Top 6 tastes of 2023
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- 2023 is coming to a close and although it wasn't the easiest to narrow down a list of standouts, 6abc's Jessica Boyington was able to get it done. Here are her top tastes of 2023!
1) Stuffed Hash Browns from Butcher and Singer
With its old Hollywood vibe, Butcher and Singer is the perfect Center City retreat for a perfectly cooked steak and a deliciously dirty martini...but this is the only restaurant on the list where a side dish rose to the top. Anything you decide on for an entree will be fantastic, but you must order the Stuffed Hash Browns on the side of it. Think crispy shredded potatoes stuffed with diced potatoes, sour cream, and sweet vidalia onions. It's a salty, crunchy, masterpiece.
2) Classic Smash Patty from Huda
At Huda, Chef Yehuda Sichel is the brains behind the most beautiful burger concoctions that make up their menu. Japanese milk buns are baked fresh in house every single day, and while toppings can include macaroni and cheese, or spicy chilis, what made this list is the classic smash patty with American cheese, caramelized onions, pickled tomatoes, and a dollop of Huda sauce.
3) Nasu Dengaku at Royal Izakaya
You can get on the waitlist for the highly exclusive sought after seat at Chef Jesse Ito's Royal Sushi Omakase, or you can try Ito's Japanese menu at Royal Izakaya. There, I found an appetizer that he has been enjoying since he was a boy in his father's kitchen, it's called Nasu Dengaku, which translates to "eggplant with miso glaze". It's finished under the broiler and topped with sesame seeds. It melts in your mouth.
4) Chicken Fried Lobster from Steak 48
At Broad Street's high end steak house, Steal 48, a decadent meal is always on the menu. To me, the fanciest feast always includes a little lobster...The Chicken Fried Lobster. Chef lightly fries two lobster tails until crispy and serves them with a side of green chili aioli. If I'm feeling extra hungry, I order it as a topper on my steak, to make one of the best surf and turfs in Philadelphia.
5) & 6) Crab & Herring Spaghetti & Assassin's Handbook at Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that Rittenhouse's Friday, Saturday, Sunday won the 2023 James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant...and honestly there are about a million reasons why...but at least two of them are right on their bar menu. The Crab and Herring Spaghetti with toasted nori, and the only cocktail to make this list, the Assassin's Handbook. (The name is peculiar and the combination of Appleton Rum, cognac, Averna, and mulled wine shrub with habanero isn't something I'd typically order, but it's made a believer out of me!) A sip of this cocktail and one twirl of the spaghetti will prove to you what the hype of this award winning restaurant is all about.
