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The Official 2foodtrippers Top 10 List For 2015

Big changes are about to happen, but more on that later. First, though, we want to focus on our top 10 list of culinary experiences for the year.

Top 10 List 2015

1. Plate Of The Year – Sashimi At Raku In Las Vegas

Sashimi at Roku in Las Vegas Nevada
Sashimi at Roku | Image: ©2foodtrippers

We had so many great plates in 2015, including the ten we enjoyed during our anniversary dinner at Raku in Las Vegas.

Raku’s sashimi stands out in our memory as the most perfect plate of the year – an elegant array of melt-in-your-mouth raw fish. This is the finest, freshest sushi you will ever eat in a desert – or near the sea for that matter.

2. Best Breakfast – Russ & Daughters Cafe In New York City

Fish Board at Russ and Daughters Cafe in New York City
Fish Board at Russ and Daughters Cafe | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Our first but not last meal at Russ & Daughters Cafe reminded us of why we love New York City so much – the vibe, the service and most of all the food.

Meal highlights were the Gaspe Nova sliced so thin you can see through it and the Super Heebster Special with its blend of lightly popping wasabi caviar over creamy salmon and whitefish salads.

3. Best Neapolitan Pizza – Brigantessa In Philadelphia

Neapolitan Pizza at Brigantessa in Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Neapolitan Pizza at Brigantessa | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Our love affair with Neapolitan pizza started in Naples last year.

When we’re in Philadelphia, we are lucky to have several solid pizzerias to keep us going. Our favorite local pizzas are at Brigantessa. Chef Joe Ciccala’s salute to Southern Italy in South Philly features supple pies with the finest local and imported ingredients.

Update
Bringantessa has permanently closed.

4. Most Colorful Plate – Roca Moo In Barcelona

Mediterranean Cod at Roca Moo in Barcelona Spain
Mediterranean Cod at Roca Moo | Image: ©2foodtrippers

The food in Barcelona is exciting and colorful, much like the city’s architecture.

Delicate Mediterranean Cod at Barcelona’s Roca Moo was served with no less than five emulsions, making it memorable for both its vivid colors and provocative flavors.

Update
Roca Moo has permanently closed.

5. Most Surprising Meal – Milktooth In Indianapolis

Sweet Corn Pancake and Fried Bologna at Milktooth in Indianapolis Indiana
Sweet Corn Pancake and Fried Bologna at Milktooth | Image: ©2foodtrippers

We never thought of Indianapolis as having a progressive food scene, which is why we were pleasantly surprised to find an array of sophisticated food served at the funky yet laid-back Milktooth in Indy’s Fletcher Place neighborhood. The prime eating spot at Milktooth is the bar, where eight stools face a long, open kitchen with a bird’s-eye view of the chefs at work.

Though the grilled cheese may be the most popular dish, other dishes shine like the sweet corn pancake topped with fried bologna, hard-boiled egg, yuzo kosho and seared foie. Indianapolis. Who knew?

6. Best Outdoor Dining – Bacchanal In New Orleans

Outdoor Dining at Bacchanal in New Orleans Louisiana
Outdoor Dining at Bacchanal | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Our long walk along desolate streets to the very end of NOLA’s Bywater led us to Bacchanal, a unique dining experience featuring live music in the open bayou air.

Simple plates like whole grilled fish are served to diners while they enjoy traditional jazz in a romantic backyard space. As an added bonus, Bacchanal is a BYO with a cute wine store on the premises.

7. Best Salad – Seafood Palace In Lake Charles

Shrimp Salad at Seafood Palace in Lake Charles Louisiana
Shrimp Salad at Seafood Palace | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Salads are seldom memorable. This is not the case with the shrimp salad at Seafood Palace.

Loaded with fresh Louisiana grilled shrimp, this salad stands out as one of our best plates of the year, with or without lettuce. The well-seasoned shrimp on this salad is so fresh that it tastes like the juicy crustaceans were just plucked from the nearby Gulf of Mexico

8. Best Bowl Of Soup – Chicken Pho At Stock In Philadelphia

Chicken Pho at Stock in Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Chicken Pho at Stock | Image: ©2foodtrippers

We have a thing for soup, and one of our favorite bowls is the pho at Fishtown’s Stock. This soup features lots of fresh herbs, deeply flavored broth and surprisingly moist slices of free-range Lancaster chicken.

9. Best Beverage – Coffee Everywhere

Cappuccino in Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Cappuccino | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Our love affair with coffee started when we were dating and has continued into 2015. It’s the beverage that we seek whether we’re at home or traveling around the world.

We are so lucky to live in the golden age of coffee. The quality and availability of the product couldn’t be better, especially when baristas have the skill of fine artists.

10. Most Exciting Meal – Dirty French In New York City

Millefeuille of Royal Trumpet Mushrooms and Thai Green Curry at Dirty French in New York City
Millefeuille of Royal Trumpet Mushrooms and Thai Green Curry at Dirty French | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Say what you want, but New York City is still a behemoth when it comes to innovative cuisine.

Our meal at Dirty French, a bistro in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, excited us on all levels starting with its stylish atmosphere and ending with its breathtaking international nod (and wink?) at Gallic cuisine.

Even the bread service featuring warm, soft flatbread and fromage blanc with rosemary was a knock-out.

Big News For 2016

2015 was a great year, but we’re ramping things up for an epic adventure that will take us around the United States, Europe, Asia and beyond. We even have a special hashtag for the coming year:

#tastetheworld2016

We’re excited to see where the road takes us, and we will document the journey right here with loads of photos and stories.

Stay tuned and stay hungry!

About The Authors

About The Authors

Daryl & Mindi Hirsch

Saveur Magazine’s BEST TRAVEL BLOG award winners Daryl and Mindi Hirsch share their culinary travel experiences and recipes on the 2foodtrippers website. Since launching the site in 2012, they’ve traveled to over 40 countries in their quest to bring readers their unique taste of the world.

Disclosure

We update our articles regularly. Some updates are major while others are minor link changes and spelling corrections. Let us know if you see anything that needs to be updated in this article.

Original Publication Date: December 31, 2015

Maggie

Monday 29th of February 2016

Omg, these all look amazing!!! Especially Neopolitan pizza looks soo delicious. Wish I'd try this soon..

Dean

Saturday 27th of February 2016

Beautiful images of some amazing food. I am always jealous of the choices you have in the USA.

IamVagabond

Friday 26th of February 2016

Wow such lovely pics ... my mouth has been watering non stop :)

shivansh

Friday 29th of January 2016

IM hungry!

Corinne

Sunday 24th of January 2016

All of those #`1s look amazing! I can't wait to see what you get to eat in 2016.

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