2020 In Review: Best Restaurants
We love trying new restaurants, so a year in review series wouldn't be complete without a best restaurants list. Our original goal was to do a top 10 list, but we couldn't do it, so we have our top 20 restaurants of 2020 instead. This list includes a mix of restaurants in our home town of Charlotte and restaurants we tried while traveling.
2020 was a hard year for restaurants. Takeout is not our favorite way to enjoy a new restaurant, but we made it work and found some of our favorite restaurants this year. We do believe the restaurants we visited in the first 2.5 months of the year had a bit of an unfair advantage since we were able to dine in.
This list is a combined ranking by both Anthony and I.
1. Fin & Fino
Charlotte, North Carolina
Our favorite restaurant of the year was one we enjoyed for my birthday dinner. The best way to experience Fin & Fino is going with a large group and ordering the treatment. They'll give you a variety of dishes from the menu (and a some not on the menu too) that are shared between everyone. Sharing a bunch of dishes with a group of people is our favorite way to dine. We got to try most of the menu and everything was fantastic. The menu is seafood focused and our favorite dishes were the Lobster & Truffles and Octopus & House Sausage.
2. Red Iguana
Salt Lake City, Utah
This Salt Lake City staple is popular for a reason. This was a stop on our RV trip and was hands down our favorite meal of the trip. Even my dad, who is not usually a fan of takeout, loved it. They're known for their mole and we still dream about it. We tried three of their moles and our favorite was the Mole Poblano which came on the Enchiladas Suizas. This is far and away the best Mexican food we've ever had.
3. Momofuku Noodle Bar
New York City, New York
2020 was the year we started going to NYC on weekend trips just to spend almost the entire time eating food. We plan to continue this tradition once the pandemic is over. This was our first time eating at a David Chang restaurant and we plan to eat at one every time we're in NYC. We made the mistake of ordering the fried chicken with only 4 people which was entirely too much food (although it was delicious). We couldn't come here and not get noodles though, so we also got the Extra Spicy Pork Belly Ramen. The heat nearly killed me, but this was the best ramen I've ever had. I want to go back and try more noodle dishes because I have to imagine they're equally amazing.
4. Mi Noodle Bar
New York City, New York
Continuing with the NYC noodle trend, we found this restaurant on our second trip to NYC of the year (yes, we went to NYC twice in 2 months). I'm incredibly sad to have just learned that this restaurant is now closed. I'm assuming it was a casualty of the pandemic. Their Asian fusion dishes were rich with flavor. The Xete had my favorite broth and the Khao Soi was amazing. RIP and thanks for the memories.
5. Russ & Daughters
New York City, New York
This is one of the few places that was so good in NYC that we went both times we were there. I can't imagine we will ever take a trip to NYC and not stop at Russ & Daughters for a bagel. There are so many different kinds of fish here it's overwhelming. We've gone with the strategy of just picking one that looks good and it's worked out great so far. They give you a ton of fish which I love. The goat cream cheese is my favorite so far. It's hard to go wrong here. Just get a bagel with lox and cream cheese.
6. Katz's Delicatessen
New York City, New York
Maybe it's now starting to make sense why we go to New York City just to eat food. We can't get enough and the city is filled with amazing restaurants. This was exactly what I expected a New York deli to be. It's packed wall to wall with people and it's a whoever pushes their way to the front gets to order kind of situation. Get a Rueben and definitely add pastrami to it. I recommend splitting it with someone because the sandwich is stacked high with meat.
7. Koloa Fish Market
Koloa, Kauai, Hawaii
It's really hard to beat fresh poke and we've never had any that compares to what we had in Hawaii. The poke in Hawaii just comes with fish and sauce. The rice comes on the side and some places serve sides as well. This is a bit different than what we see in the mainland US with poke bowls coming with an assembly line of toppings all mixed in. I have to say, with fresh fish, I prefer the Hawaiian style where the fish is the star of the dish. The wasabi poke was everyone's favorite.
8. The Goodyear House
Charlotte, North Carolina
We couldn't wait for this restaurant to open. We first discovered Chef Coleman when he was at Stoke. We put off trying The Goodyear House for so long because we wanted to dine in for the first time. As the pandemic stretched on, we gave up on waiting and ordered takeout. This place does a fantastic takeout service. Our favorite dishes were the Marinated Shrimp and the Red Devil Chicken Sandwich. We can't wait to go back for dine in to try more of the menu once the pandemic is over.
9. Passage to India
Charlotte, North Carolina
Indian food is one of our favorite cuisines. This place came recommended by a trusted Instagram friend, Appetite and Adventure. This is now our favorite curry we've had. Our favorite dish was the Shai Paneer which is the only time we've had shredded paneer in a dish. Pro tip: always eat vegetarian at Indian restaurants.
10. Jon G's Barbecue
Peachland, North Carolina
We missed the memo when this restaurant was a food truck roaming the streets of Charlotte. Toward the beginning of the pandemic, they shifted from a food truck to a restaurant. That restaurant isn't all that close to Charlotte either. I drove an hour each way to pick up their barbecue and it was worth it. I was so happy when I saw that I could specify that I wanted my brisket fatty. It melted in my mouth. Some other delicious items include the jalapeño cheddar sausage link and the mac and cheese.
11. Bisonte Pizza
Charlotte, North Carolina
We've had Bisonte multiple times, but it wasn't until our most recent trip that we tried their pepperoni pizza. We will never get a specialty pizza again, because while those are also very good, they don't compare to how perfect the pepperoni cups are on the buffalo-style classic. We also love their slightly crispy wings.
12. John's Roast Pork
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
On one trip to Philadelphia for work, we decided to on a mission to find the best cheesesteak in Philadelphia. We tried several and John's Roast Pork blew everyone else out of the water. The sesame seed roll is just delicious. Don't bother with the roast pork, just get another cheesesteak.
13. La Loma
Denver, Colorado
Everyone says to try green chili while in Colorado and when I looked up where to go for it in Denver, this place came to the top of the list. I loved the chile relleno and stuffed sopapilla, but the most important thing is to cover everything in green chili. It's a little spicy and incredibly flavorful. I wish I could find it in Charlotte somewhere.
14. Hattie B's Hot Chicken
Nashville, Tennessee
I always thought a Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich was just a chicken sandwich with buffalo sauce on it until I came here. This made me realize that it's more of a spicy seasoning than it is a sauce. The heat level is customizable with 6 different levels. The 3rd hottest was perfect for us. We were only driving through Nashville and this place was 100% worth the quick stop.
15. Biker Jim's Gourmet Dogs
Denver, Colorado
We love loaded hotdog places, but this restaurant was our first time having loaded sausages. After trying things like ostrich and rattlesnake, I think this wins the award for most unique meat we've eaten. Of the meats, the ostrich was my favorite and the desert toppings were my favorite.
16. Sumo Shack
Moorseville, North Carolina
This Asian-American fusion restaurant has all of the flavors we love. Pork belly, kimchi, and bulgogi are all prevalent on the menu. The Sumo Smash Burger was probably my favorite thing, but the Sumo Mac and Cheese and the Sumo Philly were delicious as well. I wanted to order almost everything on the menu, so I look forward to visiting again.
17. Ace No 3
Charlotte, North Carolina
We aren't the only ones that will say this is the best burger in Charlotte. Ace's menu is dead simple: burgers, fries, and shakes. When the burger is as good as it is, there's no need for anything else. Go with the signature Ace Burger. It's a smash burger dripping in cheese with the most delicious comeback sauce. Their fries are also my favorite in Charlotte.
18. Chilito
Charlotte, North Carolina
These breakfast tacos took Charlotte by storm during the pandemic with their weekly Saturday morning popups. They're everything I want in a breakfast taco—egg, cheese, onions, peppers, potatoes, and meat. The pork belly was my favorite of the three meats.
19. Bombay Chaat
Cleveland, Ohio
Since we love Indian street food so much, Anthony chose this spot for his birthday dinner last year while we were quarantining with my parents. Of the street food we had, my favorite was the Samosa Chole. This was also when I discovered my love for Malai Kofta and I still haven't found a better version.
20. Gazebo Restaurant
Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii
This restaurant mostly made the list because of Anthony's love for brunch. I got to see sea turtles while waiting in the hour long line, so that made it worth it. I'm not a big fan of brunch, but the combination pancakes were probably the best pancakes I've had. They came with banana, pineapple, macadamia nut, whipped cream, and we added white chocolate. I also loved the fried rice.
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