Some of Our Favorite Bites of 2024
A look back at Lovely's nam khao, Del Mar's onion bread, Joya’s whole chicken dinner and more.
When you eat out as often as we do, it can be hard to recall all the wonderful foods you try over the course of a year. That doesn’t mean we didn’t give it our best effort! Here, we’ve rounded up a few of the Columbus bites that left a lasting impression. We’d love to hear yours, too; feel free to comment below.
Pisang Goreng at Chapman’s Eat Market (739 S. Third St.)
As a french fry fiend, I could say that Chapman’s beef fat fries were one of the best things I ate all year—that would be 100 percent accurate. But what really blew me away was this fried banana dessert dreamed up by one of Chapman’s chefs, Shaina Rubenstein, and inspired by a trip to Bali. (Pisang goreng is an Indonesian street snack of banana fritters.) Chapman’s take features deep-fried saba banana, macerated mango, roasted peanut dust, lime and an other-worldly toasted coconut sorbet. The dessert is off the menu right now—welcome back, maple budino—but I hope this crunchy and creamy, sweet and salty dessert makes a return trip.—Erin
Dry-Fried Eggplant at Pacific Eatery (4514 Kenny Road)
I’ve had a lot of eggplant dishes at Chinese restaurants, but this one is my favorite yet. It’s the one dish that I have spent the most time talking about and thinking about this year. Pacific Eatery changed ownership and we’re loving the new menu. The eggplant is fried until crispy but still retains some of that silky unctuousness that is so seductive. It has a slightly caramelized spicy sauce (I’m guessing it’s deep fried and then pan fried). I love how much textural variation there is. Plus, it’s got a real flavor kick that is really moreish.—Bethia
Sea Bream Nigiri at Haru Omakase (2027 Polaris Parkway)
I’d had enough of my first omakase meal at Haru to know that every piece of nigiri would feature perfectly seasoned and formed sushi rice topped with the freshest and most flavorful fish chef Yudi Makassau could get his hands on. I didn’t expect to see one piece on my next plate topped with a delicately arranged haystack of “crispy curry” threads, and I didn’t expect it to be my favorite bite of the night. Ponzu jelly and a mild curry crisp on sea bream is an inspired combination, and it’s inspiring me to want to see what else Haru has up its sleeves.—Andy
Kibbeh at Tulip Cafe (2926 Hayden Run Plaza)
The women of Tulip Cafe are exceptional at their craft. Their borek, baklava and breads are all wonderful, but for us their kibbeh really stands out. If you’ve only visited them at the farmers market, you’re missing out. Be sure to stop by their cafe in Hayden Run Plaza for manti dumplings and kibbeh, football shaped snacks of ground meat and bulgur wheat. So often kibbeh can be a little dry or poorly seasoned, but the kibbeh at Tulip sets the bar for us. The snack really delivers with a savory, flavorful filling that is moist and saucy rather than dry and crumbly.—Bethia
Ramen Oeufs at Law Bird (740 S. High St.)
Imagine if deviled eggs and Japanese ramen eggs had a baby. That’s kind of the idea behind this limited-run, addictive snack served during Law Bird’s springtime Sakura City pop-up with the House of Suntory. The eggs were marinated in soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and mirin before being soft-boiled until jammy. Kewpie mayo, yuzu kosho seasoning and “crunchy things” brought it home. These eggs were a labor of love, too. They sold so many during the pop-up’s duration that Law Bird co-owner Annie Williams Pierce says she felt like an “egg-peeling troll.” Not all heroes…—Erin
Caramelized Onion Bread at Del Mar (4089 The Strand E)
Cameron Mitchell restaurants have many virtues, but big surprises for the veteran diner aren’t generally chief among them. Or, at least, that would’ve been my take before we attended the debut of Del Mar at Easton. A quick chat with the chef hinted that he might have a particular affection for the caramelized onion bread, and it's easy to see why: warm, soft, plenty of sweet allium, sure, but also havarti, asiago and an herb labneh to pull it all together. All three of Foodletter’s writers were there for the meal, and any one of us could’ve picked this as a favorite bite of the year. It’s that good.—Andy
Nam Khao and Pork Sausage at Lovely’s Lao Street Eats (streetfoodfinder.com)
Lovely’s Lao food truck was one of our favorite discoveries of 2024, and two of their dishes are particular favorites. The nam khao (crispy fried coconut and curry rice) is mixed with cured pork, pork skins and fresh herbs in a delicious lime vinaigrette. It’s served with lettuce, cucumbers and spicy dried Thai chiles. It’s addictively delicious. Also exceptional is Lovely’s coarsely chopped pork sausage, which is handmade and seasoned with lemongrass, makrut lime leaves, shallots, garlic, galangal and fresh herbs.—Bethia
Everything Bagel Danish at Fox in the Snow Cafe (multiple locations)
Is everything everything bagel played out? Everything bagels, everything scones, everything bagel ice cream… Maybe so, but that didn’t stop me from greatly enjoying Fox in the Snow’s clever spin on the genre: a crispy, buttery, laminated danish covered in the requisite topping mix. The kicker is a center filled with whipped scallion cream cheese. Eat your heart out, cronuts.—Erin
“Pollo Grande” Chicken Dinner at Joya’s (657 High St.)
This whole chicken dinner takes the Joya’s team four days to prepare and feeds four people. “It's like a greatest hits album,” chef Avishar Barua says. “All the best parts of the Service Bar era, but with a few new tracks to keep things fresh. We made this one 100 percent Bengali. No naan, polao instead, and my mom taught the team how we should make it so the spice levels are appropriate.” The description is indeed dizzying and memorable: Tandoori-smoked chicken crown; chai-brined and double-fried legs and thighs (IYKYK); homestyle Bengali chicken and potato curry; egg and cauliflower curry (“for balance, obviously”); schmaltz polao; and chutneys and achars “that’ll make your grandmother proud.”—Bethia
Porterhouse at FYR Short North (404 N. High St.)
I often get the question, “Who has the best steak in town?” Honestly, it’s usually the one I make at home and don’t pay steakhouse prices for, but I’ll play along. This year, the best restaurant steak I had was a porterhouse from FYR Short North—big enough to feed three of us with leftovers. It was nicely marbled, had a lovely crust and cooked perfectly to medium rare the first time (I saw restaurants struggle with that this year). Plus, the steak was delivered on a rolling cart—a flourish that was perhaps over-the-top for a Wednesday night but just plain fun. The accompanying wood-fired smashed potatoes almost stole the show.—Erin
Knafeh Pistachio Chocolate Bar at Al Aqsa Sweets (1940 Schrock Road)
Straight from the United Arab Emirates via TikTok, Al Aqsa Sweet’s house-made rendition of the viral Dubai Chocolate Bar charms all who try it—and I’ve shared it with a lot of people! One bite of its beguiling combination of creamy milk chocolate, savory pistachio cream and crispy bits of knafeh pastry and you’ll get the hype.—Andy
Let us know your favorite bites of the year. Just click the button below to comment.