I’ve already proclaimed on this site that Kelso’s Pilsner is the best version of an American pilsner I have ever tasted. It was over a year ago and I was amazed at the complexity of this normally bland tasting beer. For reference, most of the commercially produced light beers in this country are pilsners and we all know those taste more like water than actual beer.

The Kelso Pilsner was not the beer I planned on ordering at Pacific Standard. The bar was bright and lively with families and groups of friends hanging out over some great craft brews. There was a very relaxed vibe (especially on a Saturday afternoon) that recalls a friend’s living room or den – there are even a library in the back room. I wanted to order the Greenport Harbor Black Duck  Porter since it was a colder day and it’s a harder beer to find, but the keg literally kicked as the good-spirited bartender attempted to pour my beer.

So since the Kelso Pilsner was the only other local (within my jurisdiction of 90 miles from NYC) beer on their list and I needed to officially review it for my beer search, I thought I’d happily give it another taste.

The translucent golden beer was light and full of lively bubbles that resemble upwards snow. There wasn’t much of a head, but the nose was very aromatic, full of barley and bready notes. And I still love the way this crisp lager tastes. It has the tiniest bit of honey sweetness, but finishes very dry with complex cereal and floral flavors that make this beer incredibly drinkable.

Pilsners are not what I normally like to drink, especially on a winter afternoon, but Kelso’s version is phenomenal and remains enjoyable all year long.

Is Kelso of Brooklyn’s Pilsner the best beer in NY? It’s certainly the best pilsner I’ve tasted in these parts, not to mention it being utterly delicious. 10 out of 10.

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

French fries are a very personal thing. Some people like them thick, some thin, some soft and potato-y, others crispy and crunchy. I prefer mine somewhere in the middle with a real brown crispy exterior and a soft, starchy inside. Although if I have to lean to one side, I’d rather them burned to a crisp.

There are a handful of french fries on Time Out’s list this year, but perhaps the most simple are the Salt and Pepper Fries at Thistle Hill Tavern. This little bare bones neighborhood bistro in Park Slope is strangely co-owned by Fat Mike from the ’90′s hard rock band NOFX yet you’d never know it by the old school and sedate ambiance.

We had been here a few months back and I wasn’t overly impressed by the simple food and the price to portion ratio. And in all likelihood, if it wasn’t for the Time Out list I probably wouldn’t have returned.

But here we were once again and the menu hasn’t changed much. The typical bistro fare was still represented: pasta, pork chop, mussels, salads, and burgers. A little concerned we’d spend a lot again and still leave hungry, we opted for a burger since burgers are generally pretty filling. And of course, we had to have a side order of those fries.

Now for something to make my Top 100 they have to stand out and give me at least a moment of oral excitement. These fries did not do that. That’s not to say they were bad. They weren’t. They were hand cut thick from fresh potatoes and fried to a golden brown. They tasted like fries I would get at any decent bar across the city. And I wouldn’t complain.

But since this is supposedly Top 100 material, I have a few criticisms. The ketchup they were served with was supposedly homemade, but I couldn’t tell the difference from the sugary bottled variety. In fact I favored the spicy mustard they served with our burger. The fries were missing a crispy exterior, although there were a few toward the bottom that produced an exciting crunch. One or two of the fries were a little undercooked and were a bit too starchy for my tastes. But the biggest problem were that the Salt and Pepper Fries were not terribly salty or peppery. It wasn’t until I licked my hands that I realized they were seasoned at all.

The rest of our meal was an improvement on our previous visit (which was shortly after they opened). The burger was nicely charred, juicy, and came to life with a delicious slice of smoked cheddar. It was still a little small for the $15 price tag, but I didn’t leave hungry this time. I also really enjoyed the Kale and Arugula Salad, which started off rather aggressive with heavy dressing and a lot of flavors. But by the end, I was digging the light sprinkling of dill, the tart crunch of the pomegranate seeds, and the fantastically creamy and citrusy goat cheese.

Since it’s a bit of a train ride for me, I still probably won’t return to Thistle Hill Tavern (unless there’s a Time Out list item item next year), although the food is fine for the neighborhood and I understand the appeal of having a place like this near home. And their fries are tasty and I managed to eat the entire order, but for my french fry tastes, I need something a little more special for them to stand out.

Would Thistle Hill Tavern’s Salt and Pepper Fries make my Top 100 of the year? There’s nothing really wrong with them and they are perfectly adequate french fries, but nothing about them stands out so they get a 6 out of 10 since I probably would have forgotten about them by tomorrow.

The Bagel Hole in Park Slope meets all those criteria, yet it still felt like what New Yorkers call “delis” but are actually tiny little convenience stores. However, upon entering, it was clear that the main attraction here were the bagels on the back wall – despite the bags of chips and bottles of soda on display. I’d show you pictures of all this, but I was immediately yelled at by the listless worker for taking photos. Besides giving me a hard time about my camera, he also blocked the door when I was trying to enter the shop and it took him a while (he was on the phone) to get out of my path.

He responded as if I had defaced the property when I started snapping photos of the bagels. He told me if I wanted to take photos, I’d have to come back and talk to the owner on another day. Since I don’t live anywhere near Park Slope, I decided a return visit was not in the cards.  Even if I was allowed to take photos, there was nowhere to sit in the cramped little Bagel Hole so I took my plain bagel with cream cheese to the subway platform where I snapped away to my heart’s content. Technically I’m not allowed to take photos in the subway station either, but fortunately no MTA worker gave me a hard time.

The big complaint most people could have with these bagels is how much smaller they are than at most shops. I tend to think that’s a good thing. Bagels have gotten so much bigger over the years and this was a perfect size for a midday snack.

The outer crust of the bagel was perfectly crispy and crackly. Each bite was a chewy delight, but the bread suffered a little on the inside. Usually the crunch should give way to a soft tender middle, but this one remained rough, as if it had been toasted (it hadn’t been). It made me think this bagel was sitting out for a while and was a few notches away from going stale. I did show up mid afternoon on a very rainy weekday so their turnover might have been less than usual.

The cream cheese appeared to also be rather hard and solid, but a bite revealed it to be much fluffier than it looked and had a wonderful sour freshness. There were also a few stray pieces of poppy and sesame seeds hitchhiking on my plain bagel. I appreciated the added flavor and texture, but would have been much angrier if I had a seed allergy.

The bagels at Bagel Hole are much better than the ones you get at most corner bodegas. There’s clearly bagel craftsmanship happening here somewhere at sometime (probably not as frequently on rainy weekdays) and that’s the only reason I can guess they don’t want any photos taken. Maybe I’m from on eof the other nearby bodegas and I’m trying to steal all their secrets, but who wants to steal grumpy customer service?

Does The Bagel Hole have the best bagels in NY? I liked a lot of things about this little bagel, but some unpleasant service and a lack of a soft interior drops this place down to a 7 out of 10.

I was hoping to end this journey a week or so ago at Brooklyn Fare. But the ever elusive City Sub made that very difficult. It seems that their phone orders got so overwhelming for them that they decided to never answer their phones. Which made it difficult planning a meal here because their hours are sporadic and they’re notoriously known for closing as soon as they run out of bread. The one Sunday afternoon we journeyed out to Park Slope, we found the doors all locked up and the lights off.

It was a weekday evening when we finally completed the adventure and we made it to City Sub with 30 minutes before their 6:00 closing time. I admit, I was skeptical that we were going to find them open at all, but here we were sitting inside the homey, old-school deli with a modern suburban twist. It didn’t feel much different than a Subway (not the MTA kind) but the colors were less sterile and it didn’t have that hypnotizing chemical bread smell.

Time Out told us to order the Cajun Style Roast Beef Sandwich with a condiment recommendation of pepper jack cheese, sweet peppers, lettuce, and spicy brown mustard. They could have just told us to order the #18 as all these sandwiches are listed numerically on the menu much like at a Chinese restaurant.

I did notice the counter guy popped the Boar’s Head roast beef in the microwave to heat it up before toasting it with all the other ingredients on the George Foreman-like grill. I’m not a huge fan of microwaves in general, but I acknowledge their existence and understand that it’s quick and easy so I pretended not to notice the nuking.

The gigantic sub came to us all wrapped up, toasty and oozing with mustard, meat, and cheese. I liked how crusty and warm the sesame dotted bread was and I’m glad the ingredients were all hot. I’ll take a warm, toasty hero over a cold version of cold cuts any day. And while this was slightly reminiscent of a cheese steak, it lacked much flavor. I didn’t get any cajun seasonings whatsoever and the meat was so killed with all the processing and microwaving that I may as well have been eating a Lunchable.

I’m being harsh because the meat wasn’t bad, it was just flat, gray, and flavorless. The sweet peppers and mustard brightened the sandwich up while the cheese added just a mild kick. The best part of the entire sandwich was the bread. It was crunchy, tender, and held the sandwich together.

And while City Sub is still a welcome neighborhood alternative to the chain sub shops, I wish they paid a bit more attention to the flavor and process of making the ingredients (Boar’s Head is fine but can you imagine homemade roast beef?) and maybe answered their phones once in a while.

I just wish this particular sandwich wowed me a bit more. Especially considering it was my final stop on the Time Out list. Besides a more flavorful sub, some balloons and streamers would have been nice.

Would City Sub’s Cajun Style Roast Beef Sub make my Top 100 of the year? The crusty bread alone will bring me back here, but that’s all that really made this 6 out of 10 sandwich stand out from all the other delis on every single corner.

I like hot dogs, sure, but childhood memories of badly boiled wieners and the knowledge of all that goes into making a frank, has me putting off the hot dog challenge for as long as possible. I do like them once in a while (and it usually has to do with an event or holiday or something), but they’re not a food that I want to eat on a regular basis.

Now, proper sausages on the other hand, I could eat all the time (Thank God I don’t). And when the lines between a hot dog and a sausage tend to blur, then I’ve got some eating to do.

Bark Hot Dogs in Park Slope is one of the many new spots in New York that is trying to blur that line and turn the hot dog from a dirty water floater to a gourmet dish.

Although unlike at Crif Dogs or Dogmatic, Bark doesn’t really try to re-invent the hot dog. They just use the finest ingredients (as related from their list of sources on the table) and add some tasty toppings to their Classic Dog. Time Out called for us to try the House Dog so we just got a plain dog (minus any chili or cheddar), added some mustard and bit in.

What a snap! Just as much as flavor, I think a hot dog should be judged on its snap. And this guy exploded on each bite. It’s an exciting sensation and a slightly laborious work-out for your teeth. In a good way.

And the flavor of this pork and beef blend was hearty and complex. It had a meaty, rich beginning and a surprisingly smoky finish. I’ve never deconstructed a hot dog like this. And I haven’t even gotten to the bun which was perfectly toasty giving way to a soft interior.

The veggie version that we got (made of mushrooms and chickpeas) didn’t fare quite as well. There was no snap (I’ve yet to have a veggie version that’s successfully re-created the snap sensation) and the flavors and textures were a little muddied and soft.

But stick to the meat here and you’ll be happy. And it’s definitely gotten me thinking about the best hot dogs in the city. You might see a hot dog episode sooner than you think.

Would Bark Hot Dog’s House Dog make my Top 100 of the year? The link gets an 8 out of 10, much higher than I anticipated, but this frankfurter is fresh, flavorful, and fantastic.

But knowing that this casual eatery in Park Slope focuses on local and farm fresh ingredients (if you didn’t know, just check out their resource list), I imagined that looks could and would be deceiving. I’d be surprised if there was actually a microwave in house.

Bark feels just like a local fast food joint. It had the bar stools, the walk-up counter, and the greasy food to make you feel at home (if home were Burger King). So it was no wonder that the sandwich brought back those memories of eating on the run. But, of course, this is gourmet Brooklyn so even the fastest food is still cooked to order (and no longer qualifies as being fast).

We ordered our egg sandwich with all fancy fix-in’s: the house sausage (a ginger-flavored meat patty) and sharp Grafton cheddar cheese. The cheese was sadly a bit sparse on the sandwich, but we got to experience its rich, creamy sharpness on our cheese fries.

And really it was all these extra things that made the sandwich anything other than what you would find at your local fast food establishment (and I mean one that doesn’t convert its kitchen grease into diesel fuel). The buttery, crunchy English muffin was a perfect complement to the egg, which looked as if it had been scrambled in a mold (the menu says it’s slow-cooked). It was flawlessly formed, but rather bland and underseasoned. The sausage was the most interesting item between the bread. It had a dark pink hue and was rich, meaty, spicy, and even a bit sweet. The ginger flavor was a pleasant surprise.

The ingredients were all fresh and well-prepared, but the sandwich itself was really only exciting for one reason: It proved that you can make those classic fast food dishes with good ingredients, unique flavors, and you probably couldn’t tell the difference. Except of course, you’d have to double the wait time.

Would Bark Hot Dogs’ Egg Sandwich make my Top 100 of the year? It wasn’t much different than an Egg McMuffin, except it had freshness and flavor behind it and so earns a 7 out of 10.

For instance, the drink on our list at the very sleek, but welcoming Bussaco is basically a Manhattan.  When I say basically, I mean it is exactly a Manhattan – it just has a creative name.  It’s called the King’s County Manhattan, referring to the fact that this restaurant (and by default, this cocktail) are in the borough of Brooklyn and therefore the county of Kings.  Very clever.

So I’m confused.  Why is this on their list?  They wouldn’t put a rum and coke on the list, would they?  It would have to be made with some really special rum (or homemade cola) to be in my Top 100.

Maybe the ingredients to Bussaco’s Manhattan are what make it special.  They blend Michter’s Rye (Manhattan’s are usually made with bourbon) and Vya sweet vermouth (they leave out the bitters?), serve it up in a martini glass, garnished with a single Luxardo cherry.

Michter’s is a very popular brand of rye, Vya is an acclaimed vermouth producer from California, and the cherry is very similar to a maraschiano, but they’re dark and much less sweet – giving the real flavor of an actual cherry.  I’m not going to talk about the martini glass because I noticed nothing special about it.

In fact, I noticed not much special about the entire cocktail.  It was a well-made, standard Manhattan with top-notch ingredients.  I enjoyed it and drank it very easily.  But I was much more attracted to some of their other unique liquor combinations.  And by their delicious complimentary bar nuts, that must have been roasted with garlic, rosemary, and deliciousness.  These had a better chance of being in my Top 100.  The Manhattan was everything it should be, but really?  One of the Top 100 tastes of the year?  That and my amazing Ginger Ale from lunch the other day.

Would Bussaco’s King’s County Manhattan  make my Top 100 of the year? This is a tough one to rate because it was as delicious as any Manhattan as I’ve had, but I’m rating it based on the possibility it would be in my own list, so I think a 7 out of 10 is a fair balance between the two thoughts.  It was a good cocktail, no doubt.  But one I’ve had before and expect to have again.

But as it turns out, a financier can also refer to a French tea cake.  And chocolate can refer to, well, chocolate.

Colson Patisserie is located not too far from the F train in Park Slope and it’s a very quaint, bright little pastry shop.  I’m sorry I didn’t spend too much time inside because it definitely looked comfortable.  I had to buy the list item (the aforementioned chocolate financiers) and hit the road.  These little guys were packaged six together and they were perfect to enjoy later at home.

And enjoy them I did.  Each one started with a bottom layer of dark fudgy chocolate ganache and then topped with that buttery, almond cake.  The two flavors work so well together.  And I love how the firm cake melted away into the thick chocolate.  These really didn’t look like much, but they were sweet and heavenly.  I’m glad they were so small because I didn’t feel too guilty eating more than one.

I much prefer this financier over the one who will tell me what to do with my money. Because I’d rather just spend it on these little treats.

Would Colson Patisserie’s Chocolate Financiers make my Top 100 of the year?  They were light and sweetly addicting and they didn’t take too much out of my pocket (its namesake profession would be proud) and for that they get an 8 out of 10.

Now just to set the record straight, I did go to Mast Brothers a few weeks earlier and they had a great selection, but were sold out of their popular Almond and Sea-Salt Chocolate Bar. Maybe a lot of people were working their way through this list.

This is another item I took home with me and enjoyed later. The chocolate was dark and complex and the olive oil roasted almonds were nicely slivered throughout. I’m not a huge almond fan, but these were cut in such a way that they just really added some texture. The salt was subtle enough to not overpower the chocolate.

It was a fancy chocolate bar with good rich flavors, but not something I’d go out of my way to get again. I’ve had better chocolate in the city. And it wasn’t quite worth the 9 bucks – for a chocolate bar!?! It was only $7 at the Mast Brothers store, but the two dollars extra was a small price to pay to conveniently check off one more list item.

Would Mast Brothers’ Almond and Sea-Salt Chocolate make my Top 100 of the year? While I love interesting chocolate bars, this one didn’t blow my mind and was not worth the hefty price tag. But how can any decent chocolate get much lower than a 7 out of 10?