What a year of eating! I’m thankful for the countless things I enjoyed this year. I visited 165 different Austin restaurants, bakeries, bars, etc this year and also enjoyed incredible things on my travels, which you’ll see on this list.
It was hard to do, but in this post, I’ve picked out 12 of my favorite dishes and drinks of 2023!
Tuna Tiradito at Este
This dish melts in your mouth and has become a signature dish for the restaurant. The buttery bluefin tuna is accompanied by avocado and finished with allium salsa negra and crispy leeks. It’s a light and pretty dish that I loved this year.
Fried Chicken Sandwich at Spicy Boys
I can’t believe I haven’t called this out before, but this is my favorite fried chicken sandwich in Austin! There are five locations around town so go get yours.
Vada Pav at Dosa Shack
This sandwich has a deep-fried potato patty and has garlic and mint chutney. After the first bite during our food blogger event, I knew it was going on this list!
House Special Banh Mi at Fresh Bowl
Per my records, I’ve eaten at Fresh Bowl at least nine times this year, the most out of any place. I’m so lucky that it’s near me because their banh mi is excellent! I wrote about this place in this post.
Orange Blossom at Moonlight Bakery
In researching kouign amann for this post, I stopped by Moonlight Bakery for their orange blossom, a kouign amann with orange. It has everything great about the kouign amann with the added zing from the orange. I’m pretty sure I gobbled this up in the car!
Barbacoa Taco from Un Mundo de Sabor
Loved the classic barbacoa taco from food truck Un Mundo de Sabor, located at Fierce Whiskers. I’m so glad there is no shortage of tacos in Austin!
Strawberry Croffle at Cafe de Margo
I had my first croffle – croissant waffle – this year. This crispy pastry has caramelized sugar on the outside and it was topped with strawberry cream and strawberries. The stand was open at Hana World Market and will return in the new year.
The McDowell at Slab BBQ
This sandwich greatness came out of nowhere. The deboned pork ribs are fall-apart moist and the Soul Glo sauce makes this messy sandwich excellent.
Potato Gnocchi at Rooster & Owl
I love gnocchi and I wanted this dish all to myself! This dish was enjoyed on our trip to D.C.
Make It Snappy Cocktail at Ezov
In a year when cocktail bars are exploding into the Austin market, I’ve had a lot of mediocre cocktails. But this one made me stop AND put it on this list! Ezov is a new restaurant from the Emmer and Rye Hospitality Group featuring Mediterranean food. The Make It Snappy cocktail had Bulgarian Feta-washed gin, snap pea, whole grapefruit, and lime.
Matcha Latte at Intelligentsia
Intelligentsia has this oat matcha latte on tap and it is solid!
Blackened Dayboat Fish at Olamaie
The fish itself was good but what elevates this dish is the Carolina Gold rice with the butter blue crab sauce. It made me want to lick the plate!
Honorable Mention: Too Many Things in Japan
I knew I had to include things I ate in Japan on this list but it was difficult to choose only one. So, a quick list of things I would love to eat again:
- A5 Wagyu Skewer at Tsukiji Ihachi at Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo
- Strawberry Daifuku at Tsukiji Iroha in Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo
- Fish ramen at Maru de Sankaku in Osaka
- Okonomiyaki at Torame Yokocho in Osaka
- Cheese Tart at Grand Riviere in Hakone
- All the sushi and tempura
Honorable Mention: Strawberry Book Club at Paper Route Bakery
Ok, the strawberry book club made my list in 2022 too, but with Paper Route Bakery’s closing, it deserves an extra tribute this year. Austin’s greatest food loss this year was Paper Route Bakery. It closed in June and I have been searching for better cake since. But I did enjoy this cake-tasting day with my friend Janna where we bought every slice.
Wishing you a happy and delicious New Year with lots of incredible eats!
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