5 Best Meals of 2023: Pretty Fine Dining

I did a post on the best barbecue meals of 2023, and lest you think that, consistent with its name, this blog only deals with barbecue, here are some of our outstanding upscale meals for 2023. Let’s be frank, though. The family exchequer doesn’t really support the current definition of fine dining, which involves tasting menus and wine pairings that run into the hundreds. Every now and then, though, Nancy and I will opt for a nice dinner that’s edges onto the posh side, and we had some great results in 2023. 

The Executive Chef of Chez Fonfon in Birmingham, Alabama, Frank Stitt, boasts among a host of other kudos, the James Beard Foundation Outstanding Chef in the United States award. You expect it to be great, and it is, with beautifully fresh ingredients, beautifully balanced dishes, and incredible bursts of flavor like that from the smoky lardons in my coq au vin, or the remoulade in David’s shrimp and avocado salad.

Nancy and I had dinner at Juban’s in Baton Rouge with Shaq, the Honey Badger, and Joe Burrows, and it was spectacular. Nancy’s Ora King Salmon, my redfish with crab and mushrooms (!) was delicious, and the magnificent boudin dip with the culinary surprise of the year –not to mention the included dessert — made for a meal to remember. Did I mention the service?

Rosemary Bistro in the Chevy Chase section of Washington has been my favorite restaurant in the neighborhood since it opened. I’ve written up several fine meals there, and every single one has something like this boeuf bourguignon topped (!) with creamy pasta.

The meal that knocked it completely out of the park, however, was the best salad in the history of the world.

On our arrival in Prague, Nancy and I went to Chef Zdeněk Pohlreich’s Next Door by Imperial, and enjoyed the best service of the year, at once friendly and elegant. Nancy loved her pork tenderloin with spaetzle in a sauce of cèpes and onions, and I loved a beautiful rabbit terrine

followed by suckling pig cheeks marinated in dark beer and served with mashed potatoes, the whole topped with roasted carrots, onions, and mushrooms. 

Mohonk Mountain House in, or rather near, New Paltz, New York, is an all-inclusive resort, rather than a restaurant, and what a resort it is! For decades it was known for magnificent scenery and services, and, well, hearty and heavy food. The food service has been transformed utterly, as suggested by this sweet pea espuma appetizer with crab, lobster, and caviar.

With an incredible variety of offerings, today Mohonk dining is sophisticated and as spectacular as the views.

Don’t let the odd blue tint in my photos from The Pelican Cafe in Palm Beach County distract you from the truly magnificent sauce in my seafood Fra Diavolo. 

We went back and took some photos uninfected with that blue tint as well as a parmesan crusted sole,

a Milanesa, grouper puttanesca, and a knockout shrimp with gnocchi.

And those are just a few of the hits, as 2023 was yet another great year for dining. Stay tuned for more Best of 2023 lists, and stick around for the journey in 2024. The year already is off to a great start.

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