I'm alive and I have one last "best of 2024" list for you to read
Best NYC restaurants of 2024 as awarded by yours truly (you're welcome)
A couple of years ago, I spent a full day with my friend Ben. In the evening, I asked him what his favorite part of the day had been; annoyed, he responded, “I’m not going to rank the parts of the day, Hannah. That’s not how I think.”
This was shocking news to me — I thought everyone loved comparing things. I, for one, love to judge everything. (Are you guys on Beli?) Now that I know that this isn’t pure human nature and is instead one of my personal characteristics, I’ve realized that the trait is hereditary, at least in part; you can check out my father’s recent “Best of 2024” list to get a sense of where I got it from.
Anyway, my love of judgment makes this, the reflective period at the turn of each year, my most treasured week, a time when I can finally force everyone around me to contemplate, too. At first, I wanted to serve you all a list of my top ten restaurants of the year in celebration. Then I delayed, because I found writing it boring. So, instead of a generic top ten restaurant list delivered in a timely manner, I’ve put together a list that is a week late, far more eclectic, and far less SEO-friendly. Enjoy!
Best totally random highlights from my food-related experiences of 2024
Favorite interview: Hetty Lui McKinnon (of Tenderheart)
This summer, I got sent on assignment to chat with Hetty Lui McKinnon, whose plant-based cookbook Tenderheart had just won a James Beard award. Hetty agreed to meet with me at a cafe between us and came equipped with a copy of Tenderheart that she gifted to me. I’ve never held a warmer interview; Hetty is funny, generous, and kind, and we chatted about life and the Park Slope Food Co-op for a long time after I turned off my recorder. Ever since, I’ve been making my way through her recipes, which are total crowd-pleasers.
Here’s my full story on her win, complete with the worst lede I’ve ever allowed to be published under my name: “For most eaters, the word "salad" conjures a plate of leafy greens.” (Yikes.)
Scariest interview: Jason Birchard (of Veselka)
In May, I was invited to the friends and family night of the opening for the second location of Veselka, the East Village’s legendary Ukrainian diner. Once I secured my table, I immediately started hounding poor Vitalii (head of communications for Veselka, seemingly, and also a star of the Veselka movie) to tell me when I could sit down with Jason Birchard, the third-generation owner of the restaurant. Vitalii told me we could arrange an interview in person; I assumed it would take place days later, if not weeks.
Imagine then my horror when I greeted Vitalii and he led me straight to Jason himself, telling me I had five minutes. This was the first interview I ever conducted without scripting my questions. Despite my crippling anxiety, Jason was great, and everything turned out fine. Here’s the resulting story.
Best innovation: Heart ice cubes
I have recently started making heart-shaped ice cubes. To turn them red (and flavorful), I put two dried sour cherries in each slot, fill the tray up with water, and then, in the process of freezing, the hearts turn this brilliant color. Such a dazzling treat. Three of the people to whom I have served these bad boys have posted pics of their drinks on Instagram. No affiliate links here — sorry — but still. Consider it!
Meal I ate the most but never wrote about: Banh mi at Diem Eatery
Atlantic Avenue’s Diem Eatery doesn’t do itself any favors, branding-wise; from the street, it’s hard to tell what it serves (what is an “eatery”?), so it presents mostly like a cafe, effectively concealing its big secret — that this place serves the best banh mi in Brooklyn.
Yes — better than Hanco’s, better than Banhmigos, better than 5ive Spice (which is top of my list for worst names of all time, btw). I love the banh mi with chicken, which is higher quality, brighter, and moister than similar sandwiches from competitors, and comes dressed with cucumber, picked carrot, and daikon. To package it, the banh mi is cut cleanly in two, then placed into two wax paper sleeves that slide side-by-side into a paper bag. It’s easy to eat without making a mess, and $11-something with tax. Go, but do NOT tell your friends.
Favorite story I wrote: Moveable Feasts
This piece, about small supper clubs in Brooklyn run by chefs under 30, was my first story for Brooklyn Magazine. After I pitched it via email, the editor’s response saying he was interested in the piece went straight to my spam folder, which was the cause of much confusion and even a little panic. Yet once I sorted that issue out and started interviewing these young chefs, I loved writing this story, mostly because I wanted to be friends with everyone I spoke to. The end result is my favorite piece of the year. Check it out here.
Biggest disappointment: Fatboy at SYKO
New Yorker food critic Hannah Goldfield has called this sandwich — the “Fatboy,” from Syrian/Korean fusion restaurant SYKO — one of the best things she’s ever eaten. As a lesser Hannah who also critiques food, I am inclined to get excited when Hannah Goldfield says she’s excited. But I hated the Fatboy!
This sandwich, chicken bulgogi with rice wrapped in a thick Korean scallion pancake, did nothing for me. The starchy pancake and rice collaborate to create an overall gumminess; inside the wrap, the lettuce is slick and hard to chew. The only textural respite comes from the pickled daikon, which is not enough to save it. Did not finish; not sure if I trust Ms Goldfield anymore.
Coolest thing I ate: Fresh tortillas at Cocina Tradicional Casa de Blanca (Tzintzuntzan, Mexico)
In the Spring, one of my MFA professors invited me on a writing retreat in Mexico. While there, we traveled by bus to eat at Cocina Tradicional Casa de Blanca, where chef Blanca Villagómez serves traditional Purepecha fare in a gorgeous, airy villa. Purepecha people are indigenous to the Michoacán region, and Blanca’s restaurant aims to preserve and formalize their culinary traditions — for her efforts, she has been recognized as the national Cocinera Tradicional del Año.
Given her accolades, it’s no surprise that every single detail of Blanca’s food feels special. If you’ve never had a good tortilla, it’s hard to imagine what could elevate it. Yet Blanca’s fresh, perfect tortillas, rolled out and baked until puffy, are without doubt better than an average tortilla, with a flavor all their own. Definitely the coolest thing I ate this year.
Most memorable dining experience: Psaraki
Psaraki, a Greek spot right on the water in South Williamsburg, opened in July. Owner James Paloumbis asked me to arrive there for my tasting via ferry, to simulate an authentically Greek experience, and it worked — my friend Zoe and I arrived blissed out and wowed by the oceanic grandeur of the space, and then ate so much delicious, simple Greek food we almost burst. (Bonus points for gluten-free breading on everything fried in-house, which James says he is the first to implement for Greek food.) At the end of the meal at Psaraki, you’re given a postcard to send to friends, as if you’ve truly been on vacation. Unforgettable! Check out my Psaraki review for more stunning pics.
Best brunch: Sailor
In October, my boyfriend took me to the highly-lauded Fort Greene bistro Sailor for a birthday dinner. The food was just as good as everyone says it is, but we realized halfway through the meal that we had messed up — the French toast pictured above was only on the brunch menu. It was clear we needed to come back.
This is one of those spots that book out weeks in advance the second the reservations drop, but we managed to return in late December, and we secured the toast. It’s dense and decadent, the consistency of bread pudding, served in a pool of warm, watery maple syrup, with a dollop of vanilla cream and a very liberal pat of butter. Eggs, etc. are good here too, but seriously — this is a knockout dish. Best brunch of 2024 without competition.
Best new restaurant of 2024: Theodora
My best new restaurant of the year is Fort Greene’s new Mediterranean gem Theodora. Theodora’s owner Tomer Blechman, who began his empire with the perennially popular Miss Ada, has also since opened the fantastic nearby bakery Thea — I’m maybe worried he’s going to have a monopoly over Fort Greene food soon — but for now, Theodora, the most fine dining-y of the three, remains my favorite.
I visited these glorious open-fire grills way back in February, starting the year off strong. I sat alone at the bar, made friends with a very cool author/musician named Howard to whom I gave one of my exquisite grilled shrimps, and immediately knew I had happened across something special. Unfortunately, I’m not the only person who has Theodora ranked first on their year-in-review list; someone told the food community about it (me? Probably not), and now it’s the #1 ranked new restaurant in the NYC area, which makes it difficult to go. Read my coverage of Theodora’s opening here, and when you go, order the shrimp.
Here’s hoping that you, too, had a great year of eating, and that 2025 will be even better.
Love,
Hannah
OK sorry to blow up your spot, but I happened to come across this just now (googling myself, as one does) and I need to tell you that the pancake did NOT look like that when I wrote about it (several years ago!) which leads me to believe that what you ate was a generally inferior version. This is the problem with restaurant writing! You cannot guarantee consistency, especially over time :( Sorry to have let you down.
Psaraki looks damn good, gonna need to hit it!!