Although I tried another 150 restaurants this year, it was a bit of a struggle to find standout dishes. I had a disappointing trip to NYC in terms of food, and I also went to a lot of national parks, which are usually in the middle of nowhere, obviously great for the nature, but abysmal for the gastronomy. However, I prioritized going to good restaurants in the last few months of the year, and had some good bites! Here are the best things I ate in 2024, ordered from breakfast to dessert.
Pink Lady Apple Griddle Cake from Breakfast by Salt’s Cure | Santa Monica, CA
Starting off with a breakfast I somehow have no photographs of 🙁 but trust me, these griddle cakes are no joke! I had heard about Salt’s Cure for a few years, as it’s one of Gigi Hadid’s favorite breakfast places (there are locations in NYC too). I finally went for brunch with my friend Kellie and we ordered the pink lady apple griddle cake and my goodness! It’s light and soft and buttery and absolute perfection. I’m not a pancake person at all, but this feels like it’s in a league of its own and worth the inevitable brunch rush wait!!
Breakfast Burrito from Beachwood Cafe | Los Angeles, CA
I’ve been to Beachwood Cafe a few times (the coffee’s never been out but I’ve never seen Harry Styles), it’s the perfect place to stop after a hike in the Hollywood Hills or walk around the Hollywood Reservoir! I love the sunny hippie aesthetic of the cafe and everything I’ve tried has been great. The breakfast burrito has been my favorite breakfast burrito in LA so far. You know it’s good when I didn’t even need salsa because it had pico de gallo and guacamole inside of it already!!
Gobi Manchurian Fried Rice from Arth Bar | Culver City, CA
It’s crazy that fried rice made this list, but I love Asian fusion, and this Indo-Chinese fried rice was sooo flavorful. I loved the fried mixed vegetable balls and it added another dimension to the chicken tikka masala we ordered. I couldn’t stop thinking about it!
Villa’s Trio from Villa’s Tacos | Los Angeles, CA
These are my (and a lot of other food critics’) favorite tacos in LA. From the melted, crispy cheese on the bottom of the handmade blue corn tortilla, to the scoop of guac on top, there’s simply nothing better out there. The Trio comes with asada, chicken, and chorizo tacos and I cannot pick my favorite. I will gladly trek to this random strip mall in Highland Park for these tacos (is that crazy?), you don’t have to ask me twice.
BBQ Brisket & Mac Pot Pie from Pie Dive Bar | Snohomish, WA
Pie is my favorite dessert. I don’t really go for savory pies, but this slice of BBQ brisket & mac and cheese was served piping hot and fabulous. Pie can be easily ruined by the crust, but no mistakes were made here. Buttery, flakey, and the perfect comfort food. Pie Dive Bar is appropriately named. It was a cozy chill PNW restaurant. My friend and I also obviously had to try a dessert pie, the Humble Crumble, and that was also a very very good idea.
Sunrise Poke from Hale I’a Da Fish House | Waimea, HI
Southern California has good poke, but can anything compare to Hawaii? We went to a fish market for fish and they had some poke, so we tried the Sunrise Poke that had sriracha mayo sauce and it was seriously so amazing and flavorful! Even my dad was a fan and he’s not a big raw fish person.
Dan Dan Noodle from Shang Artisan Noodle | Las Vegas, NV
I was hangry when I ate them, but I know that I would’ve loved these Dan Dan Noodles regardless. There’s just something about hand-ripped noodles that really get me. I can’t (but I can) believe I ate the whole bowl. Las Vegas has some wonderful restaurants off the Strip, and I’d go back to Vegas just to try more food!
Tsukemen from Tsujita ANNEX | Los Angeles, CA
If you haven’t been to Sawtelle Blvd, add it to your list ASAP. Here, you’ll find a whole street of delicious Asian restaurants. Tsujita ANNEX (not to be confused with Tsujita LA across the street) is a tiny restaurant and I had the best tsukemen! Commonly called “dipping noodles,” these Japanese noodles are served separately from the soup, and you dip them in for every bite. The broth was super garlicky and savory and so good on a winter evening in LA!
Catania Pizza from Trenta Pizza & Cucina | Costa Mesa, CA
I met my friends Molly and David down in Orange County for dinner, and we had the best time at Trenta!! The Catania pizza had a pistachio pesto spread and mortadella, and was very similar to a pizza I had in Chelsea Market in NY a few years ago. It’s one of my favorite flavor combinations and I’m glad I don’t have to fly across the country for it.
Fusili alla Vodka from Donna’s | Los Angeles, CA
Vodka pasta has been all the rage for the past few years, and I’ve had a decent amount of it. I feel like Donna’s has been hyped up a lot this year, and thankfully this dish didn’t disappoint! I loved this type of noodle and the sauce was perfectly flavored, not too spicy, but still had a kick!
Black Sesame Latte from Coffeeholic House | Bellevue, WA
This is such a cute spot! I’m not a coffee person, but I loved this latte! It doesn’t taste like coffee at all. I’ve never seen a black sesame latte at any other cafe and I will definitely be back to try their other drinks.
Pistachio Gelato from Vittorio Vanini | Zurich, Switzerland
Vittorio Vanini is most known for being a chocolate house from Switzerland, but their gelato is INSANE. This pistachio gelato was the most creamy, sticky, decadent gelato I’ve ever had, even in Italy. They say that you know a pistachio gelato is going to be good if it isn’t bright green, and this one certainly isn’t. My only regret is that we didn’t have time to go back again.
Bread Pudding from Sunday Gravy | Inglewood, CA
The Italian food at Sunday Gravy was good, but this bread pudding dessert was divine!! It’s made from Hawaiian bread (incredible), and the marsala caramel sauce simply melts in your mouth. It’s the only dessert besides ice cream on the menu, and you absolutely can’t miss it.
Yuzu Meringue Croiffin from Fondry | Los Angeles, CA
There are few places in LA that will have a line out the door at 9 am on a Sunday. I waited 40 mins at Fondry in Highland Park, and I was rewarded with a golden crispy, citrusy, sweet but not too sweet croissant-muffin of my dreams. Truly a masterpiece! I’ve never had anything like it and I don’t know if I ever will again. Except I will, because I already know I will be going back.
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