Category: Gil’s Best of the Best

The advent of 2015 is nigh. It’s with great fondness and more than a little (blush) salivation that I bid adieu and auld lang syne to my most memorable dishes of 2014. These are the baker’s dozen dishes which are most indelibly imprinted on my memory engrams…the first dishes that come to mind when I close my eyes and reflect on the past year in eating. This compilation will show that 2014 may have been the year of the horse in the Chinese calendar, but in this gastronome’s calendar, 2014 was resoundingly the year of soup. Yes, soup, the most comforting of comfort foods. If, as Beethoven postulated “only the pure in heart can make a good soup,” New Mexican chefs are pure-hearted geniuses. My restaurant of the year, chef of the year, meal of the year, dish of the year and dining experience of the year all emanate from one magical location in one of the most magical cities in the world. Situated within the fabulous confines of the Hillside Gallery in Santa Fe, Epazote is spectacular and it is stunning. The two best of the best dishes it was my pleasure to enjoy in 2014 were Epazote’s foodgasm-inducing…

The advent of 2014 is nigh. It’s with great fondness and more than a little (blush) salivation that I bid adieu to auld lang syne and the most memorable dishes of 2013. These are the dishes which are most indelibly imprinted on my memory engrams…the first dishes that come to mind when I close my eyes and reflect on the past year in eating. “But this is New Mexico,” you might exclaim after you read that eight of the very best dishes I enjoyed in 2013 were seafood dishes. That’s not supposed to happen in a high desert state. Chez Bob must not have heard this is a landlocked state because the Diver Scallops with a Buerre Blanc Sauce are as good as you’ll find along the coast. Chef, proprietor, barista, ambassador. That’s Michael Gonzales who’s not only unabashedly passionate about his Cafe Bella, but a civic-minded promoter of the City of Vision. His slow-roasted, locally smoked carne panini featured succulent pork, baby field greens, mozzarella and a mayo-based sauce. Each bite is an absolute joy and an adventure in deliciousness. Four sandwiches made my “best of 2013” list. Tia Betty Blue’s, a rollicking, quirky and all-around fun restaurant creates…

Over the years Gil’s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog has become a community in which readers freely share their opinions. I invite all my dear readers to share your favorites by replying to this post…and if, like me, you love “best of” lists, I invite you to check out Cheryl Jamison’s The Ten Best Things I Ate In New Mexico This Year. Cheryl, the elegant and scintillating James Beard Award Winning Author, is the New Mexican I trust most for culinary recommendations so it’s a sure bet I’m going to try as many as possible of the dishes she enjoyed during 2012. While my travels throughout the Central California Coast, Chicago and Kansas City in 2012 introduced me to some transformative dishes, be it ever so humble, there is nothing quite as wonderful as the food served throughout New Mexico. The dishes listed below–Gil’s Best of the Best for 2012–are my baker’s dozen plus two list of the best foods I had in New Mexico. They still linger on my taste buds and remain imprinted on my fondest memories. My favorites are listed in chronological order. Ironically, some of the most sumptuous seafood in landlocked New Mexico, is served in a…