and a birria broth shooter on the side” — Hunter Lewis, editor-in-chief

Most worthy of waiting in line for: Borekas (Los Angeles)

“It’s not hard to see why people line up for the intensely flaky (you might need a change of shirt kind of flaky) namesake pastry at Borekas in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood. This version, with a brown-butter laminated dough that arrives bursting with a ricotta-like cheese and za’atar, will make you consider buying a house down the street.” — Khushbu Shah, former restaurant editor

Most likely to brighten someone's day: Turkish Coffee Cream Pie at Loquat (San Francisco)

“It’s difficult to improve upon a classic cream pie, but Loquat, a charming new bakery that recently opened in San Francisco's Hayes Valley neighborhood, has done so by imbuing the filling with the pleasantly bitter flavor of Turkish coffee, topping it off with a thick mascarpone and cardamom cream, and presenting it all in a chocolate crust.” — Khushbu Shah

Related: Closing Out Your Tab, Picking Up the Check, and 9 More Ways You Became a Better Diner in 2023

Best way to end a meal: Chocolate Bourbon Tiramisu at Adalina (Chicago)

“This iteration of pastry chef Nicole Guini’s oft-changing tiramisu is layered with dark chocolate–bourbon mascarpone mousse, chocolate ganache, espresso-soaked ladyfingers, and a smoked-vanilla gelato. The sweet and smoky flavors took it over the top — I can’t wait to get back for more.” —Chandra Ram

Most likely to turn heads: Thai Iced Tea Nam Kaeng Sai at Kalaya (Philadelphia)

“Every single thing on the menu at Kalaya is phenomenal, from the tender ground chicken dumplings to the epic tom yum, but you have to figure out how to save room for dessert. You will absolutely regret not ordering this shaved ice, which arrives to the table as a generous mound of fluffy snow soaked in a fruity guava syrup and stuffed with a Thai tea–flavored cream. It’s a refreshing ending to a heavy meal.” — Khushbu Shah

Best main event: Whole Branzino at Calliope (Chattanooga, Tennessee)

“At Calliope, chef Khaled Albanna is cooking food that speaks to his Jordanian heritage. The crisp-skinned, whole branzino, from the mashawi (grilled) section is served with a luscious, creamy smoked-tomato tahini, matbucha (a Moroccan condiment made of cooked tomatoes and bell peppers), and a zesty, herbaceous chermoula. With every forkful, you get a different balance of the juicy, mild-fleshed fish and big, bright flavors.” — Karen Shimizu, executive editor

Best cocktail: Hinode at Ama Sushi (Montecito, California)

“I recently fell in love with the Hinode cocktail at Ama Sushi, located within the Rosewood Miramar Beach. It sounds like a wild mash-up of ingredients — Ilegal Mezcal, pineapple liqueur, dry vermouth that’s been slightly acidified, sparkling sake from the Fukucho brewery near Hiroshima, and black-lemon bitters — but the end result is savory, subtle, and ethereally smoky-tangy. The kinome leaf garnish on top (from sansho, or Japanese prickly ash trees) also adds a haunting herbal, aromatic note. The drink is excellent on its own or as an accompaniment to Ama's stellar Edomae-style sushi.” — Ray Isle, executive wine editor

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