The happiest place on Earth is at the Carolina Renaissance Festival

Top Five Dishes of 2019

December 17, 2019

Scallionpancake Top Dishes of 2019:
In addition to our top five restaurants of 2019, we decided to spice things up and rate our top five dishes of 2019, like we did last year. Sometimes, we really love a particular dish at a certain restaurant, or something smaller at a casual place that is worthy of the title of "best dish," when "best restaurant" doesn't quite make the cut. Without further ado, here are our top five dishes of 2019!

Jason

Screen+Shot+2019-11-30+at+3.17.41+PM.jpg — **1. PARMIGIANO**

**Schwa, Chicago, IL**
**This dish blew our minds. Parmesan, banana, nori brittle, and honey combined for an overload of sensory experiences. I think about this dish at least once a day.**

Screen Shot 2019-11-30 at 3.23.21 PM.png — **2. Salted and Dried berries from the summer**

**Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark**
**My favorite dish of the seafood season at Noma was the dessert of sheep’s milk and dried berries from the previous summer.**
**This dish reminded us of a dish we had at** **Noma Under the Bridge** **a few years before, except this was taken up to 100. A classic Noma dish - so simple, yet so complex.**

Screen Shot 2019-11-30 at 7.54.14 PM.png — **3. Lamb Rump**

**Haar, St Andrews, Scotland**
**The surprise restaurant of the year for me was Haar in St Andrews, and would have made my top five restaurants list if we didn’t go to so many crazy places.**
**Everything here was amazing, but the lamb rump with cafe du Paris sauce was the clear winner for me. I ordered this twice in two days.**

Screen Shot 2019-11-30 at 7.58.49 PM.png — **4. Octopus**

**Pujol, Mexico City, Mexico**
**We went to Quintonil and Pujol on the same day, Pujol being second which tarnished our experience because we were so full from Quintonil. But this Octopus was the single best thing I had in Mexico.**
The octopus is smothered in a paste made of chintexle, which is a chile, and chapulines, which is grasshopper. Grasshoppers are served everywhere in Mexico, and they are delicious once you get over the whole eating bugs thing, which I admit did take me a few tries.

Screen Shot 2019-11-30 at 8.05.53 PM.png — **5. Hot Chicken Sandwich**

**Hattie B’s, Nashville, TN**
**It wouldn’t be a top five list for me without a sandwich, and this year’s best sandwich went to Hattie B’s hot chicken sandwich in Nashville.**
**Served with pickles, coleslaw, and comeback sauce, this sandwich lives up to all the hype. Even my dad liked it—enough said.**

Yvonne

**1. Salted & Dried Berries From the Summer**

**Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark**
The baby pinecones are back, BABY. I freaking love dried fruit, and this was slightly dried, slightly macerated fruit goodness with those sweet and sour chewy pinecones and the sheep’s milk. DO NOT PASS GO DO NOT COLLECT $200. Ugh. I wish I could eat this every day of my life. Swoon.

**2. Apricot**

**Schwa, Chicago, IL**
**I probably could have picked three things from Schwa (this, the banana/Parmesan, and the raviolo), but I’ll edit myself to just this one.**
**I loved the sweet apricot with the earthy Taleggio, and the light and floral wine sauce that pulled the whole thing together. Just fab.**

**3. Scallops in the Shell**

**The Kitchin, Edinburgh, Scotland**
**The Kitchin may have just one Michelin star, but I would like to go ahead and give this dish an honorary three stars.**
The puff pastry was doughy, and the creamy sauce surrounding the scallops hit every single one of my tastebuds. And the presentation when it was cut open table-side?! OY VEY. A masterpiece. I think about this dish often.

**4. Mole Madre**

**Pujol, Mexico City, Mexico**
Even though Pujol didn’t make either of our top fives, it was still delicious. It just happened to be up against some real contenders this year. The mole madre alone, however, is worthy of a visit to Mexico City.
**I loved the mole madre on its own, mixed with the new mole, on the fresh flour tortilla, and straight up on a spoon. To. Die. For.**

**5. Black Truffle Explosion**

**Alinea, Chicago, IL**
Okay, okay – I know I snubbed Alinea on my top five. And I feel terrible about it, but overall it just didn’t wow me as much as it did Jason. It was all solid, but not over the top. The signature Black Truffle Explosion dish, however? Um, yup. Sufficiently blown away by the amount of flavor packed in this tiny bite. A++++.

I know Jason won’t be pleased at this, but I am going to do a secondary top five for my non-fancypants dishes. He would say they should all be on one list and that I should choose. Well, I won’t and I didn’t. SORRY JASON. Love you, tuna.

Yvonne’s Non-FancyPants Top Five

**1. Greg Collier’s Chicken Skins**

**Charlotte, NC**
**I don’t know where I am going to get these now at Loft & Cellar is done for, maybe at Leah & Louise? I need them in my life. Chef!**
**They have a similar seasoning to his Tennessee fries, and they are so chewy yet crispy, savory yet sweet, and just intensely flavored. I LOVE THEM.**

**2. mushroom Toast**

**Borough Market, London, UK**
A stall in London’s Borough Market sold mostly fresh fruits and vegetables, but they also had two hot food options. One was roasted asparagus with a cream sauce, and the other was a giant vat of the most beautiful mushrooms I’ve ever seen in my life.
They served the sautéed mushrooms with grated cheese, herbs, and a piece of sourdough toast. It was the coolest thing to watch, and one of the best comfort foods I’ve ever had. So simple and savory. I wish I could have this for lunch every day!

**3. Buffalo Pizza Sticks**

**Flip-a-Lo’s, Charlotte, NC**
I cant’t really overhype Flip-a-Lo’s Buffalo Pizza Sticks, because they are worthy of all of the praise anyone has to offer. Freshly made bread. Fresh (not frozen) chicken wing pieces, and gooey mozzarella. If you are in Charlotte and you haven’t tried Flip-a-Lo’s yet, you are missing out for real.

**4. S’mores Cake**

**The Batchmaker, Charlotte, NC**
There are not enough words in the English language to describe how sweet Cristina Rojas Agurcia is, or how decadently delicious her baked goods are. This is hands-down the best bakery we’ve ever had in Charlotte.
MOIST cakes (yeah, not only did I say the “m word,” I capitalized it), fun flavors, a perfect amount of sugar, interesting textures. Just good-gash-darn. She’s a bakery legend in her own time, and we’re lucky she calls Charlotte home.

5. San Lorenzo Pasta

**Capishe, Charlotte, NC**
It would be a shame if you slept on Capishe. Don’t let it get lost in the Charlotte restaurant waves, people. Everything is made fresh, and the amount of spice and love that Chef Cavalier puts into this San Lorenzo pasta gets me daydreaming about it on the reg. My favorite pasta in Charlotte, easy.

Top Five Restaurants of 2019

December 3, 2019

It’s hard to believe, but this is our fifth year blogging. This year, of all the years, was exceptionally hard to pick our top five restaurants since we went to so many amazing places. But this is why we’re paid the big bucks - to make the hard choices. Which of them made our ultimate list for 2019? Read on to find out!

Jason

Screen Shot 2019-11-30 at 1.27.37 PM.png — 1. ENIGMA

**Barcelona, Spain**
**As I look back on the year, the most fun night of high end meals was at** **Enigma. The setting of the restaurant, the movement through different rooms, and the overall elevation of the food makes it my best restaurant of the year.**

A play on a steak frites, with main dish being vegetable steak with a side of beef.

Screen Shot 2019-11-30 at 1.32.43 PM.png — 2. **Blue Hill at Stone Barns**

**Tarrytown, NY**
Blue Hill is the first high end restaurant we’ve been where each table got a different menu. The amount of skill and coordination it takes to pull this off is incredible. We wish we could have dined at a time other than 10:30pm, but alas you take what you can get.

Screen Shot 2019-11-30 at 2.47.48 PM.png — 3. **Noma**

**Copenhagen, Denmark**
**We now make an annual trip to Copenhagen to visit** **Noma** **because we like Copenhagen and we like giving our money to Rene Redzepi. We thought the** **vegetable season** **in 2018 was better than the seafood season, but it was still an amazing meal and experience.**

Screen Shot 2019-11-30 at 2.55.33 PM.png — 4. **AlINEA**

**Chicago, IL**
I freaking loved everything about Alinea. It was two hours. Every course had a purpose. Everything on the table had a purpose. The balloon tasted better than expected. It was the rare top level restaurant that left you wanting more, and that’s the feeling I want when I leave a fine dining restaurant.

Screen Shot 2019-11-30 at 3.02.25 PM.png — **5. QUINTONIL**

**Mexico City, Mexico**
Mexico was even better than expected for us, and Quintonil was the highlight of our trip. Each course was emaculate, and really showcased the abudence and magic of Mexican cooking. You could see Chef Jorge Vallejo’s influence from Noma and Pujol to create a menu unique his own.

I got to play St. Andrews this year, which was the ultimate highlight

Yvonne

1. SCHWA

**Chicago, IL**
**I know that Jason is going to be floored by my #1 pick, but I will not deny my love for** **Schwa. I had zero expectations going in, and** **Alinea** **was ostensibly the main event of the weekend, but this was the first restaurant other than Noma where I found every single dish over-the-top delicious.**

2. **ENIGMA**

**Barcelona, Spain**
**There isn’t a restaurant in the world like** **Enigma** **(well, that I know of). It’s hard for me to pick a standout dish from our meal, but the overall experience and interactive elements make this place so special.**

This is pre-dinner, and already two hours past his bedtime

3. **Blue Hill at Stone Barns**

**Tarrytown, NY**
**I hate that I always forget about** **Blue Hill** since we were so tired from our 10:30 p.m. reservation. The whole thing feels like a fever dream, but when I reflect on the experience, it was truly exceptional in every way. That chocolate sourdough bread (and squash pie, pictured)!

Fresh to death even right after a flight overseas

4. **El Celler De Can Roca**

**Girona, Spain**
**While you didn’t move around like at** **Enigma**, **El Celler de can Roca** **was so whimsical and creative. The desserts we had here were truly unforgettable, and I loved seeing my dad experience his first Michelin star restaurant.**

5. **Kitchen Table**

**London, UK**
**This was a hard pick for me as** **Alinea** nearly edged it out, but I think the creativity and flavor – plus the awesome setting – make Kitchen Table the winner of my fifth spot. Some of our dining companions soured this one for me since they weren’t into the experience, but it really was incredible. And how often do you get face time with the chef like that?!

**Honorable Mention:** **Anomaly**

**Charlotte, NC**
**Chef Sam Hart’s** **Anomaly** pop-up was really something amazing, and it felt even more special since we attended his very first one. The energy was palpable and the food was top notch, especially considering everything was produced in a home kitchen. We can’t wait to see more at his first ticketed pop-up next week!

I hope 2020 has this many fun animals in it

Top Five Dishes of 2018

January 8, 2019

Scallionpancake Top Dishes of 2018:
In addition to our top five restaurants of 2018, we decided to spice things up and rate our top five dishes of 2018, like we did last year. Sometimes, we really love a particular dish at a certain restaurant, or something smaller at a casual place that is worthy of the title of "best dish," when "best restaurant" doesn't quite make the cut. Without further ado, here are our top five dishes of 2018!

Jason

**1. FIVE AGES OF PARMIGIANO REGGIANO**

**Osteria Francescana, Modena, Italy**
**Our overall experience at** **Osteria Francescana** **was a slight disappointment, but the the most famous dish by Massimo Bottura was excellent. I could have eaten 100 of these.**

**2. SHAWARMA OF CELERIAC AND TRUFFLE**

**Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark**
**You knew we weren’t going to get through this list without a dish from** **Noma**. I had to think long and hard about which dish to choose, and I ultimately chose the celeriac shawarma because of how unique it was. This was 100% vegetarian and it tasted like the best, most savory meat shawarma you’ve ever had. Of course the truffle sauce didn’t hurt, and also the sourdough bread to mop up the sauce was next level, too.

**3. Almond Granita**

**Caffè Sicilia, Noto, Sicily**
**We saw the** **Chef’s Table** on Corrado Assenza and immediately booked a flight to Sicily. We came for the almond granita, and we were not disappointed. Words can’t describe how clean and natural the almond flavor is, so just stare at the picture and then book your Ryanair flight stat.

**4. #19**

**Langers, Los Angeles, CA**
**You haven’t had rye bread until you’ve had the rye bread at** **Langers in LA. Put a pastrami reuben in between two slices of the heavenly bread and you’ve got yourself one of the best sandwiches in the world.**

**5. Aqua chile**

**Sanchez, Copenhagen, Denmark**
**This was** **one of the most unique dishes** **we had in Copenhagen. Think of a very spicy ceviche with mostly Danish ingredients and a strawberry acid broth.**

**Honorable Mention: Pickled Onion Rings**

**Majordomo, Los Angeles, CA**
**A revelation that could have easily made the top five if we hadn’t spent so much time in Copenhagen this year. These onion rings were the best I’ve ever had**.

Yvonne

**1. Mold Pancake**

**Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark**
Oh **Noma**. You are my whole life. Jason didn’t have as strong a feeling about this dish as I did, but my goodness, it blew me away. A tortilla with, yes, mold growing on it, much like the rind of brie cheese. The inside was filled with a shock of cold, creamy ice cream and a balsamic fig sauce. I can’t even conceive how someone could conceive of it, you dig?

**2. FIVE AGES OF PARMIGIANO REGGIANO**

**Osteria Francescana, Modena, Italy**
**While much of our experience at** **Osteria Francescana** left something to be desired, Massimo Bottura’s most famous dish did not disappoint in the slightest, and both of us felt that it made the trip to Modena worthwhile in a single bite. Parmesan is such a rich, umami flavor, and getting all of the different ages and textures together was nothing short of mind-blowing. Also, the portion was more generous that what you would expect for a tasting menu, which pleased us thoroughly, as we both could have eaten a vat.

**3. Roast Chicken**

**Amass, Copenhagen, Denmark**
On our second visit to Amass (we also went in November 2017), we dined a la carte at the bar. During this meal, we had a roast chicken from Hegnsholt farm with a sauce made from reduced carrot and almond milk, and it blew me away. I typically don’t even like chicken, and I never order it. This changed my worldview. I could drink this sauce on the daily.

**4. Almond Granita**

**Caffè Sicilia, Noto, Sicily**
Oh, Corrado Assenza, you are a god among men. Eating the classic Sicilian breakfast of warm brioche and creamy almond milk granita was a life experience I won’t soon forget. Whereas most Italian granitas are made with a syrup (which is still delicious, mind you), Assensa’s family version is made with a freshly-made almond milk, which retains the grittiness and full-bodied flavor of the Sicilian almonds used to make it. Neither the brioche or the granita are overly sweet, and though this seems like an intense breakfast option, I promise it simply hits the spot.

**5. AS THE DRIFTER RESTS, IN REVERIE OF DAYS AHEAD**

**Atelier Crenn, San Francisco, CA**
**The coconut dessert from** **Atelier Crenn** is as if I imagined the ideal dessert in my mind and Dominique Crenn brought it to life. Imagine a creamy coconut pudding studded with pineapples inside of a bowl made entirely of chocolate. Yeah. That sort of begins to cover it. Also, the portion was exceedingly generous for a dish that comes near the end of a 17 course tasting menu, which I appreciated. Just because I’ve eaten a lot doesn’t mean I want to skimp on dessert, you feel me?

**Honorable Mention:**
**Jasper Hill Farm Cheesecake**

**In Situ,** **San Francisco, CA**
**We want to go to Spain to try this dish in the flesh. The Jasper Hill Farm Cheesecake with hazelnut, white chocolate, and cookies, inspired by Albert Adria’s dish from Tickets in Barcelona.**
**It’s cheese. It’s chocolate. It’s a party.**

**Honorable Mention:**
**Kato’s Silken Tofu**

**Upstream, Charlotte, NC**
**This beauty had soymilk, pickled shimeji mushrooms, ikura & fried ginger**
**Sad to** **lose Kato to Chicago** **(again)**

Top Five Restaurants of 2018

January 1, 2019

What a year! It’s hard to believe this is our fourth year of blogging and our fourth annual best restaurant list. This year was extra special, as we spent a month eating heavily in our favorite city in the world, Copenhagen. Not only that, we went to Noma, Eleven Madison Park, and Osteria Francescana this year. Which of them made our ultimate list for 2018? Read on to find out!

Jason

1. **noma**

**Copenhagen, Denmark**
**I’m not going to speak for Yvonne, but to me,** **Noma** is so far above any other restaurant we’ve ever been to, it’s almost disrespectful to have them on a list. If you’re on the fence, trust us: Noma is worth a trip around the world, especially during vegetable season.

UIy9iO%nTgia174UvngaWQ.jpg — **2. Bardo popup with Chef Jake Bickelhaupt**

**Charlotte, NC**
Bardo is the best restaurant in Charlotte. Hands down. Chef Mike Knoll of Bardo worked with Chef Jacob Bickelhaupt in Chicago. Bickelhaupt had a two Michelin Star restaurant in Chicago, 42 Grams, which shut down because of a domestic violence incident with his ex-wife. He is holding pop-up dinners around the country, and he held a one day pop-up in Charlotte where he and Chef Knoll served a 12-course tasting menu that was incredible.

Honey ice cream with a bee pollen magic shell

xWucUc+tQoC9u0Gea6yFIQ.jpg — 3. **Atelier crenn**

**San Francisco, CA**
**Atelier Crenn** **is chronically underrated by the** **Top 50 Best Restaurants** list, but not by Scallionpancake. Of all of our out-of-town high-end dining experiences, this was second only to Noma for 2018. And this dessert? The best. Coconut and pineapple custard with a chocolate outside that is made to look like a coconut.

4. **Eleven Madison Park**

**New York, NY**
**Eleven Madison Park** was very contentious in the Scallionpancake household. It didn’t live up to our expectations, but it was still, in my opinion, a spectacular evening. The best dish was the duck, but the rest of the courses were also excellent. The only part I found truly lacking were the dessert courses.

**5. Restaurant Kuu**

**Helsinki, Finland**
This meal at Kuu was one of those that stands out when taking into account the perspective of the time and place. Here, I had reindeer for the first time with a glass of Finnish blueberry vodka. To me, this meal encapsulated our weekend in Helsinki perfectly.

Back on my college stomping grounds, NYU’s Florence campus

Yvonne

I am only truly happy in Noma’s hygge room

1. Noma

**Copenhagen, Denmark**
**This isn’t even a fair fight.** **Noma** was not just a restaurant for me, it was a major life event. As we’ve mentioned often on the blog and podcast, I often go into experiences with little to no expectations in order to avoid disappointment, and Noma was no exception. I really wasn’t prepared for how much Noma’s atmosphere, service, food, and creativity would blow me away. From being greeted at the door by René Redzepi to the celeriac shawarma, to the hygge room, I am not sure if any other dining experience will ever live up to Noma.

Maybe not dressed properly for Atelier Crenn

2. **Atelier Crenn**

**San Francisco, CA**
**Everyone knows how I feel about Dominique Crenn and Atelier Crenn, and Jason and I cried tears of joy for her when she finally achieved her third Michelin Star** **earlier this month**. Atelier Crenn’s tasting menu with the accompanying poetic flare was so thoughtful, and every single flavor and texture just made my heart sing. Something about her food really speaks to my soul and my tastebuds, particularly her desserts. So many similar restaurants dial in the dessert options, but Crenn didn’t make them an afterthought.

I don’t even usually like chicken, hand to god

3. **Amass**

**Copenhagen, Denmark**
I know that this choice will shock and intrigue Jason (no--we don’t talk about our picks together at all. We don’t want any undue influence on one another). We ate a much larger meal at Amass last year, but somehow it didn’t leave the same impression as the small, non-tasting meal we had at Amass this summer. I had been dreaming of their fermented potato bread since the last time we had it, and it remains one of my favorite things of life. Imagine the best sourdough you’ve ever eaten, but even tangier and doughier. This visit, we dined at the bar, sipped on the best Aperol Spritz I’ve ever tasted, and just had the loveliest time. If you are visiting Copenhagen, I recommend ordering sitting at the bar and ordering a la carte over the tasting menu for sure. You do have to sit at the bar or counter for this option, though, and seats are first come, first served. The atmosphere is second to none, also. Amass is housed in a giant warehouse overlooking the water, and the giant murals are majorly fun and change regularly.

You eat this salad WITH YOUR HANDS. I know there’s a fork there. That’s irrelevant.

**4. Al’s Place**

**San Francisco, CA**
We went to Al’s Place with our friends (and friends of the blog and pod) Sharon and Andrew when we visited San Francisco in May. Everything about our evening was magical, from the company to the salad you eat with your hands. I loved the emphasis of fresh vegetables with zero compromise on flavor. Also, these radishes with butter made one of the prettiest plates I’d ever seen. From the brine-pickled french fries to the warm brownie sundae, I was in heaven for the entirety of this meal.

5. **Majordomo**

**Los Angeles, CA**
**David Chang is the god of umami, and I love everything I’ve eaten at all of his restaurants, and all of his dishes are highly memorable for me.** **Majordomo** was up there with Ko as far as the all around experience, and the bing bread and pickled onion rings with French onion dip skyrocketed Majordomo into my top five late in the year. We also met two fabulous ladies out on a girls’ night, and sitting next to them and getting to know them just made the evening that much more enjoyable. Chang is masterful at creating fine dining experiences that are the polar opposite of stuffy, and I always feel free and giddy while eating at his restaurants. I am not surprised we met new friends at Majordomo, because that’s just the vibe that Chang has cultivated in this space.

**Honorable Mention:** **Bardo**

**Charlotte, NC**
**Bardo** is our favorite restaurant in Charlotte, and every experience there transports us and makes us feel that we’ve left home for a bit. Beyond the inventive and delicious food and drink, Jason Whiteside, Mike Noll, and Amanda Britton have made us feel like a part of their family, and now each visit is even more special than the last. Bardo makes Jason feel happy and relaxed, and since he works so hard and is always so busy, I am so appreciative that we have a food oasis in Bardo that is transformative for my husband during a hectic workweek.

Top Five Dishes of 2017

January 9, 2018

Listen to this post in audio format on our podcast!

Scallionpancake Travels:
In addition to our top five restaurants of 2017, we decided to spice things up and rate our top five dishes of 2017. Sometimes, we really love a particular dish at a certain restaurant, or something smaller at a casual place that is worthy of the title of "best dish," when "best restaurant" doesn't quite make the cut. Without further ado, here are our top five dishes of 2017!

Jason

**1. Wasabi Langoustine**

**Restaurant Tim Raue, Berlin, Germany**
**This, to me, is the most perfect dish in the world. It's the best thing I've ever eaten, hands down. Enough said.**

**2. Z-Man Sandwich**

**Joe's Kansas City BBQ, Kansas City, KS**
**The Z-man was a revelation--one BBQ sandwich to rule them all.**

3. **Confit Suckling Pig**

**Astrid & Gaston, Lima, Peru**
This was the outstanding dish of Peru to me. The suckling pig mixed with dark Peruvian chocolate in a peanut broth just combined perfectly together. I would have never thought that the rich chocolate would have gone together with the suckling pig, but it did, and it was great.

**4. Sportskage**

**La Glace, Copenhagen, Denmark**
The single dessert I think about the most from this last year is the sportskage from La Glace in Copenhagen. This is the oldest and most famous bakery in Copenhagen, and their signature cake dates back to 1891 when it was first made for the debut of the play, *Sports Man*. It consists of crushed nougat, whipped cream, a macaroon bottom, and caramelized choux pastry. It had the consistency of a cream pie, but with almost a health bar taste with the nougat. So good!

**5. Mac & Cheese with Crispy Chicken Skin**

**Haberdish, Charlotte, NC**
**The Mac & Cheese at Haberdish is cheesy perfection. The key to this dish is the hot sauce that adds a slight kick to the chicken skin. I could eat it every day!**

Yvonne

**1. Mussel Dessert**

**Maido, Lima, Peru**
Although Maido didn't make either of our best restaurant lists, we both really loved so many of the dishes there. This dessert had local Peruvian elements, like granadilla, mandarin sorbet, and lucuma ice cream. Also, you can't go wrong with an edible bowl made out of sugar!

**2. Doner kebab**

**Mustafa's Gemüse Kebap, Berlin, Germany**
I would gladly wait another hour in line to eat this perfect sandwich again. The meat was juicy and well-seasoned, and the vegetables were fresher than you could ever imagine from a food cart. This kebab was certainly a part of what made our culinary adventures in Berlin special!

**3. Tomato soup and rolls**

**Indio Feliz, Aguas Calientes, Peru**
Jason wants to kill me for this choice, but after a seven hour hike through the Andes to Machu Picchu, this tomato soup brought me back to life. I loved the little town of Aguas Calientes, which is completely devoted to tourists visiting Machu Picchu--it felt like a mining town in the American west, only Peruvian style. Also, maybe, just maybe, I picked it partly because it gets under his skin. Shhhh, don't tell.

**4. Ribs**

**Joe's Kansas City BBQ, Kansas City, KS**
**I am usually more of a pulled pork kind gal, but these ribs were everything to me. The flavor was 10/10, and I loved the atmosphere in the gas station at the original Joe's location.**

**5. Hummus**

**Mamoun's, New York, New York**
I love when Jason takes me to NYC and shows me all of his old college haunts, like the tiny, counter-seating only Mamoun's location he took me to last March. I wish we had a quick & cheap Lebanese spot like this in Charlotte. Their hummus was tangy, fresh, and had the perfect texture.

Top Five Restaurants of 2017

January 4, 2018

Listen to this post in audio format on our awesome blossom podcast!

What a year! Scallionpancake traveled three continents in 2017, and during our travels we visited some of the best restaurants in the world. Like years past, both of us have come up with our top five restaurants for 2017. SPOILER ALERT: Next week we will publish our top five dishes of 2017. Stay tuned!