5. SPEKULOOS ICE CREAM at WAFELS & DINGES

Wow! Thomas DeGeest and his trusty waffle crew can do no wrong it seems. Last year I gushed over the amazing spekuloos spread, which is made from spiced Belgian Christmas cookies (sort of a gingerbread meets a graham cracker) and is a must have as a topping to one of their dense, sweet liege waffles.

Then, this year they hit home runs with not one, but two amazing ice cream flavors. You can find their Belgian Madness further up on my list, but when I tasted the ice cream version of spekuloos, I knew it would be in my Top Ten. The ice cream is spicy and toasty with the perfect amount of sweetness. It works on a summer day or a winter day. And if you top it on a waffle with a drizzle of chocolate sauce, you will no doubt understand my high praise for this friendly yellow truck. Price: $3

4. SLOW BAKED LAMB LEG at HOSPODA

When the waitress brought us an amuse bouche of foamy, creamy Pilsner Urquell even before we ordered our food, I knew we were in for a really special meal at the newly opened Hospoda. But it wasn’t until I began tasting their inventive, refined takes on Eastern European dishes that I fully understood just how special.

We came to try the smoked beef tongue (at Time Out’s recommendation), but it was their slow baked lamb leg that left a lasting impression. The meat is served two ways: roasted pink slices and braised shreds. Both reminded me of my grandmother’s house, even though my grandmother could never cook anything as tender and delicious as this (sorry, Grandma!) It was served with a sweet carrot purée, tender roasted carrots, slivers of brussels sprout leafs, and a beautiful bright thyme glacé that brought the stew-like meat to life. Amazing! Price: Part of a $32 tasting menu

3. BA SI at FU RUN

This may just be the most unusual dessert I’ve ever had. I first heard about it when I opened up Time Out’s most recent 100 Best issue. There was nothing in the description that really made me want to rush out and try it. And even after having a wonderful meal at Fu Run in Flushing, I still only ordered dessert because it was on the list. And now I’m sadly imagining that if I didn’t order it then, I may never have tried this wonder.

The way Ba Si (or “pulling thread”) works is like this: you get a plate of caramelized fried starch chunks (taro, apple, and sweet potato) and a bowl of water. Then you pull up a bit with your chopstick (leaving sugary threads behind), dunk it in the water where the sugars cool and begin to solidify forming a creme brulée-like crust. Then you pop it in your mouth and enjoy the textures, temperature contrasts, and sweet deliciousness. This is by far the best dessert I’ve ever had from a Chinese restaurant and it makes me never want to question Time Out again. Price: $12

2. YESTERDAY’S 100 LAYER LASAGNA at DEL POSTO

Del Posto received four stars in the NY Times this year, which was quite a surprise. When one of their dishes (a fancy chocolate lollipop) found its way on Time Out’s list, I thought there was no way I’d be able to taste it. Not only because the restaurant is mightily expensive, but because the four stars ensured a very difficult time getting a reservation. Well, we found ourselves at Del Posto on a whim during a snow storm and had no problem getting a table for lunch. We also learned why it deserved all four of those stars.

The highlight for me was not that after dinner bite of chocolate, but instead the lasagna I had been waiting all winter to taste (I just didn’t know it). I didn’t quite understand what a 100 layer lasagna would look like, but it made sense when I saw the slices of 50 (I didn’t count) perfectly thin and browned pasta sheets layered between 50 spoonfuls of the most decadent old school pasta meat sauce (combo of marinara, bechamel, and bolognese) resting atop a bright red dollop of tomato sauce. It had all the rich, cheesy, meaty flavors along with the charred and soft textures of a perfect lasagna while retaining the elegant refined presentation you’d expect at a place of Del Posto’s reputation. It was awe inspiring. And four star worthy! Available as Part of Prix Fixe

1. BURNT ENDS at JOHN BROWN SMOKEHOUSE

My favorite dish of the year? Amazingly, it was a modest few bites at a brand new, off-the-beaten path barbecue joint. I was shocked myself when pitmaster Josh Bowen handed me a free sample of his prized burnt ends. This Kansas City specialty is rather hard to find in this city and now that Josh has perfected them, I can’t imagine anybody else doing them justice.

John Brown Smokehouse is on a quiet residential street on the outskirts of Astoria with a casual setting and wonderful smoke aromas (the good kind) emerging from the storefront. There’s a wide variety of options on the menu (including some damn tasty side orders), but once I got a bite of the fatty, smoky, melt-a-rific burnt ends, I really desired nothing else. The large chunks of charred, smoky meat are marbled with soft, tender fat and the strong BBQ flavor comes from Josh’s expert dry rub of salt, pepper, brown sugar, paprika, and allspice. He sells them as a sandwich or by the pound. Keep the bread and the sauce, just give me some more of that fantastic meat. This is now my new favorite BBQ haunt in town. Price: $10.50 (sandwich), $13.50 (platter), $20 (per pound)

10. PORK MILANESE at ROMAN’S

At most restaurants you may never have the same meal twice, but at Roman’s in Fort Greene, it’s completely true. The menu is brand new every day and while some favorites, like the pork milanese from the Time Out list return, the restaurant seems to constantly re-invent itself. This might make for an inconsistent meal, as other bloggers have hinted at, but the one time we went, I was pretty impressed and satiated by the Italian influenced meal.

Everything was good, but Time Out hit the nail on the head with this pork cutlet. It took a few phone calls to confirm it would be on the daily menu, but it was well worth the wait. This is the Italian version of a pork schnitzel, pounded until very thin and then breaded and fried until tender. The one at Roman’s was rather greaseless and perfectly seasoned. It’s topped with some bitter greens for bite and garnished with a lemon for acidity. If you find it on the menu at Roman’s, I urge you to order it while you can. Price: $19

9. CHICKEN BISCUIT at PIES ‘N’ THIGHS

At Williamsburg hangout Pies ‘n’ Thighs, the best things to order are the fried chicken and the dreamy rotating dessert pies. In many ways this chicken biscuit, which is served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner brings both those worlds together.

It’s a brilliant combination of sweet and savory. The biscuit might be the best I’ve ever had with a firm, browned crust and a buttery, flaky middle. Sandwiched between those two gorgeous buns is a battered and fried chicken breast that’s slathered in honey butter and drizzled with hot sauce. The spicy and sweet flavors linger as you savor the rich butteriness of the chicken and the biscuit. It’s a match made in heaven, well more specifically, at Pies ‘N’ Thighs. Price: $6

8. JERK GRILLED CORN at MISS LILY’S

When you think grilled corn in this city, the one place that comes to mind is Cafe Habana. Their classic Mexican-style corn found its way a bit higher up on my list. But this year Miss Lily’s opened a few blocks away from Cafe Habana and they’re serving a version of grilled corn that is changing the game.

This place is so interesting – serving both homemade cakes and refined, hip takes on Jamaican food. The vibe is a cross between the lounge of a big music producer and an island luncheonette. Here they serve what they call jerk grilled corn. The cob is grilled and blackened playing up the sweet and smoky flavors of the corn kernels. It’s loaded with a spicy and garlicky jerk mayo and studded with crunchy toasted coconut. It’s an inventive flavor explosion that makes me re-question where I should go for my grilled corn cravings. Price: $4

7. BUTCHER’S STEAK at ST. ANSELM

This turned out to be a beef heavy year for me. I ordered large ribeyes, bone-in strip steaks, and other cuts from some of the hotter new restaurants, like Red Farm, The Dutch, and Tertulia.  And I have to admit that they were all pretty flavorful and tender. It was a good meat year, but the best steak I tasted happened to be at newly re-designed grill restaurant St. Anselm.

Hanger steak may be my favorite cut of beef since it’s thin, lean, and full of flavor. I quite enjoy the chewy tenderness of the cut when it’s done right. And here it’s done perfectly. Charred on the outside, rich and tender throughout, and bursting with seasoned and meaty flavors. The bright garlic butter melting on top puts this steak right up there with the best in the city. Price: $15

6. GOAT’S MILK ICE CREAM at VICTORY GARDEN

That first fateful evening that I stepped inside the clean and bright shop known as Victory Garden was the night I begin my new obsession. This store sells any number of healthy and lactose free items, including soaps and sachets. But the main attraction is their soft-serve goat’s milk ice cream.

Not only is this ice cream healthier and cleaner than most soft serves, but Victory Garden offers it in exotic and cathartic flavors like Mastic (an anise-like plant resin that aids in digestion), Cinnamon Lemon, and Healing Powers of India (turmeric, carrot, nigella, and ginger). These flavors are balanced with sweet, spicy, herbal, and floral notes. It’s a wonderful combination and with some crunchy cocoa nibs or sweet honeycomb candy as toppings, you’ll certainly feel like you’re eating dessert. But won’t feel nearly as guilty about this new obsession. Price: $4-$5

NUMBER 50: BELGIAN MADNESS at WAFELS & DINGES

I bring people to the Wafels & Dinges truck almost every day on one of the Food Cart Tours. Their amazing liege waffles topped with nutty, rich speculoos spread is a perfect way to end the food crawl. That particular spread made my Top 100 last year (and look for another version of it further up on this list). But I assure you, Wafels & Dinges are not just a one trick pony.

In addition to the waffles, they make stellar hot cocoa, pulled pork, and this year they introduced ice cream! The flavors rotate from time to time and are created by former Jean Georges pastry chef Benoit Gerin. The first time I tasted what they call the Belgian Madness, I think I went a little mad myself. Mad because I couldn’t eat the entire tub. This beer is made with Hoegaarden beer, honey, and just a touch of lemon. The beer flavor immediately comes through, but doesn’t stick around long enough for it to be bitter or boozy. The honey and lemon mellow it out to make this a refreshing and well-balanced creamy delight. Price: $3

NUMBER 49: PEACH BERET YOGURT from WHITE COW DAIRY

In New York, there are so many artisanal food goods available at any number of food-centric stores. I very rarely buy these, not because I don’t want to support local small businesses (I do, I do) but because I don’t keep many groceries in my apartment. I can’t remember the last time I went shopping to purchase anything other than an item I needed for cooking.

But something about the packaging or the ingredients of White Cow Dairy’s yogurts made me want to buy a jar. It was an impulse buy at Murray’s Cheese in the West Village and I’m thrilled I decided to support this Buffalo-based dairy operation. Deciding which flavor was a tough decision, but the Peach Beret was intriguing. The ingredients sound are all over the place: peaches, cranberries, maple sugar, lemon, ginger, and spices. Do those flavors go together? I assure you they do and this creamy, chunky fresh tasting yogurt is some of the best I’ve ever had. You can bet the next time I’m in Murray’s, I’ll be stocking up. And coming from me, that says a lot. 

NUMBER 48: CHEESE CURDS at BEECHER’S HANDMADE CHEESE

I’m so sorry Beecher’s. Aside from some drinks and a few lunches, I have yet to actually purchase anything from the new cheese palace near Union Square. Beecher’s came to us via Seattle’s Pike Place Market earlier this year and they brought with them their Flagship cheeses, their world famous mac and cheese, a new wacky grilled cheese martini, and their fresh curds. And the most amazing thing about all this is that you can get free samples of any of them every day right in the store (except for that martini, of course).

If you’re here at the right time, you can watch the cheese being made and read about the curds. These squeaky bites of soured cheese are salty, creamy, and just a bit sweet. Beecher’s is smart to offer free samples because it’s pretty difficult to eat just one. I’ve thought about buying these suckers on a few occasions and will soon cave in, but I know how addicting they are and decided for my own best interest to resist. You, however, should buy a package immediately. Price: $5.75/$9

NUMBER 47: FROZEN YOGURT at CULTURE YOGURT

The frozen yogurt phenomenon took this city by storm a few years ago and has left sad, generic dairy chains like 16 Handles and Red Mango in its wake. The dairy dish got a much needed boost this year with the opening of Culture in Park Slope. When I first read about this place, I thought, “Oh no, not another pathetic fro yo wannabe.” But I was wrong, oh so wrong.

When I finally worked up the courage to head to Park Slope to give this a try, I kicked myself for waiting this long. The yogurt is made in house (take that, Pinkberry!) without any antibiotics and is sold both fresh and frozen. The flavors vary from day to day and everything I tried tastes like the flavor’s supposed to with a clean, smooth, slightly tart backing. If you really want to taste what they do best, order one of their speciality sundaes (like strawberry balsamic, key lime pie, or Vermont maple). Culture came at just the right time and saved the day for frozen yogurt! Price: Varies

NUMBER 46: STILL WARM FRESH MOZZARELLA at ABC KITCHEN

ABC Kitchen is a restaurant focused on local, seasonal vegetables, but they also do a fine job on pizzas, pastas, and desserts. And now we can add making their own mozzarella to that list. 

The circular mound of cheese comes out looking like Greek saganaki (without the flames of course), floating in quality olive oil, seasoned generously with salt and pepper, and wearing a lemon garnish. It’s soft and chewy with a rich, sweet milky flavor. I was a little upset I had to share this creamy sensation with the rest of the people at my table, but that was the deal. The cheese is expertly made in house and served “still warm,” which sounds as if it just came out of the cow. It doesn’t get more local than that! Price: $14

Anybody who watches Top Chef knows that food is supposed to look as good as it tastes. And some of those dishes the contestants put out look stunning, like works of art. And I’ve been fortunate enough to eat at restaurants where you have to really consider whether you want to use your fork to destroy the chef’s handiwork. But never in my 30-something years, have I ever thought twice before devouring an ice cream cone. Maybe because of the calories, but certainly not because of the aesthetics.

Leave it to the Italians to make me think twice. Amorino recently opened in the West Village to some major excitement. It’s the first U.S. branch of an Italian gelato company. They’ve arrived in hopes of giving Grom a run for their money and based on my first experience there, they just might succeed.

The interior is very classy and European and actually reminds me of the previously mentioned Grom. A few tables and chairs, but I imagine most people come in to take a cone to-go. Now here’s the exciting part: you don’t have to sample anything because you can get as many flavors as you’d like on one cone. Come again? That’s right. This is place is a dream come true for indecisive ice cream lovers like you and me. Can’t decide between hazelnut, banana, burnt salted caramel, coffee, and speculoos (a gingerbread-like Dutch cookie)? Well, you can get them all!

And that’s just what I did. Because of the handsome presentation, you can get up to 20 flavors on even a small order. What they do here is they serve little scoops of each flavor around another so that it blossoms into what looks like a flower-like cornucopia of gelati. It’s quite ingenious and is the cause of many “ooh’s” and “aah’s”.

Now since I don’t have much of an eye for art (and because I prefer the sweet, rich flavors to the lighter fruit sorbets), my cone wasn’t as colorful as it could have been. It was still a neat swirl of layered ice cream, but it was all sort of a wash of white, beige, and brown. No matter. The first bite or two was incredible. The speculoos was everything I imagined it would be, the burnt salted caramel was subtle and sweet, the coffee was strong, and then it sort of became blurry. I’m not sure if it was how I ate it or if I had picked one too many flavors, but it all started to bleed together. It became difficult to taste much aside from sweet, creamy, and cold.

But I fully blame myself here. The ice cream was smooth and soft and from those first few bites, I could tell they were deeply, authentically flavored. I think I just got a little over-excited with the range of possibilities. And so these little bite-size scoops became more of a tease than anything else.

The other reason everybody’s been talking about Amorino is because of the focaccina. It takes the ice cream sandwich to a whole new level. And that’s why they can charge $7 for it! We had to see what all the fuss was about. It reminded me of a cream puff. It’s a dark brioche roll that is magically stuffed with your choice of gelato. The bread is grilled, served warm and when you bite into it, the cold ice cream contrasts with the hot bread. It’s pretty brilliant. And I imagine most people who try it will love it.

For one minor reason, it didn’t blow me away. The brioche was a little too malty and sweet for me – it reminded me of a panettone (you know, those packaged Christmas fruit cakes). I was hoping for something a little more buttery and less raisiny. But the concept was awesome and I like the warm, hot bread with the cold creamy ice cream. Most everybody else will love this and for good reason.

And unlike some other gelaterias in the city, you don’t have to order a large size if you want to try more than one flavor. In addition to really great gelato, Amorino gives you options. And really pretty options at that.

Is Amorino the best ice cream in NY? The only fault I have with it is my own for picking too many flavors that got muddied together, but the fact that they allow that with their really good gelato earns them a 9 out of 10.

Summer is finally approaching again and with it more ice cream and gelato shops try their luck at winning the palettes of New Yorkers. And the war for best gelato in the West Village continues as Love Gelato opens up a nice sized shop on 7th Avenue, close to L’Arte del Gelato and Grom. What separates them is they make all their gelato in New York and they add a little, you know, love.

When I stopped by one Friday night, I was surprised at how big and sterile the room felt. I think I would have guessed this place was new, even if I didn’t know they opened only two weeks earlier. I took a look at the menu and the freezer of flavors. Nothing out of the ordinary here: coffee, nutella, stracciatella, hazelnut, etc. They must have had a busy night because a few of the pints were empty. No complaints here since they were closing up soon. This was a late night after dinner gelato run. It was pushing midnight, so I was grateful they were opened at all.

There was a young girl and guy manning the counter and an older Italian man walking back and forth. He made me a little nervous, but he smiled and I proceeded to ask for my gelato. I always ask for two different flavors in one order to get the maximum experience, but she told me they only allow two flavors in a medium. A small could only be comprised of a single flavor.

It always bothers me that they can’t put two flavors in a small. Mostly it’s to encourage people to order a bigger size. Well, considering the medium was a ludicrous $6.75, they weren’t getting me to upgrade. Before I even had a chance to think about complaining, the employee said she’d make an exception since they were closing. I was grateful, but worried the older man would give her a problem later on.

We sampled the Marscapone, which was nice and tart. But we settled on both the tiramisu and the nocello (hazelnut) in a cup. The tiramisu was very sweet right off the bat. I tasted the marsala flavor of the wine, yet no actual booze. There were slight hints of coffee and cream, but I wish it had been more complex and less cloyingly sweet. The Hazelnut was much better with a rich, nutty flavor. Yet after a little while, the flavor dissipated and it tasted like cold, sweet cream.

The texture on the other hand was very nice. It was soft and creamy, just the way all the good gelato in this neighborhood is. So based on this experience, I’m not sure Love Gelato offers anything that the other places don’t. They claim they’re more local and seasonal, but nothing in the shop felt terribly unique – other than more seating options and late night hours. Which in times of gelato emergency, might make all the difference.

Is Love Gelato the best ice cream in NY? It’s tough to distinguish them from the rest of the gelato competition in the West Village and while they have good texture and it’s made locally, the flavors just didn’t do anything special for me. 7 out of 10.

By now we’ve all heard about the gourmet food truck scene in New York and across the country. I even give a Food Cart Tour every week in Midtown and the Financial District that shows off the wide variety of food options from mobile vendors: everything from schnitzel to falafel to Korean Mexican tacos.

In this city, the craze started with desserts in 2007 when The Treats Truck, Wafels & Dinges, and Dessert Truck all started selling their gourmet sweets on the streets of New York. If you google any of those names, you will see they sell very different products and they’re all hugely successful.

So successful in fact that Jerome Chang (a former pastry chef at Le Cirque) even opened a “brick and mortar” location of Dessert Truck that stays put in the Lower East Side. Treats Truck will also be opening a bakery later this year. And Wafels & Dinges now have three carts in addition to the big truck.

The menu at this very comfortable wide open sweet shop is rather small (with just four dessert options, a handful of cookies and snacks, and two ice cream flavors), but somehow we managed to order almost one of everything. Granted, I did have a Groupon which entitled me to more dessert for my money. But however you look at it, I’m still a glutton.

We ordered an incredibly creamy and tart goat cheese cheese cake that was balanced with a sweetly floral rosemary caramel sauce. We also put away the Warm Molten Chocolate Cake with an intense dark chocolate gooey center that had a rich smooth olive oil center and some roasted pistachios for texture. A special deal was offered on the board that included a dessert, coffee, and macaron. And since I’m a sucker for deals, we also got to sample the Butternut Squash Macaron, which was one of the most uniquely delicious desserts I’ve ever tasted.

The Honey Rosemary Ice Cream was the TONY list item and if it wasn’t essential for my journey, I probably would not have ordered it. I didn’t come by here on my ice cream journey either since DessertTruck Works has a very limited selection of ice cream flavors (just two) and it’s definitely not their speciality.

But just like everything else they produce, the ice cream is intensely flavored and a real unusual treat. I absolutely love rosemary and when it’s incorporated well into strange places (like potato chips or ice cream), I’m won over. The salty earthy rosemary was complemented with a sweet honey finish. The only problem was that the ice cream was rather icy and a bit grainy. So it’s probably not the best ice cream in the city as far as texture, but in terms of flavor balance and uniqueness, it’s some of the best.

Would DessertTruck Works Honey Rosemary Ice Cream make my Top 100 of the year? Is DessertTruck Works the best ice cream in NY? The ice cream, like all their desserts, had a distinct and awe-inspiring flavor, but they only get an 8 out of 10 because the texture wasn’t as creamy as it should be. But it’s still well worth a scoop or three.

I’m a big fan of themes. I enjoy Christmas music (in moderation, of course) on Christmas Eve. I want to watch scary movies on Halloween. And I love making themed playlists (for example, all songs about rain or something like that). It’s not too dissimilar to my obsession with lists. Must have something to do with my ADD or OCD or one of those neurotic abbreviations.

So I love that Shake Shack, Danny Meyer’s blossoming burger joint  names their concretes (custard sundaes) after whichever neighborhood the restaurant is situated in. Shake Shack started as a small stand (with long lines) in Madison Square Park and continues to expand and expand and expand. A Brooklyn location was just announced and a Shake Shack just opened in both Miami and Dubai(!)

They serve the Shark Attack concrete in Miami, the Upper West Slide on Columbus Avenue and the Pineapple Upper East Side Cake on the… well, you can probably guess where. But the only location to offer the Great White Way concrete is at one of the newer locations – in the Theater District, of course.

I know I’m in the majority when I say that I’m not a huge fan of the burgers at Shake Shack. I think they’re rather bland and reminiscent of certain national fast food chains, which they are slowly becoming. I don’t understand how and why it’s the most waited for burger in the city. I think they’re just mediocre.

But the concrete we got from Time Out’s list, the aforementioned Great White Way, was worth waiting in line for (although you can use the faster B-line for ice cream treats). It doesn’t sound like anything too inventive (unlike their daily special custard flavors, which rotate and include everything from pumpkin to concord grape to pancakes and bacon)- this is vanilla custard with marshmallow sauce and rice crispies mixed in. Obviously it’s a re-creation of that childhood favorite: the rice crispy treat.

Now I was never a huge fan of those gooey squares. They had to have enough marshmallow for me otherwise I thought they were rather dry. But here it works on a whole different level.

The marshmallow flavor is subtle enough and the creamy vanilla custard sweetens up whatever the marshmallow sauce misses. And those rice crispies are snapping, crackling, and popping in my mouth. They make for a crunchy texture that manages to hold on throughout the dessert.

I never made it to Shake Shack on my official ice cream search (mainly because they’re technically a restaurant that serves ice cream as opposed to an ice cream specialist). And I’m not sure that they’re custard is the best. The vanilla flavor is a little too sweet for me and the other options tend to hinge on the gimmicky side. But when you mix in some interesting and appropriate ingredients (like these), they seem to elevate the custard to be one of the most intense and enjoyable desserts in the city. And giving it a themed name makes it that much more appealing.

Would Shake Shack’s Great White Way Concrete make my Top 100 of the year? The liquid rice crispy treat is better than the real thing and gets an 8 out of 10 because I could (and would) eat it after every meal.

10. CHENNAI KATI ROLL at BIRYANI CART

Giving the Food Cart walking tours for Urban Oyster this year has not only been fulfilling (because I get to use my food knowledge to show people great places to eat), but also filling (because I get to sample lots and lots of street food).

My most exciting discovery from a food cart this year was a dish New York foodies have been talking about for years. Meru Sikder from Biryani Cart has even won the People’s Choice Vendy Award two years in a row. And I can only imagine it has quite a lot to do with his kati rolls.

Kati rolls are often referred to as Indian burritos. Chicken, lamb, or vegetables are marinated and grilled with any number of seasonings. Then it’s wrapped up in a handmade chapati bread that is pan-fried on the cart. They come in any number of sauce and spice options, including an Indian-spicy that’s not on the visible menu.

The chennai chicken roll is made with a sweet chili sauce that has the right amount of heat for an American palate and all the perfect soft and crunchy textures and rich and buttery flavors as all the kati roll options. Meru is opening a second cart in 2011 called Juicy Wings, where he will be spinning a take on american chicken wings. I can only imagine what will make my Top 100 list next year from the new cart.

I’m never surprised when the tour attendees “ooh” and “aah” over our kati roll tastings. They’re truly something special. And if you want to hear more about these wonderful little wraps (not to mention taste them), you’ll have to sign up for the tour. Price: $6

9. ARROZ DE PATO at ALDEA

8. ICE CREAM CAKES at QUALITY MEATS

7. PIZZA DEL PAPA at KESTÉ

I tried lots of pizzas this year, but one stood out as being so unique and traditional that I’ve been back many times since to share it with friends.

I’m talking about the Pizza del Papa (pizza for the Pope) at Kesté. Of course, I visited this traditional Neapolitan pizzeria on my pizza video over a year ago. So I’ve written on and on about their perfect tender, charred dough and their fresh flavorful toppings. But it bears repeating,

My favorite pie features the colors of the Vatican flag and the flavors of heaven. The toppings are butternut squash cream, artichokes, blistered red and yellow pepper, and a special smoked mozzarella cheese. This pizza was like taking a bite out of a campfire, but with gooey cheesy goodness. And without the actual burning sensation of a fire in your mouth. The only burning sensation I had was the desire to eat it all over again. Price: $16

6. CAULIFLOWER SALAD at TANOREEN

If you were to ask me about my least favorite vegetable, odds are the word “cauliflower” would come to mind. I’ve always found it colorless, bland, and overly chewy. Broccoli’s sad albino brother.

So if somebody could make me forget my issues for a spell and re-consider the flowered vegetable, it would have to be pretty spectacular. And that’s what happened with the caulfilower salad at Tanoreen, a popular Middle Eastern neighborhood restaurant in Bay Ridge in the far reaches of Brooklyn.

The cauliflower is sauteed and browned until the florets are incredibly crispy and exhibit a smoky flavor. Then the monster vegetables are drizzled with fresh and earthy tahini sauce, a sweet and tart pomegranate molasses, plenty of lemon for bright acidity, and some crunchy parsley springs. It’s an experiment in balanced textures and flavors. And it’s a success.

Every menu item I tasted was phenomenal. Chef Rawia Bishara has a brilliant way of making Middle Eastern dishes taste livelier and fresher than I’ve ever experienced. In fact all the food was so good, we ordered some extra helpings to go just so we could re-live them without making the trip to Bay Ridge again so soon. And now that those leftovers are long gone, it’s time to find a reason (and a mode of transportation) to get out there again. For cauliflower no less! Price: $6.50

Photo Courtesy of: flickr.com

Custard is made with a good deal of eggs and is frozen in a special machine. It makes the ice cream thicker and richer. And in a lot of ways, it makes it a more enjoyable sensation on the mouth. Mouth Feel.

To my knowledge, there aren’t many options for frozen custard in New York. Speaking of huge, I think most locals know Shake Shack by now. They sort of cornered the market on frozen custard in the city creating crazy flavors like Pancakes and Bacon, Concord Grape, and Apple Cinnamon Raisin.

But much more humbly and further away from the spotlight in the Latin American neighborhood of Corona in Queens, Timmy O’s opened about two years ago and they’re making some of the best custard I’ve had in the city or anywhere for that matter.

And before we even arrived, I fell in love with this place. We were at dinner in Flushing and I decided to call Timmy O’s to make sure they were still open (for the night and for the season). I didn’t realize I was actually calling Timmy O’s cellphone. He told me they would be open until 9 but he was not at the store. Sort of disappointed I wouldn’t get to meet this exuberant voice, we still decided to try it out.

They’re a much smaller operation than Shake Shack. Based on articles on the wall and stories the wonderfully sweet employee Rita told us, Timmy has a huge passion for making the custard (he makes it all on premises) and even attended ice cream school in St. Louis. They always offer three choices: vanilla, chocolate, and one special (it was passion fruit today). And Rita quickly gave us a taste of all three.

Wow! These are gourmet custards and instead of using gimmicky flavors (like a previously mentioned burger hut), Timmy O’s makes his with really special ingredients: the vanilla is a special Madagascar vanilla and the chocolate is made from a fancy Dutch cocoa. And you can tell in the flavor that these are more than just generic chocolate and vanilla. They have rich, deep flavors that come alive on your palate. The passion fruit (which is not my favorite dessert flavor) also worked surprisingly well in a dairy form. It wasn’t too tart, not too sweet, perfectly balanced and intensely flavored.

Not sure what to get (Rita kept giving us so many recommendations!), we settled on what they call the Mexican Sundae concrete. It involved both chocolate and vanilla custard, Mexican peanuts (which are just salted), and chocolate suace.

Now a concrete is custard aggressively blended with a topping and then served with a spoon. It’s usually turned upside down to show how thick it is (much like actual concrete, but more delicious). That’s not exactly what we got here. Rita did use the blender, but it ended up being built more like a sundae with whipped cream, nuts, and a cherry on top. It was pretty and quite delicious (somehow we finished the whole thing), but not what I was hoping for in a concrete.

And that’s really my only complaint with Timmy O’s. Rita called it a concrete but from my experience, I was expecting something else. She said they don’t blend it that much because then it would get soupy. Hm. Not sure about that. And I’ve never seen a concrete gussied up and with all those toppings after blending.

But really, should I be complaining? With product this good and a staff this friendly and energetic, I should just shut up and eat the damn stuff. Which is what I did. Especially considering you don’t get frozen custard this good just anywhere in New York. In fact, I’d recommend Shake Shack employees jumping the 7 train to learn a thing or two about real custard.

Is Timmy O’s Frozen Custard the best ice cream in NY? The flavors taste real and the texture of the custard feels great on the mouth. They still get a 9 out of 10 even though I take issue with some of their menu semantics.

There was a little shop called Lulu & Mooky’s in the Lower East Side that specialized in liquid nitrogen ice cream. Which meant you could pick your base (vanilla or chocolate), your flavor (hundreds of options from syrups to coffee to candy), and it was frozen for you right on the spot with lots of smoke and science. I mention it in the past tense because unfortuantely, Lulu & Mooky’s closed just recently (I imagine from really bad business sense) and I never got to taste the “future of ice cream.”

However, down the street sits the original ice cream innovator: Il Laboratorio del Gelato. The name conjures up images of mad scientists in white ice cream lab coats. And while they make ice cream the old fashioned way, it’s their flavor combinations that pushed them into the future.

I’ve loved Il Laboratorio for many years and in the past have touted them as the best ice cream in the city. Well, now I have some credentials and experience and can certainly say they are up there with the best of them. And most of the city concurs considering they are a major ice cream supplier to many of the higher end restaurants in the city.

And I imagine most of those connections occurred for owner and chef Jon Snyder with his first company Ciao Bella. He sold the business in 1989 and after furthering his education, came back to the industry stronger than ever with Il Laboratorio del Gelato. And since then, he’s expanded his unique flavor options and made a bigger name for himself in the NY metro area. Today you’re much more likely to see Il Laboratorio’s product on NY restaurant menus or Whole Foods shelves than it would be to see the name Ciao Bella.

And while most of Il Laboratorio’s business goes towards wholesale, they do offer retail customers 12 different gelato and sorbet flavors from the outdoor stand that is attached to their ice cream kitchen on Orchard Street. And this is a must stop for me every time I find myself even remotely in this area during their business hours (only until 6pm daily).

The flavors run the gamut from cheddar cheese to honey lavender to bourbon pecan to gala apple. The flavors are all unique and as thought out and carefully prepared as any savory dish at a high end restaurant. You can even see the ice cream chefs in the back of the storefront hard at work developing the latest flavor. And the flavors they offer for retail rotate daily from their repertoire. I do wish they varied a bit more because I feel like every time I come by, at least half of the flavors are repeats. I’m dying to try their Pink Peppercorn Tarragon!

I’ve had their seasonal, fresh fruit sorbets in the past and absolutely love them. But this journey is all about creamy ice cream, so I stuck with the gelato. I sampled the meringue, which was a bit sweet. I tasted it mainly because I wasn’t sure how it would taste. When I think of meringues, I think of texture more than anything else. I guess maybe a sugary flavor, so the sweetness here made sense. And I acknowledged that this is a difficult flavor to fully capture.

I also sampled the basil, which basically destroyed my whole process. See, usually I taste a few flavors and then order something else to sample as much as possible. The problem here was that the basil was so perfect that I needed more of it. It had a strong herbaceousness, but was just sweet enough to make it enjoyable and balanced. It was amazingly creamy with no ice crystals and I loved that I was eating a savory sweet dessert that actually worked.

I was allowed to get a second flavor in my small order and had a tough time choosing from great options like dulce de leche and blackberry. But I thought Earl Grey would complement the Basil perfectly. And I was right! It was light and lemony and for me, rivals chocolate and vanilla any day.

It’s all about the ice cream here. It’s a take-out kiosk only so there’s no ambience besides what you’d expect looking into the window of a factory. The servers also seemed to have no personality, but since they’re chefs first and foremost and are not used to working in the customer service industry, I give them a break. But it does feel like they all just want to make ice cream and having to deal with the public is an annoyance of the job.

But like I said, it’s all about the ice cream, so I can let all that go and just enjoy their perfectly creamy, brilliant recipes. It seems like all the ice cream shops in New York are trying something new with cutting edge flavors, but if you want to see how to do it right and not have to worry about whether a flavor will work, come to Il Laboratorio del Gelato. I’ve seen the future and it’s delicious.

Is Il Laboratorio del Gelato the best ice cream in NY? The textures and flavors are all perfectly thought out and work well regardless of what you choose and even though the service is less than friendly and the ice cream flavors are limited (compared to what they make), they win a 9 out of 10 for the ice cream alone.