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.

Seemed like the perfect capper to a long food journey. The only problem is that we attempted to go to City Sub earlier in the week and they were closed both times we went. So I still have to get that stupid Roast Beef Sandwich and that will be the less-exciting grand finale. But c’est la vie.

Brooklyn Fare still happened. And I still got a delicious and innovative meal. I also still dropped the $135!!!

We arrived at 7 and were greeted by a sweet waitress. It almost felt like a community of “students”, but it never fully got there for me. Maybe my expectations were too high – or maybe the whole concept has changed since word of mouth has made it a bigger deal. But this was not a class. It was maybe an observation. But there was no introduction, no greeting, we barely heard the chef explain each dish as we received it. He sort of mumbled what it was and if you caught it, you caught it.

But even if you didn’t know what you were eating, it was still all ridiculously delicious. The amuse bouches started coming fast and furious. There must have been close to 10 little bites. And they were all outstanding.

I specifically remember a watermelon slice perfectly coated with olive oil and sea salt,

a sardine strapped to a potato chip,

and a plump oyster with oyster gelatin and yuzu. Every single bite was explosive with texture and balanced flavors. I knew we were in for something truly special.

Then we referred to our program (read: menu) which was the only hint that there was a syllabus. The eight courses were divided thusly: salmon, tomato, scallop, egg, black bass, ravioli, beef, strawberry. Now I have to do my best to remember the specifics of each. It explicitly said on the menu not to take notes or photos. It hinted that it was because they want us to enjoy the food without any distractions. Well, sorry Chef César, but I took mental notes and when your back was turned, I gracefully pulled out my Iphone and caught some of the artwork on camera for all my readers.

The salmon was a parfait (that was almost as small as the amuses) with lots of fish roe and a rich egg cream of sorts. It was good, but I didn’t realize we had technically started the meal. I was waiting for some direction or lesson. I guess all I needed to do was eat. And I did it.

The tomato course was probably his masterpiece. We watched as the sous chefs all helped compose the six-part dish that featured tomatoes every possible way you can imagine. Even the ways you can’t imagine, including my favorite: the tomato marshmallow. Each component was explosive with flavor. And you kept finding more components to the components, like the little gazpacho underneath the white tomato mousse. And of course, as almost an afterthought (or palate cleanser), we got a scoop of some sweet, spicy tomato sorbet. It was fantastic.

Everything was a surprise: the poached egg was topped with rich, earthy summer truffles,

the ravioli held some tender rabbit meat,

and the beef had a rich buttery foie gras on top so if we weren’t full enough, we were certainly stuffed by the time dessert rolled out.

Except it wasn’t completely satisfying. I felt the meal sort of fizzled out. Don’t get me wrong: I loved every little thing we ate. It was so masterfully prepared and presented with seasonal ingredients and unique combinations. Everything was great. But I wanted more. And before you think me greedy, let me explain. The strawberry dessert was fresh and summery with a tangy greek yogurt sorbet. But after all those canapes to start, I thought we would maybe have a petit fours or two (or four). I still wanted closure – both with the meal (chocolate would have been nice) and with the show itself.

The chef tended to really engage the people on both corners of the long bar. We were smack in the middle and while we got a nod or two (and probably had the best visual seats in the house), I felt a little gypped. Maybe my expectations were too high after that bang of a beginning. Maybe the “class” has changed since it’s grown in popularity (they will soon be getting a liquor license and are now seating more people each night). Maybe those couples on either end were regulars (although I’m not sure how that’s even possible). I don’t know, but I left a little unfulfilled (while pleasantly full).

I hope something really special and memorable happens at City Sub and then we’ll have our grand finale (that’s where it’s happening one way or another). The Kitchen at Brooklyn Fare served fantastic food and it was a really exciting (albiet) expensive evening out. I did feel like I was involved in some secret club, but that only the most exclusive people could get front seats. And I wonder if those guys walked away with a chocolate truffle or two. Because I had to get mine at the grocery store next door.

Would Brooklyn Fare’s Dinner make my Top 100 of the year? In all honesty, probably. It was really a fantastic meal – one that I will be thinking about for a long time. But I can only give it a 9 out of 10 because it started so well and then peaked too early with that awesome tomato dish and then fizzled out with a mediocre dessert and no fireworks.

It was a rainy day so we didn’t really get to take advantage of the cart. It was out and people were stopping by ordering the treats, dripping wet. Since we were hungry, we decided to make lunch out of it and eat inside their cute, general store type restaurant. And they assured us they served the ice cream inside as well. Perfect.

Except the food was pretty awful. The salad we ordered for $12 was one of the weakest I’ve ever had. It was served with avocado, carrots, cucumber, tomatoes, radishes. It sounded good with lots of fresh ingredients. And it was called a chopped salad, so maybe I should have expected this, but every component was diced to the exact same size. Even the avocado. There was no creativity whatsoever and the ingredients were all rather limp. The lettuce was only romaine and sort of brown. And the lemon vinaigrette had no complexity or kick to it. I think it was literally just olive oil, lemon juice, and balsamic. Maybe it needed some sweetness or seasoning? Something!

We also got the egg and gruyere sandwich, which fared a little better. It reminded me of a microwaved fast food egg sandwich (which can work well when done right). The egg was molded. The cheese was hard to find, but thankfully there was some flavor from the mustard aioli. This was at least edible and slightly enjoyable.

With all these failures, does the ice cream stand a chance? I was getting more and more nervous.

We ordered the “Salted Caramel Pretzel Ice Cream” and the waitress asked if I meant a sundae. I wasn’t sure. My impression was that all the ingredients were mixed together into a single flavor. Salted Caramel Pretzel. Maybe that’s how they do it out on the cart (although I’d think they’d have less resources out there in the rain), but what I ended up with was a cup of the salted caramel ice cream, whipped cream, caramel sauce, and some crushed pretzels garnished on top.

This didn’t seem right exactly. But who was I to say no to a caramel sundae?

And it was sweet, cooling, and fantastic. I do think the pretzels should have been mixed in better because they were all on top (and they added texture and more saltiness to the ice cream) and shortly into the sundae, they were gone. The ice cream itself was well-balanced – not too salty and not too sweet. The flavors worked well together and the texture was smooth and soft.

I’m sorry I didn’t get to experience the cart itself. That just means I need to make another trip out here and try some of their other interesting flavors. So Chef Morgenstein can build a sturdy cart and he can put together some great ice cream. Now he just needs to work on constructing some good savory food. And can he do something about the rain while he’s at it?

Would The General Greene’s Salted Caramel Pretzel Ice Cream make my Top 100 of the year? The ice cream and all its components were very successful and get an 8 out of 10. The lunch items are a different story entirely.

Is The General Greene the best ice cream in NY? I’d like to try a wider range of their flavors and frozen concoctions. But the salted caramel was great and earns it an 8 out of 10 for now.

See, it’s technically free. Time Out even writes the word complimentary. Could it be true? Well, there’s a catch. There always is, isn’t there? You get the butter complimentary… when you order one of Corton’s prix-fixe dinners (which are either $85 or $140). So really this is the most expensive butter I’ve ever encountered.

There were two of us and the thought of us each spending close to $100 for a spread of butter seemed outrageous. So I had the brilliant idea of showing up (without a reservation) and trying for a seat at the bar. I figured they didn’t serve food very often at the bar, so maybe they’d let us split a prix-fixe meal there. And on a pretty slow Saturday night, the plan worked.

The bartender seemed a little hesitant at first since I imagine they don’t have much action at the bar except as a service bar or a waiting area. See, Corton is one of the most-talked about high-end restaurants in the city of the last few years. It’s stark and stuffy (not to be confused with snooty) with expensive French wines, detail-oriented servers, and experimental modern French cuisine to boot. And they only offer prix-fixe options (which means nobody’s leaving there without dropping some dough). I’m not one to wear anything but jeans or shorts, but I figured, so I didn’t look like a total schlub, I should maybe button up a shirt and put on some slacks. I didn’t want to get turned away from our chance at that butter.

I was pleased they let us split the cheaper prix-fixe option and by the time dessert arrived, that bartender finally warmed up to us. As part of the meal, we received a few amuse bouches including a very nice roasted pepper and avocado parfait, which was reminiscent of a shot of refreshing gazpacho. Once the free tastes subsided, we got our bread. And you know what that means.

The wakame butter was one of two butter options. I felt bad that we didn’t pay much attention to the sweet cream butter (it was delicious when I finally sampled a bit), but even if the wakame butter wasn’t on our list, I think I would still have favored it. The butter comes from Vermont Cheese and Butter Company, but chef Paul Liebrandt livens it up with the addition of wakame. So what is wakame already? Here we go: it’s seaweed. This is seaweed butter.

Evidently, this is a popular item in Brittany known as beurre aux algues. But this is the first time I’ve ever encountered it in this country. And the novelty of it really got me excited. So I didn’t hesitate once we received it on a cold slab with just a dash of sea salt.

I was dismayed to find that the bread was not soft or warm. I guess they take so much effort in the butter preparation that the bread gets left in the dust. But the butter was incredible. The seaweed added some brininess, a vegetal quality, and more salt notes. The butter itself was rich and perfectly creamy with a touch of sweetness. Together these flavors played out in harmony on the palate. I’ve never been so excited by butter in my life. And even though the bread was rather limp, I could have eaten the butter straight (and I almost did).

The rest of the meal was rather memorable. The presentation was spectacular (I’m sorry I didn’t take more pictures, but I felt I should be on my best behavior). We had a decadent foie gras torchon (it was wrapped in some sort of sour cherry skin) with a Spanish spiced butter. What is it with all this butter?  Is Corton secretly trying to kill us all?

And a beautifully prepared lobster that was poached in lemongrass butter (seriously, more butter?) and served with an amazing blueberry ravioli stuffed with lobster meat. I found the lobster itself to be a bit lacking in the flavor department, but the green apple cilantro sauce that it was served with brightened up the dish.

And then for dessert we had the “Gold Bar” which was a slice of a chocolate bar with a sherry reduction and smoked caramel ice cream. Pretty rich stuff. Which I guess is fitting based on how much all this stuff costs. Rich people must love rich food. And if it all tastes like the wakame butter, I really want to be rich!

Would Corton’s Wakame Butter make my Top 100? At this price, I would hope so and while I don’t think I’ll ever spend the money to taste it again, I’m sure glad I did. It was rich, unique, complex and fantastic. It gets a solid 9 out of 10.

I knew the sandwich tasted a little dry. I got up at one point to ask for more mustard. I don’t know why one of the friendly deli guys didn’t offer the gravy with my brisket sandwich. It would have made it that much better, I can only imagine.

Well, gravy or not, the sandwich was pretty good. David’s is an anomaly in the neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant which does not seem to have a big Jewish community. But once inside the doors of this very small deli and you’re tasting these sandwiches, you’re transported back to the Lower East Side.

This is one of those true hidden gems that’s been there forever that never seems to get any press. Truth is, the deli is now owned by Muslims (they close every Friday afternoon to pray at a local mosque) who uphold the kosher style preparations for corned beef, pastrami, brisket, and the like.

Since I never made it here on my official corned beef/pastrami search, I wrote a separate review on their combo sandwich. But I also tackled my list item, the titular brisket sandwich. It comes in three different sizes priced at $5, $8, or $13. Either way, you’re getting a deal.

Besides being a bit dry (I know, I know, the gravy!), the brisket was very flavorful, warm, and tasted like leftovers from Passover dinner. The rye bread was also fresh and gave way to some tender, fatty brown meat. I haven’t had a brisket sandwich in many years and this is exactly how I happily remember them. Too bad I couldn’t remember to ask for the gravy!!

Would David’s Brisket House’s Brisket Sandwich make my Top 100 of the year? Sure, I forgot the gravy, but the guys behind the counter should know what to offer to make their sandwich perfect. Besides the slight dryness (not to be confused with toughness), this sandwich is close to perfection so it gets an 8 out of 10.

As far as I know, that’s not the case with Minar. Both locations in midtown (one is just off Times Square and the other is a few blocks away from the Empire State Building) seem rather dirty and run-down. But once I got the approval from a trusted authority (ie, Time Out), I was more than willing to take the plunge.

We chose the 31st Street location for an early dinner. There were a few lingering customers, but the place was rather empty. It felt like we were in a small town in the middle of nowhere (and I do admit West 31st Street often feels like that). They also seemed to have a lot of serving areas, but only a few items on offer. I bet the atmosphere is much livelier at lunch.

Since we’re carnivores, we chose the Non-Vegetarian Platter. We got to pick two meat dishes, one vegetable dish, and an order of rice. Not a bad deal for just under $10. The chicken masala was slightly spicy and had a great flavorful sauce. The lamb curry was also really well-spiced and tender. For the vegetable, we chose the stewed lentils (are those really considered vegetables?) and it was all complemented with some fragrant basmati rice.

The list item was the Mysore Masala Dosa and it was made to order in the kitchen so it took a bit longer than the platter (considering the counterwoman just scooped up the platter items from the steam table). They called me up when it was ready and I soon became intimidated by the awkwardness of the dosa.

I don’t have much experience with dosas and I’m sure I still eat them like a stupid American. But I’ve never seen one quite like this. A dosa is basically an Indian crepe, made from rice and lentils. The few times I’ve ordered them. they come wrapped up in a long circular tube shape. This one was a huge triangular pocket. I didn’t know how to break into this thing. So I pulled a bit of the pancake off from the edges and then just cut into the center with a plastic knife and fork.

Inside was a warm filling of potatoes, peas, onions, and lots of spices. It had a strong heat which was calmed by the earthiness of the crunchy and soft pancake. The filling was only about a third of the dosa, so when the mashed vegetable mixture got too hot for me, I’d give my tongue a break by tearing apart the crepe itself.

It was served with a spicy red Indian vegetable soup and a cooling white coconut chutney (which I found a bit too watery). One was useful in complementing the heat while the other was helpful in balancing it all out and preventing my belly from spontaneously combusting.

We had to surrender about 3/4 of the way in. Much like Ethiopian injera bread, the dosa was sneakily filling. While this was not the best Indian meal I’ve ever had, it was fresh and flavorful and makes me want to gain more experience in the world of dosas. And thanks to Time Out, I now have another no-frills midtown option whose food I feel safe to indulge in.

Would Minar’s Mysore Masala Dosa make my Top 100 of the year? The ingredients were fresh, the spices were hot, and the dosa was filling so it gets a 6 out of 10 although I’m not sure I need to order this again here.

But I guess press no longer matters, because there was a decent crowd dining at A Voce this Saturday night. It would have been nice to have taken our time and experience an entire meal (like the rest of the crowd). But like usual, I had somewhere else to be and so we came in to sit at the bar and get the dish that everybody’s been talking about since they opened and the one that made Time Out’s list.

It is simply called Pancetta, but it’s so much more than that. It’s cured pork belly that is garnished with crushed pistachios, figs, and a drizzle of balsamic. The presentation might have been artful if the pancetta wasn’t so long. The length made me think of an eel and was almost laughable. Maybe because the photo in Time Out was only a piece of it, I expected this to be short and plumper rather than long and thin.

I’m also not a huge fan of pork belly because I don’t like to deal with that layer of fat. If it’s cooked right the fat becomes very crispy and soaks into the meat creating lots of tender, rich flavor. And basically that’s what happened here. The fat wasn’t crispy, but it was hard to tell where the fat ended and the meat began. Which in my mind is a good thing.

The bites were pretty perfect. They were luscious, earthy, salty, sweet, and very decadent.  I see why this dish is talked about so often.

We also tried to order the Calamari, but I guess we confused the bartender since we also asked about the Stracciatella. She sent us the latter dish by mistake. Which was fine because we were curious about it. It’s basically just a few spoonfuls of incredibly creamy, tender pugliese mozzarella with garnishes of artichokes and bresaola (dried beef). You could tell this came from the same chef since it was similarly composed. And it too had lots of complexity and rich deliciousness.

I really should return here for a full dinner. It’s not too expensive and the food that I tried was pretty spot-on. So I guess we should continue to talk about A Voce and Missy Robbins’ modern Italian dishes. At least until something else opens up in the Time Warner Building.

Would A Voce’s Pancetta make my Top 100 of the year? It gets an 8 out of 10 because through the richness, there was technique and balance that led to an enjoyable take on pork belly.

Tudor City is exactly that. I came to Convivio last year (when I was attempting to consume all of TONY’s 2008 list items) and was amazed to discover this three block stretch of beautiful residental apartments and hidden gardens. It’s truly an enclave in the sky and as far as I can gather, Convivio is the only restaurant in the neighborhood.

Michael White is the chef, who has received many accolades earlier this year for Marea. Like that seafood palace, this is high-end modern Italian cuisine with expensive pasta and meat dishes. And since we didn’t have the time or money to spend on one of their prix-fixe options (plus I felt a little underdressed in shorts and a T-shirt), we made ourselves comfortable at their secluded bar. It feels almost like a hotel bar but with dark red lights and bizarre photos on the wall harking back to the Old Country.

Our bartender was very nice (if a bit stiff) and even asked me about my Troëgs (a PA craft brewery) T-shirt. Not only was I not underdressed, but I was a conversation starter!

We ordered a fantastic cocktail called the Diplomat, which was a perfect combination of sweet Four Roses bourbon, spicy Antica Formula, bitter Cynar, and tart orange bitters. We also decided to splurge on one of their more interesting pasta options – Malloreddus (saffron gnochetti, crab meat, sea urchin). That wasn’t a great idea. It was not worth the $25 price tag. There was barely any crab meat and the sea urchin must have been mixed into the sauce for some richness because I couldn’t find any pieces. The flavors were also rich and not as complex as I’d expect from a place like this. Eh.

But the side order of Pecorino Potate that made Time Out’s list were a lot more successful. They come in at Number Eight on their Top Ten (so we’ve now completed their ten best) and while I don’t think they were quite that good, they were still rather addicting. These were slices of potatoes that were so crispy and seasoned that I couldn’t help but fill up on carbs.

Time Out claims they are twice roasted, but if these puppies are not fried, I’m amazed. They had a perfect crust that gave way to a warm, starchy potato slice. I think the only seasoning was salt, pepper, and some parsley. They could have used maybe a squeeze of lemon or a dipping sauce. But these were a delicious snack that was a gourmet combination of french fries, chips, and potato skins.

If only I could afford to live in Tudor City, I’d sit at the bar at Convivio every day. I guess then I could also afford more than just a beer T-shirt and shorts.

Would Convivio’s Pecorino Potatoes make my Top 100 of the year? I had a hard time not shoving them all in my mouth, but they could have used one more component to brighten them to perfection. Either way, they get an 8 out of 10.

The Golden Mall is in Flushing, Queens (the other Chinatown) and it’s more a basement crammed with food vendors and used DVD kiosks than a traditional mall. If you’re looking for that, you have to head a few blocks away to the Flushing Mall (which has its own respected food court). The Golden Mall finally began to have some non-Chinese patrons when Anthony Bourdain visited it on his show. And since then, a handful of the vendors printed English menus, hung up celebrity photos on the wall, and even expanded. Xi’an Famous Foods now has two other locations (both in Manhattan).

I use any excuse to come to this food dungeon and explore. We didn’t have too much time on this one evening and so we played it a little safe by sticking to the list item and also trying the usual Lamb Burger from Xi’an.

Lanzhou Homemade Noodles (which also has a Manhattan location) is directly across from Xi’an and gives the biggest show of all the vendors. The noodles are handpulled and you can watch the guy stretch them out, bang them on the counter, and twirl them around. It’s almost like the Chinese version of pizza throwing.

They offer hot and cold noodles in many different combinations (all handpulled, mind you). TONY suggested simply the Cold Noodles, which were just that. They were much further down the menu so I almost missed them below the Oxtail, Fish Ball, and Pig Tube Bone options. These featured no scary protein pieces (no protein at all, in fact) and were enlivened by a bit of szechuan chili oil, cucumbers, and fresh cilantro.

My big complaint is that there wasn’t as much heat as I was expecting. It was a nice change of pace from the rest of the dishes I’ve tried on my adventures in the Golden Mall. These were just slightly spicy, very herbaceous from the greens, and the tender noodles were both refreshing and filling.

I’m a sucker (and slurper) for cold noodles so I voraciously slurped these suckers up. And although I was a bit disappointed there wasn’t more heat, I bet if I had made a full day of taking food risks at the Golden Mall, these noodles would be a welcome cool down from all the pig intestine and fiery dan dan noodles.

Would Golden Mall’s Lan Zhou Cold Noodles make my Top 100 of the year? They lacked that wow factor in flavor, but a 7 out of 10 because I enjoyed the clean and cool experience.

The chef of the Asian sandwich shop Xie Xie in Hell’s Kitchen is Angelo Sosa, who is a front runner and big personality on the current season of Top Chef. On the television show, his inflated ego doesn’t seem to get in the way of his food winning most of the competitions. So it makes us really want to sample the work he’s doing.

But this isn’t the reason we went to Xie Xie. We went because one of their menu items is on the Time Out list. The fact that we got to try Angelo’s Asian-inspired gourmet, but casual sandwiches was just a bonus.

And the sandwiches were really really good. It’s no wonder he’s doing so well on the show. The shredded pork in the pork buns was intensely flavored and come close to Momofuko’s now classic buns. The fish sandwich was also surprisingly tasty. It’s a hero of tilapia, onion jam, sriracha mayo, and probably my favorite herb: dill. The components worked perfectly together making a really balanced and surprisingly light and savory sandwich. I still can’t get the combo of the sweet jam, spicy mayo, and herby dill off my tastebuds. And I’m not sure I want to.

We ended the meal with the reason we were here in the first place: the 1,000 Year Old Ice Cream Sandwich. Huh?

It’s an innovative play on a classic Asian dish (just like all these sandwiches) – the 1,000 Year Old Egg. One more time: huh?

It’s an old Chinese dish where the egg is preserved in clay, salt, lime, ash, and other ingredients for 10 to 100 days (not 1,000 years, I’m afraid). The yolk eventually turns green and the white turns black, making the egg smooth and creamy and giving off an odor of sulphur. Sound delicious, right?

Well, when it’s actually ice cream and caramel that’s been turned black, it sounds a bit more tolerable. I think the ice cream was also a caramel flavor because it was very sweet and slightly metallic. It was all sandwiched between two crispy chocolate cookies, but that black caramel was the best part of all. And trying to figure out how they made it that black color was a delightful culinary mystery (they told me it’s a secret).

It’s an innovative, original spin on both our classic dessert and an ancient Chinese culinary trick. And this is one dessert that won’t get anybody voted off Top Chef.

Would Xie Xie’s 1,000 Year Old Ice Cream Sandwich make my Top 100 of the year? 7 out of 10 because while it’s a bit messy, it is a delicious, creative idea that actually works.